NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Marja Leena Turner, right, welcomes students into the new K-8 Tama-Toledo Christian School at 600 Oswego St. in Tama during a “Take Flight” back to school night held last Thursday. Classes at TTCS officially started on Monday.

A new era in local education began on Monday as the South Tama County Middle School officially opened to students and staff on the former Iowa Juvenile Home campus, and the newly established, nondenominational Tama-Toledo Christian School (TTCS) welcomed 33 students in grades K-8 for the first time inside the renovated former Catholic church at 600 Oswego St. in Tama.

The News Chronicle caught up with TTCS Administrator Tana Whitton after a “Taking Flight” back to school night last Thursday and a busy first day on Monday for the new Eagles, and she reflected on the long journey leading up to the school’s official opening, which included extensive construction led by Builder/Contractor Eric Slagle, fundraising efforts and events, and the hiring of Whitton and a staff of teachers and paraeducators around her.

“The finishing of the building was definitely a huge undertaking, and it’s not quite 100 percent finished. We still have some work in our inclement weather indoor play area in the basement that is being worked on,” she said before noting that Slagle’s daughter Julia is also working on a mural inside the building. “We just wanted a place to honor our donors, and so the leaves that are going on (the mural) will include donor names, the families and individuals that have been contributing along the way. That was one of the things that was important to us that it was done in an appropriate, honoring and respectful way. It’s a point of great humbling to have the support that we’ve been given and the generosity of so many in the community. We feel like she made a great piece.”

Before the last TTCS fundraising dinner, Terry and Paula Plum made a generous donation toward the construction of the library in honor of Terry’s aunt, the late Ann Smith, and he challenged his cousin Jim Smith and his wife Nancy to match it.

“We were basically speechless as this was unfolding, so we’re really indebted to them. So our library has been named in honor of Ann Smith,” Whitton said.

The enrollment figure of 33 is within the 30-35 range Whitton and the board of directors had aimed for during the first year, and the school now employs three teachers and one paraeducator along with several substitutes and a couple of board members volunteering as secretaries. One classroom houses K-1 students, while another holds grades 2-4 and a third includes grades 5-8.

Whitton felt the open house in the spring and welcome night/parent orientation last week helped familiarize the students with their classrooms in a new building ahead of the first day.

“At this point, when the students arrived, you just saw excitement on their faces, which was beautiful, and parents who were completely confident and excited. I don’t know who was more excited — teachers, just feeling that anticipation for the students arriving or the kids when they were coming in. It was really a sweet moment,” Whitton said. “We did have, of course, one kindergarten mama who shed the traditional kindergarten mom tears, but other than that, it immediately fell into just an atmosphere of peace. Walking through the hallways, there was so much peace. You could hear the students engaged. The kids are a great bunch… It could not have been more ideal.”

Some of Whitton’s goals for year one include establishing a culture and environment of curiosity, wonder, student connection and faith, a strong curriculum and building a sense of community among TTCS families.

“We hope to be a light and a resource for the community at large, not just our families. We have a few different ways we’re wanting to do that. We also want to implement support for the families that homeschool and have a few offerings for them where their kiddos can come and participate in some of the things that we’re doing as well as homeschooling families participating in our family related activities and events as well,” she said. “We want to meet the benchmarks that we have set to meet as far as academic performance, and in terms of growth, growing in numbers is one (goal). We still have a definite need for philanthropy and for efforts at partnering with donors as well as fundraising.”

For Whitton, who had been living in Ankeny prior to taking the job at TTCS not expecting to be in Iowa for long, and her team, the doors finally opening and hosting students was a result of hard work and prayers answered, but they all recognize that the work has only just begun in order to make the school a success. She will continue to seek out partnerships with area churches and remains thankful for random donations of school supplies, and she has had full confidence in the school’s mission from her first interview for the position.

“I left there and I just thought ‘I believe them.’ I believe the vision. I believe the integrity of their character. I believed them, absolutely. I was like ‘I want to join in this,'” Whitton said.

To learn more, visit https://www.ttchristianschool.org/, find TTCS on Facebook and Instagram or call 845-546-0355.