Monthly Update | December 5, 2025

Screen Time

I love being able to use my smartphone to quickly look up any information I need to find. What a blessing to check football scores, recipes, the differences between flu and the common cold, how to fix the AC drain inside my car, and get directions – the list goes on and on and on! While I am not a social media butterfly, I do access it occasionally to see what’s happening in my family’s world.

But I realized several years ago that I was falling into the social media trap of scrolling and scrolling and scrolling, losing time in huge increments. And I was somewhat concerned when I started seeing ads for new refrigerators after my husband and I had a conversation about ours making a funny noise. Hmm…

And then I tuned into a keynote address by Tristan Harris from the 2021 conference of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which spoke about the detrimental effects of social media on our students. It was this particular talk that convinced me to limit screen time at Trident Academy and to start collecting our students' phones. 

When we first started collecting phones, they were mainly turned in by high school students and a few middle school students. Now, lower school students also bring their devices to school, and everyone puts them in boxes each morning.

In November 2024, Australia’s parliament passed a law restricting the use of social media by anyone under 16 years of age, the first of its kind in the world. The law will take effect on December 10, and many believe that other nations will follow Australia’s lead. 

The data is clear: social media is detrimental to children. I would encourage you to read The Anxious Generation, watch The Social Dilemma, and even Google to educate yourselves about the effects of screen time and social media on our children.

Blessings,

Betsy

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 9: Parent Education Series: Navigating Digital Learning

December 9: Field Trip for the 8th grade
December 12: Wax Museum for Lower school families from 10:30 to 11:25 a.m.
December 18: Oyster Roast Committee meeting

December 19: Last day of school before Holiday Break. Please remember that there will be no afternoon extended care on this date. All students should be picked up through the 11:30 car line. School will resume on Tuesday, January 6.

Our tentative calendar for 2025-26

See all events on our school website calendar

SEAHAWK SCOOP:

Giving Tuesday Success!

We had a fantastic Giving Tuesday thanks to our generous community! Because of your incredible support, we raised over $20,000 in a single day. This generosity is deeply appreciated and plays a crucial role in sustaining the life-changing mission of our school. We are grateful for your belief in our mission and our students. 

Parent Education Series: Navigating Digital Learning

We are excited to invite you to our next Parent Education Series session on Tuesday, December 9, at 8:00 a.m. on campus! Join Dr. Dominick Sanders, Trident Academy's new Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship as he helps parents navigate the digital learning world. We know technology is everywhere, and keeping up with it can feel like a full-time job! That’s why we’re hosting a fun and practical workshop for parents and caregivers. Learn more about the digital tools your child uses at school and discover simple ways to support healthy technology habits at home. Register here >>

Upcoming Parent Education Events

As a founding member of the Association of LD Schools, Trident Academy is proud to offer our parents access to parent education events presented by other ALDS schools.


• On Thursday, December 11 (9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT), Hamlin Robinson School in Seattle will offer a virtual event titled Learning Challenges & Mental Health: Social-Emotional Strategies for Student Success. Dr. Karen Wilson will examine the connections between learning, mental health, and social-emotional well-being, and share practical, evidence-based strategies to strengthen protective factors, support both academic and emotional growth, and help all students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically

More information can be found here. 

Attendance

Trident Academy is built on the belief that there's no substitute for professional, thoughtful instruction, and for that reason, daily attendance is essential.

We have only 10 school days left this quarter. Because each day's lesson builds directly on the previous one, missing even a single day puts a heavy burden on the student. While our teachers work hard to help students catch up, they must essentially learn yesterday's material while keeping pace with today's.

Please make every effort to ensure your child is in school and on time every day. We want all our students to finish this semester strong!

Toy Drive for Closet of Hope

We're thrilled to partner with Closet of Hope for a Holiday Toy Drive! Help us "Light up a Holiday" for foster care children by donating new toys. Donations are accepted Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. until next Wednesday, December 10. Thank you for your generosity!

Uniforms! 
As the weather continues to cool off in Charleston, some of our students may want to get Trident Academy sweaters and jackets to wear during outside time. In addition, as our students have grown since the start of school, several of them have begun to outgrow their shirts, shorts, and skirts. To purchase Trident Academy gear, please visit our school spirit store here >> Trident Academy Gear

Re-Enrollment Period: February 2026

To help with your family's financial planning, here's a reminder that re-enrollment for 2025-26 will begin in February 2026. Associated with re-enrollment is a $1,000 enrollment fee, which will be credited to your child's tuition account for next school year.

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS:

This morning, our lower school students were surprised by special Mystery Readers who joined each class to read a fun story! Our 2nd graders were especially excited to welcome author Ashley Johnson, who read her own book, "Oh, Critter"! Thank you to all our wonderful guests for making reading time an exciting adventure!

Our middle schoolers' creativity is unstoppable! They are designing and building incredible mini-golf courses using all types of materials and coming up with some imaginative themes. We can't wait to see their final products and play a round!

Our Archery team is locked in and looking sharp! They've been having fantastic practices this week, getting even better and sharpening their skills just in time for the meets coming up soon!

In science class our fifth graders made bread to explore mixtures of substances and the difference between physical and chemical changes. What a delicious way to learn chemistry!

~Individual Needs~Academic Growth~Encouragement & Support~Foundation for Life~