Jubilee teachers are putting into practice great creativity and new strategies as they use technology and new digital tools!  Although it is true that the virtual teaching-learning process will never be better than the face-to-face experience, the commitment of each teacher is more than evident.  This is especially true because the teachers desire to impact their students and serve the Lord.

Mrs. Karol Soto, second grade teacher, shared, “I am very grateful to God for the beginning of this school year; although it is a bit strange to teach our classes through a screen, it touches my heart to see my students with so much enthusiasm and commitment to learning. Virtual learning is a new experience; we must adapt to changes, adapt to technology, and learn from it so that our students receive the best!”

Mrs. Janeth García, our English teacher, chimes in: “Everything requires a little more of our effort.  Now more than ever, we must get the parents, students, and ourselves, as teachers, completely involved in order to succeed in this challenging teaching-learning environment. Working from home means that we have to be more prepared and bring our students new and better teaching techniques in order to capture their attention and interest. As a daughter of God, I continue to believe in His promises; I know that we are not alone and that everything happens with a purpose and for our good.”

Our students are also experiencing the great challenges with this means of learning, but in their first weeks of classes, they have been showing us that they are eager and committed to continue learning.  Below are some reactions from some of our students on how they are feeling about the new school year starting virtually.

One of our ninth graders, Stephani Sarahi Solórzano Betancourth, said, “I am happy and excited to have started classes because I am getting to see my teachers and classmates again, even if it is via Zoom. This week I found it very entertaining to experience all of the fun ways that each teacher interacted with us to help us learn. What I liked the most was meeting my new teachers and getting to know them.  I am thankful that they are very kind and understanding. I can already tell that they will be a great inspiration in the lives of my classmates and me, and I thank God for bringing them to JCI. I want to thank my teachers for their patience and for giving us the strength needed to get ahead.”

Cristopher Jiménez, a fifth grade student, stated, “I am very happy to have the opportunity to attend classes again at Jubilee; I give thanks to my teacher for teaching me so much during these first days and weeks.”

 “I am very happy and grateful to God. I really liked our first devotional, and I love this year’s theme verse which is Joshua 1: 9. I will be strong, and I will be very brave! I want to thank my teacher very much for her efforts and dedication.”-Anyeri Castellano, Sixth Grade

 “I feel blessed because I have the opportunity to study and to continue learning.  We are adapting to technology, and I know that we are going to achieve our goals. Thank you to my teaches for all her love!”-Ericka Jiménez, Fifth Grade

 “I thank God for this virtual school year, and I am trusting that everything will go well. I loved the first week of school, and I will take into account the rules that we must abide by. My teacher is very kind, and she treats me with respect. I like her very much!”-Sofhia Darían Elvir Roque, First Grade

 “My teacher is great, and I appreciate everything she teaches me. I pray that God blesses her!”-Iván Alejandro Bailey Gómez, Second Grade

 Without a doubt, every word expressed by the students encourages them to continue working hard and being courageous.  The following are some reflections from a couple of the Jubilee teachers.

 “It has been a blessing to be able to see the students again and share with them during the first weeks of school. I have been encouraging them to stay strong and to not forget that it is God who gives them their strength. As for teaching, I am using our virtual platforms to their fullest extent so that the students not only learn, but have fun while doing so! I invite my students to be obedient so that the Lord will continue to bless them every day and help them be successful!”-Miss Guadalupe Urbina, Fourth Grade Teacher

 “From the beginning of teaching school virtually, I have cried out to God to give us a lot of creativity.  It is not easy to keep students engaged and learning while they sit in front of a screen, but even given the limited tools that we have, the Lord has given us His favor.  Even if the internet fails us, we have a ‘Plan B’ to ensure that we can keep moving forward with our curriculum. The message I leave to the students is to keep pushing forward, obeying the rules, and respecting the social contract that we wrote together.” -Mrs. Claudia Velásquez, Kindergarten Teacher.