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Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, Staff & Friends, Merry Christmas! For the Christian, Christmas and Easter are the two most important days of the year. Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure of history, Jesus Christ. (Even our calendar testifies of this fact for it is divided into B.C. and A.D.!) Of all the celebrations taking place during this time of year, the birthday of our Lord and Savior is the focal point for the Christian believer. The gospels of Matthew and Luke record specific events leading up to our Lord’s birth. Luke’s account is often memorized and quoted by children of all ages. John’s record is different. John writes about the pre-existent Christ, His divinity and creative power. Then, in verse four, he declares that “In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men.” Finally, in verse 14 John writes, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. It is important to recognize John’s declaration. This declaration explains that Jesus is God who became flesh so that we may have life, have light (godly guidance) and know His Father. As believing parents, we desire for our children to come to this same knowledge of Christ. This is the Father’s heart for His children. It is the heart of the Christmas message. As you enjoy this Christmas season, take time to reflect and share with your loved ones the life and light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. HAVE A MERRY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS ! Ben Haskell Headmaster “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 Merry Christmas From the Headmaster’s Desk By Mr. Ben Haskell TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF CAPE COD FALL / WINTER 2012 Growing Our Future In Grace & Knowledge

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Page 1: Growing Our Future - Razor Planetmedia1.razorplanet.com/share/511112-7751/siteDocs/fall newsletter … · Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty, Staff & Friends,

Merry Christmas! For the Christian, Christmas and Easter are the two most important days of

the year. Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure of history,

Jesus Christ. (Even our calendar testifies of this fact for it is divided into B.C. and A.D.!)

Of all the celebrations taking place during this time of year, the birthday of our Lord and Savior

is the focal point for the Christian believer. The gospels of Matthew and Luke record specific

events leading up to our Lord’s birth. Luke’s account is often memorized and quoted by

children of all ages.

John’s record is different. John writes about the pre-existent Christ, His divinity and creative

power. Then, in verse four, he declares that “In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of

men.” Finally, in verse 14 John writes, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

It is important to recognize John’s declaration. This declaration explains that Jesus is God who

became flesh so that we may have life, have light (godly guidance) and know His Father.

As believing parents, we desire for our children to come to this same knowledge of Christ. This

is the Father’s heart for His children. It is the heart of the Christmas message. As you enjoy

this Christmas season, take time to reflect and share with your loved ones the life and light of

our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

HAVE A MERRY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS !

Ben Haskell Headmaster

“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

Merry Christmas From the Headmaster’s Desk By Mr. Ben Haskell

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF CAPE COD FALL / WINTER 2012

Growing Our Future In Grace & Knowledge

Page 2: Growing Our Future - Razor Planetmedia1.razorplanet.com/share/511112-7751/siteDocs/fall newsletter … · Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure

TCA Europe-bound Students with Syrus the Elephant ! By Mrs. Fargher & the TCA Europe Crew

It is perhaps a widely known fact that the Carthaginian leader, Hannibal, in order to

conquer the Romans by surprise, marched from his base in Spain into Italy with a large army and a

thirty seven strong herd of elephants. In so doing he was forced to traverse two mountain ranges,

the Pyrenees and the Alps, and cross the territory of modern day France. Less commonly known, however, is that he had

amongst the herd a pet elephant named Syrus. The history books do not record whatever happened to Syrus on his epic

journey, but it is clear that neither he and nor his owner ever reached Rome. In February of this school year, seven high schoolers from TCA will also be attempting the same arduous journey.

Starting out from Madrid they too will make their way across Spain over to Italy, accompanied by a large herd of other

students. Just as Hannibal had seemingly insurmountable problems to overcome, our students will be faced with similarly daunting challenges; the

language barrier, the cultural differences, history pre-dating the seventeenth century and last but not least foreign food and currency. However, that

is where the similarities end. Recognizing the drawbacks of Hannibal's overland journey, the students are planning on taking the more direct sea

route via the night ferry from Barcelona, and thereby achieve what Hannibal failed to do, that is to arrive safely in Rome. The funding of the two expeditions could not be more different. Unlike Hannibal, the students do not have the wealth and resources of

the vast Carthaginian Empire at their disposal and therefore have had to be more dependent on their own piggy banks and reliant on external

donations. To this end they have been very resourceful implementing some very creative fund-raising events. These have ranged from the truly

wacky: polar bear plunges and pink flamingos, to the more mundane car washes and bake sales. Perhaps the most successful have

been the birthday surprises, a great favorite with the younger students and the monthly ice cream stands. . So, to all the parents who have in some way contributed to this trip, by the buying of ice-cream, ordering a birthday

surprise, having your car washed, sending in your used cans and bottles for redemption, the students extend a HUGE HEARTFELT

THANK YOU. Please know that you are helping them to partake of an adventure, the memories of which will stay with them for

a lifetime, to expand their horizons and enable them to grow more self-independent. Your support has made this possible!

Page 2 TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF CAPE COD FALL / WINTER 2012

2012 - Groundbreaking for Creative Arts and Activity Center. 2011 - Received Dual Accreditation with Association of Christian Schools International & New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 2006 - Completion of Phase Two: Upper Level Wing. 2004 - Completion of Phase One: Lower Level Wing. 2003 - Groundbreaking for New Campus in Barnstable 2001 - Received Accreditation from Association of Independent Schools of New England. 1998 - Name Change from Trinity Christian School to Trinity Christian Academy of Cape Cod.

1980’s - School Continues to Grow. Occupies 5 Buildings

1970’s - School Grows & Adds Grades.

1967 - Trinity Christian School is Established and Opens with Pre-Kindergarten Program Housed at Evangelical Baptist Church in South Yarmouth.

Trinity Third Graders Spread Their Wings! By Mrs. Wordell

During the month of September, the third graders studied the life cycle of animals in Science. These lessons really came to life when we observed the metamorphosis

of a butterfly. First, we watched for 10 days 35 caterpillars (larva stage) eat their

way to the chrysalis stage. After patiently waiting 10 more days, the chrysalis

emerged as beautiful Painted Lady butterflies!! We used a hand lens to watch the

Painted Ladies while they were in their netted pavilion. We saw them drink through their proboscis sugar

water sprinkled on mums and orange juice. We also were able to identify their three main body parts, the

abdomen, thorax, and head. By the end of this project, each of us were able to tell about the functions of

each part, too! After our observations, we then invited our parents, Mr. Haskell, Mrs. Wiegand, Miss

Bogert, and the second graders to a very special butterfly presentation in our classroom. Afterward, we

led them to a special spot on the edge of the soccer field to release and say our fond farewells to the 35

Painted Ladies that we had grown so attached to over the past 24 days!! The Painted Ladies only live two

to four weeks so they were more than ready to take off and enjoy their short life span. It’s hard to believe

that they can travel up to 1,000 miles during that short time! After their release, we formed a huge circle

and then Ava led us in a prayer in which we all praised God for His AWESOME CREATION!!

In October, the third graders were invited by the Dennis Historical Society to visit the Josiah Dennis Manse. When we arrived, we were given names that were common during the 1700’s. The boys were

called Ezekiel, Freeman, Shubal, Jedidiah, and Jotham. The girls were given the names Reliance, Ethelinda,

Lottie, Hittie, Lucretia, and Content. Next, the boys were dressed in vests, and the girls wore bonnets and

aprons. Afterward, we went back in time as we toured the rooms of the manse. It was built in 1736 for

the Rev. Josiah Dennis. He was the first minister in the area. Also, the town of Dennis was named after

him. While visiting the manse, we made butter in the keeping room, carted wool from local sheep, and got

to see Mistress Kelley weave the wool on a loom from the 1700’s. In the maritime room, we saw models

and pictures of clipper ships and learned that at least 6 ships were made on the cape. We also discussed

about the early saltworks that was started on Cape Cod. It was in East Dennis in 1776 that salt from sea

water was first successfully obtained! The students also experienced what it was like to be a student in the

1700’s and had fun writing with graphite and quill pens and ink. Before leaving, we were treated to home-

made bread and the superb butter we had made in the keeping room!! All of us agreed that it was abso-

lutely DELICIOUS!!!

For our first major project in third grade, we were asked to read a book of our choice and then create a poster to try to entice other students to read our particular book! On the day the project was due, we

were asked to have our poster concealed in a large bag. Afterward, each of us unveiled our great work of

art and gave a short presentation about it! It has been quite exciting to see the wonderful creativity that

has gone into each of the projects.

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Page 3 TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF CAPE COD FALL / WINTER 2012

The Kindergarten Class Says The Cutest Things... By Mrs. Trombi

“What have you enjoyed learning about in Kindergarten so far?”

Adrian: “I like free choice, recess, snack center, and learning about Adam & Eve.”

Arbel: “I like reading center.”

Carina: “I liked learning about rhyming in the reading center.”

Charlie: “I like Art projects, especially the apple-print flowers!”

Christian: “I like reading stories---the story about Abraham and baby Isaac.”

Faith: “I like syllable activities in Reading center.”

Isabella: I like the story about Adam and Eve.”

Jacob: I like the story about sending baby Moses down the river to keep him safe.”

Jair Jr.: “I like circling beginning sounds in reading center.”

Josie: “I like when we sing songs if it’s your birthday.”

Lukas: I like free choice, outside time, and story time.”

Matthew: “I like delivering milk to everyone.” (Lunch Lamb Job)

McKenna: “I like recess and counting with pennies in math center.”

Phineas: “I like recess.”

Sarah: “I like recess and being the Line Leader.”

Stephany: “I like playing in the Kitchen area and making cards for everyone.”

Wesley: “I like learning about syllables in reading center.”

The Artful Hand By Mrs. Mack

ART CLASSES are

cruising along. High

School has begun

with studies of

composition in

Black and White .

M O N D R I A N

crisscross balance and unity designs

have come out extremely well.

Middle school has begun by designing

covers for their portfolios that are

based on a different ancient or classical

culture.

Gr. 8 GREEK AND ROMAN

Gr. 7 Medieval Family Crests Gr. 5,6 Native American or Mayan,

AZTEC, INCA Grades 1-4 are creating schools of fish

both 2-D and 3-D. Skills practiced in

elementary art at the beginning are

cutting on a curve and zig - zag,

measuring , centering, using stencils,

colored pencil blending and using a

reference photo to create accurate

creative textures on their fish.

The best is yet to come!!!!!!!

Fifth Grade News By Mrs. Campbell

The fifth grade class is off to a wonderful start to the school year! The theme of

our first reading unit was courage, so we have been exploring that concept in

many different ways. We are currently reading “The Borrowers” and discussing

the courage it took to be tiny people in a big, big world. We have learned of the

courage and faith of Abraham when God called him from his home in Ur to

travel to an unknown land and the courage of Jacob to return to his home and

face his brother Esau. Below you’ll find our own definitions of the word courage,

and some of the ways the 5th graders have demonstrated it in their lives.

Maddie Hewson said, “I believe courage is when you keep on trying. I displayed

courage when I got back on my surfboard after I fell off.” Mark Gorman wrote,

“I believe courage is doing what you doubted you could do. Courage is kind of

like facing your fears.” Joshua Peck said, “I displayed courage when I came to a

new school and was nervous. Now I’m happy and I like the school. I think other

people should come here today.” Kyle Popillo told us that he “displayed courage

when he went bridge jumping and was the first one in his family to jump

off.” Alex King said, “I believe courage is standing up for other people and trying

new things.” Lizzy Munsey wrote, “I display courage when I play soccer with my

friends at school and am the goalie. I believe courage is when you take a risk of

getting hurt but keep trudging forward.” Skyeler Sandison said, “I think courage

means if you are scared to do something and you bring up the nerves to do it,

that’s courage. I displayed courage when I sang at Willy’s gym in

Eastham.” Dariel Segolini wrote,” I displayed courage when I swam for the first

time. I almost drowned. Now I can swim.. I believe courage is doing hard

things.” Raquel Tinoco said, “I believe courage is doing something hard. Courage

can be what you believe in that’s right but others don’t think so…courage is

being brave.” said to Sarah Rocha, “courage is when someone does something

that they’re scared of doing but they are determined to do it. God is always with

you, so you have nothing to fear.”

Page 4: Growing Our Future - Razor Planetmedia1.razorplanet.com/share/511112-7751/siteDocs/fall newsletter … · Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure

Where a Christian Education Shapes a Lifetime! Page 4

4th Grade Class Expands Their Horizons! By Mrs. Byrnes

Geography, long-division, classification! Oh my! These are just a few of the things we have

been studying here in the fourth grade. It wasn't long after the first day of school that I

knew I was in for a real treat this year. With eighteen lively students, we blasted off into

our academic subjects with much enthusiasm and haven't slowed down since.

In Social Studies, we began the year as geographers, learning the locations of

the continents and oceans, how to locate places using latitude and longitude, and how

climate affects where people live and how they use the land. With the presidential election fast approaching, we are

focused on learning as much as possible about democracy. In the coming weeks, we will travel back in time and watch

our nation’s Founding Fathers write the Constitution, sign the Pre-Amble to the Constitution, and participate in a mock

campaign and election.

In Science, we transformed from students into taxonomists, as we discovered the five characteristics that distinguish

living things from non-living things. Students investigated whether yeast is a living thing through a series of experiments.

We also learned the importance of how God designed all living things in such a unique way to be able to meet the

challenges of their surroundings!

Over the river and through the woods, to TCA we go! In Language Arts, we are learning about prepositional phrases

and the structure of sentences. We memorized forty prepositions and twenty-three helping verbs thanks to a song sung

to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” In the coming weeks, we will study the mystery genre in Reading and explore what it takes

to write a good mystery and how to be an even better detective. There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for us

and we look forward to sharing more with you in the spring! God bless!

ANNUAL SPRING

BANQUET

Growing Our Future

In Grace & Knowledge

MAY 3, 2013

6:00 PM

Cape Codder Resort, Hyannis MA

Keynote Speaker Robert Amaya Robert Amaya is a bilingual actor/singer and has

performed classic productions such as "You Can't

Take It With You", "A Midsummer's Night Dream",

"Les Miserables" & "Miss Saigon". Working for Walt

Disney World Co., he was a member of the

acclaimed, Voices of Liberty and is a worship leader,

children's ministry actor at his church. Robert is most

recently known for his role as Javier in the award

winning Film, “COURAGEOUS” and travels across

the nation singing/speaking about a variety of topics

including fatherhood, honor and Christianity.

MEET OUR NEW STAFF

A.D. Coach / P.E. Director Jennifer McManus : As a certified cheerleading coach

with National Christian Cheer Coaches Association, Jennifer brought her teams to national

competitions. She received her teaching certificate in Social Sciences for grades 6-12 at

Florida Atlantic University, her Masters of Social Work from Barry University in Miami, Florida

and has a Bachelors degree in Social Work and Bible from Philadelphia Biblical University. First Grade Teacher Joanna Flynn : Joanna received her Masters in Education from

Lesley University and is certified to teach Grades 1-6. Trinity would like to welcome "back"

Joanna as our First Grade Teacher! Mrs. Flynn left Trinity in 2008 to give birth to her twins.

Her prior experience at Trinity included teaching Grades One and Four. She was also a

long-term substitute teacher at Lawrence MacArthur Elementary School and a K-6 substitute

teacher in the D. Y. School District. Art Teacher Karen Mackiewicz : "Mrs. Mack" , as her students affectionately call her,

is a dynamic teacher with more than 10 years experience teaching grades K-12 in all aspects

of 2-D and 3-D design with an emphasis in skill building. She has developed a skill based

curriculum for grades 6 - 8 for the Barnstable public school using project based assessment

tools integrating art history discovery and interpretation for all ability levels. Mrs. Mack earned

a BFA in Art Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is certified to teach

K-12 Art. Pre-K to 2nd Music Peggy Trombetta : Peggy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in

Elementary Education from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA. She has been a

substitute teacher at Trinity and accompanist for programs and has been involved in

children's ministry for over 15 years. Peggy currently is a Church worship leader, plays piano,

and her experience includes creating and directing a children's Christmas musical, directed a

Kid's Summer Day Camp. Director of Student Ministry Carla Tirrell : Carla earned her Masters in Theology/

Pastoral Ministry from Saint Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont and brings twenty years of professional experience, 14 of those years as the Director of Campus Ministry at Bishop

Feehan High School in Attleboro, MA. While at Bishop Feehan she developed a Peer

Ministry Leadership Training Program which grew from 35 participants in 1997 to 500

participants in 2011 with a 70 student Campus Ministry Leadership Board. Mrs. Tirrell will

coordinate community service opportunities, student retreats and serves as a TCA Student

Council Advisor.

Page 5: Growing Our Future - Razor Planetmedia1.razorplanet.com/share/511112-7751/siteDocs/fall newsletter … · Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure

TECHNOLOGY UP-GRADES

A recent area of school progress is the

upgrade to the school’s technology. A

committee of faculty, administration and

board developed a school technology

plan and just implemented the first phase

of the plan. We would like to thank all

of our Hoop-A-Thon sponsors for your

financial support. Funding from the Hoop-A-Thon over the

past two years has provided a new

mobile computer lab for faculty &

students. Proceeds from this year’s event

will implement the next phase of our

technology plan and assist with its

integration into the Trinity student

learning experience. Utilizing traditional, and emerging

technology, our overall goal is to equip

TCA students with the skills necessary to

function effectively as productive citizens

in our society for the glory of God.

Thank you again for your financial

support and prayers to support Trinity’s

growing enrollment, building project,

upgrades in technology and ongoing

professional development. We appreciate

your continued partnership as we

educate, nurture and develop a genera-

tion of Christ-focused servant leaders.

Where a Christian Education Shapes a Lifetime! Page 5

Building Community for Our Children As we celebrate Trinity’s 45th Anniversary, we are

reminded of God’s endless faithfulness and provision.

What started as an early childhood program housed in a

church in South Yarmouth has since blossomed into a fully

accredited Pre-K to 12th grade program perched on a 6.9

acre campus in Barnstable. Today, we have an incredible opportunity to further

develop and strengthen our academic and extracurricular

programs at TCA. A generous supporter has committed

resources to help us build Stage One of a Creative Arts

and Activity Center. This gift covers the architectural,

building, and engineering fees and will

help pay for the cost to build the exterior

shell of a 48’ x 88’ steel structure. The proposed project will do so much to

enhance the overall learning environment

and program offering at Trinity.

The addition will provide the space needed for physical

education classes, after school sports practices, school

events, meetings, lunch, drama, art, music and band, while

giving us the flexible space we might need for other

specials and electives. The goal of the Building Community for Our Children

campaign is to raise the funds and in-kind gifts of

materials and labor required to finish the project off.

We invite you to join us in this effort!

Learn more at ...

http://www.trinitychristiancapecod.org/alumni--giving/

building-community-for-our-children.html

For More Information

Contact Peg Haskell

Director of Development 508-790-0114

Trinity Christian Academy Reaches Out to Staten Island Hurricane Sandy Victims

“I Needed Clothes and You Clothed Me.” Matthew 25:36

After returning from a visit to her parents’ home in

Staten Island, TCA’s Athletic Director/PE Teacher,

Mrs. McManus shared about the desperate need for

clothing and shoes for the victims of Hurricane

Sandy. Many families lost everything. Responding to

the need, parents, students, faculty and staff

organized a two day clothing drive. The original plan

was that Mrs. McManus would load her mini van and

would personally deliver everything to distribute to

her family’s church which had set up a clothing closet

as well as various shelters in the area. The response was overwhelming! There were so

many bags of clothing dropped off on the first day,

that it became very apparent that a truck would be

needed. Praise God! Someone stepped forward and

donated enough funds to rent a truck and others

contributed to the gas and tolls! TCA families started sharing the news about the

relief effort with their friends, families, co-workers and churches through email

and Facebook. Local radio and newspapers began spreading the word too. By

day two donations were spilling out onto the school’s front walk way. Soon, the

16 foot truck was not big enough! However, Penske Rentals partnered with our

effort and upgraded the size of the truck at no additional cost. People from all

walks of life, from all over Cape Cod dropped off donations all day! Please keep

all the people who have experienced loss from Sandy in your prayers!

Page 6: Growing Our Future - Razor Planetmedia1.razorplanet.com/share/511112-7751/siteDocs/fall newsletter … · Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birthday of the central figure

We are so grateful for what the Lord is doing at Trinity! By Mrs. Haskell

Director of Development

In August we celebrated with a Groundbreaking Ceremony for our new Creative Arts and Activity Center. On

September 5th we welcomed 139 students! Our Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) kicked off the year with a great Back-to

-School BBQ!!! The PTF leadership team is energized and already has hosted wonderful and well attended events such as

Family Bowling Night and the Annual Thanksgiving celebration.

Hoop-A-Thon: Fundraising was a huge success! Special thanks goes to our Co-Chairs Laurie Webster and Rhonda

Sandison for the many hours they devoted to make this a fun event for our students. We raised $18, 257!!! All the

proceeds will help with Phase Two of the school’s Technology Plan and will provide funding for PTF to help support all

they do for our school community. Last year’s Hoop-A-Thon helped us implement Phase One of our Technology Plan

and provided a brand new mobile laptop computer lab with new software for students as well as more routers to boost

our wireless signal. Our goal with Phase Two is to upgrade technology for the teachers and provide funding to allow

more integration of technology in the classrooms.

Grant News: We received notice from the Cape Cod Foundation that TCA was approved for a mini-grant of $1,000

from the Vito Pini Fund to help us gain an additional site license with Lexia Learning!!! Lexia Learning has proven to be a

great reading resource for our students. This is the second grant from the Vito Pini Fund. The Development Office

continues to submit inquiries to foundations and welcomes any information from you about foundations that may a good

fit with the mission of our school.

Building Community for Our Children Capital Campaign: We are reaching out to individuals and foundations to

consider partnering with us to provide the funding needed to complete the New Creative Arts and Activity Center. To

date, approximately $283,000 has been donated/designated to the project. The first stage will be to finish the 48 x 88

addition. All that remains at this point for Stage One is the electrical, plumbing, heating, and finished interior work. Stage

Two will allow us to move the art and music/band programs out into the new building. This will require us to build two

rooms that will occupy half the space. The remaining space will serve as a multi-purpose room and will accommodate

physical education, after school sports, lunches, meetings, etc. TCA launched a series of Desserts/Parents' Night Out for

the purposes of providing fellowship, communication, information about the vision of the school and the current building

project. To date we have enjoyed four desserts, each of which has been hosted in private homes. We ask you to please

save the remaining dates and join us as we purpose together to build community:

Friday, Jan. 11- Grades 5 & 6

Friday, Jan. 25- Grade 2 Friday, Feb. 8- Kindergarten

Friday, March 8- Pre-K

Annual Fund Appeal: Every November the school sends out an Annual Appeal Letter to approximately 1700 TCA

Friends. All donations to the Annual Fund Appeal help TCA close the gap on the true cost of educating our students. You will find that there are many opportunities to give of your time, talents and treasures at Trinity Christian

Academy! One may have the means to give generously of their finances, while another is called to contribute their time

and talents. In either case, each person is making a significant contribution to the mission of the school and is helping us

to provide a quality Christian education that is affordable. We encourage you to pray about these opportunities and how

the Lord wants you to be involved. Together we can make a difference for the students and staff at Trinity Christian

Academy! Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization and is funded through tuition, gifts and

fundraising. The goals of the Development Office are to generate financial support for TCA and to work with the

families and staff in furthering its mission. At Trinity, we believe when we share areas of need we are simply providing

stewardship opportunities to families, friends and alumni. We recognize our responsibility to apply Scripture to all

aspects of our development efforts. It is the school’s desire to fulfill Matthew 6:33 in the deepest sense: “But seek first

His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

We appreciate your prayer support for the upcoming year!

Where a Christian Education Shapes a Lifetime! Page 6

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Where a Christian Education Shapes a Lifetime! Page 7

From the Halls of the Upper Level By Mrs. Williamson Upper Level Lead Teacher

As Trinity Christian Academy's Upper Level (grades 7-12) continues to grow and

expand many people have requested information regarding our curriculum and programs.

Word is out that Trinity’s graduating Seniors have repeatedly been accepted to their

colleges of choice, and it has been acknowledged that we have successfully completed the

rigorous dual-accreditation process by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International)

and NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges).

"What is TCA's Upper Level really like?" In answer to this question, the suggestion can

be made, "Take a walk with me down the halls of Trinity". Although a visit in person is

always preferable (and welcomed!), I'd like to offer an opportunity in this newsletter to take a virtual stroll through the

Upper Level during a typical day.

As we enter the Upper Level in the morning, we see students greeting each other, unpacking backpacks, and

retrieving books from lockers as they get ready for the day. (Junior and Senior High students have separate designated

locker areas). The warning bell rings, and the students move on to either morning devotions, or Upper Level Chapel,

which recently has included the newly formed Praise and Worship team and Discipleship teams, under the guidance of

Mrs. Carla Tirrell, assisting with music and leading discussion groups prior to listening to a message from School Chaplain

Pastor Erik Eskelund.

As the bell for the next class rings, students disperse to various classrooms. At the end of the hall we find Math

classes, such as Pre-Algebra, Algebra I & II, and Advanced Math (Geometry and Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus) among

others. Students good-naturedly compete for the highest average via a NASCAR "race" overseen by Mr. Mushet. Across

the hall, 7th or 8th grade students are diving into their Bible curriculum with Mr. Clarkson, and next door to the left

(past the college-planning informational bulletin board), older students might be engaged in a lively discussion with Mr.

Porter in his British Literature class or Understanding the Times Bible Class, depending on the period.

Across the hall again, we find the World language classroom, where Mrs. Fargher conducts a variety of

challenging, interactive language classes, including Latin, Spanish, French and most recently, German. Group projects are

displayed on a bulletin board outside her door, along with updates regarding fundraisers for the upcoming trip to Europe.

Speaking of bulletin boards, if we turn around, we see a large one midway down the hallway, with announce-

ments and photographs pertaining to extra-curricular activities such as: Student Council, Campus Ministries, the Drama

Club's upcoming fall production of Tom Sawyer, and past issues of the TCA Student Newspaper.

After a time the bell rings again, we travel with the students past a daily announcement board and a table set up

by Student Council members with water bottles, apples and packaged baked goods for sale during snack break. Just past

this on the left is Mrs. Williamson’s Science Room, where a peek in the door reveals students wearing goggles, aprons

and gloves and engaging in dissection of a bone marrow sample for Anatomy/Physiology class, or a bivalve for Marine

Biology class. (At a different time, we would see students peering through microscopes for life Science and Biology,

testing the pH of solutions in Physical Science, or flame-testing compounds in Chemistry).

Across the hall, we can hear students diagramming sentences, reading aloud from a novel, or discussing literary

themes in Mrs. Willey's English class. At another time of day, discussions concerning events in American History, World

History, or American Government might be heard from both Junior and Senior High History classes.

As we walk past a Science bulletin board featuring posters related to current units of study, pictures from

the annual trip to the National Seashore. and biological drawings done by students, we come next to Mrs. “Mack’s” Art

room. Colorful graphic designs celebrating the work of artist Piet Mondrian are displayed in the hallway,

along with a colorful mobile. Entering the Art room, one is treated to an explosion of colors, images,

sculptures, still-life scenarios, and instructional materials designed by our Art Instructor, Karen Mackiewicz.

As we head back into the main wing of Trinity, the harmonious sounds of Upper Level Choir

rehearsing "Dona Nobis Pacem" wafts down the hall. Later in the day, the sounds of voices will be replaced

by instrumental music from band practice. Also later in the day, we might be passed by students

wearing cleats and green and white uniforms, heading eagerly up to the soccer field. (Earlier, it

would have been members of the touch football lunch club) So our "Stroll" concludes; just a

snapshot, of a typical day in the Upper Level. If you are curious and would like to see more, please

contact the office to schedule a tour, or better yet come visit a Open house!

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TCA Winter Ski Trip

A Parent volunteer is organizing a family day of Skiing at Crotched

Mountain on Friday, January 18th. Disclaimer: All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian …this is a family event.

You must provide your own transportation.

For more information : www.crotchedmountain.com

Date: Friday, January 18th

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: $29 for Elementary & Middle School

$39 for High School & Adult

What does this all include? It includes a lift ticket,

1 hour lesson, rental equipment (ski or snowboard),

Lunch (pizza or hot dog, bag of chips & soda), and lots of fun!

Bring your own snacks or extra money for the cafeteria.

For reservations contact Karen Timm at 508-548-4437 /[email protected]

All funds are due by Wednesday, January 16th

****************************************************************************************************************

SECOND GRADE NEWS By Miss Bogert

September and October were very exciting months for the second grade class. We have had a first hand view of the new addition being built. We have watched the trucks delivering equipment, cranes lifting the roof pieces, men hammering the steel pieces together and putting the walls up, and we have been listening to all the noises. The students’ reaction has been one of amazement and excitement. During the month of October the class discussed the life of Christopher Columbus. We learned that his request for trips to the Indies was rejected many times by other countries. Yet Christopher never gave up. Finally, the queen and king of Spain sponsored his trips. We reviewed how in life you should be persistent and ask God to help you. After discussing Christopher Columbus, the students wrote about what it would have been like traveling on the boat with him. They mentioned that sleeping on hard floors, not eating healthy food, getting seasick and traveling so long would not be pleasant.

Throughout the day, we practice our math facts by playing around the world. The students absolutely love this game. After lunch and recess I read Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a story about a boy named Christian who decides to travel from his hometown to Celestial City. On his journey he ventures off his path and gets himself into trouble. We have learned how Satan wants to distract you from following and knowing God. The entire class loves listening to this story and viewing the pictures that go along with it.

In science class, we are studying the weather and having fun doing experiments. We learned in history that Benjamin Franklin came up with the concept of libraries and helped to reorganize the post office. In spelling we are learning the difference between words such as their and there and developing our phonic skills. In Bible we studied about Abraham and Moses. We learned how God protects and provides for us. We read how God performed miracles for Abraham and Moses. Studying these two men has reminded us of the importance of praising God for who He is and what He has done.

Where a Christian Education Shapes a Lifetime! Page 8