Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening at the Upper Elementary School
Published August 20, 2023
Volume 183
Adam Vinson - Upper Elementary School Principal
A MESSAGE FROM MR. VINSON
We are two weeks into the school year already, and we couldn’t be more thankful for the work that the LORD is already doing amongst our student body. This is a great group of kids, and we are anticipating a tremendous year of growth and development for each of them. Hopefully, you are starting to settle into the new year just like your child. If not, please reach out to our staff for assistance as we want the start off the new school year to be smooth for you, as a parent, too. Check out our list of administrative faculty below who can help support you with all of your needs throughout this year.
(pictured l to r) Mrs. McBurnett, Mrs. Lanier, Mr. Higgins, and Mrs. Hanson
UPPER ELEMENTARY ADMIN TEAM: WE ARE HERE TO HELP!
4th Grade Academic Coordinator - Tiffany McBurnett (tiffany.mcburnett@tcslions.org)
Mrs. McBurnett can assist you with any academic-related needs for 4th grade.
5th Grade Academic Coordinator - Melissa Lanier (melissa.lanier@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Lanier can assist you with any academic-related needs for 5th grade.
Director of Student Life - Tiffany McBurnett (tiffany.mcburnett@tcslions.org)
Mrs. McBurnett oversees our special events and field trips while also handling our middle school counseling duties.
Director of Student Development - Dylan Higgins (dylan.higgins@tcslions.org)
Mr. Higgins oversees the spiritual development of our student body while also assisting with discipline issues.
Upper Elementary RTA Coordinator - Kasey Hanson (kasey.hanson@tcslions.org)
Mrs. Hanson can assist you with makeup work due to any extended absences.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Let me know how our team is doing in keeping you informed about your child’s education this year. If you are lacking communication regarding one of your child’s classes, please let me know so I can help! adam.vinson@tcslions.org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: UPCOMING UPPER ELEMENTARY DATES
Aug 21 - School Picture Day
TCS colored collared shirts required
Aug 28 - House Color Day
Students are encouraged to wear a house color shirt
Normal dress code bottoms required
No hats!
Aug 31 - Favorite Football Team Spirit Day
Students may wear their favorite football team jersey or t-shirt
No hats except for TCS hats!
Sept 1 - Faculty Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL
Sept 4 - Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
Sept 18-22 - Homecoming Week
LAST WEEK IN CHAPEL
Mr. Vinson kicked off the year with an emphasis on the culture we desire for our upper elementary student body. There are 3 areas of emphasis your child will hear mentioned over and over again this year as we seek to create a Christ-honoring culture for our students.
Emphasis #1 - Doing everything with excellence…aka “Fill it to the brim”
Just like the servants who filled the empty pitchers with water “to the brim” at the wedding in Cana (John 2) where Jesus worked his first miracle, we want our students to give their best effort in all they are asked to do as well. “Filling it to the brim” is a key phrase in our upper elementary, because we want our students pushing back against the tendency to do things half-heartedly.
2. Emphasis #2 - Doing everything with kindness (the Golden Rule)
While it’s common to hear that “kids at this age are just mean”, we desire a different experience at TCS. Our students are pushed to understand the call placed on their life as Christians to treat others in the ways they want to be treated. We want love and kindness to be the experience all of our students have here at TCS.
3. Emphasis #3 - Doing everything with purity (using the Bible as our guide)
Upper elementary students aren’t too young to treasure God’s Word. As Ps. 119 says, we want our students to use the Bible as their lamp/light for making choices and decisions each day. Particularly, we want our students to see the call God gives for purity in our thoughts, words and actions.
Join us in emphasizing these same important truths at home! May all of our students learn to do everything with excellence, kindness and purity.
LIONS OF THE WEEK
Students who have been recognized by their teachers for setting a good example and making right choices during the school day.
4th Grade - Levi Williams
5th Grade - AJ Vinson
HOUSE FOCUS: THE ELLIOT HOUSE
Our House System at TCS is designed to introduce our elementary and middle school students to important historical Christian figures who exhibit character qualities that we hope to see exemplified in our own student body as well. This week, we are focusing on the ELLIOT HOUSE.
Character Trait to Remember :
BE READY TO FORGIVE AND LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Who was Elisabeth Elliot? She was a missionary with her first husband Jim Elliot to the unreached Auca Indians in Ecuador. She continued to work with this tribe despite the fact that they murdered her husband.
Learn more about Elisabeth Elliot by watching the video we showed in chapel this week.
THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE:
As you may notice, our 4th-8th graders memorize the same verses each year. These memory verses are selected intentionally based on the promises and truths they contain that are so relevant for our students as they learn to follow Jesus. Our hope is that these 20 verses will be remembered for years to come after being memorized for multiple years in Upper Elementary and Middle School.
Ephesians 2:8-9
v.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, v.9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
MEET OUR NEW UPPER ELEMENTARY FACULTY
ELEMENTARY ART TEACHER
Ansley Boone is thrilled to teach Art to Upper Elementary and Middle school students this year. She is a devoted mother of three boys, Tucker (11th grade), Sawyer (10th grade), and Cooper (7th grade), who she passionately cheers on at football games every weekend. Living in Moreland, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, ziplining, and rafting. Traveling with her sons has become a recent passion. She feels grateful that her family became part of the Trinity community, which values supporting each other and sharing the love of Jesus with the children. Ansley majored in Art and Design with a focus on painting. Having been a 2nd-grade teacher assistant for the past two years, Ansley felt a calling to pursue teaching further. Ansley sees teaching as a divine calling and a way to share her love for Jesus with her students. Working at Trinity has been fulfilling, and she is excited to be given the opportunity to share her artistic passion and encourage her students to pursue their creativity in ways that honor Jesus.
5TH GRADE READING TEACHER
Raegan Barnhill is excited to have the privilege of teaching reading to 5th graders at Trinity this year. With a decade of teaching experience at the school, she has taught both 2nd and 4th grades. Recently, she proudly witnessed her first class of students graduate in May.
Raegan firmly believes that teaching is her divine calling, and she is deeply passionate about her students' learning and growth. Her ultimate desire is to instill in them a love for the Lord and the application of His teachings in every aspect of their lives. Outside of her professional life, Raegan is a devoted wife and mother of two children, who also attend Trinity. The sense of community and the Christ-centered culture at the school are cherished by her whole family. They consider it a true blessing to be part of the Trinity community, both as employees and as parents of students. Anticipating the new school year, Raegan is eager to witness how the Lord will work in the lives of each of her students and is excited about the learning journey ahead.
BLACKBAUD CLASSROOM INFORMATION
Blackbaud is going to be your main source of information this year. Once you login, you will see a drop down arrow in the top left corner to choose which student’s information to look at. When you click on your 4th or 5th grade student, you will see summary information, and then when you scroll down, you will see each of your student’s classes. Each class is clickable. Please click on your student’s homeroom class to see the weekly newsletter for 4th or 5th grade. Once you are in your student’s homeroom class, it will open up the Bulletin Board. Here is where you will find the clickable link for the newsletter that will be added each week. Any important information for the week will be found here.
To find information on each specific class, you will go back to the main page for your student and click on each individual class. Again, when you click on the desired class, it will open to that class’ Bulletin Board. Here you will find helpful information such as what to do should your student be absent. For information regarding lesson plans that will include the plans for the week, homework assignments, and any upcoming tests, quizzes, or projects, you will need to click on the “Topics” tab.
To recap:
Weekly newsletter is found on your student’s homeroom Bulletin Board.
Lesson plans, assignments, etc…are found in the specific classes Topic tab.
JUST READ QUARTER 1
We want to invite all of our 4th and 5th graders to participate in our voluntary reading program this year called “Just Read”. Appropriately named, we “just want our students reading” outside of class time independently. Students should use the form below to record their reading for Q1 (first 9 weeks of school). Completed forms should be returned to your child’s homeroom teacher at the end of Quarter, with a prize coming from Mr. Vinson to all who complete the challenge!
***EXCLUSIVE UPPER ELEMENTARY SPIRIT WEAR ITEMS*** - Check out the link below for accessing upper elementary t-shirts and hoodies for this year!
UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RESOURCES
HOUSE SYSTEM COMPETITION
Check out who is leading the competition at www.tcshouses.weebly.com.
23/24 SCHOOL CALENDAR: Stay in the know about upcoming breaks and holidays.
DRESS CODE OVERVIEW - Check out this year’s guidelines
PRE-ABSENCE FORM - Submit pre-planned absences 5 days ahead of time for approval.
GENERAL REMINDERS
REMINDER: BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Would you like to celebrate your child’s birthday this year? Consider one of the following options as a way to make their day special.
Purchase birthday cart treat items from our snack cart for your child’s homeroom class for $25. Email our Director of Student Life, Tiffany McBurnett (tiffany.mcburnett@tcslions.org), if you would like to schedule a day.
PLEASE GIVE A 2-DAY NOTICE SO PREPARATIONS CAN BE MADE
Send in prepackaged birthday treats purchased from a store for the homeroom class.
Join your child for lunch (beginning in September) in the cafeteria.
REMINDER: ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES
The following steps should be taken for reporting absences for 4th - 8th grade:
Send excuses for absences, including doctor’s notes to attendance@tcslions.org.
Send PRE-ABSENCE REQUESTS (family trips, etc.) to Kasey Hanson (kasey.hanson@tcslions.org) via your child’s homeroom teacher.
If your child has to miss class this year due to sickness or quarantine, check out our process below for getting your child caught up on missing work and assignments. Please also notify the nursing team to make them aware of surgeries or long-term illnesses at nurses@tcslions.org.
WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ABSENT 1-5 DAYS? - Have your child connect with their teachers upon their return to the classroom. We will not send makeup work home for sick absences of this length through our Return to Academics program.
WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ABSENT 5+ DAYS? - Reach out to Kasey Hanson (Return to Academics Coordinator) so we can best determine a makeup plan for your child. Mrs. Hanson will help collect makeup work for you to simplify the process.
NOTE: If your child is sick, we want your child to focus on resting and healing before worrying about missing assignments. Please know our teachers will work diligently to help your child catch up once they are feeling well enough to complete assignments.