For a student walking through the hallways, one quickly realizes that not all classrooms are taught the same. One of the many unique things about having a diverse schedule on campus is that students have the opportunity to experience various teachers and participate in different classroom traditions.
Traditions range from interesting class games to spending time reflecting on spiritual growth. No matter how simplistic or elaborate, each class creates its own unique and special customs.
In the Spanish classes, Beatriz Foth, Spanish teacher, begins each week with a student led prayer in English and then she repeats the prayer in Spanish. On Fridays, she leads the class in worship, singing songs of praise in Spanish.
“Along with the prayers and worship, I give devotionals and Bible verses to the students in both languages,” Foth said. “I like giving time for the students to take a break from their busy schedules and pause, taking time to reflect on their lives.”
A new group on campus, Peer Counseling, is creating its own legacy by establishing a new program called “Sister 2 Sister”. A junior or senior girl in Peer Counseling is paired with a junior high student on campus, in order to form a mentoring friendship.
“We take our girl out to lunch every other Friday,” Brianne Raymer, ’06, said. “At this age they really look up to us “older” girls. The purpose of this program is to help counsel and be a friend to others. Junior High was difficult for all of us, and people need a friend just to talk to.”
Three years ago, when Advanced Placement [AP] English finished the book Silence, by Shushako Endo, the class celebrated its accomplishment by taking a field trip to a sushi bar for lunch. Jon Endicott, vice principal and AP English instructor, has continued to take his class out to lunch, continuing the tradition to this day.
“Going to the sushi bar was a lot of fun,” Andrew Kaiser, ’05, said. “One of the reasons Mr. Endicott takes us there is to experience another culture. I had never had sushi before, and there were a lot of dishes I wished to try. And Chris White tricked me into having wasabi marinated over my sushi. Needless to say it burned a hole into my tongue.”
Another interesting custom on campus occurs in the American history class. Jon Hall, American history teacher, has created his own game for students to play for learning purposes. It is a hybrid of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, producing an enjoyable and competitive experience.
“That tradition of playing Spin the Wheel in American History was introduced five years ago,” Hall said. “Some students of mine created the wheel to spin, and with different point values ranging from positive ten to negative numbers. It is called the ?Wheel of Torture’ and students are still faced with the challenge of learning.”
In either case, teachers and students alike contribute to each other’s learning and teaching experience. For some people, the participation in these traditions creates a growing appreciation for unique facets of the campus.
“The traditions on campus are really cool,” Rebecca Wilson, ’06, said. “I feel that, in our society, traditions as a whole seem to have died out. The unique customs on campus which certain teachers perform is what makes Fresno Christian what it is.”
For more information about these traditions, contact the high school office at 299-1695, ext. 5.
Melinda Davis, Senior editor, also contributed to this article.
