Lion's Share Quarterly Report | May 2024

LION'S SHARE

GRAPEVINE FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL QUARTERLY REPORT

A NOTE FROM DR. SMITH

Faith Family,

As I look back on the past quarter, I’m grateful to God for your continued support. Your partnership has made an incredible difference in moving our school forward.

Having the Faith family back together and in person for State of the School reminded me of the unique community I am blessed to serve. Hearing from the executive team demonstrated God's orchestration of bringing together leaders who are equally passionate about developing and graduating authentic Christian leaders.

On the heels of State of the School, I think you would all agree that our trip down the yellow brick road was nothing short of spectacular. The cast, crew, costumes, and collaboration by so many volunteers and staff members made this year's production of The Wizard of Oz truly memorable.

Our Annual Gala, Rooted in Faith, was amazing thanks to the hard work and excitement of everyone involved. I'm truly grateful for Megan Clegg and her awesome gala committee. The way they led us in celebrating 25 years showed how much we can achieve when we all work together. Your generous gifts will help us continue to make GFC an even better place for our students.

One of the best parts of the gala was getting to hear from a few alumni and a founding family. Their stories about how Faith impacted them are a powerful reminder that what we do matters It's because of the time and effort of all of us that our students can have those amazing experiences

We have included one of these stories in this report and will share more stories from these alumni in future publications Their success is something the whole Faith Family can be proud of because we all play a part in helping our students grow

We had a wonderful time on Grandparents' Day, too I enjoyed seeing our students engaging with their grandparents What a great reminder of how blessed we are with the community fostered at this place we call Faith

Once again, thank you With your ongoing support, we're creating a strong legacy of faith, education, and excellence that will impact generations

Pressing on,

Ed Smith, Ed D President

Quarter Summary Quarter Summary

Here are a few of the highlights from the past few months:

In-Person State of the School Sessions

Celebrate Life Student Conference (Photo Gallery)

Valentine's Day Breakfast for Senior Ladies/Widows

Post-District Competition for All Winter Sports Teams

Rooted in Faith Annual Gala Celebrating Our 25th Year (Photo Gallery & Video)

11 High School Art Students Advance to VASE State Championships

Grandparents' Day Attended by 400+ (Photo Gallery)

Inaugural Opening Day & Ribbon Cutting for Faith Baseball Field (Photo Gallery)

Faith Creative Arts Preview Night

3rd Annual Daddy-Daughter Dance (Photo Gallery)

Inaugural Mother-Son Gaming Experience (Photo Gallery)

Elementary Battle of the Books Champions

Grand Champion Classic Team Awarded to Lionettes

Junior High Student Council Mission Experience with Feed My Starving Children

High School Mock Trial Team took 3rd in Regional Championships

All-Region and All-State Choir Performances

21 Junior High Art Students Awarded Top Marks from Celebrating Art

Three Junior High Students Selected for TPSMEA Honor Band

High School Student Council Blood Drive

Lion Business Academy Mission Experience with Feed My Starving Children

Junior Executive Retreat Planning Team Advance Visit to Camp Akiva

Sophomore College Tour to Texas A&M, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Sam

Houston State and Baylor University

GFCS Signing Day for Five Athletes (Photo Gallery)

School-wide

Eclipse Viewing (Photo Gallery)

FINANCE & OPERATIONS UPDATE

From Dr. David Armstrong From Dr. David Armstrong

Faith Family,

It is an exciting time on the Faith campus! We have enjoyed having Chef Patrick back to expand on our culinary programs and lead the incredible Dining Services team. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and feedback on his return and eager anticipation for what lies ahead in this important realm of our students’ experience at Faith.

As you will see in our Advancement report, the CAC audio and lighting improvements are complete. The enhancements have made a tremendous impact on Chapel and special programming experiences. I can’t wait for you to experience it firsthand at our upcoming end-of-year celebrations!

As we gear up for a robust summer project list, it is not lost on our team that the work being done would not be possible without your continued financial support and partnership.

Thank you for investing in Grapevine Faith. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with many of you over the past several months and am grateful to be serving with such an engaged group of families.

Be on the lookout for upcoming parent-focused “coffee talk” gatherings to collaborate on various aspects of Grapevine Faith’s finance and operations.

Sincerely,

David Armstrong, Ed.D., CPA Vice President of Finance and Operations

DID YOU KN W?

Thanks to the generosity of our Gala attendees in 2023, a Safety & Security Fund was established to invest in continually evaluating and improving the security of our campuses. We are pleased to report that since our 2023 Gala, the following security improvements have been completed or are in process:

Shatter-resistant 3M film on all GROUND-LEVEL windows at both campuses

Video monitored call boxes for entry at both campuses

New state-of-the-art PA system on the Worth Street campus

Addition of armed security officer on the Worth Street campus during school hours

New radios for security team

Engagement with professional crisis management consulting firm

Shades for all classroom doors

Emergency kits inside every classroom

Installation of full non-scalable perimeter fencing at both campuses (estimated start date Summer 2024). Additional funding for this project is available thanks to the generosity of donations during our year-end giving, Lion Legacy Fund.

From the Desk of Dr. Jeff Horner From the Desk of Dr. Jeff Horner

FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL AND THE ACT

THE DATA

Historically, Grapevine Faith has reported consistently strong ACT scores from our students In keeping with the reporting standards used by our peer schools in the DFW area, we typically have reported the performance of the top 25% of our students Our scores are quite often some of the strongest among our local peer schools

THE QUESTION

Reflecting on the history of robust scores, the question emerged about the potential existence of a distinctive “Faith difference” that surpasses our standard reporting. Queries were raised regarding how the entire senior class's scores stand in comparison with peers from similar economic backgrounds. Given the widely held belief that family income and standardized test scores are directly related, data was collected from the ACT to initiate a detailed comparison between our students' performance and that of their counterparts in Texas and nationwide.

In the upcoming section, the considerable efforts of the distinguished faculty over several years will be showcased The methodology will be outlined succinctly before presenting three illustrative charts that encapsulate our performance from the Class of 2013 through to the Class of 2023 Following each chart, there will be an explanation summarizing their significance

THE METHODOLOGY

Data visualization tools provided by the ACT company allowed for an in-depth examination of their collective data spanning the last 11 years. After setting "Family Income" and the state as "Texas" as primary filters, additional data was offered by the ACT company, which included average scores across the United States for both individual sub-tests and overall composites. Focusing on "Family Income," the selection was narrowed down to report only incomes of $100,000 or higher to match the demographics of the zip codes served by GFCS. This data was then meticulously organized into a spreadsheet for further analysis.

This comprehensive review identified several trends and strengths at the school. The charts display multiple data points including the average class score for Faith, represented by blue bars with the score in white These figures depict the final test scores of each senior separate from their “ superscore, ” which reflects the peak performance across all sub-tests Comparative benchmarks from Texan students in the same income bracket are denoted by red lines, while yellow lines represent the national average for the United States

The earliest years of this chart show that Faith Christian School had some growth to accomplish with respect to students from comparable types of families However, since the Class of 2018, our senior classes have consistently outperformed the state and national averages In fact, if we look at the data since the Class of 2020 (when COVID-19 hit the world), our students’ scores are trending upward, while the rest of their peers in Texas and in the United States are trending downward.

In Summary... In Summary...

This chart shows consistently strong performance from GFCS students who have learned in our English programs from comparable types of families Since the Class of 2015, our senior classes have outperformed both the state and national averages, even as those averages increased between 2015 and 2020 However, if we again look at the data since the Class of 2020 (when COVID-19 hit the world), our students’ scores maintain a high standard of achievement, while the rest of their peers in Texas and in the United States are again trending downward

Unsurprisingly, this chart also shows the consistently strong performance from GFCS graduates with respect to their peers from comparable types of families Since the Class of 2014, our senior classes have consistently outperformed both the state and national averages. However, if we once again look at the data since the Class of 2020, our students’ scores maintain a high standard of achievement, while the rest of their peers in Texas and in the United States are again trending downward.

It is essential to remember that these scores indicate the performance of the entire class, not just the top 25% of students It also does not represent any superscores, but is merely the final test taken by each student in their respective graduating class year It is also important to note that these scores are being compared to students from comparable income levels across Texas and the United States, and therefore are the closest we can come to an apples-to-apples comparison

Overall, we can see a clear “Faith difference” for students who graduate from GFCS in comparison to their same-age peers at similar income levels. These peers would also have access to the same tutoring services, and extra coursework as our own students. This “Faith difference” is certainly attributable to the diligence of our students, the expertise of our faculty, and the strong academic work that has been part of Faith’s tradition for many years. Thank you for your continued partnership in this entire endeavor with us. Please join us in celebrating this remarkable record of academic success.

ADVANCEMENT UPDATES | APRIL 2024

We are blessed by your partnership and continuously overwhelmed by your generosity. The advancement fundraising efforts have certainly reflected that this year. Thank you for helping us advance the mission of Grapevine Faith Christian School.

Lion Legacy Fund Update | $303,000

Emphasis on People, Place, and Potential raised $303,000 of our $750,000 goal for constructing the perimeter fence.

UPDATE: Final plans are in review with the city. Construction will begin as soon as we receive approval.

Faith Gives Funding Update | $181,179

Faith Gives surpassed our goal of $175,000 by 3.5%. The 2023 funds support Thanksgiving Basket Outreach, Junior/Senior Prom, and Technology in the classroom and on campus.

The 2024 Annual Gala |

$519,000

The Annual Gala, Rooted in Faith, raised $519,000 - $125,000 of which will go toward the Special Appeal for replacing the flooring in the hallways at Worth Street and Dallas Road. The goal for this project was $250,000.

UPDATE: Design plans impacting floor selection are being finalized.

Once the flooring is selected, the scope of work will be set to have the biggest impact based on the funds raised Work is anticipated to begin this summer.

Additional Campus Development Project Updates

All-Turf Baseball Field | Completed Fall

CAC Renovation (2022 Gala Special Appeal) | Completed Spring New lighting, audio and visual package

Worth Street Elementary Restroom Renovations | Begin Summer 2024

Design concepts to mirror the newly renovated restrooms in the junior high hallway and across from the cafeteria

Foundation Repairs to the Worth Street Campus | Begin Summer 2024

Special Appeal Flooring Project (Partial) | Begin Summer of 2024

Square footage, hallway selection will be based on completion of additional projects (i.e. restroom renovations and/or foundation work that would impact the ability/practicality to change flooring during the same project time frame) and funds raised Watch for updates

ROOTED IN FAITH

ANNUAL GALA 2024 | ALUMNI STORIES Kyle

Some seven years ago, Kyle Dendy then a high school senior stood on the chapel stage at Grapevine Faith Christian School, leading his fellow students in prayer Last month, he returned to the chapel stage again– this time to speak to junior high students alongside his wife and fellow Grapevine Faith Class of 2016 graduate, Chandler Dendy.

The couple have been back to the Faith campus many times over the years, cheering at a Friday night football game or speaking to a new generation of Faith students. For them, their time at Faith was marked by building a community of lifelong friends and strengthening their faith as they prepared for life after high school

“I just know so many people that went off to college and then their faith was tested and it was hard for them,” Kyle said “For me, after 13 years of building blocks, I feel like Faith just set me up really well.”

And it’s not the only way Grapevine Faith set up the Dendys. Just after they graduated from high school, the two went separate ways until a Faith coach encouraged the couple.

“We had dated in high school and then we went to college on opposite sides of the world,” Chandler said “I went to Australia and he went to LA ”

“When I was in Australia, Coach Herb (Evans) came to Australia for a visit He said ‘I really think you're supposed to marry Kyle Dendy ’ To which I responded, ‘Coach Herb, I am in Australia and he's living in LA.’ He persisted, ‘I think it's gonna happen. Y’all need to reconnect when you get home.’”

The couple have now been married for four years (“credit to Coach Herb,” Chandler says,) and have two children, Kanaan and Maddox.

Kyle began at Faith in kindergarten (alongside his twin sister Kennedy), and Chandler came to the school in 8th grade She said she knew she wanted to find a place working in ministry one day, and she found support at Faith

“When I told teachers at Faith that I wanted to go into ministry, they all encouraged me, ” Chandler said of her time at Faith. “They believed in me, and when I was saying ‘I'm going to Bible College in Australia,’ some people would look at you like you're crazy. But the support system I had at Faith said, ‘How can we help you get there?’”

Over the years, Kyle said he saw how Grapevine Faith students and staff rallied around him and how he too became part of the Faith family

“I remember being in kindergarten and going to some of the Faith football games, and elementary kids getting to run on the field afterwards to carry the helmets of a varsity player Then fast forward, I got to be that football player on the field and see so much come full circle

“When I was a kindergartener, Dr. (Ed) Smith's daughter, Ashley, was a senior. She would babysit my sister and me, and then when we were seniors, we babysat her kids. There are so many intertwined relationships and connections like that. When you involve yourself in Faith, you have such a support system of people that have your back and show up for you ”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP. SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP.