During in-person school at HMS Richards Elementary, kindergarten teacher Kristie Smith is helping her students explore the story of creation in a fun, interactive way.
The activities she has presented include constructing creation scenes out of candy, drawing events with shaving cream, and talking about why each part of creation was essential to the world. “It was a very big, messy project,” stated Smith.
Due to the uncertainty 2020 brought, Smith wanted to encourage reading the Bible and building a closer relationship with God among her charges. However, for kindergartners, it can sometimes be hard to focus their attention on the Bible. So Smith utilized hands-on activities to keep them engaged.
“I feel like with COVID, Bible class is a very important part of the curriculum because, while we don’t know when Jesus is returning, there are so many signs right now that He will be returning soon, ” explained Smith.
In Smith’s classroom helping students connect to God isn’t limited to Bible class. Throughout the day when students bring up personal concerns, she teaches them to stop and pray. “We’ve seen miracles already happen in our class,” stated Smith. “We’ll pray about something and, many times, just a few minutes later, we can see how God has answered us.”
Because of the pandemic, it is always a question if schools will be able to stay open for in-person learning.
“Every day I go in, I know it’s a blessing that I’m there with my kids and we’re not meeting online,” said Smith. “It’s just really neat to be with them and laugh with them. Every day is a miracle and my kids know that too. We thank God and pray that we can continue to stay open.”
–Haley Enochs, is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied
