300 plus students arrived this morning with big smiles, and a few sleepy eyes and jitters, to catch a glimpse of all that God has planned for them as part of The River Academy (TRA) community. They met new teachers, learned new routines, visited our new lunchroom (and new locker areas for secondary!), and started their 2022-23 journey of growth here at TRA.
The Lord is in this school, His Spirit has been present all summer as He called amazingly talented new faculty and staff to help teach and shepherd children’s hearts towards truth, goodness, and beauty. We truly believe we have the most excellent team ever and are so excited to see the fruit produced in our classrooms and in each of your children this year. We have brought on 25 new families who discovered our school and desire the TRA distinctives of a Christ-centered, joyful, and relational community in which truth, goodness, and beauty are taught and celebrated.
Those of you who came to our Parent Kickoff Night learned just how faithful God has been to provide for ALL of the many needs our growing school had over the summer: 15 new employee hires, the sale of the church building to TRA for well below market value, 62 gallons of paint to perk up the classrooms, offices, and halls, 17 new toilets to prevent flooding, the installation of new security features for our building (with more on the way!), and over 700 hours of volunteer help weeding and moving furniture and supplies around to get the building ready for the start of school. We hope that each of you will continue or start investing in the TRA community this year, first by coming to Elementary and/or Secondary Curriculum Night(s) (on 9/13 and 9/20, respectively) and finding a way to give some of your time and talents to volunteer in your child’s classroom, at lunch or recess, or hosting a TRA community building event or activity outside of school hours. Second, please join us at all five of our planned Bridge Nights sprinkled every month or two throughout our school year to enjoy some teaching, community building, and FUN! The first Bridge Night will be on Monday, October 10.
I am so excited for us to share this year together as we grow in community and partner together to educate and train up your children - these unrepeatable miracles God has created and prepared in advance to do good works, this year, to bless others. Please join us throughout the year as we celebrate God’s goodness and enjoy together the very first year of The River Academy owning and thriving in its own building!
With joy,
Lisa Hysom
Interim Head of School
