Tis Arete 20th Anniversary Edition

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tis arete

20th anniversary edition • fall 2019

EQUIPPING STUDENTS FOR A LIFETIME. RAISING A GENERATION OF GODLY LEADERS, THINKERS AND CULTURE-MAKERS. PARTNERING WITH PARENTS WHO SHARE THIS VISION. HONORING GOD WITH OUR PERFORMANCE, DEDICATION AND SPORTSMANSHIP. CULTIVATING WISDOM AND VIRTUE. SHEPHERDING STUDENTS TOWARD LOVE AND GRACE. SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND EACH OTHER. ASKING BIG QUESTIONS AND LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. ENGAGING AND INFLUENCING CULTURE WITH A CHRIST-CENTERED WORLDVIEW. TEACHING STUDENTS TO DELIGHT IN THE BEAUTY AND GLORY OF GOD. EDUCATING WITH THE GOAL OF HUMAN FLOURISHING. PREPARING STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITH. UTILIZING THE TOOLS OF LEARNING, THINKING AND EXPRESSION.

20

Y ears Years

OF CHRIST PREEMINENT IN ALL THINGS

Covenant Classical School invites you to mix, mingle and remember at our

20th anniversary celebration FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 • 6:30 TO 9:30 P. M. THE ASHTON DEPOT • 1501 JONES STREET • FORT WORTH experiential food stations and cash bar valet parking for all guests at no charge

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seasonal chic attire $40 for adults and $25 for CCS graduates

Online ticket purchases must be completed at www.covenantfw.org/20years by August 26.

welcome backtoschool AUGUST 18 (7 P.M.) - CONVOCATION AUGUST 19 (6 P.M.) - GRAMMAR ORIENTATION AUGUST 19 (8 P.M.) – LOGIC/RHETORIC ORIENTATION AUGUST 20 (2 TO 4 P.M.) – OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 21 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

from the head of school If you’ve been a part of the Covenant community for long, you’ve heard the term “parent partnership.” It’s a core value of our school, and it goes all the way back to the founding of the school 20 years ago.

Parents are almost always the ones who start schools. They do it for their own children initially, yes. But in the process, Lord willing, they build something that benefits many more families for generations to come. I feel like that is where we stand now, 20 years into a vision a handful of families had in the late 1990s.

They wanted their children to learn in a way that inspired them to love learning, and that equipped them to think and to learn independently. They wanted to build a school that would unapologetically weave a Christian worldview into every subject and every activity. They wanted to create a learning environment that shaped their children’s hearts and minds for the glory of God. Starting a school is not for the faint of heart. As you’ll see in these pages, it took a great deal of sacrifice and commitment to pull it off. But when you talk to the families who helped build the school in the early years, you’ll hear a similar refrain from all of them: God did it. They will tell you they did their best to be obedient to God’s leading, but that it was God who consistently multiplied their skills, resources and time to accomplish His will for Covenant.

Looking back over our school’s first 20 years, the willingness of parents to participate in God’s work at Covenant is evident. A CCS dad started our football program. A host of CCS parents produced full musical productions for years, from casting and set design, to choreography and voice coaching. Precursors to our current Mock Trial program – which is still parent coached – were a parent-led Debate Club and a Texas Youth and Government program.

Reflecting on the first two decades of Covenant’s development, I am struck with a deep sense of gratitude to all the people who heeded God’s call to contribute to the school we have today. The commitment and contribution of godly parents continue to this day and my heart is filled with thanks for what has been accomplished and, Lord willing, what will be accomplished in the next 20 years and beyond.

Eric Cook Head of School

1701 Wind Star Way, Fort Worth, TX 76108 817.820.0884 info@covenantfw.org www.covenantfw.org

f/covenantfw OFFICE HOURS MONDAY-THURSDAY 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. FRIDAY 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.

NOTABLE NUMBERS 20 Years in Numbers

GOD’S HAND AT WORK Re�lecting Upon Covenant’s History

ACADEMICS The Ethos of a Covenant Education

SPIRITUAL FORMATION Discipleship Through Relationship

FINE ARTS A Commitment to Creativity

ATHLETICS The History of CCS Sports

LEADERSHIP LESSONS Head of School & Board Re�lections

4 6 16 18 20 22 24

covenant classical school

BY THE NUMBERS

2007

one 83

year of first CCS graduation

number of graduates that year CCS alumni who have attended colleges* in 13 states

*Abilene Abilene Christian University, Baylor University, Belhaven University, Berry College, Biola University, East Texas Baptist University, Harvard University, Howard Payne University, Missouri State University, Oklahoma City University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Pepperdine University, Samford University, St. John’s College, Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Trinity University, University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, University of Dallas, University of Houston, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Austin and Wheaton College

TOP

5

28

number of theatre productions performed by Covenant students

ACCOLADES

COLOSSIANS

1:18

In January 2019, CCS was named one of the top five private schools by Fort Worth Magazine.

And according to Niche.com’s ranking of private schools, CCS is one of Texas’ top 100 schools.

Selections were based on test scores, college data and reviews from parents and students.

“In all things, Christ preeminent” has always been Covenant’s biblical motto.

9

ATHLETIC PROGRAMS Thanks to the leadership of countless parent volunteers and paid coaches over the years, CCS students can participate in nine athletic programs, including cross country, football, track and field, basketball, tennis, volleyball, baseball, golf and soccer.

5 • NUMBERS

#1 GOAL ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE We are training our students to love God, love others, love beauty, love learning, reason wisely, engage culture, delight in beauty and use the tools of learning, thinking and expression. Covenant is preparing students for life beyond graduation.

400+

27%

GRADS RECOGNIZED

BY THE NATIONAL MERIT PROGRAM

GROWTH Covenant’s enrollment has doubled – and then some – over the last 10 years.

With more than 400 students enrolled currently, the school is projecting that enrollment will increase over the next 10 years to include 493 students.

fourteen students at the start of the first school year

424

students enrolled for the 2019-2020 school year

14

Our 83 graduates have included three National Merit Scholars, one Finalist and 16 Commended Students. The Class of 2018 had an average performance on the SAT and ACT that was higher than the average for all the ACCS schools surveyed, which is also higher than the national student average.

1371 1254 663 math 708 reading

616 math 638 reading

1068 531 math

536 reading

AVERAGE SAT SCORES

(CCS, ACCS AND NATIONAL)

EXTRA-CURRICULAR EXCELLENCE CCS students have been awarded national Latin and Greek awards, won 3rd place in state Mock Trial competitions (four times) and won state championships in track and field.

five school locations:

5405 Woodway Drive 111 Boland Street 126 N. Judd Street 9000 White Settlement Road 1701 Wind Star Way

6 • HISTORY

, s t n e r a P : , s r e e l y ip c n Pra i r P Y & R p O i T h IS s H r e T n N A N E Part V of CO ve a H s r de a e L & s t k n r e o r a W ’P at S d C n C a H s ’ d How o Seen G

RS A E Y 20

7 • HISTORY

L

ike many startups, there were moments early on when it wasn’t clear if Covenant Classical School was going to make it.

The “founding families” of CCS were passionate about classical Christian education. Some had experienced Christian education elsewhere and discovered classical Christian education through Douglas Wilson’s book, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning.

Others kept hearing about it from family and friends in other parts of the country.

None of them could imagine settling for anything less for their children.

Parents agreed that this was a better, more natural way to educate children toward a lifelong love of learning. The only solution was to start a classical Christian school in Fort Worth.

As they shared their vision with people they met within their church communities, word started to spread and the circle grew rapidly. During 1997 and 1998, they held planning-and-prayer meetings in people’s homes.

The group toured other classical Christian schools, and once spent a whole day observing classes at Covenant Christian Family School in Dallas. They were blown away and eager to get started.

In May of 1999 a small group of families decided to move forward and open the school in the fall. But they still weren’t sure where it would be located or who would teach the classes. Many of the interested families decided to wait a year before joining. So the school grew from 14 students in the first year, to 44 the next year, and they had to move to a larger rented church on Boland Street. There were 100 students by the fourth year.

But rapid growth does not always equal stability or sustainability. Systems and processes were scarce, and “all hands on deck” sometimes meant that decision-making was scattered across multiple layers of leadership.

Unfortunately, mistrust between the teachers, the Headmaster and the Board took root. At a meeting in November of 2002, the tension exploded between two groups. By the end of the meeting, the Board had resigned. Some walked out on the spot. Half of the families and about a third of the teachers called it quits, never to return to the school.

TURNING TO GOD IN A TIME OF NEED Left in the room that night were a mix of stunned, tearful Covenant families – many of whom had only been at the school six months – and even a handful of prospective parents who had come to the meeting thinking it was an admission event.

One by one, parents stood and expressed their desperation.

“We can’t let this die. We have nowhere else to go.”

“Where am I going to send my daughter now? There is nothing else like this in Fort Worth.”

Bryce Danley, father of a 1st-grader and a toddler son, stood and read a passage of Scripture. As Greg Love, father of a Kindergartener at the time, remembers, “Bryce challenged us. He said that this thing we had was precious and valuable and worth protecting.”

At some point in the evening, Steve Hotchkiss, a veterinarian and the father of a 2nd-grader, Kindergartener and preschooler, stood up in his scrubs and

8 • HISTORY

EVERY TIME WE NEEDED SOMETHING, SOMEONE STEPPED UP. WE HAD EMPTY POCKETS AND OPEN HANDS.

And it thrived.

Above: the campus entrance at 111 Boland Street and students reading on “The Tube” in 2002, including first graduate Elizabeth Wade (in glasses) and Mary and Joe Stackpole At right, left to right: Greg Love, Bryce Danley, Scott Clark, Steve Hotchkiss and Robert Shyroc in 2003 On opposite page: students at recess in 2001 and the school’s undeveloped 36-acre land purchase

pointed at Danley, whom he had never met before.

“Hey you, Tie Guy, you made some strong points. I like what you said. Are we going to do this? Are you in?”

Five men – some of whom knew each other and some of whom were only acquaintances – joined at the front of the room. They looked around at each other and each agreed to step up and lead the efforts to hold the school together, as long as God saw fit to keep it open. Everyone in the room believed God was moving.

Shelley Fredricks was a prospective parent at that meeting, looking for a school for her 5-year-old son and eventually his three younger brothers. She went home and told her husband, Scott, “I’m not sure this school is going to make it, but if this thing survives, there is nowhere else we want to be.”

The new Board consisted of Scott Clark, Bryce Danley, Steve Hotchkiss, Greg Love and Robert Shyroc. They oversaw the remaining months of a school year with no Headmaster. They combined grades due to a shortage of teachers. They covered salaries when half of the tuition income the school had expected – and needed – disappeared with the departed families.

“I’ve been involved in ministry most of my adult life, and I believe my business is ministry, but I don’t think there has ever been a period where I have prayed more than I did in those three to four years,” Love recalls. “God had a thousand opportunities to close the school, but He didn’t do it. None of it made sense. But every time we needed something, someone

stepped up. We had empty pockets and open hands. And it thrived.”

Hotchkiss served as the interim Headmaster for the remainder of the 20022003 school year. At that time, there was a tradition that the Headmaster greeted every child by name and shook their hands at drop-off every morning. Hotchkiss was determined to continue this.

He went to school and videotaped every student saying his or her name and grade. Then he went home and watched it over and over to memorize their faces and names in one night. He was there the next morning – and every morning – wearing his scrubs and shaking the hand of every student and calling them by name as he welcomed them to school. He usually showed back up at lunch. Then he led staff meetings after school.

“God used the gifts and experience of each member of that Board,” his wife, Lisa Hotchkiss, remembers. “Greg handled legal issues and contracts, Robert counseled upset parents, Scott managed the facilities and property, Bryce led the Board and the parent meetings and rebuilt trust. Steve led staff meetings and oversaw operations. God covered it all.”

What emerged from the ashes was clarity and commitment, and a complete absence of entitlement, said Love. The families that remained had a clear vision for who they were as a school community.

Covenant would be guided by prayer, fueled by parent partnership, committed to teaching all subjects from a nondenominational Christian worldview, guided by the principles of classical education and aimed toward affordability and financial sustainability.

9 • HISTORY

RECOGNIZING GOD’S HAND AT WORK The enrollment numbers at this stage of Covenant’s history don’t make sense, but for God. While there were 100 students in the fall of 2002, that dropped by half after the dramatic meeting in November, and the Headmaster was gone. By summer, only one teacher had agreed to return for the following year.

A search committee conducted an extensive search for a new Headmaster during the spring semester, and hired Todd Harris to lead the school into a more stable future. But it wasn’t until August that the Board was sure the school was actually going to open for the 2003-2004 school year. When it did, there were 92 students enrolled. The next year the school grew another 21 percent. They outgrew their rented facility and had to find a new, larger church to rent.

In the fall of 2005, 138 students and faculty moved to Normandale Baptist Church, which was located at 126 N. Judd Street in White Settlement at the time. In only two years, the school would outgrow this facility as well, but God provided space across the street at Wesley United Methodist Church to house the Upper School classes. The school continued to share Chapel space, a lunchroom and the now-legendary dirt field “playground.”

In May of 2007, Covenant crossed one of the most significant thresholds in its history – its first graduate. Elizabeth Wade, who had been part of the school from the first year, graduated from Covenant as the sole member of the senior class.

Wade’s graduation was an emotional time for the entire Covenant community.

As Clark stood on that windy hill It was a picture of God’s faithfulness and surveying the property, he realized he provision, a realization of the vision of the could see downtown Fort Worth. “It was founding families. Covenant was a really amazing to think about. I could complete K-12 classical Christian school imagine the school sitting up there, with 148 students. looking toward downtown Fort Worth.”

It was a season of many firsts as the God had closed door after door in school grew. The Secret Garden was the their search for property, but this one first school musical in 2006. CCS dad Jim Snyder started Covenant’s first six-man seemed to be wide open. The Board called a “Family Meeting” to share the new football team that year, too. And the opportunity – and the need – with parents.

6th-grade class made their first trek to Prior to the meeting, the Board and NASA in 2007. (Turn to the pull-out teachers had already contributed at a 100 timeline after this article to learn about percent participation level and had raised other Covenant milestones.) an astonishing sum. Now it was time for The clock was ticking on the school’s the parents to do their part. That night, ability to fit into the two co-located one family walked to the front of the room churches, but there was no money to and handed Danley a check for $100,000. purchase anything. The Board looked for Danley recalls that this family didn’t even land anyway. expect their own children to ever benefit “We knew we needed it,” remembers from what would be built on the new land, Danley. “We didn’t have any money or but they wanted to contribute to commitments yet. But we had a sense that something they knew would bear fruit. if God was in it, He would provide. And No one realized just how soon they that is exactly what happened.” would actually move to that land.

In 2006, Clark learned of acreage available in west Fort Worth. The failing housing market had builders selling off undeveloped land, and KB Homes had 35 acres to sell just off Chapel Creek Boulevard. (The city agreed to sell the WE HAD A SENSE THAT IF GOD school one more acre at the highest point WAS IN IT, HE WOULD PROVIDE. of the property after abandoning plans for a water tower in that location.)

The property sat at the highest point in western Tarrant County.

And that is exactly what happened.

10 • HISTORY FINDING A PERMANENT HOME The church that housed the Grammar school had been purchased and the new owners would not renew the lease for the school. The property closed in January 2007, and in October 2008 the school was given only 10 months to move onto the new property.

The clock was ticking again for another move. This time they needed to accomplish in 10 months what would normally be a three-year process, said Clark. “The property needed a tremendous amount of earth work. I think we moved 50,000 cubic yards of earth. We needed to get all the utilities out there – power, sewer, water. We had to figure out buildings.

It was a pretty daunting task.”

Site plans were drawn up and excitement grew. Our own football field!

A real playground! No need to convert classrooms to Sunday school rooms on Friday afternoons, and convert them back on Monday mornings! Home.

Families held a dedication and groundbreaking ceremony on the hilltop on a cold and windy day in 2008, and a new capital campaign was launched in earnest. Everyone knew that prayer was the only way forward.

Dayna Corley wrote a daily Bible study on the book of Nehemiah that the whole community could participate in.

“The study reminded us of what God could do through a small group of willing people,” remembers Jana Clark. “We came together and prayed, and people gave sacrificially. It was a real bonding time.”

A consultant told the committee that they needed 100 percent participation from the school’s families before they could approach any foundations for larger donations. “We had good participation, but then we literally started chasing people down asking them to give even $1 or $10 so we could count their participation!”

Jana said. “Then we went to the Justin Foundation and the Amon Carter Foundation, and they both donated!”

In the midst of all this, the school’s Headmaster, Mr. Harris, announced that he would not be moving with the school to the new location. He did not renew his contract, and the search was on for a new Headmaster. Normally it takes 18 to 24 months to secure a new school Head, but the Board prayed God would provide new leadership in time for the next school year.

WE CAME TOGETHER AND PRAYED, AND PEOPLE GAVE SACRIFICIALLY.

It was a real bonding time.

Top: early Covenant families pray over the newly purchased land in 2007 Left: the permanent campus’ groundbreaking ceremony in 2008 Above: modular classroom buildings being delivered in 2009 Right: Eric Cook speaks during the 2013 ribbon-cutting ceremony

11 • HISTORY NEW LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW CHAPTER A series of family connections alerted the Cooks, in Virginia, to the job opening at Covenant. Liz Cook grew up in Aledo and loved the idea of moving closer to family. Eric had a more pragmatic perspective, and while he agreed to a conversation with the Board, he came with a lot of questions.

“Rob Opitz and I took Eric to lunch, and it turned into what I now know is a typical Eric meeting,” Scott Fredricks remembers with a laugh. “He said he had a few questions for us, and he pulled out his laptop. Three and a half hours later, we felt like we were the ones who had been interviewed. We left that meeting thinking, ‘This is our guy. He knows his stuff.’”

As it turned out, that wasn’t the last round of questions. Cook had seen a lot of ways for schools to go wrong, and he needed assurances about Board governance and commitments to financial stability. Fredricks spent many hours on the phone with Cook in the coming days convincing him to stay in the process.

“Scott is very persuasive. And persistent!” Cook says.

Both men would say God is the one who prevailed, and the Cook family made the move to Texas in the summer of 2009, just in time to open the new school year on the new campus.

Some of Cook’s first experiences with Covenant were seeing the families rally together to get the new campus ready for the school year. Racing the clock and the August heat, parents shoveled mulch under the newly installed swing sets and moved furniture into buildings. They hung white boards in classrooms and bulletin boards in hallways. They helped teachers organize their rooms and set up chairs for Chapel and lunch in the Great Room.

And they made it. The first day of school was a celebration on every level.

The school continued to grow at a rapid rate, and the next capital campaign was launched just three years later to build the school’s first permanent building. By the time the building opened in November of 2013, K-12 students were so crowded in the modular buildings that classes were literally meeting in storage closets. Some teachers held their classes outside as often as possible, just to enjoy a little space.

At the new building’s ribbon-cutting event, families roamed the new buildings with jaws dropped open. After driving back and forth to Lockheed Martin’s recreational facility for so many years, the Cavalier Gymnasium made more than one parent shed a happy tear. The science lab was a deep source of gratitude, too, as it would allow the science programs to grow into their true potential.

God’s provision in the past is remembered, AND NEW STORIES OF HIS PROVISION ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO EMERGE.

That year Covenant hosted its first graduation ceremony on its own campus, and families celebrated the first class of graduates to include students who had attended CCS since Kindergarten. (Even with a brand new auditorium, the crowds overflowed into the lobby and hallways. So graduation ceremonies moved back to Fort Worth Presbyeterian Church the next year, where they have remained.)

FAITHFULNESS IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE Athletics, Chapel, Fine Arts – even lunch rotations – have grown and changed with each passing year as Covenant continues to push the limits of its facilities.

And while spaces and logistics change with growth, the core values of the school that emerged early on continue to hold strong.

With nine sports and hundreds of Cavalier athletes, one gymnasium and one field are no longer enough to hold all the teams that need to practice. The school will return to rented facilities and outsourced athletic leagues to accommodate younger athletes until it can build more athletic facilities.

In some ways, Covenant is cycling back through the same story it has played out several times already. The school has grown so much that even the spaces that seemed so large only a few short years ago are now too small.

What was clear from the beginning was that God’s hand was guiding our school. The same holds true today.

And so the next capital campaign begins.

Prayers rise anew. Faith builds. Parents come together to serve where God is bearing fruit. God’s provision in the past is remembered, and new stories of His provision are already beginning to emerge.

Praise be to God.

covenant h 1999 Covenant Classical School begins the 1999-2000 school year at 5405 Woodway Drive in Fort Worth. There are 14 students and six faculty and staff. Two additional students join mid-year.

Kindergarteners and 1st-graders enjoy the first Thanksgiving Feast, with food, costumes and recitations.

CCS hosted its first auction, which included the sale of antique furniture.

2002 Parents and students produce 100 copies of the first Quotannis yearbook. Quotannis means “every year” in Latin.

2000 Due to an enrollment increase of 175 percent, Covenant moves to 111 Boland Street for the 2000-2001 school year with 44 students and eight faculty and staff.

At a meeting in November, the Board resigned and many teachers and families left the school. Five men agreed to lead the efforts to keep the school moving forward, as long as the Lord saw fit.

2003

2005 2007 CCS hosts its first graduation for senior Elizabeth Wade, the 6th-graders take the first NASA trip and the school hosts its first Field Day. Logic basketball is added in the spring.

The Upper School stud Wesley United Method 9000 White Settlemen the growth-driven spa the school purchases downtown Fort Worth permanent campus. A ceremony is held a ye

2006 2004 “Fine Arts Friday” begins in May with an adaptation of Julius Caesar and two choral selections sung by CCS Upper School students.

The first 4th-grade Monk Day begins with four 4th-graders.

Covenant moves into rented space at Redeemer Church at 126 N. Judd Street. There are now 138 students enrolled.

Cross country begins with two CCS students and a parent coach.

Covenant presents its first spring musical production, The Secret Garden. The school adds its first six-man football team to the athletics program with the help of a parent coach.

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The parent-led CCS Boo hosts its first Sports B in the spring to honor athletes. With the add track and golf, the sch seven sports program year, 3D Productions, Fine Arts program, beg a variety of extracurri programs to encourag to “Discover, Develop a

history timeline The contract on the school’s rented space is not renewed and Headmaster Todd Harris announces that he will not renew his contract.

Plans to develop the land are accelerated and a search committee is formed.

Eric Cook is hired and begins in July.

2009

The 2009-2010 school year begins at 1701 Wind Star Way in Fort Worth.

There are three classroom buildings, an administration building, a new playground and a football field.

There are 197 students enrolled.

dents move to dist Church at nt. Recognizing ace constraints, 36 acres with a h view for its groundbreaking ear later.

08

oster Club Banquet r the school’s dition of hool now has ms. Also this a parent-led gins offering icular ge students and Delight.”

2013 In the fall, Caleb McClard volunteers to represent CCS as the first Cavalier mascot.

His class, the Class of 2014, is the first to graduate after attending CCS since Kindergarten.

The four seniors embark upon Covenant’s first Senior Trip to Italy, complete with excursions to Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Rome, Vatican City and Florence.

Three teachers serve as chaperones.

In November, the new Upper School building is unveiled to an excited crowd of parents and students. One donor exclaims, “To God be the glory!”

Other milestones this year include the first Afternoon of Shakespeare, the beginning of the Mock Trial program and the first Rhetoric football team.

2017

Two Rhetoric students start the “Project Paint Drop” program, which is offered after school for art-loving Grammar students. A Grammar Choir and Upper School Chamber Ensemble is formed and the first Family Folk Dance is hosted.

2011

The House System – with students assigned to Athanasius, Augustine, Tyndale or Wilberforce – begins in the Upper School. Volleyball is added.

Baseball is added in the spring for Logic students.

Two years later, there is a Rhetoric baseball team.

2010

The school receives accreditation from AdvancED and is awarded the highest or second highest ranking for each of the seven standards.

Tennis is added to the athletics program and the school hosts its first Senior Gala and Project Hope service project. CCS publishes its first issue of Tis Arete in November/December.

2014 2018 Covenant’s “Nasty Nine,” a team of only nine players, delivers the school’s first winning Rhetoric football season with a 10-3 record and a fourth-place finish in the TAPPS State Playoffs.

Their success marked the first time any CCS team had reached the State semifinals.

To honor the longstanding tradition of the “Senior Gift,” the Class of 2018 gifts the Rhetoric students with the school’s first Winter Formal, which quickly becomes a favorite tradition and rite of passage among students.

A Grammar soccer team is added to the athletics program.

16 • ACADEMICS

ETHOS OF A More than Knowledge: THE COVENANT EDUCATION W

by Stephanie Boss

hat do you remember from 5th grade?” I would occasionally ask former students when I would run into them at the Upper School. More often than not, the question was received with a blank stare and a quickly-sputtered response such as, “That geo-globe thing,” or “Was that the year of the NASA trip?” or “Who was Jonathan Edwards?”

Every now and then I would get an enthusiastic, “Do all to the glory of God!” (Our class verse ... YES!) Initially their responses left me a little disheartened, but over time I’ve come to realize that the education acquired during one’s years in a classroom is only part of the overall experience of learning.

This spring, Luke Brown focused his senior thesis on the ethos of Apple and its effect on consumer purchasing decisions.

Ethos is defined as “the spirit of a culture, era or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.” This started me thinking about the ethos of our school.

It has a vibe. It’s in the air we breathe. It is a spirit and a milieu in which we live and learn. It is an atmosphere that inspires a love of lifelong learning. It may be hard to sum up, but it is felt on campus every day.

Several years ago, I was at a faculty dinner at Eric Cook’s house where a group of us were gathered around a table to share

a meal. The view through the dining room window was enchanting. In the slanting rays of the sun, everything was aglow.

It was the golden hour and it was lovely.

We were each taking turns responding to a question that had been posed during the meal. I do not remember what the question was – nor any single word spoken – but I remember recognizing that each answer was unified, mission-focused, purposeful and meaningful. I can still remember the love, passion, depth, sincerity and warmth of the group of individuals gathered.

We were on mission.

In the introduction of his book, Norms and Nobility, David Hicks refers to the The Rector of Justin as a reminder of the impossible task of attaining the ideals of classical education. At the end of that book, the 80-year-old founder of a school for boys is dying. He is filled with regret and feelings of failure about the school that he had begun 60 years prior.

He muses with melancholy, “Who was I to think I could change the face of American education?”

A younger teacher attempts to encourage him with these words: “Why can’t you ever consider instead the smaller goals that you have reached? What about the individual boys you’ve helped?”

That teacher later declares, “I believe that his true greatness lay less in his school than in his impact on individual boys.”

When viewing the CCS alumni profiles on our website, one sentiment seems to stand above the rest. Teachers walking alongside students. Encouraging them.

Pushing them. Challenging them.

Loving them. Stories of struggle have been transformed into portraits of diligence, erudition and virtue. In the end, students gained a beautiful recognition of being part of something bigger than themselves.

“In all things, Christ preeminent” (Colossians 1:18) is not just a motto, a mere plaque on the wall. It is our mission, our life, our ethos.

As students emerge from Covenant and prepare to engage the world for Christ with a love for God and compassion for their neighbor, they have been supplied with the tools of learning. It is my hope, as a teacher, that all of my students will use those gifts to reason wisely and delight in the beauty of God’s world around them.

So, to the Kindergartener, 5th-grader or senior, I would adjure you to embrace the beauty of the struggle, the challenge of growth and the faithfulness of your parents, teachers and friends who walk beside you in loving partnership – even if you don’t remember your history timeline.

17 • ACADEMICS

What about traditions?

“THE TUBE” TRADITION “The Tube” has always been a part of Covenant recess.

Pictured here during the 2001-2002 school year, it now sits on the east end of our playground. Graduating seniors now paint the logos of their colleges on it each spring before leaving campus.

Each grade has its own traditions, many of which have been around for 20 years. According to longtime 1st-grade teacher Dana Maddox, “Tradition is the ‘sticky’ that binds us together. Anticipation is so much a part of the joy.”

Check out this list of Covenant’s grade-level traditions.

Which of these traditions do you remember?

Which ones are you looking forward to?

K 1 2 3

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten/6th-Grade Buddies “Attributes of God” Phonics Thanksgiving Feast 100th Day of School Mainstay Farm Casa Manana Kindergarten Graduation

1ST GRADE

Colonial Crafts with 5th Grade Thanksgiving Feast Log Cabin Village Fort Worth Nature Center Texas History Sea Creature Project

2ND GRADE

Mediterranean Sea Salt Maps Chicken Mummification Passover Seder Meal Botany Garden Egyptian Feast Dallas Arboretum Fort Worth Botanic Garden

3RD GRADE

Little Pilgrim’s Progress Trojan Attack Greek Olympics Noble Planetarium Solar System Project Latin Classes Country Project

4 5 6 U

4TH GRADE

Living History Monk Day Bug-A-Palooza Kimbell Art Museum Medieval Times Fort Worth Zoo

5TH GRADE

Living History Colonial Crafts with 1st Grade Thanksgiving Feast Paul Revere’s Ride & The Magnificat Log L og Cabin Village Dallas D allas World Aquarium Geo-Globe, House & State Projects

6TH GRADE

Living History Kindergarten/6th-Grade Buddies The Hobbit Adventure The Raven Romans 8 NASA & Galveston Trip Texas Civil War Museum

UPPER SCHOOL House System Winter Formal Senior Trip to Italy Senior Thesis Senior Gala Painting “The Tube” Senior Pranks & Gifts Graduation

18 • SPIRITUAL FORMATION

DISCIPLESHIP

through

RELATIONSHIP:

HOW DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS

IMPACT SPIRITUAL FORMATION

by Brent Stevens

The

most significant impact the school will have on our students is through their relationships with their teachers.

Our core identity and beliefs are either reinforced or undone in the classroom. We can say a lot of nice things during Chapel, but if the students don’t experience the Gospel in a consistent manner throughout their time at CCS, it matters little what we say in official documents or during a Chapel service.

Students believe what they see and what they experience. I think the best way I can explain this is with an illustration.

NOT JUST GRADES, BUT GRACE Let’s say that I’m a boy in 8th grade.

(My wife might argue I still am, basically, an 8th-grade boy anyway!) School is fine.

I have a few good friends, I play a sport or two and I’m an average student. I’m not exactly lighting the world on fire, but my parents aren’t laying awake at night worrying about me either.

Around October, I bump into some challenges academically. I have a string of poor performances on tests, and I’m falling behind in classwork. Midterm exams are coming and my anxiety starts to rise.

How will my teachers respond? Will they look at me with disapproval? Will they try to make me feel ashamed about being behind, or tell me I’m not trying hard enough?

19 • SPIRITUAL FORMATION

OK, I’ve been a bit distracted in class lately, but does my day-to-day performance in school define me? If my teachers lecture me, and I eventually pull it together and they seem to approve of me again, what am I supposed to learn from that? Is God like my teachers, only happy with me when I’m doing well?

Or worse, what if no one says anything? What am I to make of that?

Have they been waiting for this? Is this what people really expect of me – failure?

Or maybe they don’t care. Am I totally on my own to figure this out?

What if, on the other hand, my teachers notice my slip in grades and simply ask, “What’s up? I’ve noticed you have been struggling the last few weeks.

Is everything OK? Can I help you with anything? I’d be happy to work with you during lunch or after school if you think that would help.”

Then I talk with my teachers. I admit I’ve been distracted and haven’t been

focusing as well as I need to. With some more direct help from them, I eventually get back to where I need to be. But now, I understand that my teachers are here for me in a way that I haven’t noticed before. I learn that it’s OK to struggle. I understand a bit more of what I hear in Chapel, how there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. CONNECTING AND GUIDING That’s the goal. The real core of spiritual formation at CCS happens in the day-to-day interactions that students have with their teachers. Our hiring process is so intense because we aren’t just looking for qualified classroom teachers who will energize students to love learning. We are looking for adults who can connect with and guide young people who are growing through one of the toughest seasons of life.

We are looking for teachers our students can model their lives after. It’s a calling to discipleship, as well as to teaching.

OUR CORE IDENTITY AND BELIEFS ARE EITHER REINFORCED OR UNDONE IN THE CLASSROOM.

ABOVE: Advisory meeting in Logic School ON OPPOSITE PAGE: praying before a Cross Country competition, Project Hope and Kindergarten/6th-Grade Reading Buddies

20 • FINE ARTS

FRAMING A WORLDVIEW: encouraging creativity through the fine arts

with contributions by Pat McClard, Charlotte Seifert and Megan Skeels

In an era where arts programs are being cut from schools as an unnecessary expense, Covenant’s commitment to the Fine Arts has only grown over the years.

Covenant’s Fine Arts program has aimed to teach students to love what is good, true and beautiful. Through art, music, theatre and photography, our students’ aesthetic sensibilities have been trained to delight in the beauty of God, to see Him as the Creator of all things and to recognize the beauty of His power working in our lives.

FINE ARTS FRIDAYS

Art and music lessons were offered during the first few years, but “Fine Arts Fridays” – added in 2004 – began a new chapter of Fine Arts at Covenant. Inspired by the program’s motto, “Glorifying God Through the Arts,” parent volunteers were encouraged to help facilitate music, art and drama lessons for all 3rd- through 12th-grade students during the last hour of school on Fridays.

Working with teacher Melody Allen, parents helped teach lessons and presented a spring showcase for parents, including an adaptation of Julius Caesar and two choral selections sung by Upper School students.

The positive response from families, combined with a desire to more fully integrate the performing arts into the CCS experience, resulted in overwhelming support for continuing the program.

In the program’s second year, the showcase included songs, excerpts from

Shakespearean plays, poetry recitations and history reenactments. But a new goal for the year to come – producing a spring musical – would stretch every volunteer and unify the school in new ways.

CREATING COMMUNITY

During the 2005-2006 school year, the aim of “Fine Arts Friday” was a musical, The Secret Garden, complete with sets, lights and sound. Participation was mandatory and students performed on stage, worked as part of the crew or did other behind-the-scenes jobs like painting sets or making props.

“Every single student got involved,” recalls Pat McClard, one of the original “Fine Arts Friday” volunteers. “It was amazing to see kids of all ages working together, making new friends and putting on the show. Families who would not have normally gotten to know each other were serving together and building community.”

Over the next two years, two more musicals were produced: Treasure Island and The Wizard of Oz. The Covenant community was hooked – theatrical productions would become a centerpiece of the CCS calendar each year, creating lasting memories for students and parents alike through rehearsals, backstage excitement and onstage performances.

DISCOVER, DEVELOP & DELIGHT When the school announced in 2008 that new priorities would prevent staff members from providing Fine Arts classes,

21 • FINE ARTS

Over the years, Covenant has produced 28 plays, dinner theatre shows and musicals. Pictured here is a scene from the school’s 2013 production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

a group of parents came together to ensure that the program would not lose momentum. They pitched the idea of a parent-led program called 3D Productions.

With the aim of encouraging students to “discover, develop and delight,” the program would rely on parent volunteers to develop lesson plans, teach and prepare showcase material. The core group of parents – David and Teri Capshaw, Greg and Kim Love and Don and Pat McClard – developed lesson plans and showcase opportunities for creative writing, speech, percussion, studio art, debate, pottery, show choir, acting, sculpting, printmaking and papier-mâché.

Volunteers produced three shows alongside those showcases, too, including Dig It and Lost Contact (an original script) in the winter, and Annie in the spring.

“It was exciting to see how the body of Christ works,” says Pat. “There were so many talented people who came together to deliver Fine Arts that year.”

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES Over the next few years, the school hired teachers to provide Fine Arts classes and to extend Grammar programs into Upper School, including the first yearbook class. Performance opportunities expanded to include Shakespeare in the fall, two Christmas plays and spring Dinner Theatre shows.

Andrea Hassenteuffel, who joined the school in 2012, started the tradition of Visual Arts Spring Showcases, which were hosted off campus and featured student artwork. Charlotte Seifert moved these events back to campus in 2016 as part of Gallery Walk, which now includes student docents, live music and dessert. Wall displays now adorn the Upper School halls and students are able to participate in juried shows in Fort Worth and Dallas.

A COMMITMENT & A CALLING After-school programs continue to thrive at Covenant. The musical theatre

productions attract a lot of students – however, participation is no longer mandatory! Grammar students can now hone their skills through workshops led by Theatre Director Kate Hicks. Music Teacher Emily Bailey leads Grammar Choir and Logic/Rhetoric Chamber Ensemble as after-school programs. And a student-led art class called Project Paint Drop has become popular with Covenant’s younger students.

The commitment to the arts at CCS remains strong, and the future will no doubt open new opportunities to explore God’s creativity as the school grows.

Grammar Art Teacher Megan Skeels views fine arts instruction as a calling from the Lord: “My goal is to stir up the hearts, minds and working hands of my students to help them find the joy and power of partnership with the God who created them and filled them with awesome gifts for His glory!”

Amen and amen.

T I R I P S T WE’VE GO 22 • ATHLETICS

MMUNITY

ENT & CO M IT M M O C , R E T C A R AS BUILT ON CHA W S IC T E L H T A S C C HOW In 2005, CCS dad David Corley wanted his daughter to be able to run Cross Country, but Covenant didn’t have sports yet. So Corley began running with his daughter and niece. They added two homeschoolers, created a team and began entering meets.

That year Corley’s daughter, Jeddy, won the State TAPPS 1A meet and his niece, Julia Capper, placed second.

Athletics at Covenant had begun.

The history of sports at CCS doesn’t begin with uniforms, equipment, mascots or teams. It began, like most things at our school, with parents. They wanted to provide competitive and formative athletic opportunities for their children. So they started the programs they needed.

In 2006, CCS hired Nick Gray as the school’s first Athletic Director. “My goal was to help the students see that God uses our hard work to reveal something about ourselves,” said Gray. “We can find beauty in the struggles and imperfections in life.”

The school added several sports to the program over the next few years.

CCS dad Jim Snyder started a six-man football team that practiced in the field next to the school. A group of parents started boys and girls basketball teams through the YMCA. Track and golf teams were formed.

CROSS COUNTRY

David Corley starts a team in 2005 with his daughter, his niece and two homeschoolers.

2018-2019 athletes: 31

Without on-campus facilities, students traveled to local rec centers for games and practices. Crowds were sparse, but a sense of spirit grew. Parents donated equipment and carpooled students. They organized schedules, brought snacks and sold concessions. They ordered spirit wear and coached teams.

“We didn’t have facilities, buses or paid coaches, but we rallied to develop programs for our kids,” said Belinda Marshall, who coached several teams and helped form the first CCS Booster Club.

Because of the school’s small size, kids who wouldn’t normally have played got involved to fill out the teams. CCS often competed against more established programs, which could have been discouraging. But it created the perfect environment for Cavalier coaches to focus their efforts on character-building goals like courage, sportsmanship and competing well. And despite having less experienced teams, CCS athletes began experiencing success on the court, field and track.

The Cavaliers finally got home-field advantage in 2009 with the addition of the school’s new football field. Hamburger cookouts and traditions like “Grammar Night” halftime parades were born. School spirit began to soar.

FOOTBALL

Jim Snyder starts a six-man team in 2006 with 10 boys.

CCS qualifies for state playoffs in 2007 and state semifinals in 2014.

2018-2019 athletes: 32

BASKETBALL

Belinda Marshall and Bryce Danley start YMCA teams in 2005 and 2006. A school team forms in 2007. CCS boys reach the Final Four in 2018 and 2019.

2018-2019 athletes: 83

Ron Abrams joined the Cavalier team as the school’s second Athletic Director in 2011. He encouraged Grammar participation and added volleyball, baseball and tennis programs.

He launched summer and off-season conditioning programs to prepare CCS athletes for higher levels of competition.

In 2013, the Cavalier Gymnasium opened and families rejoiced. The days of shuttling basketball and volleyball teams all over town for practices and games were over.

Jeremy Martin took the helm in 2018 as Coach Abrams moved into coaching football and track full time. During Coach Martin’s first year in his new position, the golf team grew and a Grammar boys soccer team hit the field.

“Covenant’s goal has always been to model a Christ-centered approach to competition and teamwork,” said Martin.

“Through athletics, the character of our student-athletes can be molded, true commitment can be learned and vibrant, healthy community can be experienced.”

The school continues to grow, and athletic participation continues to increase.

The Athletic Department is working to expand programs, increase participation and maintain excellence. But honoring the spirit of the program’s founders is still the

TRACK & FIELD

The first team is formed in 2008. CCS wins the regional championship in 2016 and captures state titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

2018-2019 athletes: 52

GOLF

The first team begins in 2008 with one student.

In 2012, the CCS team captures the state title.

2018-2019 athletes: 15

23 • ATHLETICS with contributions by Ron Abrams, Nick Gray, a Marshall Jeremy Martin and Belind

primary goal.

“When you’re cheering on the Cavs, remember the families that helped bring sports to our school,” said Abrams. “They were pioneers for our program. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.”

TENNIS

One student competes in 2010 before an official team is formed a year later. In 2014 and 2015, two students compete well in TAPPS State 1A competition.

2018-2019 athletes: none

VOLLEYBALL

The first teams are formed in 2011, quickly filling out to include Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric teams.

2018-2019 athletes: 28

In 2017, two seniors launched the student section, “Cavs Nation,” durin g Crowds cheered loudly the fall volleyball season. , student attendance and an exciting new soared era of Cavalier spirit had begun.

BASEBALL

CCS dad Kelby Pope starts a Logic team and adds a Rhetoric team two years later.

2018-2019 athletes: 24

SOCCER

A teacher-coached team is formed in 2018.

(CCS students competed in indoor and outdoor youth leagues in the mid-2000s.)

2018-2019 athletes: 13

24 • LEADERSHIP

Faithfulness in the Midst of Growth ERIC COOK REFLECTS ON HIS 10 YEARS AT COVENANT

At

a summer conference in 2009, I was going up to my room after one of the sessions. I pressed the elevator button to go up. When the doors opened, a man I did not recognize looked at me briefly and said sharply, “Don’t do it!”

I eventually found out who he was and what he was talking about. He was a leader in the classical Christian movement who heard I had accepted the position as Head of School at Covenant. My guess is he knew about some of the struggles the school was experiencing and then took one look at my 32-year-old baby face and instantly decided it was not a good idea.

I have to say, it shook me a little.

Despite the challenges that I and the school were up against, it was clear to me that God was at work at Covenant. The foundations of the school community were strong, as was the commitment of the faculty. What has transpired over the last 20 years has only confirmed the fact that this is God’s school. He has worked His will to build a thriving school, often against impossible circumstances.

By virtually all measures, Covenant is a flourishing classical Christian school.

This past spring, I asked our faculty, administration and board to reflect with me on what they believed to be the most meaningful benchmarks and successes of the school over the last 10 years. (Most of them were not here prior to that.) I would like to highlight some of the ways in which the school has progressed since I arrived.

From a governance and institutional perspective, CCS has made tremendous progress. The board has transitioned from being operational to strategic, retaining a focus on the school’s long-term viability.

Enrollment has increased by 107 percent, and we’ve expanded our campus significantly, including adding 18 acres and our first permanent building in 2013.

Financially, the school has maintained sound stewardship with almost 100 percent of the expenses covered by tuition.

We have retained great leaders and faculty with strong salary and benefits, as well as a growth-focused faculty culture. We have clarified our school philosophy and vision so that there is alignment in purpose from operations to academics. CCS has earned a strong national reputation for being an exemplary classical Christian school.

Soren Kirkegaard once said that “life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” It is important and helpful to reflect on God’s provision and faithfulness. We need to be able to learn from our successes and failures.

Personally, I have a profound sense of gratitude for those who stepped out in faith to launch this venture, to those families who gave extraordinary amounts of time in volunteer hours, to those who gave their resources and talents to further the school’s vision, to those students who hung in there with us as we figured it out and to so many others who may never get recognized. I am also personally grateful for the Board and others who have mentored and supported me.

As we move forward, we need an exceptional amount of wisdom. Merely

“IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT GOD WAS AT WORK AT COVENANT.” Academically, the school has made tremendous progress, as well. Covenant has graduated 83 alumni, most of whom have attended four-year colleges and universities. About 25 percent of those students have been accepted at honors programs. Even though we have been careful to maintain our focus on students’ character as stated in our Portrait of a Graduate, our students have performed well on the variety of assessments they have taken. On average, our students’ SAT scores are among the highest in the city and all of classical Christian schools in the country. Our high school was recently ranked one of the top five in the city.

While all of these accomplishments are noteworthy, we have been very clear that the purpose of education at Covenant is to cultivate wisdom and virtue. These kind of outcomes are the result of a higherlevel focus that yields very practical results.

Ultimately, the measure of our mission is transformed lives and character growth that will endure for a lifetime.

Eric Cook as Gandalf during the 6th-grade Hobbit Adventure.

replicating what we have done so far will not be sufficient. The variables change with growth and how we retain our mission in the midst of all the change will require an ongoing, humble reliance on the Lord.

What will we say about Covenant 20 years from now? What will be the most important next steps? Join me in praying for our school and that we will be able to continue to provide a transformative classical Christian education to our kids and an unwavering commitment to making Christ preeminent in all things.

25 • LEADERSHIP

Charting theCourse

THE ROLE OF THE BOARD IN PLANNING THE SCHOOL’S FUTURE

by Christian Ellis, Chair of the Board of Directors

T

he woman sitting next to me gave me a nudge and nodded toward the two men chatting near the front of the sanctuary. “They’re on the Board,” she said.

“What does the Board do?” I asked.

She shrugged.

That was the first time I heard about the school’s Board of Directors. The year was 2009 and Elise and I were new CCS parents, having just enrolled Braden into Kindergarten. I didn’t really think much more about the Board after that day. That is, not until Brent McDonald called me a few years later to ask me whether I would be interested in serving on the Board.

PROTECTING THE MISSION & VISION Brent told me that the Board was comprised of committed parents who gave their time, energy and resources to help shepherd the school with finances, risks and operational issues. He related that the Board’s primary purpose was to protect the mission and vision of the school. Brent told me that everyone had the best interest of the school in mind and did not bring personal agendas into the room. He said that each Board member added unique expertise and experiences to the group, giving it strength. Brent informed me that the Board was largely driven by consensus, but that discussions were robust, and that monthly meetings sometimes lasted hours!

In all truth, I was intimidated. But I hoped that I could help in some way. After attending a few meetings, I found that this was a fantastic, fun group of folks and the topics being discussed were varied and valuable.

FOCUSING ON STRATEGY

The Board’s role has stayed largely intact over the years. Of significance is the recent transition of the Board from being

“operationally” focused to almost entirely “strategically” focused. This is common among boards of non-profit entities. As the entity grows and matures, the increased confidence in the personnel and leadership allows a board to focus on strategic, futuristic ideas and plans.

One of our most important roles is managing our one employee, Eric Cook. While Eric manages all other employees of the school, he directly reports to the Board. We have a Head Support and Evaluation Committee that meets with him regularly to address a variety of issues that may arise. Working with Eric and watching him develop into an outstanding Head of School is a wonderful experience!

BALANCING THE BUDGET

One of the most important functions of the Board – and the function that yields the longest meetings – is the annual budgetary meeting. The CCS staff crafts the budget painstakingly for weeks, and the Board’s Finance Committee is heavily involved, as well.

After refinement by the Head of School and Finance Committee, the budget becomes a down-to-the-penny document with several “levers” – choices that the Board has to make.

Because the budget drives tuition and the school’s overall health, the Board takes this responsibility seriously. No stone is left unturned. The commitment to keeping CCS affordable, while maintaining its institutional excellence, brings about difficult decisions.

But every year, God provides, whether it is a new idea for a cost-saving measure or a budgetary tweak that allows us to offer a new program for students.

PRAYERFUL PROBLEM-SOLVING

The school does experience challenges from time-to-time, and those can be significant.

WE HAVE A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE SMALL MIRACLES THAT GO UNNOTICED BY MOST, AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY REMINDED THAT THE LORD CONTROLS THE TRAJECTORY AND DIRECTION OF OUR SCHOOL. With all sincerity, I can say that the Board’s earnest prayer and resulting wisdom has yielded the most elegant and fruitful solutions to problems that I have ever seen, professionally or otherwise.

Sometimes the work is not exciting. There are policies to create and review, budgets to read and reports to pore over. We are always working to make our meetings shorter and more efficient, but they can still be long sometimes. Most of the time, though, being on the CCS Board is an entirely fulfilling experience. We have a front-row seat to the small miracles that go unnoticed by most, and we are constantly reminded that the Lord controls the trajectory and direction of our school. Our Board has worked hard to minimize legal risk, maintain fiscal integrity and affordability, develop a campus master plan, acquire more land, assist in fundraising and manage construction, all while planning strategically for the future. It is quite a job!

THANK YOU, FORMER BOARD MEMBERS

Dozens of talented men and women have served on our Board over the last 20 years.

We are grateful for all of them, as they have all played an important part in the development of our school. No matter the year, no matter the challenge, the Board has been devoted to ensuring that, at CCS, “In All Things, Christ Preeminent.”

1701 Wind Star Way, Fort Worth, Texas 76108 www.covenantfw.org | 817.820.0884

BE PART OF BUILDING THE NEXT 20 YEARS AT COVENANT. VISIT WWW.COVENANTFW.ORG/DONATE-ONLINE.

Covenant’s 1999-2000 school year began with 14 enrolled students. This picture was taken toward the end of the school year after two additional students joined.

These pioneer students and six faculty and staff members met at 5405 Woodway Drive.

Also pictured is the original logo, which was designed by Jeremiah Pent in 2000.