September 15, 2023

LOWER SCHOOL

Sept. 22: Adventure Learning Day

Sept. 27: First Eucharist & Picture Day (Best dress)

Sept. 29: Out of Uniform Day

UPPER SCHOOL

Sept. 21: AP Scholar Awards

Sept. 27: Eucharist (Best dress)

IS YOUR CHILD A STRIVER OR THRIVER? FIND OUT DURING "BOOK TALK," SEPT. 28

Mrs. Miller will be holding a "Book Talk" for HT parents of students in grades 5-8 on September 28th from 6:00-7:30 pm on the Upper School campus.

Parents are encouraged to read the book “Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine," by Michelle Borba, Ed.D. in advance and come ready to discuss your perspectives and takeaways with Mrs. Miller and our school counselors. Holy Trinity's "Book Talk" is complimentary to our families and provides an opportunity to connect and talk about important issues facing our school-aged children. If you can’t find time to read the book in advance of the gathering, you are still more than welcome to attend!

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance.

This year’s gold level prize is this stunning YSL Uptown Pouch, graciously donated by The Moyles Family.

Our Jaw-dropping Platinum Grand Prize is this gorgeous Valentino Rockstud shoulder bag, graciously donated by The Moallem Family.

We can’t wait to turn out the lights and turn on the GLOW at this year’s Ladies Night Out Bingo Bash!

A new rector has been selected for Holy Trinity Church. Learn more about Reverend Tom Phillips.

A new ministry for parents of students in grades 7 & 8 will begin this fall to support parents during this critical time. Check out Rite 13.

At the Lower School, a special group for moms called "Church Chicks" will meet at the church book nook on Thursday mornings from 9:30-11:30 am. Childcare will be provided. Call the church office at (321) 723-5272 or speak with Michaela Allen for more information.

There will be a New Beginnings Student Retreat designed for middle school students at Camp Wingman, October 20-22. Early registration is $135 which includes lodging and meals. Check the church bulletin and contact the church office at (321) 723-5272 for more information.

As part of the Episcopal Church Holy Trinity was following the Lectionary in Chapel services last year. The Lectionary is a list of daily readings from the bible that are designed to let a reader experience the bible in a three year cycle. The lectionary is something that unites Episcopalians universally because all over the world anyone who participates in Morning or Evening Prayer uses the lectionary. This is a powerful way to be connected to other Christians all over the world any time we had chapel. 

The down side of the lectionary being used for chapel is that we do not have chapel every day seven days a week so the readings come across as jumping around, there did not appear to be a consistency. This year in Chapel the decision has been made to read and teach through the bible chronologically from Genesis to Revelation in a twoish year break down. Each Chapel service will have a portion of the bible read and then talked about which will give students the opportunity to hear the majority of the bible over the course of two years. 

Reading and teaching the bible in Chapel in a chronological sequence is intended to give the students an accessible version of the bible. Learning the connections and sequence of the stories of the Bible is very helpful in understanding the overall and recurring message of the Bible, which is that God loves people and wants to be in consistent relationship with us, humans are not perfect and redemption is always an option. 

Grace & Peace,

Reverend Timothy Rutherford

Head Chaplain

Wellness Warriors! Student Wellness Days are back at the Upper School! Wellness Day sessions are led by faculty and staff during an extended break and help to promote balance, stress relief, and healthy coping skills. On Thursday, students participated in activities that included football cookie decorating, friendship bracelets, crocheting, therapy dogs, karaoke, yoga, and more!

CARLINE REMINDER

It is important to note that we have no control of traffic outside our gates, so we ask that you please follow these helpful tips to make your afternoon pick ups run smoothly:

• Do not queue up for the carline before the gates are open. If you arrive before the Later Gator carline gates are open, please find a place to park – Church parking lot, TWC parking lot, etc., or circle the area. Arrive to the area no earlier than 3:25 pm. If you arrive in the area after 3:25 pm, the traffic is usually moving at a steady pace. (PLEASE NOTE: The Melbourne Police Department will be issuing tickets to cars that queue up or park in the afternoon carline prior to dismissal time at 3:25 pm, so we strongly encourage you to please plan your pick up times accordingly.)
• Be mindful of the easement areas. Do not park in our neighbors’ grass.
• Display your car tag in a visible location.
• Consider carpooling.
• Refrain from using your phone in the carline.
• Adhere to posted No Parking and speed limit signs.
• Refrain from entering the carline by traveling westbound on Fee Avenue and making a left hand turn into it. Instead, approach from the north via Mitchell Street or traveling east on Fee Avenue.
• Turning right when exiting the carline is recommended.

ADVENTURE LEARNING DAY AT THE LOWER SCHOOL = FUN, FUN, FUN!

We have a thrilling day planned for our Lower School students next Friday, September 22nd. Our teachers have planned a variety of activities that showcase just how much fun learning can be. We can't wait for this exciting day and all that we have in store for them! As an added bonus, we will be serving all students pizza slices, a snack, and a drink. PLEASE NOTE: Students will not receive their regular Moe's lunch order on this day. If your child does not like pizza, please make sure to pack a lunch/snack next Friday. 

6TH GRADE VISIT TO THE UPPER SCHOOL

The 6^th grade will visit the Upper School on Tuesday, October 17th. Students will have an opportunity to tour the main campus and stop by a couple of classrooms, participate in a chapel service, meet some Upper School students, and check out the Tiger Athletic Complex to get a sense of Junior High life.



•  All 6th graders will be bussed to the Upper School by Tiger Transit and depart the Lower School promptly at 8:30 am.
• At the conclusion of their tour, all students will be bussed back to the Lower School by Tiger Transit to continue their school day.
• Students will return to the Lower School in time for their normal lunch period. Ordered lunches will be available as usual.

Please take a moment to log in to onCampus starting Monday, September 18th to complete and submit the permission form for this trip. This will appear across the top of your screen in the yellow bar. Permission slips are due by October 11th.

If you have any questions, please email Dr. Berry at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing your students soon!

Library Lunch Bunch is next Thursday (Sept.21). Students in grades 3 & 4 were assigned “The Wild Robot”. Third grade will be doing the Kahoot during library class time since they have all read the novel, while 4th grade will be meeting during lunch time. Students in grades 5 & 6 have read “The Fourteenth Goldfish” and will also be meeting during their lunch on Sept. 21.  

ATTENTION NEW HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS: Please join us for the New High School Parent Reception on September 26th at 5:00PM in the Upper School Library. The Holy Trinity Leadership Team, HT Booster Organizations, and other High School parents new to Holy Trinity will be in attendance. Light refreshments will be served, and all attendees will receive complimentary admission to the HT Home Volleyball games against MCC. Please RSVP here or click on the QR code in the below invitation.

SUPPORT THE VISUAL ARTS AT HOLY TRINITY

Have you heard about our new Visual Arts Boosters Club at HT? We are parents and supporters who believe in the arts and want to ensure that students and teachers have all the support and resources they need in pursuing their passions. Learn more here and please consider supporting our mission.

SIX SENIORS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALISTS!

We are so excited to share the news that six Holy Trinity seniors have been named 2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists! Congratulations to:

• Michael Grillo
• Fischer Jehs
• Luke Kenney
• John Mitnik
• Milli Patel
• Athena Tian

The National Merit Scholarship Program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students qualify for the National Merit program by achieving a high score on the PSAT. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists.

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

THREE HT STUDENTS AWARDED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD!

Three Holy Trinity students have earned national recognition by way of academic honors from the College Board. Congratulations:

Alinah Sarratt (12)

National African American Recognition Award (NAARA)

Julian Martinez (12)

National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

Natalie Doig (11)

National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. These academic honors provide students an opportunity to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent. LEARN MORE

HT SPEECH & DEBATE KICKS OFF NEW SEASON WITH A BIG WIN!

The Holy Trinity Speech and Debate team has kicked off the year by competing in the Tournament of Champions Season Opener Online. This was a highly competitive national level competition with over 1000 competitors from 200 schools in 36 states.

We are proud to announce that 11th grader, Reha Patel (pictured), earned enough wins in the preliminary rounds in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate to advance. She eventually finished the tournament as a Double Octofinalist.

Other HT competitors included the Varsity Public Forum debate team of Anna Dlugasch and Victoria Lee, our Varsity Extemp Speaker Alina Zaidi, and Novice Austen Richardson who competed in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Congratulations to all!

LAGASCA'S ART WORK TO BE FEATURED AT 2023 SPACE COAST ART FESTIVAL

Eighth grader Sofia Lagasca will be recognized at this year's Space Coast Arts Festival, taking place October 14th and 15th at The Avenue in Viera. Her art work was submitted at the end of the last school year for the Middle School division of the event's annual student t-shirt design contest. Sofia earned a $150 prize and $500 for her art class. Learn more about the festival.

MS. SCHULTZ RECEIVES A "TORT-ALLY" AWESOME GRANT

Fifth and sixth grade science teacher Ms. Schultz received a $125 grant from “Pets in the Classroom” -- an educational grant program that provides financial support to teachers to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom. The program was established by the Pet Care Trust to provide children with an opportunity to interact with pets—an experience that can help to shape their lives for years to come. Ms. Schultz used the money to purchase a Hermann’s tortoise for her science classroom. Her students named him Toby.  

ENGLISH I HONORS GIVES ONE TO GET ONE

Ms. Segal's English I Honors students participate in the "Give one, get one" activity. In this strategy, students formulate initial positions and arguments in response to a question or prompt and then share them with each other through a structured procedure. That way they can test, refine, and strengthen and share their ideas while hearing those of their peers.  

DESIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE

Early Childhood through 5th grade celebrated Dot Day this week. Student in grades 1-5 celebrated Seurat’s use of dots, journaling and illustrating in the Masterpiece of the Month books they made in Art with Mrs. Gavrish. Be sure to check our schoolwide Facebook page and your specific classes' Facebook page for more photos taken by your child’s class docents!

LEARNING FROM THE PROS:

AP RESEARCH STUDENTS WELCOME FIT PROFESSOR

Mrs. Koos' AP Research and Statistics classes welcomed Dr. Lisa Steelman, Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology. She came to talk to students about research methods with human subjects as well as ethical research practices. AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone experience, allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words and a 20 minute presentation with an oral defense. Some AP Research students discussed their working research questions for their own personal project with Dr. Steelman.

CHARACTER COUNTS!

First Character Ed lesson of the school year -- Dr. Nastasi's third grade class,September 13, 2023.

PHOTOGRAPHY'S "WORD OF THE WEEK"

This week's "Word of the Week" from Ms. Fleis' Digital Photography 1 class was "emotion," and the winner was sophomore Chloe Luca.

SENIOR NOTES:

Essay Saturdays

Seniors may sign up for a 15-minute one-on-one session with Mrs. McDonald to revise and edit their college essays. Sessions are being offered on Saturday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 30th from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm in Mrs. McDonald’s room #205. Seniors must bring a draft of their essay and their charged laptop. A Signup Genius link was emailed to all seniors. Space is limited and on a first come-first served basis. 

Wednesday Workshops

Seniors - Wednesday Workshops will be held on September 20th during second lunch and after school from 3:00 – 3:30 pm in room 205. Senior advisors will be present to give guidance on college applications and essays. The classroom has been full, so please join us and get some college work completed!

College Rep Visits

Seniors AND Juniors – College representatives visiting HT next week:

• Florida Institute of Technology
• Vanderbilt University 

You must sign up for a rep visit in advance to attend. Also, please get permission from your teacher you are attending a college rep visit and remind them right before class starts so they do not mark you absent.

How to sign up for a College Rep visit:

Log into SCOIR → Student Dashboard → Scroll to Register for Office Hours and Visits →Click Register underneath the college visit → Registered will show if you did it correctly

FloridaShines, Florida Department of Education, Florida College Access Network, and school districts across the state are co-sponsoring three free College 101 webinars, September 14-21. These information-packed sessions are great for students and parents to learn about the college admissions process. Each webinar will focus on a different step in the process:

·   Sept. 21: How to apply

·   Sept. 28: How to find scholarships and financial aid

REGISTER TODAY! www.FloridaShines.org/College-101

Watch upcoming newsletters for flyers with registration QR codes as the events approach.

FOR SENIORS & JUNIORS...

UPCOMING COLLEGE VISITS & FAIRS

Colleges visiting HT next week 9/18 – 9/22:

• Oxford College Of Emory University
• Florida International University
• Nova Southeastern University
• The American University of Paris
• Oglethorpe university
• Bryant University
• Air Force ROTC 

Sign up in SCOIR if you want to speak to any of these reps!

VOICE OF DEMOCRACY SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

Theme: “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?”

Open to: Students in grades 9-12

Deadline: October 31, 2023

See flyer and application form below

ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOLERS...

Need Community Service Hours? Check out these great opportunities:

WITCH WAY 5K

The Indialantic Parks, Recreation and Beautification Committee is looking for student volunteers for Indialantic’s Annual Witch Way 5K benefiting the Surfrider Foundation on October 14th.

• 2 hour shifts with specific roles assigned with a committee member.
• Volunteers may elect to sign up for more than one shift. 

Contact: Witch Way 5K Volunteer Coordinator Stacie Miller - cell: 321-348-7421/ email: [email protected]

BREVARD CHILDREN'S BUSINESS FAIR

Holy Trinity is sponsoring the 5th Annual Brevard Children's Business Fair taking place on November 18th at The Avenue in Viera. This one-day event inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. If your student would like to volunteer at this event and earn service hours, sign up HERE. 

JOIN US FOR "SEE YOU AT THE POLE" - SEPT. 27

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Holy Trinity's Bible Study Club are hosting “See You at the Pole” on Wednesday, September 27th at 7:00 AM by the flagpole at the car line.

See You at the Pole™, the global day of student prayer, began in 1990 as a grass roots movement with ten students praying at their school. Decades later, millions pray on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September. See You at the Pole™ is simply a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God. See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led event.

And mark your calendars:

Holy Trinity Tigers Football Coach Hurlie Brown will be speaking to students at FCA on Friday, September 29th at 7:20 am in the Tiger Cafe.  

Coach Brown began his coaching career as a graduate assistant where he played college football at the University of Miami in 1992. He played and coached in eight College Bowls for UM from 1988-2015, winning two National Championships. He has since coached teams to state championships, and currently leads our own HT tigers as head coach. Join us at FCA to hear more about his experience and his faith. It's early, but it's worth it! 

TONIGHT!

Our Tigers play the Mustangs in Merritt Island tonight. If you can't make the game in person, it will be broadcast LIVE on local radio station 93.5FM/WRDJ-LP in the Merritt Island area, and online at www.wrdj.com.

UPDATE: ADOPT A FOOTBALL PLAYER/CHEERLEADER AND BE-THE-BAND NIGHT SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 29TH

BE THE "COMPANY OF THE GAME" - REGISTER TODAY!

Have your company featured as “Company of the Game” for one of our home football games. There are only 3 games left for sponsorship- 9/29 (Halifax),10/6 (Space Coast) and 10/13 (MCC). A $500 sponsorship includes:

• 2 free football game entries
• 1 VIP parking spot
• Company name and logo featured on HT marquee sign
• Shoutouts on social media and HT website
• Company name announced at the beginning, halftime and end of game
• To register for one of these games click here (Button should take them to htacademy.org/Get Involved/Athletic Boosters/Company of The Game)

REGISTER NOW

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy |www.htacademy.org

5625 Holy Trinity Drive

Melbourne, FL 32940

321.723.8323