AUGUST 2006

Helping Your Child Build Good Survival Habits
Stephen Danish, ICS Administrator

Do you know someone who has heard the truth, taken hold of it and relies on it as a foundation? How about the opposite, where the truth has been revealed yet cast aside, sometimes with severe consequences? We have all heard such stories and can see the faces of those who have taken these different paths. This can happen with two children in the same family or with two students in the same classroom. What is the variable that affects such varied outcomes?

A Habit-Building Environment

A visitor to our school recently described ICS as a place for “building habits of faith and learning.” That phrase caught my attention, especially the word “habits.” Christian educators have been talking about “the integration of faith and learning” for a long time, but the idea of “building habits” offers some fresh perspective and raises some important questions. It causes me to think about the environment for imitation that every school creates, habit-building environments that profoundly influence our children. It causes me to ask some questions about our school’s effectiveness in building such habits.

Habits are something we all have. While we have heard that habits can be learned and unlearned, we also know that they can take on a life of their own, becoming fairly automatic and acted on at an unconscious level. This is why habits are so important. Whether we’re talking about social habits, our reaction to each other, or more personal habits, those impacting our physical wellbeing, good or bad, they have an enormous influence on the way we experience life.

A Parable on Survival Habits

Jesus once stood before a large crowd who had traveled many miles to hear him speak. They hung on his every word because he spoke with unusual authority. Many were so amazed by Jesus that they began to call him Lord and regarded themselves as His followers. After He had spoken for a long time, Jesus looked at the crowd and asked them a question, “Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46-49)

Once Jesus had gotten everyone’s attention with this question, He did what He often did. He told a story. He said, “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like.” Then Jesus told the story about the wise builder who dug deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the house stood firm because it had been well built. Then Jesus contrasted the wise builder with the story of the foolish builder. “But everyone who hears My words and does not act accordingly is like a man building a house on the ground without any foundation.” When the flood came, the house was immediately destroyed, “and the ruin of that house was great.”

When Jesus finished the story, the people were left to ponder the meaning. Jesus had just spent a long time talking about His standards for right living, but His concluding story made a point that many of His listeners needed to understand. The only thing that distinguished the wise builder from the foolish builder was his response to hearing the truth. The wise builder developed the habit of hearing the truth and then doing something about it. Jesus was saying that living rightly is not just a matter of hearing what is right; it’s a matter of doing what is right. It is much more than knowing the law or having a strong sense of moral obligation. It’s actually about living inside the boundaries of God’s reality, the reality that governs the universe. Jesus was talking about building habits of survival in the real world. The foolish builder, by contrast, was the person who got into the habit of hearing the truth and ignoring it. In the end, having lived for so long outside the boundaries of reality, those habits became a foundation of sand, and disaster was inevitable.

A Fundamental Lesson Of Life

Stop and imagine this story of floods and foundations. Let the power of that picture sink in for a moment. It suggests that Jesus was not just talking about optional improvements to the quality of life. He was actually talking about survival. He was talking about whether the very foundation of our lives will hold up or fall apart when the overpowering forces of the world come crashing in. Jesus’ message is powerful and sobering because this is the world we all live in. It is the reality that confronts us every day. For our children, it is a fundamental lesson of life; that hearing the truth and living the truth must always go hand in hand. For all of life they will be challenged to live within the context of God’s law while existing with the laws of “the world.” This is why building habits of faith and learning is so important for an educational institution. Whether it is the habit of adding numbers correctly or the habit of showing kindness to a friend, we are teaching patterns of life that must operate inside the reality of God’s universe.

What Causes our Children to Change?

Christian educators often say “all truth is God’s truth.” Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t guarantee our students will be changed. In fact, there are many people who have heard the truth all their lives and wonder, “Why doesn’t it change me?” The Bible says, “faith comes by hearing the truth” (Romans 10:17), but change comes by responding to the truth (James 1:22-25). As believers in Christ, we value the importance of hearing God’s Word, memorizing scripture and having fellowship with other believers. But in the end, it is the faith-initiated, Spirit-empowered habits that allow us to live inside the pattern of God’s truth. These habits represent a highly personal, individual set of daily choices. They develop through the steps of personal sanctification that God requires of all believers. It would be wonderful if our children could make correct choices on their own, but it requires a community of believers, working together, to guide those steps consistently (godly teachers, involved parents, positive peers).

Education should help our children build good survival habits. It is not just a matter of hearing what is true, or being able to say what is true, or memorizing what is true, or even being able to discuss it on a deep intellectual level. In the end, it is about habits, daily habits of faith and learning, which build a rock-solid foundation for survival in the real world.

The Character of Christ

As Christians, we strive to continually develop the character of Christ. While adults can grasp this phrase and quickly identify ways to develop Christ-likeness, our children need a more illustrative method to understand its true meaning. Early learning occurs through hands-on experience and that’s where the Character in Action (CIA) program plays such an important role in the lives of ICS students.

Implemented in 2001, CIA strives to provide tangible ways for ICS students to experience Christ-likeness for themselves. Its goal has been to challenge students through service and outreach on a school-wide, community-wide and international level. “It challenges them to see what their “Christ-likeness” will look like to others,” says Beverly Atkinson, CIA Committee Chairman. “As students begin serving others through class CIA projects, we hope they will gain an internal desire, or habit, to serve throughout their lives.”

ICS Administrator Steve Danish explains, “At the center of each project is our conviction that God calls us to be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” Jesus said the wise builder in Matthew 7 was a “doer of the word.” He didn’t just listen to the truth and ignore it; he put it into action.” Hence the name … “Character In Action”.

For years ICS has had a “character trait of the month” reviewed in chapel and posted in each classroom. In order to make these traits more relevant and personal, each grade chooses two traits to emphasize throughout the year. These traits are then purposefully tied to each grade’s class service project. “This is what service projects are all about; exercising the muscles of Christian character, not only by listening to the truth, but also by living the truth,” adds Mr. Danish.

Aside from the individual class projects, in 2004 ICS replaced its annual Jog-A-Thon fund drive with Serve-A-Thon. “Serve-A-Thon was such a blessing and success as it provided students with additional opportunities to serve the community, rather than just ‘running laps’,” Beverly notes. “It grew even bigger the second year as God linked us with an inner-city D.C. public school, Mary Church Terrell Elementary.” Our middle school students spent a morning together with MCT students packing school supplies and writing letters to orphans in Russia. The Principal of MCT, Ms. Tanya Deskins, appreciated ICS providing an opportunity for her students to ‘serve and give’ to needy children overseas.” ICS 6th graders continue their relationship with MCT throughout the year as book buddies to MCT 2nd and 4th graders.

God is also blessing ICS with an international component, by opening even more doors of opportunity to share the love of Christ. Ten percent of donations collected during Serve-A-Thon are given to three international sister-schools in Romania, Zambia and India. Representatives from each school have visited ICS, Mr. Danish reciprocated visits to two of the schools, we exchange pictures and the students in Mrs. McCoys’ 1st grade class have become “e-mail pals” with our Romanian friends. In fact, students at Richard Wurmbrand Christian School in Romania decided to continue the blessing and Christ-like service by delivering Christmas boxes to children with greater need in more remote areas of Romania.

The CIA program would not be what it is if it weren’t for the commitment of parent volunteers. “The parent volunteers are the backbone of this committee,” says Beverly emphatically. Each grade has a Service Parent who helps the teachers carryout the CIA and Serve-A-Thon projects for the year. There are also three parents at the committee level who support and coordinate with the service parents on each team. (See The Team Teaching Approach article here). These Parent Liaisons work closely with a faculty representative from each team. “The parents and teachers have been invaluable and given sacrificially to insure the success of this undertaking,” she adds.

The CIA program continues to grow and strengthen to provide a variety of opportunities for ICS students to practice, experience, and grow intheir journeyto become more Christ-like. The foundation of “being doers of the word” must be laid early to initiate the habit of outward thinking in everyday interaction with peers and beyond our walls and borders.

New Assistant Administrator

ICS would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Chad Schneider. He, along with his wife Shelly and their four children, has joined the ICS team as the Assistant Administrator. They moved here from Mountain Lake, Minnesota where Mr. Schneider served as the principal for Mountain Lake Christian School.

Mr. Schneider has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with Iowa State certification and has just completed the coursework toward a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Cedarville University. He has served in Christian schools for the past eleven years, five of which have been in administration. He comes to us with a broad base of experience, teaching at the elementary, middle and high school levels, including secondary level math, chemistry, Spanish, Bible and technology. In addition to general administration experience, curriculum development and faculty supervision, Mr. Schneider has also worked closely with students in the coordination of chapel programs, student councils, high school mission trips and coaching soccer and basketball teams.

Mrs. Schneider will be on campus quite a bit as three of their children will be enrolled at ICS this year. Madison will be in 2nd grade, Neil in K-FD and Ethan in K-AM. Rylie just turned four and will be at home this year.

We look forward to Chad’s ministry at Immanuel Christian School and the important role he will play on the administrative team.

Choosing for the Future

If you were listening to WAVA this summer you may have heard the voice of Jay Velasquez, the father of new ICS first grader, Bennett. Jay says, “You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your children to choose a Christian education.” Jay and his wife, Karen, visited our Open House last February and were impressed with the warm atmosphere they found. Jay goes on to say there were three things that helped them decide on ICS: faith, academics and a nurturing environment.

Jenny Park has enrolled her son, Timothy, in second grade. She also was impressed with the friendly reception when she visited the school. The library was an important factor in her decision because of its large selection and the tremendous part it plays in supporting curriculum and research skills. “Not very many private schools have a library like this one,” Jenny commented. She enjoyed the Parent Information Session and connected with Mr. Danish’s discussion about the purpose of ICS--to help Christian parents educate their children. Seeing the school as an extension of the Christian family helps Jenny and her husband find a consistent environment for their son that supports what they are teaching at home.

Michael Schroeder will also be a new student in first grade. His parents, Dennis and Lee Wah visited more than ten schools in their search. Their decision was based on several factors. The strong relationship between Immanuel Bible Church and ICS makes them confident in the solid foundation of core beliefs. ICS is large enough to offer a number of resources but still presents a warm atmosphere where their family feels welcome. And because of the nature of Mrs. Schroeder’s work, she anticipates an overseas assignment in the future. The ICS International Connections program and the Spanish curriculum will provide a strong foundation for Michael as they prepare for this possibility.

There are many reasons why families choose Immanuel Christian School. We provide a nurturing environment that faithfully integrates biblical principles with strong academics. We welcome all of our new families into the ICS community.

The Team Teaching Approach

A distinctive of the administrative structure of ICS is the division of the school into three teams. Through continual discussion, these teams develop policy and curriculum recommendations ensuring that the unique needs of each developmental level are met. A significant amount of time is devoted to the success of this structure. The entire staff meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for devotions. Twice weekly each team meets to pray for the students individually and to discuss school policies or items in preparation for the Administrator-Team Leaders’ weekly meeting.

Curriculum planning is a particularly important function of the team structure. Teachers at each grade level have objectives guiding them in organizing and developing appropriate units of study. Regular planning sessions occur to brainstorm and discuss new and creative approaches for teaching the objectives.

The team model also benefits the parents. Team Leaders are available for personal interaction with parents to discuss questions or concerns they may have about their child’s development. Team Leaders are specifically in a position to provide oversight and follow-up for both parents and teachers when there are either academic or behavioral concerns. In this way, the partnership between school and family is nurtured.

One of the greatest benefits of the team structure is the “bottom-up” management style. Policies and decisions are not made in an “ivory palace” without connection to the daily curriculum. As a result, ICS never stagnates in its own traditions. It is always improving and developing through the fresh and creative perspective of its teachers. Not only are grade-specific teachers giving input, but also different viewpoints are voiced from the diverse fields represented on the staff. The weekly Roundtable Meetings for Professional Growth provide the perfect venue for team members to share what they’ve learned from recently attended seminars or training.

The team concept allows the staff to focus on issues relevant to each specific developmental level. This in-depth approach provides improved curricula, in-touch policies and strengthened relationships with parents.

Former Student Receives Honorable Mention

This past Spring, Oakseed Ministries International (www.oakseed.org) sponsored an essay contest on the topic of “Compassion and the Starving Child.” Our students in the 8th grade Bible class investigated this problem and submitted 800-word essays for judging. Essays were judged on awareness of the problem, quality of analysis, and style & mechanics.

Oakseed received over 1000 essays from around the world. In the age group 13-17, the first round of judging narrowed the essays to the top 50, which included four Immanuel students: Monica Athey, Laura Fisher, Joseph Mays, and Becca Yantz. Joseph went on to receive an honorable mention for his essay. Below you can read the words of a young man convicted by the suffering of others his own age.

Compassion and the Starving Child
Joseph Mays

A deep, searing pain rips and wrenches at the un-ending emptiness of a little eight-year-old boy's stomach. The boy is huddled in the shadowy corner of his moldy, mud-walled hut, and as he trembles, shimmering beads of sweat dot his sunburned forehead. His pale eyes are filled with sorrow and hopelessness. The thick stench of sickness and death hangs around him and his hunger-stricken village. A terrible feeling of utter and absolute starvation has come over the child. There is no food and no hope for this little boy. He has to go to sleep without having eaten anything. He has to lay his head down at night without any food, knowing that tomorrow will be the same, and facing the fact that he won't last much longer. The horrific reality that any of God's creatures should have to suffer so harshly and painfully when something can be done to save him is a fact that should strike each and every heart in America, as it has mine.

When I read the articles about child starvation, I was heartbroken. The Bread for the World: Hunger Facts website states that over 16,000 children die of starvation every day. I never knew how shocking and horrible the numbers really are. The food that a single person wastes each day could save so many lives. After I realized how much pain I have unknowingly helped cause, and how much all the food I've wasted would have meant to so many, I was overcome with grief and conviction. It is unbearable to think about the graphic images of poor children who are suffering and dying. A sickly feeling comes to the back of my throat, almost like a feeling of guilt. There is no reason for so many innocent children to be suffering these unimaginable deaths when there is more than enough food in the world for every hungry person to get what they need. How can people ignore all of the pain and devastation and do so little about it?

My family and I have been sponsoring children in Rwanda and the Philippines for almost ten years, and personally correspond through letters each month. One quiet evening, my mother painfully read aloud with grief-broken words in a letter from Iranzi Yves, who lives in a war-torn, drought suffering village of Rwanda. His village has been overcome with sickness, lack of food, and utter starvation. Iranzi's father tragically died of a hunger-related illness during Christmas, and he was burdened as no child should be. Iranzi is only nine years old. Both his maternal and fraternal grandparents are dead, and by the grace of God he and his mother are being cared for by friends. Through their absolute physical emptiness, they are fortunately not accompanied by a spiritual emptiness, because they have the unconditional giver of compassion, Jesus Christ. My heart was shaken and I tore the letter from my mother's hands, reading it carefully and sadly. I wanted so badly just to reach to the other side of the world and take little Iranzi into my arms, to comfort him and give him everything he needed. Iranzi is living in a dirty, mud-walled, broken house like most of the people in his village on the hills of Siyoni. In Siyoni, only an extremely lucky, employed adult struggles to live off of barely the equivalent of ten U.S. dollars per month. Because of his letter, I realize how drastically I have taken for granted all my blessings and I feel extremely strongly for this poor boy, knowing that there must me so many more like him.

After seeing all the statistics, and realizing how obvious and absolutely huge this starvation and hunger problem is, I cannot understand how people do not see what is right in front of them. Although it is one of the biggest and most terrible issues affecting our world today, it is still somehow ignored, underrated, and paid hardly enough attention. Just one person can't always do great things or change the world all at once, but they can still do small things with great compassion. I have a strong, burning conviction that something should, and can be done about this unnecessary problem. People need to be taught and guided to take care of the problem in their own country, so that other countries can be helped. One relief organization cannot be everywhere at one time, but if the people of those places-in-need could be reached personally and taught how to stop the problem permanently, then many lives could be spared from the horrible devastation caused by world hunger. If the privileged people of rich countries could learn to have true compassion for the suffering, starving children of the world, if they could really care so much about the problem that they are driven to do something about it, a real change would be possible. Only sparing a few dollars a month could bring a starving child so much joy and happiness. If a true, genuine love and feeling from the fortunate people of this blessed country could be directed towards the poor victims of child starvation, then that strong compassion would be enough to make a difference.

Spring Events 2006
	Kindergarten — Nativity Play Every December the Kindergarten classes study the birth of Christ. To make the story come alive through hands on learning, students paint the Inn and stable and dress-up in costumes to act out the story. Students share the play with the residents at Aarondale Assisted Living. Kindergarten students visit Aaronday four or five times per year.
	1st Grade — Reading Buddies ICS first graders celebrate their love for reading and writing during a bi-monthly workshop with 7 th grade students. These young readers combine their skills to create a “Buddy Journal” as the older students mentor these budding authors. 1 st Grade Reading Buddies share not only their book but also other stories from the classroom and receive encouragement from their mentors. This type of sharing between upper and lower school students develops a bond of love and respect for each other that carries through to other school functions.
	2nd Grade — Heritage Festival Second graders at ICS participate in the Heritage Festival each winter. A celebration of diversity in race and culture is set against the backdrop of our unity and faith in Christ. This festival is the cumulating event for the second grade social studies unit on family trees, traditions, and cultural customs. Students learn about immigration and look at the choices our ancestors made, and the heritage it passes on to us.
	3rd Grade — Indian Festival Third graders participate in an American Indian Festival, the culminating event for their study of Native Americans. Activities include crafts, face painting, choosing an Indian name and its traditional symbol, tasting Indian fry bread, playing Indian games and wearing an Indian vest made by the students. The children also discuss how the worship of creation rather than the Creator influenced Native American art and culture in specific ways.
	4th Grade — Colonial Day Fourth graders enjoy the annual Colonial Day festivities as they dress up, take part in colonial games and make colonial crafts. The students are also served a delicious colonial meal. This day is part of our study of Virginia history. They are able to experience colonial life first hand and discover what children their age did in the late 1700’s in Colonial America.
	5th Grade — Julius Caesar Play Fifth graders look forward to the Julius Caesar play every Spring. They spend about a month and a half planning, rehearsing, and designing the set. They memorize portions of Shakespeare’s version of Julius Caesar and learn how he became a threat to the nation of Rome because of his ambition. They look at the weaknesses of pride and envy and how these faults rise from the failure to glorify God rather than men.
	6th Grade — Medieval Banquet ICS sixth graders attend the Medieval Banquet each spring where they have opportunity to dress in period costumes and partake in a feast fit for lords and ladies. During their study of the Middle Ages, students research different topics ranging from the training of knights and fortification of castles to the lives of important leaders like King Edward and William the Conqueror. After enjoying their feast under a “knightly code of conduct,” the students present a brief summary of their research.
	7th Grade — Tavern Day Seventh graders reenact the kind of debate that took place in taverns during the Revolutionary War. These were centers for political discussion and a source for current news of the war. Students dress up and represent both patriots and loyalists. Even a few British leaders can be found in the crowd. History comes alive as students are challenged to defend their views and discussion can be heated concerning whose cause is nobler.
	8th Grade — Western Day Eighth graders participate in the Western Day event each winter. This activity culminates the social studies unit on our country’s migration to the western territories. Students learn about the sacrifices our ancestors made to expand the boundaries of what is now the western United States. Students pick from a list of famous people who were instrumental in the expansion and give a brief report on that person while dressed in character.

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | 6915 Braddock Rd, Springfield, Virginia 22151 | 703-941-1220
www.immanuelchristian.net

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