Trinity Times

A monthly publication of the THS PTA December 2011 Volume 9, Issue 4

Mark Your Calendar

Saturday, 3rd Saturday, 10th Wednesday, 14th Thursday, 15th December 19th January 2nd

December
ACT Testing ACT Testing Bring PTA Desserts for Teacher Luncheon Registration Deadline for China Trip Winter Break Begins Last day of Winter Break

To share your News in the next Trinity Times Newsletter, email your submission in a Word document to TrinityPTA.Shahan@gmail.com by December 28th.

Notes From The Principal

I hope each of you had a good Thanksgiving break. I always think it is refreshing to stop and take a moment to reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for. Im truly a blessed man with a wonderful family and a great job. Being Principal at Trinity is the best job around because of the incredible students, faculty, and parents that I get to work with. Thanks for being a part of the Trojan Nation. I trust that the new trimester is off to a good start for you and your student(s). Please be sure to keep up to date with all that is going on here by staying in contact with your teachers, utilizing the online gradebook access, and checking out the new Trinity Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you have questions or need assistance with any of these communication tools, please contact us and we will be happy to help. Effective communication is always important in ensuring student success. I frequently get questions about the current make-up of Trinity. Any conversation about Trinity typically includes a discussion of our diversity and the positive impact that diversity has on the education your student receives, so I thought I would share some current demographic information about us. As of November 28, 2011 Trinity has 2361 students. 41% are White, 23% are Hispanic, 17% are Black, 11% are Asian, 4% are Pacific Islander, 3% are multi-ethnic, and 1% are American Indian. 44.4% of our students are identified as Economically Disadvantaged, and 35% are identified as At-Risk. 3.9 % are Limited English Proficient. 8.9% are Gifted and Talented and 8.4% are in Special Education. As you can see we truly have a very diverse campus: racially, economically, religiously, and politically. One of the things I love about Trinity is the way in which this diversity is embraced and celebrated. We truly believe that the education your students receive is better because of the environment in which they receive it. Thanks again for your contributions to this great school. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. Thanks, Mike

Trinity Trojan PTA

Seasons Greetings! The Thanksgiving holiday break has passed us by, and I hope you all had a restful and joyous time with your families. As we look ahead to December events, there will be a lot happening during the next two weeks, so be sure to keep checking the Trinity website for updates and information. On behalf of the Trinity PTA, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Officer Wongs family and friends. His sudden and tragic passing will be felt throughout all of the Trojan community. He will be greatly missed. A big thank you goes out to Ann Weldon, who answered last months plea, and has agreed to be our new VP-Hospitality. We are excited to have her join our executive board, and warmly welcome her to the team! To start off her term, the PTA will be providing desserts for the faculty and staff for their holiday luncheon on December 14th. We are asking for donations of any dessert items to be brought to the front office by 10 am that morning. We will be sending out reminder emails to those on our email distribution list during the next two weeks, so if youre not currently on our list, and would like to be, please send your email address(es) to Jackie Reily at breily2310@aol.com. We appreciate your support! There are still a couple of openings on our executive board, if you are interested in being a little more involved at Trinity. We are looking for someone to be our Book Swap coordinator in the spring (about a 2 week-long commitment at most), and a Council Delegate, someone who attends HEB PTA Council meetings and reports information back to the executive board. If you are interested in either of these positions, or would like more information, please contact me at freebear@sbcglobal.net. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy the break with loved ones. Take care, be safe, and see you next year! GO TROJANS!! Linda Grady THS PTA President

Trinity PTA needs you! Membership dues are $8.50 per person. Students can join, too!
Please complete the following and return with your dues to: Trinity High School PTA 500 N. Industrial Blvd. Euless, TX 76039 For more information about membership, contact Sharon Armendariz at TrinityPTA.Armendariz@gmail.com. NAME: __________________________ ___Student___Faculty___Parent NAME: __________________________ ___Student___Faculty___Parent NAME: __________________________ ___Student___Faculty___Parent Address: __________________ City: ______________ Zip: _________ Tel #: ______________ Email*: _______________________________
Check if applicable: __ Texas Life Member __ National Life Member __ Community Member

*If you provide your email, we will send you the Trinity Newsletter every month. This will keep you informed of events and important information.

Number of memberships enclosed I would like to make a donation of Total amount enclosed $______________

_______________ $______________

Volunteer Opportunities: ___ Sell t-shirts at home football games ___ Help at Craft Fair ___ Make/donate items for Craft Fair ___ Provide food for Teacher Appreciation Luncheon ___ Help with Teacher Appreciation Luncheon ___ Donate door prizes for Teacher Appreciation Are you available to volunteer occasionally during school hours? __ Yes __ No
For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Jackie Reily at breily2310@aol.com.

COUNSELING NEWS:
Have you ever wondered what your childs future holds once he/she graduates from Trinity High School? You can get a sneak peek into the jobs and careers that interest your children through Edugence, a new web based program the Hurst Euless Bedford school district has purchased this year. By spending about 30 minutes, students and their parents can log onto the program and go through the interest inventory section which asks questions about likes, dislikes, skills and perceptions. The end result is a series of job clusters that relate to the students answers. Parents can help their child further explore areas of interest and then start research on the colleges or secondary institutions that offer the selected careers. Access to Edugence is simple! Go to: http://students.hebisd.edugence.com/LogOn.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f 1. Enter your assigned user name: first initial, last initial and student ID. For example: John Smith would be js354623 2. Enter password 12345. You can change it later. 3. Click on the menu bar: Assessment 4. On the interest screen, click the small piece of paper with a pencil on it. 5. Click Lets Take Interest Assessment and follow 6. You can also take assessments for Work Importance and Ability. Please see your childs counselor or call 817-399-3644 with any questions.

DID YOU KNOW???? The Counseling Center is so much more than just a friendly face!
Weve got:

Academics and planning: TAKS issues, scheduling, planning for next year Future Planning: college prep, applications, scholarships, vocational programs Anxiety and Grief Groups for students who need extra help Support for teachers and their job and personal issues

ARK Truancy Counseling night program meeting five Thursdays in a row from 6 to 8 p.m. in N111. The program is court ordered and costs $100 in lieu of a ticket.

SENIOR PAGE ONLINE NOW MORE USER FRIENDLY!

If you havent visited Trinity High Schools Senior information page online recently, drop everything and do so right away! Melissa Mieyr, College and Scholarship Coordinator, has completely revamped the page making it much more user friendly with new links and how-tos for students. Theres a Q and A section answering pertinent college questions including how to write an essay, financial aid workshop notes and a list of all local scholarships. Dont miss one thing during your important senior year! Go to: http://schoolctr.hebisd.edu/education/dept/dept.php?sectiondetailid=60895& for more information

TRINITY ENTERS THE WORLD OF FACEBOOK, TWITTER

If youve been fighting the world of Facebook and Twitter with your children, let us give you a good reason to embrace it. Trinity High School is now ON Facebook and Twitter and were hoping parents realize that these are two of the best communication tools weve offered yet! Simply go to Facebook online and search for the Trinity Trojans page and also the Trinity Trojan Senior page. Click the LIKE button for each page and begin receiving status updates as soon as they are posted. Parents can learn about everything from upcoming important dates to information about the football program, report cards, trimester scheduling and senior deadlines. If school closes due to weather, youll see the announcement on Facebook. Twitter postings can be even MORE timely so go to www.twitter.com and sign up for a free account now. Once your account is set up, search for Trinity Trojans and begin following us for the latest information. Melissa Mieyr, technology teacher and the guru behind the Facebook/Twitter revolution here at Trinity is proud to offer such up to date information to parents and students. Our district has entered the 21st century with its online presence, Mieyr said. I think its very important that we stay current with technology and the school board agrees. Weve had really good feed back to our Facebook and Twitter accounts so far.

Trinity Students Traveling to China in 2012!

ESL teacher Stephanie Cronk is continuing to organize a trip for interested students to discover the history and beauty of China on an EF educational tour in June of 2012. The eight-day tour includes staying in Beijing and visiting such places such as the Olympic Sports Complex, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China among other wonderful sites. We will be amazing cultural experiences, as well, such as participating in a taiji lesson, visiting a local school, and enjoying a traditional Chinese dinner with Hutong families. If your student is interested or would like more information, please contact Mrs. Cronk at StephanieCronk@hebisd.edu. You can also visit the tour's site by going to www.eftours.com and entering the tour number 1013062.

The deadline for registering for the trip is Dec. 15.

Lending a Hand for Those Special Occasions

1725 Bedford Road, Bedford Hours: Wednesday 6-8 pm, Saturday Noon-3pm The HEB Prom Closet lends special occasion attire to all local residents adults and students for events such as banquets, proms, weddings, quinceaneras, and parties. Do you need something for a special occasion? Come borrow it from us! Do you have any special occasion attire that youll never wear again? Give these items a second life donate them! The HEB Prom Closet lends out at no cost (However, a donation of $10 or more is greatly appreciated to help pay expenses) Womens current formal or semi-formal gowns, prom dresses, wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and fancy party dresses short or long. Accessories - dress shoes, wraps, purses, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. Mens tuxedoes, sport coats, dress shirts, nice slacks. Accessories dress shoes, nice belts, ties, etc. ****Also seeking Graduation Gowns and Caps**** Donation drop off location: Candle Wick: 3322 Harwood (left of Tom Thumb), Bedford, 817-571-2850 For questions, call or text us at 817-319-0321 or HEBPromCloset@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook HEB Prom Closet
HEB Prom Closet Leadership Board: Dr. Robin Witt, Brenda Harris, Melody Davenport, Holley Hendrickson, Arlissa Schober, Sissy Smyer

Trinity Baseball Tryouts

Friday, January 27 6:00 9:00 PM Trinity baseball field Trinity baseball field

Saturday, January 28 12:00 3:00 PM

Any athlete trying out who is not currently a Trinity athlete must bring a current physical. Athletes trying out must bring their own baseball equipment including but not limited to the following: Helmet Glove Bat Spikes Catchers equipment

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IB Notes
Currently the International Baccalaureate Program is serving over 170 Trinity Juniors and Seniors. This is an increase over last year. Hopefully, over one hundred sophomores will enter the program this year. Reminders: Seniors- Keep entering your Creativity, Action and Service hours into the database. The next deadlines will be your World Lit #2 paper, your English Orals and your World Language Orals. The month of May will be the month for IB Testing and AP Testing. Remember to let me know when you have been accepted to a college. Juniors- Keep entering your Creativity, Action and Service hours into the database. Information will be shared on December 12 in History about Starting your college search and selecting an Extended Essay book. Sophomores-Remember to sign up for your IB Parent Conference! Specific times and dates are listed on the calendar. The list is on the door of N-109. It will take until March to finish conducting all of the conferences.

To share your News in the next Trinity Times Newsletter, email your submission in a Word document to TrinityPTA.Shahan@gmail.com by December 28th.