April 2015

Dear FN LN Street City

Dear M/M,

Our students well-being is on our minds and in our hearts every day, especially when it comes to helping them avoid alcohol and other illegal drugs. In order to strengthen our support of our students, we are now going to provide them five very powerful words: I cant. My school tests.

The Trinity School Board voted unanimously to begin mandatory random drug and alcohol testing, starting with the 2015-16 school year. We will implement a testing program currently used in Catholic high schools across the country, including nearby Providence High School.

This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to Form Men of Faith and Men of Character. Still, the decision was not an easy one, and comes after much prayer and study. This new program is the latest addition to the comprehensive health and well-being efforts we already employ to help our students remain alcohol- and drug-free. You can find more details about our comprehensive efforts in the most recent issue of our Leader newsmagazine.

This decision is not based on any specific event at Trinity. Rather, it reflects a serious concern for our students well-being and recognizes the tremendous challenges young people face in these times. A few recent facts and findings are highlighted below, and youll find more information in articles on our website:

Studies indicate that the younger a person is when they start using alcohol and drugs, the greater the risk for addiction later in life.

Science tells us that the adolescent brain is not yet finished developing, and the use of alcohol and drugs will have lifelong negative consequences.

Your son is continually bombarded with messages about alcohol and drugs through music, social media, television and movies.

The potency of drugs is increasing, especially marijuana. The use of marijuana, illegal prescription drugs, synthetic drugs, cocaine and heroin are

increasing.

In short, there is clear scientific evidence that alcohol and drug use by teens is damaging to their brains. In this school, we also believe it is damaging to their souls.

See other side

Implementing this program is a prudent decision based upon extensive research, which included visiting Catholic schools around the country that already use this tool. We surveyed Louisville-area parents with children in all types of schools and found they would support a drug-testing approach identical to Trinitys program. Through discussions with Mr. Zoellers Parent Forum, we learned that such a program would be appreciated and desired by parents. Additionally, during discussions with elected student leaders it was apparent they believe our approach will be fair and supportive of all of our students.

One of the most compelling insights we gained from schools that use this program is the opportunity and advantage it gave their students to avoid peer pressure. These five compelling words I cant. My school tests are equipping young people with the perfect out during moments when they feel like there is no way out.

This is the perfect time to add this to what is already recognized as a comprehensive health and well-being focus. We are enjoying the lowest average class size in school history. Our House System is a model for engaging with students. We are seeing record ACT scores. Students earning the honor roll are up and class failures are down. We just installed a faith and character component in our entire athletic program which strengthens our efforts and results.

As parents, you deserve the peace of mind this program can bring. Our teachers deserve to encounter students who are clear-headed and ready to learn. Our students deserve to have every tool we can give them to battle temptation, societys messages and peer pressure.

The enclosed discussion sheet should be helpful to you as we implement this initiative. You can also find a complete description of our program at trinityrocks.com.

Additionally, we will host an informational meeting for parents at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7, in the Convocation Hall of the Communication Arts Center. All are welcome.

As always, we ask that you join with us to strengthen our partnership for the sake of our students and your son,

Robert J. Mullen 77, Ed.D. Daniel J. Zoeller H07

President Principal