Middle School Matters

Greetings from the Middle School!

This post is a bit late due to our 7th grade Civics field trip yesterday.  We had the opportunity to visit the State Capitol, Judicial Building, State House, and Pike Road Town Hall.  Students were able to meet and visit with Governor Bob Riley, Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, House Speaker Seth Hammett, Representative Jay Love, and Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone.  Many thanks to Whitting McLemore for putting this trip together, and to Connie Cantey, Kelly Long, and Carol Jackson for serving as chaperons. Julie Green was also a big help as she brought our boxed lunches, lovingly prepared by Greg Fuller and the SAGE Dining staff, over to the Capitol for our lunch on the Capitol grounds.

Camp Cosby

I am really looking forward to next week because it means another trip to beautiful Camp Cosby with our 6th grade students, teachers, and parents!  We will be leaving Wednesday morning, and we are set to return to campus Friday afternoon.  Please be in prayer for all of us as we make this trip and continue the Camp Cosby Tradition.

Peter Pan Field Trip

Our middle school English classes will be going to the Shakespeare Festival November 30 to attend a performance of Peter Pan.  You will receive more information regarding this trip within the next couple of weeks.  A fee of $18.00 will appear on your November statement.

Bible Studies

We are so blessed to have parents who are willing to lead our students in Bible studies on a weekly basis.  I would like to draw your attention to two new studies, and invite you to encourage your child to participate.

Our 6th grade boys and their fathers engage in Bible study on Monday mornings at 7:15 in the lobby of Willett Hall.  Breakfast is served, along with a short devotional.  If you haven't had a chance to join this group, they would be happy to have you starting this week.

Patricia Watts has started a Bible study for our 8th grade girls.  This week, they will begin meeting in our choral room which is located directly underneath Willett Hall adjacent to the band room and the "Old" Gym.  We would like to encourage all 8th grade girls to take part in this wonderful opportunity!

More Information on Screen Time

Last week's post included an article on screen time from the folks over at Common Sense Media.  This week, John Tesh adds his two cents to the conversation.  You may access this informative article by clicking here.

Tests for Next Week

6th Grade:

None

Wednesday-Friday - Camp Cosby

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Civics

Wednesday - Math 7

Thursday - Old Testament

Friday - Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:

None

Have a Great Weekend!

Middle School Matters

Happy Friday!

We have had a spectacular week here at Trinity!  I hope yours has been good as well.

Congratulations Gene and Karen Butler!

Congratulations to our band director, Gene Butler, and his wife, Karen, on the birth of their first child this week.  Julie Elaine Butler came six weeks early, but is doing well in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Medical Center-East here in Montgomery.  She weighed in at 4 lbs. 1 oz, and was 17 inches long.

Please continue to be in prayer for the Butlers as they are looking at a lengthy hospital stay for little Julie.

Here are some important announcements, as well as a parenting resource you may find useful:

7th Grade Government Field Trip

Our seventh grade students will be attending a field trip to the State Capitol, State House, Judicial Building, and Pike Road Town Hall, this coming Friday, October 29.  We will have lunch on the Capitol grounds and will have our picture made with Governor Bob Riley.  Many thanks to Whittington McLemore for putting this outstanding trip together.

Parent Resources Page

We have added a Parent Resources page to our Trinity Website.  I invite you to explore this new section which is filled with a tremendous amount of potentially useful information.  It may be found among the tabs located at the upper left corner of the homepage.  We would appreciate any feedback you may have about this page, or any suggestions for additions to it.

New Bible Studies

We have two new morning Bible studies beginning in the Middle School next week.  Here are the specific announcements regarding these new opportunities:

6th Grade Boys Bible Study


All 6th grade boys and their fathers are invited to a weekly Bible Study on Mondays beginning October 25 at 7:15 am in the lobby of Willett Hall.  Breakfast will be served followed by a short devotion.

8th Grade Girls Bible Study


I am excited to let you know about a new Bible study for 8th grade girls that will be led by Patricia Watts.  We will begin on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:15 am in Coach Barringer's room (606).  Each meeting should be completed by 7:50 am.


We invite you to prayerfully consider joining us as we discover what it really means for us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5

Teens and Screen Time

Common Sense Media provides some interesting information this week regarding setting limits on the amount of "screen time" your child gets in any given week.  Their helpful article is worth a look, and may be found here.

Tests for Next Week

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Science

8th Grade:

Monday - Spanish, Algebra I

Tuesday - English

Thursday - Science

Friday - US History (McLemore)

Have a Great Weekend!

Middle School Matters

Happy Weekend, everyone!

I am happy to report that our annual standardized testing went very well.  Now, we await the results within the next few weeks.  Once received, our faculty will carefully examine how we did, and make adjustments to our instruction for the remainder of the school year.

We had a tremendous turnout for our "Minute to Win It" 5th Quarter event after Friday's exciting victory over T. R. Miller.  The kids seemed to have a great time.  Our chaperones were very impressed with the way in which our students conducted themselves.  Give them a pat on the back for a job well done!

Here are our tests for the coming week:

6th Grade:

None

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Civics, Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:

Monday - Spanish

Tuesday - US History (Franklin, McLemore)

Wednesday - Latin, English

Thursday - US History (Weeks), Pre-Algebra

Friday - Algebra I

I hope you have a great week!

Middle School Matters

Happy Saturday!

Please pardon the late post.  I was out of the office yesterday and I'm wrapping some weekly items up on this beautiful Saturday morning.

SAIS Visit

Our SAIS accreditation visit ended this week and was a wonderful experience for us in the middle school.  The team members had some very nice things to say about our program, and they were particularly complimentary of our students.  One of the team members told me that there was a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm, and innovation in our division, and pointed out that the teachers seemed passionate about their work and demonstrated a genuine love for your kids.  They described Trinity as a "family," and stated that that quality separates us from most schools.

Needless to say, I was very pleased with the entire process and I look forward to sharing specifics when we receive the written report in a few weeks.

No Columbus Day Holiday This Year

For many years, Trinity has observed the Columbus Day holiday which falls this Monday.  However, in order to have Thanksgiving week off, we had to "steal" a couple of days and this holiday is one of those.  Monday will be a regular school day this year.

Achievement Testing

Please remember that we will be conducting achievement testing next Tuesday and Wednesday.  School will dismiss at noon on both of those days, and lunch will not be served.

Please help your children by ensuring that they get a good night's sleep, eat a big, healthy breakfast, and come to school with the necessary supplies (complete with the obligatory no. 2 pencils!) to take these standardized tests.  We use the results of these tests in a variety of ways to help your children throughout the remainder of the year, so please encourage them to do their very best.

A Minute to Win It Competition

Our student YMCA programs are putting together what promises to be a great social event following the TR Miller game next Friday night.  The event will be held in Willett Hall immediately following the game and will last until 11:15pm.  Admission is one can of food to be given to the Montgomery Area Food Bank.  Please encourage your child to attend this exciting, fun-filled event!

Tests Next Week

Tuesday and Wednesday - Standardized Achievement Testing - Noon Dismissal

6th Grade:

Thursday - English

Friday - Science

7th Grade:

Friday - Math 7

8th Grade:

Monday - Latin

Friday - French

Have a great weekend!

Fields of Faith

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE FIELDS OF FAITH event on Wednesday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m. at Boykin Field.  The event is for the entire TPS family, K-12, and will feature a LIVE praise band and testimony from TPS students and students from other schools across the city.  One Day, One Message, One Stand!  Check it out on Facebook:  Montgomery Fields of Faith

Middle School Matters

Happy Homecoming Friday!

We enjoyed a great homecoming week here at Trinity, complete with our annual parade and pep rally.  Everyone seems to be looking forward to enjoying the game tonight as we take on the Catholic Knights!

Here are some important reminders as we go into the weekend:

SAIS Visit Next Week

We are looking forward to welcoming a visiting team from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) next week as we complete requirements for dual accreditation.  Trinity is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) but will soon be accredited by both SAIS and SACS.  Many thanks to Laura Williams, our accreditation coordinator, for helping us get ready for this upcoming visit.  Check back next week for a full report.

Driving and Parking

We are asking that you please be very careful when approaching Trinity through our surrounding neighborhoods.  Please remember that children are walking to Vaughn Road School and will sometimes need to cross the street without the aid of a crossing guard.

Additionally, please be careful not to park in teacher spaces (especially in the Willett Hall parking lot) when attending or leading a Bible study before school.  We have visitor spaces along the left side of the front drive, and in the parking lot directly adjacent to the south end zone of Boykin Field, our football stadium.  Thank you for your attention to both of these matters.

Art Contest Winners

Our art department is at it again!  Several of our middle school students have won prizes in recent art contests around town.  You may see the list by clicking here.  Many thanks to Jennifer Bricken and Becky Miller for the outstanding job they do teaching our art students each day!

Achievement Testing

Please remember that achievement testing for the middle school division will be Tuesday, October 12, and Wednesday, October 13.  Both of these days will be half-days, with a 12:00pm dismissal.  Lunch will not be served.  We will discuss achievement test preparation in next week's post.

Tests for Next Week

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Social Studies, Science

7th Grade:

Wednesday - Civics

Friday - Old Testament

8th Grade:

Monday - Science

Tuesday - Algebra I

Wednesday - English

Friday - US History (Weeks)

Have a Great Weekend!

GO CATS!