Concord Campus News

May 15th, 2026

Head of School Update

Brice Richards

Dear CCS School Families,

As we close the doors on another incredible school year, my heart is full of gratitude. It is a profound privilege to walk alongside you in the discipleship and education of your children. Thank you for choosing to partner with CCS.

Before we fully turn our attention to the summer, I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our Graduating Class of 2026.

Graduates, we are immensely proud of the young men and women you have become. As you step into this next chapter, we pray the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 over you: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Go forth with confidence, knowing you are equipped to lead and serve for His glory.

Please join us in celebrating the graduating Class of 2026 on Saturday, May 16, at 11:00 a.m. in the Worship Center. If you are unable to attend in person, you can livestream graduation HERE.

While the traditional school year is ending, our campus remains vibrant! I am so excited to see many of our students attending Camp CCS as they learn and grow academically and athletically. It’s a joy to see them sharpening their skills and staying connected throughout the summer.

We are thrilled to hear that several of our 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. You must log in to your EFS account and select Concord Christian School as your enrolled school.

For those of you still waiting for news, please know that we are keeping you in our prayers. We are standing with you in anticipation and can’t wait to see how these scholarships will support our students and expand opportunities for our families this coming year!

I hope this summer break provides your family with a well-deserved season of rest, reflection, and quality time together. Whether you are traveling or enjoying the peace of home, I pray that the Lord refreshes your spirits and keeps you safe.

Blessings,

Brice Richards

CCS Head of School

Upcoming CCS Events & News

Important Reminders

Concord Campus News will move to its summer schedule of every three weeks after the May 21st edition is sent out. Make sure you're following us on our social media platforms for additional announcements and school happenings!

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 Friday, 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!

Class of 2026 Commencement

🎓 We invite you to join us tomorrow, May 16th, at 11:00 AM for Concord Christian School’s Commencement Ceremony in the FBC Worship Center!

Come celebrate the Class of 2026 and the many achievements they’ve accomplished during their time at Concord. 👏

We look forward to honoring this great group of graduates as they take the next step in their journey. Congrats Lions! 🎉

**Unable to attend in person? Livestream graduation 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.

Other Important Dates:

May 15th - Field Day
May 18th - 4th grade End-of-Year Program
May 19th - Kindergarten End-of-Year Program (in the Chapel)
May 21st - Last Day of School

Lower School Art Show

Our Lower School art show was something special! The “Through the Decades” experience was one for the books! 🌸 ✌️

Students poured their creativity into masterpieces that elicited feelings of nostalgia for attendees. From groovy patterns to cassette tapes, it was so much fun to see each decade come to life through their eyes.

We’re proud of our young artists and grateful to all who came out to celebrate their work! 🫶

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

Important Dates:

May 20th: Awards & Field Day

The Final Glow Down

🎉 Our 8th graders had a blast at their neon silent disco dance, “The Final Glow Down”! ✨

From fun pictures to lots of dancing, it was such a special way to celebrate the end of their middle school journey. We look forward to seeing what they'll accomplish their freshman year! 💛

Upper School Updates

College Counseling Corner

The College Counseling Corner May newsletter can be found HERE.

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.

Senior Checklist Items

Class of 2026 and Families,

Graduation is this Saturday!

Important Dates

May 15th: Graduation Rehearsal at 3:45pm in the Worship Center (no cap & gown yet).
May 16th: Arrive in the FBC Choir room at 10:15am (cap & gown required) for graduation.

✨ Senior Chapel ✨

Senior Chapel was such a sweet time of worship and prayer for our Upper School students. 🙏

Our seniors did a wonderful job planning the program, sharing words of encouragement, and lifting their voices in praise and song.

We are so proud of this class and their faithful leadership. 🫶

Achieving Academic Excellence

English II Honors Symposium

Our Sophomore English II Honors students recently showcased their critical thinking and persuasive writing skills through an impressive rhetorical analysis competition. 📚

After reading and analyzing novels thematically, students developed a thesis question and answered it persuasively using the five canons of rhetoric—Invention, Style, Arrangement, Memory, and Delivery.

They then revised their essays to craft arguments that they presented in a judged competition.

Congratulations to this year’s winners for their outstanding work:

🥇 1st Place: Avery Orlando

🥈 2nd Place: Graeden Scott

🥉 3rd Place: Piper Welsh

Well done Lions! 👍

Athletic Accolades & Updates

Track is State Bound

Our track team continues their historic season with standout performances at Regionals last week!

Please join us as we celebrate their ever-growing medal count and wish them well at State next week. Way to go Lions! 👏

All-District Softball

Congratulations to our All-District Softball Player, Elizabeth Reed! 🙌

As a sophomore shortstop, Elizabeth had an outstanding season and put up some great stats:

🥎 HR: 1 (Grand Slam)

🥎 RBI: 19 (Team Leader)

🥎 Slugging %: .650 (Team Leader)

🥎 OPS: 1.161 (Team Leader)

🥎 XBH: 7

🥎 Batting Average: .425

🥎 OBP: .511

EKR represented with excellence this season, and we can't wait to see her back on the field next year!

High School Golf Tryouts

WHEN: May 18th at 4:00pm

WHERE: Fairways and Greens

WHO: Rising 8th-12th Grades

Sign-Up HERE.

Mascot Tryouts

WHEN: May 19th from 6:00-8:00pm

WHERE: CCS student gym

WHO: 6th - 12th grades

NEED: (1) middle school, (2) high school

Fill out Google form HERE.

Middle School Softball Tryouts

WHEN: May 19th from 6:00-8:30pm

WHERE: Ruritan Park (4256 Ruritan Road

Lenoir City 37771)

WHO: Rising 6th - 8th Grades

Fill out Google form HERE.

MS Boys' Basketball Summer Tryouts

*Note that this is NOT the final tryouts for the season

WHEN: May 18th from 6:30-8:00pm

WHERE: CCS Gym

WHO: Rising 6th-8th Grades

Fill out Google form 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.

Week In Arts

Spring Band Concert

🥁 This year’s Spring Band Concert was truly an unforgettable musical experience. 🎺

“Becoming America: A Journey Through Sound” was a powerful and inspiring concert that was a blessing to everyone in attendance.

Our student musicians did an outstanding job sharing their talents and bringing this musical journey to life! 🎶

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 next Monday and Wednesday from 8:00am - 3:00pm for your shopping pleasure. New spring items are here and ready to be bought and enjoyed!

*Location is the Admissions Office lobby.

**Storehouse gift cards are available for purchase and make great gifts for birthdays, teachers, and others. 🩷

Tommy Hilfiger sale 5/11 - 5/18

Shop early and save more for next year!

Concord Parent Connection

Luau Luncheon

CPC spoiled our teachers and staff with fun treats and a lovely Luau Luncheon

in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.

Thank you to CPC and all the volunteers who served our commmunity so well this school year.

We are grateful for you! 🌺 🌴

Spiritual & Student Life Office

No Chapel Week of May 18th

Church's Corner

Worship at FBC

Looking for a place to worship? Look no further! Pastor John Mark's current sermon series is "Everyday Saints", and we'd love to have you join us for church.

All are welcome with Sunday service times at:

🕗 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!

⭐ COGNIA Conference ⭐

Our Concord Christian Preschool Lead Teachers recently spent two inspiring days at the COGNIA Early Learning Institute Conference in Atlanta!

They returned excited and with fresh ideas about ways to enrich the whole-child learning experience for every student at CCP. 🫶

Pre-K Graduation

We were thrilled to honor and celebrate so many of our Littlest Lions graduating this week! 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: