September 17th, 2025
Principal Corner
Last Wednesday through Friday I traveled to Camp Omega with our 7th and 8th grade class. This is the 5th group of Trinity students that have had the opportunity to go to Camp Omega. We were there with two other Lutheran Schools. Immanuel Silo and St. Martins Winona. We had several bible study sessions where Pastor Mueller went through the book of Ruth. Students also had experiences of canoeing, archery, axe throwing, rock climbing. We spent about 1 hour with a service project helping the camp get ready for winter. Students also learned about orienteering and had the opportunity to dissect owl pellets. But one of the best things was three schools of Lutheran students interacting and praising God together. Immanuel and St. Martins have been coming to Camp Omega together for a number of years. Prior to the two schools coming to camp together, they were quite the rivals in sports. There was a strong dislike between the competitors. But since coming together and sharing time in a non-competitive setting, the students have become friendlier with friendships developing between the two schools. They still compete hard against each other, but when the competition ends, they are still friends. Sometimes we have disagreements with people within the school setting. When we come together for meaningful conversation and listen to each other we can work through those problems and see we are not rivals but people working together to build God’s Kingdom. Take the time to talk through problems with people. When we stop talking with each other is when the devil gets a foot hold in our lives.
PICTURE DAY IS TOMORROW, THURSDAY SEPT 18th!!!!
ENTER CODE: FM491430 when you click “Order Pictures and Yearbooks”
17th Annual Fun Run Fundraiser
Sept 19th, 1 pm - 3 pm
Let’s Have a Party! Come celebrate with us & be sure to gather your pledges from friends and family!
Students may obtain pledges per lap or donations. On the day of the Fun Run, they will run laps around the playground while listening to music and dashing with a fun smile and celebrate our 135 years of TLS and 145 years of Trinity Lutheran Church. See below for more information about the rest of the anniversary celebrations happening that weekend.
Our goal this year is to have 100% student participation and to raise $20,000. Monies raised help pay for many items needed for our students.
PTL will provide a free water bottle to each student and will sell treats and Gatorade at a concessions stand.
Volunteers will be needed. Check out the SignUp Genius created by the PTL that was sent out to sign up where you can help: Fun Run
We hope you can join us for this fun event!
Be Ready for Some Fun at the FUN RUN!!!
DON’T FORGET: hold onto your sponsor sheet so you can write down your total laps at the top after you are done running on Friday. You can turn your completed sponsor sheet (completed means all money collected) next week but all sponsor sheets and money MUST be in by September 29th to count towards your class average for the winning classroom calculation.
MAJOR REMINDERS & Key Points
Please try to use Procare to send a message regarding students being absent. Remember when sending a message, to make sure it is clear when the student will be absent by using dates and times. Right now, we are waiting on some repairs of some of our technology so you cannot be let in unless someone is in the office. So in order to let you in properly, we need to know the date and time. Helps reduce confusion as well. Your time is pressure and our time is pressure so we are trying to be as efficient as possible.
Athletic Calendar which can be found HERE.
Our doors open at 8:10 am - 8:20 am. All K-8 students here before 8:10 am must enter via the gym door. The gym door is open, from 7:00 am - 8:20 am. You may have to tug a little harder but it should be open. Some quality control checking will be happening tomorrow.
At the end of the day, doors open at 3:05 pm. We encourage you to wait outside for your child to ease congestion in our hallways.
If you come in the building during school hours, you must sign in at the office. This is a requirement, not a suggestion.
If children are being picked up during the day they MUST be signed out in the office. Do not go searching the school for your child(ren).
Even if family members are “approved” for pick up, we still need to be notified when someone other than their parent/guardian is picking them up. Having them approved just means we have all the information we need from them ahead of time.
DO NOT share your door codes and please DO NOT use someone else’s door code. I will deactivate your code if I see they are being abused.
TECHNOLOGY CORNER:
PRINCIPAL’S EDITION
Anxious Generation - Technology Effect on our Kids
The Anxious Generation is a book that uses scientific studies to show the effects that smart phones and social media are having on our children today. I plan to highlight some information from the book in the Trinity Tidings throughout this school year. If you would like more information, I strongly suggest reading the book or listening to the audio book.
The author Jonathan Haidt talks about the great rewiring of childhood starting in 2010. From 2010 on, children and teenagers owned smart phones and had continuous access to social media. Prior to 2010 a majority of children and teenagers did not have this access, and their childhoods and teen years were vastly different.
The first generations of Americans who went through puberty with smartphones (and the entire internet) in their hands became more anxious, depressed, self-harming, and suicidal.
The tidal wave of anxiety, depression, and self-harm hit girls harder than boys, and it hit preteen girls the hardest.
Parents will make the decision of when they want their child to have a phone and what access to social media, they will allow their child to have. We want parents to have information from scientific studies in their hands so they can make the best decision for their child.
IN SEARCH FOR USED KEYBOARDS
Our 4th Grade Piano class is looking for two more used keyboards that can be loaned out for some students to practice at home for the school year. Please contact the school if you have one available
5th - 8th Grade Students CONFIRMATION
Confirmation Service Hours and Acolyte Sign Up is ready on the Church Website. Click the logo!
COME CHEER ON THE CARDINALS!
Come watch students play volleyball and soccer during September & October! Encourage your children to cheer their classmates on, even if they aren’t playing! It’s a great way to show support to our school by supporting them on the court and field. Go CARDS!
REFEREES NEEDED
We need a Soccer Referee!
Please pass along the sign up to them if you know anyone OR if you have experience don’t hesitate! Referee's are hard to come by for both sports.
Click the photo to be taken to the sign up for all our upcoming home games.
Check out the sign up for concession stand shifts, line judges and score keepers by click on the popcorn below!
PLEASE JOIN US THIS SATURDAY!
1 pm - 6 pm at the school playground!
Sunday - Tent Service at 10 am.
LOOKING FORWARD
NWEA Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) Testing will take place on and off from September 15-26 for grades K-8. Please be sure your children have healthy breakfasts and adequate sleep. A pep talk about not rushing and reading through the questions carefully would also be appreciated!
MAP Testing presents students with engaging, age-appropriate content. As a student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty. As students answer a question correctly, they get a question of higher difficulty. If the students do not correctly answer the question, the next question will be a little lower in difficulty. Through this process, we will get a better idea of what the student knows. This results in a rewarding experience for the student, and a wealth of detailed information for teachers, parents, and administrators.
1st Quarter Midterm is Friday, Sept 26th. Third - eighth grade can expect a midterm report card the following week. First official Parent - Teacher Conferences are at the end of the first quarter, the first week of November.
FIELD TRIPS ON THE HORIZSON - Watch their folders and information from their teachers coming soon.
3rd & 4th will be doing a field trip to FARMAMERICA on October 3rd..
4th Grade will be going to History Fest on Oct 9th
Preschool will visit Autumn Acres on Oct 9th.
LET’S SMILE CLINIC in October - Forms will be sent home in a couple weeks to register your child for a free dental visit.
UPCOMING EVENTS!!! See Calendar below! You can also check out the Google Calendar under Parents > School Calendar to subscribe.
PUFFIN ORDER PICKUP TODAY AFTER SCHOOL UNTIL 5 pm
You found it! Congrats on reading the newsletter. Send an email to tlsinfo@trinityjanesville.com with subject Jesus Loves Me to be entered for a prize. Prize drawing will happen mid October.
TEACHER FEATURE
Middle School Science has looked like discovering rocks and the earth’s crust. 5th Graders have learned about the Rock Cycle and 6-8th have made their own volcano and created an eruption.
Parent Corner
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Parent Corner +++
NEED PARENT SERVICE HOURS?
Trinity Lutheran School would not run or function without our families and all your hard work! We strive on showing our students a great work ethic and a drive to help and volunteer! Because of this, we ask that each family completes 10 hours of volunteer hours throughout the school year (if you only have a child in the Preschool, we only ask you complete 5 hours). Many events put on by PTL, Athletics and just helping around at the school provide plenty of opportunity to help out! Please don’t hesitate to check out the volunteer page on the website: https://seal-leopard-8yt2.squarespace.com/volunteer
CLICK HERE
DOOR CODES
IF you are not picking your child up and someone else on your list is, please let us know ahead of time so we can get them a door code. If you did not get a code and your child is not a regular, please contact the office for a code BEFORE your child will be attending SAC.
Preschool Parents, PLEASE USE YOUR code before school (before 8:10 am) and after school (after 3:15 pm). The teachers should not and cannot leave the students they are in charge of to open the door.
SAC Parents, your door code is only useable during PM SAC hours. If you are coming to the school for any other reason at any other time, you will need to ring the doorbell. This is for your child’s safety.
COMING SOON: SAC will use the SIDE door, the old “SAC Door” - currently there is a key pad there but the door is waiting on a part for it to fully function. Please use the front door or gym door still until further notice. When that door is finished, you’ll have access to the SAC door and the Gym door only instead.
TECH GUIDES
Need help setting some technology limits for your kids? We highly encourage it but sometimes its hard to know where to start. https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog/4-essential-tech-guides Contains lots of information, even links to four other blogs about helping setting policies for your children on tech.
GOT PHOTOS?
Google Photo Album
We want to make photos that you’ve taken and others have taken shareable among families! Please share pictures you’ve taken at our events or with your child’s classroom to our yearly Google Photo Album. This album is only accessible if you have this link. Click the red button below to access the album.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Janesville Library Events
