Year in Review 2022-23

As our students are outgrowing this year’s uniforms and persevering through sunny, warm spring weather (and later bedtimes) to finish this year well, I invite you to reflect on God’s amazing provision and faithfulness to our precious school. 

We were blessed to start this school year with the purchase of our facility and the ability to use the building to the fullest extent for the first time ever. Secondary students enjoyed new locker rooms and hang out areas, as well as more indoor spaces for House activities. Elementary students were blessed by a weekly chapel, a new lunchroom experience, and more indoor spaces for PE and recess during smokey and snowy weather.

We are now ending our school year in the best financial position the school has ever been in. Even with a looming recession and some hard years due to covid and leadership changes, we have strong student and staff retention along with increased interest from prospective new families. Our 23-24 tuition will cover all projected operating expenses, including cost of living increases for our beloved faculty, and our successful fundraising will enable us to award more tuition assistance than we have ever been able to provide for families in need. 

Along with these monumental material blessings, our mission continues to flourish as students in all grades grew in knowledge, virtue, and wisdom. A small slice of their learning was most recently on display at Grandparents Day and Mother’s Day Elementary Chapel. Parents also enjoyed opportunities to build community and learn more about our school and the classical, Christian model of education at our first two Bridge Nights and the return of our annual Gala.

Our mission to partner with parents in educating their children to become the next generation of Christian leaders culminated with Senior students producing a poiesis and presenting their senior thesis defense. These capstone projects always remind us of the good work God does in students’ minds and hearts during their years of growth at TRA. It is amazing to hear our seniors think critically, speak eloquently, and clearly express their faith in and love for God in their speeches. It makes us so proud to send them out  into the world as Christian leaders equipped to shape culture through faithful, wise, and joyful Christian living. 

Regardless of the age of your child(ren), I invite and encourage each of you to join us at TRA’s graduation ceremony this Saturday at 2:00 pm at Sage Hills Church to see the fruit God has produced in each of our graduating seniors. Your hearts will be blessed to see our mission being accomplished through the lives of these young men and women as you hear from faculty, staff, and the students themselves about their growth in maturity as well as their academic accomplishments. Thank you for being a part of another year of joyful learning at TRA!

-Lisa Hysom, Interim Head of School

TRA 2023 Seniors leading Psalm-sing at Chapel beneath the banner of our 2022-23 year theme of Abide in Christ.

The River Academy