Our History
History: A letter from the Head of School
As Head of School at Trinity Classical Academy, I am truly blessed and privileged to be a part of what is happening at our Imago Dei School, our school within a school, to serve students with special needs.
Nine years ago, Imago Dei’s principal, Megan Howell, began to talk to me about this dream of hers: that students like her son Beau, who has autism, could also attend a school like Trinity, alongside his siblings. Private schools just don’t offer the special services that children need. It’s costly and it’s difficult. We already had in place a supplemental services program to help children who learn differently. It was, and still is, very successful. Children are thriving with their specialized instruction and modifications that allow them the time and space needed to learn how to think and how to learn. It has been inspiring to watch.
A few years ago, Mrs. Howell was ready to do what it took to make it possible to serve students with more significant learning and developmental disabilities. She felt passionately that as a Christian school, it was even more necessary that we discover how we could serve the whole body of Christ, quoting Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” We had always determined that we wanted to serve the entire body of Christ, from Transitional Kindergarten through twelfth grade, from various Christian denominations and backgrounds, as well as different socio-economic positions. This would be a great challenge to serve this under-served population of special needs students. Megan Howell was up to the challenge. She acquired some financing and we made space. We tossed around several names for this school within a school, and when Imago Dei (Latin meaning “image of God”) was suggested, we all knew it was a perfect fit!
The Imago Dei School students are a welcome and exciting part of our student body. They are blessed by receiving a Christian education that challenges them to reach their full potential, and our general education students and faculty are even more blessed by having them join us for a variety of things, from chapel to electives classes to fine arts and athletics. The Noble Knights program (for grammar school) and the Peer Mentor program (for upper school) allow our students to not only interact, but to invest in each other. The relationships that are developed and the encouragement gained by both parties in each friendship are invaluable. I could relate many stories about how lives are touched and changed through this school and its programs, but you can watch a few of these stories on the videos posted on this website. You will be inspired.
Blessings,
Liz Caddow
Founder and Head of School
Trinity Classical Academy