Elementary School

The constant aid of our schools’ angels

Elementary School, High School, Middle School

Angels are rarely seen, which may explain why most BCACS families don’t know our schools have a whole host of angels. They move in and out of a small office in the St. Joseph Parish Center staffed by a single employee. It is the Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools...

Catching up on our ABCs

Elementary School

Crayons to College and Career is in its second year thanks to a renewal of a Calhoun Intermediate School District grant. This means the ABCs of Character is back in our elementary school. “In the education world right now there is a lot of talk about how it’s a...

It takes a village to create a vision

Elementary School, High School, Middle School

It takes a village to raise a child and BCACS is one great village. Now our children need that village to create a vision. “We all want to set our kids up for success and to do that we have to constantly re-evaluate what we are doing and how we can improve,” said Lisa...

When life gives you lemons…

Elementary School

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And when life gives our St. Joseph transitional-kindergarten and four-year-old preschool students a worthy cause, they sell lemonade. And lollipops. “The Lemonade Stand is an annual event,” TK and preschool teacher Aimee...

A real teacher – 30 years and counting

Elementary School

St. Joseph fifth grade teacher Linda Hamel has been teaching for 30 years. She remembers her first day well. It was January 4, 1988, and she was sitting with her new fifth-grade class at St. Mary’s in Kalamazoo waiting for Mass to start. “I was so nervous,” Mrs. Hamel...

“It made me happy inside.”

Elementary School

BCACS parents Graham Smith and Amy Young wanted their children, first-grader Ward and preschooler Rafferty, to understand the spirit of giving. “We are very fortunate,” Ms. Young said. “It is important that we show our kids that many others are not and since we are...

SCRIP goes digital

Elementary School, High School, Middle School

Tuition. Who doesn’t want to reduce it? SCRIP or School Cost Reduction Incentive Program has been helping families do just that without the fuss of fundraising. Families purchase gift cards from the school for places they frequent as customers. While they enjoyed face...

It’s a difficult track, but one Coach Minier won’t run alone

Elementary School, High School, Middle School

St. Philip track coach Jeff Minier built his championship program around a simple philosophy. “Track is a team sport, not an individual sport.” Recent health issues have shown Coach Minier he’s a member of the BCACS family, not just a BCACS coach. Coach Minier began...

Saints with the intention to trick

Elementary School

St. Joseph Elementary and Preschool has a longstanding and very cute Halloween tradition – the annual costume parade. At the end of this year’s parade, a new tradition began. Fr. Chris Ankley sent a letter to parents, sharing the Catholic roots of All Hallows Eve and...