Who We Are
Covenant Day School is a community of believers – leaders, teachers, students, and families in pursuit of Christ-centered excellence in learning and in all of life. Covenant Day School is a ministry of Christ Covenant Church.
- Mission
- Vision
- What We Believe
- Core Values
- The Importance of Partnership
- Commitments in Action
- Portrait of a Graduate
- Characteristics of Professional Excellence
Mission
Vision
Covenant Day School is committed to becoming an exceptional, Christ-centered, college-preparatory school. We will create an environment which develops lifelong learners, critical thinkers and problem solvers who will be actively engaged in the world as ambassadors for Christ. Our appraised, innovative academic courses and comprehensive extracurricular offerings will be taught through the lens of truth found in the historic Christian faith by godly faculty and staff who are skilled educators and dedicated mentors. Graduates will be prepared for matriculation into leading colleges and universities in order to live out their callings on the global stage. Our distinctive sense of family, with a diverse community of students, families, friends, donors and alumni, will undergird these efforts necessary to bring excellence to every aspect of Covenant Day School, a ministry of Christ Covenant Church, for God’s glory.
What We Believe
As a Christian school, what we believe about faith and life is supremely important. Covenant Day School is a ministry of Christ Covenant Church, a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America. As a Presbyterian church, Christ Covenant is guided by the Bible and our theological understanding of Scripture is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. As a ministry of the church, Covenant Day School is guided by the same doctrinal convictions.
Having said that, we realize that many—indeed, most—of our families come from other church traditions. While it is important to understand the school’s underlying theological commitments, we are delighted that Christian families from other church traditions who believe the Bible and hold to the historic Christian faith choose CDS for the formal education of their children.
Here is a brief summary of what we believe at Covenant Day School:
- We believe the Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice.
- We believe in the Holy Trinity. There is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- We believe that all are sinners and totally unable to save themselves from God’s displeasure, except by His mercy.
- We believe that salvation is by God alone as He sovereignly chooses those He will save. We believe His choice is based on His grace, not on any human individual merit, or foreseen faith.
- We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him, alone, for salvation.
- We believe that God is gracious and faithful to His people not simply as individuals but as families in successive generations according to His covenant promises.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people and gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow Him.
- We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself.
- We believe that all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Given the realities of our changing world, it is also important to say something about our understanding of human sexuality. Recently, the Presbyterian Church in America released a study committee report on human sexuality. It’s a long document, but at the heart of the report are Twelve Statements. We include parts of the first two statements here so you can understand what we believe as a school.
We affirm that marriage is to be between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6). Sexual intimacy is a gift from God to be cherished and is reserved for the marriage relationship between one man and one woman (Prov. 5:18-19). Marriage was instituted by God for the mutual help and blessing of husband and wife, for procreation and the raising together of godly children, and to prevent sexual immorality (Gen. 1:28; 2:18; Mal. 2:14-15; 1 Cor. 7:2, 9). Marriage is also a God-ordained picture of the differentiated relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:6-10). All other forms of sexual intimacy, including all forms of lust and same-sex sexual activity of any kind, are sinful (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10; Jude 7).
We affirm that God created human beings in his image as male and female (Gen. 1:26-27). Likewise, we recognize the goodness of the human body (Gen. 1:31; John 1:14) and the call to glorify God with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:12-20). As a God of order and design, God opposes the confusion of man as woman and woman as man (1 Cor. 11:14-15). While situations involving such confusion can be heartbreaking and complex, men and women should be helped to live in accordance with their biological sex.
If you have questions, we invite you to reach out to the Admissions Office for additional information.
Core Values
These Core Values guide our conduct and our commitments:
Christlikeness
A reflection of the work of Christ, loving in thought and deed, serving God and others.
Truth
A pursuit of biblical truth so as to develop the knowledge and discernment that guides our judgment and decisions in all areas of life.
Integrity
An insistence on biblical principles that develop character, integrity, and moral excellence.
The Importance of Partnership
At Covenant Day School, we believe that the success of each student is built on the combined efforts of the family, their church, and the school. We believe the development of a student encompasses both the intellectual and the spiritual components and that these two components are inseparable and complementary to one another. We believe that students reach their full potential with a strong partnership between the school and the family.
Commitments in Action
Honor God - We apply biblical principles as we instruct, pray for, and prepare each student for a life that glorifies Him.
Excel - We challenge every student to maximize their gifts and talents to the glory of God by providing the highest level of academic standards.
Partner - We assist parents by serving as a resource to help each student develop intellectually, spiritually, socially, and physically.
Nurture - We build a personal relationship with each student that fosters an environment of love, support and encouragement.
Serve - We offer opportunities to care for others, seeking to develop a servant’s heart within each student.
Lead - We provide fine arts, athletics, and other extracurricular activities, in addition to the classroom experience, that give each student the opportunity to develop gifts and leadership skills.
Staff - We retain a faculty of the highest caliber who possess academic expertise, as well as a heart for mentoring and caring for each student.
Steward - We continually seek to provide good value for the educational investment parents make in their children, offering a growing level of financial support for our families.
Portrait of a Graduate
By God’s grace, Covenant Day School graduates:
Follow Christ - Our graduates recognize that their daily spiritual and intellectual lives are inseparable and complementary, with Christ at the center. The Bible is their foundation and guide as they pursue their unique callings with diligence, humility, and integrity.
Serve Others - Our graduates demonstrate a love for God, the church as the body of Christ, and all people by affirming others as God’s image bearers. They participate and lead in their local and global communities, seeking to serve them selflessly, and include others in achieving goals.
Pursue Wisdom - Our graduates continue to pursue wisdom and knowledge throughout their lives. Intellectually curious, they articulate and apply a biblical worldview as they continue to develop abilities to discern, think critically, work collaboratively, and solve problems creatively and independently.
Communicate Effectively - Our graduates communicate confidently and effectively in written, spoken, mathematical, and technological languages.
Learn Purposefully - Our graduates have a passion for learning and the academic tools necessary to thrive as they purposefully take the next steps in their lives. Their appreciation and wonder for the beauty and complexity of God’s creation informs their learning and development.
Engage the Culture - As ambassadors for Christ, our graduates are equipped to represent Him well collegiately in academics, athletics and/or fine arts. They are prepared to be salt and light for God’s glory within and across cultures throughout their lives.
Characteristics of Professional Excellence
In support of our mission, vision, and Portrait of a Graduate, Covenant Day School has developed the following Characteristics of Professional Excellence that all faculty strive to accomplish:
By God’s grace, Covenant Day School teachers are:
Christ-like: I embrace a biblically-focused worldview and practice the Christian disciplines of grace. I faithfully love the Lord and all people, particularly my students.
Called: I joyfully embrace my calling as a teacher at Covenant Day School. I emphasize and model the biblical concept of “calling” with my students.
Dedicated: I am dedicated to upholding biblical standards of excellence and accountability. I emphasize these high standards for student academic performance and behavior.
Discerning: I teach to the various learning styles, relate lessons to real life situations, and emphasize the cultural mandate. My students are encouraged to express their opinions, grow through failure, take godly risks, and value lifelong learning.
Engaged: I winsomely engage my students, emphasizing their high value to God and me. I pray for my students, desiring that they see the beauty in following Christ, and that they fulfill their callings before God and mankind.
Involved: I serve and pray for the body of Christ at Covenant Day School. I communicate critical matters in person showing the love of Christ each step of the way.
Growing: I passionately pursue professional growth and gladly share my professional successes and failures with my peers inside and outside our school. I genuinely support my colleagues, administration, the Board of Trustees, and Covenant Day School as a ministry of Christ Covenant Church.