KnoxNews-Dec2021

KNOX NEWS
Dec 2021
ROOFTOP REJOICING!
Also Inside:
The Story of Dr. David Ward, page 4
Student Clubs at the Secondary Campus, page 14
The Fitness Challenge for Refugee Families, page 18

Secondary Open House
Grade 7 - 12
Thursday, January 20, 2021
Small Group Tours from 4:30 – 7:30pm
Learn how John Knox Christian School is equipping Grade 7-12 students for a life of
transformation and service through excellent Christ-centred education.
Register for a 30-minute tour of our new secondary campus. Families will hear about
school programs, curriculum, faith perspective and detailed information about our
admissions procedures.
Register for our in-person small group tours:
https://johnknoxbc.org/open-house
Secondary Campus
260 12th Street,
New Westminster, BC V3M 4H2

HIGHLIGHTS
4 14 18
The Story of Dr. David Ward
page 4
David shares about his family
Christmas traditions, his new role
as superintendent of John Knox, and
his senior administrative team.
Rooftop Rejoicing!
page 8
Students are enjoying the new
rooftop by playing basketball &
badminton games and sitting to
admire the beautiful views.
Encounter Days
page 10
JKCS Photo Gallery
page 12
Student Clubs at the
Secondary Campus
page 14
Among the 20 clubs at our
Secondary Campus, we highlight the
stories of Bricks of Encouragement,
KnoxVine, and The Acacia Project.
Repairing Bikes to Help
New Families in Canada
page 16
The Grade 6 Band Practices
in a Church Sanctuary
page 17
The Fitness Challenge for
Refugee Families
page 18
Students from each homeroom class
participated in 6 different physical
challenges to raise awareness and funds
for refugee families.
John Knox Hawks Update
page 20
Alumni Interview:
University in a Pandemic
page 22
Kristine Bernardino shares about
the university experience during a
pandemic, reflections on high school
at John Knox, and keeping in touch
with teachers.
Knox News is a publication of
John Knox Christian School
8260 13th Avenue,
Burnaby, BC
V3N 2G5
Visit our website:
www.johnknoxbc.org
All content © copyright 2021.
No parts of this magazine may be
reproduced in whole or in part without
express permission.
Letters to the Editor
We invite questions, comments, story
ideas, as well as any general feedback
you may have to the Knox News. Please
email the editorial team at development@
johnknoxbc.org
Knox News is produced by:
Editor: Arusha Vegt
Editorial team: Gloria Redaon, Tim Chan,
and Olive Chan
Design: Tyler Tsuyuki
Printed in Canada: Bart Van Der Linde of
In-Print.ca
Pictured on the Cover: Student playing
badminton on the new secondary rooftop.
Back Cover Photo: Students playing
volleyball on the new secondary rooftop.

THE STORY OF
DR. DAVID WARD
By Arusha Vegt, Development Director
Dr. David Ward playing foosball with secondary students
Dr. David Ward has taken on the
new role of superintendent at John
Knox Christian School this year. With
700 students, 110 staff, and two growing
campuses, this is a vital role as JKCS
looks ahead to a future that is firmly
rooted in God’s word and prepares
students for a life of service and
transformation. Along with the addition
of the new role of superintendent, the
JKCS administration team has grown
with some familiar faces and some
wonderful new additions.
David’s lengthy post-secondary
education started at Trinity Western
University and ended with a PhD from
UBC. Before joining the JKCS community
5 years ago, David was the director of the
elementary education program at Lewis
and Clark College in Portland, Oregon
where he taught literacy courses while
also observing teachers and schools
across the state.
Having made his home in North
Vancouver with his wife Ariana, a BC
crown prosecutor, David spends his
time writing books, playing hockey and
“old man” soccer, and connecting with
their three children. Their 21-year-old
son, Owen, studies health sciences at
the University of Toronto as well as
participates in theatre and hockey. Holly
is a freshman at the University of Texas
where she received a scholarship to
play soccer as a Longhorn beside fellow
Canadian Julia Grosso (who is known for
scoring the gold medal winning penalty
kick in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics). Grade
10 student, Tessa, studies at a French
immersion school, a particular joy for
David who was born in Quebec.
Their family is excited to have everyone
together for Christmas where they
will continue Ward family Christmas
traditions including Advent Conspiracy,
started at their former church in
Portland, which encourages people to
love more and spend less.
David sat down with us to share his
thoughts on his role at JKCS today,
his plans for the future, and what this
administrative team means to him.
Superintendent is a new position
at JKCS. What do you see as your
main responsibilities?
I see my main task as being the overall
running and setting the overall trajectory
of our faith-based school. But really it
is the health of the school. We’re not
just any old school, we’re a Christian
school which means you’re looking at a
Christian community inside and outside.
It’s the spiritual component that changes
the whole game.
One of the biggest delights and biggest
challenges is that we have such diverse
4 | Knox News - December 2021

types of Christians at the school. I
see how narrow the door is, as Jesus
said, but how wide open the door is
because there are so many different
representations of Jesus here within our
community. These are people who are
true followers of Christ, but who come
from very different traditions.
Sometimes within those traditions there
are different viewpoints. And that can
be everything from how to raise a child
to baptism. There are many varying
opinions and as a superintendent of
a Christian school I very much feel
humbled in recognizing that I don’t have
a perfect view. Rather, what I do is I very
much feel that I need to respect the
people of God and to hear their voices.
So, I see my role as listening profoundly
and deeply to those voices, supporting
staff in helping recognize that there will
be students who carry different voices
within their classrooms, and that those
need to be honored. And yet, as students
get older, we need to challenge them so
that they can be firm and strong in their
faith and then step into the world where
they can be effective.
One of my roles is connectivity to the
board, and I think it’s important to
say that a Christian school board is
vital, and the relationships between
the superintendent and the board and
the board chair are also vital. It helps
describe and prescribe a healthy running
of the school. We have a board that is
looking forward and seeking out what is
coming next. One thing I’ve been trying
to do is be very open with the board, talk
to them and let them know that I need
to lean into them, at times, for areas of
wisdom. Each one of them is there for a
reason, each one has a specific expertise.
Every day you spend time at both our
elementary and secondary campuses.
What do you love about each campus?
I love walking into the high school and
seeing and hearing and feeling the
intelligent buzz of activity. You will
see groups of organized kids heading
towards a club or to an event where,
for example, they are going to go out to
support people within the community
or farther afield. But you’re also seeing
a teacher working with a group of kids
on high level chemistry or mathematics.
You’re walking through the hallway and
you’re hearing music coming through
from the music room, as our students
are being challenged musically in band
or choir. There’s just this very beautifully
orchestrated sense of a wonderful noise
of intelligence, spiritual life education,
activity, and excited chatter. In the
Student Commons, you’re going to hear
foosball or ping-pong being played, both
things that I really love.
At the elementary campus, there is such
a beautiful sense of innocent education
and faith, and it’s lovely. Sometimes that
looks like a Kindergarten or Grade One
student stopping me in the hallway and
telling me, “I hope you have a good day.”
I love that. Among the staff there’s a lot
of playfulness, but there’s also a lot of
care and deep concern for one another.
Outside of COVID, you see a ton of
parent involvement, like parents reading
to kids in the hallways. It’s a constant
sense of parent buzz and interaction
with our students.
What are your hopes and dreams for
our school?
My hope is that our staff, our students,
and our administration are firm in
knowing who we are, and that our
culture and our faith are strong and
remain strong, no matter what the waves
that crash against us might be. This
means being alert and awake to that,
listening into what other schools are
experiencing or feeling, supporting one
another and doing as we were called to
do, which is to love one another deeply
from the heart. One of our mandates
is to support Christian families looking
for Christian education. That could
mean increasing the scope of how many
families we’re reaching at the primary
level. I think it also means to recognize
the differences within our school. We
have an elementary school and we
have a high school, but there’s a part in
the middle that needs a lot of support
and a lot of work. We have incredibly
dedicated teachers, but they need help
with a system that lets them do the work
they need to do.
You’ve got a great team supporting you.
I’m going to go through the entire team
and would like you to tell me what you
value most about each of them.
Kim Beunk, Vice Principal and
Primary Coordinator
What Kim brings to our team is
experience in understanding the child.
She knows how humans that are at
a very early stage of life think and
how they develop. That is absolutely
invaluable for areas such as our
admissions team and working with
new parents trying to figure out how
to do this whole thing called education.
The other thing that Kim brings us is a
tremendous sense of calm and wisdom
to our admin team. She’s a person that
I will frequently lean into to pray over
the admin team. She’s a pastor’s wife,
she’s been through it! She’s seen all that
you can see. To have her voice speaking
into our admin team is invaluable.
Kelly Blackmore,
Intermediate Coordinator
Kelly is a firebrand of education. She
is a person that has an insatiable
curiosity for how to move forward,
how we can increase what we have,
how we can become better than who
we are. And she takes it on herself the
most. She wants to make sure that her
own mind, her own person, her own
spiritual health are all growing in order
to help others. Her capacity for growth
and for finding and looking for areas
Knox News - December 2021 | 5

for us to grow is insurmountable. It’s
phenomenal.
Lindsay Tafazzoli, Elementary
ESS Coordinator (Educational
Support Services)
I don’t know what I would do without
Lindsay. Lindsay is a person who is the
consummate professional of knowing
her field. Every detail that could
possibly be related to ESS, she either
knows or makes sure she knows who
she needs to know in order to know it.
Lindsay is profoundly sensitive. She is
sensitive to the needs of her team and
defends her team, which is wonderful.
Jacob Rogers, Vice Principal and
Elementary Site Administrator
In all my experiences of working in
schools all over the United States and
Canada, I have not yet met a person
like Jacob who has been able to step in
and learn the skills of administration
so quickly and so well. And who then
is willing to take on more. Here is a
person who understands elementary
school from Kindergarten through
Grade 6 at a profound level. He has a
deep faith that he expresses daily. He
is able to relate quickly to all staff and
students of all ages. Jacob is relied on
and greatly valued at the high school.
He goes over several times a month
where he meets with secondary staff
and administrators and he connects
with students. He has a heart for the
Grade 6 students that he hands over
to the secondary campus. He wants
to make sure that they are succeeding
and that they’re doing well. He’s
helping us develop new systems
that will make that an even better
experience for the incoming Grade 7’s.
Wendy Perttula, K-12 Director
of Curriculum
Wendy’s key role is to shepherd the
overall delivery of the K to 12 BC
Ministry of Education curriculum, but
also the Christian curriculum. It is an
enormous job. Curricula are never
static. And if it’s not changing here for
a year or two, it’s changing in the US
or it’s changing in Britain. You need a
curriculum director who knows what
the universities are doing, who has a
good sense of what we do, who knows
what our kindergarten students need to
know so that by Grade 12, they’re able
to step into what they need to step into
next. She has to look for areas that need
strengthening. Wendy is methodical and
she is a researcher and has an expansive
knowledge of K-12.
Adam Wasik, Secondary Principal
What Adam brings is integrity to the
professional role. Whatever emergency
is rising, which could be everything from
a fentanyl overdose outside on the street
to a teacher who has broken down in
tears due to stress, Adam is up for that
task. Not only is he capable of stepping
6 | Knox News - December 2021

in and dealing with scenarios, but that
he wants to. He has this lion heart. He
wants to make things better for the staff
and for the students. He is an incredibly
capable person and he also brings in a
wide, wide knowledge. Not only is he
good at being an administrator, but he
has an incredible knowledge in math and
sciences as well.
Jessica Duncan, Vice Principal, Junior
Grades (returning from a maternity
leave this December)
What Jessica brings to our team is
a nurturing heart. She’s taught at
both campuses and understands the
whole student. She really understands
the bridge between elementary and
secondary. She understands the fears
and confusion of Grade 7’s in particular.
We wanted her to be part of the team
because of how she connects with
her colleagues. In Jessica, you have
an administrator who gets kids, but
who also knows how to step alongside
a colleague to either support that
colleague or to build new programming.
Leanne Arevski, Vice Principal,
Senior Grades
Leanne hit the ground running. We
got the sense quickly that she was
very capable. She wanted to step
in with administration and she did
that immediately. She is systematic,
intentional and purposeful. When you
have a school that has many balls in the
air, she is a person that will create all the
different support points that she knows
needs to be in place for something to
be successful, both with the staff, but as
well as the whole system. And she’s done
that profoundly well.
Trish Joyce, Secondary ESS Coordinator
Experience, experience, experience
with a tremendous, great heart. Trish
understands her crew, but she also
understands the students. She has an
amazing relationship with Lindsay at
elementary, so she always knows who’s
coming into secondary and how she’s
going to support them. She’s often in
Adam’s office or my office advocating.
She strongly supports and advocates
for her students to get what her
students and her staff need.
To read the full interview with Dr. David
Ward, go to our website:
Photos:
johnknoxbc.org/knoxnews
Left page: Elementary administrative staff - Kelly
Blackmore (top left), Jacob Rodgers (top right),
Kim Beunk (bottom left), and Lindsay Tafazzoli
(bottom right)
Below: Secondary administrative team (left to right) -
David Ward, Jessica Duncan, Wendy Perttula, Adam
Wasik, Trish Joyce, Leanne Arevski
Knox News - December 2021 | 7

ROOFTOP REJOICING!
By Arusha Vegt, Development Director
On a beautiful day in November, Class 9A was the first
class to set foot on our brand new rooftop, equipped
with badminton rackets, volleyballs and basketballs.
Some students enjoyed leaping on the huge tree stumps,
others started a game of pickup basketball and some
simply admired the view. In the coming weeks, lines will
be painted on the court surfacing, equipment storage and
additional seating will appear, and all students will be able
to enjoy this epic new space.
John Knox has been raising money for this space for the
past few years through our Fall Drive and Knox Walk
fundraiser and we are pleased to announce to you, our
families and supporters, that the space is complete and
ready to be used by students and classes. Thank you for
your faithful and generous giving!
8 | Knox News - December 2021

ENCOUNTER DAYS
By Adam Wasik, Secondary Principal
“But ask the animals, and they will teach
you, or the birds in the sky, and they
will tell you; or speak to the earth, and
it will teach you, or let the fish in the
sea inform you. Which of all these does
not know that the hand of the Lord has
done this? In His hand is the life of every
creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:7-10
In the midst of his suffering, Job
reminds us that the Earth is the
handiwork of the Lord. If we look and
listen, we see and hear the goodness
and greatness of the Lord for it is
He who gives us life. At John Knox
Secondary School, “Encounter Days”
are an invitation to encounter the
Lord of all creation. Encounter Days
are an opportunity for students to
re-encounter each other and reform
friendships that may have been distant
over the summer.
During the first week of school,
our school ventured to Belcarra,
Port Moody. Since then, Belcarra
Regional Park’s name was changed to
təmtəmíxʷtən, pronounced Tum-tumee-hw-tun,
to better reflect its
history and to mark a milestone in
the ongoing collaboration between
Metro Vancouver and Tsleil-Waututh
Nation. We paddled traditional canoes
and learned about their culture in
an authentic way. Before we began
paddling, students were invited to
understand and respect the traditions
of our Indigenous guides. On the
water, we enjoyed the Coast Salish
tradition of story-telling and on land
students learned about the culturally
significant local forest plants that
were used as food, medicine, clothing,
and shelter. I was proud of our
students’ respectful curiosity, which
enabled us to learn more about
Canada’s Indigenous history, culture,
and perspectives. As we engage other
cultures and ways of understanding
the world with open minds and hearts,
we remain firmly rooted in the truth
of scripture and the love of Christ.
Back on land, John Knox students
were given time to reflect upon our
responses to some of the stresses of
the last year and what ways we feel
encouraged to change our lives in
the months to come. Afterward, we
continued our school community
building through fun team-building
activities hosted by Pinnacle Pursuits.
The following day sent students
around the Lower Mainland for grade
specific activities as a way to grow
and connect as a grade group. Grade
7’s enjoyed Dragon Boating on False
Creek, Grade 8’s went wakeboarding,
Grade 9’s went river rafting in
Chilliwack, Grade 10 students
went kayaking, Grade 11’s went
paddleboarding off Jericho Beach, and
Grade 12 students learned to sail.
The start of this school year has
been accompanied with a sense of
hope. It was a joy and a privilege
to be able to come together as a
school to celebrate. We more keenly
appreciate these opportunities to be
with one another after the challenges
of the previous year. As I witnessed
our students paddle across the bay
and play in the fields of Belcarra,
it filled my heart with joy to see
their happiness, exuberance, and
excitement to be together again. The
Lord’s presence and pleasure was
palpable. Like Job, our hope remains
secure in Him.
Photos:
Below: Students paddling traditional canoes
Right page: Students work on building activity (top
left and bottom right), Grade 9 rafting (top right),
Grade 11 paddleboarding (middle right), students
paddling a traditional canoe (middle left), Grade 8
wakeboarding (bottom left)

Knox News - December 2021 | 11

JKCS PHOTO GALLERY
12 | Knox News - February 2021

Photos:
Left Page: Character Dress Up day (top left and bottom right), Students enjoying lunch outside (top right), Grade 12 students
(bottom left)
Right Page: Students waiting in line for the zip line (top left), The outdoor music wall (top right), Students enjoying lunch outside
(middle left), Grade 7 lockers (middle right), Students play Connect 4 during SOI (bottom left), Grade 12 visits Trinity Western
University (bottom right)
Knox News - December 2021 | 13

STUDENT CLUBS AT THE
SECONDARY CAMPUS
Every year we have many clubs that are run by staff
and students, covering a variety of interests. This
year we have 20 clubs, including clubs such as arts and
crafts, chapel, table tennis, gardening, music, math, and
photography and yearbook. In this issue, we wanted to
highlight three clubs and the work they have been doing.
bricks of Encouragement Club
by Annabelle Young, Summer Uy, and Odelia Lam, Grade 10
The excitement of a new school year is always accompanied
with the pressure of schoolwork, projects, and tests. In the
span of a six-hour school day, students rush from room to
room, frantically copying down notes, studying for exams, and
preparing for presentations. The school bathrooms are a place
where students take a minute to breathe in between classes. We
saw the school bathrooms as a prime opportunity to encourage
students through inspirational messages and posters, and from
there, the first idea for Bricks of Encouragement was born.
Bricks of Encouragement is a student-led club at John Knox
High School. Run by three Grade 10 students, our club
hopes that each small “brick” (posters, artworks, and weekly
challenges) can help to build up and encourage John Knox
students to cultivate a positive school environment centered
around building one another up.
Our club currently meets up every Monday during lunch in
Room 321. We welcome students from all grade levels to drop
in and volunteer for these projects! We hope that by the end of
this school year, the students of John Knox Secondary will have
adopted the habit of building each other up as second nature.
knoxvine
By Ethan Chan, Grade 9
Knoxvine is a junior student-led initiative that is designed
to help connect our school community. Once every two
weeks, Knoxvine will release a podcast episode detailing
news, reviews, and educational segments for the entirety of
the John Knox community. We seek to invite students from
all backgrounds onto our podcasts to develop their public
speaking skills and share their life stories.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, many students including
myself have felt disconnected with friends and the school as
14 | Knox News - December 2021

a whole. Each one of us has our own stories and encounters;
some happy moments, also some scary and negative ones.
It is essential to be able to express ourselves and share with
others so that we know we are not alone experiencing the
same incidents. My team and I aim to link everyone together
regardless of different hobbies and passions, and foster a
stronger spiritual atmosphere within John Knox. As we move
through our high school years, we hope to include a variety
of friendly teambuilding events across different grades.
While there is a lot planned for our future, the Knoxvine is
committed to Connect, Inspire and Redefine our John Knox.
To listen to the KnoxVine podcast or to follow them on
social media, go to our website:
johnknoxbc.org/knoxnews
environment a better and cleaner place. Although our club
is fairly new, we have accomplished more than we thought
we were capable of. We collaborated with Knox Walk
and Edmonds Community School’s community clean-up
during the summer. We created Instagram posts related
to climate change, sustainability, and suffering children.
This September, we partnered with the school’s Garden
Club and held a school fundraiser to raise money to better
our school’s gardens. Together with the JKCS Garden Club,
students from all grades were able to get involved with
the improvement of the school’s landscaping. Additionally,
we are looking forward to our club members performing
monthly community clean-ups together around our area.
Our goal is for the younger generation to contribute to the
betterment of our environment. We want to inspire students
not only at our school, but expand our initiative to reach a
larger audience.
the acacia project
By Emily Xiao Grade 12, Christie Chen Grade 12,
Filbert Wu Grade 11
Over the years, we’ve noticed more garbage littered around
our neighbourhood and no one has cared to pick it up.
We wanted to start this initiative in order to make the
Photos:
Left Page: Bricks of Encouragement club (left), The Acacia Project (right)
Right Page: The Acacia Project (top left), KnoxVine club (top right, bottom left), Bricks
of Encouragement club (bottom right)

REPAIRING BIKES TO HELP
NEW FAMILIES IN CANADA
By Adam Wasik, Secondary Principal
You shall treat the stranger who
sojourns with you as the native among
you, and you shall love them as yourself,
for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:34
am very excited to begin our bicycle
I repair club in its new workshop
space this year. Students in the club
will learn how to repair bikes using
professional tools under the guidance
of a former industry expert. We will
use our skills to provide bicycles
to refugee families in our local
community, as part of our partnership
with Journey Home.
We are grateful to Cap’s Bicycle Shop
in New Westminster for facilitating the
donation of dozens of bikes for us to
repair and refurbish. Their partnership
and support have made this program
possible. Bicycles are ideal for new
families in Canada as they are an
inexpensive mode of transportation that
does not require insurance, licenses, or
fuel; with the added bonus of being a
great source of exercise and fun!
As the program grows and our
student-mechanics develop their
knowledge and skills, we hope to
raise funds and become a financially
sustainable, student-run program
by repairing community bikes and
selling additional refurbished bikes.
Through these experiences, bike club
members will learn the necessary
skills for potential employment in a
professional bike store.
Our bike repair club is just one way that
our students are growing in their gifts
and finding ways to use those gifts to
share Christ’s love. Currently, students
in Grades 7-12 are also participating in a
fitness challenge fundraiser for Journey
Home. Students at the secondary
campus have been learning about
refugees and their experiences, and we
are looking forward to hearing the story
of a local refugee from SE Asia at an
upcoming chapel.
Photos:
Adam Wasik teaching students how to repair a bike in
the new bicycle repair workshop space
16 | Knox News - December 2021

THE GRADE 6 BAND
PRACTICES IN A CHURCH
SANCTUARY
By Arusha Vegt, Development Director
Intermediate music teacher Rosa
Ononeze has always loved music as
a way to worship God, contribute to
her community, and relieve stress. In
teaching students in Grade 4 through
6, she appreciates how excited
they are by the novelty of playing
instruments, and wants to build on
that excitement to give them the gift
of music that has been so vital in her
own life.
This year, Grade 6 students picked up
a band instrument for the first time.
Rosa noticed something unique to the
COVID-19 era that we are in, “Over
the past 18 months we’ve been taught
to keep our breath inside our bodies,
and so to go from that to taking a
big breath and releasing it has been
tough on the children. They have to
switch their mindset and know that
they are in an open and safe space to
do that.”
The band class has been especially
safe because of their unusually big
classroom: the sanctuary of the
church across the street! Rosa notes
that while there are some challenges
in using a non-classroom space for a
classroom (there are no whiteboards
in the sanctuary!), there are some
unexpected blessings. “The sound
is phenomenal!” Rosa explains.
“When they play and sing, the sound
reverberates around the room and
the students feel good about the
sound they are producing.”
The elementary Christmas concert
will be available as a video once
again this year, including musical
performances from all grades as well
as a special arts component.
Photos:
Grade 6 band having music class at New Westminster
Christian Reformed Church’s sanctuary

THE FITNESS CHALLENGE
FOR REFUGEE FAMILIES
By Yubin Kim, Grade 12 student
Imagine being forced to leave your home and country to
flee from danger and persecution. With your life and safety
threatened, you have to leave everything behind, having no
idea what’s going to happen. After arriving in another country,
you have to start all over— from finding a job and a place to
live, to learning a completely new language and making new
friends. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of what millions of
refugees face every day and they are in need of great love and
support. As God calls us to serve others, we should open our
hearts to help refugee families who may be going through a
difficult transition.
This November, our school has been working closely with
Journey Home Community (JHC), a local organization that helps
refugee claimants arriving in New Westminster. These refugee
families have fled from violence in their home countries and
arrived in Canada, seeking safety and care. Throughout the
month, we have been fundraising for JHC and participating in
various activities to learn more about refugee families and work
towards welcoming these families into our neighborhood.
Recently, we held a Fitness Challenge at the Secondary Campus
to raise awareness about the refugee families who have had

to flee. Students from each homeroom class participated in 6
different physical challenges (sit-ups, push-ups, arms hang,
vertical jump, broad jump, and the shuttle run). In addition, our
school has been preparing to host a Christmas Festival for JHC
that is scheduled for later this month. This is an experience for
refugee families to connect with one another and get to know
Jesus. There will be food, skits, live music, and games prepared
and led by our Secondary Students and it is truly such a
blessing to see our school working together to support refugee
families in our community.
To view the fitness fundraiser video or to donate, go to:
johnknoxbc.org/knoxnews
Photos:
Left Page: JKCS staff Sandra Chu, Leanne Arevski, and Josh Poon join students in
the Fitness Challenge (top left), JKCS staff Rebekah Loconte joins pull-up challenge
(top right), Sit-up challenge (bottom left), Push-up challenge (bottom right)
If you would like to help as well, please consider making a
donation to JHC. Please be praying for both the Christmas
Festival JKCS is hosting and for the refugee families.
Right Page: Sit-up challenge (top left, bottom right), vertical jump challenge (top
right), shuttle run challenge (bottom left).
Knox News - December 2021 | 19

JOHN KNOX
HAWKS UPDATE
By Christian Loro, Athletic Director
After a school year where sports
competitions were cancelled due to
COVID-19, everyone has been excited to
hear the welcome news that we can have
games again this year. There are a lot of
extra protocols to work through, from
provincial and regional restrictions, BC
School Sports, and individual schools,
but we are more than willing to navigate
through this complexity to have the
students competing again. Here are
some highlights from the secondary
athletics program:
volleyball
This year we had the largest
participation we’ve seen for volleyball,
with enough students for 5 high school
teams. Two years ago, we only had
one team. The Bantam Girls team was
coached by Mrs. North. The girls were
excited, responsive, learned lots and
there was a great team atmosphere.
The Junior and Senior Girls teams
trained together, coached by the
passionate and competitive Mrs. Emry.
20 | Knox News - December 2021

The teams saw a big improvement in
court awareness and skill development.
The Junior Boys team worked really
well together, learning a lot in their
practices and games. We didn’t
expect a Senior Boys team this year,
but because of the interest, we were
able to form a team. Both teams were
coached by myself. In addition to these
five teams, we also put together two
Grade 7 girls teams and one Grade 7
boys team for the Christian Elementary
School Sports (CESS) Tournament.
Our two girls’ teams finished 1st and
2nd and played against each other,
with one team narrowly winning 31-29.
The boys’ tournament was held in
Abbotsford and was postponed one
week due to the flooding. Our team
finished 6th.
soccer
There were twenty students that
joined the Junior Boys soccer team
this year, who were coached by
Esteban Diet and Sam Masih and
sponsored by Mr. Friesen. The
team faced a challenging year,
predominately competing against
older and more experienced teams, but
they learned a lot from their coaches in
practices, gaining valuable experience
playing in games and tournaments.
aquatics team
The aquatics team practiced every
Friday morning at 6:30am at Edmonds
Community Centre throughout the
Fall. They were coached by Jaspect
McCoy and Jadon Tsang, both John
Knox alumni, and sponsored by Mrs.
Hwang, a parent and the librarian at
the elementary school. There were
lots of great swimmers this year, and
our young mixed medley relay team
qualified for the Provincials. Our team
finished 2nd in Girls 1A Aquatics and
2nd in Boys 1A Aquatics, just shy of
taking home two banners.
cross country team
There was a great group of students
that joined the cross country team,
who was coached by Mr. Banya, a new
teacher at John Knox. There were
many strong finishes at the track
meets, especially from the Grade 9’s.
basketball
This year we have five basketball
teams, with a Bantam Girls and Junior
Girls teams coached by Mrs. Northand
Mr. Carey, a Bantam Boys team
coached by JKCS parent Pastor Billy
Chiew, a Junior Boys team coached by
Mr. Pierre Amador, and a Senior Boys
teams coached by myself. We’re in
the full swing of things with practices
starting and planning for a Junior
Boys Knox Ball and Senior Boys Knox
Ball in December, and the Junior Girls
Knox Ball in January. The Knox Ball is
an eight-team tournament that John
Knox Christian School hosts and is a
highlight of our basketball season.
Photos:
Left Page: Junior boys volleyball tournament (top
left), Bantam girls volleyball team (top right), Junior
soccer team (bottom left), Senior girls volleyball team
(bottom right)
Right Page: Grade 6 soccer tournament (top left),
Junior boy volleyball team (top right), Grade 6
girls cross country (bottom left), Aquatics team
(bottom right)

ALUMNI INTERVIEW:
UNIVERSITY IN A PANDEMIC
By Arusha Vegt, Development Director
Kristine Bernardino, from the JKCS
graduating class of 2020, shares
details about her life at UBC and
looks back at her transition from high
school to university.
You’re in your second year at UBC.
What are you studying?
I’m studying political science with
a minor in sociology. I hope to do a
year abroad and eventually work in
government or at an embassy after
getting a graduate degree.
Last year UBC was entirely online.
How was that?
Being entirely online was difficult
because there was no need to go
outside and it was hard to have good
study habits. We had to create an
online community, and now that we’re
in person you may recognize someone
from Instagram or Facebook and say,
“Oh, you’re a second year, too!” You don’t
really have that classic friend group
from first year because it was all online.
What do the faith-based clubs at UBC
look like?
There are thousands of clubs. It’s
insane. There are five different
Christian clubs. There are clubs for
everything and every religion.
Do you go to church near campus or
back to your home church?
The church I’ve gone to since birth is in
Vancouver so I can just take the bus. Or
I visit my parents overnight and go with
them on Sunday. My mom usually brings
me food to take back to my dorm.
Do you see fellow JK grads at UBC?
17 of the 26 people in my graduating
class went to UBC. We’re all in different
faculties but I see them all the time.
It’s the same group just at a different
school. I see a lot of 2021 grads, like
Sam Tso, around campus too.
How do you find UBC academically?
In the arts if you’re good at time
management, put the time in to work,
enjoy writing essays, enjoy reading
and enjoy the subject matter, it’s not
too hard, although it can get pretty
crammy at times.
When you look back at your time at
John Knox, do you think that John
Knox prepared you to go to university?
Yes. We talk about this so often. We
thought, “Oh, university is so hard!” but
now we say university is really easy.
For example, Kevin (Battilana) who is
at Sauder (School of Business at UBC)
already has two internships set up in
big accounting firms. Even he says it’s
not that’s hard. He says part of that is
because Mr. (Sergio) Brock (senior math
teacher) wasn’t big on calculators and
that really set him up for moving onto
university. It still can be hard, but the
workload is fine. I read more in Mrs.
(Rebekah) Loconte’s classes (senior
humanities teacher) than in university.
What else is surprising to you about
being in university after going to
high school?
At John Knox it was fun to have that
sense of community, but I realized that
community isn’t everywhere. It’s kind
of hard to find that small group. And it’s
hard to find that teacher connection.
Do you keep in touch with any
JK teachers?
I talk to them all the time! Mr. (Jaason)
Bennett (senior humanities teacher)
is the one that inspired me to go into
the program that I’m in now. I had an
interest in business because that’s
what my family does, but then I took
Mr. Bennett’s classes, like history
and socials and law, and thought, this
history and political stuff is where it’s
at for me. In my first year I emailed
Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Loconte all the
time when I didn’t want to do school
anymore. Mrs. Loconte was a big
influence too, with her courses on
ethics and philosophy.
What advice would you give to
students who are in grade 11 and 12
right now?
Take time to branch out and meet
different people, and learn to discern
who is going to be a good friend. In a
22 | Knox News - December 2021

big university there are a lot of different
people and you have to be able to
differentiate who is right for you.
to think, as in, here are some options
and theories, and you get to pick what
aligns with you best.
do matter, but it all came down to
whether you wrote your personal
profile well enough.
Did you find that John Knox was too
small? What difference did a smaller
school make?
JKCS doesn’t have a specific
denomination and that has been very
beneficial to us. Some other Christians
on campus have a narrower mindset.
Mr. (Juergen) Rose (retired senior
sciences Christian studies teacher)
and Mr. (Adam) Wasik (principal and
senior sciences teacher) were very
open. And I don’t mean in a progressive
way, like they were pushing a left or
right agenda. They just encouraged you
In high school, what did you learn
was most important when applying
to universities?
What really matters is the way
you write your personal profile.
The number of workshops we
had on writing your profile and
putting together our cornerstone
presentations, and the amount of
editing and peer editing we did
is what made all the difference.
I didn’t even include all of my
extracurriculars, they didn’t seem to
matter as much as I thought. Grades
What’s next for you?
I’m applying to go on an exchange
program for my third year, to the
Philippines, Spain or France. I’d like to
go back to the Philippines and learn
more of my language.
Photos:
Kristine with the Filipino Club at UBC (top left),
Kristine with friends at UBC (top right), Kristine’s
kindergarten class photo at John Knox Christian
School (bottom)

Return undeliverable addresses to:
John Knox Christian School
8260 13th Avenue,
Burnaby, BC V3N 2G5
MAIL TO:
www.johnknoxbc.org