The Trinity Voice, Spring 2023

the stories around us

Dear Trinity families,

There is a box in my mother’s garage that I’m certain will one day end up in my home. Inside are books, some that date back to the late 1800s, that have been handed down through the generations of my family. The pages are worn with age but they tell an enduring story.

I am the great-great granddaughter of an enslaved man who, at great risk to himself, learned how to read. His bold and, at the time, illegal act started the tradition of literacy in my family of valuing education and of becoming educators.

That legacy was why my parents were so intentional in the books they surrounded me with at home, books that were quite different than the Dick and Jane books I would read at school. There were stories about Imhotep and Nefertiti and kings and queens of Africa, stories about Shirley Chisholm, Frederick Douglass, and W.E.B. DuBois, and poems by Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou that I was expected to memorize.

In these books were people that looked like me and stories by or about strong women, which weren’t always available in the 1970s. I would think, “Wow, this is my history?!” But I would also think, “Why am I not hearing about this in school?”

Seeing yourself reflected in the curriculum has the power to change the trajectory of your life. I received a much broader experience because of reading. It was like breath for me and it’s one of the reasons I knew I was in the right place at Trinity. Not only is this a community of scholars, this campus is full of readers. In this issue of The Trinity Voice, we explore the power of storytelling and of the stories we share, whether on the stage of the CCA or in the halls of influence in Washington, D.C. We will look at the stories we bring to Trinity as individuals and how together, they form a community. We will also take a moment to thank someone who has been a part of the Trinity story from the beginning, Dr. Chris Weiss, as she begins a new chapter.

I know I’ve said it often since my first day, but I can’t say it enough. There’s a feeling that you can’t quite put a name to when you walk through the doors of Trinity. It feels good in your soul. This is the place that matters most because we are teaching children to be good humans and good students and take their own enduring stories out into the world to do good.

Sincerely,

Head of School

This is

Trinity's Storytelling Traditions

Transitions: Class of 2022

Class of 2022 High School Choices

Q&A with Alumna: Emily Horn

Alumni News & Notes

Alumni Reflection: Dennis Rankowitz

Buzz the

The Knight Stuff

Trinity’s new chess club has taken off in popularity. Students in every grade level have participated this year, and the club has entered in competitions with hundreds of students from area schools. Several of our Wildcats have brought home medals from these competitions!

Blessing of the Pets

Another beloved tradition to return this year was the Blessing of the Pets. Whether they are on campus or joined us in photographs or as stuffed animals, this joyful chapel serves as a reminder of our duty to care for and appreciate all of creation, especially the creatures that share a home with us.

Mock Trial Champions!

Trinity's first-ever mock trial team was victorious in February's Charlotte Mock Trial Championship. The Trinity team (8th Grade members photographed) competed against other Charlotte-area middle schools and won the championship!

Singapore Math Comes to Trinity

Lower School students were introduced to a new curriculum in mathematics this school year, “Singapore Math: Math in Focus,” as we continue to create scholars through a curriculum that strives to strengthen problem-solving and better serves the range of learners at Trinity. As of mid-year, we have seen an increase in Lower School students performing on or above level.

Spirit Week at Trinity

A Trinity favorite, Spirit Week, lets students and staculty flex their creativity with a different theme each day, from “Celebrity Day” when students dressed as anyone famous such as Pippi Longstocking (above), to “Anything But a Backpack Day” which saw school supplies packed in everything from a wheelbarrow to a skateboard cart (left).

Built to Last

How will buildings need to adapt to withstand climate change? Third Grade students considered that as they studied meteorology and the impacts of hurricanes, putting their knowledge to the test by building structures and seeing how they weather rain and “hurricane” force winds from a hair dryer.

Freedom Fete

It was an honor for Trinity to welcome the Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas as featured speaker at Freedom Fete, our annual celebration of those working to further the cause of social justice. One of the foremost theologians on the subject of racial reconciliation, Dr. Douglas engaged with students and staculty, leaving her with a sense of renewal. "It's changed what I think is possible in schools," she said.

Laps of Love

Trinity’s first-ever fun run, Laps of Love, was a tremendous success! The event helped Trinity families support the amazing work of our Parents’ Association, which hopes to expand on that work thanks to the generosity of Wildcat families, friends, and other supporters!

Oh How the Year Goes By!

Before we knew it, the 100th day of the school year was upon us! Just as quickly as the year has flown by, our Kindergarten students grew overnight into centenarians, telling us about their achy backs and to “get off my lawn!”

Getting Centered for the Day Ahead

With so much packed into a school day, it’s good to take a deep breath and get centered, like 5th Grade students taking a quick yoga break on the field before heading in for another day of learning and growing.

Service Learning in the Community

Of the many unique parts of the Trinity experience, service-learning partnerships are one of the most treasured. Every grade level forms partnerships with community organizations that become meaningful relationships, such as the monthly visits between 2nd Grade students and differently-abled adults through InReach.

McDonald Henry 20

QUES

What is your favorite way to start the day?

I try to run every morning. Not sure that's my favorite way to start the day but I like the routine (shout out to the Trinity XC team for getting me started running!)

What did you want to be when you grow up?

It changed so often; every type of professional athlete, a police officer, president, a Trinity teacher... I'm still trying to make up my mind.

Who inspires you?

Jon Stewart. I'm just always impressed by how he uses his humor and wit to provide commentary on the world around us.

Favorite spot on Trinity’s campus?

The un-official wall-ball wall.

What is your favorite time of day?

Watching my favorite late night shows on YouTube while I eat lunch.

What’s your cure for the hiccups?

Hyperventilate and repeat 'don't hiccup' over and over. Works every time.

Favorite Trinity moment?

The extracurricular activities, particularly the sports teams. The 8th Grade basketball team was the most special of those memories.

If your life were a film, who would play you?

I suppose Joaquin Phoenix cause he can play anyone.

What’s your favorite Charlotte-area restaurant ?

Viva Chicken

If you could only eat one gas station food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Frito Twists

What’s your secret talent?

I have a very good sense of direction, but I'm not sure how secret that is since I often remind people.

What is your favorite movie?

Memento (or any Christopher Nolan movie).

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Know everyone's name.

What was the last gift you gave someone?

I bought my roommate some muffins for his birthday.

Is cereal a soup ?

No

What foreign language would you like to be fluent in? French

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Cheesecake

Which historical figure(s) would you invite to dinner?

Thomas Jefferson since he was so influential in the founding of America yet is also a complicated figure.

Are you a dog person or cat person?

Dog, but I see the value of cats.

Favorite Trinity song?

Trinity, Oh Trinity? I've been out of the Trinity song game for awhile so have unfortunately forgotten many. Where's the Trinity Spotify playlist? Scan that QR code, Henry!

Griffin Benita

TIONS

What is your favorite way to start the day?

A cool glass of beetroot juice – seriously – and a cup of herbal tea.

What did you want to be when you grow up?

A child psychologist. Working in education is the closest I’ve come to helping children cope with life!

Who inspires you?

My mom. She is the hardest-working person and NEVER complains about her job(s).

Favorite spot on Trinity’s campus?

The CCA rooftop.

What is your favorite time of day?

I am all about that sunrise. Definitely an early-morning person.

What’s your cure for the hiccups?

An age-old remedy I learned was to inhale a gulp of air and count to 10. Does that work?

Favorite Trinity moment?

So far, Lessons and Carols Chapel. Some talented staculty and children are on this campus.

If your life were a film, who would play you?

Viola Davis

What’s your favorite Charlotte-area restaurant ?

Cajun Queen

If you could only eat one gas station food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Breakfast tacos in Los Angeles

What’s your secret talent?

I’m good at fake accents, specifically British.

What is your favorite movie?

Pride and Prejudice (1995) Lost in Translation (2003)

What was the last gift you gave someone?

A gift card for a massage.

Is cereal a soup ?

Definitely not, especially when I like my cereal without the liquid!

What foreign language would you like to be fluent in?

Italian

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Key lime pie

Which historical figure(s) would you invite to dinner?

Maya Angelou for myself and Martin Luther King, Jr. for my mom, who still speaks of where she was when he died and his effect on our family.

Are you a dog person or cat person?

I’d rather cozy up with a dog.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

The ability to heal others mentally and physically.

Favorite Trinity song?

“I Sing a Song of the Saints of God”

What is your favorite way to start the day?

Praying

What did you want to be when you grow up?

An actress

Who inspires you?

My mom

Favorite spot on Trinity’s campus? The gym

Cuervo Marisella 20

QUES

Favorite Trinity moment? Moving Up Chapel

If your life were a film, who would play you?

My daughter (Jade, 8th Grade TES student)

What’s your favorite Charlotte-area restaurant ?

Mi Tierra Colombian Restaurant

If you could only eat one gas station food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hot dogs

What’s your secret talent? Roller blading

What was the last gift you gave someone?

A basketball hoop for my children

Is cereal a soup ? No!

What foreign language would you like to be fluent in? Italian

If you were a dessert, what would you be? A brownie

What is your favorite time of day? The evening/night

What’s your cure for the hiccups? Drink water and hold your breath.

What is your favorite movie? Armageddon

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

To be able to fly

Which historical figure(s) would you invite to dinner?

Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr.

Are you a dog person or cat person? Dog person

Favorite Trinity song?

“Every Move I Make (Waves of Mercy)”

Chantry Matt

TIONS

What is your favorite way to start the day?

Cuddling with my kids when they wake up / wake me up! It’s impossible not to start your day with a smile when they are so excited for what’s to come.

What did you want to be when you grow up?

I wanted to be a soccer player. Unfortunately my athletic prowess didn’t match my dreams.

Who inspires you?

My parents. They were always wonderful examples to me and I hope that I can be half as good a parent to my kids as they were for me.

Favorite spot on Trinity’s campus?

Driving in and out of the carpool line and the kids seeing “Monster” (Facilities team member Juan Carlos Rodriguez)!

What is your favorite time of day?

Mid-morning with my coffee.

What’s your cure for the hiccups?

I suck in and hold my breath and my nose for as long as I can (within reason).

Favorite Trinity moment?

Seeing Elizabeth’s and Will’s first inperson Moving Up Chapel last year after COVID prevented us from seeing the previous two. I’m not usually a very emotional person, but that definitely got me a little bit.

If your life were a film, who would play you?

Daniel Radcliffe. We’re both English, both a bit silly, and from similar parts of the country. Plus it would be pretty cool to be played by Harry Potter! And he’s less folliclely challenged than I am so it makes me look a bit better.

What was the last gift you gave someone?

Restaurant gift cards to Haberdish for my team at work for New Year’s.

Is cereal a soup ?

Absolutely not! Cereal is usually somewhat sweet and soup isn’t sweet. What’s your favorite Charlotte-area restaurant ?

Ace No. 3 burger in the Belmont neighborhood. It’s just a few blocks from our house, which is a blessing and a curse! By far the best burger in Charlotte.

If you could only eat one gas station food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Jerky!

What’s your secret talent?

I can flip my tongue over and hold it there using nothing but my tongue itself. I learned that party trick at Ripley's Believe it or Not.

What is your favorite movie?

“Back to the Future.” I watched it a hundred times growing up. I even had a “BTTF” themed surprise 30th birthday party which was appropriate since I was born in 1985 when the movie came out, and my 30th was in 2015, the year they went to in “BTTF 2.”

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Super speed. I’ve got 4 kids so I’m always rushing somewhere and it would be nice to get there a little quicker sometimes.

What foreign language would you like to be fluent in?

Spanish. I’m heavily involved with the Charlotte FC supporters community and a lot of our fans are Spanish speakers. I’d love to be able to speak with them all fluently and do a better job of singing our Spanish chants.

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

A cherry Bakewell. It’s an English cake. Filled with jam and icing with a cherry on the top. I always get my parents to bring over 5 packets of them when they travel here.

Which historical figure(s) would you invite to dinner?

English soccer player Johnny Haynes. He played for England and my team, Fulham, for his whole career.

Are you a dog person or cat person?

100% a dog person. The minute Erin and I were in a position to, we adopted 2 dogs. Our dogs were pampered until Elizabeth was born!

Favorite Trinity song?

“Lean on Me” from the Moving Up Chapel last year.

shelfies tes

FROM BOOKS TO MUSIC AND PODCASTS, TRINITY STACULTY SHARE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITES AND WHAT THEY’RE CONSUMING LATELY.

Imana

Sherrill

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Holy Bible

It’s been at the core of so much history, good, bad and ugly.

“Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown

It’s a roadmap on how to lead with love and also leading and staying true to your values, your integrity, and being unapologetic about being a woman in a position that is usually reserved for men.

“Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Daniel Tatum

It’s a book that resonated then and it resonates now. It is like the Diversity 101 as to the noticings of people when it comes to issues of race and what to do with those noticings and wonderings. It’s a phenomenal book.

"Parenting with Love and Logic” by Foster W. Kline

When you have children in your household who learn differently, you’re trying to figure out how not to get swept up into what can sometimes be chaotic at home. It also helped me as a teacher because it makes you look at kids thoughtfully, and differently, and individually.

“If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students” by Neila A. Connors

It’s a metaphor but it is so real. You want to make sure that your teachers have everything they need in order to do what they do well.

“Black People and Their Place in the World” by Leroy Vaughn (Imana’s father)

It taught me a lot about the history that I wasn’t learning in schools. He needed to make sure the world knew and understood the history that wasn’t being taught.

ASSISTANT

“All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown” by The Moth. Short stories about normal people like us, facing challenging moments in their lives. It is an easy read and very uplifting.

“Positive Discipline: The First Three Years” by Roslyn Ann Duffy, Cheryl Erwin, and Jane Nelsen. I find this book extremely important for anyone who has children or works with them. It is about respect and seeing things from the child's perspective to help them grow and develop as confident and independent human beings.

Brandt Boidy

“Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann: It details one of the FBI's first cases, investigating the mysterious deaths of the Osage people of Oklahoma. At the time, they represented the wealthiest population in America, having been relocated on top of endless oil. Tragically, outsiders exploit that wealth and claim it by any means necessary.

“Fairy Tale” by Stephen King: It’s unlike King's horror novels and focuses on a boy who saves an elderly neighbor. Through their friendship, he learns of a portal to another world full of friends and foes who mirror the fairy tales of his childhood.

“Lavender Days” by Caamp: Caamp is one of my favorite indie rock/folk bands, but this elevated their sound and was on repeat much of this year. The album art is lovely and the sound matches it perfectly, all at once sentimental, peaceful, and inspiring.

& COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

“Twenty-Thousand Hertz” is a podcast that explores the stories and people behind iconic sounds, such as the Windows startup and telephone touch-tones. As someone who worked in radio for many years, I love to learn about the sounds that are a part of our daily lives.

“The Big Read” is a Substack newsletter that’s great if you’re like me and want to finally get around to reading classic books you were supposed to read in high school or college. It picks a handful of books for the year and creates a day-byday reading schedule.

Currently, I'm incredibly appreciative of easy reads. Life is busy, and I love escaping into someone else's world. Some of the books I've enjoyed recently are:

“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

“Book Lovers” by Emily Henry

“Musical Chairs” by Amy Poeppel

“The House on the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune

As the Middle School Counselor, one of my favorite parenting books is “Good Inside: The Practical Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Becky Kennedy. I love her podcast, “Good Inside,” too!

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH & SCIENCE TEACHER

Chris Miller

MARKETING

Nathalia Oliveira

GR. 1 INSTRUCTIONAL

Rebecca Glavin

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR

to history From hurricane

Who gets invited to a once-in-a-decade event such as a Head of School installation ceremony? The guest list is one of the biggest moving parts of the planning. There are family members who should be there, colleagues who have been a part of the journey, the Trinity community, and so many others.

Rarely does the planning require taking into account a party crasher, specifically a hurricane. However, that was the scenario with Hurricane Ian as Imana Sherrill prepared to be installed in September as Trinity’s third Head of School and the first woman of color to lead an independent school in the Charlotte area.

The planning wheels were back in motion not long after the storm cleared, and in early November the historic day arrived.

“We made it!” Trinity Board of Trustees Chair Amy Colaco told guests at an installation reception for Sherrill, who added, “Not a drop of rain in the sky!”

Just as no one anticipated a hurricane, being installed as Head of School wasn’t on Sherrill’s radar when Trinity began its nationwide search for a new head in 2021. Thinking she would make just an obligatory visit to Charlotte because her mother and other family members live here, Sherrill said she “walked through the doors” and knew Trinity had her heart.

As serendipitous as the circumstances felt to Sherrill while visiting Trinity, “we did not arrive here by accident,” said the Rev. Joshua Case of Christ Episcopal School in the homily delivered during the installation chapel.

“Imana, God brought us together in this season and the love of those who came before us is

“This place is love,” she told the reception guests. “This school is beautiful and to serve… in this space, I don’t take it for granted."

”

shining all around us today,” said Rev. Case, a Trinity parent and Board of Trustees member.

Sherrill said she stood “on the shoulders” of her ancestors, some of whom were, like Mrs. Sherrill, firsts in their own right. “I am going to make you proud,” she said.

In a video message played at the installation chapel, the Most. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, echoed Mrs. Sherrill in calling Trinity “a school of love.”

“Mrs. Sherrill believes that, in education, as in life, you must lead by love,” said Curry, who previously served as bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.

The Trinity community showed its love and appreciation for Sherill with Trinity-centric gifts during the ceremony, from a basket of books from staculty members to a spirit shirt from Kindergarten students who also gifted Mrs. Sherrill with a performance of the “Garden Song,” which has echoed around Trinity for decades.

Colaco, the board chair, said Sherrill was herself a gift to Trinity. “Imana has jumped right in, visiting classrooms and meeting one on one with teachers, parents and students alike. And she’s already marking ways to bring our school into this next chapter, spreading the good word of our mission and building relationships across the community.”

And after the well-wishes and hugs, as quickly as the hurricane came and went, it was right back to work for Sherrill. “We’ve got legacies to leave, we’ve got kids to grow,” she said.

chapter A new

DR. CHRIS WEISS REFLECTS ON 23 YEARS AT TRINITY

The oak tree towering over Trinity’s campus has held a front row seat to the school’s history, going back to the early days of classrooms in trailers.

“When you drove up to the school that beautiful tree was the first thing you saw, in addition to the Trinity Learning Cottages, which were really just fancy trailers,” said Head of Lower School and Assistant Head of School Dr. Chris Weiss, whose 5th Grade classroom looked out on the tree.

As one of two remaining founding faculty members (Fine Arts Director Jen Rankey-Zona being the other), Weiss has also been a constant figure in Trinity’s history, which wasn’t what she had planned when Trinity opened its doors in 2000.

“I really thought I would stay for 5 years and then leave,” she said.

Instead, those 5 years turned into 23 with new opportunities along the way as founding Head of School Father “Smokey” Oats “kept giving me things to do,” she said, and his successor, Tom Franz, asked Weiss to serve in her current roles.

“There’s been so much to stay for, so much work to continue to do,” she said. “It’s gone by like a blip.”

Though she hasn’t shared yet what she will be doing postTrinity, Weiss knew a different opportunity was calling her and announced in October 2022 she would leave Trinity at the end of the 2022-23 school year. “I’m really itching to do something else, but have every intention to continue to impact students and teachers in a meaningful way,” she said.

The next chapter for Weiss started forming in 2018 when she began the doctoral program at UNC Charlotte. “I knew it would prepare me for my next chapter,” said Weiss, who completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/ Urban Elementary Education in 2022. Her dissertation focused on teacher beliefs and practices in

mathematics with an emphasis on advanced students.

One idea that has resonated with Weiss is returning to the classroom. “I started in education as a classroom teacher and there’s a part of me that wants to end my career back in the classroom, probably in a public school,” she said. “If there’s anything I miss, it’s being a classroom teacher.”

A fresh start

Transitions at Trinity also entered into Weiss’ decision to seek something new. With a new head of school and Trinity’s 25th anniversary on the horizon, there is “a chance to have a fresh start” for both the school and for herself.

“Having somebody new in this role with new ideas and new energy… with a fresh perspective, I think, is really healthy and important for the school,” Weiss said.

There was no shortage of energy and ideas in Trinity’s startup days, Weiss said. “It’s so cool to have a blank slate and to make it up as we went along, and we did! We wrote curriculum and were intentional about designing curricula that put students in the driver’s seat, which was really exciting.”

Some of what Weiss brought to that blank slate in the first year are now Trinity mainstays, such as Greet the Week on Mondays; 4th Grade trips to Earthshine and 5th Grade journeys to Green River Preserve, where Weiss now serves on the board of trustees; and MathCats, the afterschool program for Lower School students who, like Weiss, are keen on mathematics.

“I feel (that if) I can impact this one little place, then maybe that will make a difference in the life of a child or teacher,” she said.

"An outstanding educator"

Spend just a few seconds with Weiss during a school day and it’s apparent she still brims with the energy that brought Trinity to life.

“I have loved getting up and coming to school every single day,” she said. “Like, jump out of bed, (wondering) what's going to happen today?”

Weiss said part of what kept her coming back to Trinity day after day, year after year, when so many colleagues have come and gone, is the school’s constructivist educational philosophy in which students have a hand in building their knowledge rather than just passively listening to a teacher.

“I just believe in that to my core,” she said. “And I wish every single kid could be in a setting like this.”

Being one of the founding staculty members, Weiss “felt a responsibility to the school and to what we had started” to stay and “be helpful towards keeping the mission of the school alive and well.”

Tom Franz, who retired as Trinity’s second Head of School in 2022, called Weiss “one of the hardest-working people you will ever meet.”

“If you are an outstanding educator like Chris Weiss, it is incredibly difficult to stop working because there are always several students, teachers or parents who would benefit from a little more encouragement or just one more communication,” Franz said, adding “it will take at least two people to replace Weiss.”

(In fact, her roles will be divided beginning in the 2023-24 school year. Middle School Academic Dean Stephanie Griffin will succeed Weiss as Assistant Head of School for Academics, and Sarah Barton Thomas has been hired as the next Head of Lower School.)

“We're all part of one family”

The people of Trinity, from the hundreds of students to the many staculty who have walked the halls over the past 23 years, have also been a reason for Weiss to stay, especially the bonds she has formed with colleagues.

MathCats was conceived when Weiss recognized a need for students who were strong in math at a time when an emphasis was placed on reading and writing. That turned into a mission to spotlight math at Trinity and in the broader world to “help parents and teachers and students see math in this really positive, exciting, beautiful light.”

“The other really essential part is how close the community is inside and outside the school,” she said. “It always feels like we're all part of one family.”

Weiss’ own family is part of that Trinity family, as daughters Hannah (TES ‘08) and Sadie (TES ‘17) attended Trinity, which Weiss said “allowed me to be a good mom and also to do my job by being in the same school as two of my daughters.”

Sadie Weiss said her mother’s “hard work, dedication to students and staff, and her passion for her job have inspired me every day of my life.” Her sister, Hannah, said growing up at Trinity allowed her to see “firsthand the love my mom has for that school, and the love the students (and staculty) have right back for her.”

“I’ve always been so proud to tell people I’m Chris Weiss’ daughter,” Hannah said. “I know that every single decision she’s ever had to make… was with the student’s best interest in mind. I hope that is the legacy she leaves - do what’s right for the students.”

“It has meant everything to me”

As Trinity “move(s) into its next iteration of itself,” Weiss hopes the school remains true to its founding mission of making Trinity accessible for families who “could never in a million years imagine that their child would go to a private school, an Episcopal school.”

“We were able to create (a) culture and assembly of kids and families that nobody else had really been able to do before,” she said.

Trinity will continue to challenge students to academic excellence and an ethic of service, Weiss said, but evolutions elsewhere are natural.

“Kids are changing,” she said. “The world of teaching is changing. Teaching and learning are both changing, and we have to make sure that the school is staying up with that, and new energy around that work is exactly what the school needs.”

With new opportunities and experiences in store for herself and Trinity, Weiss looks back on the past 23 years with gratitude.

“It’s meant everything to me,” Weiss said, “and being a founder and part of this beautiful school has given me more than I ever could have imagined or hoped for.”

1. Hanging on the wall of Dr. Weiss’ office is a quilt made by her first class of students, who were also Trinity’s first graduating class.

2. Trinity’s Founding Head of School, Father Smokey Oats, and Dr. Weiss.

3. Dr. Weiss and Lydia, a member of her Tribe, had their game faces on for the annual Tribe Olympics.

4. “If there’s anything I miss, it’s being a classroom teacher.” Dr. Weiss pictured in her first classroom at Trinity.

5. For nearly a decade at Trinity, Dr. Weiss coached Girls on the Run.

6. Trinity alumni Hannah (TES ‘08) and Sadie (TES ‘17) Weiss celebrating their mother’s receiving her doctorate.

Bringing to life traditions

Learning about cultures and traditions is an immersive experience at Trinity. As the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, Trinity dedicated a K-8 Chapel to the holiday, including a traditional lion dance and an opportunity for students to take a turn in the lion costume.

Mr. Smith's

museum

“Come this way, history awaits,” reads the sign on the inside of the door to Grady Smith’s Middle School classroom. It beckons those who enter to learn not only about figures and events from America’s past, but also about Trinity’s past.

For most of his 17 years at Trinity, Smith has displayed Trinity’s history in a glass-case museum that houses everything from a piece of a bench that was original to the campus, to a towel signed by a graduating class, to the rubber chicken that was the original “trophy” to the victor of the annual 8th Grade vs. Staculty basketball game.

“As a history teacher, I'm really interested in primary sources, artifacts you can hold,” said Smith, who is retiring at the end of the 2022-23 school year after 27 years in education.

The museum began to take shape after noticing the glass case at a store that was going out of business. Smith had wanted “to have some sort of exhibit of special Trinity” items, and when he told the store he would like to use it in his classroom, they said he could have the case for free as long as he could find a way to haul it out. With the help of Juan Carlos Rodriguez of Trinity’s facilities team, the case found its new home at Trinity.

“I started to fill it up with anything that seemed to have Trinity significance,” Smith said. “Something that’s a little unique, seems to have special meaning to it.”

A few of the artifacts have personal significance, such as the pair of Converse All-Stars - Smith’s signature shoesigned by the players from one of the many girls basketball teams he has coached at Trinity.

Many other pieces are snapshots in time of school history: programs from events for Heads of School and baccalaureates and commencements, keepsakes from Koinonia groups and chapel services, classroom nameplates of staculty members, pictures of former classroom pets, school directories.

While Smith has mostly curated the museum himself, students have contributed over the years “as long as (they) can explain to me why it’s going in there.” The museum has also at times been an ice-breaker with students. “You have these moments periodically when the kids you’ve never really connected with, all of a sudden, want to know about something in there and you have a great conversation with them.”

The items that have sentimental value to Smith will go home with him at the end of the school year. Others might be discarded - a Chick-Fil-A box signed by a Koinonia and a pair of Energizer bunny ears, for example - while many will likely be boxed up.

Smith would like to leave the museum behind empty and leave it in the hands of other staculty. “I would like to see it continue, at least the spirit behind it if not the physical presence.”

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?

Mr. Smith is known for his signature Converse All-Stars, a pair of which was signed by one of the many girls basketball teams he has coached.

During the period when COVID moved students into cohorts, one group used this soccer ball and placed it in the museum as a memory of their unprecedented learning experience.

A piece of one of the original benches on campus and siding from the "Yellow House" that housed the Business and Advancement offices on what is now the site of the Center for Community and the Arts.

For many years, the annual 8th Grade vs. staculty competition was a basketball game, and the winner - usually the staculty - would receive this nowretired rubber chicken trophy.

1. The museum artifacts range from the historic, including Imana Sherrill's Head of School installation program, to the random, such as a milk carton from a Koinonia breakfast.

2. The last of the original Dickson Dining Hall chairs.

3. These glasses were a must-have when the Trinity community headed outside in 2017 to witness a historic total solar eclipse, the first in nearly 100 years.

A community’s priorities are an important part of its story, not only in framing what its people value but also in how they respond to matters near and far.

Trinity’s 8th Grade wants its story to be one of a community that takes action, writing the latest chapter of activism that has spanned many years.

The story has taken shape through the 8th Grade’s seminar course as students research pressing issues in the community with an eye on taking those issues to Washington, D.C., for the grade’s annual capstone trip in May.

“What's really unique about this trip is it's not a tourism trip,” said Stephanie Griffin, Middle School Academic Dean. “This is a trip, at its heart and its soul, all about advocacy.”

For months, the 8th Grade has been exploring issues, meeting with

action Called to

community organizations and leaders, and figuring out how they want to use their voices in the nation’s capital, ultimately deciding they will lobby around affordable housing, homelessness, gun violence, drug abuse, and human trafficking.

Much as they will do in Washington, students had to lobby their classmates on behalf of the issues they want to take with them, making elevator pitches for their cause and having it voted on. Since then, they have identified active legislation tied to their issues and researched the stances of the groups they hope to meet.

8TH GRADE HEADS TO WASHINGTON

“When they get to Washington, D.C., they are knowledgeable, passionate advocates,” Griffin said.

Their passion was on display in April as 8th Grade students organized a walkout for Grades 5-8 to demand legislative action on gun violence following the tragedy at The Covenant School in Nashville.

“It's really important that we make our voices heard because we are the future,” said 8th Grade student Tessa Fulcher. She and classmate Austin Redmond are among the students who will be lobbying in Washington for legislation addressing gun violence. “It's just a great experience to learn how to advocate for ourselves,” Redmond said.

Before setting foot in Washington, students must also map out their plan for advocating while there, lining up meetings with elected leaders and others, including those who don’t share students’ opinions.

Students continue to steer their lobbying efforts once they arrive, as teachers stay on the sidelines of the student-organized meetings. “That sense of ownership contributes to their feeling of pride and accomplishment when they're done with the trip,” said Kalli Ey, a Middle School math teacher who is also one of the seminar leaders.

While Washington is the destination, Ey said the seminar course has been aligned this year with service learning to raise students’ awareness of how the issues they will discuss in Washington are playing out at the local level. Ey wants students to understand the work doesn’t end when their trip is over.

“We’re teaching them about how they can use their voices as they move on from (Trinity),” she said. “It helps them become changemakers.”

“We want students to be empathetic learners,” Griffin said. “We have to be willing to understand why someone thinks the way they do. We want kids to walk away being able to understand their neighbors better.”

on stage Stories

When 6th Grade student Andrew Arriola stepped onto the Trinity stage for this school year’s fall play, “The Seussification of a Midsummer Night’s Dream,” he became part of a story-telling tradition that spans millenia.

“I’ve always just wanted to be an actor,” said Arriola, who has been performing since his role as a hyena in “The Lion King” when he was in 2nd Grade.”There’s just something about it and the community that I really love.”

“I check in with students to see what their interests are,” Cossor said. “This year I have a few kids who are writers, so I am making sure we’re doing some playwriting so they can explore that a little bit more.”

The arts, including theatre, aren’t treated as a standalone at Trinity, but rather “a tangible use of what happens in the classroom,” Cossor said. “Building a set is math and science. Understanding a script and being able to portray a character is language arts. So often, musicals are based on history; it’s just a catchier way of telling the information.”

Not only do students tell other people’s stories in theatre, they also find a space to be themselves. Cossor recalled that during her Middle School years “the place where I was happy and allowed to be me was the theatre department.”

Chanel Blanchett, TES ‘05, found her space at Trinity to grow as a performer in the Odyssey of the Mind program and learn skills that helped lay the foundation for her career in theatre as a playwright, director, and educator.

“What was really great about Odyssey of the Mind is that it combines so many different skill sets,” Blanchett said. “The performance part for me felt very much within my wheelhouse as someone who was a dancer and a actor, but the parts that were critical-thinking and using a story to solve a problem through building and brainstorming and teamwork were really crucial to me.”

Middle School Director of Theatre Arts Leslie Cossor also fell in love with performing at a young age. “I grew up watching older musicals and movies,” she said. “My parents were older, so when everyone else was into New Kids on the Block, I was watching Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. I would parrot and mimic them.”

Trinity students have an opportunity to become actors at different levels, such as the 4th Grade performance of “Aladdin” and the 1st Grade Fairy Tale Plays. When they reach Middle School, they can choose to further pursue their interest in the theatre through a drama elective and the yearly fall play and spring musical.

Having to adapt to new situations in Odyssey of the Mind helped when Blanchett would be thrown into improv, which “is not one of my strengths,” she said. “I was like, just channel that Odyssey of the Mind feeling and you can figure it out.”

Arriola, the 6th Grade actor, hopes to have the same experience as he envisions a future career as a performer.

“I feel like the musicals and plays at Trinity are helping me grow as an actor,” he said. “When I grow up, I’ll have those skills to stick with me.”

The Art Storytelling of

The corner of Trinity's Center for Community and the Arts provided a canvas for Charlotte-based muralist Nick Napoletano, whose artwork can be seen across Charlotte and around the world.

On the following pages, see the mural's progression and its story.

Art can be a powerful story-telling medium, and the 8th Street mural is no exception.

Nick Napoletano, the artist behind the mural, was a natural match for Trinity as it sought an artist to bring the project to life. Napoletano said the purpose of his artwork “is… about driving change in every community I am working in,” just as Trinity students seek to bring change.

“I feel really privileged (to be) here," he said.

The mural project had been in motion since late 2021, Napoletano arrived on campus in November 2022. Trinity’s Visual Arts Director Jen Rankey-Zona said she was “over the moon” that an artist of Napoletano’s caliber was working with Trinity.

“Watching him create is like watching your favorite movie in vibrant color,” she said. “It is a feast for the eye and mind!"

Napoletano didn’t work alone, however. Students laid the groundwork for the mural by painting “intention statements,” which Napoletano described as “a seed of motivation, purpose, and inspiration.”

“It sets the tone for the work that follows,” he said. “It reminds me of why I’m here and hopefully reminds others of a deeper truth in the process.” While the students’ words “are not visible in the final piece, my hope is that they are felt.”

Once the students set the tone, Napoletano went to work transferring his sketches for the mural onto the wall.

The mural begins at the corner of 8th and McDowell Streets with a pair of hands featured inside a triangle, surrounded by other symbolism. “The triangle is a powerful and sacred symbol,” Rankey-Zona said. “It represents the Trinity, the 3 in 1: strength, spirituality, and the idea that each side holds power but when they are combined, the power is equally spread.” Within the triangle, “the hands come together in connection… to combine the elements of spirituality and diversity.”

Moving to the right as the wall faces McDowell Street, there is an open book that calls back to Trinity’s core value of creating scholars, and two children that are an homage to Raphael’s School of Athens, in which the philosophers Plato and Aristotle portray differing ideas on the physical and spiritual realms. In the case of the mural, the children “point out the constant tension that can be found in the spiritual and academic world we live in,” Rankey-Zona said.

The end result of Napoletano’s work on the mural, Rankey-Zona said, is that it “brings the high-level pillars of Trinity Episcopal School into an incredibly complex yet approachable visual story.”

“This, to me, says this is a school that goes beyond simple learning of facts and figures, but rather works to form intellectual, spiritual and empathetic human beings,” she said. This is Trinity. We are a school with a founding core that goes deeper than any old school. We are different, complex and powerful.”

Fine Arts Director Jen Rankey-Zona is accustomed to spotlighting others’ works, but in February 2023 she became the artist’s subject for a change.

Charlotte muralist Dwayne Wilson paid tribute to Rankey-Zona and other educators in a mural on Monroe Road. Rankey-Zona’s inclusion was part of her being a recipient of the 2022 Public Art Mural Contest, which highlights and honors leaders in the LGBTQ+ community.

Recipients are honored for their positive impact on students and their mental health through an inclusive and safe environment, and an educator’s compassion and encouragement to help foster student growth.

“This honor is shared with this community - the community that allowed and encouraged me to simply be ME,” Rankey-Zona said. “Not all educators are given that space and opportunity and, in turn, many students are not given space to explore who they are.”

If you are interested in seeing the mural, it is located at 3811 Monroe Road.

Ms. Rankey-Zona honored

This is Us

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo helped defeat the Empire.

It’s a great story that has been told for decades. But it’s not Kindergarten student Han Harris’ story.

Han is not named for the “Star Wars” hero, even though his dad is a big fan and there’s a picture of a younger Han in a Yoda knit cap. Instead, the name was given to him by his Taiwanese grandfather: “han” in Chinese means “vastness” or “great like the universe.”

His is one of the “name stories” lining the Kindergarten hall at Trinity, a tradition for the youngest Wildcats and their families to share a little about themselves with their new school community.

Those stories are a way Trinity lives into its core value of embracing diversity and answers one of the school’s four

essential questions: who am I? (The others are who are you, who are we together, and what are we called to do?)

“Building opportunities for people to get to know one another and to connect, not just across similarities but to connect across

differences, is essential,” said Ayeola Elias, Trinity’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging, who added that learning about each others’ backgrounds is an extension of Trinity’s Honor Code pledge to respect the uniqueness of others and celebrate the beautiful.

Stories are an important part of Trinity’s diversity work in the classroom, Elias said . “Teachers are very intentional about going through their classroom library, combing through those book titles and making sure that every child is represented in some way,” she said. “Children should be able to learn about difference, and they should be able to see themselves affirmed through the books that we read.”

Student affinity groups give them another avenue “to tell the story of who I am and what I want to commit my energy and passion to,” Elias said.

At a meeting of the Young People of Color affinity group, 6th Grade student Ethan Lavoie said he enjoys the group “because sometimes you just want to talk to people that are similar to you and have been through the same things as you.” Middle School Student Life Dean Charles King said the groups are a chance “to be together, to laugh, or to share moments within our cultural stories that bring us joy.”

One cultural event that was new to Trinity this year was the Holi Festival, a Hindu celebration of color, love and spring. Trinity parent Sarina Amin, who helped to organize the festival, said it “was a really nice way to introduce people to the culture, but also just be an expression of Trinity.”

In addition to being a window into the culture behind Holi, the festival served as a mirror for Amin’s family. “For my kids, it was nice for them to see we're part of this school and some of our culture is reflected here, “she said.

Elias added that affinity groups aren’t centered solely around race and ethnicity, and that there are groups for students interested in social justice and LGBTQ issues “so that children can think about how they advocate for each other.” There are also parent affinity groups for families with shared experiences, such as KINDRED for families of Black/African-American descent and Café con Padres for Spanish-speaking families, both of which hold cultural festivals and events for the Trinity community throughout the year. Affinity groups are also available for families of students with learning and physical differences.

“We can honor that uniqueness together,” Elias said, “and that makes our community just a better space not just for just certain groups, but for us as a school.”

YOUNG CHILDREN OF COLOR : SANKOFA CHAPEL

HOLI FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL

KINDRED COMMUNITY PAINT

Light Fire the 2022 RECIPIENTS

Patrick Mast Lower School Counselor

A time of reflection in Ireland

Mindfulness is a buzzword that has found its way into our social media, headlines, and conversations. It feels like an additive that is being sold to ease our modern aches and pains. Feeling tired? Try Mindfulness. Nervous about your big presentation? Use Mindfulness.

But what exactly is mindfulness?

Being mindful means having your mind on what you are doing. It's the opposite of rushing or doing too many things at once. To be mindful, you slow down to take your time. You do one thing at a time. You focus on what you're doing in a calm way.

My Light the Fire grant gave me the gift of practicing what I preach at Trinity - to be mindful. I was given an amazing opportunity to disconnect in the beautiful valley of Glendalough at the Glendalough Sanctuary and to hike Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, Ireland. By giving myself the time and permission to enjoy my surroundings and allow my thoughts to ebb and flow, I practiced how to be mindful.

I often wonder what history will tell us of our time experiencing a pandemic as a community.

A joy of the past year has been the return of aspects of the community life at Trinity that had been shelved during the pandemic. That includes the Light the Fire grant. This once-a-year opportunity allows Trinity staculty to pursue experiences that allow them to grow not only professionally but also personally. Light the Fire returned in 2022 as five staculty members received grants to stoke their passions and bring that fire back to Trinity. Here are the stories, experiences, and adventures of the 2022 Light the Fire recipients.

I was the Lower School counselor for Trinity during our time of cohorts and social distancing. Our school banded together and made the best decisions possible to focus on the health and safety of our students. As we transitioned out of the pandemic, I noticed changes within myself. I was now constantly checking my phone for updates in the news. A trip to the grocery store caused my heart rate to elevate. My confidence eroded and small obstacles felt like tall hurdles that were insurmountable. Instead of trying something outside of my comfort zone, I chose the path of least resistance. I needed to remind myself that it is okay to be uncomfortable and that there is a joy to be found outside of my cozy home.

Traveling to Ireland on a solo trip gave me the opportunity to practice my skills of resilience. The day before I was to leave, the first leg of the trip was canceled due to Covid. With the support of my wife after a minor meltdown (seriously, I would not be who I am today without Kerri Mast) we rearranged my itinerary. Hike first, sanctuary second. Exiting Dublin in a three-cylinder manual transmission rental car was the perfect time and place to practice some much-needed breathing exercises. Spending hours in the clouds and mist hiking the very mountain that my namesake hiked 1500 years ago allowed me to forget the headlines in Charlotte. Each morning in Glendalough, drinking tea in the chill air with my mentor Paschal Gannon,

taught me to enjoy the moment. By reframing my thoughts on the here and now, I am able to focus on what I can control and let go of the worries that are out of my control.

During one of my hikes into the Wicklow Mountains, I was challenged by Paschal to focus on a poem. I brought this poem by Mary Oliver home with me to Trinity where it lived on a bulletin board outside my office. It is a beautiful reminder of my time in Ireland and a nod to what we are all called to do in this community: “...and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.” I try to be filled with light in my role at Trinity but more importantly to remind our students that they are filled with strength allowing them to problem-solve, overcome obstacles, and to shine each and every day.

"My Light the Fire grant gave me the gift of practicing what I preach at Trinityto be mindful."

The Trinity Honor Code follows me outside of school in everything I do. I refer to it consistently as a parent, and it guides me in all my relationships. This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to the rainforest in Costa Rica and spent 6 days truly reflecting on celebrating the joyful, beautiful, and enduring.

As a 2nd Grade teacher, I am charged with teaching students about the ecosystem of the rainforest, as well as the gifts it provides to us. What better way to reach my students than sharing my own firsthand experience living in the rainforest! I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, then took a puddle jumper to Puerto Jiminez. From there, I was picked up by Yazmin, my guide for the week, and we took a boat across the Gulfo Dulce to the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge.

The lodge is truly nestled in the rainforest. Outside my windows, the howler monkeys served as my daily alarm clock. Each day I took a hike, paying attention to the plants and animals on the forest floor, the first layer of the rainforest. The most fascinating aspect of the organisms on the forest floor are how they adapt to being in that environment. If you’ve had a 2nd Grade student, I’m sure you’ve learned all about decomposers, which were everywhere! The trees’ buttress roots create barriers that trap the fallen leaves and other debris that decomposes to create healthy soil. The nourishing soil is all very close to the top, the roots of trees in the rainforest are very shallow. In order for them to support the tall trees, they must be shaped this way! This is a shoemaker’s tree, which are the tallest trees in the Costa Rican rainforest.

The understory, the second layer of the rainforest was constantly abuzz with life. Sitting on the balcony outside my room, I felt like I was a part of this section of the rainforest! Much to the chagrin of my students, I did not see any sloths on my trip, but I did see plenty of other inhabitants of the understory. One of the most exciting experiences in the understory was going on a tour after dark and seeing what animals came out at night!

Part of the Light the Fire Grant is to help push one out of their comfort zone. I am not a risk-taker by nature, but I had to get the full experience of the canopy (the third level of the rainforest) by zip-lining through the majestic trees. We saw many types of monkeys and birds in the lush greenery, my favorite of the birds being the Scarlet Macaw. These macaws were also in the trees outside the open air dining space, so they became my dining companions on this solo trip.

On top of being immersed in the rainforest for the duration of my trip, I learned about some of the gifts of the rainforest. I took a coconut from the tree and went through the process of creating a coconut water based drink. I created chocolates, starting from picking the cacao bean from the trees.

I created a photo book with all the pictures I took from my trip and new information I’d gleaned from my guides. I loved sharing it with my students and am excited to continue to share it with all my future second graders! It was a truly magical experience, spending six days surrounded by the animal and plant life I teach about.

Kim Monteleone

Second Grade Lead Teacher

Costa Rica Rainforest studies

"Part of the Light the Fire Grant is to help push one out of their comfort zone."

Katie Keels Development Director

Training for new school dog, Gus

So much of what makes Trinity “Trinity” is our unique approach to education and the serendipitous, outside-the-box experiences we provide for our students. For many years, one of these unique parts of our community has been the school dog program. Starting with Tie and continuing on with Patience and Cisco, our students have benefited from having a furry companion on campus for many years. My own kids listed Cisco as their favorite “person” on campus!

When Cisco announced his retirement last school year, I knew that the school needed this program to continue - and I knew just the dog to take his place. Our family dog, Gus, is a purebred black lab we adopted from another beloved Trinity family - Jess and Jay Masanotti - upon their move to New York City. His patient and sweet demeanor, paired with some additional obedience training, made him a perfect candidate for the school dog position.

Gus and I spent the summer sharpening our training and making a few trial visits to campus in preparation for his new role. After all, he had big paws to fill! Gus’s first official day on the job was Wildcat Roundup, where he welcomed families, new and old, back to school. Since then we’ve been a familiar duo in all areas of school life: Greet the Week and chapels, art lessons, question and answer sessions, journaling prompts, reading in classrooms, video skits, admissions tours, recess duty, and special 1:1 time with students in need of some extra care. Gus also served as a source of comfort and support during our staculty flu shot clinic and even met Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles!

Trinity has been my professional home for 8 years and has become a huge part of our family story. We are deeply committed to its success and are grateful for this community of friends and colleagues. While I find my role at Trinity as Development Director incredibly fulfilling, some of my favorite Trinity moments are those spent building relationships with students. My partnership with Gus has brought me some incredible opportunities to step out from behind my desk and into the classroom to engage with the community in a new and exciting way. Now I am frequently greeted with the phrases, “Hey, where’s Gus??” or “Are you Gus’s mom??” and I couldn’t be happier.

"Gus has brought me incredible opportunities to engage with the community in a new and exciting way."

Erica Armas

Middle School Spanish Teacher Sandra Semprit Lower School Spanish Teacher

Exploring origins of Spanish language

As Spanish teachers at Trinity, we felt it was important to learn the origins and roots of the Spanish language. We also applied for the Light the Fire Grant so that we could be a window into the present and future by teaching students that we live in a global economy where everyone is at the table and we must be able to form relationships with people of other cultures. Thankfully, we were granted the opportunity to go to Madrid, Granada, Segovia, and Alcala de Henares. We went on a fantastic journey to visit places such as the city of Alcala de Henares where we toured the childhood home of Miguel de Cervantes, the father of Spanish literature and author of “Don Quixote de la Mancha” - the second-most read in book in history following the Bible.

Our travels also brought us to the city of Granada and a remarkable place called La Alhambra, which was built in early 1200 AD by sultans of the Islamic faith and which later influenced the Spanish language through the migration of Middle Eastern communities to Granada (there are 4,000 Arabic words in Spanish). We also visited El Barrio de las Letras and read ancient poetry that continues to influence Spanish language poetry.

Another meaningful visit was to La Escuela Nueva Castilla, a K-8 school that is very similar to Trinity. We were able to see inside classrooms and sit and have lunch with students. There were many other experiences that

taught and amazed us, but most importantly we got to acquaint ourselves with Spanish people and feel a direct connection with their culture, food, and way of life, and experience the similarities between our homelands (Colombia and Puerto Rico). The architecture, food, and the warmth of the people made us feel at home.

This journey will benefit our students and colleagues because we will be able to share our knowledge with them, building their understanding of the LatinX culture and behaviors.

In the classroom, our experience will allow us to teach the history of the Spanish language and culture with new perspective having lived the language and culture firsthand. We have a very ambitious plan to communicate

with students in Spain so they can interact and exchange experiences of their culture, which will enrich our Trinity students. Ultimately, we would love for this journey to lead to a student exchange program between the two schools.

We are grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity that was so valuable and enriching, personally and professionally.

"We must be able to form relationships with people of other cultures."

traditions Trinity's Storytelling

TRINITY IS A COMMUNITY OF READERS, WITH MANY TRADITIONS OF READING AND STORYTELLING.

Birthday Books

Lower School birthdays are celebrated with a student and their family reading a book to their class and donating it to their classroom library.

Publishing Parties

As part of their writing curricula, Lower School students compose personal stories and share them with peers in a publishing party at the end of their writing unit.

Book Buddies

Older Lower School students are paired with younger Wildcats to act as reading mentors and partners in literature-based activities.

ImaginOn Walks

Trinity is known for having the longest hallways in Charlotte that take students out into the community, including walks to the ImaginOn library.

Noticing Books

During summer months, Lower School students keep a journal about what they notice in their worlds, and then bring to school to use as ideas for their writings.

Science Buddies

One of Trinity’s most-treasured traditions, 8th Grade and Kindergarten students form friendships and meet weekly to read, learn about science, and more.

Mind popping

Pringle Ringle is a favorite STEM activity in 5th Grade. Not only is it a tasty engineering lesson, but students also learn to persevere when the chips fall and figure out new techniques for completing the ring. It’s one way Trinity puts learning in students’ hands.

Looking Back and Celebrating TES’ 2022 Graduates Transitions:

There are 855 stories of Trinity alumni who have graduated, including the 55 stories authored by the Class of 2022, whose chapter in Trinity history was one to celebrate as the entire school community was back on campus after a year of cohorts and remote learning. Each of their stories has something different. Some students were lifers who were here since Kindergarten. Others began their Trinity experience in Middle School. But there is a common thread in that they each close this part of their Trinity story with gratitude and thanks for this school.

KING

Trinity has helped me grow, not only academically, but as a person. I have become more resilient, helpful, smarter, and kinder in these last three years thanks to this school. I have become friends with people that I will keep in contact with for the rest of my life. As I move on to high school, I will carry on the skills this school has taught me and I will continue to be the person Trinity shaped me to be.

ARDEN HOLZMAN

Maya Angelou said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is basically what Trinity means to me. I may forget the activities, games, subjects, etc, but I will never forget how Trinity has impacted my life tremendously. Trinity will always be in my thoughts and prayers.

RONIN

If I had to say one thing to Trinity before I leave, it would be “thank you.” Thank you for opening my eyes to a whole other world, to what was going on outside of my personal life, to social issues and the flaws in our world. I remember the time I first went to Young People for Social Justice. It was out of my comfort zone, to say the least, but then I kept going and I kept learning. I’ll admit I still don’t even know half of it, but I’m glad I went. Without Trinity I would probably still be in that bubble, I wouldn’t be trying to help make a change. Trinity showed me how to be a better person to everyone around me and I have to thank it for that.

My favorite thing about Trinity is that there is no “typical” Trinity student because the students at Trinity are diverse in so many ways. There is a constant feeling that no matter who you are, there will always be someone who accepts you just as you are. Trinity helped me discover my love of art by giving me the freedom to create art how I want and to take risks without worrying about failing or falling short. Yet, I also realize this applies to how all of the teachers and staff at Trinity help find the best of every student. They, too, are like artists who are able to see the possibilities in each student, from Kindergarten all the way through 8th Grade, finding the gifts and talents each student possesses. Because of their support and faith in the students, teachers help students to discover passions and interests for themselves and encourage them to celebrate and develop them, instead of trying to mold them to be somebody else. As we often are told here, “At Trinity, you are known and loved.”

Someone told me once that “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” I never really understood what this meant until now. I used to think that what we remember is random but now I know. I know that we remember the moments with our strongest feelings and that so many of those feelings were found here. I remember times of laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, but I also remember times of crying. Crying so much that it feels like the world is ending. But in those moments of sadness Trinity gave me people to support me and lift me up so I would never feel alone.

I would like to thank Trinity for the opportunity to celebrate and share my culture with the whole community. The Latin American festival was always so fun and embarrassing at the same time since I had to dance. I want to thank Trinity for accepting my family and always helping my family when they needed it.

ANSLEY POWELL

SOPHIA LIVIAS

ANDREA BALL

“ 39

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Class 2022 of

HIGH SCHOOL CHOICES

Marcia Aguilar Jimenez† Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences

Andrew Ahdieh Northwest School of the Arts

Erik Anglemyer La Paz Community School (Costa Rica)

Henry Anglemyer La Paz Community School (Costa Rica)

Yates Archibald Myers Park High School

Virginia Arnold Charlotte Christian School

Andrea Ball Myers Park High School

Lucy Beam† Charlotte Latin School

Olive Bigham† Charlotte Country Day School

Amir Boyce-McIntyre† Myers Park High School

Hadley Burmeister† Charlotte Christian School

Matthew Clark† Community School of Davidson

Max Colaco† Charlotte Latin School

Ezra Corbett† Charlotte Lab School

Julian Culbertson† Charlotte Country Day School

Jimi Dunbeck† Providence High School

Dylan Edwards† Lake Norman High School

Grady Edwards† Lake Norman High School

Liam Grant Myers Park High School

Kate Hancock† Cape Fear Academy (Wilmington, NC)

Ava Harris Myers Park High School

Henry Holland Charlotte Latin School

Arden Holzman Myers Park High School

Ronin King Charlotte Latin School

Webb Kiser† Charlotte Latin School

Meredith Klotz Myers Park High School

Sophia Livias† Christ the King

Hunter Loeffler Charlotte Latin School

Augie Mabe East Mecklenburg High School

Molly Martin† Charlotte Latin School

Edy Mendez-Hernandez East Mecklenburg High School

Brady Mills Charlotte Country Day School

Ella Mills† East Mecklenburg High School

Oliver Mize† St. Andrew's School (Delaware)

Owen Muncy Charlotte Catholic High School

Brielle Newberry† Charlotte Country Day School

Reynolds Newton Virginia Episcopal School (Virginia)

Ella Pieri Providence Day School

Ana Plaza Myers Park High School

Ansley Powell † Myers Park High School

Katie Pridemore Myers Park High School

Dempsey Rust† Myers Park High School

Aileen Sanchez † Myers Park High School

Melanie Sarmiento† Hickory Ridge High School

Carrolline Saydlowski† Charlotte Latin School

Sallie Scott Myers Park High School

Lauren Smith Myers Park High School

Sophia Smith Charlotte Latin School

Kathleen Stubbing Charlotte Country Day School

Andrew Sumwalt Charlotte Catholic High School

Megan Tucker South Mecklenburg High School

Grey Tugwell Myers Park High School

David Vaughn† Charlotte Latin School

Perrin Veltman† Cate School (California)

Talan Young† Myers Park High School

(† = Lifer Student; HS Choices as of August 2022)

I’ve thought a lot about legacy. What will my legacy be when I leave? I hope I leave behind optimism and joy, and a light that will stay lit even after I part from Trinity. Trinity has always been a light in my life, so I hope that I can leave behind just a glimmer of the light they have shared with me.

There are countless memories the Class of 2022 took with them to high school and beyond. One of their “classmates” was Cisco, the school dog who retired in 2022. Cisco joined Trinity the same year that many students in the Class of 2022 began Kindergarten at Trinity. He was a big part of their time here, calming students when they were nervous, letting them love on him when they needed a hug, or just brightening their days. Through their neoninfused banner, the Class of 2022 wanted to offer some brightness of their own for the Trinity community.

Q+A with alumna

Emily Horn

Sixty years ago this November, three shots in Dallas, Texas, ended the presidency of John F. Kennedy and altered the course of American history. The tragedy also launched countless conspiracy theories that Lee Harvey Oswald either did not assassinate Kennedy or did not act alone. For several decades, the government has released documents related to the assassination. Emily Horn, a member of Trinity’s Class of 2017, is part of a research team combing those documents as part of her studies at the University of Virginia.

Q: What do you hope to learn from these documents? What do you hope that we as a country will learn about what happened?

A: There's nothing that's going to be mind-blowing, but we're trying to fill in the gaps between things that we already know. It was so hard for the American people to accept when something like that happens. And I think that doing this research and figuring out as much as we possibly can learn, we can have a little bit of closure as a country and put some of the conspiracy theories to rest a little bit. It's very important to put those theories to rest and actually have a story straight. And I think doing research contributes to that.

Q: Did Trinity help foster your interest in history and research?

A: There’s a direct interest that began in 6th Grade when I read a book about the assassination. I loved talking about that book and discussing it, and then a year or two later I’m in Mr. Smith’s social studies class and assigned a presidential project. We drew a president out of a hat, and of course I get Kennedy. I always knew I had an interest in Kennedy and I remember being so excited that I got to research him. And honestly, all my interests stem from Trinity - my interest in politics and weaving that into my knowledge of history.

Q: What is one of the biggest lessons you learned at Trinity that you have taken with you?

A: I would say the relationship-building, relationships with teachers. To this day, I stay in touch with my Trinity teachers. When I graduated, I literally cried because I didn’t know what I was going to do without these teachers in my life. They did so well making learning interesting. I’ve always liked history, but if Mr. Smith didn’t make it as fun as he did, I honestly don’t know if my passion would be the same now. When I moved for high school, I didn’t have the community service opportunities I had at Trinity, so I figured out how we could do something there. I was able to create programs for my high school to help students learn about social issues and kind of take what I learned from Trinity and apply it and work with faculty to implement these programs. And now in college, at a very large university, I build relationships with professors, engaging in small research classes like this one, have those close relationships with my teachers and make that community that's so large, a little bit smaller. Honestly, I would be an entirely different person without Trinity.

Q: Based on your Kennedy research, are you convinced Oswald did it and did it alone?

A: 100%. He had mental health issues and was very impulsive. There were times when his wife would lock him in the bathroom to restrain him. I mean there’s still room for some doubt because we’re never going to know everything because I’m sure some documents have been destroyed or are missing, and there is certainly evidence we’re just never going to find. But based on the information we do have, it does seem highly probable that it was just him and him alone.

News & Notes

Chanel Blanchett (‘05) recently directed the stage show I Am Queen: Charlotte. The show was produced by Epoch Tribe in partnership with Blumenthal Performing Arts as part of the Charlotte International Arts Festival. I Am Queen is an opportunity to widen the scope of what it’s like to live, love and evolve as Black women through their own voices against the backdrop of stunning visuals and sounds, live and onstage.

Scottie Bryan, Emma Martin, Tess Kelly, Tyler Bell, and Lulu Holtz (all TES ‘15) met for a dinner and fellowship during the holidays. It is wonderful to see these lasting friendships!

Jack Mast (‘19) and Betsy Zarzour (alumni parent and former faculty member) presented Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital with a check for $102,150 from fundraising efforts from the Charlotte Marathon. Betsy is the Director for Team Hemby which started this year to raise funds in support of Hemby Children’s Hospital through the Charlotte Marathon. Jack served as a volunteer for Team Hemby and was on hand for the check presentation!

Caroline Damesek, Maggie Ryan, Sadie Scott, and Courtney Weintraub (all TES ‘19) are members of the D.R.E.A.M. (Daring to Role-model Excellence As Mentors) Team at Myers Park High School. D.R.E.A.M. Team is a student-led senior class at Myers Park where students strive to lead by example and make an everlasting impact on the community. In addition to advocating for drug, alcohol, mental health, and safety awareness, the class works to give back to the community in a project-based, collaborative environment.

Charlie Whitmire (‘20) earned his Eagle Scout award this fall. His project was based around tree trimming at Charlotte Mecklenburg Stormwater Services sites to improve floodplain health and resilience.

Josie Harper (‘18) was awarded a 2022 Hawkspy for Female Scholar Athlete. Hawkspy Awards are given to student-athletes for outstanding contributions to Charlotte Latin sports throughout the year.

Gaila Fosbinder (‘18) committed to study and play tennis at Virginia Tech where she initiated the school’s first adaptive athletics program for the 2022-23 school year.

Michael Messele (‘19) placed first in the state for his Sports Column and second in the Editorial category for the 2022 Awards for Scholastic Journalism Excellence as awarded by the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association. Michael writes for The Eagle student newspaper at East Mecklenburg High School.

Joe Raible (‘19) was selected as a Student Ambassador for the Echo Foundation’s summer abroad program. The Echo Foundation was created “to lift those voices of human dignity, justice and moral courage who are driving positive impact for humankind.” Joe will complete six months of study on the Ukrainian war followed by two weeks in Europe, meeting with experts who can give a more first-hand account and world leaders who are working to push back against the atrocities occurring. Student Ambassadors will also discover inspiration as to how they can support the Ukrainian people.

Jake Rogers (‘19) was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout this past spring and even included service to Trinity in his final project. Jake handcrafted new picnic tables and benches from scratch for Trinity’s courtyard, which were delivered just in time for the Class of 2022 to enjoy during commencement!

Finley Holzman (‘20) and the Myers Park High School tennis team had an amazing season! Finley won 2nd place in NCHSAA Women's Individual Tennis 4A Regional Tournament (#2 in the Region!) and went on to play in the State Tournament for Individuals. The MPHS Women's Tennis Team won their conference and region and are NCHSAA Women's Dual Team 4A Conference and Regional Champions. They won 2nd place at the NCHSAA Women's Dual Team State Championship (State Runners Up!). At the State Tournament, Finley was awarded the Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes outstanding sportsmanship throughout the season.

Sofia Plaza (‘20) and the Myers Park High School women’s team earned their second straight state title at the 2023 4A State Swimming and Diving Championship. Sofia took part in the 200 Medley Relay that set a new all-classification State Meet Record with a time of 1:42.10.

Sophia Smith (‘22) founded and leads a Girl Up chapter at Trinity for Middle School Trinity students. Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development initiative, focusing

Walker Smith (‘18) placed 8th in the country at the 2022 National Speech and Debate Tournament representing Myers Park High School.

News & Notes

on equity for girls and women in spaces where they are unheard or underrepresented. The group meets regularly and recently has been brainstorming ideas to promote women in the Charlotte community.

Eddie Dalrymple (‘10) and Dennis Rankowitz (‘10) were back on the TES basketball court coaching the 6th Grade boys team while fellow alumni Marcus Plair (‘12) and Conrad Pollock (‘13) were in action coaching the 7th grade boys. It was awesome to have such a strong alumni presence in the gym this season!

Fletcher Bigham (‘19) was recruited and committed to play basketball at Sewanee: The University Of The South.

TES in NYC!

This summer we hosted our first ever out of town alumni reunion. Over 20 Wildcat alumni, alumni parents, faculty and staff gathered in New York City to enjoy a meal together, meet the new Head of School Imana Sherrill, and share their favorite Trinity memories. Longtime Trinity staff member Jess Masanotti hosted the event at North Miznon, where she currently serves as the sous chef. It was wonderful catching up with this group and hearing about their careers and lives in the city!

Mary Cate Kiser (‘19) was awarded the Bob Patten Scholarship last spring. This award is named in honor of a beloved Charlotte Latin coach and given to a rising senior at Latin who displays a spirit of integrity and self-discipline and a sense of community, responsibility and fair-mindedness. On National Signing Day this February, she committed to study and run cross country and track at Colorado College. Mary Cate invited her middle school cross country coach, Jason Martin, to the signing ceremony, which her high school coach noted must be a first!

Save the Date!

JUNE 2023

We had such a great time in NYC, we are hitting the road again! Stay tuned as the QC heads to DC! If your alumni lives in the Washington, D.C. area, please contact Katie Keels so you don’t miss any of the details! Also be sure your contact information is up-to-date with the Alumni Office so we can plan our next stop!

kkeels@tescharlotte.org

Special Thanks to :

Chanel Blanchett

Together for Trinity speaker

Elizabeth Eblen

State of the School speaker

Michael Messele

State of the School speaker

Grey Tugwell

Taste of Trinity speaker

Brielle Newberry

Taste of Trinity speaker

Virginia O gburn (‘19) was named a UNC Morehead-Cain Scholar!

My time with Trinity Episcopal School came full circle this year when Mrs. Minor, my Kindergarten teacher from 2001, came to watch me coach Trinity’s 6th Grade boys’ basketball team in the Trinity gym, a setting for so much of my social, spiritual, and physical growth.

Trinity is unique. The constant encouragement and model for us to look beyond ourselves - from service learning and urban gardening to Book Buddies - became not only core memories for us but enriched all areas of our classroom experiences. There are other small schools that foster a sense of community and social responsibility, but Trinity’s faith-based learning does so with a distinctive intentionality. Students leave Trinity, or at least I did, with a feeling of rooted identity in a community that promotes confidence and direction, while celebrating all cultures and beliefs.

Coaching this season has been such a rewarding experience. Leaving work each Monday and Wednesday evening and heading for Trinity’s campus has felt like a sort of homecoming. Walking into the gym and seeing the students eager to learn, feeling their excitement playing games together and the joy of healthy competition, have been unexpected highlights for me.

Fellow Trinity alum and lifelong friend Eddie Dalrymple helped me guide our team to a championship. This was the first time we had ever coached basketball; there were things we needed to learn, too. Throughout the course of the season, we realized that working on ball handling, drills, plays, and scrimmages can lay the foundation for individual development, but real success was achieved when we worked as a collective unit. Whether in victory or defeat, our energy and sportsmanship were contagious. The smiles on the bench were as big, if not bigger, than those on the court. The Trinity community was cheering us on. It became clear that good things happened when we played for something greater than ourselves. It was cool to see.

Rankowitz Dennis

TES '10

Reflects on returning as coach

I’m so fortunate to also enjoy a strong sense of community in my professional life. I work for a small, family-owned firm, Gaskin Asset Management*, focusing on portfolio strategy and advising. My career here on this team embodies stewardship - caring for and coaching others, thinking, and acting beyond myself.

Success can be measured in so many ways, but one measure, at least for me, is living with gratitude and purpose. I feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment even when something is in process. I know that these feelings are the result of having been shown, early on, what matters most.

I graduated from Trinity in 2010, but I will never really leave this school. The character-building focus that Trinity emphasizes in every facet of its education has shaped me in so many profound ways, and I am thankful for that.

Exploring the

world

Trinity’s uptown location and access to educational and cultural venues help make us the school with “the longest hallways.” Those hallways even include learning with virtual reality headsets, which allow students to explore the world in a new dimension.

OURMISSION

Trinity Episcopal School is committed to the breadth of the Episcopal tradition in both its unity and diversity.

A student of Trinity Episcopal School is challenged to academic excellence while honored as an individual with unique potential.

As faculty and families together influence young lives, students themselves will be affirmed as ambassadors of grace, citizens who live and teach an ethic of service and respect for others.

A student of Trinity Episcopal School is trained in the example of Christ and toward a stewardship of healthy body, lively soul and discerning mind.

THE TRINITYVOICE

is a publication produced by the Advancement Office of Trinity Episcopal School in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Volume 8

DirectorofAdvancement

Lauren Harnett lharnett@tescharlotte.org

Marketing&CommunicationsDirector

Chris Miller cmiller@tescharlotte.org

VisualCommunicationsCoordinator

Alexa Adams aadams@tescharlotte.org

DevelopmentDirector

Katie Keels kkeels@tescharlotte.org

AdvancementCoordinator

Joan Palumbo jpalumbo@tescharlotte.org

BOARDOFTRUSTEES

’22-’23

Dr. Katherine Addison

Anne Bowman

Eugene Brown

Rev. Joshua Case

Ann Clark

Marcus Clarke

Amy Colaco, Chair

Marisella Cuervo

Porter Durham

Elizabeth Dalrymple Eblen

Tere Ey

Terrie Hagler Gray

David Hatch

Caroline Hobbs

Jamie Kiser

John Laughlin

Sharai Lavoie

Raj Natarajan

Joe Pitt

Maureen (Molly) Shaw

EXOFFICIO

Imana Sherrill, Head of School

Jenn Loeffler, PA President

Trinity Episcopal School admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made 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 education and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Have you met Smokey?

Students and staculty voted and chose a name for the Wildcat: Smokey, named after founding Head of School, Father "Smokey" Oats.

The Trinity Fund is what binds our community because at its crux are students and teachers. Your generosity to the Trinity Fund helped to write the many stories you've read in this issue of The Voice and the stories yet to come!

750 E. 9th Street Charlotte, NC 28202-3102

T | 704. 358. 8101 www.TEScharlotte.org