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The Pathfinder Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:104

FEBRUARY2016

Nurture - Develop - Educate

The Myths Christians Believe As I have read articles and papers on the topic of creation, there are some trends in the Christian arena that are concerning. In fact, there are two myths that are believed by many: First, if you believe in a literal 24-hour, six-day creation, then you are illiterate in or at science. Second, if the Bible and science conflict, then we need to question Scriptures. Myth 1 – If you believe in a literal 24-hour, six-day creation, then you are illiterate in or at science. This has been a current push from very prominent secular scientists: Bill Nye, in this video clip https://youtu.be/gHbYJfwFgOU makes it very clear that if we train our children to deny or not believe in evolution, then we are raising illiterate scientists that can’t function in society scientifically. In this next clip, http://bigthink.com/videos/lawrence-krauss-stop-validating-ignorance Lawrence Krauss equates teaching your children about creationism void of evolution as a form of child abuse. His understanding is incomplete. At Peoria Christian School and most Christian schools, our science curriculum does in fact teach our students about evolution. The difference is we teach evolution as a theory with no factual and/or Biblical basis and our curriculum does a great job at exposing problems with the theory of evolution. In the following video, http://www.evolutionvsgod.com/, Ray Comfort does a great job questioning people on a public university for actual evidence of one kind of animal changing into a different kind of animal. Throughout this entire program, not one person is capable of giving any examples of a change of kind. They all point to processes of natural selection or speciation. The issue at hand is in speciation. We may get a different looking kind of animal. It may not even be able to mate with the similar kind any more, but the real question is this: have we created a new kind, one that is no longer considered the same kind as the parent? In other words, we may have a very different looking dog than the parents, but in the end we still have a dog. Natural selection is another area scientists feel are evidences of evolution. Yes, the physical traits of the animal may change, but it only changes because of the parent. Those traits were in the genes of the parent animal. You can’t take the ingredients to make a chocolate cake, mix them together and get oatmeal. It won’t work. In order for the physical trait to appear, it has to be present in the parent. In fact when this occurs it is the loss of genetic material. Please go to this article for more detailed information: https://answersingenesis.org/charles-darwin/ken-ham-declares-darwin-was-wrong-day/. Please watch for the March Pathfinder article to find out the last myth of Creation. Thanks, Craig Rapinchuk

All videos will be embedded on our website for easy viewing.

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February Board Minutes The Peoria Christian School Board met February 2, 2016. The Board sang from Psalter Hymnal 239 and Vice-President Dennis Veenstra read from Ephesians 2:1-10 and opened the meeting with prayer. All members were present. Items of business: -Craig reported that we received a $500 grant from the Pella Community Foundation to purchase a piano dolly. -Craig reported that we received a $2,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of America to purchase a grow tent and supplies for the green house. -Drew Van Wyk visited 5th/6th grade and 3rd/4th grade and gave a favorable report. -Kevin Van Der Hart visited 1st/2nd grade, 3rd/4th grade, 7th/8th grade and Bible and gave a favorable report. -Music committee moved and the board approves the music – Fairest Lord Jesus, For the Beauty of the Earth, and It is Well with My Soul for band on Grandparents Day and Graduation. -Kevin Van Der Hart closed with prayer. Respectfully submitted, Dean Vander Wilt, Secretary

Peoria Christian School Circle Minutes January 7, 2016

• Barb VV opened with devotions • Members present: Nicki Veenstra, Ruth Vande

Voort, Marla Van Der Hart, Linda Franje, Barb Vande Voort, Suzy Veenstra

• Minutes from Oct 15, 2015 meeting were reviewed • School Circle General Fund starting balance

is $11,189.35 Ending balance – $13,465.22 Sub Sandwich Profit - $2,571.91 Bazaar Profit - $23,630.20

• Board requests-None at this time • Kitchen/Hot Lunch

Things are going well Great donations of ground beef Looking at different options for tickets

• Bazaar 2016 Co-Chairs – Lisa Ver Meer and Heidi Van Wyk

• Dutch Letters Michelle and Nella agreed to chair again Need to find a date

• Schwan’s Fundraiser. Earned $319 so far with 26 days left Raised about half compared to last year Advertise more – possibly every Pathfinder

• Tractor Ride – asking last year’s committee if they would like to do it again

• Class Christmas Parties – School Circle provided pizza for the lunch on this day

• Next Meeting – Date/Time: Feb 25, 2016 at 5:30, Devotions: Linda Franje

February’s Mystery Staff • Our mystery person loves competitive table games like blokus, quirkle, rummikub, and most any type of card

game. • This person played first base in school sports and later in community sports leagues. • During high school a very favorite sporting activity was throwing the discus. • This person also participated in plays and speech competitions during high school and in several choral groups. • Just before bedtime this person winds down the day with a cup of chamomile tea, solitaire and/or reading for

10-15 minutes. • This person enjoys traveling and has visited the Canary Islands off NW Africa shore, the Virgin Islands in the

Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. Australia and Alaska are two-bucket list destinations. • Developing meaningful relationships with people is by far the most favorite activity of this person.

Who am I? Watch for the March Pathfinder!!

Constituents and Supporters of Peoria Christian School The Peoria Christian School Board expresses its thanks to all who support our school with your financial gifts. Parents who desire to provide Christian education for their children would not be able to do so without your generous support. With a lower enrollment, it is especially challenging to maintain an excellent education with fewer resources. We want tuition to remain affordable for current and future families, and we ask for your special financial support at this time. Each gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated. We also covet your prayers for the students and staff, and for wisdom for board decisions.

Job Opening It is with sadness that we report Mrs. Van Walbeek will not be returning next year to teach. Due to this, we are announcing an opening for a 3/4 grade combined classroom teacher.

School Income Report: Year-to-date income - $204,103.46 Year-to-date expenses - 205,318.62 Balance - 2,011.90

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2016 has already been full of adventures for Josi and Mrs. De Bruin. We enjoy reading from a newspaper called News2You that keeps us up on current events. We talk about how these events relate to being a Christian and displays God’s wonders! Josi is working on counting forward, backwards and adding 1-20. Josi loves getting to spend time with her friends in the 5/6th grade classroom for History, Science, Bible, P.E. and Music! Mrs. De Bruin

In7th/8thgradehistory,wewillbeginlearningabouttheindustrialandsocialrevolutions;lateronthismonth,reforminwesternculture.In5th/6thgradehistory,wewillstartthemonthstudyingancientPersiaandthenancientGreece.Ms.Kraayenbrink

In 3/4 grades in history we will be learning about the immigrants arriving in the United States on the East and West Coasts. The students will learn about Ellis Island and that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. They will understand why the late 1800's were called the Gilded Age. Not everything

about the American way was pleasing to God. Mrs. Van Walbeek

Valentine Messages From Each Classroom

1 st/2nd Grade: InSciencewehavebeenstudyingabouttheweatherthatGodcreatedforus.Weusedinformationfromthenewweatherstationtorecord5daysofweather.We

wrotethetemperatureeachdayanddecidedifthedaywasclear,partlycloudyorcloudy.Welookedattheflagtodeterminewindspeedandobservediftherewaswaterfromthesky.Afterourdaysofobservation,wecomparedthedaystodecideiftherehadbeenanychanges.Themostinterestingchangewasthetemperaturerangeduringthe5days--from6degreesto46degrees!WelearnedthatweatherispartofGod'sworld.Mrs.VanWyk

This month in Kindergarten we are working on reading short vowel words in small books each night! The kindergarteners are enjoying learning how to read and love succeeding at this! We just finished learning about the story of Moses and his long journey with the Israelites and we will segue into learning about the Israelites in Canaan. I love teaching the stories of Joshua, Samson, and Samuel! We have lots to look forward to, as the students will wrap up our penguin unit; we will learn about God-made and man-made materials. It is wonderful that each one of these students has such a love for learning about God and His creation! --Mrs. Veenstra

All students are starting to prepare for their Grandparent's Day concert in April. They will be presenting, "Patch the Pirate Goes to the Jungle." We hope you all plan to attend! The 5th-8th grades are also preparing for our Fine Arts event on March 3rd from 7:00-8:00 pm. Students will be competing in speech, art, writing, vocal, piano, and instrumental categories. ~Mrs. Ansley

We plan to read The Cay and Swiss Family Robinson for literature class in fifth and sixth grade this month. We will also be studying the miracles of Jesus in Bible class. Seventh and eighth grade science students will be studying fossilsandsoil.Mrs.Fynaardt

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Box Top Winners Congratulations to the Kindergarteners for collecting the most box tops in December. A

total of 204 box tops were collected and that equals $20.40 for our school. Keep collecting box tops, as we will send them in the end of February. Send them with your children or there is a box in the Peoria CRC kitchen. Keep collecting and supporting our school!

Calendar – February & March

FEBRUARY February 11 Des Moines Field Trip 3-8 Grades February 11 Robotics Club February 15 No School; President’s Day February 15 Ed Committee Meeting February 16 Dan Van Kooten- Visits 7/8 Grades February 17 Ag Speaker – 3/4 Grades February 18 Mrs. Hanthorn February 18 Odgaard Assembly, 1:30-3:15 p.m. February 19 Chapel, 8:30 a.m. February 20 Hostess Supper, 6:00 p.m. February 22 TRIP Orders Due February 25 Robotics Club MARCH March 3 Local Fine Arts, 7:00 p.m. March 4 No School; K-12 Teacher In-service at PCHS March 7 TRIP Orders Due March 7 Board Meeting March 9 Kindergarten Round-Up March 11 Chapel, 8:30 a.m. March 11 1:15 Dismissal, Due to End of Quarter March 14-18 Spring Break!! March 19 Dutch Letter Making March 21 TRIP Orders Due March 21 Ed Committee Meeting March 22 Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting March 23 Kindergarten Start Wednesdays March 24 Report Cards Go Home March 25 No School; Good Friday March 31 District V Fine Arts at Sully

Dutch Letter season is here again!! We will be making these delicious treat on Saturday, March 19th. We will need individuals to make dough ahead of time as well as many willing hands on March 19th to roll, fill and package the Dutch Letters. Order forms will be available the week of February 14th with orders due March 7th. To place an order or to ask questions please contact either Michelle De Haan at 641-660-7373 or Nella Veenstra at 641-295-1586.

Kindergarten Round Up is March 9th, 8:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. The Kindergarten Parent Meeting will be held March 22nd, 6:30 p.m. at the school.

Hostess Supper Peoria Christian Gym, February 20, 2016 and entertainment is Journey Bound. If anyone would like to come to the supper, please call Jim De Bruin at 641-780-6114.

K-8th Graders Ice-skating!

Dick and Betty Odgaard, are former owners of Gortz Haus Gallery (wedding business) in Grimes, IA. They will be speaking Thursday, February 18th at 1:30 PM in the Peoria Christian Reformed Church and is open to anyone in the community. They declined to participate in a homosexual union in 2013 and were forced to pay $5000 in damages. They will share their story of following God.