With a snip of the scissors to a ceremonial ribbon, Colonial Baptist Church commenced the first day at their brand new school.  On the morning of Sept. 3, parents, church officials and school administrators gathered at the building in the 9400 block of Liberty Road in Randallstown to ring the first of many school bells at the site.

     Lisa Smith, former director of children’s ministries, has been named principal for Colonial Academy.

     “We started this because the pastor indicated his desire to have a school here,” Smith said.  “We want to be a place that trains children and equips them to live responsible lives outside of the church.”

     With a few more than 40 children from all over Randallstown, Pikesville and Owings Mills, Smith said the school will start out with kindergarten, first- and second-grade classes and then add a grade each year.

     “We plan to grow with the children as they grow,” she said.

     Future building will take place on land in the back of the church, where Smith said the church plans to eventually build a middle and high school.

     Three full-time teachers and six part-time teachers will lead the children this year in language, arts, math, social studies, science, health, Bible classes and technology classes.

     The school will also offer an extended day program and have children attend chapel once a week.

     Aloha Edwards, a first-grade teacher at the school, said she has wanted to teach in a Christian setting for some time.  Prior, she taught at Hebbville Elementary for five and a half years.

     “I felt like I was being led to take this position,” Edwards said, noting that she was impressed by all the resources the school offers children, from technology to multiculturalism.

     “We’re embarking on a new adventure but we’ll be able to teach a strong curriculum and we’ll be able to talk about God,” she said.

     Parent Dreama Anderson, of Randallstown, said that inclusion of Christian beliefs in the curriculum was exactly what drew her to the school.  Her daughter Danielle is in the second grade at Colonial Baptist.

     “Danielle is definitely excited,” Anderson said.  “It’s the ministry of our church and I wanted to support it.”

Brenda Proper, also a teacher at Colonial Baptist, said she is looking forward to teaching a spiritual and academically challenging curriculum.

     “The families are supportive of the teacher and the school.  It’s a real integration,” said Proper, who was formerly a teacher at Morning Christian School in Hampstead.

     “I want to start to get to know them and the children and to teach them,” she said.  “I can’t wait.”