Welcoming the New School Year

The Lutheran Academy (Lutheran Preschool, Elementary School, and now Lutheran High School) has a wonderful habit at the beginning of each school year. Everyone welcomes the new 1st graders with applause during the first student worship service of the year in church. Our enjoyment this year was even greater because we welcomed the little children from the Lutheran preschool, 1st graders from the Lutheran Elementary School and also freshmen from the Lutheran High School; all of them together, unified like the Lutheran Academy!

We are all joyful that the Lutheran Academy is growing so well. It is totally full – all nine grades filled – with elementary school students joining the Lutheran bilingual High School which started this school year! If we add in the students from the Lutheran Preschool we can clearly see God´s blessings on Christian education in Martin, Slovakia. The original idea—to build a school which would not only provide quality education but would also lead students in the love of Christ—is fulfilled. At this event, all the children, teachers, and parents met for a school worship service on the church benches.

This year’s teaching team will be reinforced by two new instructors from abroad. They were also welcomed by the students with long applause. The first new instructor comes from England, therefore he will teach British English; the second new instructor is American, so he will teach music with his American accent! For the students this will provide the opportunity to learn and understand the different kinds of pronunciation in the English language. Both new instructors, as well as our former ‘new’ instructor of English and Art, Benjamin Chandler, are excited about the beginning of a new school year in Martin. They want to lead students in exploring English through effective, creative, and fun ways of learning a foreign language.

Jozef Sopoliga, the principal of Lutheran Academy, reminded us of one special fact – “The new high school students of Lutheran Academy will be learning in the same area as the first Slovak High School.” The First Slovak Lutheran High School in our history has its follower in these days. “Today begins the fulfillment of one of the visions of the Lutheran Academy – after forty long years of communism, we are continuing in our historic tradition of Christian education in Slovakia!”

The school service in the Lutheran church in Martin ended by blessing all those present. Students came, resolved to hang on and learn a lot this year. Parents came, desiring to be a help to their children. And the teachers came with the enthusiasm and desire to educate. Christian education in Slovakia is continuing from preschool to college – can you think of a more beautiful blessing?

We pray that this school year will be filled with all of God’s goodness and love.