“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14
A good education is foundational to the development of young kids. The classroom provides an unmatched opportunity to develop social, emotional, and academic skills. Educating in a Christ-centered environment adds another level of expectation and opportunity. We understand that the Lord has purposefully and uniquely created each individual student. Our teachers are incredibly intentional about loving, valuing, and knowing each of their students and setting them up for success through the education they receive. Just as each student is created with different gifts and passions, each student also learns differently. For some students in Lower School, setting them up for academic success means providing additional support.
In 2017, New Life Academy hired Mrs. Stevenson as a Lower School Intervention Specialist. This year, Mrs. Bade was hired in the same role. This support has allowed us to extend more opportunities to students in Lower School to develop their reading and math skills. Studies show that when students are able to excel in reading and math early, they tend to do better in school later on. Having two skilled, compassionate individuals to teach these subjects not only helps set our young learners up for future success but also helps our whole community thrive.
I am so appreciative of Mrs. Bade’s presence on the Lower School team at New Life Academy this year. Her welcoming attitude, coupled with her expertise in special education, has seamlessly enhanced our intervention program, enabling us to better address the diverse learning needs of our students.”
Dan Palkki, Lower School Principal
Bade shared, “As the reading and math intervention specialists, Lydia and I work together to support teachers by suggesting interventions to incorporate in their classrooms to help differentiate teaching for students who are struggling. We also work individually or with groups of students outside the classroom for more focused work on specific skills.”
Bade has spent the last eight years working in the public school setting. The shift to New Life has been a big change for her. She explained, “I love love love being surrounded by faith-filled, Jesus-loving coworkers who share a Biblical worldview; being able to openly express my love for Jesus is very refreshing.”
Each day, Mrs. Bade gets to work individually with students to foster what she refers to as a light bulb moment.
“I love that light bulb moment when students figure something out and realize that, with perseverance, they can do hard things. When students feel discouraged because they aren’t understanding something, I try to remind them that they might not understand it yet but they will if they keep asking questions,” shared Bade.
She explained that a strategy or explanation that works for one student doesn’t necessarily work for another. Rather than letting that become discouraging for students, she uses it as an opportunity to discuss how God has created us differently. By His intricate design, our minds can work in different ways.
As NLA continues to grow, our mission remains the same: to educate students and help them flourish in a Christ-centered environment where they are known, loved, and valued. Mrs. Bade and Mrs. Stevenson’s intentionality and heart for students’ learning are key to making sure this is true for every student.
“I hope in some small way, I’m able to help students see the treasure they are to Jesus, how fearfully and wonderfully He made them, and that He has a specific plan and purpose for them,” Bade stated.