August 2010

Dear Friends:

“Let the name of the LORD be praised both now and forevermore.  From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.”                   Psalm 113: 2, 3

The school year ended in a great way.  We finished our final exams and then celebrated with a breakfast and worship service.  It was a time to share about the past year and say goodbye to classmates and friends for the summer.  Our interns, Sara Tombergs and Stevie Neale, made up a video of photos, events, and field trips from the past year.  It was a great gift, and all of us appreciated the time they took to put that video together.  Our last event of the day was the distribution of yearbooks.  Kristen Gillman, our Mission Year intern from 2009-2010, designed the yearbook for the second year in a row.  The students were captivated.  God has blessed us in so many ways.

Our Stanford Achievement tests have been graded, and our students did well again for the second year in a row.  The results are from the hard work of both the students and staff.  Academically, all of the students did well, and I am grateful to the teachers for that outcome.  The work of the staff made a huge difference. 

Our summer reading program for elementary school students went well.  Several of the students from Christus Academy were youth tutors in the program.  They did an excellent job, and the children improved in their reading skills. 

In July, Urban Promise Ministries sent us a group of volunteers from St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pennington, NJ, who spent three afternoons with us cleaning the school, the van, and the yard.  Their work ethic was inspiring, and we are so grateful for their gift of time and talent.  Gene Carey and Scott Shannon from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Oaklyn power-washed several areas and improved the appearance of the front of the school.

Thank you all for your prayers and gifts.  We are grateful to all our staff including volunteers and interns.  We have also had help from area churches, who have provided lunches for staff and students during the week.  A special thanks to all of you who donated to the school.  Your donations have been essential in improving the education of the children of Camden.  God bless you.

Yours in Christ,

Lynne Rogers

Principal