Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

I hope you are having a great day! It has been a spectacular week here at Trinity!

Here is some great advice from leadership guru Jim Rohn, who passed away this past December. I hope you enjoy!

The Ant Philosophy

by Jim Rohn

Over the years, I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept: the Ant Philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy.

Here is the first part: Ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way. They'll climb over. They'll climb under. They'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy -- to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants gather their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to think ahead. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun.

The third part of the Ant Philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great philosophy to have -- the ant philosophy. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

I urge you to share the Ant Philosophy with your middle schooler this weekend.

Here are our tests for the week:

6th Grade: None

7th Grade:

Wednesday - Science

Thursday - Keyboarding, Math 7

Friday - Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:

Tuesday: Old Testament

Friday: Algebra I, Science

Have a Great Weekend!

Correction

Eighth Grade Parents:

There was a mistake on this week's Middle School Notes. The 8th grade history test being given Friday is in Ms. McLemore's class. It was not her mistake -- it was mine!! I failed to write down the teacher's name when making my list before leaving for the weekend.

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope you have had a chance to enjoy this beautiful weekend with your family! Today has certainly been a "Chamber of Commerce" day - absolute perfection!

This year, Trinity School has endeavored to teach our kids about giving back. We have done this by sponsoring mission opportunities both here and abroad by raising money for Common Ground's Montgomery ministries, providing a well for clean drinking water in Africa, and donating our old shoes to those in need.

As you work at the increasingly difficult task of raising your kids in a world of takers, we would like to provide you with some tips that, along with what we are doing here at school and in the local church, will help them grow to be Christ-like givers. By partnering together, we can show our children how to serve like Jesus.

Grace Fox published an article in the April 2005 issue of Discovery Years entitled Serving as a Family. Focus on the Family recently picked up the article, and you may read it by clicking here. You should find some helpful tips to encourage your children to view their role in this world through the eyes of Christ.

Here are our tests for the week:

6th Grade:

Monday - Social Studies

Tuesday - English, Math

7th Grade:

Friday - Economics

8th Grade:

Thursday - US History (Weeks)

Friday - US History (McLemore), Algebra I

Have a wonderful week!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Common Sense Media is an excellent website with tons of resources for parents and teachers alike. Recently, I found a great video full of tips on how to handle text messaging and your teen. You may access the video by clicking here.

We have been working on some exciting changes at Trinity, including our upcoming building project which will completely renovate our middle and upper school library space, and add a new lower school building complete with a new lower school library. We have also been looking at some curriculum changes, and these begin with some in the science department which will affect our current eighth grade class. Following is a memo to parents from Mrs. Sarah Tyus, the chairman of the science department here at Trinity:

The Science Department has decided to make some changes in the course selections starting in the 9th grade in order to better serve our students. All 9th graders will be taking biology or honors biology starting next year (2010-2011). This will allow students who are very strong in science and math to continue on to honors chemistry in 10th grade, and then AP chemistry and AP biology in 11th and 12th grade if they choose, without having to double up on their sciences in the 11th grade. Students who are weaker in math will take physical science in 10th grade and chemistry or honors chemistry in the 11th grade.

Physical science lays the foundation for chemistry and physics, but when taken in the 9th grade, the students tend to forget much of what they have learned by the time they need it in the 11th grade. by offering physical science and chemistry back to back in 10th and 11th grade, we feel that the students will achieve greater success.

Please consult the course description guide (handbook) online to help decide what is best for your child. There are some prerequisites and grade requirements for some of the classes.

Here are our tests for next week:

6th Grade: None

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Science (big quiz)

Wednesday - Economics, Math 7

Friday - Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:

Monday - Algebra I

Have a great weekend!

A Cup of Cold Water

This fall, the students here at Trinity raised $5,000 to install a well in a community in Africa that had no clean drinking water. Click here to see a very special "thank you" video from the people in this community.

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

Middle School Notes

The empty tomb pictured here represents hope for all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God. I hope your family enjoyed a blessed Easter!

Please click here to view an inspiring, three minute movie based on the powerful poem by James Allen Francis - "One Solitary Life."

May we remember what Christ did for us as we walk through life daily, and may we also remember that every Sunday is Easter Sunday!

Here are our tests for this week:

6th Grade:

Thursday - Social Studies Map Test

Friday - Math, Science

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Economics, Old Testament

Friday - English

8th Grade:

Tuesday - History (Weeks), English

Have a great week!