When a 2nd grade student runs across the lunchroom to hug a 10th grader who’s walking to their next class, something extraordinary happens: Christ-centered community becomes a reality.
One of our priorities at New Life Academy is that our students would be surrounded by a strong, faith community that prepares them to be both faith-filled and future-ready. This is done through the support of teachers, staff, coaches, parents, and community members. Because New Life Academy is a preschool through Grade 12 school, we also get the unique opportunity to see this vision fulfilled through student relationships.
Our students have the chance to support one another across different grades and divisions. This emphasis on mentorship and relationship-building has lasting implications in our students’ lives. Through intentional programs and activities, students are equipped to support and encourage one another.
There are countless examples of how this takes shape in the day-to-day life of our school. In the classroom, our juniors and seniors have the opportunity to be Teacher Assistants. TAs dedicate one class period to helping a teacher with their workload and fostering connections with younger students. For many, this means developing relationships with younger students while being mentored by a teacher.
Another beloved tradition at New Life is our buddies program. Classes will partner up as buddies for the semester or full school year. The teachers plan fun activities to do together and pair up the older students with the younger ones. This allows for intentional relationship-building across different divisions. Our younger students feel an increased sense of belonging, and our older students get an opportunity to mentor, support, and pray for their buddy directly.
In the athletic space, we’ve begun a Junior Eagles program where JV and Varsity teams and coaches will host weekly camps for kindergarten through 5th grade students. This gives younger students early exposure to NLA athletics while empowering high school athletes to lead, coach, and model Christ-like character.
Another transformative opportunity for our students is at Camp Forest Springs (CFS). In the spring, the entire 6th-grade class travels to a Bible camp for three days of hands-on learning and spiritual formation. Each year, our juniors and seniors are eligible to apply to serve as counselors on this trip. While at CFS, they get to lead small group discussions with their cabin, share their testimonies, and worship and pray together.
One of my proudest moments was when I was a counselor for the 6th grade Camp Forest Springs trip. I was able to share my journey and relate with them on what they were going through. It was amazing to see their eyes light up and realize that God is there for them and that they have so much ahead of them in their life.
Class of 2025 Senior Counselor
Some other initiatives that foster mentorship and relationship-building at NLA include Prayer Pals, tutoring, 5th Grade Kindness Retreat, and a variety of clubs and extracurriculars.
New Life is more than a school. It is a community where mentorship is built in. Relationships between students and trusted adults, older peers, and staff offer the kind of everyday guidance that shapes both character and faith. Our desire is that students at New Life Academy are not just learning about the Bible, but that from preschool all the way through 12th Grade, our student-body would be equipped to live out Christ-centered community.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Through programs, activities, and organic interactions, our students are developing purposeful, Christ-centered relationships that have eternal impact. This is the heartbeat of New Life Academy.