GCCS Survey Communication

In This Issue:
Letter from Head of School/Board of Directors Communication 02 School Culture 03 Governance 04 Reformed Education
Next Steps
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YN EO IV TR AU CS I EN RU UM T LM OU C C LOOHCS SCCG


Dear GCCS Family,
We have just celebrated Thanksgiving and given thanks to God for all of His blessings to us. One of the many blessings that I am giving thanks for is the community of faith and learning at Grandville Calvin Christian Schools.
About a year ago, GCCS requested your input on a variety of topics as part of our on-going accreditation
and school improvement processes. We surveyed parents on a host of topics, including school culture and
curriculum, administrative and faculty leadership, board governance, and our proposed strategic plan. We
requested input because we not only respect and value your feedback but, as Board members and
What We've Learned So Far
administration, we want to learn and grow as we partner to create the best possible environment for our
by Kimberly Rodriguez
children’s Christian education. We will revisit this survey one more time prior to our final accreditation site visit in the spring of 2022.
We apologize that this information is coming out nearly a year later. We had planned to share it in late March 2020 after the survey results had been reviewed and summarized. But when school closed on March 13 and COVID took nearly all of our attention, sharing this information had to take a backseat to responding appropriately to finishing school online in the spring and, then over summer, to preparing for the return to school in August. Again, we apologize for the delay in sharing this information with our GCCS constituency.
For those who took the time to respond to the school culture and governance survey (# of respondents,
which is 20% of families), we thank you. Your input is important not only for the accreditation process for
which the surveys were designed but also so that we may better understand what you value about our
Christian schools and what you view as opportunities for improvement. Feedback on the proposed strategic
100 Things to Do at ACHS
plan was very insightful, as well, and was used to shape the final details of the GCCS Strategic Plan. by Margaret Brown
As a Board and administrative team, we are here to serve and to provide leadership. Any attempt to gather feedback means being open to both praises and areas for criticism and/or growth. We accept any accolades with humility and the criticisms with grace and a desire to work collaboratively toward improvement in our communal efforts to build God’s Kingdom here at GCCS.
Thanks to you and your family for sharing your children with us at GCCS and for partnering with us to help them to grow spiritually, socio-emotionally, and academically.
Your partners in Kingdom service,
Jon Meengs Eric Burgess President, GCCS Board of Directors Head of School, GCCS
PagPea0g1e 01


Communication
This is an area of significant opportunity for the Board and administration to improve. It is clear from the surveys that there is a desire for more communication with our parents. As Eric Burgess has started as the new Head of School (HOS), he plans to send monthly HOS Newsletters to the GCCS community that will include a monthly update of what Eric shares with the Board. Both the GCCS Board of Directors’ website and the Head of School’s website will contain this information so that it will always be transparent and accessible to the GCCS constituency. In addition, the minutes from the Board meetings are posted to the Board’s website after they are approved at the following month’s meeting.
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School Culture
The vast majority of parents indicate that their child/children find our school culture fulfilling, nurturing, and reflective of our Christian values. However, we received a number of comments--particularly from our middle and high school families (though not exclusively)--that their child/children did not feel welcomed and, in some instances, had either experienced or witnessed bullying in our Christian schools. We also received comments that some families feel that it is difficult to connect or build relationships with other families at GCCS. As parents and school leaders, these were the hardest and most disheartening comments to read. We, as a community of Christians, can do better. It is important that we work together to address these concerns. Building a caring Christian community where everyone feels they belong is a primary responsibility of Grandville Calvin Christian Schools.
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Governance
There have been questions about the Board’s role of governance and strategic planning versus day-to-day management. There are also questions about the responsibilities of the Board and the responsibilities of administration. Specifically, some respondents questioned why the Board is not more involved in day-to-day operations.
Is the Board Chair the CEO of the school system?
A: No. After the merger in ____ (year?), it was decided that the Board would confine its activities to governance matters and being a strategic-level board. The Head of School (HOS) and all GCCS staff, under the HOS’s supervision, are responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the school. To be clear, the Board of Directors handles governance issues, not operational matters. This means the Board sets the vision for the school and hires and supervises the HOS as its sole employee to carry out that vision. Therefore, the Head of Schools is the de facto Chief Executive Officer.
Does the Board supervise the Head of Schools?
A: Yes. The Board hires the Head of School (HOS) and is responsible for the HOS’s evaluations. The Board sets specific goals, contained in the strategic plan, for the HOS to carry out. Each month, the HOS meets with the full Board, the Board’s executive team, and provides a detailed report. Additionally, the Board Chair is in frequent contact with the HOS. While their our duties are distinct, as mentioned above, the Board and HOS work very closely together and the HOS provides the Board with frequent briefings on developing matters.
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Reformed Education
There were questions from parents in the survey responses about the doctrine upon which our Christian schools were founded and whether it continues to be our guide. We will address the topic in this document and include it in our future communications as it deserves frequent attention.
Has GCCS drifted away from a Reformed approach to Christian education?
A: No. The Reformed perspective that is a hallmark of Christian education is the basis for our schools; our Christian schools exist to fully integrate faith in all of life and learning. However, we believe that there is both reason and opportunity to clarify what Reformed Christian education means in a PK - 12 setting at GCCS. Therefore, throughout the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year and into the next, GCCS will be working to intentionally to clarify our school’s mission, vision, and values, as well as what is being taught in our classrooms. Be assured that we will continue to stay true to the Reformed confessions that have always been part of GCCS as they apply to education, curriculum, and our community of faith and learning.
The primary purpose of restorative practices is to build relationships and to become a community that is reflective of the body of Christ. There are both proactive and reactive restorative practices. Proactive restorative practices are aimed at building relationships within our community and to teach our students how to build a caring Christian community. Reactive restorative practices are aimed at repairing relationships after harm has been done. It does not take the place of consequences for violations of policies. Consequences are accompanied by Restorative Conferences where those who caused the harm and those who were harmed are given an opportunity to hear each other and work to repair the relationship. These practices are Biblically-based, supported by research, and becoming a common practice in Christian schools. We will be providing additional educational opportunities for parents and students to learn more about this practice.
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Next Steps
As part of our ongoing process of accreditation and school improvement, GCCS wants to engage our Christian school community in responding to the school culture survey results. We have partnered with ____________ to help us facilitate a process of self-reflection in order to use these results and dialogue with our many stakeholders to set a clear vision for the future of Grandville Calvin Christian Schools.
As part of our 2017-2022 accreditation cycle for Christian Schools International (CSI) accreditation, GCCS has used the school culture survey twice (for baseline in 2017-2018 and again in 2019-2020) to gather input on school culture. Over the next 12 months, we will be working on the following steps as we utilize the school culture survey feedback:
November 30 - GCCS Board of Directors and Admin. Team work with consultants to initiate a process of reviewing and refining our mission / vision / values and to set direction for future endeavors. January 2021 - GCCS staff members are engaged in a process of visioning/planning.
February 2021 - GCCS parents are engaged in review of the work that has been done to give input and share reflections on the work-done-to-date.
Spring 2021 - Initial work is integrated with current strategic plan and revised to set vision for the future.
Fall 2021 - Survey given again as a way to review progress and to establish data for final accreditation site visit.
March 2022 - CSI Accreditation Site Visit
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