Pinecrest Academy opened in 1993 in a building leased from a Baptist Church in Crabapple, GA. Our first teachers were so dedicated to getting the new Catholic school off the ground that many went without a paycheck the first semester.
In 1995, the PreK3-8th Grade private Catholic school moved to All Saints Catholic Church. Because we used the church’s religious education classrooms, an agreement was made that Pinecrest teachers would bring their supplies each morning and take them home after school each day. For three years, teachers carried teaching materials in their car trunks, unpacking each morning for the school day and packing up each night – what dedication!
In August 1998, Pinecrest began its sixth year of growth on its own campus in Cumming. At that time, Peachtree Parkway was a two-lane road, surrounded by farmland. The only place to grab lunch was Norman’s Landing down the street and McDonalds on the other side of GA400.
Founders Arlene Gannon and Judy Guilfoil buried hundreds of Miraculous Medals all over the newly purchased land that would become our campus. The tradition of seniors participating in an international mission trip began with our first graduating class of 2007. Locations have included Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala, where they serve the poor, help construct churches, spend time with village children, and distribute donated items.
In 2003, shortly after starring as Jesus in the iconic film The Passion of Christ, actor Jim Caviezel visited campus to share his story with our school community.
Five alumni are attending seminary with intentions of becoming priests, and one alumnus is an ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Pinecrest alumnus Bryce Haynes ‘11 received a football scholarship to The Ohio State University and won a National Championship under Urban Meyer in 2014. After completing a four-year football scholarship at West Virginia University, John Depalma ‘12 played with the Philadelphia Eagles the summer and fall of 2016.
Just three years after its inception, the Pinecrest Wind Symphony was invited and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2012. This was a huge feat for a small private Catholic school with a small and young band!
The Dr. Tierney Garden, named after our first Headmaster, is configured with a round flower bed of white flowers, representing the Holy Eucharist. If you stand in the center of the flower bed and speak, you will hear an echo of your voice.
