Regula fidei (rule of faith), ho kanon tes aletheias (canon of truth), and regula veritatis (rule of truth) are all first and second century Latin terms that were used to describe the basics of the Christian faith, also known as primary doctrines. 

How do these terms relate to TRA? (No, this is not a strategic plug to promote our Latin program, although it could have been…)

TRA is the only non-denominational/non-church affiliated school in The Valley, and for this reason, the worldview here at TRA is based on the primary doctrines of the Christian faith. Focusing on primary versus secondary doctrinal issues can be challenging, so what are considered primary doctrines and what does this look like on a day-to-day basis at TRA? 

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Last week, we had our second Partnering with Parents night of the year. Our first was about True Grit, running the race with perseverance, while this time we talked about having a long view of education: not taking your child’s education in pieces, but looking at the end goal, the whole person to whom we hope to hand a diploma at the end of senior year. Have a long view of education, partnering with us along the way.

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I teach Latin. It’s an ancient language spoken by the Romans…maybe you’ve heard of it? 

Not all of my students are equally prepared to answer this question …and it is one that they, as well as I, will inevitably be asked by their aunts and uncles, grandparents and neighbors. “So…why Latin? And why Latin in Wenatchee? Isn’t Spanish more useful? Isn’t any spoken language more useful?” 

Fair point. Spanish is useful. But then, so is English. So is Arabic. So is Japanese. 

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We live in a choice-saturated culture. Choices are good. Competition is good. It’s no different when it comes to your child’s education. Next to following Jesus and choosing a spouse, it’s one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

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Thinking about the Christmas story this year, I was drawn to some of those wonderful words spoken to meek Mary as she held the baby Jesus in her new-mom arms:

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many…and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lk. 2:34-35)

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Mrs. Dagg has been hard at work preparing students for our newly reborn all-school Christmas program. This program will remind us of the miraculous birth of Jesus and different traditions from around the world celebrating that life-changing event. Every single elementary class will sing at least one song, and many of the older elementary students have solos or narrator parts.

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I often think about a C.S. Lewis quote–who doesn’t?–as I think about the landscape of education: “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” We often speak of education with battle imagery: “I’ve got to get ready for the invasion of 8th graders into my classroom,” or as a violent force of nature that must be conquered. There’s maybe some truth in that, at times, but our job isn’t to cut down jungles, to hack and slash at the vines and branches of culture today, but to irrigate the deserts of falsehoods and despair with the Living Water of Truth that streams from Christ Jesus. 

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Given that the Harry Potter books are not part of the TRA curriculum and Wenatchee is over 4,000 miles away from the United Kingdom, why is there a House System for TRA secondary students?

TRA prides itself on Christian, Classical education in a joyful and relational community. That’s right, we have a House System because we want secondary students to build and value community during a pivotal time of life. (We have no desire for students to speak with a British accent or add the letter “u” to various words.)

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I was a garbage student. I spent class time reading other books and messing around with my fellow classmates. I did enough homework to generally pass–most of the time–but no more than that. I read all the books for my English classes, but just because I liked to read, not because of the classes themselves. And at least in English, I could pass without trying too hard. I have to think that my teachers just lived in constant disappointment with me. I had no grit to do things that I didn't want to do–I needed the Lord to renew my mind and heart. 

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Chapel is a time that we gather as an elementary team, grades K-6, to pray, worship God by singing psalms, learn more about God and the Bible, and celebrate the good deeds that elementary students have been doing around the school that week to bless others. A teacher or staff member (and perhaps on occasion a secondary rhetoric student) will explain God’s Word on a specific topic so that kids can begin to see how the Bible applies to their lives and grow their personal relationship with Jesus. Occasionally chapel will be replaced with an assembly on a specific topic (like why we celebrate Reformation Day) or for students to present to each other some of the memory work learned in different classrooms.

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Q - Why do we celebrate Reformation Day?

A - 500 years ago on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a list of ninety-five theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, in hopes of garnering  a scholarly debate regarding the current practices of the church. We celebrate the glorious return to the Truths of Scripture that Martin Luther and the countless other men and women fought, suffered, and died to reinstate…

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After hours of listening to Elves, Dwarfs, Men, and a Wizard discuss forces greater and more terrible than his small Hobbit self had ever considered, Frodo offers to take the Ring to Mordor. “‘I will take the Ring,’ he said, ‘though I do not know the way’” (Tolkien 270). He is faced with a monumental task: journeying through dark and perilous realms, carrying a burden that tempts him and draws evil things to him along the way. And so, he needs guides and protectors to show him the right way. He needs role models. And don’t we all?

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“You do not have, because you do not ask.” These powerful words written by God through the Apostle James were evidenced during the Secondary Tall Timber Retreat a few weeks ago. All students in grades 7-12 had to enter the lunch room at the Tall Timber facility 30 minutes before eating due to the air quality index reaching about 450. Although I’ve only been in Wenatchee around 3 months, most people I asked said this high number is rarely seen. We had already pulled students inside for the previous hour or so and were worried we’d have to remain inside—or worse, leave the beautiful Tall Timber Ranch.

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This year, we are gathering into groups three days a week for the first half an hour of the day in Homerooms. The purpose of our Homeroom time is multifaceted. First and foremost, it provides a space where teachers and administrators can get to know them more fully and disciple them by helping them apply what they are learning to their lives and hearts.

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The halls are alive with the sound of music! No, not the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical story of the Von Trapp family, but the beautiful sound of children learning to sing, read notes, and enjoy the gift of music, classically.

Music has been ringing through the lobby these first few days of school, as our childrens’ voices match the piano notes, warming up their voices and going up and down the scales. Ah, ah, ah, ah, AH, ah, ah, ah. It’s enough to melt the heart of this long-time TRA staffer.

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One benefit of a small school is the ability to load up all our students on the second week of school and travel to the mountains for a few days to reflect and set culture for the year to come. This week we get to return to our fall retreat. We have been unable to have a full overnight retreat since 2019, so the excitement is high! Why a fall retreat you ask, when we are only one week into school? Isn’t our goal in an educational institution primarily learning? Yes, of course, but we teach the whole person, and we humans perform at our best when we feel safe and loved in a community. The House system at TRA began eight years ago to create friendships across grade levels, build community, hone leadership skills, and forge character. Depositing over one hundred teens into the mountains—removed from technology and the busyness of life—will do just that.

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As the 2023-2024 school year begins, it is awesome to be reminded of the mission of TRA to “partner with parents in educating their children to become the next generation of Christian leaders equipped to shape culture through faithful, wise and joyful Christian living.” What does it mean to partner with parents? In what tangible ways does TRA fulfill this aspect of our mission? The following explains a new program we will be using to help us partner with you.

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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.

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We would like to introduce to you The River Academy's Class of 2023! These senior students have worked diligently to arrive at this moment here at the end of their high school educational journey. This particular class has consistently displayed the kind of servant leadership and academic work ethic which makes us so proud to send them out into the world as graduates of TRA. They have blessed the entire school this year with their enthusiastic presence and with their commitment to doing whatever is asked of them and or whatever needs to be done. 

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The Lord continues to bless our school with wonderful, mission-fit growth! While many grades are full for the 2023-24 school year, we have paused our plan to double third grade for another year. This means that next year only Kinder Prep, K, and Grades 1 and 2 will have two classes for each grade level. This raises the question of how TRA will place students into the two classes each year for grades K-2. As a parent of children who previously attended a school with three classes per grade, I know that this annual class shuffle can create a temptation to worry, as we all want what we think is best for our own kids. My hope is that this information will help to give your heart peace as you trust in God’s plan and wait for class lists to be announced on Monday, August 28. 

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