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Ninth- through 12th-graders will have another option to pursue their education when Trinity Lutheran’s high school pilot program comes online in the fall.

Trinity Lutheran High School Academy will be a blended learning approach ­— a combination of online courses taught through the Wittenberg Academy with Trinity educators serving as on-site facilitators. Wittenberg is an online Lutheran-based classical education accredited through the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education and National Lutheran School Association.

“It’s very much a college preparatory program,” said Trinity Lutheran School Principal Christina Roberts.

The classical model is a natural progression from logic courses taken at the junior high level at Trinity.

One of the advantages of Trinity’s blended learning program is that students get to work alongside their peers while interacting with students from around the world online said Trinity Director of Curriculum and Assessment Kacie Elizagarary.

In addition to taking online courses, students may enroll in electives offered at Trinity such as art, choir, band, technology, PE and health to round out their high school education. Basketball and volleyball are also offered.

Expanding the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school through 12th grade has been part of the school’s long-range plans according to Roberts and Elizagarary. Physically expanding the building would have taken considerable time, money and fundraising to complete, but there was enough interest from parents that staff were inspired to pursue options other than construction.

“Students who attend Trinity become a real community and kids don’t want to leave,” Elizagarary said.

The incorporation of technology in the classroom through blended learning has really changed the way schools teach all grade levels. Once staff evaluated Wittenberg Academy as a good fit for the school’s mission and values, Trinity was no longer restricted by facility space.

One room will be set up for the high school with between nine to 12 work stations.

“It’s one large room that we have the ability to set up different ways,” Elizagarary said.

The idea is to begin the first year with a small group of students to retain the familial community according to Roberts and Elizagarary.

Roberts said the advantage of blending technology in a traditional classroom setting is that it’s personalized and may benefit advanced and struggling students alike.

“Students who struggle can go home and replay instructions,” Roberts said. “The advanced learner can move ahead and take more credits.”

And both realize there needs to be a balance in the amount of screen time.

“We’re finding a balance between paper and pencil and technology, and a balance between live interactions with peers and the teacher [at Trinity],” Elizagarary said. “We’re going to be careful of those pitfalls in anticipating them ahead of time and our teachers are already doing blended learning in the classroom.”

Tuition will be separate for Trinity and Wittenberg “to ensure families have flexibility with programs and coursework,” according to Roberts.

Students may take Wittenberg courses for half of the day, or attend a full day, taking a combination of Wittenberg courses and Trinity electives. Students may opt to do coursework at the school, or at home and get additional on-support from the Trinity facilitator.

Tuition for Wittenberg is $400 a course per trimester. Trinity’s tuition per trimester is $1,190, which covers electives, sports and Bible classes.

“From my perspective this high school is a call to us to assess education at Trinity. To do everything we can to prepare our children in Kalispell, Montana for the future — for the world,” Elizagarary said. “We believe — and we see Christians are attacked. It is our primary objective to keep these children about God and his word, and, as they grow, how to defend the faith in a loving way. That is the foundation upon which this program is built.

“We are very excited to begin this high school and to continue to grow with these children.”

Registration is open with the first day of school on Sept. 4. For more information visit http://www.trinityed.org/ or call 406-257-6716.