Dear JCS Parents,

 

We were pleased to see so many of our Upper School parents join us at the Upper School Update meeting held last Thursday night on our West Campus.  We were excited to share our new eight-period rotating schedule that we are preparing to implement for 7th-12th grade students next year.   This schedule serves as a clear avenue to increased academic success, overall student health, and provides flexibility in course registration.   It's the result of parent, student, and faculty input, and positions JCS to build in several key arenas that our students need to be able to excel in life.

 

When I stepped in as Interim President, after having spent time the last several years listening to parents who shared what they loved about JCS as well as opportunities where we could improve, Mr. Zambrano and I spent a good deal of time discussing how we can best equip our students and continue to deliver on our JCS promise to provide excellence in Christian education.  Some of the essential courses we wanted to be able to offer included ACT and SAT Prep, Life Skills, TedX, Speech and Debate, Science Olympiad, Script Writing, and Dave Ramsey Financial curriculum. 

 

I asked Mr. Zambrano to consider the 8 period schedule, given what it would enable for our students, and he spent the next six weeks speaking to department heads, faculty, students, and a JCS parent advisory board of 20+ parents, along with analyzing research into how this type of schedule has been highly successful in other schools.  Some of the benefits of our eight-period rotating schedule include:

 

• More instructional and application time for each core subject
• Smaller class sizes and more personal attention
• More elective options to prepare students for college, career, and life
• Not having to miss the same class when they have to leave early for Athletics or Fine Arts

We are excited to continue to refine the schedule and electives over the next five months to deliver the best academic plan for our students.  We have already asked our students which electives they would prefer to take, and we would now like to gain your input via the survey below as to which electives you would prefer to have available for your student.   Our partnership with parents is key to ensuring that together we give our students the tools they need to excel in life and use their gifts and talents to make a difference in our world for Christ.  

 

Below you will find several important resources relating to this new schedule:

• Message from Principal Zambrano with more details
• Parent Survey on Course Elective Options
• Sample Rotating Schedule

 

Thank you for your investment in your student's education at Jupiter Christian School.  We know with God's hand on everything we strive to do, the best is yet to come!

Blessings,

Darlaine Sisk

Interim President & Chief Advancement Officer