We are getting closer! Just a few weeks from now, the children will be at their desks, nervous about what their new teacher will be like. At the same time, they don’t realize the teacher is just as apprehensive about what the students will be like! And many parents will be glad the school is open. The summer of 2023 will probably become known as “the lost summer” to many involved in the school project. But is will be worth all the work.
While I have been focusing on the physical work of completing the building, there have probably been about the same number of hours spent behind the scenes to get ready for school. Getting all the curriculum materials chosen and ordered was a big job. If you notice a “we” here and there, it is because my wife and I have volunteered to handle the ordering and management of the curriculum, school supplies, and also help with setting up the library. But we have had lots of help, and may be asking for more here and there. It has kept us busy, and we have a ways to go in a short time.
The curriculum was the biggest job, and the top priority. Several people with teaching and administrating experience made up the curriculum committee, and they spent hours deciding which company to use for which subjects. It was decided to go with what we felt were the best materials available in each subject, and not just order all the materials from one company.
Once it was decided what to buy, the ordering began. It’s certainly the most money I have ever spent for one online order! Because of a few snags along the way, it took 3 days and many phone calls, texts, and emails to get the biggest order finally placed. We still have several more to go, but the big one had a deadline, as prices from that company were set to increase in several days.
Another part of getting ready for school is putting together a list of all the miscellaneous supplies you need to start school, from pencils to paper towels, staplers to fly swatters, you name it, the teacher needs it. Once we had a master list, we broke it into lists of what would be supplied by the school, the parents, and the teachers. We also had to make lists of items that each room would need versus just having one available in the office. We are certainly thankful for all the donated cabinetry, but it will fill up fast.
After we had the lists, we made a shopping trip in the area to kind of see what items are cheaper in which store. It’s amazing how much money you can save at the Dollar Store! It’s a varied mix of buying local, buying online, and even donated items. If anyone has things that could be useful in a school, contact us and let us know what you have.
The local stores also have Back To School sales, and we have put a list at our church of things you can buy and donate. Walmart seems to have the best sales for that. But even with all the shopping and checking out prices, it was interesting to discover that some items just are expensive and no real way around it. Globes are very pricey, and you really don’t want an old used one because countries change so fast, that they are quickly out of date.
Another part of getting a school ready for students is setting up a library. We have a room in the north hallway that is the library for now. Although it is small, it is conveniently located. As the school grows, it may need to be moved. We need to get the room done so we can get the bookcases in and stocked.
We have a school librarian, and we have been helping her get things started. Not only do we have to get books, but they then need to be entered into a library database and checkout system. Each book needs a Dewey number on the outside, and you also need to decide how to arrange them on the shelf while using the Dewey system
Another big task with books is reading many of them. If none of us are familiar with them, they need to be checked carefully for things that may be stated as “facts” that are contrary to the Bible or contrary to a Christian life. It is very hard to find any book about nature that doesn’t have errors about the origins of the world. Although we have weeded out many, we soon realized that there is no possible way to completely remove all reference to these ideas and still educate our children about their world. At some point, we just need to teach our children the truth, and how to recognize error, and make them ready for the real world. Actually books with these errors in them can be used to teach the children how to sort fact from fiction. Of course, our actual curriculum materials do not contain these issues, and actually help to train children to spot them.
We have been blessed with a great supply of books. Some of the ladies made a day trip to a huge used book warehouse in Ohio and came back with a carload of books. Once we see what we need to round out the library, and also reference books still needed in the classrooms, I can see another trip to the store! I may try to hitch a ride as well. I have been cleaning out my personal library, and now I have room for more!
People have been very generously donating books they no longer want, and there are a couple basements in our area that look like a book hoarder lives there. Hopefully we can move them to the school very soon. About all that needs to be done is getting the carpet in the library and finishing the cabinets.
Well, this got a bit long, so I better save something for next time. If you would like to donate school supplies, library books, or your time, please contact us. If you want to help with a donation, you can go on our website, www.uccs.school, there is a Donate button there, or you can contact us for more information. If you would like to make a totally anonymous donation, there is a button on our website to go through the Anabaptist Financial group. You can direct them to send your money to us, and your identity remains private.
