It was an exciting first day of school for the families of Great Hearts Christos at Redemption Alhambra. The campus was full of laughter and life as parents walked their children to their classes. Dr. Toyin Atolagbe, Executive Director of Great Hearts Christos – the new Christian private school arm of the Great Hearts network, and her staff were on hand to greet the new families as they made their way through the campus. After a lot of hugs and a few tears (mostly from the parents), young scholars began settling into their desks. Redemption Alhambra Staff Pastor Miguel Perez was so happy to see the church campus full of children. “To hear [Dr. Atolagbe] talk about God, talk about love, and talk about hope in the school environment… there’s no way you can put a price on that,” he said.
But this is not the first time the campus at 19th Avenue and Glenrosa has been home to a school. Martin Luther Academy was a private Christian school that operated in the facility for decades before closing several years ago. Great Hearts Christos, in partnership with Redemption Alhambra, has taken great care in restoring the traditional classrooms and school environment back to their original purpose – to house private Christian instruction for the children of this community.
Great Hearts Co-Founder, Dr. Daniel Scoggin believes most families from North Central Phoenix to the West Valley will find the school centrally located. “Our K-5 academy has a beautiful gym with the most beautiful wood floors. We have large classrooms with tons of light and a beautiful field.”
What really makes Great Hearts Christos at Redemption Alhambra and Great Hearts Christos at Evident Lifein Gilbert truly special is the combination of the best of Great Hearts academically with a nurturing Christian culture. That, along with the intentionally small class sizes with a small student to teacher ratio makes Great Hearts Christos a treasure for families looking for the best education for their children.
Scoggin and the Great Hearts Christos team takes safety very seriously. “We have full time security here on this campus, so your students will be safe here physically, but they’ll also be safe intellectually and morally because of this wonderful educational experience,” said Scoggin.
Christos uses the time-tested Great Hearts classical curriculum with music, art, and physical education with the addition of daily chapel and scripture classes. “Even though it’s a small school, they still receive that same well-rounded Great Hearts experience,” said Scoggin.
After students were dropped to their classrooms to get settled and meet their teachers, they filed into their first opening Chapel in the sanctuary of the church, where they sang together, prayed together, and began the school year around the Christos Core Virtues as well as their memory verse for the year:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8
Even though school has started, Christos is still enrolling students for both campuses for the next several weeks. Scoggin and Atolagbe would like to invite anyone interested in Great Hearts Christos to take a tour. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet our leadership team and see the classrooms,” said Scoggin. “We’re giving tours frequently here in the first week or two of school and the great thing is that Christos is affordable for every family because there’s the Empowerment Scholarship Account [ESA] that covers most of the tuition.” And thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor, the difference will be covered for Alhambra students. “Essentially, you can receive a private Great Hearts Christian education with small classes and experienced teachers at no cost. The best opportunity in the country to receive an incredible Christian classical education,” said Scoggin.
Pastor Perez, who walked his kindergartener into his first classroom at Christos today, expressed his gratitude for new school. “For me personally, as someone who has grown up here and at this church for 21 years, this is something that we’ve always prayed for and to see it happening in a community like ours and in a family like ours, here at our church… To see you guys nourish them and love them well… This is a big deal for our community this a big deal for our church.”
To schedule a campus tour at Redemption Alhambra, go to https://christos.greatheartsamerica.org/redemption-alhambra/tour/
To schedule a campus tour at Evident Life, go to https://christos.greatheartsamerica.org/evident-life/tour/
Christos Academies are a separate, faith-based, non-profit, private school arm of the Great Hearts organization committed to creating and offering the best ecumenical Christian academies in the country. Because they are private schools, the Christos Academies’ programs can, and do, integrate Christ-centered faith formation along with the proven classical model that has made Great Hearts academies the national leader in classical education.
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