Page 14 - 2021 - 01 - CCS InTouch - web_Classical

A Sign of Hope in the

Midst of a Pandemic
by Mr. A. Boonstra

Back in the early summer of 2020, I
was responsible for writing a story for a
program that I had joined a couple years
earlier. As part of the course work for the
Van Lunen Fellowship Program, I wrote
about the journey of how Calvin Christian
School arrived at the decision to purchase
the Unity Campus. I have altered the end-
ing of the story because of the COVID-19
health crisis. This is that story with an
addendum that includes the opening of
the campus in September for our grade 7
and 8 students.

I HAVEN’T BEEN on a roller coaster for roller coaster myself in my role as vice After sharing the consultant’s demo-
a long time, but I certainly remember the principal, supporting the school board and graphic study with the supporting school
exhilarating feeling of slowly climbing up its principal in the initial steps of exploring community via a town hall session, we
a steep section of track, only to come options for families lingering on a waiting began to consider which options might be
flying down the other side and whipping list for admission into our school. available to us in terms of servicing the
around a corner at breakneck speed. I families on our waiting list and potential
also remember hanging on for dear life We started the process off slowly and families moving into the region. A second
when whipping around those corners and gradually picked up speed. We found our- town hall session was organized for the
at times wondering if we would safely selves taking the tentative first few steps of supporting community to participate in
complete the ride. Roller coasters are exploring different scenarios and options. round table discussions and once again
inherently about the ups and downs and The board hired a consultant to carry out have the opportunity to let their voices be
twist and turns, which is why they are a demographic study of Hamilton and the heard. We delved more deeply into the
often used as a metaphor for life. At times surrounding area, and what that study pros and cons of various possibilities, the
you race through sections of track hang- revealed was largely what we had been logistical impacts of those possibilities
ing on through the sharp curves, while at experiencing-- a wave of families vacat- on children and families, and the finan-
other times you crawl along listening to ing the greater Toronto area and moving cial and organizational feasibility of each
the tick of the track underneath you. into the more affordable Hamilton and option. These were exciting times. The
surrounding area. While the demographic enthusiasm was palpable and the conver-
I feel like Calvin Christian School’s pursuit study told us that people were moving into sation robust.
of a satellite campus is analogous to the the greater Hamilton area, it didn’t tell us
ride on a roller coaster. CCS was found- who they were or if they might want Chris- From these conversations, the CCS
ed in 1952 and has since established tian education. We knew determining this board of directors compiled the input from
itself as a reputable institution of Chris- would be a task for down the road. the membership and began to synthesize
tian elementary education in the greater what appeared to be the most logical way
Hamilton, Ontario area. It is perhaps that An important and necessary next step of moving forward. We landed on four
reputation that has fostered a desire for was to involve the school membership in specific options as possible solutions in
Christian education in the community that the growth plans. A town hall was sched- solving our capacity concerns. They were:
has pushed CCS to its enrollment capac- uled that allowed the membership to give
ity. There have been many conversations voice to what they thought might be a 1. Southward Development - grow
in recent years that have explored the wise course of action. I believe this action in the region south of CCS with a
potential for another Christian elementary was critical in looking to the future. Our development of a JK-8 school, pro-
school in the Hamilton area. The fact that membership would eventually be enlisted vided that this satellite campus had
CCS has had a waiting list of prospective to support any project both prayerfully a schooling model similar to CCS.
parents for many years accelerated those and financially. We had to ensure that any
discussions, and a few years ago the steps taken were not arising out of our 2. Middle School - develop a middle
school board and its lead administrator own kingdom building plans, but from a school for Grade 6-8 provided that
took very specific steps to determine if real desire to grow God’s Kingdom and to the school was located on either
a second campus was feasible. It was provide a viable option for families seek- Hamilton District Christian High
perhaps at this time that I hopped on the ing Christian education. lands or CCS lands for ease of

14 inTouch February 2021