On December 15, a graceful and soothing daily morning devotional was held at Immanuel Academy STL. The teachers shared their grace that day, and one teacher was so moved by the Holy Spirit’s guidance in her life and her work at Immanuel Academy. She expressed many thanks to God from deep heart.
Every morning, the teacher’s devotional provides a wonderful start to the day. Although it is a short prayer and sharing, the teachers’ hearts are united day by day.
On December 13th, Immanuel Academy St. Louis successfully concluded the remainder of the first term’s Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC). Parents who did not have the opportunity to participate last time met with the teachers this time. PTC was held joyfully. Parents see significant growth in their children. The relationship between teachers and parents is very good. They thank each other. Parents testified that during PTC, they could strongly feel the teachers’ love for their children.
Having a regular PTC is very beneficial, it can help parents better understand their children’s school life and help teachers know how to support families more. In the new term, teachers will mainly cultivate two new habits for each individual student. The new term is full of hope and all teachers and parents strive for respect, joy and excellence.
On June 8, Immanuel Academy St. Louis teacher Krisstal Artice shared her heartfelt testimony in morning ceremony about her visit to Costa Maya, Mexico. She shed tears as she recounted the experiences she had at a local school there.
During her visit, Krisstal was deeply touched by the gratitude and humility displayed by the students, despite the poor condition of their school. It made her reflect on our own lives and how much we take for granted, compared to the contentment she witnessed in Costa Maya.
As a gesture of support, Krisstal brought back bracelets made by the Costa Maya students for her class. One bracelet can feed a child for a month. She encouraged her students to share the stories of the school and its students with their parents when they returned home.
Immanuel Academy St. Louis younger grades visited the bowling alley. They had a great time. Most of the students experience the new sport of bowling for the first time. They also went to a nearby park and had a pleasant fellowship with teachers and classmates.
Immanuel Academy St. Louis hold an amazing field trip in Meremec Caverns Missouri’s Buried Treasure on May 19.
They had guided-walking tours conducted by trained rangers. The Cavern Tour took one hour and twenty minutes to complete, covering 1 ¼ mile round trip along well-lighted walkways. 3rd and 6th-grade Students learned geography, geology, and history around the cave.
Students loved this place. Beneath the fertile rolling hills of the Meramec Valley, lies a complex of mineral formations and colors as rare and unique as they are beautiful. These jewels of nature which took thousands of years to grow, are preserved in the spectacular sights of Meramec Caverns.
Guided tours by trained rangers are conducted along well-lighted walkways. Students learn how an ancient limestone “Wine Table” and an entire 7-story mansion were formed… all underground. On tour, students saw both the rarest and largest cave formations in the world.
Immanuel Academy St. Louis students tried dying shirts for their field trip. It’s Grade 5-6 students’ first time making the shirts for themselves. They were proud of their work.
From May 4th-5th 2023, Immanuel Academy St. Louis Director Michelle Lai participated in CMI (Charlotte Mason Institute) Practicing School Observation & Training at Blue Willow Tutorial in Athens, Tennessee with other teachers from Riverside, New York, and Washington DC.
The first day included a morning of classroom observations in grades 1-8 and an afternoon of immersion lessons taught by Lisa Ector, Principal of Blue Willow Tutorial. On the second day, they provide participants the chance to practice teaching lessons to the group with feedback from both the cohort and Lisa Ector.
Fortunately, this time, three CMI experienced educators Dr. Carroll Smith, Dr. Shannon Whiteside, and Kelli Christenberry joined them to observe the pilot program. They provided inspiring insights for all participants.
After the Two-Day intensive training, Teacher Michelle shared, “The training is inspiring and impressive. I can feel their school’s core values are strongly implemented: joy (choosing joy when things are hard), excellence (doing your best), and respect. Students are engaged and peaceful.
I can see the beautiful flow of each class. Students focus on knowledge instead of the teacher’s praise. I admire the trust the teachers have in this educational philosophy. I am impressed by how they conduct history, science, and citizenship class outdoors on green grass.
In classroom observation, I learned more kinds of methods of narration. The students are familiar with partner narration that I also like to use in our school. I love their class hand signals, it’s their students’ favorite part of the school.
Lisa Ector surprised everyone involved by sharing several of her own nature journals made by herself. It’s also one of my favorite things about Charlotte Mason’s education. Lisa showed us that as Charlotte Mason’s teacher, she was always passionate to learn and grow with the children.
Also, it was impressive to see Lisa Ector and her daughter Priscilla co-teaching this time. Lisa successfully raised her seven children through this education. Her rich educational experience and knowledge shined through in the training.
During the Q&A time, Dr. Carroll Smith, founder of CMI, shared with us his teaching life. As a former public school principal for many years, he shared how Charlotte Mason Education is a truly biblical and life-changing education.
He taught us that as Charlotte Mason teachers, we should release ourselves from the traditional mode and switch our mindsets. In Blue Willow, I can see that each teacher has authority in their class and in the meantime, they are very relational with the kids. In class, students are not “managed”, but “pastured”. And their classrooms are very cozy, organized, and natural.
On the evening of May 5th, teachers gathered and shared their reflections on Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. I’m glad to see more and more teachers seeing the benefits that CM education can bring to children, families, and teachers.
This time two St. Louis teachers from other Charlotte Mason schools drove me to the training. We spent two days on the road. We became good friends. They shared more of the Charlotte Mason network for me in STL.
This training was very practical and meaningful. The training showed me how to effectively do the core subjects of the Alveary Curriculum created by CMI. I have a lot to share with our teachers in STL and will make it into good practice in our school.”
On May 16th, it was Sarah Gwon’s last school day at Immanuel Academy STL as her family moved to Jubilee University. The class made precious gift cards to say goodbye to her. They all said that they would miss her sweet smile and gentle love in class.
The Immanuel Academy STL also wants to thank Sarah’s mom, Pastor Aria, for always volunteering her time to help and support the school. Immanuel Academy teachers are grateful for her love and kindness towards them. May God bless sweet Sarah and her family with a brighter future in their new mission field.
Before Mother’s Day, 5th-7th Grade Students grew up seeds of spices and vegetables for Moms in class. They nurtured and cared for them for weeks, just as our mothers help us grow. Their class also created beautiful artworks as gifts for Mothers on canvas as a keepsake.
“These students worked hard for their moms! Thank you moms, for such an amazing group of students!” Miss Valerie Novak, their main teacher shared.
Proverbs 31:28: “Her children rise up and call her blessed…” Thank you for sharing your blessings Moms!
