By Sandy Hodgson
Vista Ridge Academy is blessed with support from Boulder, Chapel Haven, and Twin Peaks Adventist churches. Our constituent churches are committed to helping their families desiring a Christian education to attend our school. Enrollment increased 25 percent last year due to our marketing and recruiting efforts with retention and new student enrollment. With the addition of three-year-olds in our preschool program, 70 percent of our preschool students are from our community while community families make up 38 percent of our students in the K–8 classrooms. We have learned that community families share similar faith values with us. When we give community families cam- pus tours, we are often asked what Seventh-day Adventists believe. Parents want to know how our beliefs align with their beliefs. We proudly share our central belief that “Jesus became human to save us, and through Him, we can begin again. He is preparing heaven for us and will return to take us there.” Many parents, showing relief, say they also believe this. We also share that we are part of a worldwide education program sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Parents learn that our Bible curriculum is implemented without apology and approached with the understanding that many of our students, Adventists included, may not be knowledgeable regarding the truths found in the Bible. These parents desire a Christian learning environment for their children and appreciate our approach to Christian education.
Community parents often reach out to our teachers about our Adventist faith, and often an invitation follows asking the parent to attend one of our Adventist churches. Through the years, several of our community families have become members of our church through ministry taking place at our school.
Some challenges we have encountered with community families has involved the aligning our Adventist beliefs with opportunities set forth by community parents. Whether there is a suggestion of serving alcohol or meat at an event or hosting events on Sabbath, we are committed to uphold- ing our Adventist beliefs and values in all our planning. We have found that once community parents learn more about our beliefs, they approach their planning differently and are respectful of our beliefs.
Another challenge for us is how to navigate the “us” (Adventist) versus “them” (Community) mentality. Our Fundamental Belief #14 states, “We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another.” Vista Ridge Academy provides Christ-centered elementary education for all students, both Adventist and community children. We know we can learn a lot from our community parents, so we have always been intentional about inviting all parents to help us with Home and School events and projects, marketing events, commit- tees, classroom activities, etc.
We want all our families to feel welcome at Vista Ridge Academy. From the first point of contact to enrollment and beyond, we focus on giving great customer service to all our families. This process involves phone calls and texting, emails, personal notes, campus tours and face-to-face meetings. During the first month of school, all families are invited to our Dedication Sabbath and Back to School Night. We also host a Welcome Breakfast for new families. We invite our constituent churches to these events to share their church ministry with the parents. This past summer, Boulder Adventist church invited families to attend Vacation Bible School, held at our school. Twin Peaks Adventist Church invited all our families to join their Adventurer and Pathfinder Club. This year, Parent Ambassadors are reaching out to new families to see how they are adjusting to having their children at Vista Ridge Academy. One Parent Ambassador is doing this by hosting a dessert night in their home for all the Pre–K and Kindergarten moms.
One of our community families said, “You’re one of the best secrets around.” Vista Ridge Academy is committed to letting our community in on the secret. We want our school to be the first choice for Christian education in the north Denver metropolitan area, creating strong students and community engagement and a reputation for excellence in academic achievement and personal growth.
To help make our vision a reality, we have put together a three-year marketing plan. To reach community families, we are participating in several events with the town of Erie and the Erie Chamber of Commerce. Some of these events include hosting Business After Hours and Meet the Candi- dates, having a booth at Erie Country Christmas, Erie Town Fair, Erie Block Parties and the Erie Miner’s Blast. This year, we are working with the Erie Community Food Bank by collecting personal care items and helping to create Thanksgiving baskets for local residents in need.
Vista Ridge Academy is excited to offer a Christian education to all families who desire one. We join the Rocky Mountain Conference in supporting and empowering all our families foremost to “know Christ and to make Him fully known.”
Sandy Hodgson is principal of Vista Ridge Academy. Email her at: [email protected]. Marsha Bartulec is vice principal and marketing director of Vista Ridge Academy. Email her at: [email protected]