MASSENA - It’s out with the Crusaders and in with the Knights at Trinity Catholic School.

School officials unveiled their new motto and mascot this week - Trinity Knights - and they’re asking families to “u’knight’ with us in faith.”

The new motto and mascot will replace the Crusaders that the school had used for many years, according to Principal Kathy Behrens.

“We thought it was important to have some kind of representation for our school. We used to be the Crusaders. That didn’t mean a whole lot to our current students. We said, ‘Well, to make them a part of the process we are going to come up with another mascot,’” she said.

Mrs. Behrens said families were asked to come up with ideas for the new motto and mascot.

“We had the families come up with some idea of what they wanted. We chose the top three, then we voted on that. That’s how it came up with the Knight. It’s pretty much kind of an identity for our own little school to have the children be connected,” she said.

The Crusaders had been around for a while, according to the principal.

“I know the people who were a part of that, it really meant something to them,” she said.

It was also one of the top suggestions when the school put out a call for a new motto and mascot.

But ultimately the Knights won the battle.

“We’re trying to unite everyone in faith. We thought the knight because the children were a big part of choosing that. We thought that would make more sense to them. I think that in itself will help the mascot become real to them because they were a part of the process,” Mrs. Behrens said.

As a faculty, she said, they came up with the slogan, “u’knight’ed in faith.” That will part of what they’ll be teaching students when they return to school.

“We’re going to explain to them what a knight is. It’s another teachable moment for us,” she said.

The new mascot is still a work in progress, but they’ll still be able to share the meaning behind the new motto and mascot with their students, Mrs. Behrens said.

“At the beginning of the year and through the year they’re going to see the motto ‘u’knight’ed in faith’ around school. Throughout the school year we’ll talk to them. Hopefully by the end of the year they’ll know they’re Trinity Knights,” she said.

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