It was a shared year of growth, service, and excellence across South Central Conference schools.
The 2025–2026 school year will long be remembered as a significant milestone for South Central Conference schools, which serve students across Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida panhandle. Together, South Central schools, supported by principals, teachers, school boards, pastors, families, students, and the South Central Conference Office of Education, have faithfully advanced and sustained the nine driving initiatives established in 2023 as a shared expression of mission and ministry.
This achievement represents far more than organizational success. It reflects the collective faith, collaboration, and commitment of an educational community deeply invested in the mission of Adventist education and the holistic development of every child. Guided by the unifying motto “Christ, Character, Curriculum,” South Central schools experienced meaningful growth spiritually, academically, and emotionally throughout the year.
Christ at the Center: United in Discipleship and Leadership
Christ-centered learning remained the foundation of South Central schools. A powerful example of this shared commitment was the launch of the South Central Ambassadors Program, introduced during the annual STEAM Camp in October 2025. Of the 50 seventh-grade students representing South Central schools, more than 40 chose to serve as ambassadors for leading worship, prayer, and service initiatives in their schools and local churches.
By gathering students at the Conference level, South Central schools provide opportunities for deeper relationships, shared faith experiences, and a broader understanding of God’s Work beyond individual campuses.
This program is part of a Conference-wide middle school faith formation pathway that intentionally brings students together across South Central schools each year through shared spiritual experiences:
• Grade 6 – Outdoor School: Students experienced the theme “Soaked in the Spirit,” immersing themselves in God’s presence through nature and reflection.
• Grade 7 – STEAM Camp: Students explored “Rejoicing in the Overflow,” connecting faith with creativity, innovation, and God’s abundant design.
• Grade 8 – Mission Trip: Students lived out “In His Spirit: Empowered to Serve, Renewed to Go,” putting faith into action through meaningful service experiences.
Character in Action: Service, Social- Emotional Growth, and Belonging
A highlight of the year was the eighth-grade mission trip to Saint Croix, March 15-22, 2026, where 38 students and leaders from five South Central schools joined with a common purpose to serve as God’s hands and feet. Partnering with the North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, students served at Saint Croix Seventh-day Adventist School and Saint Croix Educational Complex High School under the theme “In His Spirit: Empowered to Serve, Renewed to Go.”
Students engaged in impactful service projects, including landscaping a 15-foot school sign, refurbishing a basketball court, and creating a wall of affirmations to encourage students daily. These acts of service reflected the compassion, teamwork, and excellence values intentionally cultivated across South Central schools.
Equally important was South Central schools’ intentional focus on social- emotional learning throughout the year. Counseling services were made available to support students in areas such as trauma-informed care, stress management, goal setting, improving social skills, self-advocacy, growth mindset development, and coping strategies. These student supports strengthened their emotional resilience, contributing to a positive school culture, and helping families feel supported and valued.
Curriculum Strengthened Through Collaboration and Innovation
South Central Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) continued to serve as a unifying instructional strategy across South Central schools. Through intentional collaboration, both vertically and horizontally, teachers sharpened their focus on prioritized standards, formative assessments, and interim data to guide instruction.
Grounded in collective inquiry and action-oriented planning, PLCs allowed educators to move beyond discussion into purposeful classroom implementation, strengthening instructional consistency, and coherence across all seven schools.
The shared use of The New Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano, further aligned instruction. Teachers identified professional growth goals, personalized strategies using real-time student data, and collaborated with colleagues across schools pursuing similar outcomes — fostering shared responsibility and instructional excellence.
Partnerships and Resources Expanding Student Opportunity
This year also highlighted the power of partnership. South Central schools continued collaborating with sister conferences and higher education institutions to expand learning opportunities and resources for students and educators alike. Key partnerships included the following:
• Southern Union – Technology pilot
• South Central Principals Retreat and Georgia-Cumberland Conference Teachers’ Convention
• Oakwood University – Provided camp counselors for STEAM Camp
• Southern Adventist University and Oakwood University – STEM professional development
Financial stewardship and external support strengthened this work. South Central received approval for a $37,000 Versacare Grant to continue expanding STEM opportunities for students. Over the past three years, more than $150,000 in grants and donations have been secured to support innovation and student-centered programming.
A Shared Commitment to
Excellence
South Central schools also continued their collective journey toward High Reliability Schools certification, prioritizing safe, supportive, and highly effective learning environments. Ongoing feedback from students, parents, teachers, and administrators now formalized through structured surveys has strengthened school culture and continuous improvement efforts.
This work reached an important milestone as FH Jenkins School became the first regional conference school to earn Level 1 High Reliability School certification, setting a standard of excellence, and serving as a model for schools across the Conference.
Moving Forward — Together
The accomplishments of the 2025-2026 school year stands as a testament to what South Central schools can achieve through faith-filled collaboration. When Christ is central, character is cultivated, and curriculum is strengthened through partnership and innovation, students thrive.
Together, South Central schools continue to build a legacy of Adventist education that nurtures minds, strengthens hearts, and prepares students for lives of service today and for eternity.
South Central | August 2026
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