Grammar School News

May 22, 2025

 

Happy Summer!

It has been a wonderful school year! As you look to the summer, please check out our RESOURCE PAGE for reading, writing, math, and tutoring resources. 

Report cards and exams will be mailed June 2nd. 

 

Teacher of the Year

24/25 teacher of the Year: Kristen Beller

The Grammar School Teacher of the Year is Kristen Beller! Kristen is finishing her 20th year of teaching at Covenant. As unique as it is to have a teacher with that much tenure, what is actually more exceptional than that is Kristen has always taught first grade. Grammar School teachers often start out with a certain age group only to find themselves craving the challenge of a new grade level or different curriculum. Kristen has maintained that first graders are “her people,” and we believe it!


Kristen is a leader among her colleagues in the Grammar School faculty. Without a doubt, they selected her for this esteemed position, not only for her expertise in the classroom but also for her generosity of spirit and wisdom. Kristen is always willing to share her knowledge and experience freely. She is considerate and prayerful.


Beautiful is the word I would use to describe my time spent observing her teach and interact with her students. She is one of those exemplars who makes it look easy, when it absolutely is not. Kristen knows her students well and loves them deeply. She invests in their minds and guides their hearts. Parents trust her expertise because they are also recipients of her genuine care and authenticity.


As if faithfully showing up in the classroom and leading the first grade team for two decades was not enough, Kristen Beller has been instrumental in training and supporting the Grammar School faculty with the Neuhaus Language Arts curriculum. There is not a word in the English language she cannot code. Don’t even try to stump her because you can’t.


Kristen, we thank you for your years of excellent service, we congratulate you on this accomplishment, and we love you so very much!

The Grammar School Faculty

 

News

Class Picture Orders

Covenant parents, we would like to give you to opportunity to order your child’s class picture for this year. Please click THIS LINK  to order class photo prints. Please select the size print you want and them go to the CHECKOUT. At that point you will enter your child’s name. There are also spots add your others children if needed. Select your print sizes and please write them in under "additional class" at checkout. All orders placed at this point in time will be shipped directly to your home address. 
Please call Judy Norseth’s studio at 972-267-8787 if you have any questions!

 

Grandparents Day

The Grandparents Day recording is now available. Please go to the MAIN COVENANT COPY page and scroll down to find the link.

 

 

Charlotte Mason Afternoons - Fall Semester 2025

As we wrap up the final months of the spring semester in Charlotte Mason Afternoons, we are excited to open up registration for the fall semester for grades E-2! This is not an academic opportunity, but offers further time for exploration and observation of the principles important to Charlotte Mason. Please note that we have FIVE options for you to consider as you look at your schedule for the upcoming semester. Costs for the options are shown below and will be billed through FACTS.

Click HERE to sign up!

PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY! 

Option 1: Monday ONLY - Class is held from 12:45-2:45 pm. COST: $900 per semester.

Option 2: Wednesday ONLY (FULL) - If you have an Explorer who is attending school Monday-Friday, this could be a great option for you! Class is held from 12:45-2:45 pm. COST: $900 per semester.

Option 3: Friday ONLY - Class is held from 12:45-2:45 pm. COST: $900 per semester.

Option 4:  Monday and Friday - This is a good option for E-2 students. Both classes will be held from 12:45-2:45 pm. COST: $1,800 per semester.

Option 5: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - All three classes will be held from 12:45-2:45 pm. COST: $2,700 per semester.

Please note that this is a first come, first served system, so sign up quickly if you would like a spot. We ask that you register promptly so we can plan for personnel needs. If spots fill up, we will fill the class based on the timestamp shown in the sign up and put the remaining families on a waitlist. For any questions, please reach out to Erin Howell at [email protected]. To catch a glimpse of what happens in Charlotte Mason Afternoons, click HERE to watch a short slideshow.

 

Zones Camp

We are excited to announce that students in grade E-3 have the opportunity to sign up for Zones Camp, which is offered by Sparrow House Counseling. Zones Camp is a wonderful way for students to gain lifelong skills while enjoying a unique and enriching experience. It will take place June 3rd - 6th from 9:00-11:00 am.

This engaging program is designed to help students build emotional regulation and coping skills in a fun and supportive environment. Through interactive activities and guided lessons, students will learn to recognize their emotions, develop positive strategies for managing stress, and build stronger relationships with peers.

Please click on the link below to see more details and to get sign-up information. 

Zones Camp

 

Announcements 

Risse brothers sale

Risse Uniforms will have a 10% off sale the entire month of June.

 

 

Hot Lunch Info

Hot Lunch for E-2

Parents ordering hot lunch for grades E-2, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner wanted us to share the following about their weekly email reminders to order hot lunches:
Please let parents know we had to remove all parents at the start of the year to abide by a compliance policy of our new bulk-send email system. They required that parents give us their approval to subscribe to any emails from us. If you have any parents who would like to receive them, please have them email: [email protected] and they will get added back to the list.

 

Library

Library is Closed for Inventory

The Grammar and Logic libraries are now closed for inventory. All books are due no later than Thursday, May 8. Please email Mrs. Covington at [email protected] if a book is lost or damaged. We had a wonderful year in the library with over 9,000 books checked out! Yay for reading!

 

Parent Information

Mission Moment

Don't forget to read our "Mission Moment" this week! The Mission Moment is an opportunity for our Covenant leadership to share from their perspective how we are living out our mission at The Covenant School. We seek to utilize it as an informative and enriching space for parents to be encouraged and reminded of our mission and how it applies to students and families daily. We invite each of you to partake in the rich feast of classical Christian education at Covenant. Click here to read and remember why you have chosen this education for your family. 

 

When More Information is Needed

“When More Information is Needed.”  - a recording from Dr. Cristina Sevadjian, Erin Howell, and Laura Mountjoy. Exploring the topics of academic testing, dyslexia, and the importance of early intervention. 

WMIIN Podcast Link (2 Parts) - Parent Portal password- Classical25

 

Dr. Cristina Sevadjian Blog

We invite you to read the latest blog entry by Dr. Cristina Sevadjian, who partners with Covenant through Sparrow House Counseling. We are excited that she has a blog that she is sharing with us to help encourage parents as we navigate the needs of our children.  Here is the link.

 

Cello Teacher

Parents, if you are interested in finding out more information about your child taking cello lessons, please follow THIS LINK to the Fine Arts page and scroll down to find out more information.

 

Morning Covenant Parking and Drop Off

Parents, we need your help! As you are aware, parking on campus is an adventure at times!

Drop Off and Daytime visits:

  • If you choose to walk your child to class in the morning, you may park in spots marked “VISITOR” or “S” (for student) ONLY and be off campus by 8:10 am.
  • If you are on campus during the day staying longer than 8:10 am, park in “Visitor” or at The Church in Dallas. Do not park in spots labeled “F" (faculty and staff) - faculty needs to be able to park and start their day when they arrive.

 

Parking Lot reminders

In an effort to ensure our students and families are safe, especially during the most busy times of morning arrival and afternoon dismissal, we ask that you be extra vigilant about closely monitoring your children and only crossing the street at the designated crosswalks. There are a large number of people coming and going on our small campus each day. In order to stay safe, it is important for everyone to do their part in ensuring that safety protocols are maintained.

 

After School Care

Charlotte Mason Afternoons 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Erin Howell at [email protected]. We would love for every student to experience the peace, rest, and joy that this experience has to offer! 
To catch a glimpse of what happens in Charlotte Mason Afternoons, click HERE to watch a short slideshow.

 

Extended Day - Sign Ups available in August

Welcome to Covenant's Extended Day Program for Explorers through 2nd Graders!  Extended Day allows Explorers, 1st and 2nd Graders the opportunity to stay the entire school day on Mondays and Fridays. A snack will be provided for all students. Mondays provide a time for 2nd graders to complete their homework. The cost is now $30/day/child. You may choose as few or as many days as you wish. Just like previous years, you will only be able to sign up for Extended Day a month at a time. Should you have any questions, please email Deedra Pace at [email protected]. We look forward to another great year of Extended Day with your children! 

Updated Extended Day FAQ linked HERE!

 

Uniform Information

Uniforms for 2025/2026

Parents, please follow THIS LINK to view uniform guidelines. They are on page 2.

 


 

 

Friendly Reminder - Early morning drop off

Please drop off your students no earlier than 7:30am. Prior to that, there is no supervision in Covenant Hall, and it poses a safety risk to have children waiting outside without an adult present. Thank you for your cooperation!

It’s You I Like

Click HERE to view a blog by Laura Mountjoy, lovingly titled, “It’s You I Like”. This will be a landing spot for inspiring and winsome words, now in a way that will allow you to refer back to previous posts.

 

Absentee Request Form

The Absentee Request Form is a form that must be filled out for any planned absence.  If you know that your student will be absent from school for a special event, family trip, etc., we ask that you complete the form for each student at least 2 weeks in advance. This allows our teachers to better prepare to help your student catch up on makeup work. The form can be found in the Parent Portal under “Resource Documents” and is also linked  HERE for your convenience. If you print the form and want to deliver a hard copy, please return the signed and filled out form to your student’s homeroom teacher. If you wish to scan it electronically, signed forms can be emailed directly to Allison Wedeberg at [email protected].

 

Class Lists

EXPLORERS
FIRST GRADE
SECOND GRADE
THIRD GRADE
FOURTH GRADE
FIFTH GRADE

 

 

Carpool Safety

Although carpool is running smoothly and efficiently, we want to make you aware of some rules to ensure the utmost safety for our students. 

  • If you must pick up your student early, you must retreive them from the office by 2:30 pm at the absolute latest. Please don't loiter under the pavilion to pick up your stduent. 
  • Absolutely NO talking or texting on your cell phone while in the carpool line.
  • Do not drive too close to the curb as you pull up to your cone.
  • Students MUST enter the vehicle on the driver’s side. If you need to fix seating arrangements, you will need to exit the west gate before doing so. Simply drive through the west gate, park by the pond, rearrange, and you’ll be on your way! We cannot have students entering on the passenger side during such a high traffic time. Thank you for your cooperation. 

 

Grammar School Pick Up Reminders

Grammar Early Pick Up: Please email the date and time of the early pickup, making sure to include your child’s teacher and Debbie Paul ([email protected]) in the email.

Grammar Carpool Changes: Please email Debbie Paul, all parents in the carpool & the teacher. Keep it simple and to the point. Example: Caylin Brown (5th) carpooling with Melanie Mittel (4th)

Note: If you have a multi-carpool change, please include all parents involved along with Debbie Paul. 

Example #1: 2nd grade soccer pick up, Melanie Mittel, Caylin Brown, Laura Mountjoy going with Erin Howell. 
Example #2: Birthday party, Caylin Brown (2nd), Melanie Mittel (3rd), Erin Howell (2nd) are going with Laura Mountjoy (3rd).

 

Grammar School Carpool Pick Up Times 

Monday
12:40 pm - E-2
2:50 pm - 3-5

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
12:40 pm - E
2:50 pm - E-5

Friday
12:40 pm - E-2
2:50 pm - 3-5

FAQs

Click HERE to view our Frequently Asked Questions. We will continue to add to this as the year goes on!

 

Rain Gear

If you haven’t already learned, you’ll find that we take our rain gear VERY seriously here at Covenant. On rainy days, we recommend durable, hooded rain jackets for your students. Especially for our little ones, it can be much easier to manage than a clunky umbrella. If you choose to send your student to school with rain boots, please be sure to pack sneakers so they are prepared for PE. 

 

PE Attire For boys and Girls

Both boys and girls in grades E-2 will keep their entire standard uniform on during PE.  For Grades 3-5, please send your girls to school with modest, loose fitting black shorts underneath their skirts. If students wear spandex shorts, they will be required to keep their skirts on during PE. Thank you for your cooperation!

    If You Need to Reach Grammar School

     Contact Allison Wedeberg, Grammar School Coordinator, at: [email protected]

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Follow Grammar School happenings on our private Instagram account: @covenant_grammar

    Join the Covenant Parent Facebook page.

    COVENANT PHOTOS

    It's easy to share your photos with the community and the yearbook staff. Click this link and to unlock, use Classical24.