12 minute read
Trinity Tidbits
Highlights
Trinity Tidbits
By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications
Local healthcare workers, including some Trinity parents, volunteered their time to vaccinate several hundred individuals. Kaley and Winnie and dozens of other Trinity parents (and employees) greeted and directed guests, checked people in, or administered vaccines on the day of the event.
Trinity hosts COVID-19 mass vaccination event
Trinity School hosted a COVID-19 mass vaccination event on March 13, exactly one year after the last day of in-person learning during the 2019–20 school year, vaccinating nearly 700 individuals. What a fi tting tribute to all that everyone had been through in the subsequent 365 days, for the School to unite as a community to take a critical step in moving beyond the pandemic. Partnering with Metro Atlanta Ambulance Service (MAAS), Trinity was able to off er COVID-19 vaccines to all its faculty and staff —including contracted EP teachers, FLIK dining team members, Cleanstar janitorial team members, and substitute teachers—as well as employees at several metro Atlanta independent schools. Trinity School is deeply grateful for Trinity parents Pete and Michelle Quinones, who own and operate MAAS and made the mass vaccination event possible. We are also grateful for the many parents and employees who volunteered their time on a Saturday to greet guests, check people in, administer vaccines, and more.
Fifth Graders prepare for Olympics during outdoor ed “trip”
In late April, last year’s Fifth Graders enjoyed their annual spring outdoor education trip, which was reconceived as a full day of fun on-campus activities. Students made lasting memories during fi eld games, shirt decorating, and chariot creating in preparation for their upcoming Olympics.
Then-Fifth Graders Ellie Wood, Eli Giampaolo, and Blake Patterson work on their chariot.
Students send “hugs” to grandparents and special friends and special friends
Last school year, Trinity students crafted surprise “hugs” that were mailed to their grandparents or special friends in that were mailed to their grandparents or special friends in lieu of the School’s Grand Day event. The homemade “hugs” lieu of the School’s Grand Day event. The homemade “hugs” and accompanying notes were mailed in March. We hope the and accompanying notes were mailed in March. We hope the grandparent community felt the extra love being sent their grandparent community felt the extra love being sent their way, especially during a time when most loved ones could way, especially during a time when most loved ones could not be together. not be together.
Then-Fourth Grader Mary Brady presents her completed “hug.” presents her completed “hug.”
Sixth Graders enjoy on-campus outdoor ed “trip”
In April, members of last year’s Sixth Grade Leadership Class made the most of their annual spring outdoor education trip, which was reconceptualized as a full day of fun on-campus activities. The Class of 2021 participated in many traditional outdoor ed experiences, including team-building exercises, playing fi eld games, and reading letters from their parents.
Members of last year’s Sixth Grade Leadership Class pose for a group photo in Discovery Woods.
Family STEAM Night goes virtual
Last school year, STEAM Integration Specialist Kate Burton and Director of Curriculum Marsha Harris transformed the School’s second annual Family STEAM Night into a virtual collection of activities. Available from mid-March through the end of the 2020–21 school year, parents were able to access family STEAM challenges and read alouds on a choose-your-own STEAM activity board accessible through Trinity’s secure intranet, MyTrinity.
This past spring, Trinity Fifth Grader Asher Easton was accepted into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY), a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing the talents of academically advanced students in grades 2–12 around the world. CTY alumni include the founders of Google and Facebook. Asher’s standardized test scores in math and science qualified him for the program, and from now through high school, he can participate in a variety of intensive studies and academic explorations through CTY’s summer and online programs. Asher’s mom, Holli Hines Easton, says, “We were thrilled about Asher being accepted into the CTY program. Beyond his natural curiosity and love for learning, we attribute Trinity’s nurturing and academically thriving environment as being instrumental in what has shaped Asher as a learner. He races into school each day because he is so happy and eager to learn and flourish in Trinity’s engaging classes. This is the magic of Trinity; everyone is truly happy to be there, and the elementary-only education is unparalleled.” Asher participated in CTY’s 2021 summer program, which was held online with in-person classes scheduled to resume in summer 2022. Chess is one of Asher’s passions, and he joined the CTY Chess Club, playing four to five times each week.
“I have been playing chess for a while and have taken classes at Trinity,” he says. “It’s fun and you learn a lot about strategy. Over the summer, I really enjoyed playing and interacting with players from around the world.” “At one point, Asher was playing against another CTY Chess Club member who lives in India,” says Holli. “It was 9 AM in Atlanta and 9 PM in India, and these two young students were very excited and intrigued by the time difference and distance between them, yet how connected they felt through Chess Club. This is another powerful example of educational ‘connection’ through supplemental learning opportunities, whether they are in person or virtual.” Asher is now signed up for a three-month online cryptology course that combines mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering. He has been looking forward to this course because, as he says, “I love science and math because they are fun to learn and will always be useful.”
Community Service Co-Chairs Amber Lynn and Kim pose with representatives at StandUp for Kids - Atlanta alongside Trinity’s donated items.
Trinity is grateful for the community’s overwhelming support of last year’s reimagined Day of Service – a twoweek donation drive for StandUp for Kids - Atlanta. In May, the Trinity School Parents’ Association Community Service Co-Chairs Amber Lynn and Kim delivered thousands of non-perishable food items and personal care products to representatives of StandUp for Kids - Atlanta. Trinity’s donations were put to immediate use, providing critically needed resources to youth in Atlanta who are experiencing homelessness and hardships beyond their control.
Kindergartners and First Graders enjoy time as Chick Masters
Each spring, Kindergartners participate in Chick Masters. During a study on the life cycle of a chicken, students demonstrate responsibility and compassion as they care for the eggs, watch them hatch, and observe and nurture the young chicks. Since Kindergartners missed out on this special tradition in 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic, last school year’s First Graders also enjoyed being to the onset of the pandemic, last school year’s First Graders also enjoyed being Chick Masters.
Then-Kindergartner Jacob and then-First Grader Kathryn enjoy cuddling with newly hatched chicks.
Then-First Graders Adam and Nora run with their parents, Anil and Isha, during the Fun Run/Walk.
Families participate in virtual Fun Run/Walk
Trinity families made tiger tracks during the School’s virtual Fun Run/Walk that ran from May 8–16. Participants were encouraged to run at least one mile sometime during that nine-day period and submit photos to the School that were shared with the community.
Kerry Coote earns master’s degree
Over the summer, Upper Elementary Math Specialist Kerry Coote fi nished her master’s degree in Teaching Mathematics from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She is currently working on a Certifi cate in Instructional Leadership from Harvard. Also over the summer, Kerry presented “Developing Mathematical Understanding in Young Children” during a free online workshop geared primarily to homeschool families in Jamaica, her home country. At Trinity since 2012, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Physics from the University of the West Indies. Now in her third year as the UED math specialist, Kerry was previously an associate teacher in Second and Third Grade and led Pi in the Sky Math Mornings at Trinity.
Becky Holden continues educational pursuits
At Trinity since 2015, Early Elementary Math Specialist Becky Holden persists on her journey of continual learning and growth. This past summer, she received her Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. In addition, she completed a ninehour workshop on Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) in the Early Education Classroom through the UCLA Mathematics Project. The course focused on the development of mathematical thinking in the early education classroom, specifi cally on three- to fi ve-year-olds’ understanding of counting, problem solving, and spatial reasoning.
Dieon Franklin interns with KIPP DC
This summer, part-time Extended Programs Teacher Dieon Franklin, who joined the Trinity team in 2020, served as an intern for KIPP DC’s Summer Program that provides free summer camps for students in grades PreK3–7 at four of the 18 KIPP DC campuses. KIPP, which stands for Knowledge Is Power Program, is a group of public charter schools designed to improve the educational opportunities available to low-income families. During his internship, Dieon assisted the summer programming team with application and enrollment record maintenance, answered families’ questions regarding summer programming, helped with planning and preparation throughout the duration of the camp program, researched evaluation types and survey techniques for families and staff , and developed a parent input questionnaire. Dieon, who has begun his senior year as a Middle and Secondary Education major with concentrations in English and history at Georgia State University, learned a lot during his internship with KIPP DC. He says, “This experience enforced the importance of eff ective communication and organizational skills for any job role. I saw fi rsthand the value of feedback and how it improves the structure of the programs and schools for all families. Also, there are so many moving parts behind the scenes of an organization, and that behind-the-scenes work is vital to ensure the success of the program for families.”
Jeff Morrison serves as adjunct professor at GSU
At Trinity since 2011, Director of Education Technology Jeff Morrison, PhD, has served as an adjunct professor in Georgia State University’s department of Educational Policy Studies graduate program for the last four years. This past summer, Jeff taught the master’s level course Social and Cultural Foundations of Education.
Lauren Covington participates in Klingenstein Summer Institute
Third Grade Lead Teacher Lauren Covington, who began working at Trinity in 2018, was accepted into the 2021 Class of the Klingenstein Summer Institute, after deferring her 2020 acceptance. This selective group of early career educators work with master mentor teachers over the course of several weeks in the summer to grow their craft in pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is a fully sponsored program out of the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College-Columbia. Over the summer, Lauren participated in two-and-a-half weeks of intense online learning in small groups facilitated by Columbia professors. She and other educators from around the globe dove deep into elementary curriculum and how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the classroom. She enjoyed the experience and is excited about the ability to share resources with teachers from all over the world.
Lauren, who has already received her Gifted In-Field Endorsement, is scheduled to complete her Master of Education in Educational Psychology (Gifted and Creative Education) from The University of Georgia in May 2022. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from UGA.
Exciting changes are underway as seen in the before and in-progress photos of the Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Center.
Construction in progress on new Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Center
This year marks Trinity’s 70th anniversary, and the School carries on its dedication to continuous evaluation, reflection, and improvement that emanates from our founding principles. As part of that commitment, Trinity has been engaged in a campus master planning effort for the past few years. Intentionality and thoughtfulness define all that takes place at Trinity, and the planning process to ensure that the short-term campus improvement projects meet the School’s long-term strategic goals has been no exception. After developing a Campus Master Plan in 2018, school leaders conducted a fundraising feasibility study— gathering feedback through town halls, focus groups, individual conversations, and surveys to the full parent body—before developing a capital campaign plan that was initially projected to launch in March 2020. The global events of the past year-and-a-half brought change to the timing and scope of the campaign’s projects, and the Board recently approved an updated campaign that will enable the School to better utilize and activate all aspects of its campus to strengthen students’ full Trinity Experience from Early Learners to Sixth Grade. Thanks to the early generosity of Trinity Trustees and members of the campaign leadership team, the School was able to begin construction on the initial piece of the campus master update, which centers around an Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Center, over the summer. Much work and progress has been made to date on the site of this new structure that will provide new interactive spaces for Trinity students to move, create, and imagine. The School is in the early phases of fundraising for this exciting campaign and more will be shared with the full Trinity community soon.
