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Pursuing Excellence<br />
From the Principal<br />
Sixteen years ago the staff voted to create an inspiring<br />
mission statement that clearly defined the purpose of Georgia-Cumberland<br />
Academy and would drive everything we do.<br />
It was at that time that the following statement was crafted:<br />
The mission of Georgia-Cumberland Academy is to<br />
foster an educational environment of excellence where students,<br />
faculty and staff pursue a shared quest: To know Jesus as<br />
Savior and Friend; To love God and those He brings into our<br />
lives; To serve the church and society.<br />
To Know, To Love, To Serve...<br />
Those abbreviated phrases from our mission statement can<br />
be quoted by every student and staff member. They inform<br />
everything we do at GCA. But our ability to provide “an<br />
educational environment of excellence” where these things<br />
happen is very dependent upon the support we receive from<br />
people like you.<br />
What does it actually mean to provide “an educational<br />
environment of excellence?” For us, that means providing<br />
an attractive and well-functioning campus with facilities that<br />
reflect the value of the work being done here. An “educational<br />
environment of excellence” also means providing the best<br />
possible educational opportunities and experiences for our<br />
students. It especially means providing a spiritual environment<br />
where students and staff encounter an irresistible picture<br />
of God that draws us into a relationship with Him. From<br />
Greg Gerard<br />
Principal<br />
that relationship,<br />
we learn to love<br />
others as God<br />
loves us. It also<br />
means providing<br />
preparation for<br />
students to serve<br />
God while here<br />
and in their future<br />
lives.<br />
As we reflect<br />
on this past fiscal<br />
year and the way<br />
you have helped us<br />
achieve our mission,<br />
we are filled with gratitude! We are blessed and grateful<br />
for the opportunity to partner with you and with God to<br />
provide this “educational environment of excellence” where<br />
students are able To Know…To Love…and To Serve.<br />
What does the future hold? We are excited as we look to<br />
the future and invite alumni and friends to help us “Stretch<br />
for Success” as we Continue the Mission to impact our students<br />
for eternity. Our new student center and classroom<br />
wing will open in January. The new entrance, alumni center,<br />
and administrative suite will open next summer. Thanks, in<br />
advance, for partnering with us in this very important work!<br />
From the GCA Board Chairman<br />
What does it mean to “foster an educational atmosphere of excellence?” Certainly<br />
the educational atmosphere includes the physical space. More than ever before, GCA is<br />
providing buildings that are functional, clean, equipped to maximize learning. Even the<br />
care with which we maintain the campus and grounds is meant to inspire and motivate,<br />
giving evidence of the value we place on learning. Beyond the physical spaces, the educational<br />
atmosphere includes faculty-student relationships of challenge, affirmation,<br />
authenticity, and mutual respect. And why are we committed to excellence in all of this?<br />
Because God deserves – and expects – our very best. “Higher than the highest human<br />
thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children” (Education, p. 18). Yes, this is a sacred<br />
and lofty goal. Yet each donor is moving us measurably toward that ideal. Thank you!<br />
Ed Wright<br />
President, Georgia-Cumberland Conference<br />
<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> 2
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