Dear TRA Family,
Our House System organically grows student leadership in both joyful and relational ways: two of our four core values.To create our House System, we divided our secondary classes (7th-12th grades) into four Houses named after historical prominent Christian leaders representing different virtues (Lewis, Tyndale, Wilberforce, and ten Boom). These Houses help us reach some lofty culture and leadership growth opportunities for our student body.
One of our Four Core Values at TRA is joyful learning and growing, which is fleshed out in colorful glory during House Games each Friday. Students may be gleefully chased by staff members during the dinosaur egg hunt game or might engage in a food-frisbee competition on the field. And can you imagine anything more joyful than a hundred students running and hunting through a cherry orchard for their teachers, who are all hiding in the trees?
The second core value that House has been crafted to embody is that of relational connection between students as well as between faculty and students. Having a few students from every grade grouped into each house is intentional as we strive to move kids out of their usual circles and their comfort zones to provide opportunities for building friendships and esprit de corps with students from other grades.This is especially important for the younger middle school students who might otherwise feel distanced from the larger secondary student body during their first year.
The House system also provides challenges and growth opportunities outside of a purely academic setting. House competition games on Friday usually have 3-4 components that are meant to give opportunities for all kinds of students to shine. While there is usually an academic challenge such as a spelling bee, sudoku challenge, or word game, there is also an athletic team game, such as ultimate frisbee, kickball. But because these are the kinds of skills and talents that are often highlighted at school and in school sports, we add art and drama challenges as well. Students might create a painting that represents the house mascot, or an entry for the yearbook cover competition, or compete in a song challenge singing the Psalms, or create a play about the history of the house myth. All of this is accomplished in the one hour of House games each Friday. When students choose to compete in an area outside of their usual strengths, they launch themselves—for the good of their team—into an area of risk, and growth for the sake of their House.
Considering our mission is to partner with parents to educate the next generation of Christian Leaders, likely the most important character trait we grow through our House System is student leadership. The elected house leaders have a special elective option in the fall that focuses on teaching them leadership, they have weekly lunches to plan the upcoming Friday events, and lead by example in the games and seasonal service projects.
In a nutshell, The River Academy House system is a means for character development, leadership training, and meaningful connections across grades and with the faculty. In House activities, everyone contributes and everyone belongs.
Have a great week!
Tonya Griffith
