A Day in the Life of a POGA Student

When I was in school (a lifetime ago) I can remember complaining. I complained that I had to get up early. I complained that school days were long. I complained that I had too much homework to do. I complained that I didn’t have the right clothes or shoes to wear. After this experience, I feel like I complained A LOT! This is a day in the life of a high school student at Point of Grace Academy. These facts were verified with multiple students, teachers, administrators.

The day begins at 3:30-4:00 in the morning and starts with cleaning chores. If you happened to be up, you could hear the girls washing their clothes – in buckets of water as there are no washing machines -and hanging them on the line to dry during the day.

From there, they go to Personal Studies at about 5:00am. This is time to work on assignments that haven’t been finished or additional study in a subject as needed. Teachers come in at 7:00 to provide extra help.

Classes begin at 8:00am. Everyone breaks at 9:30 for tea with milk and a muffin. This is called breakfast, as in break your fast. Then back to classes until lunch at 12:30. Students are then in classes until 4:00pm. All students attend CRE (Christian Religious Education) class daily. They also are grouped and meet with Pastor Edwin at least once per week for counseling. This is all built into their class schedule.

Recreation time is from 4:00-5:30 each day. Some students can be seen playing soccer or basketball. Others take the time to socialize with friends.

At 5:30, the students return to their dorms to clean up for dinner at 6:00.

From 7:00 to 9:30 they go back to classrooms for personal studies.

Lights out is at 10:00pm.

Students go to school for a half day on Saturday! And while we were there, students were completing assignments and papers on Sunday afternoon as well!

This is an aggressive schedule, and we did not hear one complaint the entire 2 weeks we were there. The students we talked with value their education and have goals they are working toward. All the high school students and upper middle school students talked about studying for their exams (which many were taking while we were there) and going to University or possibly a technical school. They all have strong Christian faith and can recite every liturgy, prayer, and hymn by heart. Every child we spoke with was confident that they would achieve their goal and make a better life for themselves. Not one of them seemed to care that their clothes and shoes were hand me downs, well worn, and possibly torn. They are focused and faithful. This is what Point of Grace has given for them. And because of that and by the grace of God, 800+ children have HOPE.