Volume 2 August 20,

Leadership Academy

Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy Berean Christian Junior Academy

Newsflashes!!! Amended cell-phone policy—cell phones permitted at

GAAA for instruction & at Cafeteria & Gym Times

Honors Program—in Sciences, Math & English this year

Editor’s Message Our Pre-School, Elementary/Middle School and Academy are preparing students for life in a different and rapidly changing world. In this new world, students must be able to communicate orally, technologically, and culturally. In effect, this Complex is “Producing Leaders”, because all lives matter. We are producing ethical, honest, knowledgeable, and communicative leaders who can learn at their own pace. While students are placed in grades for sake of convenience, we believe that students “should LWR—Learn When Ready”, and structures should then be built around the students’ opportunity and ability to learn, for “higher than the highest human thought is God’s ideal for His children” (EGW, 1912). We are continually upgrading our websites now for a re-branded look. www.gaaaschool.org and www.bcjaschool.org

The Strategic Plan Continues for Complex

As part of strategic plan to grow and undergird resources, BCJA and GAAA continue to strengthen and differentiate their academic products, emphasize the student customer service experience, strengthen its teach-er qualification base, and add a value-added healthy lifestyle emphasis. This fulfillment of the strategic plan will be guided by a renewed em-phasis on MIND (academics), Spirit (spirituality) and Body (health). This is the onward step toward completion of the full “The Leadership Academy” from pre-K-12+. Welcome to our “Leadership Academy”, featuring a Pre-K-13 Edu-Complex, serving God and man through a new “BREATH”—Business, Religion, Excellence, Arts, Technology and Health . We breathe to preach, teach and witness to all the world in this generation.

1. Customer Service, the Student Experience--a major thrust

to improve the student experience through the Friday “Family Series”, Sabbath preparation series, and the daily hall prayers strengthening of the Student Government, the breakfast program, and the healthy lifestyle emphasis.

This

Complex is

Producing

Leaders.

Faculty Quality—25% of Faculty will have doctorates by Dec 2019

We continue to build and develop faculty that have graduate degrees and experience in leadership. By 2019 December, 25% of our faculty from K-12 would have earned terminal degrees. At present 60% have Masters degrees and 15% Bachelor degrees. Enrollment—we are taking Enrollment up to 250+ students from K-12 over 3 years, large enough, yet small enough for individual at-tention. Enrollment in pre-K, K-8 and 9-12 is up this year. The plan is to exceed 100 students per BCJA and GAAA by June 2019, and spice this enrollment with international students, whom we received Department of Homeland Security permission to accept for Grades 1-12. In Grades 9-12, we have built a financial aid basket to reward talent, leadership promise, academic prowess atop the economic needs platform. We seek each year to build a 9th grade of top quality students. The Mind (Academic) Edge

This year, the high school introduces its Street Law program where stu-dents can engage in a legal studies/leadership seminar with summer law internships. This “edge” has been rounded off in both schools with the introduction of a Robotics program, and in the high school with an hon-ors track in core course, and the continued dual enrollment college pro-gram.

2. Teacher Quality—20-60-10—20% doctorates, 70% Masters, 10% Bachelors

3. Technology Advancement—the school is completing its third step in technology advancement to bring an IPAD to every student and to integrate IPAD student usage and instruction with its classroom APPLE TV, Moodle Online, and distance robot-technology to broadcast lessons during digital days. This thrust will connect home and school with advanced technologies

4. Healthy Lifestyles—we are integrating health, personal fitness, nutrition and diet in one theme, and tracking new 9th graders throughout their 4 years, in a computerized system to produce leaders that are healthy and well.

5. Academic Edges—We strive to make our programs unique with the addition of Robotics, and Legal studies/leadership in our new “Street-Law” program to equip students with legal concepts ap-plied to life issues.

DHS has granted us

permission to accept inter-

national

students.

Robotics

Legal Studies

Street Law

Berean Christian Junior Academy

Yvette Cooper, MA, Vice-Principal—comes to us from

the Decatur Seventh-day Adventist Junior Academy. She has a Masters in Literacy and will add to the newly established depart-mentalized program for the upper grades. She reports to the school principal.

Amanda Campbell, MA., Ed.S. Ms. Campbell formerly taught at GAAA and AAA. She is completing her doctorate in Education Analytics. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Middle School Education, with emphases in Mathematics and Language Arts. Her Master’s degree is in “Exceptional Children” and she has an Ed.S (Educational Specialist). She will assist BCJA and GAAA in her areas of specialty, with IEP’s and 504’s.

Liz Walters, B.A. She has a degree in Elementary Education and served as a principal in Panama, before migrating to the United States, and working as a Spanish/English translator and teaching at DAJA. She teaches with us part-time in Conversa-tional Spanish from Grades K-6.

The Body (Health) Edge We live in a country where 41 million children suffer from obesity and diabetes. As part of the Seventh-day Adventist philosophy, an ambi-tious health-plan is being launched in the Complex to emphasize exer-cise, outdoor gardening through 4-H Club initiatives, and nutrition. The school is replacing its snack machine content with healthier sandwich snacks as each student is encouraged to adopt a healthier life-style. The Spirit (Spiritual) Edge GAAA, BCJA and BCDC will always be schools with a spiritual mis-sion, to elevate the life of each student, to keep in touch with the Master through service to God and to man. We exist, and live to share the Gos-pel of the kingdom “in these last days”

BCJA highly qualified faculty

GAAA, BCJA

and BCDC will

always be

schools with a

spiritual mission

Aldene Preddie, M.A. Aldene Preddie will be our high school Spanish teacher—she has a BS in Accounting from Andrews University and a M.A. in Spanish from Purdue University in In-diana. She has taught at the collegiate level overseas and here in Georgia. Spanish is being taught in grades 7-12 with the plan to fulfill the high school requirement by Grades 9 & 10, and lay the base for collegiate Spanish in Grade 11 as an elective for those that desire to gain collegiate credit for modern languages.

Greater Atlantic Adventist Academy

Amanda Campbell—will assist with Algebra II and Geometry in the high school, offer Pre-SAT coaching, and assist with excep-tional learners at either spectrum, where those exist.

Tunisia Hobbs—Tunisia Hobbs has a Bachelors in Liberal Arts,

with an emphasis in Physical Education, and Master’s degree in Education Administration. She will teach Personal Fitness in the 9th grade, and help coordinate the physical healthy lifestyle pro-gram across the campus. She replaces last year’s teacher.

Tomesha Smith—Ms. Smith is completing her doctorate in cur-

riculum and has a BS in Biology with a Master’s degree in Edu-cation. She replaces Amanda Hendricks who has gone to Medi-cal School. She will teach Chemistry, Physics and Physical Sci-ence and head up Sciences.

School Calendar—Main Events—this Term—Sports Schedule

Pending August

August 13-17, Student Orienta-tion

August 27, Start of Dual College Program

August 30, Parents’ Evening/Orientation, 6:00 pm

August 31, Chapel & GAAA Fieldtrip/Social/Educational—Student/Faculty Bonding

GAAA

Intellectual faculty

September September 3, Labor Day, No School September 7, First Quarter Mid-term September 12, Picture/ID Day September 13, GAAA Academic Day September 13-16, Leadership Conference

& School Promotions September 18, ACT Prep Program September 23-24, SA University Tour

October October 4-8, Oakwood Live October 5, First Quarter Ends October 8-12, Spirit Week October 10, PSAT/NMSQT Testing October 13, GAAA/BCJA Alumni October 14-Loma Linda/GAAA Expo! October 15, Adventist College Tour October 18, Parent-Teacher-Student Con-

November Nov 2-4, Breath of Life Choir Festival, Oakwood Uni-

versity November 9, 2nd Mid-term and Progress Report Card/

GAAA Academy Day Nov 12, Veterans’ Day, Holiday Nov 13-15, ACT Aspire Nov 14, Thanksgiving Dinner, Extended Lunch Period November 19-23, Thanksgiving Break November 26, Classes resume

December Dec 8, ACT Exams at GAAA, 8:00 am Dec 10, GAAA Science Fair & Academy Day—Metro Dec 14, USM Christmas Program Dec 20, Noon Dismissal Dec 21, 2nd Quarter Ends and Christmas Break begins

until Dec 31

HOLIDAYS

Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy

Sylvan Lashley, MBA, MA, MEL, Ed.D., J.D., Principal (Legal Studies, American

History, dual enrollment)

Delmas Campbell, BS., M.Ed., Vice-Principal, Mathematics, Oratory

Sheila Willis, MSW, LCSW., D.Min., Registrar/Counselor, Social Work & Psychol-

ogy, dual enrollment classes

Gary Gardner, MBA, Ed.D., Director of Development., Leadership & Business

Studies

Tonya Campbell, BS., Computer Apps, Personal Finance, Admissions/Marketing

Coordination

Jynean Reid, M.Ed., Bible., Campus Chaplain

Angelle Bullard-Roberts, M.Sc., Ph.D., Biology, Environmental Science, Anatomy

& Physiology, STEM

Fern Clarke, MA., Ph.D., Criminal Justice/Legal Studies

Tomesha Smith, BS., M.A., Ed.D. doctoral candidate (Chemistry, Physics, Physi-

cal Science)

Amanda Campbell, MA., E.DS., doctoral candidate (Algebra II, Geometry, PSAT

Prep)

GAAA/BCJA Faculty, 2018-2019 Berean Christian Junior Academy

Sylvan A. Lashley, MA, MBA, MEL, Ed.D., J.D., Principal

Yvette Cooper, MA., Vice-Principal

Princess Hawk, MA., Grades K-1

Ann Reynolds, MA., Grade 2

Bedminster King, MA, Grades 3-4

Shavonne Sampson, MA., Grade 5

Elvis Agard, MA, Grade 6

Marcia Davis, MA, Grades 7-8

Simeon Middleton, BA., All Grades, Personal Fitness/ Coach

Annie Lee, BA, Receptionist/ Welcome Center

Rosita Lashley, MA, MS., Office Manager/ Counselor (both schools)

Brenda Barber, BA, Librarian, shared with GAAA

Althea Ramsammy, MA., Technology (shared w ith GAAA)

Gregory Clemons, BA., Music/ Instruments, Hand-bells, shared

Amanda Campbell, MS., Ed.S. (doctoral candidate), shared)

GAAA/BCJA/BCDC will al-

ways be schools with a

spiritual

mission.

Exercise

Outdoor Garden-ing

4-H Club Initia-tives

Nutrition

A BCJA/GAAA Experience—”The BREATH”

Business, Religion, Excellence, Academics, Technology, Health”. Get a new “fresh breath” this new school-year”

GAAA and BCJA Apps Coming Soon—in developmental stage Security and Safety—fully at work with external and internal patrols and electronic surveillance Cell-phone Policy—Restricted usage for instructional purposes and also available at lunch time and/or at breakfast time, gym times Recruitment Season to starting this September w ith “The BREATH” GAAA Teaching Legal Studies & Leadership—welcome BCJA Offering Robotics/ Lego Coach Bus Initiative—completion of the coach bus refurbishment

ALL-Inclusive Wall-to-Wall IPAD Technology—Soon, Soon

GAAA Cont’d

Howard Brown, MA, (doctoral candidate), Bible, Religion (dual enroll-

ment)

Romanus Leonce, MA., M.S., English, doctoral candidate

Constance McGee, B.Sc., MBA., Biology, Health, Economics

William Floyd, BA, (MS candidate in Instructional Technology), Math,

Videography

Greg Clemons, BA, Musical Instruments

Luther Washington II, B.A., Choral Studies, Choir Director

Brett Hupp, M.Div., Art

Elisabeth Gadsden-Rouse, MA., English, dual enrollment

Brenda Barber, BA., Librarian

Jennifer Wales, B.A., M.Ed. (History, Online education)

Tunisia Hobbs, BA, M.Ed., Personal Fitness

Future Seekers Inc,.Robotics, Engineering