DC Bound!

Our eighth grade students are gearing up for an exiting week in Washington, D. C.  For the last fifteen years or so, Trinity students have made memories that last a lifetime on this exciting trip.  "DC 2011" promises to be the best yet, and we are all looking forward to the fun!

Please be in prayer for our students and teachers as we make the 17-hour bus ride up Interstate 85 beginning at 5:00 Monday morning.  We will then spend the entire week in Washington, visiting such sites as Mount Vernon, the White House, the Capitol, the Pentagon, the United States Naval Academy, among many others.  We will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, take in a play at the historic Ford's Theater and we will hear the National Symphony Orchestra present "Disney in Concert" at the Kennedy Center.

Videos, created by our students, will be posted on the Trinity SchoolTube site as well as this blog.  Our kids are very excited about filming, editing, and producing these videos themselves, and I am sure that their work will be absolutely outstanding.

Again, we would appreciate your prayers as we embark on the trip of a lifetime!

Here are out tests for this week:

6th Grade:

Thursday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Economics, Old Testament

8th Grade:

DC 2011!

Have a great weekend!

Middle School Matters

Happy Friday!


I hope that this four-day week has proven to be a good one for you and your family.  We have had a very smooth week here at Trinity, and I continue to be most pleased with some of the things our students are doing.

In particular, I would like to mention to you some comments we recently received from our maintenance staff.  Each day, we emphasize to our students the importance of picking up after themselves on campus, especially in the cafeteria after lunch.  Apparently their ability to do this well has not gone unnoticed.  Maintenance personnel recently pointed out the remarkably clean condition of Willett Hall immediately after the last of our 220 student had left the room.  They basically said that our middle schoolers are a delight because they take care of their own trash and don't leave it for the custodial staff.  They even wipe down the tables and check underneath for anything left over.

Please congratulate your children on a job well done, and continue to encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings - even their trash.  We are proud of our facilities here at Trinity and we want to make sure that they always look their best.  Your children are helping us accomplish that goal each day and, for that, we are most appreciative.


John Gonleh is Coming to Trinity

John Gonleh, the pastor of The Refuge Church here in Montgomery, has an amazing story to tell.  Taken from his home in Africa in the middle of the day, beaten, and taken to a field to be executed, John and his wife Bessie found themselves running for their lives as their country disintegrated into civil war right before their very eyes.

Rev. Gonleh tells a dynamic story of his faith in Jesus Christ in his book, Refuge, and he will be sharing his riveting story with our middle school students in a chapel service this coming Thursday, January 27, at 8:45am in the Old Gym.  Parents are invited, and copies of Refuge will be available for $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for students.  We have extended our chapel time to one hour on this day to allow Rev. Gonleh plenty of time to share his inspiring story with our students.  I hope you can be there as well!


6th Grade Boys Bible Study


Our weekly 6th grade boys Bible study will resume next Monday, January 24, at 7:15 a.m. in the lobby of Willett Hall.  Corporate Bible study is a great way to start the week, so all 6th grade boys are encouraged to attend!


Tests for Next Week

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Math

Wednesday - English

7th Grade:

Wednesday - English

Friday - Public Speaking, Math 7

8th Grade:

Tuesday - Pre-Algebra, English

Thursday - US History (McLemore)

Friday - English, US History (Weeks)

Have a Great Weekend!

Getting My Game On

The following is Mr. Palmer's address to the middle school student body Thursday, January 20, 2011

Over the course of the three-day weekend we just enjoyed, I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite things – play with my kids.  In the past, this involved running around outside, riding bicycles, or going for a walk.  However, I am now regularly challenged to some sort of video game, and I must admit that it usually becomes a humbling experience, to say the least!

Monday, my six-year-old son challenged me to a game of Mario Cart on his new DSI game system.  As I watched him play, I became convinced that, with my twenty-five years of driving experience, I would show him the ropes when it came my turn.  I was wrong.

No sooner did I begin a race than I was blown off the track by everyone – including Donky Kong!  Just when I thought I was getting ahead, some little ghost-looking critter floated above my windshield and promptly covered it with oil, almost completely blocking my view of the track.  The next thing I knew, I was crossing the finish line in 8^th place.

I finally won ONE race, but I wondered if that was just a fluke.  I also discovered just how challenging the “rainbow run” can be!

However, the more I played (yes, I did enjoy it and I couldn’t put it down!), the better I got.  Before I knew it, I was handling that little cart like a real pro (or at least I thought so!).

You see, what seems like a daunting task is doable if you stick with it.  I’ve heard it said that you must be bad at something before you can be good at it, and I have found that to be true throughout my life.  I’ve also heard a great term for the attitude of perseverance – “sticktoitiveness.”  Sticktoitiveness is simply the art of staying with something until you are good at it.  It could be mastering a musical instrument, playing a sport, or improving your basic math skills – anything that takes consistent, hard work.

As we continue through this semester, I invite you to take a lesson from me and keep after that thing that is giving you trouble.  Apply some “sticktoitiveness.” Like me, you might just get your game on yet!

The Future is NOW!

Exciting days are ahead at Trinity, and they begin right now!  

As most of you probably already know, Trinity is blazing a new trail in the River Region by becoming the very first Apple 1:1  school in our area. Schools who run a 1:1 program issue computers to each individual student.  Students use the computers at school, and take them home as well.  This concept promises to revolutionize education.

For the last three years, we have spent countless hours planning, visiting regional 1:1 schools, consulting, and making our campus ready to support such a program.  We even took a trip to "The Mother Ship" (aka Apple Headquarters) in Cupertino, California, for an exclusive executive briefing as a major step in the direction of making Trinity School the school of tomorrow.

As of today, our entire campus has wireless Internet connectivity.  We are also utilizing three Apple mobile laptop carts throughout the school.  These carts are loaded with 25 MacBooks each, and may be taken throughout the school building.  Our recently-renovated middle/upper school library is state of the art, and includes a 21st century research room.  Our lower school addition, set to open this fall, will also include a state of the art library for our students in grades K-5.

The exciting news is that we are ready to put laptop computers in the hands of every student in grades 7 and 9 NEXT YEAR! After that, the program will begin to spread throughout the school.  Time will only tell how the a 1:1 laptop program will ultimately look, but we believe that it will take the academic program at Trinity to the next level.

Parents of next year's 7th and 9th grade students have already received information regarding this new program, and they have already been invited to a special event that we are having at the school next week to learn even more information about the exciting events to come. However, we would like to extend an invitation to this event to any parent who may be interested in how Apple computers will change the face of education at our school.  You are most welcome to attend.

Apple 1:1 Information Meeting

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

6:30 p.m.

Willett Hall

This event should answer many of the questions you may have about the new direction we are taking here at Trinity.  However, any of us on the administrative team would be happy to discuss the program with you at any time.

I hope to see you Tuesday!

Bullying Town Hall Meeting

Many of you may be interested in attending an upcoming town hall meeting on bullying.  Information is listed below:

Here are our tests for next week:

REMEMBER - NO SCHOOL MONDAY

6th Grade: - None

7th Grade: 

Wednesday - Economics, Pre-Algebra

Thursday - Old Testament

Friday - Science

8th Grade:

Wednesday - Science

Thursday - Algebra I/Pre-Algebra

Have a Great 3-Day Weekend!

The Inspirational Life of Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington in his Tuskegee Office

The following is Mr. Palmer's address to middle school students Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Over the Christmas break, I took a short drive up the road to a practically deserted Tuskegee University.  I can’t begin to describe the profound difference between the city of Tuskegee and the university itself.  They are basically two different worlds.  One is the picture of blight and poverty, the other, a beautiful college campus.

Known in its early days as the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, and more famously Tuskegee Institute, the independent school of 2,500 students situated in Macon County enjoys a tremendous reputation, especially among historically black colleges and universities.  That long-standing reputation can be traced back to Tuskegee’s first president, Booker T. Washington, and the ideals he embodied – ideals that emphasized hard work, personal responsibility, a belief in and dedication to God, and the very highest of moral and academic standards.

My vacation reading brought me to the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site on a beautiful, cool day just before Christmas.  I wanted to see the student-constructed buildings about which I had read, and I wanted to walk the campus paths that this great educator and American walked when he served as an educational leader so long ago.

I highly recommend to each of you the two books that inspired me to make my trip: Up From Slavery, and Character Building.  Both were written by Booker T. Washington around 1901, and both are well worth your time.

Booker T. Washington addressing
a white audience in Carnegie Hall.
Mark Twain can be seen in the
background.

In Up From Slavery, Dr. Washington describes his life as a slave, as well as his steadfast pursuit of a top-notch education following the emancipation of slaves at the end of the Civil War.  He tells of the arduous journey to Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Virginia, where a young black man could gain the education needed to make a living at doing something besides working with his hands.  The book is filled with stories of sleeping under bridges, in pup tents, and of working late into the night as a janitor to earn the money necessary to pay his tuition and board at Hampton.  It also describes his meteoric rise to a position of prominence and respect by white and black alike.  The central theme is hard work, and the ability to overcome odds that you and I will never see.

Character Building is different in many ways.  This little gem is a collection of Sunday evening Chapel talks to the student body of Tuskegee Institute – much as I am doing now.  The thrust of the book is very simply how to live a life of character, and those ideals never go out of style.

Buildings at Tuskegee were constructed by students
with bricks and nails made at the school.

Both of these fine books are relatively short and easy to understand, and may be found in our library.  In order to get the most out of them, you have to keep in mind that they were written over a hundred years ago.  Much has changed since then, especially with respect to race relations.  But what hasn’t changed is the value of hard work, the importance of a good education, and the fact that, in the end, your character counts most of all.

Middle School Matters

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the start of the second semester here at Trinity!  It is hard to believe that we are already over halfway through the school year.  My, how time flies!  Please continue to remind your children of the importance of staying up to date with their course work.  As always, if you have any concerns with a class, please contact the teacher at the earliest sign of trouble.  We want to work with you to ensure that your child's educational experience here at Trinity is the very best it can be.

Possible Winter Weather Event

As of this writing, there is the distinct possibility of a significant ice event here in central Alabama Sunday night and Monday morning.  According to our friends at WSFA-TV, very slight changes to the system moving through could change our forecast dramatically, therefore accurate prediction of what will actually happen Monday is difficult at this point.

We here at Trinity are monitoring weather forecasts closely and will continue to do so throughout the weekend.  Please remember that we will notify you of any schedule changes or school closures through our Alert Now system.

Common Sense Media

You've heard me mention the fine folks over at Common Sense Media many times.  I do so because of the many wonderful resources that they have for parents.  Over the weekend, you might want to check out some of the things they have specifically for parents of middle school students.  Included in this section are movie, tv, and game reviews, along with many other great resources to help you navigate the waters of "tween" parenting.  You may access this particular part of the Common Sense Media website by clicking here.

Tests for Next Week:

6th Grade:

Friday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Economics

Friday - Math 7/Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:


Thursday - US History (Weeks, Franklin)

Friday - US History (McLemore), Algebra I

Have a Great Weekend!

The Paralysis of Perfectionism

The following is Mr. Palmer's address to the middle school student body Tuesday, January 4, 2011

At my home here in Montgomery, I have in the front yard two very large trees.  One is an oak, the other a sweet gum.  Of the two, the sweet gum is by far the most troublesome.  In fact, I have considered having it removed on several occasions.  However, its cooling shade in the summertime, and the exorbitant cost of removal, has prevented me from doing so.

During the Christmas break, I spent the better part of one beautiful, cold morning raking leaves and dried sweet gum balls in preparation for the city’s yard debris pick up scheduled for later in the day.  My lawn is large, and the raking that I had to do, even with a good-sized rake, amounted to an invigorating workout. 

As I was working, I noticed that even though I had a large pile of leaves and things accumulated, there were still leftovers lying all around the area I had raked.  My immediate desire was to go back over the area, and over it and over it, until every last leaf particle, twig, sweet gum ball, or other piece of trash had been removed, thus leaving a pristine carpet of brown, dormant grass.  However, time was ticking away.  I expected the great, orange, City of Montgomery garbage truck to be along any minute, and I needed a large pile curbside for pickup. 

As I made the decision to pile up as many leaves as possible, and leave the residue for another day (or, perhaps, for the lawnmower), it dawned on me that the tendency to perfectionism can be, and very often is, a cause of paralysis in even the best meaning of people.  In fact, it is more apt to happen to the very best meaning of people.

How many times have we not started a task because we didn’t know where to begin, and the mountain before us seemed too steep to climb?  How many times have we failed to do something because it couldn’t be completed perfectly on the first try?  How many times have we failed to ask a question in class because we didn’t want our friends to know that we needed some help understanding a topic?  How many times have we not tried something new because of the fear of failure?

Take a moment and think about the things that make you angry or that frustrate you.  How many times do we get frustrated with someone because we feel that they have in some way wronged us?  How many times do we get bent out of shape because a line is moving too slowly, or the computer needs to be re-booted, or the Internet is running slowly.  How many times have we lashed out at people or made fun of them because they are less than “perfect?”  

How often do we grow frustrated when one of our teachers makes a mistake?  What about when we don’t get an A?  After all, we have always gotten an A! But perhaps the material is much more difficult now and we may need to increase our effort some if we still want that A. 

The expectation of perfectionism this side of Heaven is a pipe dream.  It will never happen.  It can’t happen.  And our belief that it somehow will happen is crippling.

In our Bible classes, we see laid out for us plainly, and without any attempt to cover or hide, the faults and mistakes of every single character, save one – Christ Jesus.  And it was he, the Master Teacher, who said that we should remove the beam in our own eye so that we may see clearly enough to help our brother remove the speck of sawdust in his eye. 

When we study the lives of great men and women, we discover that they all made mistakes.  What contributed to their success was not perfection, but perseverance.  The ability to pick oneself up after a failure and move on.  You see confidence, but not smugness.  A willingness to learn and grow and try again and again and again.

Jesus Christ came to this earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again that you may gain eternal life and enjoy perfection – heavenly, godly, perfection that is only found through Him, and will only be experienced in full once we depart this life.

While we are here, we should focus on excellence.  Doing our very best, and learning from the inevitable mistakes that will come throughout our journey here.  Along the way, we should follow the example of Christ, forgiving our brothers and sisters, and striving to live the life He intended for us to live.  A life that won’t always be perfect, but that can and should be lived to the glory of God each and every day.