| Orangeville Christian School | |
| Location | |
| Orangeville, Ontario, Ontario, Canada | |
| Information | |
| Principal | Paul Marcus |
| Funding type | Independent |
| Grades | JK-8 |
| Motto | Partnering With Christian Families |
| Colours | Orange |
| Established | 1979 |
| Enrolment | 98 |
| Homepage | www.orangevillechristianschool.com |
Orangeville Christian School educates children with Christian values, lessons, and morals. Since the school first opened in 1979, it has undergone many changes, such as location and population, although the small school atmosphere and passionate teachers remain the same. Located in Orangeville, Ontario Canada. At OCS, parents partner with teachers to create a love of learning, a love of God, and a love for each other which essentially prepares them for dealing with the world and continuing with further schooling. OCS has been located on a large plot of land for the past few years, and has a big school building that a small group of students know as home. The curriculum at OCS teaches students how to use new technology in many subjects. Orangeville Christian School loves and nurtures each student, and students enjoy the small school atmosphere and loving environment at OCS.
If OCS could be summarized into one phrase it would be “they care”. Children will be loved here and their gifts will be allowed to blossom in an environment where every child is regarded as a unique, image-bearing child of God.
OCS is a member of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools
Contents |
Many Dutch immigrants began to fill up the Orangeville area shortly after the Second World War. Right away, they began to plant churches. The Dutch people believed that Christian education was essential. In the late 1960s, two Christian school societies pondered if they should join together to build a Christian School, but later decided that they should attempt building Christian schools on their own.
The first Christian school in Orangeville was the Dufferin Area Christian School. It was established by the Canadian Reformed Church. They made it with the intention that children from the Canadian Reformed Church would go to school there, though several families from the church sent their children elsewhere.
This ended up causing some distress for the second Christian school society, the Orangeville Christian School Society, because this meant they wouldn’t have enough children to start their own school. In January 1976, the members of Orangeville Christian School Society decided to disband the society. Many people were upset.
Rev. Henry Gunnink and his wife Judy moved to Orangeville in 1976. He was the new pastor at the Christian Reformed Church. Many new families were moving into the Orangeville area as well. Bob and Anne Duggan, two teachers, moved to Orangeville too. All of these new families wanted there to be a Christian School in Orangeville. The Orangeville Christian School Society’s board had already resigned, but soon a new board was voted in, and the decision to disband was cancelled. The new board was eager to get going, and even though it was March of 1976, they wanted to open the Christian School that September. That, unfortunately, was not a realistic deadline, and they had to postpone the opening of the school. On December 11, 1978 the Orangeville Christian School Society passed the motion to open a school in September of the following year.
On Tuesday, September 4, 1979, Orangeville Christian School was born. The school began with 27 students meeting at a local church. Land was purchased, and money continued to be raised for a school building, and a second bus was added. A motion was passed in June of 1981 to move the school into its own building for September 1982. The Orangeville Christian School Society bought the former Energy Building location on the corner of Highway #9 and the Second Line of Mono. In September 1982, the school happily moved into the building.
During the next few years, additional land that had been bought as an option for the school’s future was sold, further committing OCS to their building at that time. More and more families enrolled their children into Orangeville Christian School, and the school prospered. The first principal at OCS, Bob Duggan, left the school after seven years in 1986. The next principal, Mr. Arend Baker, was handed over a prospering school with many children.
The school year of 1991/1992 started as a good year, but ended as a bad year. At the start of the year, OCS celebrated 101 students. This was the first time OCS had more than 100 students. But by the springtime of 1992, 20 out of the 46 families had left the school! The school was shocked. There was no one reason why the school had lost so many families by the spring. Most of the families had left because of their religious beliefs or financial situations. Others had left because they were moving away, or had decided to home school. The school went downhill from there. The board was extremely panicked and worried. Due to the loss of so many families, the school owed a debt of $36 000. The school had to cut back on buying items they had budgeted to buy earlier that year. They were even considering selling the building and renting a church to save money, but decided otherwise. The staff had their salaries reduced. Things only got worse, though. The Finance Committee even suggested cutting staff, transportation, and renegotiating the salaries. A meeting was scheduled, and was attended by 73% of the member families. They passed a budget for the next school year that saved them $88 000. The Board cut staff, buses, they created triple grade classes, and reduced the staff salaries to 87% of the OACS/OCSTA salary grid. A Strategic Planning Committee was made by the Board that would recommend which direction the Board should take to “ensure its survival.” In order to keep educational quality high, the school would need more volunteering from the remaining families. The school managed to pull through, but there were still many challenges.
When George Hoytema came to OCS as a principal in 1993, there were only 45 students. Only two years before there had been 55% more students. During the next few years, OCS continued to have a low enrolment rate.
In order for the school to pull through, the members of the community needed to offer physical, mental, and spiritual help. The school was still on the brink of closing. But after much praying, hope came once again.
A local businessman named Nick Schaafsma had earlier bought 10 acres of land in the Northwest corner of Orangeville. He wanted the Christian Reformed Church and the Christian school to move onto the land. The council of the CRC declined his offer. Mr. Schaafsma went to Orangeville Christian School to see if they were interested in the land. OCS was definitely interested in the land! In December 1999 the land was donated to the Orangeville Christian School Society.
Mr. Gus Buss moved to the Orangeville area the following summer. He became involved as a leader, and a strong advocate. He saw potential in this small community for Christian education, strong leadership, and persistence. OCS was starting to dig itself out of a large hole, but they weren’t out yet. After some disputes about visions for the school, eventually, the community decided to sell the old school, and build a new one on the donated land. In September 2002 the new school opened starting with 86 students.
Currently at Orangeville Christian School there are over 100 students.The school that was constructed in 2002 is still in use as a wonderful Christian school. The building has a full sized gymnasium, a band program, and has double grades from JK-8. Paul Marcus, the current principal, promotes the school in the community. Orangeville Christian School is doing very well, and has overcome many of its challenges with the help of God, and His love and faithfulness. The future looks bright and promising.
Orangeville Christian School has a physical education class and also does many sports teams. Some of the sports teams are: soccer, basketball, volleyball, and badminton. OCS also participates in cross country, and track and field. The top students from track and field go to compete against other schools at the District level. Some of those track and field events are: running long jump, standing long jump, ball throw, high jump, sprints, and long runs.
Orangeville Christian School has a junior and senior Battle of the Books team each year. Also, there is a knitting club, and sometimes a chess club. Each year, grade seven and eights are allowed to run for Student’s Council. In later September, the school votes for a few teams they want to be on Student’s Council. Student’s Council’s job is to plan fun days, fundraisers, and to buy prizes.
Before school and after school there is a daycare program called Share. Kids get to eat snacks, make crafts, and also get to run around and play at the Share program.
During later January and early February, OCS does a program called Options.[1] Each Friday for three weeks, kids get an hour off school to go to a program of their choice. Some of the programs are: Spanish Cooking, Dance, Woodworking, Skiing, Computers, Art, Drama, Pottery and more.
Grade JK/SK: Bible, Art, Music, Handwriting, Phonics, Spelling, Grammar, Guided Reading, Writing, French, Mathematics, Physical Education, Creation Studies. Grade ½: Bible, Art, Music, Handwriting, Phonics, Guided Reading, Spelling, Writing, Grammar, French, Self-Selected Reading, Mathematics, Physical Education, Creation Studies, Health, Technology. Grade ¾: Bible, Art, Music, Handwriting, Phonics, Guided Reading, Spelling, Grammar, Writing, Self-Selected Reading, French, Mathematics, Physical Education, Creation Studies, Health, Technology. Grade ⅚: Bible, Art, Music, Guided Reading, Spelling, Writing, Self-Selected Reading, French, Mathematics, Physical Education, Social Studies, Science, Health, Technology, Keyboarding. Grade ⅞: Bible, Art, Music, Drama, Guided Reading, Spelling/Phonics, Grammar, Writing, Self-Selected Reading, French, Media Studies, Mathematics, Physical Education, Current Events, History, Geography, Science, Health, Technology, Keyboarding.
On Thursdays, there is a special class for enhanced kids. During enhancement, kids learn about different cultures and art. Also, there is an enhanced spelling and math program. There is a digital enrichment program in which grade eights are allowed to be a part of, too. The grade eights learn online how to use many different computer programs and communicate with other grade eights from different Christian schools around Ontario.
OCS does a special reading program called Accelerated Reader. Accelerated Reader is a program on the computer that allows students to take tests on books they have read. If they pass the test, they receive “AR” points, which goes toward the students house team. There are four to five house teams. At the end of the year, the house team with the most AR points gets time off school and a party.