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The House System

Trinity Classical School values a solid, Christ-centered education that draws on a rich classical heritage. Part of that effort is to establish a House System for our seventh through twelfth graders. The House System is a time-honored tradition used with great success in British schools and growing in popularity in American private schools. At TCS, each student in Grade 7 and above is assigned to a house. Though the houses are not actual buildings, they provide structure and community for our students. The gentlemen wear ties and the ladies wears scarves in their house colors to identify their house association.

The purpose of the House System is to provide students with accountability, a healthy sense of competition, and leadership opportunities. The students’ ability to gain or lose points for their house will be a great motivator for corporate responsibility. The Houses will also allow older students to mentor younger house members.

The TCS Houses are named for scientists who were also outspoken followers of Christ. In naming the houses, we worked to acknowledge a variety of scientific disciplines, as well as to represent a certain level of geographic diversity. We believe that these individuals represent the pursuit of excellence and strong character that we desire to instill in our students.

Once a student is assigned to a house, all of his or her siblings will belong to that house. In the Fall of each year, we host a ceremony in which all incoming seventh graders and new students choose a house and receive their house tie or scarf. These house members, guided by a House Dean, elect officers and contribute to the culture of that house.

      House of Kepler
Johannes Kepler was a German scientist who lived from 1571 to 1630. He discovered the laws of planetary motion, among them the critical idea that planets moved in an elliptical orbit, rather than a circle. He believed that the universe reflected the glory of God, even to the extent that its sun, stars, and spheres reflected the Trinity itself. Kepler’s colors are gold and navy.

      House of Pascal
  Blaise Pascal was a French scientist and philosopher who lived from 1623 to 1662. He was a brilliant experimenter, mathematician, and theorist. Among his many accomplishments, he is credited with inventing the first calculating machine. He is perhaps most well known for “Pascal’s Wager,” in which he proposed that those who believe in God, if they are wrong, lose nothing; if they are right, they gain everything. Pascal’s colors are red and navy.

      House of Maxwell
  James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish scientist who lived from 1831 to 1879. He is known as the father of modern physics, and his work in electromagnetic fields was said by Einstein to have laid the foundation for Einstein’s own special theory of relativity. Maxwell believed that his identity as a Christian gave him the privilege of exploring all aspects of God’s creation. He pursued these “holy spots,” as he called them, his entire life. Maxwell’s colors are turquoise and navy.

      House of Carver
George Washington Carver was an American scientist who lived from 1865 to 1943. Though he was born as a slave, he became an accomplished researcher in agriculture and botany. His work with peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and other plants helped revive agriculture in the South. He said that once, as a boy, he asked God for the mysteries of the universe. When God said that such knowledge was not for him, he asked to know the mysteries of the peanut instead--a request that God granted. Carver’s colors are green and navy.