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In Defense of the Much Maligned Five-Paragraph Essay

Below is recent opinion piece . . . and below that, my response in defense of the much maligned five-paragraph essay.  FOUR CHEERS FOR THE DEATH OF THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY. This is why you shouldn't teach or require it...except, perhaps, as one of a thousand possible organizational forms. Don't take a course based on it. Don't demand it as standard. As the primary model for expression, it short-circuits insight, devalues writing, and gives a cheap highway to conclusion. The five-paragraph essay, bête noire of writing professors, encapsulates this: a straitjacket format never seen in the wild, where actual writers have to be flexible, creative, and intuitive based on genre and audience, the five-paragraph model is wholly artificial. And since the only person who reads it is an adult who holds a grade over the writer’s head, this example of “education folklore” (Warner’s term) socializes students to obsess about grades (which research shows are detrimental to learn...
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Are we "University Model"? No! We're a College-Style School

Po-TAY-toe, po-TAH-toe; to-MAY-toe, to-MAH-toe . . .  does it really matter whether we describe Trinity Prep as a  College-Style School TM  ? Yes, actually, it does! We trademarked the term "College-Style School TM " to identify OUR particular mission, and to one day be able to assist others in establishing a school like Trinity Prep.  We will be able to certify these schools as truly College-Style Schools. It may seem like mere semantics, but  "University Model" is also a trademarked term for another type of part-time school.  So, we never use that term to describe Trinity Prep.   But we are happy for all the families in the DFW Metroplex to have SO MANY educational options for their children. In addition to full-time public schools, there are full-time private schools with a wide variety of priorities and programs.  Some focus on offering a rigorous academic program; others focus on sports; others serve particular populations of l...
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Did You Know: 529 Plans Can Be Used for K-12 Tuition

Many families have opened 529 Savings Plans for college - but did you know you can use those tax-exempt earnings for K-12 tuition, too? Thanks to a new law sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz, parents can save for tuition for private schools.  That eases the burden of private school tuition a bit! Read below for more information.  And as always with financial planning, we at Trinity Prep cannot offer legal or financial advice, so we are just making you aware of this option.  You can spend up to $10,000 from a 529 Savings account per year.  The money you place in the 529 account is after-tax dollars, but all earnings on that account are tax-exempt. https://www.edchoice.org/blog/can-i-use-a-529-plan-for-k-12-expenses/ https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/using-a-529-plan-to-pay-for-k-12-these-states-offer-tax-benefits
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Swimming Against the Tide: Our Low Tech Environment

Trinity Prep: Purposely Low Tech At Trinity Prep, our emphasis is NOT on placing every student in front of a screen, or sending them home with the latest in tablet technology.  And, we are quite purposeful about this.  Why do we do it? Today’s students are the Digital Generation.  Their lives are interwoven with technology at every turn.  Teens carry a mini-computer – their smart phone – with them throughout their day. They connect with each other via snapchat, tweet, text or other apps.  Even research for a school project consists of googling for info and following where those results lead. In short, our teens especially, but all of our children, live in a digital world. At Trinity Prep, we want to connect them in more important ways – with each other, in real interaction.  Because our students spend two days each week with their classmates at Trinity Prep, our focus is not on providing technology during that time. The other five days of the week ...
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Dual Credit at Trinity Prep

How do students earn dual credit at Trinity Prep?  Via TWO pathways: I.    Tests:  AP, CLEP, or SAT II. II.   Online Courses with our academic partners.  All dual credit (DC) classes are an asset to a student’s high school experiences and transcript.  But not all colleges will award college credit for them.   Even colleges that will award credit will not necessarily apply them to the degree plan.  The more selective the college, the less likely they are to recognize for dual credit work for college credit.  But all state universities in TX do accept AP/CLEP test scores for college credit.  The acceptance rate ranges from just a few AP tests at UT in Austin to all AP and CLEP tests accepted at UT-Arlington and other smaller state schools.  In other words, it varies, but our students are very likely to earn credit based on a passing score on an AP or CLEP exam. Whether the DC is obtained at a community college, on...
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A Student's Essay on Our Hybrid Model

Recently Mrs. Turner, one of our high school English teachers, shared a student's essay with me.  He chose to write about the benefits of attending a 'hybrid' school such as Trinity Prep. (We are the founders of the  College-Style School TM   model.) I was blessed to read this student's unsolicited praise for the solution that a CSS provides.  He has attended full-time schools and as been a full-time homeschooler, and he identifies the advantage of our model which combines the best of both worlds.  Read on for this student's thoughtful testimonial! "English Student" Mrs. Turner English 1 9th grade 1-17-19 The Schooling of the People What is the best way to school your child? With so many schooling options now, there are many ways you can go about schooling. You can go to public school, private school, online school, or homeschool, and get close to the same education at each. Although all these are options, it really comes down to one majo...
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You Have Questions, We Have Answers

You get questions.  We have answers.  ☺ You may talking to friends, or be on social media, and encounter questions about Trinity Prep.  Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions.  If you get a question you can’t answer, post our general information email address:  information@trinityprepkeller.org.  We'll answer their questions. That is also the email they may use to schedule a visit. What is Trinity Prep – would I call it a co-op? No.  We are not a homeschool co-op, where parents teach each other’s children, although co-ops are wonderful!  We are also not a “University Model school” (that’s a trademarked term, so we don’t ever use it!)  We have our own trademark:  We are a College-Style School™.  We are truly a two-day school. Why is there a For Sale sign in front of the campus?  What is going to happen to Trinity Prep, and when?   Trinity Prep will stay where we are for the next sch...
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