Kirk Cameron, whom you probably know from his starring roles in Growing Pains, Fireproof, and the first set of Left Behind movies, recently came out with an article all about Halloween. Halloween is a sore subject for many Christians who just aren't sure whether or not they should "celebrate" it or just ignore the day completely. Kirk's advice? 

Make Halloween about getting candy and having fun. Nothing else.

We think that's pretty good advice, but regardless of what your stance is, we'd like to offer you a few Halloween tips that will help keep you and your family safe, no matter what your plans are.

1. Dress your kids in costumes that can easily be seen by drivers. Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year. If your child's costume is dark, apply some reflective tape, or have him or her wear a necklace that glows in the dark. 
2. Only visit people you know well. 
3. If you're staying home, turn off your porch light so people won't knock on your door. It's never a good idea to open your door and announce that you have no candy to hand out. 
4. Consider attending a community event like Trunk or Treat instead of taking your kids door to door. Many churches in our area host these events, and the kids always have a lot of fun. 
5. Make sure your kids observe all deadlines, and check the trick-or-treat times for your city so you don't miss them. 

Halloween can be a lot of fun, but it's even more fun when your family is safe!

If you'd like to know more about Foundations Christian School, contact us today! 

This Thursday, October 24, 2014 is our annual Open House here at Foundations Christian School. There are many reasons for you to attend this important event, so I thought I'd take a minute and talk about just a few of them.

For Parents: This is an excellent opportunity for you to talk with your child's teacher and find out what he/she has been learning so far. You've probably seen the papers that have been coming home, but as we all know, there's more to school than just grades and happy faces! Miss Emma and Mrs. Maynard will be on hand to answer any of the questions you might have about curriculum, your child's achievements thus far and more. You'll also get to see where your son or daughter spends the majority of each day. Not to mention, your child will be eager to show off any special projects, or even just their classroom.

For Interested Parents: Maybe your child doesn't attend Foundations Christian School right now, but you haven't had a chance to contact the school for more information because you work during the week. We understand your frustration, and this is the perfect time for you to get to meet everyone who is involved with the school. You'll get to learn a little bit about how our students learn on a daily basis, and you'll have the chance to envision what a Christian education at our school would look like for your child. 

Open House is always a lot of fun too! We promise, there will be plenty of yummy refreshments and lots of fellowship opportunities available with our staff and other parents and students. Make sure you put it on your calendar RIGHT NOW to attend Open House at Foundations Christian School, this Thursday at 6:30. 

For more information about our school, please contact us!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about how you can help out Foundations Christian School. In case you missed that post, you can access it right here. 

We've gotten some extra help, but we can always use more! 

You Don't Have to be a Teacher

You might be thinking, "Oh, I'm not a teacher. I could never volunteer at Foundations Christian School." The good news is, you don't have to be a teacher to be a valuable part of our team. Some of our most important helpers do jobs like: 

• Grade student assignments (using a teacher guide)
  
• Monitor lunchtime
  
• Monitor recess time
  
• Read to students (or listen as students read to them)
  
• Help with simple math problems
  

You might even have an interesting skill or talent that we can put to good use. However, we'll never know about it unless you let us know. 

In order to serve at FCS, you have to have a heart for children and a heart for this important ministry. We are growing by leaps and bounds, and we'd love to have you partner with us in our future adventures as a school. 

If you'd like more information about how you can become a volunteer, or if you want to talk to someone about enrolling your child in Foundations Christian School in Big Flats, NY, please contact us today! 

If you've been reading this blog, you know I don't usually share personal stories here. However, this happened yesterday, and I thought I would share it with you; especially if you've been thinking of pulling your kids out of public school. First, let's take a look at the back story.

This post is about my son, Matthew, who attended Foundations Christian School last year. At the beginning of the school year this year, Matt told me that he wanted to go to public school for his seventh grade year. I was a little hesitant, but I said he could. He started attending Broadway Academy, and I prayed that everything would be OK. He'd had problems with bullying in the past, and I wasn't sure what drew him to want to go to public school, but he seemed adamant that it was what he wanted. 

Yesterday, I received a  phone call from the school nurse. She wanted to let me know that Matt was OK, but that he had been slapped in the face by a girl who had a hand full of hand sanitizer. He got some in his eye, and his cheek was pretty red, but other than that he was OK. A little while later, I got a phone call from one of the school's Sheriffs. He wanted to let me know that they had had trouble with this girl in the past, and the school had reviewed video of the incident. She was hiding behind a door, ready to hit the first person she saw. Matt just happened to be the unlucky one to walk through the door at that time. He didn't know her, and he said he didn't even know her name. She was a complete stranger to him. Once she slapped him, she laughed and ran down the hall. 

The Sheriff assured me that this situation was being taken care of. The girl would be suspended and she would be "charged" with attempted assault, and would appear before the Youth Court. Matt's eye was washed out, and he didn't have any damage. However, they called it "assault" because they considered the hand sanitizer to be a weapon because it contained alcohol. 

This is the type of thing that happens in public schools. This is also why I'm happy that my four-year-old will never have to endure this type of behavior in school. Maybe you don't know much about Foundations Christian School, but it's different. The kids are taught respect, integrity and love for each other. They're taught to value each other as friends, and if you see them all together, it's kind of like they're their own little family. It's a wonderful atmosphere, and I would recommend it to anyone who was looking for an alternative option for school for their kids. 

Perhaps your child has had a similar situation with bullying in public school. In this situation, the school officials and the police did the right thing, and they're taking care of it. However, that's not always the case. Many instances of bullying get overlooked by the school, or they happen over social media, where the school isn't watching. If your child is suffering, my heart goes out to you as a Mom who understands. I write this post to you, to let you know there is another way for your child to receive his or her education. 

Contact us about enrolling your child in Foundations Christian School. We'd love to talk with you, and our administrators are there to answer your questions. Bullying isn't allowed here, and your child will receive the love and acceptance that only a Christian school can offer. 

It's time for our first fundraiser here at Foundations Christian School in Big Flats, NY! We're really excited about this event, and we hope you'll be excited too. Antiquities has agreed to partner with us in raising money for our school, and this is an excellent opportunity for parents to get a professional antique photograph taken of your children together.

Any FCS parent can help you purchase a ticket, and you'll be able to bring your kids to get a beautiful 10x13 portrait taken. Tickets only cost $10, and YES! That includes the price of your amazing portrait!

We don't know of anywhere else where you can get a professional portrait like this one done, and the sessions are so much fun! Your kids will enjoy picking out their antique, old-fashioned clothing, and you'll have a photo you can remember this special day by. There are options to purchase other portraits, of course, but those are completely optional. 

We're going to be setting up the appointment times for November 13-15, and once you purchase your ticket, Carrie Alo (whose adorable kids are featured in the above portrait) will be contacting you to set up an appointment time that works for you. 

If you'd like to purchase your ticket for your Antiquities photo session, please leave a comment below, or contact usIf you'd like to purchase your ticket for your Antiquities photo session, please leave a comment below, or contact us!