The ESL team have soldiered on through another COVID year in 2021. We began, paused, and then returned as allowed throughout the year, our students and team adapting with each new set of requirements. Numbers throughout 2021 were down on previous years but comparable to 2020.
The provision of a government community grant will see some new equipment in use across our classes with 3 new sets of whiteboards/dividers and 3 new porcelain whiteboards to attach to the old room dividers. The old room dividers will need to be refurbished to accommodate the new boards and this will take a little time.
Please pray for the work of our English classes and English from the Bible classes. Clarence Huin continues to lead the beginners Bible class and Yvonne Hall the more advanced Bible class. Please also continue to pray for our committed team of teachers: Sue Sumner, John Leung, Deborah Firmage, Prisca Yan, Susan Wotton, Sally Ivers, Marie Cheng, Beryl Ferguson, Reg Mitchell, Peter Forbes, Yvonne Hall and Elaine Chick. We have 5 classes that run simultaneously and would welcome anyone who might be interested in joining this ministry group. Please pray that God would provide more leaders for our team so that this ministry can continue for years to come.
We have much to be thankful for:
- Safety of students and teachers throughout the year
- Goodwill amongst our group as we do everything to help each other
- Joy
- Space to spread our classes out to accommodate COVID regulations
- Adaptable teachers and students who rolled with each new COVID regulation
- New Anglicare resources produced by our Area Coordinators as they had time not spent visiting classes
- In term 4 we saw the return of Clare Stretton to the classroom as she filled in for Yvonne whilst she recuperated from her operation. Thank you, Clare!
- Our faithful God who provides for all our needs.
Sally Reichardt
ESL Co-ordinator