Tour Guide

 

NAME: MARILYN JEAN BRYANT

SCHOOL: LOS ALTOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

CLASS: FOURTH GRADE Room 627

SCHOOL PHONE: 650 948 3788 ex 627

About The Teacher (FAVORITES at end)

The Lord has been preparing me my entire life to serve him as a 
teacher. I learned so much about him listening to the stories and 
teachings that my father and mother shared with me and with so many 
others. I learned more about him from my Christian teachers, Sunday 
School teachers, and youth leaders and pastors. I learned even more 
about him as I memorized passages and read my Bible. I remember 
asking Jesus into my heart when I was seven, during a Spiritual Emphasis Week 
at Morrison Academy in Taichung, Taiwan.


My parents were missionaries under the Conservative Baptist Foreign 
Mission Society (Now known as CBI) My father and mother, Dan and 
Lucille Carr, along with my oldest brother (born in 1945), headed for 
China in 1945 on the first ship, the Marine Links, after World War II 
ended. My dad, born in San Francisco, and raised in Petaluma, 
California, was a Navy chaplain, and served in the Pacific theater. While 
serving, he was flown over China and felt the Lord directing him there 
when the war ended. He and my mom, who also felt called to the 
mission field, met in Seminary in Philadelphia. My mom was from 
Parkersburg, West Virginia, and she led summer children’s Bible clubs 
in Appalachian communities in the summers during her college years. 
(This is why the book Christy by Catherine Marshall is a favorite of 
mine.) 

My parents were married on June 6, 1944 – D-Day!

My second brother was born in 1948 before the Communists took over, I 
was born in Sikang, Sichang, China (near the Tibetan border), on 
September 7, 1950, after the Communists came to power. My parents, 
brothers and I were finally forced to leave, after being held under house 
arrest for a couple of years. Before my father died, he wrote an 
autobiography, which I treasure, of our years in China.

We headed to Taiwan, where my parents began church planting, and 
where they founded a seminary, Taiwan Theological Seminary, where 
young men and women are still training to serve the Lord in full time 
ministry. They were both outstanding teachers and my greatest role 
models.

I know the fears and the difficulties of moving and changing schools. I 
attended a Taiwanese kindergarten in my little town, was home 
schooled for part of first grade, was in a dormitory for half of first grade 
and all of second grade at Morrison Academy. It was in second grade, at 
the age of seven, where I asked Jesus into my heart to become my 
Savior and Lord. I attended half of third grade in Parkersburg, West 
Virginia, the other half and fourth grade in Wheaton, Illinois. I returned to 
Morrison Academy and attended from fifth grade to eighth grade (we 
lived near the school these years). My mother was my fifth grade teacher  
and I really enjoyed the experience. I was able to observe a master 
teacher closely! Then we headed back to Glendale, California where I 
attended ninth and tenth grades. I finished up my eleventh and twelfth 
grade back in the dorms at Morrison Academy.

Upon graduation in 1968, I flew home to attend Judson Baptist, a 
two-year liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. I had never set eyes on 
the school before. I received my AA and then transferred to Fresno 
Pacific College (now University), another place I had never been. I 
graduated in 1972 with a BA in Humanities, with an emphasis in 
Speech Communication and Literature.

I met my husband Bob in college where we were both involved in choir 
and theater. I majored in Humanities and he majored in Biblical Studies 
with a minor in Music.
Bob is a native of Campbell and attended Campbell High School and 
this is where my family finally settled. (there is quite a story here in how 
the Lord works “in mysterious ways!” We were married at Saratoga 
Avenue Baptist Church in 1973, with my father officiating. We still attend 
this church, now called Westgate. Over the years, we've taught Sunday School, 
worked in VBS, worked on the seasonal decorations, sang in the choir and then 
the worship team

I continued my education at San Jose State in 1975 and received my 
Secondary teaching credential in English. I began substitute teaching at 
Valley Christian High School from 1975-1977.

I taught for three months (filling in for another teacher), at Valley 
Christian Junior High (8th science, and various electives 7th) – I was 
unable to accept a long term commitment because our son Rob, was 
born in 1978. I returned to teaching in 1979 and spent eleven years at 
Southbay Christian -- (9-12 English/literature/writing, speech/drama, 
journalism/yearbook, typing/work processing, 8th bible, 7th geography). 
My reason for leaving, was that the high school and middle school 
closed.

I headed to Pinewood where I served for another eleven years. (9 & 12 
writing, summer school writing for high school and middle school, 
yearbook/newspaper, research librarian. The reason I left was that the 
Lord made it clear that I needed to head back to full time classroom 
teaching.

My next assignment was back to Southbay and middle school (it had 
been added since I left). I taught sixth grade Bible, reading/writing, 
English/spelling, social studies. The school closed again permanently!

I am now at LACS and thank the Lord for this new ministry. I came over 
with many of the Southbay students and taught one of the fourth grade 
classes. I followed them up to fifth grade. I returned to fourth grade -- 
beginning four years -- and am really looking forward to the year and of 
being of service to you and your student(s).

FAVORITES

      VERSES
John 3:16&17
Psalm 27
Isaiah 40: 28-31
Isaiah 12:2
Lamentations 3:21-26
John 14:6
Psalm 23
Joshua 1:8 & 9
     FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
Psalms
Genesis
Isaiah
Deuteronomy
John
Luke
Acts
Ruth
Esther
     FAVORITE BOOKS
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy AND Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
The Citadel – A.J. Cronin
Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
Persuasion – Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen  (all of her books!)
The Good Earth – Pearl Buck
The Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
The Source – James Michener
Exodus – Uris
     ADOLESCENT BOOKS
Ann of Green Gables/Entire Series – Lucy Maude Montgomery
Chronicles of Narnia Series – C. S. Lewis
Young Pilgrim’s Progress – (from John Bunyan)
Christy – Catherine Marshall
The Secret Garden
Sarah, Plain and Tall/Skylark/...
Love Comes Softly...  (all of series)
Heidi
The Count of Monte Christo
Scaramouche
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Little Men – Louisa may Alcott
The Little Princess
Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew

     THINGS I ENJOY DOING
Singing (especially with my husband), Reading and sipping *tea or 
**coffee; studying; flower arranging; going to the beach or San Francisco zoo 
or the Monterey Bay Aquarium when the weather is cool and breezy (my favorite 
temperature ranges from 45-59 degrees); tearing out pictures I like from 
magazines, watching birds, wrapping packages, watching TV & movies, various 
crafts...
     MUSIC
Praise songs & hymns
Classical music (especially featuring piano & strings & harp & oboe)
Folk Music
Celtic Music
Favorite Tunes – Old English Melody (“Greensleeves”) and Londonderry Aire 
("Danny Boy")
     FAVORITE MOVIES
Ben Hur
The Sound of Music
How the West Was Won
Chariots of Fire
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Persuasion
How Green Was My Valley
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars
     TELEVISION (from my past and *now)
Wagon Train (all time favorite series)
Star Trek:The Next Generation and Voyager and Star Trek
A&E (Jane Austen’s books, Brontë books, Horatio Hornblower…)
Bonanza
Mission Impossible (original series)
Murder, She Wrote
Are You Being Served (favorite British comedy)
Keeping Up Appearances
As Time Goes By
Rumpole of the Bailey
(Mysteries: i.e Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Rosemary & Tyme ...)
The Big Valley
Remington Steele
Bill Cosby (favorite American comedy)
Ann of Green Gables Series (thoroughly enjoy the books and series)
Sarah, Plain and Tall and sequels
Love Comes Softly and sequels
Animal Planet (great fun!)
Discovery
Trading Spaces
Extreme Makeovers: Home edition (current favorite reality)
So You Think You Can Dance
Jag
Monk  (current favorite mystery)
The Closer
The Unit 

     COLORS
GREEN (all shades)
GOLD-Yellow
Brown (all shades) 
Crème
Red-Black
Lavender-Purple
Sky Blue
     FLOWERS
Yellow roses
Purple-Blue Irises
Golden daffodils
Orchids
Yellow/White daisies
Hydrangeas
Sunflowers
      COLLECTIBLES
Anything British (teapots, teacups and saucers, books, pictures, English 
breakfast tea and Jasmine tea are favorites (no herbal teas)
Thomas Kincaid
Cats
Books (England, Cats, Crafts, Flower arranging, Historical, 
Geographical...)
     FOODS (diabetic – Type II) – I’m not keen on spicy foods, especially 
peppery or salty
Spaghetti
Chinese Food – (potstickers, steamed rice, bean sprouts, snow peas, 
egg drop soup, noodles, bok choy… NOT SPICY…no tofu)
Tomatoes (!!!)
GUAVA's (Most missed fruit from Taiwan -- Hardly ever fine them!!!)
Eggs (prepared all ways)
Almonds - (raw)
Strawberries
Raspberries
Steamed clams or mussels
Salmon (grilled, baked or poached)
Roast Beef
Chicken (grilled or baked)
*Tea (English Breakfast tea or Jasmine tea – no herbal)
**Coffee (100% Columbian) Starbucks- coffee frappacino or latte
Favorite drink – iced water
     FAVORITE CANDY !
 (occasional indulgence)  -- SEE's dark chocolate covered almonds

Mission For The Class

To train my students in heart, mind, soul, and body to become balanced 
Christ-like students who williingly serve God.   (LUKE 2:52]

To guide my students to become:
Committed Christians
Effective Communicators
Critical Thinkers
Quality Producers
Community Participants