End of Week One!

The 4th graders have walked into a new environment! They were very excited about being upstairs and about having a locker. There are many new things for them to take in. A new teacher…what will she expect? Thicker textbooks…what will I learn this year? Different classroom procedures…will I remember what I'm supposed to do?

I am sure that the 4th graders had some anxiety this past week. My heart says, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) I pray that I'm leading my students to that passage and many other passages as they grow in faith.

The scientific method is one of the concepts that the 4th graders will work with all year long. We began their "learning" of the scientific method this week. On the second day of school we filled a glass with water right up to the brim. There were ice cubes floating on the top. The question: When the ice melts, will the glass overflow? Most of the students hypothesized that the glass would indeed overflow. They were wrong: It does not overflow, The most important information that the children learned? When doing an investigation, it's OK that your original hypothesis was wrong.

The scientific method works for science, but not for faith. My prayer for my students…

God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you our service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

God bless you and your family.

Gearing Up

Today marks one week until our Emanuel school year begins. My first thought is how fast the summertime went by! My next thoughts are about the upcoming first days of school.

As this moment, I'm pretty much ready for the year to begin. Oh, there are tasks yet to accomplish…like lesson plans for the first week. It's always hard to judge how the first few days are going to go! While the students are generally ready to get back to school, their brains are still on vacation. What if I plan too much and the students are overwhelmed? What if everything goes so well that we run out of things to do?

I worry too much. Worry is not a trait that I'm proud of. I need to pray about that…taking my worries to God and then trusting Him. I ask you to include the students and faculty in your daily prayers. There is nothing that God can't accomplish for His believers.

Psalm 119:114

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

First "Teacher Day"

This morning the faculty is back at meetings. We have meetings most mornings of this week. We talk about schedules for lessons, supervision, cheese-n-sausage fest, etc. We actually have a list of over 30 things which need to be completed.

We talked about what the teachers did this past summer. There were teachers that traveled to far places, and some that stayed close to home.

There are LOTS of things for the teachers to accomplish over the next two weeks. People keep asking me if I'm ready for school. I tell them, "Not right now, but I will be!"

The theme for the year is Anchored in Christ. That's a goal for all of us!

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.