French Camp Academy
French Camp Academy (FCA) is a Christian boarding school and home in French Camp Academy, Mississippi.
FCA's mission is to serve children, teenagers and their families for the glory of God. Students come from a variety of backgrounds: single parent homes, being raised by another relative, parent incarcerated, vulnerable to negative peer influences, and have a high need for more structure. --French Camp (talk) 15:48, 30 November 2011 (UTC)[1]
Students live in safe, comfortable homes with a trustworthy family that supervises, mentors, loves, and holds them accountable. Student life centers around attending classes, a work program designed to develop marketable skills, sports and other activities, meals, devotions, study hall, and supervised free time.[2]
The Mississippi boarding school operates several businesses in French Camp, including a bed and breakfast, a gift shop, world-class observatory, and a restaurant.[3]
History
A group of Scotch-Irish Christians, under the area Presbyterian Church, established the The Central Mississippi Institute for Girls in 1885. The French Camp Academy for Boys opened later in 1885.[4] The school was intended for children of Native Americans and White settlers who lived in the French Camp area.[5] In 1915 a fire destroyed the girls' school; both the schools for boys and girls combined as the French Camp Academy. In 1950 the school was reorganized under a board of trustees, which represented various Christian denominations.[4]
Location and composition
French Camp Academy is a Mississippi boarding school located in French Camp, 80 miles (130 km) south of Tupelo and 90 miles (140 km) north of Jackson. The school has a total of 900 acres (360 ha) of land.[4]
The school hosts the Rainwater Observatory and Planetarium, the largest observatory in Mississippi. The observatory, with 16 telescopes, has a clear view of the night sky. The observatory is open to the public by appointment to members of the public.[5]
Education
, a school of the Choctaw County School District located across the street from French Camp Academy. Students in grades 7 through 8 can also take classes at the Weir Attendance Center, a Choctaw County School District school in Weir, and become involved in its technology preparatory program. 7th grade students may take career discovery courses, and 8th grade students may take computer discovery courses.[6]
High school students attend French Camp Academy's in-house private high school accredited by the MS Dept. of Education and member of ACSI. Students attending the French Camp high school are required to wear school uniforms. High school students may attend a vocational technology program in the Choctaw Vocational Center in Ackerman.[6]
Businesses
French Camp operates the Council House Cafe in the Natchez Trace Historic District. The Council House serves Mississippi mud pie.[7] The Log Cabin Gift Shop offers many items crafted by local artisans and FCA students. The Children of God Pottery Studio opened in late 2011.
WCFA
French Camp Academy hosts the WFCA radio station, a non-profit radio station with its studios located along the Natchez Trace Parkway at Mile Marker 181. H. Richard Cannon, president of the school, conceived of the idea of the radio station while on the mission field in New Guinea.[8]
Festivals
The French Camp Harvest Festival, held annually every second Saturday of October, has its proceeds benefiting the school and area churches.[5][9]
Pioneer Day is held annually every second Saturday of May featuring crafts, working artisans, concessions and music.[10]
Demographics
As of 2011 about 300 children and adults live and work on the campus.[4]
See also
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References
- ^ Dickson, Sylvia 2011 FCA Publications Coordinator
- ^ Dickson, Sylvia 2011 FCA Publications Coordinator
- ^ Sherer, Dennis. "Tracing History." Times Daily. June 18, 2005. 13F. Retrieved from Google News (Page 42 of 43) on February 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Our History." French Camp Academy. Retrieved on February 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c Scherer, Dennis. "Time travelers." The Times Daily. May 22, 2000. 7A. Retrieved from Google News (14 of 27) on February 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Academics." French Camp Academy. Retrieved on February 28, 2011.
- ^ "The Winding Road: Parkway traces history, nature from Nashville to Natchez." Boca Raton/Delray Beach News. Sunday June 23, 2002. 36. Retrieved from Google News (91 of 136) on February 28, 2011.
- ^ "About Us." WFCA. Retrieved on February 28, 2011.
- ^ Sylvia Dickson, 2011
- ^ Dickson, Sylvia, 2011
External links