Anyone know when I'm supposed to spell out numbers?

For those of you who like numbers, here are a few from our After School Program over the years.  If you don't like numbers, skip this next paragraph because it will bore you.

This school year is the 4th year of our program!  It started back in the 2011-2012 school year.  Although 12 total kids were a part of the program that first year, the most kids we had on any given day was 10.  In the 2012-2013 school year, we had 11 kids, but two of them left the program, so a typical day meant about 9 kids.  The next year, 2013-2014, comes around and 15 kids at some point were in the program.  Due to kids signing up and leaving at various points of the school year, we maybe would have 10 or 11 at most on any given day.  This school year, although it's difficult to say if all the students that are signed up will be in the program the entire year, we have 17 kids signed up, and on most days they all show up!

Why is having 17 kids such a significant difference from last year?  Well, those of you who are teachers may have anywhere from 15 to 25 students in their classroom that you need to teach.  This year, we decided to open up registration to students that attend neither Brentwood nor North Shore Elementary.  The only requirement would be that they live within our ministry's target area, the Brentwood neighborhood.  Our 15-passenger van can seat 13 students, a driver (me), and a passenger.  This is the first year that all of the seats are full.  The remaining 4 students get dropped off at the program because of this new rule of being allowed to attend different schools.

I've been a volunteer of the program for two years, and this is my second year directing/co-directing.  With three years under my belt, this fourth year has thrown me a few curve balls.  First, both Brentwood and North Shore are in session for an extra hour this year due to test scores last year.  This means the after school program had to be designed to still carry out our mission to Live the truth of the gospel, Learn as scholars, and Lead their community forward, with an hour less of program time.  Second challenge, we have 17 kids!  Seven of them are in 2nd grade (the most we've ever had) and five of them are in 5th grade (the most we've ever had).  With a wide range of behaviors, grades, skill levels, leadership abilities, and knowledge, it can be difficult to expect similar things from everyone.  With each student being so unique, so much attention of them is required in order for them to thrive in every way, intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially (Luke 2:52).

My responsibilities during the program consist of running the schedule, transitioning the kids to the next parts of the program, and talking to the kids who have moved their clips down twice.  On some days, I can go home feeling disheartened about the result mainly because I've had to talk to three or four kids that have been displaying disrespect or attitude problems.  I often forget about the other twelve kids having a good day because I don't get to see them as much.

In my efforts to blog and update more often, it is my hope that at some point from now until June 2015 that I will talk about each of the 17 students in more depth, how you can pray for them, and also praise God for them.  Hopefully this will keep me accountable to continue writing.

To start, I'd like to introduce Ferrell to you.  In one word, awesome.  I knew Ferrell when he went by his first name Jai'Juan back in 2010 when I was an intern.  He was 5 at the time.  He's in fourth grade now and this Tuesday, he turns 10.  This is his third year in our program.  He is hilarious and friendly.  He's a big kid who loves science experiments, has a killer football throw, can sing on pitch and rap like nobody's business, and has an incredible imagination.  He once told me that in his science class, he taped a small cape on the back of an ant, flung it in the air with a spoon, and it landed in a puddle.  But don't worry, it landed on its back so it wouldn't drown.  Ok, so, he may try to convince you that one of his made-up stories actually happened, but he still is fun to talk to.  I got the opportunity to spend time with him today during our Action Day, where our ministry, as well as people from churches around Jacksonville help mow lawns, plant in a garden, pick up garbage, and be a loving presence in Brentwood.  I decided to invite Ferrell because I thought he'd enjoy being around a lot of new people helping out in ways he's never experienced before.  He was raking, bagging garbage, and cutting weeds and branches when he wasn't encouraging and humoring the other volunteers.  He loves making people happy and is great at it.  Please pray that as Ferrell continues to grow, that he'd see Jesus Christ as his savior and want to live to make Him happy and bring glory to Him.  Pray also that the things in his life that try to get a firm grip on his heart and pull him away from God would be unappealing to him and would be as slippery as the stairs that he raked leaves off of today.

I hope you have a blessed weekend.


More numbers!!!
-37 different students have been through the two:fiftytwo After School Program since 2011 (18 boys, 19 girls).
-24 of those 37 have had either a sibling, cousin, or relative in the program with them at some point (we intentionally try to build relationships with families).
-9 of the students have been in the program for more than one school year (Six for more than two years, two since the program's inception).