Details of Daily School Life

And so, here we are on another fall-like Monday morning at Greater Grace Christian Academy. We have already begun our day with prayer and some time in the Word and the students have gone their separate ways: Sophomores are in the gymnasium with Coach Lynch, Coach Campbell, and Miss Eva; Juniors are with Mr . McFarland doing their reading for this week's Apologetics classes; Freshmen are with Mrs. Vanderwarker working on their composition skills; Pastor Knight's eighth graders are in the midst of studying biblical times in Ancient World History; the seventh graders are under the loving tutelage of Mrs. Colby in English class; and the sixth graders are with Miss Locke learning the latest Saxon math lesson. 

The elementary students are likely studying either language arts or math this morning, since these are the prime teaching hours for those two subjects. The office is relatively quiet. Jen Lynch is answering the phones and clickety-clacking away on her computer keeping the school and its schedules up-to-date and informed. Paula has gone to sit in on the Ancient History class to observe Pastor Knight teaching, and you may have inferred that Mr. McFarland is at his Apologetics class. I have already been through the high school explaining the dos and don'ts of tomorrow's GGCA Spirit Day dress code, and I have posted today's lunch detention notices in the five usual locations. Nobody should claim ignorance of whether or not his or her name was on the list.

Lunch detentions are the consequence of three types of student misconduct: lateness to class, dress code violations, and coming to class unprepared. GGCA places great emphasis on the importance of being on-time and prepared and looking professional, three values that are also valued in the workplace. Lunch detention is served in Mrs. Colby's classroom for the first ten minutes of the lunch period. Students must sit without speaking, doing nothing, awake, until the bell rings dismissing them to the lunchroom. It is a mild enough consequence, but an inconvenient one for 7th-12th grade students who would rather be socializing with friends around the lunch table.

It will soon be Green Eggs and Ham day in the Greater Grace Learning Center. Every year that I have been principal, I have been invited to read the Dr. Seuss classic to the four-year-olds at the end of September before feasting on real green eggs and green ham. Because this event is near my birthday, I am usually crowned and treated to birthday cake as I sit in a chair designed for a much smaller person. It is always a blessing to be part of this annual tradition.

Well, it is time to make a delivery run to the mailroom and the finance office, and when I return I may write a few birthday cards for students whose birthdays fall between now and the end of the month. Perhaps I will walk down the sidewalk and bask in the glorious sub-70 degree sunny weather which reminds me so much of my childhood school days in Maine and Massachusetts.

It seems that I have been in school since I was five years old...