The teaching staff at Sarnia Christian School has begun professional development focused on Teaching for Transformation (TfT). In April, a group of staff members attended an open house at Brantford Christian School to take a closer look at this engaging teaching model. TfT uses the Biblical story as a framework for the year and guides students to do real work that meets the real needs of real people
TfT is intended to help students and teachers understand their lives and learning as part of God’s big story – through creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Our curriculum and teaching have always been focused on these themes, and TfT builds on this foundation.
Teachers are challenged to incorporate “Throughlines,” which are discipleship practices students and teachers can engage in throughout their lives.
Our mission at Sarnia Christian School is to integrate faith and learning, to use our gifts in service of God and community, and to equip students with skills and discernment to interact with contemporary culture. TfT is a way to bring our mission to life in new and intentional ways.
FLEx: Foundational Learning Experiences
Learning and service come together in a Foundational Learning Experience (FLEx). In a FLEx, teachers bring together learning from different subject areas and give students an opportunity to think of relevant ways to serve in their learning. We are just a few months into this TfT journey, and our teachers are doing an amazing job embracing the rich learning that comes from these experiences.
Mrs. Riedl’s Grade 1 class has learned about the fascinating plants that God has made during their Creation Studies unit. They baked items for a bake sale to raise money to buy plants, with help from the middle school Discovery Days Cooking class.
Grades 1 and 3 worked together to put on a bake sale, raising money for the Women’s Interval Home and the Grade 1 community project.
They visited Sipkens Nurseries to prepare potted plants, which were given to people in the community, along with cards that express God’s love for the recipient. Giving plants and cards is a way that grade one students can share the love of Jesus with people in Sarnia, answering the guiding question of: “How can we show God’s love to our neighbours?”
Grade 3 students practiced advertising skills in designing posters for a bake sale in midOctober. They worked together with Grade 1 and hosted the sale in the multipurpose room. The sale, with the help of many volunteers, raised almost $900! Most of this total was donated to the Women’s Interval Home, a charity the students had decided upon. The rest was used to fund grade one’s trip to Sipkens, which in turn gave plants to the community surrounding the school.
The Grade 7 class, after reflecting on an item that is important to them and that shows God’s faithfulness in their lives, is looking for “Stories of Faithfulness this year. They will be interviewing and writing stories of community members who have lived through significant historical events. As students research and write these stories, they will be looking for evidence of God’s faithfulness woven through people’s lives in challenging times.
Why TfT? Our strategic planning last year emphasized a focus on service learning in the classroom, along with seeking out an innovative teaching initiative for our teachers and classrooms. While many aspects of TfT have already been present in teaching at Sarnia Christian School, implementing it together supports teachers as we integrate faith and learning in intentional ways, based on our deep hopes (why we do what we do), shown in our storylines (unique, visual representations of learning), and lived out in our FLEx experiences (real work meeting the needs of real people). Teachers appreciate the collaborative style of learning as we support each other’s ideas and brainstorm connections for our students to make, both within the school community and outside of it.
We look forward to continued growth in our learning and practicing of TfT throughout the year!
By Mrs. J. Farris & Mrs. N. Rekman
prayer and support mean a lot!
Our program is built around three foundational pillars:
• faith-integrated education
• personalized learning
• service-oriented leadership
Our learning model, known as Student-Directed Learning, gives students ownership of their growth under the guidance of qualified teachers who act as mentors and coaches. This approach develops critical thinking, independence, and a more profound sense of purpose, skills that prepare students to lead with conviction in an ever-changing world.
Upcoming Event: Parent Information Night
Date: Wednesday, November 5th
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Location: Sarnia Christian School – Secondary Campus (1281 Exmouth St.)
Join us for an evening of vision and conversation. We’ll explore what makes this program distinct, share our plans for launch, and discuss how faith and innovation can shape the next generation of leaders.
Pizza will be served! Bring your students who can hang out in the student lounge, explore the space, and imagine what it would be like to be a Grade 9 student in our high school program.
Families will also have an opportunity to meet the Program Director, ask questions, and learn how to get involved as we prepare for Fall 2026.
Discover how a bold beginning can shape effective leaders of tomorrow.
