CCA’s COUNTDOWN TO ISS CONTACT HAS BEGUN! 

Mark your calendars! When the International Space Station (ISS) passes over our location the week of October 9, 2023, CCA students will use a Ham Radio and have 10 minutes to ask several questions of one of the astronauts.

In the weeks leading up to the our ISS Contact, we will be following the journey of Isabella and Davi as they work to learn as much as they can about the International Space Station, life as an astronaut, HAM Radio and beyond! Less than a month until our contact with a live astronaut! 

Check out the first episode here. 

If you want more information about ISS contact or the CCA Radio Club, please contact USLR Science Department Chair Jennifer O’Riorden at jennifer.oriorden@ccamail.org. If you want to support this exciting initiative financially, please contact Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Development Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org.

COVENANT PRAYS 

Covenant has initiated a prayer chain called Covenant Prays using the Echo Prayer app. 

To join the Covenant Prays initiative: 

1) Download the free Echo Prayer app in the App Store and the Google Play Store.

2) Sign up for a free account using the first and last name you use in FACTS.

3) Search for the “Covenant PRAYS” in Feeds (located under the three bars on the top left side of the app page). Or click here for a direct link (must have Echo Prayer app to follow).

4) Request to follow the feed.

If you do not want to download the app but would still like to request prayer, please send your prayer need to covenantprays@ccamail.org, where it will be reviewed and posted in the “Covenant PRAYS” feed on the app. Please also note whether you would like for the request to be posted with anonymity. 

Please note: You will need to download the Echo Prayer app to view all prayer requests.

Covenant PRAYS is already populated with prayer requests, so please sign up soon to join the community in petitioning Our Father on behalf of those fervently seeking His Divine intervention.

If you have questions about Covenant Prays, please feel free to reach out to Nicole Williams, Chief Advancement Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org or Allison Worthington, Covenant Prays Lead, at allison.worthington@ccamail.org.

GOD’S NOT DONE YET

CCA’s God’s Not Done Yet strategic growth initiative is seeking to raise $25M over a five year span for important updates in and around our school, as well as fully funding our Charis Endowment Fund. This initiative will:

• Create spaces and opportunities for students to learn and engage
• Elevate CCA’s classical approach to education in the classroom and beyond with the resources and tools we can offer through our Academic Support Center, enhanced Fine Arts program, and science labs
• Inspire our students to think critically, serve selflessly and lead boldly, and become who God designed them to be.

Click here for more info.

If you want to support this initiative financially, please contact Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Development Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org.

REMINDER FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

Incomplete Magnus Health Checklists are OVERDUE – Please prioritize completion. If you have not yet completed your student health information checklist in Magnus Health, it is now OVERDUE. This critical requirement will help keep your child healthy and safe at school. Please make completing this list a priority.

To access your Magnus Health Account: 

1. Log on to your FACTS Family Portal
2. On the left toolbar, select the “Student” drop down and click on the “Medical” tab.
3. Click the link to Magnus Health, which will direct you to the new health database.
4. Watch the intro video, then complete the checklist for each enrolled student.

If you are having difficulty navigating the Magnus system, entering data online, or downloading the hardcopy coversheets and forms, or if you have any other questions, please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 919-502-7689 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com. 

If you have any questions regarding your student, please contact the school nurse (Christen Ashley, RN) at school.nurse@ccamail.org.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL FIELD TRIP T-SHIRTS

CCA students wear a special bright yellow T-shirt on field trips to visibly designate the group, allowing chaperones to identify Covenant students quickly. Many returning students may have a Field Trip shirt that still fits, but we encourage all students who need a shirt to order a few sizes up to get multiple years of use using this link as soon as possible.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS

All parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to join us for our Back-To-School-Night (BTSN) programs next week. Back-To-School-Night is an important opportunity for parents to hear directly from teachers and administrators what to expect from the coming year. Curriculum and expectations will be discussed at all grade levels. Attendance is highly encouraged, and prompt arrival will ensure that no important announcements are missed. Our programs will begin in the small Gym at 6:30PM sharp. These are evening programs for parents only and childcare is not provided.
BTSN for USLR Parents: Tuesday, Sept. 19th, 6:30-8:30pm.
BTSN for GS Parents: Thursday, Sept. 21st, 6:30-8:30pm. 

GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

Save the Date! We look forward to celebrating Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day on Friday, October 6th from 8:15–11:15 am. (Please note: This event will be held on a Friday this year, which differs from previous years.) Guests may enjoy light refreshments in the PAAC courtyard from 8:15–8:45 am, followed by our program at 8:45 am and classroom visits immediately following the program. Guests will depart by 11:15 am and are welcome to dismiss students with parent permission at 11:30 am. Students may invite grandparents or a special friend. Attendance at this event is intended for our special guests and students only due to capacity limits, and we request that parents support us as volunteers or by contributing refreshments. More detailed information, including a request for guest names and addresses, will be sent home from individual classrooms soon.

MICROWAVE ETIQUETTE REMINDERS FOR THE LUNCHROOM

Due to our increased enrollment, we are asking our parents and students to adhere to a few simple rules of microwave etiquette:

• Re-heat food that requires a MAXIMUM of 30-45 sec. 

• Frozen entrees are not allowed.

• No popcorn or mac ‘n cheese cups.

• Clean all spills.

Please note that we created these rules to allow ample time for the many students choosing to microwave and to avoid unnecessary false fire alarms due to smoke from the microwaves. The Peabody Fire Dept. thanks us all!

Reminder: Our classrooms are peanut and tree nut-free zones. We kindly ask you to pack snacks accordingly.

HOUSE CUP

USLR students are placed into one of four Houses named after Corrie Ten Boom, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa Bojaxhiu (boy-a-chew) or William Wilberforce. Our 7th graders and new students were placed in their Houses on Wednesday, and we began our House Cup competition with a 4-Corner/Capture the Flag/Water Balloon competition. Ten Boom and Bojaxhiu tied for first place, followed by Wilberforce in third and King in fourth. Students can look forward to games and competitions during Community on Fridays. Check out our House Cup Promo video here,and stay tuned for other ways to get involved and earn House Points this year! 

USLR OUTING DAY

On Wednesday the entire USLR had an action-packed day of welcoming new students and class bonding at Camp Brookwoods in Alton Bay, NH. Students enjoyed a time of getting better acquainted as they rode coach buses to the camp. Once there, the morning began with class games and recreation allowing students to connect with classmates. After a great lunch, all new students were assigned a house followed by the first house competition of the year – making a creative presentation from random materials provided by Mr. Ingersoll and Ms. Johnson. The balance of the afternoon was spent with free time at the beach, canoeing, or playing in the game room. It was a great day and a wonderful start to the school year. Check out more photos from the day on our FaceBook page. 

A NEW POST IS UP ON THE TAPROOT BLOG FOR CLASSICAL ROOTS!

The Classical Roots Program is a regenerative agriculture initiative that works to integrate the stewardship of creation comprehensively across many aspects of our school’s life. Click here to read the September 2023 Classical Roots Taproot blog post.

CALLING ALL SINGERS

Mrs. Patrick will hold auditions for the Rhetoric School Select Choir the week of September 11-15th. The Select Choir is an audition-only, advanced singing group that performs more advanced repertoire at school events and solos for those seeking to challenge themselves! Select Choir members must be enrolled in Rhetoric School Choir this fall semester. If you were a part of Select Choir last year, you must re-audition. Those who wish to audition must fill out this form and sign up here for an audition.

RS WORSHIP BAND AUDITIONS

Rhetoric School worship bands will be holding auditions this week! Students will be asked to prepare two pieces to play through in their audition and to have a short paragraph outlining why they would like to participate in worship band highlighting any previous experience either playing in an ensemble or leading worship. The two pieces to have ready for the audition will be:

Who you say I am – in the key of G

What a beautiful name – in the key of D

Copies of the charts and an audition time sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board outside of the grammar school music room! Please check in with Mr. Iltis if you have any questions regarding worship band or the audition process. 

LAST CALL FOR MUSIC LESSONS REGISTRATION!!

Don’t forget to sign up for fall music lessons! All of the information about available lesson opportunities, including the lesson registration form link and lesson handbook, can be found at the bottom of the Back-To-School portion of the website. Lessons are available as follows:

• Piano (Grade K and up)
• Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele (Grade 3 and up)
• All Wind Instruments (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone) (Grade 4 and up)
• Percussion (Grade 3 and up)
• String Instruments (Violin, viola, cello) (Grade K and up)
• Voice (Grade 3 and up)

Please remember that lessons are assigned on a first-come (i.e., first-registered), first-served basis. Questions? Contact Mrs. Coleman, Director of Fine Arts, by email at lisa.coleman@ccamail.org.

Monday, Sept. 11th:

3:30 pm BJVS VS LANDMARK

4:15 pm BVS @ LANDMARK

4:15 pm GVS @ LANDMARK

Tuesday, Sept. 12th: 

4:00 pm GJV/VVB VS CSW – WHITE OUT home game – come dressed in all white for this game!

Wednesday, Sept. 13th:

3:30 pm BJVS VS CSW

3:30 pm BVS VS CSW

4:00 pm GVS @ CSW

Thursday, Sept. 14th:

3:30 pm GMSS VS PIKE

3:45 pm BMSS @ PIKE

4:00 pm GJVVB VS BRIMMER

Friday, Sept. 15th:

3:30 pm BVS @ CHCH

3:30 pm GVS VS CHCH

Spirit Wear

Visit our Spirit Wear Store for team apparel! Students are allowed to wear official spirit wear every Friday to school. Visit our store on Squad Locker for sport specific and general athletic apparel. 

Click here to visit the online store.

NEEDED: Substitute Teachers

No Education Degree Required

Substitute teaching at Covenant is an invaluable no-pressure opportunity for anyone who is flexible, reliable, enjoys spending time with children, and can maintain a positive attitude and follow well-prepared substitute teacher plans. Even a few days each year can have a huge impact!

Substitutes are texted when there is a need, only respond if they are available, and are fairly compensated for their time.

Please consider joining our pool of substitutes by emailing Andrea Bergstrom at andrea.bergstrom@ccamail.org and by filling out a substitute teacher packet available in the Main Office. 

Thank you for your consideration!

Upcoming Orientation Events

Pre-Kindergarten Orientation Mornings: Pre-Kindergarten students will begin the year with a parent/student orientation session on their respective first days of school. Students will arrive WITH parents at 8:15am and enjoy an orientation that will end at approximately 10:00am. Students will then leave with parents and return on the next school day for their first full and independent day of school. 

• PK 3-Day and 5-Day Orientation: Wednesday, September 6th, 8:15am-10:00am. 

• PK 2-Day (3-year olds, T/ Th): Thursday, September 7th, 8:15am-10:00am.

Rhetoric Primer Class (for all to CCA new students entering grades 10, 11 and 12): Tuesday, Sept. 5th from 12 o’clock noon to 3:00pm. 

Opening Day Chapel and Parent Coffee

On the first day of school, Wednesday, Sept. 6th parents are invited to our Opening Day Chapel from 8:15am-8:45am in the PAAC followed by a time of fellowship and light refreshments in the Courtyard hosted by the Parent Connection. 

Students in Grades 1-12 will enjoy the opening day Chapel service. 

Parents of PK 3/5 Day students will be attending Orientation during this time, but will have future opportunities for fellowship. 

Hope to see you all there! 

FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE

This year all charges (tuition and incidentals) and payments will be done through FACTS.  You will receive an email when a charge has been added to your FACTS account.  That same email will note the date that the payment will pull from the bank account (or credit card) that you have linked to your FACTS account.  

Please be aware that the 2-3% service fee incurred by using a credit card is passed on to you.  Using a debit card will also incur a fee that is passed onto you, so it is better for you to enter your bank account information as a payment option instead of your debit card number.

This new process for payments means that you no longer need to submit payments to the Business Office.  If you need to make a date charge for a payment to pull from your account, please log into your FACTS account to make that charge.  You can change the date to another day within that same month, but you can only make one change per month.  

If you need to make additional changes, please contact Rita Detwiler in the Business Office at rita.detwiler@ccamail.org.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

CCA’s Countdown to ISS Contact Has Begun! 

Mark your calendars! When the International Space Station (ISS) passes over our location the week of October 9, 2023, CCA students will use a Ham Radio and have 10 minutes to ask several questions of one of the astronauts.

Covenant’s ISS contact team has worked diligently during the summer to prepare for this highly competitive experience. (Congratulations, Covenant!) The USLR Science Department is seeking financial support to cover antenna installation, electrical work, and other costs to provide our students with this fantastic opportunity and to continue developing a HAM Radio Program.

If you want more information about ISS contact or the CCA Radio Club, please contact USLR Science Department Chair Jennifer O’Riorden at jennifer.oriorden@ccamail.org. If you want to support this exciting initiative financially, please contact Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Development Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org.

God’s Not Done Yet

CCA’s God’s Not Done Yet strategic growth initiative is seeking to raise $25M over a five year span for important updates in and around our school, as well as fully funding our Charis Endowment Fund. This initiative will:

• Create spaces and opportunities for students to learn and engage
• Elevate CCA’s classical approach to education in the classroom and beyond with the resources and tools we can offer through our Academic Support Center, enhanced Fine Arts program, and science labs
• Inspire our students to think critically, serve selflessly and lead boldly, and become who God designed them to be.

Click here for more info.

If you want to support this initiative financially, please contact Nicole Wise Williams, Chief Development Officer, at nicole.williams@ccamail.org.

New Art Room

New Art Room

New Music Lesson Rooms

New Music Room

New Music Room

New GS Latin Classroom

New LS Classroom

Academic Enrichment Room

New LS Science Lab

New LS Science Lab

New LS Science Lab

New LS Classroom

New LS Classroom

LS Lockers

LS Lockers

JADE’S GARDEN

Seven years ago, the Covenant community experienced the devastating loss of one of our own precious students. Adored by her teachers and classmates alike, Jade Williamson was full of life and joy as she prepared to begin kindergarten in the fall of 2016. A sudden illness, just shy of her 5th birthday tragically took Jade’s life and left her family and loved ones shattered. Our community grieved with the Williamsons, prayed together, and celebrated Jade’s short life, while promising never to forget her beautiful spirit. Jade was a gift to us all and we will always join with Adam, Jenny and Jacob (Gr. 10) in keeping her memory alive. God has been faithful and true and the Williamson family will attest to the many ways that God has used this tragedy, bringing beauty out of ashes. If you have never had the chance we encourage you to visit Jade’s Garden, a beautifully renovated memorial courtyard for our Early Childhood students. 

Over the summer, Danielle Lento spent time updating the garden. Check out some pictures below.

If you’d like to contribute books or book suggestions for the Free Book Library in Jade’s Garden please reach out to Jenny at jenny.williamson@ccamail.org. 

REMINDER FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

If you have not yet completed your student health information checklist in Magnus Health, it is now OVERDUE. This is an important requirement that will help us keep your child healthy and safe at school. Please make this a priority, and complete it as soon as possible.

To access your Magnus Health Account: 

1. Log on to your FACTS Family Portal
2. On the left toolbar, select the “Student” drop down and click on the “Medical” tab.
3. Click the link to Magnus Health, which will direct you to the new health database.
4. Watch the intro video, then complete the checklist for each enrolled student.

If you are having difficulty navigating the Magnus system, entering data online, or downloading the hardcopy coversheets and forms, or if you have any other questions, please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 919-502-7689 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com. 

If you have any questions regarding your student, please contact the school nurse (Christen Ashley, RN) at school.nurse@ccamail.org.

BEFORE AND AFTER CARE PROGRAMS

Our Before-Care and After-Care programs will resume this fall with some critical modifications. 

Before-Care

Before-Care will be offered in the cafeteria, providing passive supervision for students in Grades K-6 starting at 7:15 AM daily. We ask that this program be reserved for students requiring, not preferring, an early drop-off. A parent must escort GS students arriving before 7:50 AM to the cafeteria through the cafeteria courtyard doors. Parents of young children must understand that this is a wide-ranging age group and may not be comfortable or appropriate for children requiring closer supervision. There is no charge for this program. 

After-Care

After-Care will begin once we are fully staffed. We hope to start mid-September. You can help by reading this After-Care Program Staff job description and spreading the word about this great after-school/afternoon job opportunity.

After-Care for students aged PK 4-year-olds (in 3/5-day programs only) – Grade 6 will be provided from 3:00-5:30 PM daily on a registration-only basis. As has always been our policy, the program is open only to students aged 4 (by Sept. 1st) and up. 

After-Care is reserved for and limited to students requiring care due to working parents, not those simply preferring a later pick-up or for socialization and convenience. Unfortunately, enrollment is very limited due to staffing and space challenges. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to faculty children, allowing our faculty to serve your students after school dismissal. 

For pricing and registration details, please click here.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL FIELD TRIP T-SHIRTS

CCA students wear a special bright yellow T-shirt on field trips to visibly designate the group, allowing chaperones to identify Covenant students quickly. Many returning students may have a Field Trip shirt that still fits, but we encourage all students who need a shirt to order one a few sizes up to get multiple years of use using this link as soon as possible.

MUSIC LESSONS REGISTRATION

Don’t forget to sign up for fall music lessons! All of the information about available lesson opportunities, including the lesson registration form link and lesson handbook, can be found at the bottom of the Back-To-School portion of the website. Lessons are available as follows:

• Piano (Grade K and up)
• Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele (Grade 3 and up)
• All Wind Instruments (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone) (Grade 4 and up)
• Percussion (Grade 3 and up)
• String Instruments (Violin, viola, cello) (Grade K and up)
• Voice (Grade 3 and up)

Please remember that lessons are assigned on a first-come (i.e., first-registered), first-served basis. Lessons are filling fast, as we have a record number of enrollments this year! Questions? Contact Mrs. Coleman, Director of Fine Arts, by email at lisa.coleman@ccamail.org.

CALLING ALL SINGERS

Mrs. Patrick will hold auditions for the Rhetoric School Select Choir the week of September 11-15th. The Select Choir is an audition-only, advanced singing group that performs more advanced repertoire at school events and solos for those seeking to challenge themselves! Select Choir members must be enrolled in Rhetoric School Choir this fall semester. If you were a part of Select Choir last year, you must re-audition. Those who wish to audition must fill out this form and sign up here for an audition.

RS WORSHIP BAND AUDITIONS

Rhetoric School worship bands will be holding auditions the first week of school! Students will be asked to prepare two pieces to play through in their audition and to have a short paragraph outlining why they would like to participate in worship band highlighting any previous experience either playing in an ensemble or leading worship. The two pieces to have ready for the audition will be:

Who you say I am – in the key of G

What a beautiful name – in the key of D

Copies of the charts and an audition time sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board outside of the lower school music room on the first day of school! Please check in with Mr. Iltis if you have any questions regarding worship band or the audition process. 

Jazz Band Auditions

Interested in Jazz Band? Mrs. Coleman will be contacting all those who have expressed an interest in joining Jazz Band this week about auditions. If you have not signed up for Jazz Band but want to be involved email Mrs. Coleman at lisa.coleman@ccamail.org

Tuesday, September 5th: 

GV/JV VB Prac 12:00pm

BV/JV S Prac 1:00pm

CC Prac 1:00pm

GVS Prac 1:00pm

Wednesday, September 6th: 

No practices or games

Thursday, September 7th:

BJV S Prac 3:30pm

BV S Prac 3:30pm

BMS S Prac 3:30pm

GV S Prac 3:30pm

BMS S Prac 3:30pm

GV/JV VB Prac 3:30pm

Friday, September 8th:

CC Prac 3:00pm

BJV S Prac 3:30pm

GV S Prac 3:30pm

BV S Game @MP 4:00pm

GJV/V VB Game @ Landmark 4:00pm

Spirit Wear

Spirit Wear is not required, but many students enjoy having Covenant branded clothing to wear. Students are allowed to wear official spirit wear every Friday to school. Spirit Wear can be purchased through Covenant’s SquadLocker Page. Visit Squad Locker for sport specific and general athletics store with more options and name brand clothing. 

Click here to visit the online store.