Christ Church Episcopal School

Christ Church Episcopal School
The Beautiful is Difficult
Location
Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Coordinates	34°47′47″N 82°21′1″W / 34.79639°N 82.35028°W / 34.79639; -82.35028Coordinates: 34°47′47″N 82°21′1″W / 34.79639°N 82.35028°W / 34.79639; -82.35028
Information
Type	Private
Religious affiliation(s)	Episcopalian
Established	1959
Headmaster	Dr. Leonard Kupersmith
Faculty	121
Enrollment	1,025
Student to teacher ratio	1:9
Campus	72 acres (290,000 m2)
Color(s)	Blue & White
Mascot	Cavalier
Average SAT scores	1796  (2011)
Website	www.cces.org

Christ Church Episcopal School (CCES) is an independent school in Greenville, South Carolina serving approximately 1,000 students in grades P-12. Located on a 72-acre campus, the campus is home to eight major buildings: Lower School (grades P-4), Middle School (gr. 5-8), Upper School (gr. 9-12), McCall Field House, Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Cavalier Training Center, Booster Pavilion, and the Robertson-Navarro Baseball Pavilion. Founded in 1959, the school is accredited both by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). CCES is also the only American school outside of Germany certified by the Bavarian Ministry of Education. A history of the school, by CCES alumna Allison Warren, was published in 2009 and is titled The First Fifty Years of Christ Church Episcopal School: A Journey to Remember.

Mission

CCES is a coeducational, non-discriminatory, college preparatory school in the Episcopal tradition for students in grades Primer (kindergarten) through Twelve that nurtures each student's intellectual and spiritual development, personal integrity, sense of community and self-worth, and promotes international understanding and an appreciation of the diversity of persons and cultures through strong academic programs, comprehensive athletics, and vibrant arts.

Core Values

The school's core values are contained in its acronym "CCES": Character, Community, Excellence, Service. Separate worship and prayer services in the Episcopal tradition are held each week in the chapel for students in all divisions, at the same time embracing the dignity of each person and the religious traditions of others. Character education is central to the school's mission through chapel services, the school Honor Code, Christian education curriculum, the Middle School values education (Advisory) program, the Lower School Morning Meetings program, and the Service Learning programs in all divisions. In the Upper School, 60 hours of community service are a requirement for graduation.

Academics

Individual attention by excellent teachers in a caring environment is a hallmark of the school, resulting in high academic achievement. The current teacher/student ratio is 1:9, which allows for in-depth, mentored independent projects, such as the required Sophomore Project and Senior Thesis. CCES has produced 156 National Merit Finalists since its first graduating class in 1972, and its average composite SAT score is consistently 200-300 points higher than the national average. In 2011 the average SAT score was 1796, compared with the national average of 1500.

The school offers 18 Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 29 International Baccalaureate (IB) course for the IB Diploma program, which is offered as a curricular option for the student's junior and senior years. In 2010, CCES students had a pass rate (score of 3 or higher) of 82% on 192 AP exams. Since 2001, IB diplomas have been awarded to 95.3% of the 170 candidates pursuing the IB diploma. In 2011 the IB pass rate was 100%, compared to a worldwide pass rate of 78%, U.S. rate of 67%, and South Carolina rate of 59%.

Athletics

CCES fields 42 varsity, junior varsity, and middle school teams, comprising one of the largest athletic programs in South Carolina. CCES competes as a Class-A school against local teams in the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL). Since 1991, for 19 consecutive years, CCES has been ranked the #1 athletic program in the state based on team performance. The school consistently produces student athletes who receive athletic scholarships each year. Since 2007, over 20 CCES graduates have continued their athletic careers in college, including 11 at the Division I level.

CCES has won 68 state athletic championships since 1975; 37 state championships since 2000. These include:

• Girls Basketball: 2008-09, 2009-10
• Boys Cross Country: 1992-93, 2006-07, 2007-08
• Girls Cross Country: 1996-97, 1998-99, 2004-05, 2008-09
• Football: 1977-78
• Boys Golf: 1975-76, 1976-77, 1995-96, 1996-1997, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09
• Boys Soccer: 1995-96, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Girls Soccer: 2000-01
• Boys Tennis: 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-2011
• Girls Track: 1977-78
• Girls Tennis: 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
• Girls Volleyball: 1994-95, 1998-99

Sources

The First Fifty Years of Christ Church Episcopal School: A Journey to Remember, by Allison Warren, The Donning Company Publishers, 2009.

CCES Website: www.cces.org

External links

• Christ Church Episcopal School website