From the cookbook: Anticipation, excitement, and also a quiet joy filled many of our hearts when, after several delays, the opening day of school finally arrived, October 11, 1976. I counted it a privilege to be a part of this big venture then, and I still do today. Working together, learning together, and praying together, we started out. In our beautiful room, which many people had so diligently cleaned, painted, rugged, and fixed to be so comfortable and lovely, sixteen little students and I began our part of the first year of school at Grace Mennonite School. When June rolled around that first year, it was mixed feelings we said our good-byes for the summer. Indeed, it had been a good year! We had all learned ever so much and we had spent many happy times together.