Our Lady of

Victory Catholic School in Tyrone enters the 21st century

rich in cutting edge technology and religious tradition.

The school,

which opened in September, is the first Catholic

elementary school built by the Archdiocese of Atlanta in

the Southern Crescent. It was designed to accommodate up

to 250 grades kindergarten through eighth, and currently

serves about 200 students.

Principal

Nanci Pearson says the school has "great

dynamics" with a terrific mix of students, teachers

and parents. Pearson has been involved in every aspect of

the school, starting with the blueprints sketched out

over a year ago. Today she is greeted respectfully with

"Good morning, Ms. Pearson," from the older

students, and hugs around the knees from the

kindergartners. She comes to OLOV with experience as a

former teacher at the Marist School, and first lay

principal of St. Anthony's School, both in Atlanta.

The first

thing a visitor notices upon entering the facility is its

newness. Everything, from the furnishings to books, is

fresh from the cardboard crates. The floors are shiny,

the painted walls are blemish-free and the girls' blue,

grey and white plaid uniforms are crisply pleated.

A small

glass-encased cabinet contains a statue of Mary and a

replica of the school's crest, which bears the motto

"Our faith conquers the world." The school's

mission statement also is anchored by faith: "Our

Lady of Victory Catholic School exists to instill

Christian principles and to foster spiritual

growth..."

Religion is

an academic subject on the same par with math and science

at OLOV. Students are tested and receive a grade in

religion, according to Pearson.

She also

wants to instill in OLOV students their responsibility to

others and help them to be spiritually healthy. This can

be achieved every day through their academic classes,

relationships with friends and outreach projects, such as

the ongoing clothing drive, she explained.

Christian

theology also is approached through the arts. Celeste

Johnson, the school's art teacher, is broadening her

classes' knowledge of other cultures through depictions

and principles of Kwaanza. Interpretations of `moja' or

`unity' are being illustrated in all mediums in the

bright, airy studio.

The key

subjects such as reading, math and science are taught

traditionally and futuristically at OLOV. Reading groups

clustered at a table in an open pod shared by grades K-5

read aloud to resource teacher Mary Ann Crocker.

"Two

fat green bugs with two big eyes..." the children

chant, moving the index finger from one word to the next.

An upper

elementary math class focuses on a problem flashed on the

board by an overhead projector as the instructor walks

students through the steps.

Reinforcement

of these two classes is likely to take place on one of

the school's 150 computers, a resource Pearson said

"truly makes it [OLOV] a 21st century school."

Extracurricular

activities are gradually taking shape, as evidenced by

the announcement posted on the cafeteria's message board.

News about student council elections, times for meetings

of the science and environmental club, the school spirit

club and debate club, vie for space.

Pearson

said she expects to open enrollment for the fall 2000

school year in January or February. The school is open to

children of all races, creeds and religions, but

practicing Catholic families get priority. For

information phone 770-306-9026.