1310 Alford Ave. Ste. 202
Birmingham, AL 35226
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PERMIT 411
“Love is patient and kind,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude. Love isn’t
selfish or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil. Love is
always supportive, loyal,
hopeful, and trusting. Love
never fails!”
COVENANT PRIDE PRESS
w w w . c c s l i o n . c o m
IN THIS
ISSUE
Presidents Day Penny
Experiment
page 2
Book Review:
The 5 Love
Languages of Children
page 2
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Make a Heart Shaped
Bird Feeder
page 3
Love in Our Actions
As parents, we can often see what motivates our young child’s
actions. We know the big hug we get when picking our child up
from school is filled with love and also that their inability to share
a toy with a friend is because of selfishness. As they get older,
motivations become hidden and the “whys” behind behaviors may
not be so apparent. We all have motives driving what we do, but
how often do we take a step back and consider what drives us?
Paul speaks of love in 1 Corinthians 13, stating that it is greater
than any spiritual gift. He says words, faith, and even selfsacrifice mean nothing without love. This causes us to
ponder activities we consider noble and look deeper
to the motives behind those activities.
(Vs. 1-3) What if I could speak all languages of
humans and even of angels? If I did not love
others, I would be nothing more than a noisy
gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could
prophesy and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved
mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved
others. What if I gave away all that I owned and
let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I
loved others.
Although no one has perfectly pure motives, we should seek
to love others through our actions. Paul defines love with
words of action and not feelings.
(Vs. 4-8 )Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t
keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in
the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal,
hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails!
As we become humble in our own shortcomings, we can find
it easier to be patient with others. True love
desires the success of others, and God calls
us to serve others. There is graciousness in
love which never forgets that courtesy, tact,
and politeness are lovely. As we step back
to consider what motivates us, may
our love be seen, experienced, and
demonstrated in all that we do.
Chaplain’s Corner
page 3
Character Traits
of the Month
page 3
Love in Our Actions
page 4
February 2016
Diving Feet First
Into My Passion
As for many of us, life tends to follow our professional
careers. In looking for a career to call home, I wanted to be
in a place where my faith, my values, and my passions all
worked in harmony. I found that with Covenant Classical
Schools it isn’t just a dream. It’s a reality! Not only is CCS
firm and steadfast in their faith, but we emphasize the
same traits I live by every day. A chance encounter led me
to this workplace and to an extended family about which
I am so passionate.
I was first introduced to CCS while I was working at the
Pelham YMCA. CCS CEO, John LaBreche, approached
the YMCA about becoming a community partner through
our youth sports sponsorships. That chance encounter
turned out to be something I am thankful for today. At
the time, I was expecting my first baby and would be in
need of childcare very soon. John invited me to see the
new campus that was still under construction and told me
all about who and what CCS is. I fell in love with CCS on
that tour. Once the campus opened, I enrolled my new
daughter, Taryn, in the Infant 1 class. I was thrilled with
our school and fell in love with its vision. My child was
thriving at CCS and, as a parent, I took notice when a
position became available. I applied for the Assistant
Director position at the Pelham campus in 2013. I soon
found out that this was the place for my family and
I now serve as the Executive Office Manager in our
corporate office.
In the corporate office, I would consider myself
a jack-of-all-trades — working on everything
from marketing, to policy and procedure, to
assessments for all CCS locations. There’s
never a dull moment here and we are
constantly growing and advancing
CCS. Our ultimate goal and focus is
the CCS mission; “To transform
the world one child at a
time by instilling in
4 • www.ccslion.com
them a love for Christ, a love for each other, and a love for
learning.” It is our backbone and one that I fully support. I
am part of the positive impact that’s being made on our kids
and families. As a CCS parent with 3-year-old and 8-monthold daughters, I love seeing our mission in action.
In my jack-of-all-trades position, I get to exercise my
life long passions of staying busy and getting into
everything. I was raised in the Tennessee foothills, so I
grew up playing in creeks and woods. Those childhood
hobbies grew up with me, so now I scuba dive, hang
glide, cave, and climb. I have to admit, it’s hard to do
with two little girls, but I’m confident they’ll learn
to love the outdoors too. Maybe I’ll have them in
the water scuba diving before they’re old enough
to drive!
Without a doubt, my passions for life and family
go hand in hand with my passion for CCS. It’s
why I continue to do what I do!
- Tamara Harrelson
Covenant Classical Schools
Executive Office Manager
Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare • 1
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Chaplain’s Corner
Presidents Day Penny Experiment
In celebration of President’s Day, take the time to tell your child
about the presidents pictured on our American coins, most notably
Abraham Lincoln, who is seen on the copper penny. Ask your child
why some pennies are shinier then others. Explain that the dirtylooking pennies are covered in copper oxide. Ask how they think
we could clean the pennies and make them shiny again. Here is
where the science begins.
You will need:
3 clear cups
Dish soap
Water
Salt
Vinegar
3-15 dirty pennies
The
Fill the first container with ½ cup clean water, the second container
with ½ cup clean water and 1 teaspoon dish soap, and fill the third
container with ½ cup vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Place a few
pennies in each solution for at least 5 minutes.
Take the pennies out and let your child decide which solution
cleaned them the best. After they have seen that the vinegar
solution works the best, place all your pennies in the vinegar cup
for 5 minutes. Remove them, placing them on a clean paper towel.
Take a few pennies and rinse them in clean water, and leave the
others to air dry on the towel for a few hours. After a few hours,
come back and see that the air-dried pennies are turning green!
Explain to your child that a penny is made of copper, and it is
reacting with the oxygen in the air to form a blue-green colored
compound called malachite. This reaction can be seen on a larger
scale with the Statue of Liberty which is covered in copper, yet
looks green.
5 Love Languages of Children
By Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell
There is an expectation in most parents that their children will be a lot
like them. It seems to make sense and even seems to follow the early
experiences of parenting. We can easily project our own likes and
dislikes, our own personality traits onto our children. Grandparents
look at the child’s actions and talk about how they remember you
being just like that when you were their age. We can actually begin to
think we are raising ourselves when we look at our children. That is
until it all changes. Sooner or later, our children begin to show us who
they really are, and for many parents it is not the person they were
expecting.
Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the best-selling 5 Love Languages series,
offers some help with this in “The 5 Love Languages of Children.” He
helps offer insights into the personality types and ways our children
may be experiencing love most. He offers parents some handles to take
hold of to better understand their own children, and some possible
strategies to better relate.
2 • www.ccslion.com
Love Stories and God’s Word
Heart Shaped
Bird Feeders
Ingredients:
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup water
• 1 envelope unflavored
gelatin (2 ½
teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons corn
syrup
• 4 cups birdseed
Things You Will Need:
• 1 chopstick or skewer
• A heart-shaped cookie
cutter
• Wax paper
• Nonstick cooking
spray
• String or ribbon
Directions:
1. Spray a spoon with nonstick cooking spray, then mix all
the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Next, spray the inside of your cookie cutter with
nonstick spray and, using your sprayed spoon, pack
some birdseed mixture into your cookie cutter over
waxed paper. Take note to heavily pack in the mixture
to fill the cookie cutter.
3. Once you’ve filled the heart with birdseed, use a
chopstick to make a hole in the bird feeder for your
ribbon.
4. Remove the cookie cutter and repeat with birdseed
mixture for another heart. Depending on the size of
your cookie cutter, this should make about 10 bird
feeders.
5. Allow your bird feeders to set and harden overnight,
then tie your ribbon through the hole and hang from
your favorite tree, or give them as gifts to your family
and friends.
Everyone loves a love story. There is something about watching someone
struggle and overcome obstacles in the name of their love for another that we
can all relate to. All of the stories that seem to weather the ages and remain
with us have some element of a love story interwoven into them. All the fairy
tales are about some prince and some princess who are able to overcome
even death to be with one another. “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,”
and “Cinderella” all tell a story of love that is able to overcome seemingly
insurmountable odds.
One reason these stories seem to have such a universal draw could be that the
themes they draw from are drawn from the very heart of God.
Consider all the love stories that are in Scripture. Jacob and Rachel, Ruth
and Boaz, Solomon and his beloved in Song of Solomon, even Hosea and the
unfaithful Gomer are all love stories told in Scripture. But these stories, among
others, are not meant to stand alone. They are a part of the everlasting love
story between God and his people. Each story in some way symbolizes and
teaches us something more about the love we have in Christ Jesus.
Jacob leaves his father’s house to find his love.
Boaz stands as the only one able and willing to redeem his beloved.
Solomon is enraptured with the love he has for his beloved.
Hosea endures great heartache and betrayal for his beloved, though she is
unfaithful.
The Gospel itself is a love story by its own right. Christ, though he is a King,
takes on the form and place of a servant just so that he can save his beloved
bride, the Church. Because of his love, he lays down even his life for the sake
of the one he loves. Even when we are unfaithful to him and we don’t give
him the love and trust he deserves, he never stops loving or pursuing us as
his beloved bride. In this story we are the ones rescued and loved beyond
measure; in other words, the beloved.
- Chaplain Drew Phillips
CHARACTER TRAITS
OF THE MONTH
2 - 1: L ove
2 - 8: F aith
2 - 15: C ourage
2 - 22: C ompassion
2 -29: C ontentment
Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare • 3