News/Events

Mr. Harvey’s Middle School classroom will be traveling to Washington, DC later this month, from the 20th through the 28th.  We intend to learn to know and love God, our nation and each other more.  We will tour the Capitol Building and National Monuements, several of the Smithsonian Museums and the battlefield at Gettysburg.  We will worship at the National Cathedral and stay at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center.  Follow our journey at http://cardengoestodc2.blogspot.com/.

When Mrs. Caron founded the Bainbridge Carden School twenty years ago, she started small of necessity.  We have grown out of several facilities and are very happy here at Ferry Tail Farm on Island Center Road.  But Mrs. Caron’s vision has always been of something more. 

After prayer and thoughtful discussion, the Board has decided to further embrace Mrs. Caron’s original vision of the school and concluded that the Carden Country School’s long range future should not be limited to 40-60 students on our current farm site, but that we should and will begin to look for opportunities to grow the school over the next several years.  We believe that God created this school so that we might raise children who are spiritually minded, academically versed and emotionally balanced and ready to serve Him and bring him glory.  Our vision is of a school of around 120 students with nine full-time teachers in single grade classrooms, with several specialists, support staff and a full-time administrator. 

We will always retain our Christian focus, our academic standards and our family atmosphere, and believe we can and should consider opportunities to do this with a larger student body, and, if necessary, a different facility.  We have had a wonderful home here on the farm, and we might be here for many years to come, but we will follow the path that God opens for us even if it takes us away from our current home. 

The proximate cause for this decision comes from a possible opportunity to purchase, refurbish and occupy the historic Moran School building on the grounds of Messenger House on Bainbridge Island.  For more information on the Moran School building, see this Kitsap Sun article: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/11/bainbridges-moran-school-has-rich-history-but-it/?partner=RSS. 

We have not purchased the site.  We are not building or moving anytime soon.  But we are earnestly investigating the feasibility of growing Carden into that facility and or seeking other properties that that might serve as a place to grow. My family and I love having the school on our farm, but it is more important to us that the school be able to grow further if it be God’s will. 

There are sound reasons, spiritually, educationally and financially, for this strategic move.  Spiritually, we are called to let our light shine (Mt. 5: 14-16) and to use, develop and grow the gifts that God has given us, (Mt 25:14-30) yet due to our current population restrictions, we are forced to turn away qualified students and families who want to be here.  Educationally, Miss Carden’s methodology and curriculum works best as it was designed: for classrooms of a single grade with groups determined by learning styles, rather than by grade, as we are forced to do now with our mixed age classrooms.  Finally, financially, we would be a much sounder fiscal entity and have a much better chance of achieving sustainability with more students. 

The Board, the staff, and Mrs. Harvey and I all share the same goal:  that of serving God by serving the children of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap by providing a Christian school with a strong academic focus and a family atmosphere.  We will continue, with God’s help, to strive to do that to the best of our ability.  We will continue to wait upon the Lord and see what doors he might open to us. 

We have been working for the last few years on investigating a change in the CUP for this site and have held two hugely successful auctions to raise capital funds to grow the school.  I know that considering a new site not on the Harvey farm might seem a surprise to some and you, and I probably share many of your questions and apprehensions.  It may seem like a dramatic change, but I believe that this is merely a new phase of the continuing story of how God has, does and will continue to work through our school.    

Please contact me at MrHarvey@CardenCountrySchool.org if you have questions or concerns about the overall mission and direction of the school.  I promise to keep you informed. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our students and staff.  May our work be the Lord’s and find favor in his sight.

Gratefully,

Mr. Harvey

“Learning is not obtained by chance.  It must be sought for with ardor and attended with diligence.” 

  Abigail Adams          

Click here to download an electronic copy of this document. 

Dear Friends,

Our newsletter is the way we communicate with you.  It has many important reminders in it.  Please read the latest newsletter here:  September 17th Newsletter.

Gratefully,
Mr. Harvey

This newsletter has much important information for your consideration.  It will help you remember many policies and procedures relating to the beginning of the school year.  Summer-Fall Newsletter 2010