The Covenant School Celebrates Hope and Joy in Revitalized Space
Notable Names Have Leaned into the School’s Success including music legend Billy Joel and Alexis Joel’s foundation

NASHVILLE – The Covenant School today opened its doors to local media to tour the revitalized space of its original campus in Burton Hills and to express gratitude to the many individuals and organizations that have contributed to the school’s recovery and healing.

Over the past 15 months, the school has received incredible support and countless acts of kindness from the Nashville community, from across the country and from around the world. Brentwood Hills Church of Christ provided a temporary home to the school while the current building was renovated. Covenant Presbyterian Church worked with the school to reimagine the space and welcome the students, families, faculty, and staff back this past April.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share our story and the gospel message,” Head of School Trudy Waters said. “We have seen firsthand that out of deep loss, sorrow and pain can come healing, hope and joy.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of the people and organizations that have supported our school and our community. We have felt people wrapping their arms around us through what has been and continues to be a difficult time.”

As the school has focused on caring for the families, students, faculty, and staff as well as moving back into its original home, some notable names reached out to provide support to the school including:

• The Joel Foundation, led by Billy and Alexis Joel, supported the school’s performing arts program by creating inspired performance spaces including flexible theater space, new lighting and sound systems, technology for teaching and learning, and an array of new instruments, including a new piano.
  
• 4Wall Entertainment, provides state of the art equipment and staff for global events, including Billy Joel’s tour and NYC residency. The 4Wall team worked in partnership with The Joel Foundation providing critical audio-visual, lighting, and rigging equipment, along with design and technical expertise, for the revitalized music and performance spaces.
  
• Steve Cohen Productions provided expert design and project management consultation services in support of the new music and performance spaces.
  
• Clea Sherer and Joanna Teplin, stars of the Netflix show, Get Organized with The Home Edit, who shared their organizational talents and materials to equip the school in offices, teacher spaces, etc.
  
• Artist Ed Nash, who commissioned an art installation that incorporates participation by students, alumni, faculty and staff and is featured in an impactful part of the building.
  
• The team at Onsite, led by Miles Adcox and Janet McDonald, who are providing holistic healing and counseling services to the school community.

“It has been a privilege to partner with the leadership and staff of The Covenant School. Music can bring joy and kindness to children and families, and we are proud that our foundation helped create a special environment that will be filled with music for years to come,” Billy and Alexis Joel said.

“The Covenant School is such a special place in our home city of Nashville. It was an honor to play a small part in the school’s recovery,” said Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, founders of the Home Edit. “We hope that the systems we put into place bring joy daily to the staff and students and instill a sense of hope as they move forward.”

“It has been a privilege to be part of the Covenant community over the past 15 months,” said artist, Ed Nash. “This project has provided an opportunity for the children to lead the creative process, choosing colors, images, and words that resonate with their experiences and hopes. The finished piece embodies the spirit of collaboration and the unrestrained joy of creating art. My hope is that as the students pass by the painting each day, they discover something new that brings a smile to their faces and reminds them of the strength and unity of their community.”

“Our team is honored to walk alongside The Covenant School community as they continue healing from last year’s tragic events. The Onsite Foundation has supported survivors of mass shootings around the country for several years; although we hope and pray that having this experience will one day be unnecessary, when tragedy struck in our hometown, we were thankful to have our heartfelt team ready to support our friends and neighbors. We are so inspired by the resilience, love, and faith in the Covenant community and remain committed to being a resource and providing support as long as needed,” Miles Adcox said. The Covenant School is a private, Christian K-6 school in Nashville, Tenn. that was founded in 2001 as a mission of Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Contact:
Alexia Poe. [email protected]. (615) 948-9339