Legacy Lens - Fall 2022

Extended Care Begins at the East Campus

Legacy parents and young stu dents are both thrilled about Ex tended Care, a new before and after school childcare program for Preschool and Young Fives students. After a summer of preparation in the newly renovated Extended Care classroom, this popular program now cares for 30 students. Currently, three of the five school days are at full capacity.

Each week, students read stories, play games, and create crafts that correspond with the Theme of the Week for the school. “We are excit ed to see where God leads us next with this new program,” says Heather Quist, Extended Care Lead Teacher.

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McKenna, Preschool Student

More than 100 golfers com peted in Legacy’s 2nd Annual Golf Outing at Stonewater Country Club in September raising over $30,000! Although the weath er forecast didn’t look promising, only a few holes were impacted by the rain. It was a wonderful day to golf, see other Legacy families and supporters, and enjoy spending time in community with each other. The outing was supported by 30 gener ous sponsors, and our raffle prizes were donated by 15 local businesses. Thank you for supporting and pray ing for this event. We hope to see you in 2023!

Thank you to our title sponsors: Inontime, Insignia Homes, Tru Kitchens, Van Solkema Family Farms & VerBurg Concrete

2nd Annual Golf Outing Raises over $30,000!

I LOVE the caterpillar room!

Message from the Head of School

The start of a new school year brings an opportunity for reflection and renewal. We celebrate our Legacy Christian graduates who have gone on to live out their calling as Christ-Followers and Kingdom-Builders. We also rejoice in the faithfulness shown to our community recently through our successful Phase 1 renovation of the West Campus and five classrooms at the East Campus.

Today, the updates at our campuses bring fresh excitement for the future. We are encouraged in the promise of fur ther renewal as we plan ahead for Phase 2 of our renovation and the continued support of our Capital Campaign.

As a school community we are thankful for both the foundation that those that have come before us have built and for the promise of an exciting new future.

VanBeek Head of School

Jay Morren – President

Danielle Mier – Vice President

Joe Ponstein - Treasurer

Melissa Ouwinga – Secretary

Cinda Wilson – Vicar

Todd Brigham

Matt DeVries

Lisa Ellens

Rachael Heyboer

Marcus Krosschell

Angela Lee

Steve VandenBerg

Kate VanWyngarden

Please join us in welcoming these new faculty members to the Legacy community!

Thank you to Renee McCaul for her gift of photography throughout this newsletter!

Brad

LOURDES POY 5th Grade Spanish Immersion

CHAD ROZEMA Band

MANDY MAHONEY Spanish

MIA KURKECHIAN Technology

Building a Legacy Capital Campaign Support Grows

When Legacy students burst through the school doors this fall, they discovered more than new books and clean classrooms.

“Last year, the sidewalk was bumpy, but we can run much faster now! Lots of kids came to play ‘Red Light, Green Light’ at recess,” said second-grader Eliza Van Wyngarden, explaining the perks of fresh asphalt around the East Campus playground.

In addition to the asphalt, ten school improvement projects have been completed since the spring of 2022, thanks to funding from the Building a Legacy Capital Campaign. Work intensified during the summer break, with new landscaping, polished con

crete flooring, and a partial steel roof replacement at the West Campus. East Campus entries were updated for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and both campus es replaced classroom furniture and installed security cameras before the school year began.

Nearly 50 guests toured the class rooms during an open house on Sep tember 15, where school community members celebrated the campaign progress. “We want everyone to see how their gifts support Legacy’s mis sion,” said Jay Morren, school board president. “Not only have we mod ernized the classrooms, but improve ments like the ADA entries provide a

welcoming space for all.”

Several projects are still underway, including the remaining West Campus roof replacement, slated for com pletion this fall. Upcoming projects include polishing concrete floors in the East Campus hallways, remodeling more classrooms at both campuses, and replacing boilers as funds become available.

You can support the campaign by giv ing online at legacycs.org, in person at either campus, or by mailing a check to Legacy Christian School at 67 68th Street SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49548.

Donations made before December 19 will be matched by a generous donor, up to $500,000.

Legacy celebrates a successful Phase 1 with students and teachers enjoying updates to classrooms, shared spaces, and outdoor areas.

The new tables make grouping kids so quick and efficient. The new TV and document camera make it so I can easily share my papers and my computer screen, but my favorite part is the cubbies in my classroom! Each child has a spot that is just for their things at a height made for them.

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Merridith Snyder, English Kindergarten

Spotlight: Outdoor Education

At the beginning of the school year, students from 5th and 6th Grade visited Gun Lake for a day of games, reflection on the upcoming school year and bonding. Our 7th Graders spent three days at Camp Roger for Outdoor Education with the other schools of the SSCS. Our 8thGraders went to Camp Scottie for an overnight Spiritual and Leadership Retreat.

Teaching for Transformation

Each school year, Legacy stu dents work to build welcoming classroom communities for every student as part of our Teaching for Transformation framework. This year, however, sixth grade students are building community in a new and challenging way.

“This is the first year that students from Spanish Immersion and English language tracks are sharing classes in math, science, and English reading,” explains instructional leader and sci ence teacher Tim Leugs. “This sched uling change presents opportunities for our students to be with class mates that they’ve seldom shared a class with outside of PE or music. But it also presents a challenge: How can two groups of students in established learning communities develop com munity together?”

To address this challenge, Leugs and English teacher Lori Bolt led students through a study of The Wild Robot, a novel by Peter Brown. Students read to see how characters engaged in living God’s Story of Cre ation, Fall, Redemption, and Restora tion, specifically through the process

of community building. Working in small groups, partners, individually, and as a class, students searched for glimpses of God’s Story in the characters and events of the animals’ “Community of the Wilderness.”

Throughout the process, students reflected on the ways that reading and science can be community endeavors. “We each bring different perspectives to the stories of our lives and observations of God’s creation,” says Leugs. “God uses those to help us see his fingerprints throughout the world.”

How a community bonds through literature and sees God’s fingerprints throughout the world.

Legacy Christian School

67 68th Street SW Grand Rapids, Michigan 49548

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