The first field trip of the school year is always an exciting time, and Foundations Christian School is no different. Tomorrow, September 26, 2014, our kids will be embarking on a day-long field trip to Animal Adventure Park. If they've never been there, they will enjoy every minute of the fun. 

Animal Adventure Park is in Harpursville, NY, and it's an interactive animal park where kids can learn all about the animals they see. They'll get the opportunity to feed some of them too, which is an awesome experience. Animal Adventure Park has zebras, turtles, llamas, a mountain lion, and so many more beautiful animals. What a great way to appreciate how different and complex all of God's creatures are! 

If your child is a student planning on going on the field trip, we want to remind you to please make sure he or she is dressed for the cooler weather in the morning. Layers are perfect because it is supposed to be a really nice day tomorrow. You can feel free to keep their backpacks at home, too, but please send their lunches, complete with napkins and plastic forks, spoons, etc. 

This might be our first field trip, but it won't be our last. We're having a great time enjoying the 2014-2015 school year, and we're just getting started!

If you would like more information about Foundations Christian School for your kids, we would love to talk to you! You're welcome to take a tour of our new location, right here at Big Flats Wesleyan Church in Big Flats, NY, and our administrators are more than willing to answer any of your questions. If you're tired of the public school scene, and you think a Christian education would be right for your kids, please contact us today! 

**Photo courtesy of www.animaladventurepark.com**

No matter how much you prepare for Back to School season, once the school year really starts rolling, it can be hard to leave your summer routine behind. Even so, there is a way to ensure you keep your sanity as a Mom or Dad while providing your kids with everything they need to make this school year a great one. Here at Foundations Christian School, our goal is to help you train up your children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6), so we'd like to offer you a few tips that can help take the "crazy" out of your mornings.

Healthy Breakfast
We get it - mornings are tough. Some families are lucky to get any breakfast at all before flying out the door in the mornings. However, the foods your kids eat will have a direct impact on how well they do in school during the day. That's why it's important to make healthy choices for them. Try making quick breakfast foods ahead of time that they can grab and eat in the car if you're always running short on time. Granola, apples, bananas and hard-boiled eggs are easy to fix ahead of time, and simple to grab when you're on the go.

Prepare the Night Before
You can make your mornings a little easier when you make preparations for everything the night before. Have your kids pack their backpacks as soon as their homework is done, and if they're taking their lunch to school, it's good to make their lunches at night too. Are clothing choices a pain in the morning? You can simplify that process by having them pick out their clothes and get everything ready at night. Or, if you're really ambitious, take some extra time on the weekends and get their outfits ready for the entire week.

Make Homework a Priority
The fact is that sometimes your kids are going to have homework. However, if you don't make it a priority, they won't either. Of course, they will need some training to ensure that homework becomes a priority for them too. To get them in the habit of getting all of their work done, some parents will make any screen time - television, electronics, etc. - contingent on whether or not it's done. Once you use those things as rewards (limited, of course), you'll usually see an eager child who is willing to comply.

Foundations Christian School is growing even more since we made the move to Big Flats, NY this year. We'd love for you to be a part of that growth. For more information on the school, or to talk with our Administrators about enrolling your children, please contact us!

Here at Foundations Christian School in Big Flats, we frequently get asked what people can do to help us. We love the caring hearts of the people at Big Flats Wesleyan Church, Grace Church of the Nazarene, and in the surrounding churches. There is plenty you can do to lend a hand as we continue on throughout the school year. 

Prayer
Prayer is the first thing on our list because it really is the most important thing you can do to help us. This year has already been a blessing to us because of our new location, as well as for many other reasons. However, we know that whenever God does something awesome, the enemy is right there, ready to attack. We need some prayer warriors who are willing to stand up to the enemy on our behalf, and who will call on God for our school on a daily basis. 

School Supplies
Each year our students get a nice long list of things they will need to bring in to start the new year. However, it isn't long before those items need to be replenished, or we find that we need additional things for them to use. We're also usually very appreciative of things like napkins, paper towels, tissues and plastic spoons. If you want to help us with some of these items, that would be wonderful!

Volunteering
We have been blessed to be a blessing for anyone who has volunteered with us here at the school. You never know what we might need help with. Sometimes we need substitute teachers, or teacher's aids. Maybe you have a gift you'd like to share with our students, or a special talent that one of our teachers could use during a lesson. Contact us and tell us how you would like to help.

Spread the Word
Now that school is in session, it won't be long before you'll start to see posts on Facebook from exasperated parents. They'll be complaining about their children's schools, and you're bound to hear some anger expressed toward Common Core requirements. Don't be afraid to spread the word about us! Many people don't realize that their kids have an alternative option for school that's not as expensive as other private or Christian schools in the area. They will be happy you told them about us, and our enrollment will grow!

If you're reading this, and you would like more information about Foundations Christian School, we would love to talk with you about what God is doing for our students here in Big Flats. Please contact us today! 

Tomorrow is the big day! We're getting ready to welcome new and old students back to Foundations Christian School! Are you ready? 

We're having an informational orientation meeting tonight for every parent at Big Flats Wesleyan Church (the new home of Foundations Christian School) in Big Flats, NY. The meeting takes place at 6:30, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to get some information about the school, as well as get any of your questions answered. You can also take a peek inside of your children's classrooms and talk with their teachers. 

Last year was our first year at FCS, and we're excited to jump right into number two! We've had many changes during the past year, and we're excited to share them with you. 

If you'd like more information about a Christian education at Foundations Christian School for your children, please contact us today!