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Covenant Christian Academy Business Hours:
Monday–Friday, 7:30 am–5:30 pm
The Official School Calendar can be found on our website. To automatically have school events added to your personal online calendar, click the green “Subscribe” button at the bottom of the page! Check back weekly for date change notifications.
THIS WEEK:
Friday, December 20th:
All-School Red & Green Dress Down Day
All-School Christmas Chapel, 8:15 am
All-School Early Dismissal, 11:30 am (NO AFTERCARE)
COMING UP:
Saturday, December 21st–Sunday, January 5th:
NO SCHOOL – Christmas Break
Monday, January 6th:
Classes Resume
Wednesday, January 8th:
Parents in Prayer, CCA Cafe, 8:15 am
First Wednesday Open House, Admissions Event, 9:00 am
Thursday, January 9th:
International Student Program Host Family Informational Dinner, CCA Cafe, 6:00 pm
Friday, January 10th:
Back-to-back Home Varsity Basketball games, starting at 4:00 pm
8th Grade Team Tyler Bake Sale, PAAC, 3:30 pm
USLR Jazz Band and RS Choir at Providence Bruins Game, Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI, 7:05 pm
Please note: There have been updates to the 2024-25 School Year Calendar. Please click here to print the most recent version.
**A special edition of The Current will be sent on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 7:00 pm.**
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All-School Red & Green Dress Down DayFriday, December 20th
CCA will celebrate an all-school dress down day on the last day of school before Christmas break. Students are welcome to wear anything red and green. Festive accessories are encouraged and jeans are fine too. |
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All-School Christmas ChapelFriday, December 20th | 8:15 am | PAAC
Join us on Friday, December 20th at 8:15am in the Performing Arts and Athletics Center for our all-school Christmas Chapel. Each opportunity we have to gather as a community, unified by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is a powerful time together.
We look forward to worshipping with you all on Friday morning and, as we move through this Advent season, may each of you be filled with the awe and wonder of Immanuel… God with us. |
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Save the Date for CCA’s International Festival!Friday, January 31st | 6:00 pm | PAAC
We look forward to hosting CCA’s largest celebration of its community’s many cultures and traditions! Join us for an evening of food, fun, and celebration in the PAAC from 6:00–8:00 pm.
The International Festival is an evening where families represent their heritage and culture by sharing food, drinks, art, music, decorations, etc. We will line the PAAC with tables from different countries and have an open house atmosphere where you can walk around and sample various foods, talk with parents and students, and learn about the many cultures that make up our incredible CCA community.
If you want to be part of a table and provide food to share, click here. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact the Global Community Council Student Prefect Davi Silva at davi.silva.2025@ccamail.org. |
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International Student Program Host Family Informational DinnerThursday, January 9th | 6:00 pm | CCA Cafeteria
Covenant is relaunching the International Student Program for the 2025-2026 school year. One of the hallmarks of the program was our host families who helped to create a home away from home.
Whether you would consider hosting international students in the future or simply want to learn more about what the experience entails, we invite you to join us at our upcoming International Student Program (ISP) Host Family Informational Dinner on Thursday, January 9th at 6:00 pm in the CCA Cafeteria. This catered event will feature presentations from School Leadership, testimonies from host families and students, and insights from experts in the international educational market.
RSVP by Friday, January 3rd.
Questions about the ISP Host Family Informational Dinner can be directed to Ryan Patrie, Director of Admissions at ryan.patrie@ccamail.org.
Thank you in advance for partnering with us as we relaunch Covenant’s International Student Program! |
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Covenant Fund Update
Thank you for your continued support of Covenant’s mission! As of today, we are pleased to report that we have raised $170,000 toward our 2024-2025 Covenant Fund goal of $300,000! This accomplishment is a testament to the strength of our community and the belief we all share in equipping students with academic knowledge, a love for truth, an appreciation of beauty, and a commitment to goodness. Every donation—whether large or small—has made a meaningful impact, and we are truly grateful for your contributions.
However, we are not there yet. While we’ve made significant progress, we still have a ways to go to ensure we can fully fund critical upgrades and program investments, including replacing a significant portion of the parking lot, upgrading interior lighting to LED lights, installing a shade for our playground, and making program investments to our Science and Fine Arts programs. If you’ve already contributed, we are incredibly thankful. If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, we invite you to join us in bringing these important initiatives to fruition!
We know that times can be challenging, and we deeply appreciate the resources you’re able to share with us. Whether you can give a little or a lot, every gift is vital. We also encourage you to spread the word and share about CCA with others who might be interested in supporting our mission. Together, we can ensure that Covenant Christian Academy continues to build students’ academic, spiritual, and social foundations for lives of leadership and service.
To donate to the Covenant Fund, please click here or feel free to reach out to Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Advancement Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can support CCA’s mission. |
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Salem Five Donates $10,000 to Support Covenant’s Mission
Salem Five’s Charitable Foundation supports organizations making a positive impact in the communities they serve. This year, Salem Five surprised CCA with a check for $10,000! Thank you, Salem Five, for supporting Covenant’s mission to build students’ academic, spiritual, and social foundations for lives of leadership and service in today’s global community.
Pictured is Chief Finance and Operations Officer Jessica Rossotti, Salem Five’s Cheryl DeLorenzo, and Head of School David Anastasi. |
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Team Tyler Bake SaleFriday, January 10th | 3:30 pm | PAAC
The eighth-grade class is hosting a bake sale in the PAAC after school and throughout the Varsity Basketball home games on Friday, January 10th.
All money raised from the bake sale and concessions will support the Jade A. Williamson and Tyler Luiz Simões Memorial Scholarship Fund. |
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Attention Business Owners – Reserve Ad Space in the Covenant Business Directory (Coming Spring 2025)!
Partner with Covenant for an exclusive opportunity to showcase your amazing business, service, and talent in our new CCA Community Business Directory! This directory will be available in print and digital formats for sale in the spring to all CCA families, staff, and community members connected to our school, providing a direct line to potential customers eager to support other Covenant families and vetted businesses.
Our goal for the directory is to foster CCA connections, strengthen our shared sense of community, and support the dreams and livelihoods of those in our community. By listing in our directory, you’re investing in a network of support that benefits everyone. You’ll:
Interested in purchasing ad space? Click here for details regarding listing and ad placement levels.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with the families in our community! Click here to reserve your ad space today.
Questions about the directory can be directed to Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Advancement Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org or Erin Sheppard, Director of Marketing and Communications, at erin.sheppard@ccamail.org.
We expect this directory to sell out, so pre-sale orders will begin in January.
Thank you for supporting building a stronger school community through local connections! |
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Admissions Open House EventsFirst Wednesday Open House: Wednesday, January 8th | 9:00–11:00 am
CCA has two Admissions Open House Events coming up in January. The First Wednesday Open House will be held on Wednesday, January 8th beginning at 9:00 am. Discover Covenant will be held on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:00 pm. If you know of any families looking for more info about what CCA has to offer, please share these events with them. It’s a great opportunity for new families to check out our campus and hear about all aspects of Covenant!
Contact ryan.patrie@ccamail.org for more info, or click here. |
The Grant & Aid Application for the 2025-26 school year is now available online. If you currently receive Financial Aid, you must reapply every year. The application can be found on our website or by clicking here. The Financial Aid deadline is February 5, 2025. Any applications received after this deadline will receive less aid pending qualification.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email financialaid@ccamail.org.
Christmas Well-Wishes Delivered to Peabody Police Department
Organized by fifth-graders Piper P., Charlotte C., and Giana S., our CCA grammar school students lent their artistic talents to recognizing the outstanding service of Peabody PD day shift patrolmen. Most of these fine officers will be working regularly assigned shifts throughout the holiday season. Piper, Charlotte, and Giana circulated the giant Christmas card to peers and obtained personalized signatures, prior to its delivery. The gift brought smiles to our protectors’ faces! Great initiative, girls!
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Mid-Year Aftercare Enrollment
Enrollment is open for mid-year Aftercare registrations. Currently enrolled students do not need to re-enroll, but do need to terminate enrollment if not continuing through the rest of the year. Click here for more info.
Questions can be directed to Aftercare Director, Sage Paik: sage.paik@ccamail.org |
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The Gingerbread Men are Loose in School!
This month in Library class, the Kindergarten students have been reading Laura Murray’s gingerbread series. The kindergartners made their own gingerbread men but after leaving them to dry, the little guys escaped to take a tour of the school! Just like in the book, the students made missing posters to hang in the hallways and then had to follow clues to find their gingerbread men. They were found, safe and sound, in Mrs. Bergstrom’s office with a new book and special treats for the students.
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Third-Graders Bring the Christmas Story to Life
The third-grade class celebrated the true meaning of Christmas during their annual Christmas Chapel by dressing in character and acting out the story of Jesus’ birth. From Mary and Joseph to the shepherds and wise men, each student brought their role to life, creating a heartwarming and memorable performance for all in attendance.
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Fourth-Graders Spread Holiday Cheer at Benchmark Senior Living
The fourth-graders visited Benchmark Senior Living in Danvers on Thursday to sing Christmas carols and share the birth of Jesus by reading the gospel of Luke. The residents enjoyed singing great classics with the students, like The Twelve Days of Christmas, Joy to the World, Winter Wonderland and more! It was a fun-filled morning! These students really touched the lives of these members of our greater community with their joyful and youthful presence.
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Sixth-Graders Experience ‘A Christmas Carol’ at North Shore Music Theater
In keeping with our reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the sixth-grade attended North Shore Music Theater’s 35th Anniversary Production of the musical. It was a great day together!
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Classical Roots Weekly Blog: Some Good Christmas Break Gardening Reads
Click here to read this week’s blog post, Some Good Christmas Break Gardening Reads, and to subscribe to the Classical Roots Substack. Download the Substack app to be able to comment and ask questions. Help us spread the word by sharing this link with your friends.
If you are interested in learning more about this program or getting involved, please contact Alex Miller at alex.miller@ccamail.org. |
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USLR Jazz Band and RS Choir at Providence Bruins GameFriday, January 10th | 7:05 pm | Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
The USLR Jazz Band and RS Choir will be performing at a Providence Bruins game on Friday, January 10th! The Jazz Band will be playing from Covenant’s personal section in the stands, while the Choir will perform right on the ice—it’s sure to be a night to remember!
This event was a beloved tradition for these ensembles a few years ago, and we are excited to bring it back. We invite all Covenant students, families, and friends to join us for this fun-filled evening of music, hockey, and school spirit.
Covenant students and families can take advantage of a special discounted ticket price of $22 per person. The link to purchase tickets is available on the event flyer. Don’t miss out on this exciting night—come show your support and enjoy the game with us! |
Registration for Spring Athletics: NOW OPEN!
This spring, we will be offering the following interscholastic sports at Covenant:
- Co-ed MS Track (Grades 7-8)
- Co-ed Varsity Track (Grades 9-12)
- Co-ed MS Ultimate Frisbee (Grades 7-8)
- Co-ed Varsity Ultimate Frisbee (Grades 9-12)
- Girls Softball (Grades 7-12)
**The deadline to register for a spring sport is Friday, January 10th.
Please contact our Athletic Director, Jason Lawrenz at jason.lawrenz@ccamail.org, with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
Basketball practices and games will resume the week of January 5th following Christmas break. Please check our Athletics Calendar for practices, game times, and locations.
Cougars RoundUp!
Girls Varsity Basketball:
Friday, December 13th: CCA 30, Bancroft 50
Saturday, December 14th: CCA 62, Dublin 36
The CCA Girls Varsity Basketball team split at the Charlie A tournament hosted at Bancroft School, losing the first contest Friday evening to host Bancroft by the final score of 50-30. Bella D (’29) led the scoring with 9. The girls rebounded Saturday morning defeating Dublin School by the final score of 62-36. Trailing at the half by the score of 25-21, the girls exploded in the second half outscoring Dublin by the score of 41-11. Julia Ray (’25) led the scoring with 19, followed by Anne Hammond (’25) with 12, and Novalee Jones (’27) with 9.
Tuesday, December 17th: CCA 35, Gann 44
The CCA Girls Varsity Basketball team lost to Gann Academy by the final score of 44-35. The game was close throughout until the home squad pulled away in the final three minutes. Senior Anne Hammond (’25) led the CCA girls with 12 points followed by 8th grader Bella D (’29) with 9.
Boys Varsity Basketball
Friday, December 13th: CCA 48, Bancroft 82
Saturday, December 14th: CCA 61, Eagle Hill 37
The first game at Bancroft on Friday night resulted in a tough loss for CCA, but was a great opportunity for growth. At halftime of that game, the boys walked in the locker room having given up 60 points and found themselves trailing by 43 points. The Cougars came back out strong and outscored Bancroft 31-22 in the second half. The same longtime coach that had addressed Coach Bradford last year after a similar tough loss at Bancroft reiterated her admiration for Covenant’s players and team in the toughest of situations, saying she had never seen a program with such effort and enthusiasm.
Heading back to Bancroft on Saturday for day 2 of the tournament, the Cougars ultimately dominated, using all the lessons learned from the night before to control the game throughout. It wasn’t just that they were better than Eagle Hill, it was the knowledge that if the boys remain disciplined – as they were in that second half against Bancroft – good things will happen. Good things did happen. And as a bonus, so many CCA players took ENORMOUS leaps forward when it came to becoming varsity basketball players thanks to these two days. This weekend’s tournament was the ultimate example of how discomfort can ultimately lead to growth. The boys became more comfortable and confident by the time they drove home Saturday. Oftentimes, the lessons learned along the way mean much more than the wins and losses.
Tuesday, December 17th: CCA 60, Chapel Hill 84
The Cougars fell to 2-4 (0-2 in the MBIL) after dropping a hard-fought road game to one of the league favorites. Leading the way once again for CCA was Bennett Plosker (’25), who netted 38 points for the second time this season. Others contributing for Covenant were Theo Ostrowski (’25)(10 rebounds), and Dimitrie Farcas (’27), Shepherd Gladden (’26) and Isaac Portugal (’25), all of whom had five points apiece.
Boys JV Basketball:
Monday, December 16th: CCA 68, Commonwealth 13
The Boys JV team traveled to Boston to face Commonwealth, a team that has struggled in previous years. With that in mind, the goal was to play the right way—build a solid lead early, and make sure everyone got plenty of playing time. Covenant came out strong from the start, pressing full court and quickly jumping to a 10-0 lead. After realizing the other team was having difficulty breaking the press, the boys switched to a more sportsmanlike approach, allowing Commonwealth a chance to set up their offense and try to score.
CCA’s defense remained solid, with the team holding firm against their man-to-man offense. As the game progressed, Commonwealth was able to get a few points on the board. Nate Jukanovich (’28), Connor C. (’29), Zeke Belote (’26), and Zeb B. (’29) led the scoring, while Collin Root (’28) was a force on the boards, adding a few put-backs along the way. Elliot Smith (’28) also contributed with a couple of baskets, and Sammy Worthington (’28) added his own highlight with a fast break lay-up. Everyone got involved and had a chance to shine. The game was followed by a fun team outing to Raising Cane’s— a well-earned treat for the whole squad!
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Roommate Wanted – Available January/February
Eric Stirling (‘10) and his roommate are looking for another male to join their 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in Burlington starting in January or February. Their third roommate is moving out, and they are looking to find someone who shares their values and lifestyle.
The men are both solid Christians in their thirties. Eric attends GENESIS Church in Woburn, and his roommate attends a smaller local church in Burlington.
The house is conveniently located right off the highway, with easy access to nearby amenities. Rent is $1,083 per month, with utilities averaging between $90-$110 per month, plus an oil tank fill 1-2 times a year. Water is covered in the rent. Snow removal is not included, though the landlord takes care of lawn care and outdoor maintenance at no extra cost.
If you or someone you know are interested, or if you want more details/photos, feel free to message Eric at eric.j.stirling@gmail.com.
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Mr. Miller’s New Book Available on Amazon!
Each year, Mr. Miller’s small Anglican church publishes a Christmas book that takes readers on a contemplative, devotional journey through the writings of a great author. Previous installments have highlighted John Donne and Irenaeus. This year, Mr. Miller prevailed upon the team at Trinity Books to indulge his interest in the medieval epic Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The result is a book that invites you into a strange world of chivalry, blood, and temptation, ultimately arguing that Sir Gawain is a profoundly moral, profoundly theological, unexpectedly Christmassy book. The poem also features one of his favorite garden plants: the holly. Holly represented Christmas to medieval Christians because of its colors—the red berries stood for the blood of Christ, while the evergreen leaves represented the eternal life it won for us. Though holly still graces many of our tables at Christmas dinner, most of us have forgotten that richer symbolism.
Christmas with the Green Knight, is now for sale on Amazon. Profits will benefit the Anglican Relief and Development Fund. Pick it up as a gift for any contemplative types you know, and support a good cause along the way.
If you are interested in learning more about the book, please contact Alex Miller at alex.miller@ccamail.org. |
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Catch Mr. Iltis Live: Christmas Benefit Concert in Philly This Sunday!Sunday, December 22nd | 7:00 pm | Livestream from Philly
Fine Arts Faculty member John Iltis will be playing in a Christmas show down in Philly this Sunday. This is a benefit concert for an organization called “Well Rooted” and will be live-streamed on foundwandering.com. |
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Miles for Miracles: Running the Boston Marathon in Memory of Tyler Simões
CCA parent Mike Quail will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon in April in honor of our beloved Tyler Simões, who passed away in July at the age of 13 after valiantly fighting RAC2 (an autoimmune disease) for many years. Although losing Tyler has been a tragedy, we know that God can use tragedy for goodness.
Can you help bring some light and love to this tragedy? Mike has teamed up with Boston Children’s Hospital’s Miles for Miracles to run the 26.2 miles in Tyler’s memory and to raise funds for the very best medical care, breakthrough research, and vital support services for sick kids and their families. He and Danielle, Tyler’s mom, would love for as many people as possible to donate to Miles for Miracles in Tyler’s memory, even if it’s just a dollar, to help the next child and family at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Please click here to support Mike’s fundraiser on behalf of Tyler’s legacy. |
Have questions? We welcome you to email our Administrative Team using the links below.
David Anastasi, Head of School
Andrea Bergstrom, Grammar School Principal
Lisa Coleman, Director of Fine Arts & Grammar School Assistant Principal
Matthew Offner, Upper School of Logic & Rhetoric Principal
Tracy Bennett, Upper School of Logic & Rhetoric Dean of Academics
Caleb Ingersoll, Upper School of Logic & Rhetoric Dean of Students
Rita Detwiler, Business Manager
Jason Lawrenz, Athletic Director & Chaplain; John Sievens, Assistant Athletic Director
Ryan Patrie, Director of Admissions; Sydney Sweeney, Admissions Assistant
Jessica Rossotti, Chief Finance and Operating Officer
Erin Sheppard, Director of Marketing & Communications
Nicole Williams, Chief Advancement Officer
Joshua Ulrich, Director of Campus Safety
Sharon Covell, Main Office Manager; Sydney Sweeney, Main Officer Manager
Tricia Curtis, Registrar & USLR Administrative Assistant
Bob Mulvey, Director of Facilities; Franny Morales, Facilities Assistant
Challenging Minds in the Classical Tradition
Discovering Talents in Every Student
Building Relationships in a Supportive Community
Rooted in Christian Faith
