Isaac Newton Academy

Colegio Isaac Newton
By Ashley Holter

In June 2005 thirty-eight confident, intelligent, and loved children walk out the door for summer vacation. It is always a time of joy mixed with sadness as teachers say goodbye to a class they have shared their lives with for ten months. Our teachers imparted wisdom, character, godliness, knowledge, acceptance, respect, excellence, and the love of Christ to each of their students. It is as if the children walking out the door are taking part of their teacher's heart with them. But, the reward is in knowing that God has used them to touch each child's life. And that those children, while never forgetting the lessons they have been taught, will in turn touch other lives. Peace of mind comes in knowing that the next year these same students will go on to another teacher in OUR school who will likewise impart all that God has put within her.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Colonel Donner, Children Hunger Relief Fund and Giving Hands for making the dream of our own school possible. Without your help it would still be a dream. We are so excited for what the Lord has in store for us in the next years. We want you to know our work is possible thanks to your support. Your help is making an impact in the lives of the children that we care for in more than just giving them a way to survive, you are helping us give them the tools to have a future, to have hope, to have a destiny and understand it. Thank you so much. Following please read about our year and be blessed reading as we were blessed.

Our students come to us having been abused, neglected, and mistreated and we must overcome these obstacles and light within them the desire to learn. The difference that is being made in every life is so obvious, not only in the classroom, but also in the Children's Home. Our children demonstrate kindness, responsibility, and self-control. The students of Colegio Isaac Newton have learned Christ-like character as well as knowledge.

At the end of the year, kindergarteners were able to identify the sound every one of the 30 letters of the alphabet makes. In the beginning of the year kindergarteners were only able to identify an average of 16 of the thirty letters of the alphabet. By the end of the year all kindergarteners were able to write their names, read words and phrases, identify the numbers up 20, and identify patterns.

At the beginning of the year, first graders who had completed kindergarten in our school could read an average of 20 out of 25 first-grade level words. First graders who were not at our school for kindergarten could read an average of 4 out of 25 words (two of these five students were repeating first grade, having failed in public school).

Although beginning the year reading at a "frustrational" level, the majority of first graders completed the year reading at an "independent" level. All of the students were able to improve their fluidity (number of words read per minute) by an average of 31%. All first graders were able to tell time, add, and subtract by the end of the year.

This year we have: added a now functioning Second grade classroom and school office, built a teacher apartment for American volunteers, completed the 12 month certification process with the government, added a principal/administrator position, put into writing the policies of the school both for the teachers and the parents, seen an increase in parent participation (Informational meetings and Mother's Day event), added 16 new students, lengthened Kindergarten instructional time, made a school video to be used as a promotional/fundraiser tool, doubled our staff size, successfully merged the best of American and Mexican Educational systems/philosophies, "hired" two more American volunteers and two Mexican teachers,
been blessed by four certified teachers (the other four are in, or about to enter the certification process), held monthly school board meetings, and held weekly staff meetings.

Our plan for this coming year is to continue to improve in every aspect of our school so that we can truly function as an example of excellence in Christ's honor. After seeing the profound impact we have made in these precious lives, we plan to add both 3rd and 4th grades in August 2006. Because the school environment can literally create situations of life or death in the souls of our children, we are trying to get as many of them in our school as possible.

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