Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening at the Lower School
Published August 25, 2024
Volume 230
Sherry Randolph - Early Learning & Lower School Principal
The Principal’s Piece: A Note From Mrs. Randolph
I am excited to introduce a new initiative to support our Lower School families through the power of prayer. Our Prayer Request form is a dedicated space where families can share their needs, concerns, and hopes with us. Whether you are seeking strength for a personal struggle, comfort for a loved one, or guidance for a family situation, we are here to stand with you in prayer. Starting this week, the Lower School administration will meet every Friday morning to pray over each request submitted. We believe in the power of prayer and are committed to supporting our families through this dedicated time of intercession.
How to Submit a Prayer Request:
Fill Out the Form: Provide details about your request in the form below by clicking on the link. You can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.
Submit Confidentially: All submissions are kept confidential and are only shared with our Lower School administration team who will lift your request in prayer.
Thank you for allowing us to join you in prayer. We are grateful for this opportunity to come together as a community. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up." I Thessalonians 5:11
UPCOMING DATES
Aug 29 - College Football Dress Down Day
Aug 30 - Remote Learning Day
Sept 2 - Labor Day Holiday
Sept 9 - Homecoming Parade in Leroy Johnson Park, Senoia
Sept 9-13 - Homecoming Week (See Homecoming Dress Themes below)
Update to SAGE Offerings for 1st-3rd
We are excited to announce a positive change to our beverage offerings designed to promote healthier drink choices for our Lower School students. Starting this Monday Sage will provide water, apple juice, milk, and chocolate milk for our 1st-3rd Lower School students.
This change aligns with the current offerings already in place for preschool and kindergarten students, and it will now extend to 1st through 3rd grades as well. To support a healthier lifestyle, we will be removing sugary drinks such as sweet tea and lemonade from our Lower School menu.
We believe this adjustment will benefit our children by encouraging better hydration and nutritional habits. Thank you for your support in helping us foster a healthier school environment.
College Football Dress Down Day
The new football season is underway, and our students are invited to wear their favorite team shirts or jerseys on Thursday, August 29 to celebrate. Normal dress code pants/shorts are required.
Remote Learning Day
August 30th is a Remote Learning Day. Your child’s teacher will send home a learning packet to be completed and returned on Tuesday, September 3rd. For more details, please refer to your child’s Blackbaud classroom page.
Last Week in Chapel
We had a great time in Chapel this week as Mrs. Moore taught our first lesson in our series about God's love being Limitless! In last week’s lesson, the students learned about how God's love is not bound by limitations. It is there for us in every circumstance and for everyone. While reading the story Nicodemus we learned that Jesus is God's son who came to make a way for everyone to go to heaven! Because of God's limitless love, every person can be forgiven of their sin!
Main Focus: God's love has no limit!
Power Verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
LOWER SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR
This is a fun way to share in our Lower School family pride and show your TCS spirit! We have four fun designs specifically created for Lower School students and families to choose from!
Remember, all TCS spirit wear is an approved uniform option! Please click the link below to place your order.
See design styles below:
Homecoming Parade
Interested in being a part of the Homecoming parade on Monday, September 9th?
Please vsit the webpage below to learn how:
TCS Homecoming Spirit Week Dress Up Days
September 9th - 13th
As you start planning your homecoming week outfits, please use the all school guidelines below to ensure your student’s creativity is appropriate for the school day.
As a reminder for this week, in conjunction with our student handbook, we are asking for male and female students to refrain from dressing as the opposite gender as part of the homecoming week activities. Thank you so much for your help and compliance.
THEME DAYS:
Monday - ‘Merica Day - Note: Politically charged costumes will NOT be allowed (no items supporting a candidate, no costumes to depict a candidate, etc)
Tuesday - City vs. Country
Wednesday - Night In vs. Night Out
Thursday - Disney Day
Friday - Spirit Day
Specific Guidelines:
Shorts can be worn but must meet the dress code guidelines of mid-thigh.
Skirts can be worn but must meet dress code requirements..
Leggings may be worn ONLY with a top that meets the length requirement for shorts. (and fits the theme for the day)
Holes/rips/tears in jeans should not be above the knee.
Spaghetti straps or tank tops are not allowed.
Mesh or see-thru tops are not allowed.
Crop tops are not allowed. All shirts should at least touch the top of the pants, shorts, skirts, etc…
Open toe/back shoes/sandals are permitted for this week only.
Hats may be worn all week.
Full spandex bodysuits are not permitted.
If your student chooses to not participate in dressing up for spirit week, they need to be in regular dress code attire.
Elementary Clubs
Our students love to participate in our elementary clubs. These clubs are designed for 1st-5th grade students and meet after school dismisses. Check out the main page of Inside the Pride for more information.
Staying Informed and Up-to-date
with Classroom Happenings
To stay informed of what’s happening in your child’s classroom, please login into Blackbaud weekly. You will be able to see information such as weekly classroom announcements, upcoming events, weekly academic focus, grades, attendance, etc. This is the key to staying informed and replaces hardcopy newsletters. I encourage you to login each week. Information will be updated each Sunday at 5pm.
Accessing your child's class information weekly:
Login to your Blackbaud account and select your child's name under "Children".
Find your child's homeroom class under the "Progress" tab by scrolling down to where classes are listed.
After selecting the homeroom class, you will see the teacher's main class page where you will locate upcoming dates, class reminders and news.
Select the "Topics" tab to see specific information for each individual subject. Within each subject folder, you will see a plan for the week and upcoming projects and test information.
The "Topics" pages update each Sunday evening at 5pm and will remain current until the following Sunday evening.
Important Dismissal Information
We have partnered with the company safeDISMISSAL.COM to facilitate our dismissal process for our Early Learning campus (PreK-3 through Kinder) and our Main Campus (1st - 8th grades). One of the many wonderful features of this dismissal process is that your children will remain comfortably and safely in their classroom until the moment they meet you in the "car loading zone".
Here are a few tips to follow during our dismissal process:
Please make sure to have your ‘pick-up’ card displayed in your front window when entering the dismissal line. Please keep your card displayed until your child has been loaded into your car.
Please stay in-line (no passing) during dismissal as the children will be instructed to walk to specific spots for loading.
To reduce your wait time, please keep up with the car in front of you. Stay attentive and focused on the car line.
If your student does not arrive at the loading spot before you do, you may be instructed to move to a "waiting" area where your child will be notified again. We ask you to move to this area so that we do not hold up the remaining dismissal line.
Please note: Your child is assigned to be picked up at a particular spot according to the order of cars in line each day. Please follow the car in front of you until the line stops, regardless of where you might or might not see your child. Stopping before the line has filled will cause the sequence to be thrown off and delay the line. We will get your child to the proper spot should they have gone to the wrong place.
Finally, we ask for your patience the first couple of weeks of school as everyone gets accustomed to the process. It will get faster/better each day!
The administrators and teachers are committed to making this process beneficial to all parties. Please visit www.safeDISMISSAL.com for more information. Below are a couple of helpful resources to further explain the process.
Meet our new teaching staff
Meet K3 Teacher, Victoria Wainwright: My name is Victoria Wainwright. Ms. W to my school family. I have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. Two of my children are grown and have families of their own. My youngest three are ages 15, 11 and 9. I am originally from Miami, FL where I began my teaching career over 25 years ago. I started out as a teacher's aide and then taught Pre-Kindergarten for 2 years. I went on to develop and teach a curriculum enrichment program that included Music, Art and Science for children ages 2 through Kindergarten. I am also an artist and professional face painter. I can often be found participating in local church, school and community events painting faces while sharing the love of Jesus. My family and I enjoy being outside together when the weather is nice. We are so excited to be part of the TCS family!
Meet K4 Teacher, Allison Upshaw: Hello Lion Nation! My name is Allison Upshaw and I am excited to be joining the Lower Elementary team as a PreK 4 teacher this year. My background is in Early Childhood Development, but I have spent the past 20 years raising my family, and several of those years homeschooling my own boys. My family and I enjoy spending time together, and any and all outdoor activities.
Meet First Grade Teacher, McKenna Sterling: Hi Trinity family! My name is McKenna Sterling and I’m so grateful to be joining you all this year. I recently moved back home to Georgia from Arizona to be close to my parents, who live in the Atlanta area. I’ve been loving living in Peachtree City and all it has to offer. In 2021 I graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (Roll Tide!). I originally taught kindergarten in Henry County, but quickly decided a private Christian school would be a better fit. I have two golden retrievers, Remington and Ryleigh, who are my whole heart. I enjoy exercising, reading, and hanging out with friends and family.
Meet First Grade Teacher, Sarah Barham: Hello Trinity family! My name is Sarah Barham, and I am excited to be joining this wonderful team! I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. I completed my undergraduate studies at Liberty University where I also met my husband, and we shortly moved to Georgia. We have lived in Newnan for 10 years where we are now raising our two wonderful daughters. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading books, and traveling with my family.
Meet Second Grade Teacher, Sarah Cottrell: Hello Trinity Family! My name is Sarah Cottrell, and I am excited that God has led me to join the amazing TCS team as a teacher. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I was a competitive gymnast for thirteen years. I also lived in Texas and Alaska before settling in Georgia. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Special Education at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In my free time, I love to read, exercise, play games with my daughters, and travel with my family. I cannot wait to see what amazing things God has planned for this year, and I trust that He will lead and guide our every step.
Meet Second Grade Teacher, Melissa Casteel: I'm so honored to be teaching at Trinity! Hello, I'm Melissa Casteel, and I'm excited to be joining the 2nd grade team. I grew up in Roswell, GA, and studied at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!). I landed in metro Richmond, VA and had two wonderful children, Claire (9) and Eli (7). I hope to bring them to Trinity soon. In 2019, my family returned to Georgia. We chose Newnan as our new home to be accessible to our extended family here in Georgia. I love good restaurants, animals, gardening, and painting in watercolor. You will find me on the soccer field or with my girl scout troop on the weekends. Thank you for the warm welcome!
Meet Second Grade Teacher, Teresa Russell: Hello Trinity Family! My name is Teresa Russell and I will be teaching second grade this year. I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in education.
My husband is retired from the military and we've lived in Oklahoma, Germany,Texas, Washington State and now we are settled in Georgia.
I come with 20 + years in the education field and I'm excited to work at a Christian School to help prepare today's students to impact tomorrow's world.
Meet Third Grade Teacher, Courtney Gable: Hi TCS! My name is Courtney Gable, and I am thrilled to be teaching third grade this year! I grew up in Newnan and love that I get to raise my family here. I received my degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of West Georgia. I met my husband, Ross at UWG. We have two daughters who are Trinity students; Ellis is in the third grade and Palmer is in the first grade. I am passionate about studying God's Word and serving in my church, and you can almost always find me with an iced latte in my hand.
Meet Our New Teacher’s Assistants
Meet K4 Teacher’s Assistant, Jayme Geeslin: Hi Trinity Family! My name is Jayme Geeslin and I am so excited and grateful to be joining the Pre-K4 team this year. I am originally from Roanoke, Virginia but have lived in Georgia for the past 13 years. I received my bachelor’s degree in Communication and Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Virginia Tech. My husband and I have two sons, Ben and Sam, who attend Trinity and love it. Our family has been so blessed being at Trinity and I’m excited to join the community as a teacher assistant.
Meet K4 Teacher’s Assistant, Sophea Jackson: Hello Trinity family! My name is Sophea Jackson, and I feel very blessed and excited to be joining such a wonderful team! I’m originally from Cambodia but moved here with my family over 20 years ago. Some of the things that I really enjoy are cooking, traveling with my family, walking, camping, and fishing.
Meet Kindergarten Teacher’s Assistant, Stephanie Querna: Hello Lions! My name is Stephanie Querna and I am a kindergarten assistant. I look forward to meeting you. I am originally from Northern California, where I graduated and earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Child Development. I also met and married my husband in our small college town, Chico. We have been married for 29 years and have proudly called Georgia our home since 2002. Our daughter is a junior here at Trinity and our son graduated TCS in 2019. My family enjoys spending time together playing games, watching movies, walking the dogs, and traveling. I am also a member of a book club, and enjoy reading Christian fiction.
Meet Kindergarten Teacher’s Assistant, Leslie Lowery: Hi Trinity Family! My name is Leslie Lowery, I am thrilled to be joining our fantastic team! My education is in radiology and I have twelve years experience in the medical field. I am so excited for this new opportunity that God has provided. My husband and I have three amazing boys who are beginning their third year at Trinity. We are a sports loving family, and I am a lifelong Braves fan. The beach is my favorite place! My family loves adventures, and we enjoy spending time together exploring new places. I am so excited for this year! Go Lions!
Meet First Grade Teacher’s Assistant, Becky Knowles: Hello Trinity Families!! My name is Becky Knowles and glad to be joining the Trinity team. I was born and raised in Georgia. I graduated from West GA with a degree in Psychology and minor in Sociology. I have 3 kids and have been part of Trinity for 13 years. My son is going into 11th, daughter is going into 8th and my little man is going into 1st. In my free time I love spending time with my family and watching my kids play baseball and softball. Let's go Lions!!
Meet First Grade Teacher’s Assistant, Laura Boswell: Hello! My name is Laura Boswell and I will be a first grade assistant. This is my first year working at Trinity Christian School, but we are not new to the school. TCS has been home to our family for 17 years. My husband Adam and I have been married for 22 years. We have four children. Our sons are 20, 17 and 15 years old. Our daughter is 9 years old. Our oldest is a junior at University of Georgia and the other three attend Trinity. We have had such a wonderful experience here. I am so excited to be a part of the team this year! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, friends and watching our kids sporting events.
Meet First Grade Teacher’s Assistant, Lisa Scarbrough: Hello Trinity family! My name is Lisa Scarbrough, and I am soexcited to be assisting Ms. McConnell in first grade! I grew up inPeachtree City where I enjoy being outside and walking the paths and kayaking with our family. I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education at the University of West Georgia. I am looking forward to a wonderful year getting to know your child and helping make this a fantastic first-grade year!
Meet Second Grade Teacher’s Assistant, Jana Gosdin: Hello! My name is Jana Gosdin. This is my first year at Trinity Christian School and I am thrilled to be assisting Mrs. Sarah Conttrell in second grade. I was born in Missouri, but I have lived in Georgia over half of my life. I have a wonderful husband of sixteen years and two boys who are in sixth and seventh grade at Trinity. In my free time, I love spending time with my family, shopping and traveling.
Student School Supply List for 2024/25
Each grade level has prepared a student supply list. Please bring these items to school on Meet My Teacher Day, August 5th. Student Supply Lists are available on Blackbaud under the “Resources” tab and can also be accessed through the links below. Many families took advantage of pre-ordering our Back to School Supply Kits. Your student’s kit will be placed on your child’s desk for Meet My Teacher Day.
Administrative Contacts
If you have any questions throughout the summer, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to help! Please see the guide below to reach the most appropriate personnel.
Lower School Principal - Sherry Randolph (sherry.randolph@tcslions.org)
LS Academic Dean - Leslie Cook (leslie.cook@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Cook can assist you with any academic-related needs for PreK-.3rd grade
LS Director of Student Life - Ashley Moore (ashley.moore@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Moore can assist you with general questions regarding the school calendar, uniforms, supply lists, etc.
LS Director of LEO Program - Jennifer Duncan (jennifer.duncan@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Duncan oversees our Learning Enrichment Opportunity Program
(pictured l to r) Lisa Railey, Jenn Duncan, Sherry Randolph, Leslie Cook, and Ashley Moore