School Life

Experience CCES

At Christ Church Episcopal School we refer to school life as “the CCES experience.” 

This experience is rooted in the Christian, Episcopal tradition that, through weekly chapel services, reminds students of the presence of God in their lives.

A rich variety of athletic teams, extracurricular activities, and leadership opportunities offers students a wealth of avenues for exploring their interests and developing their potential.

Many school traditions also form “the CCES experience.”  There are the academically inspired grade-level plays, such as “Salute to South Carolina,” in the Lower School. There are the seventh and eighth-grade trips to Williamsburg and Disney World in the Middle School. In the Upper School the Mystery Trip kicks off the freshmen’s high school careers with excitement and adventure, and our beautiful Commencement traditions bring them to a brilliant close. 

Special celebrations, such as Special Friends Day and Grandparents Day, the annual Faculty-Student Basketball Game, and Upper School Homegoing Week, are the foundation for many lasting memories.

But while many alumni recollect these activities fondly, they tell us that at the core of “the CCES experience” are the lifelong friendships formed in small classes and on the school’s many athletic teams. Decades after graduation, alumni attending reunions tell us that their best friends are still their CCES classmates.  It’s all part of “the CCES experience.”

Tradition & Events

LOWER SCHOOL: Primers get to experience a delightful tradition their first year at CCES by serenading our graduating class at the annual Senior Chapel. Other Lower School traditions include annual plays like the Salute to SC and the 2nd grade Ecosystems play, celebrations of faith through the Road to Bethlehem and Journey to the Cross, and Special Friends Day.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Students look forward to experiencing new traditions throughout their time in the Middle School. 5th graders participate in an annual Egg Drop and Wildlife Safari while 6th graders release home-raised trout at Table Rock State Park. 8th graders look forward to closing another chapter at CCES through the 8th Grade Recognition and Spring Fling.

UPPER SCHOOL: Upper School chapel traditions such as Ephiany Scholar and Fine Arts Chapel celebrate student achievement in the context of glorifying God. These beautiful services are much anticipated and are enhanced by an element of surprise made sweeter by the fact that the parents of the award winners must keep the secret until the honors are announced in chapel. Other Upper School traditions include Homecoming, Homegoing, and Senior week which is filled with activities to celebrate our graduating class. Following Senior Chapel in late April, a bagpiper leads the seniors in a triumphal procession around campus, where students and faculty are lined up to applaud them.

For a more extensive list and detailed look at the Traditions, Events and Organizations at CCES, click here.

FIELD TRIPS

LOWER SCHOOL: Fourth graders see the impact of conflict as they visit the Revolutionary War battleground at Cowpens. Third graders visit Walnut Grove Plantation, linking the past and the present to answer the question, “Why does history matter?” Second graders shadow an adult at work as part of their unit on occupations.  Human nutrition comes to life as First graders visit Happy Cow Creamery or tour a local Publix. Primers come to understand the importance of recycling while visiting a nearby landfill.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Fifth-graders are introduced to the Middle School – and to each other – during outdoor experiences at Paris Mountain State Park. Sixth-grade students travel to the Charlotte, North Carolina for an Extreme Challenge where they participate both in cooperative and leadership activities. Seventh and eighth-grade students enjoy overnight trips to Washington D.C. and surrounding areas. Seventh and eighth graders may also elect to serve on a mission trip over Fall Break. Eighth-grade students visit Disney World and EPCOT.

UPPER SCHOOL: The Ninth Grade Mystery Trip bonds freshmen together during their first week of school by whisking them off for two days to a secret destination. Day long field trips associated with a class are a common occurrence in the Upper School. Students are also invited to participate in trips all over the world including Model United Nations Trips to Washington D.C. and Emory University in Atlanta as well as missions to Ecuador and South Africa.

A CCES education prepares students to think deeply, act responsibly, live vigorously, believe faithfully, lead resolutely, and create imaginatively.