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Dear CCAM Partners and Friends,

We recently held a graduation ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of CCAMS preschool students Sapor, Hannah, Isaac, and Pheakdey.  Isaac and Hannah have studied with Kelsey since she began teaching preschool at CCAMS in 2012.  Sapor and Pheakdey joined the preschool class when they came to live at CCAMS in 2013.  Five other students have already graduated from the program over the past four years.

Although Kelsey has been the main preschool teacher, Grandma Gioia periodically taught special art, music, and creative writing workshops, and participated in literature shares where she would read a story to the students, and they would read stories to her!  Throughout their years in preschool, all of the students have made great progress in their English, math, science, artistic, and social skills.  Also, we have been purposeful to integrate Bible lessons into all areas of study, and are blessed to see the spiritual fruit that God has produced in them!

As a graduation project, each student wrote and illustrated his or her own children’s storybook, teaching a Biblical principle!  First, Gioia assisted Kelsey to teach the preschoolers about the different parts of a story, and how to create a story outline.  Then they helped the students develop their stories and translate them into correct English.  Finally, the children drew and colored illustrations to accompany their stories.

In Sapor’s story, “The Friendly Seal Saves the Day,” two hungry leopard seals attempt to eat a young dolphin named Rose.  Just in the nick of time, a friendly seal tricks the leopard seals, rescues Rose, and reunites her with her mother! (Psalm 82:4)

Hannah’s story, “Sunray Gets Lost,” is about Sunray the young clownfish and his friends who wander away from home and get lost.  Thankfully, Sunray’s dad finds his son just in time to rescue him from the grasp of an octopus! (Ephesians 6:1)

Isaac’s story, “Mother Quail’s Quest,” tells about a diligent mother quail that searches high and low to find a new home for her babies after their nest is destroyed.  Thanks to the kindness of a group of forest friends, they finally settle into a newly built nest! (Philippians 2:4)

In Pheakdey’s story, “Peter’s New Home,” the bad humans cut down the bamboo forest, forcing Peter, the young panda, and his mother to search for a new home.  A brave deer named Gigi helps them escape from one of the bad humans, and leads them to a new bamboo forest! (Galatians 6:10a)

During the celebration, the graduates read their stories for all of the CCAMS students and staff to enjoy.  The students also sang “You Are Holy,” accompanied by Kelsey on the guitar.  Kelsey presented each student with a certificate acknowledging their satisfactory completion of the preschool requirements, and gave each of them a special gift – a new book featuring each student’s favorite animal.  The books were purchased and shipped to Cambodia by DeeAnn, Kelsey’s mother, who taught a special unit in the preschool class during her month of volunteer service at CCAMS last summer.

Please join us in praying for the continued growth and maturity of these recent preschool graduates, as well as for all of the CCAMS students as they advance in their studies!

The Proud Teachers of the CCAMS Preschool

Click here to view a Facebook Photo Album of this event.

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