Greenbrier Christian Academy
School Profile 2010-2011
311 Kempsville Road
Chesapeake, Virginia
23320
(757) 547-9595
(757) 547-9569 (fax)
www.gcagators.org
School CEEB # 470472
Superintendent:
Dr. H. Ron White
Upper School Principal:
Mr. Jesse Stalnaker
Middle School Principal:
Mr. G. Colin Castelow
Lower School Principal:
Mrs. Tracy Cox
Academic Dean:
Mrs. Kimberley Pope
Accreditation
Mission
With the Word of God as our foundation, Greenbrier Christian
Academy exists in support of the local church to partner with
parents to provide a Christ-centered education that:
Gives the student the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10)
Challenges them to excel academically (Proverbs 1:7)
Provides programs that disciple them to increase in wisdom and
stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52)
The School
Since 1983, Greenbrier Christian Academy has served the Hampton
Roads area as an independent Christian school, providing a Christcentered, biblically based education for students in grades P3-12.
GCA is a non-denominational ministry offering a challenging
academic program while at the same time endeavoring to foster
spiritual, physical, and emotional growth in our students. The
Academy is located in the Greenbrier/Great Bridge area of
Chesapeake, Virginia. The school location conveniently borders the
neighboring cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Portsmouth, and
is in easily reachable distance from Suffolk. The region is a large
metropolitan community in southeastern Virginia and is home to a
broad range of industrial and professional services. The largest
naval installation in the United States is located in Norfolk. This
inherently provides a diverse and transient population from which
students are drawn.
Admission
Association of Christian
Schools International (ACSI)
Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Admission to GCA is determined pursuant to the receipt of a
completed application packet, admission testing, review of previous
academic history and discipline record, a current pastoral reference
from a local church, and a family interview with the divisional
principal. Greenbrier Christian Academy admits students of any
race, color, nationality, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges,
programs and activities of enrollment. Greenbrier Christian
Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of educational policies,
scholarship programs, athletics, or other school-administered
programs.
Rev. 9/10
Academic Description
In keeping with the regional trend in
local and statewide school districts,
GCA has adopted a ten point
grading scale and corresponding
quality points for all courses taken
after August 2010.
A (93.00-100.00)
4.0
A- (90.00-92.99)
3.7
B+ (87.00-89.99)
3.3
B (83.00-86.99)
3.0
B- (80.00-82.99)
2.7
C+ (77.00-79.99)
2.3
C (73.00-76.99)
2.0
C- (70.00-72.99)
1.7
D+ (67.00-69.99)
1.3
D (64.00-66.99)
1.0
F (63.99 and below) 0.0
Please note that this scale is not
applied retroactively to the
calculated grade point averages.
Courses taken prior to August 2010
are calculated on the previously used
scale.
Grading Scale (thru June 2010)
A (93-100) B (85-92)
C (77-84) D (70-76)
F (0-69)
Qualitative grades are
assigned in some areas:
I (incomplete)
O (outstanding)
S (satisfactory)
N (needs improvement)
U (unsatisfactory)
WP (withdrawn passing)
WF (withdrawn failing)
Student grade point averages
Individual student grade point
averages are calculated on a 4.0 scale
and are updated on a semester basis.
The overall GPA is computed with
weighted credits, and includes all
courses with the exception of
Office/Teacher Aide and Resource
Accountability.
Class Rank:
Class rank is determined at the
conclusion of the first semester of
study for 12th grade students. Class
standings are not finalized until the
conclusion of study for each school
year.
Curriculum and Faculty
GCA seeks to minister to students in grades P3-12 in a distinctly
Christian environment. The Early Childhood Center is designed to
meet the social, emotional, academic, spiritual, and physical needs
of 3 and 4 year old children. The Lower School, Middle School, and
High School academic programs are biblically-integrated and
designed to prepare the student to perform well in subsequent
educational settings, and ultimately to equip them to be productive
members of society, to fulfill God’s will for their lives, and to do so
with a well-established biblical worldview. Therefore, diverse
resources and materials are used to provide for the fulfillment of
critical and advanced objectives in each discipline of study at each
age level. STEP (Successful Techniques for Educational Progress)
is a specialized learning program designed to meet the needs of
students with educational differences. Language therapy, full time
resource or subject matter resource classes, individualized tutoring,
and accountability classes are available. The faculty and staff of
Greenbrier Christian Academy represent a variety of personal
backgrounds. All have professed to being born again Christians who
demonstrate a lifestyle in harmony with the Bible. All of the faculty
members are degreed; many hold master’s degrees or higher
credentialing or are currently working on completion of the same.
The entire faculty is certified by ACSI, and many hold dual/multiple
state licensure.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Greenbrier Christian Academy, in accordance
with established guidelines in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a
student is required to complete a minimum of 25 credited courses as
outlined below. Students earn a college preparatory endorsement by
completing three years of foreign language and one additional credit
in math or science within the context of elective courses. Each
student must complete 24 hours of approved community service for
each year of high school enrollment at GCA, and must successfully
complete the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) or comparable
assessment before receiving a diploma regardless of his or her plans
for college. All students are required to maintain a minimum grade
point average of 2.0 (numeric average=73) on a 4.0 scale to qualify
for graduation. Approximately 85% of our graduates pursue
subsequent education at 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities.
Course Requirements
Subject Area
Bible
English
Mathematics
Laboratory Sciences
Social Studies
Health & Physical Ed
Speech
Economics/Pers Fin
Electives
Credits
4
4
3 (Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II)
3 (Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry)
4 (World Studies, Geography, US Hist, US Gov)
2
1 (Class of 2013 and following)
1 (Class of 2014 and following)
3-5 (College prep: 3 Foreign lang, 1 math/science)
Some of the schools attended by
Greenbrier alumni are listed below.
This list is not exhaustive.
Appalachian Bible College
Asbury College
Auburn University
Bob Jones University
Baptist Bible College
Brevard College
Bridgewater College
Bryn Mawr College
Campbell University
Cedarville University
Christopher Newport University
Cornell University
Chowan University
Clearwater Christian University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of William & Mary
Columbia University
Duke University
East Carolina University
Eastern Mennonite College
Elon College
Ferrum College
Florida Institute of Technology
Gardner-Webb University
George Mason University
Howard University
Indiana State University
James Madison University
King College
Lee University
Liberty University
Longwood University
Mars Hill College
Mary Washington College
Messiah College
NASCAR Technical Institute
Norfolk State University
North Carolina State University
Ohio State University
Old Dominion University
Oral Roberts University
Pensacola Christian College
Piedmont Bible College
Radford University
Randolph Macon College
Samford University
Seton Hall University
Tennessee Temple University
University of Alabama
University of Kentucky
University of North Carolina
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Virginia at Wise
U.S. Air Force Academy
Vanderbilt University
Va Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Tech
Virginia Wesleyan College
West Virginia University
Weighted Credits
Honors: Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to receive weighted
credits for honors level work in core subject areas. A student may
elect to pursue honors for a particular class with faculty approval. In
order to receive the honors credit, the student must complete
separate requirements for honors level work in lieu of standard
assignment expectations. An overall average of 90% must be
maintained in the course. After successful completion of the course,
the student’s grade (quality) points for the course are increased by
0.5 point and the transcript is modified to reflect the honors credit.
The following courses are “honors” level by nature and are therefore
automatically weighted 0.5 point: Honors Trigonometry/PreCalculus, Honors Physics, Spanish 4, Spanish 5, and Human
Anatomy & Physiology.
Advanced Placement Program: Advanced Placement courses are
offered at the Academy in accordance with the curriculum and
standards set by the College Board Advanced Placement Program.
AP classes are considered comparable to college level courses and
therefore carry one additional quality point in the GPA. Students
make application in May for acceptance into AP courses for the
subsequent school year. Summer preparatory assignments are
required. Minimum GPA criteria, academic performance, and
faculty recommendation are all considerations for admission to an
AP course. Due to the academic rigor of the advanced placement
classes, administrative approval must be granted for any student
desiring to take more than two AP courses simultaneously. The
following Advanced Placement courses are offered as student
interest and staffing permits: AP English Literature and
Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP Biology,
AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP U.S. History, and AP Government.
Greenbrier Christian Academy is proud to have had multiple
students annually named as AP Scholars and AP Scholars with
Distinction.
Dual College Credit Program: Senior students who meet minimum
academic criteria may be eligible for enrollment in college credited
classes through the Academy’s association with various colleges and
universities. On-campus dual credit offerings are available as
student interest and staffing permits. On-line courses may be
approved for dual credit with advanced review by the Student
Services Office. Additional information is available through the
Student Services Office.
Extra-curricular Activities
Greenbrier Christian Academy offers many extracurricular, fine arts,
and athletic activities at all levels throughout the program. These
include various opportunities in the visual and performing arts,
Little Gator sports programs, JV and varsity athletic teams, student
government, academic societies (National and Jr. Beta Clubs), praise
and worship teams, publications, mission and community outreach
endeavors.