Dear Parents,

     Church School will be starting soon (Sunday, Sept. 9).  Father will say prayers for the Church School and bless the children, parents, and teachers, after Liturgy that day.  There will be four classes this year- Mrs. Jesse Frushour will teach the preschoolers (ages 3 and 4- age 3 by this Fall), Mrs. Marlene Powell will teach the early elementary, Mrs. Lisa Eckhart the late elementary/early middle school, and I will take the rest of the middle schoolers and the high school.  Jesse will be using the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Preschool curriculum Reaching for Jesus.  Marlene will teach the GoArch Third Grade curriculum, Sharing God’s World, Lisa will be teaching a program from St. Nectarios Press on the Old Testament called God is the Lord: The Chosen People Prepare for the Savior, and I will be doing a Bible Study curriculum from GoArch (we’ll see how this goes- this is the first time we’ll be doing an actual Bible Study meant for high schoolers and adults with the students, but I think they can handle it).  If either Lisa or I must be absent, we will combine the two classes into one with a separate curriculum for those days only, a program on the Parables of Christ, from GoArch.

     The classroom flooring has been replaced and the basement completely redone- no more mold and mildew!  However, the floors still need to be mopped, and all the Church School furniture, materials, shelving, and cabinets need to be brought out from “The Catacombs” downstairs and wiped down.  After the students have been dismissed by Father Dennis on the first day of Church School, the three older classes will troop downstairs and undertake this cleaning job, so please have the students dress in or bring “work clothes” that day (and any adult, not just a parent, who is able to help will be welcome and encouraged).  Depending on how much gets done that day, we may need to have a work session the following Saturday to complete the job.  If the classrooms are not yet done after that, the second Sunday of Church School will have to be another “work day.”  Apologies for this, but the downstairs was finished so late in the summer, we have bumped into preparations for Boonesborough Days and it simply could not all get done.  If any of the older students need Community Service hours, this work will count towards that; please bring me the proper form from school, and I will be happy to sign off on it.

     We look forward to a productive and blessed coming year for the Church School.  Christian education is so important for our children. I encourage regular attendance for all the children, at church and at Church School- your children are not only your future, but the future of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church!

In Christ’s love,
Vicki Hughes
Church School Director