Windswept
Academy will open
West River Eagle
Vol. 99, No. 19, Thursday, May 7,
2009
First
Baptist Church of Eagle Butte will open its facilities in September to
Windswept Academy, a non-denominational Christian school offering classes for
children in grades K-2.
The
church’s popular summer vacation Bible school and basketball camp programs,
directed by volunteers from VA, MD and AR for the past ten years, have served
as a springboard for further ideas to provide year-round Christian education to
the community. With the initiative of
many of these dedicated volunteers and the support of people around the
country, Windswept Academy will offer a balance between classical and
vocational education, creating a Biblically-directed learning environment where
children will receive Christ-centered, nurturing instruction.
“We
intend that all children who attend our Academy will grow up proud of their
common heritage as United States citizens and knowledgeable about their
respective cultural backgrounds,” says Anne Konur, President of Windswept
Academy.
Unique
to the Academy’s goals is its emphasis on teaching Lakota language and culture
beginning at the kindergarten level and continuing through all grades as the
program grows. The Christian curriculum
will include a generous selection of history, arts and crafts, as well as
elements of basic Native American culture.
Beginning
in 2010, the Academy plans to add one grade per year and culminate with grade
12 in 2019. Classes this year are
expected to consist of ten students in each grade level for a total of thirty
children at First Baptist Church, and will move to a larger facility next year
once the campus is constructed on Windswept Academy’s 25 acres of land located
four miles west of Eagle Butte on Hwy 212.
Darla
Shupick, director of Noah’s Ark Learning Center in Eagle Butte, is enthusiastic
about the new project, feeling that the school will reinforce Christian values
she teaches to her preschoolers and provide a seamless context where they can
thrive under attentive, faith-based supervision.
“My
kids have nowhere to go,” Shupick says.
With the closest Christian school more than 40 miles away in Cherry
Creek, many of Shupick’s parents have expressed an interest in the possibility
of having a local Christian alternative for their child’s education.
Registration
for enrollment begins Monday, June 1 and continues through Friday, June 5. Parents of prospective students can visit
First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte between 1 and 5 p.m. on these dates to
receive an application and inquire about the program.
Windswept
Academy achieved tax-exempt status under the provisions of the US Internal
Revenue Code and is a charitable 501 (c) organization incorporated in both
South Dakota and Virginia. The Academy
exists to provide students with the qualifications to successfully seek out
higher education as they may choose, instilling youth with the living hope that
they will be able to improve their lives and the lives of others around them. For more information or to offer comments,
suggestions or financial contributions, please contact Anne Konur, 605-964-7600
or 605-200-0757. Email: akwindswept@aol.com: internet address: www.windsweptacademy.org.