I should have been better prepared . . .

. . . for the busyness and added workload I am experiencing with this first year of new classes. No excuse for not writing sooner or more often – I will work to do better. There is so much happening and I want to share it all so I will finish this post and get a Newsletter out by this weekend.

Let me summarize all the activities I am involved with through the school.

I signed up to be a small group leader, which means another staff member and I meet to encourage and lead a group of six freshman each week throughout the year. If all goes well, we will keep this same group of boys through graduation in four years. A daunting idea, yet I am excited at the opportunity to help in the emotional and spiritual development of these young men.

I also signed up for a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a junior. We will meet for the first time this week. The goal is similar to the small group, but more focused to meeting the individual student’s needs, encouraging him in spiritual growth, as well as giving advice on schools and general direction in life. About half of the student are in boarding dorms with their parent in another country, so this relationship is very important in keeping the mentee grounded in truth and reality.

The third responsibility for which I volunteered was as a class sponsor for the class of 2028 (sophomores). This won’t take a lot of time, but it keeps me engaged with the class as a whole, and help them in planning events and supporting them throughout the year. I will also stay with this group through graduation.

Lastly, and most importantly, I am teaching two section of two different courses, AP Physics 1 and Physical Science. The AP Physics classes are very similar to what I have taught before so many of my old files are still very useful. I still need to adjust homework and tests to the different textbook. The previous years material is good, but i still need to organize it to the way I teach. The Physical Science course is new for me, and the textbook is new this year, so there is a fair amount of prep work to create a pacing guide for the year’s activities.

I hope this gives you a sense of the various activities and responsibilities I am involved in each week. Despite what it may look like, I am not trying to hide in activities and I am truely grateful for this opportunity and the wonderful support I am receiving from all of you. I look forward to any communications back to me – I am happy to respond to questions, and I certainly hope we can talk soon.

Blessings and Love in Christ