Tucked along North Fairview Avenue in Niles, Michigan, the Niles Westside Seventh-day Adventist Church carries out its educational mission through Niles Adventist School, a Christian kindergarten through eighth-grade program that shares the same address as the congregation. The church operates the school in harmony with the Office of Education of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the school draws on the daily support of its staff, school board, and church family. Within a short drive of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, the school sits inside a wider Adventist educational network that includes elementary schools, secondary schools, and universities around the world.
A Mission Rooted in "Faith, Knowledge, and Nature Growing Together"
The school's motto, "Faith, Knowledge, and Nature Growing Together," sets the tone for everything that happens inside the classrooms. The school's mission statement reads: "We bring our children to Jesus to be touched by His love, trained for service, and educated for Heaven." That framing shapes a philosophy in which a belief in the Creator God is taken as foundational, and education is understood as the development of the spiritual, mental, and physical powers of each student.
Families who enroll their children find a community that encourages each student to develop a personal relationship with God and with others in the spirit of Matthew 22:37-39, to master the basic academic skills, to value labor as the blessing God intended, and to cultivate physical fitness, mental ability, and moral purity. The school frames its work as preparing students "for the joy of service in this life and for the higher joy of service in the life to come." Lessons such as the memory verses students recite in Bible class are chosen with that long view in mind.
The Shape of the School Day
Niles Adventist School keeps a steady weekly rhythm. School hours run from 8:15 AM to 3:15 PM Monday through Thursday and from 8:15 AM to 2:00 PM on Fridays. Half days dismiss at noon, and Kindergarten students end their day at 11:30 AM. After-Kindergarten Care and After-School Care, both overseen by Mark Symonds, extend the day for families who need coverage beyond those windows.
Most classrooms combine two grades, which lets teachers stay with students for more than a single year. The result, as the school describes it, is a deeper understanding of each child's strengths and weaknesses than a one-year classroom rotation would allow. Teachers publish daily schedules, classroom handbooks, and supply lists online so that families can plan around the rhythm at home.
Teachers and Classrooms from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade
Janessa Garman leads the Kindergarten room. Her classroom page includes the school supply list, a Sabbath celebration sign-up, a classroom parent volunteer form, and an Amazon wish list for families who want to contribute extra learning materials. Kindergarten students are required to have their hearing and vision tested, along with a dental screening, before the school year begins; the Berrien County Health Department maintains the schedule of those screenings.
First and second grade students learn under Jenni Coffen, who shares classroom handbooks, a daily schedule, math-fact practice, memory verses for Bible class, a writing paper menu, and an alphabet song resource for families who want to reinforce letter sounds at home. Jody Seigal teaches the third and fourth grades and also serves as the school's principal. Her classroom shares resources for the same kinds of family activities, and she is the main contact for school-wide questions.
Staci Fagal teaches the fifth and sixth grades, and William Crawford teaches the seventh and eighth grades. The upper grade classrooms lean into project-based learning and field work; recent calendar entries have sent older students to Simmons Ranch, the Sarett Nature Center, and the Menno-Hoff/Bonneville Mill. A seventh- and eighth-grade LIFT gathering runs several days a month for students in those grades.
Music is taught by Olena Rybachek and reaches across the grade levels. Music students regularly take part in church services at the Niles Westside congregation, and the school calendar lists "Niles Westside 2nd Service" music presentations by the 1st-2nd and 3rd-4th grade classes as part of the school year.
A Vegetarian Lunch Program and the Weekly Menu
Food service at Niles Adventist School is built around a vegetarian menu prepared by Cintia Borba. The weekly calendar lays out meals such as pizza with carrots and juice, haystacks (a layered taco-style dish), a build-your-own quinoa power bowl, veggie lasagna, taco Tuesday, pasta bar, stuffed baked potato bar, vegetable fried rice, chickpea curry and rice, a hearty lentil and vegetable bowl, and a quesadilla-burrito bar. The menu reflects the Adventist health emphasis that runs through the school's daily life.
Field Trips, Spirit Week, and the School Calendar
The school year at Niles Adventist School is studded with activities that involve the whole family. Spirit Week, the K-4 Winnie the Pooh play, roller skating outings, MAP testing weeks, class field trips, and fundraising sales fill the calendar. Older students run their own service projects through bake sales and float sales, and a "Fun & Fit Moms" social in the school gym brings parents together for a free workout class and a chance to mingle.
The school board meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM, giving parents and church members a regular opportunity to support the school's direction. A school-wide strategic plan, a sick child policy, a parent-student handbook, and a brochure outlining the program are all available for review. The annual NAS Calendar PDF and the MISDA five-day calendar PDF give families the full year at a glance.
Registration, Tuition, and the Worthy Student Fund
Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is open, with a $250 registration fee that drops to $225 for families who pay by July 15. The school prefers electronic checks through Adventist School Pay because of the lower processing cost compared with credit cards. Tuition details are published in a downloadable PDF.
New families fill out a health appraisal form signed by a doctor, a student record release, a consent for disclosure form for the health department, and a copy of the child's legal birth certificate and immunization records. Kindergarten families also arrange the required hearing, vision, and dental screenings before the first day. Returning families update the enrollment form, tuition form, special education awareness form, student behavior contract, technology and internet use policy, and a photo release form, with select forms still required even after online registration.
To keep the school accessible, the Worthy Student Fund receives donations that help families who need financial assistance. An endowment fund also supports worthy students through its interest earnings, and donations can be directed to a specific project or area by emailing the treasurer at treasurer@nilesadventistschool.org. Gifts by check can be dropped off at the school office or mailed to 110 N Fairview Ave, Niles, MI 49120, and the Adventist Giving App can route donations to Niles Westside SDA Church with an offering option marked for NAS.
Fundraisers that Travel with Families
Fundraising at Niles Adventist School runs through several recurring channels. The school participates in the Rada Cutlery program, which offers American-made knives, serviceware, and mixes as gifts with a percentage of each order returning to the school. The shopping card fundraiser works through RaiseRight (formerly known as Scrip), where families order gift and shopping cards for everyday purchases; a NAS enrollment code is needed, and reloadable cards and instant eCards through ScripNow keep the program flexible. The Adventist School Pay platform also handles online donations and tuition payments.
Butter Braid sales, the seventh- and eighth-grade bake sales and float sales, and Spirit Week promotions add a community flavor to the year's rhythm. Together with classroom wish lists and the annual handbook, these efforts give families many ways to participate in the life of the school.
Safety, Volunteers, and the Wider Adventist Network
Volunteer drivers and helpers who work with the school complete the Sterling Volunteers background check through the North American Division, and a field trip driver form and volunteer data form are kept on file. Field trip drivers follow an approved driver list, and the school asks volunteers to choose the "Volunteer Driver" role when asked on the background check site.
Families keep up with classroom news through the Jupiter ED online grade portal, the school's Facebook and Instagram pages, and the calendar that can be added to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live. The school is part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist school network and operates in harmony with the guidance and direction of the Office of Education of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists supports the school through the use of @misda.org email addresses for teachers, and the Adventist Connect platform hosts the school's online presence.
Visiting and Getting in Touch
The school is located at 110 N Fairview Ave, Niles, MI 49120-1570. The main phone line is 269-683-5444, with a fax at 269-683-9885. Principal Jody Seigal can be reached at jseigal@misda.org or 503-559-4232, and the school secretary, Alicia Symonds, can be reached at secretary@nilesadventistschool.org. Treasurer Denise Kidder handles questions about tuition and donations at treasurer@nilesadventistschool.org, and families interested in the Worthy Student Fund or endowment giving can call the school office for details. The site shares a Google Map link for visitors who want driving directions, and the contact page includes a form for questions, comments, and concerns.