Christ-Centered Approach

Christianity has been such an integral part of the history and development of western civilization that anything other than an education centered on the person of Jesus Christ fails at what it purports to be. Trinitas Christian School holds that all truth is God’s truth. We seek to integrate all subjects with historical Christianity and the teachings of the Scriptures in ways that are natural and not contrived. Our intent is to provide a clear model of the Christian life and a Biblical worldview through our staff, board, and volunteers so that every child is encouraged to develop a genuine and meaningful relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to foster the culture and environment of a Christian community that is inclusive. We are unapologetic in the assertion of doctrines which are central to orthodox Christianity, but students and faculty alike are welcome to their personal and denominational views on issues about which genuine believers disagree. This approach cultivates an appreciation for the views of others, while maintaining a confidence in one’s own views and those of one’s family and denomination.

Classical Methodology

Trinitas Christian School employs the classical approach of learning based upon the centuries-old trivium described in The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy L. Sayers. The grammar school (K-6) emphasizes basic learning skills, while the dialectic school (7-9) concentrates on formal instruction in logic. The rhetoric school (10-12) helps students develop a clear understanding of verbal, written, and mechanical aspects of expression used in each subject studied. The goal is to teach our students how to think as a basis for mastering specific subject areas. Intensive phonics and primary reading sources (including the Bible and classic works) are used for instruction in reading and the language arts. The schools utilizes an incremental and cumulative approach to developing and retaining mathematics skills and teaches Latin, the language of scholars, for its direct benefits and as a reinforcement for understanding English grammar and vocabulary.

Classical Teaching Methods Chart by Tom Garfield

Curriculum

For young children, the educational goal at Trinitas Christian School is to develop automaticity in the basic learning skills. In older students, critical thinking skills together with a confidence in verbal and written methods of communication are expected. To this end, Trinitas emphasizes language skills, science, social studies, Bible, mathematics, memory skills, and Latin in our grammar school by assigning numeric grades for these areas on report cards. Music, art, drama, and physical education are used as materials for exercising or putting to practice those skills learned in the numerical graded areas. In support of our classical curriculum structure, we have carefully selected what we believe to be the finest materials available for each skill and subject area at each level of instruction. Nonetheless, our curriculum and support materials are constantly under review and are modified and updated as necessary to best meet the educational needs of our students. Methods and texts currently in use in the grammar school include Riggs Institute phonics, Latina Christiana, great books and classic literature, Saxon Math, CSI Science, and Shurley Grammar.

Latin

“I will say at once, quite firmly, that the best grounding for education is the Latin grammar. I say this, not because Latin is traditional and medieval, but simply because even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labor and pains of learning any other subject by at least fifty percent.” Dorothy L. Sayers
At Trinitas Christian School, formal instruction in Latin begins in 2nd grade. By introducing a child to the language at an early age we take educational advantage of a child’s great capacity for learning vocabulary and his/her love for the rhythmic chanting of verb conjugations and noun declensions. The exercise of fitting the meaning, tense, number, case and gender of a Latin word to its English equivalent strongly develops analytical skills as well as vocabulary. A 1981 study of SAT scores placed students of Latin above students of French, Spanish, German, and Hebrew on analytical as well as verbal tests. Latin students scored an average of 134 points above the national average on verbal and 119 points above the average on analytical tests.

Logic

Trinitas Christian School maintains that God is a rational God and that humans created in His image, are rational beings. We believe that God reveals Himself to humans in rational ways through the Holy Scriptures and through His creation, commonly called nature. Christianity, the way of life through which humans enjoy fellowship with God as their Heavenly Father, is therefore a rational lifestyle. Clearly, all Christian parents desire their children to know the truth of Christianity. Trinitas seeks to aid parents in helping children understand the truth of Christianity through rational means. The truths each student holds concerning God and Jesus Christ are his own and are truths he can personally defend against those who would challenge his faith. The goal is to educate students, teaching them how to know, through concurrent instruction in logic, Bible, science, etc., rather than to indoctrinate by merely teaching them what to know.

Rhetoric

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15
The design of rhetoric is to teach the student skills in the art of reading critically and appreciatively all kinds of writing. It also is to instruct and inspire the student to write well in diverse genres, to speak eloquently with persuasion and confidence, and to listen courteously with understanding. The arts of communication and expression are critical for an educated person. The arts of communication and expression are essential to the believer who desires to obey God in his call to “always be ready to give a defense”. Trinitas Christian School understands that when you supply the student with the tool of rhetoric, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Accreditation

Trinitas Christian School is a member of and accredited by the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS). ACCS accreditation is a rigorous process involving both a self-study examination and an on-site visit by a qualified accreditation committee which according to the ACCS examines the entire school organization from school board oversight to classroom pedagogy, including student participation, conduct, and development, staff training, parent-teacher relations, operational and financial policies, community support, and the overall spiritual demeanor in the school classrooms.  As of 2012, Trinitas Christian School is one of only 23 schools to receive full accreditation by the ACCS out of over 280 member schools in the association.
Trinitas Christian School received full accreditation from Christian Schools of Florida (CSF) in September of 2010. This means that Trinitas has met or exceeded all the standards of excellence that CSF established for Christian schools.

Parental Involvement

It is our belief that parents are responsible for educating their children (Deuteronomy 4:9 and 6:6-9). For this reason Trinitas Christian School provides a service to Christian parents for the education of their children. Parents are encouraged to participate at all organizational levels: volunteering in and out of the classroom, serving on/with the faculty or staff, and working on/with the governing board. We welcome parental visitations to the classroom and joining children for lunch when schedules permit. Parental involvement and support in the classroom, on field trips, at special services/programs and annual events are also expected.

Effective Discipline

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right … and, fathers do not exasperate your children, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1,4.
It is our intent at Trinitas Christian School to instruct every child to obey his parents and to show respect to all persons. Expecting obedience to those in authority provides training for good citizenship and, more importantly, establishes a lifestyle of obedience to God and His Word. We endeavor to have as few rules as possible and to enforce them through a combination of rewards balanced with the just and consistent application of appropriate consequences. In fairness to all students and their families, no student is allowed to be disruptive to the process of instruction or to ill-treat another student.