TPCA NIFTY NEWS
December 3, 2015
2nd Grade Fairy Tale theater
3rd grade Thanksgiving breakfast
Biology I modeling
Productive Struggle = GRIT for the Long Haul
Ron Evans, our Head of School, shared an article from Psychology Today by Peter Gray, Ph.D, titled Declining Student Resilience: A Growing Problem for Colleges. If you have children (or know any), the stories Dr. Gray shares will seem all too familiar. Please CLICK HERE to check out this article to have a better understanding of why Traders Point wants our students to develop grit and why you should consider how you can help them at home, too. True Grit isn't just a movie - it's necessary for our children to lead healthy, productive lives serving Christ.
May the Feast Be With You!
Communication 101: There's a Wrong Way, and a Biblical Way to Do It
With all the communication that is sent and received here at Traders Point, the semester end seemed a good time to share a few thoughts on the topic.
Voicemail, cell phones and the web have changed everything. Primary responsibility for communication used to rest with the person reaching out; it now rests with the person being reached. Nothing keeps us from sending a message - the recipient doesn't even have to be on the same continent. But the expectation for response has become ridiculous. If folks don't respond within "x" minutes the sender re-sends, gets impatient, misinterprets that the receiver is angry...or worse. What a mess!
We so easily become frustrated with daily life, challenges, that car that cut us off, some decision the teacher or school made. And it is equally easy to vent in an instant on social media, with friends at coffee, in the parking lot. We've likely all experienced this in some way or other. Doesn't it normally leave a sick feeling in the pit of your belly?
What is the better way, the biblical way, to communicate? As always, Jesus has something to say about this - see this verse through the apostle, Paul.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29, ESV
or in other words...
Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Eph 4:29, The Message
Grace. Truth. Love. Check you comments, your actions, your attitude when communicating with others against these three words. Ask yourself a few questions every time to communicate with anyone in any way:
- should I be talking to someone else...instead of talking about someone else?
- are my words encouraging and uplifting...or are they hurtful and destructive?
- am I being truthful in love...or cutting and unkind?
- is this the right time and place...or is this in my time and place?
- does the entire universe need to know what I think...or just the 1-2 folks involved...or maybe no one?
Backdoor smack-downs help nothing and no one. Avoiding needed discussion/conflict accomplishes no healing or growth. Venting online is not in line with biblical thinking. Let's resolve together to encourage everyone in our lives, starting with ourselves, to make sure our words build up, are appropriate in time and place and offer grace. As we celebrate God's greatest gift to mankind let's also offer our communication as a gift to each other.
Communication Survey....
Take our quick survey here: TPCS Communication Survey
Rapid Reminders (things we really want you to remember)
- Happy Hallidays - Friday, December 18 @ 8:30 am
- K-6 Christmas Program - December 7
- JH & HS Christmas Program - December 14
- Christmas Break - December 19 - January 3
- Kindergarten Info Night - January 26 @ 6:30 pm
- Early Childhood NEXT STEP Open House - February 2 @ 6:30 pm
- K-12 NEXT STEP Open House - February 9 @ 6:30 pm
- 2016-2017 Enrollment for current students - February 15 - 29