School Highlights

Hoover Christian School is located on a small, steep lot at the corner of a busy city intersection — not at all ideal for a forest school! But we do have a small grove of trees in one corner, where our students play with the sticks and pinecones that fall, creating campfires, miniature villages, or whatever else comes to their little minds. We also have carved out a small space for some grow boxes in front of the school, which was our only level spot with enough sun. The students love to go out to the garden to weed, plant, and especially to harvest veggies. Kids who wouldn’t eat anything green now love cucumbers and sugar snap peas!

We also have access to a beautiful botanical gardens located half a block from our school. Our older students do community service there on a regular basis, helping to keep the gardens tidy. We are able to take students there anytime for walks around the little lake and exploration in the woods. Sometimes we take our journals so students can sit in quiet spots to observe nature and write.

So, even though we live in the city, we are finding opportunities where the children can engage with nature to enhance their learning and their relationship with our wonderful Creator.

By Cindy Fisk, Hoover Christian School

Since 2020, Finishing Strong, the annual Week of Evangelism for Schools, has been produced and coordinated by the South Atlantic Conference Office of Education. Each year during the first week of May, this 30-minute daily worship experience is shared with Adventist schools throughout the North American Division, uniting classrooms from coast to coast in a week of spiritual emphasis that encourages students to commit their lives to Jesus Christ through prayer, rededication, and baptism.

This year’s speaker, Pastor Taurus Montgomery, presented a dynamic five-day evangelistic series for students in grades 1–12 under the theme, “Jesus Is Coming Again!” Through relevant, Christ-centered messages and practical biblical appeals, students were challenged to deepen their relationship with Jesus and prepare for His soon return. Bible Chaplain Samuel Brand also contributed to the series by responding to students’ pre-recorded spiritual questions, while musical selections featuring the theme song, “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” enriched the daily worship experience.

Reaching thousands of students across the North American Division, Finishing Strong brought together more than 250 classrooms simultaneously on several days, making it one of the largest coordinated spiritual initiatives among Adventist schools. This year, the program reached schools as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, reflecting the expanding influence of this ministry throughout the Division. More than a virtual event, Finishing Strong has become a movement that reminds students that Adventist education is not only about academic excellence—it is about leading young people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the vision behind the initiative, Kim Gaiter, Executive Producer and Vice President for Education for the South Atlantic Conference, shared: “We teach Bible every day, but we also want to intentionally provide opportunities for students to make their calling and election sure through meaningful spiritual appeals, prayer, Bible study, rededication, and baptism. Finishing Strong allows us to pause academically and focus eternally.”

The South Atlantic Conference Office of Education remains steadfast in the conviction that Adventist education is far more than classroom instruction. It is frontline, “low hanging fruit” evangelistic ministry, where every lesson, every teacher, and every classroom become an opportunity to shape character, strengthen faith, and lead students into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Explore this year’s Finishing Strong series and archived messages at Finishing Strong Live or on YouTube, and be inspired to remain faithful, keep your eyes on Jesus, and finish strong until He comes.

By Kim M. Gaiter

The students at Josephine Edwards Christian School were finally able to finish their greenhouse that they have been working on since 2025. Weather delays and scheduling has slowed the process down but they are proud to say that it is finished.

The greenhouse project has been a project of their STEM time. The students have learned about framing, blueprints, using a screw gun, windows, siding and roofing, and construction materials and of course a measuring tape.

Plans for the greenhouse will be to use it for starting and growing plants and selling them to parents and the community. They also plan to put in some raised bed garden boxes and grow vegetables. Mr. Ramey is also thinking about putting in a gutter system for collecting rainwater and to teach the kids to grow as much organic as possible.

By Rodney D. Ramey, Principal

Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy (GAAA) is proud to lead technology innovation across Adventist education through the GAAA Educational Technology Consortium.

Through grant-funded initiatives and partnerships with local SAC Adventist schools, GAAA is helping expand high-speed fiber-optic connectivity, increase bandwidth, and strengthen network reliability throughout our region.

These improvements provide students and families with faster access to online learning resources, more reliable educational platforms, enhanced digital learning opportunities, and the technology tools needed for academic success. By strengthening technology infrastructure across our schools, we are creating a more connected, innovative, and future-ready learning environment for every student we serve.

At GAAA, we believe that when schools work together, students benefit. Through collaboration, shared expertise, and strategic technology investments, we are building stronger schools and stronger communities.