Let's Talk TCA Podcast - TopPodcast.com

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Finding TCA: Sara Furlich Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

On today's podcast episode, we have educational consultant and TCA parent Sara Furlich talking about why she and her husband Mike chose TCA for their eighth-grade daughter who is new to TCA this year.

Sara is an educational consultant who helps families find the right school by weighing their pros and cons to find a community that they can connect to and where their children can thrive. Sara specializes in helping students with learning differences but helps all types of students and knows a lot about the schools in the area and what they offer.

Sara's daughter was previously spending many hours in the gym as a competitive gymnast and was in a university model school. When it came time for them to look at a traditional school setting, they knew they wanted a school with high academic expectations and rigor, but they also wanted a school that offered more social opportunities and balanced life.

TCA has sought to allow its students to have balanced lives. While there is a fair amount of homework, you do see kids choosing to be involved in various activities, which tells Sara the students are not overwhelmed. She wanted to see her daughter's vivacious personality be preserved and not dampened. She was also looking for a welcoming culture where students are welcomed at various grade levels.

From the beginning TCA seemed to fit from a personality standpoint; they know she could feel and be herself here. It was hard to consider not graduating from the public school where her sisters went to school, but in a post-COVID world, our public schools are having to deal with new issues, teachers are worn out, and their particular school area was dealing with some overcrowding.

As a professional, when Sara takes school administrators to visit TCA, they consistently make comments about the energy of the teachers and how engaged they are as well as how kind and respectful the student body genuinely is. They see joyfulness in the classroom. Her husband mentioned how impressed he was at Mini School Night and how teachers teacher were able to articulate their educational philosophy and why they choose to invest in TCA.

From the curriculum side and her "mom" perspective, the Middle School has a built-in study hall that has been amazing! Her daughter is also in the Learning Lab which allows her to have accommodations.

As an educator, Sara loves that TCA integrates history and English as well as a focus on writing, which requires much vertical planning on how to build these skills from kindergarten on up. By the time kids get through Upper School, they are ready for college.

Literature was also an influential factor, as she wants to see students reading whole books, not abridged versions. The conversations that happen in class, the integration of a Biblical world view and the Middle School Latin curriculum also impacted their decision.

TCA has multiple paths for math to allow students to choose options. TCA has a long history of providing accommodations through the Learning Lab, and there is a culture where it is embraced.

TCA has been very intentional about reaching out to new families, and communication has been amazing. The school let them know right away about different tryouts and other ways to get connected.

Sara's advice for those looking at a private school is to pick a community that is a good fit. Students will always do better when they are thriving socially and emotionally first. There are times you may want something for your child, but you need to consider how God has wired them. Pick a school where the philosophy and message resonate with you.

Dr. Jeff Williams – First 90 Days at TCA Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

On today's episode, we have Dr. Jeff Williams on the podcast talking about his first 90 days at TCA. He's excited to be back in Dallas, which he considers home, and to TCA, which was monumental in his life.

Dr. Williams says one of the highlights of his first 90 days is being around the people at TCA. The faculty and staff at TCA are gifted and love their jobs and the kids. He has loved going to the pep rallies, athletic events, and fine arts productions, and being back in the classroom and observing the excellence that is taking place there is amazing.

TCA has changed from when he was a student in that the campus is bigger, and we have more students, the strength of the school, and the caliber of faculty and staff on campus.

Dr. Williams feels his role is to cast vision and uphold the school's mission. Part of this is meeting with faculty and staff at least once a month. During these meetings, he is sharing things he has noticed around campus that uphold our core values: excellence, Christ-centered, tradition and community.

Cynthia asked Dr. Williams about his approach in his first year. He knows that he is ambitious and competitive. His biggest prayer is God's timing and that he would move at the right pace and build trust within the community to get a good pulse on what's going great and what needs attention.

During his first 90 days, he's focused on meeting people, having conversations, making notes and observing. Dr. Williams encourages parents that behind-the-scenes faculty, staff and coaches are developing children for the glory of God and fulfilling the school's mission. He's had impactful moments with students this fall: from having seniors leading devotionals at the Board of Trustees meeting to challenging our PreK classes to encourage and build up one another.

Please continue to use your prayer guide to pray for the school. Consider how you are building into the community at TCA. We are stronger together than we are apart. Also, pray for wisdom and discernment for Dr. Williams as he moves forward.

Finding TCA: Heather Appel Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

Today on the podcast, our host Cynthia Yanof speaks with TCA parent Heather Appel about the TCA community, how they found the school, and what she and her family love most!

Heather tells us about how her son asked where the chapel was at their public school after the kindergarten roundup and how he told her that he wanted to be able to pray at school. This kicked off their search for a Christian school.

TCA's Christ-centered approach and academic excellence drew them in. But one of the biggest, unexpected blessings of the school has been the TCA community and the lifelong friendships that have blossomed both in the classroom and at outside activities.

Heather tells about a friend's daughter who came to TCA as a junior and has also experienced the warmth and connection of the students in the Upper School.

As a sub, Heather says it is amazing how the students in the Lower School share prayer requests and are openly praying for one another. From her experience, it is evident how the school is developing the whole child. Her favorite day in the Lower School is the Kindergarten French Café event. In Middle School, she is most impressed by the teachers and their approach to our kids and meeting them where they are in the awkward middle school years.

Her advice to prospective parents is to embrace the uniqueness of TCA. Today's culture tells us one thing, but TCA encourages children to do the right thing. For veteran TCA parents, Heather reminds us not to take the MPACT prayer group for granted.

Keeping Students Safe at TCA Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast episode, our host Cynthia Yanof speaks with TCA Director of Campus Security David Smith. We learn about TCA's multilayer approach to keeping students safe, but even more, we hear his Campus Safety Team's commitment to our school. David Smith started at TCA in April 2018 and is a retired Dallas police officer with 32 years of experience in law enforcement. School safety has changed over the last 15 to 20 years, and the emphasis on safety has increased. Safety is extremely important to parents and our school administration. Campus safety and security begin with praying over our school, but we cannot be naïve; we must also be prepared.

Because of the types of families at TCA, David says this changes his team's role from policing kids to protecting them.

We have an Addison police officer on campus from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Campus Safety Team has grown, and we now have five full-time and one part-time employees who are all retired Dallas police officers. The combined experience of this team is over 150 years. The team is visible on campus in carpool and throughout the day.

We have a new campus fence that will protect our campus after hours and during the day. The gate will help us provide safety and security on campus. All building doors on campus are locked as well. MS and US students have access cards or devices to access the doors. All LS students are escorted across campus. Visitors to campus must sign in and wear a name badge on campus. All classrooms can also be secured as well.

We have a layered communications approach which includes training for all TCA employees with access to the PA system. The Campus Safety Team also monitors communication across campus, and TCA uses an emergency communications app and panic button through Titan HST. It is an invaluable communication tool for our campus. The safety attitude of the team is that they are the spear and the shield. They will put their lives on the line and put themselves in harm's way to neutralize any threat on campus and to keep our students safe. Please reach out to David Smith with any safety concerns.

Girls Athletics at TCA Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

On today's episode of the TCA podcast, our host Cynthia Yanof speaks with the Girls' Athletic Director and Varsity Basketball Coach Jeff Smith and Varsity Volleyball Coach Steve Collins to hear all about the girls' sports at TCA and about the varsity volleyball season. Jeff tells us about TCA's philosophy for girls' sports and how he works to advocate for girls' teams and ensure the programs get what they need. TCA's commitment to hiring great coaches and developing character through our programs sets us apart. TCA encourages girls to play multiple sports, leading to better athletes and helping our teams compete better. Our girls love to have fun with their teammates. The varsity basketball team is a young team but will return players Grace Leverton and Sophia Miller. There is a new TAPPS playoff format for basketball, and even though we are in a tough district, we are looking forward to a good season. The off-season starts after Labor Day and the the season starts in November. Steve Collins was a college baseball player but first played volleyball during high school in Singapore. His interest in volleyball continued with playing in USAV, and then he got into coaching.

Volleyball tryouts began on August 1, and the season started quickly after. The varsity team plays 35-40 games during the season and about 20 games in the preseason. The team has already competed in several tournaments before school started. Coaching with Steve is Carlos Rosado, who is the assistant varsity coach; he grew up playing volleyball in Puerto Rico and played in college there. TCA's JV coach is Carlos Luna. He has played volleyball professionally and also in the Beijing Olympics. Our district is very competitive, and the team must play its best to win – there are no easy games. But that intensity builds and drives the energy for practice and the next game. Steve's favorite thing about coaching at TCA is the blending of academics, Christianity, and athletics. He asks Senior players to step up and lead the team. Encouraging them to communicate the standards and traditions to the younger players. The players develop the program with the coach's guidance. Some volleyball players play on a club team, but about half play other sports at school. For parents of younger girls interested in volleyball, Steve encourages playing volleyball either on the rec level or club level. There are many places to get involved in the sport throughout DFW. To wrap up, Jeff lists the girls' sports offered at TCA, including volleyball, basketball, dance, cheer, golf, softball, swimming, track, cross country and tennis. Jeff has an open-door policy stop by if you have a question or email him at jsmith@trinitychristian.org

Our varsity volleyball season is underway. Come out and support our athletes! See the game schedule below: https://www.trinitychristian.org/athletics/teams-schedules/t/~athletics-team-id/138

Trojan Football 2022 Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, our podcast host Cynthia Yanof connects with Head Football Coach Steve Hayes about the upcoming season. We hear about the Trojan football program, the theme for 2022, the players we have this year, our new division, and our coaching staff. The theme for this year is Fear No Man. The players, after the spring game, vote on the theme. The theme gives the coaches guidance on how to coach the boys. This theme has two components: 1) You have to be in the right relationship with the Lord. This places the emphasis on the kids' hearts and their relationship with Christ. 2) To have no fear, you must be extremely well prepared.

The coaching staff read the book Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson this summer. The team is divided into families; each coach prays for the athletes in their family group throughout the season. Coaches are very intentional about praying for players, and Coach Hayes believes when we pray, good things happen. TCA football has six core values, one of which is that we are called to be standard chasers, not rule followers. God created us to excel and not be average. We want our kids to know they have what it takes and that high expectations require high commitment and sacrifice. This year's team is a young team. We had a lot of success last year and graduated many seniors. We have fourteen seniors this year, many of whom started last year, but we will see many new faces on the field this fall. We have talented juniors and sophomores. We had 45 college recruiters come through our program last spring is a good indication of the talent you have on the team. We have a good offensive line, a good running back core, and, with the addition of Defensive Coordinator Reid Waller, our defense has made huge strides and will be good this year. We have been in TAPPS Division 5 for the last two years, and this year we have moved back to Division 1, which includes schools with the largest enrollment in the state. Our district includes Nolan, Parish, Prestonwood, and Bishop Lynch. It will be a very competitive schedule this year, and our goal is to win the state championship. Our first game against ESD is on August 26 at 7 p.m. at Tom Landry Stadium. We have five home games and five on the road with one big road trip to Ft. Bend Christian. We have ten varsity football coaches on our staff. Five of these coaches have been successful head coaches in other programs. The faith and testimonies of our coaches are incredible, as well as their ability to coach and mentor kids. You should be excited about this program if you have sons in TCA athletics. We highly encourage boys to play multiple sports. It is good for kids to be able to experience as much as possible and represent the mission of the school well.

Parents with children should be watching the leadership they put their kids under. We are limited on how long we can be an athlete, but athletics' impact on our character is lasting. We want our parents to live out the culture of our school. This is life-giving to the school and those around us.

Come out and cheer loud at the games and celebrate on the field after the games! We do that better than any other school. This is Coach Hayes' third season back at TCA. He was also here from 2004 through 2014. His wife Mendy teaches in Frisco, and they have a daughter who is a TCA freshman on the volleyball team. He has two older married kids, and both are expecting babies next year which will be Coach Hayes' first grandchildren! See the season schedule here: https://www.trinitychristian.org/athletics/teams-schedules/t/~athletics-team-id/132 Follow TCA Athletics on Twitter: @TCA_Addison Is there a topic you'd like to discuss on the podcast? Send your ideas and feedback to: podcast@trinitychristian.org

Navigating Tech at School and at Home May 24, 2022

Show notes

Today we have Melissa Neatherlin on the podcast. She is the Director of Educational Technology Integration at TCA. She and her husband, Rob, have two boys who attend TCA.

TCA has a 1:1 program called e4 which embodies our philosophy which is: TCA will equip our learning community with the technological resources to further engage our students, enhance curriculum and enable all learners to use technology well and wisely.

At TCA, we are purposeful about making technology use meaningful. Students in PreK through eighth-grade use iPads. Upper School students in grades 9-12 use a Microsoft SurfacePro. Lower School children do not take the iPads home and use them only as a supplement in the classroom. In Middle School, students begin to use their iPads daily and integrate technology further into their daily routine.

This gets them ready for the Upper School grades that use a device in most of what they do. We are unique in that we teach both Apple and Microsoft. By slowly and purposefully introducing students to technology teaches balance. Not everything requires technology.

As a parent, one of Melissa's favorite tools is the Common Sense Media website, which she uses as a resource about media. OneNote is one of her favorite educational tools, which is a digital binder of sorts. It helps students stay organized and sharing of content between teachers and students. TCA integrates technology into our curriculum through our Upper School Student Tech Stop Program, which is internationally recognized. The Tech Stop is staffed by students who serve our teachers and other students by troubleshooting and helping with their devices. Students develop customer service skills and serve their peers in this standout program.

Another way we stand out is by monitoring and protecting students on their devices. We closely monitor student online activity and partner with our school heads when intervention may be necessary.

We have a much larger tech team than most schools. We have a strong IT support team that manages daily needs. Still, we also have a technology specialist for each school (lower, middle, upper) that focuses on partnering with teachers to integrate technology into their lessons and providing training throughout the year.

We carefully select and manage our software and spend a lot of time managing our filter. We continue to monitor, block, and restrict as much inappropriate content as possible. This is a good program for us to teach them as they grow and mature to make wise choices. TCA filters all student devices both at home and school. Melissa recommends that parents check in with their kids about their devices, look over their shoulders, check their history and have conversations about what they are doing and how they are using their apps.

She also recommends that parents teach their kids to live in the digital world just as they do in the real world. Parents should take time to have conversations with their children about how to respond when they encounter unwanted content.

Parents need to monitor what their children are watching, playing, and viewing on their devices to keep their children safe at home. Other tips:

Set up a home web filter.
Keep screens in shared areas.
Limit screen time before bed.

Melissa also stresses moderation:

Balance your child's tech diet with both time and content. Use a variety of apps, not just game time.
Set up incentives such as matching reading time with screentime and set tech-free zones.

A few tips on choosing good apps for your child are to read reviews. They are so helpful in finding out if an app is appropriate for your child. For Lower School children, pick interactive apps that encourage problem-solving rather than more passing apps that require tapping and swiping. Games that promote physical activity and teamwork are also great.

Melissa recommends using the restrictions on your iPhone and setting up a child's Apple ID. Game consoles also, have monitoring that you can take advantage of.

Home web filtering is also vital. One monitoring service that Melissa uses is Circle. There are many more great options. Resources for parents are available on the dca@TCA Resource Board. There are great articles and resources for monitoring, filtering, managing phones, and general parenting with technology. Parents can reach Melissa on her TCA email: mneatherlin@trinitychristian.org

Is there a topic you'd like to hear discussed on the podcast? Send your ideas and feedback to podcast@trinitychristian.org

Getting Involved at TCA: What You Need to Know Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

Today we have Camille Walker, the Director of Volunteer Services, and current TCA parent Shawnnah Parrill the incoming PTF president, on the podcast. We are talking all about getting involved at TCA and the role of PTF in our community.

Camille Walker is a TCA alum, a long-time TCA parent, and serves as the Volunteer and Campus Events Director. The philosophy with our parent community has been to make volunteer opportunities available to all TCA moms and dads and to encourage parent connection through volunteering and attendance at campus events such as athletics events such as Friday night football games, mother's luncheons, and even fine art events such as concerts and art shows.

The only mandatory volunteering is for sophomores and their parents. The TCA concessions stands are a fundraiser for the sophomore class and are run by volunteers. Sophomores are required to volunteer 8 hours, and both parents are asked to volunteer for 8 hours.

PTF is TCA's PTA and is called Parent Teacher Fellowship. Every TCA parent, moms and dads, is a member – there are no dues. The PTF serves our parent community and encourages and supports our teachers at TCA.

Shawnnah Parrill is the incoming PTF President. PTF runs many programs at TCA. Next year, as president, she will help coordinate the MPACT Program and Mini School Night receptions.

Noel Pierce will be the Vice President and oversee room moms and hospitality coordinators.

Emily Eubanks will be the secretary and will coordinate the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon, known as FASAL, one of the most loved events, the student Big Game Day event in February, and teacher appreciation throughout the year..

Wendi Byerly will be new on the board and will serve as treasurer. She will be in charge of Uniform Resale.

Here are a few of the programs that fall under PTF:

Room moms: The Room Mother Program is a volunteer opportunity that benefits teachers, students, and the entire school. Each year, over 100 room mothers coordinate mission projects, class parties, luncheons, recognizing teacher birthdays, and many other activities.

MPACT Prayer Ministry: MPACT stands for Moms Praying and Coming together – MPACT volunteer coordinators oversee the grade-level coordinators and plan prayer events throughout the school year. There is school-wide MPACT event on the first day of school each year.

PTF oversees the Mini School Night Receptions and Teacher Appreciation events throughout the year, including the faculty and staff appreciation luncheon in November.

PTF oversees the Hospitality Program that welcomes our new families to the TCA community. We have two Hospitality Chairs, one chair for Lower School and one for middle and upper school. These hospitality chairs coordinate events for new families and students to meet others, get plugged in through the spring and summer, and remain in place as a resource for new families through their first year at TCA.

TCA Uniform Resale is sponsored by PTF and sold through Big Blue – our school store. The money raised from Uniform Resale funds the many excellent PTF programs.

We also have Rebate Programs that create an easy partnership between TCA, Tom Thumb, and Kroger. You can find info on how to sign up on our resource board.

Camille has been both a working mom and a stay-at-home mom and knows that working parents still want to be involved around their work schedules. Many of our volunteer opportunities are structured for the mom or dad that are working but wants to volunteer and be involved.

Volunteer opportunities, PTF information, and MPACT dates and times can be found on the TCA website. TCA parents can access these by logging into the TCA website and clicking Resources. www.trinitychristian.org

Volunteer Now Resource Board
PTF Resource Board
MPACT Rescource Board

The Volunteer Office will be moving to the 6th-grade hallway beginning in August. Stop by and visit Camille and her staff anytime!

The Scoop on Summer@TCA Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

On today's episode, we meet Justin Zappia, our Director of Auxiliary Programs, and learn more about Summer@TCA camps and classes.

Justin and his wife moved to the Dallas area a few years ago for Justin to work at TCA. Justin has a background in the private school world as a classroom teacher, summer camp director, and director of auxiliary programs.

Justin directs programming for TCA's After School Care, Enrichment and summer programs. The Enrichment program was started a few years ago and has greatly expanded its offerings. There are almost 400 students registered for After School classes for mainly the Lower School. Families love the opportunity to have their children involved in these programs after school without having to drive all over Dallas.

https://www.trinitychristian.org/school-life/after-school

In talking about Summer@TCA, camps and classes are both offered! Upper School students are mostly offered classes rather than camps. Classes include College Application Essay Writing, summer reading, technology, computer programming, and art.

For Middle School, we offer not just reading and math classes, but also musical theater and many athletic camps. Football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, softball, cheer, dance, and baseball athletic camps are popular with both Middle and Lower School students.

The Lower School has the most offerings with amazing opportunities this summer including art, cooking, and music camps. STEM summer opportunities include drone programming and obstacle courses, Drobots and robotics, LEGOs, K'NEX as well as multiple StemQuest camps.

One of the biggest draws last summer was our new Trojan Day Camp for kids entering grades K to 4. Kids start the day in large group worship and then go through the day in grade-level groups participating in STEM, art, Bible study, and water activities. They end the day with some fun competition as a big group. Last summer we got great feedback from families about how much they loved the experience for their kids and how their kids grew in their faith as a result of Trojan Day Camp.

All information on Summer@TCA camps and classes is available on our website:

www.trinitychristian.org/summer

Registration begins at the end of March, so start planning your summer now!

Struggles Christian Kids Face with Dr. Ken Wilgus Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Today, in honor of Mental Wellness Month, our podcast host Cynthia Yanof speaks with psychologist Dr. Ken Wilgus about the struggles Christian kids may face.

Dr. Wilgus has been in practice for over thirty years in the DFW area and specializes in the treatment of adolescents and their families. He works with TCA families on a regular basis.

COVID is still contributing to stress in our kids' lives. Don't underestimate the amount of stress our children may be experiencing. If you are concerned about your child's stress level, the last year and a half are not indicative of how our kids will be.

For younger kids, our parental role is teaching. Routines in our families are important including prayer and teaching the faith.

For adolescents, our role shifts to training. Our kids are watching what we are doing as parents, not just what we say.

Dr. Wilgus reminds us to talk to our kids about performance anxiety. With children, we can teach children to let go of performance and shift their mindset. If you have an anxious teen, you may want to take the approach of walking alongside them and coaching them through it versus saying "don't worry about it."

He also reminds us how important it is to encourage children of all ages to engage with friends. We need to teach them the importance of loyalty and investing in one or two close friends. Let your kids be friends with who they connect with naturally. Model the need for connection with your own relationships.

We also hear about Dr. Wilgus' book Feeding the Mouth that Bites You and the theme of how to let go of the reins with teens. Parents may instruct, correct, and teach up until age 13. After age 13, you are parenting a young adult. Give them freedoms and let them begin to manage their own lives including their faith.

Dr. Wilgus also discusses issues our kids struggle with including social justice issues, drug and alcohol use, cutting and suicide, and the discussions we should be having with our teens. Relationships with our children and teens are key to having a voice in their lives. Teach your children, and train and walk alongside your teens.

We also want to remind you that TCA has three school counselors: Emily Eyre (LS), Shawn Ledebur (MS), and Rachel Armstrong (US). Our counselors offer short-term counseling and intervention for students on a variety of topics. They can also provide a list of Christian counselors if long-term counseling is necessary.

Click here for more information: https://www.trinitychristian.org/school-life/social-and-emotional-support Dr. Wilgus' Website: http://www.drwilgus.com/

Feeding the Mouth That Bites You is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Mouth-That-Bites- You/dp/1514762374/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1642094873&sr=

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