Holy Spirit Preparatory School is an independent, Roman Catholicpreparatory school located in Atlanta and Sandy Springs, Georgia.They are best known for producing basketball player Anthony Edwards, along with dominating the 2019 GISA Swimming Championship meet. They also have the most prolific chess team in the nation’s history, having won 3 state championships in only 3 years. Their Girl’s Varsity Basketball team is known for their innumerable accolades, including winning the 2019 GISA State Championship. It was established in 1996, originally as the Donnellan School. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Location and administration
Pre-K4 through 7th grade are located on a multi-acre site at 4820 Long Island Drive. The preschool program is located at 4465 Northside Drive on the lower level of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, adjacent to the Upper School campus, which opened in the fall of 2005. The elementary campus is in Sandy Springs while the preschool and upper school are in Atlanta. Although an independent Catholic school, it is closely tied to Holy Spirit Catholic Church. The pastor of the parish, Monsignor Edward Dillon, serves on the school board. The Head of School is Kyle M. Pietrantonio.
Curriculum
Holy Spirit Preparatory School offers a classically inspired curriculum in both Greek and Latin, and instructs students in Catholic theology as well as typical college preparatory subjects and numerous electives. The school's Classics department describes its program as being "designed around an awareness of the historical significance of the Greek and Latin languages as foundations for the Western intellectual tradition and the history of the Catholic Church." Upper School students are also required to complete community service and "school service" hours in order to graduate.
Athletics
The school offers a number of student athletics programs, including cross country running, soccer, baseball, basketball, cheer leading, clay targets, golf, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Holy Spirit Preparatory School also fields a football program. The team originally participated in the Glory for Christ league, winning the GFC State Championship in 2011. At the close of their 2013-14 season, Holy Spirit Prep announced they would return to the Georgia Independent School Association's football league.
House system
Holy Spirit Preparatory School has a house system. There are four houses, each named after Ecumenical Councils, and each house has its own mascot, color, and patron saint:
House of Chalcedon: Cerberus – purple – St. Thomas Aquinas
House of Trent: Dragon – blue – St. Anthony of Padua
House of Lyons: Lion – orange – St. Jude
House of Nicaea: Eagle – red – St. Peter
Holy Spirit's house system divides students and teachers randomly into four groups. There is competition between these houses in order to win a grand prize at the end of the year. The house point system works by enforcing positive behavior, such as volunteering for service opportunities, holding a door, helping teachers carry things, or cleaning the boards. House points cannot be deducted. Teachers may not earn house points. There are also house challenges in which members of each house compete in sporting and academic events Administrators, the Head Boy, and Head Girl are placed in a neutral house, called the "green house" or "House of Switzerland." The Head Boy and Head Girl cannot earn house points. The House of Switzerland never participates in house competitions. Each house has a house government led by the house master, the house president, and the house vice president.
The school was established as an independent Catholic school in 1996. It was named after former archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan. In 1999, the Legion of Christ became associated with the Donnellan School. There was controversy when the order began removing staff members, and parents complained. In 2002, the school broke ground on a new Upper School campus adjacent to Holy Spirit Catholic Church. In 2006, the school celebrated its first graduating senior class. Holy Spirit Prep is recognized by the Archdiocese of Atlanta and listed in the Official Catholic Directory as a lay sponsored Catholic school independent of any religious order or congregation.
