Back to School Information

Bookmark and Share Home » parents » Back to School Information

Dear Covenant School Families,

Happy summer! I hope you are enjoying lots of fun in the sun with some relaxation, too. Our school summer camps have been terrific, and we have more camps coming up if you would like an opportunity to participate. More information can be found here. I know that all our students have also been busy with summer reading--so many wonderful books to discover and so little time! Please read aloud to one another; this is important for student reading fluency, and the children benefit from hearing their parents model expressive reading as well.

Important school forms such as the school calendar, required forms, ERB score report, class supply list, and the new dress code were mailed to you. Many of those school forms can also be found on our website. A committee of parents revised the dress code, which I reviewed and approved. Please note that some clothing options are no longer included and some new options have been added. Because red, white, and black are our school colors, navy clothing options have been deleted (with the exceptions of the Covenant sweatshirts, Covenant jackets, and the boys' blazer). Please follow the dress code closely as you make clothing purchases. Items may be purchased from The Covenant School Booster Store on Orientation Day.

Please note that tuition payments begin in July through your FACTS tuition payment account. The class lists will be sent to you through email in the first week of August so that all new students applying this summer may be included. Please continue to share about our school with your friends and invite them to call Diana Apple, Director of Admission, for a tour and application. We still have room to grow!

"We're lovin' it at Covenant!"              --Dr. Catherine Graham


ORIENTATION DAY:  Wednesday, August 17,  8:30-10:00 a.m.
  • Students and their parents should gather in the Fellowship Hall by 8:30 a.m. Students are not required to wear uniforms to Orientation, but they may do so if they choose.After the Orientation program, the students will join their teachers for a parade to the classrooms.
  • Parents should pick up your copy of The Covenant School Handbook and Directory 2011-12. Then parents should follow their child to the classroom to turn in to the teacher all the child's required school forms and to drop off a bag (labeled with the child's name) containing all the required school supplies, which the students may sort.
  • Tennessee law requires that the school must have a birth certificate and a current health immunization form for your child before the first day of school. Please turn those in to the school office on or before Orientation Day.
  • Students will be dismissed from the classroom to leave with their parents by 10:00 a.m. (If a child must leave with another adult, then the child's parent must provide a written and signed note to the teacher before dismissal.)
  • The Covenant School Booster Store will be open after Orientation.

FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL:  Morning Arrival begins at 7:40 a.m. at the School Entrance, and students must be seated in their classrooms by 8:00 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:00 will be issued a Tardy Slip by the receptionist and will remain at the receptionist's desk until the conclusion of chapel at 8:25. On Thursday and Friday, August 18-19, the  Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten students will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Dismissal for all other students will be 3:00 p.m. Students must be picked up by 3:15; students who are not picked up by that time will be signed in for After-School Care Service in the gym. Please drop off and pick up your children from the main school entrance only so that we may ensure their safety. Please follow all instructions for Student Arrival and Dismissal in the Handbook and Directory 2011-12.

NEW TRAFFIC DIRECTION FOR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL:  Cars may enter the school lot from either entrance, but then should drive in the counter-clockwise direction (bearing right through the second parking level and curving left towards the sanctuary and the school entrance). Then the cars will exit straight from the school entrance down the hill. On rainy days, the cars will drive counter-clockwise past the sanctuary and school entrance to the covered porte-cochere to drop off or pick up students. (This new traffic pattern eliminates the longer clockwise loop past the porte-cochere).

EARLY-CARE PROGRAM:  The Early-Care Program in the gym is a free service for our students who arrive at school between 7:15-7:40a.m. A parent must park, walk the student inside the designated side entrance, and sign in the student. Please make sure that a staff member is present before leaving your child, and do not drop off your child on the sidewalk without walking him/her inside. The Early-Care Program will begin Thursday, Aug. 18.

AFTER-SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM:  The After-School Care Program in the gym is offered for a fee ($10 each day) for students who remain at school from 3:00-5:30 p.m. and who have registered for the service. Students who have not been picked up at dismissal by 3:15 will be signed in for the After-School Care Program. Please learn more about the After-School Care Program by referring to the Handbook and Directory 2011-12.  After-School Care  will not be offered on Thurs. and Friday, Aug. 18-19, but it will begin on Monday, Aug.  22.

REQUIRED SCHOOL FORMS:  The Registration form, Medical/Insurance form, the Food Allergy Action Plan, the After-School Care Service Registration form, and the Grandparents' Information form should be completed and returned to your child's teacher on Orientation Day. In addition, Tennessee law requires that the school must have a birth certificate and a current health immunization form for your child before the first day of school. Please turn those in to the school office on or before Orientation Day.  Additional copies of these forms can be found here.

SUPPLY LIST:  Your child's required supply list can be found here. Please drop off your child's supplies in a bag (labeled with your child's name) to the classroom on Orientation Day.

UNIFORMS:  Please note the changes in the dress code uniform information. Please comply with the policy when making your purchases. When parents help their children to follow the dress code, they teach their children about serving God through obedience, personal responsibility, cooperation, and respect both for rules and for our school community. Teachers will send home a Dress Code Reminder form when a student's attire does not follow the dress code. The Parker School Uniform Store is the official supplier, and some formal uniform items must be purchased there. The Covenant School Booster Store and Land's End offer several uniform items. Clothing purchased from other retailers must match the style of the Parker Store items.

5TH AND 6TH GRADERS' GYM CLOTHES:  The 5th and 6th graders are required to wear a white or red Covenant School T-shirt and black or red athletic shorts, which may be purchased from The Covenant School Booster Store. Girls' shorts must be a modest length. The Booster Store also offers a mesh gym bag for carrying the gym clothes and athletic shoes.

SCHOOL EVENTS:  The school calendar (The_Covenant_School_Calendar_2011-12.pdf) includes some important dates and events, and a more detailed calendar will be included in the Handbook and Directory 2011-12, which you will receive on Orientation Day.

SUMMER READING LIST AND REPORTS:  For new students the summer reading list can be found here. Students in grades that are required to write reports should follow all report instructions and complete the reports before August 18.

CLASS LISTS:  We are currently enrolling new students, and when that process concludes we will notify our families by August 1 about the class lists through email. The final class lists will also appear in the Handbook and Directory 2011-12, which will be distributed on Orientation Day.

NEW FACULTY POSITIONS:
Mr. Taylor Clement  is the Assistant Head of School, the Athletic Director, and the 6th-grade social studies teacher. Mr. Clement has several years experience as a history teacher and Dean of Students for Franklin Christian Academy. Mr. Clement will be responsible for the athletic program, school safety, admissions support, student discipline, school technology, standardized testing, and upper-school student leadership.

Mrs. Jacquelyn Harris is the Language Arts Teacher for the 5th and 6th grades, and she serves as the fifth-grade homeroom teacher. Mrs. Harris comes to TCS from Eakin Elementary, where she was an excellent leader on the faculty. Mrs. Harris brings expertise in reading and writing instruction that features high standards, creativity, and enthusiasm.

Mrs. Holly Ahlbin serves this year as the Quest Coordinator, and she offers academic support services for students who would benefit from additional academic challenges or academic skill practice through small group or individualized instruction. Information about the Quest Program will be included in the Handbook and Directory 2011-12. Mrs. Ahlbin also offers her outstanding instruction as part of the Junior Kindergarten teaching team.