A Parent's Perspective


“Our family joined CCA last year after five years with another private school and one year in a public school prior to that. So, as new parents, we have a fresh perspective. We have three students here: one started in seventh grade, one in fifth grade and one in kindergarten.”

What we were looking for in a school …

To put our thoughts into context, I thought I should share what we were looking for in a school. We were focused on content and school culture. We are not educators by profession, just parents trying to do the best for our children. So, at first, we didn’t know we were looking for a Classical and Christian school.

• We wanted an academic setting that valued what the students learn as much as how they learn.
   
• We wanted our children to read books whose contents have been tested over time, not the latest trendy books.
   
• We wanted our kids to be exposed to wide-ranging science and history curricula.
   
• We sought a school that cared about character development and that viewed the education of the child as a partnership with the parents.

How we discovered Covenant and why it is the best fit for us …

How did we figure out what we wanted? I did what most of us do nowadays … I searched the web. I found this school, which I’d heard of in the past; lo and behold, their website was full of content that addressed my concerns and seemed to be on the same academic trajectory as our thinking. During our intense deliberation process, I studied the website at great length and compared it to others. Many school websites are full of empty platitudes, lofty statements and “call if you want more information.”

It was refreshing to see the clarity and transparency in how CCA presents itself. Stating what would be taught in each grade by subject really showed us, the “consumer,” what we could expect our children to be learning – what the value of a CCA education would be. The curriculum is rich here.

Having been in other educational models for years, the classical model is a breath of fresh air to us. My husband and I thought, “If the school does even a portion of what they say they’ll do, this sounds amazing.” We came to an open house, met Tom and many others, and the rest is history.

Highlights of a Covenant education …

Happily, we have found that the school does deliver on its promises. There is rich content delivered in a cohesive and logical manner. Here are just a few highlights:

• My seventh grader has a wonderful purple book with Greek and Latin roots, which drives the vocabulary curriculum. His spelling tests are of homophones, and thus require an understanding of context and definition as well as spelling. Here, too, we have found that Covenant has a much higher expectation for English language mastery than in our previous experience. I love that purple book. My husband and I both wish we’d studied Latin and are thrilled our kids are being exposed to it.
   
• My fifth grader tells me that “the exercises actually help us to learn the spelling words.” Wow! The students work with the words throughout the week to reinforce the learning, so it’s not just a test at the end of the week. They are sorting alphabetically and in reverse order, doing word scrambles, and using the words in a sentence. These exercises are basic and effective, but are not practiced in all schools. I believe students are also accountable for spelling those words correctly going forward.
   
• CCA is the first school that agrees with us that neatness and penmanship matter. In years past, we used to beg the teachers to support us in having the boys re-do their work or to give feedback that things need to be neat. We were told that “it’s not so bad,” or “penmanship isn’t as important as typing skills now.” It’s a relief to be here!
   
• The school believes that writing matters. It might be hard work, but it’s worth the effort. For example, just this past week, we received a newsletter from the fifth grade, which summed up the challenges of the writing process and emphasized how important it is to do multiple revisions. My husband read it and ran around the house with his hands in the air saying, “Can you believe this?! This is awesome!” This teacher is supporting the kids through her pep talk about: 1) recognizing challenges, 2) providing individual comments and suggestions on how to improve their work, and 3) setting expectations for the kids to always try their best. She is a special teacher, but not a unique one at CCA. I have already found that many teachers share this desire to help kids with a strong feedback loop. Writing is an art that transcends any one subject – it’s in science, history, foreign languages, Bible, even math. In a world of text messaging and email, we think it’s wonderful to have our personal interest in the writing process supported by the teachers and administration.
   
• The Covenant Scholars program is an inspired stretch goal for the students at this school, and it says a lot about the academic ambition of CCA. What an amazing opportunity to be exposed to great literature and to have to think about big concepts. I have great hopes for this program and look forward to encouraging my seventh grader to keep plugging ahead. It was exciting to see that the first book he read for the program was about a world in which books were forbidden property, and what devastation that brings to the society. What a provocative first book in a 100-book endeavor!
   
• I also really liked the clear expectations sent home at the beginning of the year, which we parents have to sign as well. It was amazing. And if there’s a poor exam grade, we have to sign off on it. The weekly newsletters that come home in the elementary grades are also very informative. There are no secrets, no arrogance … rather a partnership with a clear goal. The CCA perspective, along with the clarity and structure of the program, is so comforting.
   
• My husband and I love how the teachers look the students in the eyes, greet them at the door, shake their hands and smile each morning. If the kids don’t make eye contact in return, they have to do it again. Becoming comfortable looking someone in the eye and giving a firm handshake is a lifetime skill they’ll always benefit from – and something we reinforce at home. Even in the hallway at non-classroom times, the teachers will acknowledge the kids with a greeting.
   
• Along those lines, after the first day, both my fifth and seventh graders told me that Mr. Stoner had greeted them and asked how they were doing multiple times during the day. This attention clearly made an impact on the boys! I asked, which is better, to have the headmaster know your name and care how you’re doing, or to never really have eye contact, much less a conversation, with someone at that level? And it’s not just my children … I see Tom and Charlotte and Geoff greeting many students.
   
• I asked my kids what they thought were the most significant differences about CCA, which set it apart from their other experiences. Both boys said, “The teachers are really nice and seem to care about us and our education.”
   
• Not only do the teachers pray for our children, they also take the time to highlight each student in their class once during the year. Highlighting exemplifies how CCA creates a school culture that truly cares about each child and his/her unique gifts. The students soak up this moment when their character is being acknowledged and celebrated.
   
• It is refreshing to see the value of human connectedness playing out in this school. It goes a long way in promoting respect and setting the tone for a cooperative relationship between teacher, student and parent. Given that the work load only increases in difficulty, this accessibility is wonderful.
• We also appreciate the inspirational quotes on the classroom walls, which help educate even those wandering eyes. I also like how the teachers strive to create a respectful academic environment by requiring and maintaining quiet classrooms, where more learning can take place.
   
• I was curious to see what a CCA Grandparents Day looked like, so I crashed the event. The letter from Tom made my Dad want to drive up from New York to see the school. The assembly was authentic, patriotic, informative and creative. Our four grandparent attendees were all misty-eyed at the end and had such a wonderful feeling for the school after that one interaction.
   
• Finally, I want to say that we find Tom to be an articulate, knowledgeable headmaster who is grounded in educational philosophy. We enjoyed our many conversations and found him to be passionate about learning and educational excellence. Not every school is fortunate enough to have a headmaster with such clarity of vision and drive to excel. Our first meeting with him showed us clearly, by contrast, that this school was very special and deserved a closer inspection. He has gathered an excellent team around him, and I know he relies on them greatly. This group is responsible for implementing the curriculum and hiring the teachers who work with our children each day. I want to let that team and the teachers know that their work is recognized and appreciated.

Thanks for letting me share a few thoughts with you. We’re happy to be a part of the Covenant community.