School News

Our annual Speech Meet is Wednesday, November 17. Once the selection has been approved by the classroom teacher, it is time to start memorizing, practicing, and polishing. Here are the categories our judges will take into consideration:

Eyes – Comfortably engages audience with eye contact
Body Language – Excellent posture and position; engaging
Expression – Face and voice effectively and appropriately support the material
Enunciation/Fluency – Loud, clear speech; fluent phrasing
Memory/Accuracy – Fully memorized; no prompting needed

Remember, parents (or grandparents or VIPs) are invited to come and listen! Younger siblings are welcome so long as they are able to be quiet during the recitations. Those who plan to stay for the Speech Meet should park in a spot near the grass/pond or in the part of the lot closer to 52nd Street (near the church/school sign). Please do not park along the sidewalk by the school as St. Mark preschool families will be arriving at that time.

We plan to stream the all-school round, starting at approximately 10:15 a.m.

Our in-person prayer time is moving to Wednesday mornings following Morning Prayer. We gather together for a time of scripture-based prayer for our students and staff. We’d love for you to join us as often as you can. Younger siblings may come as long as they have toys, activities, and/or books and can engage with them quietly.

Does your child love science? Are you looking for an after-school program that’s free of charge yet high in quality? Van Andel Institute for Education is now accepting applications for its Afterschool Cohorts and is looking for creative and curious students who enjoy working with others. For more information and to apply for Ecosystem Explorers or Energy Innovators, click here.

The weather is changing! Shorts will no longer be allowed starting November 1. Do you need another pair of uniform long pants for your uniform collection? Stop by the office and browse our overflowing uniform closet. We offer great prices on gently used items.

In order to maximize participation, we are moving the Maker Faire to Friday, November 5, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars! Watch for more information about how this will impact the last hour of that school day and dismissal time.

Speech Meet selections are due next Friday, October 22. Please remember that selections must be approved by the classroom teacher, so students should not begin memorizing until they have teacher approval. Students in 5/6 should submit their selections to Mrs. Steenwyk. Students in 7/8 should submit theirs to Mr. Fynewever-Muyskens.

The Speech Meet will be held on Wednesday, November 17. Parents (or grandparents or VIPs) are welcome to come and listen! We will try our best to stagger recitation times so families can watch siblings, but we cannot make any changes the morning of Speech Meet. Please RSVP if you plan to attend using the form sent in the all-school newsletter. Younger siblings are welcome so long as they are able to be quiet during the recitations.

We do plan to record and stream the all-school round which will start at approximately 10:15 a.m.

Parent-teacher conferences are required for all parents of full-time students. Parents should plan to meet with all of their children’s teachers. Please watch for a sign-up form that will be emailed at the beginning of next week. Sign up early to get your preferred times. Remote options will be available.

N.B. The conference days are half days. Dismissal will be at 11:35 a.m. on both Thursday, November 11, and Friday, November 12. Childcare will not be available.

As stated in the Parent Handbook, Trinitas does not observe Halloween, but students will have the opportunity to wear a costume to school later this year on Book Character Day. On that day, students may come to school dressed as their favorite book characters (or Biblical or historical figures). It is a fun-filled day, and the students come home eager to read new books.

More information will be coming in a few months, but it’s never too early to start thinking of ideas for your character. Keep it a secret though, as we play a guess-the-character game that day! Please note that costume ideas must be submitted to the classroom teacher for approval.

At the end of each quarter, students are invited to wear “Color Day” clothes, i.e., non-uniform attire. We expect students to follow these guidelines for appropriate Color Day clothing. No pajamas/sleepwear, hats, or bare midriffs. Shirts must have sleeves. Leggings/running tights/yoga pants may only be worn under skirts, not as pants. All items must be clean and neat and appropriate for school in both appearance and “message” (no political messages, please). Sadly, we’ve all seen t-shirts that say things, either in words or pictures, that are not in keeping with Philippians 4:8 (think about what is true, noble, right, pure, etc.). Our Color Day clothing should still reflect who we are as a Christian classical community, and students should be “dressed for success” on any school day!

Students should plan to wear athletic shoes on Color Day as they may spend time outside or in the gym. Please note that starting November 1, shorts may not be won to school.

If you call or stop by the office, you may notice some new (but very familiar) faces behind the desk. Mrs. Beach continues to serve as administrative assistant on Mondays, but she has now been joined by Mrs. Roossien on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Miss Guidone on Wednesdays and Fridays.

When communicating with the office, regardless of the person sitting behind the desk on a given day, please direct your emails to office@trinitasclassical.org.