Trinity Today – Winter 2015

WINTER 2015

V O L U M E 10 , N O . 1

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? / 26 MEETING THE CHALLENGE / 34

TODAY CONNECTING

THE

TRINITY

CHRISTIAN

ACADEMY

POST-GAME PARENTING / 38 ALUMNI LEGACY / 45

COMMUNITY

SHOWING THEIR TRUE COLORS NEW HOUSE SYSTEM IN TCA’S MIDDLE SCHOOL HELPS BRING CAMARADERIE AND UNITY OF PURPOSE.

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EDUCAT IN G A N D DE V ELO PIN G T HE W HOL E PERSO N FOR T HE GLORY OF GOD

TODAY

EDITOR’S NOTE

Vo l u m e 10 • Nu m b e r 1

EDITOR

Joy Konstans, Director of Communications ART/DESIGN

Kendall Ellis, Publications Coordinator A DV I S O RY B OA R D

David Delph, Headmaster Scott Berthel Bev Birmingham Julie Brown Beth Harwell Janie Heard Mark Howard Kristy Kegerreis Becky Lewis Greg Merrifield Kirk McJunkin Jeff Smith Kristina Spears Diane Taylor Camille Langford Walker ’82 Lisa Wong BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Steve Novakovich, Chairman Mark Layman ’84, Vice Chairman Ron Crosby Mark Dyer Christi Ferrell David Harper Matt Heidelbaugh Sheffie Kadane Stephanie Polk Jeff Price Wesley Sneed ABOUT US

Trinity Today is published two times a year: Winter and Summer.

Trinity Christian Academy 17001 Addison Road Addison, Texas 75001 972-931-8325 TrinityChristian.org C O N TAC T U S

Send story ideas to Joy Konstans at jkonstans@trinitychristian.org and alumni information to Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org.

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Christ at the center FOR T E N Y E A R S NOW, W E’ V E BE E N SH A R I NG the

stories of Trinity Christian Academy with current families, alumni, alumni parents and TCA grandparents through our Trinity Today magazine. For me, it’s provided further confirmation that my husband and I chose the right school for our kids and that this is the right place for me, too. It’s inspiring to see, year after year, how the Lord is working in the lives of our students, faculty, families and alumni.

While we put this magazine together primarily for the TCA community, I know the reach is far greater. I often hear of readers giving copies to neighbors and extended family members and those with businesses putting out copies for their clients. Sometimes, when one of our magazines changes hands, the opportunity to share Christ with someone else presents itself.

Recently, a friend shared with me that her father had been mentoring and tutoring a young man in her small hometown in northern Idaho. This young man had been through many hard times and was slowly getting his life turned around, and this TCA grandparent was helping him and witnessing to him. One afternoon while waiting for tutoring, the young man noticed a copy of Trinity Today on the coffee table. After reading through it, he inquired about the school and commented about how much love he felt was there based on what he had read. His mentor explained that his grandchildren attend that school, and the conversation opened the door for him to share the gospel with this man. Soon after that, this young man accepted Christ as his Savior!

TCA is intentional about the pursuit of Christ and presenting the gospel to our students in the subjects we teach and in the relationships we develop. During this season of His birth, we recently asked some of our students, K–12, to share about their personal relationships with Christ in our feature story, “Who do you say I am?”

I hope you will read these beautiful expressions of faith.

Just as Christ designed us to desire communion with Him, he also created us to live in community with our fellow believers. The TCA Middle School has recently created a new house system to help create a community that’s purposefully focused on the core values of Honor, Justice, Wisdom and Courage and rooted in a commitment to Christ. Read about how this new system is growing and thriving at TCA. I’m thankful to be a part of this school and this community!

Best wishes for a blessed 2016!

DE PA RT M E N T S

10 UPPER SCHOOL 14 MIDDLE SCHOOL 18 LOWER SCHOOL 38 ATHLETICS 45 ALUMNI LEGACY

20 HANDMADE CREATIVITY Lower School art teacher Tiffanie Phillips Mutlu ’89 helps TCA students discover the wonders of art while sharpening their fine motor skills and developing their creativity.

24 A GRAND TIME Lower School students recently welcomed over 1,000 grandparents and grand friends to campus.

46 WELCOME HOME! J OY K O N S TA N S E D I T O R O F T R I N I T Y T O DAY D I R E C T O R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

Alumni and their families returned to TCA for Homecoming this fall and reconnected with old friends and familiar faces, and the TCA Trojanettes drill team celebrated its 40th anniversary.

WHAT’S INSIDE F E AT U R E S

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“HONOR, WISDOM, JUSTICE, COURAGE” These four pillars of the TCA alma mater have become the basis of the new Middle School house system. Students and faculty alike are coming together to unite and strengthen our community.

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WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? TCA students respond to this ever-important question. Read their responses and be inspired by the faith of our children!

ENGINEERING THEIR FUTURES Led by Director of Technology Integration Lisa Wong, students in the Upper School STEM club tackle real-life engineering challenges at a recent robotics competition.

HEADMASTER’S NOTE

Standing firm LOOKING BACK ON 2015, I am over­

whelmed (but not surprised) at the challenges our culture is facing—the redefinition of marriage, terrorism, $20 trillion national debt, immigration issues, a dysfunctional federal government (all three branches), the selling of baby body parts, and the list goes on. I think it is a very difficult time for any Christ-follower who is passionate about honoring God in everything. It will likely be an even more difficult journey for our children and their children if our culture continues in the direction it is heading.

The truth is, there are very few occur­ rences in history (the Great Awakening, for example) where the culture turned to intentionally honor God . . . most have been driven toward godlessness. While fear may creep in more often than I would like to admit, I am often comforted by that “still small voice” that says, “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). As a result, I stand in awe that this, too, may be the greatest time to be alive . . . and our mission to educate, develop the whole person and prepare faithful disciples is as critical as ever.

The foundation upon which all learning takes place is Christ. His Word is truth,

B Y DAV E D E L P H , H E A D M A S T E R

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our guide, our north star. John 1:1 and 1:14 state, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

TCA remains committed to this foundational truth: Jesus is Lord. All of history points to the victory of Christ’s resurrection and future second coming.

For 46 years, TCA has remained committed to its biblical convictions as outlined in its doctrinal statement and policies. We will not be swayed by a culture that is “progressive”— our students must be equipped to view all of life in light of truth revealed in Scripture.

Challenged by public opinion and political correctness, our students need to be prepared to defend truth in ways that are full of grace. This doesn’t mean cowering to the falsehoods presented but showing the love of Christ when confronting the beliefs of the world . . . revealing “Christ-in-us” patience to those with whom we find disagreement.

Head and heart knowledge are taught, trained, examined and modeled. TCA continues to be unabashedly committed to the moral and spiritual truths outlined throughout Scripture, and we hope to be a city on a hill giving light to those in darkness.

Again, what an amazing time to live . . . to prepare our students for their future and to come alongside families with the mutual goal of developing faithful disciples for His glory! God, in His sovereignty and with great mercy, has chosen to allow us to enter into His plan to reach a lost culture. May we continue to be a community that values educating and developing our children to make a difference in their world for Him!

ACADEMIC UPDATE OUR FA CU LT Y A ND A DMINI S T R AT OR S A R E COM MI T T E D T O CON T INUE D E DUC AT ION .

B Y D I A N E TAY L O R , A C A D E M I C D E A N

DID YOU KNOW? W H E N I TA L K W I T H PA R E N T S about

the work that is being done at TCA, they often say, “I didn’t know that.” This made me realize that there are probably a number of things that we do, as a school and as a faculty community, of which you may not be aware.

We are continually evaluating, assessing and looking to improve in everything we do. This is our commitment to our families and to our ministry for the Lord.

Did you know . . . ?

W E H AV E A N E X T E N SI V E P ROCE S S F OR HIRING OUR A DMINI S T R AT OR S .

We spent a large amount of time in the 2014-15 school year studying, interviewing and assessing applicants for four critical administrative positions at TCA. After much thought and prayer, we hired four great educational leaders. These hires are extremely important to the future growth of TCA, and we are grateful to have these administrators join us: • Anne Badger, Head of Lower School • Bev Birmingham, Assistant Head of Lower School • Dr. Ryan Berens, Assistant Head of Middle School • Shawn Ledeber, Middle School Counselor It has been a pleasure to work with these well-qualified leaders as part of our administrative team!

Our administrators read a lot of books! Below is a list of some of those books that were read as a group or by individual administrators during this past year: The Art and Science of Teaching (Marzano) Biblical Concepts for Christian Counseling (Kirwan) Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard (Hinduja) Grace and Truth (Alcorn) Helping Your Anxious Child (Rapee, Wignall, et al.)

How Children Succeed (Tough) How to Raise an Adult (Lythcott-Haims) Humility (Mahaney) Job-Embedded Professional Learning (Zepeda) Leverage Leadership (Bambrick-Santoyo) Literacy Beginnings (Fountas and Pinnell) Mindset (Dweck) The Principal (Fullan) The Principal as Instructional Leader (Zepeda) Read Write Lead (Routman) Reading in the Wild, Lifelong Reading Habits (Miller) School Culture Rewired (Gruenert and Whitaker) The Smartest Kids in the World (Ripley) Understanding by Design (Wiggins) Vocabulary Is Comprehension (Robb) Why Before How—Computation Strategies (Hazekamp) The Writing Thief (Culham) Our administrators have a commitment to learning, both as an administrative team and as individuals.

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENHANCE OUR OFFERINGS AND CURRICULUM.

We have added new courses to our Upper School offerings. Honors Engineering Design, taught by Lisa Wong, director of technology integration and a former engineer, is a new STEM course that was added this year and is a very popular course. Jason Groezinger, US math department head, now teaches Introduction to Business Calculus; this new course was so sought after that we had to cap enrollment at 39 students. Students and parents alike are very excited about these additions.

WE HAVE S TUDENT SUPPORT TE A MS TO ENSURE WE ARE ADDRES SING THE SPECIFIC ACADEMIC NEEDS OF E VERY S TUDENT.

We have Student Support Teams in place in each school that are responsible for studying the progress of all of our students, with special

attention to students who are having difficulty.

These teams meet often to review grades, test scores, resources and teacher concerns.

W E E M P L OY E XCE L L E N T F OUND AT ION A L R E A DING S T R AT E GIE S T O P ROMO T E F U T UR E A C A DE MIC S UCCE S S .

During the 2014-15 school year, Anne Badger and I began an intensive program for the study and training in teaching the deep strategies of reading. We began by hiring Sandee Townley, former head of reading interventions for Lewisville ISD, to train, coach and mentor our Lower School teachers in the most current research about reading.

Mrs. Townley joined Laura Ouimette, our Lower School reading specialist, in this training program. The kindergarten teachers were trained in 2014, and Anne Badger and Bev Birmingham have continued leading this intensive training program this school year by adding the training of first-grade teachers in the fall and teachers in grades 2–4 in the spring. We also invested $30,000 in libraries of excellent books to help in this guided reading work. We know that reading is so foundational to education and that deep reading of complex texts supports the work of our Middle School and our Upper School.

W E A R E COM MI T T E D T O U T IL IZING BE S T P R A C T ICE S A ND FINDING WAY S T O CU LT I VAT E A C A DE MIC GRO W T H .

Kyle Morrill, head of Upper School, and Lisa Wong, director of technology integration, will be taking a team of seven Upper School department heads and administrators to Ohio in April 2016 for a conference at Cincinnati Country Day School on best practices for the use of technology. This school is a premier private, Christian school that has been using technology well since 1996.

In addition, six administrators attended the national Educational Records Bureau (ERB) conference this fall to hear from other private schools from around the country.

ERB is the educational group that provides our testing programs for grades 3–9. TCA administrators decided to use ERB testing so that we could compare our testing data to high-level independent schools. We certainly learned a lot, and we came away also pleased at how far TCA has come in our growth!

Teachers and administrators alike are com­mitted to always seeking the best for the children and families of Trinity Christian Academy.

WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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SERVANT HEARTS

Better to give...

TC A PA R E N T ROR E WA L DROP began

packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) with her mother many years ago, long before her children were born.

Every year, they would get together and make boxes, and when her daughters, Ashton Karoline and Marie Kathryn, were two and three, they joined in the annual tradition of making OCC boxes with their grandmother, Zsa Zsa. As the girls got older, they began spending their Thanksgiving break with Zsa Zsa, volunteering at the church to help collect and prepare the boxes to go to the Samaritan’s Purse processing center. When Marie Kathryn was in fourth grade at TCA, the girls and Rore decided to expand their OCC project and contribute their boxes to the TCA fourth-grade mission project. They teamed up with four other mother-daughter pairs, Doris and Elle Clark, Mary Pat and Patricia Sharon, Kelly and Kjirsta Olson and Michelle and Ella Ward, to host “OCC packing parties” and invited all their friends.

The passion these ladies and their daughters exhibited for this project was contagious, revealing their true servant hearts. For five years now, they have invited all the girls in the classes of 2020 and 2021 to join their packing parties. Each girl is requested to bring 10–15 packages of specific

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items of her liking, such as markers, crayons or toothbrushes. When the girls arrive at the party, they organize and assemble the various packing stations and then pray over the boxes.

Each girl receives a box and begins shopping for items to go in her box. Each year, the number of boxes made has increased. Last year, over 300 boxes were assembled, and this year, the number topped 400. After the boxes are made, the girls decorate cupcakes in celebration of their hard work.

The completed boxes are then delivered to TCA to be added to the fourth-grade mission project collection. Many of these girls now help with collection at their churches and also volunteer at the Samaritan’s Purse processing center during November and December.

TCA is blessed by the students and families who give so generously of their time and resources for others.

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” —Matthew 25:40

TheHonorRoll Congratulations to all these students who made the First Trimester Honor Rolls:

Summa Cum Laude GPA of 4.2 or higher Seniors Georgia Autrey Bailey Bacon Elizabeth Barnes Lili Barrientos-Figueroa Savannah Bass Haven Burgoon Katie Camp Aaron Cho Meredith Cole Devon Collier Spencer Ellison Theo Fandrich Aaron Feldman Dawson Fields Reagan Freeman Matthew Galvan Audrey Gerthoffer Lauren Golden Jennifer Harbour Joshua Harper Nicala Hatton Emma Heath Madison Helms Brandon Hilger Ashley Hock Anna Holder Allison Jackson Josh John Gavin Jones Hannah Keplar Brandon Legband Sam Liu Melanie Marshall Donovan Mbroh Chandler Noordhoff John Novakovich Parker Oliver Mark Paterson Matt Paterson Cameron Pino Alexandra Powers Elizabeth Priest Chase Rea Jacquelyn Rector Mary-Todd Ridley Campbell Roe Ryan Rogers Isabel Ruch Georgia Scalfano Collin Schuster Shelby Smith Reagan Stringfellow Sarah Tholen Nicole Thomas Gracen Wilder Hunt Wood Carlie Woodard Matthew Young

Juniors Berklie Baker Brett Bartol Benjamin Beal David Carstens Riley Chandler Jasmine Chock Alex Coronado Caroline Fischer Juliann Hall Lillie Harrington Lindsey Hayden Daniel Heard Tyler Helbing Caitlin Hickney Alexandria Ho Nathan Holden Macy Holliday Isabella Jackson Alec Jordan Travis Josephs Ginny Kestel

Morgan Ku Kathryn Kuhlman Kenedy Kundysek Abigail Mathai Lauren McLain Tylre Meeks Alexandra Mills Nicole Muschalek Callie Orten Kat Petersen Kate Rector Ryan Roquemore Mary Ashley Samuelson Emily Stanton Stephen Sullivan Christopher Tarantino Michael Waters Melinda White Andrew Willison Nicole Willison Christopher Wines Burke Wofford Nicholas Wong Chandler Wright

Sophomores Presley Baker Lindsay Bibby Catherine Bigham Addison Branning Cade Burgoon Lance Chu Karly Douglass Emily Dyer Cassidy Ellison Josh Esclamado Ryan Fitzpatrick Libby Floyd Luke Glover Molly Henegar Kayley Howard Daniel Hsu Evan Janson Sara Kukuk Allison Lau Sarah Lipe Griffin Maurice Evan McAuliffe Natalie Miller Hudson Neuhoff Alyson O’Shea Haley Kate Patterson Caroline Pierce Caroline Pino Ramie Rice Sydney Kathryn Riordan John-Michael Sadler Nathan Sanders Autumn Sonju Tori Troop Dodd Weyandt Jackson Withrow Leslie Wolff Michael Young

Freshmen Georgia Ballew Lindsay Bartol Molly Grace Beddingfield Kate Blocker Robert Caldwell Bobby Carstens Summer Chaffin Erin Clay Bella Correa Madelynn Cotter Jillian Delp Emily Floyd Avery Gann Haston Habern Kelsey Hancock Gracie Harris Lauren Head Jackson Hinckley Daniel Jones Brett Kauffman Grace Lee Jessica Lee Michelle Lee Ashley McWhorter Noah Morrison

James Muery Abby Muschalek Shelby Niederhofer Georgia Nine Sam Norris Annika Olson Regan O’Shea Maddie Parrent Savannah Pate JD Powers Michelle Raybourn Cole Rea Avery Schuster John Shaw Riley Stringfellow Max Thomas London Thornton Whit Traweek Tanner Wayte Kaleigh Wilkinson Connor Williams Clarissa Wong John Wright

8th Grade Isabella Berthel Nicholas Boyd Haleigh Brown Leslie Anne Lodwick Mason Morland Henry Ridley Jessica Young

7th Grade Lilly Parker Reagan Rodgers Grace Weir

Magna Cum Laude GPA of 3.8–4.19 Seniors Trace Akin Olivia Ashmore Blair Blackburn Lexie Blair David Choi Brett Fair William Gilbert MacKenzie Glosser Chad Henri Jessica Hock Freddie Anne Hodges Ethan Howard Lauren Kennedy Courtney Kesler Sydney Lee Mitch Little MJ Massinger Jack Mueller Hayden Perschbacher Paul Rosario Alex Stiegler James Tardy Julia Wickes Cole Williams Alex Wishnick

Juniors Grace Abell Maya Abrams Cole Adams Spencer Bennett Jack Blocker Jack Bolton Hallie Callison Mary Cash Monica Choi Alex Clemovitz Chipper Daniels Timothy Darby David Dembicki Sarah DeWhitt Kylie Ellis Poppy Eriksen Chase Hackney

Travis Harrison Connor Harwell Erica Henri Haley Hodges Jordan Jones Ellie Kauffman Christopher Konstans Laurence Lundy Ansley Marquardt Ashton Miller Georgia Moore David Muery Weston Porter Reagan Robbins Delia Rowland Jack Savage Mira Sewaiseh Allison Smith Matthew Springfield Peyton Stone Will Traweek Macey Walker Julia Willison Madeleine Wilson

Sophomores Ben Berggren Parker Blackburn Alea Brady Jake Bryans Karsen Burgess Mack Bush Michael Casella Alisa Coley Nicolas Fandrich Courtney Fish Sean Fox Brady Freeman Jordyn Goodman Preston Gossett Bryce Harwell Kennedy Hatton Isabelle Heldenfels Cody Henson Colby James Sarah Konstans AJ LaGassa Lauren Lott Caroline McClay Allie McWhorter Ryan McWhorter Emily Miller Jared Payne Jessica Pitts Maddy Rinker Claire Roever Chad Rutledge Emma Scalfano Kara Stiegler Jake Walsh Riley Walton Colin Wiegand Caroline Winslow

Freshmen David Asche Riley Bagnall Daniela BarrientosFigueroa Hayden Brown Hayden Brown Lucy Callewart Elisa Cavazos Shaw Cotter Brijit Crosby Grant De Paoli Andrea Ehringer Harrison Gossett Kyle Green Parker Hadley Brooke Henegar Austin Ho Madeline Jackson Catherine Josephs Taylor Kalahar Clara Liu Blake Marsh Kennedy Mason Cole McCabe Jordan McFarlane Zeki Mutlu Broc O’Brien

Jake Payne Laura Pomberg Scott Raybourn Coleman Rector Cailin Redden Riley Rice Robert Rowland Slade Savage Macrae Smith Zach Speck Brielle Stein Lauren Sulzen Caroline Tate Elijah Westover Alayna Weyandt Bethany White Kennedy Wiegand

8th Grade Amara Asrawi Ariana Asrawi Olivia Baldwin Zoe Bator Olivia Berggren Catherine Binkley Jo Anna Bryans Ellie Bush Amanda Choi Gigi Cinello Olivia Clark Chase Colquitt Will Compton Riley Conine Abby Coronado Avery Cotter Ella Kate Cotter Kyle Cotter Abigail Dalton Jayce Frady Claire Franke Carter Getz Colton Hackney Landry Hays Mason Hinckley Kyndal Hinton Belle Holden Kathryn Janson Barrett Jessen Natalie Konstans Jenna Larson Anna Beth Lowrey Gracie Massinger Cameron May Blake Mercer Ethan Merrifield Jasmine Miller Ben Murphy Garrett Orten Danielle Parker Alex Ramsland Logan Rock Michael Ruch Pierce Sandlin Savannah Sims Caroline Spears Nathan Stara Ruthie Turner Marie Kathryn Waldrop Justine Walker Ella Ward Gracy Watts Lily Westover Major Wheless Brendan Williams Audrey Wines Grant Winslow Elizabeth Yeary

7th Grade Hannah Alpert Lexy Babler Luke Babler Molly Berryman Ava Brown Taya Burgett Hannah Burke Dawson Chaffin Emily Clay Jack Courtney Charlie Crawford Anthony Cundari Victoria Dahncke

Landry Davis Daniel Delp Lolly Elms Collin Groezinger Reilly Hanna Jaxx Hatton Reagan Havel Emma Hodge Randell Holmes Leah Kegerreis Lauren Lee Georgia Leeds Morgan Locke Austin Marquardt Jack Maust Luke Mays Delaney Meiser Ryan O’Shea Avery Overberg Reagan Pierce Peyton Prideaux Brianna Queen Wilson Roe Christian Sanchez Patricia Sharon Lindsay Shipley Claire Shodeen Avery Sponsler William Sullivan Ashton Karoline Waldrop Landry Walton Jackson Wells Conner Williams Caroline Woodward Annie Xia Jason Yang Lily Ziemkiewicz

Foti Pakes Jung Park Kyndall Richardson Davis Rogers Lauren Warner Natalie Warrick Tara Williamson Kiley Wilson Cathy Jean Wood Ethan Woodward

Cum Laude

8th Grade

Freshmen Isaac Agumadu Will Barnes Benjamin Binkley Jackson Bowman Michael Callahan Nicholas Clift Dylan Deaton Simon Dennis Gordon Katherine DeWeese Trevor Douglass Mia Gradick Weston Haggard Gentry Jarrell Arden Kadane William Kennedy Cade Klinger Anna Kathryn Lipe Sophia Lopez Noah Miller Justin Moore McKenzie Moore Hannah Plemons Tyler Townley Sarah Katherine Williams Thomas Wyman

Tatyana Ah Chu Will Ballew Joseph Fares Cameron Hall Grace Harvey Brooke Herman Addison Herritage Emma Lunceford Jackson Noakes Catie Rebensdorf Ben Thornton Ashley Young

Carter Burgoon Andrew Buser Jonathan Chock Elle Clark Lindsey Crow Harrison Fields Cameron Gilmore Michael Heidelbaugh Faith Johnson Allison Jones Luke Langford Ross McKay Katherine McLain Dutch McStay Clarke Pino Ashleigh Rutledge Zoe Schiefer Lauren Smith Jack Wenzel

Juniors

7th Grade

Alex Aarant Mollie Birmingham Joshua Black Carter Burns Bailey Chaffin Davis Conley Richard Dodd Hannah Hoffman Peyton Hurst Averie Kadane Justin Thompson Sam Venker Ellie Whitmire

Claire Andrews Libby Barnes Sam Brown Brianna Byrd Kent Causey Nathan Clark Ian Collier Bryn Correa Paige Cotter Kelly Dance Claire Floyd Jake Gore Ellie Gould Connor Graham Evan Hennes Andrew Ho Evan Mawhee Will Mercer Brian Morris Anna Muccio Mason Murphy Kjirsta Olson Ana Penton Zoe Rodriguez Mason Sonju Nick Van Pelt Emily Watters Ava Weedon Jackson Wood Lauren Wright Kate Yanof

GPA of 3.5–3.79 Seniors

Sophomores Bryn Barringer Meghan Betts Laura Bowling Caroline Bush Sam Clare Maddy Courtright Riley Crow Daniel DeWeese Drew Douglas Marissa Douglass Kelsey Ferrell Mallory Heard Jake Johnson Lauren Landers Lauren Mawhee Abbey McCutchen

WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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GOOD WORKS

National Merit Commended Students Seven seniors were recently named 2015 National Merit Commended Students for placing in the top 50,000 out of 1.5 million juniors who took the PSAT last year.

Congratulations to: (back row, L to R): Joshua Harper, John Novakovich, Matthew Galvan and Matthew Young, (front row, L to R): David Choi, Isabel Ruch and Aaron Cho.

2015 Homecoming Queen and Court Senior Allison Jackson was crowned the 2015 Homecoming queen. Her peers elected her based on the character qualities of gentle spirit, compassion and integrity. The classes also vote for their representatives based on these qualities. The 2015 Homecoming court included freshman Abby Muschalek (gentle spirit), sophomore Deven Gann (compassion), junior Monica Choi (integrity) and seniors Lauren Golden, Jennifer Harbour, Anna Holder and Elizabeth Priest (all three qualities).

North Texas Giving Day On September 17, over 1,000 donors raised more than $433,000 for TCA, and TCA placed first in the school category.

Funds were donated through the Communities Foundation of Texas and will be used to enhance our campus and athletic programs.

College signings Congratulations to these student-athletes (pictured, L to R): Cole Williams will wrestle at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Makenzie Kesler will play volleyball at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.

Alex Stiegler will play baseball at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Jack Mueller will wrestle at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Mark Paterson will play basketball at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

Matt Paterson will play basketball at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

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Middle School Honor Choir This fall, 12 sixth graders and 22 seventh and eighth graders qualified for the TPSMEA Children’s Honor Choir and Middle School Honor Choir. These students auditioned and placed among the top 25 in the state in their respective voice parts and then participated in a two-day clinic and performance. TCA had the most singers of any private school in Texas.

Congratulations to the following students:

Sixth-Grade Children’s Choir Sopranos: Aubrie Amado, Ryan Berry, Simeon Hamby, Halle Herme, Henry Smith and Ainsley Wilburn Altos: Daniel Choi, Camden Findley, Kate Goodman, Nancy Gunter, Rachel Mills and Madeline Prescott

All-State Choir Senior Cameron Pino was named to the TPSMEA All-State Choir.

Cameron has been selected all four years of high school.

Southwestern American Choral Directors Women’s Chorus

Eighth-grade soprano Allison Jones was named to the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association Women’s Chorus. She competed with other singers from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas and is the first singer to represent TCA at this prestigious event!

Middle School Honor Choir Sopranos: Hallie Harvey, Allie Jones, Georgia Leeds, Olivia Macfee and Audrey Wines Altos: Lexy Babler, Bryn Correa and Natalie Konstans Tenors: David Agumadu, Zachary Clift, Charlie Crawford, Jaxx Hatton, Cade Holliday, Jack Maust and Mason Sonju Basses: Carter Burgoon, Josh Matthews, Blake Mercer, Ben Murphy, Wilson Roe, Joel Smitherman and Conner Williams

WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

CRAFTING MEMORIES A huge thank you goes to our freshman class moms. Under the energetic and organized leadership of Kelly Olson, Tiffany Willey and Shana De Paoli, over 400 Homecoming mums and garters were created for our Upper School students. The Mum Room requires a lot a planning and organization, and these ladies were wonderful. We know time is a precious gift, and we appreciate the great contribution our volunteers make to our TCA community. All monies collected from the sales of mums and garters go to the freshman class account to be used for that class’s senior trip.

HOLIDAY HOSTESSES The PTF annual Faculty And Staff Appreciation Luncheon was held November 10. This luncheon, organized by PTF, requires an incredible amount of teamwork and would not be possible without the help of so many parents. Many thanks to everyone in the TCA community who baked, served or volunteered to make this such a special day. This day is one of the favorite events of the year for the faculty and staff at TCA. The buffet was headed by coordinator Lisa Harris (center), assistant coordinator Fleurette Runyan (not pictured) and volunteer coordinator Michelle Young (right). These ladies were under the leadership of PTF Secretary Holly Caldwell (left). An enormous thank you for the sacrifice of your time to this event!

NEW BOARD MEMBER This year, TCA welcomed Matt Heidelbaugh to the TCA Board of Trustees. Matt is the executive director of tenant advisory services at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. Matt and his wife, Leslie, have three children at TCA, Michael (eighth grade), Anna (sixth grade) and Aly (fifth grade), and they came to TCA in 2007. The family attends Believers Chapel in Dallas.

The Heidelbaughs love TCA and are so grateful to the Lord for how He has used the school in their lives. Matt is humbled and excited to serve on the Board of Trustees.

“I look forward to serving TCA in this capacity and praise the Lord for the privilege of serving Him within the TCA community.”

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GIVE BACK

Fearless giving A S PA RT OF T H E EV E RY DAY DU T I E S OF M Y JOB , I have

the opportunity to meet with the various donors to Trinity Christian Academy. In the course of the meetings, I am often reminded that our work allows us to have an impact on the lives of our donors, as well as our school.

I recently met with a couple who are very involved, charitable residents in the local community. They had not given to TCA in the recent past, yet they were friends of the school and saw the importance of a Christ-centered, rigorous education. They agreed to meet with me and were frankly shocked when I asked them for a pledge of five figures over five years. The wife commented that this was more than they contribute to their church. The husband suggested they might be able to do something in that neighborhood, but they would give it some thought.

When I followed up with them, the husband confirmed that they would pledge that amount to the school. He went on to say that our request had really stretched them, which had forced them to examine what they could truly do, rather than easily saying yes to a modest request. Their deliberations had further prompted them to take a look at all of their charitable priorities. How much did they contribute overall? If they seriously wanted to make this gift, but had trouble budgeting it, what did that say about their philanthropy? What changes were they able to make in their life that would allow them to meet their charitable goals?

All of these deliberations resulted in a lifestyle change for the couple. When the husband informed me of their decision, he explained that they had decided to sell their new BMW and buy a used Volkswagen, freeing up additional funds to make this pledge possible.

I immediately thought of the saying, “A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car you drove, or what sort of house you lived in or how big your bank account was, but the world may be better because you were important in the life of a child.”

On another occasion, I met with a donor and friend of the school. Both his parents were now deceased and, without siblings, it fell to him to sell their home and resolve their estate. He decided that he would put some of the proceeds from the house sale toward certain charitable projects. His first thoughts were of TCA, the school that had provided his family with such a significant experience in education and childhood memories. He called me and told me that he wanted to make a significant charitable gift.

The donor’s objective was to make a gift to the endowment, the income from which would fund scholarships for less fortunate students to attend TCA. As you can imagine, I was thrilled. By considering a gift in this manner, his giving would go on to fund students at TCA in perpetuity. Once I communicated what would be necessary to achieve the donor’s goal, he readily agreed to make the gift.

We do so much in changing the lives of those students who receive a TCA education; it is easy to forget that we are often changing the lives of our donors, as well. Helping people raise their sights in these ways is a critical step in their philanthropic lifespan. It will have a leveraged impact far beyond the value of their current gift, as they will apply their new philosophy to all future charitable decisions, as well.

Will you please consider ways to give to TCA in which you, too, can leave a legacy? The need is great—$1,200,000 for Student Tuition Aid. Thank you for your consideration; lives can be changed forever.

Sincerely,

B E C K Y D. L E W I S , E X ECU TI V E DI R ECTOR OF DEV ELOPM ENT

Mark your calendar for these 2016 events: March 2016 – Raffle April 2 – TCA Community Event WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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UPPER SCHOOL

FINDING

THE BEST FIT

Helping Upper School students discover ideal schools to match their goals B Y C A RY N T H E X T O N A N D T R A C I E G AT E S , U PPER SCHOOL COL L EGE COU NSELOR S

part of the college application process involves “A vital a student discovering what God has for him or her. ” 10

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“COL L EGE I S A M ATC H TO BE M A DE , NOT A PR I Z E TO BE WON.” That is the theme of the College Guidance

Office at TCA as we work with students in the Upper School to plan and prepare for life beyond Trinity Christian Academy. We believe that a vital part of the college application process involves a student discovering what God has for him or her. It is our desire that every graduate be matched with a college that provides the right fit academically, socially and spiritually.

In finding that fit, the question is often asked; “Is it ever too early to start the college planning process?” In order for students to find that fit, and to be on trajectory for success, college prep must start early. At TCA, students begin thinking about the future and building their college plans as early as the ninth grade with oneon-one consultations with their assigned college counselors. This process continues with annual meetings throughout their entire high school career.

The topics covered during the ninth-grade meeting are focused on promoting the student’s awareness on how to best impact his or her future success for high school and beyond. We, as counselors, understand that each ninth-grade student is unique with untapped potential, and we aim to ask questions that will help us, as well as the student, better understand his or her personal goals and dreams.

Some of the initial discussion points include: • Understanding GPA – how it is calculated and the importance of protecting it • Extracurricular activities – student involvement outside of the classroom • Naviance – college and career readiness platform provided to all TCA students We also begin the discussion of what colleges are looking for in an applicant, in an effort to help students aim higher and be more aware of consequences of their actions or inactions. We understand, however, that some students are still navigating the change from Middle School to Upper School and may not be ready to talk about the far future. In those cases, we concentrate on questions about grades, interests and extracurricular activities.

Students receive a questionnaire to fill out before the initial meeting. The first response we require is “Describe yourself in three to five sentences.” For most ninth-graders, answering this

can be a challenge. Our goal in asking this is to help students begin the process of self-discovery in order to find the best career and college matches for them. It is important that each student discover his or her own unique personality traits, interests, passions and, of course, God-given abilities and gifts.

At the close of the initial meeting, we encourage students to utilize the resources we provide throughout the year and ensure that they are familiar with the process of accessing them. Using Naviance, a student can record and update information for his or her resume beginning freshman year, and the “Strengths Finder,” “Do What You Are” and “Learning Style Inventories” can be used to start the process of reflection.

In the spring, ninth-graders, with the help of their counselors, are prompted to create a four-year plan that includes a rigorous academic course of action and a variety of co-curricular activities that will show diversity and consistency of time and commitment.

Counselors discuss the importance of impactful participation in clubs, sports, fine arts, community service, etc., that will show colleges a well-rounded student, both academically and socially.

In order to help prepare students for the college-board entrance exams to come, ninth-grade students, as well those in grades 10 and 11, are given opportunities to practice taking grade-appropriate versions of college entrance exams. Students are highly encouraged to do their personal best on the standardized practice tests and to take prep courses as needed before the actual SAT/ACT their junior and senior years.

Scheduling annual meetings with each student individually beginning in ninth grade provides us with a wonderful opportunity to know each student on a more personal level and to develop a close relationship over the student’s high school experience. It allows us, as counselors, to revisit the student’s career and college explorations on an regular basis and continue the needed college planning dialogue before reaching the critical junior and senior years. Our goal is for each student to have a better understanding of himself or herself, to uncover his or her dreams for the future, to discover the plan and path that God intends and to be armed with enough information to find career and college choices that would be an excellent personal fit.

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UPPER SCHOOL SEE YOU AT THE POLE Upper School students gathered by the flagpoles for a time of prayer and worship on Wednesday, September 23, in conjunction with national See You at the Pole day. Members of the worship team led the students in worship, and then the students spread out around the lawn in small groups to pray for their friends, families and the school.

HITTING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Over a hundred TCA seniors hit the campaign trail for their political parties and favorite candidates. Students in Mr. Kimbrough’s government classes completed over 310 political participation hours this campaigning season prior to election day.

CLASS ACTS SAM LIU

Sam is a student who exemplifies integrity, character and talent.

Leadership comes naturally for Sam, as evidenced by the several positions for which he has been selected, including Student Honor Council, a Disciples-in-Christ leader and a Wilderness counselor.

Sam is an engaged student, choosing to take the most rigorous course of study offered at TCA. Sam has earned placement on the Summa Cum Laude Honor Roll and is a member of the National Honor Society.

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Sam is also a member of the varsity swim team, earning recognition in several regional and state swim meets. However, Sam is most known for his musical and theatrical abilities, showcased in the annual TCA drama and musical productions.

Sam has a heart for God and a passion for helping others, giving countless hours to volunteer work through the Young Men’s Service League. His desire to serve through music is also demonstrated as he leads the students in worship as a member of the TCA Upper School Worship Team.

Sam is a young man of excellence who has the ability to inspire others through his God-given talents.

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

ROTARY STUDENTS OF THE MONTH CAMERON PINO

Cameron sets the bar high in modeling a well-rounded student at TCA, selecting a rigorous class schedule, maintaining exceptional participation in extracurricular act­ivities and giving nothing but his best.

Academically, Cameron is a member of the National Honor Society and has been on the Summa Cum Laude Honor Roll throughout high school. Cameron has also been a member of the TCA football team for four years and has earned numerous district and state

ADVANCED DRAMA This fall, students in the Upper School Advanced Drama class presented Baker’s Dozen, an evening of performances of cuttings from some of Neil Simon’s most popular comedies, including The Odd Couple, California Suite and The Star-Spangled Girl.

HOCO DRESS-UP WEEK

awards. Additionally, Cameron has been a key figure in the annual TCA musical and drama productions, earning multiple awards for the diverse roles he has played. In chorale events, Cameron, once again, has received many accolades and has been selected each year to the All-Region and All-State choirs.

Cameron has also been a member of the TCA Upper School Worship Team, where he helps to lead the students in worship.

Cameron is preparing to parlay his two passions, music and history, into a legal career and possibly a vocal performance career, as well.

Cameron is a phenomenal young man who exemplifies leadership, humility and a teachable spirit.

DECEMBER

Upper School students celebrated Homecoming week with special dress-up days to show their school spirit. This year’s dress-up themes were Matchy Matchy Monday, Texas Tuesday, PJ Wednesday, Salad Dressing Thursday and Mathlete/Athlete Friday.

HAVEN BURGOON

Haven’s gentle spirit and ease draw others to her. The way in which she conducts her life has earned the respect of her peers and teachers alike. Whether she is guiding prospective parents on a tour around the school, adding to the discussion in her AP English Literature class or cheering at Friday night football games, she can be counted on for excellence in all she does.

Haven’s love for people shows through her interaction with students at TCA. Through her

leadership position on the cheerleading squad, she works with younger girls in the Little Trojan Cheer Camp during the summer.

She has also been an active contributor to The Bridge, a welcome event for rising ninth-graders. As a junior, she wrote and implemented a Bible study for the TCA freshmen-mentoring program.

Haven stands out as a superb example of a young person who has a level head, a kind heart and an ambitious spirit. She looks forward to applying the skills she has learned at TCA to her college years, wherever that might be.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

THE JOYFUL PAIN OF CHANGE B Y D R . RYA N B E R E N S , A S S I S TA N T H E A D O F M I D D L E S C H O O L

A S I SAT I N F RON T of my screen contemplating the directive of

writing an article to introduce myself and discuss the happenings of the Middle School, I continually came back to one simple word: change. Change, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is to become different, or to make someone or something different. To that end, “change” has been a major theme in the Middle School this year and can also be used to describe the journey that brought the Berens family to TCA. The idea of change can also affect a range of emotion that travels on the spectrum from excitement to fear. Most people fall into either the “I hate change” or the “I love change” categories.

Personally, I tend to fall in the group that likes change.

It should also be noted that through those experiences of transformation, I have also realized the pain that comes along with any change that is worth making. As I have traversed the changes that have marked my personal life and career and the changes that have been ongoing in the Middle School this year, I repeatedly come back to a particular verse in Proverbs that provides the strength and fortitude to charge forward.

Solomon wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

“We couldn’t be happier that the Lord chose TCA as the landing spot for my career and the place where our daughter will gain a love of learning through a Christ-centered education.”

By the grace of the Lord, my path has straightened and landed here at Trinity Christian Academy. I began my career in education as a high school teacher in Georgia, where I also coached football, baseball and softball. During my last year of teaching, I met my amazing wife, Carmen, and decided that God was leading me in the direction of administration. Over the past ten years, I have spent time as an educational technology specialist, an assistant

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principal, district coordinator and education program specialist with the Georgia Department of Education.

The excitement of new challenges and opportunities was often coupled with the pain of saying goodbye to colleagues and friends and uprooting my family. As we thought and prayed about each move, my wife and I understood that God had a plan for us and that the emotional and physical cost each time we made a major life change would eventually pay great dividends. We couldn’t be happier that the Lord chose TCA as the landing spot for my career and the place where our daughter will gain a love of learning through a Christ-centered education.

Landing in what has been referred to as the “meaningful middle,” I was greeted by a staff that was processing several major changes that have already affected this school year. First, having had to endure the pains of saying goodbye to a number of beloved teachers and administrators, the Middle School faculty has graciously worked to integrate two new members of

New seventh-grade Bible teacher Barry Birmingham

New fifth-grade math teacher Rebekah Lipman New Middle School counselor Shawn Ledebur

the administrative team and three new teachers. I have been astonished by the work ethic of the men and women in the Middle School and by their willingness to go above and beyond to love and teach the children in their classrooms.

In July, as I began working in my new role, I was visited by a number of teachers who had come to campus to begin preparing for the school year. That early planning, hard work and time spent working “off the clock” paid off in one of the coolest first days of school that a Middle School student could hope to have. Students were greeted first thing that Wednesday with a black-light party in the gym that was used as an opportunity to introduce students to the house system that has been implemented throughout the Middle School this year (see the article on page 30). The party

was followed by the viewing of an introductory video of teachers dancing through the halls and showing off their “house pride.”

The excitement and passion exhibited by this group landed the video on the evening news and elicited over 10,000 views on the TCA Facebook page.

One of the biggest changes to the Middle School this year is implementation of the afore-mentioned house system. Students and faculty have been divided into four houses (Honor, Wisdom, Justice, Courage), where they will remain throughout their time in the Middle School. The houses earn points through competitions, service projects and targeted daily actions that are used to achieve certain milestone rewards. The idea behind the integration of the house system was to create a greater sense of community across all four Middle School grades.

As these changes become a part of life at TCA, we continue to think towards the future and know that greater changes will come as we constantly strive for improvement. The realization that many of these changes can be accompanied by hard work, extra effort and, in some cases, pain, is only overcome by the knowledge that God has our plan in His hands and that our true joy comes in improving the education of our Middle School students.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

ROMAN HISTORY COMES TO LIFE Seventh-grade Latin classes wrapped up a Daily Life of the Romans unit by preparing and enjoying a Roman feast. Students had to research the background and history of the foods, prepare an authentic Roman recipe and bring samples for the class.

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT! Middle School students cele­ brated their fall sports teams with a fall pep rally, complete with cheerleaders and the Middle School band. All of the fall sports teams were introduced, and the students were led to the pep rally by the outstanding Middle School drum line.

TEE IT UP FOR THE TROOPS On Veteran’s Day, Middle School choir members Kyle Cotter, Natalie Konstans, Audrey Wines, Hallie Harvey, Lindsey Fish, Ariana Asrawi and Allison Jones sang the National Anthem at Bent Tree Country Club for its fundraiser, Tee It Up for the Troops, which raises money for wounded soldiers.

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MOCK TRIAL Students in Dawna Debter’s Speech/Drama 2 class participated in a mock trial based on the sinking of the Titanic. Students prepared for trial with the help and coaching from current and alumni parents who are attorneys: Wendy May, Kyle Dreyer and Holly Powers.

Practicing attorney and TCA alumnus Brad Dickens ’07 played the judge.

“I WON’T GROW UP” Under the direction of Middle School drama teacher Dawna Debter and Middle School choir teacher Sharla Davidson, a cast of 44 Middle School students presented a truly magical experience for packed audiences, complete with aerial flying, in the production of Peter Pan. Alex Ramsland played Peter Pan, and Carter Burgoon played Captain Hook.

CLASS ACTS WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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LOWER SCHOOL

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TO TCA W HO WOU L D H AV E I M AG I N E D that God would bring an

elementary principal from Seoul, South Korea, to Addison, Texas, and to TCA? As my family and I prayed about where God would lead us as we moved back to the United States after many years overseas, I could not have imagined the blessings that we would find at Trinity Christian Academy.

Over the past twenty years, I have been able to work with students of varying ages and grade levels in education and in student ministry in the United States and abroad. My years of experience, nationally and internationally, both in Turkey and South Korea most recently, have given me a unique perspective and a passion for seeing God develop the gifts and abilities of each child alongside whom I have been called to work.

As the new assistant head of Lower School, I am excited to join in the mission of TCA in developing the whole child for the glory of God. It is vital that, as Christian educators, we understand the important balance of teaching strong academics with shepherding the heart of the children who have been entrusted to our care.

In the Lower School, we have a great opportunity to learn about each of our students. We have the joy of being able to spend time getting to know them in and out of the classroom,

Bev Birmingham shares a devotional with lower-schoolers during a KTCA broadcast focused on the reason we celebrate Jesus’s incarnation.

which gives us the ability to see what God is doing in their young lives, and we get to see them engaged in learning, which gives us invaluable information as to how each child learns. Our staff is then able to use a variety of best practices to meet the needs of our students. Along with this, our staff is committed to mentoring the children through day-to-day situations. As we talk with them about all kinds of different things, we have a chance to impart truth to them in very simple, clear ways.

I believe that it is crucial that, as we have these opportunities, we continue to grow also. We cannot teach or shepherd well if we are not growing. We will continue to look for ways that our faculty can engage in developing both professionally and spiritually. We want to be good models of what we are asking our students to do, too.

Most recently, some of our grade-level teams have participated in literacy conferences to continue to build on our strong reading program, which we know is critical in the early years. Along with the professional growth, many faculty members participate in and lead various Bible studies around the area. They are committed to being equipped as Christian educators to teach and serve the students that God has entrusted to our care.

“I consider it a privilege to bring the insight that God has given me throughout my career of working with children from around the world to a school that values each boy and girl who comes through the doors.”

BY BEV BIR MINGH A M, A S S I S TA N T H E A D O F L OW E R S C H O O L

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What a blessing it is to join in the mission of TCA for His kingdom!

I look forward to continuing to build on the legacy that has gone before me while being able to add to the depth of learning that is taking place each day. God has given me a calling in the field of Christian education, and I am extremely thankful to be serving at TCA. I consider it a privilege to bring the insight that God has given me throughout my career of working with children from around the world to a school that values each boy and girl who comes through the doors.

Bev Birmingham and fellow Lower School administrator Julie Scheer celebrate third-grade Spelling Bee winners with a pizza party.

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WITH RESPECT TO MY COLLE AGUES, I

have the most fun job on campus! I love teaching art to the kids in Lower School. They are in their most formative stages and uninhibited by fear of failure.

They are less self-conscious of their work, which is so refreshing and also produces art that is authentic.

The Lower School art room itself is a cheerful and exciting place because of all of the natural light and the hustle of activity out­side, such as the passing students, the occasional sighting of a cat or squirrel and the leaf tornadoes that occur

in a vortex outside the Middle School cafeteria!

The children love coming in ready to experiment and explore, and they bounce in my room full of anticipation and excitement.

Art provides the perfect break from their regular classrooms and from technology in a space where they can create with their hands. Through art, students develop fine motor skills, learn visual language, problem-solve and express themselves.

Students also learn about work ethic and the satisfaction of a job well done. The most rewarding part of my job, for me and for my students, is displaying their work throughout the Lower School.

Their work finds its completion in the viewing and appreciation of it, and I think it is important for the kids to see that their art can transform a space.

When I began teaching at TCA, I walked into a well-established art program, where many talented teachers had taught before me. They have paved the way, and there are many favorite Lower School art projects I inherited, which are now TCA traditions, such as the second-grade chalk leaf!

When I build on the curriculum, in most cases, I try to avoid using pre-cut shapes or printouts, because a child’s own creation will be much more interesting than anything I can give him or her. I do, however,

B Y T I F FA N I E P H I L L I P S M U T L U ’ 8 9 , L OW E R S C H O O L A RT T E A C H E R

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HANDMADE CREATIVITY

WINTER 2015

often have students create works inspired by famous artists. This allows me to introduce a variety of styles and techniques, while also inspiring them to appreciate art history. A well-educated student should be able to recognize and appreciate some of the world’s most famous pieces. It is so fun when a student comes to me excited that he or she saw a Monet in a museum or the Mona Lisa in a book or a movie.

When I came to TCA, I began creating collages of major artists and their works to brighten the art hallways. Often the collages are linked to the artist whose work we are studying, while sometimes the murals are just artists I like and that I think would

be interesting for the kids. I like to choose art that is fun, colorful and appeals to me. When I love the work we are studying, it is natural to pass that excitement on to the children. Students also love hearing some of the interesting facts about the life of the artists, such as Van Gogh and his ear!

My role in the department is to reel in the kids and get the students excited about art. It is my hope that the children at TCA love and value visual art.

I pass on these eager artists to my colleagues in fourth grade, who really take them to the next level by digging deeper into the art-making process in order to prepare them for Middle School and Upper School.

LOWER SCHOOL

“YOU CAN’T CATCH ME...”

On the second day of school, first-graders explored campus, following clues and learning about various places on campus, all the while looking for the Gingerbread Man. After an exhaustive search, they found him in the Lower School Office and enjoyed gingerbread cookies to celebrate!

“LIGHT-BULB” MOMENT Fourth-grade students discover items that are insulators and conductors in their study of electromagnetism.

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PEN PAL NATURE WALK Kindergarten students spent time with their third-grade pen pals this fall at a nearby nature park, exploring nature and gathering leaves. Students then spent time in the classroom identifying different types and parts of leaves.

LITTLE TROJANS, BIG SPIRIT! Lower School students had a great time at the annual Lower School Pep Rally prior to Little Trojan Night at the varsity football game. Varsity football captains, cheerleaders, drill team members and the Upper School drum line all helped to make this an exciting afternoon!

PreK TEDDY BEAR PICNIC Students in preK enjoyed a wonderful time at their teddy bear picnic this year, complete with special snacks, games and furry friends!

SECOND GRADE VISITS PEROT MUSEUM Second-graders had an amazing field trip to The Perot Museum of Nature & Science. Their curiosity was sparked by this extraordinary adventure through hands-on activities and interactive kiosks in the exhibit halls.

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Lower School students hosted their grand­parents on campus on Thursday and Friday, November 19–20. Over 1,000 grandparents and grand friends came to share this special time of songs, Bible verses and classroom fun with their Lower School grandchildren.

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WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? TCA STUDENTS DESCRIBE THE JESUS THEY KNOW

I R EC E N T LY H A D T H E OPPORT U N I T Y to visit with a cousin I have seen probably

three times in the last 25 years. She is mid-40’s, sweet, bright, an Ivy League graduate, attorney, wife and mother. By most standards, she is certainly accomplished. Curious about my clear commitment to God, she asked me about my faith journey, and I had the privilege of sharing my story of how reason and faith so beautifully came together almost 40 years ago. I began with the most seminal question each of us needs to answer, the same one Jesus posed to Peter as recorded in three of the gospels, “WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?” I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal to my cousin the reality of who this Jesus claimed to be.

We asked several TCA students, from kindergarteners to seniors, this very same question.

Enjoy their simplicity and depth. The responses encourage me, as I am so thankful for TCA’s 46-year commitment to Jesus, the Messiah, as the foundation of all truth!

—Dave Delph, Headmaster

PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD / RADICAL GRACE (BERNIE MADOFF), WAYNE FORTE, 2010

MATTHEW GALVAN, twelfth grade What is the most important question that we must answer while we are alive? Some may say that the most important questions might be, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? Was I created, or did I evolve from a tiny organic molecule over time?” My guess is that, as the intuitive readers you are, you will have figured out already that the title of this article, in fact, is the absolute most important question to which you can ever seek to find an answer.

Responding to Jesus in Matthew 16, Peter declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,” and I would wholeheartedly endorse this answer. Who is Christ in my life? To me, Jesus in the simplest of words is a life-giver, a liberator and a lover.

Although I have grown up in a Christian family and have been well acquainted with the Scriptures for as long as I can remember, it was not until halfway through my middle school years that God truly softened my heart and revealed to me the answer to this question in a personal way. I finally could understand what it meant to need a savior and to have a relationship of my own with Him beyond simply knowing the facts. Furthermore, I found a beautiful freedom in Christ that helped me escape the burden of my sin and provided me with the comfort to know that, no matter what, I would always be identified with His Son, even when I fail, because of the faith the Lord gave me.

However, this does not mean that I have the freedom to pursue all of my fleshly desires because I’m “saved,” but rather, it means that I have a new reason to live: Christ. The one who loved me enough to die for me, bear my shame and call me by name to come home to Him is the reason for which I was made and is my source of purpose, love and joy. It can be easy to know who Jesus is and obey Him, but I would implore you instead to truly seek to know Jesus and learn to love Him by answering this question for yourself.

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WHO DO YOU SAY

I AM?

ALLISON JACKSON, twelfth grade

JESUS, LIGHT OF THE WORLD, WAYNE FORTE, 2009

Never in my life have I experienced a time when I was not surrounded by the gospel from all sides. I have heard it every day at school, every night at the dinner table and every weekend at church and small group. By God’s grace, I can say that at this point in my life I know Christ deeper than I ever have before, but getting to this point has been a confusing and often lonely path. You would think that growing up the way I did, I would have had authentic Christianity dripping from me. However, the truth for me and so many others in my shoes is that this safety net has led me to fall in so many traps. Wrapping up my thirteen years at TCA, I now see how easy it can be to miss Christianity in a Christian school.

I have always known that I was saved by grace through faith, but it took me until my junior year to realize that my selfish and controlling nature had warped me into using Christ and His love for me as just a way to follow the rules and receive its benefits. I spent my life obsessed with doing what is right and setting a good example, but my best was just never enough. Once I fell into the rut of going through the motions, I was consumed by the fear of letting my inauthenticity seep through the cracks. In the midst of this, I never stopped trying to please God, but I honestly might as well have. I was motivated by wanting to perform for God and for others, causing me to miss Jesus entirely.

The beauty of Christ is that despite my insecurities and failures, He is right there beside me through all of it. My relationship with Him is no longer performance-based, because I understand that anything remotely good in me is a reflection of who He is. Christ died for me not so that I could spend my life trying to prove why I am deserving of that sacrifice, but because He is so incredibly good and worthy of all praise. He meets me where I am and delights in me amidst my sin.

The majority of my life spent consumed with the pressure to always say and do the right thing only brought me superficial conversations and intimate isolation. Now I feel God’s pleasure through being authentic and loving those around me, because HE loved first, when I was more than undeserving. Abandoning the vain pursuit of trying to be good enough for God opened my eyes to His true calling for me, to simply love His people. I now understand that pleasing God is merely just a fruit of trusting in His goodness.

LANDRY HAYS, eighth grade Jesus Christ is the son of the living God who created the heavens, earth and everything in them. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die a brutal death for us and save us. Jesus was 100% human and 100% God. He loves us all and will come back to take us home one day. He completed the ultimate sacrifice.

BLAKE DAVIS, eighth grade Jesus, to me, is a resting place for all my troubles. He guides me day by day with His love and grace. He always loves me even when I mess up.

MAYA NGUYEN, third grade I say you are the Messiah, and You are equal to God. I say You’re awesome. You are a miracle maker! You are holy, loving, kind and someone who is willing to give up his life for me. I say You are forgiving and never sin. I say You show service. You are sinforgiving, and I say You are an amazing, great King.

JACKSON PATTILLO, kindergarten Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He saved us all. I like talking to him every day.

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AVA DEWEY, third grade Jesus, I think You are the creator of the earth. If You weren’t alive, I wouldn’t be alive. You’re the person who created the earth and everything on it. If You didn’t come and show You were the Son of God by doing miracles, we would have nothing to believe in. You had to go through pain and suffering just so we could live without sin. I tell people You are the savior and the creator of the earth, and some day You will come down from heaven and save all of the believers and take us with You to heaven. I tell people You are the best thing anyone could believe in. I tell people You are amazing!

LET HER ALONE, WAYNE FORTE

PEYTON WALTON, kindergarten

KENNEDI KAUFMAN, kindergarten Jesus is someone who can do miracles. He died on the cross for our sins. He loves me.

ETHAN MERRIFIELD, eighth grade Jesus watches and leads His “sheep” of the earth. He leads us down the road of life the way a shepherd leads his flock. He wants us to live a life that glorifies and honors Him. We can reflect Him through our actions.

MARGARET WILLIAMS, third grade Jesus, I say that You are someone who is willing to do anything. You died on the cross for everyone. I like to find ways to come to You. I could come to You at least a million times a day. You mean a lot to me, and I think You are inspiring me 100% throughout the day and 24/7. You show all the fruits of the spirit all the time. But the one that stands out the most to me is love, because of the way You love us perfectly. You make me happy in so many ways. I tell people I don’t know what life would be like without You!

ALEX RAMSLAND, eighth grade To me, Jesus is a multitude of compassion, love, joy, sacrifice and the overarching theme of humble perfection. A perfect life was never lived until this Jesus, both fully human and fully God, came to save you, me and every person. Jesus is my savior; He is my hope and my model for a live that I can only dream to live.

ART WORK BY WAYNE FORTE

The artwork depicted in this article was created by WAYNE FORTE, a wellestablished painter of monumentally scaled figurative art and a former Biola University professor. His art provides an opportunity to reexamine representations of biblical narratives, like Radical Grace (pg. 26), which portrays the first-century, robed shepherd carrying a businessman in a dark suit on his shoulders, much as he would a lost lamb.

Forte’s paintings are bold, expressionistic and gestural (often with a Picasso-like crudeness and a nod to other cultures) in a way that is contrary to the Renaissance and Baroque traditions normally taught in Western art. For example, in Jesus, Light of the World (left), the mother and child look Tahitian.

The work of Wayne Forte has been on display in the Trinity Art Gallery (TAG) this fall, along with the work from another talented professional artist, KIM ALEXANDER.

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HONOR.

WISDOM.

B Y S A R A H - G R A H A M T U RT L E TAU B , E I G H T H - G R A D E H I S T O RY/ E N G L I S H T E ACH E R , HOUSE OF W ISDOM

Honor, wisdom, justice and courage, the four qualities of the TCA alma mater, written by Performing Arts Head Norma Browning, have long embodied the ideals toward which the entire TCA community strives.

This school year, however, the four qualities took unique shape in the Middle School, becoming the names of four distinct houses.

AFTER WITNESSING THE “HOUSE SYSTEM”

JUSTICE.

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during a professional development conference at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, the Middle School teachers and administrators unanimously decided to pursue their own house system for the TCA Middle School. Several elements of the house system struck the faculty, including increased opportunities for student engagement and responsibility, leadership development, cross grade-level mentorship, faculty-student discipleship, recognition and celebration of growth and service.

In seeking to create a “meaningful middle” experience, the TCA Middle School focuses strongly on community, a value that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. As a whole, the faculty envisioned the new house system as a distinct and powerful way to foster increased depth of and emphasis on community.

“We decided to do this because we want to foster a sense of community in the Middle School. We want our students to feel their contributions matter to the success of our Middle School. As a community, we love our school, teachers, staff and students. We show this love by contributing to the Trinity Way,” explained Kerry DeWeese, fifth-grade science teacher.

Middle-schoolers show their house pride as they gather for a special event during which the students receive their house t-shirts and organize the Middle School’s clothes drive collections.

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HONOR. House motto:

H.I.S. – Humility, Integrity and Service As we live out our lives in the halls of Middle School stressing these three goals, we not only bring honor to the brothers and sisters we encounter every day, but more importantly, we bring honor to Christ. Colossians 1:10 states, “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

WISDOM. House motto:

Seek wisdom, grow strong, serve all.

Wisdom means having the knowledge and understanding to recognize the right course of action and having the will and courage to follow it. As we seek God’s will for our lives and seek His wisdom, we grow stronger in our faith. As we grow in wisdom and faith, we will inevitably serve others, because this is a natural response to our love for Christ.

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Throughout the spring, an ad hoc committee laid the groundwork for the house system, intentionally naming the houses after the qualities in the alma mater and assigning colors, mascots and Gospel writers to each house. As a team, the committee intentionally developed the house system in a way that reflected the core values of TCA. After a lively placement ceremony for faculty and staff last spring in which random-balloon popping determined each house member, the Middle School faculty spent a day at Group Dynamix, team building and culture shaping through communal experience.

The four houses began the process of developing their own mottos, goals and crests under the leadership of two elders charged with the responsibility of casting vision, developing unity and coordinating details.

At the end of the school year, the seventh-grade class of 2020 became the first student members of each house during an exciting balloon-popping ceremony, followed by games in the gym. As the oldest student members of the house system, students grasped the vision of leadership and community that the faculty shared and began looking forward to their role as leaders in their own houses.

On August 19 at 8:05 a.m., these eighth-graders swung into action, welcoming new eighth-graders, as well as seventh-, sixth-, and fifth-graders, into their houses through a blacklight party in the MCB gym in which each student broke a glow-in-the-dark necklace to determine his or her own house. Certainly, the atmosphere in the Middle School was abuzz with excitement, dancing and cheering at the beginning of this new TCA tradition.

To wrap up the first week of school, all Middle School students and faculty met on the football field for an afternoon of competition among houses. The competitions incorporated every Middle School student for two games: spelling out the word “Trinity”

Middle School faculty and staff participate in team-building exercises.

on the field and creating a line of plastic spoons for transporting a plethora of athletic balls. The afternoon concluded with a huge circle around the entire field and stadium in which each student and faculty member held hands with members of other houses, symbolizing the unity when each house comes together.

“The house system includes students from every grade level, elective and sport. I can build connections with students I would never have in the classroom, and we can all learn to love one another in a broader context, while still living in the safe world of the TCA Middle School,” said seventh-grade science teacher David Zieger.

New traditions have begun permeating the Middle School as a result of the house system, including house competitions and games, distribution of points by faculty to students for evidence of the Trinity Way and seating by houses in chapel and at pep rallies. Each house has also grouped students into single-gender families across grade-levels, facilitating relationships that have encouraged older students to mentor younger students.

JUSTICE. House motto:

Quid Dominus Quaerit?

This Latin phrase means “What does the Lord require?”

Referencing the words of the prophet Micah, the response is “to act with justice” (Micah 6:8).

Black-light party during which eighth-graders welcome younger students into their respective houses

Seventh-grade Latin teacher Kathryn Goldsmith commented, “One of my favorite outcomes of the creation of the house system has been seeing relationships form between students who might not normally interact with each other. As the students work together to earn points for their house, I see them encouraging and congratulating each other. It’s encouraging to see them working toward a common goal in a completely different mix of peers than their typical friends or class.”

Furthermore, the Middle School students helped to make the winter clothes drive a major success by contribut­ ing far beyond their traditional levels, earning each house 1000 points for their donations. Most importantly, the sense of camaraderie and community, traditionally definitive of the Middle School, has increased to new levels, and the embodiment of honor, wisdom, justice and courage, by students and faculty alike, facilitates a culture of genuine commitment to Christlikeness.

Houses compete in a capture-the-flag (ball) competition.

Middle School math teacher Katelyn Glosser Manchester ’06 said, “What we love about the Middle School house system is how it fosters and encourages act of service, not only within our community, but with others outside the TCA community, as well. This year our Middle School kids will have provided clothing for Rhodes Terrace Community in Fair Park, participated in the Operation Christmas Child philanthropy, celebrated our Addison Police Department for the ways they protect and serve our community and will have connected with and encouraged the doctors at the hospital across the street from TCA. We love the way the house system has provided these kinds of community outreach opportunities for our Middle School students.”

The Middle School appreciates each faculty member who has worked to bring this house system to fruition and looks forward to watching how houses foster deeper community and character in students and in the Middle School as a whole.

COURAGE. House motto:

Fortitudo in Christo Solo This translates from the Latin to “Strength/Courage in Christ Alone.” Courage is sometimes considered the foundational virtue; without the strength to act, all the training and intentions in the world are fruitless. Our moral strength comes only from Christ, and it is His example that we follow.

Middle School students and faculty pray over the school’s clothes drive collections and commit their acts of service to God’s glory and purposes.

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TCA TECHNOLOGY

MEETING THE CHALLENGE Young Engineers Test Their Skills at Robotics Competition IT’S 8:30 ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, at Prosper High School, where hundreds of students are lined up nervously waiting to be called in for the opening ceremony. Six long weeks of hard work is about to come to fruition. I meet with our team for some final words of encouragement before competition begins. Sophomore student Michael Young prays for the team. The gym is filled with hundreds of people cheering and screaming in anticipation for the start of the event. The emcee announces “Trinity Christian Academy,” and five of our students proudly carry their robot into the gym.

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MEETING THE CHALLENGE The Upper School STEM Club is a student-led group that meets once a month.

Over 40 students interested in science, technology, engineering and math fields meet for robotics, math competitions, industry guest speakers and other fun engineering challenges.

One thing I learned to appreciate was a stacked team working on well-delegated tasks. Doing this made our team extremely efficient in the building and testing phase.

—RYAN MCWHORTER, robotics team member

Our students learned about collaboration, diligence and hard work. They experienced a typical real-life engineering design cycle and built a working prototype in just a short six weeks. They applied what they learned in classes about mechanics, electricity and software and designed a multifunction robot that mimics a mining machine.

—JOHN HSU, parent volunteer

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Sophomore student AJ LaGassa adjusts the robot’s arm length for more effective maneuvering.

For the first time ever, the Upper School STEM Club participated in the 2015 Collin County BEST robotics competition. BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) is designed to show youth how engineering can be fun through a sports-like technology contest.

Each school is provided a kit of parts and a set of game rules. Teams have six weeks to design, build and test a small radio-controlled robot. Education and industry professionals volunteer their time as coaches and mentors to offer guidance in the design and construction process.

Restrictions apply to help make the competition simulate a real-world business and engineering environment: • constrained development • constrained design components (identical kits provided) • specific design requirements (size, weight, etc.)

The BEST goals are intended to inspire and motivate students toward studies and careers in engineering, science and technology. It’s about changing the way students of America think about science and technology while gaining the rewards of excitement and fun.

Each year, the competition and playing field is different. This year, the game was called “Pay Dirt.” The task was to design and build a prototype robot to repair and

operate an underground mine during a three-minute match. A robot can score points by doing two things: (a) repairing the mine (b) extracting materials from the mine Students were given a kit of raw material to create the robot. It contained items such as motors, microcontrollers, servos, pulleys, gears, ball bearings, bushings, aluminum sheets and rods, wire, wood stock, PVC pipes and fittings, fasteners, brackets, electrical wires and terminals. This was an opportunity for students to build a robot out of raw material by applying theoretical concepts learned in their science, technology and math classes.

Sophomore student Michael Young said, “The team applied geometry to replicate some near perfect copies of structures of the course.”

Sophomore Nathan Sanders said, “I used what I learned in Mr. Pendleton’s

With help from parent volunteer John Hsu, team members make some adjustments during a practice run-through during which they see how their robot performs as it attempts the same tasks that it will face on the competition playing field.

technology class to program the robot in Easy-C.” As a former engineer, I love how this hands-on project teaches the students about the engineering design cycle, safety, design constraints, compliance, strategy and, most importantly, teamwork.

Collaboration is one of the top 21st century skills needed for success in any industry. I tell students that they can have

the best engineering design in the world, but if they can’t communicate and work with their team, then it’s all for nothing.

To take a design idea from your head and collaborate with others to successfully design, build and test the final product is an invaluable skill.

Sophomore student AJ LaGassa said, “My favorite part of the entire design/ building process was definitely being

fortunate enough to work with an amazing, close-knit team.” Through this project, students were able to see the true beauty of God’s community.

Students strong in computer programming were able to focus on those tasks, and students strong in mechanical concepts were able to focus on those tasks. It was great to see a team of students with diverse gifts come together for a unified goal.

The core team, led by Daniel Hsu, included AJ LaGassa, Ryan McWhorter, Nathan Sanders and Michael Young.

Ten other students also contributed to the project: Nathan Holden, Ben Berggren, Jordyn Goodman, Simon Gordon, Allison Lau, Noah Morrison, Jung Park, Cole Rea, David Summerall and Tyler Townley. In addition, four parent volunteers offered invaluable support, expertise and encouragement: John Hsu, Sara Hsu, Greg McWhorter and Tom Sanders.

I am very proud of the team for working hard and learning so much.

They placed 14th overall, and the experience was priceless. My hopes are to grow the TCA STEM program to offer opportunities for the many students interested in these fields and to expand the STEM Club to both Lower School and Middle School.

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TROJAN LIFE

POST-GAME PARENTING TCA believes athletics play a critical role in the physical, emotional and spiritual maturity of our student-athletes. There are few places in life where the levels of physical, mental and emotional intensity intersect for a few hours and then abruptly end, leaving all involved to manage the disappointment or joy of the outcome. Both results open the door for lessons in humility, contentment and other characteristics of spiritual maturity.

BY K IR K MCJ U NK IN, E X E C U T I V E AT H L E T I C D I R E C T O R

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Interestingly, coaches don’t have to contrive or fabricate teachable moments; training and competition feed a constant flow. Great coaches interested in transforming their athletes don’t interfere, shield or help them avoid the pain of disappointment but rather come alongside to mentor and walk them through the experiences. The wisdom of a faith-based coach knows God is sovereign over athletics and expects the pain of disappointment to assist in the maturity and spiritual growth of the athletes.

Coaches have unique insight into the hearts of athletes. This insight can greatly enhance the parentathlete relationship and, in many cases, return a kid’s heart to the parents.

The Lord blessed me with some great opportunities to play athletics after high school, first with the University of Texas Longhorns and then, for a very brief season and a half, the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is relevant only that it exposed me to some insightful experiences around world-class athletes in football and other sports. Throughout my experiences, it was not uncommon for athletes to discuss the positive impact various people had on their athletic journeys.

Most placed their coaches highest on the list; this was true at all levels of competition. After that came mom and grandparents. Sadly, dads were most commonly left off the list, or mentioned as the ones driving for success, pushing the athletes to work harder. Many athletes believed that if they didn’t excel or quit due to burnout or loss of interest, they would, perhaps, not measure up and lose their father’s approval and blessing. I’ve witnessed the same dynamics in cheerleading and fine arts.

From an athlete’s perspective, the most preferred observer is the one who says, “I just love watching you play.” Typically, this is a grandparent or guest.

The most often expressed negative experience was what many athletes call, “the ride.” This is the ride

home after an athletic competition when mom and dad try to engage, give advice and process the game with their young, and sometimes even adult, athlete. Though most athletes believe their parents love them and were well meaning, the same parents inadvertently made the ride home, even the rest of the day, exasperating and, sometimes, miserable.

The overwhelming majority of athletes want emotional distance after a competition. Young athletes make the transition from athlete to kid very quickly. I watched my young teams, and my own kids, in football, basketball, soccer and baseball get more excited about the post-game refreshments than the outcome of the game. On one little league occasion, we lost an important game. As coaches, we had just finished offering great wisdom about getting better and how to handle defeat when a hand shot up. “Do we have orange Gatorade?” Clearly, they had transitioned back to kids quickly. It’s healthy to emotionally move on. To mentally and emotionally labor and analyze athletic performance is not a predictor of athletic success.

A parent’s struggle to give his or her childathlete time to transition usually doesn’t change.

It’s nearly comical how we parents sometimes can’t help ourselves. One professional golfer, who had won a Masters and US Open Championship, had just finished a very frustrating round during a PGA tournament. After signing fifty or more autographs, he climbed into a van for transport back to the clubhouse. His mother joined him for the ride, and before he could get settled, she began advising him on his attitude and handling of the public.

He turned his head in exasperation.

In my rookie year following a game against the Chargers, I hurried to the Chargers bus to say hello to some former teammates. I was delayed entering the bus by the father of one of the starting linebackers who was finishing his post-game conversation with his son. This NFL linebacker was a college All-American and a first-round draft pick.

The message was, “If only you’d done this or that, then . . . ” I saw the grief and disappointment on his face just the same as on a young, pubescent athlete.

Athletes and performers need time to transition on their own. Even professional athletes need their space and prefer to process on their own and move quickly back into life.

As athletes age, the transition takes longer.

Losses, injuries and negative outcomes will need to be processed through their own grids. Permit the awkward silence; let them move back into

life at their own pace. The overwhelming majority of athletes prefer to avoid the people who are trying to process, critique or “make them feel better.” To drag them back into the competition is exasperating.

A Michigan State study showed the number one reason kids quit sports, or lose the desire to excel, is because the sport is no longer fun. The same study showed the number one offender of robbing the fun was parents and/or an overbearing coach.

In Colossians 3:21, Paul warns us, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” If we exasperate our children, at any age, they lose heart. He also says in Ephesians 6:4, “not to provoke your children to anger.” Repeated exasperation leads to anger. Paul’s words to fathers can also be translated not to nag or assert arbitrary authority. To a lot of kids, parental coaching is a nag. Giving unsolicited counsel in addition to, or in place of, their coach is often perceived as asserting arbitrary authority. It can easily confuse the athletecoach relationship. It’s best to leave the critique and advice to the coaches who have expertise and specific time set aside for critique and training.

Our TCA coaches are deeply interested in making sure our student-athletes know how to manage and process the rest of their lives. Sadly, I’ve heard many kids tell coaches they cannot “talk” with their parents. The constant advice ruins emotional safety and can leave them feeling invalidated. Our coaches are interested in our parents experiencing great relationships with their children. It brings us great joy to see and hear about kids who love their parents and can’t wait to share their life experiences. We all desire to have a significant role in our children’s activities and processing of life choices. But, from one coachparent to another, lean on the insight of your child’s coaches. Give your kids the space to make sense out of their competitive experiences. As you do, you may be surprised at how fast they move towards you.

The joy of watching kids compete is great; the joy of a post-game hug, priceless. No survey, study or conversation ever produced an athlete expressing grief over parents and family members saying, “I hope you’re feeling alright. I know the game didn’t turn out like you wanted, but I sure love watching you play.”

This fall, TCA welcomed KIRK Mc JUNKIN as its new executive athletic director. He will be responsible for leading TCA’s Athletic Department and providing a vision for and continued implementation of transformational coaching at all levels. Kirk is an experienced athlete who previously played football at the University of Texas and for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to his role at TCA, he was an executive in the commercial construction arena.

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SPORTS BEAT

THE 2015-16 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TE AM had its

best season in more than 20 years. The team finished in first place in five meets, a first for TCA. The varsity team placed second in the TAPPS 5A-1 District Championship, marking the best finish since 1990. ALEX CORONADO and WHIT TRAWEEK earned First Team All-District honors, and BEN BERGGREN earned Second Team AllDistrict. The team finished eighth at the TAPPS 5A State Championship.

The following were the recipients of this year’s team awards: Alex Coronado, Most Valuable Runner; RYAN ROGERS, Winner Redefined (Most Christ-like Award) and Whit Traweek, Most Improved.

The team’s chosen theme was “Trust Your Training,” and the team’s verse was James 1:3–4, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.”

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VARSITY BOYS CROSS

THE 2015-16 GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TE AM finished in the

top three in four meets this season. Considering the tough competition, the coaching staff was very proud of the team. The highlight of the season was winning the Lake Highland’s race. The girls all ran personal best times, and it was the team’s best race of the year. The team finished seventh at the TAPPS 5A District Championships and ninth at the TAPPS State Championships.

With the young talent coming up, the future appears to be bright for TCA girls cross country. The following runners were the recipients of this year’s team awards: ALLISON SMITH, Most Valuable Runner; DEVEN GANN, Winner Redefined (Most Christ-like Award) and EMILY FLOYD, Most Improved.

COUNTRY

The team’s chosen theme was “Trust Your Training,” and the team’s verse was James 1:3–4, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.”

VARSITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

THE VARSIT Y FOOTBALL TE AM ended its season with a 3-7 overall record and a 2-5 district record.

It was a challenging season in many ways, as the team dealt with major injuries and sickness unlike any season before. Throughout it all, the players remained positive and battled until the very end. The team’s motto, “Band of Brothers,” was based on Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity,” and it became more real from one week to the next. The TCA players exhibited real character, remaining positive and enthusiastic even when adversity struck in the form of injuries and illnesses.

The team’s signature win came against Liberty Christian School at Apogee Stadium on the campus of the University of North Texas. The Trojans were behind by 20 points entering the fourth quarter by a score of 33-13. The defense forced several three-and-outs and stopped Liberty on fourth down three different times. The offense took advantage of the field position created by the defense and was able to convert on several big plays, which produced 21 points. The end result was a 34-33 come-from-behind victory that won’t be forgotten for a very long time.

Another highlight of the season was the father/son retreat for the senior players and their dads. It was a great time for the dads, sons and coaches to get away for a few days and bond together for their final high school football season.

Congratulations to the following players for earning district and state awards: PARKER OLIVER - First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State CODY HENSON - Second Team All-District CORY McQUILKIN - Second Team All-District CAMERON PINO - Second Team All-District, Academic All-State TIM DARBY - Honorable Mention All-District JACK SAVAGE - Honorable Mention All-District

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THE VARSIT Y VOLLEYBALL TE AM finished fourth

in district with a record of 14-7 and a season record of 19-16.

A few of the memorable district wins included the five-set win at Ursuline to start the district season, and the game against Prestonwood, where the team defeated PCA in four sets at home on Senior Night. The intensity of the crowd created an atmosphere that the girls won’t forget anytime soon. The team made a great playoff run at the end of the season, but lost in the second round.

The Lady Trojans steadily improved as the season progressed and increased their hitting and passing averages quite a bit from the beginning of the season to the end.

Congratulations to the following girls for earning district and state awards: BERKLIE BAKER - First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Defensive Player of the Year, Academic All-State MAKENZIE KESLER - Second Team All-State, First Team All-District KATIE CAMP - Second Team All-District, Academic All-State LESLIE WOLFF - Second Team All-District MEREDITH HARWELL - Honorable Mention All-District

THE 2015-16 CHEERLE ADING TE AM

planned and performed at five pep rallies this fall with themes ranging from Rock & Roll to Blackout to College Game Day. Every week, the girls decorated the Upper School according to the weekly theme to raise spirit and awareness for the football games.

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Not only did the girls cheer at every home and away football game, but they also took home the State Championship in the second annual TAPPS Cheer Competition. In addition, COURTNEY KESLER was named First Team All-State, and ALEXIS EVERETT was named Second Team All-State.

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

THE TROJANET TES had an amazing season this year, dancing during

halftime of every varsity football game and performing at the Upper School pep rallies. The girls are known for their amazing high kicks and jazz and pom routines.

The Trojanettes took home the top Gold Ranking from Line Camp in June, along with four Passion Elite Awards, going to BLAIR BLACKBURN, CAROLINE PIERCE, JACQUELYN RECTOR and SARAH THOLEN. Seven All-Star Dancers were also chosen: SARAH DEWHITT, EMMA HEATH, JESSICA HOCK, ALYSON O’SHEA, SUZIE TKACH, MARY-TODD RIDLEY and JULIA WILLISON. A special highlight of this season was the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the TCA Trojanettes. All Trojanette alumnae were invited to the fun celebration during Homecoming weekend.

The Trojanettes participated in two mission projects this year, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure benefiting breast cancer research, and Kick for Kindness, a campaign to stop bullying in schools.

DRILL TEAM

The team’s theme this year was “Better Together,” and the team’s verse was 1 Corinthians 12:24–26. The drill team is under the direction of Sandi Peoples and Clayr Simnacher Schreiner ’04.

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Going above and beyond!

Thank you, TCA Athletics fans!

Our student-athletes thank you for being a member of the TCA Athletic Booster Club! This year, over $100,000 of membership revenue was raised during North Texas Giving Day. These funds will help support 55 TCA athletic teams, including cheerleading and drill team.

Membership revenue is invested in funding sports and spirit in TCA’s Lower, Middle and Upper Schools.

Go, Trojans!

ALUMNI LEGACY

Enriched by community THIS IS MY 17 th YEAR AS A MOM

SHIRLENE ALBERTSON KAZMAIER

at TCA, and one of the many blessings of being here is the community. Some of my best friends are parents of my children’s best friends. These friendships start in kindergarten and carry over to our kids going to college, getting married and starting their own families. I am so thankful for these friendships, and they all started at TCA. As a mom and employee of TCA, I get to see first-hand the support of our community of teachers, staff, parents, alumni, alumni parents and even grandparents who make this such a special school. For instance, LAURIE SPRINGER, a Middle School Latin teacher, attends as many Middle School sporting events as she can and always comes with a poster (in Latin!) to cheer on her students. LARRY LIST, a longtime TCA substitute teacher also comes to numerous home games of every sport, drama events and other activities to support our TCA students. In fact, he attended every home varsity volleyball game this season, and in the final district game, students could be heard chanting his name!

We have alumni, alumni parents and grandparents who come to choir concerts, theater productions and sporting events to always cheer on the Trojans. The support is noticed and greatly appreciated by our students.

This support continues outside our campus, as well.

’90 has lived in Olathe, Kansas,

for 17 years. She is married and has three children. Her children attend Whitefield Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. When the school had its third-annual Serve Day, where the entire student body (grades preK–12) goes out into the community to serve others, she had the privilege of going with her son and his third-grade class to serve at Urban Christian Academy, which was founded by TCA alumna MEREDITH MOORE ’08. Shirlene had read about the school in last year’s winter issue of Trinity Today and was excited to meet Meredith and serve at the school with her son that day!

I love hearing these stories and seeing our community members supporting each other. TCA is a special place, and as the director of alumni, I see it continue long after our students graduate. I feel blessed to be a part of it!

B Y B E T H H A RW E L L , DI R ECTOR OF A LU M N I

UPCOMING EVENTS & ALUMNI NEWS APRIL 26 : Upper School Spring Production:

Anything Goes, free admission for alumni and their families. RSVP to Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org.

MAY 19 : TCA Graduation

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD ( AU G U S T 2 01 5 – J U LY 2 016 )

Bunny Heard Mitchell ’94, President Jackie Schimmer Harrison ’86, Past President Jeni McCabe Parrent ’87, Vice President of Communication

Shelley Stewart Rogers ’95, Vice President of Community

Robert Taylor ’07, Vice President of Continuing Connection

Stephen Konstans ’83, Vice President of Contributions

Lane Connor IV ’99 Brad Dickens ’07 Betsy Thompson Ehringer ’84 Rebecca Grimm Novakovich ’85 Amy Edwards Prideaux ’89 Sarah-Graham Turtletaub ’07

PAVERS A brick paver is the perfect way to honor a student, alumnus, faculty, staff or family member. For $150 a paver may be purchased and placed in the Alumni Garden next to the TCA Performing Arts Center. All proceeds benefit the Alumni Association and Student Tuition Aid. For more information, contact Director of Alumni Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org.

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HOMECOMING 2015 FRIDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 9, we welcomed our alumni and

their families to our Homecoming Alumni Dinner during the football game at Tom Landry Stadium. We served 440 meals and had at least 500 in attendance. The fabulous dinner was sponsored by Texas de Brazil, owned by TCA parents Shaundra and Salim Asrawi, and the tent was sponsored by Sky Ranch. It was a great night of food, fellowship and friends.

We also celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the TCA Trojanettes and took a group photo of past Trojanette officers on the football field.

On Saturday night, the individual reunions were held for 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010.

Thank you to all the alumni who came to these events and to the class agents who worked hard to make them so successful!

CLASS REUNIONS

The class of 1985 met Saturday night at Melinda Moore Grandell’s home for its 30-year reunion.

The Class of 1975 met Friday night at the TCA football game at the alumni dinner, organized by class agent Barlow Irvin for its 40-year reunion.

The class of 1990 met at Bent Tree Country Club for its 25-year reunion, organized by class agent Leslie Cotter McCabe.

The class of 1980 met at the home of Andrew and Laurel Milton Choolijian on Saturday night for its 35-year reunion organized by class agent Denise Millet Owen.

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The class of 1995 met at the home of alumni parents Brent and Susie Ratliff for its 20-year reunion, organized by class agent Trey Bowles, Carter McCaslin Bill and Shelly Stewart Rogers.

Trojanettes celebrate 40 years IT’S THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TCA TROJANETTES DR ILL TEAM. At

this year’s homecoming game on October 9, we asked all our past drill team officers and squad leaders to join us on the field with our current drill team members. Many past officers and squad leaders were there to celebrate with us. It was great to see so many drill team alumnae!

The following Trojanette officers and squad leaders came back to join us: Denise Millet Owen ’80 – Lieutenant, 1979–80 Sarah Anderson Karr ’87 – Lieutenant, 1985–1987 Lindsay Harris Crawford ’94 – Lieutenant, 1993–94 Clayr Simnacher Schreiner ’04 – Captain, 2003–04; currently Assistant Director Ashley Neff Sanderson ’04 – Squad Leader, 2003–04 Jessica Neal Johnston ’05 – Captain, 2004–05 Kristin King Gray ’05 – First Lieutenant, 2004–05 Kenzie Houston ’10 – Captain, 2009–10

Trojanette leaders from years past with Director Sandi Peoples

Jessica Wilder ’10 – First Lieutenant, 2009–10 Allison Greenwood ’12 – Captain, 2011–12 Ashley Anderson ’12 – First Lieutenant, 2011–12 Sam Sadler ’15 – Lieutenant, 2014–15 Paige Patterson ’15 – Squad Leader, 2014–15

Did you know that former TCA faculty member Donna McBride was the first director of the Trojanettes? She served as director for five years and is known for starting the traditional hoop routine.

Trojanettes, 1976-77

The current director of the Trojanettes is Sandi Peoples. Sandi has been serving the team for 13 years. She founded the team’s motto, “Dancing for Him.” Thank you to all the Trojanettes, past and present, for your participation over the years and for bringing excellence to our team over the years! Happy Anniversary!

The class of 2000 met at Spork for its 15-year reunion, organized by class agent Emmy Harmon Riley.

The class of 2005 met at The Blue Mesa Grill for its 10year reunion organized by class agents Clayton Bell and Callea Bogdon DeLong.

The class of 2010 met at The Foundry Restaurant for its five-year reunion organized by class agents Katie Morrill and John Bundren.

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Handing down the legacy

BY BU NN Y HE A R D MITCHEL L ’94, A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N B OA R D P R E S I D E N T

A S A TC A GR A DUAT E , I SH A R E W I T H M A N Y of you a deep pride for our school, and every year I

grow more thankful for the incredible education I received and the loving, Christ-centered environment in which I was allowed to flourish. As time has passed and we now have families of our own, many of us are excited to have the opportunity to give the same gift to our children. My two girls, Emsley (fourth grade) and Catie Grace (kindergarten), are surrounded by teachers and administrators who care about their growing minds, their growing character and, most importantly, their growing relationship with Christ.

On Thursday, September 24, the Alumni Association Board hosted its annual Legacy Breakfast in front of the MCB. We currently Legacy parents from the Class of ’94 Martin and Amy Stupka Massinger, Megan have 156 Legacy students from 91 families McDonald Roossien, Matt McGraw, Jeaneen Morris Clarke and Bunny Heard Mitchell attending TCA. All the students were given new Legacy shirts that they wore to school that day to celebrate being Legacy Kids. I loved the opportunity to take a picture with my classmates who now have children attending TCA. Watching our children play together and go to school on the same grounds where we spent our childhood is a unique and bonding experience that truly embodies the legacy we seek to build at TCA. It is exciting to see the number of Legacy families continue to grow every year at TCA. This year’s incoming kindergarten class has ten Legacy families! I asked one of those kindergarten Legacy moms, LINDSEY FUSCH DURRETT ’95, about why they chose to come back to TCA, and she said, “TCA has been a huge influence in our lives for many years, so sending our daughter to kindergarten at TCA was an easy decision. We are thankful that Lyla is not only receiving an excellent education, but also learning and growing in Jesus every day. It is a privilege to be part of the TCA family!” I know that many of us echo her words!

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CURRENTLY

156

LEGACY STUDENTS FROM 91 FAMILIES ATTEND TCA.

Where are they now?

T H E

L AT E S T

O N

1986

MARK POKORNY married Michelle Jones, originally from Earth, Texas, on Saturday November 22, 2014, at Prestonwood Church in Plano. COLLEEN POKORNY TIMMONS ’93 was in the wedding party.

Michelle works at Dallas Theological Seminary and is completing her doctorate.

Mark has been working at Ericsson for 19 years and currently resides in the Sourcing organization. They live in Plano.

AUTUMN GETZ MEINARDUS and her husband, Hans, continue to serve at Frontier Camp, a Christian Youth Camp and Retreat Center in East Texas. Hans and Autumn praise the Lord for the safe arrival of their first grandchild Hanrick Wilder Joyner, born June 17, 2015, to their daughter, Natalyn, and son-in-law, Will.

W H AT

YO U R

C L A S S M AT E S

A R E

1995

1998

MEREDITH MARTIN SELDEN and husband Colin welcomed baby Zachary Lawrence Selden on August 27, their first child after 17 years of marriage. The Lord has blessed them with a perfectly healthy and happy baby at 7 pounds, 10 ounces and 19.5 inches.

Mom and baby are doing well! The family lives in Prosper.

Nicole, Jaxx and MICKEY EMMERT ’98 are missionaries serving in Nicaragua with LifeLink International. They are currently developing aquaponic tilapia farms and overseeing construction projects for the LifeLink School, Centro Escolar LifeLink. To learn more, visit www.lifelinkint.org or contact Mickey at memmert@lifelinkint.org.

1996

1999

JENNIFER BORDELON HINES recently chaired the Tyler Heart Ball in February.

The Fire & Ice-themed black-tie event raised almost $190,000 for the American Heart Association.

Jennifer also chaired the Meals on Wheels New Orleans Jazz Luncheon in October, raising $200,000 for home-bound East Texans. Jennifer is a news anchor at KLTV, the ABC affiliate in Tyler.

MEREDITH MARIS ZIAFAT and husband Afshin welcomed their second daughter, Ansley Claire, into their family on July 13.

She joined big sister Elyse Marie, who is three years old. Afshin is the lead pastor of Providence Church in Frisco.

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NICOLAS MARTINEZ and wife Virginia are proud

D O I N G

BY BETH HARWELL

to announce the birth of their son, George Arthur Martinez. George was born on June 11, 2015, in Monterey, California.

Nicolas and Virginia also have a two-year-old daughter, Abigail. Nic is a Major with the USMC, currently attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey.

20 03

ROBBIE DAKEL is a youth pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church and Bible teacher at Grace Academy in Alexandria, Louisiana. He and his wife, Mallorie, have two children, Thomas, 18 months, and Colleen, 3 months.

Hospital Corpsman First Class TYLER R. SCARBOROUGH was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in June

2015. It was awarded for “heroic service in connection with combat operations against the enemy” while serving as Special Operations Corpsman in Afghanistan in Feb 2014. Tyler lives in North Carolina with his wife, Jessie, and their son, Flynn.

20 05

NATALIE HODGE BRIDGES and husband Seth welcomed their daughter, Evelyn Kay Bridges, on March 16, 2015. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.

KRISTIN STARKWEATHER got engaged to Tetsuya Takano this year. They met while Kristin was studying abroad in Japan. Kristin has been teaching English in WINTER 2015 TRINITY TODAY

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Where are they now?

at 1:17 a.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 11 ounces. We are so grateful for this precious gift from God!

2008

2009

LUNSFORD, MARGARET WELLS, CLAIRE GOODSON and current TCA student Shelby Smith.

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Japan for two and a half years. Kristin was added to Tetsuya’s family registry on November 22 and will have a ceremony in Japan and Texas next year.

2007

2006 FRALEY VERDOORN ROBINSON and husband Ty welcomed their daughter, Holland Joy Robinson, into the world on February 4, 2015. Holland was born at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital

RAWLES BELL married Laura Euell of Houston on April 25, 2015. Both are Texas A&M graduates. They are living and working in Dallas.

DRU PENDLETON and Stefan Altheide were married October 25, 2015, at the Venue at Waterstone in Celina, Texas. TCA family and friends in the wedding included WILL PENDLETON ’10, CALLIE STOKELD ’07, maid of honor, and JESSICA PAVEY SARVER, matron of honor.

DAVID PENDLETON ’07, cousin of the bride, served as the wedding officiate.

Dru and Stefan live in Lubbock, Texas, where he works for Texas Tech University, and Dru is a speech therapist.

HALEY FLAGG will continue her graduate studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Haley has been accepted into the St. Andrews Classics PhD program and will be researching and writing on Roman military history, with an emphasis in frontier studies and archaeology.

She recently completed her master of arts degree in Roman archaeology at The University of Leicester, England.

MACKENZIE LONGBOTHAM and Jason Barrentine were married at Bent Tree Country Club on June 6, 2015.

TCA members in the wedding included ALDEN LONGBOTHAM ’15, HALEY BARBARO

Middle School math teacher and TCA alumna KATELYN GLOSSER ’06 married Ryan Walker Manchester on July 25, 2015, at Highland Park United Methodist Church. TCA Bible teacher Hank Harmon officiated the ceremony, and his wife, Diane Harmon, gave a Scripture reading. TCA parents Tyrone & Angela Johnson sang during the lighting of the unity candle. The bridal party included PAIGE GLOSSER ’10, maid of honor, CYNAMMON BURNS ’06, BRITTANY BURNS GLOSSER ’08, BRITTANY LANIER ’06, PAIGE SMILEY ROBINSON ’06 and TCA teacher Suzanne Burk. GRAHAM GLOSSER ’08 was a groomsman. Current TCA students Cole and Cade Burk served as ring bearers, and Miranda Aviles was the flower girl.

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Mackenzie and Jason live in Dallas, where Mackenzie is a neurosurgical ICU nurse at UT Southwestern, and Jason is pursuing his JD/ MBA at SMU.

2010

SCOTT BECKWITH married Mari Caroline McCaslin on July 25, 2015. They met at DREW DAVIS’s engagement party in Birmingham, Alabama. The couple currently resides in Dallas.

EVAN CLAYTON married Kelly Albright on August 22, 2015, in Dallas. They met at Texas A&M, where they both were in the Business Honors program. MATT BARNES, RYAN GRIEGE, JORDAN GRIEGE and CLAIRE CLAYTON ’13 were in the wedding party. The couple lives in Houston, where Evan is an investment banking analyst with Tudor Pickering, and Kelly is a consultant with Deloitte.

SHE DOESN’T JUST FLY; SHE SOARS TIFFANY BYRD ’12 hasn’t

followed a typical path after graduating from TCA, but she’s doing amazing things and following her dreams!

Q. At what age did you start dancing?

A. I took my first ballet class at the age of three. At age 12, I realized I wanted to focus more on ballet and joined the Texas Ballet Theater Performing and Competitive Ensembles. By the time I was 14, I knew I wanted to become a professional ballet dancer.

A. After graduating TCA in May 2012, I moved to Salt Lake City to dance as a trainee with the classical ballet company Ballet West. That year when I competed again as a soloist in the YAGP finals in NYC, I was offered a full contract with Ballett Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany.

At age 18, I moved to Germany. During my two years with Ballett Dortmund, I danced in neo-classical ballets choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Xin Peng Wang. We also went on tour to Kazan, Russia, in the spring of 2013 to perform in the Rudolph Nureyev Festival. It was such an unforgettable experience!

Q. Where are you dancing now?

A. I am currently working with the Národní divadlo Brno Ballet (The National Theater of Brno) and living in Brno, Czech Republic.

Currently, the ballet company is working on the productions of Swan Lake and Made in USA. As a dancer with the National Theater, we dance in some of the operas, as well, so I will be dancing in the upcoming opera, La Triviata.

The ballet company puts on over nine different productions in a season with over 70 performances. We have a performance almost every weekend through next July. The company’s extensive repertoire makes it one of the top 50 ballet companies in the world.

I work usually eight hours a day, six days a week, plus performances. Classes and rehearsals are all conducted in Czech, and

PHOTO BY LARS HEPPNER

Q. You graduated from TCA In 2012. What have you been doing since then?

I am the only American in the company.

While I work full time, I am also an online student at Dallas Baptist University working on a degree in business finance. I absolutely love learning, and it is a great break from my hectic ballet life!

Q. How did TCA help prepare you for what you’re doing now?

A. TCA helped me build a strong Christian foundation upon which I have relied while working in a very secular career.

One of the biggest compliments I receive is when other dancers ask me about my positive attitude in such a challenging

and competitive career. It provides me the opportunity to share my faith in Christ with them. I think those moments have been some of the most special to me.

Q. What do you see in your future?

A. I see a world of endless opportunities!

A career for a ballet dancer is usually quite short. You are lucky if you make it to your 30’s before your body gives out, and you have to retire. I don’t know if I will make it that long or not. I am just excited to see where God is going to lead me next!

After my ballet career, I have considered a career in counseling young artists

who are in the transition of moving from school into the professional field. With my love of traveling and different cultures, I hope that my future career will allow me to continue traveling and learning. I think that a job in international business or world affairs would be amazing!

In the end, it’s 100% up to God. I truly believe that He has a divine plan for me, and my daily prayer is that He will open doors in my life and place me where I will bring others closer to Him. I want my life to be a living testimony of example of God’s grace and love.

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Where are they now?

and NICK PAVEY ’07. The couple lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where they are both teachers.

2010

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MADELEINE KILGORE and Michael McBee were married March 21, 2015, at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.

They met at Texas A&M through Grace Bible Church. TCA graduates in the wedding party included maid of honor CLAIRE KILGORE, bridesmaids GRACE KILGORE, ANNA HEFFNER, ANN MARIE DANIEL and BRITNEY HAYWOOD COOK, groomsman PAUL KILGORE and usher GRADY COOK. Madeleine is a petroleum engineer at Denbury Resources in Plano, and Michael is a civil engineer at Freese and Nichols in Fort Worth. They live in Grapevine.

CLARISSA PAVEY married Luke Matzke on June 6, 2015, at in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Luke’s grandparents’ farm. The couple met at Pine Cove Christian Camp. TCA alumni in the wedding were HANNAH PAVEY ’12, JESSICA PAVEY SARVER ’08, RACHEL HAWRYLUK PAVEY ’07

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WILL PENDLETON married HALEY MOORE ’12 on July 3, 2015. The wedding party included RYAN LONG ’98, brother of the bride, MEREDITH MOORE ’08, sister of the bride, DRU PENDLETON ’08, sister of the groom, MAX MILLET ’12, TYLER MORGAN ’10 and two former TCA students, Hannah Brown and Haley Eazor.

JD SMILEY married Emily Sutfin on March 7, 2015, in Dripping Springs, Texas.

They both graduated from Texas A&M in 2014. TCA graduates in the wedding party included PAIGE SMILEY ROBINSON ’06, CLAY SMILEY ’08, GRAHAM SHELBY, MATT BARNES, SCOTT BECKWITH and DREW DAVIS. The couple lives in Dallas, where JD works for Swell Lexus, and Emily works for Ernst & Young.

JOE TURTLETAUB and Sarah Dunlap were married

on June 21 in Austin, Texas. Joe’s siblings, SARAH-GRAHAM ’07, SAM ’08 and NANCY TURTLETAUB ’11 were all in the wedding, along with other TCA alumni KEATON SCHAEFFER, GRAHAM SHELBY and JONATHAN CATALANO.

senior, was Brandon’s best man. Other TCA alumni in the wedding were MICHAEL NOVAKOVICH and ADAM WARNKE. Brandon is a junior at Texas A&M, and Amanda graduated in May

the Top Ten Freshman Women at Oklahoma State University by the Mortar Board organization at OSU. Recipients were chosen from last year’s freshman class based on excellence in scholarship, leadership and service.

20 15

2012 and is teaching second grade in Bryan, Texas, while Brandon finishes his degree.

REED BASTIE proposed to KATHERINE KONSTANS on November 14, 2015, on the campus of Oklahoma State University.

The wedding will be in December 2016. Reed and Katherine will both be graduating from OSU in May. Reed is a chemical engineering major and has accepted a position with Chevron Phillips Chemical, and Katherine will be starting medical school in the fall.

HALEY MOORE PENDLETON (see 2010 )

2013

BRIAN KEGERREIS is a member of the Cardiac Biomechanics Group at the University of Virginia. He was selected to present his research entitled, “Modeling the Effect of Strain-induced Collagen Damage on Tendon Scar Structure” at the Biomedical Engineering Society’s annual meeting in Tampa in October. The four-day conference was attended by 4,000 students, researchers and other members of the biomedical community.

20 14 CLAIRE CLAYTON was a congressional intern for current presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz in Washington, D.C.

BRANDON GALVAN married Amanda Mecklenburg on July 12.

Brandon’s brother Matthew Galvan, a current TCA

BROOKE BASTIE was recently named one of

ALEX RADER was named a Stamps Scholar this fall as a freshman at LSU. The Stamps Leadership Scholars Award is LSU’s top scholarship opportunity for select incoming students of the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. Alex is majoring in bioengineering and would like to become an MD/PhD neurosurgeon and work in regenerative medicine research.

Got news?

Drop us a line and let your classmates know what you are doing. Email Beth Harwell in the Alumni Office at bharwell@ trinitychristian.org.

Please note that all submissions for the next issue of Trinity Today must be received

by April 15, 2016, and that all submitted electronic photos must be in high-resolution jpeg format to be suitable for printing.

LAST WORD

THE GIFT OF GIVING Organized by the sophomore class, TCA students collected canned foods for the Rhoads Terrace/Exline Housing Project in Dallas. Thirdgrade students and their kindergarten pen pals helped in the effort by decorating the brown paper collection bags together and then taking them home to be filled.

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Š 2015 TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, PRINTED BY MILLET THE PRINTER, DALLAS, TEXAS

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