Aug 27, 20154 min read

A New and Exciting Year at the Academy for G.O.D.

New name, new teachers, new students, and new building coming soon!

This fall, the Academy for G.O.D. launched its third year, expanded the student body to K-12, and adjusted our name to reflect the expanded ages of our students. Enrollment now exceeds 80, which is nearly quadruple the number of students we began with just two years ago!

After two weeks of an alternate schedule that emphasizes unity and team-building, this week marked the beginning of the official fall semester schedule. Monday and Tuesday, many students excitedly discussed which elective track courses they have, and on Wednesday students gathered for the first chapel of the year. This week, students also returned to one of their favorite places on campus-- the garden, double-digging and harvesting with enthusiasm.

Several new faces have joined the teaching staff to meet the need of nine homeroom classes, as well as the corresponding increase in courses that comes with our increasing student body. We continue to maintain a 7:1 student-teacher ratio, and are offering several new classes such as yoga, black history, choir, (music) note reading, conflict resolution, comics, and folklore.

Specifics students learn from teacher Kathryn Montgomery about the use of herbs for medicinal purposes.

Instructor Brit Edwards teaches students an introduction to music.

This year, every one of our students are involved in food production.

The first two weeks of school at our Academy are focused on building unity and relationships.

The Academy for G.O.D. loves recess!

G.O.D. Int'l Director of Education Jason Roufs (left) teaches our junior high and high school students during a combined class activity.

Our high school students are loving the opportunity to learn music and play instruments!

Young students learn the basics of animal care through caring for the sheep on the G.O.D. Int'l property.

After a logistical delay, the new school building construction is underway, as well as a new pavilion for Academy students. Soon, the building will be in place and our enrollment capacity will be over 200.

This year also marked the beginning of a fresh lunch program. We now offer fresh breakfast and lunch to all students every day, and we are receiving rave reviews from our students!

Principal Betsy Johnson, anticipating this school year, said “My staff and I are really looking forward to our third year. We are excited about our high school, and about having expanded to a K-12 school over the past two years. We are thankful to the Lord for giving us over 80 students to be responsible for, to educate in an engaging way that is focused around God’s word. We love what we do, and there’s so much to be excited about as we look towards this school year.”

This new year at the Academy for G.O.D. is surely full of newness: a new name, new students, new teachers, new classes, new lunch program, and coming soon, a new building. We gratefully embrace all that the LORD has given us this year, and are eager to see what the year holds.

Headmaster Gregg D. Garner leads our older students in a chapel time, discussing the meaning of the songs they sing together.

Our kindergartners worship outside during their first chapel time.

Rylan Aaseby and his daughter, Ezrah, compete in family relays during our back to school celebration. The family had matching shirts that together read "We Love the Academy for G.O.D."