.

Morning devotion and chapel services this week included guest speakers from area churches, student devotion leaders, and student music leaders.

Some of the scriptures from this week were:

• Daniel 6:25-28
• Luke 15: 3-7
• Luke 15:18-10
• Lamentations 3:21-27

On Tuesday the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes spent the day learning more about American history at the American Village in Montevallo. The American Village teaches history, liberty, and constitutional self-government through immersive experiences and costumed historical interpreters

Kindergarten students love center time! Centers allow them to practice, explore, and reinforce academic and social skills through hands-on, independent, or small-group activities. From work on core skills like letter recognition, phonics, and counting to wok on sharing, communication, and peer cooperation --- centers are a great way to enhance learning.

Mrs. Krogh, upper school history teacher, and several students are working to form a History Club. Club members met this week to discuss ideas for club activities and opportunities to learn and serve.

Kindergarten classes had a great time learning all sorts of interesting things about spiders during their Critter Crew visit.

And just like that... we are over a fourth of the way finished with the school year!

1st Quarter Report Cards were released on Thursday, October 15th. A link to reports was emailed to parents. Reports are also available for viewing through the FACTS Family Portal.

Happy Principal Month to our Head of Schools, Mr. Yearwood!

Lower school students and teachers took a little time on Friday to decorate Mr. Yearwood's office wall with sticky notes of encouragement.

• Seniors took their last ACT exam on Tuesday to hopefully claim a little more scholarship money as they work on their college applications.
• The Bookmobile came for it's weekly visit.
• 1st Quarter Report Cards were released on Thursday. All parents should have received an email with a link to view. Reports are also available in the FACTS Family Portal.
• Lower school teachers met after school one day with Mrs. Yearwood and Mrs. Wilkins to review MAP Growth reports. Reports help teachers assess progress of students and make decisions on any needed instructional adjustments.
• Theater students enjoyed another great afternoon at the after school Theater Camp.
• The upper school SGA hosted a quesadilla lunch fundraiser. While supplies last, they will offer them again on Tuesday. Money raised will be used for Homecoming and Spring Formal events.
• The Beech Campus had a great opportunity to practice safety procedures on Friday. Everyone did a great job staying situationally aware.
• Upper school vocalists and performers are prepping for the Trumbauer Festival where they will have the chance to use their talents to advance and potentially earn scholarship awards.

• Oct 19 - Jr High Basketball at St. Bernard
• Oct 20 - 20th Anniversary Tshirt Day (Wear your 20th shirt with khaki or navy uniform bottoms.)
• Oct 20 - PSAT/NMSQT (10th and 11th Grade)
• Oct 20 - Jr High Basketball at West Point
• Oct 20 - Cullman County Fair Queen Contest - GO MOLLY!
• Oct 21 - Volleyball Super Regionals
• Oct 22 - Ice Cream Truck at Upper School During Break
• Oct 22 - XC at Oakville Invitational
• Oct 22 - Jr High Basketball at Cold Springs
• Oct 23 - Ice Cream Truck at Lower School
• Oct 24 - 7th Grade Boys' Basketball Tournament
• Oct 25 - Fall Festival
• Oct 27 - Tools of the Trade Field Trip (8th Grade)
• Oct 29 -XC Single A Section Meet
• Oct 29 - Jr High Basketball at Sumiton Christian
• Oct 30 - $1 Dress Down Day
• Oct 30 - Preschool and Kindergarten Trip to 4D Farms
• Nov 1 - Daylight Savings Time Ends

❗ --- Mark your calendar for FEED THE NEED! Our Feed the Need schoolwide service project fundraiser will be launching soon with our packing party and community serve day taking place on Tuesday, November 24th. Be on the lookout for an email with details.

*Don't forget to also check classroom teacher newsletters and Google Classrooms for information specific to classes.

SGA will be having a Quesadilla Lunch Sale on Tuesday, October 20th.

$4 includes a Cheese Quesadilla, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Sour Cream.

+$1 to add Chicken.

Proceeds will go toward Homecoming and Spring Formal.

Our friends at the Margaret Jean Jones Center (CCCDD) will be stopping in this week in the ice cream truck!

A Little Something Extra Ice Cream— is a mission-driven mobile ice cream truck that provides job training and employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and physical exceptionalities.

The truck will visit both campuses. Ice cream treats are $5.

• Upper School - Thursday, October 22nd
• Lower School - Friday, October 23rd

Fall picture previews are available!

To access your child's photos, follow the instructions below.

To get your photos:

Text CCS26FALL to 735-343

👀Good news for 2027!

Alabama CHOOSE Act

The next cycle of Alabama's CHOOSE Act funding for families will be a little different for the 2027-28 school year. According to the state's plan for program implementation, Alabama families --regardless of income--- will be able to apply for the 2027-28 school year. If they timeline stays the same as the last cycle, renewal applications will likely open in December and new applications in January. We should find out more in the coming weeks!

Educational Choice for Children Act

The federal government has approved a way for families to qualify for financial help that also provides donors a way to directly contribute to their desired school. Financial help for students will be managed through an SGO (Scholarship Granting Organization). For donors, donations can be made and designated to be used specifically at the school of their choice through the Education Tax Freedom Tax Credit.

Education Freedom Tax Credit - Starting in January 2027, donors can claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit: up to $1,700 for individuals, or up to $3,400 for married couples filing jointly, so more children can reach the school that’s right for them.

Learn more about how this will work in Alabama HERE.

PTF volunteers have had a great time working around the Beech Campus to decorate for the fall.

Mark your calendar for the annual CCS Fall Festival on October 25th from 2:00-5:00 PM!

• Chili Cook Off
• Games
• Food​

Sign up to volunteer for your child's classroom on SignUp Genius.

🍬🍭Each CCS Family is asked to contribute one bag of candy for the festival.

This event is open to the community!

Details:

Entry and Fees: Each entry needs to have a team name. There will not be an entry fee for the 2026 contest. Enter the competition by registering HERE.

Cooking Categories: This will be an open class chili event. Bring your grandma's favorite white chili, classic beef, vegetarian, or any other kind.

Cookoff Area: You will be assigned a designated area at the fall festival.

Food Prep: Food should be pre-prepared before the event. Each team should bring 2.5-4 gallons of chili. Teams will need to reheat the chili on site. Each team should have trash bags, food service gloves, propane burner/grille or generator for power, serving bowls/spoons/napkins/etc.

Judging: This event will be judged by "People's Choice."

We are excited to begin creating a Cullman Christian School business network, a new way for our school families to connect with and support businesses within our own CCS community.

If you or a member of your family owns or operates a business, provides a professional service, or is self-employed, we would love to include you!

Whether you’re a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, attorney, accountant, realtor, contractor, plumber, electrician, landscaper, photographer, insurance agent, small business owner, or provide another product or service, please complete the short form below.

The information will be compiled into a CCS Business Network Directory that families can use when they are looking for products and services. Our hope is simple: when a CCS family needs something, let’s give them an easy way to support another CCS family first.

Businesses will also have the option to offer a 10% discount to Cullman Christian families. Participation in the discount program is completely optional. You can still be included in the directory even if you are unable to offer a discount.

Please submit your business information by October 23rd. If you have a change throughout the year please let us know and your information can be updated.

Fill Out The Form HERE

We look forward to supporting one another and discovering just how many businesses and professionals are represented within our Cullman Christian community!

CROSS COUNTRY WEEKEND RECAP from Coach Heaton

THE LIONS ARE BREAKING THROUGH!

What a day for Cullman Christian Cross Country! Our Lions hit the course ready to compete, and we have some BIG performances to celebrate! From breaking the 20-minute barrier to setting new personal records, our athletes continue to show what hard work and determination can do!

🏃🏻‍♂️BOYS TEAM — 16TH PLACE

Our boys finished 16th as a team, continuing to compete against a strong field and represent CCS with pride!

TWO LIONS UNDER 20 MINUTES!

Congratulations to Calub Pruitt and Chasen Hampton for breaking the 20-minute mark in the 5K!

Calub Pruitt — 19:54.41 — PR!

Chasen Hampton — 19:55.36 — PR!

Both runners delivered outstanding performances and showed just how much they continue to improve!

BOYS 5K RESULTS

Calub Pruitt — 19:54.41 PR

Chasen Hampton — 19:55.36 PR

Cutter Gibbs — 21:25.95 PR

Gavin Stidham — 23:03.42

Caleb Randolph — 23:52.17 PR

Elijah Rutherford — 24:51.08 PR

Landon Jones — 26:39.81

Colton Olinger — 30:13.14 PR

🏃🏻‍♀️GIRLS 5K RESULTS

Our girls put in the work and continued to make strides on the course!

Maribelle Brock — 26:40.81 PR

Arden Brock — 28:10.73 PR

Aubrie Claire Rigsby — 29:32.15 PR

NINE PERSONAL RECORDS!

That’s right — nine Lions recorded personal-best times! Six boys and all three girls made their mark, showing the results of their hard work, commitment, and determination.

PROGRESS IS THE GOAL!

Some of the biggest improvements included:

Elijah Rutherford — 4:10 faster!

Colton Olinger — 3:30 faster!

Cutter Gibbs — 1:22 faster!

Calub Pruitt — under 20 minutes!

Chasen Hampton — under 20 minutes!

Caleb Randolph — a new personal best!

I am incredibly proud of every Lion who stepped up to compete. Every practice, every mile, and every race is another opportunity to grow stronger together.

The season isn’t over yet, and we’re excited to see what these athletes accomplish next!

The season ended on Thursday when the team competed in their final game of the season in the Area Tournament at Whitesburg Christian.

Words from Coach Rowell after the Tournament:

We fell short on the scoreboard—but I could not be more proud of the fight these girls showed.

All season we have talked about gratitude, attitude and effort, accountability, selflessness, playing with no regrets, and embracing hard things. Tonight, they lived those things out.

Of course we wanted to keep playing. We wanted a different ending. But a season is about so much more than one final result. I told the girls tonight’s loss doesn’t define them as players.. It is about the growth, the relationships, the lessons, the hard moments, the joy, and the way a group of girls learns to become a team.

We have said it all year: we do hard things well.

Tonight was hard. Ending a season is hard. But I am so proud of the way they battled until the very end.

To my girls—thank you for trusting me, working hard, laughing with me, learning with me, and allowing me to coach you. I am incredibly proud to be your coach.

The scoreboard may say our season is over, but what God has taught us through this season goes far beyond volleyball.

Proud of the fight. Proud of the growth. Proud of this team. Always proud to be a Lady Lion.

Congratulations to Lila Sellers and Rylee Stubbs on earning All-Area Tournament honors!

The youth teams and coaches are hard at work getting ready for the 2026-27 season. Thank you to all the volunteer coaches and parents who have committed to investing their time and talents into our players! The season will be tipping off soon and we can't wait to see our little Lions play!

The Jr High Boys' and Girls' Basketball teams will be tipping off the season on Monday, October 19th against St. Bernard. Tuesday they will travel to West Point and Thursday to Cold Springs.

🦁💙 GO LIONS!

Good attendance really does matter!

We want to maximize academic opportunities for our students and we know that you do to. Regular school attendance is a critical factor in student academic achievement and long-term success.

Showing up every day builds more than just grades! Consider these points:

• Early milestones: Missing 10% of the school year (about 18 days, or two days a month) makes it difficult to master reading by the end of third grade.
• Cumulative learning: Classroom lessons build on each other like pieces of a puzzle. Missing a single day disrupts understanding of core concepts.
• Higher achievement: Students who miss fewer than nine days a year show noticeably higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math.

• Peer connections: Regular attendance helps students build friendships, empathy, and social skills.
• School climate: Being present fosters a sense of belonging and community safety.
• Confidence: Daily participation gives children a chance to share, ask questions, and celebrate small wins.

• Building routines: Showing up on time teaches time management, responsibility, and dependability.
• Future employment: Good attendance habits formed in school translate directly into workplace habits, and high school graduates earn more over their lifetimes than dropouts.

As we all know, kids get sick, that's unavoidable. When it happens, we will do our best to catch the student back up with the class. As a reminder, any time your student is absent, a parent note or doctor's excuse should be turned in to the office. You may email excuses to office@cullmanchristian.com.

✅View the Student Handbook excerpt on Attendance below for additional details.

Financial: rachel.king@cullmanchristian.com

General: m.lankford@cullmanchristian.com

Lower School: candase.wilkins@cullmanchristian.com

Upper School: amanda.yearwood@cullmanchristian.com

Cullman Christian School

PreK-12

AdvancedED / Cognia Accredited

Email: office@cullmanchristian.com

Website: cullmanchristian.org

Phone: (256) 734-0734

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccsedu