Sunnydale Adventist Academy

Sunnydale Adventist Academy
Location
Centralia, Missouri
USA
Coordinates 39°14′39″N 92°12′49″W / 39.24417°N 92.21350°WCoordinates: 39°14′39″N 92°12′49″W / 39.24417°N 92.21350°W
Information
Type 9-12 Boarding High School
Established 1946
Principal Gary Russell
Faculty 24
Number of students 128
School color(s) Maroon and white          
Athletics Basketball (men and women), Soccer (co-ed), Volleyball (women), Gymnastics
Mascot Spartans
Website http://www.sunnydale.org

Sunnydale Adventist Academy (SAA), a co-educational parochial boarding secondary school, operated by the Iowa-Missouri Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.[1][2][3] [4]The school opened to students in 1946. Sunnydale provides a comprehensive educational program that includes spiritual, academic, and social development. Formerly known as Sunnydale Academy (SA)

Sunnydale's Mission Statement

Sunnydale Adventist Academy's purpose is to fulfill the Gospel Commission while providing academic excellence.

"Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people." Mark 16:15

History

Beginnings

On August 14, 1944, the Missouri Conference constituency appointed an Educational Commission empowered to locate and establish an academy for the Missouri Conference. This commission consisted of the local conference committee and one member from each of the nine districts within the state of Missouri. At their November 4, 1945 meeting, the Commission voted to locate the academy on the A. B. Chance farm near Centralia, Missouri with the understanding that the union and the General Conference approve the location. The Central Union Conference contributed $40,000 to the project. The General Conference contributed $30,000.[5] The farm was described as a "very fine farm, fully equipped and ready to begin work on..." [6]

A board had been chosen. It planned first to build a girls dorm. H. C. Hartman was chosen to be the principal and business manager. His wife took charge of the music department. The board invited C. M. Babcock to be the Bible teacher. Babcock was a minister with "long experience, true and tried..." Herschel Turner, a successful Missouri farmer, agreed to manage the farm which was envisioned as a major industry on campus. Miss Hilda Fern Remley agreed to be the girls dean; Delmer Holbrook to be the boys' dean. Both were from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. The board planned for the school to open September, 1946. They planned for funds to be available from the Missouri church members.[6]

The Missouri Conference of Seventh-day Adventists set a fund-raising goal of $60,000, an average of $20 per member. They hoped to raise this amount in the few weeks remaining in 1945. Leaders of the churches were asked to visit every Adventist home in Missouri in an effort to meet the goal. Construction could not begin until 75% of the funds had been raised.[7]

The ground-breaking ceremony for the girls' dorm took place on February 18, 1946. This was the first building to be erected at the academy. After the program, Principal Hartman took the controls of a caterpillar tractor and Missouri Conference President Hutches guided the plow. Farm manager Herschel Turner drove a team of Missouri mules with veteran minister and Bible teacher C. M. Babcock holding another plow. The two teams ploughed some furrows, breaking the ground in preparation for laying the foundation of the new building.[8]

Academics

The required curriculum includes classes in the following subject areas: Religion, English, Oral Communications, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Health, Computer Applications, Fine Arts, and Electives.

Spiritual aspects

All students take religion classes each year that they are enrolled. These classes cover topics in biblical history and Christian and denominational doctrines. Instructors in other disciplines also begin each class period with prayer or a short devotional thought, many which encourage student input. Weekly, the entire student body gathers together in the auditorium for an hour-long chapel service. Outside the classrooms there is year-round spiritually oriented programming that relies on student involvement.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/1115/For-real-education-reform-take-a-cue-from-the-Adventists"the second largest Christian school system in the world has been steadily outperforming the national average – across all demographics."
  2. ↑ http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/seventh_day_adventist.htm
  3. ↑ "Department of Education, Seventh-day Adventist Church". Retrieved 2010-06-18.
  4. ↑ Rogers, Wendi; Kellner, Mark A. (April 1, 2003). "World Church: A Closer Look at Higher Education". Adventist News Network. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
  5. ↑ Butherus, D. C. (February 12, 1946). "The Academy Commission" (PDF). Central Union Reaper (Lincoln, Nebraska: Central Union Conference) XV (7): 5. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fattic, G. R. (December 18, 1945). "Plans for the New Academy" (PDF). Central Union Reaper (Lincoln, Nebraska: Central Union Conference) XIV (50): 3. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hutches, G. E. (December 18, 1945). "Sunnydale Academy" (PDF). Central Union Reaper (Lincoln, Nebraska: Central Union Conference) XIV (50): 3. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  8. ↑ Hartman, Mrs. H. C. (March 12, 1946). "Ground-breaking Ceremony at Sunnydale Academy" (PDF). Central Union Reaper (Lincoln, Nebraska: Central Union Conference) XV (11): 1, 2. Retrieved June 12, 2011.

External links