Wesleyan School
Encyclopedia
Wesleyan School is an independent
K-12
school located 20 miles north of Atlanta in the suburb of Peachtree Corners
. It was founded in 1963 and has existed on its current grounds since 1996. The school includes grades K-12 with a total student body of 1122 for the 2010-2011 school year. The high school is composed of about 430 students, and is a member of the Georgia High School Association and competes in the "A" classification in Region 5. Wesleyan is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and all faculty are professed Christians from varying denominations, though students and families come from a variety of faith backgrounds.
By the early 1970s under the leadership of Shirley Gantt, the school emerged as an elementary school of excellence, grounded in Christian principles and offering a low student-teacher ratio and a strong academic program. During her tenure, Wesleyan Day School added its middle school in 1987.
In 1988, Barbara Adler, a former Wesleyan parent, teacher and assistant head, became Head of School. Her vision was the catalyst for Wesleyan to become an independent, Christian, college preparatory school, offering curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade. Under her leadership, and with the support of the Board of Trustees, the church agreed to add a high school curriculum. In 1994, Wesleyan offered its first 9th grade class.
With the addition of a high school, it was apparent that the school needed a new campus to continue its desired expansion. In the fall of 1994, a new corporation, Wesleyan School, Inc., was formed, and in the spring of 1995, a divestiture agreement from Sandy Springs United Methodist Church was finalized. After an extensive search for property by the new Board, coupled with a generous land equity donation by Dan Cowart, a 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) site in Peachtree Corners
was put under contract in the fall of 1995.
That same fall, the Board was faced with the challenge of naming a replacement for the retiring Ms. Adler. In the winter of 1996, after a deliberate and time-consuming search, the Board hired Zach Young, a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard University and the former Vice President and Assistant Headmaster at The Westminster Schools
. Under the new name and leadership, Wesleyan opened the 1996-97 school year with 556 students on its new campus. That year, the facilities consisted of 15 modular units, a soccer field, and the school’s first permanent structure - Marchman Gymnasium.
In August 1997, Wesleyan added the high school building, Cleghorn Hall, which was named after long-time Atlanta educator, Wesleyan principal, and community leader, Gwen Michael Cleghorn. Under her leadership as a consultant and later as the first principal of the middle school and high school on the new campus, Wesleyan secured accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Another milestone of the 1997-1998 school year was the graduation of Wesleyan’s first senior class of 17 students.
Thanks to the generous support of family members, foundations, and friends, Wesleyan added Hoover Student Activities Center in August of the 1998-1999 school year, and its enrollment increased to more than 860 students. Other additions to the campus that year included Henderson Stadium and Robinson Field, which hosted the school’s inaugural varsity football season. Modular units for a high school and middle school cafeteria were added along with units for the music department. In the spring of 1999, the Curley Tennis Courts were dedicated, and a baseball field was added.
Wesleyan School has just completed the "Raise the Goal Campaign," which raised $45 million. The money from this campaign has been a milestone in the further development of the campus over the last four years. In the fall of 2000, the school purchased 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of adjacent land. This new property adjoins the campus along Peachtree Parkway and is used for physical education, soccer, football, cross country, and lacrosse. In addition, 163 much-needed parking spaces for visitors and students were added to the campus.
Construction of Wesley Hall, the largest facility on campus, was completed in the fall of 2001. It houses the middle school as well as several high school classrooms. The building also contains a 465-seat theater, a dining hall for middle and high school students, a library for both middle and high schools, a prayer chapel, science and computer labs, and office space. Directly in front of Wesley Hall is the Barbara F. Adler Plaza, a beautifully landscaped mall.
The lower school building, Warren Hall, was completed during the summer of 2002. The 73000 square feet (6,781.9 m²) building includes its own library, gymnasium, and a combination dining hall/auditorium. Specialty space includes classrooms for math, reading, religion, and French. In addition, a kitchen/laboratory space also acts as a math and science learning center. Warren Hall has its own covered carpool drop-off area and one large playground. During its 40th anniversary year, Wesleyan celebrated the completion of its most recent building, Davidson Natatorium. This building houses a twenty-five yard, ten-lane, competition high school pool; seating for 240; locker rooms; and concession areas.
Wesleyan completed the "Raise the Goal Campaign" that raised over $45 million in December 2003.
The final building campaign, and the first major endowment campaign, known as "Complete the Campus," includes a much-needed fine arts center; a new performance gymnasium, to be called the Don and Ida Yancey Gymnasium; and a new administration building. The new administration building, Gillfillian Hall, is attached to Marchman Gymnasium. Also included is a goal of $10.4 million for endowment, the largest portion of which is designated for financial aid. The goal of this campaign is $42 million.
Wesleyan School Christened Gillfillan Hall administrative offices and announced the completion of the current Spalding Drive campus master plan at a ceremony on Monday, September 24, 2007. Gillfillan is adjacent to Marchman Gymnasium (the first permanent structure on campus) and houses the offices of the Headmaster, Development, Business and Admissions in its 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²).
The conclusion of campus construction is a significant achievement for the Norcross school, which moved from Sandy Springs in the fall of 1996, beginning the school year with fifteen modular units and one permanent structure – Marchman Gym. With the completion of Gillfillan, the Wesleyan campus now has 429694 square feet (39,919.9 m²) of permanent space under roof.
At the high school level, Wesleyan boasts an extensive offering of AP classes, and in 2011 90% of students passed their AP exams. The school offers AP classes in the following subjects: US History, European History, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, French Language, Spanish Language, English Literature, Calculus AB, Statistics, and Music Theory. About 31% of the class of 2011 received recognition from the College Board as AP Scholars, compared with 19% nationwide. In the past several years, many students have received recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Committee as National Merit Finalists, Semifinalists, and Commended Scholars including three members of the class of 2012.
Every student is college bound, with virtually all students attending four year schools. The most popular college choices for the class of 2011 are The University of Georgia, The University of Alabama, Clemson University
, and Samford University
. 70% of students from the class of 2011 matriculated at colleges and universities ranked in the top 100 schools according to US News & World Report which is similar to past years. The average SAT score for the class of 2011 was 1810, and the average ACT was 27.
Boys Basketball - 2008, 2010
Boys Cross Country - 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Boys Tennis - 2011
Boys Swimming - 2011
Football - 2008
Girls Basketball - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Girls Cross Country - 2001, 2002, 2003
Girls Golf - 2009
Girls Tennis - 2001
Girls Track - 2009
Volleyball - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Wrestling - 2007
Boys Cross Country - 2000, 2003, 2008
Boys Soccer - 2010
Boys Swimming - 2010
Boys Tennis - 2008, 2010
Fastpitch Softball - 2011
Girls Basketball - 2001, 2007
Girls Cross Country - 2000, 2004, 2006, 2011
Girls Golf - 2004, 2010
Girls Tennis - 2002, 2008
Girls Track - 2008
Wrestling - 2008, 2009
, Class of 2004 - United States Air Force Academy - Football (signed as a free agent with Philadelphia Eagles in 2010)
• Stephen Dodson - Class of 2004 - University of Georgia - Baseball (drafted in 10th round of 2008 MLB draft by Colorado Rockies)
• Howard "Trey" Thompkins, Class of 2008 - University of Georgia - Basketball, FIBA USA U19 Team 2009 (drafted in 2nd round of 2011 NBA draft by L.A. Clippers)
• Anne Marie Armstrong, Class of 2009 - University of Georgia - Basketball. Also one of the most decorated high school athletes in Georgia history winning a total of 10 state championships in three sports... three in basketball, three in volleyball and four in track (three individual and one team title).
Trey Gregory, Class of 2011- Texas Christian University- Football
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
school located 20 miles north of Atlanta in the suburb of Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Peachtree Corners is a city in western Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta, located east of Dunwoody and south of Johns Creek. Out of all of Atlanta's northern suburbs, Peachtree Corners is the only one that was developed as a planned community...
. It was founded in 1963 and has existed on its current grounds since 1996. The school includes grades K-12 with a total student body of 1122 for the 2010-2011 school year. The high school is composed of about 430 students, and is a member of the Georgia High School Association and competes in the "A" classification in Region 5. Wesleyan is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and all faculty are professed Christians from varying denominations, though students and families come from a variety of faith backgrounds.
Mission
Wesleyan's mission is to be a Christian school of academic excellence by providing each student a diverse college preparatory education guided by Christian principles and beliefs; by challenging and nurturing the mind, body, and spirit; and by developing responsible stewardship in our changing world.History
Wesleyan School was established in 1963 as an integral part of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church. Originally known as Wesleyan Day School, the school began as a preschool dedicated to providing a nurturing, educational experience guided by Christian principles. For the next 24 years, the school was housed at the church and led by various pastors and lay directors as its curriculum expanded to include elementary school.By the early 1970s under the leadership of Shirley Gantt, the school emerged as an elementary school of excellence, grounded in Christian principles and offering a low student-teacher ratio and a strong academic program. During her tenure, Wesleyan Day School added its middle school in 1987.
In 1988, Barbara Adler, a former Wesleyan parent, teacher and assistant head, became Head of School. Her vision was the catalyst for Wesleyan to become an independent, Christian, college preparatory school, offering curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade. Under her leadership, and with the support of the Board of Trustees, the church agreed to add a high school curriculum. In 1994, Wesleyan offered its first 9th grade class.
With the addition of a high school, it was apparent that the school needed a new campus to continue its desired expansion. In the fall of 1994, a new corporation, Wesleyan School, Inc., was formed, and in the spring of 1995, a divestiture agreement from Sandy Springs United Methodist Church was finalized. After an extensive search for property by the new Board, coupled with a generous land equity donation by Dan Cowart, a 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) site in Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Peachtree Corners is a city in western Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta, located east of Dunwoody and south of Johns Creek. Out of all of Atlanta's northern suburbs, Peachtree Corners is the only one that was developed as a planned community...
was put under contract in the fall of 1995.
That same fall, the Board was faced with the challenge of naming a replacement for the retiring Ms. Adler. In the winter of 1996, after a deliberate and time-consuming search, the Board hired Zach Young, a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard University and the former Vice President and Assistant Headmaster at The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
. Under the new name and leadership, Wesleyan opened the 1996-97 school year with 556 students on its new campus. That year, the facilities consisted of 15 modular units, a soccer field, and the school’s first permanent structure - Marchman Gymnasium.
In August 1997, Wesleyan added the high school building, Cleghorn Hall, which was named after long-time Atlanta educator, Wesleyan principal, and community leader, Gwen Michael Cleghorn. Under her leadership as a consultant and later as the first principal of the middle school and high school on the new campus, Wesleyan secured accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Another milestone of the 1997-1998 school year was the graduation of Wesleyan’s first senior class of 17 students.
Thanks to the generous support of family members, foundations, and friends, Wesleyan added Hoover Student Activities Center in August of the 1998-1999 school year, and its enrollment increased to more than 860 students. Other additions to the campus that year included Henderson Stadium and Robinson Field, which hosted the school’s inaugural varsity football season. Modular units for a high school and middle school cafeteria were added along with units for the music department. In the spring of 1999, the Curley Tennis Courts were dedicated, and a baseball field was added.
Wesleyan School has just completed the "Raise the Goal Campaign," which raised $45 million. The money from this campaign has been a milestone in the further development of the campus over the last four years. In the fall of 2000, the school purchased 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of adjacent land. This new property adjoins the campus along Peachtree Parkway and is used for physical education, soccer, football, cross country, and lacrosse. In addition, 163 much-needed parking spaces for visitors and students were added to the campus.
Construction of Wesley Hall, the largest facility on campus, was completed in the fall of 2001. It houses the middle school as well as several high school classrooms. The building also contains a 465-seat theater, a dining hall for middle and high school students, a library for both middle and high schools, a prayer chapel, science and computer labs, and office space. Directly in front of Wesley Hall is the Barbara F. Adler Plaza, a beautifully landscaped mall.
The lower school building, Warren Hall, was completed during the summer of 2002. The 73000 square feet (6,781.9 m²) building includes its own library, gymnasium, and a combination dining hall/auditorium. Specialty space includes classrooms for math, reading, religion, and French. In addition, a kitchen/laboratory space also acts as a math and science learning center. Warren Hall has its own covered carpool drop-off area and one large playground. During its 40th anniversary year, Wesleyan celebrated the completion of its most recent building, Davidson Natatorium. This building houses a twenty-five yard, ten-lane, competition high school pool; seating for 240; locker rooms; and concession areas.
Wesleyan completed the "Raise the Goal Campaign" that raised over $45 million in December 2003.
The final building campaign, and the first major endowment campaign, known as "Complete the Campus," includes a much-needed fine arts center; a new performance gymnasium, to be called the Don and Ida Yancey Gymnasium; and a new administration building. The new administration building, Gillfillian Hall, is attached to Marchman Gymnasium. Also included is a goal of $10.4 million for endowment, the largest portion of which is designated for financial aid. The goal of this campaign is $42 million.
Wesleyan School Christened Gillfillan Hall administrative offices and announced the completion of the current Spalding Drive campus master plan at a ceremony on Monday, September 24, 2007. Gillfillan is adjacent to Marchman Gymnasium (the first permanent structure on campus) and houses the offices of the Headmaster, Development, Business and Admissions in its 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²).
The conclusion of campus construction is a significant achievement for the Norcross school, which moved from Sandy Springs in the fall of 1996, beginning the school year with fifteen modular units and one permanent structure – Marchman Gym. With the completion of Gillfillan, the Wesleyan campus now has 429694 square feet (39,919.9 m²) of permanent space under roof.
Academics
Wesleyan is a school for average to above average children from kindergarten until 12th grade. Class sizes are small, allowing for ideal learning. In the lower school, class sizes average 18. In the middle school and high school, they average less than 15. The school features laptop integration, following a one-to-one plan, in middle school and high school. In the middle school, the students are divided by gender in math and English to accommodate for learning differences between boys and girls.At the high school level, Wesleyan boasts an extensive offering of AP classes, and in 2011 90% of students passed their AP exams. The school offers AP classes in the following subjects: US History, European History, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, French Language, Spanish Language, English Literature, Calculus AB, Statistics, and Music Theory. About 31% of the class of 2011 received recognition from the College Board as AP Scholars, compared with 19% nationwide. In the past several years, many students have received recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Committee as National Merit Finalists, Semifinalists, and Commended Scholars including three members of the class of 2012.
Every student is college bound, with virtually all students attending four year schools. The most popular college choices for the class of 2011 are The University of Georgia, The University of Alabama, Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, and Samford University
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
. 70% of students from the class of 2011 matriculated at colleges and universities ranked in the top 100 schools according to US News & World Report which is similar to past years. The average SAT score for the class of 2011 was 1810, and the average ACT was 27.
Athletics
Wesleyan competes in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in 15 varsity sports comprising 20 varsity teams. Wesleyan has been the winner of five Director's Cups, four in Class A (2002, 2009, 2010, 2011) and in Class AA in 2008. The Director's Cup is awarded by the Georgia Athletic Director's Association at the end of each school year to one school from each of Georgia's five classifications that has excelled and shown superior performance for that school year. Points are awarded for performance in state athletic competitions. Wesleyan won its first team State Championship in school history in Girls' Tennis in 2001. In the past several years, Wesleyan has become increasingly competitive in several sports. The Girls' Basketball team, under the leadership of Jan Azar, won its first State Championship in 2002, followed by titles in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Wesleyan's Volleyball team under Coach Ted Russell also won state championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. The Boys' Cross-Country team won state championships in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Girls' Cross-Country team, coached by won state championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The Wrestling team under former Coach Jeff Bedard won its first team State Dual Championship during the 2006-2007 school year. The Boys Basketball team, coached by Skip Matherly, won its first state championship in 2008 and again in 2010. Under the leadership of Mike Shaheen the Wesleyan baseball team has seen great success by finishing as State Runner-Up in 2006, Final Four in 2007, and State Champions in 2008,2009 and 2010. Franklin Pridgen led Wesleyan to its first football state championship in the fall of 2008 by ending the 29 game win streak of Emanuel County Institute by a score of 36-21. The boys swim and dive team won its first state championship in 2011. * http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=53973&SectionID=11&SubSectionID=&S=1. In 2008, Sport Illustrated named Wesleyan School the top school in athletics in Georgia *http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/state.no.1/ and sixteenth in the nation.*http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/high.school.top.10/State Championships
Baseball - 2008, 2009, 2010Boys Basketball - 2008, 2010
Boys Cross Country - 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Boys Tennis - 2011
Boys Swimming - 2011
Football - 2008
Girls Basketball - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Girls Cross Country - 2001, 2002, 2003
Girls Golf - 2009
Girls Tennis - 2001
Girls Track - 2009
Volleyball - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Wrestling - 2007
State Runner-Up
Baseball - 2006Boys Cross Country - 2000, 2003, 2008
Boys Soccer - 2010
Boys Swimming - 2010
Boys Tennis - 2008, 2010
Fastpitch Softball - 2011
Girls Basketball - 2001, 2007
Girls Cross Country - 2000, 2004, 2006, 2011
Girls Golf - 2004, 2010
Girls Tennis - 2002, 2008
Girls Track - 2008
Wrestling - 2008, 2009
Notable alumni
• Chad HallChad Hall
Chandler "Chad" Hall is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was signed by the Eagles as a street free agent in 2010...
, Class of 2004 - United States Air Force Academy - Football (signed as a free agent with Philadelphia Eagles in 2010)
• Stephen Dodson - Class of 2004 - University of Georgia - Baseball (drafted in 10th round of 2008 MLB draft by Colorado Rockies)
• Howard "Trey" Thompkins, Class of 2008 - University of Georgia - Basketball, FIBA USA U19 Team 2009 (drafted in 2nd round of 2011 NBA draft by L.A. Clippers)
• Anne Marie Armstrong, Class of 2009 - University of Georgia - Basketball. Also one of the most decorated high school athletes in Georgia history winning a total of 10 state championships in three sports... three in basketball, three in volleyball and four in track (three individual and one team title).
Trey Gregory, Class of 2011- Texas Christian University- Football