Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts

One of the things that I am very thankful for at Immanuel Christian School is the teachers. God has brought together a stellar group of people who not only love God but also are excellent educators.

Take Mrs. Kerrick, for example. She is only in her second year of teaching first and second grades and she has already begun establishing her applications of our time- tested curriculum with amazing results that combine fun with rigor in understanding early math and phonics concepts. Miss Rodriguez picks up that early learning and builds on it with a quiet and disciplined atmosphere where students thrive on understanding early grammar and basic multiplication and division. This is no small feat considering that most sixth grade students and up who are applying from other school settings cannot divide. Mr. Boehret, of course, has developed over thirty years of practice in teach- ing fifth and sixth grades and leaves his imprint of organization and study skills which are molded into step-by-step procedures for everything from term papers to studying for spelling.

By the time students get to the third floor, they are well prepared to meet the world of academic learning that Mr. Boston, Mr. Riggall and Mr. Kapuschinsky impart. Mr. Boston establishes the pace with expectations that prepare students for high school. His quiet demeanor and patient explanations give students who do not understand the opportunity to get individual help. Mr. Riggall, with his sidekick, Mr. Bacon, team up to produce a classroom atmosphere where understanding classic literature and movement of history is serious, yet fun. Mr. Kapuschinsky’s repetition of terms gives students the nomenclature of a subject so that they are light-years ahead of their peers. These students understand the “why” of math and science. Of course, Miss Jones gives the foundation for all this in her kindergarten classroom and though in her first year, has taken the task seriously and sees great promise for the year ahead.

I would be remiss to not mention Mrs. Irvin, Mrs. Dallachiesa, Mrs Borgos, Mr. Sappie, Miss Welsh, Mrs. Chernock, Mrs. Tritt, and Mrs. Nerger. Aren’t you thankful that your children get the benefit of all these people?