What sets us apart?
The Standifer Gap Seventh-day Adventist School (SGS) began operation in 1948 as a one room multiple grade school. Presently, it is a Kindergarten through Eighth Grade school that operates under the direction of Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Students enjoy the advantage of low teacher-student ratios providing individualized instruction in an inviting environment.
Our goal is to nurture within each student a personal relationship with Jesus that encompasses the value of each individual and enhances their academic, social, physical and spiritual maturity. For a peak into the core of Adventist Education Curriculum development, check out this website: Adventist Education - The Core Curriculum. If you would like to see a specific breakdown of what curriculum is used, you can go here: Curriculum by Grade Level.
Our goal is to develop Christians with wisdom, not just knowledge. So we’ve structured our academic program to put God first and we find that, like Adventist schools of all sizes across the country, this results in students who grow academically at a higher rate than their peers in other schools. It really is true that when we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Students in Adventist schools outperform. In a three-year study* of 51,000+ students in Adventist schools (kindergarten through high school), researchers documented that they outperformed the national average. At all grade levels. In schools of all sizes. And in all subjects.
Students in Adventist schools overachieve. Additionally, researchers compared student performance on standardized tests with what would be predicted based on their Cognitive Abilities Test scores, and found they performed above what would be predicted.
Students in Adventist schools gain even more with time. One of the most dramatic findings is that students who transferred to Adventist schools saw a marked improvement in test scores. Furthermore, the longer students are in Adventist schools, the better their achievements and abilities.
*The CognitiveGenesis Study, a project undertaken by La Sierra University and the North American Division Office of Education. For more details on this study, check out the Adventist Education website.
Loving and serving others is God’s design for life. And it's something we strive to practice daily. As we interact with each other here at school and as we practice service in our community, we are guided by Paul’s words, “Think first of others and be gentle; be loving, patiently working with each other to grow and mature.” (Ephesians 4:2) While we are not perfect, we are constantly aiming to be more Christ-like with each other and to serve our community. Come see how this influences our students with a visit to our campus.
Making healthy choices is a way of honoring our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). And plenty of research documents the importance of healthy bodies in developing healthy brains. So we include learning about taking care of our bodies with daily exercise, good sleep, healthy eating, and more. To see how we integrate wise lifestyle choices into our curricula, come visit our campus.
We exist to help students grow in their love for Jesus. While spiritual growth can’t be measured and quantified with numbers, we do see it happening every day. It starts with our commitment to making Christ the center of all we do––not just the subject of a single Bible class. And it continues through our focus on the Bible as the sole guide for our beliefs and behavior as Protestant Christians. Our Standifer Gap Church works closely with our school through weekly chapels, baptismal classes, Pathfinders, community service and student-led Sabbaths.
We invite you to visit our campus and experience how our teachers and staff model their love for God and nurture it in our students to grow academically, socially, physically and spiritually.