Just because school was out for summer break didn’t mean Smoke Rise Weekday School closed its doors or that the classrooms were quiet. Nope! Instead, our doors were flung wide open as we welcomed more than 60 children for a “Road Trip” filled with laughter, creative learning, water play, explosive science, and magical moments—creating summer memories that will last a lifetime!
Playing off the church-wide children’s theme of “Road Trip,” our summer campers traveled down “Route 66,” visited historic sites from “Sea to Shining Sea,” explored our “National Parks,” and marveled at the “Wonders of the World.” We are especially grateful to our staff who served this summer, including our very own Smoke Rise youth. The kids loved spending time with Caiden Wilkes, Mattie and Lou McNeil, Anthony Beaghan, Lilianna, Gabe, and Noemi Arnold. Thank you, SRBC youth, for serving with full hearts and boundless energy!
Another summer highlight was sending Rashette Walker, Lisa Mixon, and Jillian Wilkes to a Learning Without Tears conference. They are excited to bring back new ideas for helping our students build hand strength, form letters and numbers with confidence, and engage in multisensory activities that develop fine motor skills. This curriculum, combined with Zoo-Phonics, our current program for learning letter sounds, will give our students a strong foundation as they continue their educational journeys!
As the summer flew by, we found ourselves preparing for another school year. We have been hard at work cleaning, prepping, sorting, and decorating our learning spaces. Stop by and take a look at our classrooms! We are delighted to welcome three new teachers this year: Hannah Walker, Trudy Richards, and Tsion Bedane. Hannah was a student at the Weekday School, and both Trudy and Tsion have had children and grandchildren attend as well. WE LOVE OUR WEEKDAY SCHOOL FAMILY!
Join us in praying for our students and staff in the year ahead. You can also support our mission financially by giving to the Edna Free Scholarship Fund, which helps students whose families are experiencing financial hardship. Thank you for your support, Smoke Rise!
– Rebekah Edmonds, Weekday School Assistant Director