NOURISH
“Asheville Christian Academy focuses on nourishing a child’s mind, body and soul, and as a result, we see children flourish.”
MIND, BODY AND SOUL We don’t often think of malnourishment as being a problem in our modern, developed society. Most of our children have plenty of food. But it can be difficult for parents to find a source of spiritual, intellectual, and social nourishment for their children. Asheville Christian Academy focuses on nourishing a child’s mind, body and soul, and as a result, we see children flourish. While we want “better” (fill in the blank) for our children, it is our focus on nourishing and flourishing that allows us to see the education process holistically. It’s not just about great academics. It’s about modeling our children’s education after that of Jesus Christ, who “grew in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) We want our flourishing community of grace to be accessible to all of God’s people who desire their children to be well nourished. Western Carolina, with its diversity of income, ethnicity, and lifestyle, makes broad demands on us for competitive, accessible Christian education. The school’s strong advance in academics, fine arts, and athletics has been coupled with challenges: will we have space, people and program to deliver to this diverse and needy mix? Our neighborhoods are more broken and relationally malnourished than they were even 20 years ago. How are we to address these challenging pressures? We can meet these pressures by developing our capacity for nourishing children.
NOURISH — Bill George, Head of School
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NOURISHING CHILDREN AT ASHEVILLE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 4 Over the past 20 years, we have become one of the top Christian schools in the Southeast. Yet we sense that this is not enough. We want the temperament and environment of our lower, middle and upper schools to be defined as a redemptive community.
A RELATIONALLY DRIVEN COMMUNITY OF GRACE When you ask people what sets Asheville Christian Academy apart, they usually refer to the strong sense of community. Deep, healthy relationships between teachers and students are the epicenter of this spreading, nourishing community of grace. We hire and maintain faculty and support staff who are committed to Christ and who have a deep understanding of biblical integration. As our staff partners with parents in order to cultivate the same atmosphere at home and school, young people are encouraged to live enriched, extraordinary and Christ-like lives. ACA strives to create a place where children — young and old — love to be. That is what ACA strives to accomplish every day, while maintaining its commitment to rigor in all endeavors. We currently have 590 students, a 53-acre campus and little debt. However, as we continue to grow, there are challenges that we must overcome.
“We want the temperament & environment of our lower, middle & upper schools to be defined as a redemptive community.” -Bill George
ADVANCING OUR FLOURISHING
COMMUNITY WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH 3 MAJOR PROJECTS
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FACILITIES PROGRAMS SUSTAINABILITY
NOURISH THROUGH IMPROVED
FACILITIES
THE COMPLETION OF MIDDLE BUILDING WILL PROVIDE: • A central, communal gathering space
Particularly the completion of our middle building, to provide a cafeteria, a library/research center, a middle school home, expanded P.A.S.S. facilities, and a more beautiful entrance to our campus.
• First-rate cafeteria amenities • Expansion of PASS, our learning challenges program • Middle school identity • Library, media and research center • A welcoming centerpiece to the school
A school’s cafeteria is the hub of campus life. Currently, our students eat lunch sitting on the floor and in the entryways of the auditorium. Since the Swannanoa campus was developed, the middle of our three major buildings has been incomplete. Its 29,200 square feet will provide ample space for a cafeteria and additional classrooms. The middle building development stands as a key to Asheville Christian Academy’s immediate improvement and expansion. By opening up a cafeteria space, we can address the crowded lunch-period problem. We can offer a kitchen that can produce food that is nutritious and tasty. And we can create a gathering place for our entire school community.
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NOURISH THROUGH STRENGTHENED
PROGRAMS
A three-year commitment to expand support for athletics, fine arts and academics, with a special emphasis on S.T.E.M.
We will continue to make improvements in Athletics, Fine Arts, and Academics, the tripod of ACA’s program, with a new emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) Athletics, fine arts, and academics have long been our core strengths. We will continue to advance in these areas, mainly through our annual fund, now called Full Circle. We will also develop a multi-year plan that will advance ACA as a regional leader and obvious choice for Christian families whose children are interested in and inclined towards the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M.). The plan will define a S.T.E.M. educational program that inspires and equips students for college-level study and eventual vocations in the fields of natural sciences, life sciences, health sciences, engineering, technology, and mathematics. This new emphasis will be fully integrated with the biblical foundations and Christian-based educational mission of the school.
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NOURISH THROUGH
SUSTAINABILITY 12
ENDOWMENT AND FISCAL ADVANCE We want an ACA education to be a viable option for any Western North Carolina family who desires a Christian education. We can ultimately offer scholarships to these families only through our permanent endowment. We hope to raise a significant endowment through planned gifts from the ACA community. We want to control our cash flow through our own reserve fund. We look forward to running unencumbered into the future. There are two aspects to ACA’s current obligations: the land payments and our rolling line of credit. Removing the land payments will wipe out a monthly obligation. Taking control of our line of credit, and providing it to ourselves as needed, will eliminate any associated financing costs.
ALUMS FLOURISHING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES
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Stephen & Jenny Schermerhorn, 1997, 1998 Jenny attended Montreat College and received a B.A. in Bible and Religion, graduating as the valedictorian of her class. Jenny and her husband Stephen Schermerhorn now have two little girls, Fia (5) and Elin (2).
Josh Johnson, 2008
Stephen, a graduate of LeTourneau University, works as a mechanical engineer at AVL Technologies. Jenny
Josh left ACA for West Point Military Academy, where
is a freelance writer.
he graduated in 2012. He is commissioned to serve as an officer at Ft. Benning in Georgia. His character goes way
“ACA shaped my approach to academia permanently,”
beyond sports — where he left an ACA mark — say his
says Jenny. “I came to ACA as a junior in high school, and the way my teachers explained the
former mentors.
interaction of their faith and the academic subject they taught was exciting and challenging to me. I am a life-long learner and researcher, and continue to build on the foundation they began.”
Tina Wang, 2012 Tina came to us from Beijing, China when she was a sophomore. She is now a freshman at Wheaton College. Her
Drew Belz, 2006
testimony upon return from a J-term service trip: “When I
Drew is co-founder of Fancy Rhino, an award-winning
think how much my Savior has sacrificed for me, I feel the
film company in Chattanooga. An August 2012 premier
great joy of having the chance to follow His steps … I am
of a documentary on the city’s oldest black high school
ready to do all the things he has planned for me.”
is the company’s latest success.
PROJECTS
PARTNERING WITH PARENTS 6
Enrollment
16
FACILITIES
1,000
Middle Building - Directors’ Hall Cafeteria & Kitchen/First Floor Completion
591
500
$2,500,000
Second Floor Completion
$1,200,000
Maintenance Center
$135,000
Gym Court Enhancements
$265,000
FACILITIES TOTAL 2003
2013
$4,100,000
2023
PROGRAM
“Not only would a new cafeteria be a safe and
Full Circle Annual Fund 2013
$295,000
Full Circle Annual Fund 2014
$355,000
Additional 10-acre Property and Line of Credit Control
$450,000
PROGRAM TOTAL
$1,100,000
CASH GOAL
$5,200,000
clean environment for our kids to have lunches and snacks, but it will also be a space to nourish our community. A space for fellowship, service, and outreach to the community. This is why finishing the middle building is so important to my heart.
To see how God can nourish our
children, both physically and spiritually, and what He has in store for the
SUSTAINABILITY Permanent Endowment through Planned Gifts
$3,000,000
space and its purpose in His Kingdom, that is what is really exciting!” — Tracy Gualano, PTF President, ACA mother of three
TOTAL CAMPAIGN GOAL
$8,200,000
SUGGESTED GIFTS *
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NO. OF DONORS
LEVEL OF GIFT
TOTALS
1
$1,200,000
$1,200,000
1
$500,000
$500,000
3
$200,000
$600,000
5
$150,000
7
$100,000
$750,000
12
$50,000
$600,000
16
$20,000
$320,000
33
$10,000
$330,000
$700,000
Other Sized Gifts
$200,000
CASH GIFTS
$5,200,000
*Total may be paid over 3 years
PLANNED GIFTS
$3,000,000
TOTAL CAMPAIGN GOAL
$8,200,000
FLOURISH
ADMINISTRATION WILLIAM GEORGE, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. | Head of School ANDREW BELZ, B.A., M.A. | Director of Advancement MARY BOLVI, B.A., M.A. | Lower School Principal MARK BRANT, B.S..| Campus Manager LINDA BROWN, B.S., M.Ed. | Director of Academic Support JOE JOHNSON, B.S., M.Ed. | Director of Athletics RAY KOCHIS, B.S., M.Ed. | Middle and Upper School Principal BETH LEDFORD, B.A. | Director of Admissions KRISTIN MCPETERS, B.A. | Director of Development ALEXANDER PANAGIOTACOS, B.S., M.E. | Director of Fine Arts SUSY RAMSEY | Business Manager SCOTT SCHRODER, B.S., M.Ed. | Middle School Asst. Principal
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DAVID BRUCE, Chair | Black Mountain, NC
JIM HILL | Asheville, NC
JOEL BARKER | Montreat, NC
ROGER JAMES | Asheville, NC
BRAD BURLINGHAM | Fairview, NC
HAL MCDONALD | Weaverville, NC
KEN CONDRA | Fletcher, NC
JERRY MORRIS | Black Mountain, NC
SCOTT CRAWFORD, Treasurer | Asheville, NC
DAVID PHELAN, Vice-Chair | Fairview, NC
KIMBERLY DELLINGER | Fairview, NC
DAN PIERCE | Asheville, NC
PETER FONTAINE | Fletcher, NC
ROBERT SULASKI, Sec | Montreat, NC
CAROL HARRISON | Asheville, NC
74 Riverwood Road | Swannanoa, NC 28778 | www.ACAcademy.org | Tel. 828.581.2200