Together, the Grade 2-3 students at Immanuel Academy STL embarked on a journey of exciting activities leading up to spring break in March.
They reveled in Read Across America Week, celebrated Happy Leap Day, embraced Dressed Day, participated in a National tornado drill, and indulged in Happy National Pancake Day!
Engaging in a gold coin memory game, they honed their skills in making 100, vital for mental math regrouping when dealing with currency. Additionally, they delved into the creation of carbonated drinks, inspired by Joseph Priestley, and concocted their own carbonated lemonade.
Amidst their academic pursuits, they found time for small delights like a Secret Garden tea party and flying kite day. Furthermore, they diligently practiced spelling words by syllable and mastered making change with money through mental subtraction and regrouping, even simulating a “store” where precise change was essential for purchases.
Enthusiastic about their school life, the students eagerly anticipate the adventures that await them in the upcoming term post-spring break.
On March 15, Immanuel Academy STL hosted a memorable Speech Day to conclude Term 2. Each grade presented one to two performances, ranging from interpretations of their Term 2 living book studies to folk songs, hymns, and poetry.
The event was meticulously prepared by the teachers, who had a few surprises up their sleeves for the audience. Both students and teachers alike thoroughly appreciated the event, making it an unforgettable experience.
What follows is a wonderful reflection from one parent, Pastor Jane Bin, on this extraordinary Speech Day.
“The first performance was a choir rendition of “Jesus Paid it All” by all the children, led by Ms. Janice. It was gracefully executed, and the children sang in unison. It would be great if the Sunday school children could sing like this too.
Following that, children from different age groups performed various acts. The Kindergarten class presented a little play called “A Little Boy Blue”, with each child having a role. Nathan played the Little Boy Blue, while Victoria, Anna, and Rachel portrayed small animals, and the rest served as narrators, reciting lines together. Caleb acted as the leader. It was a nice program with every little child participating and enjoying themselves.
Ms. Janice’s class performed “God is so good” with each child holding a shield with a cross (presumably colored by themselves). They stood and sang praises, after which the teacher asked each child why they believed God is good to them. Each child shared their answer, written on the back of their shield, each unique. For example, “God is good to me because He gave me a school,” or similar sentiments. Lastly, Ms. Janice led the children in singing a praise song she had written, and she sang beautifully. Having witnessed the performances of the Speech Day before, I felt Ms. Janice’s program this time had significantly improved, showcasing her talent.
Ms. Sarah’s class presented the content of Living Books and poetry from this semester. Their decorations were visually appealing and interesting. I was not very familiar with the content of the books. While thole segment flowed smoothly, and their coordination was excellent. The rhythm was also strong.
Ms. Valerie’s class also performed their Living Book, which reminded me of a story I saw in my childhood but didn’t pay much attention to at the time—Robin Hood. Today, they presented the story of this character, with each person reciting lines rhythmically. It was quite impressive, and they even used a metronome to enhance the rhythm.
The final performance was by Mr. Sam’s class. According to his explanation, if I understood it correctly, he wanted to depict the triumphant return of a Roman general, Pompey, in a rather humorous manner. The expressive skills of these teachers were commendable.”
On March 13, middle school students at Immanuel Academy in STL gave a geography state presentation.
Students in Geography class have been learning rich details about North America using the Atlases. For the end-of-term exam in Geography, students chose a state that they had deep interest in. They created posters, researched with detailed notes (using safe search online guidelines), and presented to their class.
Immanuel Academy STL is delighted to welcome Mr. Pan Siheng as their latest addition to the faculty. Serving as a half-time teacher, Mr. Pan will be instructing middle school students in both mathematics and science. His arrival was met with warm welcome from both staff and students. Mr. Pan’s presence is seen as an answer to the prayers of the school.
“I am grateful to God for leading me to the position of teacher at Immanuel Academy, strongly feeling that it is God’s will for me to be here. I am very happy that the knowledge I have learned can be used again by God to educate and cultivate our kids. By staying with them together, I see God’s blessings and the image of God inside of them so that they grow up healthy, happily and freely in God’s family. Our kids are very loving, study very seriously, and live a very active life, reminding me that the one who seeks the kingdom and the righteousness of God has great spiritual power and everything went smoothly. In the process of leading them, especially in preparing the courses, I learned more about what the gospel is. For the law is that I can answer the question, but the gospel is to make them be understood by the students I teach, which means lowering myself to love and serve others. I learned to get rid of my inner pride more and am able to put myself in the kids’ position, not only in terms of teaching, but also in terms of daily life. I am starting to learn to care about them in all aspects here in Immanuel Academy, and of course, I am starting to build a loving relationship with them and taste the joy. I have a great hope that the knowledge they learn from my class can be used by God in their future and our time here spent together may be a beautiful story to be memorized. It is very beautiful to see that God’s work is to make everyone abundant; everyone can receive grace and be built up. Pray that God gives me a greater heart and my time here will be more blessed and guided’, shared by Mr. Pan.
Please pray that he has a precious unforgettable journey of faith and mission in St. Louis.
Immanuel Academy STL hosted a transformative Three-and-a-Half Day Intensive Professional Development (PDD) from February 13 to 16, led by Director Ms. Michelle Lai. This comprehensive training initiative marked a significant milestone for the school, particularly for newly joined teachers of the academic year. It was an important time for teachers to learn the method needed to teach the curriculum well and understand its educational philosophy.
The agenda for the training sessions unfolded as follows:
Day 1
• Introduction to Charlotte Mason Philosophy and Pedagogy
Reflecting on the PDD, Ms. Michelle Lai, Director of Immanuel Academy STL, shared, “The teacher training (PDD) unfolded smoothly, offering a graceful and fruitful experience. It was heartening to witness some teachers moved to tears during the training sessions. For majority, Charlotte Mason’s educational approach was entirely new, yet transformative. I was deeply moved to hear from two new teachers who expressed how the training had profoundly altered their perspectives on children and their teaching methodologies. The newfound understanding of our school’s teaching values and spiritual aspects brought great joy to them. Teachers deeply appreciated the hands-on demonstrations and insightful feedback, which were very helpful. Now that the training is over, our school is ready to begin anew next week. We sincerely thank everyone for their prayers and support.”
As the training came to an end, the unexpected snowfall served as a reminder of a Chinese proverb that signifies a promising beginning. This moment marked a fresh start for our school, filled with optimism and excitement for the journey ahead.
On February 6, we started a new morning assembly mode. They stood in a circle first and shared public prayer topics, then read scriptures, sing hymns, take pledges to Bible and flags and do daily affirmations. Students will take turns serving as flag/bible bearers.
The atmosphere was very graceful, peaceful and joyful. Thank God it was also Ms. Sarah’s first day at Olivet Academy. God has everything planned out in His best timing.
Grade 1 students at Immanuel Academy STL have crafted a captivating volcano bulletin board that mirrors their science lessons. The students take pride in their creation, showcasing their enthusiasm and dedication to their science studies.
Commencing in January, Immanuel Academy St. Louis starts a morning prayer session during the Bible study. Prayer jars were created containing school’s 10 Top prayer topics as well as individual prayer topics for each student. Prior to the daily Bible study, a dedicated 5-10 minutes were allocated for students to draw prayer topics from the jars and collectively engage in prayer. This daily ritual became a highly anticipated moment for students, fostering a sense of unity as they prayed for both the school’s prayer topics and the personal concerns of their peers.
On January 3, during Bible study time this morning, the older students of Immanuel Academy STL shared their yearly scripture and 10 prayer topics of 2024. They also drew the yearly verse for Mr. Samuel and Ms. Valerie from Immanuel church. Students’ prayer topics and their understanding of the yearly scripture was very touching. Ms. Michelle also shared 10 school prayer topics of 2024. Students were excited about the great changes coming to their school.
Most of them memorized their yearly verse at home already. There are several children who can memorize their parents’ yearly scriptures.
Some prayer topics shared are:
* I want to read the Bible at least once this year. (Most students shared this.)
* This year I want to get closer to God. (Most students shared this.)
* I want to obey my parents truly, not superficially. I always just do what they want but my heart doesn’t follow. I want to change this. (Two students shared this.)
* I want to love my siblings and not be angry with them.
*I want to make peace with my brother. I don’t want to fight with him anymore.
*I want to be healthy spiritually and physically.
*I want to lose weight and eat more healthy food.
*I want to pray for the new teacher.
It’s a great start to the new year. Hope the whole school can read bible more, pray more and get closer to God this year.
On December 23-25, Immanuel Academy St. Louis and North American missionaries’s children enjoyed a joyful Christmas retreat together. They have services, Bible studies, Bible verse contests, and outdoor activities. Children have a warm fellowship during Christmas vacation. Together they learned about the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ and the true meaning of Christmas.
