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Mount Paran
Christian School
1275 Stanley Rd NW,
Kennesaw, GA 30152
(770) 578-0182
Mtparanschool.com
SECTION: Kids and Education
CATEGORIES:
Best Private School (1,890 votes)
Best Pre-School (1,872 votes)
Best Performing Arts Program
(1,552 votes)
For the third year in a row, Mount
Paran Christian School has taken the
top three spots in votes for our Best of
Cobb contest. The school and its staff
certainly know how to spread the word
and cast the votes, even in a trying year
for education.
Mount Paran Christian School is a
preschool age three through twelfth
grade private Christian, non-denominational,
college prep school committed to
excellence in academics, athletics, and
the arts. The school is located on 68
acres in northwest Cobb County in the
shadow of Kennesaw Mountain and
includes a historic cabin and lake,
extensive athletics facilities, Dozier Hall
(the high school), Sewell Cottage (the
preschool), multiple playgrounds,
Mulkey Building (which houses
administration, the lower school, the
middle school, two gyms, two media
centers and a dining hall) and the
Murray Arts Center (a state-of-the-art
performing arts facility). Founded in
1976, MPCS is fully accredited (SAIS/
AdvancED) and, according to its
mission statement, unites with home
and church to prepare servant-leaders
to honor God, love others and walk in
Truth.
In 1976, with a staff of only two,
the Mount Paran Christian School
Learning Center was established. The
program began with a preschool-kindergarten
program at Mount Paran
Central Church of God in Atlanta. A
combined first and second grade class
and an after-school program were
added the following year. That same
year saw the development and adoption
of the name Mount Paran Christian
School (MPCS) and the establishment
of the first official MPCS school board.
Third and fourth grade programs were
added in 1978, followed by one grade
addition each year through 1982.
During the 1984-1985 school year,
the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools found the MPCS elementary
program to be in full compliance
with all Association standards, awarding
the elementary and middle schools their
full accreditation. Mount Paran Church
of God’s acquisition of a 65-acre site on
Allgood Road in Marietta in 1985
provided fulfillment of the vision for a
total high school program. Existing
facilities on the acquired property were
renovated and enhanced. The high
school program (grades nine through
11) began in 1986 with 94 students. The
following year, grade 12 was added, and
MPCS received its full accreditation
through the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS) for
kindergarten through grade 12.
With the rapid expansion of the
middle and high school instructional
areas, establishment of a well-planned,
highly structured athletic program soon
followed, and athletic facilities were
constructed. In 1986, MPCS became a
member of the Georgia High School
Athletic Association (GHSA). With an
experienced athletic director and a staff
of quality coaches, participation in
interscholastic varsity and junior varsity
sports became an important aggregate
of the MPCS program.
In 1994, additional classrooms
were required in the elementary school
to facilitate growth. Fine Arts courses
were also added, and the arts program
began to develop. Computer labs were
installed and the school introduced a
technology program to students.
MPCS purchased its current
property in 2002, and in 2003 moved
from the Mount Paran North location
in Marietta to the beautiful 68 acres in
Kennesaw where the school campus is
now located.
BEST of the
BEST By KATY RUTH CAMP
In a time when many small businesses
in our community were
struggling to keep their doors open
- or unsure of even if, when or how
they could open them – we all did
our best to show our support. One
of those ways was by voting in our
annual Best of Cobb contest, which
brought in hundreds of thousands of
votes.
Every year, we highlight some
of the winners who were especially
popular in the contest, and this year
is no exception. Here are your 2021
Best of Cobb top 10 vote-getters in
individual categories, many from the
same organization, in order of rank.
28 COBB LIFE | APRIL 2021
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