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“Why are we making a covenant at the end of the year?”

June 1, 2020 | Elizabeth Rachuri

A sixth grader asked this question when we were working to adapt our covenant to distance learning.  I’m sure this thought crossed everyone’s mind.  But as we discussed, it became evident that our covenant was missing something.  Each day, as we discussed one section (forgiveness, thankfulness, uspstanding, respect, and acceptance), students expressed the need to add the same idea: Be sensitive to what is going on with others.

When we revised our covenant, we decided to add a section called “Empathy.”  It reads:

Empathy

  • Be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on in the world
  • Be sensitive toward what people are going through

Sixth grade students are working so hard.  They are handling this unexpected end of the year with maturity, grace, and humor.  And empathy.  I see many examples of the ways they care for each other.

  • They help each other with classwork
  • They remind each other to come to meetings
  • They are patient with technical difficulties
  • They study together
  • They are flexible

It’s hard to finish strong, but they are!  I hope we can all give our best for these last two weeks and then take a well-deserved vacation!

 

Elizabeth Rachuri

Teacher, Grade 5

Elizabeth Rachuri has always wanted to be a teacher. She began her career as a five-year-old girl creating and grading tests for her friends. She refined her skills in college as she studied, among other things, how to help struggling readers. Mrs. Rachuri spent a semester in Guanajuato, Mexico, studying Spanish and eating pan dulce. After college, she traveled to Puerto Rico to teach at the Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf. There, she learned American Sign Language and how to kill poisonous centipedes.

Finally, Mrs. Rachuri arrived at Mustard Seed School. Since that time, she has been teaching in the middle school. Her favorite part about teaching at Mustard Seed is leading worship. She loves to tell stories and get people to think deeply about God.

When she’s not teaching, traveling, or learning new languages, Mrs. Rachuri loves to draw portraits, sew, and (believe it or not) clean her house. But her new favorite pastime is singing and dancing with her daughter!

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