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.)
The House System is actually common in many classical schools throughout the country; and while it's beginnings grow out of the culture of British boarding schools, it's goals are just what we desire for students here at TRA- building relationships between older and younger students while teaching responsibility and cultivating in students a sense of ownership in their own education and school experience. These are not just goals that TRA values, but they are goals of classical education as a whole.
Just as we read in Genesis 2 that “it is not good for the man to be alone”, when we are all honest with ourselves, every one of us wants a close friend or to feel like part of the group. Read through the Book of Acts, and you will see over and over again that when God saved people through the preaching of the Gospel- the Good News- He then added those same people to a local body called the church (little “c”). God created us to be relational beings, and what better way to help students cultivate the skill of building relationships than by giving them the opportunity to learn how to interact with and lead each other in the school setting where they still have the guidance and direction of their teachers and mentors.
So what is the History of the TRA House System? About a decade ago, TRA teachers saw a void in the relational aspects of our older students and thought a house system would take steps to fill that void. The TRA House System was started by some teachers, but no one was in charge, so it fizzled. Soon, TRA grew enough to hire a Secondary Principal. Prior to that, we had only a Head of School, and a part time
Elementary Principal who also taught part time. The Secondary Principal was hired to be the principal, teach one class, and run House. That was in 2015-2016. This second version of the House System had a strong start and finish (along with house banquet), but it lacked organization in the middle months. Mrs. Koempel started working on House in the Fall of 2016. She worked to organize and grow the House System specifically by making the kids do some of the hard work, since part of a House System is developing students as leaders. Mrs. Koempel did a massive amount of work behind the scenes, but still, students were the ones that needed to carry the culture to make House truly successful. Things began to change once students were invested in House; students did the heavy lifting culture wise while Mrs. Koempel did the grunt work.
The TRA House System has fluctuated between three and four houses (Ten Boom being the most recent); different colors, mascots, verses, and characteristics were added during the 2015-2016 school year. Currently, every Friday afternoon, the Houses compete in various activities involving art, knowledge, and sports.
So, is the current TRA House System thriving or just surviving? Come see for yourself by stopping by any Friday afternoon from 12pm to around 1. I promise, you will not be disappointed as you watch healthy competition coupled with blossoming friendships, all exemplifying the joyful and relational distinctives that make TRA what it is today.
Mike Picciottoli, Head of School
(This history could not have been written without the help of Mrs. Koempel.)
