AKCS brings together many believers from different denominational backgrounds. Everyone brings their own unique perspective to each task or event. Sometimes those differing views can lead to conflicts and hurts, so I thought I would address this concern at the beginning of the year before they occur!

One of the most difficult problems for me to solve has to do with conflicts between students. While all of our staff teach students to be generous, kind, considerate, honest, and fair with one another, we cannot make everyone like each other. This sometimes leads to heartache when children are excluded from events either at school or home. In the school, we try to encourage all children to play with each other and play so that all get an equal turn. At home, parents can encourage their children to invite classmates over to play--not just their usual friends but also the new students who perhaps don’t have a good buddy yet. When planning a birthday party or special event, try to be inclusive wherever possible. Invite an identifiable group (all the girls, or all the boys, etc.) If that is too many, make sure that it is a small enough group so that several children rather than only one is left out.

When conflicts do arise between students, be sure to PRAY about it! Your children know how to pray, and they know that our God answers prayer. Make a plan to pray every single day for two weeks. Brainstorm creative solutions to the problem. How can your child show lovingkindness toward the one who is currently bothering them? How can they be pro-active in "eliminating their ‘enemy’ by making them their friend"?

If it appears to be a serious problem or one that just won’t go away, then alert your child’s teacher. The teacher can begin to pray with you about the problem. They can focus their teaching on the problem, and they may be able to make some changes in seating or project groups which will help to solve the problem. We are here to help you in helping your children live for the Lord.

At the high school level, sometimes the problems arise not just among our own students but between our students and those who attend the public school. Sometimes cliques can form in the youth groups so that public and Christian school kids end up not mixing together. Encourage your teens to break the mold and demolish the cliques. It is natural for kids to hang around with their friends and typically these friends will be people that attend their school. On the other hand, don’t allow the natural friendships to grow into divisions where people feel unwelcome. Include those outside your group.

My prayer is that our students would be marked by love for one another. When the world or the church sees an AKCS student, I hope they are struck by their poise, confidence in the Lord, and willingness to love and accept everyone. Let’s pray to that end and challenge our students, young and old, to live that way.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School

Copyright © 1998/99 Airdrie Koinonia Christian School      Last modified: January 27, 1999