Fully Known and Deeply Loved

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer!

This summer has been a time of rest, reflection, and visioning for me. I have reflected on God’s faithfulness over this past year and his incredible blessings in times of difficulty. As we close this past year and look ahead to the coming year, it is an exciting time for Orangeville Christian School. We have the incredible opportunity to rediscover and prayerfully discern who we are, who we want to be, and what our purpose is in this community.

Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is Fully Known and Deeply Loved. God completely knows us and loves us unconditionally. What an amazing truth! At OCS, our desire is for every relationship to be a reflection of the relational love that Christ has shown us. Timothy Keller states “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything.” Our prayer is that by experiencing Christ’s unconditional love for us, we will be able to deeply love those around us, even when it is not easy!

Our key verse for this year is, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. Psalm 139:14. Wow! What an incredible challenge and responsibility we have been given to teach and instill in our children that their identity lies completely in Christ. Because God knows each of us fully and loves each of us unconditionally, we do not have to look anywhere else to find our identity, except in Christ.

Our students will be given the challenge of memorizing all of Psalm 139 this year! We will also be memorizing and reflecting on Ephesians 3:16-19 – I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

My hope and prayer is that our students will absorb and cling to the amazing truth that God knows them completely and loves them unconditionally! Nothing they do can separate them from the love of God.

In June, we had the opportunity to spend some time as a staff, new and returning, discerning who God is calling us to be as a community. Our goal was to come up with four “Habits of Character” that describe the Christlike traits we desire to develop and see flourish in our students and staff over the coming years. It is our prayer that the following traits will be so prevalent in our school that the community will be drawn to Christ by our presence in Orangeville.

Seeker of God – You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13. Our deepest desire is that the students at OCS will develop a deep personal relationship with Christ and will seek God with all their heart.
Integrity – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Compassion – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
Courage – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

A question I have been wrestling with is, “What can we do to show Christ’s love to our community so that our community recognizes and affirms, ‘We need OCS in Orangeville!’?” Developing Christlike habits of character is important and essential, but we also need to be actively involved in serving our community. I am not exactly sure what this looks like at this time, but each class will be challenged to do something missional to serve the community of Orangeville this coming year.

It is an exciting time to be principal of Orangeville Christian School. The staff is passionate about our theme this year and you can feel the enthusiasm already as staff are beginning to get ready for the coming year. We are excited to welcome 17 new families with more inquiries in process! To God be the glory for all the great things that are happening at OCS.

Please continue to pray for the leadership and the staff at OCS as we prepare for this coming year and strive to take the next faithful step knowing that God holds OCS in the palm of his hand.

In Christ,

Jenny Bakker
Interim Principal
Orangeville Christian School

Alyssa Edward

February 22, 2023

OCS has been fantastic for our family and our children. Our kids are learning so much, and they feel safe in an amazing school environment.

Beth Amy

February 13, 2023

Our kids love OCS and we really appreciate how personable and community oriented the school is. Our son struggled with being behind in some classes and within a week of starting they had identified and set him up with an in school tutor and it made a massive difference.

Christine Kennedy

February 12, 2023

We are thrilled with OCS. The environment, the classroom, the content, and the experiences they provide demonstrate a deep care and love for each and every student. Truly so thankful for how they are equipping and building up the next generation.

Becky Prins

February 10, 2023

We feel incredibly blessed to have an option like OCS for our children to attend! Teachers are amazing, and while always striving to provide excellent academic challenges and incorporate new experiences, they also actually care about my kids. They encourage, correct, and connect with love and intentionality. The facilities are awesome as well and we are especially excited about this year's school play! Thank you for all you do OCS!

Julia G

OCS is everything a school should be, and so much more. Their priority is the wellbeing of the students and this is evident in how the students are nurtured and cared for. OCS offers rich programming and curriculum to ensure that the needs of all students are met. The educators are extremely knowledgeable and work tirelessly for the benefit of all students. I am impressed daily by how happy my daughter is to attend school and the depth of knowledge and quality of work that she brings home. OCS is not only preparing students to be higher level thinkers and problem solvers, it is instilling core values of kindess and empathy within it's students. I cannot imagine a better place for my daughter to embark on her educational journey.

Cheryl Birch

February 9, 2023

We have had students enrolled at OCS from 2015 to 2023. Every single year we have been so thankful to have fabulous and approachable teachers. We're so appreciative of the affirmation of identity and God's love that our kids receive at OCS. We have found the math curriculum and individual monitoring of academic progress to be much improved at OCS from what we experienced in the public school system. The sports and music programs are excellent. We have greatly enjoyed the love of reading developed by the Battle of the Books club, and other initiatives at OCS, that we feel have given our kids an advantage in their preparation for high school.

Wayne Johnson

We, as a family, had no problem posting a review for OCS!!! Our journey there began in September/2014 when our grandson was enrolled in JK. His experience there was positive in every aspect…academically, socially and spiritually. Eventually, Wayne began working there in a maintenance position and Judy as both an EA and supply teacher. Although we have both retired, Wayne continues to volunteer on the maintenance committee and Judy as supply. We plan to continue supporting OCS to the best of our abilities in the future!!!

Greg Bennett

Suzy Koolen

My daughter loves OCS. The staff and fellow students have been very welcoming as she joined half way through the year. My daughter is finally receiving a quality education. Highly recommend!

Steve Koolen

Very friendly and welcoming staff and students. Small class sizes for better learning. My daughter was miserable at her old school, and is now back to her happy self at Orangeville Christian School.

Erika F

OCS has been incredible for our 3 children who started this year. I couldn’t be happier with our experience. The teachers are caring and attentive and take the time to get to know each student individually. The academic program has been challenging and rewarding and we have seen so much growth in all our children. The environment feels safe and is community based and the school offers a wide range of activities for the children and their families. Overall, I am extremely impressed by the commitment to excellence that is evident at this school and would highly recommend it to other parents.

Robyn Johnstone

October 7, 2020

OCS is more than just a school, it is a community and a family where parents truly are partners in the education of their children! We feel truly blessed to have our two children here! The teachers are amazing and the facility itself is top notch!