Dear Friends and Supporters of The Kissing Well,
It is my pleasure to report to you that we have completed
our very first quarter of school using our brand new international curriculum! Most of you (that sponsor a child)
should have already received a report regarding your students’ progress plus a
picture or two for your enjoyment.
I hope all of you are printing these pictures out and placing them on
your fridge!
It has come to my attention that some of you are concerned
with your child’s final quarter grades.
I want to reply and comment on a couple of areas:
1. This new
curriculum, as difficult as it may be for some, is really doing what we want it
to do, and that is TEACH WELL.
Your child has been used to not being challenged, or not going to school
at all. So remember, this is a
process, especially for the older students, for they haven’t had the proper
foundation, which causes us to go back and teach them this, while doing our
level best to stay on course with the curriculum.
2. After
speaking with Michael and many of the teachers, we have decided onto try
different methods of grading (not making it easier, or falsifying grades), but
to allow students, along with their teacher or tutor, to go back after taking a
test they may have struggled with, see what they did wrong and again, along
with the student, correct it then be given at least a partial credit for
learning the proper way. This is
how we learn, by making mistakes, then learning from them…a common sense
approach. This is just one example of how we are changing things at FNC Academy. I want to remind all of you…this entire
ministry was God led, not one of us REALLY qualified to start a school. Michael and the team are still
learning…Wendy and I are still learning, and as long as we continue to keep
learning and striving for excellence, mistakes are bound to happen. I know all of you know this, but for
me, it’s just a great reminder that “God doesn’t always call the equipped, He equips the called.”
Lastly, and if I can say so myself, I am most excited about,
The Kissing Well has begun a brand new ministry for the kids of FNCA. Michael and a good friend from the States,
which I will keep anonymous for now, had one of those God conversations
regarding how pathetic the students look after coming back from break…and when
I say pathetic I mean physically.
Michael knew the problem, Michael and I from time to time would talk
about the problem, but knew we just couldn’t afford to do what was on both of
our minds. Well, that’s where the
conversation began with Michael and my good friend, and before the conversation
ended, a plan had formed to begin a feeding program on the days the children
were
on break!
Now some of you might think, well this shouldn’t be that big
of a deal…I dare you to come to Uganda, and I dare you to say those words to
Michael and the staff…because it is a big deal, it’s a big deal not only to the
students, but to all the families whose child is getting a meal daily whom
otherwise wouldn’t have gotten one.
And yes, there is a cost, and the cost is not free…in fact to provide
the one meal per day, for the two week break, it costs The Kissing Well just
short of $1000…that’s 78 children, plus staff, feeding them and paying the help
to provide the service. I guess if
you break it down, the cost
isn’t that high…
I’m proud to report to you that after the first break, all
but one child, that means 77 students plus most of the staff (Monday-Friday),
had a great meal and never went to bed hungry on those days…Bruce you are a
champion my friend, thank you for spearheading this and loving on the least of
these. But maybe some of you would
like to help out with this, maybe some of you feel it in your heart that you
want to give towards this amazing ministry…if so, please reach out to myself,
Wendy, Michael or any one of us on The Kissing Well Team. If you don’t already know how to give
and would like to, please go to our blog/website…www.thekissingwell.blogspot.com. If you already give, and you feel you
want to contribute a little more to this amazing new ministry, then just mark
your donation as “Feeding Program” or as Michael has nick named it, “Healthy
Meals creates Healthy Minds.”
