I am very happy to be here at VVA teaching the two-year old class. Everyday we practice songs and games. The children have been investigating their new school environment using their senses like touching, listening, and observing. We studied about pets and have started to look at letters. I look forward to seeing how the students progress individually and as a class.

~ Ms. Claudette

Have you ever thought that History class is only a bunch of dates and names? Not in our History class! We are excited to share with you some of what we have been learning about the History of the World.

This year we are studying the time period from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance.

We have gone many places in the world. Britain, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Rome are just a few of the places that we have visited . As we visited each place, we learn about it’s history, rulers, culture and stories. We have had fun doing an activity for each country and time period. This helps us to better remember what we studied. We love this hands-on approach to learning! We have learned how to eat rice with chopsticks, make art from different countries, dress-up in the clothes of different countries, and hear stories that have been passed down through the generations.

Kethia says, “I like learning about the different countries. Making a Chinese stamp design was my favorite activity.

Iglesias, who is new to our class in the last few weeks, says that he likes learning about different cultures. He especially liked eating with chopsticks

Next time you want to learn about the History of a new place, try learning more about its food, clothes, stories and traditions.

It’s amazing to see how God made and is a part of many different cultures and people!

~ Mrs. Andrea Miller

Preschool II has five enthusiastic four and five year old children who are eager to learn. We are learning about family, friends, homes, communities, and ourselves. We have expanded to “Nature’s Giants” and now “Man-Made Giants.” When studying Community Helpers we were privileged to have 2 parents who are doctors to come and explain their occupations and talk about visits to the doctor. The children got to listen to their heart beats, look in ears, and were weighed. Mrs. Andrea demonstrated how a hairdresser cuts hair and the children gave Ms. Sue her first Rwandan haircut. (They actually did a very good job!) Last week Aidan Miller gave a presentation on his hobby of cave exploration, including many caves here in Musanze. This week we are studying “Man Made Giants” and Matthew Crowson shared his experience of walking The Great Wall of China. We are looking forward to more adventures in learning.

~ Ms. Sue Bruce

This year we have 6 students in our secondary school. 2 students are in 7th grade, 2 students are in 10th grade, and 2 students are in 12th grade! This year presents new challenges and opportunities for each of them! Our 7th grade students are taking their first online class through The Keystone School. They are learning how to manage their own time, how to check their work thoroughly before turning it in, and are enjoying a new way to learn science! This week they completed their first lab, on the solubility of sugar cubes! They really enjoyed this hands on learning experience! The 10th graders took the PSAT, an American university admissions test, for the first time this month. Leading up to the test, we talked about test-taking strategies and took a few practice tests! This was the first of many admissions tests that they’ll take over the next few years, as the 12th graders can attest to! The 12th graders are taking their last admissions tests, preparing their college applications, and are working hard to finish high school strong! All of our students are working very hard, but by working hard now, they know that they will have great opportunities in their post-secondary education!

~ Sarah Wheeler

What was one of your favorite assignments from this year?

Matthew: I have always wanted to learn how to create my own website and for an English assignment I got to create one that described my family’s recent trip to Europe.

Abby: I really enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston for Advance Placement English.

What is something that you learned this year that you will never forget?

Matthew: I’ll never forget learning about the Stock Market in Economics.

Stephen: I learned a very personal lesson. The most important thing is not getting a perfect score on every assignment. The most important thing is giving my best effort towards each assignment.

What is something you will do during the summer break?

Abby: I am going to America to visit universities and get a summer job so that I can earn money and save it for college.

Stephen: I am also going to America. I will spend two weeks at Harding University’s Honors Symposium which will help prepare me for university life.

In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements?

Aidan: I worked hard on improving my daily attitude and showing more respect towards others.

Stephen: Over the past semester, I have brought up my English grade by over 20 points!

Summarize your year at VVA with one word.

Aidan: Endurance

Matthew: Perseverance

Stephen: Joy

~ Julie Reagan

We have learned so much this year in the 6th grade and we are learning and creating right up to our last day! For our final project of the year, the students are creating their own “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories. In these stories, when you get to the end of the first page, you get decide what path you choose next, and throughout the whole story, the reader is the one making the choices! The boys have had a lot of fun using their creativity to write these stories, and it’s been a great cumulative project! We’re using so much of what we learned this year. They’re using story structures, elements of fiction, grammar, spelling, revising and editing all in one big project! Hopefully this project will not only teach them about literature and writing, but will also remind them that they have the ability to make choices in their own life, they can choose the paths that they take! They’ll publish these projects in book form and on computers so that they can send them to their friends and families to read.

~ Sarah Wheeler

This was the response of my class when I explained that the school year is almost over.

It is hard to believe that this school year is already coming to an end. What an amazing year it has been! Students who came to preschool as classmates now come as friends, one class became two and broken English has turned into questions, comments and stories. Here are a few of their favorite things from this year: getting to be the classroom helper, reading stories, writing and drawing in their personal journals, “letter races,” celebrating Birthdays, playing with their friends, learning about the human body, learning about insects, music Wednesdays, and their current favorite, playing baseball! When I asked them what they liked about school, these were a few of the responses. Leon: “I like the Imagination Center.” RaeAn: “I liked making fun birds. And making the plants!” Romeo: “Play futbol with so many people!” It has been so much fun to watch these children grow and learn throughout the year and I am so honored to call them my students!

~ Mary Clayton

When I look back on this school year, and think of all that our students have studied, learned, and done, I can truly say that God has been in it all. One of our goals at VVA is for God to be central to all that we say and do, but sometimes that just happens without even realizing it. When I see the older students at recess playing with the preschoolers and pushing them on the swings, God is in those kind friendships no matter their age. When we study about plants, animals, stars and our amazing bodies, we can see that God is in all of those things-showing us what an amazing Creator He is. In Math class I have been amazed at the concepts that the students have learned and the games they enjoy playing as I clearly see that God gives them wonderful minds to absorb all that information. When our students write creative stories or even struggle through hard spelling words or reading lessons, God is there to give them imagination and perseverance. As we learn about other cultures around the world, we see that it’s God that cares for each person in the whole wide world. During our chapel times when we sing songs of praise to God, He is smiling down on us as a loving Father to His children. As the teachers and staff meet to pray and plan activities and lessons for the students, God has given us strength for each day.

It’s the end of the school year, and my heart is thankful for God’s faithfulness and presence through it all!

~ Love, Mrs. Andrea