Red & Blue Review 1/13

1/13/22

VOL. 1, NO.13

RED & BLUE REVIEW Weekly Newsletter of Tipton-Rosemark Academy

IMPORTANT DATES Elementary & Middle School Spelling Bee JANUARY 14

Varsity Basketball Homecoming JAUARY 14

Middle School Homecoming JANUARY 15

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - No School JANUARY 17

Check the Website for the Varsity & MS Basketball Games Next Week!

Head of School Review

BY DR. ANDY GRAHAM We hope that al l of you had a good week as we settl e i nto the second semester. Wi th the snow behi nd

us

for

concentrate

now,

on

we

student

hope

that

l earni ng

for

we a

can good

stretch of ti me.

As we pl an for next year, an area that the SAI S vi si ti ng

team

noted

i mprovement devel opment. team

had

is

on

thei r

facul ty/staff

I nci dental l y,

al so

recent

noted

our

thi s

vi si t

for

professi onal admi ni strati ve

area

as

needi ng

i mprovement. To accompl i sh thi s, we need to carve

out

mappi ng,

a

peri od

facul ty

of

ti me

meeti ngs,

grade-l evel meeti ngs.

for

curri cul um

department,

and

Head of School Review CONTINUED I n addi ti on, we woul d al so l i ke to use thi s ti me for securi ty dri lls. Our plan i s to i mpl ement a Wednesday Late Start next year. Thi s means the school day would start at 8: 30 on Wednesdays. Thi s pl an wi l l al l ow three opti ons: Worki ng parents wi l l have the opti on to drop students off at the regular ti me (starti ng at 7: 15) i f needed, and chi l d care wi l l be provi ded.

Parents have the opti on of bri ngi ng younger students to school a li ttle later than normal , but students shoul d be i n thei r cl assrooms by 8: 30.

Ol der students who are dri vi ng can sl eep i n and arri ve by the 8: 30 start ti me. Many studi es have shown that hi gh school students need more rest than they get, and thi s shoul d be hel pful to them.

We wi l l structure our academi c schedul es so the students wi ll not mi ss any academi c cl asses. They wi l l have a sl i ghtl y shorter cl ass peri od on those days. The late start concept i s used at many i ndependent, col l ege preparatory, PK-12th grade school s as afternoons are so busy for teachers wi th coachi ng, fi ne arts acti vi ti es, extra hel p/tutori ng sessi ons, etc. Thi s carves out a weekl y peri od of ti me to i mprove our curri cul um, further devel op our staff, and ul ti matel y make our school even stronger.

As wel l , we wi l l requi re the students to be present on sel ect scheduled late start morni ngs to practi ce our safety dri l l s. We wi l l practi ce tornado dri lls, lockdown dri lls, fi re dri l l s, and evacuati on dri l l s as part of our overal l enhanced TRA School Securi ty Pl an.

Lastl y, i n the next few weeks, we wi l l be unvei l i ng our 2022-23 TRA Calendar. The cal endar wi l l i ncl ude a fal l and spri ng Parent-Teacher Conference Day for parents to l earn about thei r chi l d’ s academi c progress. As wel l , we wi l l i nclude di vi si onal Meet the Teacher eveni ngs for the parents to devel op an i mportant relati onshi p wi th thei r chi l d’ s teacher at the begi nni ng of the year.

We are exci ted about these changes as we bui l d our school program and work toward our goal of bei ng the best i ndependent school opti on i n the area. We are so proud of our school and our students. Thank you for shari ng them wi th us each day!

Warm regards, Dr. Graham

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 2

January 13, 2022

Upper School Review

BY STEPHANIE WEHRER One of the fi rst, and most repeti ti ve l essons I have l earned duri ng my career i n educati on i s to be fl exi bl e whi l e al ways bei ng prepared for the unexpected. I don’ t know about the rest of you, but I certai nl y wasn’ t expecti ng to return from Chri stmas break and so qui ckl y get a four-day weekend! Al ong wi th that surpri se snow break, we had to reschedul e some acti vi ti es that were schedul ed for l ast week. Hi gh school and mi ddl e school homecomi ng games and court wi l l be thi s Fri day and Saturday, respecti vel y. Come out to cheer on our guys and gi rl s who have been worki ng so hard thi s season, and you can al so see the crowni ng of the 2022 Basketbal l Homecomi ng Queens!

The tal ent ci rcul ati ng amongst our student body i s defi ni tel y to li mi ted to athleti cs musi cal tal ents. Thi s week, three of our upper school students recei ved recogni ti on from the Schol asti c Art and Sci ence Award program. Thi s i s the country’ s longestrunni ng, and most presti gi ous recogni ti on programs for tal ented and creati ve teens.

We woul d l i ke to recogni ze and congratul ate Ol i vi a Kennedy (Gold Key - regi onal top honor - i n photography), Si erra Sl ayman (regi onal honorabl e menti on - pai nti ng), and Nathan West (regi onal honorabl e menti on - pai nti ng). Thi s i s an i ncredi ble honor, and these students are most deservi ng of recei vi ng i t. We are proud of you!

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 3

January 13, 2022

Upper School Review CONTINUED Don’ t forget about the 4th-8th Grade Spel l i ng Bee taki ng pl ace thi s Fri day i n the PAC! The spel l ers have been prepari ng, and I can’ t wai t to see who wi l l be wal ki ng away as the wi nner thi s year. Don’ t sl eep on the 4th and 5th grade contestants…the rei gni ng champi on from l ast year’ s competi ti on was a 4th grade representati ve!

We recently learned of another addition to the esteemed ACT 30+ club, so be on the lookout for an updated list of names as these amazing students continue to achieve at the highest levels.

Stephanie Wehrer

Associate Head of School Upper School

Principal

The upper school wel comed four new students, si nce returni ng from Chri stmas break. We are exci ted to have them j oi ni ng the TRA fami l y, and are al so grateful for the bl essi ng of a vi brant, growi ng enrol l ment. More students means more opportuni ti es to have an academi c i mpact i n student l i ves, but most i mportantl y, i ncreased opportuni ty to make an i mpact for the Ki ngdom.

Fi nal l y, on behal f of the upper school I woul d l i ke to congratul ate one of our very own Cl ass of 2014 Al umnus, Austi n Chambers.

Austi n is Assi stant Di rector of Pl ayer Devel opment for the Uni versi ty of Georgi a, and was on the si del i nes wi th hi s Bul l dogs on Monday ni ght as they won the Col l ege Footbal l Nati onal Champi onshi p.

Austi n was a standout l eader duri ng hi s ti me at TRA. We coul d not be more proud of hi m, or the i mpact he i s havi ng i n the l i ves of col l egi ate athl etes.

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 4

January 13, 2022

Mark your calendar for Grandparents’ Day. Our program will be on Friday, March 4 and this will also be a half day. More details to come on this great tradition!

Lower School Review

BY SUSAN CRANFORD I hope you al l enj oyed your snow days! There i s nothi ng l i ke the exci tement of a student when an unexpected snow day i s announced! As we ki ck off

Susan Cranford Lower School Principal

thi s second hal f of our year, I woul d l i ke to remi nd you of some thi ngs that wi l l hel p us and hel p your chi l d duri ng drop-off and pi ck- up. **

Pl ease share the i nformati on bel ow wi th

grandparents or others that may pi ck up your chi l d. *Pl ease DO NOT get out of the car i n carl i ne.

We wi l l assi st your chi l d getti ng i n or out

of the

car i f he /she needs hel p. I f you need to buckl e the chi l d i n hi s / her seat, pl ease pul l forward past the end of the carl i ne to buckl e hi m/ her whi l e the next group l oads.

You may then proceed safel y

onto Rosemark Road. *Pl ease put your car i n PARK when you stop to l oad or unl oad i n carl i ne. We have had some cars rol l forward and that i s not safe! *Pl ease stay OFF your phone whi l e i n carl i ne. *Pl ease keep your chi l dren i n the car and do not l et them hang out the wi ndows or the sunroof duri ng carl i ne.

Al l of these rul es are for the safety of your chi l d and other chi l dren. Thi s wi l l al so hel p our carl i ne run more effi ci entl y.

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 5

January 13, 2022

Remember Monday, Jan. 17, is a holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday and we will be out of school.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Lower School Review

BY SUSAN CRANFORD Al so pl ease be on ti me i n the morni ngs. Bei ng l ate makes most chi l dren anxi ous and nervous because they are out of thei r normal routi ne. Thi s al so

di srupts

al ready

the

started

cl ass i ts

whi ch morni ng

has

most

routi ne.

Susan Cranford Lower School Principal

l i kel y We

understand that there may be ti mes you have to be tardy due to appoi ntments, etc. Pl ease try your best to be on ti me and have your chi l d i n hi s/her cl ass by the 7: 50 tardy bel l . Thank you for hel pi ng us keep al l of our chi l dren and adul ts safe duri ng drop off and pi ck up!

We are havi ng l ots of fun thi s week wi th many hands on and art rel ated acti vi ti es that correl ate wi th the standards bei ng taught. Our 2k students wel comed i n the New Year wi th some fun pai nti ng and goal setti ng. Thei r goal s were super cute and some were qui te funny! Our 3k made snow thi s week and l oved doi ng thi s hands on acti vi ty. Thi rd grade

is

studyi ng

l andforms.

They

created

beauti ful drawi ngs and a sal t dough model s of l andforms. Fi rst grade i s studyi ng fi cti on and non fi cti on books. As part of the non fi cti on study, they read a book on Dr. Marti n Luther Ki ng and l earned many facts about thi s great, hi stori cal l eader. They di d a di rected drawi ng of Dr. Ki ng and I thi nk they l ook great! I l ove seei ng our students have fun whi l e l earni ng!

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 6

January 13, 2022

TRA Parent / Spectator Expectations

BY JOHNIE SANFRATELLO

Athl eti c contests are publ i c events and represent opportuni ti es for TRA players, coaches, parents, and fans to be ambassadors for the school. As a member of the TSSAA, TRA adopts expectati ons of the TSSAA for al l sporti ng events: SPECTATORS CAN HELP PROMOTE GOOD SPORTSMANSHI P BY OBSERVING THE RULES OF FAI R PLAY. EACH ONE I S REQUESTED TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPI NG THI S GAME AT A HI GH LEVEL OF SPORTSMANSHI P. SPECTATORS CAN SUPPORT THEI R HI GH SCHOOL I NTERSCHOLASTIC PROGRAM BY REFRAI NI NG FROM DEROGATORY OR I NTEMPERATE REMARKS OR CHEERS. WE HOPE YOU WI LL ENJOY THE GAME AND SUPPORT YOUR ATHLETES IN A POSITIVE AND SPORTSMANLI KE MANNER. I n addi ti on to these expectati ons, TRA asks that thei r fans and parents adhere to the fol l owi ng gui del i nes: Respect and sportsmanshi p shoul d be shown to al l pl ayers, coaches, offi ci als, and other fans at al l ti mes Abusi ve, threateni ng, or derogatory l anguage wi l l not be tol erated, and spectators usi ng such l anguage wi l l be asked to l eave We encourage spectators to ask pol i tel y that spectators di splayi ng negati ve behavi or refrai n from doi ng so Spectators shoul d not i nteract wi th pl ayers on the court, si deli nes, bench, etc. duri ng a contest Spectators shoul d not i nteract wi th a coach duri ng a contest Pl ayers shoul d al ways be the fi rst l i ne of communi cati on wi th a coach I f a parent wi shes to meet wi th a coach, a mutual l y agreed upon ti me should be set up Parents shoul d not approach a coach before or i mmedi ately after a game but shoul d wai t unti l the next day to set up a ti me to meet TRA i s an al cohol and tobacco-free campus

RED & BLUE REVIEW | PAGE 7

January 13, 2022