This project will position the school, programming, and facilities for the future. We are committed to taking care of the legacy of our facility’s wonderful existing learning spaces while renovating, repurposing and investing in others to prepare our students to continue to learn and serve in God’s world.
Through the campaign, we will redesign features of our building to better express the vibrant and dynamic character of our school.
This campaign will enable us to add new spaces to allow for a variety of methods to deliver a high-quality Christian education that better expresses the vibrant and dynamic character of our school.
Students every year
At Laurentian Hills Christian School (LHCS) we strive, in partnership with parents, to provide comprehensive programming taught from a fully integrated biblical worldview. Laurentian Hills Christian School has humbly and effectively delivered quality Christian education for over 55 years. As LHCS continues to thrive and grow, we must consider how our facilities can continue to support our vision. The goal of the campus redevelopment project is to address the aging parts of our building that require significant repairs, while also planning for the program and capacity needs to continue delivering exceptional Christian education for the generations to come.
In January 2020, a building plan was presented to the membership, and a capital campaign was set to begin. As the world shut down in March 2020, so too did the plans for the campaign and building plan. The needs that were present in 2019 have not been addressed and major repairs still need to be done. In addition to these repairs, the Board approved the launch of a preschool program at LHCS and projects an increased enrollment that will bring the school to its maximum capacity by 2025.
A growing student population, new programming and aging facilities all highlight an urgent need to renovate and expand our facilities.
As we build on the foundation our pioneering families envisioned, we must ensure our facilities continue to support and augment our vision to provide ongoing exemplary Christian education to the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
We are moving forward in faith and embarking on a multi-million dollar Building on His Foundation Campaign to realize this vision. We invite you to join with us as we prepare for the next chapter of Laurentian Hills
Christian School and continue to educate and inspire children to become all that God created them to be.
On behalf of the staff and students of LHCS, we thank you for your support!
COO/Principal
The Christian School Society of Kitchener and Environment was formed in 1954 by a group of post-war immigrants from the Netherlands who settled in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The vision that brought them together for a Christian school was realized in September 1967 in the basement of the First Christian Reformed Church of Kitchener on Ottawa Street.
Our Founders worked together to build and open Laurentian Hills Christian School, a three-room school, located in a former corn field at 11 Laurentian Drive in September 1969. Over the school’s 50+ year history, we have realized the additions of many classrooms and a gym, as well as the introduction of new programs such as Kindergarten, music classes and much more.
More importantly, we have proudly graduated 1300+ students (and counting)!
Education may look different today than it did back in 1967, but the heart of Laurentian remains the same. Jesus is Lord over all and that includes education here at LHCS. We want to put Christ at the centre of all that we do here at Laurentian Hills Christian School.
(Adapted from: “A Dream – A Vision” by Richard Dykstra, LHCS 50th Anniversary Celebration, May 2017)
Since our most recent addition in 2009, we have added important programs to our school that require more space to effectively provide for a growing student population. We need to create greater flexibility in how we educate our students and ensure the sustainability of the school for generations to come.
The Building on His Foundation Campaign will position the school, programming, and facilities for the future. We are committed to taking care of the legacy of our facility’s wonderful existing learning spaces while renovating, repurposing and investing in others to prepare our students to continue to learn and serve in God’s world. Through the campaign, we will redesign features of our building and add new spaces to allow for a variety of methods to deliver a high-quality Christian education that better expresses the vibrant and dynamic character of our school.
Enrollment at LHCS continues to increase steadily as more families are recognizing the value of Christian education. Since 2004, with the introduction of Junior Kindergarten, an increasing interest in early education is notable. The chart demonstrates projected student body growth through 2025, based on pre-pandemic historical enrolment trends and, in fact, the 2023/24 school year is already ahead of projections. While it is difficult to account for pandemic recovery, it is still prudent to consider student population growth over the next three years.
“My family has been a part of the Laurentian Hills Christan School community for over 30 years. During this time, I have seen the school community grow. I am excited to see the next stage of growth and how the school will continue to serve the community in the future. This campus revitalization project is such a worthwhile endeavor!”
In the spring of 2022, the LHCS Membership approved the motion to maximize the school to two classes per grade for a total of 20 classrooms. The redevelopment project will allow for additional classroom space which will include the following:
Our library does not meet the current needs of our students. The room is windowless and small, and it does not provide suitable space for a full class of students. We envision a library that adapts easily and serves as a gathering place for multiple classes in the event of speakers, chapels or events with reading alcoves, tech hubs, worktables, leveled seating and moveable furniture to serve multiple purposes. In addition to supporting student learning, these enhancements will provide for potential revenue streams through facility rentals outside of school hours.
In order to progress our art and science programs, we need a dedicated room with ample workspace for
classes to engage in large art projects and various science demonstrations and experiments. With storage directly in the space, this room provides another gathering space and hub for collaborative work. We envision further expanding our programming by having a space for students to engage in enrichment activities that may involve robotics, Lego, coding, etc.
We require a classroom that can transform easily from a classroom for French studies to a space that teachers can book for small group work, enrichment activities and/or co-curricular activities (chess club, yarn club, Battle of the Books practice, etc.).
We envision a welcoming entrance for our visitors with enhanced views of our office and sightlines for administrative staff. The foyer will provide an open space for academic, arts and community gathering.
Students and paraeducators need a consistent location with ample lighting and seating to work with students who require routine, quiet spaces and comfortable seating to engage in their schoolwork. Our current facility does not provide adequate space for this vital component of our education program.
A multi-million dollar capital campaign is a monumental task. Its success depends on our faith in God and His guidance to help each one of us find a way to make a sacrificial gift to the campaign. Every contribution to the campaign is significant and together every gift will ensure our campaign is a success so future generations of Laurentian Hills Christian School students will continue to thrive.
Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be part of the future of Laurentian Hills Christian School and the Building on His Foundation Campaign. Your support of this campaign will address the challenges of our current facilities, supporting programming and enabling new educational opportunities and spaces for learning. This campaign will help us build new relationships and strengthen existing ones, while reconnecting with and honouring our past. To God be the glory.
Growing up, I attended a small rural Christian elementary school with four classrooms and six staff members, and class sizes varying from two to ten children. The bus rides to and from school were long, extra-curriculars were limited, and resources were always tight; but we were blessed to be educated by teachers that loved the Lord and belonged to a school community that kept Christ at its centre. At one point in its history, this description would have fit Laurentian Hills Christian School as well.
However, unlike so many other Christian schools that have struggled to keep their doors open over the past few decades, LHCS has flourished and grown to be one of the largest Christian elementary schools in Canada. There are many reasons for this, such as the school’s central location in a growing city centre and the strategic decisions made by past leaders. However, by far the most important factor has been the deep and enduring involvement of our many supporters.
I am so thankful that in the wake of the pandemic, the halls of our school have become busy and vibrant once more, and our student population has once again started to grow. We have begun to return our attention to the longer-term direction for the school and have resumed our plans to renovate our building to create space for two classes per grade level, a rich set of academic and extracurricular programs, and the launch of a new Christian preschool.
I am honoured and excited to be leading the Building on His Foundation Campaign to see these plans come to fruition. As a fellow supporter of LHCS, we need your support to realize the vision. Your contributions, whether financial, logistical or otherwise, will be vital as we follow the Lord’s leading and open the next chapter for Laurentian Hills Christian School. On behalf of the campaign cabinet, as well as the parents and staff at LHCS, thank you for your support!
Dan Luymes
Chair, Campaign Cabinet
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Due to inclement weather, the school will be closed today.