Foundations Houses are named after Marist missionary sites. Each House is made up of one 7th grade homeroom and one 8th grade homeroom. Each House has four House Leaders, who are Marist faculty committed to teaching and guiding middle-school-aged students. There is one male House Leader and one female House Leader in each homeroom.
Foundations students are carefully assigned to a Foundations House the summer before their 7th grade year. Each incoming 7th grader is matched with an upperclassmen "Peer Leader" and one or two "peer buddies" who come from different feeder schools, but have overlapping interests. These "peer groups" meet over the summer to get to know one another. The Peer Leaders check in on the 7th graders from time to time during Term 1, and support the House Leaders in mentoring the 7th graders.
Each house will stay the same in 8th grade, to give students a safe, fun place to start each day, and consistent contact with friends and faculty who know and care about them.
Wellington, New Zealand, is another Marist missionary site. The Marists fostered Catholic education in New Zealand and still maintain several schools in the region.
Marist School
3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30319-1899 (770) 457-7201