Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Please give your children a big pat on the back for their cooperation as we administered a round of standardized testing Tuesday and Wednesday. The students seemed to take the test seriously, so I feel like they earned their two half days!

I am also happy to report that we have no middle school students assigned to Detention Hall this week. Overall, discipline referrals are down sharply from last year as are deficiencies. Translation: We’ve made great strides with respect to classroom discipline and academic success. Way to go!

As we continue through the year, please encourage your child to read, read, read. This skill is perhaps the single best indicator of future academic success. Our Accelerated Reader program is designed to help students develop a life-long love of reading. I encourage you to turn off the TV, crack open a book yourself, and model this for your children. Believe it or not, they still watch what you do and really look up to you. This is just one more way that you can partner with us as we work to educate your child.

Along this same line, please help us out with respect to attendance. It is most important that your child be in school as much as possible. If it becomes necessary for your child to miss for family reasons, please notify my office in writing at least one week in advance. This also applies to check-outs. Rather than simply making arrangements with the last period teacher, please follow the procedure of written notification to the principal’s office one week prior if at all possible. Thank you so much for your cooperation.

Again, we’ve had a great week here at Trinity! I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Here are our tests for next week:

6th Grade – None

7th Grade –

Monday – Geography (Map)

Tuesday – Old Testament

Thursday – Math, Pre-Algebra

Friday – Geography

8th Grade –

Monday – English

Wednesday – U. S. History (Weeks)

Thursday – French

Friday – U. S. History (McLemore), Algebra I

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Check out these pictures of our Rolling Tones ensemble field trip to Atlanta to see Wicked. The day started Thursday at 6:45 a.m. as we had a brief organizational meeting followed by prayer in the Choral Room. We then departed for Atlanta, and arrived in time for lunch at the world-famous Varsity. After lunch, we headed a couple of blocks over to the historic Fox Theatre for the production which was absolutely fabulous!

Immediately following the musical, several actors and tech personnel met students from several schools at the foot of the stage for a brief question/answer session. Following this, we all piled into our cars and headed for home, arriving almost exactly twelve hours after we left.

Several of our seventh grade students joined Miss Head’s evening Pizza and Parts of Speech study session as seen in this picture. This was a creative way to prepare for an important test!

Here are a few important reminders and announcements:

1. Please help us by giving at least a one-week notice for any absences that require prior approval by the administration. You may submit your request to me in writing.
2. Please help us in the carpool line by pulling as far forward as possible when picking your child up from school. This will help prevent cars from backing up onto East Trinity Blvd.
3. Monday is a holiday, and we will dismiss at 12:00 noon on Tuesday and Wednesday due to standardized testing.
4. Please ensure that your child gets plenty of sleep, eats a good breakfast, and comes prepared for testing Tuesday and Wednesday. Students are required to bring two #2 pencils and a calculator, as well as a snack for our sessions.

Here are our tests for the upcoming week:

All Grades

Tuesday & Wednesday: Standardized Testing – Noon dismissal

6th Grade

Thursday – English (Holes)

7th Grade – None

8th Grade

Friday – English

Have a GREAT Weekend!

Creative Learning

Students in Mrs. Bowden's Old Testament class came up with some pretty cool depictions of the Creation, as well as a couple of outstanding scale models of Noah's Ark, for a recent assignment. Students used their math skills to make these models to scale.

These projects were presented in class today, and I was very impressed with the presentations.

I'll have more pictures when all of the projects are in and on display. Great job, kids!

Middle School Notes

Happy Homecoming!

Thanks for your support of our Homecoming activities this week. The kids seemed to have fun with each of our daily themes. As this is being written, we are gearing up for our parade, pep rally, and early dismissal.

Here are a couple of important reminders:

1. Our Homecoming game vs. the Beulah Bobcats will be tonight at 7:00. Come early as parking will be limited.

2. Please encourage your children to attend our 5th Quarter immediately following the game tonight in Willett Hall. This event, sponsored by three local youth pastors, will begin immediately following the game, and will end promptly at 11:00 p.m. Please make every effort to pick up your child as close to 11:00 as possible. Admission to this event is free, and is open to Trinity students in grades 6-8.

3. Please remember that we are back to normal dress code for next week. As I said in last week's post, our kids have done a great job in this area this year. Please help us get a more "normal" week off to a great start Monday morning.

4. Please keep in mind that we have a school holiday Monday, October 13, followed by half-days for testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 14 and 15. You will be given more information regarding our standardized testing next week.

Here are the upcoming tests for the week ahead:

6th Grade

Monday - Science

7th Grade

Tuesday - Math/Pre-Algebra

Wednesday - Keyboarding

Friday - English

8th Grade

Tuesday - Pre-Algebra, Algebra I

Thursday - US History (McLemore & Franklin)

Have a great weekend! GO WILDCATS!!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to a beautiful weekend!

Here are some general announcements:

1. You might want to take a look at this publication by the National Association of Elementary School Principals regarding study habits. The NAESP is an organization dedicated to the improvement of elementary and middle schools, and frequently publishes information for parents. As I run across things that you might find useful, I'll be sure to pass them along.

2. Please give your kids a big pat on the back for their cooperation with our dress code policy. As we near the end of September, we have had absolutely zero demerits issued for dress code violations!! We have managed to do this even when we have tossed in a couple of Spirit days. For that matter, all of our demerits are down significantly from last year, and I couldn't be more pleased! It looks like a reward is in order if this keeps up!

3. Please remember that we will have a 5th Quarter event immediately following our Homecoming game next Friday night. The program will begin in Willett Hall at the conclusion of the ball game and will end at 11:00 p.m. Please make every effort to have your child picked up as close to 11pm as possible. Admission to this event is free, and the program will be put on by the youth ministers at First Baptist, Frazier, and First Methodist.

Finally, thank you so much for the many calls and emails of support and encouragement I have received from many of you as we have started this school year. Please remember that our teachers thrive on that sort of affirmation as well, so if you feel that they are doing a good job, please do not hesitate to tell them so. I am convinced that each member of our faculty is totally dedicated to seeking the Lord's guidance in doing what is absolutely best for your child. When they hear you express your appreciation, it is like wind beneath their wings!

The upcoming tests for next week are listed below. I hope you and your family enjoy a restful and relaxing weekend!

6th Grade

Thursday - Math, Social Studies

7th Grade

Monday - Science

Thursday - Geography

8th Grade

Monday - U.S. History (Franklin), English

Thursday - Earth Science

Today's Chapel Service

Parents,

Please be sure to check your email for an important message regarding this morning's chapel service.

Thanks, and have a wonderful afternoon!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Here are some important reminders and announcements pertaining to our middle school program:

1. Some of our English teachers have sent AR point notification letters home. Please look these over carefully and keep up with where your child is now and needs to be in the near future with respect to AR points. Keep in mind that AR tests can be taken during class, before or after school, during break, or during lunch. Also, the last day to take an AR test for this nine weeks is Friday, October 10. This date is posted on Edline, and it is also posted on the board in the classrooms.

2. If you are the parent of an 8th grade student who is wrapping up our Abstinence Education program next week, you may stop by my office beginning next Wednesday to sign out your child's completed workbook. If you do not wish to have the book, that is fine as well. However, these will not be released without parent signatures.

3. Congratulations to our newly-elected Middle School Student Council, advised by Mrs. Dorothy Bradshaw: President - Mason Hallford, Vice President - Tanner Cox, Secretary - Becca Murdoch, Treasurer - Jack Albritton, 8th Grade Representative - Cole Farris, 7th Grade Representative - Kendall Williams, 6th Grade Representative - Reed Grice. Thanks also to the many fine candidates who ran for office. Please encourage your child to consider participating in future SGA elections.

4. Please be reminded that teachers in our middle and upper schools do not send completed tests home with students. If you are interested in viewing a test that your child has taken, please contact the teacher, who will make arrangements to show the test to you.

5. Good luck to our "Wildcat Pride" Marching Band. These students will be participating in the inaugural "Huntingdon First" Invitational Marching Band Competition, sponsored by the Huntingdon College Marching Band, tomorrow at Charles Lee Field on the Huntingdon campus.

Check out these pictures of our 6th grade art class interacting with kindergarten students earlier today. Jennifer Bricken, our middle school art teacher, invited our "Little Wildcats" to join her class as they created artwork featuring Noah's Ark and God's promise as demonstrated through the rainbow. What a great opportunity for our older and younger students to work together and get to know each other. Way to go!

Here are our upcoming major tests for next week:

7th Grade

Tuesday - Old Testament

Wednesday - Keyboarding, Geography

Thursday - Pre-Algebra

Friday - Math

8th Grade

Monday - English, French

Tuesday - Algebra I/Pre-Algebra

Thursday - US History (McLemore/Weeks)

Friday - English

Have a great weekend!