Richmond Hill Christian Academy

INTRODUCTION

January, 2011

Richmond Hill Christian Academy is an independent, non-denominational, private elementary school, with 373 students and a staff of 45 dedicated, born-again Christians. We are a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, and are registered with the Ministry of Education.

Open Enrollment Policy: Although the majority of our students are from evangelical Christian families, we welcome children of other faiths. The registration form includes a declaration by parents that they are aware of and will co-operate with our philosophy and policies.

Curriculum: For the most part, we use the A Beka curriculum in all grades (exceptions are Canadian history, music and French). A Beka books are enjoyed by over a million students in Christian schools around the world. They are academically advanced, colourful, and exciting for the children, and are Biblically based in their philosophy and content. Reading is taught through intensive training in phonics. The math is traditional and thorough, and teaches both English and metric systems. All subjects are presented in such a way as to create a love for learning.

How Our Students Achieve: Independent testing has confirmed that our students rank one to two grades higher than national averages in reading, language, vocabulary, mathematics, and computation for Grades 1-8, plus language/writing conventions and dictation or spelling for Grade 2 and up, and numerical estimation for Grade 3 and up.

In addition to excellent academics, we emphasize traditional family values, good discipline and work habits, and strong Christian foundations for life.

Our 9711 Bayview Campus has a modern, well-equipped, air-conditioned building with 17 classrooms and one portable, and a fellowship hall which serves as a mini-gym, lunch room, and chapel. Outside, there is a courtyard, a small soccer field, and parking for 120 cars. We also have the use of the big gym afternoons at RHCCC , and we take our older students there by bus for their twice-weekly gym classes and after-school sports clubs.

Our overflow Hillsview Campus is located at Richmond Hill (Chinese) Baptist Church, one block south and three blocks west of the main campus. The church has several bright classrooms downstairs with windows to the west, a Fellowship Hall, and a large gym. Presently, we have 43 students there, in JK, SK, and Grade One. The parents appreciate the smaller class sizes and the security there. We provide after-school bus service (at no charge) for children who wish to participate in our after-school program or after-school clubs at Bayview Campus.

Before and after-school programs are provided beginning at 7:30 AM and ending at 6:00 P.M.

Contacting Us: During these early years of development of the school, an administration office is maintained at the home of the founders, Brian and Madeline Hayes, in Etobicoke. Please send any correspondence to the Etobicoke address on our letterhead, and feel free to call us at the Administration number evenings or weekends.

Madeline J. Hayes, B.A.; M. Ed.	Brian R. Hayes, B.Com.; C.F.A.
Principal	Administrator

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History and Facilities:

Richmond Hill Christian School opened on January 15, 1996, with one student. Since then, we have grown as follows:

Year	1996	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Grades:	SK	JK-2	JK-3	JK-4	JK-5	JK-6	JK-7	JK-8	JK-7	JK-8	JK-8	JK-8	JK-8	JK-8	JK-8	PreK-8
# Students	5	35	68	105	144	166	203	220	237	252	262	279	322	339	360	373

As an independent school, we are very grateful to the Lord for His provision of facilities through the generosity and kindness of several churches in the area:

1996: Richmond Hill Free Methodist Church at 212 Hillsview Drive

1998: Expanded to the Richmond Hill (Chinese) Baptist Church at 136 Hillsview

1999: Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church (9670 Bayview at Weldrick) and Richmond Hill Baptist Church (50 Wright Street).

2001: RHCCC and RH(C)BC.

In 2003-2004, RHCCC requested that we move out at the end of the school year so that they would have space for their office staff and other users of the building during their massive “Phase Three” construction. Then, as we could not find a suitable location, RHCCC graciously gave us an additional year to find space.

2005: RH(C)BC, and King Bible Church on King Road west of Dufferin (The Grade 4 to 8 children greatly enjoyed the country setting at King and the free daily bus rides to and from the south campus).

Over the years, we tried hard to find a permanent location, although our financial resources were very limited.   Our more recent efforts included an attempt to acquire or lease the Enbridge property at 500 Elgin Mills Road East, the Our Lady Help of Christians former Catholic school at 10568 Bayview, and a suitable industrial building at 280 Centre Street.

In the fall of 2005, we supported an attempt by RHCCC to buy the United Synagogue Day School (the building we now occupy). Instead, the property was purchased by Great Lands Corporation for re-development. Anticipating a long process to get the property re-zoned, the developer decided to rent it out for awhile.

2006: We are very thankful to the Lord that RHCCC succeeded in negotiating a five year lease, with our school as their sub-tenant. We are very grateful to Pastor Sam Chan and the RHCCC board for such concern and care for us. RHCCC is covering a significant portion of the costs of 9711, and uses the building some evenings, weekends, and part of the summer.

For the first year and a half, the office staff of RHCCC occupied five classrooms and three offices in the building while construction proceeded on their church property. Our kindergartens continued to be housed at our second campus, Richmond Hill (Chinese) Baptist Church, one block south and two blocks west.

In January, 2008, we completed renovations to the classrooms previously occupied by the church staff, and moved our kindergartens in.

Our 9711 Bayview campus has a modern, well-equipped, air-conditioned building with 17 classrooms and one portable, a mini-gym, and a chapel. Outside, there is a courtyard, a small soccer field, and parking for 120 cars. We also have the use of the big gym afternoons at RHCCC , and we take our older students there by bus for their twice-weekly gym classes and after-school sports clubs.

2009: In September, we re-opened Hillsview Campus at Richmond Hill (Chinese) Baptist Church to accommodate our growing numbers in JK, SK, Grade 1 and Grade 2.

2006-2010: Throughout the first four years of our sub-lease, Great Land pursued its ambition to re-zone the property, knock down the school, and build town-houses, while we in turn made several offers to buy it, subject to obtaining bank financing.

2010:   Much to our surprise, in January, Great Land proposed more affordable terms. We immediately set about raising funds through donations and the sale of Promissory Notes to augment our savings for the down-payment, etc.. On May 12, we closed the deal at a high, but less than replacement value, price of $9,500,000, and a down payment of $1,000,000. The arrangement was affordable because Great Land took a vendor-take-back mortgage of $8,500,000 at 4% for ten years, with principal payments starting at $100,000 in July, 2011 and rising by $50,000 per year to $300,000 in 2016 and remaining at that rate thereafter until the mortgage becomes due ($6,000,000 in 2020).

We are extremely happy about this and grateful to the Lord for again providing just what we need at the last minute!

Our ability to fund the growing principal repayments will depend on how the school fares going forward. If we are able to keep on growing, fund-raising may be less necessary.

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The Governance of Richmond Hill Christian Academy:

Since its reorganization as a non-profit corporation registered as a charity in 2005, the school has been governed by a board of directors. The founders of the original school, Brian and Madeline Hayes, are continuing as Principal and Administrator.

Brian and Madeline are born-again Christians, and are long-time members of Richview Baptist Church in Etobicoke, where they reside, and where they raised their four children. Brian has been Church Treasurer, and a Deacon, and Madeline has been involved with the children’s church and the ladies’ prayer ministry. Brian has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and has a business background (investment counselling and publishing). For a number of years, he was also actively involved in children’s ministry in the church, and in the Boy Scouts Association. Madeline holds an Ontario Teaching Certificate in the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Divisions (Grades 3 to 12), and completed training in the Primary Division at Pensacola Christian College, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Christian School Administration. She has taught extensively in both the public and Christian school systems, and was Acting Principal of Calvary Christian School in Woodbridge before co-founding Richmond Hill Christian School. In addition to their administrative and planning responsibilities, Brian and Madeline have taught all of the grades from SK to Grade 8, moving up a grade each year since the school opened in 1996.

Mrs. Mable Au holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo and Masters degrees in both Biblical Studies and Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary. She has extensive experience as an educator of young children and is active in several ministries of Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church. Her husband, Peter, is a consultant pastor of RHCCC, at the same time serving as a missionary with Send International. The Au’s have three children; the youngest, Beatrice graduated from our Grade 8 in 2008.

Mr. Bernard Sin has a Master of Theological Studies degree from Tyndale Seminary, and an Honours Master in Business Administration (with a major in Finance) degree, and an Honours Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the University of North Texas in Dallas. He has extensive business as well as pastoral experience. Until recently, he was the founding pastor of a daughter church of Richmond Hill (Chinese) Baptist Church that opened at Springvale Baptist Church on Stouffville Road. Presently, he is pursuing a doctoral program at Tyndale. He and his wife, Eva, have two children: Yvette and Joshua attend our Grade 5 and Grade 3 programs this year.

Dr. Esther Ng joined the Board in December, 2008. She is a gynecologist and obstetrician, having received her degrees in Pharmacy and Medicine from the University of Toronto, and having served her residency with the University of Ottawa. She is married to Dr. Victor Mak, a urologist; both work at York Central Hospital in addition to their private practices. Their two children, Daniel and Priscilla, are in our Grade 4 and Grade 3 respectively. Dr. Ng is a member of RHCCC and has been active with Moms In Touch for several years.

Appointment of the Vice Principal: Our school management has been further strengthened by the appointment of Mr. John Yip as Vice Principal in 2009. In addition to his responsibilities as Vice principal, John had been on staff for several years, and currently teaches Grade 8.  John has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from The Kings University College in Edmonton, a Master of Science in Education Administration and a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Pensacola Christian College, and a Master of Arts in Bible Exposition from Pensacola Theological Seminary. He has “AAA” Full Professional Certificate Standing as a Teacher accredited by the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. In addition, he taught elementary and middle school computer at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia, and at North Florida Christian School, and has had experience in using computers in library applications. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin and is gifted in vocal music.   John has also been active in our after-school computer training clubs, and has responsibility for our website and in-house electronics.

Charitable Status: The Academy is registered as a charity and is able to provide “Official Receipts for Income tax Purposes” for donations as well as for a portion of the tuition.

Historic Note - The Samuel Society: In 2002, prior to our reincorporation as a charity, a group of parents headed by John and Mary Halbert set up a charitable foundation called The Samuel Society to raise funds for a future school building. In 2005, all of these funds ($120,938.33) were donated to the Academy. We are very grateful for this initiative.

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