If everyone could take the mindset my kindergartners had about impacting the people around us in whatever situation we find ourselves, our communities would certainly be better places.

It is fascinating to hear about what young children want to be when they grow up. There is always a wide range of answers, but these answers also usually have something in common. From astronauts to veterinarians, from doctors to policemen, children usually want to become community workers.

In our class alone, we have a future baker, vet, doctor, and policeman. We have been learning about community workers in the kindergarten class, and it should be no surprise that the answers turn out to be so similar. These workers have a huge impact on the community, and they are very visible when we go to a restaurant, get sick and have to visit the hospital, or see policemen handling the scene of an accident.

But do the kids in kindergarten have to wait more than a decade to start helping their community? Of course not! Not only did we talk about how workers help the community, but also how kindergarten students can already impact the people they come into contact with.

It was very encouraging to hear the ideas brainstormed in class about how a kindergartener could be a community worker. For example, one of the students suggested that she could help a person carry a heavy load. Another student said she could comfort a friend whenever something bad happens. If everyone could take the mindset my kindergarteners had about impacting the people around us in whatever situation we find ourselves, our communities would certainly be better places.

~ Cassie

In this period, I am happy to share with you about our class. We have seven children in our class. Everyday we begin with praying and then we sing songs. We have just talked about; school materials, food and drinks, pets, some wild animals, birds, and we learned colors. We have just introduced counting. I am happy to see the progress of everyone.

~ Claudette

Learning how to read and write can be a rich but also challenging experience for students.

Learning how to read and write can be a rich but also a challenging experience for students.  Each day in 2nd Grade we have worked on an activity that strengthens reading and writing skills.

What are some ways that you can know that your child is a strong reader?

• Your child will become a strong reader when they are able to read at a comfortable pace all words clearly and correctly in their appropriate reading level.
• They will also able to use varying vocal tones in reading that creates expression for different kinds of sentences.

In our class, students have also listened to chapter books read aloud to them which helps to strengthen their listening, comprehension, and vocabulary skills.

We started out our writing activities by writing creative sentences and have built up to writing creative stories and essays.  It is not easy to write down their thoughts and create stories from their imagination.

I am so proud of what they have accomplished so far this year! Hip-hip-hooray for strong reading and writing!

~ Andrea

In art this term we have been busy studying color, texture and space.

One of the projects that was particularly successful was “The Wave” by Hokusai.  It was quite a complicated task and I was concerned that first grade would not be able to cope with it but the results were amazing.   Everyone successfully produced an amazing wave.  We were thinking of cold and warm colors to show contrast and our use of line in the wave to create a sense of movement.

The second project was a fabric art picture.   We were exploring the feel of different things and the different textures.   Everyone designed their picture first and then used different materials to complete their pictures.   We had some amazing lions and lots of other imaginative and creative ideas.

~ Alison

Preschool 2 children are ready for kindergarten.  They know all letter names and sounds, colors, numbers, shapes, compound words, ordinal numbers, and patterns.  They can identify and make many alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhyming words, and much more!  We have had so much fun learning and maturing this year.

Highlights:

• Kent built “ABC Patterns” with blocks.
• Amanda took Fanny Frog for a ride.
• “Miss Aquilah” taught the class.
• Happyness helped Kundwa prepare for a wedding.
• 5 Each child wrote a Fanny Frog Journal

~ Sue Bruce

Last week in social studies, the Kindergarten class was able to talk about perseverance. We were introduced to the topic by a story from Scottish tradition called Bruce and the Spider. It is a story all about how a spider had to try eight times in order to attach his web to the side of a cave, and Robert the Bruce learned to persevere in order to free his people from England. As a class we talked about what it meant to not give up. It was wonderful to see the way the students picked up on it. They saw that it related to their reading and writing, and they saw it in our Bible stories when we were talking about the early followers of Jesus. It was a lesson I hope the students will keep with them as they go on through their education and life.

~ Ms. Cassie Mock

At VVA, excellence, good character, and service to others is important to us.  But where can we find instructions to know how to do each of these things well and in a way that glorifies God?

From the beginning of the school year, each student learns how to find their way through the Bible when we are in our chapel times and Bible classes.  It’s been encouraging to see the older students help the younger students find verses in the Bible that we read and discuss together.  When we find the verse, we read it together several times.  Then we ask questions about what these verses tell us about God, about ourselves, and how we need to obey what we have just read-TODAY!  They laugh, ask new questions, and are amazed at what God’s Word tell us.  It’s been a blessing to see our students give confident answers from God’s Word to tough questions.  God has made His word accessible and understandable to curious minds and open hearts.

We always pray that our students will want to look to God’s Word for answers to every question that life gives them.  “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”  (Psalm 119:105)

Thank you for entrusting your children to us.  We have been blessed to watch them grow in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man-just like Jesus!  (Luke 2:52)

With Thankfulness to God for your children,

~ Miss Andrea Miller

I would like to compare the beginning and now. I saw the progress of every child in all stages of development. Emotionally, they have learned not to cry when they stay at school. In playing and sharing, in the beginning, it was difficult for some. They did not interact much with others during the playing time. But now they play together. Cognitively, some of them now know counting and colors. They like to sing songs that help them remember concepts. They have learned many new words. Remember to help your child at home so they will not forget all that they have leaned in school.

~ Miss Claudette

On Saturday, May 21st, Virunga Valley Academy had a ceremony honoring its first High School Graduates as Abby Miller and Stephen Crowson completed their secondary education! This is a very exciting time for our whole school!

Abby and Stephen have set a wonderful example for our younger students, they inspire them and encourage them, and have invested personally in each student. They will be deeply missed by the student body and staff here at VVA, but we are so excited to support them and encourage them in this next phase of their life!

Abby Miller will be taking a gap year next year, spending some time with her family in America and then exploring Europe! After that she plans on studying Education. Stephen Crowson will be traveling this summer in Israel and Greece, and then will study Engineering at Harding University beginning in the fall.

~ Sarah Wheeler