What we've been up to lately

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The school year started a few weeks ago, with especially big transitions for James and Will. This year James moved from the Primary Campus to the Middle School to begin 7th grade. He's enjoying the change, with different classrooms and teachers, a locker, a PE uniform, and all the other benefits of being on the Secondary Campus.

 

William moved from preschool to Kindergarten this year, which makes him more a part of what's happening at the Primary Campus. His class has already led the Monday morning chapel, and Will did great singing and acting with his classmates. It's exciting to see him learning to read and having fun with his friends.




Cameron moved up to 4th grade, and his 3rd grade teacher moved up with the class. That kind of continuity is rare here, and we are all glad that he gets another year with a great teacher. Over the last month, Cameron has written a 100-page fantasy story, inspired by his reading of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series.

This school year Joyce is teaching two Advanced Placement classes: English Language and English Literature. She's very excited about the school year, and she has two great groups of students. Teaching two different AP English classes for the first time does double her work load, so she appreciates your prayers, especially as she's continuing in her roles as English Department Chair and as a member of the PNG Branch's team of editors.

I'm continuing as Director for Language Services, having been appointed to another 2-year term in that role. We've just finished the season of setting budgets for the next fiscal year, which I find very stressful. But I've also just finalized an exciting opportunity for our organization to consult for an Australian aid organization and the PNG Department of Education for teacher training all over the country. Our organization will facilitate and administer training in phonics to a group of master trainers, who will then go to all of the teacher training colleges throughout PNG to give the training to the 5000 local teachers in the country. All of this has come about unexpectedly and quickly just in the last two weeks. It meant a trip down to Port Moresby for meetings with the other organizations, and then a frantic week of putting together a budget and grant agreement. It was exhausting, but I'm really happy that we'll get to have such input into PNG's education system and literacy training.

Tomorrow I fly to Brisbane for a week of meetings with other Pacific Area missions representatives. Thank you for your prayers for safe travels, and for the rest of the family in Ukarumpa. On my way back from Brisbane I will have another short stay in Port Moresby, having meetings with another organization about taking part in one of our literacy courses.

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