We understand that we are not the right school for every family. Each family has unique needs, values, and desires that shape where and how they educate their children. However, we do offer many advantages and there are many families who reach out to us and are interested in what we’re doing because they have heard great things from our existing families or they have been observing us from a distance and see the results we’re achieving. With that in mind, what might make Crook County Christian School the right choice for your family? Here are a few reasons that resonate with our mission and vision, and with the families who have chosen to make CCCS their home.
1. Our Dedicated and Amazing Staff and Team
Everything we do at CCCS hinges upon our staff and team. We know that our staff is what makes CCCS the best option for our student(s). They are amazing, caring, and they are dedicated to what they do and the families we serve. They love your kids, and they are constantly seeking to be the best they can be while connecting with each child in a way that helps them achieve all they can for the glory of God. Our team is second to none, and we continue to invest heavily in our staff while providing an environment they want to work in. This ensures that your students continue to receive the best education possible from a well-trained team that is dedicated to Christ, to their jobs, to one another, and to our families.
2. Focusing on Each Child
Children in public schools are often overlooked or pushed along until it is too late for early intervention, and many students fall into a cycle that could have been prevented. Public school teachers who are struggling to manage overcrowded classrooms and increasing behavioral challenges are struggling just to stay afloat and manage their classrooms. We know because we’ve been there. In contrast, our small class sizes, teacher collaboration, and curriculum consistency allow students the best possible advantages regardless of skill level. Students thrive more when they are in a suitable environment that is focused on learning. Our staff endeavor to bring out the best in every child while helping them discover their God-given purpose and identity.
3. Strong Sense of Community and Family Environment
From the beginning, we realized the importance of establishing a culture and DNA at Crook County Christian School that was centered around community and to achieve buy-in from staff and families. Not only has that been successfully accomplished, but it is the primary reason why so many families have had such a great experience and continue to refer new families to us. Having a clear mission and vision is essential. We’re not the right the school for every family, but we have re-established an excellent school with a very strong sense of community. We’re not just a school, we’re a group of people with similar vision and values, and we enjoy being together. Our staff, students and families are here because they love to be here, and we do everything possible to continue to intentionally foster that sense of community with each new family and staff member. We’re a team, and we’re in this together as we raise our kids with the best possible academic and spiritual education to point them towards a biblical worldview and set of values that are grounded in Truth.
4. Providing a High-Quality, Christian Education in Crook County
Not all schools are created equal. Many Christian schools have a reputation of primarily being an alternative to public education. Accordingly, many also have the reputation of being inferior academically to other types of private schools. Some others might be Christian in name, but are nominally Christian in practice and what they teach and enforce. When God called us to re-plant Crook County Christian school, He gave us a two-fold mandate to return to our original mission and vision and to provide a high-quality education but with a distinctively Christian worldview. We help students navigate life and think critically by teaching them “how” to think as opposed to simply teaching them “what” to think. It is our God-given mission to provide students with the highest-quality education in Crook County and with a biblical worldview that prepares them for the times to come and to be successful in whatever path God leads them to. We’re not simply called to be an alternative, we’re called to provide the best possible Christian education for our families for such a time as this.
5. Keeping Students in Crook County While Saving Time and Money
What would it look like to save thousands of dollars per year in tuition and fuel costs, and to recoup 20-40 hours per month spent in the car commuting? Over the past several years, many parents have left Crook County believing that the only way to find the quality academic Christian education they were seeking was by commuting to Redmond or Bend and paying significantly more. Central Christian became a popular choice for many Crook County families, as did similar schools in Bend and Redmond.
Crook County Christian is committed to providing the best possible Christian education right here in Crook County at a cost that is significantly less than similar schools in our region. Factor in the cost of commuting in fuel and time spent in traffic, and families can save thousands of dollars annually without sacrificing the quality of education their children are receiving. In fact, we believe we can do it better and we’ll continue to pursue nothing less than excellence. There are many benefits to keeping students in the community they live, and we are striving to make that decision easy for parents who want a strong academic and spiritual education for their kids.
6. Veritas Initiative: Combatting the War on Truth
Never has the importance of teaching kids that Truth is concrete and objective been more important than it is right now. There is a war on Truth in our culture, and it is one of the most formidable obstacles students are facing in schools and in culture. At CCCS, we teach students of all ages, in a way that they can understand, the concept of Truth as objective. We then teach them to be seekers of Truth, discerners of Truth and communicators of Truth as they grow and learn. We are equipping them to handle whatever culture brings their way by giving them a framework to inspect all truth claims and filter out what is false from what is true. We don’t just teach them what is truth (facts), we teach them how to know what is true.
7. Strong Focus on Early Literacy and Helping Struggling Readers Become More Confident
By the time students reach upper elementary (3rd-5th grades), a majority of their learning is based on their ability to read. Strong readers thrive and complete work more quickly, while struggling readers become more frustrated, have more homework, and many shut down or give up altogether. This is one of the core reasons CCCS places so much emphasis on developing early literacy. Our Early Education team (preschool) works closely with our early elementary team (K – 2nd grade) to help students develop core reading skills and to identify any concerns along the way to help intervene.
Additionally, we are finding that many students who transfer into us at upper grades are in need of developing more confidence in their reading abilities. Many students in our public system are functionally illiterate, and many schools just don’t seem to have time or incentives to help struggling readers as they are pushed through the system. While there is no easy solution, we strongly advocate helping struggling readers by giving them opportunities and incentives to read through volunteer helpers and through the Accelerated Reader program. Regardless of skill level, we want to see students become confident readers who become confident learners. Reading is essential.
8. Missional Thinking and Living
We understand that one of the core narratives of Scripture is the redemption of peoples from all nations, tribes and tongues. To this end, we want to empower and encourage our students to think locally and missionally. The Great Mandate is to make disciples of all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. We intentionally look for ways to inspire serving locally in our own community (Prineville), as well as globally. From an early age, we want kids to understand God’s heart for all people is just as passionate as His heart for them. We are accomplishing this in 4 ways:
- Local Outreach
We partner and encourage students to participate in a number of projects throughout the year. From the Holiday Partnership to service projects, we are always looking for opportunities for our students and families to make an impact and bring hope to our community of Prineville. - Global Missions: The Uganda Project
Students LOVE Grandma Kathy and learning about the work she is doing in Uganda. Half the proceeds from our Holiday Bazaar go to support missions work in Uganda, and we regularly bring updates about the missions work there to students to help them feel connected. - Global Outreach: The Freedom Project
One of our regular fundraising projects is in partnership with our friends at the Himalayan Freedom Co. When parents purchase one of the many hand-crafted items we sell, it helps employ women in Nepal who have either been trafficked or who are at high risk for being trafficked. This amazing organization is doing great work, and we love partnering with them! - Future Missions Trips
As we expand into high school, we will be offering several trips for students to participate in from year to year. Our current plan is to offer an American history trip to the East Coast for all of our 9th grade students. In 10th and 11th grades, we plan to offer missions trips in the U.S. and abroad for students to participate in. This has been one of the single most impactful things for one of our sister schools, and this is something we are very excited about as we expand into high school classes.
9. We Get Results
While the national headlines continue to speak about how students in public schools are falling behind, the majority of our students test above their peers in public and private schools. Our test results last year were very encouraging at a time when public schools and families are searching for answers. The reasons for our success is clear, and our test scores continue to validate those investments:
- Amazing staff
- Small class sizes
- Emphasis on reading and early literacy development
- Striving to help each child reach their potential
- Relentless pursuit of excellence
The majority of parents who place their students with us from early education through high school are giving their students the best opportunity for success.
10. Our Goal Is Nothing Less Than to be the Best School in Our Region
The mandate God gave us biblically and in replanting the school was to do all things as though doing them unto the Lord. This is a cultural value and part of our DNA that was established last year when we replanted Crook County Christian School. It is something our staff and administration practice, and we regularly invest in our staff to accomplish this goal. Being the best Christian school in our region is the passionate goal behind every decision we make and every policy we put in place. We realize what is at stake and the importance of the times in which we are living. Our children and families need us to keep this goal at the front of everything we do, because what’s at stake is critically important…the hearts and minds of our kids.
11. Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)
While we said 10 reasons, it is imperative for parents to understand WHY we do what we do and what motivates us every single day, and especially during the difficult days. We have a God-given and biblical mandate as parents and educators to ensure our kids are raised with a biblical worldview and with the best education possible. Why? For the Glory of God. He is the reason, He is the end, He is the passionate pursuit that motivates us in everything we do. It is this reason that we originally chose to establish Crook County Christian School, and it is the reason why we continue to pursue excellence in academics, discipleship and leadership. We exist to help families in their God-given mandate, and we exist, ultimately, to bring glory to God in all we do.
SOLA DEO GLORIA
More Info about CCCS
Are you a parent wanting to know how your child can thrive at Crook County Christian School? At CCCS, we aim to help students pursue God through excellence in Discipleship, Academics, and Leadership!
Reach out today and make a change that will benefit your student for a lifetime!
Leave a Reply