Trinitas Blog

Have you ever bribed your children to eat broccoli? I know, I know, some moms are bragging right now about their children loving vegetables from the womb. Sure, we can argue that some do, but many do not, and so getting them to eat their broccoli is all about cultivating their taste.

Something new and exciting debuted at Trinitas this fall. All logic and rhetoric school (grades 7th-12th) students and faculty members gather together during first hour on Fridays to learn, discuss, and pursue wisdom together across a broad range of topics. Even parents are welcome to participate in what we are calling Schola Seminar.

In his book Norms and Nobility, David Hicks advocates for a return to a dialectical approach to education. Especially effective in the context of teachers and students learning together, dialectical education requires learners to commit to certain positions in order to test those commitments against experience, established wisdom, and ultimately, the truths of Scripture. Often utilizing primary sources and Socratic questioning, this approach to learning fosters moral and intellectual growth in participants.

As Trinitas enters its twenty-fourth year this fall, there are a number of new faces on our campus. In addition to sixteen new families, we are welcoming several new faculty members to the Trinitas community. We thank God for his blessings on our faculty and are eager to introduce these fine folks to you.

Each school day morning, Trinitas students stream into our building without taking notice of the two memorials that flank the entrance of the school. On the east side stands a flag pole upon which the 5th graders raise the American flag each morning. On the west side, however, stands a less understood and often overlooked memorial. A pile of smooth stones called the Trinitas Ebenezer. Both images are intended to trigger memory and evoke emotion.

Having stated that Trinitas is distinctly different in how and what we teach, let us now consider why we teach. We say that a Trinitas education is not only classical but also Christ-centered. What we mean by Christ-centered is that we teach all subjects as an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center. We do this because we aim to help students develop a biblical worldview. We teach that there is no knowledge or understanding or wisdom apart from God.

Last week, we began to answer the question “What should you look for in a Christian school?” with a discussion of how we teach. But there is more to the distinctly-different Trinitas education including what we teach.

It is our aim at Trinitas to indoctrinate students in their western heritage by teaching them classical content rooted in the western tradition.

For all practical purposes, the current school year is over. Long summer days stretch out before us; but for a few parents, uncertainty about where their kids will attend school in the fall overshadows the potential joys of summer vacation. Such uncertainty may be a result of a recent or pending move, a young child going to school for the first time, or a pressing need to change schools. Regardless of the circumstances, the question “What should you look for in a Christian school?” should be of the highest priority.

Over the next three weeks, we will show how Trinitas answers that question beginning with a discussion of how we teach, then what we teach, and finally why we teach.

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson appears on many classical schools’ lists of “required readings.” These are readings they assign to orient new faculty, administrators, and board members. Although a variety of other titles can be found on such lists, because of its role in the founding of the modern classical Christian school movement, this book is nearly always included.

As evident from these key points found in the third chapter, the book is rich and a bit challenging; yet full of truth.  May God grant us the vision, knowledge, and steadfastness to raise a generation of children who desire to obey, honor, and serve the One True God.

As always, Trinitas Christian School makes valuable reading resources like this available to our parents both in the school library and office.