As Self Development Academy-Mesa celebrates its 25th Anniversary, it features community members who have given unwavering support to the school. We want to thank Eva and Jonathan Ward and Eva’s siblings’ families, Benjamin and Theressa Tejada, Robert and Stephanie Tejada, and Evangeline and Anthony-Joshua Sabado, for a decade-long commitment to SDA.
Imagine someone accidentally learning that the neighborhood charter school, only a mile away, is ranked among the best K-8 schools nationally. One day, Christine Minch, who lived near the school, was walking in her neighborhood when she saw a couple driving slowly.
They stopped and asked Christine about the neighborhood. Curious, Christine asked, “Why do you want to know?” The couple responded that the Self Development Academy (SDA), a nearby charter school, is one of the best in the nation, and they planned to send their children there and were looking for a home.
EVA WARD AND SIBLINGS JOIN THE SDA FAMILY
Of course, Christine was pleasantly surprised and sharedthis information with her siblings, who lived in the neighborhood. One of Christine’s siblings is Eva Ward. When discussing her family’s decade-long relationship with SDA, Eva Ward stated, “After listening to my sister’s (Christine’s) story, it was a given that all of us, the siblings, would bring our children to SDA. We were looking for a small school. SDA is like a private school.”
FIRST, THE PRESCHOOL, THEN THE ACADEMY
Eva first enrolled her eldest child at the adjacent Self Development Preschool (SDP) and waited for him to turn five to enter SDA. Most of Eva’s siblings’ children also attended SDP and then enrolled at SDA.
The preschool has an exceptional hands-on, enriched curriculum for all age groups (1 to 5 years). The curriculum is thematic, vertically and horizontally aligned, and focuses on critical and creative thinking skills. A clean and nurturing environment and the high teacher retention rate, unusual for the industry, are sources of great comfort for parents.
A PASSION FOR HER PROFESSION
Eva Ward and her husband Jon have four children. Three of them currently attend SDA, and the fourth will join in the fall.
The Wards manage a family primary care business under home health and hospice care, with home as a care venue. Eva is a nurse by profession and is pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing. Her passion for the elderly and home health care developed in high school, when she helped care for her grandmother and did volunteer work. Her mother guided her and her siblings to seek careers in nursing and medical professions. Her siblings are in nursing, and they are nurse practitioners with graduate degrees, including a Doctorate in Nursing Practice.
A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION
Having achieved high educational and professional success, the Wards, the Tejadas, and Sabados wanted to send their children to a school with high academic rigor, emphasizing leadership skills and citizenship in a nurturing environment. Eva Ward noted, “We find the teachers at SDA to be kind and energized.”
SDA provides, “such an amazing choice for a school.” Eva inserts, “The staff is happy being at SDA and finds joy in working at the school.” Eva likes “academic rigor and support and quality teachers who are passionate about what they are doing and are responsive to our concerns. When a problem is expressed, it is always addressed right away.”
SUPPORTING SCHOOL-HOME COMMUNICATION
The Wards and their extended family appreciate the school-home communication at SDA. Eva adds, “There are no surprises (at SDA). We know what needs to be done and what is expected. I know my child is not lost in the shuffle.” Teachers are more “connected,” and “my children want to attend that school.”
Additionally, Eva shares that students tend to fare better if parents work with teachers. Any confusion is easier to clarify, and there is a better understanding of the differing points of view. “It is almost like a ‘mom and dad’ (scenario). Children know which parent can be easily manipulated.” Relationships, mutual respect, and communication between school and home are essential.
PARENTAL INPUT IS EMBRACED
When asked for ideas to improve the SDA program, Eva pondered and then responded:
“An intentional, proactive approach to teaching coping skills and stress management would be incredibly valuable, especially during key transition periods like elementary to middle school and middle school to high school. With the pressures of social media and often limited emotional intelligence, it’s essential to help students navigate the ‘fear of the unknown’ with confidence and resilience.”
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Eva asserts, “SDA is one of the best schools. It feels like a private school where children can truly thrive. The education here encourages growth not just academically but socially and emotionally as well. My children, nieces, and nephews have all flourished at SDA. The environment supports responsibility and independence, with just the right amount of healthy challenge to help students grow without overwhelming them. A little stress, when balanced and constructive, helps kids build resilience and confidence, and SDA gets that balance right. It’s a joyful place for learning.”
For preschool, please contact (480) 396-3522, and for the K-8 program, call Self Development Academy at (480) 641-2640.