A few weeks ago, Marlin and the kids and I all sat on our hillside and watched the excavator break ground for our little schoolhouse in the pasture!
Within a few days where there had been just clover and flags waving, there is now a driveway, parking area, and the compacted area ready for the footers. As I type on this beautiful day, the EPA-approved septic system is being installed. After many months of behind-the-scenes paperwork, phone calls, appointments, board meetings, policies, and waiting for approvals, it was a breath of fresh air to be able to watch some physical progress towards Juneberry Hill Schoolhouse becoming a reality.
I also want to thank everyone who joined us for the fundraising dinner and concert with Rory Feek. Our family enjoyed spending time that week with Rory, Indiana, Rebecca, Heather, and his nephew Mikel with his wife Hannah and son Teddy. We are honored they all took time out of their schedule to travel to Ohio to help us with our very first big fundraiser. We thank each of you for taking the time to come spend one or both evenings with us and for your generosity to the schoolhouse. Many local businesses have also given to our schoolhouse to help us with the needed funds to build, and we are so grateful! Thank you all so very much for believing in our vision for this schoolhouse.
I am constantly amazed at the kindness and thoughtfulness of our community. In the past few months, Juneberry Hill Schoolhouse has been given a teacher’s desk, medical emergency kit, set of power tools, the offer to build all the raised-bed garden boxes for students, a claw foot cast iron tub to use as a goldfish pond, sets of books and a science curriculum, and even two pygmy goats! We are building a wish list of items needed and will be posting them soon in case anyone happens to have them or wants to donate something specifically.
The Board of Directors and I continue to meet regularly to work on the needed components for the school so we will be ready to take applications for a teacher as well as for the remaining student seats. We have the layout of the schoolyard sketched out with a playscape area, gardens, orchard, outdoor learning pavilion, and barnyard area. It is so exciting to see the seeds of dreams begin to bloom and grow.
We would appreciate your continued prayers for the building process as for the teacher and the students who will join our children at the schoolhouse. Thank you for caring about Juneberry Hill Schoolhouse, stay tuned for updates!
May you find joy in the simple things in life,
Lisa
