Tree of Life Christian Schools
Encyclopedia
Tree of Life Christian Schools is a private school
system located in Columbus, Ohio
. The system encompasses preschool
, primary
, and secondary education
.
, Beechwold Church of Christ, and Minerva Park Church of Christ came together to form the first school board of what was then called Linden Christian School. Over the years, Northeast Church of Christ, Indianola Church of Christ, Westerville Christian Church, North Park Church of Christ, Discover Christian Church, Hilliard Church of Christ and Worthington Christian Church joined the effort.
The initial student body was 47 students, preschool - grade 3.
Jayne Marrah, Tree of Life's first administrator
, began with four other faculty
. The school has grown to over 80 staff
members.
Initially housed in the Linden Church of Christ, the school now has five locations. Three of those are sponsoring churches who provide facilities to the school rent-free. The fourth location on Northridge Road was an empty Columbus public school, purchased in 1984 for $275,000. A regulation-sized gymnasium was completed in 1992 and a Library/Media Center in 2000. The four branches are referred to as Dublin, Indianola, Westerville, and Northridge.
The school was accredited by the Association of Christian Schools, International
(ACSI) in 2002.
and Honors courses for secondary level students, as well as many other challenging classes.
(NJCL).
The high school's quiz team has had success on PBS/WOSU-TV's game show "In The Know and on ONN's "Brain Game"."
Tree of Life has a well established athletic program which includes twelve varsity sports. The Trojan
s wear green, navy blue, and white, and compete in the Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League (MOCAL)
along with Delaware Christian
, Fairfield Christian, Gahanna Christian
, Grove City Christian
, Madison Christian
, and Northside Christian
.
Boys' Varsity Sports
Boys' varsity sports include Basketball
, Baseball
, Soccer, Cross Country, Golf
, and Tennis
.
Tree's boys' basketball program has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, winning 9 consecutive MOCAL championships during an impressive run from 2001–present. During the 2010 season, the team boasted an 18-2 (12-0) regular season record en route to a District Championship and berth in the 2010 Division IV Regional Final. The Trojans finished the 2010 season with an impressive 21-3 (12-0) record. The boys' basketball team has dominated the MOCAL, going 105-1 (.991) in its last 106 conference games through the 2009-10 season. The team currently boasts a 45-game active conference winning streak (2007–present), separated from a 60-game conference win streak (2001–2007) by a single loss. In 2005-06, Tree recorded the first 20 win season in school history, finishing 20-2 after a 19-1 (12-0) regular season and an appearance in the district semifinals. During the 2003-04 season, they were ranked as high as #6 in the Associated Press (AP)
Ohio Division IV poll, and finished the regular season at #8 with a record of 18-2 (12-0). The program was back in the AP rankings during the 2007-08 season, climbing as high as #8, and finishing the year at 19-3 (12-0). The Trojans have been in the OHSAA Division IV State Playoffs every season since 1999, an impressive feat among MOCAL schools.
Girls' Varsity Sports
Girls' varsity sports include Basketball, Softball
, Soccer, Volleyball
, Cheerleading
, Cross Country, and Tennis.
District Championships
2010 Boys' Basketball (Division-IV Central)
MOCAL
Championships
Tree of Life boasts more MOCAL championships than any other member school, including:
Boys' Basketball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Girls' Basketball: 2005, 2006, 2007
Baseball: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
Softball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Boys' Soccer: 2004, 2005 (co-champions), 2007, 2008, 2010
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
system located in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The system encompasses preschool
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
, primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, and secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
.
Mission statement
The mission statement for Tree of Life is "Educating in God's Truth... Discipling in Christ" and is not only the basis for the curriculum, but every aspect of the school.History
In the spring of 1978, members from the Linden Church of ChristChurch of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
, Beechwold Church of Christ, and Minerva Park Church of Christ came together to form the first school board of what was then called Linden Christian School. Over the years, Northeast Church of Christ, Indianola Church of Christ, Westerville Christian Church, North Park Church of Christ, Discover Christian Church, Hilliard Church of Christ and Worthington Christian Church joined the effort.
The initial student body was 47 students, preschool - grade 3.
Jayne Marrah, Tree of Life's first administrator
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
, began with four other faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
. The school has grown to over 80 staff
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
members.
Initially housed in the Linden Church of Christ, the school now has five locations. Three of those are sponsoring churches who provide facilities to the school rent-free. The fourth location on Northridge Road was an empty Columbus public school, purchased in 1984 for $275,000. A regulation-sized gymnasium was completed in 1992 and a Library/Media Center in 2000. The four branches are referred to as Dublin, Indianola, Westerville, and Northridge.
The school was accredited by the Association of Christian Schools, International
Association of Christian Schools International
The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...
(ACSI) in 2002.
Courses offered
Tree of Life has a gradually increasing number of Advanced Placement (AP)Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
and Honors courses for secondary level students, as well as many other challenging classes.
- AP CalculusAP CalculusAdvanced Placement Calculus is used to indicate one of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC....
- AP ChemistryAP ChemistryAdvanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
- AP EnglishAP English Literature and CompositionAdvanced Placement English Literature and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The Course:This course is designated for motivated students with a command of standard English, an...
- AP GovernmentAP United States Government and PoliticsAdvanced Placement United States Government and Politics, also known as AP US Gov & Pol, AP US Gov, AP Go Po or AP Gov, is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program...
- AP European HistoryAP European HistoryAdvanced Placement European History is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program...
- Honors GeometryGeometryGeometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
- Honors BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
Clubs and activities
The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and National Junior Classical LeagueNational Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
(NJCL).
The high school's quiz team has had success on PBS/WOSU-TV's game show "In The Know and on ONN's "Brain Game"."
Varsity Sports
Tree of Life has a well established athletic program which includes twelve varsity sports. The Trojan
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
s wear green, navy blue, and white, and compete in the Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League (MOCAL)
Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League
The Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League is a middle and high school athletic league consisting of schools and teams in the Columbus, Ohio metro area...
along with Delaware Christian
Delaware Christian School
Delaware Christian School is a K-12 Christian, non-denominational, private parochial school. It is located on Belle Avenue in Delaware, Ohio and has around 340 students. There is a 1:14 teacher:pupil ratio and by race, the school is 96% of white descent.-History:Delaware Christian School was...
, Fairfield Christian, Gahanna Christian
Gahanna Christian Academy
Gahanna Christian Academy is a private high school located in Gahanna, Ohio.The school is located at 817 N. Hamilton Road, Gahanna, OH 43230.-Curriculum:Gahanna Christian teaches its curriculum from secular textbooks.-Athletics:...
, Grove City Christian
Grove City Christian School
Grove City Christian School is a private, Christian high school in Grove City, Ohio....
, Madison Christian
Madison Christian School
Madison Christian School is a private school located in Groveport, Ohio. The school opened in 1978.Madison Christian began as a small elementary school, then eventually expanded with a highschool building...
, and Northside Christian
Northside Christian School (Westerville, Ohio)
Northside Christian School is a private school located in Westerville, Ohio. It is a ministry of Calvary Bible Church.Northside Christian School offers grades K3 through 12...
.
Boys' Varsity Sports
Boys' varsity sports include Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, Soccer, Cross Country, Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
Tree's boys' basketball program has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, winning 9 consecutive MOCAL championships during an impressive run from 2001–present. During the 2010 season, the team boasted an 18-2 (12-0) regular season record en route to a District Championship and berth in the 2010 Division IV Regional Final. The Trojans finished the 2010 season with an impressive 21-3 (12-0) record. The boys' basketball team has dominated the MOCAL, going 105-1 (.991) in its last 106 conference games through the 2009-10 season. The team currently boasts a 45-game active conference winning streak (2007–present), separated from a 60-game conference win streak (2001–2007) by a single loss. In 2005-06, Tree recorded the first 20 win season in school history, finishing 20-2 after a 19-1 (12-0) regular season and an appearance in the district semifinals. During the 2003-04 season, they were ranked as high as #6 in the Associated Press (AP)
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Ohio Division IV poll, and finished the regular season at #8 with a record of 18-2 (12-0). The program was back in the AP rankings during the 2007-08 season, climbing as high as #8, and finishing the year at 19-3 (12-0). The Trojans have been in the OHSAA Division IV State Playoffs every season since 1999, an impressive feat among MOCAL schools.
Girls' Varsity Sports
Girls' varsity sports include Basketball, Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Soccer, Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, Cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, Cross Country, and Tennis.
Championships
District Championships
2010 Boys' Basketball (Division-IV Central)
MOCAL
Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League
The Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League is a middle and high school athletic league consisting of schools and teams in the Columbus, Ohio metro area...
Championships
Tree of Life boasts more MOCAL championships than any other member school, including:
Boys' Basketball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Girls' Basketball: 2005, 2006, 2007
Baseball: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
Softball: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Boys' Soccer: 2004, 2005 (co-champions), 2007, 2008, 2010
Notable alumni
- Jay DeMarcusJay DeMarcusJay DeMarcus is the bass guitarist, harmony vocalist, pianist and songwriter in the American country trio Rascal Flatts.DeMarcus was born in Columbus, Ohio...
- bassist and harmony vocalist for the country band Rascal FlattsRascal FlattsRascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...