Is It November Already?

HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!! I know this doesn’t excite everyone, but this church history nerd loves it.

It is hard to believe we are just a few days from Thanksgiving break and then Christmas break. My scheduled Air Force travel is over until the end of December.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

NOVEMBER 9^{th –} Please put November 9, 2018 on your calendar.  It will be a busy day at CCS.  First, at 10:00 that morning we will be honoring veterans during our annual program. We are going to change things up a little, so look for a slightly different program.  All veterans are welcome.  Then, at 7:00 that evening, we will enjoy the Middle School performance of Junie B. Jones.  I’ve seen some teasers for this program.  I am looking forward to seeing our talented middle school students perform.

NOVEMBER 16^{th –} We are excited to have the Collingsworth family perform here at CCS on Friday, November 16^that 7:00 pm.  Tickets can be purchased on-line at https://www.itickets.com/events/391598.html.  All proceeds will be used to support CCS’s athletic program, under the direction of Jeremy Leach.  Come and enjoy the music and support CCS.

CONGRATULATIONS

“At-a-girl” to CCS 7^thGRADERKaylee Holtzapple for finishing 19^thin the region and qualifying for the KHSAA HIGH SCHOOLCross Country meet on Saturday, November 3^rdat the Kentucky Horsepark near Lexington, KY. “RUN KAYLEE RUN!!”

REMINDER

Please be patient and courteous with one another as you arrive at, drive on and exit the campus.

OPEN HOUSE

If you know someone interested in Calvary Christian School, let them know that our first Open House will be Tuesday, November 13^thfrom 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  They can just show up, or they can register online at http://ccsky.org/prospective-students/open-house. You are our biggest source of advertisement, so please share with people you know and THANK YOU!!

NEW BUS FUND

As you know, we are in the midst of raising funds for a new bus for Calvary Christian School.  This will provide safe and reliable transportation for our student body for years to come.  Our goal is $121,000.  We have had some great “traction” in the campaign so far.  After a little over a month, we have raised almost $40,000 for this new bus.  We are a third of the way there!!!  A BIG “THANK YOU” to those who have already given.  As stated earlier, this new bus will benefit ALL CCS students for years into the future.  Our goal is to order the bus in the spring and have it for the beginning of the school year in 2019.

Recently a couple of donors have stepped up with a matching challenge.  Beginning November 1st and ending November 9^th, you have an opportunity to double the power of your donation, $1 turns into $2, $10 turns into $20, $1,000 turns into $2,000, etc. For every dollar given during this time period, that dollar will be doubled up to $12,500!  This is also a great time to maximize your end-of-year tax-deductible giving.  If we meet this goal, we will have $65,000 in the “New Bus” fund . . . well-over half of what is needed to reach our final goal — safe and reliable transportation for our students.

Enjoy this short video on the bus campaign prepared by our Video Marketing class – https://vimeo.com/297782002.

You can give by writing a check to CCS and putting “New Bus Fund” in the memo line or donating through our Paypal account at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=28NSQ455WYWBQ

Thanks for your continued prayers and support for CCS. This Thanksgiving season, we at CCS are VERY thankful for you.

Safer Transportation

Safety is an important factor to Calvary Christian School.  We want our students to be safe while on campus.  To this end, we have improved our video surveillance on the campus. We have adjusted our procedures for people entering the building.  We have strengthened our car pool procedures at the end of the day.

However, there is another area of safety we need to address…bus transportation.  We provide bus evacuation trainings for our students twice a year.  Our concern continues to grow regarding the safety and reliability of our current fleet of buses.  Due to the financial constraints of our budget, CCS has been forced to purchase school buses that are leaving the fleets of other public school districts. This means that these buses are older, in fact, the age of CCS’s current fleet range in age from 18 to 26 years old. Additionally, as county school buses they all come to us with many miles on them.  We have worked hard to make them as safe and reliable as possible. Each bus goes through a quarterly safety inspection and a larger annual KDOT annual inspection.  These inspections are performed by professionals.  However, due to their age, it is becoming more and more difficult to keep our buses on the road.  Currently, only two of our three buses are road-worthy.

Safety is one issue, financial responsible is another.  Over the last few years, CCS has spent around $40,000 to purchase and keep our buses running. To get our third bus (which may be our best bus) running it will cost about $5,000.  As stated earlier, this is money we are putting into buses that are between 18 and 26 years old.

Buses are a necessity for CCS.  We have looked into going to a bus service for field trips and it would be almost as expensive as our current system and their availability and reliability are also suspect.  Every student at CCS from Kindergarten through 12th grade uses bus transportation for field trips.  In addition, buses are used for the high school retreat, the sophomore trip, MS/HS Service Day, athletics, etc.  Recently, there was talk of taking a bus of students to support our girl’s volleyball team at the “All A” Sweet Sixteen tournament at Eastern Kentucky University. I had to deny that request, due to the distance traveled and the reliability of our buses.  I have also had to deny teacher’s requests for field trips due to distance.

We believe it is time for CCS to purchase a brand new bus.  A new bus would provide the latest safety equipment, notable reliability and lower annual maintenance costs.  Additionally, it would come with a one-year “bumper-to-bumper” warranty and a five-year warranty on the power train.  We would be able to purchase the bus through a local county school district and receive their district pricing.  A new bus would cost CCS approximately $116,517.  Additionally, we would want to put a fence around our buses to protect them from vandalism.  I believe we could do the whole thing for $121,000.  That seems like an overwhelming amount, to me.  However, I’ve come to realize that the total cost is a small amount to God and His people. (I’m reminded of this by the Chiller we purchased a few years ago as well as our preschool expansion.)  Our goal is to purchase the bus before the beginning of the next school year . . . or earlier.

Here is what I am asking of you:

• Pray that God will give us wisdom and safety; that He will protect the school’s finances and Annual Campaign; and that He will provide these additional funds for a new bus.
• Search your heart to see what or how you might support this special campaign.As a guide, if each of our 400 students gave $302.50, that would cover the complete cost.  That is $38/student/month or $8.75/student/week or $1.25/student/day for October through May.  I truly believe this is doable.
• Support our PTCA events, I have asked this group to put all of their profits this year toward the purchase of this new bus.
• Think creatively about how you can help raise this money.

Thank you for your continued support of CCS.

My Prayer for the 2018-2019 School Year

The beginning of the 2018-2019 school year brings a measure of thrill and hope.  I walked through the building the day before our students arrived and admired our facility and the hardwork of the teachers and staff.  The floors were unscuffed, the carpet was shampooed, all the HVAC worked, the lockers were clean and empty, the glass sparkled, the corners of the posters were unbent and there was a general sense of promise and excitement.

However, no matter how nice and new everything looked, I knew I was walking a battlefield.  There will be unseen warfare over our faculty and staff, our students and our families.  It will manifest itself in temptation, conflict and difficulties.  Spiritual warfare is real and our faculty and staff, students and families will be the target of our enemy.  My prayer is for strength, safety, protection and perseverance.

For our faculty and staff, I pray that God will give them wisdom and patience as they deal with the myriad of challenges they will face in the classroom and hallways, and on the fields and courts.  I pray that God will guard them from weariness and the temptation to take shortcuts. I pray that God will provide for all of their needs as they make the necessary sacrifices to teach at CCS.

For our students, I pray that God will guard and grow their hearts and minds.  I pray that they will follow the example of Jesus in their interaction with each other.  I pray that they will understand their primary role as a student is to learn and that they will work hard as unto the Lord.  For those who are unsaved, I pray that God will break through the hardness of their hearts and bring them to faith.

For our families, I am aware of the sacrifices that are made to send their children to CCS.  I pray that God will provide for our families’ needs and help them see the importance of Christian education.  I pray that God will put a hedge of protection around them providing for physical safety and a continued closeness to God and each other.

For our seniors, I pray that God will direct their path and that He would guide them in the decisions they need to make regarding their futures.  I pray that they have not only learned content, but learned how to think. I pray that they will ask the right questions and wait patiently for the right answers.  I pray that God will keep them pure, remove arrogance and pride, and draw them close to Him.  I pray that they will seek and use the wise path.

For myself, I pray for wisdom.  I know better than anyone else, my shortcomings and my weaknesses.  I pray that God will provide me wisdom and skill beyond my training and talents.  I pray that He will surround me with people who are strong where I am weak.

For CCS, I pray that God will provide for the financial needs of the school.  Specifically, I pray that God will provide us with funding to purchase a new bus to provide safe and reliable transportation for our students.  I pray that God will provide us with the best year in CCS history as we try to produce students who are “Firmly Established and Steadfast in the Faith.”

Please join me in this prayer.

A Little “Pre-First-Day” Update

Normally, these blogs are about the school and school related activities.  There is lots of great news.  Our 2018-2019 test scores were phenomenal (Terra Nova, ACT and AP). We will be offering more dual credit courses than we have ever offered.  We are on the front end of a 5-year accreditation with ACSI, SACS, NCAC, NWAC and the Kentucky Non-Public Commission.  Our enrollment looks like we will be over 400 students for the first time since I have been here as Headmaster.  We were able to get a phenomenal amount of work completed on the facility over the summer.   We have much to be thrilled about going into the 2018-2019 school year.

However, while this one is related to the school, I wanted to share something involving my personal life. Most of you know that I am in the Air Force Reserve and am stationed in the Chief of Chaplains office at the Pentagon as the Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of Chaplains.  In June, my boss, Chaplain, Major General Dondi Costin retired from the military and took the position as President of Charleston Southern University.  His retirement has left a hole at the Pentagon while we wait for Presidential Nominations and Senate Confirmations to occur for the Chief of Chaplains and the Deputy Chief of Chaplains.  I was asked to come on orders for 90-120 days to fill the void.  I explained my civilian responsibilities and told them that I could not commit this amount of time at this point.  However, I will be serving 21 days, spread out over the next 3 months.  These will consist of several 2 or 3 day trips and one 5 day trip.  This will get the Air Force through the confirmation process and two General Officers back in the Chief of Chaplains office full-time.

Regarding the two classes I teach.  CCS’s current schedule allows those classes to meet approximately 25-30% more often than the on-campus college equivalent would meet.  Therefore, we will still have ample time to cover the material and still be meeting more than on-campus classes.  I will work with the students in my classes regarding my days out of the office.

I want to thank you for your patience and support during this time.  The administrative staff at CCS is very talented and very capable of handling anything that may come up.

Now who’s ready for Friday?!?  I am . . . almost. (-:

New Security Measures at CCS

We live in a messed up world and the Bible tells us it will only get worse.  That means that CCS will need to be evermore vigilant when it comes to protecting your children and our students.  Our end-of-year surveys revealed some responses regarding building security.  We have wrestled this summer with how to handle these suggestions.  We are striving to balance safety and security with remaining a welcoming and family-friendly environment.   Below are some improvements for next year that will make the CCS campus a more secure environment.

First, we have added some additional safety technology to the facility.  For 2018-2019 we are adding 11 additional cameras to the main facility and 3 cameras to the preschool.  The CCS receptionist will have live video coverage of every door, the main entryway, the main hallway, and the cafeteria, as well as, the preschool entrances.  This will allow for greater visual coverage of those entering and exiting the building. Special “THANKS” to the CCS PTCA for funding this initiative.

Second, involves the open doors at the end of the day.  We have entertained proposals that range from allowing no one to come into the building at the end of the day to get their child to requiring everyone to buzz in before entering to metal detectors and screenings.  None of these options are feasible.  We do however recognize the vulnerability that exist at the end of the school day.  So, moving forward, a difference you will notice is that on MOST days, beginning around 3:00, Mr. Ross or I will be in the lower hallway monitoring those who are entering and leaving the building.

Finally, we are making a change to how you get your elementary student at the end of the day, if you choose to come inside.  You will go to the office and ask the CCS receptionist to call them to the lobby. In previous years the students would come and find you in the lobby.  As we thought through this process, we realized that this makes our students vulnerable.  Moving forward, when the elementary students  come to the lobby for pick-up, they will be met by Mrs. Burns or her designee and handed-off to the person there to pick them up.  This will insure every child gets with the right people.

We believe these measures, coupled with our current practices of monitoring the doors in the morning until they are locked and limiting guests during the school day to alumni, family and prospective students (here on an official shadow day) will provide for a substantially safer environment, while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for our CCS families.

We will review these measures in upcoming Orientation videos for your “viewing pleasure.”

Thank you for standing with us as we seek to improve the safety and security at CCS.

Summertime at CCS

This summer, I had the opportunity to attend a NATO conference in the Bavarian region of Germany. The event was held at the German Air Force Officer Training School at the Air Base in Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. I arrived about 10 hours before the conference, so after checking in I took a taxi to Dachau, the site of the first Nazi concentration camp.  As I walked through the sleeping quarters, bathrooms, delousing areas, the gas chamber and the ovens, I was confronted with three thoughts/emotions.  My first thought was the overwhelming sadness over the suffering and evil that took place at this concentration camp. Second, was the fact that this was either endorsed by or naively ignored by the local population.  Third, this did not happen 500 years ago or during the dark ages (although, they had a holocaust of their own during this period). The full story became known just 18 years before I was born.  All of this combined to remind me of the significance of our worldview and the importance of a biblical worldview.  Beliefs have consequences, both temporal and eternal.  That is why we do what we do at Calvary Christian School.  Thank you for seeing the need and supporting our program, as we work with you to educate your child.

If you want more information about Dachau, I recommend That Was Dachau, 1933-1945by Stanislav Zamecnik (a Dachau survivor).  It can be purchased on Amazon.

We are undertaking some aggressive improvements this summer:
1) We are increasing our security cameras from 4 to 17, including 3 in the Preschool building. This, along with new procedures at the end of the day, will provide greater security for our students and families.

2) We are replacing half (15) of the air conditioning/heating units in the elementary wing.  We will replace the other half (15) units next summer.  This year’s cost will be almost $39,000 and will provide consistent, more efficient heating and cooling in all of our rooms.

3) We will be increasing the Internet capabilities in the building as we prepare for our 1:1 Chromebook initiative in the fall.

4) We are erecting a barrier next to the upper soccer field to protect the area from vandalism and safety for spectators watching the games.

5) We have fixed the plumbing in the locker rooms, insuring that all showers work.  Additionally, we will be upgrading the locker rooms making them more useful for teams and coaches.

6) We will be replacing the carpet in one of our classrooms (the last classroom with the “Duct Tape Racing Stripe” down the middle).

All of these improvements will be made on top of the normal building maintenance and prep that we do every summer.  Thanks to our maintenance and housekeeping staff for their tireless efforts.

There is a price tag associated with each of these initiatives.  This is why the Annual Campaign is so important to CCS.  It allows us to provide an up-to-date, safe environment for your children.  We exceeded our Annual Campaign goal last year, thanks to your support! We are very grateful. I’m going to ask you to help us again this year.  Please think about the future of Calvary Christian School and consider supporting this financial effort.

I hope you had a great June and will have a wonderful July.  Only 7 weeks until school starts . . . sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Back from Break

I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break.  We return to CCS refreshed, excited and ready to finish the year strong.  We were able to enjoy Spring Break because of the results from our ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Visit.  The team had a good visit and were very pleased with what they saw. They are recommending to the commission that CCS get the full 5-Year ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation!! When looking at the 8 standards, the team felt that CCS “Exceeded Compliance” on Standard 1 and were “Compliant” on the rest.  They had no recommendations for Standards 1, 3, 7 and 8.  They provided 19 commendations, four of which were “major”. They noted 6 recommendations, two of which were major.  We will focus on capitalizing on our commendations and addressing the recommendations over the next year.  Thank you for your support as we move forward.  Here is the full list of the commendations and recommendations (major commendations and recommendations are in BOLD).

 COMMENDATIONS

1. The Executive Committee and administration have created implemented and communicated excellent foundational documents which serve as a strong support for all the functions of Calvary Christian School. (1.1, 1.2)
2. The school has demonstrated a commitment to the development of each student to grow spiritually, academically, socially and physically which results in the achievement of its expected student outcomes. (1.5)
3. The Executive Committee has identified and positioned strong leadership personnel that has significantly strengthened thee organization and set a path for excellence in several areas. (2.3, 2.4)
4. The administration and staff positively responded to last minute changes in the interpretation of Indicator 2.9 regarding financial review for the school and persevered through many hours of additional work and adjustments to accommodate the revised expectations due to the change in the budget totals prior to the pre-visit and visit of the accreditation team. (2.9)
5. The administration and faculty has established effective communication with its constituents through multiple channels. (3.4)
6. The CCS Guidance Department is a strength of the school that was established in 1997 and is guiding and supporting students’ academic, behavioral and social growth. (2.8, 3.10)
7. The school has developed various activities including athletics, fine arts, academics and other interest-based activities for all students. (3.12)
8. Every year each CCS staff member must sign the school Statement of Faith and a Declaration of Moral Integrity which ensures that the school will adhere to its mission, vision, philosophy and core values. (4.1)
9. Both the Headmaster and the Elementary Principal have attained their ACSI certification but also have earned advanced degrees which better equips them to provide more effective leadership for CCS. (4.4)
10. Calvary Christian School has 100% of its teachers holding ACSI certification. (4.6)
11. The number of instructional and support staff with their professional preparation surpasses what is normally expected of a school the size of CCS, which provides improved learning in both curricular and extracurricular training (4.10)
12. The EE Director and teachers are highly qualified with degrees that exceed the required credentials and are educated, loving and nurturing believers in Christ. (4.4a, 4.5a)
13. At CCS Bible is included in the curriculum for every student. (5.3)
14. The elementary school has a creative discipline system, HOW I ACT, which provides teachers with a framework to effectively teach their students self-control by providing graduated consequences for smaller infractions. (5.14)
15. The daily schedule for the early education program provides for stability, security and flexibility to meet the group’s needs and developmentally appropriate materials and furnishings are used to enhance learning. (5.5c, 5.10a)
16. The administration and staff have created a comprehensive School Crisis Plan which includes a thorough definition and response that results in a safe environment for the students. (6.1)
17. The cafeteria staff is fully compliant with local, state and federal regulations regarding food prep and provides multiple nutritious offerings so CCS families and students have quality options for snacks and lunch. (6.8, 6.9)
18. An environment where staff and students display a love for God and others is embraced, fostered and assessed at Calvary Christian School. (7.2, 7.4)
19. Calvary Christian School has clearly developed a comprehensive and systematic process for continuous school improvement planning that includes a broad range of stakeholders. (8.1)

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Develop a systematic self-evaluation process and job descriptions for the Executive Committee and its officers. (2.1)
2. Schedule professional development for the faculty and staff to provide training on the analysis and disaggregation of assessment data, as well as, offer additional expertise on biblical integration and its implementation. (4.7, 5.7)
3. Document faculty meetings, professional development training, and any other staff collaboration events to benefit the learning process not only for the staff, but also for the students, to enhance the achievement of the school’s expected student outcomes. (4.12)
4. Advance the training for teaching assistants to attain the new required education and credentials. (4.5b)
5. Create a cycle of implementation and monitoring that ensures the completion and ongoing utilization of curriculum maps for every subject and grade level that contain the identified components found in Indicator 5.2. (5.1, 5.2)
6. Write a facility plan that addresses future program changes, needs of staff/facility/technology, and the future capital improvements, which will guide all expansion. (6.15)

PTCA DONATION

Special “THANKS” to the CCS PTCA for all of their hard work on behalf of CCS.  This $13,000 donation represents their love and support of our mission.  We couldn’t do what we do without their help. This donation will be used to purchase a new and upgraded security system for CCS.  In addition, the funds are being used to repair some of the crumbling concrete walkways around the school.

This leads me to apologize for the inconvenience of the closed ramp and upper parking lot.  The repairs were to be finished over Spring Break, but weather and broken machinery prevented this from being completed.  I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused for morning drop-off and midday K-5 pick-up.  Hopefully, it will all be back to normal by the end of the week.

The Stone Starts Rolling with Play Week!

It has been a good last couple of weeks, minus the weather frustrations (is it spring or winter? rain or snow? wet or dry? sunny or cloudy?). The CCS Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams finished strong seasons, each advancing to the second game in the district tournament. The CCS Archery Team is preparing for state competitions after having a very successful tournament at CCS. The PTCA Cougar Crop was the largest in recent history (we had around 150 attendees). Now we are entering the 4^th quarter of the school year. If you thought the first part of this school year “flew by,” now that it is PLAY WEEK . . . hang on, it REALLY starts rolling now.

The Little Mermaid

This is the week!! Every year I look forward to seeing CCS talent on display. If you haven’t purchased your tickets for the CCS high school production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” do so soon!! There are shows on Friday, March 16^th, Saturday, March 17^th and Sunday afternoon, March 18^th. You can purchase reserved seating online at http://www.itickets.com/events/394626.html or you can purchase them at the door. We hope you can attend this spectacular production.

Third Thursday Podcast

You don’t want to miss the second episode of the Third Thursday podcast. This episode includes my thoughts on leadership, as well as interviews with one of our 6^th grade teachers and a current 8^th grade student. It will air this Thursday, March 15^th, please give it a listen. You can access the podcast through the CCS App, iTunes or at https://player.fm/series/third-thursday-podcast. I hope you will subscribe. When you are done listening, feel free to leave us some feedback.

Annual Campaign

We are coming down to crunch-time on the Annual Campaign. We have received about $90,000 of our $130,000 goal. We have asked our faculty and school board to be “all in.” I’m asking the same thing of our parents. If you have not supported the Annual Campaign, please prayerfully consider contributing a gift. There are two ways you can support. First, you can give an unrestricted gift either in the form of a check or you can easily donate online through PayPal at www.ccsky.org/give-to-ccs. Second, you can support our Cougar Fun Run. Our goal is to raise $20,000; we need your help!

These funds will used to:

1. bolster our technology infrastructure in anticipation of next year’s 1:1 Chromebook program
2. make facility improvements
3. improve CCS security measures

Please help us make these things a reality.

Accreditation Team Visit

We are less than four weeks from the ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Team Visit. Please put 3:45 pm on Friday, April 6^th on your calendar and join us for the team’s report. We will meet in the CCS cafeteria.

Thank you for your continued support for CCS, both through your prayers and your financial giving. It would be impossible to accomplish our God-given mission with your support. GET YOUR PLAY TICKETS!!

Happy SAINT Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!! We celebrate this every year, by giving cards, chocolates and roses – all good things. But the roots of “SAINT” Valentine’s Day stem back to the early days of the church and the martyrdom of a man who was compelled to share his Christian faith with the Roman Emperor. It cost him his life, reminding us of the sacrifices of those that went before us and the true meaning of love.

I’m excited to remind you that the pilot episode of the “Third Thursday with Dr. Dickens” podcast goes live tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 15^th. This monthly podcast will consist of pertinent school announcements, some thoughts and ideas about CCS, education in general and interviews with students, faculty, alumni and parents. You can access the podcast by subscribing through iTunes or from a button on the bottom of the CCS App home screen. I hope you will join us.

We are coming to the end of the course on our accreditation process. We have our final pre-visit meeting with the team leader in March and the visit is scheduled for April 4-6, 2018. Mark your calendar for Friday, April 6th, there will be a public sharing of the accreditation results with the school family in the CCS Cafeteria at 3:40 pm.

As part of the accreditation process, we surveyed our student body. One of the common responses we received from the middle and high school students was that they showed up to school tired. Mr. Luke Wagner, one of our high school teachers, pondered this response and came up with the diagram below, illuminating the cycle that this lack of rest could create.

There are numerous studies that show the damaging effects when there is a lack of quality of rest.    This is something to consider when monitoring our child(ren)’s bedtime on a school night.

Don’t forget about our Cougar Fun Run and Annual Campaign. We have made great progress this year. We are currently $40,000 shy of reaching our Annual Campaign goal of $130,000. We have four months left to reach this important goal, so please consider giving to this important fund. Also be sure and sponsor a child for our Fun Run. We have some great incentives, including a pretty big incentive for a whole class, if the class goal is reached, more on this later. More information about our Cougar Fun Run will be e-mailed to you later this month. Thanks for continuing to support CCS.   It is vital to our mission.

The opt-in process for the Continuous Enrollment has been very encouraging, with over 96% opting in for 2018-2019. Please pray for CCS as we have entered into our open enrollment period, that God would bring us the students we need for the 2018-2019 school year. Have a blessed day!!

Third Thursdays

Almost seven years ago when I became the Administrator at Calvary Christian School, there were feelings among some of the school families that there was a lack of clear and open communication. I quickly knew that one of my major responsibilities was to rebuild trust and “flatten” communication. In order to solve this issue, various actions took place.

The first thing we did was start this blog as a way of sharing information about the school and my vision for the future of CCS. This also became a venue to promote the needs of the school and upcoming events. We have almost 200 subscribers and about 250 readers that visit the blog when a new post is published.

The second thing we did was move to open school board meetings. The first part of each Executive Committee meeting is open to the public. While we have opened these meetings in an effort to share information, few have taken advantage of this opportunity and that’s OK. This makes me believe that our families trust us, that’s our goal.

The third thing we did was the creation of the “20/20 Vision” Strategic Plan. This plan was created by a team of 20 people representing all of the school’s constituencies, from students and alumni to parents and faculty members. This strategic plan is guiding our decision-making and spending.   It was presented to the school family last April and is accessible on the CCS webpage.

Also, CCS has moved toward greater innovation and creativity. This year we added a video marketing class that utilizes technology and the creative juices of our students to create videos promoting CCS to the public. You’ve seen some of these videos on CCS social media sites. Additionally, we will be moving to a one-to-one technology program next year. Every 5th-12th grade student will utilize Chromebooks for their classes.  This will enhance student participation, address student with various learning styles, teach responsible use of technology and familiarize our students with computer usage in a safe environment.

Another exciting piece of this innovation is the creation of “Third Thursday,” a CCS podcast. Additionally, the podcast is another step in creatively increasing our avenues of communication. We realize people are busy and reading a blog may not always be convenient or possible. This podcast can be listened to in the car, on the treadmill or sitting at your desk. You will be able to access it from the CCS App.  The first episode will air on February 15^th, the third Thursday in February. Subsequent episodes will air the third Thursday of every month.

I’m excited about the content. I will share some thoughts during each episode. I will also make you aware of news and upcoming events and deadlines. I am most excited about the interviews within each episode. There will be an interview with parents, alumni, faculty members and CCS students in each episode (with parental permission). There will be some serious content, but we will also have some fun.   I hope you will find this podcast both enjoyable and informative.

If you haven’t opted-in to our new Continuous Enrollment process, please do it soon. Enrollment will open to the public next week. To secure your child’s seat for the 2018-2019 school year, please complete the simple opt-in process ASAP.

Have a great week and we look forward to you joining us for the podcast on the 15^th.