Poem by Me: "Fifteen"

Wednesday, ‎December ‎07, ‎2016

FIFTEEN

    ~ by Laura-Lee RAHN

‎

I see some wrinkles

And gray hairs a-plenty.

The desks where we sat

Are long gone and empty.

Walking the hallways

where Laughter once played,

I remember full rooms

 where we learned and prayed.

Down come old walls 

making room for the new.

But I still see the pole

where our proud flag once flew.

 Some mem'ries have passed.

 Some years left unseen.

Yet safe in my heart,

you're forever fifteen.

* Dedicated to the former Students from Vancouver Christian Secondary School.

LINK Vancouver Christian School (HOMEPAGE)

LINK to VCS (History)

" ...

By the 1970s and 80s, Vancouver Christian School had become a thriving community of a few hundred students, adding kindergarten and high school classes as the need arose. VCS' mission, to teach children about "all of life under God," continued to draw Vancouver families to the school.  And, it was during this era that VCS truly evolved into the multicultural, multidenominational community that it is today. ..."

YOU Can Post Here Too

Since Mom died, I don't seem to have much heart for keeping up the same amount of posts as before. But I don't want to hinder YOU from posting to the VCSS ALUMNI Blog. This is YOUR blog too. I can add you to this blog so that you have the ability to add new posts to it as well.

You just simply send me your email address and I will plug it into this blog. You will get an invitation in your INBOX to ask if you want to post to this blog. Follow the link to answer "YES" and you can post here too.
It's that simple.

Even if you don't have something to say right now, you might want to set this up as a precaution. If it ends up you DO want to say something in the future that's important, you might not have the time to be waiting on me to get around to checking my email.

Just wanted you to know that this option was available to you and super simple.

And I suspect this Blog will be much improved the more people contribute. I'm happy to start these groups and blogs but, after all, there are MANY great people who attended this school and should be heard.

Love Laura-Lee RAHN (grad 1985)

Send your email to: irene.lauralee@gmail.com
SUBJECT: VCSS Alumni Blog

Vancouver Christian School History (3 schools in 1)

 

 

 

Vancouver Christian School (http://vancouverchristian.org)

The idea of a Christian school in Vancouver was first conceived by a group of Dutch immigrants, with Reformed religious roots, in the late 1930s. The school, first know as “Calvin Christian School” opened its doors in 1949 making it the first Christian school of its kind in B.C.
Enrolment quickly expanded as many Dutch immigrants arrived in the decade after World War II. Shortly after its opening, two new schools branched off into Burnaby (John Knox) and Richmond (Richmond Christian School).
In 1965, the school changed its name to Vancouver Christian School. Property was purchased on Killarney Street where it remained as a K‐7 school until the late 1980s. During the 1960s and ‘70s, the school population diversified as it developed into a truly interdenominational school representing many churches and cultures.
In 1978, Vancouver Christian expanded to include a regional high school by opening a grade 8‐12 program on a new site on Mons Avenue. In 1988, after 10 years of operation, the high school closed its doors with the promise that the dream of a high school would be developed again over time. The Killarney property was sold and the K‐7 school moved to the Mons site.
By 1991, Vancouver Christian had developed the first middle school in British Columbia (grades 6‐8) and had also begun to add a junior high program up to grade 10, in fulfillment of promises made when the high school had closed down in 1988. Although overall the school flourished during this decade, it remained difficult to sustain the junior high program due to the continuing exit of students from grades 7 and 8 into the public school system.
The first decade of the new millennium saw huge enrolment growth at Vancouver Christian and it implemented a full double‐track system.

John Knox Christian School (http://johnknoxbc.org) In 1955, John Knox Christian School opened its doors as a new Christian elementary school serving the New Westminster and Burnaby areas. In the school’s first year of operation it had 65 students in 4 classrooms, with 2 teachers and a principal.
In the 1960s, a second wing with 5 classrooms was added to the school to accommodate more students. Physical Education classes were held in a church meeting hall across the street.
In 1964, a regional Christian high school known as Fraser Valley Christian High School was formed under a separate society, and initially operated on the John Knox campus. Fraser Valley Christian High School moved into a new building in Surrey in 1966.
As the John Knox School grew in the 1970s, and many new students came from the Surrey area, a decision was made to start a new elementary campus across the Fraser River. The Surrey campus opened in 1978 and was known as “John Knox Christian School – Surrey”. In 1986 the Surrey campus formed its own society and became known as “Surrey Christian School”.
Back in Burnaby, John Knox underwent another major expansion in 1995 adding a gym, library, two additional classrooms and administrative offices.
In 2004, under pressure from an expanding student population, John Knox moved its grades 5 to 7 to a new campus in Burnaby leased from Burnaby School District. The leased campus served to relieve the John Knox School of its immediate space issues, and also provided opportunity to revisit a proposal to start a new Christian high school in cooperation with the Vancouver Christian School.
In 2006, the Strategic Planning Committee of John Knox envisioned a new building for the school, and in 2008, a 3‐year capital campaign was launched, the old building was removed and students and staff were temporarily divided between a vacant elementary school in Coquitlam, and the leased Burnaby campus. Construction of the new school began in 2009 and was completed in February 2010, on time and on budget. On March 1, 2010 students and staff moved into the new building. In May 2010 the building was dedicated to God’s glory.

Carver Christian High School (http://carverchristian.org)Around the turn of the millennium, as other Christian schools were developing into K ‐ 12 schools, Vancouver Christian and John Knox began to consider again the idea of developing a regional high school in the Vancouver‐Burnaby area

In September 2005, the vision and hard work of its founders was rewarded when Carver Christian High School opened its doors to welcome 77 students from Grades 9 ‐ 11. A year later, as student enrolment increased, grade 12 was added.
In 2011, in the interest of retaining students who might otherwise go to public school and in the interest of attracting new students Carver expanded its program to include grade 8. John Knox moved its grade 8 students to Carver and Vancouver Christian continued to operate its grade 6 – 8 middle school program

Amalgamation of Three Vancouver Christian Schools

If you haven't heard by now, Vancouver Christian School, Carver High School, & John Knox School  are going to be joined into ONE school, although they will maintain separate campuses. 

This has been in the works for some time now and there has been a LOT of meetings and 'to-ing and fro-ing' and so I haven't mentioned it here at our alumni blog so far. But now it seems that the various people and schools are coming to more concrete decisions and it's time to bring you up to date (as much as I can).

Several of you who read this have children attending one or more of these schools, so this may be old information to you, but there are many of us who have been "set adrift" due to the fact that we have no children enrolled there nor do we give significant donations. (Quite frankly, no matter whom I write to, I don't even get my emails responded to).

However, being ignored has never stopped me before, so I will attempt to piece together here the most up to date and pertinent facts in this merger of the three schools.

Transition to amalgamation

Posted on March 5, 2013 by mbaelde

This Merger Matters site has kept you informed of developments as we have moved forward towards the vote on amalgamation.
At this time we are pleased to share with you the Transition Plan which we hope will lead to a decision by the respective society memberships to amalgamate under a new society, the Greater Vancouver Christian Education Society.

A Town Hall meeting has been scheduled for May 7, 2013 at the John Knox Christian School. Society memberships of both Vancouver and Burnaby, parents, teachers and staff are invited to attend for presentations on the developments and plans to form a new society and an amalgamated K – 12 school. In particular you can learn and ask questions about:

• the Constitution, Bylaws and Governance of the Greater Vancouver Christian Education Society,
• the Mission and Vision of the new Vancouver Christian School operating in 3 campus locations under the names Vancouver campus, John Knox campus and Carver campus
• campus programs, policies and administration,
• the proposed budget,
• the future location of the Carver campus and
• the “special resolutions” required to effect the amalgamation.

The purpose of this Town Hall meeting is to provide information only. We will anticipate questions and provide answers as further questions arise. There will be no vote taken at this meeting.


WHAT'S IN A NAME:

This amalgamated name is consistent with the practice in SCSBC schools to identify a name according to its location as done for Richmond Christian, Langley Christian, Surrey Christian and Abbotsford Christian. The name recognizes that Vancouver is a more widely recognized location than Burnaby and that selecting Vancouver Christian School as a name for the amalgamated school further protects the internet branding advantage that comes with the name. It also pays tribute to the long history established through John Knox Christian School by recognizing this through the campus name – John Knox campus, and acknowledges the history that has been developed at the Carver campus.

For us, the names are important and what they represent is equally importance. We’re heading for establishing an amalgamated Christian K – 12 school in Vancouver with campus names that speak to a deep history. This is exciting. Praise the Lord!
Ed Vanderboom



VCS webpage for Merger Information
 

Mrs. Funnell Celebrated Life (Every Day)

Mary Isobel (Prizeman) Funnell

(Teacher at Vancouver Christian School)

Fondly Remembered

Mary Isobel (Prizeman) Funnell January 17, 1923 - February 24, 2013 Predeceased by her husband Roy in 1998. Survived by her 3 children Bryon (Judy), John, Jayne Hozar (Nasser) and 4 grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held in her honour on Saturday, March 9 at 11:00 am at Calvary Christian Church, 16293 104 Ave., Surrey.

Guest Book Signatures (as of Mar 11, 2013)

March 7, 2013

Remembering how she took Daughter Angela under her wings at the Vancouver Christian School-My sincere condolences to her children and grandchildren-she was a very fine teacher and a lovely lady.The Lord comfort each and every one of you.

~

Cathy Winkel,

Tsawwassen, British Columbia

 

 

 

Found on Geneology Website:

Descendants of Alexander Rintowall

Generation No. 9
298. MARY ISABEL⁹ PRIZEMAN (RUBY SOPHIA⁸ RINTOUL, JAMES⁷, WILLIAM⁶, CHARLES⁵, WILLIAM⁴, ALEXANDER³, ALEXANDER², ALEXANDER¹ RINTOWALL) was born January 17, 1923 in Simpson, Saskatchewan. She married ROY STANLEY FUNNELL October 21, 1944. He was born October 27, 1920 in Lethbridge, Alberta, and died May 11, 1998 in Surrey, British Columbia.

Children of MARY PRIZEMAN and ROY FUNNELL are:

	i.		BYRON DAVID ROY10 FUNNELL, b. January 16, 1952.
	ii.		JOHN GARDNER FUNNELL, b. March 11, 1956.
	iii.		RUBY JAYNE MARGARET FUNNELL, b. June 05, 1958 LINK to where I found MRS. FUNNELL's Family Tree page

Thanks to the Dads I Never Had

So many of you I met when you were only 13 years old when you first came to VCSS.  I still hold most of you in my imagination as you were when you were those young teenagers. But when I meet you all over the Internet, at sites like Facebook, I see photo after photo of all your children. But it puzzles me because I keep thinking, "You can't be a father of a 16 year old boy, you're only 13 years old yourself ?!"  Back in the "olden" days, when we attended high school, I saw the genesis of what kind of men and fathers you would become. And now as I look at you as you are are now, I know one thing very surely, you are a bunch of really proud Papas!

 As many of you know, all the years I attended VCSS I was one of the very few families that didn't have a Dad at home because my parents had divorced. In the 5 years I attended Vancouver Christian Secondary School  I never once set eyes on my father. I mailed him an invitation to my graduation but he never came. He didn't acknowledged my invitation or accomplishment with a phone call, a letter or even a card. Because of the type of person my fathers was, I spent my years with you always watching your fathers closely. I often heard you talk about your fathers, but mostly I heard you complain about them ("My Dad always wants to know where I am and where I'm going!"). The things you had to "endure" from your fathers were the things I longed for. A father who cared where I was, wondered what I did, asked about my grades at school, or interrogated the boys I was dating. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not stating , "Oh, poor me. I didn't have father", because it was just that fact that brought me to my Heavenly Father.  But this Fathers Day, as you look to your own kids who will probably honor you with gifts, phone calls and maybe a few compliments, may I ask you for a favour?  Look to your own memories of your young days, think of your fathers who made you the people and Dads you are now, and (if you are still fortunate enough to have your father around) give them a "thanks Dad" from you. And maybe say it with a little extra 'gusto' from me, who watched your fathers love you and felt the awe and privilege of  being able to see it. Watching them brought me deeper understanding of what it meant to be loved by my Heavenly Father.

"Jesus, bless all the Dads who love their children enough to pass on God's love through demonstrating it and then bowing out so God can increase while they decrease. Amen."

Happy Fathers Day, my friends.
Love Laura-Lee

"The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less."  (JOHN 3:29-30)

Where’s the Alumni Newsletter, Laura-Lee?

As you can tell, the VCSS Newsletter I mentioned before is not finished. Nor is it going to be anytime soon. "LIFE" has invaded once again and what I used to consider tough situations deteriorated into "major crazy".


I had to leave my apartment on March 30, 2011. I had only a few days to get out and save a few things because of the waterfalls (literally) coming from my kitchen and bathroom ceilings (and I was in a basement suite). My landlady wouldn't fix it and I didn't have the money to move my belongings. I saved a few boxes of things (about 1/2 dozen) and my coffee table. Then on my way out of the building, I fell down a flight of stairs and awoke to discover myself surrounded by 5 , big, handsome firemen. That normally would have been a GOOD thing but they were trying to keep me from panicking because of my injuries and the fact that my purse strap had wrapped around my neck twice and was cutting off my circulation.


So here I sit, many months later, in a dingy hotel room, with winter nipping at my heels and Jack Frost at my nose. It was - 6 Celsius today and I am still no closer to finding a home. What makes it harder is that my mother is sleeping in the bed next to me. Almost 2 months ago , her kitchen sink became a water fountain (not to be confused with a water fall) and neither of us can walk , nor have a car and are a goodly amount in debt, while we watch our options dwindle. Yet it is a huge coincidence to find ourselves in the same boat. And, quite frankly I don't believe in coincidences. It probably looked pretty bleak to those Hebrews who had their backs to the Red Sea and Pharaoh's men ready to slice them to bits from the other direction. But what did Moses say to them? "Let the Lord fight for you. you need only to stand still"


So I think you may understand why the VCSS Newsletter has gone to the bottom of my list of priorities. (Maybe somebody else will take up the idea.) Yet, I received some mailed that was being "held" for me and discovered that Vancouver Christian School sent me something to "hit me up" for money. (Good luck with that guys) But once again, I wandered back, in my mind, to a gentler place and time. Where our greatest troubles was a test score or a new pimple.


Now we are all grown up and we must learn the lesson that "God has no grand-children". You either belong to Him or not. You follow or not. You must make a conscious decision to pick up your cross daily, deny yourself and follow wherever he leads.Christianity is no longer something you stumble into or "give it a try". It is a choice. The ultimate choice!


Two things come back to my memory again and again: When Alan Dunlop was forever practicing the hymn, "Freely we have received; now freely give" and what Mr. Van Oosten wrote in my last yearbook, "Blossom where planted". A hundred times a day those 2 thoughts run across my mind. It's my job to grab hold of them and invite them to stay a while. Just like I wish I could do with each of you. It is my desire and prayer that you each reach the "breakthrough" point when you surrender that last piece of yourself. You no longer keep that one last cookie in the cookie jar. I'm not saying I prefer not knowing where I will be from day to day or what will happen to me, BUT , Jesus reveals himself to me EVERY day. Sometimes to say deep, important things and reveal startling revelations or just to share a silly joke , because He knows I love them best. But when I realize that the Maker of the stars, knows me by name, I can understand the reaction of men like the prophet Isaiah (who told God he was of "unclean lips") or Peter (who said, "Get away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"). Somebody told me once that , when they were with me they never felt so guilty but so accepted at the same time. That is our Jesus. Correcting us constantly, yet loving us totally. He has filled my hands with blessings because they were not full of other things. And I find great strength in my weakness because it's at that point I must lean hardest on Him. He will gather me under his wings and I will rejoice. A deal where we certainly come out with the bigger end of the straw.





So now I head off to bed this early Sunday morning, knowing that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus (Romans 8)



Oh No. Not Winter Again!

And my Love to you all, my extended & Christian family.

Forever and always, your Laura-Lee Rahn (VCSS grad 1985)



Beautiful Alberta Sky

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS AN HOUR.

VCSS Alumni Newsletter Coming Soon

Soon I hope to start publishing our very own Vancouver Christian Secondary alumni newsletter.

It looks like we have been left to fend for ourselves when it comes to keeping in touch with each other. VCS as a High School no longer exists. (Carver has taken up that role). So I am hoping to start a newsletter for all of us who attended the Mons/Haida Campus when it was a High School (whether you graduated or merely attended).

Keep watching this blog for news about this coming newsletter.

NOTE: I will be contacting several of you personally about contributing to the first issue. For now, the best thing to do is to invite and inform as many people as possible who attended Vancouver Christian [Secondary] School.