Atlanta Schools Database

     Parents often ask about neighborhood day cares and schools. When considering where to send your child for away-from-home education, the questions can be overwhelming. How are charter schools and neighborhood public schools different? Should I send my child to a religious private school or one that has a more academic focus? Should I go with the school around the corner or is it better to explore the school choice system outlined in NCLB? Do standardized test scores really matter? In response to these concerns, trinityKids will soon be making available a resource for Trinity families. This resource will include basic information about Atlanta schools, especially those that are attended by children from Trinity. This will be a good place to go for information about tuition, locations, reflections on school atmosphere, and the unique benefits and differences of each school. Parents have graciously provided feedback about their own experiences and their insights will be available as well. Hopefully this will be a useful resource that will empower parents to reach out to others in the Trinity community for input and to make the best choice possible for their children.

     Look forward to this database becoming available in the next month or so! 

Teachers' Resource Closet- now open!

Attention teachers, parents, tutors, nannies, and babysitters:

     I am happy to announce the grand opening of the Trinity Teachers' Resource Closet!! It really is just a closet, but it's filled with many teaching gems that have been gathered throughout the course of my teaching tenure- in other words, eight years of hoarding educational stuff. A few things have already been borrowed by new teachers, but there is plenty more to lend out. Math manipulatives, big books, science materials, teacher resources, incredible materials from Teaching Tolerance that can be adapted for early elementary all the way up to High School, posters and other visuals... even plastic bins and letter boxes that are great for organizing your classroom. I have tons of stuff! Come borrow it! The Teachers' Resource Closet is located in the Walkers Room (down the back hall past the Women's restroom), in the very back corner. Thank you for adhering to the posted “check out” policy and for keeping it tidy! Don’t forget, I also have a treasure trove of guided reading book sets, fiction and non-fiction picture books, as well as an early reading series available to borrow in my office. 

Community Events will Continue!

Our summer of fun and community included just about every kid-friendly activity in Atlanta- from bowling, to cooking at the Young Chef’s Academy, to a free day at the High Museum. It was fantastic to build relationships each week and to participate in the city that we all love so much. But don’t worry, Community Events will continue in the Fall and Winter. Monthly Community Nights for kinder through fifth grade kiddos have become a staple of trinityKids- they are so much fun! We will also be making plans to go pumpkin picking in October, as well as another cooking class at YCA.  The best way to stay up-to-date about these events is through this blog, through the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110373408995790&ref=ts, or through announcements and signups in the trinityKids Gathering Room. 

Our next event will be a Movie Night on September 17, from 6:30- 8:30 pm. We’ll be watching Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. I look forward to seeing the smiling faces of Trinity’s incomparable children soon! 

Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses.... and us.

    The summer has been a season full of learning, wondering, and curiosity. The curiosity of the children has been especially piqued by a focus on Old Testament figures and the opportunity to better understand the deeper history of God’s people. Although the stories and timelines of these incredible individuals often leave us with more questions than answers, exploring the dedication, determination, and commitment of these brave believers offers innumerable avenues for life application. Whether children are discussing the ways that Samuel was open to God message for him and through his life, or the difficult patience and frustration of Sarah, these stories are a wonderful way to find ourselves in scripture.

     I encourage you to take some time to converse with your child about the Old Testament. As we frequently express during our time together on Sundays, “All these things happened to tell God’s story. God’s story is adventurous and interesting, but it all leads toward Jesus and his birth and death here on Earth.”  

     When teaching children about the Old Testament, it’s helpful to focus on the central themes…. the uniqueness and glory of God; the Law; God's influence on world history and nature; corporate and individual sin and the remedy; and the proper way to worship God. It can often be confusing to explain to children that the Old Testament also tells that the Jews were God's chosen people, which is the main reason for their special protection- and their special punishment when they did wrong. But again, most importantly, the prophecy of Jesus is inherent in God’s story; it is first and foremost in God’s plan. I recommend asking your child open-ended questions that will enable them to consider for themselves how the lives of God’s people in the Old Testament can be a model or a lesson for their own. Here are a few questions that we frequently ask after sharing an Old Testament story:    

*Now I wonder which part of the story you liked best?

*I wonder what part is the most important?

*I wonder what part is about you…. Or what part was especially for you?

*I wonder if we can leave anything out of the story and still have everything that we need?

*I wonder what the story of this person and their family might be teaching you?

*I wonder if you’ve ever had a tough time with some of the things that this person also had to deal with? I wonder if you can learn from what they did- what to do or what not to do?