East Point Academy is helping all students develop the “World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate” by continuing its legacy of excellence in academics, language immersion, the arts, extracurricular activities and community service.
East Point Academy is a great place for students to learn and grow. Our Panda Core Values shape our school culture which can be summed up in four words “Be Nice, Work Hard.” And, our Academic Philosophy can be summed up in six words “Rigorous Academics with a Global Focus.” Students, teachers, parents and staff work together to make East Point Academy a school where every person is valued and encouraged to be his or her best.
Superior academics are at the center of all decisions at East Point Academy (EPA). We are very proud of our talented and caring teachers who strive everyday to make a positive difference for the students they serve. Our students excel on state assessments, exceeding the state average on SC READY and SC PASS. We were named a Palmetto Gold School by the Department of Education, the Best Charter or Private School in Columbia by the Free Times, the Best Charter School by the State newspaper and rated “A“ by Niche.com. EPA students are receiving a rich academic program with a global perspective.
We immerse students in the Mandarin language while exposing them to many other cultures. Students at the Elementary Campus receive Mandarin language instruction as well as being taught Math, Science and Related Arts in Mandarin. At the Middle Campus, students receive intense language instruction focused on improving their language fluency. Our students are progressing in their language acquisition while excelling in their core content classes. We are excited that our departing 8th grade students are matriculating to high school with up to four credits in Chinese (Mandarin)as well as credits in English, Algebra and some electives.
EPA has a full complement of extracurricular programs. Our athletic opportunities include competition archery and basketball teams, intramural sports, various sports camps, Run Hard Club, martial arts and gymnastics. Our arts opportunities include art club, music, dance, piano, chorus, and strings. Other extracurricular options are BETA club, Math Kangaroo, STEM club, Hands on Science, Gardening Club, Recycling Club, Chinese Conversation Club, Media Club, Chess Club and many others. We also offer a robust after school experience and Summer programs to assist families and enhance student success.
Our students are also engaged in the community, participating in and sponsoring many events and activities. Our annual SC Moon Fest and Chinese New Year celebrations bring our community together for cultural awareness and fun. Giving back to the community is an important part of the culture at EPA.
This year, we opened our new Elementary Campus and completely renovated Middle Campus. These facilities provide state of the art instructional technology and significantly improved learning spaces for our students. It's an exciting time at EPA, as we live up to our motto of “Merging Cultures, Inspiring Minds, Expanding Horizons!”
Mark A. Bounds / Head of School
