Kindergarten…that special time in life when a child starts their formal education. What a critical year for children. Mt. Bethel Christian Academy would like to invite you to visit with our Kindergarten teachers to see first-hand why MBCA is such a special school.  We think you’ll like what you see!

Before you know it, 4 and 5 year old preschool students will be opening a new chapter in life….Kindergarten.  So what’s it like at the “Big School?” Mt. Bethel UMC preschool students had the opportunity this past week to experience it first-hand.

Miss Margie, Miss Rosalyn, Miss Karen, and Miss Dee brought their preschool classes over to the Academy to visit the library.  Our own Miss Kitty read them a story and helped them complete a snowman craft before heading back to the preschool.  All preschool visitors left with a souvenir bookmark that read “I Visited the MBCA Library.”  What a delight it was to have these precious children visit with us.

Dear Parents:

We are honored to be chairing this year’s Fund for Excellence campaign.  We love Mt. Bethel and believe in its message, purpose, and mission.  We, along with all of you, have had the opportunity to see the growth of our beloved school and the development and success of our  children.We feel Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is a gift to us and are so thankful to have the opportunity for our child to attend.  We ask a lot from our school: educate my child, keep him safe, help develop his character and his relationship with Jesus, and prepare him to lead and be successful for life outside of and beyond MBCA.  It seems that the next step after making such a large request would be to ask, “What can I do to help the school achieve these goals?”The Fund for Excellence, Mt. Bethel Christian’s annual giving campaign, is in place for you to offer your help in the form of a financial contribution.  By participating in the FFE you are demonstrating your support of the unique mission of our school: to equip elementary and middle school students with the academic skills and spiritual grounding they need to enter the area’s most rigorous high schools and be a Christ-centered leader for the next generation.

We ask that you join us in the campaign to meet our FFE goals for the 2011-2012 school year.  Tuition covers around 95% of the cost to run the school.  Outside of raising tuition to compensate for the gap between revenue and the cost to sustain and grow the school, annual giving in the form of tax deductable contributions is the only way to make up the difference.  In past years, you may not have been able to contribute to the annual fund, or perhaps felt that the small amount that you could contribute would not be enough to make a difference.  It does!  Every donation is critical to, not only the Academy’s ability to achieve growth, but also the ability to secure contributions from charitable foundations who evaluate our participation rate as a barometer of success.  A high participation rate demonstrates to charitable foundations that Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is indeed worthy of their support. The success of the FFE is what can take MBCA from a great school to a phenomenal school.

The FFE goal for this year is $360,000. These funds are vitally important if we are to continue the progress made with last year’s successful campaign.  Your participation will support continued expansion of our unrivaled technology program, fund faculty and staff professional development grants, provide financial assistance to deserving families who may be facing short-term need, and continue to provide the faculty with the necessary instructional tools to deliver a quality education to our children.

Recently, our middle school students were asked to select our theme verse for this year.  The verse they chose, (“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15), spoke so clearly to us.  Particularly the last three words: “And be thankful.”  We are thankful for Mt. Bethel Christian Academy.  We are thankful for our son’s teachers who show such dedication and passion for their calling.  We are thankful for a Head of School that can lead the faculty and provide a great example to our children.  We are thankful that our son hears God’s word every day in class and is encouraged to live his life with a heart for Christ.  We are thankful for the overflowing acceptance of the returning families that welcomed us when we first came to MBCA in 2009.  And we are thankful for the friends and relationships we have made with all the Mt. Bethel Christian families that share our desire to send our children to a school that seeks not only to excel in rigorous academics but does so in a Christ-centered environment.

We are asking you to help us nurture a culture of giving and continue the growth and development of MBCA.  Whether you have given before or not, your child is directly benefiting from the generosity of those who have given in the past.  Please prayerfully consider making a contribution to the Fund for Excellence this year so that your child, along with future students, can achieve all that God has in store for them.

Blessings,
Greg and Kelye Avitabile

The kindergarten program at Mt. Bethel is characterized by small classes where each child is known and loved as an image bearer of Christ. With a maximum of 18 students per class and a full-time assistant teacher in every classroom, they are able to devote the kind of individualized attention to each child that is simply not possible in a typical school. The 9:1 adult to child ratio makes for learning that is more effective, more enjoyable and more personal. The Mt. Bethel Christian Academy kindergarten faculty delight in partnering closely with parents, many of whom are guiding their firstborn in his/her first school experience. These expert faculty know from many years of experience that an abundance of communication is key to a successful partnership. With teacher and parent working together, a Mt. Bethel kindergartner is confident, content and moves quickly towards the independence all children need for success in school and in life. To learn how your child can benefit from the Mt. Bethel experience, contact Rhea Adkins, Director of Admission at (770) 971-0245, or at rhea.adkins@mtbethel. org. Limited spaces still remain for the 2012-2013 year.