Holy Trinity Catholic School

Mission

The mission of Holy Trinity School is to create a Christ-centered, academically challenging environment where students learn to know, love and serve God. As a community, we strive to be of service to others. We believe that mutual respect, excellence in education and opportunities to put faith in action foster productive, faithful, responsible Catholic Christians. Our goal as educators is to guide our students to discover and develop their individual gifts and talents to serve the Lord.

Academics

A positive, caring school environment with effective teachers and supportive parents leads to academic success. Holy Trinity School focuses on education by teaching comprehensive lessons, assisting students when needed, providing students with constructive feedback, and holding them accountable for their work. We believe every student is capable of learning and mastering essential skills.

We are proud of our alumni who regularly are in the top 10 at West Catholic and surrounding high schools. We challenge students of all academic ranges. Three times a year, we administer MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing to grades 2-8. This computer adaptive test allows our teachers to develop individualized, differentiated lesson plans to help each student reach their academic goals. Our scores are above national levels and compare with other diocesan schools. A resource room is available for students who require a little more one-on-one instruction. Students are allowed to move forward in subjects they have mastered and those in junior high may advance to courses at West Catholic High School.

Technology plays a role in academic expectations and success. Junior high students use Chromebooks everyday in their learning and exploration and interact with their teachers through Google Classroom. Beginning in preschool, students have access to iPads and our dedicated computer lab. We balance old and new academic strategies as students memorize sight words and math facts, learn print and cursive, and write assignments with paper and pencil.

The teaching staff is the key to the high academic learning at Holy Trinity School. Our teachers are knowledgeable and flexible and use a variety of teaching methods to motivate and encourage collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. We expect our staff as well as our students to excel as 21st century thinkers, learners, and leaders.

Faith

Our goal as educators is to guide our students in their faith as they discover and develop their individual gifts and talents to serve the Lord. Our commitment to our Catholic faith is what sets us apart from other schools. We use the lenses of Scripture and Catholic intellectual tradition in all subjects. Students are taught to think critically about the world around them. Faith traditions are passed on to students as early as preschool with the reading of Bible stories and Kindergarten where songs aide in the memorization of a weekly Bible verse. Faith traditions continue with weekly adoration, praying of the rosary, reconciliation twice a year, routine classroom visits by our priests, and daily prayer. Students participate in Mass once a week and grades 1-8 prepare the Mass and actively participate as servers, ushers, lectors, readers, bell choir, children's choir and offertory procession gift bearers. The students learn the tradition of tithing as they tithe at each weekly Mass. Our Student Council researches charities in our community and beyond and discerns where our alms will most help those in need. Faith is a way of life at Holy Trinity; all we do, we do in Christ’s name.

Extracurriculars

Students are encouraged to develop their gifts and talents and to enhance their creative, social, physical and spiritual capabilities through cocurricular and extracurricular opportunities. An additional benefit of extracurricular activities is that students learn about time management and prioritizing - a lifelong tool.

Among extracurriculars offered are the following: Grades 5-8 participate in athletics through GRACEAC (a diocese-wide consortium) in an array of sports. Students in grades 3-4 participate in Junior Condors to teach basketball skills for a 6-8 week period. Students also have the opportunity to meet athletes in area diocesan schools through youth camps and wrestling offered at West Catholic High School.

Spiritual activities throughout the year include our yearly NET (National Evangelization Teams) retreat, 8th grade confirmation retreat, and 2nd grade first Communion retreat. Students have the opportunity to participate in our annual Advent program, Christmas drama, Easter drama, living Stations of the Cross, angels’ choir, bell choir, and service projects both during school and with parish families through our Strong Catholic Families Program.

Holy Trinity also offers academic competitions such as the Knights of Columbus spelling bee, National Geo Bee, America and Me essay contest, curriculum fair, Science Olympiad, robotics, and Moby Max. The competitions take outside work and study.

Teachers have the opportunity to supplement curriculum with field trips to places such as the state capitol, aeronautics lab, D.J. Angus submarine, ArtPrize, God’s Kitchen, snow shoeing, the Grand Rapids Symphony, and Grade 8 Mystery Trip at end of the year. Teachers plan learning experiences based on their curriculum.

Shared learning experiences include yearbook, talent show, Songfest (musical collaboration of diocesan 4th graders), school publishing center, green school activities, and learning through various art mediums as students create amazing classroom gifts for our annual auction.

Across all disciplines; in the classroom, in church, and on the basketball court, Holy Trinity students search for and develop ideas and skills that make their community and the world a better place.