About Us
Centennial Christian School
Head: A community of Learning
Heart: A community of Transformation
Hands: A community of Service
Located in Terrace BC on the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsimshian First Nations, Centennial Christian School serves families with children from preschool to grade 12. As an independent school, we follow the Ministry of Education K-12 Learning Outcomes but approach them from a God-centered worldview. We’re a community-focused school, proud of supporting each other not only in the education of our children, but in all aspects of our community life. Our community is our priority, which allows us to really show up for each other.
Centennial Christian School is non-denominational and open to everybody. Our teaching approach is rooted in a Christian, God-centered view of the world, which means we value things like community, planet-care, social justice, creativity, and being able to participate and thrive in a diverse and changing world. Through example and instruction, we equip each student with knowledge, skills, and understanding, challenging them to exercise discernment and stewardship in all aspects of life. We intend the entire learning environment to reflect the diversity and unity of God’s creation.
Vision and Values
As faithful followers of Christ, our Deep Hope is that our formational learning experiences will help our students find their role in God’s story. Christian Education is an approach to learning that places God at the centre of every topic. We’d love to tell you more about our vision, core values, and delve more into what it means to be a “Christian School.”
Governance
We’re governed by a School Society made up of members of our school community, and a board of elected members. Every guardian of a child in our school is required to be a member of our society, either as a full voting member (meant for professing Christians) or as an associate member (no faith affiliation required). We go into all the details and answer some of our most frequently asked questions about this on our Governance page.
Our Strategic Plan
Our strategic plan is a dynamic document that reflects how we as a school plan to grow and develop over the next 3 years (2024-2027). Our core values, vision and mission will never change, but our learning environment is constantly evolving to continue equipping students for the world as it is in their lifetime.
History
In September 2016, Centennial began its 50th year of operation! The fact that Centennial has over 50 years of history is a testimony to God’s faithfulness, as well as to the visionary leadership of its founding members, and to the many committed people who have built it into the thriving school that it is today. Their persistence and dedication was driven by the belief that all of life, including education, must fall under the lordship of Christ.
Centennial began in the 1966-1967 school year (Canada’s Centennial Year!) with students in grades 1 to 7. In our early days, facilities were rented from the Christian Reformed Church, but through the donation of land and money and the dedicated work of volunteers, a new facility was built in 1988/1989. Growth and enrolment necessitated further additions in 1990 and 1993. In June of 2002, Centennial Christian School celebrated its first ever grade 12 graduation. In the spring of 2008 a decision was made to add preschool. Today, our inter-denominational school accommodates more than 200 students from Preschool through Grade 12. To date, nine classes totalling 106 students have graduated from grade 12 at Centennial Christian School.
Centennial Christian School continues to be a member of the Society of Christian Schools in B.C. (SCSBC) and Christian Schools International (CSI).
The beginning
Jim Mantel Sr. planting tulip bulbs, in memory of his father Jacob Mantel who donated his farming land so Centennial Christian School could be built!
Celebrating 50 years at CCS!