Covington recently gained another fully-accredited educational center with rigorous academic standards. A Time 4 Learning, originally based in Porterdale has moved to the original Wal-Mart location next to Antiques & Stuff.
A Time 4 Learning spent four years in Porterdale’s Mill Lofts and grew from a small tutoring center to a K3-12 fully accredited non-traditional educational center through the Georgia Accrediting Commission. The school is family run by Glenn and Amanda McCullough.
Administrator Glenn McCullough said the school has grown from 30 students to more than 110 students, and the school leaders decided a change in name to Covington Academy was appropriate. The change will be official as of August 2010, but "A Time 4 Learning" will remain the school’s slogan.
"We encourage a family atmosphere and all of our teachers have their own children enrolled," he said.
Like many educational centers, McCullough said the Covington Academy offers a more advanced curriculum using ABeka, which also has Christian influences. He said the curriculum incorporates the reciting of Bible verses for children in the 2nd grade and below.
The school operates on the same school calendar as the Newton County School System.
The school also lists all daily homework assignments on the Web site, so parents can keep track. In addition the school uses software called Engrade, which allows teachers to notify parents by e-mail during class if their child has not turned in a homework assignment. The parents can then communicate with the teacher via e-mail or instant message.
"We enforce homework being completed. It’s our way of making sure kids don’t get behind," McCullough said.
Covington Academy doesn’t offer any sports but is planning to start an archery club. However, McCullough said the school is purposely focused on academics.
"We focus on academic field trips. We take big groups to Jekyll Island and have a science trip where we study crocodiles and snakes and research the marshes. We have another trip where we go to Washington D.C. and tour the museums and monuments," he said.
Covington Academy does offer other extracurricular activities like dance team and drama club. He said the new building has its own stage and computer lab and dodge ball court, which was left over from its day as the H2O youth center.
Tuition for the school is $300 per month. In addition, the school offers before and after school programs starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m., consisting of day care and tutoring services. Services for tutoring and high school credit recovery are open to all public and private school students. High school credits earned transfer back to all public schools. Covington Academy also offers night school classes for public high school students. Enrollment is still open for 2nd semester. The cost per class is $180.
Covington Academy will also again offer a summer school program. McCullough said last summer was a great success for all elementary, middle and high school students. He said students will be able to earn credits to make up for any classes they failed during the school year. All classes will be offered.
Finally, the school also participates in dual-enrollment with DeKalb Technical and Georgia Perimeter colleges, allowing students to take classes at those colleges and earn college credit, while still enrolled in high school.
Covington Academy is currently enrolling for the 2010-2011 school year.
For more information visit www.covingtonacademy.com or call (678) 625-9025.
