HEAR US ROAR! VAIS ACCREDITATION

On February 3, we received the very important news that after more than two years of self-study and work, Christopher Academy had been approved for continuing full accreditation. VAIS Executive Director, Betsy Hunroe, wrote:

"On behalf of the VAIS Board of Directors and Accreditation Committee, I wish to extend congratulations to you, your faculty, staff and trustees upon the unanimous approval on January 22, 2016 of Christopher Academy for continuing full accreditation from the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The VAIS accreditation program is one of a select few recognized at the national level through the National Association of Independent School's Commission on Accreditation and, of course, the VAIS program is also recognized and approved by the Virginia Board of Education through the Virginia Council for Private Education.

We are very grateful to you, your entire faculty, staff, and trustees for the energy and thoughtfulness you put toward the self-study, including the documentation and the leadership of the steering committee. Perhaps most of all, we commend the entire Christopher Academy community on its dedication to students and the "can do attitude" with which all tasks are undertaken."

Sometimes I am asked why it matters that our school is accredited. It matters because we want to be confident that we are continuing to provide our young learners the best possible academic and social foundation that we can. Being accredited does not simply mean that CA can check off a list of standards. Being accredited means being engaged in an ongoing and rigorous process of strategic planning, self-study, and self-improvement. Being accredited means recognizing what you do well as well as what you need to do better.

Through our recent self-study process, careful consideration was given to what is the identity of Christopher Academy. The message that came out loud and clear is that CA is an exceptional elementary school for Preschool through 5th Grade students. This is what we do really well and with confidence that our students will be well prepared for wherever they go next. Our own assessment (which was echoed by the peer review of the Visiting Team) is that we specialize in teaching early learners. And what can be more important than providing a great start in life for these precious children?

Through this process we also identified some ways that CA can become an even better elementary school. We recently announced that in 2016-2017 our kindergarten will be a full day program and that we are adding an extended day program. Both of these changes are important ways that we will strengthen our commitment to doing our best for our students and families. We are excited about the future in CA and proud of our continued accreditation through VAIS.