June/July 2006 Mount Pisgah Christian School On Another Level by Carrie Whitney This fall, Mount Pisgah Christian School in Alpharetta will celebrate its 20th anniversary, and for a school that started small, it has already accomplished big things. Today it is the eighth-largest fully accredited independent school in Metro Atlanta and welcomes students from preschool through 12th grade. Yet, even with its tremendous growth, Mount Pisgah has been able to retain an intimacy typically found at smaller schools, while offering an education grounded in Christian faith and values. "As a Christian school, we seek to prepare our students to be well-educated, moral leaders of our future," says Head of School Chris Alexander. "With challenging academics, a wide range of meaningful co-curricular activities and a Christian Leadership program, we are developing students who will not only be resourceful, independent adults, but also well-rounded individuals who understand their social and moral responsibility to others." Mount Pisgah encourages future leaders through its service-training program. Character development begins in the lower school. In middle school, students start to work on service and in upper school they develop that service into leadership skills. For example, each year, juniors and seniors participate in a mission trip to Montana where they work in homeless shelters. Some of the high school students have also started a Habitat for Humanity group and are in the process of building a home. Meanwhile, younger students write letters to and obtain monetary donations for children around the world. Students also attend chapel once a week during school. The large, 35-acre campus at the in tersection of Nesbit Ferry Road and Old Alabama Road is divided into east and south campuses. The self-contained south campus houses the early childhood and lower school. Across the street, the east campus holds the middle and upper schools, which benefit from facilities such as a state-of-the-art technology center, a science lab, and the Genesis Theatre, a fine arts performance theater. The abundance of resources available allows students to gain the level of academics found at a large independent school, but with smaller classes, everyone gets to participate. There is a 10 to one student/teacher ratio. Also, college advisors help students prepare for and apply to college, a program so successful that 100 percent of Mount Pisgah students are accepted into colleges such as Stanford and Northwestern, among others. Because of Mount Pisgah's rigorous academics, students at all age levels consistently perform at a high level. The school commits itself to providing an academically challenging environment that stimulates intellectual curiosity and encourages critical thinking-skills that will help Mount Pisgah students be successful as they graduate to an upper-level education. Mount Pisgah also has an active athletics department, and the school won state championships in boys' basketball and girls' volleyball this past school year. Due to the size of the school, around half of the students are able to participate in sports. Next year, Mount Pisgah will change from being a member of the Georgia Independent School Association to a member of the Georgia High School Association for all sports and interscholastic activities, which will bring a new, challenging level of athletics to the already challenging academic environment. The Specifics Grades: Preschool-12 Affiliation: Methodist Students Enrolled: 1,050 Total Teachers: 94 Annual Tuition Range: $5,706-$12,206 Open House: Call for appt. and tours Location: Alpharettal Address: 9820 Nesbit Ferry Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 678-336-3383 www.mountpisgahschool.org
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