Thursday, November 29, 2018

The Case for Christ in Education – Core Knowledge

The end of the semester is right around the corner! Every student is bound to go through a number of interesting thoughts after finishing up their final assignments prior to the Christmas break. Staff is eager to get the holiday season ramped up, and parents are planning their precious time they will be afforded with the impending break. However, before we can all relax and relish in the time we will receive with friends and family, I want to take the time to share with you a priority and goal that our staff has committed to at the beginning of the school year.

As a staff at Bethany Lutheran, we realized that some of our current curricula were disjointed, our rigor in the classroom was below expectations, and our students could handle being challenged a bit more. Therefore, as a staff, we recommitted ourselves to providing the best Christian academic experience as we possibly could. We believe that in order to best prepare our students for the future, we needed to refocus our attention on content, as well as approach.

Please bear with me as I explain what all of this means: Education in America has a rich history dating back to the 1600s – but most primary, middle, and high school, as well as some colleges and universities, no longer see their priorities as helping students find the meaning of life, building a life of strong character, learning to serve others or preparing for civic Christian responsibility.

Now, most schools are about pre-professional vocational training and ethical and moral experimentation for the students and this shift away from the true foundational aim of education has been a disaster.

All too often this has led to our nation’s students being “academically adrift” – ill-prepared for adulthood and productive, meaningful careers, and distracted or injured by unhealthy school and life alternatives, political correctness and a lack of religious freedom at school.

At Bethany Lutheran, we are modeling the renewal of Christian education – combined with the study of liberal arts and sciences. Because of our commitment to general revelation, we believe we can study the finest books, art, and culture and learn much about God’s world. We believe all truth is God’s truth. We have recommitted ourselves to a broad liberal arts education where our students take classes focused and centered on Gods’ words and mandates.

A Christian education is designed to be broad and deep. Broad by encompassing a general core curriculum focused on Core Knowledge and deep by studying a lifelong concentration with rigor. Our learning is comprehensive, interdisciplinary and connected. We are deeply committed to teaching our students to ask the big questions, think profoundly and critically and communicate well.

Studying Core Knowledge principles and Christian ideologies teaches: Learning is for its own sake and not just for a diploma – we are learning to slow down, think deeply, be curious, to realize that knowledge brings great joy, and that wonder and curiosity are more important than IQ, a point made by a recent study in the Harvard Business Review.

Core Knowledge is about developing abilities – Study after study shows that high school teachers complain about the kind of graduate’s middle schools are pumping out – graduates who can’t write well, think critically, problem solve or work well in diverse groups. This is exactly what the Core Knowledge does best. It is what Bethany Lutheran does best.

Developing high moral character, habits of the heart and a strong sense of purpose and vocational call – BLS strives to cultivate students who work hard, enjoy life, and have a strong sense of purpose – a life of “faithful presence.” We want our students to see these years as a time to ask the big and hard questions about all aspects of  Christian life – to develop a meaningful philosophy of Christian life. We desire for them a Christian life of character, high moral integrity and a vision for their future.

In short, BLS attempts to provide students with quality academic years of transformative experiences that change them forever and set them on a trajectory of faithfulness to God, a rich and abundant life and a life that launches them into adulthood – one that contributes to our nation and world by productive work, building strong family and being a good neighbor. As we work even harder to ensure our students’ success we continue to ask for your wonderful prayers and support. There is much work yet to be done but with God, all things are possible!

Dr. Chris E. Smith
Principal

Monday, November 26, 2018

Get Your Tickets Now For The 17th Annual Crab Feed & Auction


17TH ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2019
1000 ULATIS DRIVE, VACAVILLE, CA

DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 PM, DINNER AT 6:30 PM

MENU:  CRAB (CHICKEN OPTION AVAILABLE), PASTA, SALAD, GARLIC BREAD 

CLICK HERE or SCAN QR Code to Purchase Tickets

Friday, November 23, 2018

24 Fun Christmas Treat Ideas For Advent Calendar Desserts



It's the time of the year that we've been all waiting for! Christmas songs, decorations, hanging out and eating tons of food with the family. So let's start the countdown with a special dessert advent calendar, a new treat for every day until Christmas!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Saturday, November 17, 2018

It’s Officially COLD & FLU SEASON


It’s officially cold & flu season! Time to send out a friendly reminder that it is now more important than ever to make sure we all eat well and get our sleep. That we stay hydrated and we wash our hands throughout the day. We need to use tissues when we have a sore or runny nose. That when we cough we DO NOT cough into our hands (we can spread germs that way) but into the crook of our arms.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Photos For The Yearbook

Hi Parents! I was hoping you'd have photos that I can include in the yearbook that you've taken this year at school events. It can be from Chapel, Honor Roll, classroom, recess, Harvest Festival, Sunday BBQ, etc... please send them my way at megumi.nomura@gobethany.com Thank you so much!

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Pie Pick Up Day—Nov. 14!


Please remember to pick up your pies on Wednesday, Nov. 14th—we will not be able to store them for you. Pie distribution- 2pm—4:30pm

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Technology A Priority for BLS


Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I pray this newsletter finds you doing well and enjoying the unseasonably warm Fall weather we are having. I wanted to take a moment and speak about our overall fundraising goals for Bethany. As you are aware, we are in the process of planning the construction of a new pre-school building on our campus, which means we will gain two classrooms back when the preschool moves into their new building. At that time, we would like to open our new Science & Technology Lab. The lab will be located where elementary music currently is housed. Ms. Donna would, of course, move back into the A building close to the primary school students as before.

It is our hope that our Science & Technology Center will house 25 - 30 desktop computers, a teacher workstation, overhead projector, 3D printer, laser printer, smartboard, and much more, making it one of the most innovative and progressively advanced centers in the area. With that being said, our goal through fundraising will be to cover the majority of this center over the next two years. Please bear in mind that this will take a huge effort on our part, as the cost will be between $20,000 - $35,000, but with God’s blessing and guidance we will reach our ultimate goal. Thank you, everyone, for helping us thus far, with your love and support we are putting a dent in that total already!

In HIS Service,
Dr. Smith

Monday, November 5, 2018

Chick-Fil-A To Partner With BLS


I am happy to announce that Bethany Lutheran will be partnering with Chick-Fil-A to bring nutritious and delicious lunches to our campus on Friday’s. Teachers, parents, and students will be able to place their order by Wednesday night to receive a hot and ready to eat meal. Meals can be various items such as chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, chips, salads, and much more. Complete information with ordering instructions will be disbursed as soon as the process has been finalized with the company.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Trunk or Treat Recap

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Words can not express the sincere gratitude that I have for all of our wonderful parents and staff. Trunk or Treat this year was absolutely amazing. The evening was filled with fun games, good food, and some of the most wonderful trunk decorated themes I have ever seen. To quickly recap our top finishers; 1st place went to First Grade (Willy Wonka), 2nd place was Mrs. Fernandez Kindergarten (Magic School Bus), and 3rd place was 5th & 6th Grade (Fortnite). Honorable Mention went to our preschool team (Under the Sea). Everyone did a stellar job and it was exciting to see how competitive and well thought out the trunks were this year. I am very proud of everyone who participated in the event.

I want to also thank Paula Rush for her tireless efforts in helping put together the event; Janice Williams and Juanita McCallum for manning the kitchen; Jerry Miller who helped at the ticket booth; the preschool staff for running the multiple game stations; all the parents who worked tirelessly on the trunks, the Frizzies who picked up and returned the portable lights; the Dykes for helping with cleanup; Ron Shively and Mike McCall for making sure the sprinklers didn’t come on and the lights were on; the BLS staff for helping make the evening a total success, and everyone for their generosity and donations of items for the event.

I am reminded of a verse from the Bible which states “two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Friday night was a living example of togetherness, unity, and teamwork. The only way to move Bethany Lutheran forward in a manner pleasing to our Lord and Savior is to continue to move as one in Christ. When the whole team is working for the glory of God, there is no internal competition: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). The unified team understands that reaching goals is God’s doing, and what God is doing requires teamwork on our part: “The sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus, the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor” (John 4:36–38).

Christian teamwork acknowledges God as the established leader and objective third party in every team, adding strength and cohesion to the bond. Having basic relational boundaries in place helps teams focus on the job at hand. With love for God and love for one another, unity is possible (Ephesians 4:13). It helps to be humble and “consider others better than ourselves” (Philippians 2:3). It is events like these which continue to inspire me, as I know that God has wonderful plans for Bethany. Again, thank you all for your dedication, support, and love of our school. Together, with God at the forefront, Bethany will set the standard in Christian education.

In HIS Service, Dr. Smith

Please send your Trunk-or-Treat photos to: