THE FOUR PILLARS OF CHRIST SCHOOL
Who Are We?
The “Christ School Boy” isn’t of a single mold. Boys come from 17 different states and 11 countries and bring many narratives, strengths, and areas that need growth.
Christ School wants each student to become a better version of himself through his time here; a better student, friend, son, brother, and human being. Getting your son to be a 4.0 version of himself when he graduates as compared to the version he was upon enrollment is our goal.
Our Mission
Our mission is to produce educated men of good character, prepared for both scholastic achievement in college and productive citizenship in adult society. We achieve this mission through a commitment to our Four Pillars - Academic Rigor, Leadership, Spirituality, and the Dignity of Manual Labor.
The Four Pillars
Academic Rigor
We provide a curriculum that engages, stimulates, and challenges each student to discover his own academic gifts and to develop their academic potential to its maximum. Our engaged faculty leads, mentors, and guides our students through a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.
Leadership
We provide programs and venues for boys to demonstrate their leadership skills outside of the classroom. Through our multi-level program, which includes athletics, community service, residential life, drama, outdoor, work program, and debate programs, boys have the freedom to lead, to serve, and to hone their skills as members of this unique community.
Spirituality
All boys are on a spiritual journey, sometimes at different paces and with a variety of focus. We are an inclusionary community where all world faiths are recognized and welcomed. Each student participates in our Chapel Program which meets regularly and allows them to share their gifts to further enrich our community.
The Dignity of Manual Labor
No task is too small or unworthy of a Christ School boy. We believe that involvement in the care and maintenance of our campus fosters a sense of ownership, pride, and service. This extends to our service-learning program, which partners year-round with charities and non-profit organizations throughout the Asheville area. The dignity of manual labor is a tradition and ethos not lost on the Christ School boys of today.
Rich with Tradition
Christ School History
Christ School was founded in 1900 by Father Thomas Wetmore and his wife Susan Allen Wetmore as a mission of the Episcopal Church. Mrs. Wetmore's family gave them four acres of hilltop land just south of Asheville, North Carolina for the purpose of educating the rural mountain children of the area at a time when there were no public schools. In addition to academics, the mission school also taught students a trade, such as industrial arts, crafts like weaving, basketmaking, and cabinetmaking, and nursing for the girls. These trades helped support both the school and the families of the students. The Wetmores had a tremendous outreach into the poor rural community, providing nursing care and clothing. When Father Wetmore died in 1906, Mrs. Wetmore became Principal and continued her fundraising efforts on behalf of Christ School for another 40 years.
Christ School was co-ed until 1927 when public schooling became available and provided transportation for the children of the area. At this point, Christ School became a true college preparatory Episcopal boarding and day school for boys.
What is a Greenie?
From "Dishwashers" and "Warriors" to "Greenies"
A frequently asked question, and here's the answer!
In 1917, the Christ School baseball team defeated the Bingham Military Academy 2-1 to win the Western North Carolina baseball championship. As a reward, the team earned new uniforms and J. Mitchell Taylor ’19, a player/manager ordered green ones to replace the mismatched hand-me-down uniforms the teams received from other schools.
The team first wore green in 1919 and since then Christ School’s athletic teams have been known as “The Greenies.” Prior to that, the teams had sometimes been called the “Warriors” but more frequently the “Dishwashers,” alluding to the necessary work each boy had to do.
The school has grown to over 500 acres of academic and residential buildings, athletic fields, wooded trails, and green space. Christ School currently has more than 300 boys in grades 8-12, and students come from all over the United States and across the globe, adding cultural depth to the rigorous academic education. The school is still affiliated with the Episcopal Church as an unfunded mission and accepts boys of all faiths. St. Joseph's Chapel at Christ School is the longest continuously operating Episcopal church in western North Carolina, and the tradition of a Chaplain conducting regular Chapel services has continued unbroken for over a century.
