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THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 - 12, 2020 • PAGE 6
Retired educator revamping school
and reopening virtually
BY GALE HORTON GAY
FREELANCE REPORTER
Veteran educator Dannetta Lamb was
enjoying a comfortable retirement of two years
when the pandemic struck. As the weeks stretched
into months, she increasingly received calls from
parents concerned about the academic future of
their children. It didn’t take long for Lamb to
ditch retirement and reopen academic outlets but
this time in virtual form.
Lamb and her husband James are re-opening
Sparks Christian Academy and Urban Academy as
virtual schools to serve the needs of children and
parents.
“A lot of children in the underserved
community are not receiving the services from
the public schools,” said Lamb, adding that some
parents are not skilled in how to access, use and
troubleshoot virtual educational components. She
pointed out that some families only have one or
two computers but have multiple children who
need the devices.
“The children are suffering and falling
through the cracks,” she said.
The two schools will provide virtual learning
for 5-year-old kindergarteners through 12 th
graders, both those seeking a traditional virtual
academic experience and those participating in
homeschooling. After school tutoring is another
program offering.
Lamb said many parents who go the
homeschool route are missing technical assistance
and resources, both of which will be provided to
families that enroll. Also, she said she can validate
transcripts so homeschool credits and classes will
not be rejected by colleges. Another plus that she
touts is that their schools are affiliated with the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),
which means program participants are eligible for
athletic scholarships.
“It’s a whole new approach,” said Lamb of
the virtual schools that will open Sept. 6.
She said parents will have access to staff and
tutoring 24/7, which is important particularly for
those children who straggle with virtual programs.
In addition to academic offerings, the schools
also will offer extracurricular activities in the
form of online coding class and chess instruction
through the nonprofit group Unconditional Love
for Children.
“I am comfortable with the way James and I
are headed.. .for one thing we are both pastors and
have worked in the community and seen the needs
of parents,” she said.
According to Lamb, she and her husband
have 58 years of experience in education
combined. Lamb and her late husband Demond
Sparks, who died in 2018, founded and ran
Sparks Christian Academy in Lithonia for 38
years.
Lamb, who has a Ph.D.in education and a
master’s degree in counseling, said the couple will
serve as administrators of the virtual schools and
she will also teach biblical studies.
For children with autism, the Lambs are
linking up with son Nehemiah Lamb, founder
and president of Unique Individual, whose
organization will be providing a day school and
afterschool program for 20 children with special
needs.
Lamb said she is bringing back some of the
teachers associated with her academy and may be
seeking additional staff.
Pastors Dannetta and Janies Lamb are opening virtual
schools to give parents and children additional educational
options. Photo provided
As of late July, Lamb said she had 25
students signed up for the virtual school and 10
families committed to the homeschool program.
For more information on the programs,
contact Lamb at drsparksd@bellsouth.net.
DeKalb Board of Health closes Tucker COVID testing location
DeKalb County Board of Health closed
COVID-19 testing operations on the campus of
Rehoboth Baptist Chmch, at 2997 Lawrenceville
Highway, on July 31.
Beginning Aug. 3, the board of health is
operating the following free testing locations,
Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 3
p.m.:
• Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, 2340 Clifton
Springs Road, Decatur, GA 30034
• Former K-Mart Store Parking Lot (at 1-285
and Buford Hwy.), 5597 Buford Highway NE,
Doraville, GA 30340
• Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, 1879
Glenwood Ave., SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
• Greenforest Community Baptist Church, 3250
Rainbow Drive, Decatur, GA 30034
• Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive,
Stonecrest, GA 30058
The testing location at Greenforest
Community Baptist Church is also open on
Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, by appointment
only.
COVID-19 testing at these locations is
free and open to all individuals who wish to be
tested. A driver’s license or identification card is
not required, however registration in advance is
strongly encouraged.
For testing site hours of operation and online
appointment scheduling for all DeKalb County
Board of Health testing sites, visit dekalbhealth.
net, or call the COVID-19 Call Center at
(404) 294-3700, Option 1. Call center hours
of operation are Monday through Friday from
8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on
Saturday.
For more resources and information about
COVID-19, visit the DeKalb County Board of
Health’s COVID-19 website at dekalbhealth.net/
covid-19.