Advent and Christmas Celebrations 2020 with Masks and Distancing

The Academic Year 2020/2021 started on 7 September 2020 with only members of staff reporting to work.
COVID19 imposed a lockdown from 5 to 18 October, which also applied to JLSS staff.
On 19 October, Grade 9 of the academic department and BP2 and DS3 classes of the vocational department started school. This was followed with Grades 7 and 8 of the academic department and all the remaining classes of the vocational department starting lessons on 26 October.
The remaining classes of the academic department including all three Kindergarten classes started lessons on 2 November.
COVID19 imposed another lockdown from 9 till 29 November.
Classes resumed on 30 November with large classes alternating in two groups, one attending school with half the number of students while the other half remaining at home for online lessons. The groups switched learning methods, attending or online, the following week.
This also applied to boarding homes. The number of students in each boarding home was cut in half to prevent the spread of COVID19.
Masks and hand sanitizers were compulsory for everyone all the time. The temperature of each person entering school was taken with those above normal readings returned home. School buses were checked to ensure students and drivers were wearing masks all the time with a reasonable number of passengers in each bus. Members of staff or students who resided in quarantined regions were asked to stay at home, and if arriving to school were returned home.
A window in every room was kept open all the time to ensure adequate ventilation in spite of the cold weather. A safe distance between students was assured all the time swapping classrooms as necessary to ensure all students are safely distanced from each other.

COVID19 had no power over Advent and Christmas that surprised us with a seemingly sooner than expected arrival. It also had no power over Schneller traditions. Advent and Christmas were to be fully celebrated in spite of COVID19.
This has been the fastest year advent wreathes were made by the boys and girls for St. Michael's Church and all ten boarding homes. Even with half the number of children in every boarding home and the extra work that was necessary to keep all homes safe and clean, JLSS students lead by their educators had everything ready in no time. Older boys helped the younger ones complete the needed tasks.
Safe distancing was also applied in chapel. The fact that only half the number of students were present every week made that possible. Dividing students in two groups meant everything had to be done twice.
Only two hours before the first celebration of St. Nicholas Day on Thursday 3 December, we discovered that the purchasing department had not bought the needed tangerines. The peanuts were bought but the tangerines were not, so ever-ready and helpful Rudwan Azzam was called to the rescue. In minutes he was in JLSS. He went to nearby Jib Jannine and bought the tangerines in time for the educators to prepare the traditional St. Nicholas gift of tangerines and peanuts to be distributed right after chapel.
The second group had its celebration the following week on Tuesday 8 December.
The traditional Christmas celebration for the boarding department had to be done without the usual invitation to all JLSS staff and their children. Having the Christmas dinner with members of staff and their children in the boarding homes would have exposed everyone unnecessarily to COVID19. Inviting members of staff to the evening services in St. Michael's Church was also a serious risk. COVID19 was spreading fast in all the nearby villages with more sick people every day. Celebrations were restricted to boarding students only.
The Christmas celebration for Group A was held on Thursday 17 and for Group B on Monday 21 December. Both were celebrated in accordance with JLSS traditions with Christmas dinner, the Service of Lessons and Carols in St. Michael's Church, and then Santa Clause going from one boarding home to another delivering Christmas presents to all the children.
The Christmas presents this year, like last year, were kindly funded by LBMS (the Lutheran Board for Mission Support - USA). We express our sincere gratitude to LBMS for bringing the Christmas joy to all our students.
The day-school also had two Christmas celebrations. The first was held on Friday 18 and the second on Tuesday 22 December. Both were very nice programs.
All our celebrations this year were performed on the new sound systems for St. Michael's Church and Herman Schneller Hall and the new KORG keyboard. This equipment was recently bought with a very kind donation from the JLSS main supporter EVS/EMS. We express our most sincere gratitude to EVS/EMS for enabling us to buy this equipment which we needed to make the performances of children heard clearly in both places. Our music teacher also has the keyboard he wanted that can be updated with new sounds as necessary. Vielen Dank EVS/EMS.
We express our thanks to all our teachers, educators, and students for their tireless effort and nice performance in all celebrations.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!