May 20, 2024

Dear Concord Families,

On Saturday, CCS held graduation for the Class of 2024. Together, our 38 seniors were awarded over $2.1 million in academic scholarships. In addition, this group has excelled in academics, athletics, and the arts. To break it down even further, our seniors have shown remarkable skills in the fields of photography, computer tech, mechanical and chemical engineering, and communications. Without question, this is a very diverse group of seniors who plan to study a vast array of fields. Eight of the 38 graduates have attended CCS since kindergarten. What an honor and privilege to celebrate each milestone of our students.

Mackenzie Davis, CCS Valedictorian, reminded her fellow graduates of the journey they have traveled over the last 12 years. In addition, she reminded them of the ups and downs and the achievements they have accomplished as a group. The new world that is before them will come with ups and downs, but what they have learned at CCS will help guide them through many future challenges. She reminded them to reflect on the Christian environment in which they were educated, to embrace their faith, to remember God’s faithfulness, and to search for new ways to serve. Pastor John Mark reminded the students to guard their hearts on their next endeavor and to resist cultural pressures not grounded in God’s Word. By looking to God's Word, they will be able to make courageous decisions regarding their faith moving forward. What a wonderful day it was to celebrate the culmination of secondary education for our 38 seniors.

As you may recall, our families began this school year practicing flexibility as construction was taking place on the new addition. Thank you for your patience and flexibility throughout this school year! With just a few items left to complete, I am thrilled to invite you to tour the third floor tomorrow (May 21st) from 2:30pm-4:30pm. Please park in the Preschool parking lot and enter through the Preschool lobby doors. Be sure to pick up your child prior to going upstairs to the new floor. We ask that your child stay with you the entire time. If you are unable to come tomorrow to tour the new floor, there will be other opportunities in the coming weeks. God has certainly blessed CCS with this new addition, and I hope you enjoy viewing our new classrooms.

Finally, Balfour, our yearbook publisher, has notified the school that there has been an unforeseen manufacturing delay in the printing of our yearbooks. Please know that this delay is not the fault of the yearbook advisor or yearbook class that works to produce our book. As soon as yearbooks arrive, students and parents will be contacted and given instructions on how to acquire your book. My hope is that our books will arrive in the next day or two.

As this school year draws to a close, I pray that your family has a safe and restful summer!

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

April 8, 2024

Dear Concord Families,

Here are a few reminders and some information regarding the 2024-25 school year that your family may find helpful as you begin to make plans for next fall.

     * As a reminder, K-12th grades will dismiss today at 11:45 am to allow for everyone to plan for the eclipse.

     * This week, preschool will celebrate the Week of the Young Child. If the weather cooperates, the preschool will have a trike-a-thon in the back section of the east parking lot (close to the fields) on Thursday and Friday morning.

     * In addition, the preschool will host different events in the mornings this week that include visits from local law enforcement, including patrol cars, motorcycles, K-9 units, and more! Don't be alarmed if you hear that the police and other emergency               vehicles are on campus.

     * CCS leadership will announce open house dates for the 3rd floor new addition in the coming weeks. I toured the 3rd floor on Friday with other administrators, and I believe everyone is going to be as excited as we are about the end product.

     * Leadership is meeting on a regular basis to plan for the new floor classroom addition. The first detail everyone needs to be aware of is the start and end times for next year. For the 2024-25 school year, Kindergarten - 4th grades will start school at             8:00 a.m. with drop-off beginning at 7:30 a.m. Dismissal for K-4th grades will be at 3:00 p.m.

     * Fifth - 12th grades will start school at 8:15 a.m. and end school at 3:30 p.m. Families with students across grade levels can also drop off students starting at 7:30 a.m. Parents with students only in 5th - 12th grades may drop any time after 7:30 a.m.

     * Students in K-4th grades will continue to drop off at the preschool entrance. Students in 5th-12th grades will drop off at various locations. These locations are still in the planning stages.

     * A 2023-24 Parent Satisfaction Survey link will be emailed to CCS families on Friday of this week.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the Gala last week either by bidding online or actually attending the event on Friday night. Although the final number raised is not available as of this morning, I can say with great confidence the evening was a great success for CCS. All the money raised from the Gala helps to fund faculty retirement, academic endeavors, the arts, and athletics. Lorna Keeton will announce the total amount raised in the coming days.

Finally, I want to thank Lorna Keeton, Lindsey Stillwell, Aly Grimes, Mackenzie Snider, and Emile Sloan along with all the CPC team and other volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure the Gala was a successful event. Without question, this was the best Gala yet!

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School
 

March 8, 2024

Dear Concord Families,

Spring Break is here, and I hope you and your family will have the opportunity to enjoy some rest and recharge as we start the 4th quarter. Before next week begins, please allow me to highlight some important information.

If you have recently driven to the back of our campus, you may have noticed that construction on the new floor is nearing completion. The construction is on schedule, and leadership cannot wait to celebrate the opening of this 31 classroom addition in the coming months. You may recall that the school was tasked with raising $4 million of the $8.5 million project. To date, we have raised approximately 75% towards reaching our goal. If you have any questions or would like to know more about giving opportunities, please reach out to Lorna Keeton (lkeeton@concordcs.org) or me for more information.

Recently, several campus security upgrades have been instituted across campus. All first floor campus entrance points (windows and doors) are now covered in ballistic film. This includes the preschool doors and windows. Ballistic film strengthens the glass and prevents shattering from impact. Secondly, campus radios have been upgraded with additional repeaters added throughout the building allowing for better communication across campus. Video camera location and functionality are under review to ensure maximum effectiveness. Finally, leadership continues to review procedures for all emergency drills and train responders and faculty on emergency procedures.

This week, our high school students experienced Mission Week. CCS faculty partnered with FBC Missions Pastor David Wiggins and his team along with other city leaders to train our students through different mission related scenarios. While our seniors served in Puerto Rico, 9th-11th grade students learned how their heart, their head, and their hands are designed by God to be engaged in His global mission. Students walked through the “Cost of Poverty Experience” with Compassion Coalition, heard from multiple speakers, and different groups participated in service projects with KARM, KICKO, Mission of Hope, Rise865 Churches, and Send Relief in Clarkston, Georgia. Students had the chance to pray for one another, learn and work alongside some of our local Mission Partners in the community, and explore how their gifts and their goals can be connected to mission. Ultimately, they discovered the depth and beauty of God’s Word as it relates to how their lives can be used by
Him for His purposes. We are grateful to God for a wonderful week of learning, growing, and serving together.

There is currently legislation on the Hill in Nashville addressing Educational Saving Accounts (Vouchers). Last week, I attended an information session with Mayor Glenn Jacobs and leadership from the Americans For Prosperity - Tennessee where different presenters discussed important information about ESA’s. The current versions of the bill from the Governor, House and Senate are slightly different and will need to be ironed out in committees before a final bill is voted upon.

From the information I gathered at the event, the amount of the ESA currently under consideration is approximately $7,000 per qualifying family. This money can be used for different educational costs at the school of the qualifying family’s choosing. An ESA awarded to the parent for educational expenses with no additional testing or state curriculum mandates and has universal access to the families regardless of income or zip code would be ideal. ADF-T reports that ESA has overwhelming support from across the state. So, I think it is safe to say something will be signed into law at some point by the Governor. Contact your local state representative or state senator to share your thoughts on ESA’s. Hopefully, CCS families will soon have the option to apply for and receive ESA to offset the cost of tuition and other educational costs.

In closing, every spring I send out a parent satisfaction survey as a way to gain feedback on each family’s school year. I will email that information out shortly after we return from spring break. I pray your family has a safe and fun break next week.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School
 

January 30, 2024

Dear Concord Families,

Second semester is well underway, and February is now upon us! As a reminder, February 2nd is a  half day for all students. Faculty and staff will use the afternoon for professional development activities while the church staff prepares for the men’s conference. Please take note of the following school updates.

Construction on the second floor is now in the final stages, and we are excited about moving into the 31 classroom addition in the fall. As this phase of construction winds down, the next phase of construction begins in the coming weeks. The second phase involves refurbishing the student gym.  This construction upgrade will allow for Sam Midgett, FBC Student Ministries Pastor, and his team to better serve their fast growing ministry. We rejoice at what God is doing through Sam and his team and are happy to partner in their growth as well.

As a result of this part of the construction phase, all activities in the student gym, including  lunch, will be moved to other areas of campus for the remainder of the school year and summer.  Starting Monday, February 5, kindergarten students will eat lunch in the competition gym. First through third grade students will eat lunch in the activity area near the locker rooms, and fourth and fifth grade students will eat lunch in the fellowship hall. Middle school and high school students will eat in the activity area by the locker rooms. Administration is planning for this change; however, with change comes adjustment before everything runs smoothly. Please be patient as we work out the details during the first few days.

I am excited to announce the 2024-25 leadership structure for the upper school. This administrative model is built for a projected student population of 1000 students, which is our target number for this campus. With that being said, I will continue in my role as Head of School. With the retirement of Mr. Pifer, Mr. Brice Richards will serve as Upper School Head and will continue to assist me as the Assistant Head of School. Steven Madonna will be the Assistant Principal for the fifth and sixth grade Academy. Stephen served in a similar role at his previous school and is very excited to move into this position. He will also continue with his responsibilities in the Spiritual & Student Life Office. Danielle Turner will serve as the Dean of Students for fifth through eighth grade. Danielle assisted elementary and middle school in a similar role this year. In addition, Daniel Head will be the Assistant Principal for seventh through twelfth grades. Daniel served as the high school principal for eight years at his previous school and is excited about the academic role he will now play in upper school. He will continue in his role as CCS Athletic Director. Colton Sweet will assist  Daniel as Dean of Students for grades nine through twelve.

In addition to Mr. Pifer’s retirement announcement, Ms. Linda Reedy, who has served Concord  Christian School for the past 16 years, has accepted the position of Southeast Director of  Accreditation for ACSI. Linda currently serves as our Academic Dean; however, she has held just about every role you can imagine. School accreditation is one of Linda’s great passions, and she is very knowledgeable in this area. Ms. Reedy will definitely be missed here at CCS; however, we rejoice with her in this new position.

Last week, I attended the National Alliance of Christian Schools (NACS) Head of School Conference and came away with a fresh vision for Kingdom Education. NACS, formerly known as the Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools, is an accrediting agency that promotes Kingdom Education. CCS is now a member of NACS and will add their accreditation approval to our list of accrediting agencies in the near future. At the conference, I was reminded again that Kingdom Education is a pedagogy where students are led on a life-long, Bible-based, Christ-centered process of leading a child to Christ, building a child in Christ, and equipping a child to serve Christ.

This definition goes hand in hand with our mission statement: “Inspiring students to follow Jesus by equipping them to lead, serve and transform their world”. CCS is currently enjoying an upward trajectory as a school. Everywhere you look on campus, you can see flourishing activity. I am certainly thankful for God’s hand on our campus along with the blessings we are currently experiencing. It is imperative that we remain focused on the mission above all. We can boast of our academic offerings, our fine arts programs, our athletic teams, our new buildings, and our most recent fundraising successes. However, if we fail to stay focused on our mission of leading the students entrusted to our care into a relationship with Christ, we have missed the mark. Please continue to pray for our teachers, coaches, and staff as we journey with your children, inspiring them to follow Jesus.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider 
Head of School

 

December 13, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Every fall, CCS leadership and the School Board begin the process of budgeting for the upcoming school year.  This year, we are announcing the 2024–25 rates early because of the new enrollment period that CCS has adopted. Again, this new enrollment cycle was adopted to mirror other private schools in the area, which allows new applicants the opportunity to make an informed enrollment decision in a timely manner.

The board discussed at length the need to keep tuition at the lowest possible level while maintaining the momentum gained over the last few years in addressing faculty salaries and benefits. Our goal of addressing teacher compensation over the last two years is beginning to pay off in the area of retention of current faculty/staff and in attracting highly qualified faculty/staff. After much deliberation, the Board settled on a tuition increase of 7.9% for the 2024-25 school year. Ninety percent of this tuition increase goes directly to faculty compensation and accomplishes the goal of an upward trajectory of total teacher compensation. Even though progress has been made, it is important to note that CCS faculty and staff still work for an average of 25% less than their peers in surrounding public and private schools.

With our tuition increase, families with an elementary student will see a monthly increase of $59.10. For a middle school student, the monthly increase will be $66.62, and the monthly increase for a high school student will be $71.67. The additional percentage increase in fees will cover expected cost increases in the items listed under annual fees on the attached document. For a complete listing of all items paid with the annual fee, please refer to the attached document. As a reminder, the continuous enrollment fee is built into the annual fee for current students. Only new students will need to pay the registration fee that is noted on the document.

For students entering into our 5th and 6th grade Academy, you will notice a separate tuition and annual fee cost listed on the attached document. One change for students entering into 5th grade next school year is that they will receive a school issued Chromebook. Should you need additional information regarding the Academy, please refer to my Head of School letter emailed home last week.

CCS leadership and the Board believe that CCS is the best private Christian school value in town, and we firmly believe in providing our families with an education ingrained in Kingdom Education. At the same time, we understand tuition increases can certainly affect the affordability of CCS for some families. Please reach out to CCS Business Manager Vanessa Mills or me if you have questions about financial aid or scholarships that may be available to assist your family with tuition next school year.

Sincerely,

Donald Snider
Head of School

Bill Evans
School Board Chair

December 8, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Last night, CCS leadership hosted an informational meeting regarding the new 5th/6th Grade Academy.  Although the meeting was well attended, families who were unable to attend asked me to recap the information in today’s Head of School letter. The following information was presented and discussed at last night's meeting along with a document (attached) that you may find helpful.  

Several years ago, when I was serving as a high school principal, I attended a conference where the idea of pairing 5th and 6th grade students together first crossed my path. Although not a new concept at the time, it was fairly new to me. As I took time to research the data, it revealed that aligning the two grades makes sense in regard to developmental growth.

In planning for the Academy’s implementation, one non-negotiable we heard over and over was to group both grades together in the same area of the building. When CCS leadership began discussing this approach just after COVID, we chose to hold off on the concept until the space needed to group the two grades together became available. With the upcoming completion of the second floor addition, the space needed to house the 5th and 6th grade classrooms in close proximity is now available. Additionally, several advantages of creating the Academy revolve around the following: a comprehensive academic class schedule, an expanded fine arts experience, new athletic opportunities, and new leadership opportunities.

In the following paragraphs, I will answer several other questions that were asked at the meeting last night.

Location: The Academy will be housed in F-200 rooms and in the A-frame Chapel classrooms. Specialty classes such as PE, band, choir, and art will be located in other parts of the building. In addition, leadership is working to have the Academy students attend several classes in the new addition. Many of you may have already noticed that the majority of the 6th grade classes are in the F-200 classrooms this year. This move allowed for leadership to measure space and compatibility, as well as, the actual flow of the two grades grouped together a year in advance of the change.

Chapel: The 5th and 6th grade students will attend chapel together and topics discussed during this time will involve content that is age-appropriate just for them. Occasionally, Academy students will attend chapel with the 7th and 8th grade students or attend combined school wide chapels.

Lunch: The Academy students will eat lunch together, which will take place in between elementary lunch and the start of 7th and 8th grade lunch. The exact times for the lunch schedule are currently being reviewed by leadership.

Chromebooks: Next school year, 5th grade students will receive school issued Chromebooks and will use them in the same manner that 6th grade students do this year.

Time for Growth & Development: The two years a student spends in the Academy will allow him/her the opportunity to grow and develop in a smaller environment. Every school we have spoken with communicated that 6th grade students actually feel more comfortable with this model and flourished in many ways not necessarily anticipated in the planning stages. One school reported that 6th grade students had the opportunity to develop leadership skills in this model. The area of leadership development is one of the areas that we plan to expand for 6th graders so that when they move into 7th and 8th grades and on into high school, they will feel more confident to take on leadership roles.

Upper School/Lower School Model: Over the last year or so, CCS Leadership has discussed changing CCS to a lower school model (Kindergarten-5th grades) and an upper school model (6th-12th grades). With the implementation of the Academy, the 5th grade will now join the upper school structure. Lower school will consist of grades K-4th and upper school grades will consist of 5th-12th.

Tuition Rates: 2024-25 tuition rates will be released early next week.

Faculty: There will be 10 faculty members dedicated to teaching the 5th and 6th grade students along with special area teachers and administrative support. This group of 10 teachers have already been at work planning for the implementation of the initiative. The attachment is a result of some of the early work they have accomplished outlining executive skills and expectations for students and parents. This template is another example of how CCS is assisting parents in the pursuit of Kingdom Education.

Administration Structure: High School Principal Nathan Pifer recently informed me of his plans to retire at the end of this school year. With that announcement, our current Middle School Principal, Mr. Brice Richards will now step into the role of upper school administrator leading 5th-12th grades. Mr. Richards will have a support structure for each division under him. Leadership is currently working on the final details of the upper school administration structure with plans to announce the team after Christmas break. Mrs. Studt, with the assistance of Mrs. Littleton, will continue to lead the lower school (Kindergarten through 4th grades).

To summarize the changes for the upcoming school year, the lower school (Kindergarten through 4th grades) will be led by Mrs. Studt and the upper school consisting of the 5th and 6th grade Academy and 7th-12th grades will be led by Mr. Brice Richards. Both Mrs. Studt and Mr. Richards will have administrators in various roles who will support them. After Christmas break, we anticipate releasing more information. In the meantime, CCS leadership is very excited about the upcoming changes in 2024-25 and are working through many details.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

5th/6th Grade Academy Executive Skills and Expectations PDF

November 22, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Winter weather will be upon us soon, and CCS leadership is always vigilant as to weather that could possibly close or delay school. If school is closed or delayed due to inclement weather or unexpected events, parents will be notified using the following outlets of communication:

● CCS Website (cc-tn-2024.cmstemp.com)
● CCS App
● Social Media
● Local TV Stations – WBIR, WATE, WVLT

Please note that no email will be sent from the CCS administration, so please use the above listed outlets of communication to receive the most updated information. Concord Christian Preschool and KidzConnect will communicate information for their departments. For additional information regarding procedures for school delays and closings, reference our handbook found on our website or app.

I am happy to announce that beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, CCS will be adding a 5th/6th Grade Academy which will function as a lower middle school. Leadership has discussed this idea for the last 18 months and with the new classroom addition, space is now available to accommodate this initiative. As you are aware, the 5th and 6th grade years are a pivotal time in the development of children. CCS leadership feels that creating this environment for 5th/6th graders bodes well for their transition into middle school allowing our students the time to grow and mature. Additional information regarding a meeting for parents with rising 5th and 6th grade children will be communicated soon.

The base calendar for the 2024-2025 school year has now been approved by the School Board and is now available for you to view on our app or website. Additional events will be added soon so be sure to check back occasionally as the 2024-25 calendar is updated in the coming months.

As the busy holiday season soon begins, let us remember to pause often to give thanks for God’s blessings in our daily lives. Thank Him for the simple things and the complex things that He guides us through. In all things, we are reminded to be thankful. It is my prayer that your family will enjoy a blessed and restful Thanksgiving. Remember to take a little extra time this week to be grateful for God’s blessing of His Son Jesus Christ.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

October 20, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

What a wonderful way to end the first week back after fall break than with some cooler weather and
Grandparents Day! This morning hundreds of grandparents and parents joined students in the Worship
Center to enjoy a wonderful program filled with various productions from our very talented students.
Students from different grade levels presented worship songs, theater performances, and musical
selections to entertain everyone in attendance. Leadership had the opportunity to share important
updates regarding campus events and construction as well. We cannot wait for next year when
grandparents will have the opportunity to tour the new classroom addition.

Also this week, students in grades 3-8 participated in the first of 3 planned MAPS assessments that
students will take throughout the school year. All in all, it has been a very successful start to this low
stress assessment. The results will help the administration to know whether any changes should be made to
our curriculum as the year progresses. In addition, students are challenged at their current level. The
questions are more difficult or less difficult depending on whether the student answered correctly or incorrectly.
Again, this allows for real time assessment allowing teachers to adjust daily lesson planning to the
current levels of the students in their class. The first few MAPS assessments will also allow for
leadership and departments to gain a baseline understanding of how CCS students rank nationally
against students of the same age.

I would like to provide you with a quick building update. Our second floor addition remains on schedule.
The week before fall break, I toured the construction zone with other leadership team members, and we
were able to see for ourselves what a great addition CCS is gaining in classroom space. The sheetrock
is scheduled for installation in the next few weeks as well as the outside brickwork. If you would like more
information about the building, please reach out to Lorna Keeton or me to set up a time to meet.

Lastly, I encourage all families to download our CCS app. Up until now, we have emailed our parents
regarding emergency drills. The school will have another emergency drill before the end of October, and
for this drill, communication when the drill begins and ends will only be sent as an alert on our
app. If you have a child in our Preschool, communication will still be sent via email for now.

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

Dear Concord Families,

I would like to provide you with a security update. As you are already aware, when visitors arrive on our campus, they must enter through the weekday entrance and sign in at the Welcome Center. A new check-in procedure has now been installed. The system is called Navigate 360 and is an additional layer of security for our campus. Leadership chose Navigate 360 after speaking with several schools that have already introduced the system with great success. Please note the operational changes that are now in effect.  

When a visitor arrives on campus, the following steps should be completed in order to be signed in.

• The visitor should enter through the weekday entrance.
• Visitors 16 years or older will be asked to provide a photo ID. Those 15 years or younger will simply be asked to sign in.
• The photo ID will be scanned into our system, and a sticker will be printed out with the following information: the visitor’s picture, name, current date, time of arrival, and purpose of the visit.
• The visitor will be asked to wear this sticker the entire time he/she is on campus.
• When the visitor is ready to leave campus, he/she will be asked to stop back by the Welcome Center to turn in the sticker. This allows the Welcome Center to know the visitor has left our campus as well as to track visitors for security reasons if needed.

Navigate 360 will go into effect at the preschool entrance once construction is complete in the spring/early summer of 2024. This move is another ongoing step to provide a safe campus for FBC/CCS faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

And as always, it’s a great day to be a LION!

Pressing on Together,

September 1, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

CCS leadership has monitored carline during the first two weeks of school and has decided that a 
few changes should be made. Obviously, campus construction has complicated the normal traffic flow; 
however, leadership believes these necessary changes will speed the drop off and pick up processes. 
Please take note of the following drop off and pick up modifications below that will be implemented 
starting Wednesday, September 6.

Gathering Space Drop-off Changes
●  Parents who have a high school student with a middle school aged sibling may drop off in front 
of the Gathering Space.
●  Parents who have a high school student with an elementary aged sibling may drop off in front of 
the Gathering Space.
●  Parents who have students in all three grade levels may drop off in front of the Gathering 
Space.

Horseshoe Parking Lot
●  High School and middle school parents who have students who participate in the band may now drop 
off in the horseshoe parking lot (noted as VIP on attached map) starting at 7:30am. It is 
recommended that you exit to the right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike. If you desire to exit 
left when leaving campus on Kingston Pike, it is recommended that you follow the normal flow of 
traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at the traffic light at Federal Boulevard.
●  Middle school parents who have an elementary aged sibling may now drop off in the horseshoe 
parking lot (noted as VIP on attached map) starting at 7:30am. It is recommended that you exit to 
the right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike. If you desire to exit left when leaving campus on 
Kingston Pike, you should follow the normal flow of traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at 
the traffic light at Federal Boulevard.

Middle School Pick-up Changes
Since the construction yard has reduced the number of middle school students that can be loaded 
into vehicles from 8 at a time to 3-4 with our current setup, CCS leadership has discussed moving 
to an open pickup procedure versus a traditional carline. This change allows for approximately 
30-45 cars to avoid the elementary pickup line. By doing an open middle school pickup, this will 
hopefully reduce the amount of time parents spend in the pickup line.

Beginning September 6th, middle school is moving to open dismissal using the east parking lot which 
is currently the area used for the pickup line. Middle school students will be dismissed from the 
Student Ministries entrance. Middle school faculty and staff will be present in the east parking 
lot during this
transition time as everyone adjusts to the different flow of traffic.

Please note the following important information regarding Middle School Open Dismissal
●  Middle school parents will park by grade in reserved rows (refer to attached map). The first two 
rows closest to the Student Ministries entrance will be reserved for middle school parents with an 
elementary sibling.
●  Middle school parents who have multiple children who are in grades 6th-8th should park in the 
row for the grade of your youngest child.
●  Middle school parents who desire to exit left when leaving campus on Kingston Pike, should 
follow the normal flow of traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at the traffic light at 
Federal Boulevard (refer to attached map). Elementary pickup should be over by this time allowing 
for easy access to Federal Boulevard.
●  Middle school parents desiring to exit right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike will use the 
east entrance (refer to attached map).
●  If parents so choose, backing into a parking space may also help with the flow of traffic.

Thank you for your patience as leadership strives to expedite the afternoon pickup procedures for 
our families with the main focus of keeping our students safe.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

August 25, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Yesterday, students in 3rd-12th grades met together in the Worship Center for the first combined chapel of the
year. CCS Campus Pastor Steven Madonna challenged students and faculty with the verse and theme of the
school year regarding what it means to have abundant life (John 10:10). What a great way to begin a new
school year!

With the second week in the books, the flow on campus is starting to improve for everyone. Thank you for your
patience as we work through the logistics common to the start of school. Long lines at lunch have subsided,
and we are working on several solutions for the long car lines. All in all, students have settled into a good
routine.

In last week’s Head of School letter, I informed our CCS community that we would send a test alert via our
CCS app this week. If you have the CCS app, you should have received the test alert today at 9:30 am. Our
app is one way we notify parents of important information in a timely manner. I encourage you to download the
app if you haven’t done so already.

Allow me to apologize for the tardiness of the information I am about to share with you from the Parent
Satisfaction Survey taken back in the spring. Typically, my goal is to share this information before school ends
for summer; however, with the construction project and the heightened security measures that dominated my
time during the spring and early summer, this information was put on the back burner.

The type of survey that our parents take is one that provides leadership with a net promoter score. This allows
us to know the health status of our school culture since the score ranges from 1-10 with an 8 or above
considered a healthy culture. The score from the 2022-23 survey was an 8 out of 10 which places CCS in the
healthy school category. Leadership reads the input from this survey given by parents which included positive
comments about Christian education, facility improvements, security improvements, and our faculty and staff.
Parents also commented on areas such as the pace at which our school is growing, homework, the rising cost of
tuition, retention of high quality staff, consistent uniform policies, and a more robust Dual Enrollment/AP course
selection.

This school year, leadership has added a school nurse, additional assistance for the Academic Support Center,
enhanced security protocols, completed several facility upgrades and continues to plan for additional facility
upgrades. Another very important theme from the survey was in reference to parent feedback. Parents desire
to have more input into important decisions. To this point, I have formed a parent advisory committee with
parents representing elementary, middle and high school parents. The committee will meet with me and other
leadership members quarterly to offer input into topics I present to them. The information I present will be ideas
the leadership team is considering for future implementation. Leadership does not desire to lead in a vacuum.
It is our desire to make decisions that will continue to lead us to school improvement.

As always, it’s a great day to be a Lion!

Pressing on Together,
Donald Snider
Head of School