The Real Meaning Of Christmas Through the Eyes of a Second Grader.

When asked by her second grade teacher, Mrs. Blom, what does Christmas mean to you Illyana one of her second graders wrote, "Christmas means that its time to celebrate Jesus' birthday. We give toys to the less fortunate. That makes me very happy."

The Bible says, "Raise up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it." It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season but it is refreshing when we get back to the true meaning of Christmas which is God's demonstration of His love for us in sending His Son Jesus to live, die and resurrect for us and how that translates in our desire to give to others as a sign of our love.

Here at Upper Room Christian School we pray that you would be filled with the love of God this Christmas and that His peace would fill your hearts and homes.

Another Satisfied Customer!!

They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating and scripture says, "you shall know a tree by its fruit". Here is another parent testimonial of the change in her son's life since attending Upper Room Christian School.

"First I would like to say, I give honor to GOD, who is the head of my life. I want to thank the entire staff at Upper Room Christian School.  I've seen such a drastic change in my son, for the better.  As a family, we pray every night and every morning.  My son's prayers have gone from: 'Thank you God for my mother and father and my brothers, in your Holy Name I pray", (10 seconds) .......to 'Father GOD, we come before you giving you praise and worship, praying for those in need, praying over mom and dad, brothers, grandparents, those that are in need of something, asking for forgiveness of our sins, asking to be blessed by his talent and thanking God for his talents.' (5-10 minutes)  Needless to say, my husband and I were so amazed and speechless. I love my son's transformation. I owe it to you.  Thank you!  I THANK GOD FOR YOU

 

Have a blessed day!

La'Shawn Maynard

It's Time For Real School Choice In New York

School choice is a nationwide movement that empowers parents by enabling them to make the best possible choice for their children's education. In short, it puts power in the hands of parents to decide which type of education best fits the needs of their particular child – whether that is a public, private or religious institution, or educating their child at home.

School choice also protects parents' constitutional rights to direct their children's upbringing in accordance with the values, principles and religious convictions they hold dear.

Private school choice refers to publicly funded scholarship programs that redirect the flow of education funding to individual families rather than to government schools. In other words, the money now follows the child rather than a bureaucracy. Under these programs, parents can apply for scholarships that allow them to send their child to a private school of their choice, including religious ones.

Without school choice scholarships, parents who want their kids to go to a private school would have to, in essence, double pay. In other words, they would pay for a private education while also paying taxes that go toward public education. It would level the playing field for families of different incomes by allowing parents to redirect their tax dollars toward schools of their choice.

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL excerpt from Dr. Charles Walker

A child’s teacher is an important role model. Your child spends a major portion of the school day under the influence of one or more key teachers. You value the importance of the exemplary model set by your child’s teacher. In the Christian school classroom, the teacher openly teaches the truths of Scripture because his commitment compels an open, unashamed love and service to Jesus Christ. The government does not hinder these teachings, nor the reading of the Bible, nor prayer; all three are common every day occurrences. The teachers openly demonstrate and model Christian principles, one of the reasons you send your child to a Christian school.

The academic instruction in the Christian school exceeds that of the public schools. With strict standards of behavior enforced and high academic standards expected, the Christian school provides your child a better education, opening more doors in his life for future success and satisfaction. The benefits of the sound education offered in the Christian school are far-reaching and long-term, another reason you send your child to a Christian school.

Christian values and attitudes are taught and emphasized in the Christian school. The overt effects of violence and immorality so common in today’s public schools clearly demonstrate the need for a Christian education. The Christian ethics and morals expounded in your home and church are reinforced in the Christian school classroom. Nurturing a child with Biblical truth is an excellent way to equip him for maturity. The Christian values taught in the Christian home and reinforced in the Christian school enable your child to deal with a troubled world without succumbing to its troubles, another reason you send your child to a Christian school.

Opportunities for Christian friends and fellowship abound in the Christian school. Negative peer pressure is downplayed by emphasizing the relationship of each child with Jesus Christ, and magnifying the Biblical standard of true friendship which calls for love, forgiveness, and accountability. The positive influence of a child’s Christian peers has no substitute, another reason you send your child to a Christian school.

Teacher-pupil ratio in a Christian school is lower than that of most public schools. This smaller class size permits a teacher to spend more time with each child. Consequently, your child receives more individualized attention from the teacher, and this, of course, greatly benefits him academically and personally, another reason you send your child to a Christian school.

Obeying Biblical guidelines is essential when seeking the best for your child. Scriptural admonitions concerning the rearing of children in the Christian faith, such as Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and II Corinthians 6:14, can only be truly adhered to if children are taught in a Christian environment. The public schools cannot prepare a child for a fruitful, Christ-honoring life. In the Christian classroom, your child learns the Biblical truth absolutely necessary for living a balanced Christian life, another reason you send your child to a Christian school.

Placing your child in a Christian school may necessitate a financial sacrifice, a geographical inconvenience, or a drain on your energy, but the joy received from watching your child grow academically and mature in the Lord makes all the effort, all the time, all the money worth it. You should praise the Lord for the wisdom and direction He has given you, and thank Him for the blessings of a Christian school.

Dr. Charles Walker is a former education director of the American Association of Christian Schools and the executive director of the Tennessee Association of Christian Schools.

Gang Violence in Public Schools is on the Increase

Metal detectors will now be part of the security procedure for students in the Brentwood school district. A shooting incident Friday outside the public library is forcing the added security measure, WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported. There will be “random searches with the metal detector as well as a handheld one,” said schools Superintendent Levi McIntyre.

The district is also beefing up other security measures and asking for added police patrols. “We will be working very closely with the police,” said Helen Moss, school board president. Stronger deterrents are needed to combat growing gang violence, officials say.

Guardian Angel's leader Curtis Sliwa said. yesterday that "The problem in Brentwood, Central Islip, Bayshore and Wyandanch is that both the Latino and black gangs have had now, in some instances, three generations of gang members from the same family. The grandfather, father and new son. They are rooted into the surrounding public school systems which is where they recruit inside and outside of the campus. 

Parents want school choice and a voucher or tax incentive program now more than ever as many public schools are becoming breeding grounds for drugs and violence. Many students no longer feel safe in school.  Upper Room Christian School will be offering a $500 discount off it's already lowest private school tuition for any family from Brentwood, Central Islip, Bayshore and Wyandanch wanting to enroll their children in the school for the rest of the 2016-2017 school year to try to help parents be able to afford a safer and God centered environment for their children.

School Safety

School Safety is a big and important issue nowadays. And it should be!! However school safety should include more than just a safe school building but it should include and insure the safety of each student and staff member inside. It also should be defined as Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Safety. A great school will insure that each person inside the school building is physically safe, emotionally safe and spiritually safe.

Physical Safety involves security of the building and grounds. It also includes an environment that is free of possible hazards. It trains the school and staff in proper drills that will allow for a proper exiting of the building or sheltering in place in an emergency as well as a good means of communications with the fire and police departments that service the school.

Emotional Safety involves a loving, caring environment that inhibits taunting or the bullying of students. It provides an atmosphere where students can learn unhindered by inappropriate remarks and that fosters a positive sense of community and togetherness.

Spiritual Safety involves the teaching of the truth as it relates to absolutes as opposed to "situational ethics". Where everyone is respected while not condoning an anything goes attitude of "if it feels good, it must be good". It requires an atmosphere that fosters a relationship with the creator not one that inhibits it.

Here at Upper Room Christian School we strive to be such a school! We want our students to be and feel safe especially in a world where fear and anxiety is rampant, gang violence and drug use is on the rise and teenage rape is at an all time high.

Proverbs 1:33 But whosoever hearkens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Excellence in Academics, Athletics, Arts and Character!

Thanks to last year's East Coast Conference champs St. Thomas Aquinas College coming by to see the guys at open gym! At Upper Room Christian School we do everything possible to enable our students to go to some of the best Colleges and Universities in the country! From our aggressive athletic department to our partnerships with St. John's University and Suffolk Community College we strive for excellence in Academics, Character and Athletics.

Even our elementary and middle school programs with their developmental approach seek to ready our students for college and beyond. And with God's Word, the Bible, at the center of all that we do we are instilling Christian Compassion and Character and a desire in our students to serve their generation with excellence, wisdom and passion.

As this year gets under way we look back at what God has done in our school and our former graduates and we look forward, using all available technology and resources available, to provide our students with the best academic and spiritual environment possible that expresses the love and nature of God in all we do. Let's Go Royals!!

The Origin Of Humanity - Creation vs. Evolution

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth". Genesis 1:1

"Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image". Genesis 1:26

"Then God formed man from the dust of the ground". He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person". Genesis 2:7

" It is now commonly accepted in scientific circles that human beings have become what they are today as a result of millions of years of evolution. Beginning as a one-celled animal..." Excerpted from a commonly used Public High School Textbook.

One of these views is correct and one is not. Which one will your child who spends more than 14,000 hours in school believe? 

Sound Christian Education takes the Bible seriously. Truth is seen as absolute. Christian Education believes a Christian worldview can make a positive difference. It gives students a strong foundation in a world of shifting values and morals. Christian Education recognizes God’s sovereignty and Christ’s Kingship, and …therefore God’s claims over all of creation are taken seriously. No subject or curriculum is outside the orbit of God. Students are recognized for who they are: sinners in need of God’s grace in Christ. Also students are given a vision of God’s Kingdom and their place in it. Good Christian education recognizes the unique, God given gifts and talents of the students and challenges them to achieve their amazing potential. It assists parents in their God given mandate. Sound Christian Education treats the student as a whole person whose aim is to grow in Christ-likeness. A foundation in God and His world prepares the student for tomorrow. Healthy Christian Education develops critical thinking by having the courage to explore other world views from the perspective of its own worldview.

Two Opposing World Views

There is a vast difference between these two views! Only one can be right! Either God is our creator and finding His eternal purpose and plan for one's life is central and essential or "there is no God" and there is no eternal purpose or plan. Either we were created by God and for God or we are just creatures of circumstance.

One of the goals of Christian education is to bring the students into a deeper relationship with their Creator. The opposing goal of secular, public education is self-centered. The Bible, which is one of the few textbooks outlawed in public schools, says, "What does it profit a man if he gains the entire world and loses his soul"?

As the public education system moves further away from the acknowledgement of God the Christian school centers all of it's education towards the service of God and others. While striving for and believing in academic and physical excellence it also strives for spiritual excellence. Which world view do you want for your children and grandchildren? "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"!

The Importance of Prayer in Schools

The importance of prayer in schools cannot be exaggerated! 

As the scripture above clearly instructs, prayer allows us the opportunity of sharing our hopes, dreams, burdens and cares with the God who created us. It calms our worries and reminds us that we are not alone but God is with us and He is the source of our peace.

Students need to be taught to bring their burdens  to God in prayer because he hears them, loves them and is a very present help for them.To take prayer out of school is to also take hope and peace out of school. When we teach and encourage prayer we empower students and remind them that there is a bigger picture than just their current situation or circumstance and that their Creator cares for them.

At Upper Room Christian School we begin each day with prayer. We teach prayer from the scripture and students see examples of how God moves for His people when they call upon Him.We help the students learn to develop a life of prayer and open communication with the God who is a "very present help in times of trouble".

"Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jer. 33:3

School Choice for New York State!

The Empirical Evidence on School Choice

A vast body of research shows educational choice programs improve academic outcomes for students and schools, saves taxpayers money, reduces segregation in schools and improves students’ civic values. The fourth edition of A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice brings together 100 empirical studies on each of these essential questions in one comprehensive report. You can download the full report here.

It's time for New York State to get on the bandwagon with the 26 other states that have some form of School Choice program that allows parents to direct some of their school taxes as they see fit for the benefit of their children!

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee (Isaiah 60:2).

We are living in a time when the contrast between the philosophies governing the world and the apostolic truth of scripture has never been so vastly different and the divide grows more every day. To whose charge shall we commit the education of our children? What forces will we permit to shape and mold their impressionable young minds? Will we turn our children over to the charge of men and women who are the proselytizers of a world order founded upon satanically inspired systems designed to destroy all those to whom they are taught? Or will we allow the truth of God’s word to shape and form their worldview? Surely this is a crucial choice for us all! Our children are our most precious blessing.  It is they who will carry the light of the gospel to future generations.

 

The most significant influence by far upon our children’s lives in their formative years is the education they will receive. A Christian education is no longer an attractive option; it is imperative. It is the only education that is founded upon the truth of the word of God, which is the only shield against doctrines of demons designed to destroy our children before they are even able to understand what is happening to them. Will we abandon them to the merciless grip of our archenemy? God forbid! We urge you with all that is in us: choose Christian education for your children today, so that they may be preserved from the darkness and corruption that is rapidly consuming our society today.

10 Reasons to choose a Christian Education Reason #5 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT!

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Students at Christian schools consistently out-perform their public school counterparts. Their standardized test scores are way above the curve, and they're better prepared for college upon graduation. 
Even in the areas of math and reading, subjects that are "less spiritual" in content, students at Christian schools have proven their superiority. The best colleges are likely to pay your children more attention, not less, if they attend a Christian school.

10 Reasons to choose a Christian Education Reason #4 Safety

Simply put, Christian schools are a safer place for your children to receive an education. In addition to physical well-being, Christian Schools offer a much safer emotional and spiritual environment. While not devoid of problems they are far less likely to occur, and far more likely to be met with firm disciplinary action. Our goal is to provide a safe, loving and caring environment that is conducive for greater academic success, emotional well-being and spiritual growth.

10 Reasons to choose a Christian Education Reason #3

THE SCHOOL SHARES YOUR VALUES

If you're like most Christian parents, you've taught your children about God since the day they were born. You've taken them to church, read them Bible stories, sung "Jesus Loves Me." Imagine their shock and dismay when they're thrust into an environment in which God is removed, ignored, or both.
Even the best public schools are prohibited by law from reinforcing the values you teach at home. They either compete against them or disregard them altogether. And because you care about the mental and spiritual development of your children, you may spend countless hours trying to bridge the philosophical gap between Christianity and humanism - a gap that would never have existed had they attended Christian school. By entrusting your children to educators who share your values, you'll have more time for ball games and bike rides and meaningful conversations, instead of debriefing and re-educating them. "To commit our children to the care of irreligious persons is to commit lambs to the superintendency of wolves." Timothy Dwight

10 Reasons to choose a Christian Education Reason #2

 GOD TELLS US TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN THROUGH THE WORD

It is a sad but true irony: public schools, the self-proclaimed shapers of the human mind, have chosen to ignore the God who created the human mind. To their chagrin, they have robbed themselves of their most valuable "textbook," and the only available source of absolute truth.
"The school system that ignores God teaches its pupils to ignore God; and this is not neutrality. It is the worst form of antagonism, for it judges God to be unimportant and irrelevant in human affairs. This is atheism." Gordon H. Clark
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," writes Solomon. "And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). As students pursue the knowledge of math, biology and music in a Christian setting, they're chasing after the knowledge of God. And the by-products of such an endeavor - wisdom and understanding - are the God-given rewards for which every good student strives.
God expects you, as a Christian parent, to plant and nurture His Word in the hearts and minds of your children. This is best accomplished in settings where home, church and school all send the same message, teaching God's truth with clarity, conviction and consistency. And while the benefits of such a commitment are often realized much later, here's one you'll notice in relatively short order. An education that uses God's Word as its foundational text does more than produce spiritually-mature Christians. It makes them wiser and more knowledgeable. It forces them to be better thinkers. And isn't that the goal of education in the first place?

10 Reasons to Choose Christian Education Reason #1

GOD'S WORD IS TAUGHT

"I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt...I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth." Martin Luther
The place to start is at the beginning, with the first nation, the first educational system. When deciding how to manage your children's education, it only makes sense to ask the One who invented education.
"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul .... And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)
What we have here is a clear biblical mandate to saturate our children's minds with the Word of God. It's a difficult task under any circumstances, but virtually impossible in a public school setting. Once inside those doors, children spend 30 to 40 hours a week being told that God, if He exists at all, is no longer relevant. No matter how spiritually grounded your child may be, the repetition of such destructive ideas can't help but have an adverse affect.
The harsh reality is that our Supreme Court kicked God out of the public school system more than 40 years ago. A generation later, scientific naturalism and a host of other anti-God values are not only being taught in American classrooms, they're being championed.
Christian schools offer a refreshing, biblical alternative. Not only is the Bible taught for what it is - the inspired Word of God - but it forms the foundation of all other texts. In math, in social studies, in biology, all academic roads lead to God, in whom all knowledge has its origin. Your children won't travel that road in the local public school.

Upper Room Christian School Boys Basketball Camp 2016

UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP

FOR BOYS GRADES 3rd THROUGH 8TH

August 8th-12th, 2016

9:00AM-12:00PM

DOORS OPEN AT 8:30AM

LOCATION: UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

722 DEER PARK ROAD, DIX HILLS, NEW YORK 11746

WHAT: BOY’S BASKETBALL CAMP FOR DEVELOPING PLAYERS, FEATURING INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION, SKILL STATIONS AND TEAM CONCEPTS. 

ALL CAMPERS WILL RECEIVE PIZZA AND A DRINK AT THE END OF EACH DAY.

WHO: THE CLINIC WILL BE DIRECTED BY UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN BOY’S VARSITY HEAD COACH TOM FEMMINELLA, PLAYERS AND STAFF.

WHY: TO PROMOTE THE GAME OF BASKETBALL IN THE COMMUNITY AND ENHANCE PLAYER SKILL LEVEL WHILE RAISING MONEY FOR THE UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN BOY’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM.

COST $125 PER PLAYER ŸCALL (631) -5359 Ext 220 OR PLEASE EMAIL: HOOPS@URCS.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

URCS BASKETBALL CAMP ONLINE REGISTRATION:

GO TO WWW.URCS.ORG/CAMPS-CLINICS/BASKETBALLCAMP.CFM

THANKS AND GO ROYALS!

TOM FEMMINELLA

UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN HEAD BOY’S BASKETBALL VARSITY COACH

HOOPS@URCS.ORG