This year marks a milestone in Vernon Christian School’s history.
Forty years ago, the school’s first building, a three-classroom schoolhouse, was constructed. It was designed to serve 42 students between Grades one through seven.
The school now provides education to 385 students in a two-campus program, and serves children from pre-school to Grade 12. To celebrate this anniversary, VCS has chosen the theme “A tree planted,” which is based on Jeremiah 17:7-8. If you’re going to reference preschool to Grade 12, perhaps the enrolment number needs to reflect that.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
Honouring the past.”
This 40-year milestone provides an opportunity for the school to recognize the founding parents who met together in a church basement in 1967 and planted the seed of VCS — a Christian school society in Vernon. Steve Onsorge, director of advancement at VCS said that seed grew.
“It is the prayer and faithful commitment to a Christ-centred education founded on God’s word that has always provided the root system and tree trunk for the VCS learning community,” Onsorge said.
“This is the past we are thankful for and wish to honour.”
So what is the fruit on the VCS tree?
According to the school’s principal, Matt Driediger, it’s transformational learning.
Through the curriculum and relationships, Driediger explained, students are learning to communicate, invent, construct, lead, collaborate and serve with the goal of “building friendships, marriages, families, businesses and cities.”
However, there is much building for the future that needs to happen. The school community is growing and near capacity at both the elementary and secondary campuses. Development plans are currently underway for additional learning spaces and resources to extend the middle school program. With anticipation and excitement, school leadership is taking concrete steps for VCS to keep growing in its calling - to continue to be like the tree planted by the river that never stops producing fruit.
To see VCS students and teachers in action, visit the school on May 10 between 5 and 8 p.m. for a celebration of learning open house event.
Savaya Hofsink
Special to the Morning Star
