Of all the choices parents have to make on behalf of their children, choosing a school is at, or near, the top of the list. Beyond academics, relevant concerns include facilities and technology, social and spiritual development, extracurricular activities, security and transportation.
Jenny and Tim Chase of Thompson’s Station share those concerns for their children as well but, in their case, the choice was an easy one: Columbia Academy (CA). “Jenny and I are always talking about the great experiences our children are having,” says Chase. “Columbia Academy does such a wonderful job of ensuring their healthy development, academically and socially. The facilities are great and the campus, itself, is steeped in history and beautiful to be on. We love it.”
Their advocacy comes naturally as both Jenny and Tim are Columbia Academy graduates. Tim’s family moved to Columbia from Michigan in 1991 and he entered CA in sixth grade. “I attended a private school in Michigan and my parents wanted the same for me here,” he says. “They wanted a smaller, Christian school and CA sets you on the right course. The curriculum, combined with chapel and Bible classes, prepare you for that next step in your life."
For Chase, that next step was taken at Tennessee Tech where he graduated in 2002 with a B.S. in computer information systems. Today, he works in cyber security. “Cookeville is about the same size as Columbia, but Tennessee Tech was a change in culture,” he says. “It’s a much larger school, but CA gave me the academic tools I needed and taught me how to study so that I wasn’t totally
overwhelmed by the newfound freedom I had. The adjustment for me was not as great as it was for many other students because I was on the right path academically.”
Now, it’s the Chase children who are traveling that same path. Their three youngest are on the Spring Hill campus in Pre-K, third and fifth grade. Their oldest daughter, Ansley, is in seventh grade and in her first year on the Upper School campus in Columbia. Last year she won two major awards: The Principal’s Award, which goes to the student who exemplifies leadership skills, and she was named Player of the Year by her soccer coaches.
“Ansley has had a great experience,” Chase says. “She started in kindergarten and continues to make great strides academically and has even had the option of skipping a couple of levels of math. Outside of class, she has played soccer and tennis and has appeared in two school plays. Theater production is second-to-none and the experience the students get in terms of choreography and set design is advanced. The athletics programs are strong and continue to improve. They have a new gym, a great football field, beautiful soccer and baseball fields and they’re upgrading the track and field facilities. They do everything possible to create great experiences in all areas for every student.”
And if a prospective CA student happens to be reading this story, Tim Chase has the answer to the most important question of all: “How much homework should I expect to have?” “There’s a decent amount of homework but it’s not too bad. Ansley has about 30 to 90 minutes per night.”
Most students’ Columbia Academy experience will begin on the Spring Hill campus and the school goes to great lengths to ensure that the introduction is a positive one. "Columbia Academy at Spring Hill partners with parents by offering many ways to get involved, such as being a "room mom", volunteering to help with our elementary cross-country team, or joining the C.A.R.E. (Columbia Academy Reaching Everyone) Committee,” says CA President, Dr. James A. Thomas. “Parents are also encouraged to be active participants in their child's education, with open lines of communication between teachers and parents as an expectation."
Since 1979, Columbia Academy has been providing a challenging, yet Christ-centered college preparatory education for students from preschool to 12th grade. The Upper School campus covers 67 acres in the heart of Columbia and is home to students in grades 7-12. Preschool-sixth grade students attend classes on the CA campus at 756 Beechcroft Road in Spring Hill. CABulldogs.org