10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know with Kari Kampakis
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
A group of eighth-grade girls, led by MS Science Teacher CeCe Scott ’00, met throughout the school year to read and discuss the book 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know by author Kari Kampakis. On this episode of the podcast, some of those TCA eighth-graders interview Kari and ask her questions about the book and about life. Kari shares some great advice that can be helpful not only for girls, but for parents who are raising daughters. You can learn more about Kari and her books, including 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, her new devotional Yours, Not Hers and the upcoming Is Your...
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Biblical Education with Jeremy Gregory
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
In this episode, Upper School Bible Teacher and Community Time Coordinator Jeremy Gregory talks about Upper School Bible classes, Chapel, apologetics and spiritual formation. As part of the new academic schedule for the 2025-26 school year, TCA is adding stand-alone Bible classes for freshmen and sophomores to go along with the existing Bible classes in other grade levels. Mr. Gregory explains how the new class sequence will teach students the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, over the course of three years. For senior year, students will be prepared to engage with others in college...
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Discover Week Trips with Zoe Ellen Azzi
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
Starting in February 2026, the week before spring break will be Discover Week—a week in which TCA Upper School and Middle School students can discover new passions, learn new skills and explore the world. Besides taking on-campus classes or having a local internship, one of the things that students can choose to do during Discover Week is to travel. In this episode of Let’s Talk TCA, Zoe Ellen Azzi joins the podcast to talk about plans for Discover Week trips. Mrs. Azzi, who teaches Modern Humanities in the Upper School, has led multiple trips over the years for TCA students and serves as...
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Summer@TCA 2025 with Justin Zappia
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
It may still officially be winter, but preparations for the upcoming summer are in full swing at TCA. In this episode, Director of Auxiliary Programs Justin Zappia joins host Cynthia Yanof to talk about the many different classes and camps available at TCA this summer. Listen to learn about the Summer@TCA options for 2025. From flying drones to flying discs, from playing board games to playing sports, and from taking classes for fun to classes for credit, there is something for every child from kindergarten through senior year. You can .
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Holiday Traditions with Emily Eyre
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
TCA’s Lower School Counselor Emily Eyre joins host Cynthia Yanof to talk about how families can set their own holiday traditions. Christmas is a popular time for setting family traditions, but you can have traditions around any holiday, as well as having traditions that do not focus on any holiday at all. Emily and Cynthia talk about why we have traditions, the benefits of keeping traditions simple and the importance of emotional memories. They discuss how to think through the messages that you are communicating to your family through your traditions. Since holidays are not always happy...
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Basketball Coaches Rodney Belcher and John Price
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
TCA’s varsity basketball coaches, Rodney Belcher and John Price, both join the podcast for this episode. This is Coach Belcher’s first year at TCA after years spent coaching at both the high school and college levels. Coach Price is in his fourth year at TCA and 26th year coaching overall. The coaches talk about their families, their faith and their coaching careers. Listen to hear how they leverage the lessons of winning and losing to prepare students for future successes and failures.
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Cindi Di Iorio and Craig Wilson
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
TCA’s Head of Middle School Cindi Di Iorio and Head of Upper School Craig Wilson join the podcast to talk about where they come from and what brought them to TCA. Get to know our new heads of schools better as they share about their families, their faith and their hearts for helping educate children.
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Let's Talk Turf
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
This summer, Tom Landry Stadium had new state-of-the-art turf installed that is arguably the best playing surface at any school, anywhere. In this episode, Steve Hayes, TCA’s football head coach and newly appointed athletic director, talks about the new playing field and other recent improvements to the athletics facilities. He is joined by TCA alum and former football player Jason Delph ’07, the co-founder (along with fellow ’07 classmate Nick Pavey) of ForeverLawn Texas, as well as ForeverLawn’s Director of Marketing Derek Taylor and Installation Support Team Leader Aaron Gressel....
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Building Healthy Phone Habits with Joey Odom
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
Are you addicted to your phone? As parents, how should we be thinking about smartphone use? In this episode, host Cynthia Yanof talks with Joey Odom, co-founder of technology company Aro, about how to build a healthy relationship with your smartphone. Many of us often find ourselves distracted by our phones, focused on social media or other apps instead of interacting with the people around us. Phones can take our attention away from being present with our spouse or kids, and our kids themselves run the danger of being the first generation to die with more of other people’s memories than...
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College Prep at Any Age with Tracy Bartholomew
Let's Talk TCA Podcast
TCA is a college preparatory school, and that preparation begins long before college applications are filled out. In this episode, Tracy Bartholomew, part of TCA’s college counseling team, discusses how parents can help their children start thinking about the future and taking their first steps towards college and career decisions. Tracy and host Cynthia Yanof talk about: How parents can help their children discover God’s calling for their lives. How students can begin exploring different interests and fields of study. How TCA’s college counselors help students each year along the way....
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On today’s podcast episode, we have our Head of School, Dr. Jeff Williams. He talks with our host Cynthia Yanof
about the new prefect system, junior leadership inauguration, curriculum updates, new coaching staff, and parent survey results. We are so glad to have Dr. Williams on the podcast to
update us on everything happening at TCA.
Dr. Williams tells us about April's Junior Leadership Inauguration for our TCA juniors. It is a program designed to call students into the school's leadership for the following year at the end of their junior year. We ask parents to come to a ceremony and to come alongside them. We are calling students to be the best that they can be, where they can influence and impact the student body at TCA. We give the student a medallion with the TCA logo and this scripture on the back. (To whom much is given, much will be required. Luke 12:48). Parents stand and pray a blessing over them to lead well the following year.
The prefect system is also a new program for the upper school next year. This program came from the Oxford Educational System. This program gives students more
ownership and voice in the culture and daily life of the school. Dr. Williams thinks students must have a voice – they impact morale and school spirit. Dr. Williams has used this system at the last two schools he has led, and its influence on school culture is impressive.
Dr. Williams met with the junior class in February to introduce the program based on character demonstrated through leadership. Seven prefects will oversee seven
different areas of the school. Each prefect will have a faculty mentor for the year and a committee of students. This program allows upper school students to be involved in
leadership through these committees. Thirty-nine juniors applied for the seven positions and were interviewed by a selection committee of nine, including five faculty selected by the junior class. Prefects will be announced after the junior leadership inauguration.
Another new program beginning next year is the Biblical Immersion and Worldview Initiative, headed by Bob Dyer. We want to ensure our students are equipped to enter the world.
We want our students to know what the scriptures say and how to apply it to the decisions and choices they are making in life. Practically this will help to equip and train our faculty to be more intentional.
The results of the parent survey were emailed out to parents. The email talks about areas where parents believe TCA is doing well and those areas that need improvement. The results have been circulated to the board of trustees, school heads, and department heads.
We will be doing a homework survey for middle and upper school students. We will be intentional about change and only change what needs focus to use our energies wisely.
Here are a few more updates:
- Tonja King has been hired as the new volleyball coach and dance coach.
- Fran Legband introduced a new Humanities Core Curriculum in a video a few weeks ago.
- Jon Millet introduced new art courses in a video that makes our art program accessible
to more students.