School Care: A New Kind of Childcare

By Reverend David Sheram, COO Covenant Classical Schools

In 2000 there were 40 daycares in Huntsville and Madison. They varied in quality, but one thing was common–the typical daycare/playcare approach to childcare. Some have described it as “professional babysitting.” Then Covenant Classical School & Daycare (CCS&D) opened for business with a new paradigm called SchoolCare^SM.

Modeled after the Christian classical schools of our young country over 200 years ago, CCS&D began with two students and two teachers. Today, CCS&D cares for 184 full-time students with over 40 teachers, making it one of the largest childcare providers in the area. Classes range from infants through Kindergarten.

“What makes us distinctive is that we package loving care with early, advanced academic preparation with Christian moral training,” reports Rev. Ron Coriell, principal and founder of CCS&D. “That’s why we call it Christian SchoolCare^SM. Parents are excited to discover that their children can be taken care of, schooled, and taught godly values at a very competitive price.”

Students are introduced to reading, writing, and arithmetic very early. The Infant II children enjoy a short class each day. Toddlers begin phonics and students typically read at 4 years old. CCS&D administers the Stanford Achievement Test to Kindergarteners and they score in the top 10% nationally. Graduates are definitely ready for future schooling and are at the top of their elementary school classes.

Other academic subjects taught include history, science, Spanish, geography, art, music, sign language, and Bible every day with Rev. Ron. And CCS&D is the only daycare in town with two swimming pools.

It is called SchoolCare^SM, a very distinctive, new category of childcare.