Day 26 - The SCCLC

Getting to Know the SCCLC, Part 1

When I visited the SCCLC, Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center, last July I realized the school was double the school I taught in back in the 80s.  This was my first job out of college.  It gave me so many memories and so many friends.  Coming back here is coming back home for me.  Carmen, a former student, said it best when I was talking about returning last July and I was worried about starting over.  She said the difference now is that I have family here.  She is right.  Returning here feels like coming home.

Entrance to the SCCLC

I have been back to the school three times over the last week, because of my work visa and my upcoming classes.  There is so much to do.

Yesterday, I spent some time with Emily, the high school principal.  She is a cool young lady.  Every time I have met her she had a big smile on her face.  I know the reason.  She has Jesus in her heart and it shines through in her face.  We talked about grades, curriculum, and lots of stuff that teachers find interesting, but the rest of the world falls asleep listening to.  It looks like I'll be teaching three classes in the morning.

Handprints of class of '97, 8 years after I left

I got a key to the teacher’s lounge, which also lets me into the office area, and a key to the book room.  Most of the teachers don’t get keys to the book room, but English teachers have so many different books that they use through the year that they need easy access without begging for a key.  And I got an email for school use and a login to the school’s system.  I need into the school system because past teachers have saved a lot of stuff for me to use.

Last week Melissa took me on a tour of the school, something Debbie did last summer and Jeff in March.  The difference with Melissa’s tour is that she was thinking in terms of what I will be teaching.  Melissa and I will share the English classes for grades 7 to 12. 

I am teaching three classes this year and all of them have writing, vocabulary, grammar, and awesome literature.  Ninth grade world literature has selections such as the Bible, The Odyssey, The Joy Luck Club, Romeo and Juliet, Night, The House on Mango Street, and Things fall Apart. Tenth grade composition and speech includes Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, and The Old Man and the Sea.  Twelfth grade British literature includes Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, Sherlock Holmes, and the Screwtape Letters.  Imagine all the good literature I get to read this year!

And I met a new friend at the school.  An adorable little cat with sky blue eyes.  He is going to be my class pet any time he wants.

SCCLC cat - Chilin