Twenty-seven Dillingham Adventist School students were welcomed to the new school year on August 25 by three teachers and a new classroom. The 1500-square-foot addition to the school provides a new primary-grade classroom, an inside hallway to the gym and a much-needed storage room. The student capacity has been increased by 50 percent and a third teacher hired.
Like many remote Adventist schools, Dillingham is operated as a mission school with 83 percent of the students coming from pre-Adventist homes. Dillingham is an environment with no local Home Depot or roads to get to one. Preplanning is essential since supplies are ordered from Seattle and the barge makes port on its own schedule.
Despite these handicaps, the teachers and church members forged ahead. Larry Goodhew, who, along with his wife, Jacque, helped build the original building 20 years ago, returned to help frame and enclose the addition. The trusses were donated by Rowland Trusses of Washington and shipped by Dave Gladden. Rick Pearson’s electrical skills were applied, and Dave Jewell and helpers did the drywall. The remainder of the work was done by the teachers, community volunteers and church members. The carpet and cupboards were installed hours prior to the beginning of school.
The project benefited from private cash donations in addition to materials and manpower. The school board is looking for ways to pay off the remaining balance.
“It is so nice to have the additional space,” said Lorraine Carpenter, Dillingham’s head teacher. “We are waiting for the Lord to show us how He is going to ‘increase our territory.'”
After a very busy summer working on building a new classroom, Lorraine Carpenter, head teacher, enjoys teaching in it.
Through the generosity of donors of material and money and the hard labor of volunteers, Dillingham now enjoys a third classroom and an inside connection between the classrooms and the gym.
