Parenting Survival
Survival is a desire in all of us.
The TV series that is going into its 40th season of pitting individuals against each other is a phenomenon that excites the viewers to peer into people’s lives 
and watch them trying not to be voted off the island. I am intrigued by it. What does it take to win?
As a parent you might sometimes feel you are trying to survive not just in the world but in your home. What a tragedy it is to think that raising children is something to “survive” and endure. The intentionality of the child rearing days are the backbone of the family unit. These young lives are a gift and as such are not to just be tolerated for a season but rather we should see it as joining God in the redemptive work of salvation. We are partners in this glorious activity and as such our attitude should reflect it.
Then life hits.
The whole realm of child behaviour and time-consuming effort starts to exhaust us and the joy of this labor is somewhat tainted.
Maybe it’s time we regroup, rethink, refuel and refocus our energies into being the Godly parents the Bible calls us to be. Summer is soon upon us and it will offer a bit more time to relax and possibly allow some books to move from the shelf to our lap where we can have some fresh insight into our roles as parents.
One such book I would highly recommend is Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp. Targeted to teenagers but practical advice for all ages. One of my favourite authors in the area of parenting, this book is a wealth of practical, biblical advice on helping parents to be encouraged and equipped to do their job joyfully. Sound impossible? Pick up a copy and give it your summer time to bring back the purpose and passion of your parenting. You will be changed and your children will thank you.
If you are more into digital/video series, through our partnership with RightNow Media you can also access a couple of other resources.
Another resource from Paul Tripp in book/video series called Parenting - https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/303205
Reaching Out
This year’s school theme has been “Reaching out into Christ’s Kingdom”. All year, our focus has not only been on helping the students to be aware of our responsibility to help out the 
family of God, but also to be in the community with opportunities to share our faith through our actions. 1 John 3:18 reminds us to love each other “in deed and in truth”. A wonderful opportunity to show love in action has been presented to us by The Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
The hospital has been running a program called “CALIPER”. Its purpose is to build a medical database of standards from healthy children. The more children that participate, the larger the data population, and therefore, more information can be provided to assist doctors in accurate diagnoses. Sick Kids has been partnering with numerous schools over the last couple of years to help gather this data. Here at PCS, we have had many families and friends benefit from the work of Sick Kids and their doctors over the years. We would love to offer the opportunity for our school family to be a part of this great program.
Attached, you will find a copy of the general flyer with some basic information about the program. On Tuesday, May 14th, as part of the Night of the Museum activity at PCS, the team from Sick Kids Caliper Project will be here to talk and give further details to our school. You can visit them in the MP Room (the classroom to the left of the front foyer when you enter the school) any time during the night.
We will follow up with a school assembly on Friday, May 17th, to inform the students. After the assembly, participation forms will be coming home, which parents can fill out if they wish their children to participate. The clinic itself will be held on Thursday, May 30th, here at the school throughout the day.
Please read the flyer and come prepared on Tuesday, May 14th, to ask your questions.