TALLULAH FALLS — For more than 60 years Tallulah Falls School in Habersham County offered a 5th grade program. That program ended in 1970, according to school officials, but they now say it's time to re-establish 5th grade classes.
"After thoughtful consultation with faculty, staff, current parents, our Board of Trustees and other vested stakeholders, I am pleased to announce Tallulah Falls School (TFS) will re-establish a 5th grade program at the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year," said Larry A. Peevy, Tallulah Falls School president and head of school.
In a press statement, Peevy said the TFS day student program has seen tremendous growth over the last six years. He noted Tallulah Falls School has returned to its original mission of educating area children from surrounding Habersham, Rabun, White, Hall and Stephens counties, and with that mission in mind, the school began to re-think its grade mix.
"We have seen a surge in requests from current parents and prospective parents in the community to go forward with adding a 5th grade," Peevy said.
Peevy said he thinks the demand is a reflection of how pleased current parents are with the school’s existing program, and those parents are sharing their enthusiasm with parents who are considering TFS for their children.
"Interest from prospective parents comes from the very enthusiastic feedback they have received from current parents and others in the community about the positive things happening at TFS—good news travels fast," said Peevy.
According to Peevy, the earlier that students enter the TFS middle school program, the more likely they will experience tremendous success in the school’s upper school program when they reach 9th grade and beyond.
"By reestablishing a 5th grade program, we will be able to increase our school enrollment while keeping class sizes small at 15 students per class. We don’t want to be the biggest school in Georgia, just the best," Peevy said.
The school will limit the size of its initial 5th grade class, so school officials are encouraging interested parents to contact the school’s admissions office to arrange a visit as soon as possible. A special open house for prospective fifth graders will be held soon. For more information, call the school at 706-754-0400 or visit the web site at www.tallulahfalls.org.
