A Great Storydraws you in, takes you places,keeps you on your toes, makesyou think, touches your soul

A Great Story

Atlanta Girls’ School has a great story to tell.Our story unfolds as a college preparatoryschool focused on the needs of a 21st centuryworld. That world demands more peoplewho are thinkers, writers, learners and doers. AGS is a story of helping girls reach theirfull potential as leaders, team members,friends and members of the community. It’s a story told again and again througheach of our students.

When young children are asked if they cantell a story, they say “yes!” without hesitation.But as they get older, they often begin todoubt themselves. To wonder if they reallyhave something to say.

Atlanta Girls’ School helps preserve that “yes I can!” and makes it grow stronger and brighter.

All students participate in community serviceand civic leadershipprograms, includingenvironmentalawareness and philanthropy.

What story will each girl tell?

Is she an athlete or a scholar?

Is she both?

Will her story be read in a quiet corner, or spoken loudly from a stage?

By word of mouth, or in a completely different language?

Over 70 percentof AGS students participate in sports.

At AGS we say, “Aim yourvoice at the back row.Make your words ring out.You’ve got our attention.What do you want to say?”

All of life is school; be in attendance daily.

Choose wisdom, generosity and kindness as your teachers.

Judge tenderly and be forgiving; everyone else is learning too.

During the leaden hours of loss or failure,

Ask others for help and help those whose suffering is greater.

During the bright moments of success or celebrity,

Say thank you and wield your power with compassion and humility.

All of life is journey; therefore, pack lightly and travel broadly.

Choose courage, integrity and wonder as your companions.

Along the way, unload yourselves of fear and hubris.

Find work that profits your souls and gives you purpose.

Leave each corner of the world better than the way you found it.

Keep your hearts soft and your minds open. Listen.

Ask questions. Be bold. And wed yourselves to joy.

Emily EllisonAtlanta Girls’ School’s Co-FounderAGS’s first graduation ceremony, May 2004

AGS FOUNDERS’ CHARGE

In my story, AGirlSees for herself.

Graduates of girls’schools pursuemath, science andtechnology careersfour times morethan graduates ofco-ed schools.

At AGS, girls develop their minds — and speak their minds.

AGS prepares students for the diverse, changing world around us through richlearning experiences guided by dedicatededucators. Our girls go forward secure inwho they are and in the skills they havemastered, able to navigate confidently to college and beyond.

All-girl schools aren’t designed to keep boys and girls apart. They focus on how girls learn best within the classroom, culture and community. Single-gender schools can break down stereotypes,those paralyzing assumptions that prevent students from doingtheir best. At Atlanta Girls’ School, a girl speaks up because she’snot afraid of looking too smart. She offers her ideas freely and welcomes others to do the same.

She becomes more confident and comfortable with taking risks. She can throw herself into a sport without worrying what peoplethink. Strong role models help her discover her own strengths, andleadership opportunities from her first year forward give her thehands-on practice crucial to self-confidence.

In Middle School, girls hone the skills of learning, of thinking critically andconsidering more than one side of a situation. Rich experiences in theclassroom and out create the independence of mind girls need to rise tothe challenge of Upper School.

Every enteringMiddle School student is pairedwith a Big Sister, an older studentwho will show herthe ropes and helpher feel at home.

Through the liberal arts curriculum in Upper School, each girl preparesto succeed in college and the larger world beyond. The rigorous curricu-lum helps students reach farther than they might have thought possible,charting a course for success in studies as well as extracurricular activitiesand finding the important connections between the two. AGS girls learn to contemplate, analyze and communicate so they are fully preparedregardless of their field of study.

Class size is small —averaging 12–15 students — so everystudent receivesfocused attentionfrom teachers.

Students in single-genderschools score 15 to 22 percent higher on stan-dardized teststhan students atco-ed schools.

In my story, AGirl Soars.

The pace of change in the world is exponential.Grasping specific dates and facts is far lessmeaningful than communicating well orallyand in writing, thinking critically and creating.AGS provides a forward-thinking educationthat emphasizes leadership, athletics, experi-ential learning, public service and strong academics to promote those abilities.

And a girl scores, on much more than tests.

LEADERSHIPLeadership is learned, so it’s taught at every grade level and in many contexts. To be aleader, a girl first has to learn to lead herself, to focus on her own growth. AGS fostersgrowth by teaching students to persevere, to persist in tasks undertaken, to press on inspite of obstacles. Not to find the easy way, but to help forge the most meaningful way.Our Education for the Development of Leadership and Service program promotes philanthropy, public service and environmental stewardship. In this program, studentsdevelop these strengths and others through service to the community throughout theirtime at AGS.

FACULTYGirls benefit every day from close, one-on-one relationships with fully engaged faculty.These educators are deeply committed to the success of the school and every student in it. They give girls more to think about than facts, more to learn than assignments. They don’t teach what to think, but how to think.

TECHNOLOGYTechnology is a vital tool to enhance learning. That means at AGS it’s available every-where and to everyone equally. Every student has her own Apple MacBook and is continuously connected via our campuswide wireless network. Each laptop is loaded with the Microsoft Office Suite, as well as iMovie and Photoshop for digital editing;Geometer's Sketchpad for geometry; InDesign for yearbook and newspaper design; and Inspiration, a project design tool.

In my story, AGirl Shines.

There are as many ways to shine at AGS as there are students. A girl doesn’t have tochoose between playing a sport and singing,or between being a drama queen and a techguru. Here she can do it all. An atmosphereof genuine respect, and ample opportunitiesfor hands-on experience, enable girls tostretch their wings. Then they can discovertheir own unique abilities and inclinations.

This light of mine.

WINTERIM After winter break, the Winterim mini-semesterpunctuates the school year with a different kind of learning. Girls take up to three intensiveseminar courses during this period of focusedlearning. They reach outside their usual fourwalls to enhance what they’re learning in theclassroom. Programs include Performing Artsin Atlanta, Discovering Genealogy, SportsPsychology and the Puzzle of the Middle East.

STUDY ABROADOur curriculum has expanded to include theworld because students’ understanding isdeepened tremendously by a global perspective.Students may travel to Ecuador for communityservice and environmental study, or to Londonto discover the origins of American government,art and literature to complement their study ofUnited States history.

ATHLETICSAGS athletics embody the spirit of team-work and fair play. AGS’s no-cut policy at the sub-varsity level ensures that every girl, no matter her skill level, gets a turn. In a world where physical education is vanishingfrom the school day, an impressive 72 percentof AGS students participate in sports, whethervolleyball, softball, cross-country, swimming,basketball, dance, track and field, soccer, tennis or golf. Teams compete through theGeorgia Independent School Association.

FINE ARTSA Shakespearean drama or a Broadway musi-cal. Instrumental ensembles, dance team andchoral music, not to mention sculpture, print-making and videography. In AGS’s rich varietyof fine arts classes, girls explore their creativesides through materials, movement and music.Technique is emphasized along with creativity;history and theory balance opportunities forartistic expression.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIESClubs are integral to AGS’s culture, so theyaren’t left until after the school day is over. Girls can choose from a multitude of clubs,including Drama Club and Model UN, or theycan start their own. Atlanta Girls’ School’s student council, the “Circle of Sisters,” includesgirls from every grade. There is a full calendarof activities and events as well, everythingfrom trivia nights and pep rallies to lock-insand the junior/senior prom.

In my story, AGirl Shapes the world of today and tomorrow.

e world of today and tomorrow.

Creating her placein the world.Why attend a girls’ school?After all, it isn’t the real world.

Shirley Franklin. Madeleine Albright. Christine Todd Whitman. All theseleaders attended girls’ schools.

Girls’ schools are the optimum preparation. Our girls grow into the kindof people who can take up complex challenges in a world where culturesand economies are increasingly interconnected.

Our girls need to be visionary — to see clearly so they can help changewhat should be changed. They need to be practical — to apply experi-ence and critical thinking in making sound decisions. And they need to value community — to dedicate their intelligence and self-discipline to problems and possibilities around the world and close to home.

Much of education is bringing out character — vital qualities like leader-ship, perseverance and creativity. An education at Atlanta Girls’ Schoolenables girls to grow into confident young women, lifelong learners andcharacter-based leaders.

AGS students havebeen accepted at more than 200 colleges anduniversities, including Princeton,Dartmouth andColumbia.

Over 70 percent ofour students areaccepted at theirschool of choice.

A great story lives on.Atlanta Girls’ School was founded in 2000 and is Atlanta’s only nonsectarian college preparatory school for girls in grades 6 through 12.The campus has 60,000 square feet of space including state-of-the-art science labs, music and art rooms, a library, a gymnasium and two stages.

OUR MISSIONTo provide a challenging collegepreparatory program in a learningenvironment designed to fosterthe full potential of each studentand to enable her to become avital contributor to our complexglobal society.

OUR STORYAGS doesn’t just teach girls; it nurtures leaders. Not just disciplines, but the importance of many perspectives. Not justtolerance, but respect. AGS hashigh expectations for each girl we teach. She will go on to havethem for herself.

TO APPLYAtlanta Girls’ School considerseach student based on her academic promise, individualachievements, character and willingness to become fullyengaged in school life.

Call the AGS Admission Office at 404.845.0900 or visitwww.atlantagirlsschool.org to apply for admission and to find out about opportunities to visit the school throughout the year. Applications for earlyApril response are accepted until February 15. Admissions are conducted on a rolling basis thereafter while space is available.

T 404.845.0900F 404.869.9718

Atlanta Girls’ School

3254 Northside Parkway NW

Atlanta, Georgia 30327

atlantagirlsschool.org

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