OCSI

CONNECTIONS Fall 2020 Edition

Back to School What an amazing blessing it has been to be able to open the doors of OCSI this fall! We're thankful for each member of our community that has joined us in praying for a safe Back to School in 2020.

EXCEL GROW SERVE

Okinawa
Christian School
International 1835 Zakimi, Okinawa Yomitan 904-0301 JAPAN +81-98-958-3000 www.ocsi.org

Okinawa Christian School International is excited to be serving students from all over the world for the 63rd consecutive school year. Thank you for joining with us in prayer and support for another year of equipping students to walk with Jesus and impact the world for Him.

snoitcennoC ISCO "From Pre-K to Grade 12, we are committed to helping all of our students Excel in Academics and Grow as Learners, who are Equipped to Serve God and others. Let's have a great school year EAGLES!" -Mrs. Roe

Child Safety at OCSI Okinawa Christian School International is committed to ensuring the safety and protection of our students. By partnering with the Child Safety Protection Network (CSPN) for staff training and designing our policies, we strive to create a safe environment where students are protected and treated with respect and dignity. All students and community members who suspect or have witnessed mistreatment are encouraged to utilize the Child Safety Reporting Form, found on the OCSI website. All students and staff are trained as mandated reporters and our Student Care Team is available for students who need to discuss sensitive topics with a trusted adult. 2020-2021 Student Care Team: Mr. Roe, Mrs. Lopez, Mr. Cusumano, Ms. Turner, Mr. Pallmann, & Mrs. Roe

From the Head of School's Desk I'm sure that the year 2020 has taught us all many things, but for me it has been a great reminder about what is really important in life. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve at OCSI each day and to be surrounded by smiling faces of students who are eager to Excel in Academics, Grow as Learners, and who are becoming Equipped to Serve God and others! It is my prayer that this year would bring about amazing growth for all of our students-intellectual, physical, social-emotional, and spiritual growth. As you may remember, OCSI is dually accredited by two agencies, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). This February we are scheduled for our mid-term visit as we our halfway through our most recent six year accreditation term. We are excited for the opportunity to share all that has been happening at OCSI and to continue making progress on our School Wide Action Plan: Further develop the culture to reflect the philosophy, values, and vision. Use data to improve decision making and evaluate compliance. Further develop and implement a standards-based and Bible-based curriculum to include increased use of technology and higher rates of English proficiency. Improve organizational stability and sustainability. Blessings & peace to your families, Megan Roe

snoitcennoC yratnemelE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (PK-5) The days are hot, but elementary students are enjoying every minute of outdoor recess times!

ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL UPDATE Sarah Turner After a long stretch of online

OCSI elementary students are

learning and summer break, it

also becoming Equipped to

was plain to see that many

Serve! This year we were

elementary students were

excited to be able to share in a

excited to be back at OCSI,

wonderful opportunity to pack

learning with their friends.

shoeboxes for children in the Philippines. We partnered with

OCSI elementary students are

Calvary Chapel Okinawa's

Excel(ing) in Academics by

"Christmas in September"

working hard reviewing content

program.

from the spring and building on that foundation to gain further

Each elementary class adopted

knowledge and skills in reading,

one shoebox and students

writing, math, and more.

donated items such as crayons, combs, toys, toothbrushes, and

OCIS elementary students are

so much more!

also Grow(ing) as Learners by working collaboratively to solve

In total, we collected 17

challenging math problems and

shoeboxes and we look forward

using technology like Google

to more opportunities to serve

Classroom and SeeSaw to

in the future!

deepen and share their learning.

OCSI EAGLES Soar! "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

SNOITCENNOC YRADNOCES

SECONDARY SCHOOL (6-12)

SECONDARY SCHOOL UPDATE Daniel Pallmann

"The students are so excited to be able to participate in athletic activities with their classmates!" Welcome Back to School What an exciting start to the school year. This year both Middle and High school students participated in a Friendship Friday event. Friendship Friday is a time to meet and welcome new students, as well as enjoy some games and snacks. MAP Testing 6th-11th grade students took part in the Fall MAP testing in October. This test provides teachers with valuable data of what topics students have mastered or not. Additionally, the Spring tests will show how much growth students have made throughout the year. Test results will be sent home soon.

PSAT 9th-11th Graders also took the PSAT. This is a test that helps prepare students to take the SAT, an important part of the college application process SAT OCSI will host the SAT test on Saturday, December 5; Registration Deadline is November 5, 2020.

Lunch & Sports Clubs OCSI is delighted to be able to offer several "lunch time" clubs this year to provide students with an opportunity to pursue their extra curricular interests.

SNOITCENNOC YRADNOCES

While we are not able to have sports teams just yet due to COVID restrictions, we are excited to offer several after school sports clubs. It's great to see students staying active and healthy! Running Club (6th-12th): Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Volleyball Club (8th-12th): Tuesday-Thursday Volleyball Club (6th-7th): Friday

Secondary Update Continued Reading Buddies Some secondary classes are taking the time to read to the younger classes. The elementary students love it when they have visits from the "big kids". In order to stay safe and healthy, we went outside on the playground. We love seeing our students engage with one another in meaningful learning opportunities.

New Equipment We have added the following equipment to help our teachers: Ball cage - To store our new recess time basketballs and soccer balls. Television for Physical Education class - Instructional videos are now available for teachers to use during instruction. Hula Hoop Holder - You would not believe what a mess a bunch of hoops can make! Not anymore with this hoop organizer.

Service Club OCSI Service Club devoted part of their Sunday in October to help out at a local Yomitan Flea Market. They partnered with a local organization and helped gather donated items to sell them all to help local families in need.

THE LION'S ROAR MARCH ISSUE 2

SCHOOL SAFETY DURING COVID Eleina Pyle

A big thanks to our staff, parents, and students for working together to stay safe!

We appreciate parents continuing to diligently monitor their children’s health by checking their temperature daily before arriving at school. Students and staff continue to wash hands frequently, wear face masks, and maintain physical distance. We have increased ventilation in classrooms, cafeteria, gym and buses by opening windows and using air purifiers with HEPA filters have also been placed in each classroom. Our contracted cleaning services continue to thoroughly clean and disinfect our campus facilities, with a focus on high traffic areas and surfaces. Classrooms and the playground areas are disinfected daily as well as all school buses, before each route. Our lunch vendor, Cezars, has the following strict sanitation procedures the company has in place: daily temperature monitoring; disinfecting and cleaning of all kitchen areas; use of gloves and face masks for all kitchen activities and COVID19 training for all kitchen staff. In an effort to provide adequate physical distancing for the students, additional outdoor seating and the lunch sessions were increased.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Sosro Karsosoemo Our brand new parking lot, allows us to walk with ease and keep our shoes clean even during Okinawa rainy season. Our new Drop-Off Zone improves the safety and ease of dropping and picking up our students. In the gym, we installed sound absorbing panels to reduce echo and a multi direction speaker on the ceiling to assist students in following the teacher's instructions.

Some major internal improvements that are not as visible is our new accounting system. We moved from a legacy proprietary system to a commercial system supported by local IT vendor. This has improved our day to day operations. The enhanced service includes a complementary cloud service which provides online invoices and balance reports to parents this school year.

For over 63 years, OCSI has provided high quality Christian education for the international and local community.

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Spiritual Growth Okinawa Christian School International is committed to helping your child grow spiritually. Our sincere hope and prayer is that they will truly experience the love of God and salvation through Jesus during their time at OCSI. For more information about Christian churches in Okinawa, please visit our website. https://ocsi.org/spiritual-life/

Chapel This school year our chaplain is visiting each elementary classroom to offer chapel services in a safe manner. Elementary (Grades 1-5), has been focusing on the Life of Jesus, specifically on the teachings and miracles of Jesus. For Pre-K and Kindergarten we have been focusing on the book of Genesis and Creation. Each week is a great opportunity to share about who God is and how much He loves us. Want to know more, feel free to contact our chaplain, Mr. Roe, any time (andyroe@ocsi.org).

Mentoring

Life Groups

This year, OCSI is offering a mentor program for middle school and high school students. This is an opportunity for students to meet regularly with a mentor to talk about their life & faith. Students are encouraged to share their thoughts and questions. The mentor listens, gives advice and prays for the student. This is an opportunity for students to grow in their walk with Jesus and to process their life. If your student is interested in a mentoring opportunity, please encourage them to talk to their homeroom or life group teacher.

We are excited that we have been able to begin our Life Groups for grades 6 to 12. Life Groups are a smaller group of students, usually 7-10, that meet to discuss important life topics once a week. The smaller groups allow students a chance to freely share their thoughts. The group leader is also able to share real life examples that can connect with students. We want to ensure that each student has someone on campus they feel they can talk with about school, life, future plans, and anything else that may be on their mind.

OKINAWA
CHRISTIAN
SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL