About Sparta Christian Academy
Leadership
John Stover
Owner/Founder
Our Mission
Sparta Christian Academy is dedicated to the spiritual, mental, social, and physical development of all our students.
Our mission is to provide a safe nurturing Christian educational environment where an individualized approach is strengthened through prayers and God’s word.
Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Our Philosophy
Sparta Christian Academy staff believes that students learn through personal involvement and active engagement with people, places, things, and ideas. Hands-on exploration, interaction, dialogue with peers and adults, and reflection can lead to a student’s construction of knowledge. Learning, beginning at the earliest age, is a process that encourages children to play with, practice, connect, synthesize and apply new understandings. Ownership and choice are key elements in maximizing students’ learning potential.
At Sparta Christian Academy, we use the award winning Abeka curriculum.
The core academic classes at Sparta Christian Academy are: Science, Mathematics, Language Arts (Reading, phonics, grammar, and spelling) and Social Studies, with a touch of Technology and Engineering, which is a root of our foundation. Each grade is equipped with a state-of-the-art Smart Board which helps to enhance these skills. Our award winning Abeka curriculum is faith based so we also include Bible studies and chapel once a week. Cursive writing is another skill implemented in kindergarten, which is part of ABeka’s unique, high standards.
Sparta Christian Academy will provide an environment where faculty, staff and students will grow “…in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). This is our mission statement: through a Christian education, students will not only learn about the world around them, but will also cultivate a deep and lasting relationship with God.
The goal of any school is to educate children about life, the world, and their purpose in it. Christian education seeks to teach children about the world God created, how our faith is woven into each area of learning, and how to find purpose and meaning through God’s Will for our life. We believe that only through an understanding of God, His Word, and His works, can we know Truth and show His love to those around us.
A Christian education is not just having a Bible/religion class in addition to normal classes, but an integration of a biblical worldview into every area of study. In a science class, students may learn about how God’s handiwork is seen in the natural laws and design of the world; in physical education, they may learn about setting a Christ-like example both on and off the field. Through these experiences, students learn that following God is not limited to one area of life.
Consider this example: for most families, church is once a week. As a result, we can unknowingly infer that we only learn about God once a week. With a Christian education, children learn that God does not only exist on Sunday, but is constantly at work in the world each day. A Christian school seeks to build on what is taught at church and in the home. Building a faith that exists outside of the church and home is essential to establishing a deep and mature spiritual foundation later in life. We strive to kindle a desire in students to learn about God and the Bible, preparing them to follow Christ after they leave school.
About John Stover
Our founder, John Stover, started Sparta Christian Academy with a single goal: to instill in children a love of learning that never goes away, equipping each child for future success. John is a twenty-year veteran of healthcare and nonprofit management. He is also a volunteer in the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program. Sparta Christian Academy combines these two passions, operational excellence and caregiving, to create a unique educational environment.
John has a true passion for helping people. After getting an undergraduate degree in Long-term Care Administration and an MBA from UCF he spent 17 years managing nursing homes, helping to make a difference in the lives of our frail elderly neighbors. Soon he moved up the corporate ladder and began to realize that he was getting more and more removed from the people he wanted to care for. During one particularly long board meeting John realized there had to be more to life than boardroom politics so he decided to exit the corporate world and buy a business. Preschools were the perfect fit as they allowed him to take care of people and make a positive impact on their lives.
John also volunteers his time as a guardian ad litem for the family courts. When children have been removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect he spends time with the children and becomes their voice in the courtroom advocating for their wants and needs. And as a pilot he also volunteers with his local flying club to support the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles outreach program providing free flights to children in hopes of incubating an early love for aviation.
With three children to keep him busy John is always on the move. His two older sons attend schools in north Georgia and Chattanooga and his 9-year-old daughter is in elementary school. But no matter how busy he is he loves to hear from the parents in the preschools. You will often find him in work clothes turning a wrench to fix a leaky drain under a classroom sink or changing a burned out light bulb. He will always make time to chat with a parent, usually because their children have said, “There’s Uncle John” and pulled their parent over to say hi as they are leaving for the day.
About Elise Caballero
Philosophy of Christian Education
Teaching is an immense privilege for me, not only because I get to help children learn and grow in all areas, but as a Christian educator in a Christian school, I am able to impart that knowledge and all of those learning experiences through the lens of God and His love for each of us and the amazing world He has created. I pray that the students’ hearts and minds will be filled with the knowledge of the God who created them, loves them and desires a relationship with them.
Testimony & Biography
While I attended a private school for 13 years, I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. I thought that I was “good” and that somehow my private education and knowledge would be all I ever needed. It was not until 2014 when I attended my first encounter with Jesus at a small church in Pittsville, MD located far north on the Eastern Shore that my life was drastically changed. The scales fell from my eyes as I experienced God in a way like never before. God’s word was alive and revealed that I was a sinner saved only by His amazing gift of grace. What Love! Many years down the road from that day, I find myself continually grateful for that gift, always growing in the Lord, and sharing His love with those around me.
Additional Info
Mrs. Caballero is very familiar and knowledgeable with the Abeka curriculum. Her dedication to education both in the classroom and in ministry have been the foundation and drives her passion for Christian education. She has been married since 2011 and is the mother to five beautiful children. Since being radically saved in 2014 she has dedicated all areas of her life to Christ. She currently serves in many areas on the leadership team at her church, specifically overseeing the youth and children’s ministry.
Mrs. Caballero is so excited to be a part of Sparta Christian Academy’s charter year. She enthusiastically has come along side owner John Stover’s vision to see Christian Academy, grow into the heart of Christian education in Sparta, Florida.