Student Life

Developing the whole child requires exposing students to the wonders of art and music, the rewards inherent in physical activity, the power of language and technology and the life-changing effect of a beloved book. Through Spanish, physical education, music, art, library studies and computer, students shape their worldviews and discover their passions.

Lower School students enjoy musical electives throughout the school day. Beginning in fourth grade, students may enroll in strings or our choral group, the Knightstars; fifth graders may also participate in band.

Fourth and fifth graders may choose to develop their skills in a rotation of after-school athletic offerings, while third, fourth, and fifth graders can join select Middle School sports teams.

At every grade level, we extend the classroom curriculum to the community through field trips to venues such as the Tellus Museum and the Cyclorama, orchards and farms, caves around the Chattahoochee River and historic sites in Charleston, South Carolina.

Our fifth-grade patrols politely greet families and assist students as they arrive and depart school every day.

First- through fifth-grade student council members are elected by their peers and organize community engagement projects throughout the year. They also host a new student and faculty welcome party in the fall.

Activity on our campus continues long after the school day ends. In Knight Crew, we focus on letting kids be kids in a safe, supervised and fun environment, while developing character and emphasizing inclusion. We also partner with Pace faculty, community organizations and professionals to offer a variety of after-school enrichment programs.

Events like Principal of the Day, Musical Mornings, Pet Day, Lunchtime Concerts, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, and Lower School Spirit Days foster camaraderie and fun throughout the school year.

The ICGL cultivates leadership capabilities by exploring an annual school-wide global theme and examining it from all angles to build critical-thinking skills that students then apply to other issues. Thinking on this level challenges perceptions, requires curiosity, and develops global mindsets and cultural appreciation.

From community and global partnerships, local field trips and volunteer projects to service-oriented adventures abroad, Pace students have opportunities to connect with other students and experts across the globe. International travel opportunities begin in fifth grade with a trip to Costa Rica and expand in the Middle and Upper Schools. Because our youngest students can’t spend weeks abroad, we bring international experts to them through campus visits and videoconferences, exposing students to extraordinary experiences and encouraging global understanding.

Under the ICGL umbrella, the following programs further support our mission:

Community Engagement: We cultivate character in the Lower School through annual clothing, food and toy drives, student-led fundraisers, and a fifth-grade community service team in charge of recycling efforts, classroom volunteer projects and community partnerships—in Atlanta and around the world.

Entrepreneurship: Through our after-school Mini and JuniorPreneur programs, teams of students in the second through fifth grades learn the basics of entrepreneurship by creating their own companies. The 13-week program culminates in Market Day, where our young entrepreneurs officially launch their businesses.

Robotics: Fifth graders interested in engineering and robotics may join our RoboKnights team, which competes in FIRST LEGO League events throughout the year.

Everyone needs a mentor, and our advisory program ensures that each student has a great one. In one-on-one get-togethers, faculty advisors offer academic and social counsel to help students navigate and celebrate middle-school milestones.

We strive to educate “the whole child,” and exposure to opportunities in the arts and athletics is central to that mandate. Students explore the visual and performing arts during the school day and as extracurricular activities, and more than 91 percent of Middle Schoolers participate on at least one of our many athletic teams.

From cartooning and current events to board games, movie musicals and newspaper, Middle School clubs, guided by our faculty, offer opportunities to explore something new during the school day.

We boast a decades-long history of excellence in policy debate, including championships on the local, state and national levels. Interested seventh and eighth graders participate in elective debate courses, which require participation in at least two Saturday tournaments.

P.E. improves students’ physical skills while developing thinking, creating and feeling capacities. And because everyone needs time to decompress and reconnect, we build 25 minutes for play into every school day.

Our roving reporters and photographers document life on campus in The MidKnight Times newspaper, while student writers and artists publish their work in Moonlight at Knight, our Middle School literary magazine.

Events like PJ & Cocoa Day, Canstruction, Middle School Team Challenge, the Medieval Banquet, spirit nights, class trips, the sixth grade Father-Daughter Dance, seventh-grade First Fridays, and Cabaret foster camaraderie and fun throughout the school year.

The ICGL cultivates leadership capabilities by exploring an annual school-wide global theme and examining it from all angles to build critical-thinking skills that students then apply to other issues. Thinking on this level challenges perceptions, requires curiosity, and develops global mindsets and cultural appreciation.

From community and global partnerships, local field trips, and service projects to academic study tours and service-oriented adventures abroad, Pace students have opportunities to connect with other students and experts across the globe.

Under the ICGL umbrella, the following programs further support our mission:

Community Engagement: Successful individuals know that true success means making a difference in others’ lives. We cultivate kindness in the Middle School through annual clothing and food drives, student-led fundraisers, volunteer opportunities and community partnerships—in Atlanta and around the world.

Robotics: Students interested in engineering and robotics may enroll in media arts courses or join our RoboKnights team, which competes in FIRST LEGO League events throughout the year.

We believe that exposure to opportunities in the arts and athletics is vital to educating “the whole child.” Students explore the visual and performing arts in the classroom and as extracurricular activities, and more than 85 percent of Upper School students play on at least one of our many athletic teams.

We boast a decades-long history of excellence in policy debate, including championships on the local, state and national levels. Interested students participate in elective debate courses or travel to tournaments around the country through our extracurricular program.

Our Student Council representatives run morning assemblies, coordinate social events and ensure the most popular lunch items show up on the cafeteria’s menu. Meanwhile, the Student Advisory Board promotes mental health and wellness, and the Honor Council enforces our Honor Code.

From Model United Nations and High Q to the Pace Academy Board of Diversity, Gay-Straight Alliance and Hamilton Sing-Along Group, school clubs offer opportunities to advance important causes, improve cultural competencies and simply further our sense of community.

Our roving reporters and photographers document life on campus in award-winning student publications: The Knightly News newspaper and The Pacesetter yearbook. Student writers and artists publish their work in The Knight Gallery, our Upper School literary magazine, and you’ll catch our KnightFlix broadcast team live-streaming Pace athletic events all over town.

Events like Great American Picnic, Physics Phlotilla, Spring Arts Festival, Powder Puff Football, Sing in the Season, and Cabaret foster camaraderie and fun throughout the school year.

The ICGL cultivates leadership capabilities by exploring an annual school-wide global theme and examining it from all angles to build critical-thinking skills that students then apply to other issues. Thinking on this level challenges perceptions, requires curiosity, and develops global mindsets and cultural appreciation.

From community and global partnerships, local field trips and service projects to academic study tours and service-oriented adventures abroad, Pace students have opportunities to connect with other students and experts across the globe.

Under the ICGL umbrella, the following programs offer additional opportunities for involvement:

Community Engagement: Successful individuals know that true success means making a difference in others’ lives, so we cultivate kindness and awareness through our community engagement program. Student leaders oversee partnerships with eight local organizations, nonprofits such as Atlanta Community Food Bank, Boys & Girls Club of Atlanta and Habitat for Humanity.

Service also takes students beyond our borders as many ICGL study tours incorporate volunteer work at the international level. In addition, students frequently organize clothing, food and blood drives, and they join forces to respond to natural disasters and other needs.

Robotics: Students interested in engineering and robotics may enroll in robotics courses or participate in RoboKnights, our extracurricular robotics team, which competes in FIRST Tech Challenge events throughout the year.

Women Mentoring Women: Everyone needs a mentor—particularly young women interested in business. So, Pace partners with Truist to coordinate Women Mentoring Women, a program in which young professionals advise Upper School students on topics such as developing an executive presence, personal budgeting and business basics.