Briarcrest Christian School is an independent coeducational college preparatory school with two campuses in Shelby County, Tennessee, in Memphis (2 year old to Grade 5) and Eads (2 year old to Grade 12).
History
The school opened in 1973. Programs for kindergarten through Grade 8 began in 1973, as Briarcrest Baptist School System, and a program for Grades 9-12 was added in 1974. In its early years, Briarcrest maintained as many as 12 locations in Southern Baptist churches throughout the Memphis area. In 1989 the school split from the founding church and re-chartered as an independent school, Briarcrest Christian School. Over the next 20 years, Briarcrest Christian School grew to 1,600 students and became financially strong, as evidenced by the successful completion of elementary through high school and athletic facilities on its campus on Houston Levee Road, east of Memphis.
Program
Briarcrest is now Non-denominational Christian. Christian values and biblical morals are taught and practiced throughout the program. All students attend weekly chapel services, study the Bible and are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Briarcrest offers honors, advanced placement and dual enrollment classes. Fine arts programs begin in preschool and continue through grade 12 in visual arts, choral music, instrumental music, general music, and theater arts.
Accreditation and affiliations
The school has dual accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Briarcrest is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, Memphis Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board.
Sports
Briarcrest participates in TSSAA Division II West AA for large schools, competing with both private and public schools in the region. Since 1998, Briarcrest has won nine state championships (six of which, two in football and four in girls' basketball, were coached by former Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze). The school offers a wide range of athletics, including marching band, football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, cross country, golf, bowling, swimming, trap shooting, softball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, track, tennis, and cheerleading.
Notable alumni
• Lindy S. Hudis - author
- James Edwards - host of The Political Cesspool, a controversial talk show broadcast for the past ten years on radio and the Internet by the Liberty News Network
- Greg Hardy - defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys and former All-SEC and second-team All-American defensive end for the University of Mississippi
- Jill Horn - Miss Tennessee 1991
- Nicole Jordan - Miss Tennessee 2010
- Jim Mabry - University of Arkansas football player; Associated Press First team All-American 1989
- Leslie McDonald - basketball player for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Michael Oher - University of Mississippi and Carolina panthers football player; first team all-Southeastern Conference football team 2006; subject of the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, by Michael Lewis; subject of the 2009 movie The Blind Side; author of autobiography I Beat the Odds
- Lisa Quinn - television personality, Emmy winner
- Leigh Anne Tuohy - interior designer, author
References
External links
- Briarcrest Christian School
- The Ballad of Big Mike, New York Times Magazine article on Michael Oher 2005