2025 Fall Newsletter
A note from the Superintendent
Dear CRA Family,
I am so honored to serve as the superintendent at Crowley’s Ridge Academy. In my humble opinion, there is no better job in the world. Thank you for allowing CRA to be the place and the people you entrust your children to each day.
We have had a wonderful semester at Crowley’s Ridge Academy. This year we welcomed 361 students at the beginning of the semester, and the growth has been tremendous. In fact, we have doubled classroom space and personnel in four of our elementary grades. While this growth is a blessing, it also brings the significant challenge of needing additional space. With the acceptance of Education Freedom Account vouchers, we have been able to share Jesus with more students and families than ever before. This is truly exciting as we continue the mission of CRA to “Build Leaders, Build Followers.”
Many exciting things have occurred this semester. You may be tired of hearing me talk about the Mack Shack, but we are thrilled to break ground on this project. It will serve as a hub for connection, learning, community, and spiritual growth, and it will stand as a special tribute to Mr. Mack Ramsey. We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to this project during our fall fundraiser.
The fall semester has been full of the events that make CRA feel like home—homecoming, Grandparent’s Day, and music performances. We’ve also had several standout moments, including a record-breaking canned food drive to support local food banks, our Lego League Robotics team qualifying for state, and our new elementary service project, PJs for a Purpose, which provides pajamas and prayers for foster children in our community. In addition, our students excelled in both athletics and academics, with state qualifiers in volleyball, tennis, and golf, as well as academic all-stars. Though CRA may be small, there is no limit to the opportunities our students have to participate, grow, and succeed.
As we look ahead to 2026, you will hear more about our Vision 75 Campaign and the Copeland Challenge, which will help us provide additional space and expanded opportunities for our students. We hope you will prayerfully consider how you might partner with us in this vision.
Sincerely,
Pam Freer
Big news from the academy!
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The Mack Shack
We are thrilled to announce the groundbreaking of the Mack Shack pavilion, a project dedicated to honoring the legacy of Mr. Mack Ramsey, who served CRA with distinction for over two decades. Known for his roles as a principal, mentor, friend, and teacher, Mr. Ramsey left an indelible mark on our school.
The Mack Shack will be a pavilion that will serve as a hub for learning and fellowship outdoors. This project is made possible thanks to memorials, generous donations, and the strong support from our recent Fall Fundraiser.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to all those who played an essential role in bringing this vision to life!
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Project Adam
Crowley's Ridge Academy is now certified as a Project ADAM Heart Safe School, making us the first in Greene County to earn this honor! This certification underscores our commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone by being fully equipped to handle sudden cardiac emergencies.
This milestone was achieved through the dedicated efforts and leadership of our school nurse, Leigh An Taylor. She spearheaded the initiative to establish and train an emergency response team comprised of staff members who are now well-prepared to respond swiftly and efficiently to cardiac emergencies at school.
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cheer comes back to cra!
Exciting news from the CRA sports scene! After a long hiatus, we're thrilled to welcome cheerleaders back to the Falcons’ nest. Our elementary cheer squad is thriving, thanks to the fantastic leadership of coaches Brittany Edgar, Kassie Phillips, and Sarah Hawkins. They are bringing a vibrant spirit to our elementary basketball games! Go Falcons!
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New School Resource Officer
CRA now has a School Resource Officer! Deputy Mills brings a wealth of experience, having dedicated many years to law enforcement. Deputy Mills is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, faculty, and staff, and his warm, approachable presence has already made him an invaluable addition to our school family.
Pre ACT stand-outs
We are excited to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our CRA students in the recent Pre ACT assessments! These dedicated individuals have demonstrated remarkable academic prowess, with scores that significantly surpass national averages.
Congratulations to our high-achieving students, who have excelled by scoring in the top 35% of participants nationwide. Special recognition goes to Cali, Ellie, Dristin, and Daniel, whose exceptional performance has catapulted them into the top 10%! An extra round of applause is in order for Edmund, who has achieved the remarkable distinction of ranking in the top 5% nationwide!
We are incredibly proud of these students and their achievements. Their success reflects not only their individual efforts but also the support and encouragement of our entire CRA community. Keep up the great work, students! Your future is bright, and we look forward to seeing all you will accomplish!
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2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award
Kelli Brinkley
Kelli Brinkley has been honored with this year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award! If you know Kelli, you know her unwavering dedication to CRA and the immense effort she invests in her role as Business Office Manager to keep the Academy running smoothly. CRA is truly her home, as both her parents also devoted themselves to the Academy, allowing Kelli to feel connected to them through her work. This recognition is well-deserved, and we are incredibly proud of Kelli and grateful for all she does.
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2025 Employee of the Year Award
Debbie Webb
Mrs. Debbie Webb was honored as CRA’s 2025 Employee of the Year! This recognition celebrates her excellence, heart, commitment, and compassion.
Mrs. Debbie has been teaching at CRA for 22 years, passionately serving her students. For the past 8 years, she has been our school’s Dyslexia Therapist, guiding students to find confidence and success.
Her remarkable impact is driven by her dedication to growth for her students’ benefit. Recognizing her dyslexic students' challenges, she pursued a Master’s in Education in Reading and a Dyslexia Therapist Graduate Certificate. Now a Certified Dyslexia Therapist at the Master Level and a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist, her efforts have made a lasting difference for our school community.
Mrs. Debbie has positively influenced countless students and is a trusted support for parents and teachers, offering guidance and strategies for children's success.
2025 Homecoming
This year’s homecoming was a truly memorable celebration, brimming with excitement and tradition. The week was packed with spirited dress-up days that brought out everyone's creativity, entertaining skits that had us all laughing, and an energetic pep rally that filled the air with school spirit. Of course, the much-anticipated coronation ceremony was a highlight. The homecoming court looked beautiful, and Miss Garnett Gamble was crowned Homecoming Queen. The basketball games against Ridgefield Christian added an extra layer of thrill to the festivities. It was an unforgettable event, creating plenty of cherished memories for everyone involved!
2025 Homecoming Court
Tacky Tourist Dress-Up Day
Homecoming Posters
Homecoming Queen, Garnett Gamble, and Escort, Teddy Spillman
8th Grade Skit
Falcon Fans
Pep Rally
The senior high boys won big against Ridgefield!
a friend loves at all times
In September, a beloved member of our school family, Zebedee Cone, suffered a traumatic brain injury after a fall from a golf cart. This frightening accident unfolded before the eyes of several of his close friends and fellow students. Zebedee was airlifted to Memphis, where he fought for his life over several weeks. Our students united with remarkable compassion, organizing an event to bring everyone together to pray for Zebedee’s recovery, and the love and support they extended to Zebedee and to one another was truly moving. Against all odds, Zebedee has mostly recovered and is back with us. We are profoundly grateful to our God for hearing and answering our prayers for Zebedee!
Walking in the light
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Canned Food Drive
This year may have been our most successful ever for the canned food drive! A remarkable total of 2,708 pounds of food was collected, providing 2,256 meals for our neighbors in need!
This incredible achievement is a testament to the generosity of our school families and the dedication of our fantastic Student Council members. They devoted their time and energy with enthusiasm, carefully planning and organizing every detail of the event. Their passion and commitment motivated everyone in our school community to unite for this important cause.
We are genuinely grateful for their hard work and immensely proud of the positive impact their efforts have made for those in need!
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2nd Annual Singing Night
We are incredibly thankful for the fantastic song leaders featured in the picture and for Wyatt Reed’s efforts in organizing this event! It’s truly delightful to have a community-wide gathering dedicated solely to singing praises!
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” -Psalm 95:1
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PJs with a purpose
We are thrilled to share that our event, PJ's with a Purpose, successfully took place on Wednesday, December 17th! The day focused on compassion, giving, and prayer as we served children in foster care through Together We Foster.
Students and staff wore pajamas and donated new pairs for children in foster care. The event highlighted giving and praying for others. A special chapel service featured Micah Brinkley of Children's Homes, Inc., and teachers helped students write notes for the children receiving the pajamas.
We’re proud of our students for seeing how small acts of kindness can make a big difference!
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Falcon Fest
The 2025 Falcon Fest was a beautiful day filled with joy and excitement for all attendees! We had the best weather this year!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our sponsors and participants, whose generous support made the event possible. The golfers had an absolutely wonderful time!
Proceeds from this event benefit a great cause—our wonderful school! It’s heartwarming to see our school community and alumni pitch in to make this day successful.
New to the Team in 2025
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Holden Smith
CRA Board of Directors
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James Jumper
CRA Board of Directors
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Pam Freer
Superintendent
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Donna Niedermeier (New Again!)
1st Grade Teacher
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Karen Sanders
2nd Grade Teacher
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Cory Becerra
6th Grade Teacher
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Noah Flanrey
Secondary Math Teacher
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Malachi Brown
Secondary Bible Teacher
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Jon Francis
Boys Basketball Coach/Health Teacher
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Lucy Money
PALS Teacher
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Brady Becerra
Maintenance Director
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Breanna Dixon
Teacher Aide
Grandparents’ Day
Grandparents are such a gift! It’s a privilege to honor them each year at CRA!
This year, we were delighted to have Rhys Becerra and Jack Berner as our keynote speakers. Both young men did a beautiful job speaking about grandparents. Our elementary students and chorus delivered outstanding performances, and the BBQ lunch was a hit. A good time was had by all!
What a volleyball season!
These Lady Falcons were so much fun to watch! Their enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship were inspiring! They went 10-2 in conference wins and 16-6 overall. CRA’s Lady Falcons finished tied for 2nd place in the Conference, earned 2nd place in the Conference Tournament, and advanced to the State Tournament, where they were defeated in round 2. Congratulations to the team and coach on a fantastic season!
volleyball honors
game, set, match
Keaton Law was the 2A State Champ in men’s singles, 1st in District, All-State, and team runner-up! Keaton’s season record was an impressive 31-1!
Sophie Snow was third in District and qualified for State!
greens & dreams
The CRA girls’ golf team finished 1st at the 1A-3 District Tournament, with Callie winning Medalist!
Callie Short was the 1A-3 District Medalist and placed 3rd in the State Tournament! Callie is just a sophomore, so we can’t wait to see all that she accomplishes in the next two years!
The CRA boys’ golf team finished 3rd at the 1A-3 District Tournament, with Luke, Eli and Sutton qualifying for the 1A State Tournament!
cra robotics—headed to state!
For a robotics program that is just in its second year, the team is performing exceptionally well under the guidance of Jackson Law, with fantastic support from CRA parents, Chris and Sarah Crowley. They recently competed in Searcy in early December, where they won the Motivator Award and are now set to head to the State competition on January 24th in Fayetteville!
God bless you and keep you
It is with a mix of gratitude and sadness that we announce the upcoming retirements of two cherished educators at CRA: Mrs. Pam Parker and Mrs. Bridgette Chunn. Mrs. Parker, our esteemed PALS Director, has dedicated 38 remarkable years to nurturing our preschoolers. Meanwhile, Mrs. Chunn has inspired creativity and passion as our Art Teacher for 26 years. Their unwavering dedication has been the backbone of our school community, and their absence will be felt deeply.
As we bid farewell to these incredible teachers, we begin the search for a new K-12 Art Teacher and a new PALS Preschool Director. We invite our community to help us find exceptional individuals to continue their legacy. Please spread the word and assist us in this important transition.
The copeland challenge
We are excited to share a special opportunity to support Crowley’s Ridge Academy. Dan and Joneen Copeland have generously committed to match all gifts—up to a total of $100,000—when you make a donation in the name of a faculty member, staff member, or volunteer who has served CRA for five or more years and has helped provide a Christ-centered education.
CRA will create a permanent plaque listing every individual for whom donations were made, celebrating their impact on generations of students.
Give today to double your impact and celebrate those who have faithfully served CRA!
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
kindergarten day
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
9:00-11:00 AM
If you or someone you know has a child entering kindergarten in 2026, we would love for you to join us for Kindergarten Day! You'll see the school, meet the teachers, and learn more about our kindergarten program and how CRA builds leaders and builds followers!
spring auction
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
3:00 PM
This special fundraiser is a tremendous support to our school, and we hope that you will join us!
As the event approaches, we will be seeking donations for our auction. Please consider us, and feel free to contact us if you have any items you would like to contribute!
