Tree of Life Christian Schools

Infobox School
name = Tree of Life Christian Schools


imagesize =
caption =
motto =
established = 1978
type = Private, college preparatory
denomination = Church of Christ
affiliation =
authority =
grades = K–12
president = Lezlee Knowles
principal = Todd Marrah (6-12)
faculty =
students = approx. 180 (grades 9-12)
ceeb = 361-629
gender =
athletics = baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball
conference = Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League
colors = Green, Navy, and White
patron =
mascot = Trojans
free_label = Tuition
free_text = $6,200.00/yr (grades 9-12) (2008-09)
campus size =
city = Columbus
state = Ohio
country = USA
coordinates =
telephone = 614-263-2688
website = http://www.tolcs.org

Tree of Life Christian Schools is a private school system located in Columbus, Ohio. The system encompasses preschool, primary, and secondary education.

Mission Statement

The mission statement for Tree of Life is "Educating in God's Truth... Discipling in Christ" and is not only the basis for the curriculum, but every aspect of the school.

History

In the spring of 1978, members from the Linden Church of Christ, Beechwold Church of Christ, and Minerva Park Church of Christ came together to form the first school board of what was then called Linden Christian School. Over the years, Northeast Church of Christ, Indianola Church of Christ, Westerville Christian Church, North Park Church of Christ, Discover Christian Church, Hilliard Church of Christ and Worthington Christian Church joined the effort.

The initial student body was 47 students, preschool - grade 3.

Jayne Marrah, Tree of Life's first administrator, began with four other faculty. The school grew to over 80 staff.

Initially housed in the Linden Church of Christ, the school now has four locations. Three of those are sponsoring churches who provide facilities to the school rent-free. The fourth location on Northridge Road was an empty Columbus public school, purchased in 1984 for $275,000. A regulation-sized gymnasium was completed in 1992 and a Library/Media Center in 2000. The four branches are referred to as Dublin, Indianola, Westerville, and Northridge.

The school was accredited by the Association of Christian Schools, International (ACSI) in 2002.

Courses Offered

Tree of Life has a gradually increasing number of Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses for secondary level students, as well as many other challenging classes.
*AP Calculus
*AP Spanish
*AP Chemistry (based on interest level)
*AP English
*AP Government
*AP European History
*Honors Geometry
*Honors Biology

Athletics

Tree of Life has a well established athletic program which includes twelve varsity sports. The Trojans wear green, navy blue, and white, and compete in the in the Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League (MOCAL) along with Delaware Christian, Fairfield Christian, Gahanna Christian, Grove City Christian, Madison Christian, and Northside Christian.

Boys' Varsity Sports

Boys' varsity sports include Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Cross Country, Golf, and Tennis.

Tree's boys' basketball program has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, winning 7 consecutive MOCAL championships during an impressive run from 2001-2008.Fact|date=September 2008 The Trojans boasted a 60 game conference winning streak from 2001-2007, and have only one league loss from 2001-2008. During the 2003-04 season, they were ranked as high as #6 in the Associated Press (AP) Ohio Division IV poll, and finished the year at #10 with a record of 18-2 (12-0).Fact|date=September 2008 In 2005-06, Tree recorded the first 20 win season in school history, finishing 20-2 after a 19-1 (12-0) regular season and an appearance in the district semifinals. The program was back in the AP rankings during the 2007-08 season, climbing as high as #8, and finishing the year at 19-3 (12-0).Fact|date=September 2008

Girls' Varsity Sports

Girls' varsity sports include Basketball, Softball, Soccer, Volleyball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, and Tennis.

MOCAL Championships

Tree of Life boasts more MOCAL championships than any other member school, including:Fact|date=September 2008

Boys' Basketball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Girl's Basketball: 2005, 2006, 2007

Baseball: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007

Softball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Boys' Soccer: 2004, 2005 (co-champions), 2007

Notable Alumni

*Jay DeMarcus - bassist and harmony vocalist for the country band Rascal FlattsFact|date=September 2008
*Chad Criger - Zone Coordinator at LimitedbrandsFact|date=September 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.tolcs.org/ Official Website]