Smithtown Christian School
Encyclopedia
Smithtown Christian School is a private
Christian school
in Smithtown, New York
.
A ministry of Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, the school is accredited by Association of Christian Schools International
and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. SCS functions as a day care
, a preschool, a kindergarten
, an elementary school
, and a secondary school
. It started as an elementary school in 1978 with only 59 students. The first senior class graduated in 1991.
The original Sweet Briar campus was a series of smaller buildings joined by outdoor concrete sidewalks. In 1979 the church began a major construction project that would connect the smaller buildings and add a church sanctuary in the large space between the buildings. Construction was completed in the fall of 1983, when the church operations relocated from the buildings on New York Avenue in Smithtown to the Higbie Drive property.
Another major building project was completed in 1994, to upgrade the gym and cafeteria facilities and provide a church fellowship hall. Again in 2007, the church began another multi-million dollar addition which added science labs and rehearsal rooms for the band, choir, and orchestra. This construction project was completed in the fall of 2009.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
Christian school
Christian school
A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures...
in Smithtown, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
A ministry of Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, the school is accredited by Association of Christian Schools International
Association of Christian Schools International
The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...
and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. SCS functions as a day care
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
, a preschool, a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, and a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
. It started as an elementary school in 1978 with only 59 students. The first senior class graduated in 1991.
Campus
Smithtown Christian School is a co-educational Christian school serving families on Long Island. In cooperation with the Smithtown Christian School Early Learning Center, and Happy Time Pre-School, it is a school that serves families with pre-school aged children aged 2 years 9 months through twelfth grade. It begin in 1978, when Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle bought the 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) Sweet Briar Public School campus, an excessed school property on Higbie Drive in Smithtown, NY from the Smithtown Central School District in order to start a Christian elementary school. The school enrollment was 59 that first year, but grew steadily over the next few years. By 1985, there were over 300. Total enrollment combined in the Early Learning Center (Daycare), Happy Time Pre-School, and Smithtown Christian School has held steady at more than 600 in recent years.The original Sweet Briar campus was a series of smaller buildings joined by outdoor concrete sidewalks. In 1979 the church began a major construction project that would connect the smaller buildings and add a church sanctuary in the large space between the buildings. Construction was completed in the fall of 1983, when the church operations relocated from the buildings on New York Avenue in Smithtown to the Higbie Drive property.
Another major building project was completed in 1994, to upgrade the gym and cafeteria facilities and provide a church fellowship hall. Again in 2007, the church began another multi-million dollar addition which added science labs and rehearsal rooms for the band, choir, and orchestra. This construction project was completed in the fall of 2009.
Notable alumni
- Seth Franco, '97, the first white AmericanWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
basketball player for the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
since 1942. - Benji Miller, '94, following a successful baseball career at Liberty University, Benji was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round of the 1998 baseball draft. http://www.libertyflames.com/media/1912/baseball/University.pdf
- Joe Morin, drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for Edison GlassEdison GlassEdison Glass is an American indie rock band from Coram, Long Island, New York. The group consists of four members: Joshua Silverberg , Josh "Mountain" Morin , Joe Morin , and James Usher...
(all the band members have attended the school for at least one year) - Tim Young, '05, understudyUnderstudyIn theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
for Gabe and Henry in Next to Normal on BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, the critically acclaimed hit musical, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and 3 Tony Awards including Best Score and Best Leading Actress - Tad Skylar Agoglia '95, started Disaster Recovery Systems: First Response Team in May 2007. The not-for-profit organization travels to bring specialized equipment in to provide immediate support and prepare for safer and more effective local emergency response in event of natural disasters and national emergencies. Tad was a finalist in the CNN Heroes contest in 2008, and for Mitchum's Hardest Working Person in America Campaign 2010
- Eric Eikenberg, Senior Policy Advisor for Holland and Knight law firm. Eric has served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Representative E. Clay Shaw, Jr., and Chief of Staff to Florida Governor Charlie Crist. He attended Smithtown Christian School from Kindegarten through 9th grade.