Southside Christian School

Southside Christian School is a private K-12 Christian school in Greenville, South Carolina. SCS was established in 1967 and is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International. SCS serves approximately 1100 students beginning at 18 months of age and continuing through 12th grade on one campus. Students are divided into Early Education (EE2-1st), Lower School (2nd-5th), and Upper School (6th-12th). Southside's rival is the Christ Church Episcopal School Cavaliers, and the school mascot is "Sabreman".

History

The rich heritage of Southside Christian School is founded on a commitment to partnering with Christian parents in providing an excellent education consistent with biblical truth. SCS was established in 1967 as a ministry of Southside Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. School opened that fall with three teachers and 49 students enrolled in classes from kindergarten through third grade.

After nearly twenty years of consistent growth, Southside moved to a spacious new location on Woodruff Road in 1986. As school enrollment and church attendance continued to increase, the church elders and school leadership realized that separating the two ministries would position each of them to more effectively fulfill their respective missions. In 2005, Southside Christian School purchased the Woodruff Road campus from the church and became a self-governing institution led by a board of directors from a variety of local churches.

SCS has emerged today as one of the Southeast's leading Christian schools, with a wide range of educational programs for more than 1,000 students from pre-school through twelfth grade. SCS offers a superior academic program, a broad array of opportunities in the fine arts, and an athletics program that consistently competes for region, district, and state championships.^[1]

Awards

• Fully Accredited by Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS CASI).
• Southside Christian received the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award in 2007.
• Southside Christian School was awarded The 2009 South Carolina Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness Award in January 2010.
• The students of SCS were the first ever recipients of The Order of the Silver Crescent presented by the state of South Carolina.
• The EE Explore Lab won recognition by ACSI as an "Exemplary School Program."
• Early Education science lab gardens certified by the National Wildlife Foundation as a "Certified Wildlife Habitat".

Academics

• The Upper School offers 12 AP, 5 dual-enrollment, and 26 honors courses.
• Advanced Placement courses are available for Biology, Calculus AB & BC, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, European History, Physics, Probability/Statistics, Psychology, Studio Art, and US History.
• SCS offers two interactive science labs for students in the Early Education program and the Lower School.
• Past graduates have gone on to higher education at colleges and universities including Anderson University, Auburn University, Berry College, Bob Jones University, Charleston Southern University, Cedarville University, Clemson University, College of Charleston, Colorado Christian University, Columbia International University, Columbia University, Covenant College, Davidson College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, Faulkner University, Furman University, George Washington University, Georgia Tech, Greenville Technical College, Liberty University, Mississippi College, North Greenville University, Ohio State University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Samford University, Southern Wesleyan University, Spartanburg Methodist College, The Citadel, The United States Naval Academy, University of Miami, the University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, USC Upstate, Washington and Lee, The United States Air Force Academy and Winthrop University
• SCS's graduating class of 2013 is widely considered amongst the faculty to have been the most academically exemplary class in school history. It contained two SCS students who attended Ivy League universities. Marshall Bozeman, who was student body president, attended Columbia University and Luis De Castro attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Two of their students, Luis De Castro and Jake Welsh, attained perfect scores on the SAT and ACT, respectively, and were chosen as candidates for the Presidential Scholars Program. The two of them, in addition to Kira Ford, were named National Merit Scholars.^[2] Several students from the class of 2013 were accepted to very selective universities, such that were it not for their classmates, five different students could have set the school record for most selective university a student from SCS had ever been admitted to.
• The class of 1989 included graduate Valerie Wood that obtained a law degree from Harvard University.

Sports

• SCS is a member of the South Carolina High School League, Region II-A, competing in 19 sports with 29 teams having won numerous State, District, and Regional Championship titles.
• In 2009-10 and 2010–11, the Lady Sabre volleyball team won the Class A State Championship.^[3][4]
• In 2010 and 2015, the varsity boys' basketball team defeated Christ Church Episcopal School to win the Region II-A Championship.
• In 2015, the varsity football team won the Class A State Championship.

JV Boys (7-9)

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Football
• Soccer
• Track and Field

JV Girls (7-9)

• Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Soccer
• Track and Field
• Volleyball

Varsity Boys (9-12)

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Football
• Golf
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field

Varsity Girls (9-12)

• Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Cross Country
• Fastpitch Softball
• Golf
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball

Clubs and Organizations

* indicates 9-12 only

• Academic Quiz Team
• Bible Quiz Team
• Computer Tech and Ministry Team
• Math Team
• Speech and Debate Team
• National Beta Club*
• National Forensics League
• National Honor Society*
• National Junior Honor Society
• Student Government
• Youth in Government*
• The Sentinel Yearbook Staff*

Fine Arts

• 100 percent of students participate in the fine arts program
• High School Band, High School Choir, Gracenotes, Sounds and Sabres, and Advanced Handbells travel to compete in a Heritage Festival every spring.

Visual Arts

• Art is incorporated into the curriculum for grades K through 5th.
• Art I, II, and AP Studio Art are available as electives for students 6th-12th grade.
• Art students in grades 9-12 participate in the local ACSI Art Festival held annually.

Drama

• The drama department is a member of the National Forensic League (NFL), the South Carolina Speech and Theatre Association (SCSTA), and Christians in Theatre Arts (CITA).
• Drama I and Drama II are offered as electives for students in Grades 9 through 12.
• The Fine Arts Department presents a full-length musical in November and a short play in April. Past productions have included The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Oliver!, Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Treasure Island, The Sound of Music, Sherlock Holmes, The Music Man, Scrooge!, Annie, Arsenic and Old Lace, Into the Woods, and The Secret Garden

Instrumental Music

* requires prerequisite of one year of Beginner/Middle School band or one year of private instruction

**must be junior or senior in one major performing ensemble

• Beginner Band, Middle School Band*, High School Band*, Beginner Handbells, Advanced Handbells, and Music Honors** are available as electives.
• In 2002, the High School band was selected as the South Carolina Musical Ambassador to the National Memorial Day Celebration in Washington D.C.

Vocal Music

* indicates audition-only

• Beginner Music is offered to all students grades K-5.
• Elementary Singers*, Middle School Choir, High School Choir, Gracenotes* (ladies ensemble), and Sounds and Sabres* (mixed ensemble) are offered as electives.
• In April 2011, Gracenotes & Sound and Sabres Honor Choir were selected to perform as part of the National Invitational Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

External links

• http://www.southsidechristian.org/

References

Coordinates: 34°47′37″N 82°17′17″W / 34.7937299°N 82.2881732°W / 34.7937299; -82.2881732