This year, Covid-19 changed the way people live, work and learn across the globe. The Joseph School implemented remote learning in the spring, but we were blessed with the opportunity to return to campus, in the fall. While many things changed this year, our students and teachers adapted to each new challenge.
As we look back on 2020, there is so much for us to be grateful for!
Seeing Double
In the fall of 2020 after many months of prayers and planning, our second school bus arrived in Haiti. This second bus was truly a blessing. It allowed us to create a second bus route, which cut down on travel time for our students. We feel truly blessed to provide safe transportation to and from campus for all of our students.
Education Beyond The Campus
When COVID-19 hit Haiti, we knew TJS had a responsibility to educate not only our students, but our entire community on how to stay safe. Education is, after all, what we do best. In March, we partnered with the mayor of Cabaret to develop COVID-19 prevention training for the surrounding communities.
Special Delivery
When campus closed in the spring and summer, our team knew there were TJS families who would need our support. Our staff prepared care packages and personally delivered them to families in our community.
Making a House a Home
When TJS was given the land our campus sits on, part of the contract indicated that we needed to help rebuild homes for several families who lived there. We were, of course, happy to help. In August, we finished another house for a family in need! Check out our blog for the full story.
Here We Grow Again
During the summer months, we saw our first big harvest from the new garden! Some of our students were able to visit campus and help collect the fruits and vegetables. What we pick from the garden goes directly to our campus kitchen, aiding in daily meals provided to our entire student body. We even decided to expand the garden, and are looking forward to future harvests!
Welcome to the Family
Three new teachers joined our TJS family for the fall semester. The new additions bring our teaching staff total to 23! We are so grateful for the skills and expertise every one of our teachers bring to The Joseph School. We know our students are learning from the best.
The More the Merrier
We welcomed 36 new students to The Joseph School this fall, one of the biggest we’ve had at TJS. Each of these students has made a wonderful addition to our TJS family. We feel truly blessed that we were able to accommodate so many new students, despite the challenges this year brought.
Plus, we can finally announce that our new set of desks and chairs arrived in Haiti this month. Preparing a shipment to Haiti takes lots of time and planning, so we are thrilled that our students will be able to use these desks in the spring semester.
Breaking Ground
Our expansion plans are in the works, which means we will soon be able to break ground for new construction projects. In the new year 2021 we will begin planning and building our chapel and dining hall! Having a dedicated place of worship at TJS has been our dream for a long time and it is finally coming to fruition!
Turning the Page
2020 may not have gone how we expected, but it was undoubtedly still filled with blessings. We are completely funded by the generosity of our wonderful supporters. This year our family grew by 230 new first-time donors, and we saw so many exciting milestones. We will return to campus on January 4 for the start of the spring semester. As 2020 comes to a close, we are looking forward to all the joy 2021 is sure to bring.