As I begin my 13th year as your Chief Education Officer, I am excited to usher in the 2022-2023 school year. After two years of uncertainty and program restrictions brought about by the Covid pandemic, we will be back to full program operations this year. I am confident that this will be Christ Academy’s best year to date.
Our staff has been hard at work this summer refining best practices and creating new learning experiences for our students while preparing for our October ACSI accreditation visit.
I am pleased to announce that the Arts are back stronger than ever at Christ Academy. In addition to hiring a lower school music teacher in December, I’ve recently hired Lauren (nee: Berend) Deges to fill the Lower School Art Teacher position. Not only will Mrs. Deges be teaching Studio Art; she will also be teaching Art in Motion, a course that incorporates both body movement and theater. Plus, she is a Warrior alumna. We’ve also been able to expand our Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Academy by hiring an additional piano instructor and adding guitar back as an instrument choice. We will continue to expand these types of opportunities for our students to explore and hone their creative talents.
Another change on campus includes a new digital library model for Early Childhood and Lower School that provides robust, safe, updated, and age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction/ research sources to support our research – produce – present model. Our current library books will be repurposed for classroom library materials. I feel confident that our younger Warriors will prefer the new model as much as our Upper School students, who have used a similar model for several years.
In addition to hiring Mrs. Deges, a new basketball coach, and Mrs. Reneau’s shift from kindergarten teacher to the Director of Admissions, we’ve had some other staff changes. Learn more here or view our entire Staff Directory here.
As you know, our value for each student has refined our educational approach. Christ Academy is a College Preparatory school, and our educational approach is Blended Learning. We define Blended Learning as a formal education program in which student learning occurs partially at the brick-and-mortar campus and at least in part through online learning. We use a blended learning approach because it creates an individualized result for each student, challenging them academically while strengthening their “soft skills,” such as time management, self-advocacy, and self-discipline. With each passing year, we hope you see your student growing into a person prepared for college and today’s work environment.
You have chosen to be a part of a fantastic community. I feel privileged to be its leader. Christ Academy is an exceptional place. We will do our best to ensure each individual student has a fulfilling, happy, and excellent school year.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
