Marist School 3790 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, N.E. • Atlanta, Georgia 30319-1899 Main (770) 457-7201 • Counseling (770) 451-6318 • SAT/ACT Code: 110-195 • FAX (770) 936-2258 An Independent Catholic School of the Marist Fathers & Brothers Rev. John H. Harhager, S.M.  President Rev. Joel M. Konzen, S.M. Principal Tricia Glidewell, M.S. Academic Dean The School Marist School is a Catholic, private, nonprofit, college preparatory, coeducational day school for students in grades seven through twelve. Marist was founded in 1901 as a school for boys. When it became coeducational in 1976, enrollment expanded and the school deepened its long-standing commitment to educating the whole child and preparing students thoroughly for college. Marist is owned by the Society of Mary, a congregation of priests and brothers, and is managed by a Board of Trustees. The mission of Marist School is to form the whole person in the image of Christ through instruction grounded in religious values, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the spirit of the Society of Mary. This mission is advanced through communal pursuit of excellence in academic, religious, extracurricular, leadership, and service programs. Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) Association Memberships National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) Atlanta Area Associations of Independent Schools (AAAIS) AAAA member of Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE)   Marist School Distinctions AP Art History program named the top program among schools of similar size internationally and nationally and named an exemplary program in the Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2006. A Marist science teacher received the 2007 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Georgia from the National Association of Biology Teachers. A Marist social studies teacher was named the 2009 Distinguished Educator of the year by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust for his excellence in the teaching of a course on that topic. Habitat for Humanity chapter, the first of its kind on any high school campus, in 2003 initiated the first all-women Habitat home build. Home of Reach for Excellence, a college-preparatory program that prepares academically underserved students from urban middle schools to gain entrance to independent and magnet schools. Since 2000, Marist has been one of the few schools to offer an Advanced Placement Summer Institute using its own faculty exclusively as consultants. Seven Marist teachers, six of whom are currently certified by the College Board, consult in the AP Summer Institute. In 2008-2009, the school was awarded nine varsity athletic team state championships in 2008-09, a state record. The school has been the recipient of the Director's Cup each year since its inception ten years ago, as the best overall athletic program statewide in its size classification (AAAA). The Faculty and Staff Marist’s faculty includes 96 teachers, 15 administrators, 7 counselors, 2 librarians, 7 Marist priests, and 5 campus ministers. Teachers average 20 years' experience. Advanced degrees are held by 76% of the faculty. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, and the average class size is 18. The college counseling staff is composed of four professionals who average more than 15 years' experience in college counseling and/or college admission. They participate in the professional activities of NACAC, SACAC, ACT, and the national and regional organizations of The College Board.  The Student Body Marist enrolls 1076 students (543 boys and 533 girls) from 830 families; 75% of the students are Catholic. The student body includes the following self-described ethnic designations: Hispanic/Latino 60, African American 54, Asian American 35, and Multiracial 28. Marist is a selective institution admitting approximately one-half of its applicants. Marist requires that all applicants take the SSAT, submit school records, provide evaluations from current teachers, and participate in personal interviews. Grades seven and nine are the entry points for admission; applications to other grade levels are considered on a space available basis only. Tuition assistance is available based solely on documented need.  For 2009-10, approximately $1.5 million in tuition assistance has been awarded to 182 students. Parent Involvement Seven active parent organizations on campus provide family members an opportunity to become involved in the Marist community: Parents' Club Athletic Booster Club Marist Arts Guild (MAG) Marist Families in Action Mothers’ Prayer Group Men’s and Women’s Bible Study Alumni Association There are more than 7,000 Marist graduates active in the multiple programs sponsored by the Alumni Association in support of the school. The Association’s major effort is to enable students to attend Marist School through tuition assistance. Campus Ministry and Student Activities Students are required to perform community service at every grade level. In addition to the individual requirement, every club and varsity team at Marist performs community service. A peer orientation program and several volunteer retreat programs are sponsored by Campus Ministry. Campus Ministry also provides students with regional, national, and international mission trips. 81% of the student body participates in 56 different extracurricular clubs and student organizations. There is a strong fine and performing arts program encompassing choral and instrumental music, drama, debate, literary activities, and visual arts. 82% of the student body participated in an interscholastic sport in 2008-2009. Varsity and/or lower program sports are offered in basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling. Facilities Marist School facilities include 77 acres, 18 buildings, seven playing fields, a chapel, several computer labs, a choral studio, a dance studio, a band studio, two art studios, a 4,400 seat stadium, an aquatic center for swimming and diving, a cross country track, and three gymnasiums.  Evaluation of Academic Performance Rank in Class Because of the highly academic nature of the school, its selective applicant pool, and its desire to discourage unhealthy competition for grades, Marist does not rank its students numerically. Instead, Marist provides class-wide grade point average statistics, to which an individual student's grade point average may be compared. National Merit Scholarship Competition The class of 2009 included 13 National Merit Finalists, 17 Commended Students and 1 Commended National Achievement Semifinalist. Advanced Placement Examinations Over the past three years, 1768 Advanced Placement examinations were taken and 95% of the exam scores were 3 or higher. Juniors and seniors are limited to three AP courses per year. The most rigorous curriculum usually contains 5-7 AP courses over four years. Students enroll by permission only. Middle School Curriculum The Foundations Program is a Marist community-within-a-community that supports seventh and eighth graders in developing their sense of self and meeting their adolescent needs. The climate created through the Foundations Program aims to merge social, emotional, and intellectual learning for students at a critical time in their development. The overall design of the program and the everyday participatory leadership by teachers and students addresses two very basic needs: the need to feel a sense of significance and belonging and the need to have fun. Students in Foundations pursue a well-rounded curriculum.  They take a full year of English, math, science, and music.  They study geography, history, religion, computer technology, health, and physical education.  Seventh graders prepare for learning a foreign language and eighth graders begin the study of a foreign language.  There is room for an elective in the curriculum.  Students typically take seven courses each term. High School Curriculum There are 146 different courses offered during the year. Every student must take at least six courses each term. Fifteen hours (five per trimester) equal the traditional Carnegie unit of credit. Students in grades 9-12 are required to take 60 credit hours of English and mathematics, 45 hours of science and social studies, 40 hours of religion, 30-45 hours of foreign language, 15 of physical education, and 5 each of fine arts, computer applications, and keyboarding. At least 50—and as many as 75—hours of electives remain available for students. For the past two years, Marist has hosted a teacher from China through the American Councils for International Education who has taught Chinese language and culture classes. Marist also offers a Leadership and Society course taught by the principal, Rev. Joel Konzen, S.M., in which diverse leaders from the community address the class and answer students’ questions. Students can also take advantage of “History and the Holocaust,” a class that examines the causes and conditions of the Holocaust. Holocaust survivors visit the class as guest speakers. Students in the class will travel over spring break to see where the events they studied took place. Marist School 2007-2009 College Acceptances and Matriculations The following is a list of some of the schools Marist students are currently attending. The top most attended schools for 2009 graduates are in bold. Auburn University Agnes Scott Appalachian State Berry College Boston College Brown University Centre College Clemson University College of Charleston Dartmouth College Davidson College Duke University Elon University Emory University Florida State Furman University Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Southern Georgia State Howard University Indiana University Lehigh University Louisiana State Loyola University (LA) Mercer Miami of Ohio Millsaps College Princeton University Rice University Samford University Spelman College St. Mary’s College Tulane University United States Service Academies University of Alabama University of Chicago University of Dayton University of Georgia University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University Wake Forest University Wofford College Yale University