Cornerstone Christian Academy

And with that, the 2025-26 school year at Cornerstone comes to a close. 🎓

Every year as we watch our Kinderbees graduate it represents the start of their academic careers. They’ve learned to become students, and to begin turning their potential and hard work into growth and knowledge.

Cornerstone 8th graders on the other hand, head out beyond our school walls into high school. The immeasurable sense of pride that we have as we bid this amazing Class of 2026 farewell, echoes the pride no doubt felt by the many people who have supported and facilitated this milestone.

We celebrate our amazing graduates as they head into the next phase of their academic careers, along with congratulating the parents, families, teachers, mentors, Teammates, and friends who have helped shaped these amazing young men and women into the future leaders of tomorrow.

Congratulations to all 2026 graduates. Thank you for being exemplary Cornerstone students. We are here, cheering for you and keeping an eye on your success as you bring your knowledge, compassion, faith, and incredible confidence out into the world. We can't wait to see what you now make of your boundless futures.

Congratulations and thank you all for another amazing school year at Cornerstone Christian Academy!

It may have been rainy and cold, but nothing could damper the spirit of Cornerstone’s annual Teammate Field Trip Day to Valley Forge National Historical Park!

Despite the wet conditions, our group enjoyed an informative and fun guided bus tour of this important national landmark. Experiencing off-campus learning events together is a fun and unique way for our students to strengthen the bonds with their Teammates.

Cornerstone Teammates are donors who provide scholarship support and mentorship to Middle School students. If you are interested in making a difference in a Cornerstone student’s life, visit us online to learn more about this amazing program and start writing your Teammate story today. (Link in bio)

🇺🇸 Cornerstone celebrated America’s 250th Anniversary with an all-school field trip focused on civics and government. For three days last week, students boarded buses and set out to three local Capitals for fun-filled experiential learning activities.

The impact of this experience on our students was immediate and lasting.

Our Kindergarten – 2nd grade students spent the day at The Franklin Institute, Art Museum, and Philadelphia City Hall.

3rd – 5th graders visited The Whitaker Science Center and received a personalized tour of the stunning Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA - thanks to our friend

And finally, our 6th – 8th grade Middle school students experienced nearly everything there is to see and do over the course of two days in Washington D.C. They visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Air and Space Museum, Library of Congress, National Museum of American History, and capped it off with a dinner cruise on the Potomac River.

Thanks to our school leaders and the generosity of our donors, we provided an unforgettable end to this school year for our students. Field trips like this ensure that Cornerstone students can not only learn about history and government, but experience it first-hand!





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As the school year comes to a close, our focus now turns to Cornerstone’s summer programs. ☀️

Providing opportunity beyond the academic school year keeps our students safe, healthy, and inspired during the summer break. Crucially, it also helps our students combat learning loss due to the “summer slide”, allowing them to carry their academic and social-emotional momentum into the next school year.

This summer, the need for your support is greater than ever.

We have the largest summer enrollment in school history, with over 130 students registered for J-ROCK, Cornerstone’s seven-week performing arts camp. That means more staff, more supplies, and more buses for weekly field trips. It also means more support for Cornerstone’s working families who rely on this critical summer care, including daily breakfast and lunch for all campers.

Your gift provides an essential opportunity that is not readily available in Southwest Philadelphia. You are giving students the confidence to express themselves on stage, to experiment with new technologies like coding and video production, and learn new skills like set design and creative writing.

Crucially, you are providing the opportunity to explore beyond our local neighborhoods to visit theaters, playgrounds, and museums throughout the city.

Visit us online at wearecornerstone.com or follow the link in our bio to give today. Your gift creates a memorable summer opportunity that will leave a lasting impact.

STEM learning comes to life in a fun and engaging way every year at Cornerstone's Middle School Science Fair! 🔬🧪🧬

For several weeks leading up to the Fair, Science Teacher Ms. Grant helps 5th – 8th grade students come up with hands-on experiments that test various original scientific hypotheses. Then on the big day, our campus comes alive with the sights, sounds, and spills(!) of science as students present their findings to lower school, parents, staff, and a panel of special guest judges.

Cornerstone's Middle School Science curriculum pushes students to present their experiments in a data-informed way while also focusing on clear and engaging communication with the audience.

If you are interested in seeing how a Cornerstone 5–8th grade education can be the right fit for you or a student you know, visit us online and start your Admissions journey today at wearecornerstone.com

In 1988 when inspired a few very special individuals to help meet a need in Southwest Philadelphia, the seeds for Cornerstone Christian Academy were planted. We were recently honored to welcome a few of those special people to campus for a day of storytelling and celebration.

It was an historic moment to have our founding Head of School, Rev. Marie Schilling, alongside co-founder Jim Sweet, his wife and vital supporter Joyce, and former Cornerstone Chaplain Connie Harper, back to campus for an unprecedented visit that spanned the entire history of our school.

A special chapel service was held where Rev. Schilling, at 94 years young, delivered a moving and powerful closing homily. We then had the honor of hosting an intimate reception featuring a Q&A session with Cornerstone Board members, school leadership, our 3rd grade class, and Cornerstone Student Ambassadors.

Everyone in attendance was treated to memories and anecdotes about the early years of what was then a K-3 school that has grown in stature and service over the next 37 years.

Moments like this remind us that as we keep an eye on the future, we should remember the passion, love, and commitment of incredible individuals like Rev. Schilling and Jim and Joyce Sweet. Their vision provided the essential foundation that allows us to continue fulfilling our mission for almost four decades.

Watch Us Rise!

It takes a village of support to keep Cornerstone going strong. So for National Volunteer Week we want to say THANK YOU to the amazing people who pour into our school with their time and talent.

We want to spotlight some of the individuals who have made an impact with their service this year, whether during a Day of Service, special event, or by coming to campus on their own time. We are beyond grateful for your efforts to support our students and school.

Linda Hassett has brought her professional librarian skills to a year-long project of assigning reading levels to our book collection, bringing organization and clarity to our campus library.

Some of the amazing Cornerstone parents also lend a hand to campus events like our Holiday Shoppe, helping young students pick out the perfect gifts for Christmas, Mothers Day and Fathers Day.

Professional Lifeguard Lynn Ruff has come to Cornerstone for several years during J-ROCK summer camp, imparting vital water safety tips to our students.

We are also blessed to have church partners like and who turn out in force to beautify and maintain our campus and provide essential administrative assistance.

If you are interested in making an impact for our students and seeing the amazing things happening at Cornerstone first-hand, visit us online and find out how you can get involved today!

If you've visited our campus or joined us for a special event, you already know why Cornerstone Student Ambassadors are so special.

As we celebrate National Student Leadership Week, we shine a light on this incredible group of middle school students who bring their poise, confidence, and creativity to their role as ambassadors to our school.

These student leaders are always prepared and eager to greet guests to Cornerstone. Whether you are a donor, partner, prospective family, or a member of our school community, you are in good hands when you get to spend time with our cheerful and knowledgeable Student Ambassadors.

This team of talented students is always ready to share a story, answer a question, or simply make you feel right at home. Their leadership is always on display, consistently setting the example for our lower school students and providing valuable perspective for anyone who wants to know more about Cornerstone Christian Academy.

Join us in celebrating these amazing young leaders and come see for yourself how they represent the pride and confidence Cornerstone imparts to our students.

Who better to teach the ins and outs of saving to our 3rd and 4th grade classes than experts like Ms. Solange and Ms. Jennine from Bank

As part of WSFS Bank's "Teach Children to Save Month" initiative, they visited our campus with workbooks and a fun-filled lesson plan to start our lower school savers on the path to financial success!

"The students here at Cornerstone were very engaged and knowledgable about finances! Our visit has been a wonderful experience, it’s a very well-rounded school." - Solange Witty, VP Retail Office Manager WSFS Bank

And if that wasn't enough, our generous friends at donated amazing piggy banks for the students who participated in the program.

The future is bright for our students, academically, spiritually, and financially!

We are exceedingly proud to share that Cornerstone Christian Academy's Head of School Brandon McNeice has been named to the Philadelphia Business Journal .

We are consistently inspired by his vision and thankful for his leadership as Cornerstone grows in its mission to serve the students of Southwest Philadelphia.

Please join us in congratulating Brandon for this honor. This acknowledgement of his vision and service is well-earned, and we could not be more proud of the work he inspires.

"This recognition means a great deal to me, not simply as a personal milestone, but because it reflects work I care deeply about: building strong schools, serving students and families in Southwest Philadelphia, and contributing to the broader civic and cultural life of our city." - Brandon McNeice