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At the heart of GAC is the desire to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
GAC stands against racism in any form, whether in word or deed, whether overt or systemic. Racism is a sin against our fellow human beings, and against God. We will teach our children to stand against racism, hold ourselves and our students accountable surrounding racism, and continue to change ourselves and our practices, as we continue to learn more. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” We make a lasting commitment to keep learning about inequity, and to improve ourselves and our school to more fully live out the love of Christ for all people.
Our goal is to make meaningful progress now and for the future of our children. We are listening to our parents and students, past and present. We are grateful for their hearts and their desire to help GAC move forward. We plan to continue to provide opportunities to listen to members of our community.
- Dr. Scott Harsh, GAC President
We are committed to growth both as individuals and as a collective body of GAC. We acknowledge that our words will ring hollow without tangible actions. Some of the steps we have taken to date include the following:
Dear GAC Alumni,
I hope you and each of your family members are healthy and well. This is a busy time on the GAC campus as we prepare for the start of another school year. As we are planning for the opening of school in August, this summer’s preparations have required additional careful considerations to provide for the health and safety of our students in new ways.
Dear GAC Family,
I continue to be brokenhearted by all that has unfolded in recent weeks across our nation. I grieve with others for the families of victims like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd and those whose names we do not know who have suffered needlessly. I wish that racism, and the violence that rises from it, hadn’t caused their senseless suffering and deaths. I want to continue to move to a place where all members of our Black community feel safe and valued. Yet “wishing” things were different brings no progress. We’ve got real work to do. In America. In every institution. In the Church. In every school and college. And, yes, absolutely—in GAC.
Dear GAC Family,
During the past two months, we have faced the hardship and challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic together. The disruption and loss have been real. Our GAC community experienced the loss of family members, economic hardship, interruption of daily life, and uncertainty about the future. But we stuck together, transitioned to online learning, stayed connected, and finished the year unified. Now, in the midst of this ongoing health crisis, we’ve been reminded of another crisis, one that has been going on for far too long. Like all of you, I have struggled to process the senseless, heartbreaking killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. And so many other needless tragedies, less well known, but just as agonizing.
GAC is blessed with a diverse school community that strives to be a reflection of Christian Atlanta. We remain committed to continuing to grow in our hiring and retention of a diverse, highly qualified, faithful team.
"Let's teach children to celebrate their differences and to embrace the Imago Dei within each other. Let's free them from the burden of hate by showing them Christ's love." - Dr. Aaron Howard
The event provided the opportunity to commemorate lives lost to police brutality while making a vocal and united call for change...Hunter McIntosh ’23 stepped to the microphone, noting that the expansive crowd he saw before him demonstrated that this is a time of unity at Elon. He offered insights to members of the White community, explaining that there is a difference between sympathy and empathy. “Empathy is showing up, showing you care, showing you will be here for us as we struggle,” McIntosh said.
GAC alumni Chuck Efstration (Class of 2001) authored and helped to pass Georgia’s new Anti-Hate Crimes Act, which received national attention this year and was recently signed into law. Georgia previously had been one of four states without a hate crime law.
“Music embodies the words we can’t express. It comforts us during our deepest tragedies and fuels us during our greatest triumphs. More importantly, it unites us. Black History Month is not just for African Americans. The music you will hear today is woven into all of our lives” shared Simone Roberts, GAC’s Student Leader of Unity, who then proceeded to further describe the reason for the day’s special chapel assembly.
Hosting an international student forms one family out of two.
While school nurse Kristen Wilson was palming warm foreheads and administering inhalers to Elementary students, back at home there were two Crock-Pots slowcooking dinner for her family. The newest addition, Zhang '18, was an active six-foot teenager who ate like one.
Victoria Chyrack helped close out Black History Month in a big way. This senior felt motivated to organize GAC’s first ever I Have A Dream Chapel. From "Feeling Good" with the trombone back up, to a choral rendition of “It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day” to “September” by the GAC Band, the assembly was one of the most moving this year.
Last Tuesday, in the high school chapel, the first annual Chinese New Year Celebration began featuring performances of traditional Chinese dance and song from our own International Students.
Everyone could use a little inspiration. For the teachers and students at Meadowcreek Elementary School in Norcross, Georgia, sometimes that inspiration comes in the form of GAC Middle and High School students who take the bus across the street to serve in their classrooms. It’s neighbor helping neighbor, as both GAC and Meadowcreek students benefit from the partnership that has spanned many decades.