Glendale Adventist Academy marked its centennial anniversary in a weekend celebration in early May. The school currently serves approximately 700 students in grades K-12.

A Friday evening "Alumni Musical Extravaganza" hosted by the Glendale City church, which founded GAA, featured alumni musicians spanning the school's history.

At a Centennial Sabbath worship service at the Vallejo Drive church, the morning hours were filled with music and memories of alumni and faculty dating back to 1937.

Sunday's traditional May Festival Carnival provided alumni and community members with an enjoyable venue for good food, fellowship, fun and a silent auction benefiting the school.

"As the current principal, it was wonderful to see the high level of positive feelings toward the school," said Glen Baker. "There were so many high points: seeing the many alumni who returned to reconnect with former classmates and see what is taking place currently at the school and where it is going. It was a time of reflection on how God has led and blessed the school in the past 100 years."

Karl Kime, board chairman and a graduate of the class of 1979, participated with fellow alumni in a year of planning with the centennial committee. "The result was a celebration of history," he said, "but also of great things to come at this campus where so many generations have been educated and formed lasting relationships in the context of Christian education.

"The celebration illustrated how strong a diverse school community can be. Some families, including my own, have had three generations of students at GAA, involving us in the school for nearly 70 of the school's 100 years."

Boni Portillo, a GAA staff member honored for her decades of service, summed up in words echoing alumni sentiments: "I am very proud of what the school has accomplished," she said, "and happy to be a part of the GAA family."