Words of Worship & Encouragement
Dear Lower School Families,
This week I had the opportunity to meet with each grade level team in K4 – 5th grades to share the data collected from ACA’s Distance Learning Survey. As I mentioned last week, your feedback is important to us. We are working on streamlining communication between school and home. Specials teachers will now communicate one of two ways: in grades K4-1, specials teachers will provide optional activities through the classroom teachers. In grades 2 – 5, specials teachers will provide optional activities through Microsoft Teams classroom pages. Even though these activities are optional, students are encouraged to participate and share what they have done.
We are also working on making sure assignments are clearly marked either REQUIRED or OPTIONAL. Our goal is to provide a balanced instructional program in a distance learning format. Some families have asked for more activities and other families have asked for less. We know each home situation varies from multiple children, working remotely, or even essential workers. So, I ask that you communicate directly with the teacher or myself if schoolwork becomes overwhelming for your family. By communicating directly, we stay in committed partnership with one another.
Your child’s emotional and spiritual well-being are important to us. Teachers are encouraging students to video chat one-on-one with them to pray together, to get individual help on assignments, or to just talk. The student-teacher relationship is of utmost importance and the teachers value this one-on-one time. Lower school chapel music and messages will continue to be recorded weekly for your child or family to view. These will be provided through links sent by the classroom teachers or through Microsoft Teams. We also encourage you to share prayer requests so we can pray for the needs of each family as a lower school staff.
I will be scheduling some Parent Chats on Zoom over the next few weeks. I am planning on setting these up in grade level groupings and will send out invitations beginning next week. I look forward to the opportunity to see and speak with you through this video chat format.
As I mentioned last week, I feel very blessed to be able to attend many classes each day and interact with the students and teachers. This week I enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Portmess’s class and sharing our favorite stuffed animals at the end of class. Yes, Mrs. M has stuffed animals around her house! I also learned that 5th graders eat some amazing and delicious food for breakfast, like crepes, bacon, eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, or waffles. I definitely need to step up my breakfast game. 5th graders were also asked to write down one word to describe Jesus – Perfect, Amazing, Love, Pure, King, Humble, Faithful, Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, and Light in the Darkness were just some of the examples. Do you recognize some of the lyrics of this worship song? It touched my heart to know our students know and listen to wonderful praise music. Even though I miss seeing the students each day, I am learning so many incredible things about them through our distance learning communities.
In closing, let us remember the words Paul wrote from prison to the people of Philippi. “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
May this be an example of how we live each day, no matter our circumstances. Let me know how we can be specifically praying for your family. He is here moving in our midst, healing every heart, and turning lives around! He is our Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness.
Blessings,
Susan Montgomery