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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER W e dn es da y, O ct ob er 2 0, 2 01 0 1 8 Education There's a new face this year at John Knox Christian School but it's not a new student JKCS has welcomed Mr. George Petrusma as their new Principal. Mr. Petrusma most recently filled the role of Principal at Knox Christian School in Bowmanville, Ontario where he and his wife Charlene made their home for 13 years. About to become empty nesters, the Petrusma's considered moving closer to their children's various universities and future employment areas on the west side of the city. While considering this move, they strongly felt God's con- firmation for a change of location through an offer extended by JKCS in Oakville. "There were so many pieces that came together in a way that only God could have orches- trated, so we felt absolutely certain that God was guiding our steps," said George. As it turns out, now that Mom and Dad are on the west side of the city, two out of three of their chil- dren have decided to move back in! And those now grown kids brought along two friends who needed a place to stay! The Petrusma's nest is not very empty now! Moving from Bowmanville has brought some other changes besides their growing grocery bill. Charlene is now joyfully employed as a part-time secretary at Faith Baptist Church in Oakville. The Petrusmas say they feel that they are settling in nicely. Charlene mentioned that, "Our neighbours have already organized a neigh- bourhood welcome party." The wel- come from the community at John Knox Christian School has been very warm as well. At the JKCS spring membership meeting, when the Petrusmas were introduced, Charlene was overwhelmed with many boxes of chocolate, her par- ticular favourite! The students at JKCS have been excited by Mr. Petrusma's arrival. Tori said, "Mr. Petrusma is really great! He already knows my name and is going to coach our volleyball team so he can be more involved in the school". Patrick, a junior kindergarten student said excitedly, "Mr. Petrusma played hide and seek with us at recess last week!" While Mr. Petrusma's strength is obviously building relationships with students, he also comes to JKCS with some heavyweight tal- ents in the area of leadership. He considers the study of leadership his hobby and works with the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools as a mentor for other Principals in the area of excellent administration and leadership. George's heart is clearly in Christian education. "What we're doing at JKCS is educating the whole child. Not just academically, but spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically. JKCS is the ideal place for children of Christian fam- ilies who want an excellent aca- demic education that incorporates a Christian perspective in their cur- riculum which is reinforced daily by our amazing teaching staff." For more information about John Knox Christian School, see their website at: www.jkcs- oakville.org. Mr. George Petrusma is the newest addition to John Knox Christian School, tak- ing over the role of Principal. A new face at John Knox Christian School Get an education in dance with Fred Astaire Explore dance with InMotion Dance What a GREAT time to be a kid!! Today, more parents are enrolling their children in qualitative instruction that can hold their child's interest, and allows for growth while learning about themselves and their talents. The performing arts is a fantastic place to start. Not only is it a great way to make new friends, but learning skills such as dance helps to spark creativity in adventurous ways under the guidance of an inspirational teacher. At InMotion Dance West, we LOVE to teach children about the value of their own gifts and creativity. Not only are they developing and honing technical skills to increase their love and passion for dance, but they are learning what it means to be a dancer - an artist - through creative exploration, while building their dance vocabulary. This exploration is then performed for var- ious venues within the school and/or among the many dance excursions that the students enjoy allowing for them to travel as a large group outside of province or country and per- form for various audiences. And in the end... it's all about giving the best part of oneself on the stage while learning and making new friendships along the way. So why not get started, and join us at InMotion Dance West today for some DANC- ING FUN! Its never too early or too late to intro- duce dance into your life and theres no bet- ter place to start than with Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Canada. From that wedding dance to all of the classic dances, as well as their specialty dances and all the latest trends in dancing, Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Canada offers the best dance instruction in North America. Learn to dance the bolero, cha-cha, country- western, line dancing, meringue, ballroom dancing, two-step, polka, rumba, salsa, tango and waltz from the professionally trained and qualified instructors. Discover and develop your confidence, creativity and fitness while you experience the exciting Fred Astaire teaching method, taught by the very best instructors. From beginners looking to learn the basics to advanced dancers looking to dis- cover a new style of dance, Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Canada has set the stan- dards of excellence. Get your dancing skills started by your- self or with a partner with five lessons for just $30. Call Fred Astaire Dance Studio at 905-815-3237 in Oakville or visiting at 225 Lakeshore Road East, or in Hamilton at or 905 522-3237, located at 1092 Main Street West. Top five Canadian children's books inspire the imagination (NC)When it comes to stir- ring the imagination of children, there's nothing like a good book. Earlier this year, The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) andTD Bank Financial Group announced the 2010 finalists for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. This annual award recognizes excellence in Canadian children's literature and the author of the winning book will be awarded $25,000 for the most distinguished book of the year. Not only do these books make an excellent reading list vetted by some of Canada's top children's lit- erature professionals, this year's top five titles will captivate the hearts and imaginations of chil- dren and adults everywhere, result- ing in an enjoyable (and education- al) read for everyone involved. These authors introduce readers to a variety of new adventures from dragons, magic and Victorian vil- lains, to a heartwarming coming- of-age narrative. According to Charlotte Teeple, the Executive Director of The Canadian Children's Book Centre, The books chosen as finalists for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards exemplify some of the best work by Canadian chil- dren's authors and illustrators. We're very proud of the marvelous talent in today's Canadian publish- ing for young people. Visit your local library or favourite bookstore to pick up one of the English-language finalists for the 2010 TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards: Dragon Seer: written by Janet McNaughton (St. John's, NL), HarperCollins Publishers, ages 11 and up Home Free: written by Sharon Jennings (Toronto, ON), Second Story Press, ages 10 13 The Hunchback Assignments: written by Arthur Slade (Saskatoon, SK), HarperCollins Publishers, ages 11 and up A Thousand Years of Pirates: written and illustrated by William Gilkerson (Mahone Bay, NS), Tundra Books, ages 10 14 Watching Jimmy: written by Nancy Hartry (Toronto, ON), Tundra Books, ages 12 and up For more information visit www.bookcentre.ca.