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School offers special touch

Anxious kids and teary-eyed parents can find peace and community on the first day of school at Indian Rocks Christian School.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published August 12, 2006

LARGO - The doughnuts were laid out on the table, some jelly-filled, some sugared. All smelled heavenly.

Toward the back of the cafe, coffee was being served from a cart with an awning on top.

Groups of adults sat around round tables drinking, eating and chatting.

If scones had been served, one could have confused the scene with a typical morning at Starbucks, except for a couple of, well, minor details.

For one, there was the pastor who was gently handing out boxes of tissue to weeping moms.

And there were the tiny preschoolers wearing giant backpacks and clutching cherished stuffed animals roaming the room looking a tad anxious.

It was back-to-school day Wednesday at Indian Rocks Christian Schools.

Instead of parents simply dropping their kids off at the car line, administrators invited them in for breakfast.

They made an event of it.

"It's a great way to reconnect with parents and realize that we're all going through the same things, shopping for school supplies and uniforms and getting the children back on schedule," said Dawn Lafferty who, along with her husband, Steve Lafferty, were dropping their 7-year-old daughter Christiana off to start the second grade.

The school has been hosting the event for the past four or five years, according to superintendent Don Mayes, and parents "have come to expect and like it."

Founded in 1984 by Dr. Max Gessner as a ministry of First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, the 50-acre campus is on Ulmerton Road in Largo.

Over the years, enrollment has grown from 42 students to 950 children from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

Not all the students are Baptist.

"We have kids from 130 (local) churches and 13 different denominations - Catholic, Episcopalian and some people who don't go to church at all," Mayes said.

He said the school stresses not only academic excellence, but the spiritual and moral growth of the children.

Each student attends a daily Bible class and weekly chapel services.

Additionally, they are required to participate in community service.

Tuition ranges from $5,000 to $6,000.

"We are providing an affordable, quality education," said Brian Heeren, chairman of the school's finance committee, whose children, Preston, 10, and Lincoln, 6, attend the school.

"We really are trying to build character in these kids. Out of 53 that graduated last year, 52 went to the college of their choice. The one who did not (enroll in a university) entered the military."

Max "Sonny" Gessner, the founder's son, has three children enrolled at the school, Brendan, 14, Chad, 12, and Amber, 8.

He said he is proud of the fact the school has grown in attendance every year.

"The kids can come here and get a quality education," Gessner said.

"You can pray here. We trust God. We don't shove religion down their throats, (but) religion is taught. But sometimes the best lessons in life are not taught, they are caught."

For example, he said that if a teacher knows a child has had a tough week, he or she will take the time to talk to the child.

"We care about the kids here," Gessner said.

Eileen Schulte can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 12, 2006, 07:20:14]