By Julie Washburn Souza
Christian Fellowship Academy of Warner Robins had its roots as a home school tutoring program in the late 90’s. The school is an outreach of Christian Fellowship Church. Pastor Harvey Bee and his wife Dr. Veronica Bee had been home schooling their own two children for three years when they decided to start a tutoring program for other home schooling families.
At that time, Dr. Bee spoke with many parents in the church and community who wanted their children to have a Christian-based education. Not everyone was able to take on the serious task of home schooling, however, and Dr. Bee started researching options for a community home school.
After months of research, Dr. Bee opened a tutoring program for home school students. The school was in compliance with the requirements of the state of Georgia and was the first of its kind to be instituted in the state. The school started with forty students and a staff consisting of four teachers and one administrator. As they developed, the name was changed to Christian Fellowship Home School.
The home school program met in the Christian Fellowship Church building and started with children in grades K-5 through sixth, but Dr. Bee added additional grades as needed. More and more parents and students became interested in getting a Christian education, and eventually, the tutoring program evolved into an accredited private school.
On February 23, 2001, the school became an accredited institution by the Accrediting Commission for Independent Study. During this same year they also implemented a K-4 program. Christian Fellowship now has about 118 students and enrolls students in grades K-4 through twelfth. As an extension of Christian Fellowship Church, the Academy still currently conducts classes in the 14 classrooms located within the church building at 621 Walnut Street in Warner Robins, right across from Robins Air Force Base.
Plans are underway to expand, though, and the church and school are currently in a building campaign to erect a $10 million dollar, 90,000 sq. ft. school. The new facility will include a state-of-the art gym, science and computer lab, library, music room, and twenty-five classrooms. The school is presently in the development stage with their architectural plans.
The vision of Christian Fellowship Church is to find and meet needs in Warner Robins and the middle Georgia community and to teach and reach out to families. Christian Fellowship Academy shares the church vision. Their educational philosophy is shaped by the Bible, which they believe to be the infallible word of God. A favorite scripture at the school is Proverbs 22:6 which says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The school mission focuses on the training and disciplining of children and the maintenance of standards of excellence. The staff strives to aid in the development of competent, confident children with a life-long passion for learning. Dr. Bee hopes that children coming through the school will become successful contributors to society and will also be well prepared for the calling God has on their lives.
The school uses A Beka Curriculum for all grade levels, but incorporates Saxon Math for the middle and high school levels. All students are also required to take physical education, Spanish, and to receive training in information technology.
The athletics program at the school includes a basketball team and cheerleading squad through the local intramural basketball program. For the first time this year, under the leadership of the school’s student council, students can participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities including drama, Spanish, book, video game, art, and booster clubs. The senior class has also organized a Big Brother, Big Sister program to help with tutoring the elementary students as well as visiting with the elderly in a local senior assisted living facility.
School staff consists of 14 teachers who are highly passionate about their “calling” to teach young people. Dr. Yvette Brown, the school’s administrator, often says that there is no greater joy in life than to help instill knowledge and impart Godly values into the minds of young people.
Although she began in education by simply teaching her own children, school founder Dr. Bee has developed a lifelong passion for teaching and guiding all children. She takes her new responsibility very seriously.
“Children are my passion,” Dr. Bee says. “To teach and administrate to this younger generation is a phenomenal calling, as well as a challenge. We teach discipline, character, spirituality, values, as well as academics requirements. I believe that we must be gifted to teach such absorbent minds.” #
Christian Fellowship Academy
621 Walnut St
Warner Robins, GA 31093
478/975-0808