First Day of School

You shouldn't start school or work on an empty stomach.  L/M (cooks extraordinaire). In spite of two ovens which didn't work, and only two burners that did, and circuit breakers that had to be coddled like babies, we had wonderful meals. These ladies worked miracles with crock pots and coffee pots. We even had sweet ice tea for lunch and dinner. For those of you who have been on trips before (construction or VBS) you know you can't do anything well unless you feed the body as well as the spirit. These ladies made sure we were well prepared with grits, eggs, gravy, and bread for the hard work of each day and the sweet fellowship of sharing each meal gave us the spiritual fortitude to face rather daunting challenges. Before we ate breakfast on the first day, all of us who were teaching did a pray walk around the school. We started in the dark and as the sun came up and we could see, we put our trust in God that He would give us the discernment to teach the kids assigned to us. We sought His protection and asked for His love to reach out through us to them.  N/B, T/S, and I taught 1st/2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade respectively. Our "inservice" on the lesson plans took only one hour. These ladies are phenomenal. They grasped the principles and the methods and took off for their classrooms. Veronica had warned us that the children would return from the weekend at the camp out of control and difficult to manage. Most had not eaten since the previous Friday. Most are not "cared for by anyone." While at the camp, these children have to endure not only the filth and the cold, but alcohol, drugs, and abuse (every possible kind).  The 1st/2nd graders are most out of control when they return because they are the youngest and most neglected. The older the children, the more able they are to adjust to the rules and discipline that Veronica insists on. She can just look in their direction and they freeze on the spot. They respect and fear her...the kind of fear born out of love and kindness but discipline that is certain and absolute. Her voice alone (which she never really raises) is sufficient to command absolute silence. It took all day for them to settle down. We each had three sessions each of one hour in length. T took on the added responsibility of doing an hour session per day with four students needing math help as well. She is a homeschooler of her own child and knew instinctively how to reach these kids both in language and math.  Veronica made it clear to us that even though we were there to help the children with their reading, we were to follow the Spirit's leadership and talk with them about what God had done in our lives and how He loves us and wants all of us to know Him. Aurora is a Christian school and there is evidence every where from the Cross that is just inside the main gate to the Bible verses that the children learn in class and the prayers that begin and end everything that is done. The children wear uniforms, line up and walk quietly from one area to another, address all of the staff as "teacher" and demonstrate respect at all times, but they are typical children and students. They "forget" their pencils, want to go to the toilet every few minutes, and want constant assurance that their "answer" is the correct one. Most of all they want to touch, hug, and pat. They smile constantly and shyly look for approval. They also push, shove, and hit...especially the small ones. The kindergarden age children come to Aurora having never played with a toy or with play dough. They have trouble with simple childhood movements...for example Veronica says they can't roll over or do forward or backward movements well because they have been carried bound on their mother's back sometimes well past toddler stage. In the camp I saw three year olds playing with sticks and rocks. There were no toys or books anywhere. All of the children love to color and they take pride in what they do, but they have trouble with the colors themselves because they don't have them anywhere except at school. What our children learn by age three, these children don't have an opportunity to learn before age six or seven if then because they are from the camp. There is no state school for them and they are too poor to attend a private school. The classrooms are cramped, dark, and void of colorfully stimulating teaching materials, but they meet all of the stringent standards required by the SA government. I was surprised to learn that these guidelines are standard for standard in comparison to the No Child Left Behind ones. If she hadn't been speaking with an Africans accent, I would have sworn I was speaking with someone from the SC state department of education. They test at the end of every year and students who don't pass have a very difficult time catching up. Schools with a high level of failure can be closed or taken over by the government agency...sound familiar????  With all that is against them, they are learning. Exhausting her self, her husband and their personal finances, Veronica is committed to God's command to give these children an opportunity to know Christ and an opportunity for a better life.