Here’s a little video of my office at Black Forest Academy. This is where I spend my time, mostly meeting with girls over a cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy!
So I’m getting ready to launch the new BFA (Black Forest Academy) website! That’s what I’ve been doing during the beginning of this semester. Calling, emailing, talking, calling, emailing, talking, calling…that’s what I’ve been doing half the time. I’ve been collecting all the content, getting it updated, typed up, edited, and approved by all those involved. Hopefully by the time you read this post I will have most of the content ready to go, and formatted for the world to see. I’m really excited, and can’t wait to hit the launch button.
It’s been a busy last few weeks. The first week of school I had the flu. And over here, doctors don’t just hand out antibiotics for everything like in America. So I had to resort to the good ol’ juice-and-rest routine. After that I was able to start thinking clearly and got to work on finishing the website.
It’s all about the little details.
There are still some minor issues I’m having with different areas of the website, and some content that I need to write up for some of the new sections. But all-in-all, it’s almost there. I had hoped to have launched it by the beginning of this last week, but was unable to since I lost a week. Personal deadlines are typically arbitrary anyways.
So look forward to an update from me soon about the website being launched, and a link for everyone to go check it out.
New Features
Better organization of the content
Easier to update content
More content (from 100 to now over 350 pages)
Specific content geared towards the school’s main audiences (parents, students, staff)
More galleries and photos at the tops of pages!
Fun staff profiles (now you can see staff by category, like: Athletics or Personnel)
Today, on the 26th of November, 2010, the first snow has fallen! We woke up this morning and were blessed with an amazing picture of white all around. I am loving it! I decided to take some photos of our walk to school with all the snow. I hope you enjoy and are able to see a little more into our daily routine. Short post ended. Love you all!
From our apartment{|}From our apartment
Our family wagon covered in snow{|}Our family wagon covered in snow
Dani walking down the driveway. - B&W version{|}Dani walking down the driveway. - B&W version
Dani walking down the driveway.{|}Dani walking down the driveway.
The walking path{|}The walking path
German flag{|}German flag
Students walking to school{|}Students walking to school
Bypassing the car on the walking path{|}Bypassing the car on the walking path
The buses arrive!{|}The buses arrive!
Some snowball action{|}Some snowball action
Staying warm{|}Staying warm
Getting ready{|}Getting ready
B&W version{|}B&W version
We played 3-on-3 basketball together. :) He made like 15 different faces when I took this photo.{|}We played 3-on-3 basketball together. :) He made like 15 different faces when I took this photo.
We made this video for the Missions Day of our home church, The Grove, in Arkansas. We wanted to share this glimpse of our lives with you all. Maybe you should create your own video and send it back to us. Okay? Okay.
Definition: One who works on the website. My Interpretation: Communicating about BFA to the world outside of BFA.
Expounding Upon My Role
I honestly have been working primarily on the website. But not in the way most would perceive. Within the first month of the school year I came up with a 35+ page brief about how the school could improve their web presence. I came up with this goal.
To create a dynamic website that enables the specific audiences that we are trying to reach to find and use content that is focused for them personally and for their ease-of-use. BFA’s website is not just text on a sheet. The website needs to become a reliable resource and a secure environment for parents, staff—new and returning—and students to share in the experience that is BFA. Our vision for BFA needs to be clear and communicate that we are a school that prides itself on excellence and moral standards; not just as an international school, but also in our brand—our face—to the outside world.
The website has been my primary focus. After writing that brief I was able to spend a half-day brainstorming/way-too-short meeting with the main directors of the school. We spent time pouring over the main points of the brief, and exploring the different areas that each division wanted to focus on. It was great for me to be a part of that meeting. At that point I hadn’t grasped the feel/story/vibe of BFA. So it was very helpful for me to be a part of that meeting. I’ve been busy working on the website and expect to have it finished by Christmas.
Early on I wanted to make sure that communications as a whole had a vision and a drive behind what is communicated and created. A brochure won’t by itself tell people about the school. Or a website won’t by itself be the first place people find out about the school. I want everything communicated to tell the story of BFA.
The first few weeks at the school they announced all of the staff openings and needs for all the departments. Athletics needed an assistant coach for girls’ volleyball. I hadn’t planned on having anything to do with sports. But I expressed some interest, and was able to fit it into my schedule. The volleyball season just finished with the Varsity girls winning the championship. Coaching was so much fun, and building relationships with the girls was great.
I’m not a teacher, so being able to be more involved on an almost daily basis was a good escape from work, and a great way for me to build relationships that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I hope that next year I will be able to do it again, and that I will be able to be more involved.
Photos of What I’ve Been Doing
I’ll probably try uploading some more pics of a few other things later. But for now this is just web related. If you want to see what I’ve been working on you’ll just have to wait until late November or early December when the site will hopefully be launched.
The home page{|}The starting page for the new website. At least in it's current state. :)
Example of a sub menu{|}This is the Welcome page with a message from the current director. And is showing the main navigation roll-over sub-menus.
Contact Page{|}The contact page for the new website.
New Image Gallery{|}This is made with HTML, Javascript and XML. Loads much faster, creates dynamic thumbnails, and is easy to setup. http://bfacademy.com/galleries/dorm_liel/2010-11/10/
New Image Gallery - Large View{|}This is the enlarged view of an image, for the new version of the gallery.
Woah. Can you believe it? We’ve been waiting for over a year to meet the students of Black Forest Academy, and now we get to. It will be extremely exciting, I’m sure.
We’ll start the day off with BFA’s Opening Ceremony, which includes a flag processional for all of the different countries represented this year. For those of you who’ve been to JBU, it’s like International Chapel, which pretty much guarantees that Dani will cry. The Opening Ceremony is meant to be inspiring and fun for all involved, especially the students. Right now, that’s all I know specifically about the first day of school. I’m sure Dani knows way more specifics, but my main job will be taking pictures and capturing what goes on.
The First Time For Many Students
After the Opening Ceremony tomorrow, parents will say goodbye to their kids. We’re told that it’s a very difficult time, with lots of tears. Tomorrow will be the first time for about 70 students to be at BFA. Most of them probably haven’t ever stayed at a boarding school. They will be leaving their parents and having many experiences that college students have back in the states: homesickness, a new environment, a new country, nothing familiar, no parents, dorm life. As you can imagine, it can be difficult.
There will be around 350 students total this year. I think there are around 47 students in the elementary school, which includes a bilingual school. The elementary school is in another town about 10-15 minutes away. The building is very tiny for the amount of students they have this year. They are growing each year, so everyone here is excited about the potential for that school.
Every year there are many changes, both for staff and students. New staff arrives, current staff change positions, and old staff leave. This year there is even a new director. Every year, students must say goodbye to their teachers, dorm staff and friends. BFA is a place that is always changing. Tomorrow is the beginning of another year, which will inevitably look different from the next one. Yet in all of these changes, God is present and at work. As you can imagine, the first day can be pretty overwhelming for everyone, but it holds so much hope and potential too.
God’s Timing Is Perfect
Over the past month, we’ve had moments when we couldn’t believe that we were finally here. Our hearts have been at BFA since July of last year, so it’s nice that our bodies have finally joined them. As we prepare for tomorrow, it feels like the fulfillment of the path God set us on over a year ago. He’s been building and shaping us for this, for what begins tomorrow. It’s become abundantly clear that this was his perfect timing for us to be at BFA. We are honored to have the opportunity to serve these kids. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as we begin this new year.
Some Things To Be Praying About For The School
That families will know how to say goodbye well. That parents will be able to have peace about their decisions to send their children to BFA.
That the new students will not get overwhelmed by the enemy, but will have peace and excitement in their transitions.
That all the students will have a good first day and first week, and will figure out all their class schedules.
That the new director will have peace and know how to lead.
That the staff at BFA will be rested and ready for anything that might get thrown their way tomorrow.
Some Things You Can Pray About For Us
That we feel like we fit in well at BFA. Dani especially always has a difficult time with the initial adjustment period of new situations.
That we adjust to how long everything takes to done. Washing a load of laundry takes at least 90 minutes, no drying included.
That we are able to be a part of the German community here, by getting to know our landlords, for example.
For our new routine, neither of us have had regular work routines for about a year now. For Dani it’s been two years.
That we continue to pursue God, especially now that our ministry is officially starting up.
