Jessie Clark Christian School (JCCS) participated in the local Family Living Fun Day in Pocatello, Idaho, early this summer. Staff and volunteers told Bible stories, made crafts, and shared information about the school and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hosted annually by the Idaho State Journal, the Family Living Fun Day gives local families a chance to discover community resources they might otherwise overlook.
This year, more than 5,000 community members came to OK Ward Park, within sight of the school, to participate in the event. The school's booth was one of 50 and featured a design-your-own-butterfly craft. With help from the school staff and Pocatello Church children's division leaders, children colored butterfly drawings they could take home. Information about JCCS and the church's Vacation Bible School program was handed out to those who came by the booth.
This is the second year in a row that the school has participated in the event — which was even better attended than last year. "We are always looking for ways to be better known in the community," explains Ella Dingman, school board chairwoman. "We made contact with about 400 children. They were interested to find out what our school has to offer."
At one time, JCCS had about 60 students, half of whom were from the community. When the school moved to the church building in the 1980s, the community students left. Since the school reopened last year, events like the Family Living Fun Day provide a way to reconnect with old friends and to make new impressions on the community.
Attendees at Pocatello's Family Living Fun Day color butterflies at the Jessie Clark Christian School booth. (Becky Connell)
JCCS hosted one of 50 booths at the Family Living Fun Day in Pocatello, Idaho. (Becky Connell)
