Williston Trinity Christian School

Are you looking for a fun night out? Look no further than the WTCS Spring Banquet & Live/Silent Auction on Saturday, April 17th! Tickets are $30 per person and are available at Williston Trinity Christian School. Stop by the school office or go online to purchase your tickets today – wtcsnd.org!

Doors open at 4:30pm to give you time to check out the many silent auction items & baskets. Also purchase a bracelet for the “Heads or Tails” game later in the evening. Then make sure you have your bidding number for the live auction portion of the night!

Items include:

• 1 week stay in 4 bedroom Florida home (with private pool)
• 5-day/4-night stay at Red Lodge Cabin (summer or winter package)
• Arizona Getaway with Timeshare, Hot Air Balloon Ride & more
• 1-week Camping at White Earth Bay (includes $1,000 boat or jet ski rental credit)
• Traegar Pro Bronze Wood Pellet Smoker & Accessories
• Pit Boss Pellet Smoker
• PacMan Arcade Table
• Kate Spade handbags
• Razor Electric Scooters
• Ultimate Date Night Package
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

The fun night continues with our special guest Mr. Gordon Douglas – famed comedian who weaves his unique ability to connect with everyone from teenagers to senior citizens. Gordon’s comedy mixes real life stories with “off the wall” physical comedy and his own hilarious view of life. With genuine humility, honesty, and passion Gordon often weaves life lessons into his programs of the things he’s learned in the ordinary and often painful events in his life. Gordon’s unique home offers hours of comedy material and inspiration for living life to the fullest.

2021-2022 Registration for Preschool through 12th Grade OPENS TO THE PUBLIC on Tuesday, February 2nd @ 8:30am (in-person only). Registration forms available online at wtcsnd.org, or stop by the school office.

What can WTCS offer your child(ren)?

Preschool

• Preschool is for children who have turned three years old by August 1, 2021.  This program meets twice a week, on Monday & Friday, from either 8:30-11:00am or 12:30-3:00pm.  Class size is a maximum of 16 students with one teacher and an aide.

Prekindergarten

• Prekindergarten is for children who have turned four years old by August 1, 2021.  This program meets either 5 days a week (M-F) or 3 days a week (T/W/Th) in either the mornings (8:30-11:30am) or afternoons (12:30-3:30pm).  Class size is a maximum of 16 students with one teacher and an aide.

Kindergarten

• Kindergarten is for children who have turned five years old by August 1, 2021.  Students do not need to have been enrolled in preschool/prek to attend kindergarten.  This program meets 5 days a week (M-F) from 8:30am until 3:00pm.  Class size is a maximum of 20 students with one teacher and an aide.

Elementary

• 1st grade through 5th grade meet from 8:20am until 3:20pm.  Class size is a maximum of 24 students to one teacher.  The average class size currently is 17 students.  Elementary students attend Art, Spanish, Music (recorder at 4th grade, band/strings at 5th grade) and Physical Education each week.  Other features include a huge playground for recess (3x per day), expansive gymnasium (for PE class, indoor recess, concerts, etc.), library, homemade lunches, and much more!

Middle & High School

• 6th grade through 12th grade meet from 8:00am until 3:36pm.  Class size is a maximum of 24 students.  The average class size currently is 13 students.  Middle and High School students have 8 periods in their day including core classes (English, Science, Math, History, Bible) and electives (Band, Choir, PE, Art, Spanish, Internships, and many more options).  Other features include science lab, expansive gymnasium (for PE class, concerts, plays, pep rallies, sports, and much more!).

Chapel, once a week. 

• Elementary meets each Tuesday; grades 6-12 meet each Thursday.  A variety of speakers are invited into the school each week, including area pastors, WTCS alumni, staff members, and more.

Orchestra, Strings, Band & Choir

Art & Physical Education

Robotics Program, 4th-12th Grade

Spanish offered Preschool-12th Grade

Low Student-to-Teacher Ratios

Family-like Atmosphere

Check us out TODAY!

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Tues., January 5, 2021: Mrs. Johnson led chapel today.  The lesson was on the importance of reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word.  Mrs. Johnson reviewed all the pieces in the Armor of God.  (The students did a really good job remembering them as she reviewed them.  The Armor of God verses are found in Ephesians 6:10-18.  Look them up and see if your student can list them for you.) 

The piece of armor that Mrs. Johnson focused the lesson on was the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.  She reminded the students that God’s Word is the weapon we use to come against the enemy.  She encouraged them to memorize scripture so they can have their spiritual sword ready, even when they don’t have a physical Bible with them.

Two of the sixth grade students came to chapel and recited a long passage of scripture they had memorized before the Christmas break.  Mrs. Johnson told the students about the January Scripture Memory Challenge, which is to memorize 10 verses on the character of God.  (Each student should have received an orange paper with details about the challenge and the list of  verses on it.)  The students sang several songs during chapel that were scripture verses set to music.  This is such a great way to memorize, and most of them had at least two verses memorized just from the 45 minute chapel time today!

Offering: WTCS sponsors 3 boys through the ministry of Compassion International.  When you bring offering to chapel, that offering goes toward the sponsorship of Jipson, Kelvin, and Carl.  Can you bring a quarter or a dollar next week?  God will use every cent to help these boys.

Prayer Focus: The students prayed for our nation today in chapel.  Please continue to be in prayer this week for our country and for our governmental leaders.  Pray for wisdom and discernment.  Pray for God’s will to be accomplished. Also pray that God’s people will seek Him in prayer, trust Him fully, and that believers will be reflections of Jesus to those around them by the way they speak and act.

Today’s staff spotlight features WTCS Art Teacher Ms. Sophie Thorsen.  This is her first year at Williston Trinity Christian School.  Ms. Thorsen is from Huntsville, Alabama, the “Rocket City”.  Ms. Thorsen has four older sisters and a younger brother.  She graduated from Westminster Christian Academy in Huntsville.  She then went on to Concordia University-Nebraska where she majored in K-12 Art History. 

Ms. Thorsen is inspired by the older women in her life who love the Lord with a passion and are not afraid to show it.  She is also inspired by people who are passionate about their art work and the art world.  What makes her CRU proud?  “It makes me proud to see how much everyone cares for each other, especially the staff.  The staff do an amazing job caring for the students as well as each other.”

1. What led you to work in your field? I love art, so I wanted to do something art-related.  Both of my parents were/are teachers; they inspired me.  Also, I knew teaching would be a good way to share God’s love with others.
2. What was your first job? I was the junior high/high school art teacher at Rockford Lutheran High School in Rockford, IL.
3. What are your hobbies & interests? I like to read.  My favorite genres are Christian romance, classics, and occasionally some young adult fiction.
4. What did you name your first car & what was it? My first car is an Acura MDX.  Her name is “Big Momma”.
5. Which skill would you love to learn? I would love to learn glass blowing and stained glass.
6. What is your catchphrase, or a word you say a lot? It looks fine.
7. What is on your bucket list? To one day live in Norway and visit Greece.  I also want to be a flight attendant one day.

“There are many reasons we choose to send our kids to Trinity, but the most important reason is that we are doing it out of obedience to the Lord.  We prayed long and hard before our children started school, and God very clearly put Trinity in our path and continues to make it clear that this is where our kids belong.  Having our kids at Trinity gives them the opportunity to be educated in a “spiritual boot camp” environment to help prepare them for the spiritual battles they will face in their lives.  One of the prayers we pray over our kids often is that they will grow to know God and His voice, and it just makes sense to us to send them to school in a place where God is given glory and acknowledged in every aspect of their education.

The three places we spend the majority of our time are home, school, and church.  Because we have chosen Christian education, our children are able to see that these three places are all giving them the same message: God needs to be central to everything in their lives.  It is a blessing to know that our children spend time in Bible class daily and go to chapel weekly, but it is an even greater blessing to know that they are learning history and science through a Biblical lens and to know that in their reading lessons, Bible stories are used and God’s values and morals are taught.   “God things” aren’t separate from academic things.  They are seeing God in academics. 

In addition to all of that, the people who are investing into our children are wonderful and it is obvious that they truly care about our kids by the many ways they go above and beyond as they do their jobs.  It is wonderful to have our kids educated in a smaller school atmosphere where we have many opportunities to be involved and get to know the people who have so much influence over our children.  It feels like a family and we really like that.

And when I was trying to come up with one word about Trinity, I had to make it two words.  “Worth it” is how I would describe our experience at Trinity.  It is a sacrifice, but it is so worth it.  It does cost us, but we know the investment is well worth it in light of eternity.”

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your support of Williston Trinity Christian School & Christian education in Western North Dakota! With the money raised online through the wreath auction, our teachers will be able to purchase some items from their wishlists. THANK YOU!

Teacher Feature is WTCS 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Hailey Smith. This is Mrs. Smith’s 3rd year at WTCS; she started teaching here in the fall of 2018.

Mrs. Smith was born and raised in Williston, ND. She attended Williston State College, then Minot State University where she received her Bachelor in Education. When asked what led her to work in her field, she replied with, “My 5th grade teacher 😊 And a love for those light bulb moments.”

Mrs. Smith is married to her husband, Zachary. They welcomed their first child, Samuel Zachary Smith, on Nov. 15, 2020. He was 6lbs. 11oz. & 20.5 inches long! Congrats Smith Family!

What make Mrs. Smith CRU proud? “Seeing how inclusive the students are with one another.”

Here are some more fun facts about Mrs. Smith:

1.  What was your first job?  Babysitting.  But my first paycheck came from working the front desk at my dance studio, EDE.
2. What did you name your first car & what was it?  “John Luke” was a Honda Accord.  (I was obsessed with Duck Dynasty.)
3. What skill would you love to learn?  Baking from scratch.
4. You might not know this about me:  I took 4 years of German and spent a month as an exchange student living in Germany & traveling to Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, & London.
5. Hobbies & interests:  Photography, fishing, spending time with family and my dogs.
6. What is on your bucket list?  Camp at every state & national park.
7. Words of wisdom to live by?  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  -1^st Peter 5:7.

For the past few years, the WTCS office has put together a calendar of Christmas activities for all of our students & staff. The 12 Days of Christmas calendar went home this week with students. Take a look & get in on all the Christmas Cheer!!