Emily Atkinson's Speech at the Donor Dinner

  

Good Evening,

My name is Emily Atkinson and I am the music teacher at Trinity.  I am also a Trinity alum.  I started in kindergarten with my twin brother Colin in 1983 and graduated 8^th grade in 1992.  I have a younger brother, Evan, who graduated in 1997.  I wanted to take a few minutes of your time this evening to talk with you about why I believe (and know!) Trinity is such an amazing and special place for children and their families.   It’s easy for me to do.  I love to talk about Trinity and explain to people why it’s so special to me.  We all have some kind of connection to Trinity and obviously feel strongly about this school and all that it stands for.  It truly is a place where children learn to love learning.  I was one of those children.  I loved my time here as a student.  I made many good friends whom I remain close to, I respected my teachers, and I loved the campus and school environment.  I knew, even at that young age, that I was somewhere special.  I remember all of my teachers, from Ms. Bee in kindergarten to Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Carey, who were the 8^th grade homeroom teachers.  I was a happy child and my Trinity memories are full of happy moments.  Just a few include making my first communion banner in second grade, navigating the campus on crutches in first grade after running into my friend Willy on the playground and spraining my ankle, dances in the music room, of course looking forward to the Fall Festival every year, playing in the handbell choir, singing “On My Own” in the talent show in 7^th grade…I could go on and on. 

Growing up, Sr. Catherine Phelps was my principal, as well as hand writing and 8^th grade religion teacher.  When I started teaching she became my role model and friend as well.  Her devout dedication to Trinity’s mission guided her decisions and actions.   She would say every day on the announcements “you only get this day once so make it a great one”.  She lived every day doing her best and with so much joy, compassion and kindness.  Sr. Catherine helped shape the kind of teacher and person I am.  She is a HUGE reason that I came to work at Trinity and I try to honor her through my words and actions.

My parents, like many other Trinity families, were committed to helping where needed and being involved.  My father was on the Board for many years and served as the Chair during part of that time.  My mother was involved with the HSA, and we all remember the year she was in charge of the wrapping paper fundraiser.   My brothers played on the basketball team and I accompanied the choir on the piano during concerts for my music teacher, Mrs. Bridges.  When you come to Trinity you become part of the Trinity family.  The relationships you make with your friends, other families, and teachers don’t end when you graduate.  They stay with you.  My brothers and I still keep in touch with our friends from Trinity.  When I moved home after college, I lived with a Trinity friend (Becky vanSwol).  When I got married, she was one of my bridesmaids.  Sr. Catherine was at my wedding along with a former teacher and now my friend (Kathy Hobart),  as well as my brother’s best friends who, you guessed it, went to Trinity and are considered like family to us (Carolyn Cosentino,Jeff Newman, John Paul Chase, Ernest Wagner, Betsy vanSwol).

A huge part of my childhood memories at Trinity involve the campus.  When I was a student, it’s true that the landscape did look different.  This was before Grovemont community was built, and the convent and a smaller building to the right of St. Lidwines were still here.  Of course things change, the nuns sold some of the land, but you know what?  It’s still just as beautiful.  I am so lucky to drive through the front gates and down the driveway every day.  The trees.  The buildings.  The chapel.  The playground – wow, the playground.  I remember playing family around the roots of the big trees.  Enjoying the swings and the seesaws.  Burning my legs on the steep, metal slide that luckily was replaced years ago.   There’s a sense of peace and happiness I feel when I drive into campus, when I’m walking with my classes during the day, and when I’m outside for recess duty.  It sounds corny, but being on campus feels good for my soul.  It resets me if I’m having a bad day.  And of course, I have to mention my classroom.  If you have never been to the music room, you have an open invitation to visit anytime.  It is the envy of my music teacher friends at other schools.   The large, open space, the stage, the fireplace… I am so grateful to spend my days on this campus.

After sharing a few childhood memories with you and expressing my love for this school, I’m sure it’s no surprise that once I decided to become a music teacher, my thoughts quickly turned to how wonderful it would be to teach at Trinity.  At the end of college, my 8^th grade teacher Mrs. Lewis had moved into the middle school principal role and I kept in touch with my music teacher who was still there, Mrs. Bridges.  They took a trip one fall day to Fredericksburg, VA to observe me at the school where I was student teaching, and a few months later, I started teaching at Trinity.  That was January 2001, and now it’s 2019 and I still feel like I have my dream job.  And why have I stayed?  For the same reasons I loved Trinity so much as a child.  The children, no longer my classmates (?), but my students.  Their happiness, joy and enthusiasm are infectious.  The teachers, now my colleagues, are a group of kind, dedicated, professional men and women who bring their best every day.  The campus and surrounding nature that lifts my spirit.  And the families, who show their support and commitment to the values of our school in so many ways.

Thank you for letting me share these reflections with you, and thank you for your continued support for Trinity School and all it represents!

Our Students - Our Legacy Annual Giving Campaign

Our Students - Our Legacy Annual Giving Campaign

Trinity is a community defined by giving – we thrive because of the active participation of every single member of the Trinity family.  Fundraising and volunteer activities work in tandem with this spirit of giving and assist in supporting our current students and the generation of students yet to come.  That is why the theme of this year’s annual giving campaign is “Our Students-Our Legacy.”  Thanks to your generous gifts, Trinity is able to attract and maintain extraordinary faculty members; provide state-of-the-art technology and materials; and sustain a talented and diverse student body.  It allows our teachers to create experiences that exceed what the tuition is able to cover and create an exceptional environment in which children truly learn to love learning.  Gifts to the annual fund are an investment in both the school’s mission and our future. 

This year, our goals are to raise $150,000 and to have 100% parent participation through the Annual Giving Campaign.  Your gift to annual giving supports the school’s operations and programs across all areas directly impacting the educational experience of all Trinity students.  Thanks to donor support last year, the school was able to make a number of improvements and renovations to the campus this past summer.  Please see a sampling below of what your Trinity dollars were able to support: 

·        New flooring in both the Music Room and the Preschool

·        Replacing the gates in front of the Primary School

·        Repairs to the sidewalks

·        Construction of new shed and ramp to the Gym.  

·        Striping and resurfacing throughout the campus including the front of the Middle School, the teacher’s parking lot, and in front of St Lidwine’s Hall

Thank you in advance for investing in our students – our legacy! 

Trinity School Thanks Chapel Valley Landscaping for Their Generous Donation

Trinity School Thanks Chapel Valley Landscaping for Their Generous Donation

Trinity School would like to thank Chapel Valley Landscaping for their generous donation of landscaping designs and renovations over the summer.  Their generous donation amounts to nearly $10,000 in improvements.  Chapel Valley Landscaping renovated the area between the Primary and the Middle School including removing old and dying bushes, installing rustic wooden benches, designing and planting perennial flower beds, including a special planting area which focuses on the Student Council bench dedicated to Sr. Catherine.

Trinity First Grade Visits the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center

Trinity First Grade Visits the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center

Despite the cold, rainy weather on Monday, the First Grade class truly enjoyed their visit to the Chesapeake Bay Outdoor Learning Center. Under the watchful eyes of the chaperons, teachers and center experts the students had the opportunity to search the hummock in the woods, for invertebrate. 

They were excited to encounter roly polys, slugs, snails and other insects. After enjoying their packed lunches in the indoor space, they were delighted to be able to explore Chesapeake Bay oyster, Crassotrea virginica, which to their great delight were teaming with mud crabs, gilly fish and transparent shrimp. It was a hands on way to experience how the oyster reefs provide habitats for fish, crabs and other Bay organisms. 

They learned about how these oysters are the Bay’s most valuable fishery and that they are very important for the local environment because the clean the water by filtering algae, sediment and other pollutants. The students were taught about the dire conditions of the native oyster population, which has been estimated to be at 1% of its historic level. They were told how critical it is to try to conserve and restore them to improve the quality of water in the Chesapeake Bay which would then help the local economy. 

At the end of the trip they also had the opportunity for a close up visit with a rescued native Screech Owl and the day ended with a visit to the other rescued residents, two Red Tailed hawks and a couple of Great Horned barn owl.  

The Curley Youth Bowl

On a day celebrated by many Star Wars enthusiasts, Trinity School participated in the annual Curley Youth Bowl, a Track and Field event for area middle schools.  May the 4th be with Trinity School could certainly have been our mantra as Trinity students executed their Track and Field events with the precision and self-assurance of a Jedi.  Instead, they decided to adopt an underdog mentality, knowing they were up against local juggernauts like Immaculate Conception School and St. Joseph Fullerton who historically dominate this day.  Likening themselves to the famed Jamaican bobsled team, The Trinity Track and Field team displayed grit and determination, qualities that have made them famous.  However, unlike the Jamaicans, the Trinity Track team has much more to celebrate than honor and determination; they celebrate their victory as Champions of the Small School Division!

Some key performances included Nina Hoag in the Softball Throw and Shot Put, medaling in both events. Max Bezos won the Soccer Kick, placed second in the 100 Meter Dash, and led his 4x100 relay team to the podium. Perhaps the most impressive performance came from Clayton Gary, who placed first in both the Long Jump and 400 Meter Dash, and led his 4x100 meter relay team to victory. Despite his brilliant performances, Clayton just missed out on "Overall Male Athlete" honors.

Aside from the outstanding and gritty performances we have come to expect from our Track and Field runners, our outcome as champions would simply not have been possible without the outstanding training and preparation of Coach McBride and Coach DJ Davis. They have given our students all of the formulas and tools to succeed.   Coach Hosford is very grateful to have their expertise on the team! Please come out to our final meet of the year this weekend at Maryvale Prep if you would like to see this awesome team in action!

Individual Awards

• Ryan Loetell - 2nd in Soccer Kick; Clayton Gary -1st Long Jump, 1st 400m
• Nina Hoag - 3rd Shot Put, 2nd Softball Throw
• Henry Pilon - 2nd Long Jump
• Kalei Takasaki - 1st 1600m
• Brooklyn Davis - 2nd Long Jump
• Max Bezos - 2nd 100m, 1st Soccer Kick
• Kathryn Lamont; 2nd Long Jump

Relay Winners

• Samantha Otazo, Kalei Takasaki, Josiah Johnson, Max Bezos 3rd in 4x100m dash
• Roswitha Otazo, Kainoa Takasaki, Brooklyn Davis, Clayton Gary, 1st in 4x100m dash      

In My World...

From Mrs. Moran and the Third Grade Class

Linda Joy Burke, a Poet-in-Residence, spent a couple days with the third grade. She worked with us to build community, and expand the way we view the world. As we each played different instruments there was a great cacophony, but Miss Joy guided us to produce separate rhythms that when combined sounded beautiful. 

From this foundation, Miss Joy taught us that words work the same way. Sometimes we just have to get our thoughts out, and not worry about how they sound. Then, with care, gently massage them into poetry that flows from our experience in the world. 

The third grade took what we learned, and spent time this week writing our own “In My World” poems.

In My World...

By: Kennedy Prescott

In My World...

the car horns are like someone pushing your buttons 

to the best of their ability.

The traffic is like a hamster on its wheel

powering your  brain.

The sunset  is like your brain  

shutting down.

The hurtful words are like termites chewing

down your heart.

The people of God are your heart 

getting stronger.

And the trees are calm 

like God’s angels.

Your family is like your feet 

helping you walk further.

Your friends are like your voice

standing up for you.

And God is a sculptor 

making us all different.

Interview with Miss Eileen Volkmer Leaman

Interview with Miss Eileen Volkmer Leaman
By Harella Atwell

Mrs. Atwell:  Can you tell me your name and a little about yourself?
Mrs. Eileen: Sure.  Eileen  Volkmer Leaman.  And I mention Volkmer because I went here to Trinity a long time ago.  I went to Trinity when it was still a convent and a high school.  So I was here for 12 years.  My son went here to school and graduated here in 2005 and it was an excellent stepping stone for him to go to Calvert Hall.  And then to Bucknell.  And is doing extremely well.  So, Trinity is very close and dear to my heart.

Mrs. Atwell:  Can you tell me what the Lenten lunch is and how you first got involved in doing it?
Mrs. Eileen:  I certainly can. In Catonsville, there is a shelter for 120 men who were experiencing homelessness.  The funding that they had for the shelter is not very significant and as a consequence a group called Lazarus Caucus which is a non-profit group has come together to provide food, clothing and support services to the shelter.   One of the things that I do is collect food especially breakfast items and in addition I make lunches.  I do that with a number of high schools, and middle schools, and nursing homes.  We make approximately 120 lunches including a sandwich and snacks. Then I take them to the shelter and the men have them the next day for their lunch.  This supplements their budget.  It enables them to have more funds available for their dinner. So it is very exciting.

Mrs. Atwell:  And you have been doing this for how long?
Miss Eileen: Around 12 years.
Mrs. Atwell:  12 years here at Trinity?
Miss Eileen: Well, no here at Trinity I think it has been 3 years.  Personally, I have made around 16,000 sandwiches in the past.
Mrs. Atwell:  That’s amazing.
Ms. Eileen:  That is a lot of sandwiches.
Mrs. Atwell:  That is amazing. A lot of people fed!
Ms. Eileen:  Well, it takes a lot to feed 120 people 3 meals a day.  It’s a lot!

Mrs. Atwell:  Men, too! Can you please tell me more about what you do as part of the Lenten Lunch at Trinity?
Ms. Eileen: I provide a lot of the paper goods.  I work very closely with Heather Schell who is amazing and Joan Voshell who is also a Trinity mom.  And her son and my son went to Trinity together. I provide cheese.  We do cheese and butter rather than peanut butter and jelly because of the nut allergies. The students then come.  We say prayers. We have one group decorating the bags with wonderful messages and drawings. And the men receive them with heartwarming thoughts and prayers.  And then our students make the sandwiches and I take them to the shelter after we are done.

Mrs. Atwell: If people are interested in volunteering or donating money to support the cause of helping the homeless, how could you direct them?
Ms. Eileen: I would suggest Lazaruscaucus.org.  L-A-Z-A-R-U-S is the non-profit that provides support to the shelter.  They have an online giving process.