From October to December 2023

Falling into Winter

Blog updates tend to go in hand with newsletter updates and it seems I have been lagging this year in doing both. So lots of pictures to share the happenings of the past 3 months!

School Adventures

I stepped into teaching a class of all boys with a little fear and trepidation but they have turned out to be a refreshing joy to teach and have renewed my passion for teaching.

Reading Day 2023

Traditions stayed alive with this year's Reading day at the end of October.

I had just finished reading Fantastic Mr. Fox to my boys so decided that was the costume of choice this year.

 

We had buddy reading and bookmark making and Where's Waldo Hunting. A day enjoyed by all.

Learning about our Senses

This year I am teaching Science and Social Studies to both the grade ones and twos. SO I still get to teach all 20 of them for one class.

This year we got to explore our senses and visit the Museum of Senses. So much fun watching these kids learn about their world and how amazing God is in creating our bodies to explore, create and understand.

 

After learning about the senses we moved on to learn about Celebrations around the world

We received packages from our friend Globe Trot Scott who taught us about Remembrance day, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas traditions.

Hanukkah

Christmas!

Making Wrapping paper

Celebrate!

Students dressed up in traditional clothing and we had a celebration with food and games

I made stockings again this year for the boys and filled them with 

chocolate coins, candy canes and a toy car for Christmas.

Thankful for such an amazing team of teachers that I get to work with!  Full of holiday joy as we dressed up for pyjama day on our last day of school before the holidays.

It's Tradition!

There are many traditions that I continue from year to year and having my students memorise Luke 2 verses 1-20 is one of them. They worked hard this year and we managed to learn all 20 in time for our Christmas program. With the help of the grade twos they illustrated all 20 verses.

Can hear their performance and see their pictures in the video below

Also if you would like to watch our Secondary School Christmas performance click the link below

This post got very long so in my next post I will share all my adventures outside the classroom :)

Trusting in my Doubts

You of Little Faith

Since not a lot of people take the time to read my blog and only skim through the pictures this is for those who truly want to know things and hear the heart of missionary teaching life.

Before the school year started I was weary and burdened. Struggling to release my worries and hang onto the faith that my prayers would be answered and the Lord would hear my cries. I look back at those weeks of worry rather sheepishly now. "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 

Why do we doubt? Why do we not trust in the promises of the mountain mover? Going into this school year I struggled greatly with my desire to trust that the Lord would answer my prayers for a grade two teacher and the murmurs of others behind me, but "what is the plan if he doesn't?" There were moments where I questioned what is mountain moving faith, and am I trying to move the right mountain? There is always a mountain to move and right now, that my prayers have been answered I feel like I am standing on top of the mountains. This is thrilling and also terrifying. I am enjoying my current mountain top experience with the knowledge that there is always another one to scale. Being thankful for these tests of faith; where we have nothing to cling to, but the hope in a faithful God who knows what is best for us, even in our doubts and in our fears.

My Boys

It has been an amazing start to the school year and I can truly say I have had more fun teaching in the past month than I have had in a long time. Be it the years of stress of teaching in a pandemic or the burden of balancing split classes, this school year is shaping out to be a great one. I am truly enjoying my boys and they have given me a renewed joy in teaching.

First Days of School

 Little Miracles

The Lord has blessed our first days of school with many little miracles. We have our grade two teacher! Although we do not have a single grade 5 teacher we have a team in place and have a hybrid middle school model for our grade 5's.

I am adjusting to the joys of teaching a single solid grade! 10 boys to keep me busy! We had a wonderful back to school night with parents and a great first week of settling in to the routines of school.

 

 

Miss Rose was a student teacher I had in 2021-2022 school year and came to help with set up before she went to attend her final year of college. Such a blessing to have her this past two weeks!

Super Excited for our first days with my group of Happy Boys :)

So much character! Looking forward to a fun year of learning with these boys!

Ready to Start our school year

We have a great team of elementary teachers including a whole band of teachers to help with 5th grade (not pictured here)

Praying for our grade two teacher Abby Martin as she works to start her year, learning the ropes of teaching a primary grade and raising support at the same time!

Abby came to the Czech Republic with the plans to get a paying job teaching ELL to adults, and volunteer at CISP on the side teaching one class. However the Lord has guided her in a different direction and she is now teaching our grade two students full time and is striving to raise her needed support in a very small window (2 weeks to raise what she needs for the year $25 000 USD) If you are interested in helping Abby raise her needed support for this year click the link: https://teachbeyond.org/support/abigail-martin