A Christmas Message from Trinity Board Chair Mr. Tom Pilon

Christmas 2016

   

Dear Trinity Families & Friends,

Christmas is nearly here, and with it, the New Year.  So, no matter how busy we all may be, it is likely that the majority of us will spend a little time reflecting on the year that was – acknowledging our shortcomings, embracing our successes, and evaluating how we might improve in the coming year.  In other words, we will make New Year’s Resolutions.  We might even be so bold as to write them down and post them somewhere conspicuous so that others will see them and support us in reaching those objectives.

This year, the Board of Trustees is going through that exact exercise as we prepare Trinity’s new Strategic Plan.  Our work started in September and will be completed by June, 2017.  In her recent letter to the School community, Sister Catherine gave a brief update on the Board’s efforts.  As she noted, the Board has identified four planning topics to be addressed in the plan:  Mission & Marketing, Enrollment Management, Finance & Institutional Advancement, and Learning & Learning Spaces.  As we consider these topics, we are constantly reminded to think strategically – to consider how Trinity can improve on its successes, abandon strategies that have not worked, and seek out and embrace new strategies that will aid the school in achieving the goals set forth in the plan, moving ever closer to the aspirations embodied in the plan.

St. Julie’s charism is alive and well at Trinity.  Through her continuing prayers, she urges Trinity, and thus all the members of Trinity’s community, to be faithful to God, to instill Gospel values in our students, and to be ever vigilant in ensuring that they are truly being prepared for life – so that as they go out into the world, they will do so carrying God’s love in their hearts, and carrying out His work through their words and actions.  The Board of Trustees’ efforts are aimed at ensuring that Trinity will develop a sound plan that will allow it to remain faithful to, and successful in achieving its Mission.

This Christmas season, please pray for the members of the Board of Trustees that we will be guided by the Holy Spirit, diligent in our efforts, and open to the suggestions and support of all those who will participate in preparing the strategic plan.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, please be assured of our prayers for you and your families – that Christ’s peace, love, and joy will reside in your hearts and homes this Christmas, and sustain you in the coming year.  Have a joyful Christmas, and blessed New Year.

Sincerely,

Thomas Pilon Chair, Trinity School Board of Trustees

The Trinity Studio: About Mr. McCormick

Inside the Trinity Studio: About Mr. McCormick

A few years ago the PR and Marketing Committee featured articles on the Trinity teachers and staff. We thought it would be interesting to showcase just a few faculty and staff members this year.

The December issue features fourth grade teacher, Mr. Tim McCormick, interviewed by Development Assistant, Ramona Poblete.

"Meet Mr. Tim McCormick, a fourth grade teacher here at Trinity School. He has been teaching here for 11 years and enjoys teaching Language Arts, Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Math. His favorite subject to teach is Religion. Originally from Towson, Maryland, Mr. McCormick obtained his Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola University. In addition, he is married to his lovely wife, Violet, and has a sixteen-month old son.

Get to know more about Mr. McCormick, his background as a Lawyer, and find out who his favorite sports teams are! Tune in to our live interview below! In addition, listen to Mr. McCormick play a fun game called, 'What Spice is that?' in our exclusive interview with him." - Ramona Poblete

Click Here for the Audio Interview with Mr. McCormick

December's Virtue of the Month: PATIENCE

THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE

Patience is a virtue.  Practicing Patience means waiting.  We need to learn how to wait. Advent is a good time to work on this because during this season we are waiting celebrate the birth of Christ.

Some ways to practice patience are:

~ Waiting for help from a teacher
~ Waiting for someone to pick you up
~ Waiting for an answer
~ Waiting in carpool line

How was I patient today?

We will all have many opportunities to practice patience this month as we WAIT in line while we are Christmas shopping.  Think of all the people that you can pray for instead of being impatient.

REMEMBER: Practice Makes Perfect!

A Letter From Mrs. Martinez

A Letter From Mrs. Martinez

November 22, 2016

Dear Parents,

Among many other privileges, I am blessed daily to observe and be actively engaged in the multitude of rich academic experiences and opportunities our children are exposed to each day at Trinity.

 Recently, I took the opportunity to sit among our 3rd grade students at their annual class spelling bee. It brought me great joy to see the children so actively engaged and learning to love learning.  Listening to the students confidently and correctly spell words such as ambiguous, special and spellbound was quite impressive!  More importantly than the exemplification of our motto, what impressed me most was the support and encouragement that the students offered one another.  It was evident that each child knew their worth and appreciated one another.  Ultimately, though, the most valuable aspect of the experience for me is that I am confident I would find much the same in all of our classrooms.

Our recent school showing of the documentary SCREENAGERS has prompted me to request that you be extra vigilant about the computer interaction and internet activities in which your children engage in as well as the video games they play, the television programs, and movies your children watch.  I urge you not to allow access to the internet in a room where you are not directly supervising its use. Please be sure the computer is set so that you have full view of the screen. Young children are fear free and quite adept when it comes to the use of the internet.   They could easily be a click away from viewing inappropriate images or innocently participating in harmful activities.

Homework plays an important role in classroom learning each day.  Although the demands of balancing after school activities and family life is challenging, it is important that our children take the time necessary to carefully complete their home assignments regularly.  As we move into our 2nd trimester we ask that you please encourage and support your child in these efforts, as these are skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

With the variety of upcoming prayer services and concerts scheduled throughout December, there will be many opportunities to enter into the spirit of Christmas and enjoy this special time of year.  May the season hold for you and your family precious times and special moments, creating memories that you cherish for years to come.

Warm regards,                                                                                                            
Margie Martinez
Head of Primary School

A Letter From Mr. Rickbeil

A Letter From Mr. Rickbeil

12/1/016

Trinity Families,

The first three months of the year are a busy stretch of the calendar full of activities and events, and it is easy to lose sight of many good things in the midst of the busyness of the year.   As the first marking period has ended and we are moving into the winter months, this is a great time to give thanks for so many things that are making this a wonderful school year.

First, I am thankful for the support our entire school community has given us with our new technology and cell phone guidelines.  We made a great push at the beginning of the school year to make Trinity a cell-phone free environment for our students, and I have been amazed at how successful this initiative has been to start the year.  Removing the phones is helping our students to stay focused and is positively impacting our regular face-to-face interactions.  We could not make this happen without the support of our families.  I could tell from the large audience that came to the Screenagers movie that technology is a very relevant issue and I thank you for your help in guiding our students.

Secondly, we are very thankful for the flurry of shadow students that have been visiting Trinity, particularly in our middle school.  Our fifth grade students especially are getting used to hosting visitors, and the number of students shadowing at the beginning of the year has well surpassed the number of shadow students I have noticed in the past two falls.  Seeing the delight in the faces of our shadow students reminds me that we have a wonderful school that naturally attracts students and families, and I am grateful for the hospitality of our families, students, and our new admissions director Christine Walsh.  I think it is also a sign that you are spreading the word about the good things that happen in our school, as more and more people in our community are taking notice.

Additionally, I am very grateful for the hard work of our students to begin this school year.  Similar to running a race, starting the school year is not easy, and our rigorous curriculum requires a lot of work for our students.  Looking at the first trimester report cards, I see that our students have put in a great amount of work and have accomplished great achievements to begin the year.  I also know that this is just one small part of the work that it takes to accomplish great learning, and am grateful for the hours and hours of support that you as parents give to our students and the countless hours that our teachers put in to make this school year successful.

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our school, take some time to reflect and enjoy the labors of this fall.

God bless,
Kyle Rickbeil
Head of Middle School

A Letter from Sr. Catherine

A Letter From Sr. Catherine

November 27, 2016

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that we are one-third of the way as we “run toward the prize to which God calls us” this year.  Our students continue to grow in wisdom and grace before our very eyes and we continue our work each day trusting that the good God will guide us in all that we do.  Celebrating Trinity’s rich legacy of 75 years starting with the anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop Lori on October 22nd has been a joy and a gift. Trinity’s history is very rich and I look forward to sharing it with you during the second semester.

Now we look forward to advancing Trinity’s legacy by entering into the development of a new Strategic Plan for Trinity School.  Kevin Shearer, former parent and educator, is chairing the Strategic Planning Committee.  Four areas have been identified for study: Mission and Marketing, Enrollment Management, Finance and institutional Advancement, and Learning and Learning Spaces. These committees will engage in intense study and work from January through April. When the work of the committees is completed, we will share with you Trinity’s goals for the next five years.

As you know we continue to work with our students to help them practice digital citizenship.  While we have encouraged you, as parents, to exercise reasonable control over your child’s use of electronic devices, we are also helping our students understand the value of conversation. A first step toward that goal is to practice “no screen time” during meals and family celebrations. We hope that you will join us in this endeavor.

Trinity continues to remain “green.”  We have a very robust recycling program and through our monthly energy audits students are becoming very careful to conserve energy by turning off lights when not in use. May they continue this at home. Zero Waste Lunch Audits reveal that students can do more to decrease waste. Many students now bring their sandwich in a reusable container.  Where they can do better is to bring their fruit, cookies and snacks in reusable containers. You can find all sizes of these containers in the grocery store.  Purchase a large bag of chips instead of individual ones, and then fill the container.  Get your child involved in preparing his/her lunch.

As we prepare for Christmas, may you find time during the season of Advent, busy as it is, to find time to remove the clutter from your minds and hearts and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, the God of all goodness, who brings true peace into our hearts and our homes.

Sincerely,
Sister Catherine Phelps, SNDdeN
Principal