Rose J. Thomas, Ph.D.
Rose J. Thomas, Ph.D.
As autumn ushers in a new school year, it is worth pausing to reflect on the accomplishments of this past summer. While students enjoyed their well- deserved vacations, Adventist school leaders and administrators across the North American Division (NAD) were hard at work preparing new and updated resources to support both teachers and learners in the coming year.
In summer 2025, the North American Division Office of Education convened a series of committees at Escondido Adventist Academy in California. These groups collaborated to address diverse needs across the field: developing new instructional tools such as mathematics units designed for multigrade classrooms, revising and refining existing resources such as the Multigrade Lifeline Handbook, and carefully vetting potential new science materials. Each effort was guided by the shared goal of equipping teachers with high-quality, practical resources that elevate learning in Adventist schools.
While these committees met in California, another group gathered at the Southern Union Conference Office in Peachtree Corners, Ga., to bring to completion a long-anticipated project: the BRIDGE resource.
BRIDGE: Building Resources for Instructional Delivery of GREAT Education
The BRIDGE initiative, a K-2 English Language Arts (ELA) resource, was created to meet the unique needs of teachers in multigrade classrooms. Traditionally, educators faced the daunting task of juggling three separate curricula: kindergarten Stepping Stones, first grade Pathways, and second grade Pathways to meet the literacy needs of students in the same classroom. BRIDGE offers a unified, differentiated resource, allowing teachers to focus on a single, standards-based plan for all students in K-2 multigrade settings.
This project began years ago under the vision of leaders such as Debra Fryson and Diane Ruff (Southern Union) and Mayra Rodriguez (Florida Conference), who recognized the urgent need for a more streamlined approach. Fryson, Ruff, and Rodriguez guided the initial phase of BRIDGE before their retirement. Subsequent phases were completed under the leadership of Rose J. Thomas, Ph.D., who, along with a dedicated team of educators — Tara Bailey, Natalie Griffin-Burton, and Debra Schonert — brought the project to its full realization. Thomas reflects on this work as both a privilege and a continuation of the vision cast by her predecessors.
A Legacy for the Present and Future
The K-2 BRIDGE resource exemplifies the strength of collaboration across the Adventist education system. It not only provides a seamless, time-efficient approach to literacy instruction, but also ensures equity of access: resources are available free of charge to every K-2 teacher across the NAD.
Educators interested in accessing BRIDGE may visit the following:
• Southern Union Office of Education, https://www.adventistedge.com/elementary/curriculum-instruction/
• North American Division Office of Education, https://curriculum.adventisteducation.org/orders.html
Through projects like these, Adventist education continues to honor its legacy while meeting the evolving needs of teachers and students today.
Southern Union | November 2025
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