Capistrano Valley Christian Schools

We are new parents at CVCS with a High Schooler this year, if you are considering schools for your son or daughter, this may be helpful.The community of people at CVCS is dedicated to helping your child reach their full potential. The staff and teachers are passionate and dedicated. Academics are a very high bar - but so is character development. Something that most parents don't realize is that, if participation in activities and sports is a priority for your child, a smaller school is the ideal environment. They can play Girl's volleyball (even if they aren't 6' tall), they can play Football (even if they don't plan on a career in the NFL). Leadership opportunities abound, and they are meaningful roles - not just selling tickets or other fund raising item. Performing arts? Take your pick. All of this in a safe, drug-free environment. Nice families, nice kids, highly motivational staff and you will feel part of the experience.

When I think about CVCS and my children I cannot help but become immediately emotional. While the decision was a big one to make, it was so easy to make. My kids are MY kids, my ONLY kids and being able to enroll them at CVCS is and has become so important to our family. School and higher education are very valued in our family and even with that principle we never dreamed of looking into private schools. But after walking through the doors at CVCS and seeing the difference it has made in my children, I cannot image our life without it. I thank God everyday EVERYDAY that this opportunity is in my life. Growing up as a kid in South Orange County the words private school meant bubble. Even worse a bubble behind the orange curtain: A protected/sheltered group of kids who didn't know about the real world. But I was so wrong. At CVCS my kindergartner and 1st grader are involved in things I would have never dreamed that they would be a part of. My daughter at seven years old spent a day packing meals for those in need and a day visiting with seniors living in a nearby senior citizen center. My son in kindergarten was sorting through my closet looking for shoes he could donate to those without shoes. Seeing my six year old so passionate about something so selfless; a crisis the world can't seem to solve I thought My Lord how REAL is that. And yes, we have those opportunities at Church, but having those opportunities at school too is amazing and necessary. If we want to make real change in our world, we need to start with our children. The teachers and faculty here work extra hard in order to fit in programs and projects that teach social responsibility. It is the culture here. This idea that there is a community to serve and a need to fulfill and a responsibility for something larger than the individual is a consistent thread that runs through CVCS. I have kids now with a bigger heart to serve a heart to love and a foundation to move forward and lead in the world with positivity and light. The best part is that CVCS is the real world and they are not stuck in school district red tape, they are not stuck as being 1 in 36. They are Cassius and Lillian around campus and that means so much to us. I hear over and over that CVCS is the way school should be. It is what is needed for our kids. I know that to be true for us. Bringing my kids to school and not worrying about their day, how they are going to be treated, or who is going to comfort them if they fall emotionally or physically is such a relief. Let's face it, your kids are the basis of so much worry in your life and they spend a huge percentage of their life at school. Knowing that my son's Kindergarten classroom is just like an extension of our home is such an amazing comfort. Every morning my kids wake up ready to go to school. They can't wait for school to begin. They are challenged and they are supported. They are pushed to be leaders and they are built up to help others. I am a working mom, and yes I may have a screen door that falls of the track from time to time, or ding or two in my car, but how can I put a price on my kids' education. It is a tough choice to make, but we have put the kids' education on the top of our priority list. We are making it work even when we thought we couldn't. If we set our kids out on the path they should go, as they grow old they will not stray far from it. I used to think How could I enroll my kid's in private school, or why would I. Now I cannot image what we would do without CVCS. CVCS is a home for our family and an integral part of my children's lives.

Capistrano Valley Christian Schools is like a big family. My 3 children are in the high school and have been blessed by great opportunities; wonderful teachers, who are godly mentors; challenging academics; and a caring atmosphere. Teachers go above & beyond to show God's love & assist the students. My children have had life changing opportunities to serve in ministry, be student leaders, perform in musical theater and the MACY's awards, perform in the choir, and participate in athletics. CVCS is preparing my kids for college and coming along side me to raise them to be strong Christian leaders in our community. Thank you to CVCS staff for your hard work and dedication to our school and its students. I highly recommend this school to those parents seeking Christian teachers and mentors for their children as well as quality education.

Imagine your child being in a place where he is unconditionally loved, as you love him. Where he will be guided through his day by strong Christian role models who will ignite his faith, and set a strong spiritual foundation for life. Imagine your child in a place where there are no labels or academic limits. Where uniqueness is celebrated as a gift, and where he will be free to excel academically and develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime. Two years ago, I put my child in this place, and watched in awe as he blossomed. My son has attended the CVCS Homeschool Co-op now since kindergarten, and will be entering grade 2 in the fall. We would love for him to attend the Co-op until he finishes junior high, and then transition into the superb, blue-ribbon award-winning, full-time program. This is a minor transition for the children, as the Co-op family is fully integrated within the wider CVCS family, having access to the same facilities, sports programs and after-school club opportunities. The Co-op program provides a perfect combination of a first-class academic experience in a Christ-centered environment. The Co-op has been under the stewardship of its Director, Kendra, from inception. She is truly an ambassador for Christ, and this blessing is manifest in all areas of Co-op life. Students attend the weekly all-school chapel each Wednesday morning. The Co-op also has a special family chapel, once a month in which children from each class are recognized and awarded for demonstrating specific biblical character traits in their daily lives. The curricula is Christ-centered and prayer is an integral part of Co-op life. The Co-op has been blessed with the most patient, kind and caring teachers who go above and beyond to show God's love. Parental involvement is high, from both mothers and fathers, who provide additional strong christian role models. Children and families serve together through a variety of ministry outreaches organized throughout the year. Academics are tailored to the child. The children are exposed early to apologetics through the What We Believe curriculum (Apologia), a wonderful apologetics curriculum, used from Grade 1 onwards. The Co-op uses Math Mammoth, an award-winning math curriculum similar to Singapore math. There is a taught lesson, and an alternative independent option, to suit children who are working above or below grade level. The Logic of English (Denise Eide) is a core English curriculum used from kindergarten, in addition to several supplemental curricula that cover grammar, comprehension, creative writing, and greek and latin word roots. The science taught throughout the Co-op is phenomenal and totally out of the box. Topics covered last year were geology and astronomy. The children went to Victoria Beach to analyze the rock strata, they learned about supernovae and made Galilean telescopes. Under the stewardship of the Co-op science teacher, the Junior High students formed a Lego Robotics team that won the Newton Division in the 2013 World Championship, in addition to a host of other awards. In-school enrichment activities include JiJi math (a computer-based math application developed by the MIND Institute), and Art Masters (where students learn about a famous artist and create art in that particular style). After school clubs include Academic Chess, Art, Music lessons, and a number of sports programs. Additional enrichment is gained through numerous field trip opportunities throughout the year. Field trips being discussed for the coming year include a kayaking tour, a Starr Ranch ecology program (where students spend the day with a biologist), The Grunion Run (a midnight trip to the beach!), a farm trip and owl pellet analysis and dissection. I highly recommend Capistrano Valley Christian Schools. If you are searching for Christ-centered, academic excellence, in a genuinely warm and caring environment, you will find all that, and so much more in this school.

We absolutely love this school! We are in the co-op homeschool program and have experienced nothing but encouraging, committed teachers and an outstanding director who cares and prays for each family. The students really get one-on-one attention from the teachers in class and go over and above to show them love. They continue to reinforce difficult aspects of Christianity so our kids really can know why they believe what they believe. They even give you a schedule of everything you need to teach which makes it less intimidating and makes you feel like you CAN homeschool. We are one, big, happy family who you will always find chatting after school and doing outside school activities. You should definitely check out this school!

Capistrano Christian School has been a part of my life since I stepped foot on campus in kindergarten the year of it's opening. Years later, we got the opportunity to send our teenage girls to the school for Jr High and High School. CVCS is an amazing institution with the most talented and passionate teachers and staff I have ever seen. It is a very rare experience to go to a high school and interact with teenagers that are courteous, respectful and sincere. This School educates our kids with an unmatched curriculum, using technology beyond any school in Orange County, and a student teacher ratio that is unbelievable. It has a Christian education program that quite honestly surpasses anything in the entire country. This school teaches our kids the meaning and value of Christ in their life in a way that secures their faith for life and sends them into collegiate life ready to stand up for God in secular institutions and profess and defend their faith. The athletic program is outstanding as every child gets the opportunity to be on teams and actually play. No one is cut from any team every player plays and competes. It is sad what has become of sports in most schools today, what was meant to be an opportunity to exercise and learn the character lessons of teamwork, winning and loosing and meeting goals, has skewed to be all about winning. In public schools kids have to invest their entire year to a single sport in the hopes of making the team and staying on the team. Our since of balance in life is skewed due to the drive to win that sports scholarship. CVCS is about teaching character learning the values of struggle and teamwork, working with what you have not cutting the weaker players but growing them. It is also a very special time at CVCS with new leadership doing some very exciting things with the school. And the Arts program is simply unmatched even in public schools with all kinds of resources. In our minds it is the best school in the country and worth every penny.