Covenant Christian School in Smyrna is unlike many other religious schools. While other schools may incorporate some spiritual teaching into the standard curriculum, CCS’s academic program has faith at its center, offering students an education steeped in Christianity. Established in 1975, Covenant Christian School combines a Christian foundation with classical teaching methodology. What that means for students is that they receive a biblically based, academically challenging education that will enable them to become productive citizens in both their civil and religious societies.

“First and foremost, we are a Christian school, meaning everything that we do is rooted in Scripture,” says Principal Barbara Hines. The school is covenantal; therefore, at least one parent must profess to be a Christian and be a member of a church. At the same time, Covenant Christian School is nondenominational, so students come from a variety of Christian backgrounds.

In addition to the Christian faith, another main component of Covenant Christian School’s educational mission is the use of classical methodology, or the Trivium. This method recognizes three distinct stages of development in children and affirms that a child’s stage determines what he or she should be learning, allowing children to learn skills when they are most naturally ready to acquire them.

For example, younger children at CCS enjoy recitation, singing and activities that involve movement, because according to classical methodology, this is how they learn best. During this stage, children are focused on answering who, what, when and where, and their education serves as the foundation for the deeper learning that will follow. In middle school, older children are developing opinions and want their voices to be heard. They begin answering how and why. To assist with this stage of learning, middle school students at Covenant Christian School take formal logic, and as part of the classical focus, they begin Latin in fifth grade. By the eighth grade, which is the final year at Covenant Christian School, students are able to translate, read and write in Latin.

In addition to music and Latin, CCS offers a variety of programs to enrich its students’ education. Students can join the chess club or take ballet classes. The school also hosts an annual speech meet, during which judges score students from grades kindergarten through eight. To promote a sense of community, students and families participate in Operation Christmas Child, collecting gifts for children around the world. Although the school does not compete against other schools in organized sports, the students are challenged to achieve at their highest level. “One goal is for our students to achieve excellence in all things,” says Hines, whether it’s in handwriting, math or in neatness and organization. CCS students’ standardized test results certainly reflect this level of excellence—according to Hines, the students consistently score in the 80th percentile and above.

CCS strives to instill a love of learning in its students, equipping them with the necessary tools to continue learning. At CCS, students receive a well-developed, Christ-centered education that not only prepares them to excel in academics, but also in life as productive, responsible Christians.