Academic Jewel in Sandy Springs
SPECIAL FOR THE AJT //
This year, The Epstein School in Sandy Springs celebrates its 40 anniversary. The school has a long and established history of academy excellence grounded in Jewish values.
Today, The Epstein School is recognized as one of the best private schools in the nation. A year-long 40th birthday celebration is underway and will culminate next spring with groundbreaking for project focusing on a significant campus renovation.
The Epstein School was founded in 1973 by Rabbi Harry H. Epstein and members of Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Buckhead, who dreamed of creating a vibrant school on the synagogue campus.
In the school’s first year, 243 children enrolled and over the next decade it continued to grow. In 1987, The Epstein School moved to its current location in Sandy Springs. The building was originally a Fulton County school, Underwood Hills Elementary.
The Epstein School later purchased the building and undertook significant renovations and expansion. Today, with almost 550 students, 18 months to 8th grade, the school is an integral part of the Sandy Springs community.
In 2005, Epstein was identified as a “United States Department of Education Innovator” and was one of only three Jewish day schools in the nation that year to be honored as a “Blue Ribbon School” by the U.S. Department of Education.
The school’s bilingual integrated curricular approach to education has been recognized for its excellence on both the national and international level. Last year, in an independent audit of The Epstein School’s Hebrew Program, Greg Duncan, a foreign language educator, consultant and founder and president of InterPrep, Inc., praised the school.
“This program is one of the strongest language immersion programs that can be found in the United States,” Duncan said.
The Epstein School’s challenging academic program uses blended learning techniques and combines cutting edge technology with innovative and traditional teaching methods.
With a dual accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the school’s high quality educational programs are reflected in the success of its students and graduates.
Over the last three years, Epstein alumni have included: a valedictorian, eight salutatorians, nine National Merit Finalists and 11 Governor’s Honors recipients. Recent graduating classes have had a nearly 100 percent acceptance rate to Atlanta’s premier private high schools, public school magnets and honors programs.
“As I now attend to the academic rigors of college at Harvard, I am reminded that my foundation for success was built at The Epstein School,” said Alex Miller, a recent Epstein Alumnus. “Not only did the school prepare me academically, but in conjunction with my parents, I developed the confidence, values and character that are critical for success.”
This spring, the school is beginning yet another phase of its development as it embarks on renovations that are designed to enhance its facilities, better support the blended learning program and bring the learning environment into alignment with the outstanding education that is going on in the classroom every day.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the groundswell of enthusiasm that is building for the next chapter in the Epstein story,” said Bryan Lewis, Co-Chair of the school’s capital campaign.
For 40 years, The Epstein School has been a leader in the community and a positive force in Sandy Springs and the greater Atlanta area.
“Epstein is more than a school; it’s a community and its warm welcoming spirit is evident the moment you step through our doors,” said Mark Stern, President of the Board of Trustees.
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