Principal’s Corner

Dear YVCS families,

I just love the spring. The flowers are in full bloom, the hills are still a vivid green, and the warmth of the sun is wonderful when you are outside enjoying God’s world. Yet, in the same vein, spring signals the beginning of our 4^th quarter as we prepare for the conclusion of our school year. Yes, we are still nine weeks away, but time seems to pass quickly now as we begin to hear of summer camp registration and vacation plans. Please help us here at school NOT to start the plans too soon. We really need to finish up the year on an academic high as we prepare our students for the next level. Keep up those good habits of monitoring homework, reading with your children before bed, and talking with your kids about how school is going. I am so pleased with the year to date. Our staff has worked very hard to provide an excellent academic environment and to encourage their classes to enjoy learning. Anything you can do at home to further that emphasis is greatly appreciated!

I continue to be encouraged about our enrollment. We have had a steady stream of phone calls and visitations these past few weeks as more and more families are inquiring about us. Please continue to pray not only for our new families but also for those families who have not reenrolled yet. God knows exactly who is going to be here in the fall!

God bless you all as we continue to seek His will in the days ahead.

By God’s grace,

Bob Johnson
Principal

Dear YVCS families,

Spring is almost here! The clocks turn forward Saturday night, the days will be longer, and we are so thankful that God is in control!

I wanted to update you on a few items. First of all, THANK YOU to all of you who have entrusted your children to us for the 2012-13 school year. As of Monday morning, 85 students have reenrolled out of a possible 110 so we are moving forward very well so early in the spring. Those of you who are still waiting, please be aware that the incoming third grade will fill up very quickly and I don’t want to exclude anyone. The exciting aspect of all of this is that God has blessed us in many special ways through this year. I am confident we will be in great shape come September!

Secondly, the fund raiser at Ravioli’s went better than expected. Thanks to all of you who came, to our guest servers, and to our hosts, the Campora family, for a special week. Our final numbers indicate that we made almost $250 and had a great deal of fun doing so. More importantly, it was exciting to see many of our families enjoying time together which is exactly what I was hoping for.

The blessed Easter season will be upon us soon. My prayer is that all of our students, families, and staff will look forward to celebrating the risen Lord during this special time of year. He is risen indeed!

God bless you all as we move forward, ever confident in what the Lord has in store!

Bob Johnson

Principal

Dear YVCS families and friends,

Where has the first half of this year gone? I am writing you a quick note as the calendar turns into early spring and am amazed that half the school year is behind us! February 1 also signals the start of our early enrollment period for the 2012-13 school year. As most of you know, the school board crafted a new tuition policy and a new TAP tool (Tuition Assistance Program) which will afford us the opportunity to distribute tuition assistance based on need. I am excited about both of these concepts because they offer more of our families an opportunity to have financially flexibility.

More importantly, though, is the decision to re-enroll your child for the coming year. This is a decision that should be carefully prayed about because each family will ask the Lord to give them wisdom and insight as to whether or not they should continue at YVCS. We pray as a staff on many occasions during the year to provide us with the godly atmosphere that is so important in each classroom. We take that trust very seriously and are committed to providing our families with the best Christian education possible.

Ultimately, the process of choosing a Christian school for your child is one of the most important decisions any family can make. We want to be in partnership with you, to answer any questions you may have, and to pray for God’s direction.

Have faith that the Lord is in control of everything. We just need to listen to His voice as we seek His will!

By God’s grace,

Bob Johnson
Principal

Greetings to our YVCS families,

 The excitement of the beginning of the school year has now turned to the anticipation of the Christmas season. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with students and families who are here everyday to honor Him and to seek His will. I have the unique opportunity to walk the campus daily and to experience the depth of learning that is happening in our classrooms. I see dedicated teachers and other staff members who are charged with the responsibility of being Christian role models to our students. What a positive influence they have in every aspect of our campus!

Christmas time is so very special. As the calendar turns to December, one can almost feel the warmth and concern here at school. Our students annually get involved in the Operation Christmas Child project right before Thanksgiving. This year, over 60 gifts were presented at our Thanksgiving chapel as our students and their families recognized the need to spread the joy and wonder of Christmas across the globe. Thank you all for making that a priority. In addition, Mrs. Kerr is overseeing the Kingdom Builders group which is made up of our middle schoolers. This year, they are sewing baby blankets which will be distributed to the Bay Area Crisis Nursery in Concord. The 4^th grade heads up our always popular “Books and Bears” sale which will begin in mid December. The proceeds from their efforts will benefit the Love a Child mission in Pittsburg. I am so proud of our students and their teachers for showing the love of Christ to those in need especially at this time of year.

So on behalf of a grateful staff, please accept our warmest wishes for a joyous Christmas. Christ came to earth as a baby born in a manger so that we might worship Him as the wonderful counselor, almighty God, the everlasting father, and the Prince of Peace. He is the Messiah!

By God’s grace,

Bob Johnson

Principal

Dear YVCS families and friends,

Greetings to you all as we begin our 40^th year as a vibrant, Christ-based Christian school serving families who value the spiritual emphasis and family atmosphere here. As I begin my third year here as the principal, I have been struck many times already by the warmth and depth of caring that is so evident. Our year has begun with so many positive aspects. Please allow me to share a few of them with you. First of all, our enrollment is up beyond our expectations. Several new families have joined us as the Lord knew precisely who should be here and in which grade. Our second grade is at capacity and several other grades are welcoming new students. Praise God that He has been faithful to us and to our growth! We have a group of parents on our campus called the Ambassadors who will be checking in with the new families on a regular basis to answer questions and be available for any other assistance that may be needed. Secondly, we have welcomed four new staff members who have brought their gifts and talents to an already excellent staff. Mrs. Overstreet (1^st grade), Mrs. Francis ( 2^nd grade), Miss Grieb (5^th grade), and Mr. Abbott (7^th grade) have enthusiastically embraced their classrooms and bring a joy of teaching  that is very evident. I am so thankful for each of our staff members and we thank you for entrusting your children to us as we nurture them in the Lord.

Any great school is always the sum of its parts. Here at Ygnacio Valley Christian School, we are committed to working closely with our families to provide the best Christian learning experience possible. We rely upon our families to reinforce the learning that is happening in our classrooms. We covet the prayers of those who are committed to our school be it parents, grandparents, or “friends” of the school. Collectively, with ALL of us praying for the Lord’s will to be done, our school will flourish like never before. Forty years ago, our founding fathers had a vision for our school. I am happy to say that through the years, God has been faithful and has brought us to this point in time where we can continue to thank Him for this ministry.

We are at the cusp of another amazing year. Thank you all so much for taking that step of faith. God will honor the prayers of the faithful!

By God’s grace,

Bob Johnson

Principal

Dear YVCS families,

As I write this letter to you, it has become very apparent to me that this year, as always, has sped by much quicker than I was ready for. Fortunately, the weather has not moved into “summer mode” yet so the word vacation is a bit hard for me to say. But, none the less, we are moving into our summer break full of optimism and thankful that the Lord has brought us to this point!

Let me update you on our lineup for the fall:

Kindergarten                Kristy Nass

First grade                    Stephanie Overstreet

Second grade               Gia Francis

Third grade                   Nancy Vigus/Diane Otis

Fourth grade                 Gwen Larsen

Fifth grade                    Katie Grieb

Sixth grade                   Jim Keane

Seventh grade               Jay Abbott

Eighth grade                 Marj Kerr

Mrs. Francis is our newest hire taking Mr. Kopiko’s place. She comes from Tabernacle Christian School and her daughter Sydney is enrolling in the third grade as well! Mr. Kopiko will be transitioning with Mrs. Francis as the summer progresses.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued faithfulness and prayer support of our school. Some folks have mentioned to me about how many changes we are having in the fall but my response has been and will continue to be that “God is in control”. I am confident that the Lord has brought us a wonderful  group of teachers who will move our school forward in some new and exciting ways. Please continue to pray that His grand plan will unveil itself in the days and months to come. As always, if you need to discuss anything at all regarding our school, be sure and let me know.

God bless you all as you move into a fun and exciting summer!

By God’s grace,

Dear YVCS families,

God bless you all as we enter into a wonderful time of year! Spring is a special time as we celebrate the risen Lord in April and enjoy the beauty of the earth reawakening once again.

Just a couple of thoughts…Thank you all!! As of today, March 3, almost 80 students have reenrolled for the fall term. Our goal is to have 130 students on campus by August 29^th so we do have a ways to go but, praise God, we are moving in the right direction. Be sure and let your friends and other families know how special our school really is. Our website has been updated this winter. Please take a moment and go through the various parts to see what our mission statement is, what our philosophy is, and what our calendar looks like. In addition, our online survey is still open (on the school’s home page) so please take a moment and help us to become a better place.

As always, I value your input a great deal. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help these remaining months be the best they can be. God is at work at Ygnacio Valley Christian School!

By God’s grace,

Bob Johnson

Principal

Dear Ygnacio Valley Christian School families,

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! It is my hope and prayer that God has blessed you richly as you prepare your hearts and minds for another wonderful school experience at YVCS. Please be assured that many, many people are praying for you and for the school as we begin the journey that will culminate with the promotion of our classes next June. This is a joyous time for me personally as God so richly blessed the school last year and I am certain will continue His work in the year ahead!

Our school has been in existence for over 35 years and during that time, has gained a reputation unparalleled in the Christian school community because of one basic truth…we trust in God and incorporate His teachings into EVERYTHING that we do. Our teachers are Godly people who love the Lord and are willing and able to infuse Christian principles into our curriculum every day. Our students have role models who are men and women of faith. The staff is here at YVCS to nurture our children in the promises of His Word and to prepare them to be strong in their own faith as they interact with the world around them. Nothing touches my heart more deeply than to see our students stop and pray during the day for a particular concern or to support a classmate who may need comfort. These are characteristics that are woven into the fabric of our school. YVCS is a community of believers who have a genuine Christian spirit and empathy for one another.

As our year begins, I would like all of our school community to begin the process of praying for us. We need prayer for our students and their families, for the staff and their families, for the Concord Bible Church, who we share the property with, and most importantly, that God will be honored and glorified in the days ahead. Nothing can prevent us from achieving our goals if we put God in control. I recently came across a quote that I feel best summarizes where we need to be. “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.” Let us pray that God will grant us the peace we need to fulfill His plans for a wonderful school year.

To God be the glory!

Bob Johnson
Principal