Dear Concord Families,

I would like to provide you with a security update. As you are already aware, when visitors arrive on our campus, they must enter through the weekday entrance and sign in at the Welcome Center. A new check-in procedure has now been installed. The system is called Navigate 360 and is an additional layer of security for our campus. Leadership chose Navigate 360 after speaking with several schools that have already introduced the system with great success. Please note the operational changes that are now in effect.  

When a visitor arrives on campus, the following steps should be completed in order to be signed in.

• The visitor should enter through the weekday entrance.
• Visitors 16 years or older will be asked to provide a photo ID. Those 15 years or younger will simply be asked to sign in.
• The photo ID will be scanned into our system, and a sticker will be printed out with the following information: the visitor’s picture, name, current date, time of arrival, and purpose of the visit.
• The visitor will be asked to wear this sticker the entire time he/she is on campus.
• When the visitor is ready to leave campus, he/she will be asked to stop back by the Welcome Center to turn in the sticker. This allows the Welcome Center to know the visitor has left our campus as well as to track visitors for security reasons if needed.

Navigate 360 will go into effect at the preschool entrance once construction is complete in the spring/early summer of 2024. This move is another ongoing step to provide a safe campus for FBC/CCS faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

And as always, it’s a great day to be a LION!

Pressing on Together,

September 1, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

CCS leadership has monitored carline during the first two weeks of school and has decided that a 
few changes should be made. Obviously, campus construction has complicated the normal traffic flow; 
however, leadership believes these necessary changes will speed the drop off and pick up processes. 
Please take note of the following drop off and pick up modifications below that will be implemented 
starting Wednesday, September 6.

Gathering Space Drop-off Changes
●  Parents who have a high school student with a middle school aged sibling may drop off in front 
of the Gathering Space.
●  Parents who have a high school student with an elementary aged sibling may drop off in front of 
the Gathering Space.
●  Parents who have students in all three grade levels may drop off in front of the Gathering 
Space.

Horseshoe Parking Lot
●  High School and middle school parents who have students who participate in the band may now drop 
off in the horseshoe parking lot (noted as VIP on attached map) starting at 7:30am. It is 
recommended that you exit to the right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike. If you desire to exit 
left when leaving campus on Kingston Pike, it is recommended that you follow the normal flow of 
traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at the traffic light at Federal Boulevard.
●  Middle school parents who have an elementary aged sibling may now drop off in the horseshoe 
parking lot (noted as VIP on attached map) starting at 7:30am. It is recommended that you exit to 
the right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike. If you desire to exit left when leaving campus on 
Kingston Pike, you should follow the normal flow of traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at 
the traffic light at Federal Boulevard.

Middle School Pick-up Changes
Since the construction yard has reduced the number of middle school students that can be loaded 
into vehicles from 8 at a time to 3-4 with our current setup, CCS leadership has discussed moving 
to an open pickup procedure versus a traditional carline. This change allows for approximately 
30-45 cars to avoid the elementary pickup line. By doing an open middle school pickup, this will 
hopefully reduce the amount of time parents spend in the pickup line.

Beginning September 6th, middle school is moving to open dismissal using the east parking lot which 
is currently the area used for the pickup line. Middle school students will be dismissed from the 
Student Ministries entrance. Middle school faculty and staff will be present in the east parking 
lot during this
transition time as everyone adjusts to the different flow of traffic.

Please note the following important information regarding Middle School Open Dismissal
●  Middle school parents will park by grade in reserved rows (refer to attached map). The first two 
rows closest to the Student Ministries entrance will be reserved for middle school parents with an 
elementary sibling.
●  Middle school parents who have multiple children who are in grades 6th-8th should park in the 
row for the grade of your youngest child.
●  Middle school parents who desire to exit left when leaving campus on Kingston Pike, should 
follow the normal flow of traffic towards the back parking lot to exit at the traffic light at 
Federal Boulevard (refer to attached map). Elementary pickup should be over by this time allowing 
for easy access to Federal Boulevard.
●  Middle school parents desiring to exit right when leaving campus on Kingston Pike will use the 
east entrance (refer to attached map).
●  If parents so choose, backing into a parking space may also help with the flow of traffic.

Thank you for your patience as leadership strives to expedite the afternoon pickup procedures for 
our families with the main focus of keeping our students safe.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

August 25, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Yesterday, students in 3rd-12th grades met together in the Worship Center for the first combined chapel of the
year. CCS Campus Pastor Steven Madonna challenged students and faculty with the verse and theme of the
school year regarding what it means to have abundant life (John 10:10). What a great way to begin a new
school year!

With the second week in the books, the flow on campus is starting to improve for everyone. Thank you for your
patience as we work through the logistics common to the start of school. Long lines at lunch have subsided,
and we are working on several solutions for the long car lines. All in all, students have settled into a good
routine.

In last week’s Head of School letter, I informed our CCS community that we would send a test alert via our
CCS app this week. If you have the CCS app, you should have received the test alert today at 9:30 am. Our
app is one way we notify parents of important information in a timely manner. I encourage you to download the
app if you haven’t done so already.

Allow me to apologize for the tardiness of the information I am about to share with you from the Parent
Satisfaction Survey taken back in the spring. Typically, my goal is to share this information before school ends
for summer; however, with the construction project and the heightened security measures that dominated my
time during the spring and early summer, this information was put on the back burner.

The type of survey that our parents take is one that provides leadership with a net promoter score. This allows
us to know the health status of our school culture since the score ranges from 1-10 with an 8 or above
considered a healthy culture. The score from the 2022-23 survey was an 8 out of 10 which places CCS in the
healthy school category. Leadership reads the input from this survey given by parents which included positive
comments about Christian education, facility improvements, security improvements, and our faculty and staff.
Parents also commented on areas such as the pace at which our school is growing, homework, the rising cost of
tuition, retention of high quality staff, consistent uniform policies, and a more robust Dual Enrollment/AP course
selection.

This school year, leadership has added a school nurse, additional assistance for the Academic Support Center,
enhanced security protocols, completed several facility upgrades and continues to plan for additional facility
upgrades. Another very important theme from the survey was in reference to parent feedback. Parents desire
to have more input into important decisions. To this point, I have formed a parent advisory committee with
parents representing elementary, middle and high school parents. The committee will meet with me and other
leadership members quarterly to offer input into topics I present to them. The information I present will be ideas
the leadership team is considering for future implementation. Leadership does not desire to lead in a vacuum.
It is our desire to make decisions that will continue to lead us to school improvement.

As always, it’s a great day to be a Lion!

Pressing on Together,
Donald Snider
Head of School

August 18, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Our first week of the 2023-24 school year is in the books, and the journey of Kingdom Education starts again.
CCS exists to assist parents and the church in a child’s educational process. Scripture is clear that education is
the primary responsibility of the parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 78:1-7) and that the process continues from
birth until maturity (Proverbs 22:6). As a school, there are three primary goals that steer Kingdom Education.
These goals include the following: that students would come to know Jesus as their Savior, that students would
be transformed into the image of Christ, and that students would be fully equipped to serve Christ in everyday
life. Please take time to read the attachment outlining the principles of Kingdom Education. I am confident this
information will guide parents on their child-rearing journey.

CCS leadership introduced a 5-year strategic plan last year that we believe helps to accomplish the goals
mentioned above. The plan centers around the following:
● A student-life office who knows, cares and inspires students to follow Jesus
● A faculty who believe they are part of God’s plan and are inspired to be on mission
● An academic culture that prepares students to compete nationally
● Fine arts offerings that seek to reclaim the arts for the glory of God
● Athletic teams that are competitive and develop the athlete holistically
● A campus facility plan that meets the needs of present and future needs

These 6 initiatives guide our leadership’s decision making as we strive to accomplish the CCS mission
statement of “inspiring students to follow Jesus by equipping them to serve, lead, and transform their world”. In
the end, faculty and staff desire to promote a campus culture where students can thrive spiritually,
academically, physically, and emotionally. Faculty, staff and leadership pray regularly for our students to reach
their full potential in Christ. Would you join us in praying on a regular basis for God’s Holy Spirit to be present
on campus? I am believing in faith that this year is going to be a God-inspired year and that everyone on
campus will respond and grow in new and powerful ways.

Please take note of the following reminders.

● If you have not yet downloaded the CCS app, please take a moment to do so. The app is our first line
of communication that will be used to alert our families of important information happening on our
campus. Please note: On August 25th at 9:30 am, there will be a planned test alert sent out on the
CCS app.
● Lunch lines were long this week but that was to be expected since students were getting used to the
layout of the various lunch choices. Several small revisions will be made which should improve the wait
time in the coming days. The Chef Advantage menu can be found on the CCS website or on our CCS
app.
● Pickup lines were also long this week; again small changes with procedures that should improve the
time parents spend in the pickup line going forward.
● As a reminder, there are different emergency drills that we conduct with our faculty and students on a
regular basis. These drills help the students to know what to do during times of severe weather,
lockdowns or evacuation due to fire. Parents will be notified when an emergency drill is underway and
then again once the drill is completed. We are committed to keeping everyone on our campus safe.
● As a reminder, please use the carline in the afternoons when picking up your child(ren) rather than
coming into the building. Our teachers and students follow a routine as they prepare to go home, and
the extra parents in the building can often slow the process. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
● If your family is looking for a place to worship this Sunday, I would like to invite you to attend First
Baptist Concord at either the 9:15 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. service.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

 

August 11, 2023

Dear Concord Family,

I would like to give a warm welcome to our families as we enter the 2023-24 school year! God has blessed
us this summer as the construction crews were able to install the steel for the new floor on time. Our faculty,
construction crews, painters, technology technicians, and other support staff have worked tirelessly this
week preparing for students to return to campus for Launch Day.

Please remember, we are in the middle of a construction zone, and our campus will reflect that reality in
different ways throughout the school year. Leadership is working closely with the general contractors to
ensure the buildings and the actual construction project areas are kept safe, clean, and orderly. During our
pre-planning meetings, the word “flexibility” was mentioned several times and will be the underlying theme
for the school year. Although there are obvious challenges with a construction project occurring during the
normal operations of a school day, the end result will be well worth the journey. As the project progresses
over the next 6 months, I will do my best to keep you well informed of the progress in a timely manner.

Principals have already shared most of the following information; however, it is worth repeating for the sake
of new families that have recently enrolled.

● You will continue to notice security upgrades as school starts back. This summer, our Security
Officers Josh Pless and Dakota Ragon have attended different training sessions that will serve to
enhance our security efforts on campus. Furthermore, leadership has committed substantial time
during our preplanning meetings to campus security. Leadership from both FBC and CCS remain
committed to ongoing security planning.

● Launch Day is Tuesday, August 15th. Our Back-to-School Tailgate will be held during the day this
year from 12:00-5:00pm. This is a drop by event for our families.

● The first day of school is Wednesday, August 16th, and is a full day.

● Drop-off and pickup procedures will function exactly as we ended last year. Returning families
might remember that we changed the procedure on May 1st to prepare for construction to begin.
Please see the attached map for specific routes.

● I am very excited to announce that we have hired a school nurse. Her office is located in the
preschool reception area. This location will make her easily accessible to the entire campus. Look
for more information outlining her job responsibilities in more detail in the coming days.

● Also, I am pleased to announce the hiring of a part-time, licensed counselor who will work more
closely with students who are experiencing major life issues. She will also work closely with the
principals, guidance counselor, the student-life office, and FBC professional counseling partners to
ensure students have access to certified counseling when needed.

The all-in lunch program starts on Wednesday, August 16. Students will have several age appropriate
options to choose from each day consisting of the following: an entree with vegetarian options, a starch,
salad bar, deli bar, two soup options, pizza bar/pasta bar, and a cereal bar. Drink selections will consist of
white and chocolate milk, fruit flavored water, lemonade, and tea.

Students in K-2nd grades will have supervision when going through the lunch line. Many of their choices
will be pre-portioned to help with portion control, and CCS staff will monitor the options the students are
choosing and offer guidance. Students in 3rd-5th grades will have more freedom to choose their selections
but will still be monitored by staff to help with portion control. Middle school students will choose their
selections and will be supervised by staff for portion control. High school students will be free to choose
food as they desire; however, staff will offer advice on portion control as needed.

Leadership, staff, and the staff of Chef Advantage will monitor lunchtime closely until students have settled
into good habits and routines. From past experience, this normally takes 2-3 weeks. The all-in program is
built around healthy food options; however, kid friendly options remain on the menu daily. Please take time
to discuss with your child the types of food you would like for them to choose each day. Lines will be long at
first which is to be expected since it is a new program and certain food bars will be more popular needing to
be replenished more often. Please remember, leadership will make any needed adjustments in the first few
weeks as students settle into their lunch routines. I have started a similar program at previous schools and
have advised private schools in the area and region with their startup all-in program. I am confident that
students and parents will be very pleased with the product once necessary adjustments are made.

I am beyond excited about the trajectory of CCS. The sense of community on our campus is strong and the
resolve to offer a well rounded education based on the principles in God’s Word remains our primary focus.
I believe the principals have hired excellent teachers to join the returning staff who together make up one of
the best faculties in the area. All of our teachers sense the call to Christian education and are committed to
the priorities outlined in the 5-year strategic plan released last spring. Lorna Keeton has featured the
priorities in the upcoming annual report, and I will highlight the plan as well in a few weeks. We believe this
plan will help us to “inspire students to follow Jesus by empowering them to serve, lead, and transform their
world for Christ.”

As always, please reach out to me if I can assist your family in any way.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School

Dear Concord Families,

It is hard to believe we are just a few short weeks away from starting our new school year. The construction has kept everyone on campus super focused, and the days have just slipped away with so much activity. The keyword for this school year will be flexibility. There will be several times when leadership may have to pivot and make some small changes to our daily operations. Hopefully, these changes will be minimal; however, with a project of this size, some disruption is to be expected.  

At this point, the construction project is on schedule; however, the work did call for unexpected remodeling in both the preschool and elementary school foyers and hallways. The remodeling teams are working overtime and weekends to ensure the building is ready for the start of school; however, leadership has decided to make several small changes to the first day of school. This change was made to give faculty, staff and administration one extra day to move back into our classrooms. Please note the changes below.

• The Back to School Tailgate scheduled for Monday, August 14 is now scheduled for Tuesday, August 15. More detailed information will be sent to all CCs families in the coming days.  
• Launch Day scheduled for Monday, August 14th will now move to Tuesday, August 15th. Principals will communicate the schedule for Launch Day soon. Please note that this is no longer the first day of class.
• The first day of class will be Wednesday, August 16th. This will be a full day of school.

I apologize for any inconvenience these changes may have caused for your family; however, the changes were necessary due to remodeling caused by the ongoing construction. The shining light in this change is the wonderful remodel that both floors are currently undergoing. I will do my very best to communicate changes in a timely manner when they are necessary; however, once again, I ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate this 31 classroom construction project that will benefit CCS students for decades to come.

Pressing on Together, 

Donald Snider

June 26, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

It is hard to believe that we are close to the midpoint of summer! Today also begins the two-week “dead period” mandated by TSSAA for athletes and coaches to take time away from preparation for the upcoming school year. So, other than construction, our campus will be relatively quiet for the next couple of weeks.

Below, I have listed several updates that I would like to bring to your attention.
● The leadership team recently attended the Wheaton Academy Institute Best Practices Conference in Atlanta. The conference is designed for administrators to focus on current educational issues and trends. Our leadership team finds it important to stay abreast of current trends and definitely walked away from this conference with valuable information that will help in leading our school.
● The 2nd floor construction is underway. Although the rain last week caused some brief pauses for the work crews, the construction is progressing nicely.
● The kitchen is currently under a minor remodeling project which includes new flooring and paint.
● The F-building received a new roof two weeks ago. This project was completed during normal business hours with no interruption to Preschool or KidzConnect.
● The security team completed state mandated Active Shooter Training last week. The training was provided by a certified trainer and met requirements signed into law by Governor Lee last month.
● The Site Safety plan is under review and will be ready for the start of school.
● The Emergency Response Plan is also under review and also will be ready for the start of school.
● Daniel Head, CCS new Athletic Director, is currently holding informational meetings with all coaches and is gearing up for our upcoming sports seasons.
● The leadership team, working alongside our math faculty, have made several instructional and curriculum changes to strengthen our math curriculum which will in turn help strengthen our standardized test scores.
     ○ Math faculty across campus met to discuss curriculum and instructional pedagogy.
     ○ Principals aligned schedules for math teachers where possible to provide for better collaboration.
     ○ Classrooms for math teachers were moved in close proximity where possible to= facilitate easier communication between teachers.
     ○ Math teachers in elementary school will give basic computation assessments every other week. Third and fourth grade teachers are working over the summer to create these strategic assessments.
     ○ A MAPS (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment will be implemented this school year for grades 2-8 to allow for regular assessment and for immediate instructional changes. MAPS assessment is scheduled for 3            times this coming year which includes testing in the fall, early winter, and spring.
     ○ Leadership and faculty evaluated the math curriculum for alignment of state standards and as a result, supplemental curriculum was ordered and will be implemented this coming school year to fill in any gaps that were                identified from the review.
● Finally, after reviewing the written comments from parent surveys given this past school year, several themes stood out to leadership. One theme that stood out the most was dress code inconsistencies.
     ○ After reviewing input from survey results and after much discussion, leadership has made the decision to address the use of denim in our dress code. Starting with this coming school year, K-12th grade students may                    continue to wear denim (jean) long pants and appropriate length denim (jean) skirts; however, students may no longer wear denim (jean) shorts.
     ○ Students may continue to wear shorts as outlined in our handbook in the colors gray, black, and khaki.
     ○ Our Student/Parent Handbook will be updated to reflect this change prior to the start of school.
     ○ Other areas of concern given by parents in parent surveys tend to be more department specific (i.e. such as dress down days for athletes on game days) and will be addressed by the principal for each department. Please              contact your child’s principal if you have any questions.
     ○ Lastly, I have formed a parent advisory group for the upcoming year, and dress code is one area that I will seek input moving forward.

I trust your family will take time to slow down and enjoy some down time before school starts in August.

Pressing on Together,
Donald Snider
Head of School
 

May 18, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Today, the students celebrated the last day of class, and at the same time, we started the process of cleaning out certain classrooms for construction to begin next week. Over the next several days, hallways and classrooms will undergo quite a transformation. The steel is scheduled to arrive early next week, and the plan is for it to be in place sometime around the end of July. Then, we will move all the classrooms back to their original location in time for school to start in mid-August.

Other than the actual construction, the only campus changes visitors may notice this summer is the location of Concord Christian Preschool (CCP) and KidzConnect (KC). Both CCP and KC will operate out of the F building and the A-Frame Chapel which includes their dropoff and pickup moving to the north and east parking lots. All the necessary summer information for Preschool and KidzConnect has already been communicated to their parents.

Yesterday’s update from Lorna Keeton informed you that CCS surpassed our Capital Campaign goal of $975,00 for the year and have currently raised a total of $1,062,150. With the monies contributed prior to our public campaign this fall, we have raised just over $2,500,000 towards our ultimate goal of $4,000,000. The Capital Campaign has been a tremendous reminder of God’s faithfulness as He has touched the hearts of so many friends and families of CCS to give towards the campaign. I am absolutely convinced that at some point next year, Lorna will report that we have raised the entire $4 million goal for the addition. Please contact her at lkeeton@concordcs.org if you desire to learn more about the current campaign.

On Saturday, May 20th at 2:00pm, CCS will celebrate the graduating Class of 2023. This year, 52 seniors will walk across the stage to receive their diploma. The class of ‘23 is the 11th class to graduate from our school and to this point, the largest. This is a diverse group of graduates that have clearly exemplified the CCS profile of a graduate, and in any way you measure this group, they have already begun to lead, serve and transform their world for Jesus. I anticipate that this group of graduates will begin to be a positive influence on college campuses upon their arrival.  

It is hard to believe that another school year is in the books! CCS leadership is already making plans for the 2023-24 school year as we continue down the road of Kingdom Education together. We look forward to seeing your family back on campus for Launch Day which is on Monday, August 14th. Additional details will be provided to you later in the summer. For now, I pray that your family will have a restful summer and enjoy family time together.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School
 

April 26, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

The month of May is just around the corner and is filled with many events to end the school year. It is hard to believe that a full school year is almost over; however, looking back, it has been a year filled with blessings. We have had over fifty students come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior as well as twenty-five on campus baptisms. That, in itself, is a reason to celebrate!

Through the diligent prayers of our CCS community and many generous donations, FBC & CCS will begin building a second story that will greatly benefit current students and generations to come. The steel for the second story is in Knoxville and will be arriving to our campus in a few weeks. To prepare for the construction yard, there will be a slightly different traffic pattern for drop off and pick up in the back parking lot (preschool entrance). This area will be clearly marked; however, please refer to the traffic map (attached) which now includes the construction area. The new traffic pattern will begin on Monday, May 1st.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate in this year’s Parent Satisfaction Survey. Click here to take the survey.  The survey is very short and should take less than 10 minutes to complete. For a survey to be valid, at least 30% participation is required; however, the validity of the survey increases based upon increased participation. The results of this survey will help leadership as we plan for the upcoming school year. Please complete the Parent Satisfaction Survey by May 5th.

The School Board is currently accepting School Board nominations to fill open seats beginning with the 2023-24 school year. The board asks that those who are nominated should be members of First Baptist Concord. If you would like to nominate someone to serve on the board, please email ccsboard@concordcs.org with his/her name and contact information. Candy Lett, CCS Board Chair, will contact each nominee to gauge their interest and eligibility.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider

 https://www.concordchristianschool.org/editoruploads/images/About/New%20Traffic%20and%20ParkingMap_CCS_May%202023.png

Dear Concord Families,

Our campus has been busy with exciting events occurring almost every night! Tonight is the annual Gala that directly benefits teachers' compensation and the three buckets of academics, fine arts, and athletics. Even if you are not planning to attend in person, you can participate by bidding on the online auction. Today’s Maroon and White has all the details regarding online bidding.

I would like to bring to your attention one new additional security enhancement for our campus. You will notice that the Weekday Entrance door in the Gathering Space is now locked. In order to gain entry, you must call the number listed on the door and the receptionist will buzz you in. Please remember to sign in at the Welcome Center. A video identification system has been ordered and should arrive any day. Once the video system is installed, visitors will buzz the receptionist and after being identified will gain entry to sign in at the Welcome Center. This is one of several immediate changes that are now in place. Several other small recent changes are internal and will not be released to the public. I strongly encourage your family to download the CCS app since this is the fastest way for leadership to provide important information to our families. I will continue to update you on security changes throughout our campus in the coming weeks.

Please allow me to remind you that if your family is considering not returning to CCS for the 2023-24 school year, an Inactive Registration Form must be submitted to our Registrar, Julie Arnold (jarnold@concordcs.org). Parents must submit an Inactive Registration Form no later than April 17th in order to not pay anything towards the 2023-24 school year. Our withdrawal policy found in the Student/Parent Handbook states that a 60-day notice of withdrawal must be given.  

I hope you have a great weekend!

Pressing on Together,
Donald Snider

April 6, 2023

Dear Concord Families,

Holy Week is certainly a special time of the year. Last Sunday, we celebrated Palm Sunday, and today,
we celebrate Maundy Thursday. Our Lord and Savior arose from the grave on the third day to save the
world from sin. Praise be to His name! If you are looking for an Easter service to attend or to watch
online with your family, I encourage you to worship this Saturday or Sunday with First Baptist Concord.
Worship service information can be found at https://fbconcord.org/. He is Risen! Matthew 28:6

Discussion surrounding campus security has remained a constant topic for the leadership of FBC
and CCS over the last ten days. As we discuss different security protocols, leadership has landed on a
three-tiered approach which includes the following questions. What action can we take immediately?
What actions can we take in the coming months? What can we implement over the long term? In the
coming days, ALL doors to the Gathering Space will be locked during school hours. This measure will go
into effect as soon as the hardware for the video camera and buzz-in system arrive. Campus security will
be more visible in the Gathering Space area until the new entry system arrives. Also, the preschool
hallway doors will be closed and locked except for very brief times during the day. Again, campus
security will increase visibility during drop off and pickup times. CCS leadership would like to
emphasize the importance of closing doors upon entering and requiring all visitors to enter the
building through the correct entrances. The campus security camera system and other safety
measures are currently being evaluated. Upgrades and new additional cameras will be added in the
coming months. Lockdown drills will become more frequent and new protocols for these drills will be
implemented. There are other changes around campus that will not be visible due to our desire for
operational protocols to remain in house. I encourage your family to download our CCS app which is
often used to alert our families of any changes to our school day or important announcements. It is the
fastest way for you to gain important school information. I will continue to update everyone regarding
campus security in the coming weeks as decisions are made.

As you are aware, our current Preschool Director Judy Stogner is stepping down as director at the end of
May. I am very grateful for Judy’s commitment to the Preschool program over the past ten years. Under
her leadership, Concord Preschool is consistently recognized as one of the top programs in Knoxville.
You will still see her on campus as she will be assisting our new Preschool Director in a variety of roles.
After an exhaustive search, I am pleased to announce that Alexis Head has accepted the position
as Concord Preschool Director. Alexis is married to Daniel Head, our new Athletic Director. They have
4 children who will attend our elementary school. Alexis has degrees in Early Childhood Education and
Business Administration and extensive experience leading preschool-aged children. She is excited to join
the Concord family and carry on the tradition of excellent care offered by Concord Preschool. She has
already begun the onboarding process and plans to be on campus periodically this spring until her family
arrives in Knoxville in late May or early June. Once she arrives, we will host a time for families to drop by
and meet Alexis.

I would personally like to invite you to attend our Spring Gala on Friday, April 14th. Tickets are
currently on sale and information can be found in the latest edition of Maroon & White. You do not want
to miss this fun event that benefits both faculty and students.

If your child has food allergies and needs to opt out of the all-in lunch program for next school year,
please contact our Business Manager Vanessa Mills (vmill@concordcs.org). She will provide your family
with the form that needs medical documentation and will answer other questions regarding this option.

Today during Chapel, students and family members joined together to celebrate the baptisms of
18 CCS students. Praise be to God! What a glorious day! As Satan would desire for everyone to live in
fear, God is still on the throne and moving on our campus. As the events in Nashville shook us to our
core last week, a colleague reminded me of 2 Timothy 1:17 that states, “God gave us a spirit not of fear
but of power and love and self-control”. As a result of that promise, our leadership team will not lead in
fear, but be diligent, listen, and take every precaution possible to secure our campus. Our trust is in God.
Praise the Lord!

Blessings to you and your family this Easter season.

Pressing on Together,

Donald Snider
Head of School