The college years have been described as a time for asking big questions, facing hardships, seeing sin, and experiencing joy— all while having more free time than high school ever provided you. You will need a community that offers encouragement amidst the pressures that come with this expanded freedom.

As you may have noticed, flu season is upon us. Now come the dreaded questions: “How do I differentiate between the flu, a cold, allergies, or COVID-19?” and “What do I do if my child is starting to show symptoms?”

...the vast majority of intrusions will be attempted by automated processes, set up to repeatedly bombard recipients with alerts and emails until that fateful day our common sense fails, and we give away our personal information. This can occur in several ways, and it will be my goal today to share with you the most common occurrences and tools at your disposal to protect against them.

In this post, I will be focusing on protecting your home against other people who may try to influence your family through social media or forcible access.

Only by taking an active interest in your family’s internet use and leveraging available technology will you be able to protect your home from its dangers and teach your children how to use it wisely.

We vaguely remember that the Pharisees in the Bible were legalists, and we know that it’s definitely bad. In fact, many of us are eager to prove that, yes, we’re Christians but we’re not those kinds of Christians. But do we know what legalism truly is? If not, how can we know we aren’t just like the Pharisees?

One thing every high school student quickly figures out is that college is a hot topic...It seems that everyone, including your next-door neighbor, Uncle Billy and Aunt Bess, and even the store clerk, is eager to share his or her thoughts on the college process.

We want all students to have a great academic experience, and we know that this looks different for every student. Finding balance is possible when students ask the right questions and honestly evaluate their answers.   

As Christians, it can be all too easy to settle into a quiet, comfortable life, never ruffling any feathers or challenging the status quo. We can let our guard down in our Christian circles and never feel a need to venture out into uncharted territory where we may have to actually take a stand for something. We almost forget that there is a great war afoot.

...as we make our way through our repertoire of Christmas songs, one carol stands out amongst the others: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” In my youth, I never understood this song. I thought, “this is a song about Christmas, a celebration! The refrain literally says, ‘rejoice!’ So why does it sound so sad?”

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And for many of us, that means breaking out family recipes and favorite traditions! We asked some our Trinity faculty and staff for some of their favorite recipes and traditions to inspire you this Christmas season!

Why couldn’t I be bothered to thank the Lord who brought me through so many hardships? Perhaps its all-too human to turn to God in prayer when the going gets tough but to pat ourselves on the back and forget prayer altogether when things are going well.

Trinity is home to many special traditions that help make us feel like a family. If you’re a Trinity Gryphon (or are soon to be one), don’t miss out on the fun! Complete the list below before you fly the nest!

We will “celebrate” Veterans Day on Thursday, November 11, although for most people this celebration will mainly consist of sales, other promotions, or possibly a day off from work. Many people don’t know the history behind this special day or the people it is intended to honor.

In this area, we are blessed with many excellent options, and the key is finding which school is the right fit for your family.

My combat engineer company in Germany had two primary missions: clear the way so tank units could advance, and deny the enemy freedom of maneuver. As a parent and later as a teacher, I recognized that several important lessons transferred over to my new roles.

The parable of the sower found in the books of Matthew and Mark talks about what can happen to the seeds of faith that we plant in others’ lives. What it doesn’t say is how long it may take for the seeds to grow or if we will ever see the garden that is produced. Nevertheless, our role is to keep planting the seeds.

Instilling spiritual wisdom alongside conventional wisdom is no longer optional for our children—it is necessary. Because providing such an education requires the best resources for our students and competitive salaries for our amazing faculty and staff, it can also mean that some families believe they are unable to afford tuition and assume that Trinity is not an option for them.

On the 20^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Trinity community mourns the loss of loved ones and the heroes who gave their lives to protect and serve their country. We also remember with solemn gratitude the servicemen and women who bravely responded to the attacks on our nation.

. . . we do not seek merely to punish children for bad behavior but to turn their hearts toward Christ and restore broken relationships. While some schools focus on behavior modification through tools like class behavior charts or rewards-based systems, Redemptive Discipline gets deeper than outward behavior; it speaks to the heart of the child.

. . . academics are not our only standard of achievement. While some institutions measure success by a mere letter grade, GPA, or acceptance letter, our primary aim is to ground students in God’s truth, instill in them the courage to speak and live that truth boldly, and inspire them to serve as Christ served. 

After a summer of sleeping in, fun in the sun, and for many, finally being able to vacation again, can we blame those who are not quite ready to go back to school? Well, have no fear, help is on the way!

“Trinity is a discipleship school, so it’s about preparing and equipping students to do God’s work,” she said. “I always intentionally say I’m serving as the math specialist. I don’t see my work at Trinity as a job, and when it stops being missional then I have to recheck and recalibrate. I am preparing these students for a life of service; that’s how I see it.”

When you “Go Gryphon,” you are not merely attending a new school. You are joining a community of believers (classmates, teachers, staff, parents, and families), all of whom long to see you grow in your education and your faith.

Christian schools are the greenhouses that nurture young seedlings until they are strong enough to be transplanted and securely rooted amidst the winds and storms of a contentious world.

The past year has been a lesson in resilience, which is developed uniquely under challenging circumstances. Without adversity, there’s no tenacity. Without being knocked down, there’s no getting back up. It’s only in less-than-ideal circumstances that we can overcome. Resilience not only enables us to survive and even thrive despite our circumstances, it also comes with spiritual blessings and growth.

As on the field, so in the life of the follower of Jesus Christ, the hardest job is done by the Keeper.

Though I’d read this psalm many times before, I’d never quite been able to visualize it. I knew from context that being under a wing signified some kind of protection. Yet, through this imagery of a mamma swan with her hidden cygnets, God has demonstrated the very way in which he cares for us.

Parents who have children entering kindergarten in the fall may wonder what they can do at home to prepare their children for the transition. To help answer this question, Mrs. Booth, one of Trinity’s fabulous kindergarten teachers, offers some advice.

Jesus tells us that what we really need in the midst of an ever-changing world is hope in a never-changing God – a God who doesn’t promise a year free of trouble, but does promise to be with us and for us in the midst of it.

I’ve been volunteering as a Young Life leader in my community for the past four years and subsequently spend a good portion of my time with teenagers. Recently, in an effort to gather some data surrounding parent-teen relationships, I asked a handful of my Young Life high schoolers what they wish their parents understood better.

Christians are called to be in the world but not of it. Because social media can be used as a means for sin all around us, we ought to take seriously the temptation it causes and rely on Christ’s help to resist that temptation, whether by getting rid of it entirely, or employing wise strategies to avoid stumbling. 

Technology—specifically, social media—has simply created a potential stumbling block in our striving toward humility, making it that much harder to humble rather than glorify ourselves. Social media may not be inherently sinful, but it can certainly tempt us into the sin of pride. In fact, one could argue it’s designed to do just that.

Cyberbullying is real and dangerous, particularly for school-age children...The most important thing is to be aware that students may be facing or participating in cyberbullying and do your best to intervene in either case. 

...whether or not parents are aware of it, cyberbullying is an all-too-common reality among students—a reality that can have serious and sometimes fatal impacts for its victims. And while bullying has always been around, studies suggest that an online format increases the severity of its impacts.

It’s no secret that websites, social media apps, video games, and even texting, while seemingly harmless, have all become breeding grounds for potential physical, psychological, and spiritual manipulation and danger. Simply said, the Internet is the Christian’s new battleground.

Equipping students with skills and information certainly should be one goal of any educational entity. Yet, if this is a school’s chief aim, is it shortchanging its students? Is it missing something even more vital to their success?

Back-to-school season is just around the corner. Here are four ways to get a jump start on preparing your children to go back to school in the fall.

What a remarkable task we have accomplished! We took on the challenges of COVID-19 and overcame the complications of online classes with stride. God has molded our community to be able to conquer the tasks he set before us, and we have made it out because of his grace and our love for one another. However, this struggle is not over. 

Spending time with young children provides moments of great comic relief . . . student compositions displayed on the first-floor hallway usually are ready when I come looking for a smile. Where else will you read that “Wanzaponna time there was a princess”?

As a child of God, it often is a joy to enter into dialog with the Lord through his Word. The more I know Scripture, the more clearly its unity comes into focus, as Scripture illuminates Scripture time and again.

Uncertain Times is a phrase thrown about freely in the spring of 2020, and an Internet search confirms that nearly everyone has something to say about it.

Geographical and relational distance alike muffle agony. When my neighbor’s father died, we sent a card. When my husband’s father died, we mourned, planned, traveled, remembered, prayed, moved quickly or in slow motion or not at all. The neighbor’s father was no less a father, but he wasn’t our father.

I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve been busier and more distracted than ever. From virtual meetings and homeschooling to endless housework, my “to do” list gets longer and my thinking gets foggier. Thankfully, there is a remedy. 

We are reminded of God’s abundant provision for us here on earth...when we look outside at spring in bloom and hear of God’s good gifts to his people. Let’s rejoice together at news of college acceptances, engagements, and a baby on the way.

In just a few days, the winter season will officially begin. For many, this time of year is marked by much happiness and anticipation...yet this season is not so cheerful for everyone.

. . . a lack of unstructured play is hurting children in invisible ways, not only psychologically but physically. In fact, research is confirming that the lack of movement and outdoor play is harmful.

. . . interconnected learning helps our students see how things cohere. It provides ample invitations for all kinds of learners to connect and be drawn in. Learning is a feast, and we hope you’ll join our table!

The Northern Virginia area is close to the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland, both jurisdictions that have relaxed their laws concerning marijuana. Police in the NOVA/DC/MD area are seeing an increase in drug-related crime. As parents, we need to be more aware than ever that this drug culture is pervasive and right under our noses.

Teens commonly don’t understand their changing emotions. They can be loving and kind one minute, and irritable and impolite the next. It is easy to feel upset when they act this way and difficult to respond without elevated emotions ourselves.

As a self-professed multi-tasker, I take pride in mastering multiple complex undertakings. Yet I had never perceived interruptions at the front desk as a skill to master, or even better, a blessing to receive. 

God created us to be different shapes and sizes. Remember the amount of excess weight that is unhealthy is different for each individual. Creating healthy habits that support a healthy weight, energy, and vitality is the goal.

When our Trinity freshman started teaching himself the Korean alphabet, we thought it was a phase. When he took a beginning Korean class through Fairfax County’s adult education program during the summer after his sophomore year, we were bemused. When he applied for a National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship to study in South Korea the summer after his junior year, we were scared!

Approximately a dozen students at TCS have returned home to the United States after living for an extended time in Germany, Ecuador, Jordan, France, and other places. While they were gone, we switched to laptops in school, bought iPhones for children, began communicating more and more via texts and Snapchat, used Uber instead of a taxi, and experienced highway tolls set by traffic volume that could be $55 to travel a few miles.

Let's face it, in today's fast-paced and productivity-driven culture, making your health a priority can seem impossible. Creating space to engage in healthful habits can even be perceived as selfish. How can you possibly make time for family dinner, physical activity, and adequate sleep when you have so many pressing obligations. The struggle is real!

The Northern Virginia area is close to the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland, both jurisdictions that have relaxed their laws concerning marijuana. Police in the NOVA/DC/MD area are seeing an increase in drug-related crime. As parents, we need to be more aware than ever that this drug culture is pervasive and right under our noses.

. . . as happy as we are for a break, establishing and adjusting to a new routine can challenge both students and parents.

Parents are expected to do it all for our school-aged children; at least that’s what we are told by others and sometimes ourselves! Doing it all creates a huge amount of pressure. I am one of those who put that pressure on herself only to discover that no matter how hard I tried in my own strength, I could never be the “64-pack of crayons” for my kids.

I don’t know what’s on your plate today, but perspective, struggle, prayer, and a desire to have God’s eyes are blending mightily on mine. 

Let's face it, in today's fast-paced and productivity-driven culture, making your health a priority can seem impossible. Creating space to engage in healthful habits can even be perceived as selfish. How can you possibly make time for family dinner, physical activity, and adequate sleep when you have so many pressing obligations. The struggle is real!

It is mid-April and commencement preparations are just about complete on our campus. Parents wonder how and why this time warp took last week’s kindergartener and returned her a few days later as a senior.

It is not uncommon for students to become anxious and dread a test day. How, then, can teachers help lessen this anxiety while still gathering evidence of student learning?

“Stop your children’s fighting in three easy steps!” “Turn your kids from enemies into best friends!”

We may see promises like this and throw our hands up in the air, convinced that they can never deliver.

. . . true teaching focuses not on how or what we teach, but rather on the result or what has changed for our students after being taught.

Do you preview the books your child reads? Should you? If a book seems harmless, is it really necessary?

When I heard his “I can’t do it” cry, it evoked in me a protective instinct to rush to his rescue. It took my observant and wise husband only one afternoon of watching my “rescuing” to figure out what the problem was: me.

Trinity Christian School of Fairfax has families driving to school from more than 60 zip codes. What do you do when you are commuting from Gainesville, Washington DC, or Stafford?

Trinity is bursting at the seams with a staff that, of course, is ready to teach at a high level, but also is given an environment where they can nurture, connect, and see value in each student. That is the best value, one that makes our “cost” seem worth every bit of adjustment and planning.

Do we need to teach logic? Yes! Should we still teach our children to debate? Yes! Those who reason well, winsomely, and persuasively will be of great service to society. The sum of your word is truth, the Psalmist writes, may it be the sum of our words as well.

To provide the strongest foundation to our students, we desire that what is said and done at home is in alignment with the church and with the school. All three “legs” play a part in the spiritual nourishment of the child, but none of the legs can do the work without the others.

Trinity's reputation of academic success and college preparation facilitates many colleges wanting to be here to meet our students, and wanting our students to be at their schools.

Because He does all things well, we must pursue excellence in all that we do also.

The lure of public school is strong in this area- phrases like "best in the country" are tossed around liberally. But our plan was made clear to us- Christian school.