January 13, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 Eastern Christian High School’s new Experiencing Missions class taught by Debra Ayars is taking one very long field trip. From Jan. 15 through 25, eight students and two teachers will be going to Uganda to combine real life experience with their semester-long class learning. This is the second year that Eastern Christian is sending students to Uganda, although it is the first time the trip is a class activity. Last year, students met EC’s sister school, St. Stephen’s Academy, visited a IDP (internally displaced people) camp in Gulu in northern Uganda, and St. Mary’s Orphanage in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. This year, after training for and discussing missions for a semester, the class will revisit the orphanage and IDP camp, where they hope to break ground for a new water filtration system Schools Now Registering Eastern Christian builds hope for Uganda and medical center. In preparation for the trip, students have been video conferencing over the Internet with Touch the World Uganda missionaries Jesse and Andrea Croeze about what the students will be doing. The Experiencing Missions class is inspiring other classes as well. Jesse Wright’s design tech class cleaned up rough plans of the medical center, while learning drafting and architecture skills with AutoCAD. The plans have been submitted to the project architect who will ask the class to help with the blueprints. Wright’s class also designed and built a model of the medical center. Originally planned to be a small scale project, EC Principal Jan Lucas encouraged the class to think larger. A few weeks later, a 6’ x 8’ wood structure was built in the school basement. Wright’s class has been collaborating with Saint Peter’s Prep School in Jersey City. Together, the two schools have worked on the architectural design for the medical center, and the two schools will meet for a culminating project. Pinnacle Learning Center At the Ramapo Reformed Church 109 West Ramapo Ave., Mahwah Conveniently located just off Route 17 7 AM - 6:30 PM M-F Yr. Round Flexible Hrs. Half and Full Day Pre-School - 2½ - 6 Years Crafts, Music, Spanish, Computers, Science AM & PM Academics. NEW Mommy & Me Program Owner/Director/Teacher Maria Cancelosi NJ State License CPR Trained Affordable - Sibling Discount Once the model was constructed, Wright’s Advanced Placement art class painted it with relevant cultural and political images. Visitors to the EC web site http://www.easternchristian. org will be able to see a video of the project (type “Uganda” in the search box). Eastern Christian High School is also planning March service projects in Newark and in Belize. In April, other Experiencing Missions students will visit Honduras to work with missionaries and an orphanage. The Experiencing Missions class and Ayars are available to speak about their experiences. They are also fundraising for the EC Missions Fund, which makes these projects possible. Contact Debbie Ayars at debraayars@easternchristi an.org or send a check made out to Foundation for ECSA with Missions Fund in the memo line to Eastern Christian, 50 Oakwood Avenue, North Haledon, NJ 07508. For details about EC’s Experiencing Missions, visit www.easternchristian.org and type “experiencing missions” in the search box. Green Twig School OPEN HOUSES Mondays in January 18 & 25 9:30-11:00 1:00-2:30 (No Appointment Necessary) First Step Preschool, Inc. 454 Pulis Avenue • Franklin Lakes We are now enrolling for September 2010 Register for September 2010 201-512-3313 Nursery Pre-Kindergarten Optional Kindergarten Kindergarten Enrichment Classes forming this January 2010. Please call for info. 30 Paterson Ave. MIDLAND PARK 201-445-0747 www.greentwigschool.com Small Class Sizes with an Academic Curriculum Ages 2½ - 6 Years PM K-Enrichment Class 201-847-8198 Please visit our website: firststeppreschoolnj.com 1-13-10 Ester/Janine GreenTwigOpenHouse2x3(1-13-10) 2col x 3” 1-13-10 Pat from Janine FirstStepPreschool2x3(1-13-10) 2 col x 3”