A new school year is always filled with anticipation, but this year, there is an especially exciting sense of momentum at Delmarva Christian School.

Our faculty and staff gathered for In-Service Day to worship together, be encouraged, look ahead to the year, and celebrate all that God is doing at DCS.

We began our day by turning our attention to the Lord through worship led by Tonia Light of Laurel Nazarene Church. Pastor Garry Light then shared a devotion from 1 Thessalonians 5:11, challenging our staff to recognize the power we have to encourage one another.

“We have the power to encourage one another and our speech can revive others and refresh and bring people out of discouragement,” Pastor Light reminded us.

As educators and staff members, our words matter. The way we encourage, challenge, support, and care for one another can have an incredible impact—not only on our colleagues, but on the students entrusted to us.

Following worship and devotion, we officially revealed our theme for the 2026–2027 school year:

Building. Excitement. Together.

The theme reflects where we are as a school community. We are building new spaces, building relationships, building opportunities for students, and building a future together. Most importantly, we want to build excitement around what God is doing at Delmarva Christian.

Our theme is rooted in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”

Interim Head of School Justin Savini then shared a State of the School Address, offering perspective on where DCS is headed and the responsibility we have as educators.

Justin reminded our staff that this is an exciting place to be and emphasized that we strive to make every decision from a biblical perspective.

He also challenged our staff to consider the tremendous amount of time students spend at school. Roughly half of their waking hours this year will be spent with us.

“That is something we take seriously.”

Every teacher, coach, administrator, and staff member has an opportunity to influence the lives of our students. The responsibility is significant, but so is the opportunity.

The afternoon brought our theme to life in a fun and tangible way.

Staff members received hard hats and had the opportunity to personalize them with Scripture verses, stickers, logos, and other decorations before heading out to tour the construction happening across campus.

After months of watching the project progress, our staff had the opportunity to see firsthand the work that has taken place over the summer and get a closer look at the spaces that will soon become part of everyday life at DCS.

There is a lot being built around us—but the most important things being built cannot be measured in square feet.

We are building people. We are building community. We are building faith. We are building the future.

And we are doing it together.

As we begin a new school year, we are grateful for the people God has brought together at Delmarva Christian and excited for what lies ahead.

Building. Excitement. Together.