AKCS Past Principal Points

Past Principal Points

Admissions Policies – “To Admit or Not to Admit; That is the Question!” A school’s admission policy has a huge effect on determining the kind of school it will be. This article exams and explains the admission policy of AKCS (relevant to any Christian school).

Adolescence to Adulthood - At what point, Biblically, does a child become an adult and thus accountable to God for his own actions?

Attendance – What happens if my child misses school due to a family vacation?

Backpacks and Attendance – How heavy is your child’s backpack? Why is it so heavy? And where is everybody going? What is an unexcused absence, and how does it affect the students?

Bible Study and Scripture Memorization - An outline of the importance of studying your Bible and memorizing the contents.

Body Piercing - Nose rings, tattoos and other forms of "adorning the body" are increasing in popularity. What stance should parents and the Christian school take in response?

Busing - While busing children to school is often a convenience parents expect, our parents have concluded that there are a host of valuable reasons to stick with carpooling.

CARE Meetings – What is the reason?

Character: Give Thanks Always! - Feeling overwhelmed? Frustrated with all of life's intricacies? Read this and be encouraged.

Character: Reach For The Stars - An article on making that reach while staying within the limits of your resources.

Children: Fairness - God has given each of us an inborn sense of justice, but all too often we misapply it. One of the most important lessons we can pass on to our children is how to stand up against injustice for others, and accept it graciously when it happens to us.

Children: Learning Styles - Not all children learn in the same way. Understanding their "style" can help make the connections for them.

Church & School - New initiatives in our ongoing efforts to work hand in hand with the local churches.

Corporal Punishment – Where does the Supreme Court decision leave us?

Developing Good Readers - How to help your children improve their reading.

Dating vs. Courting -Although dating is a very common way for young people to "get to know each other," it is not usually the healthiest. It is wiser to skip dating altogether and, when the time is right, practice courting.

Detention Hall – After school detention is a sharp reminder to students that they need to improve their work, but its value will be largely determined by the degree of parental support.

Dress Code – Ever wonder why the Dress Code is what it is? Think it should be changed? Here are some things to think about.

Dress Code Survey – Here’s what the students thought about the dress code.

Fairer Funding - This was a letter sent to the Calgary Herald by Mr. Hazeltine regarding the sharing of funds for all schools.

Fellowship: Life Together - With hundreds of people involved in a school, there is ample opportunity for hurts. We can, however, take certain steps to avoid this and maintain our unity in the Spirit.

Fellowship: Mathew 18 Principles - The Christian approach to dealing with inter-personal problems and how it applies (and does not always apply) to situations in a Christian school.

Fellowship: What Koinonia Means to Me - The essence of what makes our school unique is the fellowship (koinonia) we enjoy as Christians serving together.

Finishing Well – Make the most of each day, right to the end. Also, praise and prayer to keep in mind over the summer.

Five Love Languages – An outline of the presentation given by Mr. Hazeltine at a CARE Meeting.

Foreign Languages – An article about the value of learning a foreign language.

Friendraising - Friendraising is based on the principle that what a ministry really needs is not money but people.

Fundraising - Fundraising is quite different than "friendraising." Here are the principles that we use to evaluate all fundraising and friendraising activities.

Fundraising: Buildings & Banquets - What happens to the money raised from the AKCS Annual Friendraising Banquet. How is giving at a banquet different from other "fundraising"?

Grades – Ever wonder how your child’s grades are determined?

Health & Safety - A recent television documentary highlighted problems of mold in portable classrooms. This article looks at this specific issue as well as our health & safety guidelines.

Homework Strategies - Homework is a necessary part of a good education, but it must be kept in balance with the other needs of growing children. When children spend hours upon hours every night doing homework, routinely missing out on other activities to do it, there is something wrong.

How Parents Can HelpTheir Children Learn: Part 1 – How parents can prepare their children for the school day.

How Parents Can Help Their Children Learn: Part 2 – The parents’ role in ensuring balance in children’s lives.

Internet - An article on using the internet and the correct attitude to take while approaching it as a resource.

Money: The Secret to Wealth - Having money problems? Got it under control and just want some financial "headway"? Read this.

New Beginnings – What’s new for 2006?

New Report Cards – An explanation of the new Report Card formats.

Omnipotent Child – Excerpts from the book by Dr. Thomas Millar

Parental Authority - When it comes to morality, parents are obligated before God to set the standard and insist on compliance. Failure to clearly set and consistently enforce parental authority in the home leads only to heartache and more rebellion.

Parents' Code - An explanation of the meaning and purpose of each statement in our Parents' Code.

Parents: The 80--20 Rule Conquered - Many organizations find that 80% of the work is done by just 20% of the people. AKCS has been successful in overcoming this trend.

Parent-Teacher Interviews – These meetings provide an opportunity for two-way communication, but watch out for common pitfalls!

Perfectionism - The well intended exhortation to "do your best" can often lead to an unhealthy tendency to perfectionism. Jesus' words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" are a better motto to live by. Encouraging children to "do well" will result in good quality work and healthy kids!

Prayer - This is a sterling example of a Christian being a clear light and witness at his place of work. It’s a prayer of confession for those who hold public office. Very interesting and challenging!

Protecting Our Kids – How can we protect our children in today’s society.

Punctuality - Punctuality is a way of showing love to others by being courteous and respectful, but there are differences between how lates are handled in different grades and by different teachers.

Reach For The Stars - Are you an optimist or a pessimist? It is difficult to maintain balance between vision and reality, but each of us probably needs to strike a balance between these two.

Reading Well - Here are some practical strategies parents can employ at home to assist their children in becoming good readers.

Ready to Ride -We have been richly blessed as we have followed God's leading in the past, and we are excited about what He has for us in the future.

Re-Enrolling - There are good reasons for re-enrolling, and some good reasons for not re-enrolling. Too often, however, the decision either way is made for the wrong reasons.

Retreats - Students often comment that about how special our retreats are. They are designed to challenge students in the area of personal growth, both physically and spiritually, and to bond them to one another.

Report Cards--Evaluation or Reward - Some people seem to think that marks should be a reward for effort, but in fact they are meant to be an accurate assessment of a student's progress in meeting the objectives of the program.

School Sweaters – We do need them?

Scripture Memory Changes 2003 – Several changes have been made to the way our Scripture Memory Program works.

Scripture Memory Strategies – Strategies to help your child memorize scripture.

Self Esteem: You Can Be Anything You Want To Be? - Not really, at least not from a Christian perspective. A note about this over-used statement and the better approach to take with your children.

Six Phases of Faith – Six steps God uses to build your character. (from Pastor Rick Warren, Saddleback Community Church, Orange County, California)

Ski and Skate Day – Why it is no more.

Special Education: Dreams & Limitations - As much as we may wish to accept every special needs child, we must also recognize that with limited funding, there are limits to our ability to effectively minister to the needs of every child.

Standardized Testing Part 1 - Standardized tests don't tell parents and teachers everything about a child, but they don't tell them nothing either. The key to getting the most out of them is interpreting them correctly.

Standardized Testing Part 2 - Standardized tests are most useful for revealing trends and patterns. These can be used to improve or revise a program, or to confirm that a program is on track.

Standardized Testing Part 3 – Putting standardized tests and school rankings in perspective.

Standardized Tests - 2004 – What do they really mean?

Struggling Kids – What does AKCS do about kids who struggle?

Suicide - This is a topic which is seldom discussed in Christian circles, but needs to be. Every Christian should understand it and equip themselves with the tools to overcome it.

Supervision – Why before and after school supervision is what it is.

Teachers - A much deserved tribute to teachers.

Teachers: A Good Staff Is Like A Flock Of Geese - An anecdote about a good staff.

TechnoTips 2006 – Some tips on computer technology.

Teens: Choices, Choices, Choices - An article on the choices that high school students face in the transition from junior high.

Teens: Loyal & Faithful - Written to teens and parents of teens who wrestle with their commitment to and involvement with their local youth group.

Teens: Part Time Work - How much time should teens be permitted to devote to a part-time job. While outside employment can be a benefit in several ways, it can also create considerable difficulties.

Teens: Retreats, Retreats, Retreats - A review of the purpose and value of our junior & senior high retreats which involve rock climbing, horseback riding, or canoeing.

Textbooks - One of the most important tools for maintaining a thoroughly Christian school is the use of textbooks produced by Christian believers.

Traffic Alert – The safety of our children is of utmost importance. Please follow these simple rules when dropping off and picking up children.

Tuition and Salaries – A look at how economics and philosophy affect the decision.

Under Attack? – Are we under spiritual attack?

Violence and the Value of Life - It is not hard to understand the violence in our society when one understands how cheaply we have come to value life.

What Works: The Home - One of a series of articles about what educational research has proven to be effective. This article looks at how the home can significantly impact a student's education.

When Should Children Start School? - Around the world there are a variety of school starting ages for children ranging from four years to seven years old. While there is much debate about whether younger or older is better, in my view, older wins, hands down.

Working Together – Over the years, our school community has been brought closer together by parents working with each other, and parents and children working together. Let’s continue to work together.