Long ago, when people came together to establish West Side Christian School, God knew that one day the learning landscape that surrounds our school would provide opportunities for students to learn amidst God’s creation.
Our students experience firsthand the wonders of His handiwork.
Today, we stand as stewards of this vision, we are blessed to be increasing the opportunity to immerse ourselves in God’s masterpiece. Before we look to the future, let’s just pause for a moment to step into a world where learning meets the wonders of His creation, where every outdoor lesson is a testament to His boundless grace and wisdom.
My heart is full of gratitude that I have been able to witness God’s story through the outdoor education happening each day at West Side Christian School. For those of you that may have some wonderings surrounding outdoor education, let’s take a short “hike” together to peer into the world of wonder that is steps away from our school doors…
As we walk the trail that starts between two tall trees, and descend down the curved trail, you’d witness our younger students’ experience learning surrounded by lush forests to wading through springtime babbling brooks, every moment outdoors is an opportunity for discovery and growth. You’d join in as we tapped our maple trees. When asked “how do you know which tree to tap?” the students quickly responded with the “Three B’s:” the buds, the branching and the bark.
On another day, you’d see the forest scattered with shelters and smoking fires as our 5th grade students reenact history. Students sitting around the fire reading primary sources from those that lived through Valley Forge to working to complete the challenges of survival such as simulating hunting as they ventured through the landscape writing descriptive animal evidence descriptive sentences.
If our hike was on a past snowy day, you’d hear and later read the sixth grade’s created psalms of praise and gathering in prayer. Here, amidst the rustling leaves and singing birds, students not only develop a deep appreciation for all that God created as well as real world opportunities to apply their classroom content learning.
…Through hands-on experiences and meaningful connections with the natural world, outdoor education nurtures curious minds, fosters spiritual growth, and empowers students to become stewards of God’s magnificent creation.
Moreover, we rejoice in witnessing how God has worked through the gifts and talents of our students to nurture our schoolwide composting and recycling efforts. From garnering media attention to winning statewide awards, this is an example of how our students have grown to exemplify servant leadership and stewardship of the resources that God has entrusted to us.
For the past 14 years, our school garden has been a beacon of growth, nourishing not only our bodies but also our spirits. This year, we marveled at the vibrant hues of the cherry tomato rainbow, showcased in a delectable school lunch salad. Our Little Sprouts delight in all-you-can-eat summer cucumbers, while the garden’s abundance blesses the Northwest Food Pantry.
Truly, God has bestowed upon West Side Christian a vision—a vision that began with tentative steps into outdoor education, blossomed into the creation of one of the first nature preschool programs connected to a Christian school, and now propels us forward in our mission to revolutionize the landscape of education through the addition of a greenhouse.
Since our first school auction benefitting the greenhouse, it has been a repeated prayer, seeking God’s wisdom for how to grow the vision. The years of waiting were not wasted–rather God was using that time to grow and leading us this opportunity to gather at the March 2, 2024 Auction to show us He can do immeasurably more than we had originally hoped or imagined.
I thank God for this special school and how He has been leading us in this vision. As the concept of having a greenhouse on a school campus has been done before, typically these are places where students will nurture and tend to germinated potted plants. The vision God has given us is to answer the question and solve the problem, “How can we increase food production in a Michigan climate to provide fresh food for students, families and community members throughout the year?” Our structure will be the size of approximately two large classrooms where rows of crops would be grown throughout the year. In addition, the structure would transition to grow potted garden plant starts for sale and to plant in our expanded outdoor garden space which we currently purchase for other sources.
The crops would not only be growing food but also cultivating essential life skills in our students. Middle school student leaders would serve as chief financial officers, directors of marketing and landscape engineers. The produce would also serve to provide a revenue stream for school fundraising as well as potential part-time jobs for youth during the summer growing season. The students will be a part of the journey as we grow opportunities for produce distribution through the potential sales at Sobie Meats or our own self-serve school farm stand. Through it all our students will gain real world opportunities to apply their content learning skills along with developing essential soft skills such as communication, time management, leadership, teamwork, influence and analytical thinking.
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2024 WSCS Auction benefitting the greenhouse project, thank you to all of our sponsors, and thank you WSCS planning committee for making the night possible! We raised approximately $50,000 for the greenhouse project through the silent auction, live auction, and sponsorships. That means this revolutionary classroom and growing space is ready to become a reality. Next school year, you will be able to welcome our students back with a significant, beautiful greenhouse addition to our campus!
As we embark on this journey together, let us continue to cultivate a love for learning, a heart for service, and a spirit of stewardship. For in God’s bountiful grace and through your generosity we are making this greenhouse and a legacy of educational excellence for generations a reality. Thank you!
Written by Janet Staal, Director of Outdoor Education