After a nice five week holiday from official school work, Monday morning signaled the start of the 2012 school year for us at JCA. It’s going to be a year marked by flexibility as there have been many changes in staff this year. Our administrator, who joined us last year at the start of the second term of school is now doing double duty as the administrator and the grade R and 1 teacher. We are also waiting on the Lord to provide teachers for Tswana and Afrikaans classes.
God has blessed us with 81 students this year. I believe, that is the highest number of students we have had yet in the school. We are teaching 81 students in 8 grades with six classrooms and five teachers and one assistant. What a chance to show God’s strength and sufficiency!
Wednesday was the first day for students. It was a great time to get reacquainted with the kiddos, put names with faces of new ones and encourage them to start the year well! The littlest ones have grown SO much over holiday (as they always do) and it’s fun to see them excited about the next grade.
Of Tonya and I’s combined group of 29 students in grades 4-7, only 2 are students I have not taught before (hence the post’s title). We have welcomed one new boy, Thato, and one new girl, Tshegofatso, into the existing student group. Though it can be tough to jump into a group that knows each other so well, I think they are fitting in just fine so far! Both have said they are getting to know new friends already. It’s great to see our students reach out and welcome them.
Thursday brought the news that the 14 additional desks and chairs that we are waiting for had been stolen off the truck when the driver stopped for the night. My 7 boys who spent Wednesday and Thursday on the floor were a little disappointed with that news! The company now has to remake all of them which could take a few weeks. Thankfully, there was a way to piece together enough tables and chairs to get by with, you just can’t walk much in our room 
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Yesterday was the first spelling test, and not only that, but the first spelling test for which everyone had to write in cursive. OUCH. It took an hour to get 30 words in! During the wait time that accompanied each word, the students that were done were following my lead and stretching silently. I ran out of upper body only ideas so I told them to tap their toes. That was a bad plan! Half the class looked at me like I was from Mars, others tapped their hands on their knees, and one finally said, “Ma’am, what’s a toe?” I slipped off my sandal (forgetting that the two prior school days I had worn some VERY old black sandals that turn the soles of my feet black for days after wearing them) and wiggled my toes for them to see. They immediately started giggling hysterically. “Ma’am, do you only walk with feet?” (meaning, “Do you always go bear foot?”) and the best, said in fairly serious tones, “Ma’am, didn’t you wash yourself this morning?” 
Oh boy… not something you really expect to get asked by a fifth grader on the third day of school!
Shew, I hope that at least made you smile after wading through this whole post! Pictures will follow soon!
