Surrey Christian School’s vision statement is bold – Fully Alive in God’s Story! One of the attractive aspects of this statement is that it speaks of the present, the right now, and not about our students’ future, after graduation.

To be fully alive in God’s unfolding story is the explicit vision for our students as they study grade 2 science, grade 7 socials, and grade 11 PHE. This means that every subject area at every grade level, from September in kindergarten through June of grade 12, is kingdom building work! Our students have very important work to do when they enter Surrey Christian School – right here, right now!

So, how can teachers ensure that our curriculum requirements and daily learning experiences are rooted in this grand narrative of God’s story? It’s not a simple task; however, it is not only an imperative responsibility, it is also their deep hope. One way that we are rooting out curriculum and leaning into the story is through the practice we call ‘Storyline.’ The fundamental purpose of a class storyline is to connect the learning, and learners, to God’s story. Teachers choose age-appropriate language to connect the learning with God’s invitation to join him in ‘making all things new again.’ As you walk our hallways, you will encounter storylines like ‘Instruments of Change’, ‘Flourish’, ‘Risk your status quo’, ‘Listen for Unheard Stories’ and ‘Nourish to Flourish’. The language of a storyline bridges the classroom learning with our calling to be agents of restoration in building God’s Kingdom. Once a class has settled on their storyline, the exciting and challenging part of the ongoing learning begins as students discover how their storyline fits into God’s story. Visuals and artifacts are posted in the learning spaces to capture and represent the learning journey. The visual documents show evidence of learning targets while providing students and teachers with opportunities to further reflect on their journey of learning. These also act as a constant reminder of why we are studying science, socials, and PHE at Surrey Christian School in the first place – to become Fully Alive in God’s Story.

Darryl DeBoer