• (616) 453-3925
  • Support WSCS
  • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • About
    • Tuition & Aid
    • WSCS Education Foundation
    • Transportation
    • Staff Profiles
    • School Profile
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Community Partners
    • Beyond Belief Bulletin
    • Blog
  • Programs
    • Early Childhood
    • Elementary
    • Middle School
    • Outdoor Education
    • Co-curriculars
    • Educational Support Services
    • Summer Camp
    • BUDS
  • Parents
    • COVID-19 Information Hub
    • Weekly Bulletin
    • PowerSchool Portal
    • School Forms
      • Parent Request Absence (PRA)
      • Student Self Referral Counseling Request
      • Parent-Student Counseling Request
      • WSCS Building Rental Policy
      • Kitchen Use Request
    • PTA
    • Hot Lunch Ordering
    • Calendar
    • Athletics
    • TRIP
  • Alumni
    • 140th Celebration
    • The Echo
  • Childcare
Schedule a Tour
  • Home
  • Uncategorized
  • A CONVERSATION WITH KEN
GROW YOUR OWN VEGGIES
February 6, 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH KEN

Published by Gabrielle Eisma on May 17, 2023

Throughout our 140th Celebration Week, Ken Medema led our students, staff, alumni, 140th Celebration Event guests, and grandparents in worship. But what you might not have known, was that Ken also led a small conversation with one of our students here at West Side Christian School–Tryson, a 7th grader.

Ken started the conversation by saying to Tryson, “Today, we’re going to talk about you.”

To which Tryson said: “Why?”

From the time Ken was born in Grand Rapids in 1943, he has been visually impaired, his sight limited to distinguishing between light and dark, and being able to see fuzzy outlines of larger objects. By the time he had entered West Side Christian School as a student, he had been learning from a piano teacher who taught Braille music, improvisation, and playing by ear for years. Music was–and still is–a second language for Ken. He’s played for 49 United States and in more than 15 countries on four continents, and become one of the most creative and authentic voices in Christian music to date.

Tryson developed a visual impairment around the first grade. But like Ken, Tryson, his teachers, and his parents haven’t let this define him. He’s a hockey player, a long jumper, and likes listening to music and jokes on Youtube. When Ken was his age he was a water skier, a blossoming musician, and he rode his bike to school (despite the pesky obstacle of a fence on his route he “made friends with” often). Ken found out that Tryson is the only student allowed to wear a baseball cap in school to help protect him from bumping his head on things. Ken chuckled and said “Why didn’t I think of that?! It would have saved me a lot of bumps and bruises.”

When Tryson asked why the conversation was supposed to be all about him, it’s because he knows he and Ken aren’t defined by their “legally blind” diagnosis.

When the two of them sat down together in one of our practice rooms, with Mrs. Rodenhouse–our Braille Specialist–nearby, what took shape was a conversation full of stories and jokes that had all three of them laughing.

“A high jumper walks into a bar. His coach yells, ‘No, you’re supposed to jump over it!’” Tryson says, and Ken laughs a deep belly laugh, declaring he hadn’t heard a good joke like that in a long time.

Share
4
Gabrielle Eisma
Gabrielle Eisma

Related posts

Last year's Sun Gold tomatoes happily growing in a WSCS family's backyard garden.

February 6, 2023

GROW YOUR OWN VEGGIES


Read more
February 2, 2023

Why Bible Memory is Worth It!


Read more
May 11, 2022

Real-world Problem Solvers


Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Posts

  • Kindergarten
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2023
  • February 2023
  • May 2022
  • October 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • May 2019

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

955 Westend NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

(616) 453-3925

 

 

Growing Students’ Minds.

Guiding Servant Hearts.

Glorifying Jesus Christ.

 

Newsletter

Subscribe to our bulletin and
receive weekly updates on school news.

Newsletter Signup

Facebook Pagelike Widget

Academics

Early Childhood
Elementary
Middle School
Outdoor Education
Enrichment Programs
Educational Support Services

Programs

Summer Camp
Forest Homeschool
BUDS

Parents

Weekly Bulletin
Parent Request Absence (PRA) Form
WSCS Building Rental Policy Form
Kitchen Use Request Form
PTA
Hot Lunch – Ordering
Calendar
Athletics

WSCS

Tuition & Aid
Transportation
Employment Opportunities
Community Partners

© 1883 - 2019 West Side Christian School. All rights reserved.
  • Support WSCS
  • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Contact