A Beka Academy

Mars Hill Baptist Adds New Half-Day Kindergarten

Mars Hill Baptist Church will offer another private education option for children when it opens the doors to a new half-day kindergarten class this fall in Watkinsville.

For the last five years, parents have sent their children to Mars Hill Baptist Church's Preschool Academy , hoping one day they'd be able to enroll their children in another year of faith-based instruction, according to Susanne Barfield, who directs both Mars Hill Baptist Church's preschool and kindergarten programs.

“We had some moms say, 'We love the preschool and we want to stay with you guys, can you keep going with this?'" Barfield recalled.

With the church building filled by preschool classes, Barfield asked Mars Hill Baptist council members if they would allow her to clean out a nearby home, once used as a church parsonage, to serve as a kindergarten classroom for the new Mars Hill Christian Academy .

In April, Barfield selected Jan Madden, a teacher at the preschool academy to teach the new class, and the two began the lengthy process of cleaning and fixing up the old parsonage.

For more than a decade, the parsonage had served as storage for annual church yard sales, and its rooms were packed to the brim with boxes of household items and goods, Madden said.

“It was a dump,” Madden said. “It was unbelievable.”

With the help of about 40 volunteers, they cleaned out the parsonage, re-painted its walls and rolled out new carpeting. They hired an electrician to install new light fixtures and a church member built new cabinets and cubbie holes.

Madden, a collector of books, already had dozens of reading materials, but the class needed more Christian-focused materials and activities, she said.

From the church budget, they purchased reading and literature workbooks from the Christian-based curriculum A Beka , and received dozens of donated items from other teachers and friends, Madden said.

“People have been so generous. It's overwhelming, it's just wonderful,” Madden said.

Most private and public schools in Oconee County offer full-day kindergarten classes, and some parents felt the half-day schedule would be a better fit for their children before they head off to elementary school, Madden said.

“It's really a great option for a lot of different reasons,” Madden said. “Some kids really master preschool, but may not really be socially and emotionally ready for a full day of kindergarten. For some kids, it's just hard for them to handle.

Abeka Academy VIDEO CLASSES comedy in honor of those who ...

I did those videos from 8-12 grade, and so did all my siblings. I can’t say I enjoyed them very much, but now looking back on those years from a college perspective, it’s hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, awesome job!

as far as favorites go? Mr. Duby for sure, and also the 10th or 11th grade English teacher, I can’t remember her name…Such funny funny times.

Fabulous job on this video, fellow a beka video student!

I pressed the wrong button. Anyways watching this video makes me realize how much I would miss it. I love the faces you get when you pause! And I agree with you William does rock! He’s been in my English class since 7th grade I’m in 10th now. How did you get the pictures to come out so clear? They are always blurry when I try to take one.

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