The Nate Saint Memorial School
The Nate Saint Memorial School web site is now online!
What is it like to go to school on the edge of the Amazon Basin? Some things are the same as any other school: classrooms, teachers, textbooks, students. But Nate Saint Memorial School is unique in many ways. Where else in the world might a class get a visit from a sloth or an ocelot just brought in from the jungle? And how many students get to live on the edge of the rain forest, rather than just reading about it in a book? Living in a different country also provides the chance to experience another culture and learn a second language.
The history of the school is special as well. Nate Saint Memorial School began as the dream of MAF pilot, Nate Saint, one of five missionaries martyred by the Waorani (Auca) indians in 1956. He felt it was important for children to be with their parents during their formative years. Classes began in 1964 in the home of Charlotte Swanson, the first teacher. The present building was dedicated January 8, 1966, on the tenth anniversary of Nate Saint's death. Since then, three buildings have been added, and the school offers classes kindergarten through eighth grade to approximately forty-five students. The goal of the school is to offer a Christian education, encouraging our students to live Christ-centered lives.
Teaching a class of seven students can be really rough! For example, one afternoon we all walked over to our house for a science experiment. We needed ice, and since there isn't a fridge at school, we walked the 250 yards to our house for the afternoon. I walk into class each day and am shocked: the kids are all in their seats and silent, even before the tardy bell! The three seventh graders are very quiet and hard workers. The four eighth graders can be quiet (unless they are by themselves when the seventh graders are at Spanish class, and then they tend to act more like typical eighth graders), and are also very hard workers. Grading papers for a class of seven is also a blessing, since that is about 1/4 to 1/5 the number of papers for a typical California class.
One thing I used to hate about school in Oakhurst was the rainy day schedule we had when it rained all day. At the Nate Saint school we have a covered play area called the Cancha, and recess is never rained out. At recess time, the whole school usually plays the same game together. It's amazing! Kindergarten through eighth grade, all playing together like a big happy family. The two games of choice are Purple Man (a kind of tag game where you run from one end of the basketball court to the other trying to avoid those who are 'it'. If you are tagged, you join those in the middle doing the tagging) and Nation Ball (a fun and fast moving dodgeball game). One Thursday morning recess I think we had all 36 students as well as Mr. Parsons and myself playing Purple Man!!
Following are some frequently asked questions about the school. If you have any questions, send them our way and we'll add the answer.
What time is school for David and the boys? School starts at 8:15 AM. The first bell rings at 8:10 AM. School is out at 3:30 PM.
Are there other missionary kids in the Nate Saint school beside MAF and HCJB? At this time I think not. There is a GMU family, but they're up in Quito for the fall semester, taking over temporarily as dorm parents at the Alliance Academy.
Do you have non-mission kids? Not at this time.
When do you start teaching school? School started August 9.
How many students will you have? I have 7 students this fall. When the GMU family returns, I'll have 8.
Are all the grades in one school building? The school is in four buildings. One building has two classrooms (5/6 and 3/4) as well as a small workroom between the classrooms. The second building has my classroom, the spanish classroom (small), and a ballroom/laundry room (also small). The third building is the library media center (with four PC's, two connected to the internet at modem speed). The fourth building contains two classroom (1/2 and K) as well as two small bathrooms. Above the 1/2 and K classrooms is an apartment where one of the teachers lives along with her husband. There is also an attic in that building where extra desks and supplies are stored. Finally, the basketball court is covered, so the kids have an area to play in when it's raining.
What do you use for your drinking water? We use clean water that is brought to us every week from a local camp. One of the MAF workers picks up our containers and brings us the fresh water. The school doesn't have a drinking fountain. Each student has a cup with his or her name on it, and fills the cup from a ten gallon container with a faucet on it.
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