Volume 23 • spring 2013
Lighting the Fire Within... A
Tachi Dellinger, de’Angelo Dia & Jen Rankey, 2012 Light the Fire Recipients
s our Honor Code states, we value the uniqueness
and gifts of others. Because our school community benefits greatly from passionate, engaged teachers and to promote teachers’ gifts and interests, we established the Light the Fire grant. A Light the Fire grant supports an experience that goes beyond traditional professional development. Available to all teachers and administrators – full and part time – this grant is customized and driven by the applicant’s passion and interest and is a “perk” for longevity and service to Trinity.
stairs to the battlement at Eilean Donan. There were so many adventures and serendipitous moments that put fingerprints on my heart.
I had never traveled Europe, so planning my own 18-day trip including air, rail transportation, lodging, and sites to see in each city was an adventure in itself! My trip took me to Bath, Chester, Conwy, Wales, Edinburgh, Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye, Oban, Iona and London. While in London, I spent a day traveling to Canterbury and Dover. In Abernethy, Scotland, I Each grant experience represents an opportunity for the spontaneously visited a school to ask directions. I ended recipient to meet a dream, further Trinity’s mission and up meeting the teachers and spent time in their third ignite the fires of curiosity within our students. Below are grade class teaching a “wee bit” about America. My the stories, the experiences and the adventures of our very students this year are exchanging letters and books, first Light the Fire grant recipients: Tachi Dellinger, Gr. celebrating holidays, and comparing data with the class 3 Teacher; de’Angelo Dia, Middle School Language Arts from this primary school in Abernethy! With a clock in Teacher; and Jen Rankey, K-8 Art Teacher. our classroom on Abernethy time and one on Charlotte time, we are reminded of each other everyday. This Tachi Dellinger friendship and connection is one of the greatest things Project Title: Exploring I brought back from Scotland for my class and myself. Medieval Castles and Ancient Sites in England, During this trip, I drank in the history, culture and surroundings in deep gulps. Upon returning, I continue Scotland and Wales to take sips of the history, architecture, and people (pictured: Ms. Dellinger with shaping history in medieval times. My heart and my third-graders in Scotland) teaching will never be the same because of this “out of the box” professional development opportunity. Thank you, Trinity, for always valuing lifelong learning Ten years ago I came to Trinity and began teaching third and setting the embers of my love of history and grade. Our first Storypath unit was Castles and Medieval Scotland ablaze. Life. I have always had a love of castles, history, and Great Britain, but I knew little about the defenses of castles and de’Angelo Dia how they were built. I dove headfirst into researching and Project Title: Abiyoyo: Sugar Cane, Cotton Candy and learning along with the students as we explored medieval Carolina Gold Rice (Gullah & Caribbean Folk Tales) life. Each year I gained new information and added to the (pictured: Mr. Dia with artist Jonathan Green) curriculum we teach our third graders. When the Light the Fire grant was offered, I decided to apply and see if I Often, Jamaican and Gullah oral tradition are could actually go to visit and study castles and medieval interpreted as simple fairy stories that no one could sites firsthand. possibly take seriously. Many find it easy to dismiss I could practically hear bagpipes ringing when I was told I received one of the three grants. I was given the chance to turn the key and open the door and climb to the top of the ancient round tower in Abernethy, Scotland. I put my arm into an arrowloop in Conwy Castle and the Tower of London. I walked through a gatehouse, and climbed
these stories and say, “This can’t be real.” I encourage those individuals to explore a rice farm in South Carolina on a cool breezy night or explore the roots of giant cotton trees of Jamaica (known for being the “hang out” spots for spirits). The lessons of these stories should be taken seriously; these stories
2012 Light the Fire grant recipients: Tachi Dellinger, Jen Rankey & Cisco and de’Angelo Dia.
provide great understanding of self and the universe. Typically, African descendants are portrayed in western literature as flat characters and limited in scope. The settings of these stories are often found on plantations and in urban ghettos. By presenting Gullah and Jamaican oral tradition, one can hear and mentally picture the range and diversity that dwells within characters of color. These stories can serve as catalysts to attempt to answer basic questions about the world, illustrate morals told for entertainment and transfer history. These stories can also help demystify the stereotypes and beliefs of both cultures, which are often perpetuated by western literature. My Light the Fire summer was a spiritually uplifting experience. The opportunity to examine my Gullah roots and integrate my experience into our curriculum has been an academic blessing. I hope our students have enjoyed hearing the folk tales as much as I have enjoyed presenting them. Through the Light the Fire grant, I am providing a new voice and outlet to these stories and collections of poetry in my personal and professional life. My hope is that cultural understanding will be gained as well as a profound appreciation of the art forms.
In this issue... > The Value of Non-Cognitive Skills
> S.T.E.M. Learning Uncovered at TES > Middle Schoolers “Explore Identity” > WOW Week, Alumni News & more... Creating Scholars, Nurturing Spirituality and Embracing Diversity in Charlotte’s Center City
(continued on page 3)
The Trinity voice
Volume 23 • SPRING 2013
The Value of
Non-Cognitive Skills
Tom Franz, Head of School
I just returned from the annual luncheon meeting for the Foundation for the Carolinas where keynote speaker and author of Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back, Andrew Zolli, shared the role resilience plays in helping people and organizations adapt and flourish in ever-changing environments. He defined resilience as “the ability to recover, persist, or thrive amid a period of volatility or disruption.” He noted research that concludes that people who possess a spiritual or cosmic connection to something more powerful than humans have greater resilience. Moreover, training in spiritual development or mindfulness not only provides psycho-social benefits that enhance resilience but it also leads to biological benefits that can prevent or postpone long-term health issues. He also stated that people and organizations who are effective collaborators and problem solvers are more resilient. If I did not know better, I would have thought Andrew Zolli was a founding board member of Trinity Episcopal School. The latest trends in education have focused on developing non-cognitive skills, such as resilience, which research has shown is equally important to future success as is cognitive development. In recent years educators have been reading popular books from the New York Times best sellers list including Carol Dweck’s work Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Wendy Mogul’s newest book The Blessing of a B Minus, and Paul Tough’s volume How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. All of these books share a common theme of character development, performance and morality, which is crucial to a person’s success.
Trinity’s founders intuitively recognized what all of these researchers have articulated; there is considerably more to develop in a child than just the mind. Trinity has always viewed the development of what scientists refer to as noncognitive traits as an essential component in a child’s educational experience. Last year, Trinity began assessing some of the non-cognitive character traits more formally by including students’ scholarly habits and community habits on report cards. In addition to these report card evaluations, in the fall Trinity began using the Mission Skills Assessment (MSA) with our middle school students. Four years ago, a consortium of schools, of which Trinity is a member, The Independent Schools Data Exchange (INDEX) Elementary Schools, partnered with Educational Testing Services (ETS), to develop an instrument to measure resilience, ethics, intellectual curiosity, creativity, teamwork and time management, critical yet rarely assessed mission-related skills for middle school students. The assessment, determined to be reliable and valid according to ETS scientific research standards, examines the relationships between these mission skills and academic performance. While I hope the work of Zolli, Dweck, Mogul, and Tough will have a lasting effect on the world of education that is atypical in an industry that sees fads come and go, I am sure that Trinity will continue to create scholars who are exceptionally well prepared for high school, who are curious about the world, who possess cultural dexterity, who appreciate human beings as creations of a loving God and who develop a foundation of responsible and ethical character in keeping with the Mission our founders originally established.
Middle Schoolers & Community
“Explore Identity”
Note: This is an excerpt from an article recently published by the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).
The theme of diversity -- exploring and embracing identity -- has been the focus of the 2012-13 school year at Trinity.
S.T.E.M. Learning Uncovered at TES Carr Hughes, Gr. 2 Instructional Assistant One of my favorite quotes this year came from a faculty member as he observed third grade students feverishly constructing earthquakeresistant buildings using drinking straws, pipe cleaners, paper clips and other miscellaneous supplies. He looked at me and said, “Their brains are on fire.” He knew (as did the rest of us) that we were witnessing a significant teaching moment - complete and total focus from each and every student involved in the engineering design challenge. As educators and parents, we know what this means. When children are completely focused and engaged, they must love what they are doing. I have always known that children are naturally creative but this year I have learned that Trinity children are exceedingly creative and therefore outstanding problem solvers. By definition, S.T.E.M. learning involves integrating science, technology, engineering and math principles into a single activity. However, in practice, S.T.E.M. learning has evolved into a recognized method of instruction and pedagogy. S.T.E.M. learning typically starts with a question or a problem. It requires students to work through a process to develop a solution. The solution sometimes fails, so students must persevere and think critically to find another solution. Often in teams, students must rely on the uniqueness and gifts of their teammates to help solve the problem, thus practicing kindness and consideration. Does this language remind you of Trinity? It should. Indeed, Trinity has been engaged in S.T.E.M. learning since the school first opened. Perhaps this is why Trinity is seemingly more capable of integrating new S.T.E.M. learning opportunities into its curriculum, while other schools across the nation struggle to find the time and resources needed to support this type of learning. Coordinating S.T.E.M. learning has its challenges. There is often no set curriculum. Schools need scheduling flexibility, adequate space, responsive IT departments, enthusiastic faculty members, and administrators dedicated to allocating the money and time in order to get the children the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. Does this language remind you of Trinity? It should. S.T.E.M. learning has always been present at Trinity Episcopal School. It’s just that no one called it S.T.E.M. learning. For example, the art department has been teaching S.T.E.M. learning for years through its community art builds, lessons on 3D drawings, architecture and structure. Other examples of this learning include children working in Trinity’s gardens, building sets for plays, castles and rainforests, and participating in service learning partnerships. (continued on page 4)
Emily Johnson, Director of Advancement
“Exploring Identity”. Wise began his day with a keynote opening to a middle school diversity conference on Trinity’s campus. Over 200 middle school students from Trinity and five area schools - independent and public charter gathered for a morning of workshops and presentations designed to deepen understanding of students’ personal identities as well as the appreciation of and respect for the identities of others.
The “All Trinity Reads” 2012 summer book selections for faculty and staff included Tim Wise’s memoir, White Like Me, which reflects on his childhood growing up as a white Jewish minority and how that has shaped his adult life of anti-racist author and educator. The book was used as preparation for Wise’s visit to Trinity as keynote speaker for the annual “Freedom Fete” celebration which took place January 17. This event occurs around the MLK holiday and is used as a time to recognize and celebrate student leadership in the middle school. It also connects the efforts of Trinity students with a role model of servant leadership. A speaker who shares Dr. King’s -Beverly Daniel Tatum passion for social justice, human rights and freedom is invited to come and Through Wise sharing his own stories and research, share their story at the event. students’ current ways of thinking were challenged while they were empowered to be a generation who continues This year Freedom Fete turned into a two-day multito take action against the fact that racism still exists in our faceted community event with a wider theme of nation’s communities.
Our ongoing examination of who we are in our full humanity, embracing all of our identities, creates the possibility of building alliances that may ultimately free us.
After Wise’s presentation, students split into small groups to discuss self identity which led into faculty-led workshops where they delved further in more specific ways around women’s issues, self-expression, injustice, bullying and other ethnicity and diversity issues. In the afternoon, after speaking to a Mecklenburg Ministries luncheon group, Wise returned to campus to lead the faculty/staff discussion around embracing diversity at Trinity. The pinnacle event occurred in the evening when, in spite of nasty weather, a crowd of over 250 persons gathered to hear Wise speak. In attendance were many Trinity parents, representatives from churches who couldn’t get into the sold out luncheon, and persons from as far away as Greensboro who had heard of the event and braved the storm to come and hear. All in all, Freedom Fete 2013 was a great success. Both faculty and students alike would say this day in the life of Trinity is emblematic of all that the School aims to be as it is driven by its mission. All of this arises out of the purpose and philosophy of being an Episcopal school. From top to bottom, Trinity’s founders, trustees, administration and faculty are committed to developing this kind of “cultural dexterity” in the students who attend their school. They believe that such a program will equip students to navigate and succeed in the world ahead of them, but at the very least examine who they are as a unique child of God in this complex and diverse world.
The Trinity voice
Volume 23 • spring 2013
Trinity Students, Faculty & Staff Get
WOW’d
Students in grades 5-8 experience learning and adventure in the School’s annual WithOut Walls Week Trinity Episcopal School held its annual WithOut Walls Week (aka, WOW Week) February 12-15, 2013. Each year, Trinity suspends the regular school day, giving fifth- through eighthgrade students the opportunity to journey beyond the classroom to explore new passions, serve the community and live (and learn) outside the box. This year’s lineup of course offerings ranged from popular returning programs including Dig It!, Amazing Race and Taste of Latin America to newcomers such as Walk Like a Katniss, Random Acts of Rhymeness and Namaste Y’all.
Mark Your Calendars for
Grandfriends’ Day May 10, 2013 8-11:30am
Lighting the Fires Within... (continued from page 1)
Abiyoyo: Sugar Cane, Cotton Candy, and Carolina Gold Rice is a collection of folktales, poems and landscape photography documented from several areas of Jamaica, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The common elements are to keep the past alive, teach lessons about human behavior and reveal the values of our collective society.
“If uno de kno whey uno de gwine, den uno de kno whey uno de com fro.” - Gullah saying
Jen Rankey & Cisco
Project Title: Cisco the TES School Dog: From Puppy to School Dog As the administration rolled out the purpose behind the Light The Fire grant, I was reminded how wonderful and rewarding it is to work and play in this community. Also, my wheels started turning about possibilities of trips to far lands looking at some of the marvelous works of art that past generations have left as a marker to their existence. While I imagined spending hours floating through the Louvre or the Sistine Chapel, my sweet Cisco put his head on my lap and brought me back to my living room and in turn, back to reality. That’s when it hit me that although a trip afar filled with art would inspire me and have an undeniable impact on the students at Trinity, a well-trained school dog would have a more tangible and rewarding impact on a wider population of the community. With that, our Light The Fire experience began. Cisco followed in the footsteps of two different school dogs but has worked hard to become his own “man.” To begin his Light the Fire journey, he traveled back to his birthplace to work with his trainer/breeder Hunter Bryant. At the ripe age of 9 months, Cisco lived and worked with Hunter for about a month and a half to gain his basic commands and skills. Living on a farm with dogs, chickens, cats, and goats was very fun for Cisco, but the work he did was amazing. Each weekend I would travel to the farm in Ararat, NC to start transferring his new found “good dog” skills from Hunter to me. He could “heel,” “sit” and “stay” like a champ, and I was SO ready for him to come home so we could start working together full-time. Although he was not ready to step into his role as “school dog” since Patience was still holding her post, he was working hard towards his goal. His first day on the job was the last day of the 2011-12 school year. He slipped on his “Dog in Training” vest and headed to Moving Up chapel. I believe that I was more nervous than Cisco, so we took our post in the
Grandfriends will join students in classrooms, hear from school leadership, and attend our special Grandfriends’ Day Chapel. back of the gym with a bunch of rising Kindergarteners and their parents. He was just as wiggly as the 5-year olds around him but found an instant friend in a young girl who also seemed a bit nervous. Cisco laid down next to her, and she absently placed her hand on his head. I told her that Cisco was going to be new next year too and asked her if she would walk up with us when it was our turn to “move up.” When the new Kindergarteners were called up she looked around and said, “let’s go Cisco” and walked up with her hand on his head. At that moment, I realized the power and potential the presence of a school dog could have on this community. Now he is a dog that wants nothing more than to work here and teach every member of the community to live and teach an ethic of service and respect for others (including animals!). Receiving a Light the Fire grant has simply changed my life, Cisco’s life, and the life of the community at Trinity Episcopal School. I have said on more than one occasion that Cisco is the best teaching tool I have ever had: allowing me to teach love, compassion, compromise and community while continuing to teach the essential joy of art. We are a lucky team for sure, and we owe that to our Light the Fire grant! Please come by and see Cisco in action. He is here every day and can be found playing, working and simply being a part of the Trinity community. If you can’t make it in, you can follow his blog (http://tesschooldogcisco.wordpress.com/). He is a pretty good storyteller and loves to let the world in on the awesomeness that is Trinity Episcopal School. Made Possible By Your Generosity. Because of the generosity of our parents, grandparents, trustees, alumni and alumni parents, faculty, staff and friends of the School, to date the 2012-13 Trinity Fund has raised over $461,000, surpassing its financial goal. Your gifts honor our faculty and staff and allows us to create opportunities that further Trinity’s mission, with opportunities like our Light the Fire grant. We recently held our second annual Light the Fire Celebration on February 22, in the School’s gymnasium. More than 100 parents, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the success and impact of our Trinity Fund campaign, highlight our 2012 Light the Fire grant recipients and to announce the 2013 grant recipients. This year, we are proud to announce our three 2013 Light the Fire recipients: Jessica Masanotti, Communications and Alumni Relations Manager (Capturing & Telling Stories Through Photography - National Geographic Photography Workshop); Megan Postle, K-8 Music Director (Which Way to the Stage? A Broadway Experience); and Mandy Rencher, Gr. 4 Teacher (Geology - Can You Dig It? National Geographic Geology Expedition).
2012-13 Board of Trustees The Honorable David C. Keesler, Chair Philip C. Colaco, Treasurer Elizabeth G. Hobbs, Secretary Robert J. Miller, Past Chair Robert R. Anders, Jr. The Reverend Kevin Brown Ann Blakeney Clark Mary Anne Dickson Martha M. Eubank John F. FitzHugh Claudia F. Heath Elizabeth O. Kiser Albert P. Lindemann III Debra Plousha Moore Anna S. Nelson Joseph W. Pitt, Jr. S. Woods Potts T. Edmund Rast Stoney D. Sellars Caroline M. Stoneman David R. Tate Frank Toliver, Jr. Ex Officio Thomas J. Franz, Head of School Jessica Solis-Ritchey, PA President
The Trinity Voice is a publication of Contact the Advancement and Communications Office for more information Trinity Episcopal School or to update mailing information. 750 E. 9th Street Trinity Episcopal School admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic Charlotte, NC 28202-3102 origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made Telephone 704. 358. 8101 available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions Facsimile 704. 358. 9908 policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered www.TEScharlotte.org programs.
S.T.E.M. Learning Uncovered (continued) This year, Trinity’s faculty and administration mobilized to add even more opportunities for S.T.E.M. learning. In the fall, two faculty members who were selected as S.T.E.M. Fellows urged administration to consider adding engineering to the curriculum. Administration acted quickly, bought the curriculum and implemented a new learning celebration called, All Trinity Builds. In addition, Trinity enhanced its S.T.E.M.centric enrichment programs by adding Robotics, Legos, and Hands-On Science. Middle schoolers are programming Raspberry Pi microcomputers using SCRATCH computer software and seven out of thirteen WOW week offerings this year involved S.T.E.M. learning. Mr. Lanier, our Google Guru and Lower School Technology Catalyst, keeps us connected with all things Google and Mr. Thornton continues to create exciting new ways for faculty members to integrate technology with instruction.
In May 2010, the National Science Foundation published a report called Preparing the Next Generation of S.T.E.M. Innovators. The report detailed the correlation between a prosperous U.S. economy and our ability to enable American youth to innovate, produce and create. The report stated: “To properly identify and assess students with high potential, interest and talent in S.T.E.M. should be developed at an early age. Opportunities for educational development in S.T.E.M. can unmask or improve general or domain-specific cognitive abilities and critical noncognitive abilities, such as persistence, creativity, and leadership.” Does this language remind you of Trinity? It should. From what I can tell, Trinity’s faculty and staff have always known that children learn best when their brains are on fire.
Trinity Alumni - News & Notes Alexis Giger (‘09), is a senior at Charlotte Latin School. Alexis has made quite the entrance into the fashion world with her ecofriendly, DIY blog, Ecouturier. Featured in The Charlotte Observer and on Fox News, Alexis took time from her busy schedule to come talk to the “Sew It” group during this year’s WOW Week. Giger was also inducted into the Cum Laude Society at Charlotte Latin and will attend Washington University in St. Louis for college. Wallace Branche (‘08), is a freshman at Denison University and recently finished seventh place at the 2013 North Coast Athletic Conference Heptathlon. Branche also place third in the triple jump at the 2013 All-Ohio Indoor Championship and broke the Denison school record in the 60-meter hurdles. Branche is currently majoring in Biology and pursuing the pre-dental track.
David Oates (‘08),is a freshman at Northeastern College and placed second in the Husky Startup Challenge, winning $1500 for the website he coded. Oates was also offered a job this summer with national start-up company, Hubspot, after winning the 24-hour Beanpot Hack-a-thon. Donovan Patterson (‘12), freshman at Cannon School, was recently elected to the Cannon Honor Council. He is the only freshman to be elected to serve on the council. Nicole Wilson (‘10), junior at Charlotte Country Day School, won a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing competition for her sculpture piece. Wilson made the academic Honors list for the 2nd quarter and cheered in the half-time show for the NCAA Russell Athletic Bowl Game in December.
Send your alumni news & notes to Communications & Alumni Relations Manager Jessica Masanotti at jbmasanotti@tescharlotte.org or on our Website, www.TEScharlotte.org/tesalumni.
Upcoming Events
Nonprofit Org. US Postage
All trinity reads event
PAID Permit # 3554
April 19, 5:45pm Dickson Dining Hall
spring book fair
May 7-10, TES Track
Annual Spring arts festival
Charlotte, NC
750 E. 9th Street Charlotte, NC 28202-3102 Telephone 704. 358. 8101 Facsimile 704. 358. 9908 www.tescharlotte.org Address Correction Requested
May 9, 4:30-7:30pm
grandfriends’ day
May 10, 8:15-11:30am
gr. 5 shakespeare
May 30, 9am & 6pm
gr. 8 final chapel
May 31, 8am, Gymnasium
baccalaureate
June 4, 4:30-7:30pm, Dickson Dining Hall & Gymnasium
Gr. 8 commencement
June 5, 1:30pm, Gymnasium
alumni book buddy day
June 6, 10:30-11:30am
moving up chapel
June 7, 8am, Gymnasium
Creating Scholars, Nurturing Spirituality and Embracing Diversity in Charlotte’s Center City