School Newsletter
October 12, 2020
From the Principal

We are in the sixth week of school and doing great. Our students have adjusted to remote learning, mask-wearing, and our new way of doing business around here. We love hearing all the reports of the great things happening both at home and on campus! We have big things headed our way this Fall.

The garden will get a make-over this Saturday thanks to our parents and Independence Gardens. Once the work is completed, our early elementary students will be planting in the beds. We encourage our remote learners to plant some seeds at home as well, and we'd love to see your at home pictures. Another group of students will assemble the Tower Garden, so we should have plenty of veggies growing very soon.

School pictures are being taken this year by our journalism students and their teacher, Bailey Herritage. They are turning out great and digital images will be available for parents to purchase very soon. After the on campus pictures are taken, we will schedule times for remote learners to come have their pictures made in front of the school. Yearbooks are for sale and promise to be a real keepsake this year thanks to COVID-19.

Parent/teacher conferences will be Oct. 23 via Zoom. Teachers for all learning models will post a Sign-Up Genius to reserve your time.

Volleyball is underway, and football will be happening soon. Rumor has it our marching band will make an appearance at a half-time show. The group practices every morning at 7:15 a.m., and they are learning formations along with playing their instruments.

We look forward to welcoming many of our students back from remote learning for the new nine weeks on November 2. Thanks to our disinfecting regimen, mask-wearing, and social distancing, we are minimizing the risks associated with attending school. If you would like to change your learning model for the second quarter, make sure to fill in the form before next Monday.

Please know the Trivium staff thanks our parents for supporting us and adjusting to our new normal at Trivium.

Proud to be a Knight,
Marsha Cawthon
Instructional Model Change Form for 2nd Quarter
ONE WEEK LEFT!
The window for changing the instructional delivery model for the 2nd quarter is open from October 5-19. Please note that this form should be filled out ONLY if you are making a change to the instructional delivery model for your child(ren). If you would like for them to stay in the same instructional model as the 1st quarter, there is no need to complete this form. The instructional model selected will be for all of 2nd quarter which runs from November 2 - January 22.

We plan to offer remote, hybrid, and in-person instruction as long as student numbers support staffing. Of course, the sooner we know your choice, the easier it will be for us to make a great plan for the students for 2nd Quarter. Please note that a change in instructional model could result in a change in teacher.
Daily Health Check-In
Dr. Owl QR Code
New Check-In Procedure
We know that the Bloomz check-in feature has not been working well for all, so we are making a switch to Dr. Owl for the mandatory daily health checks. Please click the link below, scan the QR code, or download the Dr. Owl app on your phone to complete the daily health check-in before students arrive on campus each day.
Knightly Choices Week
Knightly Choices Week is Trivium's version of Red Ribbon Week. We empower students to make choices that help them reach their goals! Our daily dress up days along with engaging lessons in Morning Meeting and Advisory class make it a favorite week each year. All grades K-10 are invited to participate in the dress up days including our remote learners.
Carpool Reminders
  • Place car in park and wait for a carpool worker to signal you to move.
  • Absolutely NO cell phone use in car line.
  • Do not get out of your car or signal to your child to come to your car without an adult.
  • When your child is loaded, please pull your tag down to signal you are ready to go.
  • Do not wait to turn left at the exit light. The creates a backup in the line.
  • Please visit this link for complete carpool instructions and map:
Curriculum Corner
People often ask how we differentiate our curriculum to meet the academic needs of our students. We consider ourselves masters of differentiated instruction. All of our curriculum materials are carefully selected to fit our model of personalized learning. For example our spelling program, Words Their Way, is a developmental vocabulary, phonics, and spelling program designed to identify students' spelling strengths and weaknesses through a diagnostic test. This test provides data which allows teachers to place students in spelling groups with skill-based instruction that focuses on examining and manipulating words, not just memorizing them. With this approach, Trivium students are thinking more critically about words and transferring their skills to reading and writing. This program is utilized in kindergarten up to 8th grade (or until program completion). For more information about our spelling program, contact your child's teacher!
Students practice their words by "texting" spelling words on a pretend iPhone.
Students practice their words by building their spelling words with clay.
Students practice their words by "typing" them on a keyboard.
Schoology is the new learning management system that we are using at Trivium. Remote students are using this exclusively already, and we are gradually implementing usage schoolwide. Schoology will be used for teacher to parent and teacher to student communication, but schoolwide communication will still be through Bloomz. Here is a helpful link with training videos and links to walk both students and parents through the Schoology kick off!
Knight Watch
Students are enjoying their double PE/recess time every day with Coach Zea, Coach B, and Coach Torres and love getting outside!
Stay tuned for more information coming soon about this year's Forthcoming!
The Showcase
The Visual Arts Program is exploring a wide array of techniques and methods to begin the 2020-2021 school year with an emphasis on classical observational skills. We have added two new courses (Drawing I and Painting I) this year to the high school program and are so excited at the level of work being produced in the visual arts throughout Trivium Academy. Please enjoy these images of in progress and completed student works.
Phone Convo
Cell phones are not allowed to be out during the school day. If students bring them on campus, they should remain in backpacks. If a teacher sees a student with a cell phone out during the day, it will be placed in one of our magnetic lock pouches and given back to the student. At the end of the day, the student may go to the front office on his/her way out to get the pouch unlocked.
COVID-19 Response
Thank you to students and staff for doing a great job following our COVID-19 protocols! In the first five weeks of school, we still have had only one positive case on campus.
Beginning of Year Assessments

Beginning of year assessments are underway. Teachers will use the data gathered from these assessments to plan instruction based on students' needs. Assessment results will be communicated with parents at parent/teacher conferences on October 23.

mCLASS Reading: Students in grades K-2 are taking an early reading screener called mCLASS Texas Edition. This is a 1-on-1 interview style assessment. This test will give teachers important information about your child's reading readiness and profile.

mCLASS Math: Students in grades K-1 are given the mCLASS math screener, which is a 1-on-1 interview style assessment covering foundational math concepts like counting and numeracy. 

ESTAR/MSTAR Math Screener: Students in grades 2-8 are taking the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screener, an online assessment that covers grade level content and is intended to help quickly identify students that may be at risk and need additional interventions and supports in math.

HMH Reading Growth Measure: Students in grades 3-8 are taking a reading growth test through the HMH curriculum. This will provide some initial information for teachers about your student's reading abilities.

Words Their Way: Students in grades K-6 are taking a Words Their Way diagnostic test to see what their spelling needs are. This information will help teachers place students in the appropriate spelling groups.

BOY State Assessment: Students in grades 4-10 will take a math and English assessment to obtain data on skills mastery from last year. Teachers will rely on this information for curriculum planning.

MAP Growth Testing: Students in grades 2-8 will start taking the MAP Growth Test for Reading and Math at the end of October. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a computerized adaptive test that provides our teachers with information to improve both instruction and learning.
Upcoming Events
  • October 5-19 - Window to Change Instructional Model for 2nd Quarter
  • October 13 - 1st-3rd Grade School Pictures
  • October 23 - Virtual Parent/Teacher Conference Day/Student Holiday
  • October 24 - Start of Flag Football Season
  • October 26-30 - Red Ribbon Week
  • October 26 - Start of Volleyball Season
  • October 30 - End of 1st Quarter
  • November 2 - Start of 2nd Quarter
  • November 4 - College T-shirt Day
  • November 5 - Report Cards/Skills Mastery Sheets Sent Home
  • November 9-14 - Forthcoming Week
  • November 23-27 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Phone: 469-854-9007
2205 E Hebron Pkwy, Carrollton, TX 75010