Thank you for being so patient for my up-dates. Hopefully you'll enjoy!
Dana
Never underestimate the art of drawing:
I went to get a student from his classroom the other day and as we were walking back to the Springboard room I asked how his evening was. He then proceeded to tell me about the dream he had the night before. His dream included his classmates, his teacher, himself, and myself in the main hall dodging yellow nerf-like pellets. I then asked him to draw a picture of his dream, so I could capture the event. At the end of the lesson, I made sure there was enough time for this child’s imagination to run wild. He had a marker in his left hand and paper in his right hand and instead of drawing his dream; he drew a picture of himself and me in the Springboard room. This made me realize how important Springboard is to him, and maybe how important I am to him as his tutor. I love my job ☺
Above: the picture my student drew me.
A Few Snapshots Along the Way:
Oliver:
For months leading up to the break for Easter, the students in years 3 and 4 at St. Mark’s, my school in North London, put on the play “Oliver”. Three of the five students I teach there are in year 3 so to say the least, I was incredibly proud of my students after the show. One of my students even had a narrating part!! I haven’t seen the film, but I’m not sure it will be able to compare with the St. Mark’s play!
Above: Oliver at St. Mark's.
Spring Cleaning:
A week before the end of term (there are three terms in the British school system), you will find all the Springboard units cleaning, making resources, planning lessons, and laughing with one another. During our last week at Elm Wood before break, Christi, Elizabeth, and I went to the Bazaar (school fair) and tried to win chocolate as a treat during our tasks set ahead. £4 later, we won a High School Musical Chocolate Egg and enjoyed our winnings, all money supporting the school of course.
Above: Christi, Elizabeth and I and our chocolate winnings!
Easter:
As the Easter season approached, Christi invited me to join her to see Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. I have to admit I thought this was only played during Christmas season, and I didn’t realize there were three pieces to the performance, Christ’s birth, Christ’s death and resurrection. To be able to experience Christ’s story on Good Friday in a different way than I’m used to was incredible. The orchestra and the opera singers were amazing!
Above: Christi and I at Handel's Messiah.
Scotland:
Because we get two weeks off in between terms, which is quite a generous amount of time off, I am able to travel. This is perfect, as I have a lovely friend, Amna, whom lives in Scotland and has willingly opened her home to me to come visit. This trip to Scotland was actually my second, and we visited beautiful highlands, Mull and Iona (two islands between Ireland and Scotland), and enjoyed a lovely tour of the Sterling castle. But I have to say the best part of my visit with Amna and her family, was feeling as if I was apart of her family during my time there. It’s always the people that leave an imprint on my heart.
Above: Amna and I at the Isle of Iona.
You said what!?
Although people in the UK and people in the U.S. speak English, there is a huge difference in the British English and American English. I’ve compiled a short list of words that have different meanings on this side of the pond.
American English...British English
Movie theater ..........Cinema
Bathroom................Lou (loo) or toilet
Trash can................Bin
Trash......................Rubbish T.P..........................Lou roll
Sidewalk.................Pavement
Line........................Queue
Shopping cart...........Trolley
Friend.....................Mate
Pants......................Trousers
Underwear...............Knickers or pants
Shirt.......................Top
Sweater...................Jumper or cardigan
Soccer.....................Football
Tennis Shoes............Trainers
Hair binder...............Hair bobble
Cell phone...............Mobile phone
Bobby pin................Kirby grip
Candy......................Sweets
Diapers....................Nappies
Vacuum...................Hoover
Mail........................Post
French fries ............Chips
Chips .....................Crisps
Ketchup .................Tomato sauce
Tank top ................Vest
Wallet ...................Purse
Purse ....................Bag
Highway ................Motor way
Phone booth ..........Phone box
Walk A Mile, or Run 26, In Their Shoes
Every spring, the London Marathon takes place. Thousands of people run through the streets of London to raise support and awareness for a cause close to their heart. I was invited to cheer the runners on, as my friend, Susanna, works for a charity that had volunteers running. I decided to go along to see what it was like to be in the marathon atmosphere. As I got there, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sense of people running for a purpose. Each person running was running for a cause that has personally affected them, affected someone they love, or wanted to support a cause they wanted to help. Upon realizing this I was struck with a deep sense of purpose for running. Then and there I decided I was going to enter the 2011 London Marathon for Springboard for Children.
Since that day, I’ve been thinking about how running a marathon could relate to my walk with Christ. Of course there’s the verse from Hebrews telling us to run the race with great faith, but God has shown me this goes much deeper. God sent his Son, Christ, to come to Earth to walk a mile (or a lifetime) in His creations shoes to be reconciled to Himself. Christ has been through everything we have been through; birthdays, hunger, friendships, struggles, rejection, laughter, and He’s already been through death. Christ came to Earth to put himself through what He knew I would go through. He didn’t have to do this, but He did so out of love and for me to join Him in Heaven one day. So often I look at the end result of Christ’s love, my salvation. I so often forget about what He did day to day. I don’t want to take away from the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, but during His life He taught me how to live; full of love for everyone, giving till I can’t give anymore, and trying to put myself in others’ shoes.
Even though not all the runners in the marathon were running for this exact motive, but this is essentially why they were running. I didn’t just picture those running, but I pictured those they were running for: the mother with cancer, the sister with diabetes, the child that has cerebral palsy, the list goes on. Those they were running for live with these struggles day in and day out without a choice, but those running had the choice to “walk a mile, or run 26, in their shoes”. Getting up at odd hours in the morning, going to bed exhausted, sacrificing nights out and time with friends to train for the marathon. The runners now know what it is like to live every day with something they didn’t have a choice to have.
After this realization, God challenged me to put myself in my students’ position. My students struggle every day to read, write, spell, and express themselves. This is something they don’t have a choice in, but God called me choose what it’s like to do something that’s a struggle day in and day out. Although the marathon isn’t till April 2011 and I haven’t been guaranteed a position, I will be running in a few shorter races. The training will help me place myself in the struggle my students have every day, just as Christ has already done for all of us.
Thank you!
All of your e-mails, prayers, phone calls, letters, post-cards, and everything else means so much to me! I have truly been blessed by all of your support throughout my time in London.
As with any artist, there needs to be many notes for a tune, there needs to be many brush strokes for painting, and there needs to be many movements for a dance. Although it seems to most that I am the one who has followed God’s calling for my life, but when I step back to take a look at the whole picture we all play an intricate part of God’s beautiful masterpieces of songs, paintings, and dances. Without you in my life, or me in your life, God’s masterpieces wouldn’t be complete. I am truly appreciative of your role in my life and I ask that you would continue to play a role in the masterpiece God has in motion as I prepare to spend another year in London.
As my students have touched my life and, I pray, as I have touched my students’ lives, I feel as if God has called me to continue to make an impact in their lives. With this calling, I plan to stay at Springboard for another year teaching most of the students I now teach, learning the behind-the-scenes development in a charity, and assisting with supporting part-time volunteers, all the while giving the glory to God. I do plan on running in the British 10K held in London on July 12th, 2010 to raise support for my second year at Springboard. I will send out more information when the date comes closer, but please be in prayer if you or you know of others who would like to donate monetary support. This also means that I still appreciate e-mails, prayers, phone calls, letters, post-cards, and everything else as a note, brushstroke, and movement in God’s masterpieces.
April Supporters:
Marian and Chuck Edelen: 1st in celebration of Marian’s birthday.
Sandy and Chuck Schollmeier: 17th in celebration of Chuck’s birthday. 21st-27th in honor of Dana’s last week student teaching in Chuck’s classroom in April 2008.
May Supporters:
Marian and Chuck Edelen: 13th in celebration of Chuck’s birthday.
Stacey and Kent Cunningham: 19th in celebration of Kent’s birthday.
Prayer Requests:
- Praise for God being constant and never changing.
- Praise that God sent Christ to teach us how to live.
- Thanks for students coming back from break safe and healthy.
- Thanks for students feeling secure enough to share what their thinking.
- For all of us to step out of our comfort zones and put ourselves in others shoes.
- For God to reveal Himself to each of us.
Keep in Contact:
Address:
Dana Olson
7 Banfield Road
Nunhead
London, England, UK
SE15 3TX
E-mail: DanaEPO@gmail.com
Website: http://danaepo.blogspot.com/
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