Academic Excellence

Dr. Ryan Berens, High School Principal

As the leadership team met last summer in preparation for the new school year, the pervasive question was, “How is this going to work?”

Although CCS transitioned well when schools were unexpectedly closed in the spring due to COVID-19, the desire was to improve the process, but there was also very little experience or research to suggest the road forward. The first and most important thing that was done was to pray to our Lord for wisdom. Knowing that His hand was on the process, the next step was to figure out how to accommodate all students and to provide them with a great education regardless of their physical location.

One of the very few constants in education is that it seems to always work best with a teacher in a classroom working with students. That was one of the main goals from the start of this process. Regardless of where students were, CCS needed teachers in front of the classrooms. To accomplish this, cameras made specifically for livestreaming were purchased and mounted in each room, and each student was outfitted with a Google Chromebook. Teachers were trained to operate this new equipment and to manage students in a 1:1 environment via on-the-job training.

The new technology provides a great deal of flexibility that is passed on to CCS families. Parents can choose to send students to campus, or they can get a similar experience by connecting virtually to classrooms. During the 2020-2021 school year, teachers have experienced having all their students on campus, some students on campus and some students on livestream and all students connecting via livestream. In each instance, the teachers can teach the lesson using the resources available to them because they are in their classrooms.

This flexibility has also allowed CCS families to move from livestream to on-campus learning as needed. Students dealing with illness, COVID-19 related or not, have the option to attend livestream classes. Some families started the year on livestream and have moved to on-campus learning, while other families started the year on-campus and have moved to livestream learning for a time. The livestream cameras also allow for most lessons to be recorded in case there is a day when a student is unable to attend through either type of learning environment.

Cypress Christian School is committed to honoring the Lord Jesus Christ by providing students an education based upon academic excellence and biblical values. Through the wisdom of the Lord, CCS will continue to put resources toward giving each student the amazing opportunities they deserve.