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Letter from our Principal
School's Path
 TCS YEAR IN REVIEW
The 2009-2010 school year is drawing to a close at Trinity Christian School. We look back on all the many exciting accomplishments of the year, and the challenges God brought to our door.
Our year began with a Theme from Isaiah 40:11. He tends his sheep like a shepherd, He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
The Good Shepherd has led us through many firsts this school year. We began the year with a PTFA backyard BBQ in September. The BBQ was very well attended by our students, parents and staff, and God blessed us with a wonderfully cool evening to share food, fun, and fellowship with one another.
The beautiful season of fall also saw quite a few firsts. The “Pathway to Safety” was officially opened in a ribbon cutting ceremony in October. The well-groomed pathway provides Trinity with easy access to Peerless Insurance Company's property in case of the need for an evacuation. Our first evacuation drill brought the whole school to the Peerless cafeteria where donuts and cider awaited our children. Several Trinity children enjoyed the trip so much they asked “Can we do this every day?”
Or 7th and 8th grade parents organized another first in the month of November. Trinity hosted its first Craft Fair. Crafters from all over the county came to display some very creative items. This very well attended event left crafters and visitors alike looking forward to a similar event next year.
Not every first was of the positive sort. Trinity, along with other schools in the state and across the country, battened down for the H1N1 virus that promised to wreak havoc on our students and families. The promised outbreak barely touched our school. We thank God for His hand of protection as Trinity students and families were protected from H1N1.
Operation Christmas Child - though not a first - is also worthy of mention. Trinity congregation and school sponsored this very worthy charity, for the second time. We collected 690 gift boxes, a new record (first) so that needy children around the world could experience the love of Jesus through the gifts of people who love Him and want to share His blessings.
The winter saw two very special firsts. Trinity Christian School hosted the 4th Annual Trinity Invitational Basketball Tournament. For the first time both Trinity girls and boys won the first place trophies. We were very excited and pleased for the teams, and the effort, heart, and Christ-like attitude they displayed throughout the basketball season, and in winning their first tournaments.
Spirit Week in March was celebrated in many ways. We dressed in funny clothes, and sponsored some very different and special events. One very positive addition to Spirit Week was the “Special Guest Luncheon”. Parents, grandparents and friends of Trinity students visited our school to share lunch and recess with our kids. Many positive comments from both students and parents lead us to plan more of these for the future.
We were also blessed with another first in the person of Student Teacher Rachel Corbett. Rachel came to us all the way from Pensacola Christian College to work with the middle school students in language arts and social studies. Rachel was a positive addition to our staff for a short time in January. We pray God’s blessings for her as she pursues her calling to the teaching ministry.
For the first time ever the Trinity Mathcounts team - under the direction of Professor Blount and Mrs. LaChance - joined the regional competition that took place at Keene State. The Mathcounts team of Bert LaChance, Julianna Carroll, Quentin Bazarnicki, Andrew Skahan, Caitlyn Walker, Jillian Lotito, Peter Powers, and Ben LaChance did their best, but did not place in the competition. They did, however, earn valuable experience in how the competition is run, and how to succeed in the future.
This winter we also saw God’s gracious hand of providence opening wide to provide Trinity with a marvelous blessing. A gift of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) was donated to Trinity Christian School to be used for scholarship assistance for this year, and for many, many, many years to come. This is one amazing example of how God has truly been at work and alive in our midst. We praise Him for His goodness, and thank our donors for their strong support of Christian Education at TCS.
The season of spring has also seen several important firsts. After 5 years of teaching our students folkstyle wrestling in PE, TCS held its first wrestling event. Twenty-eight students volunteered to wrestle a peer in front of a crowd of over 150 students, teachers, and parents. Great skill, sportsmanship, and determination were evident throughout the matches. These matches were viewed by the Keene High School head wrestling coach. We may have some future wrestling stars at the high school in the near future!
The 7th and 8th grade students - under the direction of Mrs. Williams - participated in the stock exchange. Buying and selling stock throughout the year, three teams of students attempted to earn as much as they could in the very volatile market. The Trinity team of Caitlyn Walker, Julianna Carroll, Bert LaChance, and Peter Powers placed first in the region earning recognition at a state luncheon. If we need some investment advice for our retirement accounts, these young people just might be available for counsel at a reduced rate!
The Accelerated Reader program was instituted at Trinity at mid-year 2008-2009. After a strong initial trial, the program was fully operational this year with all students and staff working towards promoting greater reading skills. In our first full year of Accelerated Reader, Trinity School achieved its goal of 3500 AR points. Students from Kindergarten through 8th grade contributed towards this goal. We even had two of our students - Rachel Malcolm and Ben LaChance - read over 2,000,000 words during the year. We are very proud of the students, and we are beginning to see amazing gains in reading skills, comprehension, and love for reading throughout the school.
As we look forward to the 2010-2011 school year, we have some blessings and also some challenges ahead. Next year will be in our final year of NLSA Accreditation preparation. After nearly 3 years of work, a visiting team will examine our school to determine its quality and, God willing, grant us NLSA Accreditation lasting for 7 years.
One challenge we will face is that Trinity will be replacing several long-standing teachers for next year.
In Him,
Gary Dresser
Principal
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