Mrs. Stanley

I know we still have about a month left of school, but I wanted to take a minute today to write about Mrs. Stanley.  As we all know, Ann has decided that after this year she will say goodbye to the Trinity Family.  For anyone who has had the fortune of having Ann as their child's teacher, this is a heart wrenching goodbye.

Ann's first year at Trinity, she was my daughter Anna's Kindergarten teacher. (This is before I was the principal.)

This is a picture of their first day.  Aren't they cute? :)

Notice Anna's huge smile.  She had a great first day.  However, fast forward one week and envision this:  screaming child, crying mom, me forcing Anna out of the car, dropping her off in latchkey and watching the latchkey teacher hug her so that she would let go of me and I could leave for work.  It was one of the most awful things I've had to do as a parent.  Now all of this was because Anna inherently has a lot of anxiety every time she encounters something new.  When she is out of her box, she shuts down.  I was beside myself as I didn't know what to do to help her.

Ann was Anna's guardian angel.  She was the most loving, supportive, and nurturing teacher for Anna and supported her every day until she eventually came to school like every other child.  No tears, no anxiety, happy kid, happy mom.  I will forever be grateful to Ann for what she helped Anna accomplish that year. Anna still absolutely loves "Miss Robinson!"  Look how much she loved her at graduation! 

In the years that I've been fortunate enough to work with her, I've seen Ann do amazing things with so many children.  She's touched the life of each child she's had in a way that is meaningful to each child and family.  I've seen her set her mind to helping a student reach a goal and not give up until he or she is there.  I've seen her laugh, cry, and love the kids with all her heart.  Ann's faith is strong and shows in her character.  She is a true Christian role model for her students.

I know that God will be with Ann as she leaves Trinity and moves forward with her future.  I will always treasure the impact she's made on my personal family, as well as our school family. 

Ann, we will miss you but know that you will continue to touch many, many lives.  You will always be a Trinity Tiger! 

K Kids Inc.!

Do you remember Kindergarten? I have a lot of memory "tidbits" from when I was five. I don't have a ton of "Wow, Kindergarten was great!" type memories. I'm sure at the time I thought Kindergarten was fun, but I think my experience in K left a lot of room for memorable moments. Here are some of the tidbits I remember:

1) Nap time. My least favorite time of the day. (Little did I know...) :)

2) Weekly readers-having no clue how to follow along to what my teacher was reading to me because I hadn't learned to read yet. 

3) My yellow plastic lunchbox with a dog on the front. 

4) Playing with Mark and Leslie in the kitchen area every day.

5) Taking a test on tying my teacher's shoe.

6) Having to count to 100 in front of the whole class at circle time so she could put it on the class chart. I specifically remember stopping at like 72 because I was "tired of that activity." :)

I could go on, but I'll stop there. I know how hard teachers work and I have no doubt that Mrs. Schneider did her best every day. And in her defense, Kindergarten has changed light years since I was there. But I can say for certain that we didn't do activities like the one pictured above-K Kids Inc.- to make lasting memories for me. 

Kindergarten at Trinity is making lasting memories for kids.  Recently our Kindergartners built resumes and applied for their first jobs.  Some of them applied to be assembly workers- to make the flower pens, snack mix, or bracelets to be sold.  Some applied to be bankers-to help take care of the money.  Some applied to be managers-making sure everyone was doing their job to make the business run smoothly.  It takes all kinds to make the business successful.  The business is up and running and based on the line that I had to wait in for my snack mix this morning, I know it is going to be successful! 

This post is another reflection on why Trinity is so special.  And time and time again, the only reason I can say this is because our teachers make it happen.  We have amazing and dedicated families who sacrifice to send their children to school here and our teachers take them under their wings and hold on to them for the moments they are blessed to have them in their classrooms.  Our teachers are making memories for our kids that will last a lifetime.  And that's what I want.  I want our kids to learn as much as they can while they are here, but more importantly I don't want them to have tidbits of memories, but instead experiences they can think back on and say "That was awesome!" 

 

Way to Go!

I'd like to take a few minutes today to brag on a former Trinity Student (actually a couple.)  Addy Miller-Brown is a 7th grader at Bunsold this year. Earlier this Winter she took part in the Bunsold Science Fair.  She, along with 3 other former Trinity students received a Superior Rating!  4 of the 7 Superior ratings came from Trinity! Way to represent, Addy, Kaleigh Dougherty, Abby Dougherty, and Katie Weller!   These 4 earned the priviledge of moving on to District competition. 

Addy did so well at Districts, that she is now State Bound for her Science experiment.  What an amazing accomplishment!

Today I received an email from Addy's mom Tammy who just wanted to express her sincere thanks to Trinity for all that we did in Addy's educational experience here that helped her gain the knowledge and confidence needed to make such a successful transition to the "bigger world." 

Here is an excerpt from the email:

One of the most instrumental decisions in our kid's lives has been to  send them to Trinity.  The foundation they have established while attending your school not only on a spiritual level but academically  as well, is priceless.   I'm amazed everyday how well Addy has handled the transition from leaving her small class of 11 to her current size of approx. 400.  Her confidence in facing everyday challenges is handled by  her  faith which was strengthened through example by your staff.   She was academically prepared for Bunsold by your knowledgeable staff.  I thank God for Mrs. Gibson who prepared Addy  with the math skills needed in mastering Pre-algebra. It was also Mrs. Gibson who fostered Addy's love for science leading Addy to her state competition.   

This email was the highlight of my day.  It's so nice to hear such wonderful things said about our school and it's impressive that Tammy took the time to share her thoughts with us.  I completely share her sentiments.  However, I'm here everyday as a principal and a parent and I  get to see firsthand how hard our teachers work and how much they love our kids.  But, it's even better when others see it and spread that good news.  So, thanks Tammy! 

I know I say it all the time, but Trinity truly is an amazing place.  We provide an excellent education in a safe Christian environment.  Addy is just one example of kids taking their faith and foundation with them. 

Good luck Addy-You are amazing and we believe in you!

Change the World

I'm sure most of you who are reading this have seen the video from Trinity's Facebook page of Sunday's "Change the World" production.  This video has gone viral with over 5,300 views currently.  If you haven't seen it, take a few minutes.  Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151417322179006

I just wanted to "blog" about my experience being apart of something like this.  For weeks I had known that my kids were going to sing at all 3 services and had heard them, even Luke, singing a song at home that was really catchy.  But on Sunday when it all came together, it was really moving and emotional.  June Saindon, our Praise Band, Pastor Kathy, and all the youth and members who helped out did an amazing job!

Now, I regulary get emotional when I hear great songs, especially when kids are a part of it.  You've probably seen me beaming with pride in chapel, or maybe even seen me with tears in my eyes during a song I love at church on Sunday.  But this was something entirely different.  This was moving!  This was something that got everyone on thier feet and ready to go out and change the world.  When the Sunday School kids joined in the parade, all I could think of was how proud I am that my kids could be a part of something special, at someplace really special.  How many of you grew up in a church that did things like this?  How many of you remember getting up on Sunday morning and when mom said "Time for church," responded "YES!" Now, don't get me wrong, I liked my church growing up, but I wasn't always excited about getting up on Sundays for 8am service.  My kids actually love going to church.  They love seeing thier friends. They love singing with the Praise Band. They love walking up to Communion for a blessing. They love Sunday School.  They love having donuts afterwards.  They love that they get to spend 6 of their 7 days a week at Trinity.  I am so happy that they are able to have the experiences that they do here at Trinity, and Sunday as I was thinking about all of that, I was truly emotional!  Trinity is a special place, both the Church and the School.  Whenever my mom visits she remarks on how the Spirit is moving at Trinity.  She should have seen it moving Sunday.  To all of us members...let's keep it going.  To our School Family...let's keep it going. 

 As we enter Holy Week and Spring Break next week, may the Spirit move you!  May God bless you with a wonderful break and a Blessed Easter! 

Mrs. Miller

I wanted to take some time today to write about Mrs. Miller, one of our 1st grade teachers at Trinity.  Most of you know that Mrs. Miller is expecting her first child, Little Lucy, sometime in April.  Mrs. Miller and her husband Chad are going to make amazing parents.  I'm so excited for Elizabeth and know that she has exciting days ahead of her. 

This is Mrs. Miller's 3rd year here at Trinity and we are so blessed that she chose to come teach here.  Elizabeth is a creative, organized, planful and reflective teacher.  She has unique ideas and shares them with others.  She is willing to help out anywhere that she can, and truly gives of herself.  Elizabeth loves her students and works hard to make sure she is meeting thier needs.  She is also one of the most patient people I know.  She is currently my daughter Reese's teacher, and if you know Reese, then you can understand how much patience she must have! :)  From a mom's perspective, I can't go wrong with any teacher at Trinity, but Reese has just fallen in love with Mrs. Miller and it's easy to understand why.  Reese feels loved and accepted in her classroom, and I couldn't ask for more. 

As I said before, Elizabeth is due in a couple weeks.  She is one of those teachers who is lucky enough to have a spring baby and can enjoy the summer off with the baby as well.  Sometimes teachers in this situation find themselves feeling "done" at this point in their pregnancy and don't always give all of thier heart and soul to teaching.  I have to say that this is not true for Elizabeth.  She comes to school everyday with as much determination as the day before for getting the job done.  She worries about her students, and wants to make sure they will still do great after she's had the baby.  (Which they will--Becky Wever will be her sub!)  I am truly grateful for Elizabeth's determination and dedication to her job. 

Thank you Mrs. Miller for all you do for Trinity.  You are amazing and we love you!  We also can't wait to meet Lucy in a few weeks.  May God shower his blessings on you and your family!

Mr. Brown

For those of you who have had students in Mr. Brown's classroom, you already know about his Basketball unit. Mr. Brown transforms his classroom into a basketball stadium, welcomes other classrooms in to challenge his students at a game, makes classroom jerseys, and generally creates a lot of "March madness" in his room! Okay, so this sounds like fun, but what are they learning? Well, Aaron has put a lot of thought into why he spends a week (or more) like this. First of all, the kids know that they can learn while they have fun. They are learning math lessons like counting and measurement, they are reading books about sports, they are learning about teamwork, and as Mrs. White would say, they are learning the "life skill" of sportsmanship. Do kids have to learn about winning and losing? You bet. Do kids have to learn that not everything in life will go as they planned? Absolutely. Mr. Brown is teaching them these life skills in a fun, exciting, and non-threatening way. 

 Ask Mr. Brown if he ever imagined he'd be teaching kindergarten and he laughs right out loud. However, he is an integral piece of what makes Trinity unique and exceptional. Thanks Mr. Brown for all you do. Go tigers!

 

Social Media

So, I have to admit, I am not good at Social Media.  I rarely check my Facebook page, I don't do Pintrest, I opened a Twitter account and have only tweeted once (for a class assignment) and I have no idea what Instagram is used for.  

However, that being said, Social Media in Education can be very useful.  Many of you are probably reading this because you followed the link from Facebook.  When I use our Facebook page, I'm helping to spread the good news of Trinity to those who may otherwise not know what's happening inside our walls.  When used in a safe way, and in a way in which our strong values are upheld, Trinity's story can be shared with the larger community.  The buzz in education these days is that if we don't share our story, someone else will.  So, why not share the story that you want everyone to know.  My March resolution is to do just that.  I'm committing myself to sharing our story so that all of you can share it as well.  

Facebook is a way for me to share our story, but I've also created a Trinity Twitter account. Follow us at:

@TrinityTigers1

News, updates, and stories will be shared here.  Help Trinity to make a presence in the Social Media world.  Get your family members and friends involved.  I love Trinity and want others to see how great of a place it is!  

God's Peace to You!