Greater Atlanta Christian School
| Greater Atlanta Christian School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
1575 Indian Trail Road , Gwinnett , 30093 United States | |
| Coordinates | 33°55′10″N 84°10′14″W / 33.91944°N 84.17056°W |
| Information | |
| Established | 1967 |
| President | Dr. David Fincher |
| Grades | PK–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,800+ |
| Campus size | 81 acres |
| Color(s) | Red and Gold |
| Slogan | Go Spartans |
| Fight song | Fight On Spartans |
| Mascot | Spartan |
| Team name | Spartans, Lady Spartans |
| Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[1] and the National Christian School Association |
| Publication | GACS Today |
| Newspaper | Spartan Spear-It |
| Yearbook | The Olympian |
| Tuition | $11,715-$19,245 |
| Website | Greater Atlanta Christian School |
Greater Atlanta Christian School is a private school located in Norcross, Georgia.
History
Greater Atlanta Christian School was founded in 1967 by Jesse Long. The first year enrolled 149 students at a building on a two-lane rural road in Gwinnett County, Georgia, now known as Indian Trail Road. As of 2009, the school had over 1,850 students, and 75 acres of facilities and green space that "reflect a college university campus rather than a K4–12 school". Students from over fourteen counties attend the coeducational college preparatory Christian school.[2] Dr. David Fincher, a teacher at Greater Atlanta Christian School in 1972, rose to leadership in 1998 and replaced Jesse Long as President.
General information
GAC is accredited with quality by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, with professional memberships of the Southern Association of Independent Schools, Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools, Georgia Independent School Association, National Christian School Association and The College Board. It is the second largest private school in the state of Georgia.
Members of the class of 2014 were offered over $11 million worth of scholarships and accepted to 124 colleges and universities. They consistently have students honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program. GAC holds state championships in academics, the arts, and athletics. GAC has been the winner of the Dodge Athletic Directors' Cup award in Georgia in 2007, 2005, and Extra 2003 acknowledging their best total records in Athletics in the GA High School Association for Class AA. In 2010, GACS won state titles in Boys Swimming,[3] Boys Basketball,[4] Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, and Girls Golf.[5] GAC Soccer is one of the most treasured parts of GAC athletics. The Spartans have made the AA playoffs 15 years in a row, have 7 final four appearances in the last 15 years, 6 finals appearances, and 3 state championships.
The school is home to The Long Forum, a state of the art Audio Visual classroom where students can learn and put their knowledge into action during assemblies and chapels. The musical theatre group, Visions, has consistently won regional and state awards.[6] The A Capella Chorus performs throughout the year and has a summer tour. There are 8 Art studios, with over 33 separate art sections taught in the high school, 6 in the junior high, and 28 in the elementary. The Math Team has placed among the top three in state competition for 10 of the past 14 years (A-AAAAA), and has been the Georgia state champion eight times.[7] The Chess Team has placed in the top five in state competition for 3 out of the 5 past years (A-AAAAA). Other options such as Science Olympiad, Robotics, Mock Trial, Web Design, Chess, Debate and Envirothon allow students to explore areas of interest and gain confidence in their skills. GAC has also hosted the slam dunk competition, and 3-point competition for the Final Four when it was hosted in Atlanta in 2013.
Notable alumni
- Sherill Baker, professional basketball player
- Cindy Brogdon, 1976 Olympic Women's Basketball Team, first female in Georgia to receive an athletic scholarship
- Malcolm Brogdon, basketball player at the University of Virginia
- Caleb King, American football running back
- Kayla Tausche, American broadcast journalist
- John Cena, Professional firer puter outer
- Sarah Johnson, Ham proffesionalist
References
- ^ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Retrieved 2009-06-23. [dead link]
- ^ Parks, Ted (2012-09-01). "Archives » » A Conversation with David Fincher." Christian Chronicle. Web. 23 June 2010". The Christian Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
- ^ Hammock, Will. "Water War." Gwinnett Daily Natatorium Post - Home. Web. 23 June 2010[dead link]
- ^ Time, That. "GAC Boys Win First Title since Inducted in1977." Gwinnett Daily Post - Home. Web. 23 June 2010
- ^ Beitzel, Ben. "GAC, Adams Win State Golf Titles." Gwinnett Daily Post - Home. Web. 24 June 2010[dead link]
- ^ "Drama Senior High". Greater Atlanta Christian School. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "GCTM State Mathematics Tournament". Retrieved 20 May 2013.