Week 2 of Summer School comes to a close

I can't believe a whole week has passed between my postings! Time flew this week! Allow me to introduce you to my students

This is Kaito. Kaito was in my summer school class last year, but he didn't ever have much to say. This year, while he is still very quiet, he has made the effort to speak to me of his own initiative. He smiles a lot and has a lot of deep thoughts. I'm extremely proud of the work he is able to do in math. He is able to reduce fractions and is working on turning reduced fractions into decimals and percents.

This student(assuming this uploads the way I am trying to make it) is Brenda. Brenda has a huge heart. She embraces life and has an enthusiasm for everything. She is very kind and sweet.

This little spit-fire is Himari. Himari was in my class last year as well. She loves ballet and spends much of her free time in ballet classes. Yesterday we had a good discussion. We were talking about prayer requests as we were out on the playground. Himari mentioned that she was sad because nobody in her family loves Jesus except her. She cannot go to church because she is so young. Right now, she lives all the way down in Naha (for those of you not from the island that's a good hour drive from the school) and it would be very difficult for one of the staff to take her to church. We pray for her family to come to know Jesus. This is all the more important because as she grows up, she will need some support in her home. Today we thanked God for her strong Christian friends, however. She has a smile that never ceases!

This is Reibi. Reibi was also in my class last year. She asked me to pray because one of her cousins passed away yesterday. Her cousin did not know the Lord. Reibi is probably (next to Kaito) my most gentle student. She is quiet and reserved, but some of that could be a language concern for her. She has a hard time getting her thoughts out in English at times.

Last, but not least, is Annabelle. Annabelle is a new student to me, but she won my heart the first day. Like Brenda, she has a huge heart herself. She is kind, gentle, caring, and one of the first to want to lend a hand to ANYONE she sees that is in need. It is a treat to get to work with all of these precious children. They are in my room for various reasons: Some really need to work on bettering math skills, some need to really develop English skills, some just need to continue working - in general, and others are just here for the experience. I may only have 5 children, but I have some that fall into all categories. In my few days of school, I have been able to assess where they are at and now I am really trying to zero in and help them where they need it. I'm not sure what I can do in 18 days of summer school, but I will do my best! I spent about 9 hours in my classroom yesterday just trying to organize appropriate math materials for the kids. They are at so many levels, I wanted them to all be challenged and really grow and develop. That took a lot of individual work on my part. I hope and pray that I picked appropriately. This week, in chapel, we continued to study about God's faithfulness in keeping his promises to his famous followers. We studied Pocahontas and John and Charles Wesley this week. We learned, above all, that God is with us wherever we go (Pocahontas) and that God rewards the faithful (the Wesley Brothers). While I am still really struggling with a few students and keeping them involved, I did see marked improvement. Several of the students (even my 5th graders) are singing along with the songs now. Some love them so much that they won't stop singing them. At the beach today (I went with the students on their afternoon field trip because I promised them I would), it was fun to hear the little 1st graders singing "Hey, Hey, Hey . . . I'm not the same as I used to be." - knowing that it is Jesus that can change us! Then, they switched into "I am with you wherever you go. I am with you you are never alone. I am with you, wherever you go. My child I am with you." Not only did they sing it loud and clear, on their own, but some of the older children joined in. They are learning the truths!