A fourth-grader runs around on the playground, screaming and laughing as he jumps and slides down the yellow tube slide.
One group of sixth-grade girls sit on the blacktop, laying on their back and staring up at the sun, their giggles, growing louder and louder.
Five eighth grade boys shoot basketballs, running around the court and practicing their skills.
This wide age range of students is all together on one campus now. This is the reality at the Wyckoff campus of Eastern Christian, where a new upper elementary school has been added to the middle school campus. This means that students ages 9 to 14 will all be together, having classes at the same time. The director of these programs is Mrs. Mary Faber, who is also the dean of the middle school. “The new upper elementary school is one of the wings of what was called the middle school. The idea came about because of our preschool growing; the preschool was growing in number, and they needed to utilize more classrooms for the preschool-age children at the elementary school campus,” says Mrs. Faber.
Mrs. Faber’s Opinion
Mrs. Faber feels that there are a lot of good aspects about this new arrangement that excites her. “One of the things that I think is really neat because of the way that the building is set up is how the building can be distinct in terms of an upper elementary school and middle school. Although, because we are a community, when there is an interaction between the different grades and ages of students, it’s still very positive.”
This is not the only interesting aspect of the position for her, though. “The other exciting thing is that there are a lot more students in the building, and we are equipped to handle that, so just the hustle and bustle and the voices and the smiles of different age students is really fun.” For Mrs. Faber, this position is more than just work. “When I come into school each day, I don’t feel like it’s a job, but a place where I can serve God every day.”
“I feel blessed that the children are entrusted to us here, we’re able to be role models for Jesus Christ, and we’re able to serve him in terms of helping each and every student to learn as well as to be transforming agents in God’s world.”
To read more about this, check out this link from the school’s website, which includes a video about the new addition and a letter from Mr. Dykhouse.