The Covenant School

The Pros: -an amazing community of Christians-most teachers are top-notch and have very high expectations of kids-You read the Iliad in 7th grade -Latin!-most students are kind and down to earth-impressive arts program The Cons:-Watermark "bubble" can feel very homogeneous - very little diversity in race, socioeconomic or religious background (within Christianity)-Homework is very typically 3 hours a night (for middle school- even more for high school). Most kids are not able to do anything but school for this reason. They don't produce a "whole child" but a very academically successful one that is not well-rounded best case and develops anxiety worse case.-Teaching and curriculum don't seek to be engaging. Instead, the school assumes exposing a child to quality art/literature/ideas is engaging in and of itself. "We are not here to entertain"-If you suspect your child might have any kind of learning difference....however slight.... This is NOT the place for you. They don't allow for accommodations or any flexibility in how they do things. -We were disappointed that colleges were not more interested in accepting Covenant graduates. It seems the school is missing something that college campuses are targeting.

I am perplexed by the rating from Dec 6, 2014 about the hours of homework in elementary school and father-oriented lean. This is categorically not true. I have a child who is in her 3rd year at this school and we maybe have 20 minutes of homework a night. It is a couple of math worksheets/workbook pages and/or one fact sheet, and in 1st grade there was also a spelling sheet. Those are easily done in 20 minutes. The 15 minutes of reading most parents to anyway before bed, so counting that is silly. We had one of the arguably "harder" teachers for 1st grade and what I described above was not "out of control".Like many parents, I sometimes volunteer at the school and there was a good balance of moms and dads. Some fathers are very involved in the really fun activities like Spring Fling and Living History Day, but so are tons of mothers. There are many working mothers who pick up their kids in the afternoons, if you don't do the car line but get out and chat with some of them you would know some mothers are teachers, professors, lawyers, auditors, pharma reps, IT professionals (as I am, PT)...you name it. Not all are married.There is a chess club, science lab and other activities after school. No school is perfect and TCS is a newer school which is still growing and adding programs, but if you want a small, caring and sweet environment which complements a strong classical academic program, this school is a great choice.

We are new to Covenant this year, but could not be happier with our move. The community has welcomed our family in and we feel as if we have been here forever. The education our children are receiving is clearly challenging, but done is such a loving, nurturing way. We were concerned because our background is not in classical christian education, but the teachers care so much about helping our children understand, and our they are doing well. The campus is beautiful. There are plenty of extracurricular activities to keep you busy if you choose. The administration seems to genuinely hear any concerns. Such a happy place to be. You can see in the eyes of the students every morning during carpool, they are excited to come to school. In our short time here, we have quickly grown to love Covenant.

As a parent of a child who attended several years there, I was appalled by some of the things that occurred. Classical education - great idea. The homework is OUT OF CONTROL. Elementary aged students spend 4 - 5 hours a night with homework. If you are two parents working - the homework issue is really going to be a burden for you . It is over kill on the homework to such a degree that it is unhealthy. The school is very oriented to stressing the role of the father, so much so that mothers are not equal here in the administration's eyes. It does come into play in a very adverse way. If you are a single mom, you don't stand a chance here, you will not be respected. Don't even attempt it. If you are a working couple, your wife is not going to fit in very well. Predominantly stay at home mom's here. No after school program, so unless you can pick up your child right at 3:30, this school won't work for you. The board is all men, with the exception of one wealthy woman. More women need to be on the board, but that is not the nature of this school. We would not recommend this school to anyone. Rules are made up to fit situations by the administration.

Wonderful school and excellent community. We have been impressed with the faculty and staff. 5-star families and a great education for my daughter. By the end of 6th grade, she will have memorized 40 scriptures. Love that!