School is Starting Soon

After weeks of careful preparation, I walked through the parking lot carrying a bag of fresh pencils and new markers and pretty colored notebooks and all those little things that spark the first light of excitement that school is starting soon. Officially tonight may have been a night to meet the teachers and go over logistics, but behind all the official business of the evening was an overwhelming buzz of excitement and anticipation.

I sat in my seat listening as headmaster Mr. Izard and board member Dr. Moody inspired us with their words, while simultaneously watching the swinging legs and fidgety fingers of the little heads in the room, feeling their anticipation of their new rooms, their new desks, their new teachers, and ice cream. I heard Mr. Izard say we’ve grown from 13 to 20 students and more than doubled our number of teachers. I heard Dr. Moody encourage us to set our sights on something higher than building a school that will simply educate children to go on to higher education and make good grades and someday get jobs. Rather, PCA is about setting our sights on glorifying God and being members of His eternal Kingdom, which will never crumble or fade. Considering I know from experience that this school is rigorous about challenging their students academically, I love knowing that the top priority is higher than simply education. The priority is Christ and Christ-likeness. I want that perspective in my kids’ school. I want that perspective in my family. I want that perspective.

A 3rd grader slouched in her chair. A Kindergartener looked around the room. Logistics were almost done. Fun was just around the corner. Mr. Izard shared the schools’ theme for the year – the fruit of the Spirit. He encouraged us all to pray this year for the Spirit to fill the board, the teachers, the parents and the students with the fruit of the Spirit. He didn’t ask us to pray for high test scores. He didn’t ask for prayer for the football team (I know, we don’t have a football team, but that’s not the point). He asked us to pray for Christ-likeness in our school. The fruit of the Spirit; the visible, tangible evidence that God is at work in the people of PCA. And if the Spirit of God moves and shows himself evident in the people of this school, isn’t this a great place to be?! I love it.

We were dismissed to classes where I saw the smiles get bigger and the giggles get louder and then hush as the teacher introduced herself. So much anticipation and leg swinging and smiling. Who knew that listening to a new teacher talk about rules and school parties and schedules could inspire a classroom of grade school students to smile so big. “I already know she’s going to be a great teacher,” I heard one of the students say later about Ms. Claxton. I was thinking the same thing about all the teachers. We have a great team of teachers and I am so grateful!

Finally we were all dismissed to go outside and visit the famous ice cream truck, treats on the house! The brightly colored popsicles and fancy chocolate covered ice cream was a hit, but what I noticed was not the novel treats, it was the buzz of relational excitement. The parents and teachers jumped right into a flood of conversations. The students were all together, old and new.  Their smiles grew, they ran around, they told stories and they laughed. I can’t imagine anything better than a school that values rigorous education, holds their students to high standards, and yet has students who can hardly wait for school to start back up, who are so healthy and happy, and who are being led into genuine Christ-likeness simply by going to school. This is a great place to be.