Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Hammack.
Hi Gloria, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
God blessed me with 39 magnificent years in public education. Twenty-four of those years I served as a principal and 4 years as an assistant principal. I was given the opportunity to open two new schools in New Caney ISD – Kings Manor Elementary in 2002 and Valley Ranch Elementary in 2006. I retired from public education in 2010 to stay home and play with my grandchildren. Still, something was not quite right in my life. My family and I were members at Spring Baptist Church. At that time, the church had a small academy serving children from Pre-K through 2nd grade. The Academy was similar to the University Model School where students attend classes with their peers on Tuesday-Thursday and then parents partner with the teachers for Satellite Instruction on Mondays and Fridays. My grandchildren attended the school and had a wonderful experience.
In 2015, a director was needed for Spring Baptist Academy. I was by no means an expert in Christian Education, but with God’s help, I would give it my best effort. After much prayer, I quickly realized I didn’t know what I didn’t know. So, I attended Kingdom Education Institute in Plano. My view of education completely changed! God’s plan for my life grew to helping children come to know Jesus as their Savior and ensure they could share and defend their faith, as well as learn academic curriculum from a biblical worldview. We are presently working to become an accredited Kingdom Education School through the National Alliance of Christian Schools (NACS).
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have been some hard times, but through prayer and dependence on our Father God, we have continued to grow and serve the precious families of Spring Baptist Academy. In 2021-2022, the school was blessed with 70 more students than in the previous school year. A record 251 students currently attend The Academy. Parents love being so involved with their child’s education and knowing that what they are learning is based on God’s word.
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 hit SBA hard. Eight SBA families lost or had serious damage to their homes. Our staff and families jumped in to provide lunches for the children each day. There was an outpouring of love for these children from toys to clothes, school supplies, or anything they needed to return their lives to pre-hurricane status. SBA stepped in as the hands and feet of Jesus to ensure our families felt loved and supported.
During the 2019-2020 school year, COVID-19 became a huge issue. After Spring Break, our students were unable to return to school in an abundance of caution. Our teachers once again rolled up their sleeves and prepared two weeks at a time of homework (similar to satellite instruction) through the end of the school year. Teachers were available on zoom throughout the day, and they produced instructional videos for students to reference as needed. Curriculum packets and necessary materials were picked up in a drive-through manner every two weeks and completed work was turned in as well. Parents were excellent at completing satellite instruction and were outstanding partners with SBA. In an effort to maintain the highest level of normalcy for the students, our praise and worship for chapel was streamed for all students as was announcements for events such as student birthdays. God always provided a way for our Kingdom School vision to be realized.
The 2020-2021 school year began in August with modified protocols in place. Parents agreed to take their student’s temperature before dropping them at school. We were notified if a family had a positive case in their home and they were required to self-quarantine according to the appropriate CDC guidelines in place at that time. Families were allowed the freedom to choose whether or not it was appropriate for their child to wear a mask while at school. Distancing was implemented in the classroom and throughout the building. Spring Baptist Church provided extra cleaning, pastoral support, and encouragement to all of our families. What a blessing to see the church, school, and home working in partnership for the uninterrupted education of God’s precious children.
Contact Info:
- Email: ghammack@springbaptistacademy.org
- Website: www.springbaptistacademy.org
