Managing Growth While Maintaining Academic Rigor & School Culture

Dear TRA Families,

You may have noticed that we are growing. I know, I know, the parking lot (better known as 2:45 traffic jam) sort of gives it away. But our bulging class sizes—with many of them filling to maximum capacity—also speaks to the growing desire in our community for the kind of education we offer here at TRA. This is an exciting time to be part of The River Academy. It is also a critical time for our school as growth presents unique challenges. We thought you might be interested to learn more about some of the ways we are both accommodating the increased demand, while simultaneously maintaining our academic and cultural standards.  

When I first came to TRA back in 2004, there were 87 students.  Everyone knew each other, and the 2:45 parking lot looked more like a family reunion than Seattle stop-and-go traffic.

Now we have 300 students and a number of new families interested for next year. While there is no way we can go back to the family reunion days of 2004, I do believe we can accommodate the increased demand while also maintaining and growing our academics and school culture.  

Here are a few ways we are aiming to do so:

1. Gradually reducing our class sizes to no more than 18. We have long desired to have two sections per grade here at TRA. Gratefully, we have been able to begin this process, and as of next year, will have two kindergarten classes, two 1st grade classes, and two second grade classes for grades PK-2—all separated into two classes with no more than 18 students per class. This is a long-term strategic move that we believe will enable us to offer the awesome education here at TRA to as many students as possible, while also ensuring that every student gets the hands-on support we have been known for in our community. Our plan is to continue this progression by adding a new section every year. So the following year next year we will add 3rd grade, and then the following year 4th… you get the idea. When this process is complete, we believe it will allow us to accommodate the demand we are currently experiencing for our education, while still allowing us to keep class sizes small. 

2. Increasing student support through hiring additional aides. As class sizes near maximum capacity, we see a much greater need to support our students and teachers by giving them additional aide support.  If you are interested in being part of this growing team, please contact the office for more information.  

3. Significantly increasing our focus on teacher training. This past year our administrative team outlined a 7 year faculty development plan which includes extensive training in classical and Christian pedagogy but also includes key TRA cultural elements we want to ensure continue long into the future. 

4. Increasing our focus on student enculturation through chapel and Psalm sing. We are so grateful that Covid restrictions have been lifted enough to allow for all-school gatherings.  We are actively working on plans to leverage these all-school gatherings to increase student instruction in culture and spiritual development.  

5. Maximizing the usage of our current facilities and actively seeking the Lord’s direction for a long-term solution on our Miller Street property to accommodate the growing population. Adding the portables really helped with this, but we are also looking into ways we can further maximize our usage of the WVBC facilities to allow for more access. We recognize that this doesn’t fix the limited parking lot spaces, but it will at least allow for more breathing room for teachers and students next year.

I hope hearing these measures we are taking to grow—but in a healthy way—are encouraging to you. I hope you will join us in praying regularly for God to continue to bless TRA with like-minded families and also with the sweet culture we have all come to love.

Have a great week,

Eric

Mount Thesis

Dear TRA Families,

Looming at the end of The River Academy education, fearfully whispered about in the halls with solemn voices, is the Senior Thesis Project. For more than half the school, the Thesis Project is far in the distance, nothing more than the clouded peak of a high, lonely mountain, far in the distance. They might think, “That’s something we don’t need to deal with yet, for it’s five, ten, or even twelve years away. That’s for our future selves to worry about. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Not exactly.

While to an extent this is true, and even though the process actually gets underway in the High School, it’s also something for which our teachers at TRA begin training in the youthful, vibrant minds of our students, from an early age. The Thesis Project is, ultimately, the culmination of our students’ years at The River Academy, bringing together everything that they have worked so hard to learn, to understand, to achieve. It represents a synthesis of worldview through all years and all subjects–and we prepare our students for it from the time they first begin constructing written sentences.

Yet, there is a fear of that project. That fear comes from the unknown. Many people, longtime school families, do not understand what the Thesis Project is. We have only “fear itself” to fear, however. Let me attempt to clarify this fearful unknown.
The Senior Thesis Project is a 20-25-page thesis-driven (meaning, argument-driven), research-supported essay. In the last week of the Junior year, students will begin to think about a historical, social, governmental, economic, scientifical, biblical, rhetorical, or literary topic to research and find an argument for. This will cover the modern era and must be relevant to the current day: any topic that they have the desire and interest to explore further and argue more in-depth. This must be a topic about which they could argue from a biblical worldview. That means it cannot contain a report of research alone. Our seniors must use that research to argue a point–their topics must inherently contain a debate. They must apply a biblical worldview, taking it further than simply agreeing or disagreeing with a subject. As with any thesis-driven essay, they must point toward something significant. 

While all this sounds daunting, the process of this thesis makes it utterly accomplishable. While this project is certainly a mountain for our seniors to climb, they do not make the ascent alone, nor do they attempt the climb in one go. By the start of this project, they’ll have written already three theses (Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior), so the process is wholly doable because they’ve done it already. Moreover, we pair them with a faculty advisor and each aspect of the Thesis Process is broken down into its parts (note-taking, outlining, bibliography, drafting, revising) over a nearly year-long period. Following the final, perfected revision, these seniors on the verge of graduation will stand before a panel of their teachers and an audience of their peers to deliver a 20-25-minute speech from memory based upon their papers. At this point, our seniors will have accomplished something truly remarkable, something that few young men and women in their position have–or can–accomplish. They have summited Mount Thesis and can see the lush valley of the Graduate just beyond.

If our goal at The River Academy is to train the next generation of Christian leaders, this is one of the means by which we hope to assess this. Can they think well? Can they argue well? Can they empathize well? Can they communicate effectively? By the end of their years at The River Academy, they can, by the grace of God and their own hard work.  

Here are a few Senior Thesis topics we have had over the last few years:

• The Worldview of Role-Playing Games

• A Critique of Modern Christian Art

• Having A Growth Mindset

• Should Christians Watch Horror Movies

• Should Classical Christian Schools Teach Graphic Novels

• There are Men in Movements Yet None in Mobs

• True Leaders Must Be Held Accountable

• Why Young Men Should Play Team-Based Contact Sports

• Tackling the Body-Image Pandemic

• Why Christians Shouldn’t be Paralyzed by Fear

• The Father-Image Problem in Sitcoms

• A Christian Approach to CRT

Have a great week!

Tyler Howat

Dean of Academics

Definitions Matter

Dear TRA Families:

Definitions matter. For example, here are two very different definitions of the same word:

Justice: “Just treatment of all members of society with regard to a specified public issue, including equitable distribution of resources and participation in decision-making; usually used in combination,” (Dictionary.com).

Justice: “The virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due; practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other; honesty; integrity in commerce or mutual intercourse,” (Original Webster's 1828 Dictionary).

Which one is correct?

Historically and biblically, justice meant to give each person what they deserve based on their actions. When thinking about this spiritually, we run into problems because none of us have done perfectly right, which means we justly deserve punishment. Paul's argument in Romans is precisely this, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, AND [emphasis mine] all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus,” (Romans 3:23-34). Praise God for this good news.  

Historically, when it comes to societal justice, we see a similar notion. Take a look at this 15th century painting depicting justice:

Cardinal Virtue: Justice

 What do you notice about the items “Lady Justice” is holding in her hands? In one hand is a scale, which we can interpret as a fair and balanced assessment of what a person is rightly due given their actions. In the other hand is a sword, which is there to dole out a proper punishment given a person's actions. 

Isn’t this interesting given the more modern definition I quoted above from Dictionary.com?  Rather than giving each person what they deserve or what is their due, instead, the definition has to do with equality—specifically an “equitable distribution of resources and participation in decision making.”  

How does this differ from historic and biblical justice? First, the modern definition ties justice to a public issue. This is where we get phrases such as social justice, economic justice, or environmental justice. Justice is now tied to issues rather than an individual's right or wrong actions. 

Second, it removes the scales of balance and right judgment from the equation and replaces it with the word equitable, which means equal or the same. No need for discernment here; we all get exactly the same regardless of merit or effort. Third, it requires equal participation in decision making. “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked:  A man reaps what he sows,” (Galatians 6:7). Biblically, we see a clear connection between actions and results, between what we do and what we will experience as a result of those actions.     

When personal responsibility is removed from the equation, I can’t help but wonder if we are no longer talking about justice—certainly not biblical or historical justice. In this case, I believe we should instead use a different word to describe what we are after. In other words, when phrases like “social justice” are used, are we really talking about justice in its truest sense, or are we talking about fairness or equality? If so, we should use the word best suited to our intent and purpose. 

Finally, what if everyone had equal say in their own just punishment? How would that go as a society?

We live in a challenging time and one in which our children will need to be very discerning about these types of issues. This is why we are actively talking with our students about things like justice vs. equality and why the definitions matter.  

Thanks for partnering with us here at TRA to raise the next generation of Christian leaders.  

Have a great week!  

Eric

Gaining Courage and Self-Control

Dear TRA Families,

I was on a field trip with seventh grade students before Winter Break.  On the car ride up to Leavenworth, several students were playing with their cell phones and making music with the Garage Band app.  I was struck by the fact that they were able to “play” songs on the guitar virtually via a cell phone regardless of whether they could actually play the guitar in real life.  In other words, they could do things virtually that were completely divorced from reality.  

Wow, I thought to myself - this is quite a temptation for these young souls.  After all, virtual life is much easier than real life.  I could learn to play a quick riff on Garage Band in a day. That would likely take me months to learn in real life.  

Likewise, I can have virtual friendships with a click of a button, when in reality, it takes courage to go up to a new person and initiate conversation.  

So how do we equip our students to live with these temptations that many of us never faced as teens?

No one disputes education's power to form young souls. Beginning with Plato back in the 4th century B.C. and has continued to this day.  Education is a powerful tool to form the attitudes and affections of the youth.  For this reason, education has become such a battlefield today; it literally holds the future in its balance.    

How do you want your child's soul formed?

My running assumption is that one of the main reasons you want your child educated at The River Academy is because you see the power education has to shape the souls of your children. With this in mind, we have to think a lot about what we aim to instill in these young, impressionable minds.

This is why we have aligned ourselves with the inculcation of virtue here at TRA.  Virtue has long been viewed as one of the primary goals of education.  And history has proven out those virtues which are most important to instill in these young minds. Specifically, we are aiming to help our students grow in love and appreciation for the Cardinal Virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and the Spiritual Virtues of faith, hope, and love.  

I’ve grouped fortitude (courage) and temperance (self-control) because they go hand in hand. This is my definition of each:

Fortitude - the ability to confront and not back down in doing good.  

Temperance - moderating our dispositions to avoid excess or deprivation.  

Why do our young men and women need these virtues today? I bet you can fill in your own reasoning, but here are my quick thoughts on each:

Fortitude:

It has been said that we are living in a “post-Christian world.”  I don’t think we need to look too far to see signs of this everywhere. For example, here in Washington State, the recently adopted “Comprehensive Sex Education” curriculum is a telltale sign that our society no longer values traditional Christian values. In my estimation, this means that your children will need to stand up for the truth of the Gospel in ways many of us as adults have never been forced to do. This will require great courage.  But I also think choosing to live life in person and face to face will increasingly require great courage.  Social media friendships are easy (most of the time) and allow us to engage in friendships from the comfort of our beds.  Going out, leaving the comfort of our safe spaces at home and risking a conversation with a friend in person will become increasingly an act of courage for our children.  But their survival as humans depends on it.  

I pray our young men and women here at TRA are gaining in courage in preparation for challenges they will likely face in their future.  

Temperance:

As Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). While I believe this applies to all areas of temptation, I also recognize that our children have to navigate areas that we never did as children. Take my earlier example of the cell phone. While I think it is awesome that my daughter can text me when she is on her way home, I am also keenly aware of the inherent temptations associated with having a pocket computer that you take with you wherever you go. Whether it is the temptation to get sucked into social media feeds endlessly or even the temptation to relate with your peers via a phone rather than face to face, these are things I never had to learn to manage as a young adult. Yet students have to learn self-control in these areas at a much earlier age than I ever did. Maybe you can relate.  

How do we help our children grow in temperance and fortitude? It’s a daily battle for sure, but here at TRA, we are working to regularly help our students navigate these real life issues.  Whether through the regular in-class discussions which challenge students to participate and gain a strong voice for themselves or through the books we read which help them discern truth from lies, we are on your team in helping your children gain courage and self-control. We love that we can partner with you in these areas.  

May God grant all of us wisdom to navigate these tough challenges.  

Have a great week!  

Eric 

Self-Sacrificial Love

Dear TRA Families,

I’m not a charismatic person and I can’t say I have ever had a word from the Lord. But I did have an epiphany recently, and the more I have ruminated on it, the more I think is an interesting theory. It has to do with our current world and all the craziness that is modern day.  I wonder if you will agree with me. But before I give you my theory - let me ask you a question:

What do you believe is the single biggest problem in America today?  

I believe the single biggest problem in America today is that we have adopted a wrong view of love (I know, appropriately themed on Valentines day, right?), and I think I know how we got here.  

In his book The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis criticizes a trend he sees in the textbooks of his day. What he observes is that textbook authors (likely unknowingly) had begun to replace objective language with language that instead appealed to subjective feelings and emotions.  Lewis argues that this subtle change will result in the “Abolition of Man.”  And while Lewis’ argument applies to more than just the notion of love, I believe his observations of the trend in his day are a definite cause of trends in our current day—especially around the concept of love.  

In this image by Raphael which we have looked at the past few weeks, I find the depiction of charity (love) very interesting. Charity is depicted by the little Putti (much like a cherub, but without wings) which is gathering fruit from the tree in order to give it to Fortitude (who is likely preparing for a battle).  

According to Raphael, love (charity) is doing something on behalf of the other and not the self.  In other words, love traditionally—and I would argue biblically—is fundamentally self sacrificial.  The Apostle Paul would agree when he says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”  (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

Notice how all the language is oriented toward others and not the self.  

If our modern understanding of love was that it was fundamentally self-sacrificing, would some of the trends we are seeing in our modern day be different? C.S. Lewis believed that a move away from objective to subjective language, feelings-based language in education would lead to a number of negative consequences, which would ultimately result in the downfall of society.

I can’t help but wonder if our modern sense of love as a feeling more than an act which sacrifices oneself is a byproduct of this trend which started almost a century ago.

I am grateful we are seeking to reclaim a biblical view of love here at The River Academy.  

Have a great week!  

Eric

The Most Important Cardinal Virtue

Dear TRA Families,

Last week I began a series on virtue and the critical role it played in education throughout history.  

Today I am going to talk about the Cardinal Virtue that has been considered the most important out of the list of four (prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude). But before I give you the answer, which of these would you rank as most important?  

St. Thomas Aquinas believed that of the four Cardinal or Principled Virtues, prudence was most important. I think a case could be made for justice as well, which is why in last week's Fresco by Raphael, he DID NOT include justice in his depiction of the virtues and instead painted it on the ceiling overlooking all the other three. In either case, they are all important, but for the sake of landing somewhere, I will discuss prudence as it pertains to an education here at TRA.  

Let’s first revisit Raphael’s depiction of prudence in the painting I showed you last week:

Raphael’s depiction of prudence

Notice that the front-facing woman is looking into a mirror upheld by a cherub. This is to show both a forward-facing posture, but also one that is self-reflective. But then notice the back of the woman's head; it is the face of an old man. This is believed to reflect the need to also look back on the past with wisdom so as to learn from what has gone before in order to make prudent decisions going forward.  

Aristotle says that Prudence is recta ratio agibilium. This is Latin for “right reason applied to practice.”  

Here at TRA, we aim to educate students who can become the next generation of Christian leaders, equipped to shape culture through faithful, wise, and joyful Christian living. Part of this educational process is helping them to learn wisdom and discernment so that they can apply “right reason to practice.” How do we do that? Just like Raphael’s painting asserts, we believe one of the best ways to gain wisdom is through knowledge of the past. For this reason, our students read a lot, and then discuss extensively.

I recently had a parent ask me why we read controversial texts like the Koran (or a number of others like the Communist Manifesto)?  My answer was simple: we want our students to read from a wide variety of the texts that have shaped human history, but do so in an environment where they can apply the scriptures to what they read, and then discuss it in relationship with peers and teachers who love God. In this way, we believe our students will be able to gain wisdom and prudence so that they can apply “right reason to practice.”  

To God be the glory!  

Have a great week,

Eric

Chief Aim of Education

Dear TRA Families,

For centuries, the purpose of education was NOT to prepare children for a fruitful life of work. In fact, from the beginning of Western civilization, the thought leaders in education—people like Plato and Aristotle—didn’t really think education needed to equip children for a specific job at all.  

But if it wasn’t future job preparation, what was it? And what does this mean for a TRA education?

For Plato, the end goal of education was actually character-oriented in nature.  “There is one element you could isolate in any account you give, and this is the correct formation of our feelings of pleasure and pain, which makes us hate what we ought to hate from first to last and love what we ought to love. Call this education.”  (Plato, Laws 653b1-c4). In other words, Plato believed the purpose of education was to cultivate the loves or the affections of the student so that they “love what they ought to love.”  Does this sound familiar?  “Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”  (Romans 12:9)

Rightly ordered affections and appetites are what Plato elsewhere calls virtue. What is interesting to me is that while Plato’s motivation may be different than ours as Christians, his chief aim of education is actually the same. Plato wanted virtuous citizens because he believed it would result in a more virtuous society. For us, we want our children to be virtuous so that they might live a life that glorifies their Heavenly Father, and will also lead to a more virtuous society as a byproduct. Yet the value placed upon virtue as an end goal for education is the same. 

Plato’s articulation of the main purpose of education being the cultivation of virtue became the dominant theme in the history and philosophy of education up until the 20th century. This view was first held by pagan philosophers, but was eventually picked up by prominent Christian thinkers such as Augustine, Basil, and Aquinas. Over time, those virtues that Plato articulated in basic form became codified in what we now understand to be the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude (courage), and temperance. In the Sixth Century A.D., when Gregory the Great codified the list of Seven Deadly Sins, the church took the Four Cardinal Virtues and juxtaposed them to the Seven Deadly Sins but added Three Spiritual Virtues to make both lists of seven. The Three Spiritual Virtues are faith, hope, and love.  

Over the next few weeks, we are going to discuss the ways in which we at TRA are hoping to help our students grow in love and appreciation for these virtues in a way that they begin to “love what they ought to love and hate what they ought to hate.”

Have a great week!

Eric

Extra Credit: See if you can figure out which of the Four Cardinal Virtues is missing in Raphael’s painting in the Vatican entitled “Cardinal Virtues.”

Check your answer: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_and_Theological_Virtues_(Raphael)

The Art of Gracefully Adjusting

Dear TRA Families,

Phew! What a crazy start to the new year we have had. First, it was the snowpocalypse, then a burst water main (which was seven feet under one of the portables, by the way). Praise God those two are behind us now and the plumbers were able to dig the entire hole by hand. What a crazy deal.  

With these interruptions to our normal schedule, plus the lost week of school we had in October due to Covid, some parents have asked if we will plan to extend the school year into the summer.  

The short answer is no. We do not have any plans to extend the school year beyond the current end date of June 10th at this time. If there is one thing I can say we have learned as a result of COVID, it is the art of gracefully adjusting. Last year, we essentially had ⅔ of the number of in-person instruction days that we normally have in a school year, and we managed to finish most of our curriculum. The two disruptions we have had so far this year are nothing compared to what we faced last year (I almost want to say knock on wood, but I’m not superstitious).  

With this said, we are making adjustments. For example, we have made the decision to not hold a spelling bee or speech meet for our elementary students this year. This was primarily decided as a way of giving teachers back the time they would have spent preparing for those events, enabling them to focus on their primary subjects. Likewise, we are pursuing fewer field trips this year as a way of giving back some teaching days. We are still trying to provide some fun experiences for students, but just less than we normally would.

I am confident your students will still receive a rigorous, high-quality TRA education this year despite the interruptions. Yes, we have had to adjust and cut out some things we love about our school, but on the whole, we are right where we need to be.  

Please feel free to reach out with further questions.  

Have a great week!  

Eric 

Generous Community

Dear TRA Families,

We have officially wrapped up our Year-End Giving campaign and I want to take this time to say THANK YOU!  We are once again blown away by your generosity. And so you can share in our encouragement, I thought I would give you some basic numbers with regard to the Year-End Giving campaign, and also 2021 in general.

Here is a recap of the Year-End Giving campaign:

• Total Raised: $62,351

• Number of Donors: 69

• Average Gift: $903

• Gifts ranged from $15 to $10,000

To sum up Total Giving in 2021:

• Total Giving: $97,850

• Number of Donors: 92

• Who are these folks? 70% of our donors are our families (primarily current families and grandparents, but also former families).

Isn’t that encouraging? TRA has always been such a generous community, and this past year was no exception. I think what is most encouraging to me is that all of this was done without any specific fundraising event. What a blessing to our school. Through the generosity of all of you, we were able to provide financial aid support to 57 different students at TRA.  Way to go TRA community!  

Thank you again for your generosity!  May God richly bless you in the new year!  

Eric

Raising Children in the Lord

Dear TRA Parents,

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Well, if that isn’t a high bar for parents, I don’t know what is! Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the task of parenting—and more specifically—raising your children in the Lord?

If so, you’re not alone. 

Deuteronomy literally means “repeated law” or “repetition of the law.” This was Moses’ final words to Israel: the flock he shepherded over a long and hard journey. I think it is helpful to view this book as his last words of wisdom or his parting advice.

When viewed in this context, his words to parents (quoted above) are both inspiring and overwhelming. In essence, Moses tells parents that their primary duty with regard to their children is to impress God’s law on their hearts. And to do this, we must talk about his law continually and in every circumstance.  

I don’t know about you, but I would currently give myself an F in my faithfulness to this command. This tall order regularly brings me to my knees.  

Yet it also causes me to regularly cry out in thankfulness that I am not doing it alone. The River Academy’s mission is to partner with parents in educating their children to become the next generation of Christian leaders. When we use the word partnership, we mean it. We truly see ourselves as your partners. It’s what gets all of us out of bed each morning - the desire to be good partners with all of you as you are going about the all important task of raising your children in the Lord. Yet it also causes me to regularly cry out in thankfulness that I am not doing it alone.  

How do we do that on our end?

First: With lots of prayer.

Next: By living out our faith hour by hour in front of your children.

Third: By using every opportunity we can to remind them of their (and our) need for a savior.

Fourth: By immersing them in God’s word.

And finally: With lots of prayer (yes my repetition here was intentional).  

What does that look like on your end?

We are so grateful you have chosen to partner with us. We know this partnership on your end takes work. Whether helping your children with their math homework, regularly checking in on Canvas to keep your middle school student organized, quizzing them on Latin or phonograms, keeping a joy-filled and positive attitude when your child is struggling with an assignment, or simply just being actively engaged with their education; it takes work. Sometimes lots of work.  And all of this is on top of the already challenging task of loving and leading well in your home.  Well done! Please know we are praying with you. Raising children is something all of us can only do with God’s grace! 

Thank you for encouraging and faithfully guiding your children through their academics as well as their walk with the Lord, and by doing so, partnering with us. We love your kids and love the opportunity and privilege we have to partner with you in raising them to be critical thinkers who are solidly grounded in God’s word.

God Bless,

Eric

“O Come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer...”

Dear TRA Families,

“O Come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer...”  

I wonder if any of you feel as though you’d enjoy some Christmas cheer this Advent season?

When you think of Advent, what do you think about? I was recently in one of the elementary classes here at TRA, and one of the students shared in the form of a prayer request that we needed to pray for his dog because it discovered his Advent calendar and ate all the chocolate out of it.  

Admittedly, this is what comes to mind when I think of Advent. I remember the cardboard calendars with openable windows filled with chocolate goodness. I remember the anticipation I felt each evening, knowing I could open up that window and get my tasty treat. There is something of deeper meaning and importance to this anticipation; the intent of Advent is to build anticipation for the coming of the “Dayspring, the Key of David, Emmanuel.”

I am intrigued when I peruse the hymnals and thumb to the Advent section. What I find on the pages of those traditional Advent hymns is not nearly as cheery as the type of anticipation akin to chocolate after dinner. Chocolate is indeed good, but the lyrics of those hymns are more in line with the most famous of our Advent hymns, “O Come O Come Emmanuel.”

For example:

• O come… and ransom captive Israel 

• O come… and free [us] thine own from Satan’s tyranny

• O come… and disperse the gloomy clouds of night… and deaths dark shadows put to flight

Not exactly cheery… or is it?  

The song ends with the familiar phrase repeated through all seven verses:

“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel.”  

I wonder if any of you have felt the “gloomy clouds of night” over the last 18 months? I wonder if any of you have felt captive; to fear, uncertainty, anger, to the news, to anything else? I can answer yes, yes, and yes to each of these.

This brings me to my point today. I keep asking myself, “How do I move past this?” How do I NOT feel captive? How do I NOT feel the gloomy clouds of night? Our world has been turned upside down since March of 2020. And while all of us wish this overturning would end soon, it doesn’t “show signs of stopping” (to quote a much less spiritual Christmas song). But perhaps that is the point. Perhaps the answer is right under my nose, in my all time favorite Advent hymn.  

The reality is that life is and has always been filled with challenge, adversity, gloominess, and darkness. Why? Well, sadly because we as humans inhabit it and we don’t always—no thank you to Adam and Eve—do what is best for ourselves or others.  

But there is good news in the midst of the dark. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee. 

And this promise isn’t past tense. It is present tense. This is the point. Since Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, the world has been plunged into chaos, disorder, darkness, and gloom. The good news we celebrate at Christmas isn’t the eradication of these hard things. It is the gift of being changed, transformed, and renewed through Christ and the work of the Spirit, in the midst of this troublesome place.  

I promised you cheer. Emmanuel: God IS with you (and me)! And the miracle is that His invitation to be at peace in the midst of chaos is here for all of us who belong to Him.  Sadly—I must confess—I haven’t always availed myself of these promises over the last 18 months. Sometimes I’ve rejoiced in the presence of my Savior and sometimes I’ve been held captive by fear or anger. Maybe you can relate? But today I rejoice that God is with me. I rejoice that He is with my children! I rejoice that he is with you. I rejoice that He is with our school.  

This is the Good News, and it is indeed bright and cheery! 

Wishing you God’s Peace this Christmas! 

Eric   

Classical Art Studio

“I loooooove ART!” is whispered, grunted, and squealed daily in TRA’s Art Studio Room. We believe this happens because creating art is us utilizing our God-given creativity. We believe everyone can draw—and draw well.

TRA’s Art Studio curriculum is unique in three distinct ways:

1. As image-bearers, we believe everyone is capable of creating beautiful works

2. We use Atelier Methods (classical drawing methods) to develop the skills of art

3. Art history compliments what students study in each grade level

First, we believe everyone can produce beautiful works of art:

Have you ever heard someone say (or maybe you have even thought), “Well, I’m not an artist and I can’t draw?!” At TRA, we disagree! Drawing and painting well is a by-product of skill. Skill can be learned over time and with proper scaffolding. Progress can be seen weekly and yearly as students repeat skills, such as those used in drawing.

We study truth, beauty, and goodness through exploration of skill, intelligence, knowledge and craftsmanship. This tag line hangs large on the Art Studio wall (Art & the Bible, Schaeffer)(‘Art for God’s Sake, Ryken).

Those who have older students will notice similar assignments done at each grade level and how each grade takes it a bit further. Scaffolding assignments through the year and over multiple years breeds confidence through familiarity. Knowledge is gained over time and with exposure to a variety of media, methods, and techniques. Intelligent decisions are made and include a lot of lovely errors along the way. Put all this together in application and attention to detail and process, and we develop good craftsmen. 

Our study and search for truth, beauty, and goodness is our gift from God. Through this pursuit, we endeavor to create wholeheartedly in the sight of God. 

Second, we use classical methods for teaching art to train our students well:

‘Ateliers’ are workshops where students work with a master artist. Ateliers have been around since the Middle Ages and were popular in the 19th century. In fact, our revered artists such as Michelangelo, DiVinci, David, and Picasso all studied in Ateliers. These small schools lessened after the World Wars; universities acquired them and these art schools became something other than places to study how to draw well. 

However, Ateliers are regaining popularity. The Atelier methods center around drawing well and drawing truth. Sight-size methods are used, requiring precise measuring. The artist learns to see—to really see—the relationship between lines and shapes. Here at TRA we have been practicing measuring skills from the first grade on up. 

TRA’s Classical Art Curriculum easily and intentionally aligns with the Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric stages. Our Elementary/Grammar students study the basic Elements of Art (line, shape, forms, space, texture, and color). This fall, all of our students have worked with line in different capacities, and recently we’ve been making shapes into form. Older students will move to integrating the principles of design (balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, proportion, rhythm, variety and unity). 

7th, 8th, and 9th grade’s Dialectic stage is perfect for learning one point and two point perspective. These students are interested and excellent at learning mechanical drawing skills that will serve them well into their future. In ninth grade, our students return to Atelier methods, and our tenth graders will study using the textbook “Beginning Atelier” (Aristides). These are the foundation years preparing them for their master copies; in line with a traditional Atelier, our 11th graders pursue a drawing after a master work and 12th graders will complete a master painting copy (imatado).

See the image of the foot and know that it took this student twelve hours using only a mechanical pencil (and a desire to search for truth).

Lastly, our students learn Art History as it integrates with their time period of historical study:

TRA’s history timeline is strategically in perfect alignment with what we’re studying in art history for each year’s respective period. For example, our first grade is completing a clay pinch pot after studying the clayware of the Hopi Natives, complete with native designs. The 2nd grade class created a clay hippopotamus after the infamous Blue Hippos found in many Egyptian tombs. Our 3rd graders designed and molded Greek vases, and so on. Thankfully there are many resources that help us learn this well, such as AP Art History/Khan Academy and other reliable videos, research, and images. 

In the end, we believe as we learn to create art, we develop skills which lead us towards truth, beauty and goodness. All of this leads us toward emulating our Creator. To God be the glory!

Blessings,

Cyndi Noyd

BFA Painting, UW

WA State K-12 Teaching Certificate, Art Education

National Boards 4-12 Art

MA candidate, Florence Academy of Art

ACCS Accreditation

Dear TRA Families,

Did you know that The River Academy is NOT accredited by the State of Washington?

Most private schools in Washington State do not choose to be accredited through the public school system because it requires schools to adopt public school curriculum. Our classical and Christian values necessitate choosing our own curriculum, so we have chosen not to be accredited by the Washington State Board. This means that in order for us to be accredited, we needed to select another accrediting agency. We decided to pursue accreditation through the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) for three reasons:

1. The ACCS is the organization that most aligns with our classical and Christian values.  There are many other accrediting agencies; some are explicitly Christian, while others are secular and only focus on academics. In our search for an accrediting agency, we discovered that the ACCS accreditation process would evaluate how well we infuse our Christian values into the classroom and how well we are equipping and preparing students academically. Additionally, their academic focus is specifically classical, which is very much in alignment with who we are and how we want to grow in the future.    

2. The ACCS accreditation process is very rigorous. The rigorous process outlined for us by the ACCS forced us to improve and make sure we were providing the education we say we are offering. We knew the process would make us better: now and for generations to come.  

3. There is good fruit coming out of the ACCS. In a recent study commissioned through Notre Dame University, the ACCS had the opportunity to glance at how ACCS graduates are fairing compared to other schooling options. The summary of this “Good Soil” report can be found here. It is worth your time to have a look.  

I am thrilled to report that after five years of ACCS membership and rigorous preparation for accreditation, we recently earned the prestigious approval of accreditation. After submitting our paperwork last December and a committee evaluation visit two weeks ago, we are now an ACCS-accredited school!  

If you see your child's teacher, tell them congratulations. They worked hard to earn this, and we are so proud of them!  

Have a great week!  

Eric

Bearing Fruit in Wisdom

Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee who passionately ravaged the church. Tarsus was well-known as a beacon of Roman education; they trained their pupils in grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Saul soaked in the knowledge of the ancients and grew in his pharisaical understanding of the scriptures. But did he bear fruit in wisdom? 

When first we meet Saul, he’s “breathing threats and murder against” the persecuted Christians (ESV, Acts 9.1). He learned to recite significant portions of the Old Testament from memory and condemn those who disagreed with him. While Saul had all the tools of a classical education at his disposal, it’s safe to say that we don’t hope and pray and train our students from the time they’re adorable grammar stage younglings to become the next Saul. 

The rhetoric or poetic stage of a classical education is beautiful and uplifting–and, yes, difficult. Everything comes together here. It builds upon the grammar and logic stages, moving from soaking up knowledge and memorizing information to arguing about right and wrong based on research and facts, to seeking out and speaking truth in wisdom, for “without knowledge [and the skill of logical arguments], the rhetorician has nothing of substance to say” (Bauer 462). We at the River Academy hope that our students do not argue idly but speak with depth and substance and truth. 

The rhetoric stage begins in the 9th grade when we aim to train them to wield communication not as a clumsy sledgehammer but as a fine chisel–not as an all-caps tweet but a poet’s stanza.

For students in this poetic age, Dorothy Sayers dreams that “[t]he doors of the storehouse of knowledge should now be thrown open...to browse about as they will. Lessons once learned by rote will now be seen in new contexts; the things once coldly analyzed can now be brought together to form a new synthesis; here and there a sudden insight will bring about that most exciting of all discoveries: the realisation that a truism is true” (Sayers 17). We utilize many of the greatest books in the western tradition to let our students debate, discover, discuss, and write about truth, goodness, and beauty. This sometimes means we contrast those virtues with the sin and darkness and depravity of our world, all within the safe, intentional confines of our classrooms. Our students learn to debate equations, discuss history, and deliver speeches–not merely reading aloud or shouting over one another but speaking purposefully and passionately. This takes time; students do not drop readymade at age fourteen into the rhetoric stage. They need training and a safe place to practice. 

Most of all, we want to train and inspire our rhetoric students to speak virtuously and righteously, not stopping with the potentially “destructive criticism” of logic (Sayers 17). Even the pagan philosopher Aristotle cautions rhetoricians “that one who uses such power of speech unjustly might do great harm” like Saul the Pharisee (1.1). Aristotle continues: “A man can confer the greatest of benefits by a right use of these, and inflict the greatest of injuries by using them wrongly” (1.1). We, like the classical philosophers and rhetoricians of old, must speak inspirationally with justice and morality.

When the Lord gave Saul his new name, Paul went forth and used his gifts and the training that a classical education in rhetoric and poetics gave him to benefit the body of Christ, to bear the greatest of fruit in wisdom. 

Have a great week,

Tyler Howat

Growing in Understanding

If you’ve spent some time in The River Academy halls, you’ve probably heard adorable little voices singing, chanting and memorizing math facts. You may also have witnessed the charming young people presenting their 20-minute memorized senior thesis. But what about those challenging, argumentative, and often conflict-filled middle years? What magic transformation turns kindergarten phonograms into senior theses?   

The word dialectic comes from the same Greek root as our words dialogue and dialect, and contains a similar concept of speaking, conversing, and discussing. When we talk about the Dialectic Stage of education, we mean this season when middle school brains begin to want to talk about how things work, and they begin to insist on understanding why they should do what they are asked to do or believe what they are being told. This phase of development, sandwiched between the grammar and rhetoric stages, is definitely the messy middle.

No longer satisfied with the simple modeling, parroting and following-along types of learning, students now grow stronger in their ability to reason and become better able to defend their positions. This argumentative stage is the perfect time to teach them the arts of reasoning, discernment, and debate in a formal Logic class. Well-crafted written arguments and civilized debates are the regularly visited practice arenas for honing logical thinking and analytical skills here at TRA. And, yes, we always admonish them to use these new skills gently and respectfully on parents!
A liberal arts education is meant to produce free people, those who are self-managed and well equipped to lead others. To this end we teach our students to view issues from new perspectives, to ask helpful questions, research carefully, and then form their own ideas and opinions. The goal of the Dialectic Stage is not to teach them what to think, but instead to teach them how to think logically for themselves. This prepares our students well for the rhetoric years when they will become eloquent deliverers of their own creative thoughts and ideas.  

The Dialectic Stage is the trunk of our tree analogy, where the early roots of grammatical information gather and grow together to become the strong column made up of reasoning and logical thinking. This strong core will bear future branches of rhetorical fruit. 

Please pray for The River Academy and its teachers as we walk with these wonderful young humans through what we all know are often challenging middle years. Know that we are actively praying for your children alongside you, too. We are training our students to be logical thinkers on their path to becoming the next generation of Christian leaders, and the rigorous practices of the Dialectic Stage we immerse our students in at TRA are critical to achieve this mission!

Have a great week,

Tonya

Soaking In Knowledge

At The River Academy, we are developing wise leaders, effective communicators, logical thinkers, and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These are some of the “fruit” we strive to grow in our students. But how do we do that in kindergarten, third grade, and other elementary years?

To grow good fruit, a tree needs to be planted in nutrient-rich soil, tended, and cared for so it can develop strong roots. So where do we start in the minds and hearts of our youngest students? First, we train their brains to retain a large amount of information. Students absorb (memorize and apply) the core knowledge of each subject they study. These “nutrients” or knowledge pegs are needed to think critically and learn any subject well. Nutrients are acquired by using chants, songs, hand motions, and games. We capitalize on the students’ natural stage of brain development, in the elementary years (Grammar stage) when young children can memorize things easily and love doing it!

As our younger students memorize phonograms and are immersed in good literature, they develop reading fluency, comprehension, and analytical skills. They also learn to apply their English grammar knowledge to communicate clearly and elaborate on their ideas in writing and oral presentations. Becoming proficient readers, writers, presenters, and mathematicians prepares them well to grow into effective communicators and logical thinkers.

But what else is needed to grow students into wise leaders? Of utmost importance, knowing God and learning how to apply His Word in all areas of study and life. In the grammar years, students learn to write God’s Word in their hearts by memorizing Scripture and catechisms each week. In addition to having a Bible class each year, they also talk about Jesus and how His followers live in community and love others well in every class, any subject, and on the recess field all day long! TRA teachers love Jesus and helping students learn God’s Word and apply it to their daily life.

Finally, kids learn best when they feel loved, known, and supported. The joyful, relational environment teachers work hard to create in their classrooms is just as important as teaching children the skills to memorize information, read well, write well, speak well, and know God. We teach and remind students daily how much they are loved by their Creator. We also work hard to get to know each student and his/her strengths, gifts, and areas of growth. When kids feel known, loved, and safe taking risks in their learning, they naturally grow to be the best that they can be. 

Have a great week,

Lisa

The Liberal Arts Trivium

When you hear the word liberal, what do you think of? I bet if you are like me, you immediately identify this word with a political leaning. But today, I want to reclaim the word for its original meaning and share with you what liberal looks like at The River Academy.

According to the original Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, liberal meant:

• Of a free heart

• Generous

• Not selfish

• Free

Here at The River Academy, we often refer to our program as a Liberal Arts program, and we can learn a lot about what that means from these original definitions. For centuries, a Liberal Arts education was the “education of the free” (not monetary freedom, but rather an education aimed at producing a free mind). How does a Liberal Arts (or classical) education create freedom of thought? A classical (AKA liberal) education equips students with free minds because they have sufficient tools and training to be independent thinkers and learners. How do we do that here?  

We utilize a time-tested model that leverages the Trivium (the first three out of seven liberal arts) to equip our students. The Trivium has three educational stages: Grammar, Dialectic (Logic), and Rhetoric, which shepherd a student through a course of learning. These stages correlate systematically with our students’ natural development while also building a complete set of skills and tools at each growth stage. But what does this look like in real life at TRA?   

Grammar (K-6):

At the Grammar stage of learning at TRA, students develop a fundamental mastery of all basic subjects. Specifically, reading, writing, grammar (English and Latin), and math.  With proficiency in these subjects, students can take on new and more complex topics because they have this solid foundation. Students do a lot of memorizing (because they love it), reciting, and exploring at this stage. They also engage in a lot of repetition to ensure a solid foundation in the basics.  And just to add some fun, they receive an exciting overview of the entire Bible, all of World History, and an introduction to the wide world of science: all of this in just six hours a day.  

But that is just the beginning...

Dialectic (7-9):

Next, our students embark on the Dialectic journey of our curriculum.  At this stage, students begin to develop more critical thinking skills. The Dialectic phase starts with a formal class in logic, and is reinforced in all the other subjects through discussions, debates, research projects and readings - all aimed at helping students develop independent and critical thinking skills. It just so happens that this stage also corresponds with the students’ natural bent to start arguing (speaking as one who has two students in this stage in my household). Dinners are “fun” in this context as there is always something that merits a debate.  

Finally, students move into the last and most crucial stage: Rhetoric.

Rhetoric (10-12):

The goal of the Rhetoric stage at TRA is students who start bearing the fruit of wisdom and eloquence (read skillful communication). Here, students do an extensive amount of writing and reading, which helps build a full mind and wise heart. Finally, they do a ton of public speaking.  The culmination of this is when our seniors complete their final Thesis presentations. Students research, write and then present (20 minutes) on a relevant topic. I can’t think of a more critical skill in this day and age, when thoughtful, intelligent, and winsome communication has been thrown aside for pithy statements in 40 characters or less.  We need thinking humans who can articulate themselves with grace, truth, and poise.  

Students educated with the Trivium become equipped with the tools (arts) of learning and can think for themselves.  

Praise God for the rebirth of Classical (Liberal) Christian education in our country and specifically in our Valley here at TRA.  

Have a great week,

Eric

Portrait of Graduate

Dear TRA Families,

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”  3 John 1:4.  

As a parent, this is by far and away my greatest aspiration for my children.  More than their careers and even more than their spouse.  Are they walking with God?  Are they growing in humble submission to His Word?  That is what we (my wife and I) are after.  

And I bet you feel similarly.  Yes, who our children marry is HUGELY important.  But their faith in Jesus Christ is more important.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the thought of helping your kids grow in their faith? 

If you are like me, this is more than enough to bring you to your knees.  

But if you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone.  We here at TRA are partnering with you toward that all important goal.

Specifically, each day here at TRA we are working to help grow your children into men and women of God.

Take courage knowing that every teacher in this building is working to instill these characteristics (taken from our Portrait of a Graduate) in your children.  

1. Know, believe, and embrace the Bible and love and follow Jesus Christ.

2. Possess Christian character that will transform our culture and our world for the Kingdom of God through servant leadership.

3. Read, write, and speak with depth, clarity, wisdom, and eloquence.

4. Be lifelong lovers of learning, willing and well-equipped to lead and influence in any area of life in which God places them.  

And as a parent of a senior, I can say that without a doubt the best decision we have made as parents is to have our children educated by these amazing teachers.  Yes, I know I am biased!  But I can honestly say I am thrilled with the fruit I am seeing develop in all my children, but especially my oldest two (Senior and Freshman).  We (Jen and I) are truly humbled by the investment these amazing people have made in our kids.  We could not have come to this place without them.  

Thanks be to God that he uses the Holy Spirit (most important) then us (as broken and fallen parents), plus mentors and teachers, to bring our children to greater places than we ever could have brought them on our own! 

To God be the glory!

Eric    

Joyful and Relational

TRA Families, 

Let’s talk about JOYFUL and RELATIONAL, the lesser-known values here at TRA. The first two core values, are classical and Christian.

Why Joyful?

So why did we choose joyful? It’s really about who we are and who we want to be: we are God’s people teaching God’s children about God. We are telling them about God’s world, how it works, and about the people God created. These are JOYFUL facts!

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Teaching About God Yields Joy

We are teaching about the only One, true and good God, our Creator, who personally and lovingly made our planet and shaped us to rule our beautiful earth with justice and wisdom. When these Truths have soaked into our souls, the fruit is love and joy! So, of course we tell our stories joyfully; they are packed full of God’s goodness, grace, and unfailing love and faithfulness. Our children are God's children and we are teaching them about God and His World, so there is no reason for any lesson to be less than beautiful, well-crafted, and filled with life and joy. We want to honor our students by making every lesson in every subject taught in an engaging and joy-filled manner. 

Our Teachers Are Joyful

We study God’s word and our history to see Him working out His will and plan to redeem the whole Earth! Every subject, not just Bible, but math, science, literature, and history are all wonder-filled, hope-infused, mind-engaging subjects. All of this deliriously amazing material is taught by teachers who are lifelong participants of learning themselves. Our teachers love their students, and thoroughly enjoy their subject material, and are enthused to share this love and enjoyment with their students. Students who are interested in what is taught, are actively engaged in the lessons and who feel loved by their teachers remember the material and enjoy their classes.

Why Relational?

So why did we choose relational? We believe that working and learning in an environment where every person feels seen and understood is key to doing the best job possible. As C.S. Lewis says in The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

Our students and our co-workers are immortal souls, made in the image of God. This is astounding to consider and imperative to remember. And so, we regard our school to be a sacred community. Acknowledging where we have hurt others and asking and offering forgiveness where there has been conflict in our relationships are integral parts of our Christ-following community. We see this play out in our classrooms every single day. Our children are educated with and play alongside the same group of kids for years, so they are forced to learn meaningful conflict resolution and forgiveness. They cannot dispose of these relationships when they get difficult. Our core value of “relational” pushes us toward repentance and forgiveness. It is in these moments of humbling ourselves and working toward restoration and reconciliation that we as Christians are set apart from the world! Without confession, repentance, and forgiveness, we would have to muddle along working and learning in relationships that sustain daily more and more damage, with no way for real reconciliation! 

May it never be so here! Here, with every confession and request of forgiveness, the relationship is made new, in fact, better than new. For with each submitting of ourselves to repentance and reconciliation, we are remade more fit for glory. With every healing, we become stronger than before. Our Christian community is a gift that never stops giving for it shapes one and all for the Kingdom of Heaven as we work and wrestle in these human relationships, practicing grace, and love, and forgiveness, as Christ has modeled for us. 

And so it is with thankful and joyful hearts that we arrive each day.  And I am blessed to work in one of the most beautiful Christian communities I have ever experienced. 

Tonya Griffith

Secondary Principal

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).