Schools

Timothy's Century Celebration Ends with a New Beginning

Take a look back at the evolution of an institution.

Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Timothy Christian Schools.

State Sen. Kirk Dillard, Elmhurst police and fire chiefs, faculty and staff members, school and foundation board members and families turned out last month for the ground-breaking of Timothy Christian's 8,330-square-foot science, music and media wing. 

The new $3.42 million structure includes five new and two remodeled classrooms and an alumni courtyard, and allows for a high school capacity of 450 students. It is expected to be completed in fall.

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Timothy Christian Superintendent Matt Davidson welcomed the group.

“The Bible verse we chose for this centennial year is Psalm 100:5: 'God’s faithfulness continues through all generations.’  God’s fingerprints are all over this campus,” he said.

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Dillard presented Davidson with a certificate of recognition from the Illinois Senate congratulating the school on its centennial anniversary.

“I’m so honored to represent Timothy Christian," Dillard said. "Any time you need me, you can always call me. Here’s to the next 100 years.”

Timothy Christian Foundation Chairman Peter Huizenga was instrumental in assisting the school raise funds for this project. He noted the importance of excellence in education and in maintaining a Christian commitment in all academic offerings, which follows in the tradition of great universities around the world like Cambridge, Harvard and Yale.

Recognizing the need to address outdated science classrooms, Timothy assembled a task force more than a year ago.  Timothy’s school and foundation boards unanimously gave their enthusiastic endorsement and approval of the project.

“We embarked on a capital campaign to fund this project because we needed more space and because we’ve already outgrown our existing footprint,” Davidson said. “We looked at remodeling existing science space, but this would not have addressed the need for more classrooms, and it wouldn’t have as big of an impact on our science program.

“Our science faculty and program are awesome. Our students are gifted. But our facility was old. His Faithfulness Continues is a campaign about God’s faithfulness to the Timothy community for more than 100 years. This campaign is about continuing the story of God’s faithfulness to the Timothy community in a very tangible way: a building addition."

The new addition is a fitting way to begin the school’s next 100 years. Celebrations throughout the past year have included an outdoor festival on campus, a family concert with grammy-nominated children’s singer Justin Roberts and a formal celebration at Chicago’s Field Museum.

As much as Timothy Christian Schools has changed over the past 100 years, its mission hasn't wavered. Whether expressed in its mission statement, “creating academically-prepared Christian disciples,” or stated simply by Davidson, “keeping the main thing, the main thing,” Timothy Christian Schools always has had its educational roots firmly planted in God’s word.

A Look Back

What began 100 years ago in a rented hall on Roosevelt Road in Chicago, serving some 40 students of Dutch descent, now has evolved into a 23.5 acre suburban campus in Elmhurst educating an ethnically and racially diverse population of 1,100.

According to Twenty-five Years, the publication commemorating Timothy’s quarter-century anniversary, the first educational committee was formed in 1912 “to study the work done in the classroom and to advise the board of the school’s educational methods.”  Four years later, Timothy’s focus on raising its academic standards was recognized by the Chicago Board of Education, which deemed Timothy’s education on par with Chicago public schools.

In 1920 the school joined the National Union of Christian Schools and, in 1926, Timothy officially adopted English "as the official language in which all the business of the board should be transacted.” The primary language previously had been Dutch. This change foreshadowed the ethnic and racial diversity the school would enjoy in years to come.

When Timothy reached its 25-year milestone, it took that occasion to emphasize its mission. 

“Pupils have received at Timothy School not only that which they need for life in this world, but also given the bread of life, the living word of God, as their daily diet. That after all is the only reason for having our own Christian school.”

Throughout the school’s history, events unfolded that allowed the school to grow and fortify its academic strength, all the while maintaining its Christian viewpoint. The first of these events was a merger in 1945 with Ebenezer School, which increased Timothy’s enrollment by 116 students. 

Death Threats

Arnie Hoving, who joined Timothy in 1958 as a teacher and served in various capacities, including a 16-year stint as superintendent, cited a painful moment in the school’s history that ultimately resulted in positive change and further growth. 

Often referred to as the Lawndale Controversy, in 1965 several African-American students, whose families attended Lawndale Christian Reformed Church, were denied acceptance to Timothy’s elementary school because of the toxic racial atmosphere that engulfed the town of Cicero, where the school was located.  While considering whether to accept the applicants, Timothy students and staff received death threats from the surrounding neighborhood.

“I was principal at the time,” said Hoving. “I felt strongly that my job was to try to create peace and solve that situation. We ultimately did that by leaving Cicero.” 

In the early 1970s, Timothy’s elementary school joined the junior and high school campuses in Elmhurst.

“Looking back, I see that time as the Lord using the school to be what it is today in Elmhurst—one that reaches out to all cultures and all people regardless of race,” Hoving said.

And even while these changes were taking place, the school remained steadfast in maintaining its Christian foundation. 

“Timothy required families to profess to be Christians to attend. That foundation always has been the strength of the school,” he said.

Growth—and a Pretty Good Basketball Team

During the 1970s, when Hoving said family planning resulted in smaller families, Timothy’s enrollment from Christian Reformed church families sharply declined.  To combat that dwindling population, he and several board members contacted the more than 100 evangelical churches in the five-mile area surrounding Elmhurst to increase Timothy’s visibility.

“Once that ball started rolling, we kept growing,” Hoving said. “In 1978, 97 percent of our student population came from Reformed church families. Ten years later, 55 percent came from other churches. Today more than 261 different churches are represented at Timothy.”

One unforeseen boost to the school’s population was Timothy’s successful basketball program, which in the 1974-‘75 season took second in state.

“Coach Don Greenfield put Timothy on the map and also helped spread our mission,” Hoving said. “That season legitimized us in the eyes of parents concerned about private school sports offerings.”

“It was free advertising,” agreed Dan Van Prooyen, who began teaching at Timothy in 1971 and held several positions including superintendent when Hoving retired in 1994. “When local reporters asked us how we were going to celebrate our victory, Don told them, ‘We’re getting up in the morning and going to church together as a team.’ People outside our traditional base began to know who we were—that we were small, that we cared, that we provided a Christian perspective to education. That really helped us grow.”

Hoving and his administrative team pursed a number of other initiatives to continue to strengthen the school’s population. In 1978, Timothy was accredited by the North Central Association (now called AdvancedED). 

“I always felt we were a highly-qualified institution. Now we had an objective association evaluating and elevating our standing in the eyes of families not yet associated with the school,” he said.

Another boon to the school was the creation in 1978 of the Timothy Foundation, which started with a sizable gift from the estate of Tena Huizenga. The foundation continues to provide tuition assistance and supports faculty development, new programs and other school projects, all of which have strengthened the school and enabled expansions to both the elementary and high school facilities in the early 1980s.

Keeping enrollment numbers healthy translated into strong academics. 

“If you have a small population, you can’t offer courses needed to be academically excellent,” Hoving said.

Advanced placement classes were added to the curriculum. Finding the best possible faculty was key. 

“I looked for people who not only had strong educational backgrounds and Christian beliefs but also those who showed compassion and caring for each student,” he said.

“Arnie was brilliant at hiring people and then saying, ‘here is your classroom, go at it,’ ” said Marve Wolterstorff, whose many roles during his 40-year career at Timothy included director of choir, play director, English teacher and soccer coach. “He left us not alone but with room to grow and always avidly behind us.”

Some might say an unusual number of Timothy teachers have spent their entire careers at Timothy. 

“One of the reasons I’ve stayed is that I’m teaching with my best friends,” said Scott Roelofs, who has taught history, coached Mock Trial and several sports during his 22-year career. “We have such a bond. There also is a great camaraderie between teachers and students. It’s a nice community. And every student can contribute and find their place here.”

Timothy continued to thrive under Dan Van Prooyen’s administration. In 1999, U.S. News and World Report named Timothy an Outstanding American High School. Nearly 1,300 schools in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit and New York were surveyed. Only 96 were chosen based challenging core curriculum, strong academic standards and expectations, highly qualified teachers, effective training and support for new teachers, involved parents, mentors to help motivate students and high attendance rates.

“It was very gratifying to receive national recognition,” Van Prooyen said. “It also provided us with a great opportunity share our mission with families who now were more aware of our presence in the Chicago western suburbs.”

Davidson took over after Van Prooyen’s retirement in 2010, and exciting changes already are on the horizon.

“Looking ahead, this new science wing will help enhance our already strong science curriculum,” Davidson said.  “We also are exploring expanding our business program."

The majority of Timothy's graduates ultimately land somewhere under the umbrella of business. 

"It is our conviction that Christian schools should lead the way in preparing this generation of young people for the marketplace," Davidson said. "In a society where business has largely forsaken ethics, Timothy’s curriculum will better prepare young men and women to conduct business as a follower of Christ. Most importantly, in our academic program and every other part of the school, we will hold fast to our robust conviction to give Jesus the highest place.”


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