Becoming Hartfield Academy
After building an excellent relationship over many years, University Christian School (UCS) and Pinelake Christian School (PCS) decided to join their similar philosophies concerning Christian education and founded a new covenant, college preparatory academy to serve families in central Mississippi. In the spring of 2010, representatives from UCS and PCS began to meet in earnest about seeking God’s direction and asking Him to show His will. The discussions became more frequent and lengthy, and the leadership of both schools believed God didn’t want the individual schools to just “continue.” Leaders believed He was at work in their endeavors and was going to do immeasurably more for the schools’ children and families in this community.

The name Hartfield Academy was created using two passages from the Bible.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.”
Psalm 42:1

 “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hart’s feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”
Habakkuk 3:19

Biblical writers used the deer, or hart, as a metaphor for God’s children. In Psalm 42, the psalmist compared his passion to know and be in the presence of God to that of a deer longing for streams of water to satisfy a deep thirst. In Habakkuk 3:19, the prophet confidently proclaimed that God was able to make him walk with confidence and strength even through the most dangerous days.

These two characteristics represent our desire for every student who comes to our school. Hartfield Academy was established to point students toward a passionate pursuit of the living God and to prepare them to walk confidently and with strength through every circumstance of life.

Students of both UCS and PCS were part of the mascot selection for Hartfield Academy. After several creative meetings and focus groups, leaders narrowed the field to three choices: a hawk, a warrior and a knight. The students voted overwhelmingly for the hawk, the Hartfield Hawk.

Like many birds, the hawk is considered to be a messenger between the physical and spiritual worlds. The hawk is a keen hunter and symbolizes skill, boldness, strength, clarity of purpose, decisiveness and nobility.

“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?”
Job 39:26

Hartfield Academy is the only school in the Jackson area whose school colors are garnet and gold. Not only are our colors unique, they also have meaning. In the Bible, garnet is symbolic of sacrifice and gold is symbolic of glory. Through great sacrifice comes glory.