Concord Campus News

May 21st, 2026

Superintendent of Schools Update

Donald Snider

Dear CCS School Families,

As we close the doors on another incredible school year, I am filled with gratitude for the growth, achievements, and the infectious community spirit we have witnessed at Concord Christian School this year. God has been so faithful to our school family!

We have much to celebrate as we look back on these past few months. We continue to achieve academic excellence with more diverse class and club offerings, competitive STEM and Scholar Bowl showings, and the Class of 2026 receiving 3.9 million in scholarship dollars (average of $95,000 per student).

Our students absolutely shone in our outstanding fine arts performances, showcasing incredible talent, dedication, and creativity.

This year has been a historic one for athletics with more teams and student athletes competing at the State level than ever before and representing our school with distinction.

We have enjoyed honoring our students recently during our preschool, kindergarten, and high school graduations. It is a joy to celebrate each milestone, including those of several home school students who walked the stage as part of our extended community.

Looking ahead, the homeschool umbrella division, led by Angela Keathley, is planning to expand the offerings by adding a University School Model to the homeschool umbrella, offering families even more flexible, robust options to partner with CCS in Christian education.

Important Update: Education Freedom Scholarships (EFS)

As we prepare for the upcoming year, leadership is thrilled to learn that so many families have already received positive updates regarding the Education Freedom Scholarships (EFS).

Please take a moment today to check your inbox—and even your spam folder—for your notification. As a reminder, here are the next steps for approved EFS families:

Log In: Access your official EFS account portal.
Select Our School: Designate Concord Christian School as your enrolled school for the upcoming year.

Thank you for your continued partnership, prayers, and dedication to Kingdom education. Have a wonderful, restful summer break!

Pressing on together,

Don Snider, Ed. S

Superintendent of Schools

Upcoming CCS Events & News

Important Reminders

Concord Campus News will now move to its summer schedule of every three weeks after this edition. Make sure you're following us on our social media platforms for additional announcements and school happenings!

**Summer reading and school supply lists will be available on our website in early June.**

All rising 7th graders must have an updated TN Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form, or a religious or medical exemption, on file with their school.

This record, unless it is an exemption, must show your student is compliant with Tennessee state law that rising 7th graders have the Tdap booster administered at or after age 10.

If you have not already provided us with your child's updated immunization form showing the 7th-grade booster, or a religious or medical exemption, please do so before the start of school.

You may submit the form by email to jarnold@concordcs.org, fax 865-675-2040, or bring a copy to the reception desk in the Gathering Space in an envelope addressed to Julie Arnold.

Knox Stars 2026

🦁 It’s that time again… time to nominate Concord Christian School, Concord Christian Preschool, and KidzConnect in the 2026 Community’s Choice Awards! 👏

In this nomination round, every submission counts.

We need your help submitting CCS, CCP, and KC in each category for consideration. Last year, all three made it into the Top 3!

⏰ Nominations close TOMORROW, May 22nd, at 11:59 PM. The top five nominees in each category will move on to voting in July, where winners and finalists are selected.

What are you waiting for? VOTE CONCORD HERE!

LOWER SCHOOL NEWS

Summer Camps 🎉

Camp CCS is just around the corner and will run June 1st – July 30th. Offering a variety of experiences in art 🖌️, athletics 🏈, and academics 🔬, there is something for everyone.

Spots are limited and filling quickly, so don’t delay in signing your Lion(s) up today!

👉 Click HERE for registration and more information.

Night of Worship

✨ Our combined Worship Night featuring our K–2nd grade students and high school worship team was such a sweet and special time for all in attendance.

Our Lions did a fantastic job lifting their voices in songs of praise and blessing everyone who was present through their worship. 🎤

What a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness! ❤️

Summer Reading for K-4th

"Summer BINGO" is for incoming 1st - 2nd graders. If a student completes their BINGO card, and returns it to Mrs. Peterson in the library during the 1st two weeks of school, they will earn a prize!

The "1,000 minutes of Summer Reading" is for incoming 3rd-4th graders. If they complete 1,000 minutes of reading and submit their sheets within the 1st two weeks of school, they too will earn a prize.

The students' names MUST be on their paper in order to receive a prize!

5th & 6th Grade Academy and Upper Middle School Happenings

Our 5th grade Lions had a fun Q & A session this week with FBC Lead Pastor, Dr. John Mark Harrison. Students enjoyed posing questions and learning more about him personally, his role as pastor, and what motivates him to lead and serve others in the many ways he does.

Upper School Updates

ACT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines

July 11, 2026

Registration Deadline: June 5, 2026

Students need to register for the ACT HERE!

ACF Visionary Scholarship Details

Eligible Grades: 2026, 2027, 2028, & 2029

Spring App 2026/2027 Deadline: June 1, 2026

Winners Chosen: July 15, 2026

Awards Distributed: July 31, 2026

Our Visionary Scholarship is a bi-annual award. There are five (5) awards given with each bi-annual deadline – with a total of ten (10) college scholarships awarded for each school year. Awards range from $1,000 to $2,500 each.

Only one application per student, per award deadline will be accepted. Non-winners are eligible to re-register and re-apply for future awards – this includes the 2nd deadline of a school year. There is absolutely no cost to apply and a student does not need to demonstrate financial need in order to be eligible. Apply for the ACF Visionary Scholarship HERE.

Sadie Hawkins Dance

Our 9th - 12th grade students had a total blast at the Sadie Hawkins Dance! 🥳

Hosted at The Venue with CCS alum, Young Johnny D, spinning tunes, it was an evening full of fun and a great way to close out the school year. 💃 🎉

Senior Checklist Items

Welcome New Seniors, Class of 2027

It is not too early to be thinking about Tennessee Promise and your next steps after graduation!

TN Direct Admissions helps eligible Tennessee seniors explore admission offers from participating in-state colleges, universities, community colleges, and TCATs—making the path to college or technical training clearer and easier.

To stay on track, be sure to complete your TN Promise application HERE anytime now and watch for more information about college options and next steps this fall.

Achieving Academic Excellence

Engineering Challenge Accepted

Our Engineering students recently took on an exciting design challenge: creating an aerial imaging system for disaster response situations!

Using a balloon-based platform, students explored how images captured from above can help response teams assess damage, locate areas of need, and make informed decisions when ground access is more limited. 🎈

This hands-on project gave students a great opportunity to apply design and problem-solving to a worthy challenge. Great work, Lions! 👏

Athletic Accolades & Updates

Oakley Helton

⚾ Congrats to Athlete of the Week, Oakley Helton! 👏

As a sophomore right fielder and designated hitter, Oakley had a fantastic season and also earned All-District Player honors.

📊 Season Stats:

⚾ Batting Average: .347

⚾ Hits: 34

⚾ Extra Base Hits: 15 (including 2 Home Runs)

⚾ Stolen Bases: 13

Oakley’s intensity and consistency made a huge impact on the field this season, and we are proud to celebrate his achievements. 🙌

Way to represent, Oakley! ⚾

Paisley Stroud & MS Golf

Congratulations to 7th grade golfer Paisley Stroud for coming in 4th at State! She and the MS golf team had an outstanding season, and we can't wait to see them back on the course next year.

Well done Lions! 👏

"We Are Concord" Sport Media Guide

We are pleased to introduce a Sport Media Guide for the coming year! This exciting opportunity is great for showcasing your business or a "Good Luck!" family or student photo while supporting CCS athletics. Purchase yours HERE.

MS Girls' Basketball Summer Practice/Parent Meeting

WHEN: May 28th

5:30-6:30pm practice in CCS Gym

7:00pm parent meeting in G200

WHO: Rising 6th-8th Grades

Fill out Google form HERE.

Lower School Cross Country

WHEN: Practices start August 18th

WHO: 2nd-5th grades

Fill out Google form HERE.

**No try-outs will be held

Week In Arts

🎭 Coming to a stage near you! CCS Theatre is proud to announce our exciting productions for the upcoming season:

🦁 Fall Production: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

🏴‍☠️⚓ Spring Production: The Pirates of Penzance

Get ready for adventure, imagination, and incredible performances from our talented cast and crew. Stay tuned for more information! 👏

🎶 Spring Chorus Concert 🎶

Our students honored the Lord with their talents and gifts at their recent spring concert.

It was a special evening of worship and celebration, and we applaud their efforts and give thanks for this wonderful event! 🎤 👏

International Program Updates

Peruvian Study Tour

Our CCS community was blessed to host a 10-day Peruvian study tour!

Students from Peru spent their time shadowing classes, experiencing campus life, and sightseeing, while their school principal connected with CCS staff to learn and take home new ideas to implement.

We are so thankful for our International Program and the opportunity to build meaningful connections and make a positive impact across nations! 🌎

Storehouse Happenings

CCS Storehouse

The Storehouse WILL BE OPEN this summer! Stay tuned for more details regarding specific days and hours.

Uniform Sale

Don't miss Tommy Hilfiger's Back-To-School uniform sale for CCS families!

July 13th - 20th

Concord Parent Connection

As another school year comes to a close, CPC would like to extend a heartfelt "THANK YOU!" to all of our amazing parents, teachers, and staff.

To our teachers and staff, thank you for loving and investing in our children. Your dedication does not go unnoticed.

To our CPC board and parent volunteers, thank you for showing up, serving faithfully, and helping create a strong and connected school community.

Mark your calendars for Concord's annual fundraising gala on September 27th and annual golf tournament on September 28th at Fox Den. We need many parent volunteers!

Please complete the form HERE if you're interested in helping or if you have items or experiences to donate to the auction.

More updates to come over the summer!

Spiritual & Student Life Office

Chapels will resume with the new school year.

Church's Corner

Worship at FBC

Looking for a place to worship? Look no further!

All are welcome at FBC with Sunday service times:

🕗 8:00 AM

🕤 9:15 AM

🕚 11:00 AM

We can’t wait to worship with you and grow together in faith. 🙏

Summer Student Opportunities

Wild Week: May 30th - June 3rd
Student Leadership University (SLU) 401: June 3rd - June 13th
Beach Week: June 22nd - June 26th
United Kingdom HS Mission Trip: July 10th - July 18th
SLU 201: July 12th - July 18th
SLU 101: July 13th - July 19th
SLU 301: July 19th - July 27th

**Register for Beach Week and Wild Week HERE!

Concord Christian Preschool

Littlest Lion Happenings

CCP May Newsletter is HERE. Be sure to read it over carefully!

Pre-K Graduation

We were thrilled to honor and celebrate so many of our Littlest Lions graduating! We are excited to see them tackle Kindergarten next year and are thankful for the time they spent at CPC. ❤️

Keeping up with KidzConnect

We are gearing up for another AMAZING summer with KidzConnect! Registration is open HERE.

Activity link HERE.

After School Care Enrollment

Registration is open for KidzConnect After-School Care for the 2026/27 school year. Registration can be found HERE!

Homeschool Happenings

Summer Math Tutoring

Our high school co-op math teacher is offering six weeks of summer tutoring sessions from May 25 - July 3. If your student(s) are looking for a quick math "boost", working to catch up to grade-level, or are simply trying to get ahead over the summer, Ansley has experience working with elementary through Geometry/Algebra 2. Please reach out to Mrs. Keathley for more information.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

August 7th, 2026: Senior Pictures
May 22nd, 2027: Graduation
June 15th, 2026: Grades and attendance due for the 2025/26 school year

Parent ID Cards

Homeschool Parent ID Card. Did you know some businesses offer discounts for homeschoolers when you present this card?

To get yours, simply:

Complete https://forms.gle/gxd9g19YksiZNVYYA
I’ll email your personalized card.
Print it or save it to your phone for easy access!

Learner's Permit

When applying for a learner’s permit, students must submit the SF-1010 form. Please keep these key points in mind:

The form is valid for 30 days after issuance.
Allow adequate time for our staff to process your request.
Once completed, the form will be sent via email to the address you provide.
We do not fax the form directly to the driver’s license office.

To avoid delays, please ensure the form is submitted before the 30-day expiration.

Verification of Enrollment

Homeschool umbrella students may need to provide Verification of School Enrollment when participating in co-ops, extracurricular activities, or other programs requiring proof of enrollment in an approved educational program.

This document, issued by the overseeing homeschool umbrella or cover school, verifies the student’s enrollment status for purposes such as: