January 30, 2023

“As a family united in Christ, Trinity Lutheran School exists to assist parents in bringing children up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

• Jan 29: Grades 4-5 Sing, 9:00 am

• Jan 29: PTO Game Day, 2:00-4:00 pm in the gym

• Feb 1: Read-A-Thon Begins!

• Feb 1: Vision/Hearing Screening for Grades K-3 & 5, 12:30 pm

• Feb 3: BB vs Crown of Life, 6:00 pm

• Feb 4-5: BB tournament @ West Lutheran HS

• Feb 5: PK-3 sing, 9:00 am

• Feb 5: PK Coffee Hour, 10:00 am

The Board of School Elders met on Tuesday, January 10. Here is a recap of the meeting:

1. 2023-24 Tuition Rates. Most of the meeting centered around developing tuition rates. The Board is working to balance the needs of the family with being fiscally responsible with the congregation.
2. Teacher Visit. Mrs Bentz visited the Board. Every other meeting, a teacher is invited to come to the Board to talk about their ministry. The Board is also interested in how they can better support our teaching staff so that they have all that they need to do their minstry well.
3. Call Update. A call meeting was set for Sunday, January 15, to call for a principal/upper grade teacher and a lower grade teacher.
4. Tuition Management Program. BOSE is considering switching from TADS to FACTS as its tuition management program. TADS has added several fees in the past few years that FACTS does not charge.
5. New Phone System. A new phone system will be installed at Trinity. With the older system failing, it gave us an opportunity to set up a new system with many more features.

On Sunday, January 15, Trinity voters extended a call to Mr. Matthew Stob to serve as prinicipal and upper grade teacher. Mr. Stob currently serves as principal and teacher at St. John's of Hemlock, MI. A call was also extended to Mrs. Haleigh Wentzel. Mrs. Wentzel is a teacher at Good Shepherd of Deltona, FL. Please keep both of these workers in your prayers as they deliberate on their calls. If you would like to reach out to either one, please let Principal Whitney know and he will give you their contact information.

Please note that the sledding event on Sunday, January 29, is changed to a game day due to weather conditions. Please bring a game or two to the school gym and enjoy great fellowship! Games will begin at 2:00 pm.

Our PTO is sponsoring the Read-A-Thon again. Read-A-Thon is an activity that encourages children to read. It is also a fundraiser for our school library. Please contact Tera Raddatz if you have any question on how the program works. Please look for materials to come home with your child on Monday, January 30.

Strait Smiles Family Dentistry is among hundreds of dentists across the state who are joining together to provide free dental care as participates in the "Give Kids a Smile" program. Strait Smiles Family Dentistry will be providing free dental care for children on Friday, February 10. Patients seeking appointments need to be 18 years of age and younger and accoumpanied by a parent or legal guardian. For more information, please contact Strait Smiles at 952-873-6380.

Health Nurse Rachelle Kerkow will conduct vision and hearing screenings for students in grades K-3 and 5 on Wednesday, February 1. If your child wears glasses, please make sure that they are with your child for the screening.

Trinity will begin a self-study as part of our accreditation process. We are looking for interested people to help us with this. Each team will look at a different aspect of the school. They will meet about once a month to review their standard and substandards. While they are reviewing the standard, the team will also help find different pieces of evidence to show that we are meeting the standard. You do not need to have a background in education...just a love for Trinity School. Below are the standards. If you are willing to serve, please contact the principal. Our plan is to be ready for a MNSAA site visit in the spring of 2024.

• Standard 1 – Mission Statement and Philosophy: The Vision & Values of the School [This standard will be reviewed by each team captain along with the principal.]

• Standard 2 – Teaching and Learning: Curriculum, Instruction & Monitoring Learner Performance

• Standard 3 – Climate for Learning: School Environment & Facilities

• Standard 4 – Communications & Community Relations: Stakeholder Involvement in the School

• Standard 5 – Personnel: The Qualification, Evaluation and Development of Staff

• Standard 6 – Leadership, Administration and Governance: Educational and Organizational Effectiveness

• Standard 7 – The School Strategic Plan: Tools and Strategies for School Improvement [The Strategic Plan will be developed after Standards 1-6 are complete. My goal is to save this for the new principal in the fall.]

If you log into your TADS account, in the Billing Tab there should be a link for a tax report on your tuition payments. It is titled "Household paid tuition tax reports."

Information on how to claim tuition expenses on MN state tax returns:

https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/k-12-education-subtraction-and-credit

“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” ~ Scott Hayden

Please use the Before and After School Sign-Up Sheet to let us know if your child will be attending Before or After School Care. Directions can be found on the sign-up form. Please contact Mrs. Holicky if you have any questions. Thank you!

Each week, the principal office time at Trinity will be listed here. Please note that the principal will be available by email or cell phone (952-220-6341) throughout each day if you have a question or concern.

• Monday: PM

• Tuesday: AM

• Wednesday:

• Thursday: All Day

• Friday:

Trinity Lutheran School Calendar

Email: school@trinitybelleplaine.org
Website: http://school.trinitybelleplaine.org/
Location: 500 West Church Street, Belle Plaine, MN, USA
Phone: 952-873-6320
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinitybelleplaine/
Twitter: @TrinityLuthBP

"Growing in Mind, Character, and Faith"