Inside the Pride High School News - Volume 250
Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening at the High School
Published January 26, 2025
Volume 250
Events & Announcements
A Message to High School Parents
Dear TCS Parents,
I hope you weathered the cold blast and the snow we experienced last week. It was disappointing that we had to cancel the GO Week testimonials scheduled for last Thursday. GO Week means a lot to our school, students and the community. We will reschedule this event.
I want to share an exciting update regarding Trinity’s future. As you know, we are in the process of acquiring 178 acres of land on Fischer Road to build a new high school, gymnasium, and performing arts center. This Thursday evening, we will meet with the Board of Zoning to discuss our request to rezone the property. This step is critical in allowing Trinity to fulfill its mission of providing a Christ-centered education to future generations in this area.
Now, more than ever we need your prayers. The Scripture reminds us in Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Your prayers are vital, and we trust that with God’s divine guidance and your support, we will prevail in this effort.
Thank you for standing with us in faith.
In Christ,
Blake Bass
Assistant Head of School
Interim High School Principal
Attendance Policy Changes for the High School Starting in January 2025
Trinity Family,
We are in the process of streamlining our High School Attendance policy. We have 2 main goals.
Better serve our families
Help our teachers manage makeup work and get students back on track more efficiently.
The detailed version will be available in the most recent handbook update on Blackbaud, but we are going to hit the highlights quickly. These updates will go into effect in January of 2025.
A few key areas:
We want to keep your children safe - Students must sign in when arriving late and sign out when leaving early (required parent permission). Even seniors under the open campus agreement must abide by this when arriving or leaving during a scheduled class or activity. If there is a class on the schedule, you must sign in or sign out.
This is a significant change! When your student is out of school, we need an excuse from parents within 2 days of the absence. What is excused? - Illness, medical visits, school activities, driver’s license tests, family emergencies, etc.
What is not excused? - No parental note within 2 days, skipping, oversleeping, not coming because not prepared, etc.
School administration has the last call on what is excused or not.
We want to partner with families for planned out of school activities. We excuse these; however, parents need to turn in a pre absence form (located on Blackbaud) 5 days prior to the absence. Otherwise, these absences will be unexcused.
Probably the biggest change! We will begin enforcing what has been policy for quite some time. Work missed during unexcused absences will receive zero credit. Formative assessments missed will be eligible for redo's. This is only for unexcused absences. The RTA policy and makeup work for excused absences does not change.
We understand that this may seem daunting, but we want to partner with you to ensure that our students get the maximum number of learning experiences while enrolled with us at TCS. Here is the key: communication. Communicate with us so that we can partner together to prepare today’s students to impact tomorrow’s world.
Announcement: Coverage for Mrs. Bracey Dallas’s Physics Classes
As many of you may know, Mrs. Dallas will be on maternity leave for the first several weeks of the 2nd semester. We are excited to celebrate this joyous occasion with her and her family!
Over the past few months, we have been actively searching for a qualified substitute Physics teacher to step into her role during her leave. However, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to find a candidate who meets the high standards of teaching excellence that Trinity Christian School prioritizes.
Rather than placing a substitute teacher with limited experience or connection to our students, we are pleased to share that our talented staff, especially our math department, has stepped up to ensure your students continue to receive exceptional instruction. Here is the plan for Mrs. Dallas's class coverage during her leave:
1st Period Physics: Mrs. Danielle Wilcox (Algebra 2 Teacher)
2nd Period Physics: Mr. Tony Geasley (AP PreCalculus and Statistics Teacher)
3rd Period Physics & 5th Period AP Physics 1: Mr. Nic Dickens (History Teacher)
4th Period AP Physics C: Mrs. Jen Rinkenberger (AP Calculus Teacher)
7th Period AP Physics 1: Dr. Patrick Sullivan (Geometry Teacher)
In addition, Mr. Devin James, our Science Department Head, and Mrs. Karen Brannon, our High School Director of Academics, will be closely monitoring these classes and providing any necessary support to ensure continuity and academic rigor.
Mrs. Dallas has been planning extensively for her leave to ensure a smooth transition for both students and teachers. She has prepared detailed lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, instructional videos, assignments, quizzes, tests, and activities in advance of her departure. These materials will be readily accessible to the teaching staff and her lesson plans will also be posted in Blackbaud for students to reference. All students need to have headphones that can work with a Chromebook to watch the videos Mrs. Dallas will provide.
We are confident that this collaborative approach will provide your students with an enriching and seamless learning experience during this transition. We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our staff and their commitment to maintaining the high-quality education you have come to expect at Trinity Christian School.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Devin James (devin.james@tcslions.org) or Mrs. Karen Brannon (karen.brannon@tcslions.org). Thank you for your continued support and prayers as we navigate this time of transition and as we celebrate with the Dallas family.
Academic Matters
Students, please be sure you are checking Blackbaud for updates due to our Remote Learning Days last week. Please communicate with your teachers if you have any questions about Assignments or Assessments.
Thursday Morning Tutoring is a great opportunity to receive free tutoring from Beta Club and National Honor Society members! If you need help with homework, preparing for a quiz/test, reviewing concepts from a class, etc., Beta Club and NHS students are here to serve you! Tutoring sessions take place in Room 501 on Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:10 a.m. Please use this form each week to register. To confirm attendance for the Thursday morning tutoring session, students must complete the form by Wednesday each week.
2025 Junior - Senior Prom
Thursday, March 20th 2025
7-11pm
Glendalough Manor
200 Glendalough Ct, Tyrone, GA 30290
Glendalough Manor is a popular wedding venue that combines a subtle southern charm with exquisite gardens that will take your breath away. Therefore, Glendalough Manor makes for a beautiful location for your before dance photos.
Please see dress code guidelines below for both boys and girls.
More Details To Come
Prayer Requests
The High School Administrative Team would love to partner with families to lift up prayer requests you have. Please fill out the TCS High School Prayer Requests form to submit a request. These requests will be prayed over on a regular basis and kept confidential among the High School Administrative Team.
“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” Colossians 4:2
New Driver Information
Do you have a new student driver? Here’s what you’ll need from us for your student driver to receive their:
Permit - You will need a Certificate of Enrollment
Driver’s License - ADAP Certificate
For both of these certificates, please email hsattendance@tcslions.org, and the front office will help you!
Pre-Absence Form
You can always find the link on Blackbaud on your resource board.
Be mindful that the form must be filled out 5 school days minimum before the student is absent.
LOOKING AHEAD
FROM THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
STAR STUDENT
TCS is pleased to announce that this year’s STAR Student award goes to Helene Lawson. The PAGE STAR program honors Georgia’s highest achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been instrumental in their academic development. You can read more about the PAGE STAR program HERE.
To obtain the STAR nomination, high school students must have the highest score on any single SAT test date taken through November of their senior year and be in the top 10% of their class based on their grade point average.
STAR students are asked to nominate their STAR teacher. This year, Helene chose Christy Faircloth for this honor. Both, along with TCS administration, will attend a luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 5th at the Nixon Center for Performing and Visual Arts in Newnan
Congratulations Helene on this great achievement!
NACAC COLLEGE FAIR
The National Association for College Admission Counseling is hosting their annual college fair for our area this coming Sunday, Jan. 26 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Hundreds of schools from across the country will be present at this event. For more information, a listing of schools present and to register, CLICK HERE.
PIEDMONT FAYETTE HOSPITAL SUMMER NURSE CAMP
Piedmont Fayette Hospital is offering their Summer Nurse Camp again this year for high school juniors and seniors. The free camp will run from 9 am to 3 pm June 2nd - 4th. Participants will learn how to check blood pressure manually, infection prevention and proper hand hygiene, basic wound care and first aid treatment. They will also get a tour of the hospital, meet college faculty and explore career options, shadow clinic staff and explore opportunities for employment post graduation.
If interested, email halea.caudill@piedmont.org for an application. The deadline to apply is March 21, 2025. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance by April 1.
AUBURN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Auburn University is hosting a leadership conference on February 26, 2025 for any student in grades 9 - 12. The purpose of this conference is to give high school students the tools they need to become successful leaders in their schools and communities. For more information and to register, CLICK HERE.
SAT DATES FOR SPRING 2025
Registration is open for the March, May, and June test dates for the digital SAT. Most colleges, including those that are test optional, consider SAT scores when making admission and placement decisions, and for certain scholarships. Your SAT score is a proven way to show what you’ve learned and stand out on applications.
Below are the upcoming test dates and registration deadlines for the spring administration of the SAT. These are high target dates for 11th graders especially to be taking the SAT. These seats will fill up fast, so don’t delay in registering in order to get the date that you would like.
You can register online for the SAT HERE.
To see test dates and register for the ACT, click HERE.
UPCOMING COLLEGE LUNCH VISITS
2/6 - Georgia Highlands College (Rome, GA)
2/26 - Georgia Southwestern State Univ. (Americus, GA)
HELPFUL LINKS AND DOCUMENTS
FROM THE COUNSELING DEPT.
Georgia Match Official Website
Georgia Match Information Sheet
Paying for College - Scholarship Information
High School Administrative Contacts
Teacher emails utilize the firstname.lastname@tcslions.org address configuration
Blake Bass - Assistant Head of School (Interm High School Principal)- Blake.Bass@tcslions.org
Roby Ross - Director of Student Development - roby.ross@tcslions.org
Karen Brannon - Director of Academics - karen.brannon@tcslions.org
Brian Fourman - Counseling Department Head (11/12th grade Coordinator) - brian.fourman@tcslions.org
Michelle Hutcheson - Counseling Department (9/10th grade Coordinator) - michelle.hutcheson@tcslions.org
Sara Kuchinski - Office Manager - sara.kuchinski@tcslions.org
Attendance - hsattendance@tcslions.org
Nurse - nurses@tcslions.org