CFS NEWSLETTER
Christian Fellowship School: September 2, 2010
The school year is well under way at CFS. We are now running the full-day schedule and P.E. classes have started for the 7th through the 12th grades. The first dual credit college class to be taught at CFS is going well and has eight 11th and 12th graders enrolled. One of the high school Bible classes is full and the pre-school is running at near capacity. All classes seem to be going well and the students are eager to participate and learn. The first interim reports are scheduled to be sent home on September 8th, so be looking for them.
Once again the school entered a float in the Du Quoin State Fair Twilight parade. The float title was “Every Day is Fun Day at the Fair.” It featured paintings of several of the most prominent features of the Fair such as the Grandstand, the Mid-way, and the livestock stalls. Several children, dressed in fair-goers costume, rode the float and others walked alongside passing out candy to parade watchers. The float received the Governor’s Award; given for the best representation of the theme of the Fair. This year the theme was “Corndogs ‘n’ Hogs.” Special thanks go out to Bryant and Lorie Davis and Harry and Media Criswell for getting the float ready and towing it in the parade.
The new fire alarm system has been installed in the fellowship hall (lunch room) and gymnasium and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office will inspect the new work soon. The system was tested on Wednesday, September first and the test doubled as our first fire drill for the school year.
The new surface on the fellowship hall floor has “cured out” and we have started a regular cleaning schedule. The senior class is doing a great job at the senior stand. They have already run a special featuring Mr. Pavloff’s famous pulled pork Bar-B-Que and are planning more specials for up-coming weeks. They would like to thank everyone who has supported the senior class in their effort to raise funds for the 2011 senior class mission trip. Please pray that they will do well, fulfill God’s purposes, and be a blessing to everyone they minister to.
The PTF has started work on the up-coming Christian Heritage Day activities. Christian Heritage Day has been rescheduled for October 22nd because of a conflict with the HCC volleyball schedule. This year’s CHD theme is “A Salute to the Military“. Teachers will be working with their classes to put together a variety of presentations. Another PTF meeting has been scheduled for 4:00, Wednesday, September 15.
We are continuing to work on Department of Homeland Security approval for international students to attend CFS. Mr. Davis has completed the training program and we have already had our site visit. The School Approval division of the Department of Homeland Security now has to scrutinize our documentation and, hopefully, enter us into the Student Exchange and Visitors Program. This process is a slow, complex process for private schools but we believe that we will have approval well before the start of the spring 2011 semester. Several international students have already expressed an interest in attending CFS. Please keep this in your prayers and look for future updates.
We were also excited to learn that the CFS third grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, and her husband have an opportunity to visit some missionary friends in Turkey. Ms. Casey will be filling in for her while she is gone. The school was also blessed to have her son, Nick Baker (a 2009 CFS graduate) present our first all-school chapel. Nick worked on the mission field in South Africa over the summer months (our summer-South Africa’s winter) coaching soccer and sharing the Gospel with several groups of South African pre-teen boys. He also had an opportunity to work for several weeks with a South African pastor on the “Jesus film” project.
The final chapel for the month of August was a video presentation featuring ”Answers in Genesis” speaker Ken Ham and animal artist Buddy Davis. The lively lecture broken up by interactive questions sessions and fun songs was aimed primarily at the younger students, but was enjoyed by all. Several important facts about the wealth of scientific evidence that agrees with the biblical account of creation were presented in a fast-paced, entertaining format. The Heartland Christian Conference will be hosting another “Answers in Genesis” program on September 23rd. More details will be available soon; look for them on the “Announcements” page of this website.