Trinity Hall
is an independent, all-girls, college preparatory high school educating and empowering young women in the Catholic tradition. Trinity Hall’s core values of leadership, respect, perseverance and faith are foundational to our mission and work as educators.
Canging
the Landscape
of Education for Girls
Trinity Hall
is an independent, all-girls, college preparatory high school educating and empowering young women in the Catholic tradition. Trinity Hall’s core values of leadership, respect, perseverance and faith are foundational to our mission and work as educators.
Canging
the Landscape
of Education for Girls
Why all-girls?
“Simply put, girls’ schools teach girls that there is enormous potential and power in being a girl.” - National Coalition of Girls’ Schools
Mission and Philosophy ◆ To provide unprecedented opportunities for learning and leadership
through an innovative curriculum, taught by passionate and experienced faculty in a diverse, faith-based environment.
◆ To encourage students to think creatively and critically, solve problems and collaborate, communicate effectively, express their opinions and take initiative.
◆ To introduce our young women to strong female role models who exemplify the core values of a Trinity Hall education.
“Single-sex programs create an institutional and classroom climate in which female students express themselves freely and frequently, and develop higher-order thinking skills.” - Dr. Rosemary C. Salomone, St. John’s University, Columbia University’s Teacher College Record
Trinity Hall is designed for
girls and the way they learn — building a strong sense of community and sisterhood.
Founders’ Story
“I alone cannot
change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa
I
n 2010, after many years of discussion, Mairead and Sean Clifford and Victoria and Justin Gmelich came together with a shared goal of establishing an independent, all-girls high school in Monmouth County, an educational option they felt was long overdue. They hired an education consulting firm to conduct a county-wide feasibility study to confirm the viability of the project. More than 2,100 families participated in the study. The results proved an overwhelming demand for a faith-based, all-girls high school to serve the young women of the region. With the study results completed - and with seven daughters between them - the founders committed to the visionary and admirable task of creating the school. Tens of thousands of hours were spent conducting extensive research with education consultants to determine the necessary steps to start the school. Finding the right leadership was paramount as superior academics was one of the main goals. While there were many challenges along the way, Trinity Hall opened in September 2013. Now begins the process of building the future and permanent home for Trinity Hall.
“We as a community believe that we have to take on the leadership role we have stepped into as we carve the path for the future students of Trinity Hall.”- Class of 2017
Our exceptional leadership class consists of students from 23 different towns in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Our student body includes musicians, athletes, artists and dedicated learners who understand the importance of their place as members of the first class of Trinity Hall.
Our core values are Leadership, Respect,
Perseverance and Faith.
◆ Trinity Hall students commit to leadership by taking responsibility and initiative, serving as courageous, confident and considerate role-models who lead with passion and vision.
◆ Trinity Hall students understand the importance of respect in regard to their community, each other and themselves. They act with dignity, loyalty, justice, pride and compassion.
◆ Trinity Hall students exhibit perseverance by overcoming challenges to achieve success and by viewing failures as necessary learning experiences. They are persistent and determined to push beyond obstacles to meet goals.
◆ Trinity Hall students embrace and demonstrate their faith in God, which forms the basis for their relationships within the community. Their faith-based education lets them celebrate their differences, accept each other and serve others in need.
Mary Mahon Sciarrillo head of school
“I have personally found an all-girls, faith-based learning
environment produces capable, independent, caring, confident, respectful and empowered young women ready to meet the challenges of their world. Graduates of all-girls schools are prepared for success in college and are ready to be leaders.” -Mary Sciarrillo, head of school
◆ Formerly the upper school head at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, an independent K-12 girls’ school in Summit, NJ.
◆ Twenty years of experience in single-sex education. ◆ Native of Monmouth County and graduate of Red Bank Catholic. ◆ Desiring a rigorous single-sex education for her daughters, she
remained “above the bridge” where options for all-girls schools were plentiful.
◆ Many years of experience in refining and building curriculum,
working with faculty to add higher-level classes in the sciences and math.
◆ Created student leadership programs that provided greater opportunities for more students.
◆ Worked successfully with building and grounds departments to
oversee a major renovation at Oak Knoll, including a new science wing, student center, college counseling offices and arts spaces.
◆ Extensive experience and expertise in the guidance of high school
juniors and seniors as they navigate the college application process.
◆ Education: Diploma in nursing, St. Vincent’s Hospital School
of Nursing; B.A. in school nursing and health education, Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University); M.A. in educational administration and supervision, Seton Hall University.
Dr. James Palmieri
assistant head of school
◆ Formerly the director of strategic initiatives at Kent
Place School, an independent PK-12 girls’ school in Summit, NJ.
◆ Served for seven years in a variety of roles spanning from business operations to academic programming.
◆ Co-founded and directed the Kent Place Global Service
Learning Initiative, which has sent several student/faculty community service teams on adventures around the world.
◆ Education: B.A. in education, Providence College; MA
in educational administration and supervision, Seton Hall University; Ed.D. in educational administration and supervision, Rutgers University.
• All-girls high schools
A Void Exists “
T here is an increasing number of families
seeking this type of learning environment
for their daughters. But for cities and regions previously unserved – or underserved – by an all-girls school, it takes innovative and dedicated founders to create a school to fulfill this educational option in their communities.” - James Palmieri, Ed.D., assistant head of school, in his dissertation titled: “21st Century Girls’ Schools: For what reasons are new independent girls’ schools opening in the US?”
Academics
Academic excellence is the core foundation of a Trinity Hall education. We value a curriculum that blends traditional instruction with thoughtful innovation, cherishing both individual achievement and successful collaboration. Trinity Hall’s academic program includes humanities, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), arts and wellness.
◆ Four-year engineering program and physics-first science curriculum. ◆ Four-year mathematics program culminating in calculus for all students. ◆ Four-year humanities course of study connecting English, history and theology.
◆ Advanced placement courses in U.S. history, world history, calculus AB and BC, physics, chemistry, biology, English literature, English language, statistics, Spanish and French.
◆ Wellness classes in yoga, Pilates and nutrition to complement the athletics program.
Learning at Trinity Hall is student centered and problem based, with active participation & collaboration..
Athletics
Trinity Hall is in the early stages of building a superior athletics program. It is our objective to become highly competitive in all sports offerings at the varsity level while still providing participation and growth opportunities for all students at the junior varsity and freshmen level. We know that participation in athletics is integral to the educational experience of our students, and our athletic teams are a source of pride for the entire Trinity Hall community. Trinity Hall is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and the New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association (NJISAA), and presently competes against public, parochial and independent schools in the area. We have initiated the process to join the Shore Conference in the near future.
Arts The arts serve to make our lives more complete. Trinity Hall strives to encourage and promote the artistic development of every student in the areas of music, dance, drama and the visual arts. Mandatory curriculum offerings in fine and performing arts are required for 9th and 10th grades.
Affordability and Accessibility
We are committed to making a Trinity Hall education accessible to families at all income levels and from all reasonable distances. Financial aid is awarded on a yearly basis to qualified students/families demonstrating need.
Filling the
Void
Transportation is a key factor in ensuring that Trinity Hall is geographically accessible to all families. Several bus transportation routes have been created to serve students from all directions, with schedules that facilitate engagement in sports and activities while accommodating working parents.
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.� - Marie Curie
“Education is transformational. It changes lives.
That is why people work so hard to become educated and why education has always been the key to the American Dream, the force that erases arbitrary divisions of race and class and culture and unlocks every person’s God-given potential.” -Condoleezza Rice, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of a Family
Phase 1
5
N 5
Academic Building: ◆ Enough classrooms to accommodate our long-term target enrollment ◆ Collegiate-level science labs ◆ 21st Century learning and media center ◆ Student and faculty lounge areas ◆ Flexible gathering spaces for school meetings and events ◆ Administrative offices
2 32 32
◆ State-of-the-art IT infrastructure and security systems
12 12
4
Transitional Multipurpose Arts & Athletics Center: ◆ Regulation basketball court ◆ Creative arts space with a performance stage ◆ Bleacher seating ◆ Prep kitchen
Campus Development: ◆ All campus site work ◆ Outdoor regulation track ◆ Two fields for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and softball
11
3
1
4
1 - Academic Buildings 2 - Performing Arts Center 3 - Campus Chapel 4 - Transitional Multipurpose Arts & Athletics Center & Natatorium
Why Give?
T
rinity Hall needs your help. The founding board has given us a great start and has completed the hardest part of this project — getting the school off the ground. But there is so much more to be done. Our goals may be lofty and ambitious...but that is nothing new for Trinity Hall. We have done the heavy lifting; now it is time to expand our base and get more people involved. An all-girls independent school is relevant to our community. Trinity Hall will not only fill a void that has existed for too long, but will also raise the academic bar throughout our area, making Monmouth County a more desirable place to live.
Rarely are schools built from the ground up. This is an opportunity to plant a seed and watch it grow. Your gift to Trinity Hall will make a tremendous impact. It will make history and live on through the school for the next century and beyond.
Trinity Hall was created from just a seed, and it is now a fully functioning school. But our work has only just begun. Imagine a 40-acre campus in a beautiful rural setting; the possibilities are endless.
Join us as we embark on this momentous journey. In order to change and improve the landscape of education for our girls, we have set a campaign goal of $30 million — an ambitious goal that is certainly attainable with your help.
$22
million for Phase 1 build out
$5
million for annual giving to cover ongoing operational deficits that tuition does not cover
Phase 1
◆ Land acqusition ◆ Academic Building ◆ Multipurpose Arts and Athletics Center ◆ Outdoor regulation track
$3m
$3
million for financial aid to make Trinity Hall affordable for those in need
$22m $5m
◆ Fields for soccer, lacrosse, softball, field hockey ◆ All roadways, walking paths, parking lots and exterior buffer
Future Phases
Chapel . Performing Arts Center . Competition Natatorium . Tennis Courts
hat inspires men and women to try and achieve the impossible? W Is it the ego that motivates them or the thought that no one can do it
better than they can? No. Inspiration and success lie in an unwillingness to see the difficulty of the task or the impossible odds. Jesus said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains.� (Matthew 17:20)
seed
The has been planted. Help us move
mountains.
For information on naming opportunities and ways to give please contact:
Victoria Gmelich, Board Vice Chair and Campaign Chair
victoriagmelich@trinityhallnj.org
Theresa Kiernan,
Director of Advancement and Admissions theresakiernan@trinityhallnj.org 732-291-1297, ext. 13