Next week we’ll be welcoming the very energetic and dedicated Principal of Margaret Jurd College, Darren Twist, and his family, and Chairman of the College Board, Jim Knowles, at our Sunday service.
For the last two years Covid has meant we’ve not been able to visit the College campus as we have done in the past, but we’ve still contributed pragmatically through financial assistance and sending tangible gifts for the students and support staff.
We’ll continue to do the same this year, as well as planning to take a barbecue and support crew in late June to attend the College’s mid-year Student Achievement event and again for their annual Student Presentation event nearer the end of the year. We also plan to prepare over 100 homemade Christmas cards and shortbread biscuits, gift-wrapped for all the College students, staff and Board members.
Darren is working on other ways in which we, as a supportive community, can be involved in providing practical assistance to the College students. Some of these could include GPUC volunteers acting as exam readers and scribes for students with limited literacy skills; supporting students undertaking food preparation and cooking classes as a start towards entering that industry; and tutoring students preparing to take their provisional driver’s licence test.
And even more excitingly, Darren is developing a new initiative – a “Virtual Tutor” program. This would give us the opportunity to become involved as tutors via Zoom conference with students and College teachers, providing guidance and helping to deepen knowledge in a wide range of subject areas, from English, History, and Maths, to General Science, Geography, Geology and Astronomy.
Darren will explore and discuss his ideas with us further when he visits next Sunday – a wonderful new development for us to pray about and think how we can step forward together with Darren.
Keep an eye out in the foyer for a shoe box marked “MJC Shoes” – where we can put our contributions towards new school shoes for the College’s many growing teens. Dig deep for the shoes!
And let’s think creatively about how else we may be able to lend a hand while putting the College ethos—“Together is Better”—into action.
Pru T, MJC Working Group
