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"The mission of Trinity Lutheran
School is to provide a quality education that nurtures children in the
Christian Faith as taught by the Holy Bible and confessed by the Lutheran
Church - Missouri Synod in order that they believe the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and share it with the world
Outstanding Academics -
based on the nationally-normed Stanford Achievement Test, every grade level
at Trinity achieved scores at least two grade levels above the national
average. Each successive grade was more above average than the one before,
giving evidence that the Trinity education itself enhanced academic
achievement.
Accreditation
- Trinity is fully accredited by the National Lutheran Schools
Accreditation Board and by the Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools.
We voluntarily meet or exceed academic standards in the laws of the State
of Michigan. Graduates are accepted in all private/public Junior & Senior
High Schools upon graduation. Teachers employed at Trinity are all
Teacher Education
College graduates and have attained teacher certification by the State of
Michigan. Our entire teaching staff have completed the additional
necessary college coursework to attain theological credentials as
Commissioned Ministers of Religion.
Outstanding Staff
-
every teacher at Trinity exceeds
Michigan educational requirements for teacher certification and regularly
participate in ongoing education to stay current with the latest in
education. In addition, every teacher has also completed the additional
college-level educational requirements necessary to receive credentials as
Commissioned Ministers of Religion.
Outstanding Learning Environment
-
Class sizes at Trinity are
intentionally small. Every child gets individual care and attention.
Children are not sheltered, they are nurtured through the educational and
social developments that come with their growth. Children not only learn
facts, they learn of the Lord's love and the way that His love works
through others to come to them. They then learn how His grace, love and
power works in them for the good of others.
Outstanding Families
-
Trinity is not just a school.
Trinity is a church school with kind, caring families that work together
as a community to help created the environment. God's love doesn't
just flow from the teachers to the children, it flows through the children
to each other, and from one family to the other. At Trinity, parents,
teachers, alumni and other members of the Trinity community work together
to create something magnificent. As a sign of this, just last year Trinity
parents and other volunteers logged more than 3,000 volunteer hours in
support of our children!
Outstanding Social Development -
The life skills that students learn at Trinity are with them always,
because they are based on Christ's teaching, who says, "Behold, I am with
you always to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19). Problem solving,
working together, overcoming adversity, working through friendship and
relationship issues are all nurtured in a setting which is founded on
God's wisdom.
Christ-centered Lutheran Education
-
What does this mean? In a lot of
schools, God is not welcome. Even though people claim this is neutrality,
what is now being taught "by this neutrality" is that someone can live a
happy and meaningful life without God being a part of that life. We not
only believe that's false; it's a recipe for misery. At Trinity, our
mission is to integrate God's blessing and wisdom into the social and
cognitive development of our young learners.
Outstanding Resources
-
Trinity congregation underwrites
the cost of the school and the education of our children. The congregation
currently provides about $600,000 in annual support. But even so that's a
drop in the bucket. Some have asked, "How can you provide a superior
education on such a small budget?" The answer is simple. Everything we do
for the kids we do out of love for them, for their families and for the
Lord. We are not here simply to draw a paycheck. In fact, our entire staff
is underpaid according to public school standards. But Trinity and her
children mean more to us than that. Our teachers, staff, congregational
members and friends are here because of a mission that the Lord Himself
has given. That mission is that our students learn the love and joy of
Christ and get equipped with the academic, physical and spiritual tools
that will help them excel in life.
A Safe,
Caring, Family Atmosphere -
Our families and kids all know one another. New
folks are quickly made a part of the family. Part of that is that we're a
smaller school than many. We want to know and care about one another. But
a bigger part of this is that we're a Christian school. Sure, we're not
perfect, but it is a caring community built on love. We're here because we
care for one another and we believe that every child and their families
are a gift from God.
The family
atmosphere runs very deeply at Trinity. Two of our teachers went to school
here themselves. Melinda Dickinson, who teaches second grade at Trinity, is
the third generation of teachers in her family that have taught at Trinity.
When a substitute teacher is needed Matt Dickinson (himself a State
Certified teacher) is often in the classroom too. Our bloodlines run deeply
here. All the kids call our cook "Grandma" and she feeds them like a loving
Grandmother too. One Trinity Mom commented on an overnight field trip,
"these kids are more like brothers and sisters with each other than they are
with their real brothers and sisters."
Some people might
think that such a family spirit makes it harder for outsiders. In
reality, it makes it much easier. People are welcomed because Trinity
Lutheran School is a mission. We believe that God has sent every family and
every child to us as a gift. That's what allows us to be a caring part of
each other's lives. Even now, roughly a third of the students that attend
Trinity are not congregational members.
Does that make things safer? We
think so. Safety comes in a lot of forms: physical, emotional,
environmental. We believe it helps in all of these areas. We know the kids
and their parents, and they know each other. We look out for one another. It
would be difficult for a stranger to come in the door and blend in. They
would be treated kindly and lovingly - but they would definitely be noticed.
We also provide a place that cares about one another's lives. Our teachers
pray together every morning for each other and for the students and their
families. Every class begins the day with prayer too. We watch the
environment we provide too. It's not just a job for us. Our lives are bound
to every child and every family by Divine ties. |
