Christian Academy of Indiana Kicks Off the School Year with The Event

Ryan Miller for the News and Tribune

Christian Academy of Indiana The Event 2025 Family

Families gathered Friday night at Sam Peden Community Park in New Albany for The Event.

NEW ALBANY – Going back to school can usually be one of a student’s least favorite parts of the year.

Having to navigate a new schedule, meeting new teachers, and waking up early all lead to students dreading late summer. However, when schools make an effort to welcome students back in a fun environment, it can lessen the blow a little.

Students, families and staff converse during Friday’s festivities.

Christian Academy of Indiana’s version of this event is, fittingly, The Event. The annual celebration sees students get ready for the new year at Sam Peden Park. The festivities include a meet and greet with teachers, a bake sale, and games of all kinds. Not only students find themselves looking forward to the event though. “It’s very exciting, I love seeing my former students and it does make me feel like we are a community not just a school,” said fifth grade teacher Shelly Abbott during Friday’s festivities.

Christian Academy of Indiana The Event 2025 Teacher and Student

These themes of community could be seen echoed throughout the entire event, with students of all grade levels laughing and chatting, parents saying hello to each other after a long summer, and teachers meeting their students for the next year. The students appreciate the fostered sense of togetherness as well.

“Yes, our schools are about community and specifically obviously Christian community because we’re a Christian school, so all the students coming out here and just being able to bond with their grade, playing games, bond with some upper classmen as well; I just think that it’s really important in building friendships and also mentor ships between us,” said senior Claire Trask.

The seniors are especially fond of this event, because all the money goes to the senior class trip. This being their last year, many students and even parents cannot help but feel a little emotional at one of their final CAI events.

“There’s no sweet to it, it is incredibly sad for me thinking that she might leave,” said Mallory Annis, a parent of a senior.

Christian Academy has been growing in enrollment, and is seeing a record high enrollment rate this year (1,258 students). With this amount of growth, many changes are being made to the school. One of these changes is a new building for the middle school, so the high school and junior high will no longer share a space. The two-story building will include 26 classrooms, a room for the choir, art rooms and labs. To add to the changes for middle schoolers in the coming year, CAI is welcoming a new middle school principal: Taylor Jarman. Jarman most recently worked as a principal for an elementary school in Texas, and has worked as a teacher/administrator for 12 years.

“I think one goal is to see all of our students grow and they desire to serve God and their academics and in their relationships and what we do as Christian Academy,” said Jarman. Jarman expressed excitement for this coming school year for myriad reasons, but he like many others are looking forward to the new building being completed. “I am most excited to see us continue to become a solid middle school because this is the first we’re starting a new building it’s going to be Hopefully finish later this year and so we’ll all be coming together for the first time fifth to eighth grade, as one middle school campus, that will be really cool to see,” Jarman said.

With CAI experiencing such a high number of students, it was heartening to the teachers to see such a big turnout to an extra-curricular event.

“It says that we’re all in this together,” said Abbott

 

Join Our Team – Immediate Opportunities Available

Christian Academy School System Featured Career Opportunities for 2025-2026 as of August 2025

Discover the Newest Opportunities for the 2025-2026 School Year Here and Apply Online Here.

Featured Opportunities Include

 

CAI Alumni – You’re Invited to a Baseball Game, September 27

We’re excited to invite you to our Christian Academy Alumni Baseball Game on Saturday, September 27, at 11 a.m.! Whether you want to dust off your glove and step back onto the field or simply come out and cheer from the stands, we’d love to see you there.

Last year’s game was an absolute blast – full of laughter, friendly competition and plenty of great memories. This year promises to be just as fun and it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and teammates.

Please RSVP using this link so we can plan for players and spectators.

We can’t wait to see you out at the ballpark for a day of fellowship, fun and baseball!

Go Warriors!

CAI Junior Academy, Come for Popsicles on the Playground!

Christian Academy School System Popsicles on the Playground New Family Events 2025

Happy summertime! We are already preparing for your children to enter the 2025-2026 school year as successful little Christian Academy Warriors! One of the ways we want to do that is by allowing you and your child the opportunity to acclimate to the Junior Academy. That means you’re invited to our summertime Popsicles on the Playground! Here’s what you need to know:

Date– Thursday, July 10

Time– 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. (to avoid the heat!)

Place– CAI Junior Academy Playground 

The playground is accessed only once inside the building. We’ll be there to welcome you right inside the elementary school entrance. For parking, let’s get some “official” practice on how to enter and exit the campus.

As you arrive on campus, if you are entering off Grant Line Road, simply continue up the drive. You will see the elementary school on your left but do not turn in. You will drive all the way around the entire building, past all the construction for the new middle school on your left, past the back of the school where there is the large “commons” lot, up the drive with the high school entrance on your left and finally arriving at the elementary school. Please pull over to the right into the elementary lot and park. If you are arriving on campus through the “new” entrance, be sure to turn right and drive past the high school entrance on your left and pull over into parking across from the elementary entrance. Please enter the elementary school doors where we will be waiting for you. Once we are through the check-in process, we will have a little fun on the Junior Academy playground! 

You will need:

  • To RSVP Here
  • To bring your Driver’s License. This will be run through our security system and allow you to visit inside the school building all year without needing to submit it again.
  • To bring a water bottle for your child (and yourself if you’d like!). There is also a water fountain on the playground.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Aimee Games at [email protected]! We can’t wait to meet you!

 

Announcing the 2025-2026 Theatre Show Season!

Christian Academy of Indiana Theatre 2025-2026 Season Announcement

September 25-27 – Elementary Production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. directed by Mr. Andrew Wieland
Auditions for 1st – 5th grade students will be held on the Back-to-School Day on Tuesday, August 5. More information to come soon!

November 20-22 – All-School Production of The Sound of Music directed by Mrs. Alisa Hancher, Ms. Julia Verdouw and Mr. Andrew Wieland

March 5-7 – High School Production of Pride and Prejudice directed by Ms. Julia Verdouw

May 7-9 – Middle School Production of The Westing Game directed by Mrs. Alisa Hancher

Mark your calendars now! It’s a season you won’t want to miss!

CAI Kindergarten and New Elementary, You’re invited!

Christian Academy School System Popsicles on the Playground New Family Events 2025

Happy summertime! We are already preparing for your children to enter the 2025-2026 school year as successful little Christian Academy Warriors! One of the ways we want to do that is by allowing you and your child the opportunity to acclimate to their new campus. So, if you are brand new to CAI elementary or entering kindergarten, we consider you “NEW!” And that means you’re invited to our summertime Popsicles on the Playground! Here’s what you need to know:

At each of these events, we’ll be there to welcome you right inside the elementary playground gate. For parking, let’s get some “official” practice on how to enter and exit the campus.

As you arrive on campus, if you are entering off Grant Line Road, simply continue up the drive. You will see the elementary school on your left but do not turn in. You will drive all the way around the entire building, past all the construction for the new middle school on your left, past the back of the school where there is the large “commons” lot, up the drive with the high school entrance on your left and finally arriving at the elementary school. Please pull over to the right into the elementary lot and park. If you are arriving on campus through the “new” entrance, be sure to turn right and drive past the high school entrance on your left and pull over into parking across from the elementary entrance. To get to the playground, follow the sidewalk lined with PINWHEELS and you won’t miss us!

We have multiple dates, some in the morning and some in the evening for varying age groups. Please click here to view those dates and RSVP.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Aimee Games at [email protected]!