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.

Consider the Cost

Sadly, Spirit Week ends this weekend. It has been a wonderful week! Students, faculty, and parents have enjoyed various Spirit Week events. We culminate this weekend with the Cougar Classic and Spirit Court. This time of year also leads us into the opt-in period for our new continuous enrollment and then open enrollment as we begin to look at the 2018-2019 school year.

The average American student who graduates from high school will have spent just over 15,000 hours in school (that represents over 2,200 days and about 6 full years). This does not include homework or extra-curricular activities. When it is all said and done, they will walk out of school with three lasting things: a diploma, memories and a way of viewing the world.

Education is a significant investment in the future of your child, both in time and expense. I know that there are many of you who make significant sacrifices to have your child(ren) at CCS. I also know that during this time of year, people weigh the cost of Christian education versus the value of Christian education. I would like to challenge you to not just see this as an economic decision. While economics play a role, please know the least expensive option isn’t always the best.

So, as we are in the middle of the opt-in time for continuous enrollment, I encourage you to look at what CCS provides:

• a Christ-centered education
• a nurturing and caring environment
• a talented faculty and staff that loves and prays for their students and families
• a complete college prep education from preschool through high school (over $600,000 in scholarships awarded to the Class of 2017)
• small class sizes (12: 1 student to teacher ratio)
• a variety of extra-curricular activities (service, academic, sports, arts, intramurals, etc.)
• a strong arts program
• an accredited institution (ACSI and SACS through AdvancED)
• a fiscally responsible organization (very little debt and low dependence on donations – less than 5% of the school’s income)
• a school committed to progress and excellence

The next question: Is CCS perfect? Absolutely not!! I can speak with complete authority that the Headmaster is a sinner. However, his desire and the desire of this faculty are to please God in every area of this ministry. So we are always looking for ways to respond in a more Christ-like manner.

As you consider opting-in to our continuous enrollment process, I encourage you to weigh the statements above against the financial sacrifice. I believe you will find the true value of Calvary Christian School and what we provide to our students and families.

Thank you for the investment you have made in your child’s education and future.

WELCOME TO 2018

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas break and happy New Year! We are entering the busiest part of the school year, so hold on.

CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Many of your gave sacrificially in the month of December to bless our teachers with a Christmas bonus. Thank you for your generosity. Due to your kindness each of our faculty and staff members received a nice Christmas bonus before they left for break. Thank you for thinking of them.

 SPIRIT WEEK

One of the highlights for the year is Spirit Week, coming up at the end of this month. It is a wonderful time to celebrate school spirit with special activities during the school day, culminating with the Cougar Classic and Spirit Court on the weekend. This year, the games and opponents we have scheduled will necessitate a slight change in Spirit Court. Because our opponents will be traveling from Louisville, we will be having three games on Friday night. This would push Spirit Court until almost 11:00 pm. So to alleviate this situation the following changes have been made. First, Spirit Court will take place between the second and third game, right before our varsity boy’s play. Second the presentation of the Spirit Court will take place in the center of the basketball court closer to the audience and be a bit shorter. Any of our Boy’s Varsity Players will go to the locker room to change for the game, following the Spirit Court. Thank you for understanding these changes.

SNOW DAY AND DELAYED STARTS

One of the most difficult decisions we have to make at CCS is what to do when it snows.  We are up early looking at forecasts, looking at current weather, testing the roads, coordinating snow removal.  We have students and faculty coming from seven different counties in three states with a wide range of travel conditions. Student, faculty and family safety is our number one priority.  There are many things we take into consideration, including the temperature, a large percentage of student drivers who are traversing sometimes treacherous, windy roads in the dark, our ability to get our large lot cleared sufficiently (we are at the mercy of a service).  All of these factors are considered so please understand when the decision is made, it has not been made lightly.  Additionally, we try to make the decision early (even the night before), but this is not always possible.

In the event of a cancellation, you will be notified in the following ways:

• The 4 four major Cincinnati news outlets
• The CCS and Dr. Dickens Facebook Pages
• The CCS and Dr. Dickens Twitter Accounts
• The CCS and Dr. Dickens Instagram Page
• An all-school email from Mrs. Switzer
• An alert sent from the CCS Cougars App (be sure to download this App for your phone and turn on notifications under the settings)

If we do not cancel school and road/travel conditions are treacherous where you live, please contact the school and this will be considered an excused absence.  You may email teachers for any homework and they will do their best to email it to you.

CAMPUS PASTOR

Pastor Andre Rusch has served CCS for several years as our Campus Pastor, providing leadership for our Chapel program.  He has recently taken a position at Montgomery Community Church and is leaving the Campus Pastor position.  We will miss him in that role, however he and Charlotte will still be around as a school parents, as Mason continues at CCS.

We are excited to welcome Pastor Jason Walsh, the Calvary Baptist Church Youth Pastor as our new Campus Pastor.  I look forward to working with Jason as he ministers to our students.  Like Andre, he will be spending Wednesdays at CCS leading chapel, participating in co-gros and ministering with our students.  When you get a chance, please welcome Pastor Jason to his new role at CCS.

Thank you for your continued support of CCS. We covet your prayers as we move into this time of re-enrollment and the beginning of Continuous Re-enrollment. Be on the watch for an email in the next few weeks explaining the details.

Stay warm!!

Good Tidings

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I trust your Christmas decorations are up and your surroundings are festive. Even though they are having a “less than stellar” year, I have my Chicago Bears Christmas tree set up in my office. As much fun as we have with friends, family, food and gifts during this season, I am always reminded of the love that God has shown to humanity through His Son Jesus Christ. Remember with all the trappings and distractions surrounding us this time of year, celebrate God’s love this Christmas season.

Faculty Christmas Offering – Please remember to give to our faculty Christmas offering. This will help to provide Christmas bonuses for our faculty and staff. Every little bit helps, so please consider giving. You can simply send a check to the school with Christmas Offering in the memo line and you can also use this PayPal link to donate. Thank you in advance for being a blessing to those who work at CCS.

Continuous Enrollment – You will be hearing more about this in the upcoming re-enrollment letter, but we are excited to begin Continuous Enrollment this year. Typically 93% or more of our students re-enroll each year, yet we have made these families do all the work. That is changing. Click here to enjoy a short video that will introduce you to the program.

Meeting with Teachers – We want our teachers to be accessible to parents, however we also need them to meet their before/after school responsibilities. Therefore, if you need to speak to your child’s teacher before or after school, please make a habit of scheduling an appointment. This will allow our teachers to meet their responsibilities and be prepared for your meeting. Thank you for understanding.

Accreditation – Some Christian school choose not to be accredited. Many years ago CCS decided that it wanted to move in the direction of accreditation. Accreditation tells the public that this school is meeting the academic and improvement standards for this recognition. Additionally, accreditation sets benchmarks for CCS. We have been working hard for the better part of a year preparing for our next ACSI/AdvancED accreditation visit in April 2018. We are looking forward to a positive response from the team and the 5-year renewal of our dual accreditation. Please pray that the faculty and staff, who has shouldered the additional burden of preparing the reports for this visit, can finish strong.

One-to-One Chromebook Rollout – One of the major initiatives in the “20/20 Vision” Strategic Plan was enhancing of the technology offerings at CCS. This is to be done through the development of a one-to-one device program for students 5^th grade -12^th grade. This will not only benefit these older students, but will free-up existing devices (iPads and Chromebooks) for our younger students. This will enhance classroom learning and better prepare our students for a future that is becoming evermore technological every year. Additionally, it will better help us teach our students how to respond and act in a Godly way in the ever-growing tech world. Our faculty members are spending several hours this year in Professional Development prepping for this change. Watch for more information as it becomes available.

No-Shave November Results – Now for a little fun. As a fundraiser for the Student Council, several of our male high school students participated in “No-Shave November”. Here are the before and after pictures. Congratulations to Jake Landers, this year’s winner.

As we move closer to the Christmas break, my prayer for you is that your season is filled with joy, knowing that you serve a God who loves you so much that He took on human form to pay the penalty for your sin. NOW THAT’S A REASON TO CELEBRATE!! Once again, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Another Warning /-:

I’ve begun several blogs with the same phrase, “I can’t believe it’s already . . . .” But once again, I can’t believe we are already staring at the holidays, with Thanksgiving and Christmas, literally, right around the corner.

I want to spend a few moments talking about something that is becoming a greater and greater danger to the life and soul of your child. I could talk about guns, drugs, alcohol, etc. While these are still great dangers, I believe there is a greater danger. Most of your children carry it in their purse or pocket. It is their cellphone. Not really the cellphone per se, but the apps downloaded on their phone, the availability of their phone 24/7 and how they use their phone.

The cellphones we carry today are amazing. The one sitting in front of me is more powerful than the computers used to land a man on the moon and bring him back to Earth. It has also given us almost unlimited access to information. Additionally, it has provided multiple platforms for communication. However, it has also brought easy access to pornography; provided a new avenues to bully; hatched dangerous opportunities for people to share intimate pictures and thoughts; opened up new spaces for predators; and created a new way for our children to get into trouble . . . both spiritual and legal trouble.

The unrestricted use of these wonderful devices is leading to numerous life-altering and destructive addictions; the damaging of friendships, marriages and reputations; and the entrance into previously untalked-about perversions that are used by the Enemy to steal our joy and our souls.

As parents, we would never give a loaded gun to our child and simply say “Don’t shoot yourself.” But in many ways we have done that with cellphones.  Nobody intentionally seeks after addictions or ruined lives. It usually happens due to inattention to circumstances and unwise decisions. We are seeing more and more young people, who profess to be Christians and who come from strong Christian families and are very active in their local churches, walk down these paths of self-destruction.

Please take the time to address the use of cellphones with your child. Remind them that there is a lot of trouble they can get in both spiritual and legal with their phone.  Examine their phones for unhealthy and destructive apps. Put a block on their phone that only allows apps that you approve. (The first thing I would do is delete Snapchat!) Inspect their phone periodically. Check out the Family Technology video by Pastor Corey Abney in the August 22, 2017 blog for more details.

This may seem like a daunting task, but the lives of our children are that important. Thank you for reading. Please continue to pray with and our faculty regarding the purity and safety of our students.

Reflecting on the Future

This weekend I have the privilege of officiating our only child’s wedding. It has been a time of heightened emotions and reflection. As my wife and I have thought about the events this weekend, we reflected on the foundation we tried to build for our son, Joseph. What is important? What are the non-negotiables? What are the lessons we want remembered? It is good to take time to review these things. It keeps us focused. The Children of Israel often set aside special times to remember the mighty works of God. Every year, here at CCS we like to take a little time to review our foundational statements. They help us keep the most important things first.

Please take a few moments to read our Mission, Vision, Core Values, Expected Student Outcomes (based on our Core Values) and our Goal.

Mission: Equipping the Next Generation to Impact the World for Christ

Vision: Calvary Christian School students will use their minds and body to actively serve and glorify God with their whole life, wherever His Will leads them.

Core Values: Each student will grow academically, physically, spiritually and socially to be prepared to accomplish their God-given mission. – “Jesus grew in wisdom (academic) and stature (physical) and in favor with God and man (spiritual and social).” — Luke 2:5

Expected Student Outcomes

1) Spiritual: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to . . .

• be fully devoted followers of Christ and active in His church.
• love God and spend significant time reading the Bible and in prayer.
• think Biblically when making decisions.
• act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
• “do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.”
• understand the Gospel and articulate and defend their faith.

2) Academic: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to . . .

• be a problem-solver, thinking critically and creatively.
• clearly articulate their thoughts, in both written and oral forms.
• excel at math and science and appreciate literature, the arts and their heritage.
• be academically prepared to attend the college of their choosing or enter the workforce.
• understand and utilize technology responsibly and ethically.
• appreciate the importance of life-long learning.

3) Physical: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to . . .

• treat their bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
• be gracious in winning and losing.
• value hard work as pleasing to God.
• be examples of moderation and self-control in all areas of life.
• discern the difference between what is “permissible” and what is “beneficial.”
• be a good steward of the world around them.

4) Social: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to . . .

• demonstrate the character of Christ in every area of life.
• love and serve both Christians and non-Christians.
• think globally, understanding and appreciating other cultures and their place in God’s Kingdom.
• appreciate the importance of teamwork and practice Godly leadership.
• engage in appropriate social and righteous civic activities.
• think globally and practice Great Commission living.

Goal: To Develop the Mind of Christ – “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” — Philippians 2:5

Thank you for taking the time to review these important statements. Have a wonderful October!!

Kicking Off 2017-2018

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year. We have survived Orientation Day, the first day of school and the solar eclipse. The beginning of the school year is an excellent time to review our foundational statements and our progress toward improvement.

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Mission: Equipping the next generation to impact the world for Christ.

Vision: Calvary Christian School students will use their minds and body to actively serve and glorify God with their whole life, wherever His Will leads them.

Core Values: Each student will grow academically, physically, spiritually and socially so they will be prepared to accomplish their God-given mission. – “Jesus grew in wisdom (academic) and stature (physical) and in favor with God and man (spiritual and social).” — Luke 2:52

Goal: To Develop the Mind of Christ – “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, . . . ” — Philippians 2:5

Expected Student Outcomes

1. Spiritual: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to:

• be fully devoted followers of Christ and active in His church.
• love God and spend significant time reading the Bible and in prayer.
• think Biblically when making decisions.
• act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
• “do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.”
• understand the Gospel and articulate and defend their faith.

2. Academic: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to :

• be a problem-solver, thinking critically and creatively.
• clearly articulate their thoughts, in both written and oral forms.
• excel at math and science and appreciate literature, the arts and their heritage.
• be academically prepared to attend the college of their choosing.
• understand and utilize technology responsibly and ethically.
• appreciate the importance of life-long learning.

3. Physical: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to:

• treat their bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
• be gracious in winning and losing.
• value hard work as pleasing to God.
• be examples of moderation and self-control in all areas of life.
• discern the difference between what is permissible and what is beneficial.
• be a good steward of the world around them.

4. Social: We expect Calvary Christian School graduates to:

• demonstrate the character of Christ in every area of life.
• love and serve both Christians and non-Christians.
• think globally, understanding and appreciating other cultures and their place in God’s Kingdom.
• appreciate the importance of teamwork and practice Godly leadership.
• engage in appropriate social and righteous civic activities.
• think globally and practice Great Commission living.

 20/20 VISION UPDATE

In April of 2017, CCS created the 20/20 Vision (a strategic plan to lead CCS into the year 2020). The plan outlined 21 objectives that would govern our focus and funding decisions. These 21 objectives were grouped into five major initiatives:

1. Cultivate a biblically sound, Christ-like environment that encourages individual spiritual growth
2. Improve Calvary Christian School’s financial foundation
3. Expand educational space by adding to and improving existing CCS facilities
4. Strengthen academic instruction
5. Provide quality extra-curricular activities for all ages

To date we have already started to address 11 of these important initiatives. Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we try to make Calvary Christian School the best that it can be.

CARPOOL PROCEDURES

CCS has established carpool procedures to provide safe and efficient exiting of the CCS parking area. For the most part, the first few days have gone well. However, there are a few things that I must address for the safety of our students, the drivers on campus and faculty working the carpool lines.

1. Please use the crosswalk when leaving the building and moving into the parking lot.
2. Please follow the arrows that are clearly painted in the parking lot. This will provide for a smooth and safe traffic flow.
3. If you do not go through the carpool line, please park in a parking space and wait for your child, or go in and get them. DO NOT STOP IN THE LANE AND WAIT FOR YOUR CHILD.
4. Please do not talk on cellphones when pulling through the carpool lines (we have had near misses on faculty getting hit).
5. Please park in parking spaces only.

If you abide by these simple instructions, we can help to insure a safe and speedy conclusion to the school day.

ORIENTATION VIDEO AND FACULTY DEDICATION SERVICE LINKS

Below are the links for orientation day videos. Additionally I have provided the CCS Faculty Dedication Sermon from Sunday, August 20, 2017. Dr. Eric Mounts, Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church shared a challenging message on the importance of Christian education and the significance of Calvary Christian School. I hope you enjoy them all.

Continuous Enrollment video – https://vimeo.com/230155374

Family Technology Video – https://vimeo.com/183125464?ref=em-v-share

“Take Every Thought Captive” – http://www.cbcky.org/2017-sermon-audio

GRADUATION DATE FOR 2018-2019

Not this year, but for the 2018-2019 school year we will be moving our graduation date up one week. Typically, CCS graduates the senior class on the Friday before Memorial Day. Coincidentally, the United States Military Academy at West Point graduates that same weekend and commissions its newest “batch” of Second Lieutenants. Next year CCS will have a family with a senior at CCS and a 4^th year student at West Point (also a CCS graduate). If it can be helped, no family should have to decide between one child’s high school graduation and another child’s college graduation and commissioning in the United States military. This exact situation occurred in 2008 and we made the adjustment. So, the 2018-2019 school year will end one week earlier, on Friday, May 17, 2019, with graduation that night. We wanted to let you know well in advance, so that this change would not be a surprise. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN & GOLF OUTING

Please remember the CCS Golf Outing on Monday, September 25^th and register if you haven’t already. The Golf Outing helps to support the CCS Annual Campaign. Our goal for this campaign is $130,000. Please help us make this goal. Contact our Marketing Director, Rachel Cornell at rachel.cornell@ccsky.org for more information on each of these.