By Baker Hanson, Instructional Assistant
Since arriving on staff at BCS in September 2018, I’ve been speechless at times in regards to the maturity and unity of the students. This is true in all areas of the school, but recess has especially been a highlight. There are times when I feel I’ve witnessed things truly “out of this world”. It’s been a blessing to have seen the students care for one another at all grade levels, but today I’ll highlight the middle school students in particular.
At the middle school level, Gaga Ball and basketball are at their peaks of interest. The students are competing to win, sure, but what has impressed me is their ability to self-regulate and in particular, put into action what Philippians says about, “considering others more important than yourselves”. If it appears that a student may have an injury, the other students will pause the game and aid the hurting student before continuing play. Unity, safety, and the enjoyment of all students seems to outweigh the desire to “win”.
For the first four months of the school year, a group of about 10 middle school students played Touch Football on a daily basis. These students set the tone for the school year and raised my hopes for what young teens are capable of. On occasion I would act as the referee, but it was merely a formality. These students and all of the middle school grades have shown they can function without an acting referee. In touch football, the phrases, “He/she got me”, “No, sorry, I was out of bounds”, “Wow, nice play [to the other team]”, and “Let’s just move on, guys” became standard vocabulary.
After being on staff at multiple schools, and now landing at Bellingham Christian School this year, I’m convinced that if I have kids someday, they will either be home-schooled or attend Christian School. I’m daily blessed by the maturity, respect, and love these students display towards adults, their peers, and younger students who would look up to them. C.S. Lewis stated that, “Play is the serious work of Heaven”. If you want to invest in some serious work of Heaven, come to recess at BCS!