Trinity Today – Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

V O L U M E 11 , N O . 1

GLEN EYRIE SENIOR TRIP / 16 FACING LOSS TOGETHER / 18

TODAY CONNECTING

THE

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CHRISTIAN

ACADEMY

RELAX AND PLAY: ATHLETICS / 26 ALUMNI LEGACY / 35

COMMUNITY

CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL FRUIT HOW TCA LOWER SCHOOL IS TEACHING STUDENTS TO LIVE FOR GOD’S GLORY

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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 11 • 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

Dave Delph, Headmaster Scott Berthel Bev Birmingham Beth Harwell Janie Heard Kristy Kegerreis Matt Lambro Becky Lewis Deahn Marsh Greg Merrifield Kirk McJunkin Bunny Heard Mitchell ’94 Jenni McCabe Parrent ’87 Kristina Spears Diane Taylor Camille Langford Walker ’82 Lisa Wong BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Mark Layman, Chairman David Harper, Vice Chairman Mark Dyer Christi Ferrell Matt Heidelbaugh Sheffie Kadane Steve Novakovich 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

Cherished gifts A S I LOOK T H ROUGH T H E A RT IC L E S of this new

issue of Trinity Today, I am, once again, reminded of the blessings my children have found here and why so many have chosen to make sacrifices to send their children to Trinity Christian Academy.

When considering private school, I think most prospective parents expect outstanding academics and a variety of activities, sports and opportunities, and TCA has those things.

Yet, what I think are some of TCA’s most treasured jewels are things for which most prospective parents would not even know to look.

The way in which our teachers, coaches and even administrators develop relationships with students is something unique to TCA, as are the lengths to which these teachers, coaches and administrators will go to reach the hearts of our students. From intentional character programs to modeled Christian behavior to simple prayers and conversations, our students feel cared about and loved and are learning to show the same to others.

As you will read in this issue, programs like the Lower School chapel program and character development curriculum put our kids on the path to success and help our faculty reach their hearts as well as their minds.

In addition, new hirings this past year are further evidence of TCA’s commitment to shepherding the hearts of our students and guiding them to make an impact in the world for Christ.

The new director of spiritual life, Matt Lambro, brings with him a heart for kids and years of working in a Christian model through Young Life. He is excited to pour into our students on a daily basis and bring programs and speakers to campus that will assist them in their spiritual growth.

There are also new faces in the counseling offices of all three school divisions. These ladies bring unique experiences and perspectives for connecting with our students and have a great deal to offer TCA. So, as I count my blessings as we begin 2017, I’m tremendously grateful to the servant hearts here who are leading and discipling our kids.

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

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DE PA RT M E N T S

4 GOOD WORKS 6 GIVE BACK 10 CLASS ACTS 30 ATHLETICS 35 ALUMNI LEGACY

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

8 DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON… Meet our new director of spiritual life and the new faces in the counseling offices of each school division.

36 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.

WHAT’S INSIDE F E AT U R E S

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CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL FRUIT Assistant Head of Lower School Bev Birmingham highlights the intentional chapel programs and other activities designed to build spiritual depth in our Lower School students and train their hearts and minds.

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH The annual Senior Trip is a cherished TCA tradition. Head of Upper School Kyle Morrill offers a glimpse of how this adventure to Glen Eyrie, Colorado, helps our seniors bond as a class and kicks off their final year at TCA with memorable mountain-top experiences.

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RELAX AND PLAY Executive Athletic Director Kirk McJunkin shares his wisdom on helping our student-athletes compete effectively while reducing added stress.

COVER “FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT” ILLUSTRATION

BY SADIE ELLIS, NINTH GRADE

HEADMASTER’S NOTE

Christmas and truth

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

A S W E E N T E R T H E N EW Y E A R , I ask you to reflect back on this holiday season and what makes Christ’s birth so special. So what really is the purpose of Christmas? Why was Jesus born? Most of us would probably answer something like, “Jesus had to be born to die and rise from the dead so we can go to heaven.” And while those facts are true, I think it is always important to see exactly what Scripture says and train our children/students to go there first. Let’s take a direct look at Jesus’s answer to the question.

John 18:37 takes place near the end of Jesus’s life when Jesus was before Pilate. Here is where Jesus gives us a glimpse into why he was born. Actually, He is quite clear:

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (emphasis added).

Wow! The reason He was born was to “testify to the truth.” If that is the case, then “truth” must be extremely important . . . ultimately important . . . worth all of us pursuing, in and out of school. Very few would deny that “truth” can be a caustically divisive value in today’s culture, especially in the academic world. “Tolerance” now appears to be the greatest virtue, not truth (although, ironically, many of the tolerant are not tolerant of those who claim there is truth to discover— i.e., they do not tolerate the intolerant.) I’m not talking about truth that is good for you, but not for me (relative truth). I’m talking about absolute truth—that which is true no matter what we believe or experience. Truth always stands on its own. Winston Churchill once said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

John Piper comments on our culture, “It’s a world in which [God’s] message has been nullified even before it is spoken, because TRUTH is seen as the rotten root of bigotry and intolerance and prejudice.

But relativism on the other hand is seen as the wholesome mother of mutual respect and tolerance and peace.”

Our children are constantly bombarded with relativism, but Jesus said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” So I ask, are we training our children to listen to Him? Are we filling our lives and our 2

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children’s lives with so much busyness, material things and ideas that we are unable to focus on the source of truth? Are we overwhelmingly thankful for this most precious Christmas gift—the Person who came to bear witness to the truth?

In light of one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, where both major candidates’ favorability ratings were historically low (well below 50%), one of the major issues faced was the electorate’s opinion that neither candidate is regarded as a “truth-teller.” The fact that either candidate could have such a low regard for honesty is symptomatic of a culture that values a Machiavellian approach to life—don’t let truth get in the way of winning, power, materialism or greed.

Our mission to prepare students to be faithful disciples of Christ demands we have them wrestle with life-giving truth. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” ( John 14:6, emphasis added). Let’s continue to give our children, family and friends this year-round Christmas gift—the courage to testify to the truth of the transforming power, love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, modeling each day for them a passionate and reckless pursuit of Him. Are we willing to live in a way that shows we truly believe this is the only eternal gift worth giving? Are we willing to have the courage to share the greatest truth with others?

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

Summa Cum Laude GPA of 4.2 or higher Seniors Grace Abell Maya Abrams Berklie Baker Brett Bartol Benjamin Beal Spencer Bennett Mollie Birmingham Hallie Callison Riley Chandler Jasmine Chock Alex Coronado Sarah DeWhitt Caroline Fischer Juliann Hall Lillie Harrington Lindsey Hayden Daniel Heard Erica Henri Caitlin Hickney Alexandria Ho Nathan Holden Macy Holliday Isabella Jackson Alec Jordan Travis Josephs Ellie Kauffman Ginny Kestel Morgan Ku Kenedy Kundysek Ansley Marquardt Abigail Mathai Lauren McLain Tylre Meeks Alexandra Mills Georgia Moore David Muery Nicole Muschalek Callie Orten Kat Petersen Weston Porter Kate Rector Reagan Robbins Mary Ashley Samuelson Mira Sewaiseh Allison Smith Matthew Springfield Emily Stanton Stephen Sullivan Court Walker Macey Walker Michael Waters Melinda White Julia Willison Nicole Willison Madeleine Wilson Christopher Wines Burke Wofford Nicholas Wong Chandler Wright

Juniors Presley Baker Ben Berggren Lindsay Bibby Catherine Bigham Addison Branning Jake Bryans Cade Burgoon Lance Chu Nico Deadman Karly Douglass Emily Dyer Cassidy Ellison Josh Esclamado Courtney Fish Ryan Fitzpatrick Libby Floyd Jordyn Goodman Preston Gossett Molly Henegar

Kayley Howard Daniel Hsu Colby James Evan Janson Preston Krantz Sara Kukuk AJ LaGassa Allison Lau Sarah Lipe Griffin Maurice Evan McAuliffe Ryan McWhorter Emily Miller Natalie Miller Hudson Neuhoff Alyson O’Shea Haley Kate Patterson Jared Payne Caroline Pierce Caroline Pino Jessica Pitts Ramie Rice Sydney Kathryn Riordan Claire Roever Davis Rogers Chad Rutledge John-Michael Sadler Nathan Sanders Autumn Sonju Riley Walton Dodd Weyandt Caroline Winslow Jackson Withrow Leslie Wolff Michael Young

Sophomores Georgia Ballew Lindsay Bartol Molly Grace Beddingfield Kate Blocker Robert Caldwell Bobby Carstens Elisa Cavazos Summer Chaffin Erin Clay Bella Correa Madelynn Cotter Shaw Cotter Brijit Crosby Jillian Delp Emily Floyd Avery Gann Kelsey Hancock Lauren Head Jackson Hinckley Madeline Jackson Daniel Jones Catherine Josephs Brett Kauffman Grace Lee Jessica Lee Michelle Lee Jordan McFarlane Ashley McWhorter Noah Morrison Abby Muschalek Shelby Niederhofer Sam Norris Broc O’Brien Annika Olson Laura Pomberg JD Powers Michelle Raybourn Cole Rea Cailin Redden Robert Rowland Slade Savage Avery Schuster Macrae Smith Michael Stauber Riley Stringfellow Max Thomas London Thornton Whit Traweek Tanner Wayte Elijah Westover Kennedy Wiegand Kaleigh Wilkinson Connor Williams John Wright

Freshmen Amara Asrawi Olivia Baldwin Isabella Berthel Haleigh Brown Jo Anna Bryans Elle Clark Olivia Clark Riley Conine Avery Cotter Kyle Cotter Lindsey Crow Carter Getz Cameron Gilmore Matthew Harvey Mason Hinckley Belle Holden Caleb Key Natalie Konstans Jenna Larson Anna Beth Lowrey Ross McKay Blake Mercer Ethan Merrifield Mason Morland Garrett Orten Alex Ramsland Henry Ridley Logan Rock Michael Ruch Pierce Sandlin Savannah Sims Ruthie Turner Ella Ward Gracy Watts Jack Wenzel Lily Westover Brendan Williams Jessica Young

8th Grade Lexy Babler Hannah Burke Leah Kegerreis Ryan O’Shea Reagan Rodgers Wilson Roe Claire Shodeen Landry Walton Grace Weir Conner Williams Annie Xia

7th Grade Justin Miller Max Wheless

Magna Cum Laude GPA of 3.8–4.19 Seniors Cole Adams Jack Bolton Carter Burns Monica Choi Alex Clemovitz Davis Conley Chipper Daniels Timothy Darby David Dembicki Richard Dodd Julia Eggleton Kylie Ellis Poppy Eriksen Chase Hackney Nate Hanley Connor Harwell Tyler Helbing Blake Hinton Haley Hodges Kaki Hodges Jordan Jones Averie Kadane

Janna Kelly Christopher Konstans Kathryn Kuhlman Laurence Lundy Bo Parker Molly Rader Ryan Roquemore Delia Rowland Jack Savage Peyton Stone Christopher Tarantino Will Traweek Ellie Whitmire

Juniors Bryn Barringer Meghan Betts Alea Brady Caroline Bush Mack Bush Michael Casella Alisa Coley Riley Crow Daniel DeWeese Sean Fox Sacha Francois Jarod Frantz Brady Freeman Luke Glover Bryce Harwell Kennedy Hatton Mallory Heard Isabelle Heldenfels Cody Henson Jake Johnson Sarah Konstans Lauren Lott Caroline McClay Allie McWhorter Gil Nelson Jung Park Kyndall Richardson Emma Scalfano Tori Troop Jake Walsh Colin Wiegand Tara Williamson

Sophomores David Asche Riley Bagnall Daniela BarrientosFigueroa Trevor Cobern Grant De Paoli Trevor Douglass Andrea Ehringer Harrison Gossett Kyle Green Haston Habern Gracie Harris Brooke Henegar Brooke Hutzler Gentry Jarrell Taylor Kalahar Anna Kathryn Lipe Clara Liu Blake Marsh Kennedy Mason Cole McCabe McKenzie Moore James Muery Georgia Nine Rachel O’Brien Maddie Parrent Jake Payne Scott Raybourn Coleman Rector Riley Rice John Shaw Zach Speck Brielle Stein Lauren Sulzen Caroline Tate Alayna Weyandt Bethany White

Freshmen Ariana Asrawi Jackson Barringer Catherine Binkley

Andrew Buser Jonathan Chock Amanda Choi Abby Coronado Ella Kate Cotter Alan Fandrich Jayce Frady Claire Franke Colton Hackney Landry Hays Kyndal Hinton Mark Johnson Allison Jones Luke Langford Alexis Locke Joshua Matthews Cameron May Katherine McLain Jasmine Miller Ben Murphy Danielle Parker Clarke Pino Zoe Schiefer Lauren Smith Caroline Spears Nathan Stara Marie Kathryn Waldrop Major Wheless Audrey Wines Grant Winslow Elizabeth Yeary

8th Grade Hannah Alpert Claire Andrews Luke Babler Elizabeth Branstetter Ava Brown Sam Brown Taya Burgett Brianna Byrd Kathryn Callahan Dawson Chaffin Emily Clay Bryn Correa Paige Cotter Charlie Crawford Anthony Cundari Victoria Dahncke Landry Davis Lolly Elms Collin Groezinger Jaxx Hatton Emma Hodge Lauren Lee Georgia Leeds Morgan Locke Austin Marquardt Jack Maust Luke Mays Delaney Meiser Anna Muccio Delaney O’Shea Avery Overberg Lilly Parker Reagan Pierce Peyton Prideaux Brianna Queen Patricia Sharon Mason Sonju Avery Sponsler William Sullivan Ashton Karoline Waldrop Jackson Wells Addison Willey Caroline Woodward Lauren Wright Jason Yang Kate Yanof Lily Ziemkiewicz

7th Grade James Badger Ellie Blocker Shannon Burchett Alyssa Clemovitz Collin Dewey Lauren Elvebak Lynnson Fort Ben Francis Kate Goodman

Payton Harper Anna Heidelbaugh Halle Hermes Isabella Jackson Emily Jones Daniel Kwon Emma Layman Jack Layman Katelyn Long Allie Mays Mason Merchant Emily Morris Schuyler Noordhoff Katherine Novakovich Katie Parker Cody Polk Madeline Prescott Olivia Priest Landrie Smith Preston Spears Parke Turner Juliana Voth Sydney Wayte Mary Lauren Westover Camden Williams Connor Wines

Freshmen

Cum Laude

Libby Barnes Seth Bator Blake Beal Molly Berryman Luke Chan Nathan Clark Ian Collier Daniel Delp Connor Dewey Claire Floyd Connor Graham Blaine Grimes Reilly Hanna Reagan Havel Evan Hennes Andrew Ho Cade Holliday Sydney Johnston Hannah Little Evan Mawhee Will Mercer Kjirsta Olson Zoe Rodriguez Lindsay Shipley Nick Van Pelt Adelaide Walker Emily Watters Ava Weedon Jackson Wood Catherine Yates

GPA of 3.5–3.79 Seniors Alex Aarant Travis Bell Joshua Black Jack Blocker Bailey Chaffin Alexis Everett Hannah Hoffman Peyton Hurst Ashton Miller Garrett Starks Truman Stein Justin Thompson Michael Trantham-Klein Andrew Willison

Juniors Caroline Alvarado Brandon Bass Laura Bowling Sam Clare Patrick Davidson Nicolas Fandrich Kelsey Ferrell Deven Gann Lauren Mawhee Brie McCracken Abbey McCutchen Hogan Molthan Foti Pakes Kara Stiegler Lauren Warner Kiley Wilson Jason Woodard Ethan Woodward RC Yeary

Sophomores Hayden Brown Michael Callahan Charles Cash Dylan Deaton Simon Dennis Gordon Mia Gradick Parker Hadley Weston Haggard Austin Ho Sophia Lopez Zeki Mutlu Savannah Pate Hannah Plemons Tyler Townley Emily Uselton Payton Willey Clarissa Wong

Olivia Berggren Carter Burgoon Jackson Buser Chase Colquitt Will Compton Harrison Fields Madeleine Floyd Audrey Gradick Maggie Harrison Michael Heidelbaugh Barrett Jessen Faith Johnson Mali Krone Gracie Massinger James Mayo Dutch McStay Anna Kate Parrent Philip Petersen Ashleigh Rutledge Samantha Starnes Michael Wilmotte Chandler Woods Clara Woodward Dylan Young

8th Grade

7th Grade Katie Armstrong Isabela BarrientosFigueroa Kaylee Connell Amelia Corliss Daniel Crawford Nick Dore Ryan Freese Hannah Helt Emma High Sophie Hunt Emily Keramidas Jenna Lowrey Will Martin Rachel Mills Jayden Moore Armen Rea Rhett Rice Jackson Rogers Caroline Sharp Henry Smith Ben Sorgen Sheridan Thexton Luke Townley Luke Tredennick Lucas Walsh Avery Williams

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GOOD WORKS

National Merit Seniors Nathan Holden and Will Traweek were named 2016 National Merit Semi-Finalists. As semifinalists, these students were among the highest scorers on the PSAT in Texas and represent less that one percent of our state’s top high school seniors. In addition, five seniors were named as National Merit Commended Students: David Carstens, Chipper Daniels, Travis Josephs, Morgan Ku and Mary Ashley Samuelson, which places them in the top 5% of the 1.6 million students who entered the 2016 competition. Senior Isabella Jackson was honored by the National Hispanic Recognition Program for scoring among the top 2 ½ % of all Hispanic and Latino test-takers in this region. Congratulations to all!

North Texas Giving Day

College Signings

Berklie Baker will play volleyball at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.

On September 22, 2016, over 1,000 donors raised more than $460,000 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.

2016 Homecoming Queen and Court!

Senior Erica Henri was crowned the 2016 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 2016 Homecoming Court included freshman Audrey Wines (gentle spirit), sophomore Abby Muschalek (compassion), junior Deven Gann (integrity) and seniors Riley Chandler, Monica Choi, Caroline Fischer, Jordan Jones and Kenedy Kundysek (all three qualities).

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Macy Holliday will play golf at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.

Justin Thompson will play golf at SMU in Dallas, Texas.

Middle School Honor Choirs

Upper School All-Region Choir

This fall, 21 sixth-graders and 41 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 (several in the top five) 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:

Congratulations to the following students on their selection to a TPSMEA All-Region Choir. This is the most TCA students that have qualified for this honor since 2013!

Treble Choir I Soprano: Jordan Jones I Altos: Meghan Betts, Averie Kadane, Sophia Marie Lopez and Rachel O’Brien II Alto: Caroline Winslow

Mixed Choir I Sopranos: Allison Jones, Michelle Raybourn, Emily Stanton and Kaleigh Wilkinson II Sopranos: Maya Abrams, Erin Clay and Grace Lee I Alto: Madeleine Wilson II Altos: Lindsey Fish and Caroline Tate Tenors: Will Barnes, Braeden O’Brien, Bryson Byrd (first alternate) and Nick Clift (second alternate)

Sixth-Grade Children’s Honor Choir

Basses: Travis Harrison, Elijah Westover, Spencer Bennett, Laurence Lundy (first alternate) and Alex Miller (second alternate)

Soprano: Lauren Bennett, Gable Delp, Peyton Hatfield, Owen Hattendorf, Seth Henegar, Shea Hinckley, Charley Ledebur, Noah Smith, Emma Kate Sullivan and Ruby Watts Alto: Kate Barclay, Jake Callahan, Kyle Causey, David Boylan, Jenna Branstetter, Anastacia Chu, Ashley Kim, Maxwell Morland, Christopher Sharon, Chance Snyder and Nick Wenzel

Middle School Honor Choir Soprano: Lilly Parker (first chair), Lauren Elms, Anna Kutz, Georgia Leeds, Claire Lunceford, Zoe Rodriguez, Emily Watters, Ainsley Wilburn and Addy Willey Alto: Lexy Babler (first chair), Emily Clay (second chair), Rachel Mills (fourth chair), Victoria Dahncke, Kate Goodman, Reagan Havel, Madeline Prescott, Avery Sponsler and Caroline Woodward Tenor: David Agumadu, Shannon Burchett, Dawson Chaffin, Charlie Crawford, Daniel Crawford, Camden Findley, Jaxx Hatton, Cade Holliday, Brooks Krantz, Henry Smith, Jayden Moore, Ben Sorgen and Parke Turner Bass: Daniel Kwon (second chair), Jack Maust (third chair), Blake Birmingham, Ben Branning, Zach Clift, Will Martin, Wilson Roe, Joel Smitherman, Conner Williams and Christopher Woodhouse

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GIVE BACK

Generous spirits undampened T H E R A I N C A M E DOW N, and our TCA family of golfers and tennis players

came out to shine! On Monday, November 7, at Bent Tree Country Club, 54 tennis players and 128 golfers attended the Trinity Classic Golf and Tennis Tournament, which raised $175,000 for Student Tuition Aid! As only the Lord would have it, the gift to our golfers was a golf umbrella, which was very much needed on this day!

The rain didn’t dampen our spirits as the tennis players moved inside, and the golfers played the first nine and the back nine holes and then gathered for dinner in the clubhouse. One of our own, TCA parent John Krantz, served as our auctioneer for the live auction. We did not get to drop the golf balls from a helicopter as planned, but we had fun dropping the more than 750 balls into a golf bag and pulling the winning numbers as follows:

First Place - $5,000 Prepaid Bank Card: Jordan Goodwyn, Ball #654 Second Place - $2,500 Gift Card to Central Market: John West, Ball #26 3rd Place - Big Green Egg ® Grill: Mark Layman, Ball #309 A big THANK-YOU to our co-chairs, Marshall Edwards and Greg Jones, as well as to our golf pro, David Price, from Bent Tree County Club! We simply could not produce such a fine event without the thoughtful help of these three men.

And we are so grateful to this year’s sponsors—THANK YOU! I want to thank everyone who participated in the Trinity Classic for your commitment and support. This year’s golf and tennis tournament was a success due to your involvement. I thank you on behalf of the 128 students who this year benefited from dollars raised to support our Student Tuition Aid program at TCA. In Christ,

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

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TOYOTA OF DALLAS AND THE DORTCH FAMILY KJ CHOI JEFF AND KELLYE PRICE AUGMENT ADVISORY AND CAPITAL CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD THE MARSHALL EDWARDS FAMILY HILLTOP SECURITIES AND PLAINSCAPITAL BANK HIGGINBOTHAM HODGES FUNDS B.R. AND DENNY HOLMAN KING OPERATING CORPORATION LOCKE LORD LLP THE LONG FAMILY KERRY AND JUDGE McSTAY PRINCIPIA WEALTH ADVISORY, LLC SLALOM CONSULTING STORAGE CHOICE TEXAS DE BRAZIL UNITEDHEALTHCARE

Lower School students hosted their grandparents on campus on Thursday and Friday, November 17 and 18. Over 1,000 grandparents and grand friends came to share in this special TCA tradition of songs, Bible verses and classroom fun with their Lower School grandchildren.

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FACULTY FOCUS

DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON… IN K EEPING W I T H T CA’ S MIS SION to “develop

the whole person for the glory of God,” the academic, developmental, emotional and spiritual needs of our students are considered when designing programs, choosing curriculum and hiring faculty and staff.

Helping students develop emotionally and spiritually is as important as developing them academically.

Over the past year, three new counselors, one in each school division, and a director of spiritual life have been hired. TCA is blessed that these four individuals bring with them their professional expertise, their calling for working with children and teenagers and their desire to serve the Lord.

Lower School Counselor Emily Bush Prior to coming to TCA in 2016, Emily worked as a counselor/play therapist at Beckloff Pediatric Behavioral Center and as the student counselor at The Cambridge School Dallas. Emily brings with her a strong working knowledge of student learning differences, child development and counseling theory.

She received her undergraduate degree in religion at Wake Forest University and her master’s in counseling from the University of North Texas.

Emily shared, “I am so excited to work at a school in which I may use my faith, as well as my knowledge of secular counseling theory. It has been my experience that the two views complement and actually reinforce each other. I love being able to pray with students and remind them of God’s faithfulness

to us in all circumstances. I often use illustrations from the Bible to reinforce how God understands and cares about our predicaments and to remind them, ‘you’re not alone in feeling this way.’”

Middle School Counselor Shawn Ledebur Shawn joined the TCA staff in 2015 as the Middle School counselor. Prior to coming to TCA, she worked in Richardson ISD for 14 years as a fifth-grade teacher then counselor. Shawn has always had a passion for youth and children’s ministries. She received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Abilene Christian University and her master’s in counseling from Texas A&M Commerce.

“After being home for several years with my children, I prayed God would lead me to a place where I could truly serve Him daily, as well as help children.

I am forever grateful that He led my family and me to Trinity Christian Academy. More than anything, TCA is a community that inspires its students, parents and staff always to strive to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and always to look for ways to serve others,” said Shawn.

Upper School Counselor Kerri Parr Kerri joined the TCA faculty in 2014 as an Upper School French teacher. This year, Upper School counselor was added to her job title. Kerri earned a bachelor’s of music in violin performance and a minor in French from Baylor University. She then went on to earn her master’s in counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary.

From left to right: Upper School Counselor Kerri Parr, Middle School Counselor Shawn Ledebur, Lower School Counselor Emily Bush, Director of Spiritual Life Matt Lambro

“Helping and nurturing people has been a lifelong pursuit that has come naturally to me. Whether I am teaching French, playing violin or counseling clients, I find joy in helping others. I feel honored to get to call TCA my home. It is such a gift to me to teach French and be able to guide our students in a life that is full and abundant,” said Kerri.

Director of Spiritual Life Matt Lambro Matt graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in communications and young and family ministry and a minor in leadership studies. Since college, Matt has earned a certificate of youth and family ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, a master’s in higher education from Dallas Baptist University and is currently a student at Pepperdine, where he is pursuing his PhD in global leadership and change.

This August, Matt transitioned from the role of area director for North Dallas Young Life, where he managed one of the largest Young Life areas in Texas, to his new home here at TCA as the director of spiritual life. In this newly created position, Matt works with grades preK through twelve and is responsible for overseeing spiritual, leadership and worldview programs for our students.

Matt expressed, “I couldn’t be more excited to help develop students with a biblical worldview and help equip our future TCA graduates with tools to succeed in whatever leadership roles that God has in store for them.”

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

LABOR OF LOVE A huge thank-you goes to our freshman class moms. Under the energetic and organized leadership of Stacy Watts, Robbi Conine and Lynn Wines, 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.

FABULOUS FEAST The PTF annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon was held on Tuesday, November 8, and is one of the favorite events of the year for the faculty and staff at TCA. This luncheon, organized by PTF, would not be possible without the help of so many servant hearts. Under the leadership of Coordinator Fleurette Runyan, Assistant Coordinator Brianna Long, PTF Secretary Christi Hays and Volunteer Coordinator Susan Mattox, TCA parents baked, served and volunteered to make this day so special. An enormous thank-you to all who gave their time and talents to this event!

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CLASS ACTS A TEAM OF SERVICE Members of the TCA football team volunteered their time and service to Interfaith Family Services in downtown Dallas this fall. The boys loaded and unloaded trucks, moved furniture in and out of apartments and also did yard work and painting.

LAUGHS TAKE CENTER STAGE This fall, students in the Upper School Advanced Drama class entertained audiences with an evening of comedic one-act plays by Christopher Durang.

ALEXANDRA MILLS

Alexandra is an engaged and enthusiastic student who is compassionate, unique and artistically gifted. She is a nurturer and an encourager who loves people and is passionate about helping those who are less fortunate.

Even in the rigorous academic climate of TCA, Alexandra has flourished and excelled academically, earning Summa Cum Laude status. In extracurricular

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activities, Alexandra has been a member of the varsity swim team for four years and a photographer for The Rock, the annual student magazine.

Additionally, she is an accomplished artist, an avid reader, a researcher of knowledge and a lover of history, museums and art. She has an insatiable appreciation for beauty in many art forms.

Alexandra is an accomplished young woman who is well respected by teachers and students alike. She is looking forward to her future college experience, where she can continue to grow in her faith and knowledge.

ABIGAIL MATHAI

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

ROTARY STUDENTS OF THE MONTH Articulate, academic and God-centered are words that describe Abigail Mathai well.

Abby has a wonderful sense of humor and a love for life.

Whether she is performing with her jazz dance team, playing classical music or studying with friends, this young lady is living life to the fullest. Each week, she balances a rigorous academic load, as well as several extracurricular activities, all

DOING THEIR CIVIC DUTY Senior government students in Steve Kimbrough’s class participated in a number of political campaigning activities during this year’s election season, including phone banking, event registration, precinct mapping, block walks and yard-sign delivery for a variety of candidates and political parties in Dallas and Collin counties. Students in Diane Harmon’s class volunteered by working a polling location on Election Day. Many of these seniors also voted for the very first time.

HOCO DRESS-UP DAYS

the while maintaining a spot on the Summa Cum Laude Honor Roll.

In addition, Abby has been the executive editor for the annual student magazine, The Rock, and is active in the community by providing leadership and training for the Genesis Children’s Theater.

Determined and self-motivated, Abby accomplishes all the tasks set before her. She leads others naturally and does so in a positive manner and is considered a role model by her peers. Abby looks forward to the future, confident that TCA has prepared her well for whatever college she decides to attend.

DECEMBER

Upper School students celebrated Homecoming week with special dressup days to show their school spirit.

This year’s dressup themes were Holidays Monday, Cheese Tuesday, Back to the Future Wednesday, Fast Food Thursday and Space Jam Friday.

MICHAEL WATERS

Michael Waters is an outstanding young man of distinguished character, integrity and diligence. He is extremely personable and passionate, always giving of his time and abilities to help others any way that he can.

Michael shows his heart for others through his service in and out of school. His commitment to the Young Men’s Service League is seen by the

many hours he has given to these charities at home and abroad.

Michael is a member of the worship team at TCA, as well as a member of his church praise team. He plays varsity football, soccer and golf at TCA and is dedicated to being the best student athlete he can be. Additionally, Michael is completing the necessary requirements to reach the rank of Eagle Scout.

Michael is a strong student, a servant leader and an accomplished athlete. His encouragement and humility have served him well, and he is an example for those around him.

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CLASS ACTS

SCIEN-TERRIFIC METHOD The Middle School STEAM Club kicked off this fall with great participation.

Middle School students explored concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math by using simple household items to build their own motors. With just a battery, some copper wire and a few magnets, the students created a motor that spun the copper wire in circles around a battery and then shaped the copper wire into their own special designs.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Under the direction of Dawna Debter, Middle School students entertained audiences this fall with the delightful classic tale of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad in The Wind in the Willows.

This timeless story about friendship and adventure was a huge success.

OPERATION: LATIN Mrs. Goldsmith’s seventh-grade Latin classes wrapped up their “Corpus Humanum” (Human Body) unit with a game of Operation. The game was modified to review and reinforce terms such as manus (hand), cerebrum (brain), cor (heart), etc. Students got into the game with lab coats, stethoscopes and their “surgeries” projected for the class to see.

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PHOTOS IN TIME Eighth graders created “photos in time” this fall. They researched significant events and happenings in US history, created backdrops, gathered period costumes and presented their information in character to their classmates. Custer’s Last Stand, the Titanic, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Transcontinental Railroad all came to life through their presentations.

BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAP . . . CAR Each year, eighth-graders are challenged in science class to create a vehicle that will travel a distance of 35 to 40 meters using the power generated only by a small mousetrap spring. The students are taught Newton’s Three Laws of Motion to take advantage of the limited source of energy to maximize the inertia created by the spring to move the car forward. Not only did the students grasp the concept of motion, but they also had a great time with the hands-on, trial-and error project to test their ideas and building skills.

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CLASS ACTS

SENDING OUR LOVE Lower School students collected over 1,100 boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year. These boxes, filled with toys, books, notes and hygiene items, were packed with love, prayed over and set to children in war-torn countries around the world.

ALPHABET BOOT CAMP Kindergarten students celebrated the conclusion of Alphabet Boot Camp with an alphabet camo day and parade of letter activities.

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WE’VE GOT 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!

SERVANT DADS The Lower School Dads Club has been busy this year. Over 24 Dads Club volunteers took time out of their busy schedules to read to Lower School classes, and many also helped out by working morning carpool. We are very grateful for these wonderful servant leaders.

PreK COMMUNITY HELPERS PreK students were blessed to have visits from some amazing community helpers this year, including the Addison Fire Department and the Addison Police Officers.

PreK students also paid a visit to Mr. Delph’s office.

READING BUDDIES Second-graders shared some of their favorite stories and also sharpened their reading skills this fall by reading to preK students. Our preK students had a great time learning from their reading buddies.

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EVERY AUGUST THE WEEK BEFORE THE NEW SCHOOL YE AR BEGINS, the senior class gets up on a Saturday morning and flies

to Colorado Springs for the annual Senior Trip. Through the years, this TCA tradition has become one of the greatest experiences and one of the fondest memories for our alumni.

I have had the privilege of attending 33 out of the last 34 Senior Trips. All through the 1980s and up through the Class of 1994, our seniors took their trip in May, the week leading up to graduation, and went to Destin, Florida. The trip went from Saturday through Wednesday. We would hold our graduation ceremony on Friday, and the seniors would then launch into the summer and on to the rest of their lives.

While that trip was fun, we realized that hanging out all day long on the beach was not everybody’s cup of tea, there was not enough to do, and, as you might guess, supervision was challenging at times. In Destin, we learned that our seniors loved the bonding experiences in which they participated, but they regretted that they could not fully enjoy newly formed or deepened relationships because they would return home, graduate and move on with their lives. They expressed frustration that they could not now benefit from these bonding experiences.

As a result, we began conversations about moving the trip to Colorado and moving it to August at the beginning of the school year.

Headmaster Mike Beidel commissioned Hank Harmon and board member Robbie Fusch to go to Colorado to scout out possible locations to have our trip.

As they were leaving Dallas, they were reminded that The Navigators had their headquarters and retreat center in Colorado Springs next to the beautiful Garden of the Gods. It was called Glen Eyrie. It was a beautiful facility, originally built by railroad tycoon and philanthropist William Jackson Palmer in the late 1800s.

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Dawson Trotman and his discipleship organization, The Navigators, took over the property in 1953 and developed it to be the oasis that it is today.

Robbie and Hank decided to use Glen Eyrie as their home base while they explored other facilities. They quickly realized that they had found the ideal setting for the senior trip right there at Glen Eyrie. There was only one problem—The Navigators did not allow high school groups to stay at its facility, rather it focused its mission on marriage retreats, pastoral conferences and discipleship weekends. Hank and Robbie convinced The Navigators to give TCA seniors a try, and the rest is history.

The classes of 1995 and 1996 actually went the last week of school in May, at the end of their junior years. Again, they lost a lot of momentum over the summer. It took us a couple of years to figure

“ The days are filled with great

bonding activities like white water

rafting through the Royal Gorge and visiting the beautiful Garden of the Gods, as well as opportunities for the students to share with their classmates what God has put on their hearts as they begin this last chapter of their TCA experience.

”

out how to move the trip to August without completely disrupting

it looks like to lead well as the oldest students in the Upper School.

football and volleyball teams, which had already gotten started

Our dean of students, Bob Dyer, leads nightly seminars with the

with their seasons. As the solution emerged, we landed on the idea

seniors as he teaches from the Scriptures about living for Christ and

that we could leave on Saturday morning and return on Wednesday

allowing Him to impact their school and their world through them.

afternoon in time for our athletes to make it to practice in order to

The days are filled with great bonding activities like white water

be ready to compete in that Friday night’s football scrimmage.

rafting through the Royal Gorge and visiting the Air Force Academy,

We have now gone to Glen Eyrie for 23 consecutive years. The Navigators enjoy our kids and love the heart of what we are hoping to accomplish on

Olympic Training Center and the beautiful Garden of the Gods.

On the last full day of the trip, we drive the seniors up to the top of Pikes Peak for a massive photo session amidst the backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains. On the last night of the trip, our seniors meet at Glen Eyrie’s Echo Rock amphitheater at the foot of

our Senior Trip.

large red rock formations to share with their classmates what God

During these

has put on their hearts as they begin this last chapter of their TCA

five days, we

experience. We return to Dallas on a Wednesday and begin the new

hope to give

school year on Thursday. We come back to reality from a literal

the seniors

“mountain-top experience” with full hearts and high expectations

a vision

as we watch the Lord unfold His plan for the senior class as a whole

of what

and for the special individuals represented in it.

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A COMMUNITY CALLING T H E M I DDL E SC HOOL Y E A R S A R E K NOW N as a time of great challenges

and changes in the lives of our children, which is why it is rare when people refer to this time of life as “smooth” and “uneventful.” The reality is that these years are typically framed with words like “awkward” and “intense,” which is part of the reason parents value a Christian school community to help guide their children through these critical, formative years. While we can know in one sense the value of a Christian community to remind us that God is active in and through His people in every stage of life and in every situation, our school community learned (and is still learning) the reality of God’s work in and through us because of a uniquely difficult period in 2016.

Over the course of just a few weeks last spring, our eighth-grade class members (TCA’s Class of 2020) faced the passing of Mr. Hunter Wood and Mr. Bill Compton, the fathers of two of their classmates. Just a few months later, our rising eighth-grade class members (TCA’s Class of 2021) faced the loss of one of their great friends and classmates, Christian Sanchez, during a freak storm while on a scouting trip. Through the shock, pain and grief of such intense loss, I was privileged to witness God’s faithfulness and love expressed through our school community to each of these families. As such, I wanted our entire extended TCA community to get a sense of what God did during this time, told by the three mothers who experienced it.

The story begins with the unexpected death of Hunter Wood in late April, a loss

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which reverberated through the eighth-, tenth- and twelfth-grade classes in which the Wood family had children. Upon hearing the news of Hunter’s passing, I recalled the day I met Hunter when he and his wife, Mary Clayton, came to an admission interview for their oldest son to enter seventh grade. That day six years ago remains my favorite memory of Hunter. While I have prayed to close many a meeting with parents, I had never had a father who asked to do so prior to that day, and I treasure the memory of standing with him and Mary Clayton to pray together.

The words below reflect a series of conversations with Mary Clayton about her family experiences.

W H I L E SPE A K I NG W I T H M A RY C L AY TON A BOU T T H E PA ST SI X MON T H S , there is a clear recognition

of the daily difficulty and messiness of the grieving process. Yet in the midst of that, there have been constant reminders that “love shows up.” The Woods have experienced God’s love showing up in myriad ways: meals and flowers delivered to their home, text messages and notes with words of encouragement and Bible verses and the many occasions when people have simply asked, “How can I help you?”

Among the many Scripture passages that have meant so much to her, the words of Psalm 94:18–19 stand out as a summary of Mary Clayton’s beautiful phrase about the fact that love shows up: “Whenever I feel my foot slipping, Your faithful love steadies me, LORD. When

B Y S C O T T B E RT H E L , H E A D OF MIDDL E SCHOOL

my anxieties multiply, Your comforting calms me down.”

When it comes to the importance of community, Mary Clayton noted the power of unity, as demonstrated by her Watermark community group going through grief counseling together in order to avoid any fragmentation within their group. She also spoke of the impact that comes when people are “doers of the Word and not hearers only.”

The significance of an overflow of love is one of the lasting and compelling lessons of the Wood family’s experience; Mary Clayton encourages people to err on the side of doing too much or saying too much, rather than ignoring the situation, avoiding the topic or worrying that one might be a bother to the person in need.

She gave great voice to trusting God and remaining grateful in the big picture, in part because of the many ways she and her kids have experienced people reaching out and into their lives with practical help, sensitivity and understanding.

I R E M E M BE R M E ET I NG B I L L A N D C H R I S A N N COM P TON at a kinder-

garten “get-to-know-you” party held at Old Shepard Park in Plano, when their son, Will, was starting at TCA. I recall Bill’s laughter as we talked about how easy it was to find his son among the kids (Will was taller than most at that age, though some eventually caught up!), and we talked about his commitment to his family and church body. The following are Chris Ann’s reflections of her family’s experience after Bill’s long fight with cancer:

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV) “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

(John 13:35, ESV) Never have I understood or experienced these words more than during Bill’s final weeks and days before his passing. We had quickly purchased a new home, downsizing to serve our family better during Bill’s illness and in the future after his passing, yet none of the moving plans had been organized. Bill’s health quickly, dramatically and critically declined, and we found ourselves in the hospital and in desperate need of help at home.

The TCA community rose to the occasion as true disciples of Christ. Will became a member of his friends’ families overnight. His every care and need was covered, so I could spend 100% of my time with Bill. His teachers and our administration team made sure Will had the support he needed in and out of the classroom.

Our TCA community set up the “Compton Crew” and organized teams of men, women and even students who packed our entire home, set up all utilities and vendors at the new house, painted, installed cabinets, planted flowers, built shelving for our attic and garage, filled the pantry with groceries, even purchased TV equipment to fit the new space and unpacked our entire house.

Everything was taken care of, and Bill was able to spend one night in our new home that he so desperately wanted for us as a final token of his “taking care of us,” before he passed away.

Will and I truly saw God’s face, hands and grace through the TCA community. We were not alone. We were being carried, and we were loved. I will never be able to repay the hundreds of volunteers who spent weeks in and out of our homes, taking care of Will, praying for our family, providing meals for ten months straight and loving our family well. This is not just a school! It is a community of believers who follow God’s commandments to love others like yourself and serve your community to show witness of His grace to others.

MY FIRST MEMORY OF CHR ISTI A N SA NCHEZ is his picture on his applica-

tion: the smile that he wore in that picture was the same one he wore day in and day out. I remember his mom, Rhonda, telling me about her son in her admission interview and noting that he would tower over many of his new classmates when he joined our fifth grade; indeed, he was often recalled as a “gentle giant” by his classmates.

“Just as the life of Christ was evident in those we’ve lost, it has been evident in the care and compassion extended to each family through their local church body and the community of TCA.” Rhonda’s reflections follow below: When I think back over everything that has happened since Christian’s accident, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the prayers, love, friendship and the tangible support we have received. Christian came to TCA just three years ago as a new fifth-grader and was nurtured in his faith, character, intellect and, of course, his sense of fun and community by “The Trinity Way.” The greatest gift that we have received is the absolute certainty that Christian is, was and always will be dearly loved by our Father in heaven and by his friends, their families, his teachers and coaches and even some whose only experience of Christian may have been that big beautiful smile across a hallway or a playing field.

In this tragedy, we have all lost someone precious to us from our present sight, but my hope is that we can continue to rejoice together in another absolute certainty—that we will see him (and that smile) again!

Many Bible passages have been important to me, but the one that has been stuck in my head for weeks now is this:

“He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10–11) I am so thankful for the encouragement we have received from TCA and equally for the opportunity we have had to encourage others as we process Christian’s absence together. It will be my joy to continue to share in the lives of his classmates and to encourage them as they grow through the milestones ahead. I can’t pretend that it won’t be bittersweet to wonder “what might have been” in Christian’s earthly life. But, I will absolutely take heart in knowing Christian has finished the race and won the prize, and I will consider it my honor to contribute in any way I can to encouraging others in their race, as well.

Thank you all, brothers and sisters in Christ.

PROV E R B S 10 :7 T E L L S US that the memory of the righteous will be a blessing.

As Hunter, Bill and Christian trusted in Jesus as their Messiah, they were indeed covered with the righteousness granted to us in Jesus. The life of Christ was evident in each of these three, a fact spoken of in front of the huge crowds who gathered together to pay their respects, as well as in many quiet, intimate conversations as individuals and families processed all that happened.

Just as the life of Christ was evident in them, it has been evident in the care and compassion extended to each family through their local church body and the community of TCA. When Jesus began His public ministry, He read from Isaiah 61 and proclaimed that the redemptive, restorative work outlined by the prophet was now reality in His presence. As He continues to live in and through us, we continue to make that reality known.

May we continue to be found faithful in making daily differences in the lives of others in order to live out our calling to be a community which reflects the love, care, and compassion of our Lord and Savior.

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O U R S P I R I T UA L DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR LOWER SCHOOL

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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Assistant Head of Lower School Bev Birmingham recognizes the winner of the character quality award for thankfulness.

Head of Lower School Anne Badger shares a morning devotional lesson with Lower School students on KTCA.

PA R E N T S TODAY H E A R QU I T E A B I T about the importance of developing the whole child. There are various books and articles written on the topic, encouraging children to be educated socially and emotionally, as well as academically. Most schools across the United States have incorporated some type of character traits or virtue lessons in order to give students a learning environment where they are growing personally. At TCA, we understand the vital calling that we have as Christian educators to develop the whole child. We have a higher standard to reach—impacting young children for the glory of God. Towards that end in the Lower School, we have a goal of developing spiritual depth in our students. We teach our children through the love of Christ to help them understand their identity, their purpose and their mission. We want our children to clearly live out the message of Matthew 22:37-39, which says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

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The nurture and care of the hearts of our Lower School students are of the utmost importance to us. Our desire is not only to see them grow in biblical knowledge, but also to help them live out that knowledge in their everyday lives, seeking to bring glory to God and seeking to build others up.

Helping students develop on a spiritual level does not just happen automatically without planning and a sense of intentionality. We are very purposeful in the ways that we seek to teach and train children in this area. Administrators and faculty are strongly committed to seeing our kids walk in a way that brings honor to the Lord, which comes through in daily lessons whether in the classroom, on the playground or in the cafeteria.

For us to reach this goal, our faculty and staff must first be deliberate in their daily teaching and modeling of what this looks like. There are a variety of ways that we seek to accomplish this.

Each month, we focus on a different biblical character trait.

We connect the trait to our lessons in our weekly chapels, as well.

Our KTCA devotions also focus on connecting the monthly virtue

Teams of fourth-graders help lead worship each week for Lower School chapel.

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to the daily lives of our kids using object lessons that bring the character trait to life. This helps our young ones make real-life connections to the truths of God’s Word.

For example, with the character trait of obedience, we used the analogy of how it is like an umbrella. If the umbrella is used correctly for its intended purpose, it protects us from the rain; otherwise, we could be soaking wet. Obedience, in the same way, protects if we use it the way that God intended us to use it. It is ultimately for our good and our protection to obey those who have been placed in authority over us. Students can visually make the connection when they see the umbrella.

In addition, our teachers take the opportunity to talk about real-life applications of the monthly trait as students are walking through a variety of different situations during the day. Working through daily encounters with friends, tackling difficult tasks in the classroom and solving playground misunderstandings are all wonderful opportunities for our teachers to assist our students with putting these character traits into practice.

Also at the end of every month, our teachers are able to nominate students who display the character quality for that month to be recognized on KTCA. One student is chosen above all to be awarded the virtue poster for that month. The other students nominated have their names called on KTCA and are then awarded virtue buttons to wear throughout the day.

We believe it is important for students to be encouraged about living out the virtues that we are studying. This motivates all of our children to be living out the things that God calls us to demonstrate as believers. What a testimony this is to our school and to the families and staff. This is something that our kids will remember their whole lives.

Teaching the whole child is not just a buzz phrase for us; we understand the goal before us in partnering with parents to help students grow in their character and in their relationships with Christ. We are excited about pursuing that goal and building young men and women who have a depth and understanding that is often unique in our modern culture.

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TCA TECHNOLOGY

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE TCA Launches Lower School STEM Club B Y L I S A WO N G , DI R E C T O R O F T E C H N O L O GY

I AM SO THANKFUL for the opportunity to grow the STEM program

Department and the TCA Drill Team, we were able to move to the

at TCA. We started with the launch of the Upper School STEM club

Lower School Cafeteria, allowing more students to join the club. I

two years ago, then added the Honors Engineering Design class

emailed the parents on the waitlist, and the club grew to 52 within

last year, and now the Lower School STEM Club and Middle School

another few minutes.

STEAM Club this year. Each has been such an incredible blessing.

MENTORING

Since I was in college, I have always had the dream of getting more kids involved in STEM fields. Working in the engineering industry since the early 90s, I’ve seen the need for strong, well-rounded college graduates. It’s incredibly important that we train up students in the STEM fields today, because they are the inventors, doctors, engineers and problem-solvers of the world tomorrow.

A STRONG INTEREST

My secondary goal in starting the Lower School STEM Club is to give Upper School students an opportunity to mentor young students. I have always valued mentoring. I would not have made it through my engineering career without having strong mentors in my life. I challenge students to always have a mentor and to mentor others. So, I challenged the Upper School STEM Club and students in my Honors Engineering Design class to help run this new Lower

My goal with the new Lower School club is to spark students’ interest

School club. The response was overwhelming! I’m so proud that the

in science, technology, engineering and math through simple hands-on

older kids see the value of this opportunity.

activities. Students will practice problem-solving, learn to collaborate, gain leadership skills and experience the fun of doing STEM! When we opened the sign-ups for the Lower School STEM Club in September, the 24 spots were filled within three minutes, and about 25 more parents immediately emailed to be put on the

Each Upper School student is assigned to a group of Lower School students for all activities for the whole year, so these students may build strong relationships. Mentors play an important role in encouraging students to pursue their dreams and not give up.

I have been extremely encouraged by the positive response to

waitlist. We had originally set the number of spots at 24 because of

our new STEM program, and I look forward to seeing where the

space limitations. Thankfully, with the cooperation of the Athletic

Lord will lead us.

Students were challenged during October’s STEM Club to design and build the tallest tower using marshmallows and toothpicks within 20 minutes, experiencing hands-on learning about why it is important for engineers to design strong structural foundations. The winning tower was 14 inches tall!

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TROJAN LIFE

RELAX AND PLAY

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

Psalm 46:10 says,

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The passage is packed with relevant wisdom for us in our relationship with the Lord. What may surprise you is how amazingly relevant the truth of the psalm can be to us also as parents, coaches and athletes.

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TROJAN LIFE In the 1982 Cotton Bowl Championship, Texas was trailing Alabama 10-0 with 10:22 left to play and had the ball on the Alabama 30-yard line. It’s third down, and ten yards are needed for a first down. Texas quarterback Robert Brewer steps behind the center to start his cadence, when to the surprise of 73,000 fans, his teammates and coaches, he stops and calls time out. Under scrutiny of disapproving fans, the confident quarterback sprints to the sidelines to engage head coach Fred Akers about what he sees on the field that presents an opportunity for Texas to earn a badly needed first down.

After a quick and decisive exchange, Brewer returns to the Texas huddle. A few tense moments later, Texas breaks the huddle and lines up as before. With a national television audience, 73,000 anxious fans and a possible national championship at stake, Brewer resumes the cadence.

Taking the snap, he drops back three steps, patiently pauses before sprinting straight up the field, splitting the Alabama defense for a 30-yard touchdown. Brewer then led Texas on a second scoring drive late in the game for an exciting 14-12 victory, finishing the season as the number 2 team in college football.

Even Brewer’s teammates marveled at his confidence and presence of mind to see what others didn’t and to take action to put his team in position to win. You see, Brewer came to the sideline to tell his head coach the Alabama defense had exposed itself to a running play up the middle of their defense. The Texas head coach, trusting his quarterback, called a play originally installed in the Texas offense for a previous year’s quarterback. The Texas team had not practiced the play for over a year, much less practiced it in preparation for Alabama.

Common to “clutch” performers like Brewer is confidence and a mysterious freedom. So how is it that athletes like Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Jordan Spieth, Michael Phelps, Olympic gymnasts and others turn in clutch performances in high-pressure situations? Though excited and intense, we know they are prepared and not pressured by the watchful presence of others. Clutch performers play with a freedom. The mystery is from what are they free?

They are free from unhealthy stress. In an athletic context, another way to define relaxed is to understand it as the absence of stress, specifically the type of stress that inhibits performance. All coaches instruct their players to relax and perform free from the stress levels which restrict thinking and physical execution. Helping an athlete, at any age, to manage stress will actually increase his or her ability to perform and help us become better coaches and parents.

Research tells us there is a range of stress-responses. An initial low-end response will actually excite our minds and bodies to increased performance. For most athletes, this is a baseline response associated with any game day and will continue to be present even with experience and confidence. Walking on the field, court or stage will elicit this response. Typically, this type of stressresponse is helpful.

However, a higher level stress-response is performance inhibiting. Too much stress initiates movement towards a “fight or flight” response, which actually limits the necessary fine motornerve movement and integrated thinking necessary for athletics.

Many parents and youth coaches forget about the natural anxiety and baseline stress associated with performing in front of others and perceived judgment from the audience. For some players, the pressure induces excitement, for others fear, worry and anxiety. An athlete’s apprehension about each audience will determine whether he or she is motivated and excited or stressed and anxious. Some audiences are inhibiting; others are facilitating.

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Clutch athletes know they can influence an outcome but not determine the outcome of a contest. The outcome is in the hands of the Lord and doesn’t come from their strength alone.

Mom, Dad, friends and coaches, you want to be the audience that reduces and relieves stress to help offset the natural audience apprehension and anxiety of larger, more critical audiences.

Athletes between nine and eleven years of age are particularly vulnerable to stress as result of audience apprehension, self-imposed comparisons, parent-pleasing and fear of loss of affirmation from others if they don’t perform up to expectations. This is the age when fun and social reasons for playing begin to give way to winning. Winning starts to matter.

Those with a competitive bent will be much easier to recognize. They will link hard work with athletic and social success and acceptance. Thus, athletic failure for many will be translated into loss of social success, acceptance and self-worth.

Experienced and wise coaches grow skilled at helping lead athletes away from harmful stress. They know athletes, prior to competition, will already have a baseline stress response from adrenaline. Coaches also realize their actions can contribute to unhealthy stress, which inhibits clutch performances. To artificially raise an athlete’s stress works against the preparation and desired outcome. This is why you hear so many coaches remind players to relax just prior to perceived “high-stress” moments.

They’re doing what they can to bless them with a freedom from stress.

Don’t misunderstand—coaches love to see passion and intensity in competition. They love to see emotions that indicate readiness and a passion for competing. Passion and intentionality usually translate into skill development. What they don’t want to see are emotionally unrestrained athletes who make poor decisions.

Consider again the words of the psalmist who lays the foundation for a healthy mental framework in which to apply in competition. Note Psalm 46:10: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Cease striving is also translated, “be still.” The idea is to stop striving or trusting in your own strength and acknowledge God’s supremacy and sovereignty.

At the top of the passage, the Lord reminds Israel, “I am your strength and refuge, and as result, do not fear, no matter what happens, even in failure.” Israel is to cease striving in its own strength and, instead, strive with confidence and faith in the Lord and His will.

It reminds us to be faithful with our responsibility and role as athletes.

To that end, play your best. The Lord will determine the outcome. There is a sense of freedom when we can shift the responsibility for a competition’s outcome to the Lord. It frees us up to focus on our effort and responsibility.

God is sovereign over all things, even sports. The application for the Christian athlete is to be faithful—prepare, work hard at skill development and then relax and play. The outcome is in the hands of the Lord and not

from your strength alone. Clutch athletes know they can influence an outcome but not determine the outcome of a contest. They can only do their absolute best towards that end. Note the humility alongside confidence which acknowledges the outcome is determined by the Lord. All athletes can do is prepare and perform to their best, trusting their best is good enough. Clutch players find confidence in preparation and freedom in humility that acknowledges they’re not in control.

So what are some actions we can take to help our athletes and kids perform in clutch situations?

• Let your presence be known for encouragement, not criticism and advice.

• Remind athletes that mistakes are part of competition; accept imperfection.

• Encourage them to trust their training and play freely with confidence.

• For the day of competition, focus on execution versus how to improve.

• Restrain from last minute advice prior to or in playing situations.

• Encourage the desire to learn, prepare and develop skill.

• Play concerned about execution, not fearing the outcome.

• Restrain from unsolicited analysis.

• Show equal interest in virtues like unselfishness and thoughtfulness towards teammates; connect the principles to other areas of life.

• Avoid immediate and excessive feedback that feeds apprehension.

• Ask permission to offer feedback and advice.

• Praise unselfish risk to take chances.

• Feed positive reinforcement at five times that of criticism.

Work hard, play hard, then be still and trust God. You may be surprised how well you play in the clutch.

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SPORTS BEAT THE 2015-16 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TE AM

finished in the top three in four meets this season, finishing in first place in three of those meets. The coaching staff was very proud of the commitment and drive shown throughout the season by the boys. The highlight of the season was the Ovilla Invitational, where most of the boys ran personal best times and where they all performed very well as a team.

The team finished fifth at the TAPPS 6A District Championship and eighth at the TAPPS 6A State Championship. GREG TINER finished eighth in the District Championship, earning him First Team All-District honors.

The boys team will be graduating four seniors, but with a strong core group returning next year, the coaches are excited to see how this determined group of runners will develop. The following were the recipients of this year’s team awards: Greg Tiner, Most Valuable Runner; TYLER TOWNLEY, Most Improved Runner and ETHAN MERRIFIELD, Most Christ-like Award.

The team’s chosen theme was “No Fear,” and the team’s verse was 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.”

VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

VARSITY FOOTBALL 30

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THE 2015-16 GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TE AM

finished in the top three in three meets this season. The girls worked hard throughout the season, competing against hard competition and truly came together as a team. The coaching staff was very proud of all their hard work and dedication. The highlights of the season were the DBU Invitational, where all the girls ran personal best times, and the Ovilla Invitational, where the girls ran their best race as a team.

The team finished fifth at the TAPPS 6A District Championship and tenth at the TAPPS State Championship. Freshman ABBY CORONADO was named First Team All-District, and senior ALLISON SMITH was named Second Team All-District.

The team will be graduating three seniors this year, but the coaching staff is looking forward to a bright future with a strong returning class and new, young talent. The following were the recipients of this year’s team awards: Abby Coronado, Most Valuable Runner; ISABELLA BERTHEL, Most Improved Runner and DEVEN GANN, Most Christ-like Award.

The team’s chosen theme was “No Fear,” and the team’s verse was 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.”

VARSITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

TAPPS 6A DISTRICT 1 proved, once again, that it set the standard for playing the best

brand of football in the state. Players brought their “A” game every Friday night, as any team in the district was capable of beating any other team. The Trojans experienced the “thrill of victory” in some very memorable games, as well as the “agony of defeat” in others.

One of the most exciting games was the come-from-behind win against Bishop Dunne in which the Trojans were down 20-10 at halftime. In the second half, the Trojan defense shut down the Dunne offense, and the Trojan offense scored 24 points to pull out the victory. In addition, there were other games along the way that weren’t decided until the last minute ticked off the clock. Fortunately, most of those games went in favor of the Trojans.

The team was led by an outstanding group of seniors who left it all on the field every time they played. Under their tremendous leadership, team camaraderie started developing in the offseason and carried over into the regular season. This team will be remembered not only for the kind of competitiveness these young men displayed on the field, but also for the character and great work ethic they showed every day in practice. Football seasons come and go, but this team will go down in Trojan history as a very special group that always modeled the team motto to “stand firm and stand strong.”

Congratulations to the following players for earning district and state awards: JACK SAVAGE – First Team All-District, First Team All-State COLE YEATTS – First Team All-District, First Team All-State MICHAEL CALLAHAN – First Team All-District, Second Team All-State BLAKE HINTON – First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State DAVID MUERY – Second Team All-District KENNY NELSON – Second Team All-District RILEY CROW – Honorable Mention All-District WILLIAM KENNEDY – Honorable Mention All-District CHRISTOPHER KONSTANS – Honorable Mention All-District ASHTON MILLER – Honorable Mention All-District COURT WALKER – Honorable Mention All-District

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THE L ADY TROJAN VOLLEYBALL TE AM

had an amazing 2016 season. Seniors GRACE ABELL, BERKLIE BAKER and CAROLINE FISCHER helped to lead the team to a 30-14 overall record and a 13-3 district record, finishing second in district 1-6A. They competed in three tournaments—the Allen, the Prince of Peace and the Pearland tournament, which is the largest volleyball tournament in the nation.

This talented team had a great season and grew very close on and off the court. The TCA community lost a beloved member this year in Mark Harwell, who was particularly special to the Lady Trojan volleyball family.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to stay with the Harwell family.

Congratulations to the following girls for earning district and state awards: Berklie Baker – Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-State, First Team All-District LESLIE WOLFF – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District Caroline Fischer – Second Team All-District MEREDITH HARWELL – Second Team All-District SAVANNAH PATE – Setter of the year, Second Team All-District MARISSA DOUGLASS – Honorable Mention AllDistrict KARA STEIGLER – Honorable Mention All-District

THE 2015-16 CHEERLEADING TEAM

planned and performed at six different pep rallies this fall with themes ranging from Blackout to Under the Sea to Decades. Every week, the girls decorated the Upper School according to the weekly theme to raise spirit and awareness for the football games.

Not only did the girls cheer at every home and away football game, but they also competed at the third annual TAPPS Cheer Championships.

As the cheer program at TCA changes and grows, the girls continue to rise to the occasion and represent TCA with excellence.

They have loved being able to support TCA and are so excited to continue to cheer for TCA throughout the upcoming athletic seasons.

Congratulations to the following girls for earning state awards: RILEY RICE – First Team All-State

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VARSITY CHEERLEADING WINTER 2016

LAUREN SULZEN – Second Team All-State ELLIE KAUFFMAN – Honorable Mention

All-State

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL THE TROJANET TES , under the leadership of Captain SARAH DEWHITT, First Lieutenant ALYSON O’SHEA and Lieutenant JULIA WILLISON, started off their season in June with officer camp, a leadership retreat and line camp, where they earned a team trophy for their performance of their military routine. The team then took part in boot camp in August.

During the football season, the Trojanettes performed amazing routines for the pep rallies and football games. They also competed in the TAPPS Spirit Competition for the first time and brought home the Division I Small Squad State Championship!

Congratulations to the following girls for earning state awards:

TROJANETTES

Sarah DeWhitt – First Team All-State Julie Willison – First Team All-State Alyson O’Shea – Second Team All-State GRACIE MASSINGER – Honorable Mention All-State

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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

Coming home

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

FOR CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, the word, “homecoming” brings

to mind the Friday night game, mums and garters, dress-up weeks, pep rallies and THE dance.

For former students, it means returning to their alma maters to relive their school days, reconnect with old friends and see how their respective campuses

UPCOMING EVENTS & ALUMNI NEWS APRIL 23 : Upper School Spring Production:

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

MAY 16 : TCA Graduation

have changed. Sure, they might watch some of the football game; after all, they remember being in those football, cheer, or drill team uniforms or playing in the band or sitting in the stands and cheering on their friends on those Friday nights, but it’s really about seeing old classmates.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD ( AU G U S T 2 016 – J U LY 2 017 )

For us TCA alumni, homecoming truly means “coming home.” Each fall, we look forward to returning to TCA, where we celebrate our friendships and our

Beth Harwell, Director of Alumni

years at this cherished school.

Bunny Heard Mitchell ’94, President

And so once again this October, we came home—to the big white tent supplied by Sky Ranch, where around 500 alumni, alumni parents and former and current faculty milled around and ate amazing food donated by current TCA parents and owners of Texas de Brazil. We hugged our friends, caught up with each other, introduced our children to their children, laughed and reminisced about the good old days and wondered aloud how fast the years were going.

I visited with alumni who graduated in

Jackie Schimmer Harrison ’86, Past President Jeni McCabe Parrent ’87, Vice President of Communication Amy Edwards Prideaux ’89, Vice President of Community Robert Taylor ’07, Vice President of Continuing Connection Stephen Konstans ’83, Vice President of Contributions Rebecca Grimm Novakovich ’85

my year or a year or two above or below

Lane Connor IV ’99

me. As I introduced myself to older and

Lane Wells ’04

younger alumni, I had this strong feeling of connectedness—a sense of being alike because we knew we were blessed to have attended Trinity Christian Academy, this school that educated us so well and that cared about our eternal destinies.

We have been blessed indeed, and yes, we will come home again next year.

Brad Dickens ’07 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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ON FRIDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 14, TCA celebrated

It was a treat to see former TCA teacher and coach

Homecoming. We welcomed our alumni and their families

Mr. Ed Aronson and his wife, Kim! Mr. Aronson was also able

spanning graduating classes from the early 1970s through

to spend some time on Saturday with a group of men whom he

2016. Before the game, we gathered under the Alumni Tent,

discipled while they were students in the early 80s.

sponsored by Sky Ranch, and feasted on a delicious dinner,

This year, current TCA Middle School students provided a

courtesy of Texas de Brazil and TCA parents Shaundra and

wonderful service to our alumni by playing games, painting faces

Salim Asrawi. We were able to visit with friends, parents and

and just hanging out with alumni children, so their parents could

teachers—some of whom we hadn’t seen in years.

visit with old friends. Thank you to all of our helpers!

CLASS REUNIONS In addition to our all-alumni event Friday night, individual class reunions were held over the weekend, as well. We had eight individual reunions: classes of 1971–1979, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Some highlights from these reunions include: • All of the classes from the 70s held a joint reunion at the Intercontinental Hotel. Over 40 alumni attended. A number of these alumni are now also alumni parents. They had a fabulous time catching up!

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Long-time alumni parent comes home!

TCA WAS THR ILLED TO WELCOME alumni parent Kathryn Johnson as a special homecoming guest at Homecoming 2016! Kathryn is the mom of TCA graduates Ned Heiser ’83 and Sarah Heiser Barton ’76 and attends Sunday School with current TCA parents John and Candy Winslow. When the Winslows heard that Kathryn would be attending TCA’s Homecoming, they immediately knew she needed to be celebrated with her own Homecoming mum! She was greeted at the alumni dinner by many class members from the 70s and 80s, along with several long-time TCA faculty members. Welcome home, Kathryn!

• On Saturday night, the Class of 1981 met poolside for dinner to catch up and remember the early years at TCA. • The Class of 1986 met at Blue Mesa Grill. There were 25 alumni present, and they were also happy to welcome Mr. Paul Grasso, their former chemistry teacher. Mr. Grasso even brought a test for them to take to get their lab license in case they didn’t get it in Upper School!

• Bent Tree Country Club hosted the Class of 1991. It was a smaller group, but classmates were thrilled to see a few there who had never attended a reunion.

Also attending were four couples that both spouses are TCA alumni, three who have current students at TCA and one who is already a TCA alumni parent!

• LARK on the Park was the site of the Class of 1996 reunion, and classmates had a great time catching up with one another.

• The Class of 2001 got together Friday night after the Homecoming game at the home of Wayne and Patsy Gono. There were about 20 alumni who attended. On Saturday night, they had a dinner downtown at Four Corners with about 35 alumni and spouses attending. They had a great time

eating, dancing and reminiscing about their TCA days!

• On Friday night, the Class of 2006 met following the football game at the house of Jennifer and Bill McCann. It was great to see all the familiar faces!

• The Class of 2011 reunited at The Rustic on Saturday night, enjoyed a nice meal and caught up with old friends.

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Where are they now?

T H E

L AT E S T

O N

W H AT YO U R C L A S S M AT E S A R E D O I N G

BY BETH HARWELL , DIR ECTOR OF A LUMNI

1990

Former TCA faculty member JILL COX ’90 has published her first novel about a college junior who studies abroad in Paris, France. The Bridge is available on Amazon or through Jill’s website, jillcoxbooks.com.

1996

JENNY VODVARKA and Darren Shafae were married on December 18,

2014, at San Francisco’s City Hall; the reception was in Half Moon Bay, California. The couple met in a garage at a party in San Francisco through friends of friends. TCA family and friends at the reception were MILLI FRISBIE OLSON, MARISA HINTON MIARS, NOEL BRINKERHOFF DAHLBY, JENNA TURNER ALEXANDER, JAY POLLARD and the bride’s brother, MATT VODVARKA ’98. The couple lives in San Francisco, where Jenny is a consultant for biotech firm Genentech, and Darren owns Papercheck, LLC, an editing company.

1998

TAYLOR HINCKLEY ’98 and his wife, Amanda, joyfully announce the birth of their first child, Knox Williams Hinckley,

on April 12, 2016. Taylor is a captain for Envoy Airlines (American Eagle), and Amanda is a flight attendant and in-flight instructor for Southwest Airlines. Taylor and Amanda live in Dallas.

2000 OLIVIA MCDANIEL HOWE ’03 and her husband, Bart, welcomed their daughter, Evelyn Gray, on September 17, 2016. She joins big brother Anson.

JOHN HINCKLEY ’00 and his wife, Kate, joyfully announce the birth of their second child, Hannah Rose, on August 1, 2016.

Her proud big brother, Ford Taylor Hinckley, is loving his new baby sister.

John is founder and CEO of Modern Message in Dallas, while Kate is focusing on being a full-time mom and assisting with ministry at their church, Gateway, in Dallas. John and Kate reside in Plano.

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, 2017, and that all submitted electronic photos must be in high-resolution jpeg format to be suitable for printing.

3388 TRINITY T R ITODAY N I T WINTER Y T O 2016 D A Y

2003

2007 SARAH-MICHELLE STEARNS ’07 graduated from the SMU Dedman School of Law in May 2016. She was awarded the John Kennedy Memorial Scholarship by her peers at graduation and was also inducted into The Order of Barristers.

Just after graduation, her first article—on underwriter due diligence in residential mortgage-backed securities transactions—was

published. After taking the bar exam, Sarah-Michelle climbed a glacier!

exam and was honored by the Texas Supreme Court for her commitment to providing legal assistance to low-income Texans on a pro-bono basis during law school.

class of 2011 were MEGAN BURNS, PAIGE GILBERT, KATIE FELDMAN, KARALINE COATS and HANNAH QUIGLEY.

2011 She resides in Dallas with ROBIN FLOCH and SARAH-GRAHAM TURTLETAUB and is currently clerking for a judge downtown. She passed the Texas bar

ANNIE REA married Matthew Kelly on October 1 at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Annie and Matt met through mutual friends from Kanakuk Kamps.

TYLER ALLEN was Annie’s maid of honor. Other bridesmaids from the TCA

In addition, AVERY WALKER ’13 and HAYLEY QUIGLEY ’14 were members of the house party. Annie’s brothers, PATRICK REA ’14 and CHASE REA ’16 were both groomsmen. The couple now resides in Fort Worth, where they both work for KLIFE, a non-profit ministry associated with Kanakuk Kamps. Additionally, Annie is pursuing her master’s in biblical counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

TEAM KATHY says, “MOOve over, cancer!”

In early March 2016, TCA alumni parent and former employee KATHY TAYLOR was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Her friends and family wanted to support her, so TEAM KATHY was created. Alumni, alumni parents and friends, including many Lower School current and former faculty members, came together to cover Kathy in prayer and support. T-shirts were designed in honor of TEAM KATHY, and on Saturday, October 15, TEAM KATHY joined up and walked the Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure. Kathy’s children, AMANDA TAYLOR PROVOST ’04 and ROBERT TAYLOR ’07 participated in the walk, along with Amanda’s husband, Cody, and son, James, and Robert’s wife, HILLARY PRICE TAYLOR ’07. Other participating alumni were ERIN LYNAM McCORMACK ’07 and PARKER McCORMACK ’07, KATIE LYNAM ’09, SARAH-GRAHAM TURTLETAUB ’07, MARY KATHERINE HILL ’07 and NICK HAUSER ’07. Several TCA alumni parents also participated. MOOve over, cancer!

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Where are they now?

2012

KATIE ELIZABETH CALLISON married Collin Sansom on May 29, 2016, in Austin. The two met at the University of Texas,

where they served on the same Young Life team.

Katie’s siblings, MATT ’10, ABBY ’14, EMILY ’15 and HALLIE (12th), and her cousins, CALLIE (12th) and GARRETT (9th) ORTEN were in the wedding party.

Many of Katie’s friends from the class of 2012 were also in attendance, which was very special to her. The couple now lives in Fort Worth, where Katie is the lead designer for Tribe Alive, an ethical fashion company, and Collin owns Craftwork Coffee Co., a coffee shop and co-working space.

TCA ALUMNI MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AMIE GLOVER DAVIS ’04 is in her third year working on the development team for HOPE International, a Christ-centered ministry that provides microenterprise development (commonly known as microfinance) in 16 developing countries around the world. She recently attended a workshop on dialogue-based adult education and ran into MICHELLE WIJAYA ’06, who is using her master’s degree to work with HOPE as an International Training Fellow.

The two have since been working together.

Keep up with TCA today and every day.

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TRINITY TODAY

Facebook: facebook.com/TCATrojans

Twitter: @TCATrojans

LAST WORD

PLAYGROUND PALS Lower School students enjoy a beautiful day and fun with friends.

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