What are you doing there?

This has been a common question from my family.  What are our day to day duties, particularly at the school, Christ’s Gift Academy.

Joyce – she is loving it.  She is in the admin building, helping out where asked and volunteering to help even when not asked.  She is planning and organizing and helping kids and planning music – all things she loves and excels at.

Helped teachers add and average grades for the end term – using the computer to do it quickly, not a small calculator that most the teachers would use.  She is organizing for a Christmas pageant to be put on at the end of school for the year.  Has already held auditions and awarded parts for the roles.  Unfortunately we will be gone by the time it is done.  Organizing the classroom supplies, including inventory the store room and  help determine how much to order for term III.  Tutoring some kids in multiple subjects.  Helps a couple of kids with exams by reading them the questions.  Reads stories to the young ones, helps in the lower classrooms if needed.  She seems to be busy all the time, but always has enough time for one more item.

I’m in the manager’s office.  This is a non-scholastic area.  I’m responsible for the the school property and money matters.  I collect fees from the few that are fee payers here.  Most are sponsored by people from the US.  I also got to send out notices to the ones that were late.  All fees for the year were to be paid by now.  If they are not cleared soon, the kids will not be allowed back term III until paid up.  I get requests for anything that needs money – more soap for the kitchen, more food, special food for special meals, help for widows ( they have about a dozen widows close by school that they help with expenses and food), etc.  I have helped with some of the grade adding since I have time and still posses my mad 10 key skills and have the time.  Any school property that leaves the school grounds also need to have permission, which I grant with a gate pass.  I also need to pay the day laborers and others that are on a cash basis.  I will be completing the financial summaries for the months that end while i am here – adding the receipts and checks, filling in the expense spreadsheet and Quickbooks accounts.  And reconciling the bank account and cash on hand (other than payroll, about half of the expenses are cash based so plenty of receipts to write).  Soon I expect to have to be listening to many parents telling me why they can’t pay the fees.  I’ll need to decide whether to let them slide for a while or keep the child out of school – pray for wisdom and discernment on this front.  I don’t keep as busy as Joyce having time to write blogs like this one. 

Both of us come about 7:30 each morning and join the staff in morning devotions, prayers or chapel time (that includes the kids).  We finish somewhere from 3:30 to 5pm.  August brings holiday and the schedule will be much lighter.

At the home, there are a few projects and tasks to be done, but nothing daunting.  Pets to feed, water tanks to fill (turning on the valve when the city water is released) watering the garden on the weekends, a few minor home repairs.  Joyce cooks, I wash the dishes.  Bed time usually between 9 and 10.

From CGA Manager’s Office,

Paul