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May 22nd, 2020CCE Corner – Finding Joy in Christian Classical Community
May 22nd, 2020
When we introduced our CCE Corner earlier this year, we began by sharing some lessons we have learned through starting a Christian classical school. We had made our way through lesson 9, when all our attention was abruptly turned in another direction by the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantine may seem a strange time for a lesson about friendship, but perhaps it provides a good opportunity to step back and think about our relationships.
Lesson 10. Make Hallelujah friends: finding joy in Christian classical community
Our previous CCE Corner about the joy of worship was titled, “We Were Made for This.” We could use that title again. After God created Adam, he said it was not good for man to be alone. He created Eve from Adam’s side to be his friend. In a dialogue on Spiritual Friendship, the medieval monk, Aelred of Rievaulx, observes, “How beautiful it is that the second human being was taken from the side of the first, so that nature might teach that human beings are equal and, as it were, collateral, and that there is in human affairs neither a superior nor an inferior, a characteristic of true friendship. Hence, nature from the very beginning implanted the desire for friendship and charity in the heart of man, a desire which an inner sense of affection soon increased with a taste of sweetness.” In other words, we were made for friendship.
CCE Corner – We Were Made for This
May 19th, 2020Later today, we will have the joy of “coming together” to sing and pray and hear God’s word in an all-school Zoom chapel. “Zoom chapel.” How many of us knew what those words meant just two months ago? They would have sounded very strange back then, but not any longer. One obvious reason for their new familiarity is that Zoom has very quickly become part of our daily lives. The second reason is that this technology is enabling us to do something we have always done, something we were made to do: worship our Lord together.
Thank You, Reader’s Theater Readers!
May 18th, 2020We would like to thank Gabriel F., Ellie G., Jonathan M., Justin M., Ivana R., Vency R., Ayanna S., and Lily T. for their delightful presentation of “Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees” on Friday, May 15. Those who attended would certainly agree that our first Zoom Reader’s Theater performance was a success! Thank you to all the students who made puppets at home to join in the storytelling fun!
Next Week – Field Day…All Week!
May 15th, 2020Field Day is finally here! While it won’t be like any other Field Day we’ve had, you could also say “IT WON’T BE LIKE ANY FIELD DAY WE’VE EVER HAD!”.
This year, students will be participating in Field Day by submitting photos or video links to our special Field Day Event Submission Email. Students may submit as many entries as they’d like so long as no two submissions are of the same activity. Photos or videos with siblings in them will count for as many points as there are students. In the photos and/or videos, students should be wearing their team colors.
This year’s Field Day teams and a list of suggested games that will qualify for submission were emailed to families. Submissions will be accepted immediately (You can start right now!) and may continue to be submitted until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 22. At 11:30 a.m. that day, we will have an all-school Zoom meeting to announce the winning team. Have fun!
Create a team flag to display in your photos and videos! Bring it to our closing celebration!
May Virtue Focus – Courage
May 15th, 2020The COVID-19 crisis has given us all opportunities to be brave in the face of disappointment, frustration, and uncertainty; it is good to remember that the virtue of COURAGE does not require that we feel no fear.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” –Nelson Mandela
The Power of Sharing Stories
May 14th, 2020Stories have always been an important part of what we do at Trinitas, from our work in the classroom, to our extracurricular activities, to our community events. Speech Meet, Thoughtful Reader, Reader’s Theater, reading buddies, Shakespeare field trips, Latin plays, Fine Arts Night. We are storytellers and story-sharers at Trinitas!
Stories teach us. They entertain us. They move us. They connect us. We need that connection now more than ever. While the staff continues to develop more virtual community events so that we can continue sharing stories, we encourage you to keep telling stories at home by reading books with each other, acting out plays, or writing your own stories. Grab a notebook or journal to record humorous observations (Have there always been SO many dogs in the neighborhood?) or perhaps deeper reflections (Have you been on a walk and noticed the beauty of God’s good creation in a whole new way?). These are good “stories” too that you can share with a friend through Zoom, email, or even a good old-fashioned phone call!
Our teachers miss reading to their students, but they have found a great way to keep sharing stories with them. Watch your classroom newsletter each week for a virtue story video link!
Still Learning and Growing Together
May 5th, 2020Dear Friends of Trinitas,
We hope this finds you and your loved ones well as we continue this time of separation.
You may be wondering, “How does a school that has marketed itself as ‘free from digital distractions’ move to distance learning?” Here are answers from two of our 8th graders:
Praying for Workers
May 5th, 2020Our prayer team continues to lift up health care workers, first responders, grocery and pharmacy employees, and other essential workers who on the front lines of this public health crisis. You are invited to share the name of friends or family members through the form in the all-school newsletters or by emailing Mrs. Poortenga.
All-School Chapel on Friday, May 8
May 5th, 2020If you asked our students about their favorite part of the school day, you would likely hear many of them answer, “Morning Prayer”. Indeed, what better was is there to live together as a community than by starting our day with prayer, Scripture, and song? We have all missed that time, but we are happy to tell you that there will be a special all-school chapel on Friday, May 8, at noon. Our 8th graders will help lead us, and Mr. Marth will present an introduction to the virtue for May, courage. An invitation will be sent the day before. We hope to see you there!