Blog Archive 2020-21

This week we reached out to the Lancaster Newspaper with an editorial about our upcoming relocation and our excitement about our growing family and programming. Unfortunately, the writer at LNP that we spoke with decided not to use the editorial we submitted and instead wrote a “more newsworthy” article detailing our need to change locations and setbacks that arose due to the pandemic. We are disappointed with the reporting article primarily because it is incomplete. Rather than fixate on setbacks, we want to tell the story of opportunity and growth, encouragement and support. Not only is this the newsworthy story, it has the added bonus of being the full picture of what’s happening at Lititz Christian. That is the story we intend to tell. 

Below is the editorial that we had submitted to have published—an article celebrating our school, the 94% retention rate, the growth of our programming, and the enormous possibilities before us as we move into this new season for Lititz Christian. It is written with love to you, our LC family. Thank you for your unwavering support. We are grateful. 

Lititz Christian School - A Family on the Move

In a nearly-post-pandemic world, many of us have spent the last 15 months contemplating life, priorities, and things that matter most to us. Of these contemplations, the word we’ve heard repeated often is: family. 

We love our family. We want to provide for our family. We want to protect our family. Family matters most. 

Lititz Christian School is about family. Founded in 1978, the school continues to partner with Christian families to provide a biblical, academic education which prepares students to honor Jesus Christ in scholarship, vocation, and lifestyle. The school and its mission begins in the Early Learning Center with infants and toddlers and extends through grade 12. With a total of 400 students and 80 faculty and staff, we are an intergenerational family. Student-faculty relationships are easily fostered, resulting in higher student achievement. Our varied and robust programming works to meet the diverse needs of all of our students; offering fine arts and theater, competitive athletics, academic support, a gifted program, dual enrollment and AP courses, STEAM and robotics labs, and much more. Our graduating seniors complete a capstone project in which all LC faculty and staff are invited to participate in support of our students. 

Lititz Christian School is a family. In a world of “cancel culture” and transient industry, we love that our LC family is standing with us, supporting us, and championing us. That’s what family does.

Now, the Lititz Christian School family is moving. After 43 years at 501 W. Lincoln Avenue in Lititz, we are moving out of our metaphorical “childhood home.” We are poised for growth and looking for a building to support our growth. 

Finding a new home amidst this current real estate world is a challenge. We are in search of a building with approximately 50,000 square feet and with space for about 30 classrooms. If you know of a location that may suit our needs, please feel free to reach out to us by phone or email. Our phone number is (717) 626-9518 or lititz.christian@lcstaff.net. You can also reach us through our website: www.lititzchristian.net. 

If you are interested in becoming part of our Lititz Christian family, we would love to meet with you. We are a family on the move and would love for you to join us!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer vacation thus far. This year, more than any other, everyone needs this recharge, and I hope you are able to be refreshed and recharged before we begin the 2021-22 school year.

As summer rolls on, we are excited to be planning and gearing up for a school year that will bring a renewed excitement and passion to our school community. I want to share some things we have planned for the summer and upcoming school year in the Operations Department. 

Student and Spiritual Life:

I am thrilled to announce that we will be hiring a Campus Pastor for our school community beginning the 2021-22 school year. This pastor will teach, mentor, and guide our students in their faith walk while here at Lititz Christian School. We will have intentional chapel themes geared toward meeting the students' spiritual needs and provide students with leadership opportunities in chapel as well. We have a great responsibility in shepherding our students and helping them as they find their purpose and grow in their relationship with Christ, and we are confident the addition of this position will help us to do this effectively.

Second, with the removal of some mitigation efforts, we are excited to increase our sense of community on campus. For student life, we are looking to implement a Lititz Christian Friday, similar to that of a 'First Friday' or '2nd Friday', but ours will be a rotating week that will cater to our sports schedules and other school events. One Friday each month we will plan to do a movie night, worship night, game night, or other activity that will allow our students to be together and have a great time in fellowship together. More details will follow as we begin to plan these events.

Facilities

We continue to covet your prayers as we seek the perfect location for Lititz Christian School to begin the 2022-23 school year. As previously communicated, we will send a facility update in September to update everyone on the progress of this search. Certainly, if anything were to surface prior to that, we would let you know. We continue to trust and patiently wait for the Lord’s leading in this area and we appreciate your continued prayer as well.

We have many activities happening this summer in preparation for our 2021-22 athletic seasons. Many of our teams will hold open gyms, participate in summer leagues, or even hold a summer camp to get a leg up on their upcoming season. All of our athletic events and dates are published on the athletic website, www.ccaconferencepa.org, for you to view. If you have any questions about these events, please email me at ryan.mccracken@lcstaff.net.

Advancement Update

It has been a busy spring with tours, shadows and admissions! Currently, for the upcoming 2021-22 school year, we have 180 students enrolled in our kindergarten through twelfth grade program and our retention rate is 94%.  This is a direct result of the commitment of our families and dedication of the faculty and staff!  Fourteen of our seventeen kindergarten students are coming from our ELC, which is a record for us. Speaking of the ELC, they are on a waitlist!  Congratulations to them on offering a program that is in high demand, and to ELC Director, Jess Daughtery, for her leadership.  You will notice our new students and families on our social media posts.  Please take the time to welcome them to Lititz Christian family. We are blessed in many ways!

You can help us to reach our goal of 190 enrollees by telling your friends, family, and coworkers about the incredible programs at Lititz Christian School. Share your family’s success story and encourage them to call us to schedule a tour at 717-626-9518. The admission team would love to share our statement of faith and wonderful programs with them.

We made it! This school year has truly been a year for the record books.  In some ways, it has been one of the most memorable years, and in others, it has been one of the most challenging.  As this unusual year draws to a close, we want to express our gratitude to the Lititz Christian Community.

Parents: We recognize that this hasn’t been an easy year for you as you managed changing COVID restrictions, disruptions to your child’s schedule, brief virtual learning experiences, etc. We are grateful for all you have done to support our staff and your children.

Faculty and Staff: We have been amazed by the flexibility, tenacity, and creativity you have shown as you navigated this challenging year.   Thank you for your continued dedication to Lititz Christian School.  

Students: You have demonstrated your resilience and flexibility with a positive attitude.  You have learned how to navigate challenges and changes during a difficult year.  Thank you!

• Haley Pankratz: Mr. Pankratz is looking forward to pursuing his pottery business full time. 

• Karen McGrady: Mrs. McGrady will continue to be a part of the Lititz Christian community through substitute teaching and as a parent volunteer.

• Theresa Bernhardt: Mrs. Bernhardt has decided to step away from her role with the IU to stay home with her son, Vincent.  She has expressed a desire to stay connected with Lititz Christian through volunteer opportunities.

• Chris Hiestand: We are grateful that God is leading Mr. Hiestad and his family to join a missions team in West Africa.  We look forward to following his journey on the mission field.  

We are looking forward to the '21-'22 school year and hope for a more “normal” school year where our students, staff and families can fully participate in the events, activities and collaboration which make the Lititz Christian community so special.

Fundraising: Are you a business owner?  We need your help! 
The Advancement Team requests just 45 minutes of your time to make a substantial impact on the availability and distribution of scholarship dollars at Lititz Christian School! 
We currently have over $200,000 committed to the fund for next year and our goal is $300,000. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program awards tax credits to eligible businesses contributing to qualified organizations like Lititz Christian School.  These funds are then used to make needs-based scholarship awards to current and prospective families.  
Join us for a short information session this week.  Ross McCracken will present information on the benefits of the EITC program and how to sign up. 
Two sessions are available: 
Thursday, June 10 from 7:00-7:45 pm or Friday, June 11 from 8:00-8:45 am.   RSVP here!

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”  – Winston Churchill

"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." – Eleanor Roosevelt

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy, forget in time that men have died to win them." – Franklin D. Roosevelt

We are thrilled to announce two new Bible instructors for the 2021-22 school year! 

Mrs. Faith Higley has accepted a contracted position in the high school at Lititz Christian.  Mrs. Higley is not a stranger to us.  Over the past few years, she has taught in our Academic Support and ESL programs.  More recently, she filled in as a long-term substitute in our high school Bible department.  Mrs. Higley has a bachelor's degree in Special Education and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Online Education.  Her responsibilities will include teaching 10th, 11th, and 12th grade Bible classes and working with high school students in our Academic Support program.  

We are excited to welcome Miss Kristen College to our team.  Miss College has a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies with a concentration in World Christianity and a bachelor's degree in Humanities with concentrations in Religious Studies and History.  She recently graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.  Kristen will teach 7th, 8th, and 9th grade Bible classes and 7th and 8th-grade history.  She is excited about the opportunity to teach history and Bible across the curricula. 

In addition to the amazing Bible instructors, Lititz Christian will adopt a school-wide Gospel vision for the 2021-22 school year. The Gospel is at the center of who we are as a school and who God designed us to be as Ambassadors for Christ. We want to Learn It, Apply It, and Share It.  

Bible Curriculum. We will utilize The Gospel Project Curriculum at both the middle and high school levels for the coming year. Middle school grades 6, 7, and 8 will follow the traditional three-year curriculum that will take our students through the entire Bible. By the end of 8th grade they will understand the storyline of scripture. Students will examine familiar Biblical texts as part of a broader story of God's work in the world through and sometimes despite His people. Students will see that all of scripture points to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. All high school Bible classes will utilize The Gospel Foundations curriculum from The Gospel Project, allowing students the opportunity to get back to the basics of what the Gospel is all about. Students will Learn It in a way that reaffirms their belief in the One True God and in a way they can articulate clearly when sharing the Gospel with others.

• To foster a learning environment focused on the success of students to live, work, and lead at a level of excellence that honors Jesus Christ.
• To enrich the student learning experience by empowering and equipping students to impact the world for Christ.
• To intellectually engage students on a variety of topics related to a biblical worldview.
• To foster a sense of community through increased interaction among students, faculty, and staff.
• To engage students in interdisciplinary dialogue outside the classroom.

Students will work through one book per semester with their classmates, incorporating guest speakers and experiential learning activities to augment the text studied. Once the books are selected, we plan to inform the community in the event that individuals want to sponsor a class set of books or pick up a copy to study along with us. Our goal at Lititz Christian has always been to demonstrate how to use a biblical worldview approach to all aspects of our lives as we are living testimonies of God's power and grace. The Book in Common will challenge students to not only live radical, counter-cultural lives but to have a heart for the lost and those in need of Christian discipleship.

The busyness of the end of the school year has been a chance for us to come together after many months apart.  It has been refreshing to spend time with our families.  

Our musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, was a huge success.  Over 250 tickets were sold throughout the weekend.  We were blessed with beautiful weather for this outdoor theater-in-the-round experience. The last two weeks of school are packed with end-of-the-year events: 

• Middle School Sports Banquet - Middle School athletes will be celebrated for their accomplishments.

• All Creatures Great and Small Day - Elementary students will participate in numerous animal-themed activities throughout the day including literature activities, games, art projects, music activities.  We are looking forward to welcoming Jesse Rothacker from The Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary. 

• Middle School/High School Spring Concert - This will be a live-streamed event this Thursday evening at 6:30.  If you cannot join us outside, you can view it on our Facebook page

• High School Sports Banquet - We will celebrate High School athletes for their accomplishments.

• Several Field Trips-We are grateful that many of our middle school and high school classes will have the opportunity to participate in field trips during the last two weeks of school.

• Field Day- Elementary and Middle School students will participate in field day activities on Tuesday, May 25th.  We are still looking for volunteers for this outdoor event. If you are willing and able to help, please email Allan Dunk at allan.dunk@lcstaff.net.

• Commencement- We are looking forward to hosting another outdoor graduation event on Friday, May 28th.

We look forward to seeing many of you at these outdoor events over the next two weeks.

Happy Monday, LC families and friends! The school has been operating under our new administrative team since last Monday.  It has been a week of transition and hope. Our new roles are divided into three departments:  education, operations, and advancement. This week's blog post addresses the role of the Advancement Office in our school.

What is the role of the Advancement Office?
Lititz Christian became an independent school several years ago. Independent schools "own" and govern themselves and are often reliant upon the strategies of the Advancement Office to nurture relationships with stakeholders in the areas of public relations, alumni relations, fundraising, enrollment, marketing, and communications. The Advancement Team at LC consists of Niki Cadwalader, Nicole Hurst, Ross McCracken, Amy Hurst, and Betsy Echternach. One of the responsibilities of this team is to work earnestly to bridge the gap between revenue brought in from tuition and money required for operating expenses.

What is the annual fund?
The annual fund is comprised of unrestricted gifts. These are gifts contributed for general purposes; donors leave it up to the organization to decide how best to allocate the funds so that they will have the biggest impact on furthering the school's mission and vision. 

What is the annual goal of the team?
Typically, the annual goal of the fund is about $250,000. This money goes into our general fund for operating expenses. Essentially, the team raises money to keep tuition as low as possible for our families, to help compensate our faculty and staff, and to contribute to quality programs for our students.

The Advancement Team will continue to raise funds to meet our annual goals for this year and for next year as the Relocation Committee searches for a new building. We are contacting both current and new donors to raise the funds for our annual operating expenses, and we will continue to host fundraising events like the ExtraGive and the Spring Auction. So far this year, with your donations, the team has raised $145,000.  

How can you help?
$105,000 is needed by June 30. On July 1, we will look to a new fundraising goal and the team will start again.  We need your help. Smaller recurring donations or larger annual donations can be made to the fund. This money is used to keep us moving forward. We have also started a restricted Relocation Fund and have had some generous donations in the last few weeks. We encourage all of you to join us in the effort to meet our annual fundraising goals and to raise money for our new building by contacting Nicole Hurst at nicole.hurst@lcstaff.net or donating on our website:  DONATE HERE

Do you have questions?
Questions about our Annual Fund or our restricted Relocation Fund can be directed to nicole.hurst@lcstaff.net.