NATALIE THOMAS STUDENT CENTER Campaign Snapshot
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Academics to Excel. Faith to Inspire.
Over the past two years, The First Academy has been richly blessed to be able to complete the Gather space and the Royal Kitchen & Eatery. Both of these spaces were made possible by the generous support of our Gospel Patrons, those TFA fami lies and friends who gave sacrificially and invested in the lives of our students.
As I walk through campus daily, I see that these new facilities are areas where our students are building community with one another, praying for each other, and huddling together to study for an important test or quiz. Our future Christian leaders are growing spiritually and academically because our generous donors made it a priority to invest in building something that means so much more than just brick and mortar.
Now that we have finished the two projects mentioned above, our Leadership Team and School Board feel that it is imperative to complete the vision for the heart of our campus. This final phase will include the renovation of the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium into a fully functioning student center. The Natalie Thomas Student Center will provide space for students and members of the TFA community to study, socialize, dine, host chapel and assemblies, attend Fine Arts performances, and engage in campus life. The renovated facility will provide collaborative spaces for students to connect with their teachers and peers as they grow in Christ.
I pray that you join us in Growing the Next Generation of Christian Leaders.
The Best is Yet to Come,
Steve D. Whitaker, Ph.D. Head of School
building for the future
We have enhanced the student experience by completing the Royal Kitchen & Eatery and Gather Space. We now have the opportunity to turn the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium into a fully functioning Student Center.
The Natalie Thomas Student Center will be the center of it all. We will provide space for students and members of our TFA family to study, socialize, eat, host events and assemblies, attend Fine Arts performances, and engage in campus life. The renovated facility will provide collaborative spaces for students to connect on campus.
The Advantages Include:
1CHAPEL AND ASSEMBLIES FOR ALL DIVISIONS
The renovated space will allow for all divisions to host chapel and special assemblies within the safety of the campus gates. The Natalie Thomas Student Center will serve as an extension of the academic classroom, offering a designated area on TFA’s cam pus to focus on the spiritual growth of our students in our weekly chapel experience.
2SAFETY AND SECURITY
The students are currently walking over to First Orlando for chapel and large assemblies. While we have been blessed to be able to rent facilities from the church, the movement of students from the safe perimeter of our school campus to chruch facilities each week continues to be one of our largest safety and security concerns. Additionally, we will install an additional covered walkway to connect the Cramer
Family Field House to the Natalie Thomas Student Center. This added safety feature will allow for stu dents to travel to nearly all campus buildings safely under the covered walkways..
3FINE ARTS
With seating for just under 600, the Natalie Thomas Student Center will be the hub for cam pus-wide Fine Arts performances. With the installa
tion of all of the needed audio visual equipment and staging, TFA will be able to host larger productions and elevate our Fine Arts Program..
4LOWER SCHOOL ATHLETICS & PE
The space will continue to function as a gym and serve the Lower School for their PE and Lower School Sports needs throughout the year.
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The current lobby of the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium will be transformed into an Art Gallery space to show case student work.
Telescoping auditorium seating will be built into the space to accommodate nearly 500 attendees for Fine Arts productions, chapel, and assemblies, and more.
The flooring in the facility will be durable and able to withstand use both for Lower School Sports and PE as well as large student and family gatherings.
We will complete the vision of connecting our entire campus by installing another covered walkway connecting the Natalie Thomas Student Center to the Cramer Family Field House.
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THE ONE BIG NEED is to complete renovations of the Natalie Thomas Gymnasium to create a fully-functioning Chapel, Fine Arts space, Athletic Venue, and Student Center for our students, families, and staff.
Tying in the Student Center atmosphere with the Gather space and Kitchen & Eatery at the heart of our campus will truly com plete the vision of a bustling student and family community on The First Academy’s campus.
State-of-the-Art Audio/Visual equipment will be installed to prepare our student leaders and artists to perform at the highest level.
FUNDING REQUIREMENT: THE GOAL OF $5.8 Million SUPPORTS THE FOLLOWING AREAS general construcTion: $3.8 Million Roofing Telescoping Auditorium Seating HVAC Sound Treatment Panels Flooring Painting Steel Masonary Framing Drywall Selective Demolition Electrical & Fire Alarm Building Concrete Doors, Frames, & Hardware
audio visual equipment: $1.7 Million Acoustics Loudspeakers Audio Console Microphones Audio Monitoring Staging and Stage Equipment Cameras Video Switching, Routing, and Processing Video Graphics Video Recording and Streaming Video Displays Production Equipment Lighting and Lighting Control Scenic Equipment (draping, curtains. etc.) Intercom Covered Walkway: $250,000 Walkway connecting the Cramer Family Field House to the Natalie Thomas Student Center 9
CAMPAIGN GIFT PLAN # OF DONORS AT TOTAL 1 $750,000 $750,000 2 $250,000 $500,000 4 $150,000 $600,000 8 $75,000 $600,000 20 $50,000 $1,000,000 30 $25,000 $750,000 50 $10,000 $500,000 Many Various $1,100,000 OVERALL TOTAL $5,800,000 10
Leadership Profile
The First Academy Leadership Team
Dr. Steve Whitaker
Head of School
Brian Rose Assistant Head of School
Sarah Donovan Senior Director of Advancement & Parent Relations
Leighann Harris
Senior Director of Finance & Business Development
Gissel Valois
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Jennifer Jackson Lower School Principal
Dr. Natalie Holter Middle School Principal
Dr. Shayne Grove
Upper School Principal
The First Academy School Board
Clark Keator, Chairman President, Keator Construction
Jeff Alexander, Vice Chairman President, First Class Cleaners
Nikki Kearn
Class of 2001
Sales Specialist, Patterson Dental
Laura Eitel
Former TFA Lower School Faculty Member
Michele Fitch
Parent Association Middle School Vice President
ArchBishop Allen Wiggins The Hope Church
Bishop Derrick McRae The Experience Christian Center
Brian Blair
Partner, Baker Hostetler
