Lakeshore Campus
Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
- Acts 28:31
The KCS Lakeshore campus is an exciting endeavour for Christian Education in the Central Okanagan. Our Lakeshore campus will be a space for students in Grades 6-8 to find their God-given potential and explore their passions and identity in and through Christ. Students are expected to begin attending the Lakeshore Campus in the fall of 2023.
The acquisition of the Lakeshore campus, previously Willowstone Academy, will provide 11 classrooms, a first-class gym, a shared 600-person sanctuary, and the ability to create a unique Grade 6-8 ethos as a part of our Preschool- Grade12 mission, vision, core values, and brand. The acquisition of the Lakeshore Campus solves many of our current “space” challenges at a significantly reduced cost to expanding at Benvoulin. The reduced costs also enable our school board to continue to cast vision on future expansion plans.
CAMPUS UPDATES:
On December 15th, Kelowna Christian School took possession of the property of First Lutheran Church. As a part of our purchase sale agreement, First Lutheran Church will continue to operate, and Willowstone Academy will close on June 30th. In September, the campus will become our “Lakeshore Campus,” housing our grade 6-8 middle school staff and students.
Here are a few updates as we move towards integrating a third campus.
- Our Middle School Principal, Scott Campbell, has been touring staff and stakeholders through the new property during the evenings, sharing and listening. If you have not seen the new campus yet, we look forward to welcoming you soon.
- Our Director of Development and Campus Integration, Kinsley Hettinga, has been working with architects, our staff, and our building committee to explore what must be done in phase 1 to ensure we are ready for September. The Building Committee is comprised of a number of board members and parents in the community with expertise in the property development, construction management and real estate industries. Their work is primarily focused on wall movement to create nine excellent middle school classrooms. Kinsley is moving from the wishlist phase to exploring costing and developing timelines.
- Don Nettleton (Director of Finance) and I (Mike Campbell) are working with the school board on a feasibility study that explores bussing from West Kelowna, including a shuttle from the Gordon Campus to Lakeshore. We are in the early stages of exploring this option, and a group of West Kelowna families is engaging us with interest. We recognize that a bus from Lake Country to KCS would also be beneficial, and this can be explored as we learn if bussing is feasible.
- Our admissions window is now open, and we have seen a steady influx of new applications, including those from Willowstone and other neighbouring Christian Schools.
- High school growth and the added space at the Benvoulin Campus should allow us to grow student belonging through increasing programs. With school growth comes additional academic course offerings, a move to AA athletics, increased applied skills programs, and more opportunities in the arts.
Before Spring Break, we hope to share more precise timelines and plans for our Lakeshore Campus. A phased approach of enhancements for all three campuses will happen in time. Still, our priority, for now, is to ensure that excellent opportunities for acting out our mission and vision occur at all three campuses, including Lakeshore, while practicing financial stewardship, this coming Fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practically speaking, the layout of the Lakeshore Campus would be too small for the elementary school’s many grades, and is not set up for a High School program. It can be modified to be a great home for a grade 6-8 program’s number of classes and programming needs. Many Middle Schools across BC Christian schools and many districts are grades 6-8, and having its own campus allows Middle School to be intentionally created to meet the needs of middle year students intentionally and specifically. Having its own location allows Middle School culture and time tabling to be specifically created with Middle School students in mind.
Acquiring the Lakeshore Campus is an immediate solution for the space issues at the Benvoulin campus and is a cost-effective way to expand. The plans to build onto the Benvoulin campus are not discarded; however, they are not a priority at this time.
With the acquisition of the Lakeshore Campus there will be improvements and updates to all three campuses. Attention will be given to renovating and retrofitting the Lakeshore Campus to meet the needs of middle school students, alongside updating the Gordon campus and the Benvoulin campus to improve all three campuses. The acquisition gives the opportunity to enhance programming offered at all three campuses in many different curricular and extra-curricular areas.
KCS is looking into options for shuttling students between campuses. KCS also continues to process opportunities for bus services to the outer reaches of our KCS community (e.g., West Kelowna).
About 62% of the purchase price is being lent to us by First Lutheran Church (FLC) as a 30-year interest-free loan. In turn, FLC with use their portion of the facilities rent-free for as long as the loan exists. More information on this vendor take-back agreement will be presented at one of our information nights.
As a multi-denominational community, KCS has had partnerships with other churches in the past and present. These are relationships that are important to KCS as we seek to partner with all homes and churches. Throughout the negotiation process, it became increasingly clear that a relationship between KCS and FLC could be a partnership, working together where our missions and visions align while remaining within our own spheres (church and school). Our Board and our leadership team are excited about this opportunity to partner with a community that deeply values Christian education.
As this is an acquisition of real estate, not a merger of schools, KCS does not automatically admit Willowstone Academy students or employ their staff.
Families would need to apply and go through our admissions process to attend KCS. They must be a faith-based family, agreeing with the mission, vision, and values of Kelowna Christian School. KCS also needs to ensure that we have adequate classroom space and the ability to serve each applicant well.
Willowstone families have been given priority admissions for the 2023-2024 school year.
Willowstone Academy (WA) staff are not automatically employed by KCS. KCS covenants with WA to use reasonable good faith efforts to offer employment to current Willowstone employees, provided that WA employees meet the Mission, Vision, and Values of KCS, and consider the current needs of the school. KCS staff will not be displaced by WA staff.
KCS has met with the staff of WA to discuss our operations, philosophy and employment opportunities that might be available. KCS is committed to prayerfully finding ways to demonstrate care to the Willowstone community.
Current KCS Middle School homeroom teachers in grades 6-8 will move to the Lakeshore Campus, given they choose to continue working in the Middle School. KCS staff will not be displaced by the acquisition of the Lakeshore property. Scott Campbell will be the principal of KCS Lakeshore Campus.
There are some staff members that work in both middle and high school divisions (e.g., French, Music, PE, Bible, Drama). Some staff members may stay at the Benvoulin Campus operating in the High School, while others will move to the Lakeshore Campus with grades 6-8. It is possible for some staff to work at multiple campuses.