Chapel is a time to gather weekly as an entire elementary team, grades K-6. We will pray, worship God by singing psalms, learn more about God and the Bible, sing the TRA Mission Statement as well as elementary Scripture memory verses, and celebrate the good works students have been doing around the school each week to bless others. We are also learning a 13 minute history timeline song together this year so we’ll have a common reference point for what students will be learning about in history and Bible throughout their years at TRA. Occasionally chapel will be replaced with an assembly on a specific topic (like why we celebrate Reformation Day or to showcase some of the memory work learned in different classrooms).
On chapel days, 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 be able to cultivate their personal relationship with Jesus.
TRA’s mission is to partner with parents to educate the next generation of Christian leaders equipped to shape culture through faithful, wise, and joyful Christian living. In the elementary years, leadership training means teaching, encouraging, and giving lots of opportunities for students to practice and develop the habits of respect, obedience, attentiveness, and responsibility (ROAR). When teachers or staff notice a student showing exceptional leadership in one of these areas, the student is sent to my office to celebrate the good work that God prepared in advance for him or her to do at school to bless others. (Ephesians 2:10) This celebration involves getting a big cheer from the office staff when he or she arrives, and writing his/her name, date, and description of the “good work” in my special book. The star students are then given a big gold star sticker to wear on his/her shirt for the rest of the day, and - new this year - will receive a raffle ticket for a monthly drawing among all gold star winners. The winner of our Good Works raffle receives a pizza party on the first Friday of the month for his/her entire class during school lunchtime, courtesy of Domino’s Pizza! We want students to know that thinking of others and developing the ROAR habits and leadership skills are a big deal here at TRA and something to be celebrated! Gold Star students are recognized weekly at chapel so that others can learn from and celebrate their good works too.
Click on the link to Elementary Chapel Schedule in Parent Resources on the TRA website for information on chapel dates, speakers, and topics. We hope to see you there!
-Lisa Hysom, Interim Head of School
