December 17, 2020
Greetings families,
I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well. This has truly been a semester like no other. As we are on the eve of celebrating the holiday season with our loved ones, we begin to look back and reflect upon the experiences we all have undergone as a community this past semester. As the world around us continues to ebb and flow with ever changing circumstances, we all have had to adjust and modify our expectations on almost everything we have taken as a given at Archway Trivium East. Questions arise when we think about the challenges we have faced and are continuing to face. How have our teachers been able to devote such meaningful acts of love to our scholars when their classrooms exist in multiple locations, and when they themselves are carrying their own burdens at home? How can our scholars successfully master the carefully chosen curriculum and instructional methods when they are sitting behind a computer or rows of desk shields? How have parents kept graciously adjusting to the whiplash that occurs when students or classes are quarantined, or procedures and practices are modified? How have we continued to maintain our sense of community when we have had to set aside so many of our time-honored community events? The list of questions can go on and on. The challenges seem innumerable, an almost impossible task. Yet, the heart of everyone involved in this endeavor has demonstrated insurmountable courage, fortitude, graciousness, and love. My prayer going back to March of 2020 was that we as a community would come out stronger, hold even more tightly onto the things that are most valuable, and be transformed by the trials around us. I firmly believe, that though will continue to be confronted by new challenges, it has been demonstrated that this prayer is being answered.
Thank you, families, for your trust and patience this past year. I know we talk much about the difficulties our teachers have faced this past few quarters – and they should be rightly acknowledged and praised – but this does not diminish one iota the number of obstacles you have had to overcome to partner with us to make this education available to your students. Being a parent and entrusting your precious child to our care is hard enough, let alone entrusting us with both the health and education of your children in these present circumstances. Thank you, also, for your kindness and generosity expressed in the Snowstorm event for our teachers. For those families who are enrolled in Distance Learning during the second semester, I want to ensure you that you and your scholars will continue to remain Athenians. We will be including you in all future communication, scheduling events that involve the whole community, and developing new ways to bind us together despite some physical distance.
I know it can feel perplexing, at times, why we continue to hold on to this grand project of ours in the midst of these times. C.S. Lewis addressed this question in the midst of the Second World War, when universities were open and the future was uncertain. I will leave us with his words of wisdom as we close this first semester together. I hope they give us each a reminder of our purpose and an opportunity to reflect as we set aside some much needed time together with our loved ones. Happy holidays to all of you, and I look forward to seeing you again in the new year.
“…For that reason I think it important to try to see the present calamity in a true perspective, The war creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with "normal life". Life has never been normal. Even those periods which we think most tranquil, like the nineteenth century, turn out, on closer inspection, to be full of cries, alarms, difficulties, emergencies. Plausible reasons have never been lacking for putting off all merely cultural activities until some imminent danger has been averted or some crying injustice put right. But humanity long ago chose to neglect those plausible reasons. They wanted knowledge and beauty now, and would not wait for the suitable moment that never come. Periclean Athens leaves us not only the Parthenon but, significantly, the Funeral Oration. The insects have chosen a different line: they have sought first the material welfare and security of the hive, and presumable they have their reward. Men are different. They propound mathematical theorems in beleaguered cities, conduct metaphysical arguments in condemned cells, make jokes on scaffold, discuss, the last new poem while advancing to the walls of Quebec, and comb their hair at Thermopylae. This is not panache; it is our nature.”
-C.S. Lewis, Learning in War-Time
With Devotion,
Stephen Philabaum
Headmaster
Archway Trivium East
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Daily, Monday-Friday, resuming January 5 |
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Friday, December 18-Monday, January 4 |
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Last Day to Order Spirit Wear (to be delivered before February Spirit Day)
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School Resumes for Semester 2 In-person K-5 Learners
Half Day Dismissal, 12 PM
(Note: This is a day of 100% Distance Learning at Trivium Prep)
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Parents will receive an email when evaluations are ready to view
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Order your Athenian Spirit Wear by December 25!
Spirit Wear is on-sale now through December 25, featuring our Archway Trivium East Athenian! There are many styles to choose from. Students will have the opportunity to wear these shirts on special days to show their school spirit. Orders will be delivered to the school approximately 4 weeks after the sale ends, in time for our February Spirit Day!
To order, visit:
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Academy Giving Update
In an effort to honor the generous support of our families and create communication efficiencies, effective January 1, 2021, Great Hearts Academies will receipt all charitable gifts made by credit card with automatic emailed receipts issued at the time of the transaction.
Please retain the email you receive for your tax purposes. Please keep all digital receipts, as annual total giving summaries will no longer be provided commencing with the 2021 calendar year.
For the 2020 calendar year, this is a reminder that annual total giving summaries are created based on each academy and will be sent separately.
Contact Stefany Dean at 623-295-4982 with questions.
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Reminder - January 5 is a Half Day for K-5 students
After Winter Break, school will resume with a half day on Tuesday, January 5 for Archway Trivium East K-5 students. As a reminder, half day dismissal is at 12 PM and there is no lunch on half days. The school office will close at 12:30 PM on this day. Please note: This is a full day of 100% Distance Learning for Trivium Prep 6-12 students.
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Quarter 2 Student Evaluations
Student grades for the 2nd Quarter will be available Friday, January 8. At that time, the PowerSchool parent portal will be opened temporarily for you to view your students' report card(s). You will be notified by email on January 8 when evaluations are ready to view.
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Reminder - COVID Guidelines for International Travel
As we are approaching the holiday season and setting our eyes again towards travelling with and to our families, we wanted to send a reminder about International Travel protocols. International Travel includes any country outside of the United States, including Canada and Mexico. If you and your family spend time outside of the country, please notify our Covid Response Coordinator, Cherie Miller, of your travel. Students must stay at home for 10 days after returning home from international travel. Alternatively, your children may come back after receiving a negative Covid-19 test result 5 days or more after returning. Thank you for your understanding and support, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
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Order School Photos
It's not too late to order your school photos! If your student participated in Distance Learner Photo/Retake day today, please visit Grads Photography to order photos.
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Help Make Copies for ATE Staff
ATE parents we have a volunteer opportunity available! This year we will be helping our amazing teachers and staff make copies! If you're interested in volunteering please sign up using the link below. All volunteers must be cleared through the Raptor system to volunteer.
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Happy Birthday!
Join us in wishing "Happy Birthday" to the following Archway Trivium East faculty and staff with recent/upcoming birthdays!
Pilar Garcia - 2B Assistant - January 3
Veronica Neal - ESS Academy Lead - January 7
Deanna Rakoz - KA Assistant - January 8
Stefany Dean - Academy Giving Manager - January 21
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Register Now for the 5th Annual Trivium "Run the Virtues" Fun Run!
We are excited to announce that our annual Trivium "Run the Virtues" race is going VIRTUAL this year! Save the date for Saturday, February 27 and register today! This yearly family fitness event sponsored by our PSOs is a great way to build community among the three Trivium schools. While it may look a little different, we know it will be a great event! There are options for a 5K race or 1-mile fun run. Additionally, if you are interested in a business sponsorship of this event, please reach out to our event coordinator at runthevirtues@gmail.com. Thank you!
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PSO Upcoming Events
Save the date for these PSO events, coming in the spring semester:
- February 8 - PSO Quarterly Meeting via Zoom, 8:30am
- February 12 - Great Hearts Day
- February 27 - Trivium "Run the Virtues" Virtual 5K/1-Mile Fun Run
- Late March - Spring Social Event
- May 10 - PSO Annual Meeting, 8:30 am (Board and Budget approval for AY 21-22)
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Order Hot Lunch
My Hot Lunchbox is excited for another great year of delivering school lunch! Lunch service in now available for all Trivium students.
If you are a first-time customer, follow these steps to create your free account. Families with students at multiple Trivium schools should create only ONE account per family.
Important Note: You will need to Update Your Profile with the student's correct teacher to view the meal calendar.
If you have any questions, please contact My Hot Lunchbox at (888) 894-8295 or by email at info@myhotlunchbox.com or visit the PSO Lunch page on the school website for more information.
New! Quarter 3 Lunch Volunteer Sign-up Now Available
If you would like to volunteer to help distribute lunches, please sign-up online using the link below. Volunteers must have completed the 2020-21 volunteer background check process and follow all campus health and safety procedures. We will be awarding a $5 a day/per person credit to each school. All credits will be applied at the end of each month. Please email info@myhotlunchbox.com if you have any questions regarding the credits.
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Quick Links:
Archway Trivium East Main Office: (623) 866-4718
Attendance Line: (623) 218-6607
Communications Updates
You can find all school-wide communications on our website on the Latest News page.
If you know of parents who are not receiving these communications, please ask them to check their junk/promotions email folders, and then email bmcdonald@archwaytrivium.org for assistance.
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Archway Trivium East would love your feedback. Post a review to our Google profile.
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