Parent Engagement

List of 5 items.

• Being Together

  While we’d rather gather in person, Central parents are coming together virtually each month to hear from school leaders and connect with the parent community. Check-Ins include a quick update from a school board member, the latest COVID-related recommendations from our school nurse, and other news relevant to our families.
  
  In addition, we pray together virtually, too. Our annual first-day-of-school community prayer moved to Zoom this year, and we gathered to pray for our nation and its leaders in anticipation of the 2020 presidential election. We will pray as a group again in January to commit the second half of the school year to the Lord.

• The Network

  In an effort to cultivate community connections and help parents engage and support one another in their efforts and interests, we introduced The Network this year. This monthly parent e-newsletter highlights the work and involvement of Central parents.
  
  From parent-run corporations hosting special events to churches offering parenting conferences to newly published books or recently launched small businesses, we love helping parents find new ways to support each other outside of school and discover how their interests intersect.

• Showing Appreciation

  While parents are limited in supporting teachers in traditional ways this year, COVID-19 has not thwarted their appreciation for employees of Central Christian School. Shortly after the school year started, a group of parents (now called the “Teacher Appreciation Team”) began organizing ways to encourage our faculty and staff.
  
  Catered lunches, Starbucks, home-baked treats, food trucks, and even a coffee cart has blessed our employees as parents express their gratitude to our teachers and staff members.

• Something Bigger

  Each fall, our entire community gathers for a fun run to raise money for student scholarships and dine on a pancake breakfast. Although we couldn’t gather this year, we registered more participants than any year in One Run’s eight-year history! Students, parents, grandparents, and staff members walked, ran, and even biked together in family units all over the St. Louis area (and beyond!) Some even kept with tradition and ended their run with pancakes!
  
  We are so grateful to the numerous families and their businesses who sponsored this favorite annual event as well. We recorded the most sponsorships in several years. This year’s high participation rate among runners and sponsors is evidence of our families' desire to feel connected and engage as a community; to be a part of something bigger.

• Leaning In

  In September 2020, we hosted legal scholar and Central dad, John Inazu, and noted author, Trillia Newbell, to discuss how to engage with others who hold different perspectives. In preparation for the 2020 presidential election, Inazu and Newbell came together to:
  

  • Help CCS parents think about how to engage each other despite differences
  • Lay a practical framework for healthy engagement
  • Move us toward healthy conversation regarding other issues: attention to racial injustice and policing, nationwide protests, and the many challenges that have unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Challenge us toward mature discipleship that's manifested through humility, patience, and tolerance
  • Empower us to lead others outside of our school in our various spheres of influence (work, church, communities, extended families)

  To view a recording of this discussion facilitated by our Head of School, visit our YouTube channel.