Messages from Head of School
Mrs. Liz Caddow
Founder and Head of School
Messages from 2024-25
Navigating Cultural Chaos (Oct. 15, 2024)
What a joy to be well into October and the groove of school! It's a blessing to see our students engaging in their learning and the pursuit of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
It is always an encouragement when I read something that resonates with Trinity’s mission and those aspects of learning and growing that we value as a community, both for our students and ourselves. Recently, Dr. Dixon shared with me a book he had read, What Do I Say When…? A Parent Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children and Teens, by married couple, Dr. Andrew T. Walker and Christian Walker. Dr. Walker writes, “We are living in a moment of rapid cultural change that is leaving everyday Christians and Christian parents completely flat-footed. Change is not new, of course, but historians could point to recent developments in the culture that signal how fast that change in culture is happening, compared to past times”.
He encouraged Christian parents to equip their children to face the cultural challenges in front of them and to be intentional in doing so through age-appropriate conversations. He believes parents, and I would add Christian educators, are called to catechize and disciple children with great intentionality or the culture will do it for them.
I appreciated that the practices the writers believe are most important are to be intentional with our children through discussion, prayer, immersion of Biblical truths and grabbing hold of memory verses. The book breaks down biblical truths to share and conversation starters to engage our children at age-appropriate levels. As a parent and Christian educator, I was especially grateful for the succinct biblical truths that can be easily digested, both for us and for those we are sharing them with. Some of the topics the writers cover include: Human Dignity, Abortion, Gender, Identity, Technology, Homosexuality and Political Engagement. All topics are addressed from a Christian worldview.
I hope to share more at Friday’s Coffee with Caddow. I will have several copies of the book for parents that are able to attend. In serving our families, it is our intention to equip our students with the tools needed to be life-long learners, seekers of truth, goodness and beauty, and the understanding that the Lord is our only Hope. We also desire to be a resource to each other as parents, as we partner together for our children's education. I do believe that in partnership with our parents, Trinity provides good soil for our children to grow in so they will, in time, be able to proclaim the Gospel with their lives and lips.
Growing in Hope and Courage (Sept. 3, 2024)
It has been a wonderful beginning for the 2024-25 school year. We have already had Back-To-School Nights, our first PTF Meeting, Libertas Live, Circle of Prayer, and Mornings with Massetto! Trinity also had two big home wins for Varsity Volleyball and Varsity football! It truly has been a full and blessed start to the school year. I hope that everyone in our community is beginning to feel settled and at peace as school is truly in full swing.
It will be a joy this year to grow in Hope and Courage through our Mission – To offer a challenging education grounded in the Christian faith and classical tradition to produce young men and women of Virtue, Wisdom, Purpose and Courage.
I continue to reflect on what I shared at Dedication Night regarding Saint Augustine and what he is supposed to have said about Hope and Courage - that “Hope has two daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” As the world continues in great lengths to embrace a secular and humanist worldview based on chance, at Trinity, we are recovering the virtue of Hope and teaching it to our children. Courage comes from Hope. Our pursuit of Virtue, Wisdom, Purpose and Courage is about the formation of their souls growing in Hope and Courage.
I am grateful to the Lord that Trinity is a place where we can live out our faith imperfectly - a place to serve and to be served. It is a place where we can take all that we read and know from God’s word, what we are learning in our classrooms, on the field, court or stage, and develop in our relationships to grow in Hope and Courage for the Lord’s purposes in our lives. Sometimes it is overwhelming what God has allowed and what He continues to do through our community. Thank you all for being a part of what we are doing!
Please pray for our Rhetoric School students as they prepare for Spiritual Emphasis Camp – September 9th- 12th. I am praying the Lord uses the time to sharpen them, move their hearts and spirit toward Him, build relationships with one another and the faculty/administration team. I am also praying students are open to the Lord speaking life into them for this year ahead, that they grow in Hope and Courage for all that He will call them to!
Thank you all for joining us in our 24th year. May we all grow in Hope and Courage together! May we always praise the Lord in times of ease and hardship, looking to him for our joy, trusting it is Him who will lead us as we also grow this year in our pillar of focus from our mission, Purpose.
2 Peter 1:10– Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.
Messages from 2023-24
- Always be Joyful! (Apr. 8, 2024)
- Strength and Endurance for the Coming Spring (Feb. 20, 2024)
- Faith, Hope and Love (Jan. 9, 2024)
- Wisdom and Hope (oct 31, 2023)
- A New Adventure! (Aug. 29, 2023)
Always be Joyful! (Apr. 8, 2024)
Blessings to you! I do hope and pray that our entire community was blessed by Resurrection Sunday! What a joy that we can celebrate and live in peace with the knowledge that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is risen indeed! We rest, knowing that the troubles and challenges of this current world will pass, and we will get to live in eternity with Him.
Hopefully, everyone was able to enjoy some time with family, friends, rest, and rejuvenation over Easter break. It is hard to believe that we are moving toward the end of another school year! Much has been accomplished for our students in their learning thus far. So grateful and always encouraged by students, parents, faculty, staff and coaches arriving at this place in the school year. My prayer over these next several weeks is that we all pursue with diligence and perseverance the remaining tasks and opportunities for growth in our learning - academically, spiritually, relationally and physically - seeking the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Always appreciate this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - “Always be joyful”.
May our entire community be joyful in our service to our students and one another in this culminating season. Perhaps we can even seek out ways to be that individual who helps bring joy to a situation or conversation, as we pursue together Trinity's pillars of Virtue, Wisdom, Purpose and Courage. Lastly, remembering that the joy of the Lord is our strength will keep us from living in fear or being dismayed.
Strength and Endurance for the Coming Spring (Feb. 20, 2024)
It has been such a joy since Vision Night to be on campus more with our students, faculty, staff, and parents. I am so grateful for the Lord’s continued strengthening each day and being able to engage in various meetings and conversations with our team, students, and parents along with teaching my 12th grade Honors Government class. It is a blessing to keep our school moving forward in our mission and vision for our students and community. It is such a privilege and an honor to be serving the Lord and our community and to witness what He is allowing and encouraging through his people.
With the upcoming second trimester Grammar School conferences and the second semester for the Upper School well under way, we are quickly moving toward spring and what will be a fast approach to the end of another school year. It is my hope for our entire community that we continue pursuing together our mission to offer a challenging education, grounded in the Christian faith and classical tradition, to produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage - resulting in learning and joy! As author and theologian John Piper speaks of in Foundation for Lifelong Learning, Education in Serious Joy, our students, through their learning, continue to deepen their understanding that Christ is the beginning, the middle and the end. With God as the creator and sustainer of all things, we find the deepest foundation of education in joy! It is such a gift that we can all press on together as we enter spring in this pursuit!
I am grateful for the promise in God’s word from Hebrews 6:18-19 - God gives both his promise and His oath - these two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the belief that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls!
As we move through spring, I am trusting we all can rest in the refuge of the Lord. Also, His hope is the assurance that He is with us, and for us, and that we can rely on every single promise He has made through His word.
I look forward to updating our community on CaringBridge next week regarding my continued progress toward healing. This week was full of tests and appointments all in preparation for my follow up oncology appointment today!
There is so much to look forward to for our community and students this spring. Thank you for your enduring partnership.
Faith, Hope and Love (Jan. 9, 2024)
Dear Faithful Trinity Community,
Faith, Hope, and great blessings to all of you in 2024 as we trust in Jesus, who He is and His will for us all in this New Year! Thank you all for your overwhelming kindness, generosity, graciousness, prayer, and faithfulness. The meals, cards, texts, and notes of scripture to myself and my family over what was quite an unexpected journey the month of December, was such a blessing to my soul. I know there is more to come, but just because circumstances change, we know Jesus – the Lord and Savior of us all - who is Truth, Goodness and Beauty, never changes!
Verses that students consistently sent over the month, which were such a joy – so encouraging and remind us all – Jesus is always present, even when things are hard – His promises remain true for all of us! We can rest assured that all is still going according to his plan.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord!
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield and he helps me!
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you - Do not fear; I will help you.
James 1:2-4 – When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy! For you know when your faith is tested , your endurance has a chance to grow.
And of course, Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope! This verse all can trust in for us, families and children.
It was such a joy to be able to attend our Faculty and Staff Inspiration Day Tuesday, January 2nd – we worshipped, prayed, took communion together, and were inspired by Dr. Matt Anderson, from Baylor University who spoke on wisdom, and to form students in wisdom, we must have wisdom ourselves. It was a most blessed day!
It was so exciting and another blessing to be with our students at Chapel on our first day back at school. I was able to thank them, share with them, pray with them and hopefully encourage, them from their verses of encouragement!
There is so much to be hopeful and grateful for as we move into the second half of the school year for our students in their learning, and what Lord willing, we can accomplish together as a community for our school and students. We will look forward to sharing, in faith, with our community at Vision Night – January 22nd!
Thank you for your continued prayers! I'm so, so grateful and overwhelmed!
Again remember, because circumstances change, what we are called to for our students, families and school together doesn’t change – as we press on in seeking Virtue, Wisdom, Purpose and Courage together!
Also, a special thank you to our parents in the medical community for their help, influence, expertise and presence throughout this new season – I'm beyond grateful!!
Blessings! I'm trying to be super judicious, wise and thoughtful during this time of healing, therapy and recovery in this season, so my time on campus will also reflect that. I will look forward to seeing you all though on campus at various times in this season
In Faith, Hope and great Love,
Mrs. Caddow
Wisdom and Hope (oct 31, 2023)
It has been a wonderful and very full fall season for our school community. There has been so much to celebrate for our students in their learning and student life - corporate time, the Greek Gods and Goddesses Museum, Buddies, crazy Spirit Days, the sounds of Fine Arts, after-school enrichment filling hallways, and so many sports going on at every level, every day after school! It truly is a joy and a great privilege to rejoice in these endeavors with our students and our community.
Last week Trinity hosted the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) Regional Leadership Summit for school administrators for schools in the West. I am so grateful we host this conference for it allows our school community an opportunity to encourage other start-up and smaller schools to continue to grow in wisdom and hope in service to their students. For over 23 years, Trinity has been striving to grow in wisdom and hope and be reminded that we will always trust in Jesus Christ and the gospel and we are called to always be about the Lord’s business of growing in maturity, in wisdom and hope for the future.
At the conference, we were blessed to have as the keynote speaker, Joe Rigney. Joe is an author or numerous books and Fellow of Theology at New St. Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. Mr. Rigney and I also serve together on the ACCS National Board of Trustees. His sessions reflected upon leadership in this current age of over-reaction, social stampedes, and a chronically agitated society, and how as leaders and parents, we must continue to grow in wisdom and always have an answer for the hope that is in us.
He referenced Edwin Friedman’s book, Failure of Nerve, Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. He stated that as leaders, which we all are, as we lead our families or at work and in all areas of life, we are to live as James 3:17-18 states regarding wisdom from above:
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18
He emphasized that as believers we need to continue to cultivate clarity of mind, stability of the soul and readiness to act with purpose and courage.
In this season, growing in wisdom and hope beckons us to be courageous for cowardice is contagious, and we are reminded that when crises come, they typically can’t be fixed, only endured. As believers, we should strive to rejoice in all things for our hope is in Christ who indeed works all things for good.
I am so grateful to be a part of Trinity. Every day, all of us have the opportunity to show wisdom and exercise hope! Being around children of all ages, one cannot help but grow in hope and joy!
Recently with our alumni home for Homecoming, my hope was greatly increased. Seeing them, hearing about what the Lord is doing in their lives and what they are hoping for, along with the blessing of seeing them marry and start their own families is an encouragement like no other.
In faith, as a school, we will continue to press on and ask the Lord as it states in our own school verse, James 1:5:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
So we can always be growing in wisdom, which will increase our hope!
Hope to see you soon at our Grandparents and Family Day on Friday, Nov. 10th. Come be with us and your hope will be increased for sure! Also, I look forward to all of us this week rejoicing with one another. We indeed have so much to be thankful for.
A New Adventure! (Aug. 29, 2023)
It’s been a wonderful beginning for the 2023-24 school year. We’ve already had Back-to-School Nights, our first PTF meeting, and have sent our Rhetoric School students off to Spiritual Emphasis camp for the week! It’s always a first for every student here at Trinity - whether it’s their first day ever at Trinity, the first day of their senior year, or anything in between.
This school year will present new opportunities, many new people, new ways of doing things as well as many old, tried and true ways of doing things. Every year is an adventure and we boldly dive into this one with our mighty Lord guiding our steps. Be encouraged that He desires this to be a year of growth spiritually, academically and relationally for each of our students and we will endeavor to fulfill His call and care for each student he has placed at Trinity.
Every year is an adventure. Chesterton once said “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” All of you have taken great consideration in sending your children to Trinity. In some ways it could be considered an inconvenience, especially when there is possibly a ‘convenient’ choice right down the street that might expect less of you or your child. But we have chosen this adventure, and adventure takes courage! So jump into the adventure of Trinity! There are so many options – come visit your child’s class, volunteer to serve lunch, drive to a field trip, cheer at one of our ball games, help with homework, attend chapel, take in a wonderful concert or play, spend time with your child’s teacher, give to our mission, pray with a fellow parent, bring your whole family to Grandparent’s Day, read one of The Great Books yourself, appreciate a student art creation, hug someone who needs it, and above all, love and encourage your children as they learn and grow this year.
I thank God that Trinity is a place where we can live out our faith. It is a place to serve and to be served. It is a place where we can take all that we read and know from God’s word and apply it, because we’re together nearly every day! It is a place that God has created and we are grateful for your prayers, support and encouragement.
Thanks for joining us in the 23rd year of our adventure. Praise be to God who leads us.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” - James 1:5
Messages from 2022-23
- The Last Hurrah! (June 6, 2023)
- Overwhelming Joy, Gratitude and Beauty (Apr. 4, 2023)
- The Long Game (Feb. 14, 2023)
- wonder (Jan. 10, 2023)
- An Attitude of Gratitude (Nov. 29, 2022)
- Alumni return for homecoming (oct 12, 2022)
- Teaching Virtue (Sept. 6, 2022)
The Last Hurrah! (June 6, 2023)
It has been a blessed year of learning well for our entire community. We are so grateful to the Lord for His provision for all of our families, students, faculty, staff, and coaches. The last week and a half has been a whirlwind: Class of 2023 Baccalaureate and Graduation, Knotts Berry Farm, 8th grade promotion, receiving and signing yearbooks, textbook return, awards, and celebrations have been our students' lives the past couple of weeks. Yesterday we had the Olympics and picnic, and today we promoted our 6th graders to Logic School and said goodbye to all of our young friends until August.
BUT, there is still so much going on this summer! Many of our young friends will attend summer camp or summer sessions at Trinity. Many of our Upper School friends have camps, academic opportunities, volunteer efforts and club activities that they are looking forward to. Many will go on family vacations, make trips to the beach and/or the pool to beat the SCV's summer heat, and enjoy some rest, relaxation, and extra time with friends and family, homework-free. The Caddow Clan is looking forward to time with family and friends.
There will still be plenty of activity on campus as our administrative staff is working to prepare for 2023-24 and summer camp will be in full swing. Our front desk and security desk are covered daily from 7:30am - 5:00pm.
There will be some minimal school work as each student in 6th-12th grades has a reading assignment to complete and Varsity sports hold practices over the summer so lots of students will spend some of the summer break preparing for next year. Grammar School students have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary summer reading program.
My prayer is that our students, families, faculty and staff enjoy a safe summer, filled with a combination of rest and fun activities, and come back in August rejuvenated and excited to see what God has in store for them for the 2023-24 school year.
Overwhelming Joy, Gratitude and Beauty (Apr. 4, 2023)
Welcome back from what I hope was a restful and rejuvenating Spring Break.
Our Trinity seniors returned recently from their Senior Trip to Italy! We were able to embark on our Italy trip after a 2-year hiatus due to Covid and it was truly a glorious time for our seniors.
Having just submitted their Senior Theses and completing their defenses, our seniors began our much-anticipated journey to Italy with our rolling suitcases at Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. We prayed, had some last hugs, waved goodbye to the excited and slightly apprehensive parents, and our 32 seniors and five chaperones were off.
The moment we touched down in Florence we began to take in the delights of the city, not wasting a minute! We walked (a lot), ate wonderful meals, and tasted every type of gelato we could find. We took in the delicious smells, the sounds of the people, the shops, the merchant booths, and the beautiful vistas of Florence. The students are joyous and filled with gratitude for being able to experience the wonder of the culture.
We visited Florence’s magnificent cathedral The Duomo, the Uffizi Museum, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Medici Palace, the Santa Croce Cathedral, Boboli Gardens, and the Academia, where we saw Michelangelo’s David. One of my favorite moments of our time in Florence is when the students, for the first time, laid eyes on Michelangelo’s David. They reveled in silence, wonder and appreciation for such beauty, and how an individual can be so gifted by God to create such an inspiring work. The conversation turns to our Creator in Heaven, and the goodness, kindness, and beauty He has bestowed upon His creation.
After so many years of exploring truth, goodness, and beauty in the classroom, it is such a delight to see our students experience so much of it in the real world. Their education truly comes alive for them as they visit Dante’s home and explore the people and places they have only read about.
We left Florence with our hearts, minds and bellies full, and headed to the seaside villages of Cinque Terri. We walked through hillside olive groves and orchards with beautiful panoramas of the Mediterranean Sea. The day culminated with everyone jumping into sea.
Our students are so often surrounded by a cynical and jaded world, it is a joy to see their sense of wonder and awe at some of God’s, and of man’s, most breathtaking creation. Experiencing that together, with friends, galvanizes their relationship with one another like nothing else. They so enjoyed being with each other and appreciating all they experienced together.
All of us boarded the flight home, hearts alive and brimming over with memories, and very, very tired! Oddly though, even tired, we left Italy refreshed from taking in such beauty and experiencing our minds at rest. We were renewed relationally and spiritually with the Lord and with one another, through what we enjoyed together.
My hope and prayer is that over Spring Break, everyone experienced real rest, and the renewing of your hearts, minds and souls relationally and spiritually. I'm looking forward to all that is ahead between now and June, as we quickly move to all end-of-the-year things.
May the Lord bless you richly with his rest, renewal and hope as we celebrate His resurrection this coming week.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
The Long Game (Feb. 14, 2023)
Last Thursday I had the privilege of traveling to Orlando, Florida for the Association of Classical Christian Schools Board Meeting. I am blessed to serve on this team of classical education leaders from across the country. We discussed and strategized ways to help the growing number of schools in ACCS which now total over 470 in the United States and more throughout the world. ACCS schools now serve 62,000 students and have over 10,000 faculty and staff. ACCS is thinking way ahead and playing the long game. By 2040 they hope to have 1200 schools across the nation, impacting the Kingdom of God for eternity. ACCS is developing programs to partner with start-up schools to strengthen them in their early years and help established schools to sustain them in these challenging times.
Much of the strategic effort of ACCS is to fortify educators through increased training and certification in teaching in the classical, Christian model. ACCS is also seeking to work with select colleges to develop programs to grow future classical, Christian educators.
It is a great encouragement to know that Trinity Classical Academy is laboring alongside so many other like-minded institutions, imparting the western Christian paideia so that it is not lost. We are also striving to inform students of God’s sovereign hand in history, his ways of wisdom and logic, to learn how to learn, and create enduring institutions that are wonderful places to make friends. We are seeking to produce schools that help children know and understand their identity in Christ and what his call on their lives will be.
I was reminded once again that educating children and parenting is indeed ‘the long game’. It takes the entire time God allots us – fourteen years, TK-12th – and beyond, to foster the development of our children, bring them up in the nurture and knowledge of the Lord. There are no shortcuts. We must all walk through this lengthy process and be steadfast for a long time. The Apostle Paul was always focused on the long game; he tells us of the reward for staying true to God’s calling over many years: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7)
As for ACCS, and all the schools, families, and students it represents, the seeds of inspired education and wonderful community planted now at Trinity and the 470 schools across the country will bear fruit 20 years from now, even 50 years from now. And in his providence, God will multiply the fruit of our labors until we see an abundant harvest.
Continue to fight the good fight, knowing that you labor alongside tens of thousands of others battling for the hearts, minds and souls of the next generation.
wonder (Jan. 10, 2023)
Each year at Trinity, following the Christmas vacation, we reconvene as faculty and staff for a day of inspiration and prayer for the upcoming semester. This year we welcomed back Dr. David Coupland from Hillsdale College for our faculty inspiration speaker. Dr. Coupland presented us with a poem to contemplate titled “The Star”, by Jane Taylor, written in 1806. He was surprised that not one of our faculty members was familiar with the poem. The poem was never very popular, that is, until it was set to music. You may know it; it goes “Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are…”
This very simple, familiar children’s tune speaks to one of the greatest aspirations of classical education – restoring a sense of wonder at God’s creation. Just as Jane Taylor lifted her gaze to the heavens and ‘wondered’ about a star - its beauty and its complexity - with awe and amazement, we are to help students stimulate their ability to wonder and marvel in admiration and amazement at God’s creation.
We took some time to reflect on the Wonders of the World, how wonder appears in culture in film and television shows, how it is a part of songs; we even talked about the origins of Wonder Bread. We noted the myriad of times wonder appears in the bible: how Aaron and Moses did wonders before Pharaoh (Ex 11:10), “you are the God who works wonders…” (Ps 77:14), “to him who alone does great wonders” (Ps 136:4), “Behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder.” (Isa 29:14), “How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders.” (Dan 4:3), “And they are filled with wonder and amazement…” (Acts 3:10).
Training our students' sense of wide-eyed wonder lays the foundation for an appreciation for the truth, goodness and beauty that is everywhere if we only have the eyes to see. It is the ability to see the ordinary and the mundane as if seeing for the first time.
The opposite of wonder is boredom, one of the most common complaints of childhood. Despite all the countless gifts around them, kids will flop on the couch with a sigh and announce, “I’m booored”. On the surface boredom might seem innocuous enough, but it is actually a symptom of laziness and ingratitude – both of which the Bible warns against. Boredom doesn’t overflow into creativity and excellence, and it doesn’t give thanks for the excellent and creative gifts around us.
With the eyes of wonder, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Take a common apple, for example. What colors grace the skin? How does the light reflect off the surface? Could you describe the flavor? Or the scent? Is the flesh soft or crisp? What symmetrical pattern appears when you slice it lengthwise? Or crosswise? What potential is locked up in those little seeds? How old is the tree it grew on? What farmer first planted that orchard? And why?
With eyes of wonder our students can discover that a novel, an equation, a song, a butterfly, a poem, an essay, an assignment, becomes a marvel. Once you’ve discovered the layers of beauty and creativity and history contained therein, thank the God who made it all, and share that astonishment with others. We are to open the eyes of our students a little wider, grow a sense of wonder toward God and His creation, and renew their sense of astonishment and gratitude. In doing so, we give them one of the most important tools they will ever acquire.
An Attitude of Gratitude (Nov. 29, 2022)
The holiday season provides an annual reminder to pause and be grateful for all that we have. That reminder is needed and helpful because it is human nature to focus instead on all the things we don’t have. Gratitude is indeed something we can cultivate and incorporate into our lives as Christian educators and into the lives of our students.
The culture we live in bombards us with messages that we should have more, do more, and be more. Our society teaches ingratitude and discontent, because that is what drives our economic engine. It imbues our young students with a sense of entitlement, thinking that the world indeed revolves around them and that they indeed deserve more. It is a heavy burden to carry, this feeling of discontent.
Gratitude is the antidote for nearly every toxic thing that comes into our lives. Gratitude fosters optimism, which strengthens hope. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11). Despite the difficulties we experience, God reminds us that he has a plan for us and it is indeed good.
Gratitude “recruits” other positive emotions. When we choose gratitude, we often find that hope, courage, and other helpful emotions join to strengthen us. When we take the time to be thankful, joy and contentment spring up as well.
In these days as we prepare to celebrate our ultimate source of gratitude, the birth of our savior, let us help our students to strengthen their ability to practice gratitude. Help them notice the small moments in their school life that bring them joy. We can cultivate hearts of gratitude by asking, “Where do I see God at work?”.
Take a fresh look at friends and family. The people closest to us are sometimes taken for granted. Count your blessings for those that love and support you.
Tell someone how much you appreciate them. Give a compliment or a kind or loving word. By thinking about who and what you’ll praise, who you appreciate and why, it deepens our gratitude for those that God has placed in our lives.
The disciplines of practicing gratitude turn young peoples’ thought processes beyond themselves. Implementing a culture of prayer that focuses on who God is and what He has done for us in Christ – not just thankfulness for the abundant physical provisions He has granted – helps us cultivate gratitude.
And finally, a daily focus on Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Alumni return for homecoming (oct 12, 2022)
What a great time we had on Saturday night at Homecoming!
Congratulations to the Trinity football team. While the game did not go our way that night, their courage and intense effort was inspiring.
It was a joy to have our alumni present at Homecoming. Fifty of our former students came back home to be with our community and it is so encouraging that they took time to be with us. A number of them commented on how glad they were to see how much Trinity has grown and is thriving since they left.
Many organizations of all kinds often characterize themselves as a "family", but all of us here at Trinity do indeed see our Trinity community as a family. We have seen our Trinity family grow over the years and continue to mature and draw closer to one another. To see our Trinity family grow after our children have graduated is an incredible blessing. Mateo and Kayla (Perry) Arroyave, both class of 2015, and Colby and Grace (Klehn) Lee, also class of 2015, were in attendance at Homecoming and they brought their new bundles of joy! Meet Ava Jolie Arroyave and Selah Jo Lee, born six days apart! Colby and Grace also have a son Titus, who is two.
God has blessed Trinity in a multitude of ways, but to see our family grow with new little ones bestowed to our graduates is a profound blessing.
Blessings to all of our Trinity Alumni on your efforts in college and beyond as you continue to grow into the lives God has for you.
Teaching Virtue (Sept. 6, 2022)
What a wonderful start to our school year! Our Upper School students enjoyed a week at Spiritual Emphasis Camp, where they reflected on what it means to be “Clothed in Virtue”. Their time was centered around a study of three virtues: Temperance (Matt 17:14-21, Matt 11:12), Kindness (Luke 10:25-37, Ps 31:19-24), and Humility (Ex 3, Ps 1 & Prov 1:20-33).
Each year we raise up one of the pillars of our mission and examine them in depth. In past years we have studied wisdom, purpose and courage, and this year we contemplate the meaning of virtue.
Are we forming men and women possessed of virtue to withstand and repel the forces of disorder today? Or have we become too fond of our comforts and security to venture our lives and our sacred honor in any cause at all? Is it possible to restore active virtue in our public and private lives in an age when ideology and envy seem to dominate our existence?
The concept of virtue comes to us from the Greeks and the Hebrews and in the classical sense means the power of anything to accomplish its specific function; a property capable of producing certain effects; strength, force, potency. Virtue came to imply the qualities of a full humanity: strength, courage, capacity, worth and moral excellence and more recently it has come to signify moral goodness.
In recent times, many have seemingly become averse to the word virtue and have opted for “integrity”. Now integrity does signify wholeness, freedom from corruption and soundness of character, but in a challenging age, we need those imbued with an energetic virtue.
When we say someone is virtuous, what do we mean? Plato concluded that there are four chief virtues: justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. Paul added the three theological virtues to these: faith, hope and charity. These seven virtues are set against the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.
The list of virtues and sins have been fixed in the minds of many of us through church teaching and our academic pursuits, yet is virtue something more than the sum if its seven parts. For much of history, the word “virtue” carried with it a strong suggestion of public leadership. The truly virtuous person would accept his place in the public arena, the ancients believed. The “Virtuous Man” was a leader in statesmanship and in war, one who towered over his fellow citizens, a person in whom courage, wisdom, self-restraint, and justice were apparent.
How was virtue, this conspicuous merit and talent to lead, acquired by men and women? Whether or not virtue could be taught has been the subject of much debate. Plato and Aristotle believed that one could impart virtue through appeal to reason. Aristotle argues in Ethics that there are two kinds of virtue: moral and intellectual. Moral virtue grows out of habit (ethos) and is not natural. Intellectual virtue may be developed through systematic instruction over time. In other words, moral virtue appears to be the product of habits formed early in family, class, neighborhood, relationships, while intellectual virtue may be taught through instruction in philosophy, literature, history, and related disciplines. In essence, is virtue caught or taught? Or is it both?
How are young persons to be schooled in virtue? At Trinity we read carefully certain enduring books that deal with virtue. We immerse ourselves in the lives of Greeks and Romans, Hebrews and Christians “of excellent virtue” – men in whom the energy of virtue had flamed up fiercely. The study and reflection necessary for the attainment of intellectual virtue must be intentional and designed to hope for a proper outcome.
Can virtue be taught? If it can be learned, then it can be taught. Few in America seem competent or bothered to teach virtue in our Republic nowadays, and few sheep even lift their heads to be fed. They opt for ideology and stoke envy. But when the Rough Beast slouches toward us, what Theseus or Perseus, or David or Joshua, radiant with the energy of virtue, will draw his sword?
Messages from 2021-22
- Summer! (July 5, 2022)
- Praises to our Seniors (may 3, 2022)
- You have to laugh (April 12, 2022)
- Be Strong and Courageous (march 8, 2022)
- Now is the time for classical Christian education (feb 1, 2022)
- Vision Night Message from Alumnus Elijah Miller (Jan 25, 2021)
- The "Why" of Vision Night (jan 18, 2022)
- Happy New Year! (Jan11, 2022)
- The Christmas Miracle (Dec 7, 2021)
- A Month of Gratitude (Nov 2, 2021)
- Rhythm of School (Oct 5, 2021)
- Welcome Back Trinity! (Aug 24, 2021)
Summer! (July 5, 2022)
I hope you had a blessed July 4th holiday with the ones you love. What a great day to remind us what a great gift we have in our country and the freedom and liberty that we enjoy.
We have had a full house at the Caddows as family is in town from Arizona and Oklahoma for the wedding of our son, Ian, this Saturday to Jacey Massetto! If that name sounds familiar, it should! Jacey is Mrs. Massetto's daughter! It is another Trinity wedding – I believe that makes seven Trinity weddings! - but who’s counting? We are beyond thrilled for their impending marriage.
This has been one of the most exciting summers at Trinity for a number of reasons. One of the good things to come out of the Covid phase was how our fellow Christian schools in our area and throughout the country came to together to share strategies, get legal advice, and to pray for one another. The relationships forged through that time were invaluable and I was grateful to meet so many excellent leaders. Someone who was always available was the President of the Association of Classical, Christian Schools, David Goodwin. I was recently told by ACCS that I was being considered as a potential new addition to the board. And after a short nomination and election process I am very humbled to have been selected as the newest member of the ACCS Board of Directors. I am honored to be able to help guide the mission and vision of the ACCS.
We took 16 of our faculty and administration to the ACCS conference in Frisco, Texas on June 22-25. It is so encouraging to attend the ACCS conference and be with over 300 other schools who are also walking this journey of classical, Christian Education. The Association is experiencing one of the biggest explosions in its history. In years past, the ACCS would field 30 inquiries for people seeking to start a classical, Christian school – this year that number is over 100. There are several school leaders in the West that we met at the conference. Schools are being opened in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Arizona and California; we are actively talking with start-up schools in Venice and San Francisco. We will also be hosting one of the 12 ACCS Regional Administrators Summit meetings at Trinity on October 13-14.
Another development in the surge of classical, Christian schools is the recent release of Battle for The American Mind, co-authored by ACCS President David Goodwin and FOX News commentator Pete Hegseth. It outlines the story of political and cultural forces that have shaped education over the last century and why classical, Christian Education is the best way to educate children. The book recently hit the #1 spot in the NY Times Bestseller list and is driving a nationwide conversation about classical, Christian Education. I recommend this book very highly as a way to continue to understand the classical, Christian Education movement and how Trinity is part of the larger effort to revitalize education in America.
We at Trinity could not be more excited for all the families that the Lord is bringing to us. This summer is proving to be one of our busiest as we are adding many more families than in recent years.
Enjoy the rest of your summer! We look forward to seeing you all soon and beginning another wonderful year at Trinity!
Praises to our Seniors (may 3, 2022)
What a glorious time of year for Trinity Classical Academy! The long journey of an academic year at Trinity is coming to a close and with it comes the pleasure and delight of a year well done. Spring has arrived and we once again witness the fruits of our labor.
Last week our seniors gave us all a vivid representation of their years of rigor and dedication in their studies with the presentation of their Senior Theses. Once again, our students provided us with a poignant, coming-of-age moment for each of them as they fulfilled one of the most taxing and challenging exercises they have been charged with at Trinity. The Senior Thesis stretches each senior to their own capacity and I am so very pleased for them and encouraged by who they have become through the process.
We heard from what are now experts on a wide range of issues, from why we should reconsider the death penalty in America to an examination of how strict parents should be, or not be, during the high school years. We learned about why the government might have the power to mandate vaccines, our biblical duty to address climate change, why we should reconsider colonizing other planets, and why celibacy may be superior to marriage. How do we solve the homeless crisis in our country, should we be eating genetically modified foods, should Christians forbid or condone interfaith marriages and a number of other topics of depth and relevance to us.
All of these were thought-provoking, challenging messages delivered by Trinity's twelfth graders - students who have been trained in the art of rhetoric and who have devoted long hours and much thought to enlightening us regarding something about which they are passionate.
Congratulations Seniors. You have run the race and fought the good fight. Your thesis presentations were outstanding. Each of you braved the stage and delivered your thoughts to a gathering of our community. Each of you had your own trepidations but you have accomplished something significant and worthwhile. You embraced the struggle and by stepping up to the podium and delivering your thoughts and beliefs, you are forever changed. You went up to speak as one person and you came down another. Whatever happens in the years to come, you will have that experience of accomplishing something very daunting and finding the reward to be great, despite the fear. Well done!
Thank you to our seniors for proving once again that by striving for excellence, not perfection, and by leaning on the Lord and engaging with the people of God, you can do great things.
Thank you senior parents for your persevering prayer, guidance, encouragement and love upon our seniors through this process.
We are grateful to our Senior Thesis faculty: Mr. Weichbrodt, Mr. Ramquist and Dr. Ungureanu, for their thoughtful instruction and guidance.
We also want to express deep gratitude toward the Senior Thesis advisers for their investment in our students throughout this project.
Blessings to you all in this last chapter of your journey here at Trinity. It has been a delight to walk with you and we will be sad to see you go, but we rejoice in all the Lord has in store for you in the next chapter of your journey.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
You have to laugh (April 12, 2022)
I recently met with a family who is considering Trinity for their children. Of all the ways that we try to reach families about Trinity, this family noted that the most impactful view of Trinity was “The video with you in the crane!”. For all the high-mindedness about the Trivium and logic and rhetoric and all our talk about classical education and virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage, this family’s enduring image of our school is me and Nurse Christer in a cherry-picker, providing a bit of …levity (get it). Thank God for some laughter, even as we are about the serious business of education.
These last two years have seen a torrent of news items that have shaken many of us to our core. Each day brings another astonishing development that we could worry and fret about - especially the sad and chilling and mis-guided changes one sees in education these days, particularly public education. But we can’t despair or get discouraged; we must press on, finding delight in our students and one another.
The state does not grant any of us peace and liberty. Instead, it seeks to stir people up and keep us in constant state of dependence and fear, for this gives life-giving sustenance to the state. Those of us who live in this ever-ballooning state are being conditioned to a constant simmering unease…like wondering what to believe or worry about the latest crisis. Or our more personal worries – will my child be able to deliver his Senior Thesis? What about that looming test? To what college will my child be accepted?
Spiritual liberty and the inner peace of man with God and His creation is not in the state’s interest. In times of turmoil and tumult, we call on God and His structures - family, church and community that He has established to help us through our nagging uncertainties.
So many of us are trying to live upright lives and we constantly run up against our biggest impediment: fear. We tell ourselves that we care deeply about the problems of the world and we pray earnestly for change for the better. I know, because I can at times be afraid. But sometimes I laugh. I CHOOSE to laugh, free of fear. This past spring break I didn’t listen to nearly as much news as I usually do, and somehow God kept the world turning. And I laughed more than usual – praise the Lord!
If we really want to make a difference in our culture, then we will put a bridle on our fear and worrying. Like the woman in Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Yes, laughter, not taking ourselves too seriously, is God’s prescription for facing the times we live in – or any times for that matter. Focusing not on the troubles in the world and how they could consume us but on “the inner peace that comes from man with God and his Creation”. We can laugh at the days to come.
Years ago, Douglas Wilson, pioneer of classical, Christian education, spoke at our school. He was very informative and inspiring and we spoke at the conclusion of his talk. He said, “I do a lot of speaking engagements at a lot of schools and they all seem to be doing essentially the same things – but you at Trinity – you seem to be having fun.” I laughed.
Be Strong and Courageous (march 8, 2022)
Each year, we deliberate and confer as a group of leaders what our verse for the year will be. We cycle through our pillars and each year we choose one – virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage – to focus on throughout the school year. This year, we decided to focus once again on courage. There is always a certain amount of trepidation when we ask the Lord to teach us about anything, but asking Him to enlighten us about courage is particularly foreboding. Because we will not just read a passage or two about courage, or meditate on the meaning of courage, or philosophically read about the concept of courage. No, God doesn’t work that way. Rather, He gives us opportunities to be courageous. He gives us scenarios and instances and whole chapters in our lives to BE courageous, not just intellectually understand what courage is.
Our verse for the year is Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I feel that I have been asked to be courageous on numerous occasions throughout this school year, perhaps more so than any other. And I thought that my reserves of courage had been used up, but God says there is more to be done and more times that will require courage. And as the cloud of Covid seems to have finally lifted from our lives, we find our world seemingly turned upside down by a war thousands of miles away with implications that we are all feeling here on our own doorstep. And fear once again begins to creep into my thoughts, my day, my life.
I fear that our families will be so unduly affected by the pandemonium of the world, by the economic pressures of the day, by the ambiguity of the future, that they will be compelled to leave – to leave California and to leave Trinity, not because they want to, but because they feel they must.
How much more so it is in the lives of our students, who seem to be growing up in a world that for the last two years has been marked by fear, chaos, disease, uncertainty, loss, division and bloodshed.
And through it all, they continue to participate in class, complete assignments, win and lose ball games, sing and dance and play, write a thesis, laugh and love their friends.
God has made us resilient and he reminds us to stand firm. He COMMANDS us to be strong and courageous, to not be dismayed. WHY? Because He is with us, wherever we go. We are to stand firm. We are to cling to Him during times of fear, and lock arms with one another so we can stand firm together, bearing one another’s burdens. We are to be courageous.
Joshua 1:9 comes to us as Moses, the great leader of the Israelites has died and God is encouraging Joshua to lead the people into the land that he has promised them. Thy people have lost their leader, have been wandering for years and now face the prospect of entering a land filled with hostile giants who seek to destroy them. The Lord commands them three times, “Be Strong and Courageous…I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
And the people answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commended us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” And the people took up the rallying cry, echoing what the Lord had spoken exclaiming, “Only be strong and courageous!”
I am glad for our verse this year and the encouragement it provides in these days.
Now is the time for classical Christian education (feb 1, 2022)
Christian Classical education is experiencing an historic boom the likes of which we have never seen. The classical education model has a tradition steeped in the great books, the liberal arts and the natural sciences that extends back through the ages. While the appeal of this type of education is obvious to us, why the sudden resurgence in our society? It is the unexpected outcome of Covid’s disruption of the American public education system.
As many schools moved their curricula and their teachers to remote learning, parents saw, many for the first time, exactly what was being taught to their children. And too often, they did not like what they saw: declining standards, hollowed-out curricula, politicized and damaging lessons and an overall lack of meaningful content.
Remote learning exposed the reality of American public education: that too many students are being left uneducated and unprepared for college, the workplace or to just live a meaningful life in a peaceful, fulfilling way. Many were aware of these problems in education before the pandemic, but time spent at home peering over the shoulders of their children, revealed the seriousness of the crisis. In 2021 some school districts saw such a precipitous decline in all aspects of student learning, that they began eliminating graduation requirements all together. Others suspended math and reading requirements explaining that suspending these standards would aid students from marginalized communities by essentially making things easier for them.
But math, reading and writing are human skills that all who are educated can learn. Lowering the bar, or removing the bar altogether, does a disservice to students and their communities. Misguided developments such as this make it clear why parents are desperate for alternatives. Many are finding hope in Christian classical education, which has always sought to cultivate wisdom, virtue and eloquence.
The number of Classical schools is growing, but in many cases, demand is overwhelming the supply. At the 30 Great Hearts Academies, the largest public provider of K-12 classical education in Texas, there are over 13,000 students on the wait list for enrollment. Other institutions are stepping in to fill demand. Hillsdale College, a classical liberal-arts college that promotes the founding of classical charter schools around the country, welcomed three more classical schools to its existing twenty.
Classical Academic Press, which provides classical education curricula, has experienced an 82 percent increase in requests for materials since 2019. Schole Academy, an online classical academy, has experienced a 155 percent growth in enrollment since the 2019-20 school year. The Association of Classical Christian Schools is also experiencing a record number of inquiries from around the world from parents seeking classical learning for their students’ education.
Unlike contemporary politicized teaching, Christian classical education studies the great human ideas and texts as a source of common ground across cultures. Important issues such as identity, gender, race, class politics, equality, sovereignty, and human rights, become illuminated and contextualized in the face of fundamental questions about the broader human experience. What are freedom and liberty? What is justice? What is a good society? What are right and wrong?
No person can live a fruitful life without confronting these questions. This is why parents of all stripes are turning to classical academies. Parents, many for the first time, are finding schools that help each student learn what it means to be human and to embrace the pursuit of a good life.
The pandemic has left tremendous damage in its wake. But it is also leading to a transformation in education that will ultimately benefit so many more children with a bright future.
Vision Night Message from Alumnus Elijah Miller (Jan 25, 2021)
Thank you for having me back. It’s always encouraging to return to a community of such faith and strength, especially in the face of our pandemic. I had a lot to think about when preparing for this evening, and it is a real honor and privilege to speak to you all, so I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping it as concise as I could manage.
In my opinion, the most difficult moment of being a student at Trinity was the very last. When my peers and I crossed that stage on graduation night, we had never before been challenged, but were now being sent hurtling towards a new life, a new world, and new difficulties. While I’m sure current Trinity students would assure me that they are indeed being challenged, they don’t have to do their own laundry.
But seriously, the academic, social, and spiritual challenges that arise from the transition into college are real, and can strike some students deeply. As far as classes go, Trinity was the best preparation I could have gotten. The high volume of dual-credit and AP courses were intense enough that some lower division courses are just too easy now. While getting that degree is by no means automatic, dual-credit classes especially have gotten me there sooner. Many of my peers graduated with an associate’s degree in hand, and I myself completed more than a year’s worth of credits during high school.
Academic challenges still exist, but I have felt prepared and confident in meeting them, thanks very much to my teachers at Trinity. When I first made it to UC Davis, I knew no one, didn’t have communities, and was in an entirely new environment. It took direct action and real effort to fix all that. But by being proactive, I quickly found good friends, clubs, and even a church.
Since then I have only excelled, much to the credit of the Lord and His grace, and the self-confidence I learned here at Trinity. Really, all of the values taught during my time here have served me well in college. Though they can sometimes be difficult to uphold, I have done my best to retain wisdom, virtue, purpose, and courage, and they have not let me down. That basis, that strong foundation, was something given to me by the Trinity faculty. The Trinity faculty and administration truly poured into me their care, consideration, and passion; discipling us, guiding us, and teaching us the eternal surety of God and Scripture. Were it not for the formative influence of such righteous minds as Dr. Phillips, Dr. Selby, Dr. Ingle, and countless more, I might very well find myself lost, confused, and drifting further from the Lord each day, as too many Christian students are today.
That said, going to a secular university can challenge many, especially Christians. Though certainly to a better degree, even Christian universities cannot compare to high school when it comes to providing their students the same shelter and protection from that earthly world out there which gnaws at our morals and tempts our fool hearts. College life offers young adults greater freedom than they have ever tasted before, and some are overwhelmed. But parents, take heart, the Trinity faculty are invested in the faith and spiritual wellbeing of their students, your children. They will teach, train, and empower them to leave this place and suffer no doubt, but remain strong and boldly Christian in our increasingly secular culture, in college and beyond.
Besides the spiritual, college life also presents students with an academic challenge. For myself, that is pursuing a major and minor at an accelerated track in order to begin graduate studies that much sooner. A lot of fun, I know. That being said, the only reason I’m even capable of engaging in classes and conversations multiple years ahead of other students my age is because of Trinity. Not only did the rigors and difficulties of a college preparatory workload prepare me for university classes and topics, but the classes I took at Trinity were worth college credit. Many from my graduating class completed a full associate’s degree at Trinity, and even I will be a first-year junior in the spring. That especially has been helpful for me, as it saves me money on tuition and gets me closer to a graduate program, and eventually a career.
And academically, the work ethic and focus I learned at Trinity have helped me succeed in classes purported to be far more difficult and time-consuming than I have found them. While some of my peers were panicking during finals week, faced by multiple exams in addition to pages and pages of essays, all due at once; I was calm, knowing that nothing – and I mean nothing – can compare to the terror of having to submit a 40-page thesis to the audit of Mr. Weichbrodt in order to graduate.
But seriously, Trinity gave me skills in research, study, and focus which have made a heavy college workload lighter than junior year. When I sat down for my first college history class, we began at the time when the first hominids crawled from the sea and slowly transformed into the humans we now are. What I’m talking about is evolution and secular education. Though these things can often seem like the boogeyman for Christian students going into college, I have a message that is more hopeful. Though a college education is not inherently Christian like at Trinity, neither is it anti-Christian. I personally have not encountered any seething professors ready to ban Christians from their classes. What I have experienced is Christianity in the scholarly sense, presented alongside all other religions as equals.
Being a history major, religion is often a neutral topic, and everyone understands that, no matter our beliefs, we are here to collaborate and learn in an academic environment free from obstacles. Sure, my classes all have evolution as the presumed theory for the origin of mankind, but thanks to the involvement of Dr. Phillips in my education, it can’t bother me. Once again, it may be my own personal experience and university, but there are very few direct challenges to my faith. Rather, everyone accepts everything. When I sit down in a room of 500 peers to learn about science or history or language, my Christianity comes up just as often as the atheism, islam, buddhism, etc. of my peers. My classmates care far less about my religion, and far more about the group project we have due next week. In fact, rather than religion being a divide, the diversity of my classes leads to richer thought and discourse. When I sit down to discuss Russian history, it is not to battle Lenin, Marx, and Stalin, but to learn about another place, another time, another world outside of my own, so that by becoming well-rounded and well-read, I may better understand and overcome the true challenges to my faith and lifestyle which are yet to come. As Aristotle wrote, “ It is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Though what I describe may sound difficult, and not every college experience is the same, I can assure you that I continue to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually.
In 2021, Forbes ranked UC Davis as the #4 public university in the nation. While it is true that I could have instead gone to a Christian college, I feel confident that Davis is the right place for me, and Trinity has given me the strength to fear no evil which may come my way.
That said, I encourage you, parents, not to fear for your child’s soul should they leave Trinity for a secular university, the Lord shall not forsake them, as they should not forsake the Lord. As I mentioned before, Trinity’s education not only prepares students for a college workload, but directly contributes to their degree, now more than ever with the increasing number of AP and dual-credit courses offered here. At graduation, many of my peers left with an associate’s degree already completed. I myself will be a first-year junior come springtime, and will be using all that time and money saved to pursue graduate education that much sooner. To close, I will remind you of Joshua 1:9. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The Lord shall be with these students now, and forever. Amen.
The "Why" of Vision Night (jan 18, 2022)
Dear Trinity Parents,
It has been a joy and blessing to welcome your students back to school this New Year! We stand firm in our commitment to the education and care of your children and we press onward and remain flexible through each new challenge during this season.
Let us now, more than ever, value and hold dear our traditions. Our annual Vision Night is a significant opportunity for our community to come together and to reaffirm our mission and discern the plans for our school this year and for years to come.
We will gather for Vision Night on Monday, January 24th at 6:30pm at Grace Baptist Church. Per our Partnership Agreement we require that one parent attend Vision Night. We will meet in the main worship area with plenty of space to spread out as you feel comfortable.
Please plan on arriving by 6:15pm so you can get checked in and seated as we will start Vision Night promptly at 6:30pm. Please make sure to check in as attendance will be taken and tracked. Vision Night packets are online! You will be able to download, print, fill out, and submit all forms from the dedicated Vision Night webpage.
We thank you for your prayers and presence at Vision Night. Let us come together in hope and prayer—for our children, our school, and each other.
In Faith,
Liz Caddow
Founder and Head of School
Happy New Year! (Jan11, 2022)
Happy New Year! I trust you had a blessed and rejuvenating holiday and are excited to be back on campus. The Caddow family was happy to be together and enjoyed time with our three children and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. We have had a handful of Trinity alumni who have married each other, but this one hits closer to home, as Ian will be marrying Mrs. Massetto’s daughter, Jacey! We are very excited to welcome Jacey and the Massetto family into our family in July!
Our faculty and staff returned early and trained and prepared for an exciting return to school for our students last week. We were blessed to have Dr. David Goodwin, President of the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), speak to our faculty and staff. He spoke on the courage that we as Christian, classical educators need at this time to serve the next generation. Our faculty was also blessed to have Dr. Annie Baghdayan, Executive Director of the National Center for Disability Education and Training lead workshops on differentiated instruction in the classroom - it was a day well spent!
In an effort to keep everyone safe, there are now two testing opportunities each week and there are lots of medical grade and N95 masks available to anyone who needs one.
Many people choose to make New Year’s resolutions. In thinking about that, I think about the root of resolution being resolve, and resolve is something we have every single day at Trinity. Our faculty and staff resolves to press forward in our mission to educate and disciple your children, embracing any challenges as opportunities. There is resolve to further the mission of the Kingdom for Christ, in how we love and serve one another, and prepare students for life as a disciple of Christ. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to partner with Trinity families to reach the next generation for Christ, prepare them for college and for what the Lord has for them after that.
The Christmas Miracle (Dec 7, 2021)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.
Our Kindergarteners and TK'ers rang in the Christmas season at Trinity with an inspiring concert singing praises for the birth of our Lord. As we celebrate Christmas and the miracle of God becoming incarnate, we join with Christians around the globe who accept this event as fact, because our lives have been forever changed by it. We believe in a God who can affect events in the world because to believe otherwise is worse than no belief at all. We believe that this one miracle was only the beginning.
As we pray this holiday season for our families and friends, for loved ones, for the world and for ourselves, we need to remember and believe again that God is still doing miracles. A miracle is an event in which the redemptive purpose of God is clearly made manifest. Christ coming to earth as a baby, then dying for our sins, then rising from the dead, is a miracle because God chose to intervene in the natural course of events for a transcendent reason. It isn’t puzzling of confusing. It simply means that we live in a world where the natural and the supernatural exist together.
As a result of God’s great intervention into our world, we realize that every prayer we utter is, at its core, a request for a miracle. A request for God to insert himself into the natural order of our lives. We ask God to bring something more than what is being provided by all our human effort and resources. A prayer is asking God for a miracle.
Christmas is a time to celebrate God’s biggest miracle, the one that forever changed the world, but more than that, changed each one of us. God is still doing miracles; we need only to ask.
This Christmas, I invite you to trust again in the miracle of Christmas. Love those around you as He has loved us. And sing. And pray.
From all of us at Trinity, blessings this Christmas.
A Month of Gratitude (Nov 2, 2021)
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
– Psalm 100
November has become a month of gratitude. There are many opportunities to reflect on how thankful we are for God’s blessings. There are many things at Trinity to be thankful for.
I am grateful that school has been up and running for a few months and our students are learning in the classroom, on the stage, field, courts, playground and field trips! The hope is always that they are thriving at every level.
One of the highlights of this season is Grandparents Day which is next Thursday, November 11th. It is a time to invite our treasured grandparents, family and friends to see just what is happening at Trinity. We are so grateful for our Trinity grandparents and their engagement in our community and their support of our mission to raise the next generation with virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. It is a delightful day and we look forward to seeing our whole community, all generations at this wonderful event.
Grandparent’s day is also Veterans Day and we will also be honoring those who have served in the armed forces of our country and the 15 Trinity alumni who currently serve. Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. For one day, we stand united in respect for our veterans. This holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country's service.
And then in just a few weeks, right before we break for Thanksgiving, is our Fall Fun Day on Nov. 17th! I know this is a day for which our students are grateful. It is a celebration of the end of the first trimester. There will be games, a giant slide, a petting zoo, and of course the highly anticipated PowderPuff football game and cheer competition. Don’t miss it! It is truly one of the best days of the school year for everyone on campus.
And finally we look forward with anticipation to Thanksgiving, a welcome respite from school and an opportunity to gather with those we love. Thanksgiving in the Bible means to respond to God's goodness and grace with gratitude. The word for giving thanks in the Old Testament means to raise hands to God in gratitude.
In this season of gratitude and Thanksgiving, what are you grateful and thankful for?
Blessings to you and your family in this season.
Rhythm of School (Oct 5, 2021)
We are a little over a month into the school year and I praise God for the rhythm of the school year. Every day of learning is filled with wonder and joy, challenges and opportunities.
Classes are in full bloom. My senior Honors Government class is a wonderful experience. It is a culminating class where I see our seniors employ all that they have learned at Trinity, from writing and speaking persuasively, to their understanding of history and God’s Word, to the maturity of their intellect and personalities to bear on the issues of our day. It is delightful and hopeful to see them grapple with the ideas of our world and weigh them as to whether they bring life and freedom, or misery and pain, to people. Ideas have consequences and it is a great privilege to journey with them.
Our sports teams are doing well with our football, volleyball, and cross-country teams all posting some great victories. Be sure to join us this Saturday as the Trinity Knights football team (5-1) takes on Big Bear (6-1) in a huge league matchup at Valencia High School at 6pm. It’s a rare home football game for us and sure to be a great time for the Trinity community to come together.
Other things to look forward to in the life of our school include our Homecoming Celebration and Football game on 10/16 at 6pm at Valencia High School.
We are also very excited to have all our Trinity Grandparents, friends and families join us for Grandparent’s Day on Thursday, November 11 on campus. This day will include our first Corporate Time, classroom visits, a wonderful brunch, and a time to celebrate with the extended Trinity family. I am thrilled that my mother and my in-laws will be joining us from Arizona to celebrate Grandparent’s Day with us.
Thanks to all of our families for your continued prayers and support in what continues to be a challenging season to navigate. As always, we are committed to DOING SCHOOL, thoughtfully and safely. Your support and encouragement means the world to me and all of our staff who are striving to make each and every day at Trinity inspiring and excellent.
Welcome Back Trinity! (Aug 24, 2021)
What a joy it is to have all our students back on campus for another great year! We thank God for his provision and wisdom in enlightening us as to how to do school in these challenging days.
We welcome over 100 new students this year to Trinity! This is the most ever to join us in one year in our history. We pray that this school year is illuminating and fruitful as you pursue your studies at Trinity.
As we approach the school year, you may wonder what it is that will sustain us, encourage us and help us make this an outstanding year of learning, growth and friendship for our students. It is the Lord’s faithfulness and provision that has seen us through the years.
The Lord has always provided for our school and that is why I love to remind everyone of our story:
In September of 2001 we opened our doors with 28 little people Kindergarten thru 2nd grade, 26 families and 3 faculty and staff at Valencia Open Bible Church on 15th street in Newhall – the entire facility was smaller than our current Kindergarten play space. We began with just a handful of people with the idea of a Christian, classical school that would shape the hearts, minds and souls of children, seeking to know noble ideals - the true, good and beautiful. Our school was established to lead students to a “virtuous” life through the pursuit of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. We have faced significant challenges to the survival of our school throughout our 20 years, but the Lord has blessed each step we have taken and looking back, we see the mark of His hand in all that we have done.
This school year will present new challenges, many new people, new ways of doing things as well as many old, tried and true ways of doing things. Every year is an adventure and we boldly dive into this one with our mighty Lord guiding our steps. Be encouraged that He desires this to be a great year for each of our students and we will endeavor to fulfill His call and care for each student he has placed at Trinity.
Every year is an adventure. Chesterton once said “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” All of you have taken great consideration in sending your children to Trinity. In many ways it is indeed an inconvenience, especially when there is typically a ‘convenient’ choice right down the street that might expect less of you or your child. But we have chosen the adventure, and adventure takes courage! So jump into the adventure – be courageous – come visit your child’s class, volunteer to serve lunch, drive to a field trip, cheer at one of our ball games, help with homework, take a meal to a classmate's family, take in a wonderful concert, spend time with you child’s teacher, give to our mission, pray with a fellow parent, say "please forgive me" to someone, bring your whole family to Grandparent’s Day, speak with our alumni, read one of The Great Books yourself, appreciate a student art creation, hug someone who needs it, and above all love, bless and encourage your children as the learn and grow this year.
I thank God that Trinity is a place where we can live out our faith. It is a place to serve and be served. It is a place where we can take all that we read and know from God’s word and APPLY it, because we’re together nearly every day! it is a place that God has created and it needs your prayers, your support, your encouragement, and your presence every day.
Thanks for joining us in the 21st year of our journey. Praise be to God who leads us.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Messages from 2020-21
- We Finished Strong (june 8, 2021)
- Farewell to the Class of '21 (June 1, 2021)
- What Makes an education "classical"? (May 18, 2021)
- Finish Strong (May 11, 2021)
- Senior Thesis (May 4, 2021)
- Building Blocks of Skills and Knowledge (Apr. 27, 2021)
- Trusting God When We Feel Afraid (Apr. 20, 2021)
- Don't Judge a Book by its Thirteen-Year-Old Cover (Apr. 13, 2021)
- Senior Trip (Mar. 30, 2021)
- Trinity Athletics Underway (Mar. 23, 2021)
- Trinity Seniors Prepare Their Defense (Mar. 16, 2021)
- The Trinity Community Continues to Grow! (Mar. 9, 2021)
- That's Right, I'm a Senior Dude (Mar. 2, 2021)
- Coming Up! (Feb. 23, 2021)
- The cost of freedom (Feb. 16, 2021)
- A Return to Sports and House Competition (Feb. 9, 2021)
- Back to School - For ME! (Feb. 2, 2021)
- Vision Night (Jan. 26, 2021)
- Welcome Back (Jan. 19, 2021)
- Welcome Back (Jan. 12, 2021)
- praises for christmas (dec. 15, 2020)
- God is Active in the Dark (Dec. 8, 2020)
- thankful and remaining faithful (dec. 1, 2020)
- much to be thankful for (nov. 17, 2020)
- Veterans Day (Nov. 10, 2020)
- TRINITY Continues to Press On! (Nov. 3, 2020)
- Trinity's New Gym (Oct. 27, 2020)
- Classical Education is Growing Across the Country (oct. 20, 2020)
- Fear Not (Oct. 13, 2020)
- The Return to School (Oct. 6, 2020)
- The Art of Learning (Sept. 29, 2020)
- Education and Family Life (Sept. 22, 2020)
- God's Reminder to Remember (Sept. 15, 2020)
- The Value of Community (sept. 8, 2020)
- Welcome Back Trinity! (Sept. 1, 2020)
We Finished Strong (june 8, 2021)
As we come to the end of this very unique and often challenging school year, I would like to thank our Trinity Community.
Thank you to the Trinity Trustees for all of your leadership and support throughout this unusual year.
Thank you to all of our administrators, faculty and staff who pulled together to help our students and families have the best school year under challenging circumstances.
To everyone in the Trinity Community, thank you for your willingness to change direction at almost a moment’s notice. We were forced to completely rethink the way we do school, from instruction to events to athletics to performances to technology to operations. Thank you for your flexible “Gumby-Ness” and can-do attitude.
The crisis of the last year has provided an opportunity to think about all aspects of Trinity and how we do school and recommit ourselves to our charge to serve students and families. Nothing will ever remove the need for personal connections with our students and I am grateful that our entire Trinity community responded with courage and resilience.
We are already very excited for a new school year to begin and we are planning in earnest for a wonderful 2021-22 school year.
May your summer be filled with rest and rejuvenation and we will see you in August.
Farewell to the Class of '21 (June 1, 2021)
What a week!
Last week we honored our artists at the Rhetoric School Fine Arts Awards, we honored our athletes at our Varsity Athletics Awards, we honored our seniors at our Baccalaureate and finally concluded with our Graduation ceremony.
Praise the Lord for the wonderful setting and beautiful weather as we gathered to celebrate all these milestones in our own Trinity courtyard. It was great to be together, outside on our campus, to celebrate the accomplishments of our students.
Graduation marked the end of the contribution that Trinity has made to the formal education of our 35 seniors in the Class of ’21. Their education has been a faith-filled monument, carved by faculty, staff, board members, parents, grandparents, coaches and friends. As a class, they are scholars, musicians, artists, actors, orators, patriots, entrepreneurs. They have pursued excellence by staying the course and doing hard things and they truly embody virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
The rest of our Upper School is next as we hold 8th Grade promotion on Friday, June 4th at 11am.
What Makes an education "classical"? (May 18, 2021)
At Trinity Classical Academy, we talk about "classical education" at faculty meetings, at Information Meetings and at Trinity U. Sometimes we refer to it at PTF meetings and other gatherings, but it's not unusual to hear a parent ask, "please tell me again what classical education is and how I can explain it to a friend."
In a nutshell, classical education is a time-tested method of teaching done in three stages - the grammar, logic and rhetoric stages. The stages are reflective of the natural developmental stages of children:
The Grammar phase (K-6th grade) - considered a "Poll-parrot" stage - children are excited about new facts, they like to explain, figure out, relate their own experience and tell stories. They like collections, chants and clever, repetitious word sounds. They easily memorize and can assimilate another language well.
The Logic phase (7th-8th grade) - considered a "Pert" stage - students judge, critique, debate, and are critical. They show off their knowledge and want to know the "why?" for most things, the "behind the scenes" for facts. They think and act as though they know more than adults.
The Rhetoric phase (9th-12th grade) - considered a "Poetic" stage - students are concerned with present events, especially in their own lives. They are interested in justice/fairness; they move towards special interest topics. They can take on more responsibility and independent work, can synthesize information; they desire to express their own feelings and ideas and are generally idealistic.
An easy way to understand this is:
Grammar stage - student is a sponge; they want to see the dots all connected and have someone show them how they connect.
Logic stage - student wants to see the dots, but wants to begin connecting them himself.
Rhetoric stage - student is able to synthesize all he has learned, not only connecting the dots, but producing them as well.
Taking these stages into consideration, and the natural way students learn at these stages, we use teaching methods that correlate with their inclinations. For example, at the grammar phase, there are lots of chants and memorization; at the logic phase, there are research projects and debates. And at the rhetoric phase, there are worldview discussions and written papers.
With the Trivium as its framework, classical Christian education is also characterized by rich exposure to the history, literature and culture of Western Civilization. Students are immersed in the “Great Books” of our Christian tradition and Western cultural heritage. In the Logic and Rhetoric phase students read fewer “textbooks” and more original source documents and literary works, especially in history and literature. The languages of Western Civilization, especially Latin, are at the core of their academic studies. The arts are evident, not only in Art, Music and Theater classes, but woven throughout Literature and History classes as well. The development of a thoroughly Biblical worldview is an underlying aim of every lesson and class.
You can find a brief synopsis of classical education on our website, so you can understand the basics and share the link with a friend if you have trouble remembering how to explain it yourself.
Finish Strong (May 11, 2021)
It is the an exciting time of the year at Trinity with only 14 days left for our seniors. There is a lot happening you won’t to miss.
Trinity baseball, softball, track, swimming and boys and girls basketball are in full swing and out teams are finding a lot of success! Families have been attending games in person and we are hoping that fans will soon be allowed in as many of our teams look headed for playoff runs!
This Friday, there are two performances (4pm and 7pm) the Rhetoric School’s Theater production of The Canterbury Tales, in the celebration center.
On Monday is our spring recitals at both 6 and 7:30pm.
There is also “Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten” (May 18), our Parent Appreciation Breakfast (May 21, 8am), Fine Arts Awards (May 24, 6:30pm), Spring Concert (May 25, 6:30pm), Varsity Athletic Awards (May 26, 6:30pm) and on to Baccalaureate (May 28, 9am) and Graduation (May 28, 6:30pm).
Looking forward to celebrating together as a community all of our students’ efforts and successes in this most unusual year. So grateful how everyone has continued, in faith, to make this year happen.
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2.
Senior Thesis (May 4, 2021)
Our seniors presented their Theses last week and all of us at Trinity - administrators, teachers, advisors - are so encouraged by their efforts.
Trinity's high school is called the Rhetoric School and it represents the third phase of the Trivium. The art of Rhetoric is the ancient art of persuasion. It is a way of presenting and making one's views convincing and attractive to the audience or readers. In the classical world, rhetoric was considered one of the most important school subjects. The Trinity Senior Thesis is the culmination of years of study in rhetoric.
It is also the culmination of years of honing the skills and practice of rhetoric. Beginning with poetry readings in Kindergarten and Heritage Presentations in 1st grade, students establish the practice of oral presentation. Throughout Grammar School, they also present Bible verses orally. Students enjoy portraying characters in 3rd grade’s Greek Museum, 4th grade’s Medieval Faire, 5th grade’s Founding Fathers and 6th grade's Inventors Museum. Students finish Logic School (Jr High) with their Eighth Grade Orals and round out their 10th grade year with the Symposium. Speaking publicly is a methodical and deliberate element of a Trinity education.
The Senior Thesis represents a formal venture into public speaking and carries with it the benefits of which we are all familiar. Public speaking allows the development and honing of critical thinking skills, fine tunes verbal and non-verbal skills, makes a great first impression, and boosts confidence. With that poise comes an ability to influence others, and perhaps most valuable of all, it helps one to overcome the fear of public speaking.
Perhaps the thing that I find most encouraging about seeing our seniors deliver their theses is the transformation that occurs live for all to see. Students are typically nervous and anxious as they take the stage. As they begin, a hundred people sit in rapt attention as they present their idea, their argument. They deliberately present each word that they have been carefully considering for months. And despite any forgotten words or stumbles, the end draws near with a simple ‘thank you’ and they have done it.
And in that short ten minutes, they are forever changed. They have accomplished something that most will never do. The experience of publicly sharing ideas and perspective with others has transformed them.
Thank you to all of our seniors for presenting the Senior Thesis and demonstrating virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
The 2021 Senior Theses will be available for viewing within a week.
Building Blocks of Skills and Knowledge (Apr. 27, 2021)
One of the many benefits of having a TK-12 school is getting to watch children grow and learn from their earliest school experience all the way to culminating exercises and graduation. For example, we watch what they’re learning in 3rd grade build upon what they learned in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. It is a joy to see their skills, knowledge and character grow throughout Grammar School and then continue into Logic and Rhetoric School.
In eighth grade, the culminating exercise is the oral examination. Each 8th grader takes all that they have learned in order to answer a single question that is assigned by their teachers. They take time to prepare their answers using the many resources they’ve gathered and the presentation skills they’ve been practicing since they delivered their first bible verse orally in TK.
This year’s oral exam question is: “In what ways is truth known and to what end?” Students will come dressed professionally, fully prepared, and most of them quite nervous, to engage in a dialogue with their teachers about what they have discovered to be true in answer to their assigned question. They have this Socratic discussion for 20-30 minutes. Their teachers encourage and support their students and celebrate their success. Students may come in nervous but often come out feeling not only relieved but also reminded that their teachers are on their side.
Of course, this exercise is a prelude to the senior thesis presentations that they will do near the end of their senior year. They do hard things. They do it afraid. They succeed. They build relationships with their peers as they are all doing the same hard things together. They continue these practices and projects throughout their high school years and all the while, they continue to develop relationships with their teachers. So that by the time they graduate from Trinity, they know what they are capable of, they know they have people on their side, they know what they believe and why they believe it, they can communicate it effectively and they are fully prepared for college and beyond. I hear it time and again from our alumni and their parents and I am so very grateful to be in this wonderful Trinity community that produces young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage…young men and women that we all would want to know and continue to have relationships with for many years to come.
Trusting God When We Feel Afraid (Apr. 20, 2021)
This entire past year for everyone has been an exercise in trusting God, increasing our faith, leaning in to trust God more, pressing on with school and life in the midst of challenging circumstances, and praying and seeking God at every turn. This past week has continued to challenge me and my family in very personal ways. My husband, Wally, was hospitalized for COVID pneumonia on Friday. Thank you for the many calls and texts of encouragement and support I’ve received. I thank you for the meals provided by this amazingly loving community that is truly our extended family.
Throughout the past year, so many of our Trinity families have been impacted in many ways by COVID. It has been a privilege to pray alongside families and support them in their various challenges. There are a wide variety of responses to the pandemic; some families have been thrilled to have their children return to school and some continue to choose to have their children learn from home. People have thoughts and opinions about everything related to masks, school, vaccines, staying at home, and more. I, along with our team, have been in prayer for our nation, our community, our school, and our families. Thank you for your support this past year and for standing in prayer with me and our entire community as we trust God in all circumstances.
As I’ve said many times this past year, we press on! We press on in difficult circumstances. We do it afraid. We trust in our all-knowing, all-powerful God. He is our Healer, our Protector, our ever-present help in time of need. He knows the end from the beginning. He has numbered the hairs on our heads and the days of our lives from before we were born. I am grateful we can take our fears to Him and trust He loves and cares for us and our families.
Thank you Trinity friends and family! We press on, in prayer.
Don't Judge a Book by its Thirteen-Year-Old Cover (Apr. 13, 2021)
It is hard for me to believe that almost three decades have passed since I walked into a 7th grade World History class for my first day of student teaching! I was equally overwhelmed and excited by the prospect of this important step toward becoming a teacher and eventually having my own classroom. My gracious and energetic Master Teacher, who loved the Lord, her students and her craft, introduced herself and then immediately said the following, which I have never forgotten: “First, you don’t need 13-year-old friends. Guide them, encourage them, lead and love them, but your students are not your friends. Second, don’t ever judge a book by its 13-year-old cover.”
I was reminded of those words recently, leaving me with profound gratitude for our community. Right before Easter, Wally and I attended our son’s graduation from the Officer Basic School for the United States Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia. Ian was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Last May, Ian graduated from the United Sates Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, but due to COVID restrictions, parents were not allowed onto the yard and had to listen from the gate. It was an incredible privilege and joy to be present for this ceremony. As Wally and I watched, the words of my Master Teacher came to my mind and I was overwhelmed by the faithfulness of our faculty, coaches, staff and parents that influenced our son’s life – guiding, encouraging, leading and loving him. At various seasons of his development, they looked beyond the "covers" of the 13-year-old, 15-year-old, 16-year-old...helping him to become a young man of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. It is indeed a rich gift to journey together as a community in service to the Lord for our children as they pursue learning and our mission. I can’t imagine doing anything else! Thank you!
I hope and pray everyone in our community had a blessed Resurrection Sunday and enjoyed the break that followed. We have a fast and furious eight weeks left of this school year – we can do it! We have much to accomplish together and what a joy and surprise it will be for we never know what lays beyond the 13-year-old cover.
Senior Trip (Mar. 30, 2021)
It has been a great joy to have been with our seniors this past weekend on their Senior Trip.
When our annual trip to Italy was cancelled, we set our sights on going to Washington DC, but that had to be cancelled as well. We searched for a suitable destination for another trip and we were thrilled find the Rancho do los Caballeros, a dude ranch in Wickenburg, AZ.
We had a wonderful time of horseback riding, team penning and a hike up Vulture’s Peak. Evenings were filled with delicious cookout fare followed by line dancing and gazing at the night sky.
The true spirit of the senior trip lies in the fellowship and friendship forged by our seniors. Our students have been together for many years through schoolwork and a challenging senior thesis, through preparations and practices for games, concerts and plays, through house events – years of being together. This was such a wonderful time for them to be together and enjoy one another as their high school journey comes to a close. It is a celebration of all that they have accomplished.
For me, Mrs. Massetto and Mr. Leigh, the fortunate chaperones, it was a time to be with our students, some of whom we have journeyed with for 12+ years, children we have seen grow since kindergarten.
We don’t know that much about Jesus’ childhood. While his parents traveled home from Jerusalem after the Passover he stayed behind and ‘hung out’ in the temple – for three days! His parents didn’t discover he was missing for three days! Far be it for me to judge Mary and Joseph’s parenting, but not knowing where your son is for three days is unthinkable to me. (When Ian was four, we couldn’t find him in Target for five minutes and I nearly had a nervous breakdown). When Mary finally saw him she said “Why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” Then Jesus went back with them to Nazareth and ‘was obedient to them’. And Mary treasured all these things in her heart.
Our seniors, despite their youthful indiscretions, have been obedient. They are near completion of a long, challenging, but hopefully joyful, journey and the result is akin to the outcome for Jesus as a young man… "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
That is really what I saw during our senior trip - that our students have indeed grown in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
One of the biggest blessings of our trip was speaking with some of the other guests at the ranch. Many of their sentiments were similar…. ”It is wonderful to see a group of young people so polite and kind to one another, and joyful.” Another lady said to me “I have never seen such respectful, thoughtful young people.”
As we are about to unleash 32 more Trinity graduates into the world, I am so pleased that they are wonderful, lovely, thoughtful, kind, joyful people. For most of our time together, they have been considered our students; as they leave us, we will simply regard them as great friends.
Trinity Athletics Underway (Mar. 23, 2021)
After many stops and starts, cancellations and rule-changes, Trinity Athletics is finally up and running with games!
Many thanks to our intrepid Athletics Department who has never given up on efforts to ensure that our teams have some sort of season. To pack as many games in as possible over multiple sports, we have around 100 athletic games in the next 60 days in grammar and upper school!
The Trinity community came out in big numbers to support the Varsity Trinity football team on Saturday in a 12-6 win over St. Monica. It was great to see our team, our varsity cheerleaders and our community all come together for a Trinity football game. I was thrilled to finally be able to yell about something besides the news!
Just as Trinity at large has embodied THE WILL to serve, our athletics department embodies THE WILL to play. Check TrinityKnights.net for all the upcoming games and I can’t wait to see you at a Trinity Knights ballgame!
We also have our virtual Grandparent’s Day coming up on March 31 at 6:30pm.
Trinity Seniors Prepare Their Defense (Mar. 16, 2021)
The Spring is an exciting time at Trinity marked by many traditions. Perhaps the most consuming for our seniors is the presentation of their senior thesis. All seniors have submitted their theses and this week they begin the Defense of their theses which will continue until the end of March. Oratory presentations will be presented April 26-30.
The senior thesis is the culminating work of each Trinity senior. It is a summative and integrative project that requires each student to use the rhetorical skills developed at all phases of their learning at Trinity to develop a thoughtful and persuasive argument on a chosen topic. Their thesis and topic must be things of depth and significance about which Christians can reasonably disagree.
The thesis is not meant to be, primarily, a research paper. It is an argument which will, as a matter of course, rely on good research to make its argument thoroughly and comprehensively. However, unlike a thesis at the collegiate or graduate level, it is not intended to demonstrate specific knowledge of a field in which the student has particular expertise or training. Rather, it is intended to demonstrate the students’ rhetorical skills that have been trained throughout their Trinity career, and the ability to use the ideas and arguments discussed and evaluated throughout their studies.
The process for thesis consists of four main components:
RESEARCH
Each student is responsible for becoming an informed authority on her topic through research and contemplation. Each student will have read and annotated a minimum of four books and ten articles (long-form reporting, essays, journal articles, etc.) as part of his required research. All research sources must be substantial and credible. Annotations will be made on a digital document for organizational and evaluative purposes. Part of the student’s research will focus on connecting their topic and argument to texts and ideas that they will have encountered previously in their education. The thesis instructor may assign particular research to individual students. All books read for research must be approved by the thesis instructor.
COMPOSITION
The thesis will be composed in parts, and arranged as a Classical Oration. Each part will undergo substantial editing and revision, on the part of the student, her thesis advisor, her peers, and her instructor. The full draft of the thesis will be a minimum of twenty typed pages, and a maximum of forty typed pages. The thesis will be formatted according to current Chicago style standards. Most of the student’s work will be submitted digitally, through Google Drive or Google Classroom.
DEFENSE
When the students submit their final draft, they will also submit a 1-page abstract of their paper. This will: state the thesis, identify the argument’s place within the controversy and topic area; offer a Partitio which enumerates the major arguments and their evidence; offer a precis of the Refutatio; accounts for the major stakeholders and consequences of the argument. This abstract will provide a concrete place for the defense to begin.
Each student will defend their thesis in an individual 20-30 minute session with a panel of judges, consisting of the Senior Thesis faculty. Students may use their final written draft for reference during this time. Students should be prepared to: explain ideas and arguments found in their paper; interact with arguments and ideas relevant to their paper; defend the claims made in their paper; discuss consequences and implications of the arguments and ideas at hand. Defenses will be conducted over the course of 2 weeks during the Rhetoric period, and at select other times throughout the day, shortly after final drafts are submitted. The defense will be graded as the first of two major grades in the Defense and Delivery category.
DELIVERY
Following the submission of their final draft and completion of their thesis defense, students will craft a 900-word oration, which will seek to persuade and move a general audience of the Trinity community, based on their thesis work. Their oration will be memorized and delivered with the aid of a note card. A panel of judges, drawn from within and without the Trinity community, will evaluate their oration, the second major grade in the Defense and Delivery category. Once their oration has been delivered, students will have completed their Senior Thesis project.
The Trinity Community Continues to Grow! (Mar. 9, 2021)
A year ago today, on March 9, a day that resonates for all of us significantly but each differently, the country began locking down due to COVID-19. We were asked to stay at home for two weeks to ‘flatten the curve’, ‘slow the spread’, not having any idea what was ultimately in store for us as families, our school, or as a state and a nation.
After a year of living with COVID and many of the numerous and changing rules of decision-makers, politicians, and health officials, we all find ourselves a little weary. However, in this whole process it has been our goal to continually find the balance between honoring and respecting the realities of this pandemic and the requests of our governing authorities while also working hard to serve our families and our students—never giving up on them in the process. Our desire has been to approach the situation with as much wisdom and discernment as possible considering all the factors. Through it all, we remain hopeful and optimistic as our nation begins to move forward and heal.
As other parts of the country took different paths to confront the crisis, California took a more restrictive path, which still has many children not attending school in person, or if they are, it is in a limited fashion. I am so grateful for how our Trinity community has responded in this most challenging year, for the sake of our students and their learning. Thank you for putting your faith in Trinity. We are blessed to serve your families, those that joined us in the past few days, weeks, year, or 20 years! Thank you for enduring with us together for the sake of our children and for the gospel. I hope our families have felt cared for and blessed as we have tried to be creative.
The Lord has been gracious to our school this year as we have traversed the many challenges. We have had some families move out of California and we miss them. We are very grateful though, for the Lord's provision in new friends and families. We have added 34 students from 25 families since September! We have never had so many students join us in the midst of a school year!
While I certainly hope that 3/9 will never have the same significance as 9/11, it is worth reflecting on what has now been an entire year of anxiety, uncertainty and change, but also innovation, flexibility and increased faith. Mostly it has been a year of the will to do school. It has never been about whether or not we would do school, it was always simply how. We just had to have the will to do it.
Through it all we have seen God’s hand in our relationships. It has been a privilege to be on the journey with you this past year.
There are only 58 days left in the school year; may they be filled with exciting times at school, gatherings, ball games, concerts, performances and all those things that make for a wonderful school year at Trinity.
I believe when this school year is over, we will all be able to look back, and celebrate together a job well done!
That's Right, I'm a Senior Dude (Mar. 2, 2021)
In the last year we have had to rethink nearly everything we do at Trinity. Our senior trip to Italy unfortunately was one of the first things to go for the class of 2020 when last April the whole world seemed to shut its doors.
This year’s Italy trip for our Class of ’21 was impossible so we turned to our nation’s capital, but all the tour groups for Washington DC halted operations.
But…hope was not lost, we were going to find a way to celebrate our seniors and all of their hard work with a trip to cap their year. And we have found a destination!
At the end of this month, our seniors will travel to Wickenburg, Arizona for a few days at a dude ranch. Rancho de los Caballeros was OPEN for business AND they had the exact number of rooms we needed on the exact days we wanted to come.
The students will have an authentic ranch experience in the heart of the Sonoran Desert with horseback riding, a mini cattle drive, hayride, a hoedown, hiking, skeet shooting and some fine ranch dining. They will also visit historic Wickenburg.
This class of seniors has missed out on a number of Trinity traditions this year and we are thrilled that God has opened up this opportunity for them to spend some precious time together before they graduate from Trinity.
Coming Up! (Feb. 23, 2021)
There are plenty of things to be thankful for these past weeks and much to look forward to! We continue to fight the good fight in every aspect of Trinity, staying safe and responsible. More sports are preparing to come on-line in the coming days and weeks for all grade levels.
Grammar school begins their 2nd trimester and parent-teacher conferences are next week. Trinity U with Dr. Horner is March 8 at 7pm where he will be speaking on “Movies, Rembrandt and the World: What does it mean To See.” Trinity U will be preceded by a PTF dinner at 5:45pm.
The 4th grade Medieval Faire is March 17th at 11:00am. Our 1st graders will be presenting their American Biography Presentations on March 30th at 8:15am.
Our seniors will be defending their Senior Theses the week of March 22nd. Please mark your calendars to attend the Senior Thesis presentation sessions on April 26-30. It is truly a remarkable achievement in the life of our Trinity students.
The cost of freedom (Feb. 16, 2021)
A classroom is by definition a place of theory. We learn about theories and ideas that have shaped our world, we examine examples of how certain theories have been put into practice throughout history and whether the theory or idea has proven to have a net positive effect on humanity or has been detrimental to man. But seeing the result of what a certain idea has in the life of someone close to us resonates in a way that a book or lecture or even a vigorous class discussion cannot.
By the time a student reaches 12th Grade Honors Government at Trinity, they have an incredibly rich foundation that has been laid over many years. It is time to apply all that they have learned to the society at hand. What does it mean to be a citizen, a neighbor, a member of a family? What does it mean to be free?
That is why Mrs. Martin speaks in my class every semester as she did this past week.
Niury Martin is a Trinity mom of Curtis (2nd Gr) and Erica (TK). She was born in Cuba and lived all her life there, where she was a government dentist. She met Curtis, who was visiting Cuba on business, and soon after they decided to marry and begin their lives together in America. Mrs. Martin would have the opportunity to leave the oppression of communist Cuba and come to the United States, but that was certainly not without cost.
After months of preparation, she set out with 20 others in the middle of the night. Outfitted on a makeshift styrofoam raft with a small outboard motor, they puttered along a river until reaching the open ocean and a 90-mile journey with the hope of reaching Florida. Seasickness set in quickly but everyone on the boat vomited into a bag rather than vomiting overboard so as to not attract any sharks. After hours on rough seas, the motor gave out and they were adrift and the raft was taking on water.
In the U.S., Curtis was monitoring the trip with local and national authorities and hoping that Mrs. Martin’s GPS was working and that she was safe. Hours passed and it would seem hope was running out when a US Coast Guard cutter picked up the weary travelers and deposited them safely on a U.S. ship in their first step toward freedom.
Mrs. Martin’s story gives our students an opportunity to gauge what the cost of freedom is. Could the cost for freedom be one’s very life? Perhaps. Would the cost be worth it? There was a time when signing a Declaration of Independence would have cost you your life. Or storming a beach in France to preserve freedom could cost you your life.
The lessons of history are alive and active even today, even in our midst. The stories of the ongoing struggle to be free in the face of oppression resonates today. I am thankful our seniors receive this lesson on freedom from someone who has lived to tell about it.
A Return to Sports and House Competition (Feb. 9, 2021)
It was wonderful to have two great Trinity traditions return this past week.
On Wednesday of last week we resumed house competition with Crazy Hair day. Baldness won the day truth be told. Yes, not ‘bold’-ness, Bald-ness! A bold testament to the lengths by which students will go for their house. Check out the PHOTOS.
School is challenging. It can seem long and arduous so the days that we can enjoy a friendly creative competition between our houses is a welcome blessing. Enjoying a good laugh together and healthy competition is a big part of our House System.
We continue to creatively push forward – safely – and that includes our intrepid Athletics Department whose goal is to get our athletes back to competition. We are thrilled to have another of our varsity teams back to competition. Our Varsity Cross-Country team was cleared to resume play some time ago and their first Heritage League meet is Thursday at 3pm against Desert Christian, Faith Baptist and Lancaster Baptist!
This past week, our Varsity and JV volleyball teams took to the court! The Varsity and JV teams were split into three teams and are playing in a round-robin tournament with the final championship match on Feb. 23rd! The ladies have already played a number of games and will play Feb. 11, 16 and 18 at 5:30pm – all games at Newhall Church of the Nazarene. We’re still not quite ready to host fans at these games, but we are thankful that our student-athletes are active and competing!
Thanks to all our administration, faculty, staff, parents and students for continuing to flex and adapt to the challenges of the school year.
Back to School - For ME! (Feb. 2, 2021)
Our dual-credit program at Trinity has been a tremendous success. Students can earn college credit for several Rhetoric School classes at Trinity. Many have earned 30, 40 even 50 credits and have begun college as second semester sophomores and many are graduating very early from college due to their dual credit classes.
To keep our dual-credit status for each class, the teachers of those classes need to also keep studying and learning. In my case that has necessitated me to take a graduate course to maintain our dual credit status for that class as the 12th grade Honors Government teacher. Truth be told, I am delighted that I am being forced to take Public Policy 501 from Liberty University.
I am back in the classroom and it’s fantastic! I love learning, especially about something that I am passionate about and I love school. Some learn in a solitary environment, reading and digesting ideas. Pondering, writing and eventually teaching themselves something new. For me, the classroom has always been the best place for me to learn. The give and take with the teacher, the challenge of writing a paper that hopefully ably reflects my thoughts on the subject at hand, even the test-taking has always been stimulating and exciting for me. Sure there is some drudgery attached to it and sometimes the required time it takes to complete assignments can detract from other things, but the pay-off of a deeper understanding, of gaining knowledge, of equipping me to speak and interact more coherently about something, is worth every minute of time invested. It is a joy to be learning!
I hope our Trinity students feel that way. Not all the time, because school is tough and Trinity is tougher than most. But our students should regularly and consistently feel the joy of what it is to learn. They should feel the elation of grasping a new concept, solving a difficult problem or writing a pithy, persuasive sentence.
I am thankful that we have an entire team of wonderful, passionate teachers who are also engaged in the spirit of life-long learning and are continually looking for ways to increase their knowledge and understanding. We can’t teach without being learners ourselves, in love with this idea of the classical and Christian approach to learning.
Next time I see you, ask me what I’m reading because I will want to talk about all that I am learning from the reading for my class. I’m digging into: The Law, Frederic Bastiat, A Christian Manifesto, Francis Schaeffer, Politics for Christians, Francis J. Beckwith, and Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky.
I am already sharing some of the insights that are being revealed through these seminal books with my senior Government class.
May what we are doing at Trinity create life-long learners who can guide, inspire and touch the next generation.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and then you rise.” – Deuteronomy 6-7
Vision Night (Jan. 26, 2021)
Thanks to all who attended and tuned into Vision Night yesterday. It was a joy to see so many of our Trinity family together in person.
Our 20th Vision Night is a time to remember why we pursue our mission and our dedication to serve students. We celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness and provision as he has brought us through many battles in the past and how He is always faithful and provides a way forward through our current challenges.
We are heartened that our current struggle is no surprise to the Lord. He is still on the throne and we continue to seek Him and lean on Him, serving our children and one another in a spirit of unity, flexibility, creativity and joy! Our students only get to do the grade they are in one time and we are called to do everything we can to make it excellent. Virtue, Wisdom, Purpose and Courage are required from all of us in this season as we are being called to engage in a world that seems to be gripped by moral ambiguity, folly, aimlessness, timidity and despair.
We need look no further for inspiration than the fruit that is in our midst. Last night we had the opportunity to hear from three of our students, Ariana Laolagi, Catie Robertson and Amy Dever, who spoke passionately to our community about the nature of God’s existence, the need to truly listen and respect one another and the call to speak truth and grace even in the face of hostility.
To see our students share an idea in order to make the world a better place is truly inspiring. It is the reason that we press on and labor so that all Trinity students, Imago Dei students and Libertas students will have the ability to develop and express ideas that will change the world.
At this mid-point in our school year, I thank you all once again for taking the time to attend Vision Night and to again rededicate ourselves to serving our students.
Blessings!
Welcome Back (Jan. 19, 2021)
A three-day weekend is a blessing. I trust our families enjoyed time together, got some extra rest, and had time to reflect on the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who encouraged us, saying, “By opening our lives to God in Christ, we become new creatures. This experience, which Jesus spoke of as the new birth, is essential if we are to be transformed.”
On Friday night we enjoyed our Drama Department’s rendition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, a movingly romantic adaptation of Jane Austen’s last novel. Congratulations to all of our actors and crew who brought another excellent production to the Trinity stage.
We are so very excited to have our parents, faculty and staff join us for an inspiring evening - on campus or virtually – at next week’s Vision Night on Monday, January 25th at 7:00pm. We look forward to celebrating Trinity’s accomplishments of recent months as well as our exciting plans for the future.
Welcome Back (Jan. 12, 2021)
Blessings Trinity! Welcome back to almost our second semester. I have heard from so many of our families of the restful, healing, rejuvenating time that was our Christmas break and I trust that for you and your family it was a fruitful time. It indeed was a wonderful time for our family with our children all returning home. Just being together was a gift in these challenging times.
As we begin again another season at Trinity, we are indeed grateful that we are open! The Lord has again provided for a safe, legal way for us to be open and we are thankful that we can be together. We pray for those who are quarantining or have other challenges and look forward to welcoming them back as soon as it is practical.
In the midst of these times, we have much to be joyful for, including 11 new students who have joined us this January and more set to enroll in the coming week! Please take some time to pray for these new students and reach out and welcome these families to Trinity. Admissions is busy as more and more families are seeking a safe, nurturing place for their students who are toiling elsewhere. For the families that you know that are laboring under difficult circumstances, please tell them that we have room for them at Trinity and would love to talk with them about how Trinity might be of service.
I am working in joyful anticipation for our Vision Night which will be held on Monday, January 25th at 7:00pm. After some deliberation we have decided to hold Vision Night on our campus, in multiple locations so that we can all be together, yet prudently spaced apart. We will have the opportunity for families to enjoy Vision Night from the Celebration Center, to some of our classrooms or The Promise Circle or our courtyard tents (more details soon). Please make plans to come as you feel led as we have much to share about the good news of what is happening at Trinity both now and in the days to come.
I thank the Lord constantly for our faithful Trinity community and I am so heartened that He continues to gird and sustain those that are here and we are thrilled that he is adding to our number day by day.
praises for christmas (dec. 15, 2020)
Blessings Trinity! This past Friday, in this season of continued flexibility and creativity as a community, we were able to celebrate together two of Trinity’s most cherished traditions, our Kindergarten and Grammar School/Fine Arts Concerts. We were blessed by the ingenuity of our faculty and staff, the flexibility of our students and the graciousness of our parents as we turned our courtyard tent into a Christmas concert hall.
The grammar students sang praises to the Lord, telling the story through song and Bible verses of the Newborn King, our Savior. Our upper school students demonstrated the same through instrument and song. The Lord gave us a slightly warm and sunny day!
All who attended were blessed by the continued display of our Lord's faithfulness and our communities pressing forward, not letting circumstances deter us from our mission. Yes, it was a simple and beautiful display of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
So grateful for our community and everyone’s continued perseverance and service to one another and our children.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:8-14
Thank you for your support of Trinity during these past months and we look forward to journeying with you in the New Year. May you have a blessed Christmas season with the ones you love.
God is Active in the Dark (Dec. 8, 2020)
I have been especially encouraged and gladdened through God’s word this school year. I want to share excerpts of this recent devotional from Ruth Graham. It seems at times that darkness is tightening around us. But take heart, God is indeed, active in the darkness.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. - Luke 2:8-9
Most of our children will at some time be afraid of the dark. Many children would attest that an innocuous bedroom by day can become a place of hidden dangers at night. And lest we think we have outgrown those fears of the dark, try spending a night deep in the forest.
We are all afraid of the dark. Not the dark of night but the dark times in life, when pressures, problems, pain and even persecution surround us in a cloud of confusion or despair. It is in those times that God seems far away.
Please know that from the very beginning, God has been active in the dark. Since the dawn of creation, the Bible says, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering” (Genesis 1:2).
If you are presently living in the darkness…of a humanly hopeless situation…of death or disease or livelihood…of fear or failure or frustration…of doubt or danger…of confusion or depression…be assured that God is with you. He will change things, and He has a Word for you. God is active in the dark. Just ask the shepherds.
thankful and remaining faithful (dec. 1, 2020)
Welcome back! So glad that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break with friends and family and those that you love. For the Caddow’s it was a great time to be with family and enjoy some great food and blessed time together.
Before we left we had a great Fall Fun Day. It was without some of the things we’ve done in the past but it was FUN nonetheless. There were lots of carnival games and competitions, as well as a petting zoo with a baby calf and three little piglets. It was the highlight of the day for our students.
Fall Fun Day was also Trinity’s Day of Giving and I am pleased to tell you that it was tremendously successful. Thank you for helping us raise $184,000 toward our goal of $200,000 for the Trinity Fund! Your financial support of Trinity is a blessing to our administration, faculty and staff and most importantly our students. The Trinity Fund helps us attract and retain outstanding faculty and provides tuition assistance for families who otherwise consider Trinity. Thank you all for your generosity and contributing to the mission of Trinity Classical Academy.
We press on! Despite the news from Washington, Sacramento, LA County, public sentiment, opinions on social media, etc., we will continue to press on in faith over fear in all matters in service to our children and their learning. We do this in good faith, with diligence, as safely and responsibly as possible, prayerfully and with joy!
Thank you for your commitment, courage, faithfulness and steadfastness. Our entire community from our youngest to most mature is truly working at full capacity, and doing admirably! Good is prevailing, thanks to all of you and your intentional efforts toward what the Lord is calling you to, for our children and your families! Thank you!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
much to be thankful for (nov. 17, 2020)
Once again, the Season of Thanksgiving is upon us and we have much to be thankful for.
Next week, Americans across our great nation will gather around the dinner table and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. Families will pause from the chaos of their daily lives and spend a day enjoying the gift of each other’s love and presence. Before the carving of the turkey or the opening kickoff of an important football game, families will pause to offer our Heavenly Father a prayer of thanksgiving symbolizing our eternal gratitude for His unconditional love and thanksgiving.
We are thankful for many things. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve in a role that helps bring children closer to God. The knowledge that each day begins with prayer, that we are able to refer to Scripture on a daily basis, and that we celebrate our Lord freely. For this, we are thankful.
We are thankful for our community. For the strength and closeness of the many hearts and hands who make Trinity a Godly institution, even in trying times.
We are thankful for our teachers and staff members who continue to reflect Christ for their students on a daily basis. It is an amazing feeling to see so many individuals going above and beyond in helping our students form not only intellectually, but spiritually, socially, and emotionally. For this, we are thankful.
We are thankful for the gift of our students. To hear their stories, to see their learning, to witness their growth in their learning and their love for the Lord is a powerful image. Their smiles, innocence, and love reinforce that peace and happiness do exist in a world of chaos and turmoil. For this, we are thankful.
Please be assured that you and your family remain in our thoughts and prayers as we gather around our tables and offer our own prayers of thanksgiving.
On October 3, 1863, president Abraham Lincoln set apart the last Thursday of November for America’s national day of Thanksgiving. The Proclamation of Thanksgiving resonates today more powerfully than ever.
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.
To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.
Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
Veterans Day (Nov. 10, 2020)
Any day is a good day to honor and thank our veterans for their service. It is particularly important on November 11, Veteran’s Day. Initially meant to celebrate the peace and the end of World War I, Veteran’s day has evolved into a holiday honoring current and former member of the United States Armed Forces.
Veterans Day is a good time to remember that our freedom isn’t fee nor is it guaranteed. It’s protected by the men and women of our Armed Services. To those who secure our way of life – thank you.
Please join us tomorrow at 9:00am in Trinity’s Honor Court for a Veteran’s Day Ceremony, hosted by our Young Americans for Freedom chapter.
We are honored that many of our Trinity Alumni who have answered the call to serve. We pray a blessing of gratitude and thanksgiving for their call to service.
Class of 2012
Shane Larsen, US Army
Class of 2014
Spencer Klehn, US Army 1st Lieutenant, USMA-West Point Class of 2018
Class of 2016
Ian Caddow, US Marine Corp 2nd Lieutenant, US Naval Academy Class of 2020
Class of 2017
Caden Kulp US Air Force Academy, Cadet 1st Class
Class of 2018
Christopher Kendall US Army, Specialist
Class of 2019
Andrew Dever US Air Force Academy, Cadet 3rd Class
Shane Lintereur US Air Force Academy, Cadet 3rd Class
Max Mitchell US Army, Private 1st Class
Class of 2020
Lexi Carr US Army, Private 1st Class
TRINITY Continues to Press On! (Nov. 3, 2020)
I am so encouraged by the effort Trinity has made to return our students to live, on-campus instruction while mitigating the risk of COVID on our campus. We have fared very well and kept our learning community safe as we continue to take every action necessary to return to on-campus instruction.
We are grateful to continue moving our school forward prayerfully and strategically as we began our Hybrid Learning schedule of live instruction for our upper school last week. It was a great joy, privilege and blessing for us all to have our upper school students on campus for live instruction and the benefits are readily apparent. This week, 1st and 2nd grade students begin live instruction as well.
In the coming weeks there will be more information about winter athletics, fine arts, clubs and activities as well as updates on the expansion of our on-campus instruction.
We continue to seek wise counsel about next steps for our students in their learning. We are grateful for our students, parents, faculty and staff for their efforts to be mindful of protocols and mitigations so that we can serve our community safely and well.
In Faith!
Trinity's New Gym (Oct. 27, 2020)
Yesterday we had a fantastic time opening our new gym to our Trinity families!
The Newhall Church of the Nazarene has graciously granted us exclusive use of their gym for our upcoming sports seasons. Our Trinity indoor athletes now have a wonderful facility to practice and play their games. Early in the process of securing the facility, the leadership at NewNaz expressed not only their desire for us to partner with them in the use of their beautiful gym, but said, “Please make it your home.”
So we did! With the dedication of our Athletics department, Mr. Aguilar, Miss Pacini and Dr. Dixon, the NewNaz gym has been transformed into the Trinity “Fortress”, where we will play and defend our home with Integrity and Camaraderie and most certainly enjoy many Victories.
As you enter the “Fortress” (that’s my suggestion for our new arena’s nickname) you are greeted by a huge mural with some of the outstanding Trinity Knights from our past and present. The court area is adorned with our Trinity Knights banners and logos. Perhaps the biggest feature of the Fortress, is our championship banners that grace the walls. Our 10-year athletics heritage is on full display with banners for our 2 CIF championships, 4 CIF runner-ups, and our 28 league championships. It’s truly inspiring to see our athletic accomplishments memorialized with these beautiful banners.
Check out pictures of the NEW GYM HERE.
There is a new scorer’s table, new padded chairs for players and many other amenities for our athletes and families. The next phase of outfitting the Fortress will include the installation of bleachers, a state-of-the-art game video system which will record and broadcast games and much more.
Many thanks to Pastor Bobbi McMasters, Greg Carver, Peggy Spencer and all the wonderful leadership and staff at Newhall Church of the Nazarene for working so diligently to make this new home gym a reality for Trinity.
The Newhall Church of the Nazarene is located at 23857 The Old Road, Newhall.
Despite the challenges of this unusual season at Trinity, we continue to boldly move forward with our vision in faith, not fear. We continue to build and grow opportunities for our students and for our future.
The Trinity Knights are ready to play. Our athletic staff, our athletes and our coaches are ready to get back to competing. Now with this outstanding facility, The Fortress, as our home court, the future of Trinity athletics is indeed brighter than ever.
Classical Education is Growing Across the Country (oct. 20, 2020)
Today, I'd like to share an archived article that we published in 2009, because some things are worth repeating:
Those who assume that education methods used for millennia can be dismissed within a generation forget that time is the best laboratory, especially regarding human behavior.
It has taken modern educators around 150 years to disassemble an educational system that took thousands of years to refine and establish. The classical method was born in ancient Greece and Rome, and by the 16th century, it was used throughout the Western world. This system educated most of America’s founding fathers as well as the world’s philosophers, scientists and leaders between the 10th and 19th centuries. What other period can claim so many advances in science, philosophy, art, and literature?
For education to be effective, it must go beyond conveying fact. Truly effective education cultivates thinking and articulate students who are able to develop facts into arguments and convey those arguments clearly and persuasively. Parents all across the United States are recognizing that classical education adds the dimension and breadth needed to develop students’ minds. Rigorous academic standards, a dedication to order and discipline, and a focus on key, lost subjects is fueling the rapid growth of the nation’s classical schools.
There is no greater task for education than to teach students how to learn. The influence of progressive teaching methods and the oversimplification of textbooks make it difficult for students to acquire the mental discipline that traditional instruction methods once cultivated. The classical method develops independent learning skills on the foundation of language, logic, and tangible fact. The classical difference is clear when students are taken beyond conventionally taught subjects and asked to apply their knowledge through logic and clear expression.
In 1947, Dorothy Sayers, a pioneer in the return to classical education, observed, “although we often succeed in teaching our pupils ’subjects,’ we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think.” Beyond subject matter, classical education develops those skills that are essential in higher education and throughout life – independent scholarship, critical thinking, logical analysis, and a love for learning.
Fear Not (Oct. 13, 2020)
The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress. – Psalm 46:7
Everyone is afraid sometimes, about something. We live in a world that offers plenty of chances to fear. Maybe that’s why one of the most oft-repeated commands in the Bible is "do not be afraid." Of course, the Bible does more than issue the command; it gives us good reasons why we do not need to be afraid.
In this season of challenge and for many, suffering, along with our very creative learning scenario, not one we would necessary choose or prefer, the Lord reminds me of his promises in Psalm 46:7 – He is our fortress. He is on the side of His people and therefore we have nothing to fear. He is our refuge and shelter in times of distress and trouble and we need not fear.
In Romans 5:8, God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In my moments of doubt, frustration and my desire to will things into existence, God has proven His love for us once and forever at the cross.
So when things aren’t going as I wish, or it seems as if good isn’t winning, or I’m not sure how to help those we care for, love and serve – I am reminded of God’s wonderful promise that He is with us that He will never leave us or forsake us.
I must remind myself to stop complaining, keep pressing on and once again reclaim God’s promise in Psalm 46 and Romans 5 and press on for those we serve and for our witness to the Lord.
We can do this!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2
The Return to School (Oct. 6, 2020)
This message was sent out to all Trinity families yesterday. Please continue to pray over these things our school is hoping for regarding the re-opening of school:
Dear Trinity Families,
Blessings to you! As we begin our sixth week of school, I would like to express my gratitude and to commend our students, faculty, and staff for their resilience and determination during this uncommon season. Our community has risen up above these challenging circumstances and current constraints, continuing to prodigiously pursue our mission with excellence and fortitude.
In August, I communicated our desire to resume in-person, on-campus instruction by Monday, October 5. The Trinity COVID-19 Compliance Team has continued to closely monitor the daily case numbers and positivity rate from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, specifically tracking the case rate in North L.A. County, which includes Santa Clarita, those numbers have been stable for months and continue to trend down. North L.A. County, if stood alone, would easily be in Tier 2 (Red) and schools could open per state guidelines. We are encouraged as COVID case numbers decline to see businesses categorized as “non-essential” opening this week (such as nail salons, malls and casinos) for it bolsters the argument for schools to re-open.
In good faith, we have complied and diligently worked within the confines of L.A. County Health Orders, which have been at best inconsistent, arbitrary, and capricious, leaving most private schools unlawfully restricted and in a state of limbo as to when and how they can open. L.A. County Public School and Public Health Officials are in no rush to reopen schools and have only slightly swayed when pressured. Last week, the L.A. Board of Supervisors announced that elementary schools can apply for a waiver to allow their students in TK through second grade to return to in-person instruction on campus, though only 30 schools out of thousands will be granted a waiver each week. The waivers will be distributed equally among the five supervisorial districts and require both county and state approval with priority given to schools with the greatest percentages of students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.
As L.A. County schools grapple with the ever-changing mandates and preventative issues that are unrelated to our community, the Trinity Administration has continued to seek legal counsel as how to best return to full-time, in-person instruction. We speak almost daily with local-elected officials, who have been supportive of our goal and as gracious as possible with their time and resources. We have prayerfully considered several different options and have developed a comprehensive plan to carefully and thoughtfully resume in-person instruction that will bring our students on campus, full-time as safely and as expeditiously as possible. The overall plan for Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric School will be rolled out in stages over the coming weeks. We will send out more information in this regard next week. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Richardson, Mrs. Massetto or me with any questions you may have.
Every day, the Trinity faculty and staff are grateful to witness our students’ tenacious spirit and enthusiasm for learning. The Trinity Administration continues to be optimistic and is eager to start the transition process to in-person instruction. Please join us as we continue to pray for the Trinity community and for wisdom, discernment, Godly counsel, patience, strength, and peace.
The Art of Learning (Sept. 29, 2020)
Everyone in the world is now a writer. That may sound odd as we typically do not think of modern society as particularly literate or that we are living through an era of great writers, but everyday citizens are writing more than our predecessors did in the age of pen and paper. Our ubiquitous devices allow us all to post, blog, text, compose, comment, tweet, e-mail, scrawl, scribble anywhere and everywhere, so we are all writing. And with all this writing, comes the tool of the day, the auto-correct and the spell-check. Ineradicable tools to be sure, but gone are the days when one would consult a hefty dictionary or even ask a friend how spell a word. We would rather enter a misspelled word into our device to have it corrected than bear the burden of carrying around thousands of difficult-to-spell words in our head.
Even more disturbing than our reliance on spell-check is our subservience to it. Now that one has spell-check there is no longer a need to remember pesky details like how to spell. We often deny our own instincts regarding the things we feel we should know, like Charlie Brown who is never sure if it is “i before e except after c or when sounding like A as in …” Charlie Brown could never even trust himself to remember the ending of that essential spelling truth, doomed to defeat in the annual spelling bee. He would have embraced spell-check.
This is the challenge that resisting the culture of convenience and efficiency presents to us. Nobody who relies on spell-check will ever master the art of spelling. Those who only know history by googling (which Webster says is indeed a word, but as a verb is NOT capitalized), will never master the art of knowing history. If one’s musical education involves only learning pop songs from a YouTube tutorial, he will not acquire the first principles of music.
In the end, the shortcut is no shortcut. Because we learn nothing, we retain nothing. Because we retain nothing, we must constantly expend new energy appealing to our spell-checker and Google every time we encounter a new situation. We have not internalized the tools that we need to tackle any new situation and are reliant on the collected knowledge of the techno-verse.
Our addiction to convenience is merely a symptom of the illness, not the illness itself. The problem lies in the very way we have come to understand learning – more specifically how we understand education. Many in recent generations graduate from college and attempt to enter the workforce with no conception of where they are going or why. What’s worse, they have lost all interest in actually getting there. If a student is not taught the art of learning and the essentials to navigate the world, it is better to mindlessly follow your spell-checker, Google and Wikipedia than nothing at all.
Dorothy Sayers pointed out this fundamental fault of American education back in her 1948 essay the “Lost Tools of Learning”, particularly regarding what she saw even then as a culture of cheap, intellectual convenience”
“Do you ever find that young people, when they have left school, not only forget most of what they have learnt (that is only to be expected) but forget also, or betray that they have never really known, how to tackle a new subject for themselves? Are you often bothered by coming across grown-up men and women who seem unable to distinguish between a book that is sound, scholarly and properly documented, and one that is to any trained eye, very conspicuously none of those things?”
It is a primary concern of Sayers that the modern student (public or private, secular or religious) cannot see the value of the art of learning and to free oneself from the tyranny of reliance on the modern age. “Students learn everything except the art of learning,” argues Sayers, breeding a generation of youths who are unable to cry “Distinguo” (“I Distinguish”) and are thus rendered defenseless targets of propaganda.
Armed with the ability to learn, a student is ready to confront the dark and confusing landscape of the modern world and not only survive, but triumph. Even if there is no wi-fi.
Full disclosure, I did use spell-check a few times for this note, but I am quite sure I could have consulted any Trinity student, which would have proven just as accurate.
Education and Family Life (Sept. 22, 2020)
At times it seems that the public debate over the merits of private education versus public schools centers around their relative success in boosting test scores, graduation rates, college admissions and increasing one’s prospects of securing a good job. Which type of education is more successful in giving children the skills they need to thrive in today’s economy? Utilitarian questions like these frame much of the contemporary discussions of the value of modern education.
But there is more to life than excelling at school and work. Building one’s character and values should be at the forefront of any education. While the national discussion over what type of character and what type of values should be taught rages on, it is clear in numerous polls that there is a desire amongst the populous that civics courses and character education should be emphasized in education.
At Trinity, forming women and men of good character, good citizens, good spouses and good parents has always been an essential goal of our classical, Christian education as well as men and women exemplified by wisdom, purpose, virtue and courage. The beneficial outcomes that we seem to experience at Trinity are reflected in a growing body of evidence that suggests that religious education leads to a better family life.
A new study from the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for Family Studies have just released an intriguing report about how different types of American schools stack up in forming character in their students. The Protestant Family Ethic: What Do Protestant, Catholic, Private, and Public Schooling Have to Do with Marriage, Divorce, and Non-marital Childbearing? The results are very revealing.
The authors Brad Wilcox, Albert Cheng, Patrick J. Wolf, and Wendy Wang, observe that most parents expect more than academic, athletic and artistic success from school.
“We suspect that parents are also concerned about how well schools form their sons and daughters for a future family life. That is, parents hope that schools maximize their children’s chances of forming a strong family later in life and minimize their chances of forming their own family before they are married or ready to be a parent.”
Schools are more than classrooms. They are “moral communities” that help children decide what kind of civic and family path they intend to follow. In the end, a school forms a student into a particular kind of person, with one kind of character or another. How successful are various types of school at forming children for their future as parents? The researchers offer this:
“Until now we have known little about how different types of schools are linked to students’ family life as adults. The limited research that exists in this area indicates that religious schooling is associated with higher rates of marriage among young adults, but we know less about how different forms of schooling are related to the risk of divorce in adulthood or to non-marital childbearing throughout one’s life.”
Their findings reveal that men and women who have been educated in a private school tend to be more likely to be married, less likely to be divorced and less likely to have a child out of wedlock. Questions of success in the realm of family life are seldom raised in today’s conversation. What kind of schooling creates the best life-long outcomes? The report suggests that Religious schooling – and particularly Protestant schooling - fosters stronger and more stable marriages among American men and women compared to public schools, Catholic school and secular private schools.
God's Reminder to Remember (Sept. 15, 2020)
Last week our Young Americans for Freedom chapter remembered our nation’s tragedy of 9/11 with a commemoration. There were honors to those who perished that day in 2001 and those gave their last breath trying to save lives. We honor the memory of the fallen on 9/11 and resolve to never forget. None of our current Trinity students were alive when 9/11 happened. None of them actually lived through it nineteen years ago so it falls to us, this present generation, to teach what happened that fateful day so that nobody ever forgets.
Each generation is responsible to teach the young to never forget what has shaped their very lives. It is the essence of educating our children, to teach them to never forget what God has done and what His people have done through history.
God knew that His people would be adversely influenced by the mindset of the world so he gave very specific instructions to His people concerning the commands He had given them. “You shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The people of God were to meditate on the Word of God and were to constantly remind themselves, and their children, of all that the Lord had said to them in their wilderness wanderings. They were to teach their children and train them up in the way they should go. They were to keep God’s laws in their hearts and to give their children godly guidance, in every area of life. They were to develop a God-focused mindset, and ensure that their children did not depart from a biblical worldview.
May we recognize in these tumultuous times how easy it is for us to be influenced away from the Word of God and a biblical mindset into the man-centered focus of a secular worldview. May we determine to teach the truth diligently to our children so they never forget.
The Value of Community (sept. 8, 2020)
I am always so delighted when our alumni take the time to come back and visit Trinity. I am blessed that in addition to my own three children, I have had hundreds of children over the past 20 years become part of our Trinity family.
Josh Waschak was a graduate of our first class of ten in 2012. He spent a few weeks back in California before embarking on the last phase of his education, becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic. We talked about how Trinity was facing a new season of challenges, where his schooling had taken him, what he was continuing to learn and his plans for the future. We walked around school and we reminisced about our trip to Italy and how, after he ate a bad plate of spinach, we had to nurse him back to health so we could finish our adventure.
Josh is but one of the many alumni I could tell you about who come to visit, who drop a note of encouragement or thanks for their time at Trinity. It is immensely gratifying to know that we have shared life together and we are all blessed for having shared some of our life with one another.
In these times where it seems great change descends upon us weekly, we pause and take joy in our journey together. While the year has just begun, we pray that we see God’s mighty movement even in our day-to-day school time with each other, both remotely and in person. We pray that long-lasting friendships are being forged and built and that even as we work together, our students grasp the promise of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.”
Living and learning in community is life-giving. The idea of community comes from the sense of responsibility we have for one another and we are blessed to be living out community with the families of Trinity.
Welcome Back Trinity! (Sept. 1, 2020)
Last week it was glorious to have our TK and K Exploratory campers, and our Imago Dei grammar campers on campus! We also held our creative Educational Oversight Camp for 1st thru 6th grade, with many of our friends learning remotely at home. On Wednesday last week our Rhetoric School House Leadership hosted a drive-by for all the incoming freshmen so they could find out what House they are in! The House Captains and Lieutenants had initiation gifts for each new member - it was so fun! Yesterday, we also held our first live-streamed All-School Chapel where Dr. Dixon shared an excellent message about our Pillar of Focus for this year – Purpose.
This morning we welcomed back our Logic School students to campus with their first Academic Fortification Day under our ‘big top’ in our lower parking lot. Our Rhetoric School Fortification Day is tomorrow on campus.
We are doing school, differently, but it is still Trinity! It’s flexible, it’s creative, and we press on to provide a Trinity education in the best way possible while adhering to our mission. I am so thankful to our dedicated faculty, staff and administration for their tireless work to make our first days of school so fruitful.
We continue to work through many protocols and mitigations and are grateful to be practicing them now so that all are safe. We are grateful that we are becoming very proficient in mitigation and protocols so we will be well-prepared when everyone returns to campus.
Thank you to all our families who have continued to entrust Trinity with the education of your children. We take our responsibility seriously to provide a classical, Christian education and we are so thankful to all of you for your continued faith and support as we persevere through these challenging times.
School has begun! We praise God during these days, trusting Him always.
Messages from 2019-20
- Need for Healing (June 2, 2020)
- Mastering the Skills of Rhetoric (May 26, 2020)
- A Gift for our Family (May 19, 2020)
- Lemons out of Lemonade (May 12, 2020)
- classical education in a modern world (May 5, 2020)
- the genius of 'and' (apr. 28, 2020)
- Our Response as Believers (April 21, 2020)
- Defeated...Not (April 14, 2020)
- A Fresh Perspective (March 24, 2020)
- We have an opportunity...(Mar. 17, 2020)
- a community of hope (march 10, 2020)
- The Antidote for Educational Disarray (March 3, 2020)
- The Beauty of Service (Feb. 25, 2020)
- why do we teach rhetoric? (feb. 18, 2020)
- what in the world is the progymnasmata? (feb. 11, 2020)
- Why study the great books (Feb. 4, 2020)
- faith and reason (Jan. 28, 2020)
- light drives out darkness (jan. 21, 2020)
- a classical mission (Jan. 14, 2020)
- Why it Matters so Much (Jan. 7, 2020)
- catching excellence (Dec. 17, 2019)
- what is the quadrivium and what does it have to do with fine arts? (dec. 10, 2019)
- classical education is growing across the country (Dec. 3, 2019)
- a response to tragedy (nov. 19, 2019)
- the next generation (nov. 12, 2019)
- Traditions, Old and New (Nov. 5, 2019)
- Gratitude (Oct. 29, 2019)
- joy, joy, joy (oct. 22, 2019)
- how trinity has influenced my midshipman (oct. 15, 2019)
- What is the "win"? (Oct. 8, 2019)
- Why Read the Great Books? (Oct. 1, 2019)
- part of a family (Sept. 24, 2019)
- What is Classical Education? (Sept. 17, 2019)
- The Myth of Classical, Christian Education (Sept. 10, 2019)
- Spiritual Practices at Trinity (Sept. 3, 2019)
- first day in our new home (aug. 27, 2019)
Need for Healing (June 2, 2020)
As we prepare to finish out this very unique school year, our nation is suffering. As we care for our neighbors, we can seek help in God's Word. I appreciate the exhortation found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 - if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Lord, we lift up our families, our school, our community, our state and our nation. We ask Father, in the midst of fear, anger, uncertainty, and loss that you would comfort us, give us wisdom, and ultimately heal our nation. Heal us physically, emotionally and spiritually. We pray that all would turn to you.
As we seek the Lord this week in our own prayer time, please keep Trinity in your prayers, as we do our best to honor our hard-working students this week with very mitigated promotions for 6th and 8th grades, for Senior Graduation, as well as Libertas promotions and graduation. We are grateful for all that our students, parents and teachers have done to complete this challenging year!
Mastering the Skills of Rhetoric (May 26, 2020)
Mastering the skills of Rhetoric is a distinctive of a Trinity education. Quintilian said that Rhetoric is the "art of a good man speaking well," and he stated that public speaking is inherently moral. Rhetoric gets a bad rap in this culture, when we think of politicians spewing Rhetoric, trying to make worse things sound better.
At Trinity, one of the things we hope for our graduates is that they will know what they believe, why they believe it, and be able to communicate it. That begins at the beginning - in Kindergarten. Five-year-olds practice presentation when they stand in front of their class and present the bible verse they've been learning. Corporate time is an opportunity for students of all ages to present. Living history museums are another opportunity. The practice continues in various forms, from K-12.
In eighth grade, the culminating exercise is the 8th grade oral examination. Each 8th grader takes all that they have learned in order to answer a single question as they present to their teachers. I'm pleased to say that we are able to have our students come this week, with some mitigations, and complete their oral exam in person with their teachers. The question to consider this year is "Is the world ordered or chaotic?" It was certainly a timely question considering what we are currently facing in the world.
After many years of practicing presentation and the skills of Rhetoric, our senior class launches into the culminating project of Trinity's Humanities program: The Senior Thesis. It requires students to use the rhetorical skills developed at all phases of their learning at Trinity to develop a thoughtful and persuasive argument on a chosen topic. Their thesis and topic must be things of depth and significance about which Christians can reasonably disagree. They spend their year writing and re-writing, editing and finally cutting it down to a speech of about five minutes. I am always impressed by how well our students present their arguments.
This year, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the thoughtful, intentional, excellent, eloquent presentations of the theses. Every single one of them was outstanding. I was caused to think differently about a few topics; I was inspired, encouraged, and extremely hopeful after each session. We managed them in a responsible and thoughtful way so that they could be presented live in front of a tiny audience (their parents and Thesis teachers). I want to encourage everyone to watch them. You will be inspired. Senior Thesis Presentations
I am so grateful for how our students and parents are ending this year well, despite the unusual circumstances. I have enjoyed seeing many of you at drive-in parking lot events, where classes have enjoyed some "socially distant" in-person connection with each other; seniors picked up caps and gowns and got to see each other. There will be some end-of-year celebrations, done responsibly, and I'm so looking forward to celebrating our students' accomplishments.
I cannot wait to be back on campus with all of you next year. It will look different, as we will make any necessary adjustments to keep our students, parents, faculty and staff safe. But we will be together.
A Gift for our Family (May 19, 2020)
This school year, we began celebrating what we called Big FiSH (First in School History). We had a lot of them - from owning our own home, to National Merit Award Recipients, a Hoedown, and several athletic and fine arts accomplishments. We never anticipated that we'd have Big FiSH the likes of Remote Learning and Virtual Events. However, God knew in advance just how many FiSH there would be and what they would look like. And since He was in the business of multiplying fish, it should be no surprise to us that He will take what we do and multiply it. Our Gala team was faithful and extraordinarily creative in converting a huge live event into a virtual event. Cammie Fay, Dana Hendrickson, Kim Haag and Cindy Garcia took the reins and re-structured every idea they had originally had. Our Communications team made sure everyone who is part of the Trinity community knew about our Virtual Gala. Our talented Media Production Coordinator, Mark Gould, creatively and beautifully wove together old video, new video, photos, and presentations, to create a lovely virtual experience. And our community responded generously! I am beyond grateful to God for these hard-working people as I trust He will multiply their efforts.
Between the Gala and our family's trip to Anapolis, Wally and I were reminded what a gift the Trinity community has been to our own family. Our son, Ian, graduated from the United States Naval Academy and is now a Second Lieutenant. We are proud of him and very excited for him as he embarks on the next thing he feels called to do as a United States Marine. What he believes he is called to do is in large part due to the life-giving, transformative, intentional education he received at Trinity.
Ian learned how to do “hard things” and to persevere at Trinity, through what he was required to do in the classroom and on the field and court. This foundation enabled him to persevere in a very challenging environment at the USNA. At Trinity, he had learned how to lead and this was further strengthened at the Academy. During his entire K-12 education, he was learning how to build and nurture good relationships with peers, as they did hard things together (and fun things too). He knew his teachers cared for him, mind, heart and soul. When he faced tough times, he knew he could lean into the Lord and those with whom he was in relationship.
I will always remember when he shared during his sophomore year at USNA, how much he missed his teachers at Trinity and how good they were. The summer before his Senior year, he called home and asked for his Common Place book. He was Platoon Commander for the Plebes in his Company and he wanted some of the quotes on leadership that he had written down during Rhetoric School in his humanities classes. Even this last semester, he harkened back to his Senior Thesis at Trinity for his Capstone project.
We are grateful for all that Ian received at Trinity, for it has prepared him for the greater narrative of life we are called to pursue with virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. He has learned how to seek truth, goodness and beauty, and he takes with him the gifts of lifelong friends, and the rewards of the pouring-in he received from faculty, staff and coaches.
Lemons out of Lemonade (May 12, 2020)
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons suggest sourness or difficulty in life; making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. (from Wikipedia)
In this season of isolation, remote learning, mask-wearing, social distancing, health challenges, and economic challenges, many people are looking for a silver lining or for ways to make lemonade from the lemons we've been given. I am hearing from families about the joys of spending more time together. I am hearing about people being grateful for things they previously took for granted. I am seeing people look for ways to serve others, take care of the elderly and support local businesses.
Using technology creatively is one way that Trinity is "making lemonade". We have certainly kept Mark Gould busy! He is our masterful Media Production Coordinator and he has been producing, directing, filming, and editing video after video. Mr. Brown has taken on the High Five Friday videos to keep our spirits up. Our Gala team has re-structured a huge event, which was scheduled to be our last, and transfer it to an online format which is free and fun for the whole family. They have coordinated with Mr. Gould to make commercials, and connected with our Communications team to make sure it is publicized on social media and via email. They have done an excellent job and I'm so excited to have everyone tune in together on Friday night.
We are excited about the purpose of the fundraising for the evening. Typically the Gala funds regular operating costs as part of our budget. But due to the economic impact the Coronavirus has had on our community, we are deeply concerned for our families, particularly those who own businesses or have lost jobs. So, we've decided to target our fundraising toward "Keeping our Knights Together." This way funds will go towards tuition assistance, so there is no interruption in the education of our Trinity students due to financial need.
I can just picture our families gathered in their living rooms and family rooms to watch the Gala on YouTube. Is your family big enough that you have to call dibs on couch space? Will you be eating popcorn and candy? Bidding on Teacher Features? Eating dinner from Azul Tequila? (They are donating a portion back to Trinity). Having a glass of wine or beer? Maybe you'll consider having lemonade to remind you that we are taking something sour and making something good out of it.
While we do our best to make good things happen, I'm also reminded to be content with what the Lord has blessed us with. Philippians 4:11 - Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (ESV)
classical education in a modern world (May 5, 2020)
There are many who believe that a Classical Education was fine for a time gone by, but now we need modern education, full of technology and cutting-edge, novel teaching methods for our modern world. As a classical school, we are big on the Great Books, History, Writing, Bible and more. What we do not typically emphasize is technology and computers...until now. Technology has become a necessary part of everyone's education, all the way down to our youngest students.
Typically, we don't introduce computers until Logic School, where they begin with keyboarding and some basic word processing. In Rhetoric School, students use computers more regularly, communicate with teachers via email and Google classroom, and some assignments are submitted via Google Docs. Science and technology are taught in classical schools through classical methods, with a much broader scope and depth to the discussion. Many wonder if the classical method is applicable in our modern, technological age. The technology we have today was invented, in large part, by the classically educated. The groundwork for so many modern technological achievements, from the very basics of scientific study to modern engineering methods, was laid within the last 400 years when classical education was the most common form of excellent education.
Classical education teaches students facts, provides them with logical tools to use those facts and perfects the student’s ability to relate those facts to others. This fundamental skill-set is more valuable today than it has ever been. Classical education helps students draw original, creative, and accurate conclusions from facts and then formulate those conclusions into logical and persuasive arguments. Regardless of our modernity, these timeless abilities to think well, read well and communicate well, are truly the most valuable of all educational outcomes.
It is the ability to think, read, and communicate well (and creatively) that is allowing our Remote Learning environment to continue to educate our students in a classical method. It's far from perfect. It's not the same as being together in a classroom discussion, to be sure. We all look forward to being back together in the classroom, the playground, the court or field, the stage, etc. Our community was not meant to be a virtual one.
It has been said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Much of modern education seems to look at history through the prism of the present with historical events colored by current ideology and a political correctness that distorts history and even our present-day society. To understand our modern world, a Classical approach emphasizes the rich timeline of human history and how events from the ancient to the recent affect and shape our modern world.
This is definitely a pivotal time in history. Our students will tell their children and grandchildren about how they lived through the Coronavirus and how school changed for them. But they will also be able to tell them how creative they got and how their classical education served them well as they thought and reasoned creatively, and learned new ways to learn, led by teachers who learned new ways to teach creatively despite the unprecedented circumstances.
the genius of 'and' (apr. 28, 2020)
Several years ago I read Jim Collins' Good to Great and I was also privileged to hear him speak. He shared that businesses and institutions, in order to keep developing and growing in service to their constituents, need to embrace the "Genius of 'And' vs the Tyranny of 'Or'." It resonated with me, for I believed Trinity was doing that daily to serve students, families, faculty and staff. We embraced the concept and when we thought we had to choose one thing or the other, we asked ourselves if we could do both.
We chose to have:
Excellent academics AND excellent athletics
Grammar School AND Upper School
Students who excel academically AND students who need supplemental services
Performing arts AND Visual arts
Theology AND science
Humanities AND STEM programs
AP classes AND Dual Credit
Summer camp AND summer renovations
General education AND special education (Imago Dei School)
On campus classes AND Independent Learning (Libertas Preparatory School)
We have squeezed our space, negotiated (for years) to own our home, rented facilities for sports and large events that couldn't fit in our modified space, and otherwise stretched in many ways to accommodate our "and". Sometimes I felt like Gumby and we asked our faculty and staff to become their best Gumby selves.
Now, more than ever, our flexibility is being challenged. Can we continue our mission in a distance learning environment? Can our teachers teach, while home-schooling their own children? Can our parents work and help their children with their studies? Can our students focus on school while missing out on sports and social activities?
Never have I been more grateful that our community has learned to embrace the "genius of and." California closed schools and we said we would figure out how to do remote learning. Our teachers took a few days to prepare and dove in. Parents stepped up. Students persevered. There have been many disappointments for sure. When our seniors learned they couldn't go to Italy, we had no idea that that was only the beginning. And yet, here we are, one day at a time, learning and stretching our minds, our creativity and our faith.
These are a couple of verses that remind me where my focus needs to be, when I lose focus:
Hebrews 2:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NIV)
James 1:2-3 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Our Response as Believers (April 21, 2020)
During this season, it's easy to get inundated with news, fake news, social media posts, opinions, fears, scientific information, economic information, political drama, conspiracy theories and more.
My hope is that our response as believers at this time helps to not only keep on our own minds focused on God's truth, but also to help turn others to God, the only One who can quiet their souls.
Right now I'm finding it particularly important to carefully select what I put into my mind, what I choose to focus on. I've been digging into my commonplace book and meditating on favorite quotes and verses. I am reminded and encouraged by those in the faith who have gone before us, exhorting us to look up and trust the unchanging Creator of heaven and earth. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes and Bible verses that remind me to "look up" with you:
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to raise a deaf world."
"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts."
"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage."
"The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self - all your wishes and precautions to Christ."
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Ephesians 3:20-21 - Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Wally and I are praying for our Trinity community, our country and our world. May we trust in the Lord, cry out to Him and trust His perfect plan. May we keep our eyes and hearts focused on Jesus.
Defeated...Not (April 14, 2020)
Christians around the world just celebrated Easter. It was not the traditional celebration we may be accustomed to in this season of social distancing, but churches have gotten creative, families have gotten creative, and Jesus is still the risen Savior.
After being betrayed, left alone, accused in public trials, scourged and executed, it seemed that Jesus had been defeated. His followers mourned Him, and also mourned the loss of their hope for political change. They had hoped Jesus would reign and Rome would no longer be their authority. And their hopes died along with Jesus.
BUT, quoting an unknown source, that I have in my commonplace book, "Jesus accomplished the greatest exodus of all, liberating us not just from social or political bondage but from sin and death. Jesus' death on a cross is a model for how God often works His gracious purposes out through what looks like defeat."
There have been days that I have felt discouraged, days that I've felt lonely. As an extrovert and a lover of all things school, I have missed being in school. I have been on campus, socially distanced from the few others who are there, unable to hug and high five. I have missed our wonderful faculty and staff, and most importantly, I've missed the sights and sounds of full hallways, playgrounds and classrooms. I've missed our students. Some days, I've felt like I'm in mourning, grieving the loss of this time. And yet, my hope has not died. My hope is in a Resurrected Lord, and He is alive and He is on His throne.
Campus may be quiet, but it has not died. I was blessed to see so many Grammar School parents and students yesterday, from a distance, when they came to get their school packets. There were lots of "air" high fives and elbow bumps. Trinity will again have people populating the hallways and playground and classrooms. We will all hug and high five and celebrate again. Meanwhile, we are stretching the boundaries of our creativity, getting the hang of teaching and learning in new ways. We are spending more time with our families, and enjoying games and puzzles and various ways to avoid boredom. We are eating differently, exercising differently, attending church differently and celebrating Easter differently. I trust God is teaching us all something during this unprecedented time in history. It's a time none of us will ever forget. It is history in the making. Our students will tell their children of the days that they discovered Zoom and social distancing, and concern about having enough toilet paper.
Looking ahead and imagining what it will be like to look back helps me to have a different perspective. Jesus looked ahead to His purpose. He had to. He had to get through the torture of the cross and He must have needed to keep His focus on His ultimate purpose. He had to look ahead to His resurrection which would save all who put their trust in Him.
While we are not enduring the torture of the cross, we cannot deny that this is a difficult time. We must keep our focus not on the difficulty but on the Overcomer of all things difficult. If we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, we will gain strength to endure. We will have hope to come out of this season with more creativity, more wisdom, more understanding, more compassion, more patience, more...fill in the blank.
I'm blessed to be on this journey with all of you, even at a 6-foot distance! I'm praying for our Trinity community constantly. I can't wait to see you all again!
A Fresh Perspective (March 24, 2020)
Blessings to you Trinity families as we venture into week #2 of our Remote Learning journey. These last few weeks have increased my gratitude for our precious community of Christ followers. Our entire learning community, from our littlest of TK friends to our most seasoned faculty and parents, has responded with a spirit of creativity, perseverance, grace, diligence and great humor. It is a very trying time of unknowns and we are navigating what seems to be constant change.
I remember thinking in January that one of the big challenges for the year would be navigating Trinity's graduation being the same day as my son Ian's graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. And now we don't yet know what graduation will look like for either school. Trying times like these give us new perspective. I'm grateful for the Lord's promises in these seasons of new perspective, bringing us to our knees, trusting him in every season, seeking gratitude and joy in all things, even when we are afraid. One of my favorite things to recall when I'm afraid is to go ahead and "do it afraid". We don't need to be paralyzed by fear; we need to move out, trusting the Lord in all things.
Although unexpected, I'm grateful to have all of my children in their beds at night, as Ian and Hannah have both returned home from college. Wally, Lily and I are enjoying our family of five again. We are playing card games at night and watching favorite movies. Playing family games has reminded me of my competitive spirit. When playing Dominoes, Hannah said, "Mom is going to make us play this game until she wins!" On the basketball court, even with some extra grace from Ian, not only did I lose at PIG, I was the first one knocked out. Hopefully, I'm gaining a better perspective about competition as well. We also enjoyed a little sidewalk chalk art; I felt like on some level I had my 7-year-old, 4-year-old and 1-year-old back again. It was kind of surreal. I'm also playing my cello a little more, although I don't think my family is as grateful about that. Our dog Ody is living his best life - going on lots of family walks.
I hope in the midst of this time all our families are able to experience unexpected gratitude and joys, even though you might possibly be a little afraid. We are praying for all of our families. In particular, we are praying (and perhaps you can join us in praying) for our parents on the front lines as health care professionals and first responders. Additionally, we are praying for our families that are affected because they have small businesses or work in the entertainment industry. Please let someone on our team know if your family is having a particularly tough time and you have a specific need or prayer request.
We are trusting in Jeremiah 29:11 - I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. I'm trusting the Lord has a bigger plan we can't see and is working all things together for His good.
We have an opportunity...(Mar. 17, 2020)
This is certainly an unprecedented time for our school, just as it is for our country. The response of the public is varying from panic buying in preparation for quarantine to going about normal business wondering why everyone is making such a big deal out of a virus...and everything in between. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, you have to agree that our country has never seen such a thing before and we have to respond. The question is, how do we respond?
As believers in Christ, I believe we first have to embrace the opportunity to respond with compassion and love for others and a belief that Christ has not fallen off of His throne and He is still in charge. We have an opportunity to get creative in how we do school, how we function as a family, how we attend church, how we get exercise, how we shop for groceries, how we connect with others, how we work, and how and what we pray about. And perhaps we should reverse the order of that sentence and put prayer first, because our connection with our Lord is going to influence how we respond to the rest of those things. We can be grumpy and frustrated, or we can find the good opportunities in the midst of the many issues we are facing. We can pray and worship, and maybe watch an extra sermon online, since there are a plethora of them, and many of them are dealing with anxiety and responding in faith to this national crisis.
Our teachers have been hard at work yesterday and today, creatively determining how they are going to teach their students remotely. Upper School will look different than Grammar School. In our preparation and training the last two days, as a team we are holding close to our school verse, Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Remembering the truth of that verse brings peace and comfort. Additionally, we cling to Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We will stay in touch with families via email, Google classroom, videos, etc. Please know that I, along with our Principals, am praying for our entire Trinity community as we respond thoughtfully and prayerfully, as God calls us to do. Certainly, it won't be perfect, but it will be thoughtful and we will do our best to honor God and care for our families throughout this national emergency.
a community of hope (march 10, 2020)
School is fundamentally a place to learn. But more than that, it is a culture and a community. The average American student goes to school for about six and a half hours a day for 180 days a year, or about 1,170 hours. Since our children spend so much of their life at school, it would make sense that that place would be not only a place to learn, but a place that makes them feel safe and happy. It makes sense to have teachers who truly care about their learning and about who they are as people.
At Trinity, we are blessed to have a culture of learning, caring, and loving God and others. One of the biggest blessings we've had since starting Trinity 19 years ago is the addition of the Imago Dei School. Having students with special needs on campus has changed our community. We've become more compassionate and understanding. We've become more considerate of how others learn and how socializing with peers is different for some people.
The mission of the Imago Dei School is to offer students with learning and developmental disabilities hope and a future in a Christ-centered, special education setting within the vibrant culture of Trinity Classical Academy to produce young men and women of virtue, courage and independence.
We appreciate having a school that is inclusive of students who learn and navigate social situations differently. We learn from them every day and we love being a part of their community and their journey of hope. This weekend, we got to see hope in action....literally. The action was the Hope and a Future Run. Hundreds of people of all ages showed up at West Creek Park for a 1K/5K/10K run/walk to benefit the Imago Dei School. It was a huge success in so many ways. We raised a lot of money for IDS, but perhaps the larger success is that of seeing our entire community love and support their peers in Imago Dei.
I was blessed beyond measure to witness our Trinity community, and many in our larger Santa Clarita community, run, walk, jog, stroll, and dog-walk the paseo path toward a Hope and a Future. We want to serve more children in our community who have special needs and desire an education that supports them in their mission to become young men and women of virtue, courage and independence.
The Antidote for Educational Disarray (March 3, 2020)
One has to have empathy for the public schools these days. They are expected to do everything: prepare students for college or vocational technical jobs, enable both brighter and slower students to excel at their respective levels, inculcate the "right" values, teach proper sexual behavior, teach students to think critically, raise the self-esteem of students, discipline children, prevent them from turning to drugs, alcohol, or suicide, teach a wide-ranging curriculum, create racial, sexual, and gender understanding and harmony, win ball games, and do it all in a manner that is pleasing to the students so they will not be bored or discouraged. They are indeed doing yeoman’s work. In spite of these grand expectations, most government schools are not quite sure just what their ultimate mission actually is supposed to be. In the midst of a host of bugle commands, they are unsure which way to charge.
In an age of cultural rootlessness, moral relativism, religious pluralism, social disintegration, and future uncertainty, not to mention massive budget cuts and 40 students to a class, how can we expect anything other than educational disarray? Unstable times are a call for Christians to return to the time-honored theological foundations of education.
In education, Christians have too often seen the Bible either as a book to be studied as a separate subject, i.e. Bible class, or as a devotional book. Christian education must teach not only Bible details, but systematic biblical theology. From that theology, Christians must develop a worldview that applies biblical concepts to every area of life. Thankfully, this has been done numerous times in the history of Christianity. The historic forms or examples can be found where Christians produced educated, biblically literate, discerning students. The historic form can be called classical Christian Education.
Classical Christian education is designed to produce a student with the mental discipline and ability to read a challenging book (even one with more than one hundred pages), write discerning, thoughtful essays on the book, present lectures or debates on the contents of the book, and evaluate its contents in light of a Christian worldview. And here is the big secret – students love to learn in this way and find it stimulating and inspiring! Shallow, secular humanistic curriculum, multiple choice tests, computer games and entertaining films cannot accomplish these incredible results. Classical Christian education has produced exceptional students throughout the centuries and will continue to do so in our present age.
The Beauty of Service (Feb. 25, 2020)
As human beings, we all want our lives to matter. We are all looking for purpose. We go after promotions and positions in leadership so that we can make a difference. As Christians, we know God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. Many spend time in prayer asking God what it is that He's calling them to do.
As teachers and parents, we encourage our kids to pursue excellence, go to college, get a good job, and achieve success, in hopes that they, too, will make a difference. There’s nothing wrong with gaining wealth or influence, but those things alone won’t change the world and they aren’t what we were made for.
We were made to build the church (Ephesians 4:11-13). God made every person with unique talents, personalities and skill sets. He wants us to use them to serve Him, and perhaps the way that we serve Him best is by serving others. At Trinity, our teachers serve students and their families every day. It's part of their calling. Our staff is integral to the function of the school, serving students and parents, as well as the faculty and administration. Without our staff, our teachers could not be effective.
Yesterday, I saw a beautiful example of service as our Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF) group gave back to Trinity. PTF is service in action, as they serve our needs on a regular basis, connecting parents and teachers and making things fun, yummy and beautiful. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and they are showing their appreciation in spades. This morning they laid out a beautiful spread with fresh fruit, bagels, donuts, and more. As faculty and staff members came to the Celebration Center, the ladies were serving up fresh crepes, with a yummy variety of toppings available. They also brought in Swirl Coffee to make fresh coffee, lattes, tea and smoothies to be served to those who could come in, or delivered to classrooms for those teachers who were unable to break away.
The ladies of PTF truly are a beautiful example of service to the body of Christ and our Trinity community. I am grateful for their many efforts throughout the school year and their hospitality blesses us immensely.
why do we teach rhetoric? (feb. 18, 2020)
Why rhetoric? The answer is simple: rhetoric was an essential part of a liberal education from the days of Aristotle to the 20th century. A well-educated man was expected to write and speak effectively and persuasively and students devoted several years to studying how to do so. Today, our society is becoming increasingly knowledge and information based; the ability to communicate effectively and persuasively is more essential to success than ever before. Yet we’re spending less and less time teaching our young people the very subject that will help them navigate this new world.
What Is Rhetoric? Rhetoric is simply the art of persuasion through effective speaking and writing. For many in our modern world, the word “rhetoric” has a pejorative meaning. They see rhetoric as the manipulation of truth or associate it with an overly picky concern with how things are said over what is said and associate it with slick politicians or advertising hucksters. But from ancient times up through the early 20th century, men believed learning the art of rhetoric was a noble pursuit and considered it an essential element of a well-rounded education. They saw rhetoric as a vital tool to teach truth more effectively and as a weapon to protect themselves from those who argued unfairly and for nefarious purposes.
In short, a mature, educated student should know how to discuss and debate with vigor, intelligence, grace and civility. Sadly, most never learn this indispensible skill. In the early part of the 20th century, a shift in education occurred. Degrees which prepared students for specific careers replaced a classical, liberal arts education. It is rare for today’s college students to get any formal rhetoric training and it is nearly unheard of at the high school level.
Learning rhetoric gives a student the tools to take part in constructive debate at school, eventually at work and ultimately in all walks of life. And the invaluable benefit is your son or daughter will be nobody's fool.
what in the world is the progymnasmata? (feb. 11, 2020)
Finding the word "gym" in the middle of Progymnasmata, one might think it has something to do with gymnastics or with working out at a facility with weights, classes and equipment. Gym comes from the Greek "gymnasion" which means "public place where exercises are practiced." So, exercise is inherent in the word, but in this case, we are not talking about physical exercise, but rather about writing and rhetorical exercises.
Trinity uses the Progymnasmata, an ancient methodology that teaches students to become eloquent, persuasive writers. These exercises were taught in ancient Greece and Rome to educate boys in the art of speech writing. The Progymnasmata (Greek for “preliminary exercises”) begins, for all Grammar School students, with the simple re-telling of fables and short narrative stories.
From there, students gradually move on to exercises in simple exposition and persuasion. Each exercise features a fixed outline and carefully specified subject matter. The more advanced exercises of the progymnasmata combine elements of the earlier exercises to create increasingly complex, effective compositions. By the time students have reached the advanced progymnasmata, they have developed clarity of expression, beauty of style, excellent compositional habits, and the ability to write confidently for a variety of purposes.
Our seniors use all that they've learned over their time at Trinity from these various writing exercises to craft their Senior Thesis arguments and prepare their speeches. It is a true culmination of our Progymnasmata writing program and our Humanities curriculum in the Rhetoric School.
Why study the great books (Feb. 4, 2020)
At a Classical school, the student actively engages with the ideas of the past and present — not just reading about them, but evaluating them, tracing their development, and comparing them to other philosophies and opinions. There’s a very practical way to engage in this conversation of ideas: Read, talk about, and write about the Great Books.
The study of Great Books allows the past to speak for itself, combining history, creative writing, philosophy, politics, and ethics into a seamless whole. This Classical goal is a greater understanding of our own civilization, country, and place in time, stemming from an understanding of what has come before us. The student who has read Aristotle and Plato on human freedom, Thomas Jefferson on liberty, Frederick Douglass on slavery, and Martin Luther King on civil rights will read Toni Morrison’s Beloved with an understanding denied to the student who comes to the book without any knowledge of its roots.
People who question or even scorn the study of the past and its works usually assume that the past is entirely different from the present, and that hence we can learn nothing worthwhile from the past. But the poets bear witness that ancient man, too, saw the sun rise and set, was possessed by love and desire, experienced ecstasy and elation as well as frustration and disillusion, and knew good and evil. The ancient writers speak across the centuries to us, in many instances more directly and vividly than our contemporary writers, and they still have some thing to say to us.
We must seek what is most worthy in the works of both the past and the present. When we do that, we find that ancient poets, prophets, and philosophers are as much our contemporaries in the world of the mind as the most discerning of present-day writers. In fact, many of the ancient writings speak more directly to our experience and condition than the latest best sellers. I think Henry David Thoreau might have said it best, when he remarked, “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.”
faith and reason (Jan. 28, 2020)
Many people doubt and question the Christian faith, and often they cite science as being a primary reason for their doubts. It's a common misconception that science doesn't support Christianity. However, sound reason and scientific research—including the very latest discoveries—consistently support, rather than erode, confidence in the truth of the Bible and and the Christian faith.
Faith and reason are mutually reinforcing and this is why at Trinity, we have a "Theology and Science" department. We are purposeful about uniting these two disciplines. Schools have Science departments, and some schools Theology departments, but I've never heard of a school combining the two into one department and teaching the subjects in a united and comprehensive way.
The Chair of our Theology and Science department, Dr. Mark Phillips, is passionate about science and even more passionate about Jesus. He is a favorite and beloved teacher at Trinity, combining his knowledge with a sense of humor that engages students in the classroom and keeps them on their toes. He has a varied and interesting background, including a season as a stand-up comedian. He was a biochemist and a skeptic and he set out to disprove the Bible and found that the scientific rationale for a Creator were too strong to deny.
The physical universe, the realm of nature, is the visible creation of God. An honest study of nature - its physical, biological, and social aspects - can prove useful in a person's search for truth. Properly understood, God's Word (Scripture) and God's world (nature), as two revelations (one verbal, one physical) from the same God, will never contradict each other.
At Trinity, we say that "our students graduate knowing how to read well, write well, speak well and think well; know what they believe and why they believe it." Our Science and Theology department contributes to that critical thinking as students study our world through a Christian worldview. The goal is that they leave here, having made their faith their own and enter college (and life) able to defend that faith.
light drives out darkness (jan. 21, 2020)
A long weekend is a blessing to enjoy - an extra day off to rest or to spend with family or enjoy an activity. But it’s meaningful to reflect on the reason the government has chosen to make a particular day a holiday. Yesterday, our nation honored the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Everyone seems to recognize his “I have a dream” speech and it’s covered in history books. But of course, there is so much more to the man.
He is famous for his non-violent protests and inspiring sermons and speeches. He was the first African American to be named "Man of the Year" by Time Magazine and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And he donated the more than $54,000 prize money to the civil rights movement.
A brief read on him will tell you how he fought for what was right. He wasn’t just a speaker; he acted on his beliefs. He was arrested for acts of civil disobedience 29 times. He was even jailed in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956 for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone. He wasn’t always treated fairly but he kept fighting for what he believed was right. He fought for equality and justice and he preached about love.
In fact, one of his most simply profound quotes is “darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We, as Christians are supposed to be “the light of the world” as Jesus taught us. Our light and love is meant to drive out darkness and hate. It seems that Jesus and MLK were on the “same page”, so to speak, regarding loving others.
A quick internet search of MLK Jr. quotes will produce an abundance of profound insights. Related to education, a meaningful quote is “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
At Trinity, we value critical thinking; we want our students to think deeply. We use Socratic dialog in class regularly to help students to think and to express their thoughts. More importantly, we value godly character. In some of our past communications, we have said, “it’s not what college your child goes to; it’s who she is when she gets there.” We want our students to be people of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. We want them to be people that you would want to know, would want to work for you, would want your child to marry. Education is more than learning facts; it’s a becoming. Our students are in the process of becoming people of character, and people who think and reason well. It seems that Trinity is also on the same page with Martin Luther King, Jr., regarding the meaning of true education.
a classical mission (Jan. 14, 2020)
Trinity’s mission has remained unchanged since its founding and we are always looking for creative ways to incorporate our mission into our everyday learning.
Trinity’s mission is: To offer a challenging education grounded in the Christian faith and the classical tradition to produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. Those last four words, we refer to as our “pillars” and each year we are are focusing our learning on one of the pillars. This year’s pillar of focus is Wisdom. We select our verse for the year that pertains to the pillar as well. This year’s verse is Proverbs 9:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Our chapel teachings address our verse, and therefore our pillar, as well.
Upon our return from break last week, Dr. Andrew Selby (Humanities faculty) taught our chapel message and he brilliantly wove Wisdom in with a story about St. Boniface and classical education. He spoke about how St. Boniface was born to wealthy parents and had a great education that would mark a rich and safe path for him in the dark ages of the early 700s. And while the saint applied himself to his studies, his purpose and plan was different than that of his parents. He chose to serve Christ by evangelizing the Germans. This was a risky pursuit since the Germanic tribes were pagans, worshipped many gods, and tended to be violent. But he persisted in evangelizing and then teaching the newly converted Germans how to read the Bible and how to worship God. He used his rhetorical skills to preach the gospel. Ultimately, he was martyred when he and his band of believers were attacked and killed while traveling and teaching.
Dr. Selby helped students to connect the fear of the Lord, which is wisdom, and using education for the glory of God. He urged students to use their classical education for more than just getting good grades and good test scores and eventually getting into a good college, getting a good job and buying lots of good stuff. He pointed out that a classical education will prepare students to read the Bible well, and in doing so, learn to fear the Lord and trust in His wisdom. Secondly, he spoke about the negative results of fearing people, and what they think of us, more than we fear the Lord. We need to be more concerned with disappointing God than we do with disappointing others.
I was encouraged by Dr. Selby’s message, reminding students (and all of us really) that we can use our education, and our life, to honor God if we are intentional about it. We must read and meditate on God’s Word to gain wisdom and insight and to know who God is and who He wants us to be. And when we trust Him, and seek to know Him and please Him, more than we want to please others, then we find true purpose.
Why it Matters so Much (Jan. 7, 2020)
There is a quote from Christian author Shauna Niequist that makes me think of our alumni:
Sometimes we have to leave home in order to find out what we left there, and why it matters so much.
For myself and my own family, I have found that it's the WHO that matters so much! It's the WHO that is left behind when someone leaves home. As two of my own children have graduated from high school and left home, I have missed them and they definitely left a hole bigger than the size of their empty rooms.
Our alumni have also left their homes and families just as God has designed for all people to do. But coming home is a very special thing.
I absolutely love when our alumni come back to visit. They seem to love returning home to remember what they have left and whom they have left. And who wouldn't? It's wonderful to visit those people that matter so much to us! Many of our alumni joined us for breakfast before the break, and they got together for an alumni connection event. They visited their families and friends. And for the first time this year, we enjoyed some alumni vs varsity games. Our alumni beat our varsity teams in boys soccer and boys basketball. Our CFO, John Brooks, who is also Trinity's first basketball coach, enjoyed seeing all his athletes again, and he humbly says he didn't coach them this time, but just facilitated a rotation. But the young men recall that he coached them up from their youth and they remember the skills he taught them and they were therefore able to play as a team, and as a family. On the other hand, our girls varsity basketball team overshadowed a smaller and less experienced alumni team. As the years go on, I'm confident that the alumni ladies will come back stronger and be able to compete with our varsity girls.
As our faculty and staff returned to school yesterday for our "Inspiration Day", we enjoyed teaching on the subject of wisdom, led by Grammar School Principal, Mr. Richardson. He taught from Proverbs 2:1-22 and we reviewed together how we are to seek God for wisdom and how it is a protection for us from evil. We also took communion and prayed together. The purpose of the day is so much more than what schools traditionally call their "In-Service" days - where school business is covered and reviewed. We do cover school business as well; we reviewed safety protocols for possible intruder, earthquake and fire drills. We talked about our Strategic Planning process, and more. But more importantly, we gathered together as a community. We shared meals, we enjoyed fellowship, we worshipped, learned and prayed together. We prepared our hearts and minds to receive our students today.
As we enter this year, and this decade, I trust everyone is rested and renewed and ready to tackle the rest of the school year! There is much to look forward to and I'm looking forward to sharing with you on Vision Night so mark your calendar for January 27th!
catching excellence (Dec. 17, 2019)
Famous football coach Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying, "Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence." At Trinity, we know as Coach Lombardi knew, that we can't be perfect. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. But we know that we can pursue virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage in an excellent manner. We know that we can create an excellent piece of music or art, present a speech, play or thesis with excellence. We can write a paper, be a friend, do a job, play a sport, all with excellence.
Last week, we witnessed a beautiful Christmas program presented by our Grammar School students. The sixth graders and Mrs. Brown worked very hard and practiced many extra hours to prepare for the concert. And the result was excellent! The gospel was shared in a fun and creative way, and not just on the stage. Mrs. Brown brought the love of Christ to life in our community when she coordinated with volunteer parents to collect shoes to give to the homeless. The goal was 300 pairs, and our community exceeded that with about 800 pairs of shoes. That is most excellent! (more details on this here)
This week we look forward to the Fine Arts Christmas Program, which I trust will also be excellent. Have I said excellent enough times? Our musical ensembles have practiced for many hours at school and at home. They will lead us in a beautiful celebration of the birth of our Savior, singing and playing praises to our King.
Then on Friday, a few of our alumni will be here to be a part of our Annual Alumni Panel, answering questions about their college experience, work experience, and how Trinity prepared them for both. They are people you want to know, you want to work with and spend time with. I'm very excited to see them and hug them, and hear how they are doing. I encourage you to come to the Alumni Panel if you are able. It promises to be excellent!
It's very exciting to be part of a community that works so hard at what God has called them to do. And the results are not perfect but they are indeed excellent.
what is the quadrivium and what does it have to do with fine arts? (dec. 10, 2019)
As a classical school, we talk about the “trivium” which consists of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Our three levels of school correspond with a child's cognitive development stages and they build on each other. Knowing the “grammar” of a subject, the basic information and skills is foundational to the next stage, where students learn how to logically think about subjects. So grammar is used in logic and then logic is used in rhetoric, when students learn to communicate effectively and logically what they know and are learning about a subject.
But what is the quadrivium? The quadrivium comprises arithmetic (number), geometry (number in space), music (number in time), and astronomy (number in space and time). These subjects complete the preparatory work of the trivium. Educationally, the trivium and the quadrivium impart to the student the seven liberal arts (essential thinking skills) of classical antiquity.
While some within modern education choose to push music to the side, classical education recognizes that it is foundational to learning and developing thinking skills. In this Christmas season, music is on full display for all its truth, beauty and goodness to be seen. Kindergarten had their performance last week and it was adorable and excellent! Children learned praises to their Savior, and presented them beautifully, with a little bit of choreography, displaying rhythm and timing along with the melodies.
Friday night, music was on display at the Barnes & Noble book fair. The Rhetoric School Choral Ensemble sang for all the guests and they were truly outstanding. We were also blessed by a wonderful performance by our advanced strings group.
This week, the grammar school is in full rehearsal mode for Thursday’s concert, which I anticipate will also be excellent. Each year, it is a demonstration of the broad capabilities of music to enrich this season of celebration. Next week, we look forward to the fine arts concert, with its many musical ensembles. Students of all ages will perform what they’ve been learning this semester. Orchestra, guitar, jazz ensemble, and choral ensemble will showcase the beautiful culmination of hours and hours of practice, both at home and in their groups.
To learn music (number in time) is to learn an order. Notes are played or sung in an order with other notes to create a piece of beautiful music and when played or sung with others, a harmonious work. Music is part of classical education and training, and it’s a lot of work. But it’s also a lot of fun and the end result is to be shared for the edification of all and the glory of our Creator who made us to worship Him.
classical education is growing across the country (Dec. 3, 2019)
Those who assume that educational methods used for millennia can be dismissed within a generation forget that time is the best laboratory, especially regarding human behavior.
It has taken modern educators around 150 years to disassemble an educational system that took thousands of years to refine and establish. The classical method was born in ancient Greece and Rome, and by the 16th century, it was used throughout the Western world. This system educated most of America’s founding fathers as well as the world’s philosophers, scientists and leaders between the 10th and 19th centuries. What other period can claim so many advances in science, philosophy, art, and literature?
For education to be effective, it must go beyond conveying fact. Truly effective education cultivates thinking and articulate students who are able to develop facts into arguments and convey those arguments clearly and persuasively. Parents all across the United States are recognizing that classical education adds the dimension and breadth needed to develop students’ minds. Rigorous academic standards, a dedication to order and discipline, and a focus on key, lost subjects is fueling the rapid growth of the nation’s classical schools.
There is no greater task for education than to teach students how to learn. The influence of progressive teaching methods and the oversimplification of textbooks make it difficult for students to acquire the mental discipline that traditional instruction methods once cultivated. The classical method develops independent learning skills on the foundation of language, logic, and tangible fact. The classical difference is clear when students are taken beyond conventionally taught subjects and asked to apply their knowledge through logic and clear expression.
In 1947, Dorothy Sayers, a pioneer in the return to classical education, observed, “although we often succeed in teaching our pupils ’subjects,’ we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think.” Beyond subject matter, classical education develops those skills that are essential in higher education and throughout life – independent scholarship, critical thinking, logical analysis, and a love for learning.
a response to tragedy (nov. 19, 2019)
Last week, our city, Santa Clarita, made national news as the latest to suffer the tragedy of a school shooting. It occurred at Saugus High School, which is only a few miles away from our campus.
First responders made it to the scene in two minutes! We were informed and we did what other area schools were doing, and went into lockdown status as a precaution. We followed our safety protocols, communicated to parents, and went about the business of caring for people. Many of our families have connections with Saugus High School students and their families – whether it’s through church, sports teams, youth groups, boy scouts, neighbors or friends. Some of our families even have students at Saugus as well as here at Trinity. To say it hit close to home is an understatement.
As a TK-12 school, we also wanted to be cautious to protect our little ones from information that they don’t need to know, at least not from us. We let parents know that we were not going to communicate about the day’s events but leave that to the parents to share as much information as they felt was appropriate for their children. While other schools closed on Friday, we held school, but sent an email letting parents know that they should feel the freedom to keep their children home if they felt it was appropriate to do so. But we knew that at school, we needed to respond to the tragedy.
We began the day as we begin every week, with prayer and praise. Dr. Matthew Dixon, Administrator of Spiritual Life and Co-Curricular Programs, led the time as our entire school gathered in the hallways and Promise Circle to pray and to sing the Doxology. Then the grammar school went to class to go about their day. We held the upper school students longer for some directed prayer time, and as always, all of the teachers and administrators are caring for our students and available to talk, to listen and to pray.
A common question after incidents like this is “how do you feel?” During times when emotions are understandably high and we don’t know how to feel we must remind ourselves of what we know. We can ask ourselves and one another how we feel repeatedly, when what we really need is to ask ourselves and one another what we know.
And so, what do we know? We know that bad things happen. We know that tragedies are sad and sometimes evil. Unfortunately, we know that things like this aren’t new. And to give us a little context we must remind ourselves of where it all began...Genesis 3, the first sin. Adam and Eve believed the lie that God didn’t know what was best and that they knew how to best be satisfied. And from then on, in our fallen world, sin continued. The first murder was Cain killing Abel, his own brother.
We remind ourselves of what we know and then what? That doesn’t change the pain, sadness or fear. More than what we know, it’s vital to consider WHO we know. We know Jesus—the author, perfecter, and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We must look to Him. When we’re lost, when we have fear or doubt, when we hate what this world is like – it’s a reminder that there is something greater. Someone greater.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
When we decided to hold school, we wanted to be thoughtful and intentional about how we addressed the tragedy and how we were going to care for each other and process the feelings that are sometimes overwhelming. We took time to review our first Catechism question from this school year, which was: What is our only hope in life and death? The answer: That we are not our own but belong body and soul both in life and in death to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Our only hope of peace in the midst of a world that isn’t peaceful is to seek after Jesus Christ, for He has overcome death and has overcome the world. He is no guarantee that we won’t face heartache and tragedy. But He does guarantee that we won’t face those things alone.
At Trinity, we remind ourselves and teach our children that we are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are not in this life alone. We are here for each other. We are a community of faith. We love Jesus. We love each other. That’s what we know.
the next generation (nov. 12, 2019)
At Trinity, we talk about investing in the next generation, pouring into their hearts, minds and souls so that we can achieve our mission that ultimately produces young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. Inviting the previous generation to our campus to witness a Trinity education in progress is truly one of my favorites days of the school year!
Yesterday was a lovely day and was excellent from start to finish - set up, parking/shuttling, greeting our guests, hospitality, corporate time presentations, classroom presentations, the Grand Brunch, fine arts concert, The Giving Tree, and finally, a very efficient clean up! I'm grateful to the many hands who had a part in making the event wonderful.
I was inspired by many of gracious comments I heard from our special guests -
"I wish I could have gone to school here"
"So blessed our grandchildren are able to be at this school"
"Incredible!"
"What a blessing this school is"
"Your team is excellent"
"What a beautiful day - thank you!"
"So grateful my grandchildren attend this school"
The number of comments shared were many and overwhelmingly positive! I love seeing students enthusiastically sharing their work, introducing their teachers and sharing their love for their grandparents and guests with all of us at Trinity. It's a truly beautiful thing to witness three generations walking our hallways, learning in the classrooms, and sharing the Lord's bounty in a wonderful meal together.
Very soon, we will be taking our Thanksgiving break, and it's an awesome reminder to be grateful to God for all that we have at Trinity. Days like Grandparents Day are at the top of my gratitude list.
Traditions, Old and New (Nov. 5, 2019)
This past week, we witnessed not only the continuation of a long-standing tradition, but also the start of a new tradition. When Trinity launched its Upper School in 2006, the Buddy system was a student-initiated program designed to enrich the lives of all the students through the individual investment of older students into younger students.
The program expanded each year and has seen us adjust from pairing specific classes (older to younger) to utilizing the House system. Now held three times a year, the Buddy times are set apart in the midst of our school calendar to allow for the vital work of communal friendship, mentorship, and enrichment. At its heart, it remains one of the most vibrant examples of independent student leadership and relational mentoring in our school.
The goals of the program have been well thought out and communicated to our faculty and staff:
- develop rich relationships over the course of the year between Grammar school students and their Logic and Rhetoric school Buddies
- cultivate student leadership through service, maturity, and a love for their younger peers
- model compassion, joy, and friendship for our younger students
The new event we enjoyed on Friday night was our very successful Rhetoric School Hoedown! What a blessing to see students come together and enjoy good, clean fun! Our big kids were line dancing, square dancing, and taking pictures. They enjoyed sliders, mac n cheese, popcorn and s'mores. We sold 135 tickets to the event, which is about 75% of our Rhetoric School, so that is awesome!
As with all of our events, we learn how we want to make things even better for the future, so I cannot wait to see what next year brings for our new tradition.
Gratitude (Oct. 29, 2019)
In the wake of the fires in the Santa Clarita Valley, I'm very grateful to the Lord for keeping all of our families safe on Friday and over the weekend. Several of our families and faculty were evacuated, but by the Lord's grace, all were able to return to their homes over the weekend. We continue to pray for the safety of all of our families and team members as well those in the surrounding areas.
Our community is such a gift from the Lord and truly an example of the Lord's goodness and beauty. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. I have daily moments of gratitude as I experience the Lord's joy through our students, parents, faculty, staff, grandparents and friends on campus. It is a privilege to serve with this community to help produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) - Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.
joy, joy, joy (oct. 22, 2019)
Joy is the word of the day. Pure joy is what I witnessed and experienced Saturday at Homecoming. Welcoming so many of our Trinity Alumni home always brings me great joy. Seeing so many of our younger students come to participate in the banner contest and our older students filling the student section, and parents volunteering to make events happen - it's all a beautiful picture of community.
We of course had the football players, coaches, parents and cheerleaders that are a part of every football game, but on Saturday, we had many Grammar School girls who had attended a cheer clinic join our Varsity Cheer team on the sidelines. We had many more volunteers to feed our families and alumni and to facilitate lawn games. We had faculty come out to play volleyball against alumni. Our faculty is genuinely interested in catching up with our alumni and look forward to seeing them. Our Trinity family was enjoying a wonderful reunion.
This year's half time was my favorite so far. We introduced our alumni in attendance by class as they joined us on the field and then we posed for a group picture. I always feel like they are all my children and I'm gathering up my chicks for a family photo. Then, the Houses had a tug-o-war where the Rhetoric School students and Alumni from each House competed against each other. House spirit and competition continues beyond graduation, and the celebration of a win is exciting for both current and former students.
The "cherry on top" of this fantastic event was that Trinity won the football game 50-28!
There are so many people that took a role in making this event special, and if I tried to thank them all, I fear I'd miss someone, so I will just say thank you to each person in our Trinity community for taking your little (or big) piece of Homecoming and doing it with excellence, with love and with JOY!
how trinity has influenced my midshipman (oct. 15, 2019)
The last four Columbus Day holiday weekends, Wally and I have gone to see Ian, our oldest, now a “Firstie” (or senior First Class midshipman) at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This year Lily was blessed to join us.
The weekend is usually attached to a few school events parents can partake in with their "Mids" but mostly it is an opportunity to connect with, encourage, and pray with and for our son. We also enjoyed a lot of hugging and feeding him real food.
As a First Classman, Ian is preparing for step one of his Senior Capstone, which is like Trinity’s Senior Thesis. The first part is a Leadership/Ethics panel, taking place at the end of this month. The second part is a thesis paper connected to a theme based on his service selection, which he will know at the end of November.
For the Leadership/Ethics panel he will spend the day with Naval and Marine corps officers, USNA alumni, and his peers, discussing various leadership and ethics issues and how to respond to them.
We talked about how this portion reminded him of the many Socratic discussions that he participated in at Trinity. He recalled discourse over meaningful and noteworthy topics and questions, seeking what is true, good and beautiful. He spoke of the things he read at Trinity that might influence his thoughts for the upcoming panel and the leadership experiences he has had at the academy that have influenced him.
The fact that these conversations occurred over food and while buying a suit for the event blessed my mom’s heart all the more. Wally and I continue to be grateful for Ian’s experience at Trinity that informed his heart, mind and soul to know and seek a life of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. Those continue to be integral pillars impacting him now as he is transformed for what the Lord will call him to in service of our country and leading other men and women.
The longer Ian is removed from his time at Trinity, we sense a continued and growing measure of gratitude from him for his learning experience – the “how, what and why” of his learning, as well as his teachers, coaches, and community of parents and friends who influenced and encouraged him. He has sought to emulate them at USNA in his continued pursuit of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage, all of which he will need, and can speak to, for his upcoming Senior Capstone.
What is the "win"? (Oct. 8, 2019)
Last week, I enjoyed the opportunity at Coffee with Caddow to meet with parents to check in and answer questions, as all of our administrators do on a regular basis. One dad asked me for the “elevator pitch” for how to explain classical, Christian education, and how would we know if it’s a “win”, meaning what are the benchmarks to determine if we are successful in our mission?
Classical education is not new, but it has experienced a bit of a rebirth in the last 30 years or so, after progressive modern education has been the societal norm for many decades. Therefore, it requires a new explanation of how grammar, logic and rhetoric phases mirror the phases of child development and therefore facilitate learning in a very natural way. It’s intentional and it includes educating students in the Great Books, Latin and the history of Western civilization, cultivating hearts, minds and souls toward virtue. These are all things missing in public education. Even more important is that God’s Word, and the pursuit of Him, are weaved throughout our school day, in all subjects and activities. Our teachers disciple and mentor our students.
So, how do we know when we win? How can we know when we are succeeding at this thing called classical education? Parents around the table began sharing the ways they believe we are succeeding in our efforts with our children, spiritually and academically, in big and small ways:
- Seeing a child with a contrite and repentant spirit apologize to a friend on the playground
- Witnessing students being kind to other students, in particular students unlike themselves, and perhaps especially students in the Imago Dei School
- Friendships built and maintained over the course of many years
- Children of all ages demonstrating the ability to speak and present information – beginning with bible verses, progressing to character presentations in our living history museums, and culminating in our senior thesis presentations (which I highly recommend you attend)
- Acceptances to a variety of colleges, large and small, religious and secular
- Relationships students have with their teachers – this lasts long after they graduate from here
- Seeing the courage displayed by students, as they take on something new – be it a new instrument, a new sport, or a new academic challenge
- High standardized test scores / high SAT scores
- Hear from our alumni panel – this event happens right before Christmas. We have alumni who are in college and talk about how prepared they are for higher education, and we also have alumni who are in the work force who speak to how a Trinity education has prepared them for college and for life.
Our mission statement ends with “…to produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.” I witness this daily on campus and am regularly visited by alumni who demonstrate that they have these attributes. This is where I see God’s purpose for my own life manifested. Starting Trinity Classical Academy with only 28 little people, I had no idea what would happen or if it would succeed. God has richly blessed us and our families. I am so grateful and filled with joy to say I do believe the Lord is allowing us to bless the next generation.
And yet, despite the desire to succeed when it comes to our children and our school, a statement from Mother Teresa reminds us to remain humble. She said, “we are not called to be successful but faithful.” We faithfully do what it is God is calling us to do. We are blessed to have successful results. But we cannot measure success solely by the results; we must remember that our success, our “win”, is in the faithfulness to our calling as educators and as parents.
Why Read the Great Books? (Oct. 1, 2019)
At a classical school, the student actively engages with the ideas of the past and present — not just reading about them, but evaluating them, tracing their development, and comparing them to other philosophies and opinions. There’s a very practical way to engage in this conversation of ideas: Read, talk about, and write about the Great Books.
The study of Great Books allows the past to speak for itself, combining history, creative writing, philosophy, politics, and ethics into a seamless whole. This classical goal is a greater understanding of our own civilization, country, and place in time, stemming from an understanding of what has come before us. The student who has read Aristotle and Plato on human freedom, Thomas Jefferson on liberty, Frederick Douglass on slavery, and Martin Luther King on civil rights will read Toni Morrison’s Beloved with an understanding denied to the student who comes to the book without any knowledge of its roots.
People who question or even scorn the study of the past and its works usually assume that the past is entirely different from the present, and that hence we can learn nothing worthwhile from the past. But the poets bear witness that ancient man, too, saw the sun rise and set, was possessed by love and desire, experienced ecstasy and elation as well as frustration and disillusion, and knew good and evil. The ancient writers speak across the centuries to us, in many instances more directly and vividly than our contemporary writers, and they still have some thing to say to us.
We must seek what is most worthy in the works of both the past and the present. When we do that, we find that ancient poets, prophets, and philosophers are as much our contemporaries in the world of the mind as the most discerning of present-day writers. In fact, many of the ancient writings speak more directly to our experience and condition than the latest best sellers. I think Henry David Thoreau might have said it best, when he remarked, “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.”
part of a family (Sept. 24, 2019)
One of my favorite things about Trinity is the feeling of being part of a bigger family than just the Caddows. Many of our faculty and staff have children who attend Trinity, so there are moms and dads everywhere. They look out for their own children, friends of their children, students they teach, and really, any student they run across in the hallway or outside. They support the endeavors of the students here, whether it's by attending a a play, a concert, an athletic event, and sometimes even an event outside of Trinity.
Trinity athletic teams often describe themselves as family. Close friends feel like family. The drama class, producing a play together, often develop a familial closeness. And there are many more examples in clubs, Houses, discipleship groups, fine arts, and more.
Saturday was one of those special days that I saw family in action! The fruits of the labor of many was on display for all to see! Besides the obvious months of preparation of our Football team and Cheer team, we saw so much more. We saw tailgating - lots of tailgating. This took the cooperation of many parents and students to pull off well. The competition between classes (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades) made for some good food and good-natured challenges posted on social media leading up to the big day. Students got together at houses and made banners for all the football players and cheerleaders. The student section prepared by not only wearing white, but also bringing the powder to make it a true white-out. Many families, with students of all ages, came out to the first home football game to show their support and enjoy the camaraderie of a night under the lights at College of the Canyons.
I was blessed to witness more family fun when I headed over to Masters University to watch my daughter Hannah (college freshman at Life Pacific University) play volleyball. I entered the gym to see many Trinity faces - the Trinity volleyball team, faculty, parents and alumni. They all were kind to come and watch Hannah play with her college team. They came, not out of obligation, but because they genuinely care for Hannah and wanted to be an encouragement to her. This is what family is about. Many of our alumni express their appreciation for being welcomed when they return, and feeling like they are home. They feel loved by our faculty and staff, and by some of the older students who remember them from their time at Trinity. Hannah was moved by the great turnout of support from her "fans." I was moved too!
We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family for eternity. We are united by common beliefs and a common affiliation at Trinity. Like a family, we can't be at everything for everyone, and we don't agree on everything, but we love each other and we have a lot of fun together!
What is Classical Education? (Sept. 17, 2019)
Classical education is like a very large museum with many beautiful, wonder-filled rooms that could be studied over a lifetime. It is a long tradition of education that has emphasized the seeking after of truth, goodness, and beauty and the study of the liberal arts and the great books. What are the liberal arts? They are grammar, logic, rhetoric (the verbal arts of the trivium), arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (the mathematical arts of the quadrivium). This approach to education also includes the study of Latin. The classical approach teaches students how to learn and how to think.
What makes classical education so effective? It is largely because of its approach to how and when students are taught. Regardless of their learning style, children learn in three phases or stages (grammar, logic or dialectic, and rhetoric), known as the trivium. In the grammar stage (K-6), students are naturally adept at memorizing through songs, chants, and rhymes. If you can get children in this stage to sing or chant something, they will remember it for a lifetime. In the dialectic or logic stage (grades 7-8), teenaged students are naturally more argumentative and begin to question authority and facts. They want to know the "why" of something—the logic behind it. During this stage, students learn reasoning, informal and formal logic, and how to argue with wisdom and eloquence. The rhetoric stage (grades 9-12) is naturally when students become independent thinkers and communicators. They study and practice rhetoric, which is the art of persuasive speaking and effective writing that pleases and delights the listener. Again, it is this approach to teaching students based on their developmental stage that makes this approach so very effective.
It is precisely this kind of education that has produced countless great leaders, inventors, scientists, writers, philosophers, theologians, physicians, lawyers, artists, and musicians over the centuries. Classical education never really disappeared, but it did diminish starting around 1900 with the advent of progressive education. In an effort to restore this most proven form of education, the liberal arts tradition has been being renewed and expanded again over the last thirty years. More than 500 classical schools have started during that time, and tens of thousands of families are benefitting from the classical approach to education.
The Myth of Classical, Christian Education (Sept. 10, 2019)
As tens of thousands of parents across the country choose classical, Christian education for their students, many more are still left with questions. Unfamiliarity with the classical method seems to have given rise to several common misconceptions. Lets take a look at a common myth.
Myth: Classical Education was fine for a time gone by, but now we need modern education in a modern world.
Fact: Classical education teaches students facts, provides them with logical tools to use those facts and perfects the student’s ability to relate those facts to others. This fundamental skill-set is more valuable today than it has ever been. Classical education helps students draw original, creative, and accurate conclusions from facts and then formulate those conclusions into logical and persuasive arguments. Regardless of our modernity, these timeless abilities to think well, read well and communicate well, are truly the most valuable of all educational outcomes.
It has been said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Much of modern education seems to look at history through the prism of the present with historical events colored by current ideology and a political correctness that distorts history and even our present-day society. To understand our modern world, a classical approach emphasizes the rich timeline of human history and how events from the ancient to the recent, affect and shape our modern world.
Science and technology are taught in classical schools through classical methods, with a much broader scope and depth to the discussion. Many wonder if the classical method is applicable in our modern, technological age? The technology we have today was invented, in large part, by the classically educated. The groundwork for so many modern technological achievements, from the very basics of scientific study to modern engineering methods, was laid within the last 400 years when classical education was the most common form of excellent education.
Classical education teaches students the timeless skills of thinking, reasoning, logic, and expression. The subject matter is as up-to-date as that found in any modern government school. There is however, an added depth and dimension, through the time-tested Classical method, which has simply been lost in contemporary schools.
Spiritual Practices at Trinity (Sept. 3, 2019)
Last week was our first full week of school and was jam-packed with information. As our students settled in, parents attended Back-to-School Nights for both grammar and upper schools, as well as the first PTF Meeting, which is always helpful to inform our community. At Dedication night, we prayed over the school, teachers, and students and got our focus on our Lord. Now it's time to make sure our students' focus is where it needs to be so they are ready for learning.
To that end, we emphasize the spiritual. We do this in several ways: catechism questions, doxology, chapel, spiritual emphasis events, in our daily curriculum, and even on the playground. The catechism question for the first two weeks of school is: What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God? The answer: One who is truly human and also truly God. Reciting truth in question and answer form allows students to study and learn theology through memorization. This daily practice helps take students through foundational parts of biblical teachings consistent with our curriculum.
If you are able to stay after drop-off on Monday mornings, come in for a few minutes and enjoy the Doxology. All the students come into the hallways, recite the catechism question and answer, and sing the doxology. It's a beautiful sound, hearing all of our students, little and big, lifting praise to God. It's a beautiful way to start the school week!
I am very excited for this week for our students as it's an important time in the life of our school, when we carve out time to focus not only our on our relationship with God, but with our peers at school. On Friday, our Logic School had their Spiritual Emphasis Day, today our Rhetoric School headed to Forest Home for the rest of the week, and our 4th-6th graders will have a special day on Friday. Before much time passes at school, we want to remind them how to be good friends, how to build friendships, how to honor God in their actions and choices, and how to grow in their love for God. This sets the tone for the school year, the upper school students enjoy the team-building games, and the grammar school students enjoy their treats and interactive time with Mr. Richardson and me.
Finally, the pillar of virtue we are focusing on for 2019-20 is Wisdom. This year's school verse reflects that focus. Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Our spiritual practices at Trinity are intentional. The questions we respond to are consistent with our Statement of Faith and focus only on primary doctrine. We want our students to form a perfect balance of biblical theology, practical ethics, and spiritual experience in their hearts and minds. As I say in our Information Meetings, we want students to know what they believe, why they believe it, and be able to communicate it well.
first day in our new home (aug. 27, 2019)
Every year, since I was a child I've looked forward to the first day of school. There is always anticipation for what is new! Since we opened Trinity eighteen years ago, each year has held new promise and exciting opportunities. We've been on different campuses; we've been on multiple campuses at once. For 10 years, we've been on this campus, sometimes in one building, and sometimes with the addition of portable classrooms.
This year was a huge milestone for us and I have not been so excited to start school since I was in the beginning. This year, we own our home which means we no longer need to wonder where we will do school; we just get to expand and grow and learn here in this place the Lord has given us.
On Thursday, our first day of the 2019-20 school year, we began as always with an all school chapel, but this year was also a celebration of what God has done and re-dedication of our building and our land to our Lord and to the mission He has given us.
Following is a recap of some of what I shared on Thursday, in case you missed it, or you just want to hear it again.
Today we give thanks for the Lord’s great faithfulness and provision – he has always provided for our school – In September of 2001 we opened our doors with 28 little people Kindergarten thru 2nd grade, 26 families and 3 faculty and staff at Valencia Open Bible Church on 15th street in Newhall – the entire facility being smaller than our current Kindergarten play space. We are so grateful to our Founding Families, who, said “yes” 19 years ago to an idea. An idea of a Christian, classical school that would shape the hearts, minds and souls of children, seeking to know noble ideals - the true, good and beautiful – hopefully leading to a “virtuous” life through the pursuit of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage.
I invited any founding families who were present to come forward and said, "We recognize you for your courage and faith – not sure why you all said “yes “, but so grateful you did! Thank you! Look what your faith has led to!"
From 15th Street we went to the Little Light Preschool on Apple Street, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church also on Apple Street, taking field trips each day with students back and forth between campuses for PE and Chapels – even going back one year to 15th Street for 3 campuses! Now in our current facility, which we have called home for 10 years, by the Lord’s grace, can truly call “our home”. We are now blessed to serve over 560 students TK – 12th grade, our friends in the Imago Dei and Libertas Preparatory School – 404 families from 87 churches and over 130 faculty and staff.
We are so grateful to our entire community – those present and those not able to join us, for their generosity in time, talent and resources over the many years. They have invested countless hours of prayer, service and faithfulness to our mission of serving the next generation for the Kingdom. Our permanent home includes our building, nine acres of land, and the ability to expand in the future. Our children now, and the generations to come, can grow like the Psalmist says – A tree firmly planted by the rivers of the Lord’s living water – so they can bring forth fruit in season that will not wither! And in Hope, fruit that reflects a life that pursues virtue, seeks wisdom, lives with purpose and is courageous for their God.
Our children, because of all of you, will know the faithfulness, generosity, investment and commitment of the generation before them, and they in turn will know to do the same for the generation that will follow them. Thank you!
Messages from 2018-19
- the final stretch (june 4, 2019)
- military appointments (may 28, 2019)
- Finishing the Race (may 21, 2019)
- celebrating the arts (may 14, 2019)
- The Key to Excellence (may 7, 2019)
- Blessed by Special visitors (Apr. 30, 2019)
- community service at trinity (apr. 23, 2019)
- lifelong relationships (apr. 16, 2019)
- The Joy of a Healthy Debate (Apr. 9, 2019)
- welcome back (Apr. 2, 2019)
- Ciao from Italy (Mar. 19, 2019)
- A Hope and a Future (Mar. 12, 2019)
- A Totally Tubular Talent Night (Mar. 5, 2019)
- the art of appreciation (feb. 26, 2019)
- What Makes an Education "Classical"? (feb. 19, 2019)
- Seven Good Reasons to Study Latin (Feb. 12, 2019)
- remarks from vision night (Feb. 5, 2019)
- Be Thou My Vision (Jan. 29, 2019)
- i have a dream (Jan. 22, 2019)
- A Great Dei (jan. 15, 2019)
- Something New...(Jan. 8, 2019)
- celebrating redemption (Dec. 18, 2018)
- A season of mystery (Dec. 11, 2018)
- A Season of Waiting (dec. 4, 2018)
- Embracing the Crazy (Nov. 26, 2018)
- My Teacher's Heart (Nov. 12, 2018)
- veterans day (nov. 5, 2018)
- grandparents day (oct. 30, 2018)
- Homecoming (oct. 23, 2018)
- the lost art of penmanship (Oct. 16, 2018)
- keeping up the momentum (Oct. 9, 2018)
- "Classical" is a Culture Changer (Oct. 2, 2018)
- School Rivalries (Sept. 25, 2018)
- Discipleship (Sept. 18, 2018)
- September 11th (Sept. 11, 2018)
- An Emphasis on Spiritual (Sept. 4, 2018)
- Welcome Back! (Aug. 28, 2018)
the final stretch (june 4, 2019)
Class of 2019 Baccalaureate and Graduation, Disneyland, 8th grade promotion, receiving and signing yearbooks, textbook return, awards, and celebrations have been our students' lives the past couple of weeks. Today we had the Olympics and picnic, and tomorrow we will promote our 6th graders to Logic School and say goodbye to all of our young friends until August.
BUT, there is so much still going on this summer! Many of our young friends will attend summer camp or summer sessions at Trinity. Many of our Upper School friends have camps, academic opportunities, volunteer efforts and club activities that they are looking forward to. Many will go on family vacations, make trips to the beach and/or the pool to beat the SCV's summer heat, and enjoy some rest, relaxation, and extra time with friends and family, homework-free. The Caddow Clan is looking forward to time with family and friends.
There will be some minimal school work as each student in 6th-12th grades has a reading assignment to complete and Varsity sports hold practices over the summer so lots of students will spend some of the summer break preparing for next year. Grammar School students have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary summer reading program.
There will still be plenty of activity on campus as our administrative staff is working to prepare for 2019-20 and summer camp will be in full swing. This is the last newsletter that will go out this school year, but be aware that we will communicate reminders via email/Trinity Message, so remember to check your email regularly.
Our front desk will be open M-Th from 9am-12pm between June 10-Aug 8, with the exception of July 1-12, when all school offices will be closed. Regular hours (8am-3pm) will resume on August 12.
My prayer is that our students, families, faculty and staff enjoy a safe summer, filled with a combination of rest and fun activities, and come back August 22nd rejuvenated and excited to see what God has in store for them for the 2019-20 school year.
military appointments (may 28, 2019)
As we have just celebrated Memorial Day, it seemed fitting to acknowledge our military-minded graduates. We have had graduates join the military, some have gone on to participate in ROTC in college and we have been honored to have five Trinity graduates earn Congressional nominations and appointments to military academies - United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.
Our first student to receive an appointment was Spencer Klehn, class of 2014. He attended West Point and is now a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and he is in flight school to fly helicopters. My son, Ian Caddow, class of 2016, has just finished his 3rd year in the U.S. Naval Academy. Caden Kulp, class of 2017, just completed his second year in the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Academy students receive what amounts to a four-year full ride scholarship. They also receive modest pay while attending. In return, when they graduate with a stellar education, they will serve our country as an officer in the given military branch for a minimum of 4-5 years (depending on which academy they attend). Military academy admission is very competitive, with low acceptance rates from 7-12% depending on the academy and the year. In addition to high grade point averages and test scores, candidates must meet medical and physical requirements and they must also obtain a congressional nomination.
This year, the United States Air Force Academy Admissions Liaison, Colonel Scott Coon, attended our Baccalaureate chapel to present appointments to Andrew Dever and Shane Lintereur. He described the process of appointment, the obligation to serve, and he also said that it is clear these students were schooled surrounded by excellence. He was very impressed with our ceremony and the caliber of people that have just graduated with academic honors, as well as honors for citizenship and character.
I am so very proud of our graduates who are going on to serve our country and who are currently serving.
Finishing the Race (may 21, 2019)
Finishing the race is a metaphor that the Apostle Paul uses in Scripture. II Timothy 4:7 says "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." He's referring to the race of life as a follower of Christ. We use the metaphor in many ways in life, but the most important being as a follower of Christ.
We are finishing the race of this 2019-20 school year. Some are finishing the race of Grammar School. Some just finished the race of producing creative films or completing a theater production (with excellence I might add). Some are finishing the race of their time at Trinity and are completing final exams, and preparing for commencement exercises this Saturday. We are coming close to finishing the race of purchasing the property on which our campus sits. We are fighting the good fight on a daily basis of completing responsibilities, with a faithful attitude...getting ourselves and our children off to school and work, eating, getting exercise, household chores, whatever it may be.
At this time of year, when so many things are ending, and final products are showcased (thesis presentations, awards banquets, film festival, theater, yearbook, concerts, graduations), I am reminding myself and all of us at Trinity to finish strong. Don't grow weary of doing good. There is still much to do as we close out this school year. There are events to attend, finals to take, and work to do, all while looking forward to summer vacation and keeping our eyes on Jesus, even as our children move on to the next grade, next school, or next phase of life. It can be bittersweet. How dare they grow up so fast?
Mr. Caddow and I have Ian at the United States Naval Academy; Hannah, who is a senior and is about to graduate; and Lily, an eighth grader who is about to move on to the Rhetoric School. They each have their own God-given gifts and plan for their lives. Your children have their gifts and God also has a plan and purpose for their lives. I pray that our faculty is an encouragement to your students to live for Jesus, and seek Him in all that they do, so that whatever their "race" is at this time in their lives, they run with endurance, with their eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). Let's do this!
Countdown:
Seniors - 4 days until graduation
8th grade - 10 days until promotion
6th grade - 15 days until promotion
Summer is coming! Fix your eyes on Jesus; keep running your race. He is with you!
celebrating the arts (may 14, 2019)
Our Fine Arts program at Trinity really shines this time of year. Whereas athletics has games all year long that we attend and support, Fine Arts works all year long to produce amazing things that we witness here as the year is coming to an end. There are recitals, art displays, performances, and a festival.
Last week we had our Musicale, which consisted of individuals who had worked all year on their instruments and they performed with courage in a recital format. On Friday, one hundred students traveled to Fullerton for the Forum Music Festival. Crimson Choir and Orchestra were awarded GOLD. Choral ensemble, Choristers and Jazz Band were awarded silver. There were individual awards as well and you can read about those details in the story posted on our website.
Last night was our Fine Arts Banquet, where all of our Rhetoric School Fine Arts students celebrated a year of the arts well done. Individuals were awarded Most Valuable Artist, Most Improved Artist, and Director's Awards for each class. Andrew Dever was selected as Artist of the Year and the Scholar Artist of the Year was awarded to Spenser Rapier. It was a wonderful night of celebration and recognition for achievement in the Arts.
Coming soon we have two performances of Jungle Book by our theater department, the annual Film Festival and two Spring Concerts. We will also hear from our Choral Ensemble at our Baccalaureate Chapel and our Orchestra at Graduation. And we will hold in our hands the product of almost a year of graphic design and photography efforts in the form of the yearbook.
I love that our school celebrates the arts, along with academics and athletics. The creativity and beauty of the arts truly reflects a creative and beautiful God. It is an act of worship to participate in the arts. The education our students get is complete and well-rounded, and always with Christ at the center.
The Key to Excellence (may 7, 2019)
On Friday, our community came together for our annual Spring Gala. This year the theme was "The Secret Garden - the Key to Pursuing Excellence" and it was beautifully done! Thank you all for your support of this very special event in the life of our school. Our children are blessed by everyone's efforts and generosity.
The Spring Gala is a wonderful way to celebrate the mission of our school and enjoy the company of friends in our community and beyond, while raising resources to support our ongoing efforts for our children. We were blessed to recognize Dr. Richard Riesen of In Christo Vera Educatio Foundation (ICVE). The foundation has supported 44 of our Rhetoric School students since 2011 through financial scholarships. ICVE has given over $600,000 to Trinity students who qualify academically and financially.
All proceeds raised at our Spring Gala go toward furthering our mission. We were blessed to share the attached videos, one produced by Mark Gould, Trinity's Film and Media Elective Teacher, the other by Trinity Junior Isabel Antillon. Both are wonderful and highlight our students and what we hope to accomplish in our mission with them.
The evening concluded with a very lively Live Auction and an opportunity to Fund the Vision, followed by some fellowship and fun on the dance floor!
Many thanks to our Development Department and Gala Coordinators for the months of planning and preparation, to our sponsors and bidders for their generous support, and to the army of volunteers who helped them to make the event outstanding.
Blessed by Special visitors (Apr. 30, 2019)
One of my great joys is teaching and I am privileged to be able to continue to teach at Trinity, in addition to my other responsibilities as Head of School. I enjoy having our seniors in my Honors Government classroom, reading the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, portions of the Federalist Papers and other original documents as we learn about our United States government, its history, and how it functions today.
I particularly enjoy teaching from the documents that originated from our forefathers and from live people who have something to share about our government, whether it be at the local, state or national level, or even if it be a bigger picture concept like appreciating our democracy in light of an alternative like communism.
Recently, we've had a few special visitors. Trinity parent Mrs. Martin shared her testimony about growing up in Cuba and what it was like to live in a communist country and the risks she took to escape from it. She shared her experiences last semester as well and her story was published on our website if you'd like to read more about it. She is truly an inspiration and brings perspective and appreciation to those of us who know no other life than having grown up in the United States of America.
Last week, we had Special Agent Jon Mosser from the FBI. He is Team Leader for the FBI's Hazardous Evidence Response Team so he is on the front lines when there are biohazards or bomb threats and sometimes suits up in the protective gear like the rest of his team. (I always wanted to be a spy!) He brought insight and passion to our students as he shared the history of the FBI, its function in government today, career opportunities, and more. Students were prepared with excellent questions and they engaged him in Q & A for a good part of the class period. I am very grateful to Mr. Mosser (husband of our Art teacher Mrs. Mosser and Trinity parent) for his time last week and for his service to our country. If you'd care to read more details, you can find a story on his visit here.
Also last week, we had Newly elected Assemblymember Christy Smith (Democrat), who was kind enough to spend time sharing her experiences in government, her hopes for changes in California during her term, political opportunities for students to experience, and what she believes are the biggest issues facing our state today. Again, our students were well prepared with questions and kept her engaged in Q & A for quite some time. There are more details about her visit in the story on our website.
Next week, I am pleased to welcome Trinity Alumni parent, Annette Peterson, Los Angeles District Attorney. she will speak specifically to the fourth-eighth amendments. In the past, we've had Mr. LaFrance (Trinity parent), who is an attorney and spoke about article 3 and the Judicial branch of government.
I'm so happy for our students that their education includes special visitors like this, and what they bring to the classroom in passion, information, and personality. You can't get all of that in a textbook!
community service at trinity (apr. 23, 2019)
While in Grammar School, field trips are intentionally chosen for their value educationally and purposefully related to our curriculum. Once students are in Upper School, we choose some of our field trips for those reasons as well, such as the Museum of Tolerance, Mann Biomedical, the Getty Villa and, of course, our cumulative senior trip to Italy. We also incorporate service-oriented field trips. Serving others is something we encourage our students to do as good citizens and, in particular, as followers of Jesus Christ.
Our students serve at Children's Hunger Fund, Hope Gardens, the Los Angeles Mission, Carousel Ranch, Hart Games, as well as a graffiti clean up in Santa Clarita. Several of our Rhetoric School students are in California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and National Honor Society (NHS), which also involves a lot of community service. They served at the Hope and a Future Run, collected donations for the military, homeless shelter, animal shelter and for children's hospitals. They also participated in the River Rally, which was a cleanup of the river beds in Santa Clarita.
We have a club that meets at lunch that knits scarves to give away. They call themselves the "Made with Love" club and have given scarves and hats to the senior center, homeless and military.
We had a group that spent their Spring break in Mexico building a home for a needy family.
Our students enjoy serving others and volunteering. We know that many of our students serve at their churches and in their community outside of what they are doing through Trinity.
Most importantly, this blesses them as they serve the Lord through serving others. In addition to the personal enjoyment that comes through serving, there is an additional benefit to this kind of service when it comes to applying for college. When evaluating prospective students, colleges and universities look not only at grade point averages (GPAs) and test scores (SATs, ACTs), but they look at the whole student. Community service is part of what is considered. Colleges want to accept students who are going to be involved on their campus and serving others is one indicator of the good character of a student.
I am so proud of our students and all that they are able to accomplish. They are students, athletes, musicians, artists, and they work hard. Some earn money babysitting or in other endeavors, including part time jobs. And in addition to all they do at school, they find the inspiration and time to serve others. It's a blessing to offer them opportunities to serve together during some of their field trips because I believe that it gives them a taste of what it is to see a need and to fill it and how they feel about themselves when they serve.
lifelong relationships (apr. 16, 2019)
Saying goodbye to seniors - or should I say "the process of saying goodbye" over their final year - is bittersweet. In particular for those who have been here since they were very little (this year there are fourteen of them who have been here since kindergarten), they have a lifelong relationship with Trinity, with our teachers, with each other, and with me. These relationships have been cemented over the years in the classroom, the courts and fields, the playground/lunch area, on field trips, in electives, and through doing hard things together - like the senior thesis. We traveled to Italy together and further strengthened bonds on the cobblestone roads, the terraced hills, the Mediterranean sea, and over lots of pasta and gelato.
Last week at our final Corporate Time of the year, one of the highlights was seeing our seniors perform the Senior Song. The Senior Song is a Trinity tradition going back to the first graduating class of 2012. They take a familiar song and re-write the lyrics to personalize them, often naming teachers and specific events they recall. It's very personal to them, and totally entertaining. This year, they used the song "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire, repeatedly asking "do you remember...?" You can watch a video of their performance HERE. (song lyrics here)
The senior year is a year of firsts and lasts. First time doing a thesis, first trip to Italy, first time participating in Senior Nights for athletics...and last Corporate Time, last Senior Night, last Ball, last performances, last games, last finals. From here to the end of the year, there are lots of final things, lots of bittersweet feelings in this process of saying goodbye. And since I have a senior myself again this year, the process is even more personal. Not only is my own daughter graduating, but in this class are many of her close friends, many of whom I've known for over a decade.
Launching them is a privilege. Praying for them is an honor, as we express our trust in God who has a purpose and a plan for their lives. I have said hundreds of prayers over this class this year. And I will continue to pray for them until the day they graduate and beyond.
I encourage you to come and watch as many senior thesis presentations as you are able, as you will be amazed at what our students are able to do. You will learn what they are passionate about and and how they communicate their passion persuasively. You can join me in praying for them as they do this hard thing, and finish well. They begin at the end of April and a schedule with specific times, topics and presenters will go out.
There are many other events to attend as the year comes to a close over the next seven weeks. Music festival, banquets (Athletics and Fine Arts), theater production, Spring concert, Olympics, promotions, baccalaureate chapel, and more. I hope that even in this busy season, you can make room in your calendar to attend these events. Time goes quickly. You don't want to miss a thing.
The Joy of a Healthy Debate (Apr. 9, 2019)
Grammar School students start out with benign arguments, such as, "what is better - Strawberries or Watermelon?" "Dogs or Cats?" "Blue or Green?" As they mature, they learn to develop their argument to support their opinion. By Logic School, they are taking formal logic, learning about fallacies, and taking the natural tendency of a 12 or 13-year-old to argue, and developing their skills to make a logical and solid argument.
In Rhetoric School, the art of Rhetoric is a main focus of the curriculum. The senior thesis is the capstone of a Trinity education, demonstrating a student's ability to research, write, and thoughtfully present an argument. This prepares them well for college and for life.
One of my favorite ways to see both sides of an argument is a debate - a good, healthy debate. In addition to senior thesis, all seniors take an Honors Government class. I have the great privilege of teaching one of the Honors Government classes and discussing big ideas. We've gone from arguing about a preference for a particular fruit, color or pet to arguing big national topics like healthcare, poverty and the electoral college.
We don't use a textbook in our class, but rather we study original documents like the Constitution and the Federalist papers. We memorize the Bill of Rights. It's important that our students graduate knowing what the Founding Fathers documented and how we have evolved...even how we were designed to evolve because Constitutional amendments are part of the process. We enjoy talking about the hard things that face our country today and debating Democratic and Republican positions.
This week in class, we enjoyed a live debate between representatives from our local government. On the Democrat side, we had Mr. Ryan Valencia, Assemblywoman Christy Smith's campaign manager and a district representative for her office. On the Republican side, Mr. George Andrews is the Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Tom Lackey's office. After introductions, the gentlemen listed on the board what they believe the top three issues are that California faces.
Republican:
1. Affordability (housing, business, healthcare)
2. Water
3. Homelessness/Poverty
Democrat:
1. Campaign Finance Reform
2. Healthcare
3. Poverty/Income Inequality
As you can see, there is overlap in the issues and so there is some agreement as to what the issues are. There was also some agreement as to how to approach some of the issues. The debaters were gentlemen; they were respectful and kind. Their opinions differed as they discussed regulations and reforms. They noted that issues are extremely complex. For example, the border crisis is an immigration issue, but is also a drug issue, a humanitarian issue and a healthcare issue. Homelessness is a poverty issue, a housing affordability issue, a mental health issue and a drug issue.
After both sides stated their positions and had a chance for rebuttal, students asked very insightful and intelligent questions. I was very proud of all of them, their preparation, engagement, and their thoughtful and respectful questions. After addressing the top issues as defined by the visiting debaters, I invited students to ask any questions they wanted - which led to a discussion of significant issues like abortion, illegal immigration, the electoral college system, minimum wage and President Trump's strategy with North Korea. Wow! It was an impressive list of concerns from our young people.
We finished the morning with gratitude to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Valencia. They ended by pointing out that the purpose of the debate was to demonstrate differences between the parties, but they wanted the class to know that both sides agree on many things and work together well in this district. Despite the National narrative on some issues, and the divide between the parties' ideals, the local government is proud to work together to make things better for the district and for California. There are many issues in a state as large as California, with the 5th largest budget in the world! "California could be a nation of its own based on size and budget," Mr. Valencia said. They both want California to be sustainable in its growth and infrastructure and to be a better place for families and small business for this generation and generations to come.
welcome back (Apr. 2, 2019)
Blessings to you! I hope that everyone has enjoyed a week of rest and rejuvenation for their minds, bodies, and souls!! This week begins our last quarter and truly the home stretch of a very fast moving school year! We started our day with the Doxology as we do every Monday. It was nice to be back at school and to welcome our seniors back from Italy as well.
Our Rhetoric School enjoyed a Pep Rally at lunch which included a fun game and the honoring of all the Varsity Spring Sports teams - Baseball, Softball, Track, Golf and Swim. I learned today that Trinity Swim has not lost a meet since 2015! We are blessed to have so many athletic options at our little school and to have student athletes who work hard on the field (or in the pool, on the course, on the track, in the gym) and in the classroom. Many of them play instruments or participate in other fine arts as well. It makes me tired just thinking about all that our students do!
So, back from break, and back to work! Just a couple of short months and we'll be sending off another class of graduates, welcoming a lot of little ones to Summer Camp, and praying for new and returning families as we begin planning the next school year. I know - you're just looking forward to summer, so I won't jump ahead too much. (But I can't help but be excited!)
I invite you and encourage you to attend our final Corporate Time presentation of the year. It's next Friday, April 12th at 8:00am, so don't drop off and drive away. Stay a little while and enjoy seeing our students present what they have learned this year. This day is also the last Corporate Time ever for our seniors. The tradition is that they sing their "senior song" and we pray for them and their futures and what God has for them even as they prepare to leave us.
We are ramping up for the Spring Gala on May 3rd, which is our biggest fundraiser. It's also a beautiful and enjoyable evening to spend with friends and supporters of Trinity. It's truly one of my favorite nights of the year. Our theme this year is "Secret Garden" and it is sure to be spectacular. I hope you have bought your tickets and are bringing friends.
I am so grateful for the job I have, the people I work with, the students and families and all the people that make up Trinity. I am finishing this year strong and I know you are with me!
Ciao from Italy (Mar. 19, 2019)
We have been enjoying many wonderful sights in Florence, including the beautiful countryside, the Duomo, the Ufizzi Gallery, one of the world's top art museums, and Dante's house. The seniors who are in Dante house always like getting a photo in front of Dante's real house. (see photo in Scenes of the Week at the end of this newsletter).
We are enjoying fellowship, delicious food, gelato, and a lot of walking! Students are delighted to see what they have been talking about for years in their classes. Much laughter and joy abounds as we walk the streets! It is such a joy to see their faces light up like little children when they walk into the cathedrals and museums and even just walking around the city.
We are in Cinque Terre today and for two days, we will be hiking the coast of the Mediterranean! Some of the students will even enjoy a dip in the cold water. I am experiencing so much joy and gratitude - what a special time!
One special moment was when we sang the Doxology in the Pazzi chapel in Santa Croce and it sounded so beautiful. Mr. Leigh has posted that on the Facebook private group page - Trinity Parents and Families. It's really worth looking it up! It sounds amazing!
A Hope and a Future (Mar. 12, 2019)
Jeremiah 29:11 is a very well-known verse in the Bible because it's a promise from God to His people. As God's people, we are reminded that He has a plan for us and it is to prosper us and not to harm us; to give us a hope and a future. Many believers consider this their "life verse." At the Imago Dei School (Imago Dei is Latin for Image of God), we know that all people are created in the image of God. People with special needs are often marginalized in our society but not in God's Kingdom. He has a plan for everyone and a hope and a future for all his people.
For these reasons, when we decided to do a 1k/5k/10k run as a fundraiser for Imago Dei School, we decided to name it "Hope and a Future Run". The run is to raise funds that can be applied to tuition to assist families who want a hope and a future for their child with a developmental disability. Part of our mission when starting Trinity was to serve the entire body of Christ in our student body, which was the genesis for the founding of our Imago Dei School, now in its eighth year. Our goal is to serve students who have a variety of learning needs so that they can be prepared to reach their God-given potential.
Our entire Trinity community is changed and blessed by serving our students in Imago Dei. There are opportunities at each level for our Trinity students to come alongside their peers in special education and develop friendships and serve as peer mentors. They support and encourage their friends in everything from elective classes and social skills, to athletic competitions like the Hart Games.
Our little valley has many families and businesses who are supportive of the special needs community. But more needs to be done! March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness month so it is time to get the word out and support students with special needs. We are still raising funds for the Hope and a Future run up through March 15th. Text IDS to 71777 and give today to support the Imago Dei School offering scholarships to families who wish to attend but need financial assistance.
A Totally Tubular Talent Night (Mar. 5, 2019)
I always enjoy the showcase of talent that is displayed at our annual talent night. But this year was truly the best! The 80's theme was silly and a true joy to watch! It was a blast from the past to see some 80's friends visit - Billy Joey, Little Mermaid, and Green Day to name a few.
Talent Night represents our community so well; it is a pursuit of excellence, not perfection, performed for an encouraging audience. Students demonstrate the courage to try, to have fun, and to share their God-given talents with all of us. It's an excellent example of "doing it afraid," which is one of my favorite sayings/reminders. Of course, the Rhetoric School Houses each performed and they did not disappoint.
It is a joy to gather as a community and celebrate one another’s talents and encourage others in them - from the youngest to the more mature, the entire audience enjoying such a wholesome evening of entertainment. It was a packed house with standing room only to enjoy songs, dances, a little comedy, and even some board breaking with a live Tae Kwon Do demonstration!
If you missed it, you can watch it on our YouTube channel! Just click the link below.
Talent Show on YouTube
the art of appreciation (feb. 26, 2019)
Merriam Webster defines appreciation as: a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude, as in "I want to express my appreciation for all you've done." This week, our faculty and staff are grateful recipients of the admiration, approval, and gratitude of all of you, represented by the PTF (Parent-Teacher Fellowship). It is truly a wonderful thing to know how to express appreciation to others as well as to be on the receiving end of this kind of expressed gratitude. Voltaire said, "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."
Our nation recognizes teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, which is a week-long celebration in recognition of teachers and the contributions they make to education and society. In an effort to avoid parents feeling pressured to make extravagant gestures, at Trinity we have always encouraged the simplicity of handmade cards or a flower from the garden at home. For the past several years, the PTF has taken on Teacher Appreciation week in an effort to represent the appreciation and gratitude of all families and they provide some lovely extras for our faculty and staff. This week we are enjoying Vibe coffee, a pancake breakfast, gifts and a luncheon, all supplied by PTF on behalf of families. Thank you! We are grateful for how generous and kind our parents are!
We teach our children manners from when they are young - to say please and thank you, to give thoughtful cards and gifts to others, to write thank you notes for birthday gifts, and more. Having an attitude of gratitude is a wonderful way to combat selfishness and entitlement. It only take a little bit of perspective to see how blessed we are in this lovely California city that we call home. According to Entrepreneur.com, science tells us that grateful people are typically happier people, since being grateful makes us more optimistic and reduces negativity. The website lists five simple ways to show gratitude every day:
1. Write in an abundance (gratitude) journal
2. Express gratitude in person, verbally and/or with a cup of coffee or a lunch out
3. Show respect for those around you - smile, show kindness, be patient, listen
4. Don't complain - when feeling frustrated and tempted to complain, try focusing on something positive
5. Volunteer in your community - an act of kindness does more good for you than for those you're serving
We are so grateful to have some of the best teachers there are. They are not only well educated and passionate about their subject and craft, they are passionate about the young people that they have in their classrooms each day. Teaching is truly an investment in the future of our country and the Kingdom and I agree wholeheartedly with John Wooden who said, "I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession." Our teachers wouldn't be able to accomplish all that they do without our dedicated staff that supports them. Our PTF does a great job showering all of them with appreciation. Our attitude of gratitude starts with thanking God for all He gives to us. Psalm 95:2 - Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.
What Makes an Education "Classical"? (feb. 19, 2019)
At Trinity Classical Academy, we talk about "classical education" at faculty meetings, at Information Meetings and at Trinity U. Sometimes we refer to it at PTF meetings and other gatherings, but it's not unusual to hear a parent ask, "please tell me again what classical education is and how I can explain it to a friend."
In a nutshell, classical education is a time-tested method of teaching done in three stages - the grammar, logic and rhetoric stages. The stages are reflective of the natural developmental stages of children:
The Grammar phase (K-6th grade) - considered a "Poll-parrot" stage - children are excited about new facts, they like to explain, figure out, relate their own experience and tell stories. They like collections, chants and clever, repetitious word sounds. They easily memorize and can assimilate another language well.
The Logic phase (7th-8th grade) - considered a "Pert" stage - students judge, critique, debate, and are critical. They show off their knowledge and want to know the "why?" for most things, the "behind the scenes" for facts. They think and act as though they know more than adults.
The Rhetoric phase (9th-12th grade) - considered a "Poetic" stage - students are concerned with present events, especially in their own lives. They are interested in justice/fairness; they move towards special interest topics. They can take on more responsibility and independent work, can synthesize information; they desire to express their own feelings and ideas and are generally idealistic.
An easy way to understand this is:
Grammar stage - student is a sponge; they want to see the dots all connected and have someone show them how they connect.
Logic stage - student wants to see the dots, but wants to begin connecting them himself.
Rhetoric stage - student is able to synthesize all he has learned, not only connecting the dots, but producing them as well.
Taking these stages into consideration, and the natural way students learn at these stages, we use teaching methods that correlate with their inclinations. For example, at the grammar phase, there are lots of chants and memorization; at the logic phase, there are research projects and debates. And at the rhetoric phase, there are worldview discussions and written papers.
With the Trivium as its framework, classical Christian education is also characterized by rich exposure to the history, literature and culture of Western Civilization. Students are immersed in the “Great Books” of our Christian tradition and Western cultural heritage. In the Logic and Rhetoric phase students read fewer “textbooks” and more original source documents and literary works, especially in history and literature. The languages of Western Civilization, especially Latin, are at the core of their academic studies. The arts are evident, not only in Art, Music and Theater classes, but woven throughout Literature and History classes as well. The development of a thoroughly Biblical worldview is an underlying aim of every lesson and class.
You can find a brief synopsis of classical education on our website, so you can understand the basics and share the link with a friend if you have trouble remembering how to explain it yourself.
Seven Good Reasons to Study Latin (Feb. 12, 2019)
Enhanced Vocabulary and Mastery of English
Latin is the root of 60% of our English words. It makes sense, then, that Latin is the surest way to gain mastery over the English language. Latin teaches the student the foundation on which English is built. Latin students actually learn English grammar more effectively and comprehensively in Latin than they do in English grammar class.
Foundation of Romance Languages
Latin is the basis of all the Romance languages including: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian.
Greater Thinking and Learning Skills
Studying Latin enhances a student’s overall learning and thinking skills. Latin requires precision of thought and attention to minute detail. The discipline of learning Latin trains students in analytical and logical thinking skills. Each sentence is an intellectual puzzle that can be solved by the analysis and synthesis of many pieces of information.
Higher SAT Scores
Students of Latin have significantly higher SAT scores than students of other foreign languages. The test results for the Verbal portion of the SAT clearly show the Latin advantage.
Latin in Literature and Historic Documents
The literature and historic documents of Europe and the United States (e.g. Geoffery Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson and John Calvin) contain so many Latin phrases and classical allusions that they often cannot be fully understood and appreciated without a good background in Latin.
Cultural Legacy
Our society’s intellectual infrastructure – its science, philosophy, politics, law, medicine, drama, art – are heavily influenced by the classical world. Reading the classical texts helps us to understand who we are as Americans and members of Western Civilization. Reading the ancient writings of Greece and Rome helps to understand many of the influences that have shaped our culture.
Improved Writing Skills
Latin improves a student’s writing style. Reading and writing Latin is an exercise in brevity, precision and economy. The great classical writers of Greece and Rome (Virgil and Cicero) were incredibly disciplined in their habits of expression. Extensive exposure to them and imitation of their style make students better writers and speakers.
remarks from vision night (Feb. 5, 2019)
Last week at Vision Night, I shared some things that are worth repeating. Even if you attended, perhaps you are not an auditory learner, so you will be blessed by seeing the words in writing.
Credit for this example goes to Pastor Garrett Craw, Trinity Dad, who captured in a few sentences, the essence of what we are doing through our mission at Trinity:
In 869, in a time of darkness, England’s King Edmund and his Christian army stood against the great pagan, fierce Viking army. He was captured and when he refused to renounce Christ he was then beaten, shot full of arrows and beheaded for his defiant faith. But this one act of defiant faith would be remembered and acted upon and within 300 years the Vikings would no longer bow to Thor and Odin, but to King Jesus through their conversion. In this current time of growing darkness, the work we are doing here at Trinity is an act of defiant faith – in our halls and on our campus, an emerging generation is taught be to dragon slayers, singing and feasting as we go. May our act of defiant faith echo with thunder a century from now.
I wanted to say those words out loud that night and they bear repeating now, for they pierced my heart and so deeply resonated with my soul, making me want to shout "Geronimo! Amen!" Paratroopers say “Geronimo” when jumping, for that is truly an all in, no looking back scenario. And Amen means "So be it". I would also add, "Please help us Jesus!" King Edmund’s testimony makes me resolute in the pursuit at Trinity and spurs me, and I believe most in our community, onward, calling us to come together as the Lord’s army for this generation in pursuit of our mission. Defiant Faith!
So, how does this defiant faith work with hope? I started my Vision Night message with the story of King Edmund and ended with a quote from one of my favorite giants in the faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who addressed faith and hope. He said, "A Faith that does not hope is sick. It is like a hungry child who will not eat or a tired person who will not sleep. As certainly as people believe, so certainly do they hope. And it is no shame in hoping, in hoping boundlessly. Who would even want to talk of God and not hope? Who would want to talk of God without hoping one day to see Him?.... And why should we be ashamed of our hope? We will one day have to be ashamed, not of our hope, but of our miserable anxious hopelessness that trusts nothing to God, that in false humility does not grasp where God's promises are given, that is resigned to this life and cannot look forward to God's eternal power and glory. The more people dare to hope, the greater they become with their hope; people grow with their hope - if it is hope only in God and his sole power. Hope abides."
It is this determined hope in God's power and glory that fuels our defiant faith for each day. We march from our homes each day, with our children in tow, some days feeling great success simply because they have shoes on their feet. Every day has its challenges that require some measure of hope and faith. Some days, we recognize our need for Him more than others. Some days, that hope is all we have. Marching forward as God's army is different each day, but one thing is consistent. We are not alone. Please help us Jesus, to be determined in our hope and defiant in our faith.
Be Thou My Vision (Jan. 29, 2019)
Ever since we founded Trinity in 2001, vision has been central to our development and growth. We began with a vision to become a K-12 Christian, classical, college preparatory academy serving the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond. That vision was fulfilled in 2012 when we graduated our first class of 10 seniors. The vision is different than the mission, as the vision can and does change as circumstances change. The mission, however, can remain the same, as ours has. The mission of Trinity Classical Academy is to offer a challenging education grounded in the Christian faith and the classical tradition to produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage. We have adjusted our vision as we have grown in an effort to accomplish our mission.
Every year we begin the school year with Dedication Night, which is an opportunity to pray and dedicate the year and our faculty, staff and families, to the Lord. We also share some of the logistics for the beginning of the school year and some of the things to look forward to in the first semester. Then at the midway point, after the first semester final exams, we gather for Vision Night. At Vision Night, we do a brief recap of where we have been, celebrate achievements, and then share the vision for the rest of the school year and beyond. It's an opportunity to talk about big picture things like facilities and new programs, as well as to remind families of annual events like the Spring Gala and the Hope and a Future Run. We hear from an alum and from the current student who is the winner of the Oratory contest. Both speeches always inspire me to keep doing what we're doing, as we witness some of the results of a classical, Christian education.
At Vision Night, we always sing "Be Thou My Vision" as it is important that we are all reminded that our vision comes from the Lord, and He not only directs our paths and our purposes, but He IS our vision. He is the One we look to, and look through. We seek to please Him in all that we do and all that we are. From our founding, He has been my guide and through much prayer and perseverance, He guides us still. He has guided us from a tiny school of 28 students to the K-12 program with over 500 students that fulfilled the original vision. And He has guided us through every development, facilities/expansion issue, every new teacher or staff member we hired, every new family that came through our doors, and we know He is guiding us to the next developments that we are pursuing.
He has given us a vision for Trinity and we are pursuing it diligently, in hopes that each of our students will discover their purpose and have a vision for their own lives that they can lay at the throne of Christ and boldly pursue that to which He is calling them.
i have a dream (Jan. 22, 2019)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister, a social activist, a civil rights leader and a Nobel prize winner. Yesterday, our nation honored his life and legacy. He is famous for his non-violent protests and inspiring sermons and speeches. He was the first African American to be named "Man of the Year" by Time Magazine and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And he donated the more than $54,000 prize money to the civil rights movement.
In 1964, he joined the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, an event aimed to draw attention to the continuing challenges and inequality faced by African Americans and it culminated in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, a spirited call for peace and equality that many consider a masterpiece of rhetoric.
He was assassinated in 1968 and after years of campaigning by activists, Congress members and his wife, Coretta Scott King, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S. federal holiday in honor of King. Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.
There are hundreds of his inspiring quotes that can be found with a simple Google search. They are seen on social media as memes that continue to inspire readers. His top 10 quotes were published in 2016 based on what Twitter said were the most often Tweeted phrases. His words are worthy of repetition, even if only as a small snapshot of the values for which he stood:
"The time is always right to do what is right."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
"Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude."
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?''
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
I am moved by his example and the many sacrifices he made to stand firm for what was right. He was a true man of God. I'll end with a prayer that he prayed that we can all apply to our lives: "Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself."
A Great Dei (jan. 15, 2019)
I could not be more proud of our Imago Dei students and the teachers who guide and direct them to be all that they can be. This past week, the long awaited "Great Dei" coffee company opened to anxious faculty and staff, ready to support the students and get their caffeine fix.
In 2011, Trinity Classical Academy launched The Imago Dei School (Latin for “image of God”), a unique kindergarten through twelfth grade program for students with learning and developmental disabilities that provides a supportive environment in which students can develop intellectual, academic, spiritual, social, emotional, and vocational skills.
Last year, the Imago Dei School received a grant to help open two on-campus businesses to be run by our Transitions students, assisted by the Imago Dei high school students and overseen by Imago Dei teacher Mr. Tim Smith. The Transitions students are graduates of the Imago Dei School and are "transitioning" to work and life. The opportunity to run small businesses that are supported by Trinity will help them develop job skills such as customer service and money handling, which will help them gain employment. The hope is that these businesses will become profitable and be an employment option for students who complete Imago Dei's 18-22 year old post high school Transitions program.
Mr. Smith has done an excellent job overseeing the t-shirt screen printing, and helping the students to learn the necessary skills. He has gone along with students on the city bus to Salt Creek Grille, where they are employed, as part of the program with the Department of Rehabilitation, to help them gain job skills and a proper work ethic. After waiting for the back-ordered cappuccino machine, and completing taste tests in December, Mr. Smith has now helped oversee the launch of the Great Dei Coffee Company.
I never cease to be amazed at what God has done through Megan Howell, Tim Smith, and the rest of the Imago Dei team. We all want to see every student reach their full potential in Christ, and it's very exciting to see what God is doing in the lives of these young people.
Great Dei is open for business Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30-10:15am. Stop by and say hello, and get yourself a cup o' Joe.
Something New...(Jan. 8, 2019)
As I opened my devotional on New Year's Day, the Word jumped right out at me! Isaiah 43:19 - I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. I started the new year with a reminder not to worry about the changes and resolutions and challenges and all of life's concerns that I will face this year. He is in control and we can take comfort in knowing that the changes we face are all under His authority!
There is nothing wrong with making a New Year's resolution but we have to know that we cannot do anything new and different unless we submit ourselves to the authority of God. In God is in the Manger, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he is quoted as having given a New Year's sermon where he said, "At the beginning of a new year, many people have nothing better to do than to make a list of bad deeds and resolve "from now on..." - but, how many such "from-now-ons" have there already been! ...they believe that on their own they can make a new start whenever they want. But...only God can make a new beginning with people...therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can only pray for one. Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past. Only where God is can there be a new beginning."
Yesterday, we were blessed to join together with all of our staff and worship, take communion, pray, and be inspired to begin the new year with enthusiasm for all that God is calling us to do. We enjoyed a talk from Dr. John Mark Reynolds, Founder, CEO and President of the St. Constantine School - a fully integrated K-16 classical, Christian program in Houston, TX. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Reynolds when he was at Biola University, running the Torrey Honors Institute, which he founded. Several of our upper school faculty attended Torrey Honors when in was in charge there. Reynolds spoke to us about Virtue and honored and esteemed what we are doing here at Trinity, as we seek to fulfill our mission which includes producing students who possess virtue.
As we began school today, we started with praise to God in our Doxology, where all students, teachers and staff came into the hallways to sing together, as we always do at the beginning of each week. We had a chapel service as well, which set our minds on God and helped us to prioritize what is most important. We do our work to the glory of God - students, teachers, staff and administrators alike. And we trust in Him that He is doing something new and we can trust in His goodness and love even as we do not know His plan.
I pray daily for Trinity and our families and know that many of you do as well. I am blessed to be on this journey with you as we begin 2019 and thank you for your faithfulness to Trinity.
celebrating redemption (Dec. 18, 2018)
Tis the season to celebrate, and in this country we celebrate in grand style with decorations and food and gifts and family. At Trinity, we celebrate with concerts, food, friends and fun. But what are we celebrating really?
We were blessed to enjoy a magnificent Christmas program on Thursday. Seeing the fruit of the hard work put in over the last few months was truly amazing. All of our music groups, from chimes to choirs, and from guitar to the orchestra - it was all on full display, and all to the glory of God. Our Grammar School students, under the direction of Mrs. Jennifer Brown, put on a spirited show "Jingle Bell Beach" which shared the Good News in a creative, inspiring and most excellent way.
Faculty and staff are enjoying a season of celebration on campus as they coordinate Christmas parties in classrooms, Christmas sweater contests, and parade around with their Christmas Mugs. On Wednesday, we will enjoy a Christmas luncheon together and on Friday, with great anticipation, we will have our alumni join us for a Christmas brunch. I look forward to seeing each of them and hearing about how they are doing. Some of them will join us early for a panel discussion to bless our juniors and seniors as they share their experiences transitioning from Trinity to college and the work force.
In all of this celebration, it's easy to lose sight of what we are celebrating. Even when we sing Christmas carols and talk about baby Jesus, and the manger, and the Christmas story, it's easy to see it as just a story without seeing the purpose of the story. It's important to remember that what we're celebrating is the reason Jesus came, the reason He left His throne in heaven, the reason he condescended to be born a human baby, and that reason is redemption. Redemption is rescue. He came to rescue us.
In Bonhoeffer's advent sermon in a London church in 1933, he told a story of a mine disaster:
You know what a mine disaster is. In recent weeks we have had to read about one in the newspapers.
The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. he knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the last shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, "Where are you, help is on the way!" Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, "Here I am, come on through and help me!" I'll hold out until you come! Just come soon!" A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: "Look up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near."
He has rescued us, He has given us hope, He has set us free. He is so much more than a baby in a manger. He is our Savior, our God, our Deliverer! HE is the reason we celebrate!
A season of mystery (Dec. 11, 2018)
In this culture of "holiday trees", Santa Claus, and commercialism, it is truly a blessing to work in a place where we can talk about Jesus. I love the magical stories of Santa Claus, and I also love giving gifts and decorating our tree. The lights, decorations, Christmas cookies, shopping and all the busyness and beauty of the season come upon us all, whether believers or not. At this time of year, it's especially exciting to be a believer. At Trinity, we have a good time celebrating! We have Christmas concerts, an Alumni Breakfast, the Christmas Mug Club for the faculty and staff, classroom parties, Christmas sweater contest for our Rhetoric School, and our staff also enjoys a Christmas luncheon before going on break. It's busy and it's a blessing to celebrate! It's a special blessing to celebrate with other believers who enjoy the frolic and fun, even while having a reverence for our Savior and a joy about sharing His story.
It's a story we've read and heard many times in our lifetime, a story we've shared with our children, the greatest story ever told - the story of a baby born in a manger, a baby who was God incarnate. And therein lies a great mystery. The mystery of Jesus will always be such this side of heaven. Dietrich Bonhoeffer states, "That...is the unrecognized mystery of this world: Jesus Christ. That this Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter, was himself the Lord of glory; that was the mystery of God. It was a mystery because God became poor, low, lowly, and weak out of love for humankind, because God became a human being like us, so that we would become divine, and because he came to us so that we would come to Him."
As we continue celebrating this season at school this week and next, I pray we won't get too busy to remember the mystery of the Christ child and our mission to share the good news.
A Season of Waiting (dec. 4, 2018)
At Trinity, we often feel like we are in a "crazy" season, or having a jam-packed day, or week. At this time of year, there is much anticipation for Christmas. There are parties and concerts to attend, there is a break from school, there are college students coming home, or grandparents visiting, there are gifts to buy, goodies to bake, and vacations and celebrations to plan. We are all anticipating, expecting and waiting. Advent is a season of waiting.
"Advent" is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning coming. It is the season that lasts four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Christians around the world celebrate the coming of Christ in a manger in Bethlehem and also await the second coming of Christ in the clouds as the judge of the world. Advent calendars, advent wreaths and advent candles are all traditional symbols that helps us to remember for what and for Whom we are waiting.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of my favorite authors and theologians, wrote letters from prison during the Christmas season. Some of his letters and sermons have been compiled into a devotional called God is in the Manger. A letter to his fiancee on December 1, 1943 states, "I think we're going to have an exceptionally good Christmas. The very fact that every outward circumstance precludes our making provision for it will show whether we can be content with what is truly essential. I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious."
We look forward, we expect, we wait. We work hard while we wait for our break; we love others while we wait for the One who loved us first; we celebrate that He came in a manger while we wait for Him to come back for us.
Embracing the Crazy (Nov. 26, 2018)
On any given day at Trinity, with over 560 students, and over 150 faculty and staff, things are bound to happen! There are so many wonderful things that happen every day, in the classroom, at recess, on the athletic field and at music rehearsal. But there are also so many things crammed into every given day that it can feel a little "crazy" at times.
Fall Fun Day is a day that expresses on the outside what I sometimes feel on the inside. It's wild, it's crazy, it's busy, it's fun, and it's a special day. It's not a day that I can hold to a tight schedule or worry about the details. I've chosen instead to "embrace the crazy". I'm able to do that because it's a day that appears crazy on the surface, but is really a well-oiled machine that is organized by our amazing PTF and teachers; it is manned by over 100 volunteers, and it is super fun! The PowderPuff football game and cheer is something to which the Upper School students looks forward. It has been a crazy competition from the beginning but each year we learn how to make it more controlled (i.e. professional referees) for the safety of our students. We've been able to do that without taking out any of the fun!
You may have heard me talk about the "genius of 'and' vs. the tyranny of 'or'" and there are many ways that the "genius of and" expresses itself at school. Many of our faculty and staff wear many hats. They are parents and teachers, coaches and volunteers, administrators and friends, administrative team and mentors, serious about school and serious about having fun! We have music 'and' athletics; there are students to whom academics comes easy 'and' students who need some extra support; we have serious work to do 'and' we hope to make it fun as often as possible. The Imago Dei School is perhaps the best example of the "genius of and" - we can have a private Christian school AND we can have a school for children with special needs, even if no one else is doing it.
Fall Fun Day is the perfect way to end our first trimester of hard work with an especially fun day. It's an opportunity to see the "genius of and" at work and to embrace the crazy. We're just returning from a week long Thanksgiving break and I am ready to work hard and inspire the students to work hard for the four weeks we have until Christmas break...one day at a time, with determination and perseverance, trusting that God has good things in store for us as we put Him at the center of our days and prepare for the season that celebrates our Savior.
My Teacher's Heart (Nov. 12, 2018)
As the Head of School for Trinity, I am encouraged on a daily basis by a multitude of things. It is a great privilege to partner with our parents, faculty and staff to serve the next generation.
Before we founded Trinity, I was a teacher at a local junior high school. Teaching was what I had always wanted to do. As a little girl, I played school with all my stuffed animals and my dog Sox, using all of my dad's lesson plans, grade books and textbooks. I loved playing school and pretending to be a teacher. I cannot believe I actually get to do it for a living and life's calling.
When we first started Trinity, we had only K-2nd grade, so in only our second year as a school, we had third grade and needed to begin teaching Latin. I learned just enough to teach Latin to our first class of third graders. I taught Latin for three years before we were able to find a good Latin teacher and I put my full focus on administrative duties and growing our school, but I missed teaching. A few years ago, I filled in for our Government teacher one day and the passion for the subject and the students grabbed a hold of my heart and I didn't want to let go. Soon I took over the class on a regular basis and I’ve been teaching Honors Government to our seniors ever since.
Yesterday, at our all school Corporate Time, my heart overflowed. Seeing our students present something attached to their learning and our curriculum inspires, encourages and blesses my teacher’s heart. It is the greatest gift in the world to see children learn and catch fire to an idea or concept.
To have my own 12th grade class present, with zeal and passion, something that we have been learning in Honors Government overwhelmed me with gratitude. They presented the Preamble to our U.S. Constitution and I was proud to know that it is bigger than just memorizing a few paragraphs to present in public. They learned our Preamble, they committed it to memory, they will be able to recall it, and they know they are responsible for helping to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves, and to pass to the next generation things they have learned at Trinity. Sometimes I can't believe what Jesus, by his grace, allows to happen through our school.
I am blessed to be a part of Trinity's faculty, grateful for our community, and privileged to serve our students.
veterans day (nov. 5, 2018)
Next week is Veterans Day and while we always celebrate it at Trinity, this year will be a new and exciting kind of celebration. It is the 100th anniversary of the first Armistice Day (which we now call Veterans Day) and we will combine it with Grandparents Day. We will honor our veterans, active service men and women, and first responders. Many of our grandparents will be honored in those categories.
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their opponent, Germany.
Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans; that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
On Monday, November 12, Trinity will be hosting a combined Grandparents Day and Veterans Day celebration. We will welcome grandparents, family, friends and community to enjoy a Corporate Time presentation, Fine Arts presentations during the Grand Brunch, and classroom visits.
In the evening, at 7:00pm, we are blessed to have Colonel Bartolomea, USMC, speak to us. The last time we had a military speaker (General Berger), it was amazing and our families loved him and what he had to say. I am super excited to have the Colonel speak, as I know he will be awesome too!
Grandparents Day is an important day in the life of our school and Veterans Day is an important day in our country and I am very pleased to be combining the events into one day, so we can celebrate and honor those who are so deserving.
grandparents day (oct. 30, 2018)
Grandparents Day is a holiday created by federal proclamation in 1978, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. It is celebrated each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day, so it falls between September 7 and 13.
Most family holidays are associated with traditional activities, but Grandparents Day has no real traditions to claim. This leaves some families wondering whether they should celebrate Grandparents Day at all and, if so, how they should do so. At Trinity, while we do not celebrate on the day that it is noted on the national calendar, we have made a tradition of celebrating our grandparents!
The purpose of Grandparents Day, according to the original proclamation, is "to honor grandparents and to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children." Notice that the celebration flows two ways: Grandchildren honor their grandparents, and grandparents honor their grandchildren.
At Trinity, we fulfill that purpose and enjoy seeing the love and celebration flowing both ways. We choose a day each year to invite Grandparents and special friends (since we know that not everyone has Grammies and Papas that can attend) to visit school and see what the students are learning. It's a sort of "open house" where they visit classrooms and attend a "Corporate Time" presentation, where each grade demonstrates something they are learning, so guests get a snippet of what is going on in each grade level. Fine Arts groups play during the Grand Brunch for the enjoyment of all.
As in the purpose of the original proclamation, we honor our grandparents. We thank them for all they've done to support and encourage their grandchildren in their Trinity education. Some grandparents even help financially with tuition and/or extracurricular activities. We thank them with a lovely morning, designed to celebrate them and to share a little bit of school with them.
This year, for the first time, we're combining our Grandparents Day celebration with Veterans Day, which is on November 12. Many Trinity grandparents are veterans themselves and we can give them double honor as we thank our veterans for their service. Many people have Veterans Day off work, so we hope that by holding our celebration on this day, more families and friends will be available to attend.
I look forward to sharing more about Veterans Day and how we integrated it with Grandparents Day next week.
Homecoming (oct. 23, 2018)
Saturday was our annual Homecoming, and, as always, I love welcoming back our alumni – these former students are people that I have known for some or all of their childhoods, and I grew to love them all. I love seeing their faces, hugging them, and hearing how they're doing in their respective schools and careers.
Homecoming (or hoco, or HoCo) is a tradition in high schools and colleges in our country. It's named for the coming-home of the alumni and is tailor-made for the social customs of the given schools and reflects the values of the school. Some schools hold dances and elect Kings and Queens, some have entire weekends or weeks devoted to their alumni. There is a certain amount of school spirit and nostalgia attached to the event that alumni can reflect on as they visit their old stomping grounds.
For us, the focus is on the people. We want our alumni to want to come back, to want to visit with us, to participate in traditions like the alumni/faculty volleyball smackdown, to feel special and to enjoy what we still have to offer to them. This year, in response to some of their feedback, we gathered a panel of Trinity parents who are professionals that stand out in their field. Many colleges offer "distinguished alumni" panels where alumni who stand out in their field come back to speak to the students. For us, our alumni are still too young to be "distinguished" in their careers yet, so we invited parents to be on our panel. The alumni had exclusive access to the "Alumni Networking" panel, where they could hear from Trinity parents like T Meyer (Wealth Management Advisor), Chileshe-Nkonde-Price (Cardiologist), Mark Williams (Composer) and Andrew Wilson (Architect). They were also able to ask questions and network with these professionals.
We know our alumni value the relationships they have at Trinity, both with their peers and with the faculty and staff. They come back to see each other and to enjoy being "home" at Trinity, where they are known and loved. They got to enjoy food and fellowship, friendly competition on the volleyball court, some professional networking, a Varsity Volleyball Playoff game, and a football game, where they were honored and appreciated. I pray they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed having them home.
Besides being a time for our alumni, it is a fun day for our whole Trinity community, as we plan the event to include students of all ages and their families. We had bounce houses and breakfast in the morning and we enjoyed watching the faculty and alumni play volleyball. Many headed to The Masters University for a Varsity Volleyball playoff game in the afternoon and then reconvened at Fillmore High school for the football game, lots of yummy dinner and snack options, Senior recognition, a Grammar School banner competition and some exciting cheerleading for girls of all ages, as our younger friends joined our Varsity Cheerleaders for the night. It was wonderful to see so many of our families enjoying the day together!
the lost art of penmanship (Oct. 16, 2018)
I remember learning to write in school, learning to form letters between lines on a paper, with those ascenders (like d and h) and descenders (like g and p). It mattered back then. Do your mothers and grandmothers have beautiful cursive writing but like me, sometimes you cannot read your own handwriting? These days, the time we spend typing and texting may actually be detracting from our ability to compose a legible note.
Trinity is taking the time to teach D'Nealian and require the use of it. D'Nealian is a style of printing that is designed to ease the transition to cursive handwriting. Students begin learning cursive in 3rd grade and are required to use it on writing assignments throughout high school, with exceptions made for some transfer students who never had the opportunity to learn it. Sometimes, prospective parents will ask me at an Information Meeting, "How often will my 2nd grader get to be in the computer lab?" I always take the opportunity to explain the importance of children writing with pencils in their hands. There is a connection between the brain and the hand, and the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination are practiced while the mind is telling the hand what to do. Do you remember making flash cards for study aids? Did the act of writing help you to remember what you wrote? Having a pencil in hand helps one to think. Children learn patience, discipline and the rewards of practice, which will be foundational for everything else children need to learn.
We intentionally do not have computer screen time in the grammar grades. It is an unneeded distraction for our young friends to work on a screen at school and, statistically, it is not shown to improve learning in reading, writing and math. Some of our little ones are better on a computer, iPad or phone than I will ever be because they get plenty of screen time at home and it seems to come naturally to them. And whatever we could teach them will soon be obsolete. Our time is better spent learning to print and to write cursive, and to develop the thought process that comes with handwriting.
keeping up the momentum (Oct. 9, 2018)
In every school year, there are annual biorhythms: August is full of energy, excitement, new uniforms and backpacks, new teachers and classes; May has the energy of celebration of achievement and the anticipation of summer vacations. At certain predictable times in between, there can be sort of a slump, a kind of loss of energy, a case of the "blahs". Early October is one of these times, and as the first energy dip in the new school year, it warrants attention. By this time, the honeymoon is over, the first quizzes have been graded, the first round of colds has hit, Fine arts groups are well underway for rehearsals but no performances yet, and for many students (and parents), school is just school again. At Trinity, we make an effort to remind our students, and each other, that there is much to be excited about and we want to keep the momentum going.
We've had our first pep rally, first service project, our first games against our rival, SCCS (which reveals the amount of energy our students, parents and faculty possess!), our first field trips, and some exciting classrooms activities (see this week's stories and Scenes of the Week for birds, fish and frogs). These are fun things we've done amidst the necessary (dare I say less fun) stuff like standardized testing, homework and SAT prep. We are ramping up for Spirit Week and Homecoming next week and those events help keep up the energy and momentum on campus.
Once we're in November, it seems that we are rolling along at a faster pace as we run towards Grandparents Day, Fall Fun Day, and Thanksgiving break. By the time we hit Thanksgiving break, we will have been in school for 11 weeks with no real break, and we will all welcome some time to rest, enjoy family, and reflect on the many gifts God gives that we are thankful for.
Between Homecoming and early-mid November, we must be intentional about our attitudes and momentum as we may struggle to keep up the energy in the post Spirit week/Homecoming let down. If we are paying attention, we can rekindle those fires, and as we study together, worship together, compete in good-natured House games and competitive sports, serve our community and churches, and spend time with loved ones, we can make it to the next break with a joyful attitude.
"Classical" is a Culture Changer (Oct. 2, 2018)
The medieval model of classical education is so much more than teaching subjects or skills, or preparing people for the workforce. In fact, in order to be a valuable member of a workforce, it's important to know what's good and true and beautiful. If we prepare good people, they will perform well in life, both personally and professionally. We want to prepare students for college academically but we are more concerned with who they are when they get there. We want to do what our mission says: produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage...young men and women that colleges want on their campuses, businesses want to hire, parents would want their son or daughter to marry, and who will be raising up the next generation for service to Christ, to our community, and to our country. This is how our little school in Santa Clarita can change culture for the Kingdom.
So how do we develop and educate these young people? Classical education begins with the belief that Christ is sovereign over everything. So He must be integrated into every part of our curriculum and our community. We must recognize His fingerprints on History, as we see how He prepared the world for all that He would do; we see the amazing order of the world God created in math and science. We experience a relationship with Him as we study His word but also as we interact with others in a loving and gracious way - something that students learn on the playground, in group projects, in fine arts ensembles, on the athletic field, and many other venues.
Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric are more than just the classical buzz words that make up the trivium. They are purposeful seasons of learning development, and therefore the tools of learning that we utilize in our school. All subjects have a "grammar" - the fundamental rules and core knowledge of each subject, and young children enjoy the chants, songs and routines that foster this learning. "Logic" is the ordered and logical relationship of particulars in each subject - and 7th and 8th graders are at the developmental stage of asking questions and discovering the how and why of everything. "Rhetoric" is the stage where the grammar and logic of subjects can be clearly communicated. Our 9th-12th graders are learning every day how to speak and write effectively and persuasively.
Trinity has graduated seven classes so far and every graduate has been accepted to a 4-year university. Some of our alumni are in the workforce making an impact. A few have gotten married. Some are engaged to be married. Some are in the military serving our country. Some have come back to teach at Trinity and impart what they've learned on your students. Some are still in college earning their degrees, making an impact where they are. It's very exciting to see who and what our students are becoming. They are a generation of culture changers and they are already making a difference.
School Rivalries (Sept. 25, 2018)
USC vs UCLA. Harvard vs Yale. Berkeley vs Stanford. Annapolis vs West Point. And in our little valley, it's Hart vs Valencia and Trinity vs SCCS. Rivalries have a reputation. Mascots being stolen, insults spray-painted on campus and other grudge-related acts. Even without those crazy (and sometimes illegal) pranks, rivalries can be strong! And it is so with ours against Santa Clarita Christian School.
We've had two games recently against SCCS - football and volleyball. And I have found the psychology of rivalry interesting. You might notice that in big college rivalries, there is some similarity between schools. USC and UCLA are both big Los Angeles prestigious universities. Harvard and Yale are both Elite East coast schools. Annapolis and West Point are both military schools who have a similar motivation to produce defenders of our country. For Trinity and SCCS, we are both K-12 private Christian schools here in Santa Clarita. Another element that creates rivalry is the frequency of head-to-head games. We get to play SCCS often and those games are the best attended. Finally, we are pretty evenly matched with them in most sports. These three components (similarity, frequency of meeting, and parity) create energy which fuels intense excitement in the stands.
Rivalries are tradition and they create a feeling of family. When everyone is cheering together, wearing their school colors and rooting for the same outcome, there is a feeling of camaraderie. There is an energy in the stands where students, parents, faculty and alumni are bound together in celebration and competition for events like the Faith Bowl, which create memories and tradition.
Since SCCS and Trinity are both Christian schools, we hope to have a respectful and yet exciting rivalry that honors the Lord. It's fun to be loud and united in competition, but we don't want to lose sight of what we have in common and that's spreading the gospel. It was a beautiful thing to witness the school choirs sing together at the Faith Bowl. It's a blessing to gather on the field or court to pray together before a competition. It's a joy to know that while we play (or cheer) for our school, we are all doing it to the best of our ability for an audience of One!
We look forward to finishing our season with athletic teams at all levels.
Discipleship (Sept. 18, 2018)
It's so special to be in a place where we can intentionally teach our students about their Father and Creator. Under Dr. Dixon's leadership, we are adding an additional layer this year to our spiritual life on campus with the catechism. It's a joy for my soul to witness our students of all ages learning about our Lord. Not only in the classroom, but on the playground, in athletic competitions, fine arts groups, and with intentional times like chapel. With our big kids, we've started our discipleship groups. I started my group with the senior girls last week and it's very encouraging to see how many girls want to be seeking the Lord together on a regular basis during their lunch hour.
We discussed what they would like to use this time for and two things we are considering are Tim Kellar's devotional on Psalms, and a "40-Day Journey" with Deitrich Bonhoeffer, breaking down the Psalms.
Sometimes I get stuck on an author and that happened this summer with two authors. I've been reading Ken Follett - historical fiction is my favorite! I also read a few of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's - "God is on the Cross", "Letters and Papers from Prison", and "The Cost of Moral Leadership".
Another book I recommend is "Do it Scared" by Scott Allan. If you're going to have an impact, you're going to have to put yourself out there. Our kids are doing that on a regular basis. Our football players did it Friday night, Fine Arts students do it regularly, our little people do it when standing up to say their bible verse in class, and our seniors just started their work on their senior thesis. Trust me, every single one of them does that afraid. You build courage while you're doing it.
September 11th (Sept. 11, 2018)
Today is September 11th and it’s a day of remembrance for our country. This morning we honored our military, first responders and those who lost their lives on this fateful day in 2001. I’m so proud of our Young Americans for Freedom students for their commitment to make this event happen each year. They do a beautiful job!
We founded Trinity in 2001, so it was just a few days after school started with our 28 little people, that we all sat watching the news in horror. I wondered what would become of these young people, what would become of Trinity, what would happen in our country. I could never have imagined what God would do here at Trinity. Seventeen years later, we are thriving. Those little people have graduated years ago, and are finishing up college or have already finished and are working. I have no doubt that some of them will have little people of their own and in a few short years, we could have second generation Trinity students! I continue to be amazed at what God is doing here at our “little school” founded in 2001 in a tiny church on 15th Street in Newhall.
Wally and I were blessed this weekend to attend 2nd Class Midshipman Parents' Weekend at the US Naval Academy, where our son, Ian, is a junior. We were able to sit in on a couple of his classes, attend the Navy vs. Memphis game, and have dinner with the juniors and families in his company. It was a very special time!
All of our students are back on campus this week, after a week of Spiritual Emphasis, team-building, worship, discussion and fun. We are prayerfully moving into the school year, laying all of our people and our facility at His feet. We trust Him to continue to work in and through our people. Join us to pray any time. We meet on Wednesday mornings at 8:00am in the lobby.
An Emphasis on Spiritual (Sept. 4, 2018)
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend and, after attending Back-to-School Night, are fully prepared for the first semester of school. Since yesterday was Labor Day, I thought I'd remind you that Labor Day has been an annual celebration of American workers and their achievements since 1894. Average Americans at that time worked 12-hour days, seven days a week just to provide basic necessities for living. Even children as young as 5 or 6 worked in mills, factories and mines! Can you imagine our little kindergarten friends working in mines? You can read more about Labor Day here.
I am very excited for this week for our students as it's an important time in the life of our school, when we carve out time to focus on our relationship with God and with our peers at school. On Friday, our Logic School had their Spiritual Emphasis Day; today our Rhetoric School headed to Forest Home for the rest of the week, and our 4th-6th graders will have a special day on Thursday. Before much time passes at school, we want to remind them how to be good friends, how to build friendships, how to honor God in their actions and choices, and how to grow in their love for God. This sets the tone for the school year, the upper school students enjoy the team-building games, and the grammar school students enjoy their treats and interactive time with Mr. Richardson and me.
I hope you will take advantage this year of the special times with our administrators. We want to be available to answer questions and connect. There are opportunities throughout the year for:
Mornings with Massetto
Checking in with Richardson
Coffee with Caddow
IDS Connection
Dunkin with Dr. Dixon
These dates are all on the calendar. You can get to know other parents and get to know our administrators and their hearts for your students and for their work here at Trinity. If you can make yourself available, I highly recommend attending.
One last thing: I invite you to join me and others to pray! We have a prayer group that meets to pray over our school every Wednesday morning at 8:00am in the school lobby and we also have a Moms in Prayer group that will be meeting on Tuesday mornings. Contact Mrs. Strader at danistrader@msn.com for more info on that.
I pray blessings on your week!
Welcome Back! (Aug. 28, 2018)
Welcome back to school Trinity families! I am so excited to be back after a fun and full summer. Wally and I were blessed to spend time with our entire family in Arizona this summer. Our son Ian was visiting from the US Naval Academy and we enjoyed some time at the beach with him. Our girls, Hannah and Lily, played lots of volleyball and basketball while I read several historical fiction novels and Dietrich Bonhoeffer biographies. Our middle child, Hannah, is a senior this year and I'm so excited for her and can't believe how fast time flies.
As we embark on our first full week of school, I'm reminded why I love being here so much! It's the people! Our littlest students to our biggest, parents around campus, and an amazing faculty and staff!
At Trinity, we love our students and we are so happy that they love to be at school. We know that one of the best ways to teach children is to model the qualities we hope they develop. Our teachers are fantastic mentors and role models.
I pray that your family will be blessed this school year by what happens in the classroom, after school, in fine arts, athletics, and at home.