New School Year
September 02, 2026
There is something special about the beginning of a new school year.
Classrooms are being prepared, bulletin boards are going up, lesson plans are taking shape, and teachers are getting everything ready for the moment our students walk through the doors. All the little details that make the start of a school year feel like a fresh beginning are creating a sense of anticipation, excitement, and possibility in the air.
Last week, our team came together for in-service week, and it was such a joy to reconnect, share summer memories, and prepare for the year ahead. Our staff has been busy planning, learning, and getting everything ready to welcome your children back to campus. We are especially excited to introduce you to some new faces on our team! Please join us in welcoming our new recess monitor Mrs. Carbonell and our new instructional assistants, Mrs. Swanlund and Mrs. Tewilliager. You’ll also see a few familiar faces in new places! Mrs. Brown is excited to welcome families into the office, Mrs. O’Dell is looking forward to meeting her new third grade class, and Mrs. Cox is pumped to be teaching fifth grade this year. Mr. Plank is also excited to continue getting to know our students and families as he steps into his new role as assistant principal and helps lead our team. We are so grateful for the wonderful people God has brought to our team, and we can’t wait for you to get to know them!
We are genuinely looking forward to welcoming our students back. We can’t wait to see familiar faces, meet new students, reconnect with families, and begin another year of learning and growing together.
As we prepare for this new year, we can’t help but think about our spiritual theme, Made New, based on 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
As we look ahead to this school year, we are excited about much more than academics, activities, and all the wonderful things our students will experience.
We are excited about who our students will become. We are excited about the conversations that will happen in classrooms and about the friendships that will begin. We are excited about moments when a student discovers something new and the opportunities we will have to encourage a child who needs it. And most of all, we are excited to see how God will work in the lives of our students, families, and staff.
Welcome back, Cougars! We can’t wait to see what God has in store for this year.
The Super Six: CCS Seniors Earn Highest Honors
June 10, 2026
At CCS, we believe that a student’s education is about more than just earning good grades: It’s about becoming the person God has called you to be.
This year, the Class of 2026 recognizes six students (or as we like to call them, the “Super Six”) who have earned the distinction of Highest Honors, our most prestigious academic award.
We are proud to recognize Amelia Caldwell, Joeli Kramer, Brandon Ma, Peyton Metcalfe, Caleb Mitton, and Evangeline Zylstra with this award.
Earning Highest Honors is no small accomplishment. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.98 or higher while also completing at least 6.0 credits of Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, or Concurrent Credit coursework, including a minimum of 3.0 AP credits. This achievement represents years of perseverance, discipline, and a commitment to pursuing the most rigorous academic opportunities available.
Yet, what makes these six students especially remarkable is that they did FAR more than excel in the classroom.
Collectively, these students embraced nearly every aspect of the CCS experience. They challenged themselves through dual enrollment coursework, and one student even earned an Associate of Arts degree in STEM through Liberty University. They participated in choir and band performances, cross-country races, soccer games, and cheer competitions. Through it all, they made time to serve on the worship team, lead others as class officers, and contribute to the Senior Mural. They also invested in their community through the National Honor Society (NHS), and one student served as the NHS president this year!
In short, these six students didn’t just attend CCS—they fully experienced it! Their accomplishments remind us of what makes Cascade Christian Schools unique. Students do not have to choose between academics, athletics, arts, leadership, service, and faith development. Here, they can pursue all of those opportunities while being known and valued, challenged, and encouraged along the way.
The accomplishments of these six seniors reflect years of hard work, determination, and dedication to step into opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. They have distinguished themselves not only through their academic achievements but also through their leadership, character, and spiritual growth.
As they prepare for the next chapter, they leave behind a legacy that will inspire future CCS students to dream bigger, work harder, and take full advantage of everything our schools have to offer.
Congratulations to our Super Six—Amelia Caldwell, Joeli Kramer, Brandon Ma, Peyton Metcalfe, Caleb Mitton, and Evangeline Zylstra. Thank you for setting such a strong example for future CCS graduates! We cannot wait to see how God continues to use your gifts and talents as you tackle future goals and aspirations.
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Not Goodbye, Just See You Around
June 03, 2026
As I put hands on my keyboard to write this blog, I do so with a great deal of mixed emotions. This is one more of the “last time” events I am experiencing this spring, since this is the final year-end blog I will write as superintendent. That realization gives a great deal of “weightiness” to the remaining words I will choose, because I want them to be as significant and profound as possible.
When my wife and I think about our time here at Cascade Christian, the words that come to mind quickly are: honored, humbled, and extremely grateful. We are honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve for twelve years (way beyond the national average) at one of the country’s premier Christian schools. And we are extremely grateful for the amazing people God has allowed us the opportunity and privilege to serve with in our time here. To all of those amazing people, which certainly includes current and past parents, we want to say a deep, heartfelt thank-you! It is hard to find the words to adequately express just how truly grateful we are. From my four years as high school principal to the past eight years as superintendent, my wife and I have been made to feel extremely known and valued. It is somewhat ironic to me that what has mattered most to me—making others feel known and valued—is what we have experienced from this community at the highest possible level.
As we transition out of the roles of superintendent and superintendent’s wife to the roles of “Papa” and “Nana” to our two grandchildren who will be in second and third grades at the McAlder Campus next year, we don’t say goodbye: We say see you around. We will still be around, just in a different capacity, which is a much lighter one for us. We also want to leave you with this blessing from Numbers 6:24–26 (NIV): “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Our deep hope and prayer for you is that you will experience God’s richest blessings in the forms of peace, hope, joy, and love. If you have those things, you have everything you need.
With deep gratitude, in His service, and for the last time,
Ken and Karen
Memories and Upcoming Milestones
May 27, 2026
As we approach the end of another wonderful school year, I find myself reflecting with gratitude on all God has done in and through our school community. Our spiritual theme this year—Called for a Purpose, from the book of Ephesians—has reminded us that each student, teacher, staff member, and family has been uniquely created by God for His purposes. Throughout the year, we have seen students grow academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally as they learned more about who God created them to be and how they can use their gifts to serve others.
This year has been filled with so many memories and opportunities to connect as a community. A huge thank you goes to our incredible PfC group for the time, energy, and love they poured into making this year special for our students and families. From bingo nights and Movie Night to Donuts with Dad, Mornings with Mom, Pops for a Purpose, FUN Fridays, and so much more, these events fostered joy, connection, and community throughout the year. We are so thankful for your partnership and support!
As we finish out the year, we still have several exciting events ahead:
Third-Grade Living History Museum — Friday, May 29
Reading Awards — Tuesday, June 2
Field Day — Friday, June 5
Fifth-Grade State Reports & Sixth-Grade Country Reports — Monday, June 8
Lots of Class Celebrations and Parties — See classroom newsletters for details!
We also look forward to celebrating some special milestones during our end-of-year celebrations:
Kindergarten Graduation
June 9, at 10:00 a.m.
Sixth-Grade Promotion
June 9, at 7:00 p.m.
Classroom End-of-Year Awards — June 10
9:00–9:45 a.m. — Merwin, Mitton, Harvey
9:30–10:15 a.m. — Tumlin, Cox/O’Dell, Pinson
10:00–10:45 a.m. — Pearson, Engle, Adams, Suarez
Thank you to our amazing staff for their hard work, dedication, creativity, and care throughout the school year. Thank you also to our students for bringing energy, laughter, perseverance, and joy into our classrooms each day. It has truly been a fun and rewarding year together.
As we enter these final days of school, let’s continue to finish the year strong by encouraging one another, showing kindness, and celebrating all that has been accomplished. We pray each of our families will have a safe, restful, and joy-filled summer filled with opportunities to make fun memories together.
