News

Back from Holidays and Looking to Celebrate the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Written by on January 11, 2023

It was wonderful to have everyone back last week after the holiday break. Students and faculty alike have settled back into our routine. Looking ahead, we will celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with an inschool observance this Friday, January 13, and no school on Monday, January 16. ~ Kiri […]

Primary Pageant, Book Fair and Part-Time Job Opportunity

Written by on November 8, 2022

Last Friday, we enjoyed a pageant that included all the primary grades enacting stories from the Lord’s Word that reflect this year’s school theme of “Walk in all the ways that I have commanded you.” It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and hear the sweet voices. Preparations also occurred for this year’s Book Fair. […]

Rock Roots Assembly and Be with the Students Day

Rock Roots Assembly and Be with the Students Day

Written by on September 29, 2022

We were fortunate to have an assembly last Friday entitled Rock Roots. It was a strong musical performance, introducing a broad spectrum of musical styles played by skilled musicians.  It was highly interactive with educational aspects including a chronicle of American history, music, and geography. I also had my first, “Be with the Students Day” […]

Field Day

Written by on June 5, 2022

After a two-year absence we were excited to hold our traditional Field Day again last Friday. During this event, which was once called May Day Play Day, 18 teams, each with students from kindergarten to 8th grade, compete in nine activities on our athletics fields. The activities include such things as an egg n spoon […]

BACS Parents

Written by on May 24, 2022

As we begin the final three weeks of the school year and find ourselves midway between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I feel it is appropriate to take a moment to recognize the work that the parents do to support what we do at BACS. Our goal is to have the home and school be […]

Community Picnic

Written by on May 17, 2022

The Capital Campaign Committee held a very well attended indoor picnic last Friday night. Not only did this event raise funds for the new building, it also provided members of our school community with an opportunity to gather together. I think we have all felt varying degrees of isolation over the last couple years. Friday […]

Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

Written by on May 10, 2022

This past week was national Teacher Appreciation Week. BACS kicked off the week in style by having a beautiful catered dinner for our faculty and staff at Glencairn on Sunday evening. This event was a gift from the Leaves of Tree Foundation. On Thursday the parents of the school presented the teachers with a Cinco […]

Whole School Chapel and Assembly

Written by on May 4, 2022

BACS held whole school chapel in Heilman Hall last Friday. It was the first time we had been all together in Heilman Hall in over two years. As Solomon Keal mentioned in his talk, being in the same place at the same time creates a sense of togetherness. I think we all felt that unity […]

The First Grade Play

Written by on April 26, 2022

On Friday some of the grades were invited to attend a preview performance of this year’s First Grade Play. It is so nice that the first graders have this opportunity to put on a play. Having the experience of playing a role is a great building block for our students to learn the important skill […]

Staff Openings at BACS

Written by on April 19, 2022

BACS took a four day weekend for Easter last week. We hope it was an opportunity for our students and faculty to spend time with their families and to celebrate this special time of year. BACS is still accepting applications for our school counselor position as well as full-time teaching positions in first, second and […]

Building Work Continues

Written by on April 13, 2022

We continue to spend time this spring preparing for the upcoming building project. Our architects recently spent the better part of a week camped out on campus. Aspects of the design have reached the level of detail where engineers and builders have begun joining our team and are reviewing plans item by item. Other areas […]

Staffing News

Written by on April 5, 2022

Next year, two of our homeroom teachers will be teaching in different grade levels. Chris DeMaria will be moving from first grade to second grade and Beth Adams will be moving from second grade to fifth grade. Both second and fifth grades will have two homeroom teachers new to that grade level next year. The […]

BACS Competes at the Reading Olympics

BACS Competes at the Reading Olympics

Written by on March 22, 2022

This Thursday two teams from BACS will be competing in the Montgomery County Reading Olympics, an event which will include 18 teams from area schools. Twenty of our students will face off against other schools in two rounds of questions based on a list of 25 books. This is the fourth year that BACS has […]

Spring Term Begins

Written by on March 16, 2022

On Monday the students and teachers returned from a well-deserved spring break. We have now begun our third marking period. The spring term is home to many milestone projects including the country fair, mythology plays, state notebooks and the first grade play, and students have begun working on some of these projects already. The spring […]

Renewed Excitement About the Building

Renewed Excitement About the Building

Written by on March 1, 2022

When I announced the new building plans to the students back in October there was a buzz of excitement throughout the student body. Since then the work on the project has almost exclusively been happening out of the students’ sight, and so the buzz has simmered down. Two events took place over the last week […]

Hundredth Day of School

Written by on February 22, 2022

About two weeks ago BACS had our 90th day of school which marked the midpoint of the year, and two weeks from now we will reach the end of our second marking period. It was on last Monday though that we hit another turning point in an elementary school calendar, the 100th day of the […]

Staffing News

Written by on February 15, 2022

Three of our homeroom teachers, Debbie Cook, Cara Dibb and Liz Switzer, have let us know that they will be retiring at the end of this school year. They will each will be missed, both as teachers and as colleagues next year. Mrs. Switzer began teaching first grade here in 2003 before returning in 2005 […]

Building Project Update

Written by on February 8, 2022

We are continuing to make progress preparing for our future building project. Several sub committees are beginning to take shape to work on specific aspects of the project.  These include the kitchen, the auditorium, outdoor spaces, the exterior finishes, the mechanicals, and the New Church iconography. We are also excited to have added community member […]

Swedenborg’s Birthday at BACS

Written by on February 1, 2022

January 29th was Emmanuel Swedenborg’s birthday. BACS has used this date to acknowledge Swedenborg in different ways over the years. This year in addition to a religious assembly put on by the 8th grade on Friday and the traditional Swedish flag topped treats, each class had a lesson dedicated to Swedenborg. Each grade’s lesson focused […]

Substitute Teachers at BACS

Written by on January 25, 2022

We feel fortunate that we are continuing to offer in person school despite the high COVID case counts in our area. One of the key factors in our success has been the group of substitute teachers who have been covering a multitude of roles for us. In addition to the team of subs who had […]

Observing Martin Luther King Jr Day

Written by on January 18, 2022

BACS was closed on Monday January 17th as we participated in the national observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day. Each of our homerooms also spent time last Friday discussing topics related to Dr. King’s work. These topics included diversity, leadership, service, non-violence, equality, freedom and providence. Each year the years of Dr. King’s lifetime […]

First Week of 2022

Written by on January 11, 2022

Last week’s damage to our utility room caused us to miss school on Monday and Tuesday but thanks to the hard work of several crews we were able to be back onsite on Wednesday. It was nice to return, albeit later than planned, from Christmas break and to be back in the classrooms with our […]

Streamed Christmas Program

Written by on December 14, 2021

BACS will be presenting its annual Christmas program online this year. You can view the program beginning at 10:20 this Friday morning, Dec. 17, at https://brynathynchurchschool.org/bacs-christmas-program/ . The students have been working hard to prepare their songs and we are looking forward to hearing them sing live as choirs this year. We like to think […]

BACS Toy Drive

Written by on December 7, 2021

The Bryn Athyn Church School is happy to once again be partnering with the USMC’s Toys for Tots program. We are currently collecting toys for the newly formed Hatboro chapter of the organization. Our toy drives have been a special part of Christmas for us for decades. It is an opportunity for students to focus […]

Thanksgiving Break

Written by on November 30, 2021

BACS was closed last Thursday and Friday for our Thanksgiving break. Thanksgiving is an opportunity for us to shift our focus to one of gratitude. Our hope is that the lessons, worships and projects leading up to the break helped prepare our students for the holiday. Now that we are back in session and only […]

Beans for Jeans Food Drive

Beans for Jeans Food Drive

Written by on November 23, 2021

BACS is excited to be once again collecting food this year for the Drueding Center. The Drueding Center provides reliable and safe housing for families in need and also works to give them a foundation for improved well-being and self-sufficiency. With a couple of days still to go we have collected over 400 items in […]

Veteran’s Day

Written by on November 16, 2021

BACS recognized Veterans Day last Thursday with a special chapel service delivered by Rev. George McCurdy.  Through his compelling words, Rev. McCurdy reminded us about the importance of love for one’s country. Our recitation for the week was, “A person who loves their country, and from good will benefits it, in the other life loves […]

BACS Book Fair

Written by on November 9, 2021

BACS held our annual Scholastic Book Fair this past weekend. After holding it virtually last year, it was so nice to have it in person once again. When the doors opened on Friday evening, we were greeted by a crowd of excited shoppers. The fair is more than a fundraiser for the library; it is […]

BACS Staffing News

Written by on November 2, 2021

Last week I let the staff and the parents know that this will be my final year as principal of the Bryn Athyn Church School. I will be forever grateful for the way that the BACS community accepted me as a teacher 25 years ago, and it has been an honor to be the principal of […]

Chapel as Presented by the Seventh Grade

Written by on October 27, 2021

Rev Eric Carswell and his 7th grade religion students put chapel on for the school last Friday. Students acted out scenes from the story of Jonah while their classmates narrated from The Word and Mr. Carswell explained its application to our lives. Having students act out the stories of The Word with costumes and props, […]

Looking Forward to a New Building

Written by on October 19, 2021

Last Friday, after our whole school outdoor chapel, I was able to officially announce to the students that a new school building is coming. It was fun to hear them ooh and ah over the pictures as I held them up. At the end of the day some students also beckoned their parents over to […]

Parent Teacher Conferences

Written by on October 12, 2021

We held our annual parent-teacher conferences last week. These conferences are an invaluable piece of our school year. Parents and teachers can often see different sides of a child’s life; by sharing these views the child stands to be better served both at home and at school.  The conferences can be a time for plans to […]

Plans for a New Building 

Plans for a New Building 

Written by on October 5, 2021

Last Wednesday night the building committee introduced plans to the society for a new school and church building. It is exciting to think about all the ways that the proposed space could improve our students’ experience. The committee has spent nearly four years studying the current facilities and exploring potential solutions to our physical and programmatic needs. In that time we […]

BACS Elective Program

Written by on September 27, 2021

We are excited that this year we are able to once again have our 7th and 8th grade elective program. The goal of this program, which runs for an hour each Friday, is to provide students with opportunities to try new experiences and to pursue interests that are not part of the standard school day. […]

After School Sports Begin

Written by on September 21, 2021

Our first session of after school sports began last week. Seventy students in 5th – 8th grades are participating in six week seasons of field hockey and soccer. Our goal for these programs is to provide our students with the opportunity to experience being part of a team. They can learn what it is like […]

Parent Nights

Written by on September 14, 2021

Six of our grade levels held their parent nights last week. The remaining three are scheduled for later this week. Parent nights are a highlight of September. They provide an opportunity for teachers and parents to meet together and to begin a yearlong partnership. After having to meet through Zoom last year, it is so […]

Outdoor School Opening

Written by on September 8, 2021

On our first day of school, Tues. 8/31, Bryn Athyn Church School began the day with an outdoor school opening ceremony. This was the first time in over 70 weeks that we were able to gather as a whole school for worship. It was a great way to start the year. We were particularly fortunate […]

BEGINNING A NEW YEAR

Written by on September 1, 2021

Bryn Athyn Church School opened our 2021-22 school year on Tuesday, August 31. While our program will still be impacted in certain ways by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to start a new year and are very much looking forward to a year on campus and in person. We are also excited to be […]

Staffing News

Written by on July 13, 2021

There have been two recent transitions to our BACS staff. Sadly, Amanda Miller will not be returning in the fall. Amanda worked in our Student Support Center for past two years. In that time Amanda’s students benefitted from her skill and her care. She will be missed. Catie Junge will be joining our faculty this […]

After School Program Staff

Written by on June 29, 2021

BACS will be piloting an after school program this coming year. This program will provide a place for students to get started on homework, participate in enrichment activities and engage with other students. We are pleased to announce that Beth Bochneak will be serving as the manager of this program. Beth’s skill, experience and personality […]

Wrapping Up the Year

Written by on June 21, 2021

With the students gone last week was a week of meetings at BACS. One of those meetings was our annual faculty study which was led by our school pastor Rev. Solomon Keal. Solomon used Tuesday morning to guide us through next year’s school theme which will be “Seek First the Kingdom of God.” It is […]

Graduation 2021 and Staffing News

Written by on June 8, 2021

Graduation Our graduation ceremony will be held at 11:00am on Friday, June 11th. We are excited that the graduates and their families will get to experience this ceremony in our traditional setting. Anyone else interested can watch it live at https://brynathynchurchschool.org/graduation/ Staffing News Barb Rose announced this week that she will not be returning to […]

Supporting BACS

Written by on May 24, 2021

While we still don’t know exactly what the next school year will look like, we can’t help but get excited about the activities, projects and events that might be possible again at some point. Many of these are the types of things that are directly funded by the Educational Enhancement Fund. This is a fund […]

Our School Nurse

Written by on May 17, 2021

Last week was National Nurses Week and it seems appropriate to take this time to acknowledge the work put in this year by our school nurse, Kathy McQueen. The countless hours she has spent researching regulations and best practices, designing systems and protocols, working with the health department, communicating with families, contact tracing, and in […]

Parent Appreciation

Written by on May 15, 2021

  Last Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I would like to use the opportunity to recognize all the mothers, and also the fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other care givers that have played such an integral part in our students’ education this past year. We have felt the partnership with our students’ families more than […]

Teacher Appreciation

Written by on May 3, 2021

Tuesday, May 4th is Teacher Appreciation Day, and I would like to use the occasion as an opportunity to publically acknowledge everything that the teachers have done over the past year. These past four terms have seen teachers reinvent their programs several times over. They have taught themselves countless new skills in order to give […]

Piloting an After School Program

Written by on April 26, 2021

BACS has spent time over the past couple years planning for an after school program for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. While there is still some uncertainty about whether a multi grade program will fit into our safety protocols next September, we are optimistically moving forward with a goal of piloting such a program […]

Picture Day at BACS

Written by on April 20, 2021

Each year, for as long as we can all remember, BACS students have been getting school photos taken. Because of COVID protocols the photography company was unable to come this year. Fortunately, the picture day tradition was able to continue thanks to the generosity of Bruce Cronlund. Bruce recently spent a morning outside of our […]

Return to Onsite School

Written by on April 12, 2021

It was a welcome sight to see the student body return to the building on Tuesday after the school was moved online for the two weeks before Easter. We are, however, continuing to face challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of our students are dealing with the virus and several more are quarantining, but fortunately […]

Another COVID Detour

Written by on March 30, 2021

When BACS returned from spring break two weeks ago, there were reasons to be optimistic. The weather was starting to feel like spring, vaccination appointments were becoming available to teachers in large numbers, and government agencies were discussing reducing certain guidelines. Some of us began to set our eyes towards a finish line somewhere on […]

Returning from Spring Break

Written by on March 15, 2021

Students and staff returned to school on Monday after a week-long spring break. This was something we were not able to do last year as it was at this point in the year that the COVID shutdowns and restrictions began. Over the past twelve months yearly projects and events have been compared to what they […]

Special Chapel Services at BACS

Written by on March 11, 2021

Traditionally, about once a month chapel is put on by an intermediate or upper unit religion class. In these services the minister often leads the students in reading passages from the Word while their classmates act out the stories on stage. Unfortunately, because of this year’s restrictions these special chapel services cannot happen in the […]

Preparing for Spring Break

Written by on March 1, 2021

Spring break is approaching for BACS; we are scheduled to be closed from March 8-12. The students and teachers have been working hard in many ways this winter and I’m sure that the days off will be a welcome chance to recharge before we begin a busy spring term. This year has reminded us of […]

Remote School During Snow

Written by on February 22, 2021

More snow fell on BACS this past week making it unsafe to have students and staff on campus. Rather than miss two more days of academic momentum we converted those days to online learning. Doing this also allowed us to avoid cancelling spring holidays like Easter Monday, a traditional solution when there are too many […]

Onsite School at BACS

Written by on February 16, 2021

BACS continues to hold school onsite, and it is so nice to have students in the building. I have found that the times we spent online over the past year have given me a new appreciation for the little things that happen on a typical day of school. This past week for instance, I had […]

Snow Falls on BACS

Snow Falls on BACS

Written by on February 9, 2021

This past week brought snow to Bryn Athyn. Unfortunately, it kept us away from school at the beginning of the week. When we returned, it was to a smooth blanket of snow covering our playgrounds. Within hours that smooth blanket was replaced by dozens of snowmen, snow forts and other creative snow structures. Because we […]

Fresh Air at BACS

Written by on February 2, 2021

Last week was cold and windy but BACS continued to utilize fresh air as part of our health and safety protocols. We have increased ventilation throughout the building this year, and despite the outside temperatures we have been working with the windows cracked open. We are also using our outside spaces more than ever. In […]

BACS Students Return Onsite

Written by on January 25, 2021

BACS returned to onsite school on Tuesday, January 19th and we have a had a good first week back. Having students in the building again for the first time since before Thanksgiving has been wonderful. While we have learned more and more about how to effectively teach online, nothing beats having the kids in the […]

Observing Martin Luther King Jr Day

Written by on January 19, 2021

BACS was closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day. Each year this observance is accompanied by lessons in the classrooms covering such topics as diversity, leadership, service, equality, freedom and providence. These topics are important and are covered in other ways throughout the year as well but our hope is that […]

Midpoint in the Year

Written by on January 11, 2021

On Friday we reached midterm point of our middle term. In many ways this is the midpoint of the school year. The first half of this year included several different versions of school as we responded to the pandemic. I continue to be amazed by the resilient work of the students, teachers and parents. This […]

Virtual Christmas Program Thursday 7:00pm

Written by on December 15, 2020

We are excited to announce that will be holding a Virtual Christmas Program online on December 17th at 7:00pm. While this program will not be a digital replica of our traditional program, there will be elements familiar to us. The program will include many holiday favorites produced by compiling recordings the students have made at […]

Toy Drive

Written by on December 11, 2020

We have learned that our local branch of Toys for Tots, which we have contributed to for many years, is no longer in operation. This news was sad for many of our teachers, parents, and community members, so we looked around to find an alternative. This year we will be collecting toys for The Drueding […]

Grateful for You

Written by on November 30, 2020

BACS would like to use the recent Thanksgiving holiday as an opportunity to express our gratitude for the support we have received in 2020. Community members have reached out again and again to show their support for our work through words, deeds and generous donations. Our students’ parents have also been understanding and supportive as […]

Veteran’s Day

Written by on November 16, 2020

Last Wednesday was Veteran’s Day. While our recent transition back to online learning has shifted plans in many way, there were still classes who took time to honor this important day. In addition to conversations about the history and reason for the holiday, there were also student projects and activities on the topic. Some students […]

BACS Returns to Online

Written by on November 9, 2020

BACS has returned to delivering school online until Thanksgiving. The decision to transition back online was made, in consultation with the Montgomery County Health Department, because of the interconnectedness of our school population with multiple recent cases of COVD-19. This online session will allow 14 days in which we can track possible transmissions from those […]

Virtual Book Fair

Virtual Book Fair

Written by on October 31, 2020

One of the typical landmark events on the BACS calendar which is being affected by COVID this year is our annual Scholastic Book Fair fundraiser. We are, however, pleased to announce that instead of simply cancelling the event our librarians have worked with Scholastic to provide an online version. If so moved, you can participate […]

Supporting Our Reopening

Written by on October 26, 2020

It is so nice to have school in our building again, and we recognize that we are able to do so thanks to the generosity of our many supporters. The Boy Scouts set up their tent structures for us to use, and there were individual families who donated and helped set up tents as well. […]

Students Return to Campus

Written by on October 19, 2020

Monday was BACS’s first full day of school on campus since March 6th, and it was great. You could immediately sense the students’ energy change the feel of the building. While this year will not be exactly like a typical year, with social distancing, masks, and other necessary changes to our program, today was a […]

Charter Day Break

Written by on October 12, 2020

There was no online school last Friday as we recognized Charter Day. While there were not the same Charter Day festivities in town this year as there traditionally are, recognizing the day on our academic calendar was still an opportunity for us to honor the importance of New Church education. The past seven months have […]

BACS Plans

Written by on October 5, 2020

We feel that we are now in a place where, by following our COVID-19 safety protocols, we can once again hold school in person.  While there will be challenges to face, we believe that holding classes in our classrooms again will allow us to best support the academic growth of our students while balancing their […]

Streaming Chapel Live

Written by on September 28, 2020

Even though school is being delivered remotely, chapel is still happening live first thing in the morning. Last spring our ministers shared recordings from their homes in place of chapel. This fall our services are streaming live from Heilman Hall. There is something reassuring in seeing the minister in front of the traditional curtains and […]

Material Drop Off and Pick Up

Written by on September 21, 2020

We are currently still in a period of remote learning at BACS. One advantage we have this fall over last spring is that even while remote we are able to provide our students with non-digital materials each week. We had our first weekly pick up and drop off event last Monday. Families drove up to […]

Teaching Live from Classrooms

Written by on September 14, 2020

Our fall remote learning session began last Tuesday and yet when I walk down our hallways I can hear teaching coming from the various classrooms. Like last spring, our remote program is made up of a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning. There are times when students are working at their own pace on material […]

New Staff Member

Written by on July 24, 2020

BACS is pleased to announce that Aubrey Asplundh will be joining our staff as a Student Support Center teacher. Aubrey grew up attending BACS and ANC before going on to West Chester University where she recently graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in early childhood and special education. Aubrey’ education has provided her […]

Looking Towards 2020-2021

Written by on June 15, 2020

As spring term reports cards are being finalized, we are officially completing the unprecedented 2019-20 school year. Now it is time to turn our full attention to the next school year, which is approaching. There is a lot of work ahead for us in the next couple of months as we try to determine what […]

New Virtual Versions of Traditional Events at BACS

Written by on May 25, 2020

Typically the spring term is full of milestone projects and events at BACS. While this spring is very different, creative teachers have been finding ways to have virtual versions of some of these activities. Examples include the second and third grades who put together versions of their mythology plays and puppet shows by editing together […]

Retiring Teacher

Written by on May 15, 2020

Earlier this month Janna King let us know that she will be retiring from BACS at the end of the school year. Janna joined the staff at BACS in 2006 as part of her lifelong career as an educator. In her fourteen years here she has lovingly served scores of our students as a teacher […]

Teacher Appreciation Week

Written by on May 4, 2020

This week is designated as Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s an item that appears on US calendars every year, but this year it feels different. I have been impressed over and over again with the work of our teachers through this period of remote learning. They have been asked to completely rework their curriculums, to provide […]

What is Happening in our Google Classrooms?

What is Happening in our Google Classrooms?

Written by on April 27, 2020

Google Classrooms is the online platform that our students in grades 5-8 are using during this period of distance learning. Like SeeSaw, Google Classrooms allow teachers and students to communicate directly online. Our teachers are sharing material like links to videos, reference websites, and online activities as well as documents and PDFs of books and […]

What is Happening on Seesaw?

What is Happening on Seesaw?

Written by on April 20, 2020

Seesaw is the online platform that our students in grades K-4 are using during this period of distance learning. If you were able to peek your head into one of our virtual Seesaw rooms, you would see lots of creative ways that our teachers are bringing their curriculums to their students. There are links to […]

Easter Amidst the Closure

Written by on April 13, 2020

BACS took Friday and Monday as scheduled holidays for an Easter break. Teachers, students and their parents are working hard to make distance learning work. While much about this Easter must have felt different, our hope was that a respite from schoolwork would help our families find ways to make the holiday feel special. As […]

Closure – Week 4

Closure – Week 4

Written by on April 6, 2020

This past week was one of transition for many of our grade levels as the teachers, students, and parents got up and running on one of two online platforms–SeeSaw for grades K-4 and Google Classroom for grades 5-8. While there is a steep learning curve for everyone involved, these platforms seem to be greatly enhancing […]

Closure – Week 3

Closure – Week 3

Written by on April 1, 2020

As BACS moves into our third week of our closure due to the COVID-19 virus, we are beginning a new version of our distance-learning program. Workload and expectations have increased as we work to convey the essential elements of our spring term curriculum. We have also moved all of our classes to one of two […]

Closure – Week 2

Written by on March 23, 2020

BACS is now beginning our second week of the current closure due to the COVID-19 virus. We are all working to get used to a strange new version of school which includes primary teachers reading books on YouTube, assignments being passed back and forth through Google Classroom, teachers recording lessons on Screencastify, students putting video […]

BACS closed

BACS closed

Written by on March 13, 2020

As per directions from Gov. Wolf we will be closing BACS and cancelling all school events for the next two weeks. Our current plan is to reopen on Monday, March 30th. Please look for communication from the school during this period as there may be some assignments for students depending on their grade level. We […]

Hero Day

Written by on March 3, 2020

Last Thursday was Hero Day in the third grade. This was a culminating activity for the class’s unit on historic heroes and leaders. Each student spent weeks researching their hero, becoming third grade experts on him or her. When the guests arrived on Thursday they were able to travel around the classrooms visiting each student’s […]

An Aftercare Program at BACS?

Written by on February 25, 2020

BACS is studying the possibility of piloting an aftercare program at our school. In recent years we have received an increased amount of feedback from parents who are struggling to arrange childcare after school, including some who have faced the hard decision of enrolling their children elsewhere in order to meet this need. One step […]

Fifth Grade Puppet Play

Written by on February 19, 2020

On Thursday the fifth grade put on their annual Explorer Puppet Play.  The preparation for this show started months ago when the students researched the lives of Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook.  After learning about the explorers and their famous voyage, the students wrote the scripts, made their puppets and painted the scenery.  Of course […]

Winter Sports

Written by on February 11, 2020

The seasons of our three winter sports teams are wrapping up this week. Each team had a successful year. The boys basketball team played smart ball throughout the season and put together some great games. In addition to regular matches, the wrestling team participated in several tournaments, two of which were held at of our […]

Swedenborg’s Birthday at BACS

Written by on February 4, 2020

January 29th was Emmanuel Swedenborg’s birthday. BACS has used this date to acknowledge Swedenborg in different ways over the years. This year in addition to a religious assembly put on by the 8th grade on Friday and the traditional Swedish flag topped treats, each class had a lesson dedicated to Swedenborg. Each grade’s lesson focused […]

New Playground

Written by on January 28, 2020

There is a new playground on our campus! Monday, January 25th marked the official opening of the new wooden playground outside the Society Building. The play structure that had been in that location for nearly forty years had begun to show wear, and after all those years and there was growing concern for its structural […]

Observing Martin Luther King Jr Day

Written by on January 21, 2020

BACS was closed on Monday January 20th as we participated in the national observance of Martin Luther Kind Jr Day. Each of our homerooms also spent time last Friday discussing topics related to Dr. King’s work. These topics included diversity, leadership, service, non-violence, equality, freedom and providence. Each year the years of Dr. King’s lifetime move […]

Facilities Project

Written by on January 14, 2020

We are continuing to work on plans for updates to the Bryn Athyn Church School and Bryn Athyn Church buildings. A little over two years ago Amie Leighton from Space Strategies came on board as our owner’s representative. She gathered information from recent structural studies as well as from faculty, staff, parents, students, and community […]

Back to Classes After the Break

Written by on January 7, 2020

The students returned from their Christmas break on Monday and we have begun our first week of classes in the year 2020. Two weeks can seem like a long time to be away from school and the first few days back can require some adjusting back to routines for everyone, not just the students. But […]

Christmas Art Display

Written by on December 17, 2019

How many ways can the nativity been depicted? There are seven different styles on display in our hall this week. Different grades have made collages, paintings, stained glass designs, pastel drawings, clay sculptures, frescoes and sewn figures. All of these projects are lovingly displayed, thanks to a team of volunteers, as one exhibit in the […]

40th Annual Christmas Program

Written by on December 10, 2019

Our music teachers and students are working hard preparing for our 40th annual Christmas Program. This collection of performances is our Christmas gift to all those who support us throughout the year. There will be traditional pieces like The Twelve Days of Christmas, the handbells, and the third grade’s lantern lit processional, as well as […]

An Important Three Weeks at BACS

Written by on December 3, 2019

December snow greeted us as we returned from our Thanksgiving break and began a three week stretch leading to Christmas vacation. This is a busy time at the school. Besides the important academic units which begin to appear as we approach the midpoint of the year, nearly every class is working on a project, both […]

Our Thanksgiving Food Drive

Our Thanksgiving Food Drive

Written by on November 26, 2019

Thank you to all the families that participated in our food drive. We collected more than 500 food items over the last two weeks. This food was passed onto New Church Challenge who is working with Shine and Inspire to package and deliver complete Thanksgiving meals for needy families in the Trenton area. The students […]

Fall Term Complete

Written by on November 19, 2019

Our first marking period came to an end last Wednesday. I’m sure that to some students it seems like the year just began and to others it feels like we have been here for much longer than just twelve weeks. The progress of time can be deceptive that way, especially when tracking seemingly long periods […]

Book Fair & Religious Pageant

Written by on November 13, 2019

Book Fair Our librarians put on our annual Scholastic Book Fair last week. Hundreds of new books were purchased by our families and I have already seen students reading them in the halls. The book fair earned close to $5,000 dollars for the school in Scholastic points. That money will go towards new books for […]

InService Day

Written by on November 5, 2019

Our students were able to sleep in on the morning after Halloween this year because the faculty had our annual InService Day on Friday, November 1st. The topic this year was anxiety in young people, and we were fortunate to have Kiri Rogers as our presenter. Her presentation covered the current research on the topic […]

School Assembly

Written by on October 29, 2019

On Friday we were lucky enough to have a school assembly put on by Mr. Joe from the Franklin Institute. Mr. Joe taught us about space travel. He highlighted the anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic flight and invited the students to dream about what they might experience in their future. The students learned about gravity, […]

Summer Reading Program

Written by on October 22, 2019

One of the ways in which the library encourages reading is through its summer reading program. More than a hundred students participated in this program this year and they all were invited to celebrate their accomplishment this past week. Each of these students received a bookmark, a small prize and raffle tickets. There were 58 […]

Harvest Festival

Written by on October 15, 2019

The primary grades celebrated the arrival of autumn last Monday when they held their annual Harvest Festival. The festival was a collection of nine outside craft stations laid out for the students. There were pumpkins to decorate, candles to dip, bracelets to make and so much more. As the classes arrived, the students were able […]

Charter Day and Conferences

Written by on October 8, 2019

The Bryn Athyn Church School was closed on Friday in recognition of Charter Day, a celebration of New Church education. One of the core principals of New Church education is the relationship between the school and the student’s home. This past week was also the week of afternoons set aside for parent-teacher conferences. These conferences […]

BACS Picnic

Written by on October 1, 2019

Many of our families spent a perfect September evening at our school picnic on Friday night. Packs of kids played games in the fields while their parents visited with each other. The picnic was a great chance for our school community to get together in a relaxed atmosphere. The school was also able to raise […]

The Seventh Grade Carnival

Written by on September 24, 2019

The annual Seventh Grade Carnival was held last Friday. This is a popular event for our students to attend each year. They can play games and win prizes all in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. It is also a very successful fund raiser for the seventh grade as it pays for a huge portion of […]

Sports & Picnic

Written by on September 17, 2019

After School Sport Begin Our first session of after school sports began last week. Over fifty students in 5th – 8th grades are participating in six week seasons of field hockey and soccer. Our field hockey coaches are Laura D’Angelo and Aline Brown and our soccer coaches are Shane McCurdy and Tony Griffin. Our goal […]

Parent Nights and BACS Picnic

Written by on September 11, 2019

Parent Nights at BACS Thursday, Sept 5 was the first of three Parent Nights we will have at the school this month, one for each unit. These meetings are a chance for the parents to visit their children’s classrooms, sit in their desks, and hear about the upcoming year from the teacher. The students are […]

School Opening

Written by on September 3, 2019

The Bryn Athyn Church School opened our 122nd school year on Tuesday. After months of quiet preparation it was so nice to have students in our building again. In our opening worship service our school pastor, Solomon Keal, introduced this year’s theme, “Arise, and begin your journey.” Our chapel series this year will cover the […]

Preparing for a New Year

Written by on August 26, 2019

Last week the primary grades hosted open houses in their classrooms for their new students and their families. It was fun to have students back in the building even if it was just for a short visit. Teachers have been working hard preparing for the new school year. Desks have been arranged, bulletin boards set […]

Staffing News

Staffing News

Written by on June 24, 2019

We are pleased to announce the Amanda Miller will be a Student Support Center teacher this year. Amanda grew up attending BACS and ANC before going on to graduate with distinction at Cornell University. After college she spent more than twenty years working with young people from ages 3-18 as a gymnastics instructor. Recently Amanda […]

Science Curriculum Work

Written by on June 24, 2019

Nine teachers from BACS participated in science curriculum meetings last week. These meetings, put on by General Church Education, were a continuation of work from the past two years. On the first day a representative from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit demonstrated phenomena based science lessons to our teachers, as well as fourteen other teachers […]

Wrapping Up the Year

Written by on June 24, 2019

The final term report cards are complete; a sign that the 2018-19 school year has come to a close. The faculty has been busy meeting this past week, both to wrap up this year but also to prepare for the 2019-20 school year, which is only ten weeks away. Part of these meetings included a […]

School Closing

Written by on June 10, 2019

BACS officially closed our 121st academic year last Friday morning with our graduation ceremony. The students in all of our grade levels have grown this year, benefitting from the challenges and the support given to them from their teachers. It is now time for the kids to go on a well-deserved summer vacation. I hope […]

Field Day

Written by on June 4, 2019

After some severe storms, last week ended with a beautiful Friday morning, just in time for us to hold our annual Field Day event. For Field Day the school is broken into 18 teams, each with representatives from all the classes. The teams then travel to 18 different stations where they compete in events like […]

Capstone Projects at BACS

Written by on May 29, 2019

As the end of the year approaches, we find ourselves thick in the season of capstone projects. Earlier this month the sixth grade hosted their annual Country Fair. Twenty-eight nations were represented by sixth graders who were eager to share the research they had been doing over the past several months. Last Thursday the third […]

BACS Announces New 4th Grade Teacher

Written by on May 16, 2019

We are pleased to announce that Kate Gunther will be teaching fourth grade next year. Mrs. Gunther has been teaching in our student support center for the past seven years. Along with her professional and institutional experience, she brings with her an education degree from Bryn Athyn College, a masters degree in education, a love […]

It’s Field Trip Month at BACS

Written by on May 14, 2019

May seems to be the unofficial month of field trips. Our classes went on three this past week. The fifth grade went the Peter Wentz Farmstead, touring the colonial farm and house; the fourth grade visited the Morris Arboretum as part of their science unit on trees; and the seventh graders traveled to Gettysburg to […]

Easter Worship Service at the Cathedral

Written by on April 23, 2019

The Bryn Athyn Church School began our Easter vacation on Thursday after walking to the Cathedral for a worship service. This service has become a new tradition for our school in recent years. While we highly value our chapels together in Heilman Hall, it is special to worship as a school in this other home […]

Presentation for Parents

Written by on April 16, 2019

Last Tuesday evening BACS hosted a presentation to parents given by Kiri Rogers on the topic of anxiety in young people. She offered parents a better understanding of anxiety as well as strategies for helping young people who are experiencing it. Anxiety is a topic the school has addressed as a faculty and with groups […]

Staffing News

Written by on April 9, 2019

Carla Reuter will begin teaching seventh grade next year, moving from her current position in fourth grade. Mrs. Reuter has successfully taught fourth grade at BACS for over a decade and taught first grade and preschool before that. It will be exciting to see her in this new role. Mrs. Reuter has felt a sense […]

In-service Meetings

Written by on April 2, 2019

This past week the BACS faculty joined teachers from ANC, The Kempton New Church School and The Washington New Church School in a series of In-service meetings. We hosted our colleagues for a dinner on Thursday evening which was following by an inspiration talk by Peter Buss on the joy which can come through use. […]

BACS Debuts at the Reading Olympics

Written by on March 19, 2019

Last Wednesday evening two teams from BACS competed in the Montgomery County Reading Olympics, an event which included representatives from 32 area schools. Our sixteen students faced off against other schools in three rounds of questions based on a list of 45 books. The participants in their team shirts and all the spectators cheering them […]

A New Session of Elective Classes for Our Upper Unit

Written by on March 12, 2019

Each Friday the 7th and 8th graders have an elective period which allows them to learn more about a topic that interests them or to try something for the first time. They ended their third session of classes before we went to break. In this session some students learned the guitar with Mr. Odhner and […]

The Largest Group Project at BACS

Written by on February 26, 2019

The curtains open on this year’s eighth grade play on Tuesday night. The class’s three performances of Jungle Book this week are the culmination of months of preparation. In the time since the play was announced in November the students have been working hard to build props and set pieces and to learn lines and […]

Patriotic Celebration

Written by on February 19, 2019

Family and friends of the primary unit attended our Patriotic Celebration on Friday morning.  This biannual event, which can be traced back to the Patriotic Banquets some of us remember as kids, is a special opportunity for our younger students to show their love and respect for our country.  The celebration included songs, poems and […]

Departing Staff Member

Written by on February 19, 2019

Carol Nash has let administration know that this will be her last year teaching at BACS. Carol came to BACS in the fall of 1994 to serve as an aide in the upper unit. After two years in that role she became the 7th grade girls teacher, a position she has held for 23 years. […]

Swedenborg’s Birthday at BACS

Written by on February 6, 2019

January 29th was Emmanuel Swedenborg’s birthday. BACS has used this date to acknowledge Swedenborg in different ways over the years. This year in addition to a religious assembly put on by the 8th grade on the previous Friday and the traditional Swedish flag topped treats, each class had a lesson dedicated to Swedenborg. Each grade’s […]

This Week at BACS

Written by on January 22, 2019

The Bryn Athyn Church School was not in session on Monday, January 21st in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.  Last Friday every class gave meaning to this holiday by observing Dr. King in some way.  Each grade’s focus was different as the teachers covered the life of Dr. King, the civil rights movement and […]

Drama at BACS

Written by on January 15, 2019

Two of our grades have begun working on their upcoming plays. The eighth grade play and the fifth grade puppet play are both in February. BACS has a long tradition of incorporating drama into our educational program. These two projects along with others have roots which go back generations. Putting on plays can enrich students’ […]

A New Calendar Year

Written by on January 8, 2019

January 7th was BACS’s first day of classes in 2019. For many people the beginning of a new calendar year is a time for self-reflection and goal setting.  In the school, however, we are not standing at the beginning of a year but rather at the midpoint.  Our time for resolutions was in August and September. […]

After School Dance at BACS

Written by on December 4, 2018

Three days a week groups of boys and girls meet after school as part of our dance program. Our sixty-five dancers meet in eight different age-level groups, which range from preschool to eighth grade. The teachers, led by Holly Feerrar, instruct the students in five different styles of dance: jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet and creative […]

Discussing our Facilities

Discussing our Facilities

Written by on November 20, 2018

About sixty community members attended a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss our facilities. The meeting was run by Amie Leighton, a building design facilitator working with the school and church to organize any future plans for our campus. Amie began the meeting by reviewing a series of studies which were done on our mechanical […]

Report Cards

Written by on November 13, 2018

Last Wednesday was the final day of our first marking period. This means that teachers are now hard at work writing report cards. Written reports from the teacher have looked very different in American history in the years since they were first introduced in the late 19th century. There is also a variety in the […]

Substitute Teachers

Written by on November 6, 2018

Teachers get sick, have family emergencies and attend professional development events. When these and similar occurrences arise, we call on substitute teachers. Substitute teachers are remarkably flexible, teaching various grade levels and subjects throughout the school. They are able to support another teacher’s teaching. They are also able to manage behavior of different aged students […]

Student Teachers at BACS

Written by on October 30, 2018

Each year the Bryn Athyn Church School is pleased to host students learning to become teachers. We have had a long standing working relationship with Bryn Athyn College which places education students in our classrooms every year. In fact, many members of our faculty were student teachers in BACS classrooms before we became faculty members. […]

Parent Teacher Conferences

Written by on October 16, 2018

Research has shown that one of the most important factors in a student’s success in school is parent involvement.  We are fortunate to have so many parents invested and actively involved in their children’s experience here at BACS.  Last week was the week we set aside for parent-teacher conferences.  Our classroom teachers met with each […]

Collaborative Art Installation

Written by on October 9, 2018

Each year our art teacher, Linda Kees, leads the students in creating a collaborative art installation. These projects which involve students in grades one through eight focus on our theme of the year. This year’s theme is the covenant. With Mrs. Kees’s guidance the students made small flags based on the Tibetan prayer flag model. […]

Assemblies at BACS

Written by on October 3, 2018

Every month the whole school gathers for an assembly and for three of those assemblies we are treated to performances from outside performers. These include magicians teaching us about science, musicians demonstrating different genres of music, historical reenactors, storytellers and other groups who teach our students something about their world through an entertaining show. This […]

The Seventh Grade Carnival

Written by on September 25, 2018

Last Friday was the 30th annual 7th grade carnival. The carnival is an important opportunity that the teachers and parent volunteers provide for the students. The 7th graders learn so many lessons through the process of planning, executing and cleaning up this event. These lessons include such things as working in groups, problem solving, time […]

Conversations with Parents

Written by on September 18, 2018

I was able to spend time over the past week phoning each family in the school to check in on how their children are settling into the new school year. It was time well spent as it gave me another opportunity to connect with our families and more importantly for me to hear their perspective […]

Parents Nights & BACS Picnic

Parents Nights & BACS Picnic

Written by on September 11, 2018

Parent Nights at BACS Thursday was the first of three Parent Nights we will have at the school this month, one for each unit. These meetings are a chance for the parents to visit their children’s classrooms, sit in their desks, and hear about the upcoming year from the teacher. Looking around a classroom during […]

The New Year Has Begun

Written by on September 4, 2018

BACS has been in session for a week now and our students are settling into the pace of the new school year. Teachers and students are building new relationships and classes are figuring out their new dynamics. The energy of a new school year makes this an exciting time to be in an elementary school. […]

School Opening

School Opening

Written by on August 30, 2018

Bryn Athyn Church School opened our 121st school year on Tuesday, August 28. After months of quiet preparation, it was so nice to have 275 students in our building again. They are, after all, why we are here. In our school opening worship service, our school pastor, Rev. Solomon Keal, introduced this year’s school theme, […]

Lafayette Was Here

Written by on May 22, 2018

BACS was treated to a visit from the Marquis de Lafayette interpreter from Colonial Williamsburg. He gave two educational and very engaging presentations to our students on Wednesday morning. His talent as an actor made the information about our country’s history seem to come to life before our eyes. It was no wonder that more […]

BACS Class Trips

Written by on April 24, 2018

As we move deeper into spring and the weather theoretically improves, more and more grades are leaving campus to go on field trips. The second grade recently took their annual trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, the 4th grade went on a medieval pilgrimage to the cathedral, and the 3rd and 8th grades visited Glencairn. In […]

Hosting Education Students

Written by on April 17, 2018

Last Tuesday fifteen education students from Bryn Athyn College visited our classrooms. These students, who are currently in the introduction to education course taught by Angela Rose, spent the morning observing our school, each in a different classroom. BACS has a long standing relationship with the education department at Bryn Athyn College. Each year there […]

New Students for Next Year

Written by on April 10, 2018

BACS welcomed more than two dozen visitors this week. This year’s batch of prospective kindergarteners came for their kindergarten screenings and had a chance to visit the classrooms and meet the teachers. It is always fun to see the children come in, some who have had older siblings at BACS already and some who are […]

Upcoming Easter Service at the Cathedral

Upcoming Easter Service at the Cathedral

Written by on March 27, 2018

We are back from two spring snow days and preparing for Easter. On Thursday the Bryn Athyn Church School will be attending a special Easter worship service at the Cathedral. We began this tradition last year and plan to continue it for years to come. The service, which will be lead by our school pastor, […]

Spring Break

Written by on March 13, 2018

The last week of school before Spring Break was a busy one here at BACS. Presentations, tests, papers and major assignments were coming in, marking the completion of our winter term. These projects, which included the eighth grade’s production of Hansel and Gretel and the 7th grades girls’ Civil War notebooks are milestones for the […]

The Largest Group Project at BACS

Written by on February 27, 2018

The curtains open on this year’s eighth grade play on Tuesday night. The class’s three performances of Hansel and Gretel this week are the culmination of months of preparation. In the time since the play was announced in November the students have been working hard to build props and set pieces and to learn lines […]

Technology Aiding Instruction at BACS

Written by on February 20, 2018

Erik Buss’s chapel talk on Friday included a description of teaching in heaven. He described a scene in which a perfect, moving example appeared to enhance the teacher’s lesson. While the instructional tools in our classrooms are, I’m sure, a long way away from those available in the other world, it is striking to think […]

Technology Aiding Instruction at BACS

Written by on February 20, 2018

Erik Buss’s chapel talk on Friday included a description of teaching in heaven. He described a scene in which a perfect, moving example appeared to enhance the teacher’s lesson. While the instructional tools in our classrooms are, I’m sure, a long way away from those available in the other world, it is striking to think […]

Art at BACS

Written by on February 13, 2018

Beth Johns, who taught art at BACS from the 1960’s through the 1980’s recently passed into the Spiritual World. Mrs. Johns put love and attention into not just teaching art but also into developing an art curriculum closely connected with New Church education. That curriculum continues as a strong art program lead by our current […]

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day

Written by on January 16, 2018

The Bryn Athyn Church School was closed on Monday as we observed Martin Luther King Day. On Friday all of our classrooms had special lessons, each focusing on a different aspect of Dr. King’s life and works. These included his childhood, his ministry, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, his speeches and his death, as well as […]

Resolutions and Goals

Written by on January 11, 2018

January 2nd was BACS’s first day of classes in 2018. For many people the beginning of a new calendar year is a time for self-reflection and goal setting.  In the school, however, we are not standing at the beginning of a year but rather at the midpoint.  Our time for resolutions was in August and September. […]

New Librarians

Written by on January 11, 2018

Bryn Athyn Church School is happy to announce that our new librarians are Kelly Austin and Shannon Good. Kelly and Shannon took over the running the library when we returned from Christmas break, earlier this month. These two librarians both bring postgraduate training and a combined 22 years of experience working in libraries at all […]

Desert Animal Presentations Amid Christmas Preparations

Written by on December 5, 2017

Things at BACS continue to move towards our celebration of Christmas. The first grade recently visited Glencairn for a Christmas tour, the seventh grade girls’ gingerbread house raffle is selling tickets, our Toys for Tots collection is growing, and a constant stream of carol rehearsals is coming from the music room. In the midst of […]

Primary Religious Pageant

Primary Religious Pageant

Written by on November 14, 2017

The primary unit put on their biennial religious pageant on Friday, each classroom acting out a scene from The Word which tied into our school theme, “The Lord is My Shepherd.” The simple style of the scenes allowed the students to feel confident in their roles and set an innocent tone. The audience, which included […]

Book Fair

Written by on November 7, 2017

This is the week of our annual Scholastic Book Fair. The fair is an opportunity for the school to raise money for the library but more importantly it is a way to celebrate books. Each class visited the fair on Monday morning and it was fun to watch the students, old and young, pouring over the […]

School Theme Artwork

School Theme Artwork

Written by on October 31, 2017

Each year the Bryn Athyn Church School has school theme. This year our theme is The Lord is My Shepherd. In conjunction with this theme, our art classes created collaborative illustrations of The Lord as a shepherd. The art teacher, Linda Kees, presented the students with several professional illustrations, each broken into twelve sections. Students […]

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

Written by on October 31, 2017

We still need volunteers for next week’s BACS Scholastic Book Fair!  Think about giving 2 hours of your time to BACS.  This book fair is a valuable fundraiser for the BACS library.  We get so many books from Scholastic, and we can’t do it without your help!  It is so easy to sign up.  Just […]

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Written by on October 23, 2017

Research has shown that one of the most important factors in a student’s success in school is parent involvement. We are  fortunate to have so many parents invested and actively involved in their children’s  experience here at BACS. Last week was the week we set aside for parent-teacher conferences. Our classroom teachers met with each […]

Departing Staff Member

Written by on October 17, 2017

We are sad to share the news that Mrs. Neiger will be leaving BACS at the end of December as she and her husband complete their move to Oregon. In her 14 years in the library Mrs. Neiger has worked to engage her students and to present the library as a place the students want […]

Class Trips

Written by on October 16, 2017

The school seemed a little emptier last Wednesday as our two largest classes were away on field trips. The fourth grade was at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden as part of their unit on the oceans, and the seventh grade was at the new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The seventh graders have […]

Another Successful 7th Grade Carnival

Written by on September 26, 2017

Last Friday was the 29th annual 7th grade carnival. What an important opportunity the teachers and parent volunteers provide for the students. The 7th graders learn so many lessons through the process of planning, executing and cleaning up the event. These lessons include such things as working in groups, problem solving, time management, advertising, public […]

A New Year

Written by on August 28, 2017

Tuesday, August 29, marks the beginning of the 120th school year of Bryn Athyn Church School. There is an excitement associated with the first day of school as it is the source of so many new beginnings. All of our students are in their new classrooms for the first time and meeting their new teachers. […]

School Opening

School Opening

Written by on August 23, 2017

The 2017-18 school year is quickly approaching. Name tags are on the lockers and the classrooms are set, awaiting the return of the students.  It will be exciting to see life fill the hallways again in a few short days. The following list reviews some important information regarding school opening. If you still have any […]

Graduation

Graduation

Written by on June 12, 2017

BACS held its school closing and graduation ceremony last Friday. We are sad to see the graduating eighth graders go, as they were a group who served as positive leaders in many ways, but are excited for them as they begin their next journey. Our students have worked hard this year at every grade level and […]

Field Day

Field Day

Written by on June 6, 2017

Friday was Field Day at BACS. Field Day is a chance for us to step out of our classrooms for a couple of hours and play together as a school. The students are placed into eighteen teams, each made up of members who range from kindergarteners to eighth graders. The teams travel through nine stations […]

Field Trips

Written by on May 30, 2017

The month of May is filled with activity at BACS. It is a natural time for many class trips. Taking students out of the classroom and into a different learning environment is a wonderful asset to our program. Just a few of the trips we take throughout the year include the third grade studying insects […]

Working with ANC

Written by on May 16, 2017

Last Friday a group of French students from the high school came and worked with our third graders. Thursday afternoon two staff members from ANC came to share their experience with the Google education suite with some of our teachers. This is just the two most recent benefits we have received from our working relationship […]

First Grade Play + Seeking Student Support Teacher

Written by on May 2, 2017

The First Grade Play is this week.  What a wonderful project to have every year.  These plays, which date back to performances in Mrs. Cranch’s backyard, are an opportunity for some of our youngest students to shine in ways they haven’t before.  Thinking back to where the first graders were just months ago when they […]

Work Day

Written by on April 25, 2017

More than fifty workers, ranging from students to grandparents, descended on our campus on Saturday morning for our annual work day. It was remarkable how much they were able to get done. Crews spread wood chips, mulched, cleaned, painted, cleared gutters, and tackled several construction jobs. BACS is indebted to all of these volunteers for […]

School Worship at the Cathedral

Written by on April 18, 2017

The Bryn Athyn Church School began our Easter vacation on Thursday after walking to the Cathedral for a worship service. This service is not something we had done before and was a great addition to our year. While we highly value our chapels together in Heilman Hall, it was special to worship as a school […]

Faculty In-service

Written by on April 4, 2017

On Friday BACS held our annual faculty in-service meetings. Solomon Keal began the day leading the faculty in a presentation about the Lord as a shepherd in preparation for next year’s school theme. This led to a collaborative discussion about ways in which we could take ideas about following the Lord and about mirroring His […]

8th Grade Boys Teacher

8th Grade Boys Teacher

Written by on March 21, 2017

I am excited to announce that Tony Griffin will be joining our faculty next year as the 8th grade boys’ teacher. Tony is a graduate from BACS, the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools, and the Bryn Athyn College. After completing college, Tony was a fulltime high school teacher at ANC where he also […]

The Eighth Grade Play

The Eighth Grade Play

Written by on March 16, 2017

BACS is back from a well-deserved spring break. In the week before we left we were treated to three performances of the play Aladdin by the 8th grade. These shows, all of which were highly entertaining, were the culmination of months of preparation by the 8th graders, their teachers and their parents. While watching their […]

Hero Day

Hero Day

Written by on February 28, 2017

Last Thursday was Hero Day in the third grade. This was a culminating activity for the class’s unit on historic heroes and leaders. Each student spent weeks researching their hero, becoming third grade experts on him or her. When the guests arrived on Thursday they were able to travel around the classrooms visiting each student’s […]

Robin Morey Retires After 27 Years

Robin Morey Retires After 27 Years

Written by on February 15, 2017

We are sad to announce that this will be Robin Morey’s final year at the Bryn Athyn Church School. Robin began teaching first grade here in 1990. In her 27 years at BACS she has guided over 350 young students through their foundations of math, their entrances to reading and their discovery of the world […]

General Church Education Meeting

Written by on February 14, 2017

This week Kirsten Cronlund, Eric Carswell and I were away from the school for much of Thursday and Friday so that we could attend a series of meetings at the General Church Education offices. These meetings led by Peter Buss Jr. and the GCEd staff were attended by leaders of our sister General Church schools […]

Fifth Grade Puppet Play

Fifth Grade Puppet Play

Written by on February 7, 2017

On Thursday the fifth grade put on their annual Explorer Puppet Play.  The preparation for this show started months ago when the students researched the lives of Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook.  After learning about the explorers and their famous voyage, the students wrote the scripts, made their puppets and painted the scenery.  Of course […]

Presenters Visit BACS

Written by on January 31, 2017

Two presenters visited BACS this week. On Tuesday afternoon Katie Kucz joined us from the Montgomery County Drug and Alcohol Office. She shared with us, and some guests from ANC, the results from the Pennsylvania Youth Survey. This survey collects data from students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 on their drug and alcohol […]

Our Halls

Our Halls

Written by on January 25, 2017

Walking through our hallways gives you a wonderful view of what our students are studying at any given time.  Currently you can see projects about birds, magnets, Berber rugs, nomads and the Inuit people. There are also maps of imaginary lands, polar regions and taste receptors, as well as New Church biographies, models of ancient […]

This Week at BACS

This Week at BACS

Written by on January 17, 2017

The Bryn Athyn Church School was not in session on Monday, January 16th in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.  Last Friday every class gave meaning to this holiday by observing Dr. King in some way.  Each grade’s focus was different as the teachers covered the life of Dr. King, the civil rights movement and […]

8th Grade Boys Teacher

Written by on January 17, 2017

BACS is accepting applications for teaching the 8th grade boys next school year. Interested parties should visit www.ncpeoplevision.org for more information.

Christmas Break

Christmas Break

Written by on December 23, 2016

Last Friday was our 37th annual Christmas program. Our students once again entertained and impressed us all with their wonderful performances. Thanks to all who were able to attend. It was truly a full house and your presence is an important reminder to the school of just how large a supporting community we have. The […]

What Christmas is All About

Written by on December 13, 2016

If someone asked you to show them what Christmas was all about, how would you respond?  I would suggest that, given the opportunity, you might want to lead them into the front hallway of the Bryn Athyn Church School.  Before them they would see a lovely wooden diorama.  Each morning the primary teachers lift off […]

Departing Staff Member

Departing Staff Member

Written by on December 6, 2016

Sadly, BACS has accepted the news from Phil Feerrar that he plans for this to be his final year teaching 8th grade. Dr. Feerrar has been an incredible asset to BACS in the three years he has been here. His charisma and enthusiasm make him a widely popular teacher with both the students and the […]

Report Cards

Written by on November 29, 2016

First term report cards were sent home last week. Written reports from the teacher have looked very different in American history in the years since they were first introduced in the late 19th century. There is also a variety in the reports that BACS sends out each marking period. The primary unit report is more […]

Happy Thanksgiving

Written by on November 22, 2016

When Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a recurring national holiday, he spoke eloquently about the reason for it. To his reckoning the nation had benefitted from growth and prosperity but had forgotten the role that God had played in their good fortune. He worried that the country was falling into the temptation of attributing their […]

Community Service at BACS

Community Service at BACS

Written by on November 17, 2016

The 7th and 8th graders end each week with an hour long elective class. We have recently switched to the second block of offerings and students are now taking classes which include: art and drawing, technical theater, ultimate frisbee, yoga, architectural design, and community service. This week the community service class raked leaves for society […]

The Book Fair

Written by on November 17, 2016

Last week was our annual Scholastic Book Fair. This event is a hugely successful fundraiser for the school. This year we earned over $8,500. A portion of this money is used to supply books to the classrooms and to give a free book each student who meets the summer reading challenge. The remaining money is […]

Milestones at BACS

Milestones at BACS

Written by on November 17, 2016

One of my hopes for our students is that they will experience the feeling of approaching a situation that looks daunting and then the satisfaction of having completed it. These two weeks our fourth graders got to face one of those opportunities when they successfully ran the mile for the first time. The running of […]

Reading at BACS

Reading at BACS

Written by on October 25, 2016

What single activity helps our students expand their vocabulary, develop their memory, increase their knowledge base, reduce their stress, strengthen their analytic skills, improve their focus and grow their cultural awareness? Reading. From the earliest grades BACS tries to instill a love of books and a habit of regular reading in our students. Starting in […]

Kidstuff Coupon Books

Kidstuff Coupon Books

Written by on October 24, 2016

Our school is selling valuable, family-friendly KidStuff Coupon Books filled with hundreds of national, regional and local coupons for all ages! The KidStuff Book is conveniently organized, offers incredible savings and is sold exclusively through schools! Our school earns 50% or more profit for every book we sell!  Use just a few coupons and save […]

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

Written by on October 18, 2016

The primary grades celebrated the arrival of autumn last Monday when they held their annual Harvest Festival. The festival is an amazing collection of eleven outside craft stations laid out for the students. There are pumpkins to decorate, candles to dip, popcorn to thread, headband to decorate and so much more. As the classes arrive, […]

Eighth Grade Boys Present at Cairnwood Village

Eighth Grade Boys Present at Cairnwood Village

Written by on October 11, 2016

I had the pleasure of accompanying the 8th grade boys when they visited Cairnwood Village on Wednesday morning. Dr. Feerrar brought the boys there to make a presentation to the residents and others as part of the class’s World War One unit. The boys read letters from two members of the Bryn Athyn community written […]

Principal’s Council

Principal’s Council

Written by on October 4, 2016

BACS benefits from a strong working relationship with the parents and guardians of our student body. This relationship can be seen through the regular communication which happens back and forth each day as well as through events such as our parent night meetings and the upcoming conferences. Another key piece to supporting this relationship is […]

The Seventh Grade Carnival

The Seventh Grade Carnival

Written by on September 27, 2016

The seventh grade held their carnival last Friday afternoon. The school community turned out to see what the class had in store and were not disappointed. The students had been working hard preparing games and activities. In many ways putting on the carnival is a rite of passage for the seventh graders. It is the […]

Art Project Sows Positive Seeds with Students

Art Project Sows Positive Seeds with Students

Written by on September 19, 2016

The hallway outside the music room has become quite popular. Along its wall is a 20- foot interactive mural which was collaboratively created by our art classes. It serves as a symbol of this year’s school theme, “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in their field,” both in its […]

10th Year for BA Church Preschool

10th Year for BA Church Preschool

Written by on September 12, 2016

The Bryn Athyn Church Preschool opened its doors on September 6, beginning its 10th year of service. Our three teachers–Brooke Childs, Kelleen Butler and Lori Odhner– along with their assistants, Dianne Gallagher and Joy Cole, and the Director, Joanne Kiel, are providing 36 children with three warm and nurturing programs. It is remarkable to see […]

Activity Already

Written by on September 6, 2016

The classrooms are full of students and full of activity. Students have quickly settled in with their new teachers and are already busy at work on this year’s program. Novels have been started, math problems worked through and spelling words learned. I have even spotted the first crop of projects being hung on the bulletin […]

Preparing for the New School Year

Written by on August 23, 2016

It is beginning to get busy at the Bryn Athyn Church School again. Faculty meetings began this week and on Thursday students in grades K-2 will be coming in for open houses in their new classrooms. This is a chance for the students to meet their new teacher, see friends again, and maybe meet some […]

New Staff Members for Next Year

New Staff Members for Next Year

Written by on June 27, 2016

We are excited to be welcoming four new teachers to our faculty next year.   Megan Asplundh Pendergrass is joining our Student Support Center. Megan is not only a reading specialist but also brings with her years of experience as a classroom teacher, including years at BACS.   Jessica Johns will be teaching our enrichment […]

Summer Reading Program

Written by on June 15, 2016

Would you like to participate in the BACS Summer Reading Program? Get the details.

Blank Walls, Full Minds

Blank Walls, Full Minds

Written by on June 14, 2016

Our hallways are full of blank walls. The bulletin boards have all been emptied. So have the lockers and the desks. The students have filled up grocery bags full of projects and supplies and left us for the summer. Think of all they carried with them as they left. Not just the items that were […]

8th Grade Awards

8th Grade Awards

Written by on June 8, 2016

Each year every graduating eighth grader is recognized for his or her accomplishments. Additionally, three special awards are given to a few eighth graders whose actions and behavior meet our highest standards. This year the recipients of those awards were: Academic Excellence Award – Madison Zagorski, Blake Halterman Charity Award – Nicole McCurdy, Teagan DeWees […]

Restaurant Week Supporting BACS

Restaurant Week Supporting BACS

Written by on June 1, 2016

Choose one or choose them all! A percentage of your check will be donated back to BACS when you choose to dine at one of the following eateries! Don’t forget to SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Ask your friends, family, and coworkers to come out and support us! Print this flyer (BACS Restaurant Week Flyer)and don’t forget […]

Centennial Day

Centennial Day

Written by on May 24, 2016

BACS celebrated Bryn Athyn’s 100th anniversary last Thursday in a day we called Centennial Day. We began the morning with a chapel talk by Eric Carswell on the sacrifices of our town’s founders and then watched a documentary by Reed Asplundh on Bryn Athyn’s history. Students spent the remainder of the morning travelling through multiple […]

Centennial Day

Written by on May 17, 2016

BACS will be celebrating Bryn Athyn Borough’s centennial this Thursday. The day will include whole school events and multi-grade level activities. Look for us as we visit Knights Hill and the site of the 1916 elementary school. -Greg Henderson

8th Grade Children’s Stories

8th Grade Children’s Stories

Written by on May 17, 2016

The 8th grade’s children stories are currently on display outside the library. These stories, which are written and illustrated by the 8th graders, are a capstone composition assignment and are something that students traditionally save for years afterwards. There are a wide variety of styles and plots in these stories, each one showing the personality […]

The First Grade Play

Written by on May 10, 2016

Last week was the week of the first grade play. Each year the first graders treat the faculty, student body, and families to a performance of either AA Milne or Beatrix Potter stories, a tradition which dates back to the performances of Peter Rabbit in Mrs. Cranch’s woods. This year we got to see the […]

Work Day

Written by on May 3, 2016

More than fifty workers, ranging from students to grandparents, descended on our campus on Saturday morning for our annual work day. It was remarkable how much they were able to get done. Crews tackled vines, mulched, spread wood chips, cleaned, painted, cleared gutters, as well as working on several construction jobs. BACS is indebted to […]

Position Available

Written by on April 26, 2016

Bryn Athyn Church School is seeking applicants for a part-time (approximately 26 hours per week) teachers’ assistant position in the primary unit for the 2016-17 academic school year. A bachelor’s degree in an educational field is preferred. For more information, see the posting on www.ncpeoplevision.org, or email Greg Henderson greg.henderson@bacs-gc.org . Applications will be accepted […]

Faculty Study on Remains

Written by on April 26, 2016

The BACS students had Friday morning off as we held our annual faculty study. This is a chance for the teachers and staff to step away from the day-to-day routine and study a larger, doctrinally relevant topic. This year Solomon Keal led us through a study of the teachings on remains. The doctrine of remains […]

Working With Montgomery County

Written by on April 19, 2016

The Bryn Athyn Church School benefits in many ways from its relationship with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU). Perhaps the most evident services we receive from the MCIU are the speech therapist, Amy McDonald, and the counselor, Peg McHugh, who work with our students each week. We also benefit from training sessions offered throughout […]

The Fourth Grade Goes on a Pilgrimage

The Fourth Grade Goes on a Pilgrimage

Written by on April 12, 2016

Fourth grade sized knights, jesters, peasants, nobles and other medieval folk could been seen leaving our school grounds Wednesday afternoon as they began their religious pilgrimage to the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. This afternoon trip was the culminating activity for the fourth grade’s medieval unit. In the unit the class studied the people, culture and architecture […]

Professional Development from Colonial Williamsburg

Written by on April 5, 2016

On Friday six of our teachers were invited to attend a program put on by Colonial Williamsburg at Bryn Athyn College.  The staff members from Williamsburg, including the man who portrays Thomas Jefferson, led the participants through a discussion on civil discourse. Activities included using primary sources and current articles to debate tensions our nation […]

Departing Staff Member

Written by on March 22, 2016

It is with bitter-sweetness that we announce that Erika Hyatt will be leaving us at the end of this year. Erika brings dedication, patience, and care for the students to her role as the teachers’ assistant with the second grade. We are sad to see her go but happy for her as she begins a […]

Roller Skating Event

Roller Skating Event

Written by on March 22, 2016

Over one hundred members of the BACS school community spent Thursday night at the Palace Rink for our first roller skating fundraiser. This event raised needed money for our annual fund. But watching skaters, young and old, circling the floor while others tried their luck at the arcade and hit up the bake sale, it […]

Registration Open for Spring Sports, ANC Dance and Nature Class

Written by on March 18, 2016

Spring Sports:  Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse and Girls Softball for 5-8 grades.  See Sports page for more information. ANC Dance class for 7-8 grade girls.  See ACE page for more information. Nature Class “Experiencing Spring” for 3-4 graders.  See ACE page for more information.

Available Positions at BACS for 2016-17

Written by on March 2, 2016

Bryn Athyn Church School is seeking applicants for several positions for the upcoming school year. These positions are listed below and interested applicants are encouraged to see the posting on www.ncpeoplevision.org, or to contact Greg Henderson (greg.henderson@bacs-gc.org 215-94704086×267) for more information about the positions and application timeline.  Applicants are sought for a part-time teaching position […]

Technology Aiding BACS Instruction

Written by on March 2, 2016

In 1801 a geography teacher in Edinburgh revolutionized teaching when he hung a large piece of slate on his classroom wall. In the two hundred and some years which have followed a stream of subsequent changes have taken place, as filmstrips, overheads, whiteboards, computers, tablets, digital projectors, Smartboards, document cameras, student response systems and many […]

Departing Staff Members

Written by on February 23, 2016

Unfortunately three of our staff members, Mary Abele, Jodi Carr and Sue Hyatt have announced that they will be leaving BACS at the end of this school year. While all members of the Student Support Center, these women have performed three different roles for our school, all with dedication and a love for their students. […]

Winter Sports at BACS

Winter Sports at BACS

Written by on February 16, 2016

BACS concluded our winter sport season last week. Each of our three teams, wrestling, girls basketball and boys basketball included students experiencing the sport for the first time. It is these opportunities for students to try on a sport, or team sports in general, that make our program such a valuable offering. Through the care […]

Bringing History to Life

Bringing History to Life

Written by on February 9, 2016

Last week Mr. Geoffrey Cooper visited the eighth grade boys to share stories of his experiences in World War II. This visit is one of the many ways in which Dr. Feerrar uses primary sources in his history curriculum. Besides hearing guest speakers on both the world wars, the 8th graders have read letters, journals […]

Class Parents at BACS

Class Parents at BACS

Written by on February 2, 2016

Last Friday was Swedenborg’s Birthday and, as is our tradition, after a special assembly, the students celebrated with a treat topped with a Swedish flag. While it seemed that these holiday goodies appeared in the classrooms as if by magic, they were, in fact, the work of our generous class parents. Each classroom has one […]

BACS and Glencairn

BACS and Glencairn

Written by on January 26, 2016

Last week our first grades visited Glencairn Museum as part of their unit on the Inuit people. This was one of the six visits our classes have made to Glencairn already this year. Last year eight of our grades were able to participate in a total of nineteen tours. These class trips included visits to […]

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day

Written by on January 19, 2016

The Bryn Athyn Church School was closed on Monday as we observed Martin Luther King Day. On Friday all of our classrooms had special lessons, each focusing on a different aspect of Dr. King’s life and works. These included his childhood, his ministry, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, his speeches and his death, as well as […]

Teachers Visiting Fellow Teachers

Written by on January 14, 2016

The teachers at BACS are spending some time this year getting into each other’s classrooms. This is a great opportunity for them to see some other ways of teaching, to experience other areas of our K-8 curriculum and possibly to observe their students in arenas other than their own. It also provides teachers with the […]

Christmas Break

Written by on January 5, 2016

BACS has just come off of Christmas vacation where the students and faculty enjoyed a much earned two-week break. Hopefully the teachers were able to spend this time being parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to their loved ones and the students were hard at work building Christmas memories. Christmas truly is a wonderful time of […]

What Christmas Is All About

Written by on December 15, 2015

If someone asked you to show them what Christmas was all about, how would you respond? I would suggest that, given the opportunity, you might want to lead them into the front hallway of the Bryn Athyn Church School. Before them they would see a lovely wooden diorama. Each morning the primary teachers lift off […]

How Long Is It Until “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?”

How Long Is It Until “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?”

Written by on December 8, 2015

The hallway outside my office is now filled daily with the sounds of music classes practicing for the upcoming Christmas program. The program, which happens next Friday morning, features our students performing in a variety of musical numbers. Each year there are songs which bring smiles and songs which tug our heartstrings. There are performances […]

Thanksgiving at BACS

Thanksgiving at BACS

Written by on December 1, 2015

I got to eat three Thanksgiving dinners this year–the first two were last Tuesday. As administrators, Kirsten Cronlund and I were lucky enough to be invited to join the first grade classes at their traditional Thanksgiving meals. The food, which was cooked by the parents, teachers or students, was delicious but the best part was […]

Primary Religious Pageant

Primary Religious Pageant

Written by on November 16, 2015

The primary unit put on their biennial religious pageant on Friday, each classroom acting out a parable from the New Testament. These included The Sower, The Wise and Foolish Virgins, The Lost Sheep, The Wedding Feast, The Wheat and Tares, The Dragnet and The House on the Rock. The simple style of the scenes allowed […]

Fostering Love of Country at BACS

Fostering Love of Country at BACS

Written by on November 11, 2015

Each day after chapel, before we begin our academic classes, the school faces the flag, recites the Pledge of Allegiance and sings a patriotic song. It is one of the many things we do at BACS to demonstrate our love for our country. Students learn about the United States throughout our K-8 curriculum. The upper […]

Electives

Electives

Written by on November 3, 2015

This Friday was the beginning of our second session of elective classes in the upper unit. The elective program which began last year, runs for an hour each Friday for our 7th and 8th graders. The goal of the program is to provide students with opportunities to try new experiences and to pursue interests that […]

Celebrating Reading

Celebrating Reading

Written by on October 27, 2015

This week Mrs. Neiger and Mrs. Austin hosted their annual reading celebration in the library. This is an opportunity to celebrate the reading that the students do over the summer. Rather than assigning specific books to be read over the summer vacation, BACS, through this library program, encourages students to get into the habit of […]

Religious Assemblies

Religious Assemblies

Written by on October 22, 2015

Last Friday was the first of five special chapel servies this year put on by our religion classes. They each involve the students depicting parts of their religioun curriculum but they have taken many forms over the years. Some have students acting out scenes, some include students reading passages, and some students sing. Last year […]

BACS Picnic

BACS Picnic

Written by on September 29, 2015

Hundreds of students, parents and friends spent a clear, crisp autumn evening on our athletic fields at last Friday’s picnic. There were games of soccer, football, Wiffleball, volleyball and Frisbee. There were kids getting their faces painted and kids doing crafts with Aunt Deev and her volunteers. And all around there were blankets filled with […]

A Successful 7th Grade Carnival

A Successful 7th Grade Carnival

Written by on September 29, 2015

Last Friday was the 27th annual 7th grade carnival. What an important opportunity the teachers and parent volunteers provide for the students. The 7th graders learn so many lessons through the process of planning, executing and cleaning up the event. These lessons include such things as working in groups, problem solving, time management, advertising, public […]

Parent Night

Parent Night

Written by on September 18, 2015

There are several evening meetings in the month of September at BACS. Thursday was the first of three Parent Nights we will have, one for each unit. These meetings are a chance for the parents to visit their children’s classrooms, sit in the desks, leave notes for the students and hear about the upcoming year […]

School Opening

School Opening

Written by on September 18, 2015

On Tuesday, September 1st we reopened our doors and celebrated the beginning of another school year. 260 students, new and returning, arrived on a beautiful, warm day, curious to see what the new year would be like. I had the opportunity to talk to them at our opening ceremony about the factors that determine what […]

BACS Student Honored in Anti-Bullying Poster Contest

BACS Student Honored in Anti-Bullying Poster Contest

Written by on June 24, 2015

Our Pennsylvania representative, Tom Murt, sponsored an anti-bullying poster contest last spring.  In his announcement he is quoted as saying, “Bullying remains one of the most challenging problems we face as parents and teachers.  By encouraging children to create posters that speak out against bullying, we’re helping them to think and act creatively in taking […]

Staffing News for 2015-2016

Staffing News for 2015-2016

Written by on June 17, 2015

Five individuals are stepping into new roles this school year. Aidan Asplundh is taking over our 7th and 8th grade Spanish program.  A recent Bryn Athyn College graduate, Miss Asplundh brings with her both a background in the Spanish language and experience working with school groups as an educational intern at Glencairn museum.    Lynne […]

8th Grade Award Winners

8th Grade Award Winners

Written by on June 1, 2015

Congratulations to the Winners of  This Year’s Eighth Grade Awards   Academic Excellence Award This award goes to the girl and boy who have earned the highest grades during the 8th grade year. The girls’ academic award goes to a student who regularly goes the extra mile in her schoolwork. She is extremely well organized, […]

Appreciation for Our Volunteers

Appreciation for Our Volunteers

Written by on May 13, 2015

This coming Friday, BACS will be having a small gathering to show our appreciation for our volunteers. At nearly every minute of every day, there are volunteers in our building. We have had over 65 volunteers donate time to our school over the course of the year. So far we have received over 3,000 hours […]

BACS Workday a Success

BACS Workday a Success

Written by on April 29, 2015

Saturday April 25th was the spring work day at BACS. Scott Nash led 90 workers through a very productive day. Thanks to crew leaders Rueben Mergen, Chrissy Fink, Lucas Mergen, Glen Henderson and Bob Hern, countless projects were completed. Parents, grandparents, teachers, students, former students, future students and community members worked side by side to get […]

An  8th Grade Play Like No Other

An 8th Grade Play Like No Other

Written by on March 24, 2015

This year’s 8th Grade Play, Beauty and the Beast, was the story of a prince cursed by a beggar and a production cursed by the weather.

Spring Sports:  Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse

Spring Sports: Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse

Written by on March 20, 2015

Spring Sports: Softball and Lacrosse

New Third Grade Teacher

New Third Grade Teacher

Written by on March 4, 2015

We are pleased to announce that Aline Brown will begin teaching third grade next year.  Aline, who has masterfully taught second grade for 14 years, is feeling ready for a new challenge and is looking forward to teaching the third grade curriculum.  Aline’s departure from second grade will leave large shoes to fill at that […]

Faculty Study

Written by on February 18, 2015

This past week the Bryn Athyn Church School had an in-service day so that we could hold our annual Faculty Study. This is a time for our school pastor, Phil Schnarr, to lead us in a religious study. This year’s topic was Purposeful Thinking. We began the morning with a presentation by Rev. Stephen Cole […]

Martin Luther King Day

Written by on January 20, 2015

The Bryn Athyn Church School was not in session on Monday, January 19th in celebration on Martin Luther King Day.  Last Friday every class gave meaning to this holiday by observing Dr. King in some way.  Each grade’s focus was different as the teachers covered the life of Dr. King, the civil rights movement and […]

Our Christmas Program

Our Christmas Program

Written by on December 15, 2014

This Friday is the day of our Christmas program.  The students are excited to perform their songs in a room full of family, friends and community members.  We hope that as many of you as possible can attend this special event.  One aspect that makes the program so special is that it involves each and […]

Seeing Christmas in Our Halls

Seeing Christmas in Our Halls

Written by on December 10, 2014

If someone asked you to show them what Christmas was all about, how would you respond?  I would suggest that, given the opportunity, you might want to lead them into the front hallway of the Bryn Athyn Church School.  In that hallway is a lovely diorama.  It is where each morning the primary teachers reveal […]

Beans for Jeans

Beans for Jeans

Written by on November 24, 2014

A recent article reported that the average American is exposed to 5,000 advertisements each day.  This means that 5,000 times every day we are told that our lives could be a little better than they are now.  It’s no wonder we have such a hard time feeling satisfied with what we have.  When Sarah Jospeha […]

Come to the BACS Book Fair!

Written by on October 29, 2014

November 3rd – November 5th Monday & Tuesday, November 3rd & 4th, 8:00am to 4:00pm and 6:30pm to 8:30pm Wednesday, November 5th, 8:00am to 3:30pm.   The whole school is excited about our upcoming Book Fair. An amazing selection of books is headed our way! At the Book Fair you will find a variety of […]

Our Halls

Our Halls

Written by on October 29, 2014

Walking through our hallways gives you a wonderful view of what our students are studying at any given time. Currently you can see student-made dioramas, masks and writing all about Native Americans. There are also clay Sumerian seals and replica houses from Mrs. Frisby. There are murals of both the Most Ancient Church and the […]

BACS Picnic: A Success

BACS Picnic: A Success

Written by on September 30, 2014

Students, parents, teachers and other community members enjoyed a beautiful Friday evening at this year’s BACS picnic.  What a sight to see all the face-painted children playing games and doing crafts while the adults visited at picnic blankets around our fields.  We would like to thank the volunteers, especially Rachel Adams, for all the hard […]

Educational Enhancement Fund

Educational Enhancement Fund

Written by on September 29, 2014

We would like to let you know that there is a change this year in the way in which you can give financially to the school.  In an attempt to add more clarity to your giving, this year we are introducing a fund which we are calling the Educational Enhancement Fund.  Money given to this […]

Elective Classess Have Begun!

Elective Classess Have Begun!

Written by on September 3, 2014

Friday, August 29th was Day 1 of our exciting new elective program at BACS.  This program allows each 7th and 8th grade student the opportunity to sign up for six electives throughout the school year.  The offerings cover a wide variety of interests and disciplines.  Friday began the first block of the year and students […]

School Is Open!

School Is Open!

Written by on September 3, 2014

The 2014-15 school year officially opened on Tuesday, August 26th. The faculty and staff were excited to see all 279 of our students bring life and energy back to our building. The day began with an opening worship led by school pastor, Rev Phil Schnarr, introducing this year’s school theme, “Let the words of my […]

School Opening Updates

School Opening Updates

Written by on August 14, 2014

School Opening is on Tuesday, August 26th at 9:00am.  Students arrive between 8:30 and 8:45.  Students should wear formal event wear. Our 14-15 calendar is up. Mr. Greg Henderson, our new principal, has written a warm welcome for our website. Information on School Supplies and 2014-2015 updates to our Handbook and Dress Code are available on […]

Graduation June 6th

Graduation June 6th

Written by on June 2, 2014

Please join us for graduation and end-of-year school closing exercises on Friday, June 6, 2014 – 11:00 a.m. in the Society Building.   Students arrive 10:30 – 10:45. Borough crossing guards begin at 10:15; BACS crossing guards start at 10:30. Kindergarten parents: please be sure to have your children arrive promptly. Kindergarten begins the procession. All […]

Share Your Passion with 7th and 8th Grade Students!

Written by on May 23, 2014

The Bryn Athyn Church School is beginning a new program for its upper unit students during the 2014-15 school year, called X-Classes. These classes will offer a variety of electives for students in the 7th and 8th grades, meeting once weekly on Fridays from 11:15am-12:15pm. Some of the classes will be taught by BACS faculty, […]

BACS receives $35,000 Grant for New Program Implementation!

Written by on May 19, 2014

Each Parent Fund gift this past year made a difference!  Bryn Athyn Church School received a $35,000 grant from the Glencairn Foundation to help fund the expansion of our academic program over the next two years.  As part of our strategic efforts to provide Bryn Athyn Church school students with a 21st Century New Church […]

BACS Workday a Big Success

Written by on May 8, 2014

The Spring 2014 BACS Workday was another smashing success, thanks to the many parents, students, community members, and teachers who showed up to lend a hand! The halls were filled with the happy sounds of people laughing together and offering help to one another. The snacks and lunch were delicious, as usual, thanks to the […]

BACS Workday Coming Up May 3rd

Written by on April 10, 2014

This year’s work day is scheduled for May 3rd from 9am to 2pm.  We have all types and skill levels for the projects planned so everyone who wants to help out can easily participate.  Along with community building this event has a direct impact on making the school safer, cleaner, and more beautiful. It makes […]

New BACS Principal starting 7-1-2014

Written by on March 7, 2014

I am very happy to announce that Greg Henderson was affirmed as the next principal of the Bryn Athyn Church School and Preschool at a special meeting of the Bryn Athyn Church Board last night. I look forward to working with him as he prepares for and enters into this important leadership role. Greg was […]

Spring Sports!

Written by on March 7, 2014

Girls and Boys Lacrosse and Girls Softball – See After School page for more information.

BACS Student Featured on WHYY

BACS Student Featured on WHYY

Written by on February 28, 2014

One of BACS’s very own students, Rona McMackin, is featured in a “Why I Like This Book” vignette on WHYY.  She retells the story of Pauline in “My Life as a Chicken” by Ellen A. Kelly.  Watch for it on WHYY or online.

Kindergarten Registration and BACS Re-Enrollment

Kindergarten Registration and BACS Re-Enrollment

Written by on February 27, 2014

Information about Kindergarten Applications for 2014-2015 and Re-Enrollment for current families for 2014-2015.

BACS Schedule Change

Written by on February 19, 2014

Dear BACS Parent, Our students have lost all too many hours of learning due to bad weather conditions this year.  I am still looking for a song that might capture the mix of emotions we have all experienced this winter.  Even after adding two days back to our schedule, we still have 3 day’s worth […]

BACS has power!

Written by on February 8, 2014

Electrical Power has been restored to BACS.  The school wishes to thank all utility workers for the valiant and tireless efforts to restore power to the school and the area.

Make-up day February 14th

Written by on February 7, 2014

Due to the multiple lost days of school so far this year, days must be made up. The first make-up day will be next Friday, February 14.  If your child is out of school on February 14, please call the school office. We wanted to communicate these plans to you promptly and will notify you […]

School Closed Monday, February 3rd

Written by on February 3, 2014

Oh, it doesn’t show signs of stopping… BACS will be closed on Monday, February 3rd due to a Winter Storm Warning.  

Kelleen Butler new After School Program Coordinator

Written by on January 28, 2014

It is with great excitement that I announce Kelleen Butler as our new After School Program Coordinator.  She received very strong recommendations. I am confident she will do excellent work leading our ACE and Extra-PE Programs.  Kelleen was a BACS student, attended ANC, Bryn Athyn College, and student taught at BACS.  She has a very […]

BACS Closed Wednesday, January 22nd due to Snow!

Written by on January 21, 2014

Bryn Athyn Church School will be closed on Wednesday, January 22nd due to snow.  Have fun sledding!

BACS Closed Tuesday, January 21st for Weather

Written by on January 21, 2014

Due to a Winter Storm Warning, Bryn Athyn Church School and Preschool will be closed for Tuesday, January 21st, 2014. Enjoy the snow and the long weekend.

School Closed Tuesday, Dec 10th

School Closed Tuesday, Dec 10th

Written by on December 10, 2013

Due to a Winter Storm Warning, BACS Elementary and Preschools will be closed Tuesday, December 10th.  Enjoy the snow and if you need to travel, travel safely.

2-Hour Delay for Monday, Dec 9th

Written by on December 9, 2013

Due to the weather and road conditions, BACS will have a 2-hour delay and open at 1oam.  Travel safe.

“Thank You” Posters Go Viral

“Thank You” Posters Go Viral

Written by on December 5, 2013

8th grade girls inspire a whole company! Find out how . . .

Winter Sports!

Winter Sports!

Written by on December 4, 2013

Girls and Boys Basketball and Boys Wrestling  – See After School page for more information.

BACS Newsletter 11/07/13

BACS Newsletter 11/07/13

Written by on November 7, 2013

Here is our latest newsletter…. The CommuniK-8tor!

New ACE Program:  Holiday Handbells

New ACE Program: Holiday Handbells

Written by on October 31, 2013

Come learn to play handbells and play for two Christmas services.

A Day in the Life of Some BACS Students

A Day in the Life of Some BACS Students

Written by on October 29, 2013

Enjoy the photos!                                             

BACS Newsletter 10/24/13

BACS Newsletter 10/24/13

Written by on October 25, 2013

The CommuniK-8or!

Book Fair

Book Fair

Written by on October 17, 2013

November 3rd – 6th

BACS Work Day!

BACS Work Day!

Written by on October 7, 2013

The 3rd annual Bryn Athyn Church School Workday was a big success!

BACS Family Picnic!

BACS Family Picnic!

Written by on October 1, 2013

Our second annual Family Picnic happened on Friday, September 27! We met at the BACS athletic fields from 5:00-7:30.  It was a great time to relax with family and friends.  We re-connected with old friends and got to meet some new friends. We brought our picnic basket and chairs, balls, outdoor games and our own […]

Prayer in Morning Worship

Prayer in Morning Worship

Written by on September 30, 2013

In morning worships we are learning much about prayers and praying…

3rd Graders Visit Insectarium

3rd Graders Visit Insectarium

Written by on September 24, 2013

3rd graders spend a morning seeing, touching, and even eating insects at the Insectarium.

Extra PE–Off and running!!!

Extra PE–Off and running!!!

Written by on September 20, 2013

27 boys playing soccer and 38 girls playing field hockey…

Art news!

Art news!

Written by on September 17, 2013

The students in grades 1-8 created lovely projects that represented our school theme: Be still and know that I am God They made things that were decorative, like colorful candle holders as well as things that are useful like the mixed media prayer journals that the 7th and 8th grade girls created. It is a […]

ACE Dance Programs

Written by on September 13, 2013

Ballet, Hip-Hop and Zumba dance ACE programs are availible for registration!  See the after school programs for more information and registration forms.

Parent Welcome Letter – August 2013

Written by on September 6, 2013

 August 29, 2013  Dear Parents, For many years our community has welcomed the students of Bryn Athyn Church School with the “song to the students.”   On Tuesday, that tradition continued with the opening of the 119th School year.  The song’s first verse captures our collective efforts as a tight knit community to create a safe […]

BACS New Sweatshirts!

BACS New Sweatshirts!

Written by on September 2, 2013

Bryn Athyn Church School has it’s own sweatshirt!  They are available for order immediately, and our expectation is that they will arrive by the end of October.  The sweatshirts cost $25 each, and students are allowed to wear them in school. These are the only hoodies that may be worn at school.  The hood must […]

Welcome New Teachers!

Written by on August 26, 2013

BACS welcomes 5 new teachers to BACS: Rev. Eric Carswell is the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church and is teaching 7th grade Religion. Mrs. Cheryl Cooper is working in the Student Support Center. Mrs. Mary Beth DeGeorge is our new Resource and Volunteer Coordinator. Mrs. Melinda Friesen is working in the Student Support Center. […]

BACS Class Mothers

Written by on August 26, 2013

Thanks to the hard work of Jahnna Henderson and Heather Klein, BACS has 17 new class moms!  Class moms play an integral part in supporting the classroom teacher and helping connect the class parents. Thanks Class Moms!

BACS launches new website

BACS launches new website

Written by on July 19, 2013

BACS has a new website as of August 2013.  See news items, upcoming events, and more with a new design and updated content.  Enjoy your visit and return soon.  

2013 Commencement Address

Written by on July 17, 2013

The 2013 Commencement address was given by Kris Pitcairn. Read her address.

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