Letter to BCS Middle School Parents...

Hello BCS parents,

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for the privilege of teaching your sons and daughters. As you know, I have taken on the role of teaching Bible this year, and it has been such a great joy for me. I have been so impressed by the maturity and wisdom expressed by your kids. As a teacher, I have always had very high expectations for my students, but I confess that their ability (and eagerness) to grasp the most important concepts of life has been quite impressive — especially considering that they are in the middle-school stage of life. They are an awesome bunch of kids, and they have absolutely dominated my high-school level Bible curriculum. Our textbook is being used in three private, Christian high schools in Broward County, and I’d put my students up against any of their students!

 

In each of my classes, we have had so many great conversations about life, the grace of God, Christian ethics, philosophy, and the most important priorities in life. From my perspective, the students seem genuinely excited to learn about the Scriptures, which has really blessed my heart. Along with you, I am hopeful that their deepening relationship with God is giving them a solid foundation for the rest of life.

 

The Middle School years can be among the most challenging developmental years in all of life. As I mentioned during the Open House, each of the teachers in the BCS Middle School considers ourselves to be partners in shepherding your child’s heart. If you ever notice an area where your child needs encouragement or discipleship, please let us know. While we are absolutely committed to providing the best academic environment possible, each of us serves at Bethany Christian School because we feel called to help shepherd and shape the hearts of our students for a lifetime to come.  

 

Again, thanks for the opportunity and privilege that we have in loving and teaching your kids!

 

 

Blessings in Christ,

 

Sam Kastensmidt

Headmaster

Bethany Christian School

Calling All Bethany Dads...

Last year, we launched the DADS' ministry of Bethany Christian School. Each month, Bethany's dads gathered in the Attic once each month to enjoy an impressive breakfast spread, to build friendships, and to share in a brief devotional message on biblical fatherhood. Ask around. It was always a great time filled with really fruitful discussions.

This year, we will be holding the DADS' Breakfasts on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30am in the Attic. There is no charge, and childcare is available. Our first breakfast of the year is scheduled for September 10th. Our goal is to cultivate a healthy and vibrant community of dads who are engaged and growing closer together in friendship.

The Bible tells us, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." As dads, it is extremely important that we are fed spiritually and encouraged in the difficult task of fatherhood.

I look forward to seeing you on September 10th when we will be discussing the impact of fathers as "role models." Please feel free to invite other dads!

Blessings in Christ,

Sam

Thanks for Your Generosity!

Hello Bethany families!
 
We have officially launched the 2013-2014 school year, and things are off to a great start! You can sense the incredible level of enthusiasm and positive energy among our students, parents, faculty, and staff. This atmosphere makes it a lot of fun to be part of the Bethany family!

During the past two summers at Bethany, our team has worked very hard to ensure that our school's facilities and resources are top-notch. Thanks to the generosity of our school families and church community during our two major annual fundraisers -- Boosterthon and the Auction, we have been able to make a number of significant upgrades to our campus. It's always good to know the impact of your generosity, so I wanted to take a brief moment to highlight thirty upgrades made to Bethany's campus during the past fourteen months.

1. 30 iPads for classroom use
2. A Mobile iPad Cart (36-Unit)
3. Wireless Access Points Blanketing the Campus
4. A Guest Network for Wireless Access
5. Overhead Mounted Projectors & Screens in Each Classroom
6. Apple TV connections (enabling interactive iPad instruction)
7. Security Surveillance System Covering the Entire Campus
8. New Graphic Arts Program & Software for MS Students
9. New Online Reading Comprehension Program
10. New Signage around the Campus
11. Newly Renovated Art Room
12. Newly Renovated Music Room
13. Newly Renovated 2^nd Grade Classroom
14. Newly Created Media Center (22 Laptops)
15. Newly Renovated Teacher Workroom
16. New MacBook Pros for Our Teachers
17. Upgraded PCs for Administrative Personnel
18. Office Renovation for our New Director of Academics
19. Biblical-Themed Murals on Campus Walls
20. Integrated VOIP Phone System for Entire Campus
21. Updated Wiring in the Preschool Building
22. Fiber-Optic Cable (beneath 9^th Street)
23. Integrated Networks to Allow for File-Sharing
24. A Ministry Outreach Coordinator
25. A New Nursery ("The Creation Station")
26. Drywall over Cinder-Blocks in Downstairs Classrooms
27. Newly Painted "Green-Top" Courtyard (reducing heat)
28. New In-House Digital Camera to Record BCS Events
29. A Contract for Hardcover Yearbooks (coming this year)
30. New Online Platforms for Grades & Communication

With an incredible faculty, an impressive academic profile (top 4% in the nation), and upgraded facilities, Bethany is a top-tier private school in Broward County. And word is now getting out. Last year, Bethany set an opening day enrollment record with 265 students. This year, we set yet another enrollment record -- opening our doors with 291 students (305 students, if you count the nursery).

Along with the blessing of growing enrollment numbers comes the challenge of spatial needs on our existing campus. Last year, we added a second Kindergarten class. This year, we added a second first-grade class. Our team has already drawn up plans to ensure that our facilities can accommodate two classes for each elementary grade going forward. We are planning an expansion campaign for Bethany! This year's fundraising goals will be devoted to short-term expansion needs as well as the development of exciting new academic programs.

It is a great time to be a Bethany Bobcat! Thank you so much for your past support, and we hope that you will partner with us for the exciting days ahead!  


Sincerely,

Sam Kastensmidt
Headmaster
Bethany Christian School

An Open Letter to the BCS Faculty

Dear BCS faculty,

On Tuesday, the nation will celebrate the national Teacher Appreciation Day. As we come to the end of the school year (my first at BCS), I wanted to let you all know how much I love and appreciate you. Being a teacher is hard. It requires such an enormous investment of love and energy, and your efforts aren't always noticed (though God notices) or accompanied by obvious fruit (though I've seen a lot of fruit this year)! But I want you all to rest in the promises and exhortations of God. Even in the seasons when the labor is hard and the harvest seems empty, cling to the words of the Apostle Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:58

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Bethany is a very special place, because of you! You have done an excellent job to make this place shine. And I count myself blessed to work with such a Christ-like and committed group of people. I've only known you for one year, and you already feel like family. And while things are great at Bethany, I pledge that I will do everything in my power to assist you in making next year even better! There are some exciting things in store for Bethany.

I am very excited about the team that God has assembled here, and I am confident that He will richly bless our efforts going forward! 

So let me steal a few lines from the Apostle Paul and make them my own...

1 Corinthians 1:4-6

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you."

Philippians 1:3-6

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

I love you all, and I am very grateful for the faculty at Bethany Christian School!

In Christ,

Sam