June 1, 2023
Today we are bringing you stories from Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy (PHAA) and San Fernando Valley Academy Child Development Center (SFVACDC) in California. PHAA celebrated the heritage of their staff and student body. Meanwhile, SFVACDC’s students have been busy learning and growing this school year!
Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy
Celebrating PHAA’s Culture and Diversity
The PHAA family spent this school year celebrating the history, heritage, and roots of their student body. While there are many culturally different K-12 student bodies in Northern California, Pleasant Hill also takes special pride in its diverse faculty. A recent visiting prospective parent commented, “This is wonderful. You don’t see this everywhere.”
To shine the spotlight on “every flower in God’s human garden,” four Family Heritage Festivals were held. On four selected Saturday nights, the PHAA family came together to honor a specified heritage: Hispanic, African, European, and Asian-Pacific Islander/Native American. Many attendees wore appropriate garb. A gigantic potluck of food from the region was served in a theme-decorated hall. Student posters and artwork were on display, highlighting important stories and citizens.
The full concert of representative music presented by the music department was the delightful highlight of each festival. Food, fellowship, fun, and family were a foretaste of heaven and elevated the unity in diversity on earth that is PHAA.
San Fernando Valley Academy Child Development Center
A Busy and Fun Year at SFVACDC
The children at SFVACDC have had an incredible year full of activities and outreach! Linked with the “Pebbles” curriculum, the preschoolers have made care packages for the homeless and for the troops, visited senior citizen centers to sing, collected food for Thanksgiving baskets, and so much more!
Additionally, these kids have a great time learning about things like plants and dental health, and they look forward to Reading Pals. Reading Pals is a great program in which the preschoolers are paired with older students, and they spend time reading their favorite books together.
Early childhood education plays a vital role in a child's overall development by providing a strong foundation for future learning and success. Investing in early childhood education helps to nurture cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, shaping children into well-rounded individuals. Adventist education believes in partnering with parents to support the growth and development of children, and SFVACDC is a perfect example of this in action!
