One would expect a school campus to be quiet in the summer; Sacramento Academy was anything but quiet.
In July, Pixie, a member of the Granite Bay Hilltop Church, walked through the doors with a mother and her three sons. Iulia and her family came to Sacramento from Moldova, seeking asylum from the war in Ukraine.
Currently, the school has ten students displaced by the war enrolled from kindergarten to high school. These students have built connections and friendships with their classmates in the first few months of school, despite the language barrier.
“Sometimes God works in our lives in unexpected ways. Although we have been given the opportunity to practice our school theme, ‘More than Me,’ I feel that I am gaining more of a blessing from my relationships with these families than they have gained from us,” said Michelle Piner, registrar. “I am impressed by their courage and positivity amidst incredible hardship.”
“At first, some students felt unsure about ‘the new kid who speaks no English,’ said Kat Schroer, vice-principal of K-5. “Now you see this same student running happily with classmates and making motions for ‘I’ve Got a River of Life.”
A month after school started, Iulia emailed the school to let us know that her very shy kindergartener said (in English), “Bye, Mom!” as he ran off to class. A small miracle.
Featured in Northern Lights • October 13, 2022
