Flourish Magazine Spring 2023

flourish

On the Cover

Fifth Grader Myers hugs her buddy, Pre-K student Elizabeth, in Discovery Woods during one of their many buddy activities together.

To support Trinity School, please contact Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement 404-240-9446 | mdouglas@trinityatl.org trinityatl.org/give

Please send address changes to changeofaddress@trinityatl.org

Comments? Contact the editor at nfash@trinityatl.org

Mission Statement

Serving children age three through Sixth Grade, Trinity School creates a community of learners in a diverse and distinctly elementary-only environment, in which each child develops the knowledge, skills, and character to achieve his or her unique potential as a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the School and greater community.

Non-Discriminatory Statement

Trinity School does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, religion or creed, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or family composition in the administration of our admission and educational policies, in the extension of financial assistance, or other schooladministered programs.

Program and Pedagogy Pillars

Celebrating the present and preparing our students for the future within a nurturing and caring educational environment, we:

• Cherish Childhood

Provide joyful experiences that include play- and passion-based learning

Ensure developmentally appropriate experiences

Design experiences around what is important in the life of a child

• Deepen Students’ Educational Experience

Develop creative and critical thinking and questioning skills

Value both process and product of learning

Connect learning vertically, horizontally, cross-curricularly, and globally

• Empower Students in Their Learning

Foster a growth mindset

Cultivate voice, choice, and self-reflection

Promote leadership

So that our students:

• Build Academic Foundation

Establish proficiency in essential knowledge and skills

Embrace diverse experiences of a well-rounded education

• Develop Character Foundation

Exhibit ethical skills, habits, and attitudes of empathy, integrity, and respect

Demonstrate performance skills, habits, and attitudes of accountability, persistence, and resilience

• Exhibit Continued Curiosity, Creativity, and Confidence

Imagine, discover, and experiment independently and collaboratively

Adapt to new situations and a changing world

Leadership Team

Joe Marshall, Head of School

Ken Bomar, Director of Finance

Brad Brown, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Ira Dawson, Upper Elementary Division Head

Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Sheree Du Preez, Early Elementary Division Head

Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Jill Gough, Director of Teaching and Learning

Reginald Haley, Director of Operations

Marsha Harris, Director of Curriculum

Jeff Morrison, Director of Education Technology

Ginny Perkinson, Assistant to the Head of School

Kayleen Whitmer, Director of Extended Programs

2022–2023

Board of Trustees

Jenny Latz, Chair

Matt Bartelt

McKnight Brown ’92

Catherine Humann Callaway ’97

Kristin Carothers

Jason Chambers ’89

Elena Chang

Jackie Coleman

Erica Cummings

Isha Damani

Chris Gabriel

Zenobia Godschalk

Molly Jamieson

Carrie Lanier

Melissa Moseley

Street Nalley

Jack Norton

Charlie Ogburn

David Overend ’86

Marcellus Parker

Leslie Patterson

Tina Roddenbery

John Shepard ’68

Boynton Smith

Winnie Smith

Stephanie Stephens

Mary Watson

Ellen Wiley

Neal Williams ’73

Contents

6 Greetings from the Head of School

8 Contributing writers

News

12 Trinity is a five-time Top Workplace winner Trinity School remains one of the metro area’s most preferred employers.

16 Together, we Inspire Excellence

We are close to completing our $14.5 million Inspire Excellence capital and endowment campaign.

20 Faculty and Staff Milestones

Help us celebrate the personal milestones of our faculty and staff, including a celebration of years of service to Trinity.

Highlights

22 Trinity Tidbits

Read highlights from the fall at Trinity and learn about the expertise and continual learning of our faculty and staff.

30 Trinity Traditions

Enjoy a look at the recent traditions that reinforce Trinity’s identity, curriculum, and values.

Features

Editor Nicole Fash

Art Director and Design

Cheryl Beverly, Ridge Creative, Inc.

Associate Editor Margaret Douglas

Contributing Writers

Kathy Bruyn

Margaret Douglas

Nicole Fash

Brooke Kelly

Becky Maas

36 Together at last

The return of Trinity Together Time was met with joy from all students and employees.

40 Trinity’s World Languages program evolves with best practices

Students experience a spiraling curriculum and focus on real-life applications during their second language learning at Trinity.

46 Wentzscopes open up new worlds

The newly added Wentzscopes open up a world of possibilities for new experiments across grade levels.

50 Growing a caring community through the Buddy Program

The time buddies spend together is truly a magical one that our students will never forget.

54 Kindergartners “travel” lessons last a lifetime

Immersing students in the language, history, culture, and customs of another country for five weeks, Kindergarten uses the Around the World unit to build upon their understanding of community.

58 Staff Story: Debbie Bright

From operating room nurse to medical officer in the Georgia State Defense Force, School Nurse Debbie Bright has always desired to help people above all else.

62 Spotlight on Art 2023: Year in Review

Spotlight celebrates another recordbreaking year.

Alumni

64 Catching up with Kathryn Boyd Crabtree ’02 Now a wife and mother, Kathryn continues her family’s tradition of working in real estate.

66 Alumni Events

Alumni events from the fall are featured in this fun spread.

69 In Memoriam

We celebrate the lives of two alums we have lost recently.

70 Class Notes

Delve into the latest personal and professional updates and successes of our alums.

Joe Marshall

Shaun McCarthy

Anne Torrey McCuean ’08

Sarah Meurisse

Tiki Norris

Brooke Ovorus

Carrie Peralta

Paul Pileggi

Deisy Pinto Vega

Jennie Rountree

Thalia Scott

Leisy Stevenson

Photographers

Stephanie Selman

Michie Turpin Flourish

Trinity

and mailed to parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends of Trinity.

Joe and Sixth Graders tap sticks after a great game of floor hockey.

Dear Trinity Community,

We are in the home stretch of the 2022-23 school year! After two and a half years of ups and downs and twists and turns due to the pandemic, we welcomed a return to normalcy in August. And what a joyful and successful return it has been!

From day one of the school year, Trinity has operated without any health restrictions, including our campus being fully open to parents and visitors. Student presentations and performances, which are a hallmark of Trinity, were once again held in front of in-person audiences. The AWAC has been packed to capacity for special events like Back-toSchool Night, Pre-K Olympics, Fifth Grade’s performances of The Nutcracker, the Spotlight on Art Artists Market, and Celebration of Cultures. After two years of participating in virtual professional development events, our teachers have been eagerly leading and attending in-person local, regional, and national workshops and conferences.

While words like “regular” and “normal” usually carry a negative connotation, this year the Trinity community has truly relished and been deeply grateful to get back to “normal” and “regular”! In the summer of 2020, surrounded by so much uncertainty about how schools would operate for the coming school year, I spoke to a friend about whether there would be any long-term effects of the pandemic. He believed that how we functioned in our personal and professional lives would be forever altered.

I disagreed, believing that over time we would gradually go back to the ways things were before the spring of 2020. While human beings are amazingly resilient and adaptable and coped as best we could during the pandemic, I felt our human need for physical connection would lead us back to pre-pandemic normalcy. And today, albeit more mindful of health and safety practices and still using videoconferencing as a convenient option, we have returned to our preference for face-to-face interactions.

As I look over the content of this issue of Flourish, I am struck by how much of Trinity is built on close relationships and the importance of our community coming together to celebrate. We are social beings and relatedness—the bonds we form with one another—is optimized when we’re together. Being together, laughing together, collaborating, and supporting one another make up the essence of Trinity.

I am so proud of how we dealt with the challenges of the previous years, yet the normalcy of the last nine months has been vital for all of us, particularly for our students and their growth and learning.

Sincerely,

Joseph P. Marshall Head of School

Sixth Graders Ava, Harrison, Asher, Sylvie, William, Sammy, Camille, Ben, Arjun, and Zachary pose for a group photo with Joe.

Our Writers

At Trinity since 2015

At Trinity since 2006

Master of Arts in Teaching Oglethorpe University

Master of Business Administration in Marketing

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration Clark University

@5thBruyn

@5thBruyn

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Communications

At Trinity since 2016

Master of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies University of Sussex, Falmer, England

Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Spanish Shorter College

@trinityatl

@trinityschool

/trinityatl

Q: What was your first job?

A: Babysitter and retail sales associate/ cashier at Music & Arts.

Master of Arts in Education, Elementary Education Ball State University

Bachelor of Science in Public Relations University of Florida

@BurtonKellyK

Q: What is the number one item on your bucket list?

A: To see more of Australia.

At Trinity since 2008

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish University of Georgia

Q: What is your favorite Trinity School lunch?

A: The salmon, of course!

Fifth Grade Science

At Trinity since 2013

Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education Oglethorpe University

Master of Science in Environmental Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Washington University

@science4fifth

Q: What is the number one item on your bucket list?

A: Hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon and staying at Phantom Ranch.

Margaret Douglas Director of Advancement

Nicole Fash Director of Marketing and

Kathy Bruyn

Fifth Grade Lead Teacher

Brooke Kelly Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Becky Maas

Teacher

Joe Marshall Head of School

At Trinity since 2013

Master of Science in English Education

Hofstra University

Bachelor of Arts in History

Franklin and Marshall College

@JosephPMarshall

Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?

A: Being in my Sixth-Grade leadership class.

Anne Torrey McCuean ’08 Advancement Associate and Alumni Relations

At Trinity since 2022

Bachelor of Arts in Education

Furman University

@trinityschoolalums

Shaun McCarthy

Kindergarten Lead Teacher

At Trinity since 2014

Master of Arts in Teaching, Early Childhood Education

Mercer University

Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Marketing

Vanderbilt University

Associate Level

Orton-Gillingham Academy

@shauncmccarthy

Q: What is the number one item on your bucket list?

A: To travel when possible with my husband and adult kids.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Sarah Meurisse

Upper Elementary French Teacher

At Trinity since 2015

Master of Arts in Spanish and Second Language Acquisition

Georgia State University

Bachelor of Science in French and Spanish K-12 Education

Montana State University

Q: What is a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?

A: I would like to break down our curricular goals into daily doable steps for the students. I read the book Atomic Habits over the summer and was inspired to take our Path to Proficiency goals and make them into smaller, obtainable habits. My favorite language learning app is Duolingo because you can see where you are successful and where you need help. I would love to create a similar way to inspire, encourage, and motivate the students to follow their progress in speaking, writing, listening, and reading.

Tiki Norris

Pre-K Lead Teacher

At Trinity since 2017

Master of Education in Early Childhood Education

Capella University

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology

Fisk University

Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?

A: When I was six years old, I had the opportunity to have Ms. Vera Jones as my teacher. Ms. Jones was firm but fun, she loved all her students, and we knew it. This love was shown through her compassion, encouraging words, and the many life lessons she gave daily.

Brooke Ovorus

Fourth and Sixth Grade Science Teacher

At Trinity since 2014

Master of Science in Education, Elementary Reading and Literacy Walden University

Bachelor of Science in Education Western Michigan University

@trinity6science

Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?

A: My Second-Grade teacher took my class on a field trip to her house, and we got to swim in her indoor swimming pool.

Paul Pileggi

Makerspace

Specialist

At Trinity since 2011

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Stockton University

Bachelor of Science in Real Estate and Finance Temple University

Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?

Carrie Peralta

Upper Elementary Spanish Teacher

At Trinity since 2012

Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction

Piedmont College

Master of Education in Spanish Education

University of West Georgia

Bachelor of Arts in Education and Spanish

Hillsdale College

Q: What advice would you give your 12-year-old self?

A: Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and speak up when you need help.

A: Probably the “Christmas Bazaar.” This was when we would go into the gym and there were tables of crafts that you could make for your parents. They were everyday items made to look like holiday-themed crafts, and they still have them 30+ years later.

Upper

At Trinity since 2018

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with Specialization in English, French, and Spanish Language Instruction Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia

Q: What brings you joy?

A: In the professional field, a thank you from my students, parents, coworkers, or superiors, as well as having conversations with my students in Spanish because I can see the impact of my work. In my personal life, I enjoy the outdoors. I love to walk in the forest, discover a new trail, and see animals in their natural habitat.

Early

At Trinity since 2012

Bachelor of Science in Biology

University of Nevada Las Vegas

Q: What was your first job?

A: An environmental specialist with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

First-Third

At Trinity since 2018

Master of Arts in Elementary Counseling

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

Louisiana Tech University

@mjrountree

Q: What inspires you?

A: My students’ excitement for learning inspires me.

Director of Spotlight on Art and Special Events

At Trinity since 2018

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Rhodes College

@spotlightonart

@spotlightonart

/TrinitySpotlightOnArt

Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?

A: A Fourth-Grade tradition called The Mummy Wrap. To culminate our studies of ancient Egypt, we held an Egyptian burial.

Jennie Rountree

Grade Science Teacher

Thalia Scott

Elementary Science Teacher

Leisy Stevenson

Deisy Pinto Vega

Elementary Spanish Teacher

Trinity is a five-time Top Workplace winner

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Trinity School remains one of Atlanta’s most preferred employers and has been named a Top Workplace by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the fifth consecutive year.

Trinity is ever focused on maintaining a joyful and wellbalanced workplace culture in which the teachers and staff feel connected to the School, its leadership, and its mission. Employee retention is very high, and senior leaders continually meet with team members and request their feedback to gain an employee perspective and hear how the culture can be enhanced.

“We are able to attract and retain the most enthusiastic and skilled teachers and staff members because of our commitment to excellence in the workplace, including a healthy culture and highly competitive salary and benefits

package,” says Head of School Joe Marshall. “Each member of Team Trinity plays an integral role in fulfilling our mission to help each child in our care develop the knowledge, skills, and character to achieve his or her unique potential and flourish. I am grateful for all of Trinity’s employees, their extraordinary commitment to the School and our students, and the meaningful work they carry out each day.”

For the 2023 rankings, 175 companies were selected, and Trinity made the list in the “Top Midsize Workplace” category (150–499 employees).

The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection. “Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

“I was drawn to Trinity School because of its focus on providing the best elementary-only learning environment, where our young learners are immersed in unique, qualityfocused educational experiences. My mother was an elementary school teacher in Atlanta, so I grew up understanding the value of an independent private school during a student's most formative years. I enjoy working here because every day brings new challenges, yet we consistently work together as a community to find solutions to remain focused on our mission for our students, families, and employees. Our Trustees see the unique value of the elementary-only experience, and they fully support the work of the School’s leadership, faculty, and staff every day. We all have an opportunity to be a part of making a difference in the lives of children, which is meaningful in so many ways. I always feel a sense of pride when I enter Trinity’s gates and see our beautiful campus with active and happy students. Inside the building, there is always something new going on in the activity center, innovation hub, classrooms, and hallways. Outside, there are exciting and interactive learning spaces, where students run, play, and discover.”

of me not to mention Trinity’s outstanding facilities. I’ve worked at several pretty good schools throughout my career, but the overall culture at Trinity provides a positive work experience like nowhere else. From the people—including students, colleagues, and administration—to the compensation and benefits, Trinity has provided the perfect package for me and my family.”

School, you can see the creativity and joy the students feel while they are here. I stay here because, simply put, Trinity allows you to be yourself. The School’s leaders foster growth in personal interests and help teachers achieve professional goals. I feel trusted as an expert in my field and know that my ideas and lesson plans are valued.”

“I enjoy working at Trinity because of my colleagues, the incredible students and families, and the School’s passion for cherishing childhood. And it would be remiss

Cascone Human Resources Associate | At Trinity since 2021

“After working at Trinity School as a part-time Extended Programs and substitute teacher, I realized that this was the type of work culture I wanted to be a part of full time. It is evident the moment you walk through the front doors that the staff and faculty enjoy working at Trinity. The positive atmosphere is contagious, and I’ve made friends here that I’ll keep my entire life. Since my first day on campus, I’ve always felt supported, respected, and valued. Development and growth are encouraged and appreciated, and the confidence I’ve gained while working at Trinity School is unmatched. I’m lucky to be surrounded by passionate people who are not only talented but also caring and considerate to everyone.”

Early Elementary Media Specialist and Parent of a Trinity Alum | At Trinity since 2022

“My first experience with Trinity was as a parent in 2020, and during that time, I volunteered in the Learning Commons. This led to substitute teaching, which led to me realizing how much I missed being part of a school community and working with young children; I previously taught preschool and elementary-aged students before choosing to stay at home and homeschool my two daughters. Once they began traditional school, I knew it was time for me to return to teaching and Trinity was my first choice! I was especially drawn to the way the School creates an environment for students that cherishes childhood. Our focus on young children is apparent in the intentional design of the campus and facilities as well as every decision made by the faculty and staff. I’m proud to be part of something so special, and the dedication shown to our elementary-only mission, my positive coworkers, and our bright and curious students will keep me here.”

“I laugh every day at Trinity School. The students are happy to be here, the teachers are excited to collaborate, and the energy in the hallways is always positive. When you take a look at the artwork displayed around the

Ken Bomar Director of Finance | At Trinity since 2009

Justin Cahill P.E. Teacher | At Trinity since 2007

Nina Chamberlain Early Elementary Art Teacher | At Trinity since 2010

Sarah

Lisa Gyovai

Laura Kaplan

Marcia Twiggs

Fourth

Grade Lead Teacher | At Trinity since 2018

“After a decade in the public school system, I was searching for an opportunity to reignite my passion for education, and I found that at Trinity School. Accepting a teaching position here has been the best choice I have made for my career. Cherishing childhood is such a large piece of why I wanted to be an educator, and that it is one of Trinity’s pillars was huge for me. I love that we take the time to celebrate what makes being a kid so fun and exciting while also putting an educational spin on it! I enjoy working at Trinity because of the shared passion among my colleagues. Not only are they invested in student fun and learning, but they are also good, genuine people who inspire me every day. What keeps me here is the growth I continue to have as a teacher, as a leader, and as a person. Working with all of the wonderful Trinity Teachers, students, and families and the excitement of the numerous Trinity traditions keep me excited for every new school year.”

Pre-K Lead Teacher | At Trinity since 2016

“In 2016, I was a nanny for a family in Atlanta whose daughter was about to start Kindergarten at Trinity, and they encouraged me to check it out. I fell in love with the School immediately. The best part of my day, hands down, is being with the students. And I feel so comfortable here because of the community and my colleagues. Everyone who works here is kind and cares about others and that is kind of mind-blowing to me. I feel thankful to work at a place that puts ‘doing good’ at the forefront.”

Fourth

Grade Associate Teacher and Trinity Parent | At Trinity since 2022

“I have been a Trinity parent for five years, and this experience led me to be a teacher here. My daughter has had the most amazing teachers who understood her as an individual and interacted with her from that perspective. She feels known and loved, and the environment here facilitates that. Teachers and staff members are warm, caring, and always willing to help. The ‘magic’ that is often described when parents tour our school is genuinely felt every single day. I recently experienced two significant personal events, one right after the other, and the way my team, co-workers, and students’ parents have rallied to support me is incredible. I love it here! It makes me so happy.”

Leah Lenhardt

Choose your adventure at Trinity School Summer Camp 2023!

Trinity School Summer Camp offers a variety of academic, specialty, and sports camps for children ages 4 to 13. From painting to Legos, lacrosse to science, choose your child’s summer adventure from our camps that will run Monday–Friday from June 5–30*, 2023. Join us in Before-Camp Care, Activities in the Afternoon, and After-Camp Care to extend your summer fun to a full day, from 7:30 AM–4 PM!

There are also limited offerings available during a fifth session of summer camp that will occur July 31–August 4.

Trinity School Summer Camp is open to the public and several camps have wait lists. Register today! www.trinityatl.org/summercamp

Please contact Kayleen Whitmer, Director of Extended Programs, at kwhitmer@trinityatl.org for more information.

*Trinity School will be closed on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth; no camps will be offered on that day.

Together, we Inspire Excellence

By Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Kindergartners Connor, Caroline, Henry, Hayden, and Mary Benson enjoy time together on the Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Center's rock formation.

Under the leadership of our outstanding campaign co-chairs, board chairs, and many volunteers, we are excited to announce that we are more than 85 percent of the way toward our $14.5 million Inspire Excellence capital and endowment campaign goal! We need your participation to cross the finish line.

Over the course of two years, more than 250 Trinity families and friends have already stepped forward to join us in envisioning how our facilities might be reconfigured and enhanced to exceed today’s standards for excellence in elementary education. Through early and generous support, campaign components having been springing to life, inspiring others to step forward, making each subsequent project possible.

Trinity is dedicated to providing an exemplary childcentered elementary education by encouraging curiosity, creativity, and confidence in our students, and building the foundation for their future success. When the campus

master plan was first envisioned several years ago, our leadership, staff, and faculty dreamt boldly about how to transform our campus—knowing that realizing these exciting plans would require incredible commitments from the entire Trinity community. Inspire Excellence allows Trinity to deliver even greater opportunities for our students to grow their academic success, explore play- and passion-based learning, and come together and collaborate. And together, we are inspiring discovery, community, and growth for hundreds of students today and countless more for years to come.

With the entire community’s generous support, Trinity will continue to be a leader in elementary education for future generations. With much gratitude, I say thank you to every member of the Trinity community who has supported this campaign and to those of you who will help us finish it!

To learn more, visit trinityatl.org/InspireExcellence

A view of the Damani Recreation Center taken on March 31 as it nears completion.

Renovations to the Early Elementary playground continue in this March 31 photo.

We inspire discovery through two outdoor learning environments that are being transformed into experiential spaces.

• The Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Center features independent and collaborative gathering spaces; unique climbing elements and structures that stimulate movement; and areas that inspire art, science, and music discovery.

• Early Elementary Playground Renovations include an open area for group activities like soccer and football; a Mini-GaGa Pit; a quiet space for independent play; and new swings, slides, and climbing areas.

We inspire community through additions and interior renovations that fulfill a significant need for expanded and agile learning spaces.

Pre-K student Drew races around the Outdoor Learning Center's trike path.

Thank you, Inspire Excellence leadership!

Board Chair Jenny Latz

Former Board Chair Bill Jordan

Campaign Co-Chairs

TJ and Catherine Humann Callaway ’97

Melissa and Allen Moseley ’81

Sarah and Neal Williams ’73

Parent Co-Chairs

Libby and Brooks Barge

Erica and David Cummings

Aisha and Marcellus Parker

Committee Members

Julie and Jim Balloun

Dana and Will Bickerstaff

Kit and David Bowlin

Katie and Bryan Bradford

Dorsey and Austin Bryan

Rebecca and Chris Cummiskey

Isha and Anil Damani

Lane and Richard Courts

Courtenay and Chris Gabriel

Annie and Paxton Griffin

Morven and Russell Groves

Nathan Hartman and Chris Sipes

Anne and Peter Hennessy

Molly and John Jamieson

Fifth Graders Annika and Poppy love using the new seating outside their classrooms.

Faculty and Staff Milestones

Join us as we celebrate the personal milestones of Trinity School’s faculty and staff in this recurring feature. This edition also honors Trinity’s many employees who have reached special years of service milestones.

At Trinity since 2016, Second Grade Lead Teacher Rachel Walker ’06 married Adam Erickson on December 10, 2022. The couple held their wedding and reception at the Country Club of Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.

Celebrating Years of Service

Part of Trinity’s culture is celebrating the loyalty of its employees. On an individual’s fifth year of service, he or she receives a specially engraved letter opener. On the 10th year, it is a beautifully engraved wooden box that matches the letter opener. Fifteen years of service and every fifth additional year thereafter is rewarded with a monetary gift. Trinity has an incredibly committed team of employees, and we want to take a moment to recognize those who have reached special milestone years of service at Trinity School.

30 years

Brian Balocki, P.E. Teacher

25 years

Terrell Lee, Accounting Manager

20 years

Katie Rosengren, Associate Director of Advancement

15 years

Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Vicki Eyles, Fifth Grade Math Teacher

Carole Gaillard, Director of Human Resources

Marsha Harris, Director of Curriculum

Pam Lauer, Early Learners Lead Teacher

Rebecca Stewart, First Grade Lead Teacher

10 years

Hilary Daigre, First Grade Lead Teacher

Anne Jones, Pre-K Associate Teacher

Becky Maas, Fifth Grade Science Teacher

Kimberly Marchant, Early Learners Associate Teacher

Joe Marshall, Head of School

Shaun McCarthy, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Phyllis Sommer, Early Elementary Music Teacher

5 years

Sky Aguirre, Extended Programs Staff

Holly Brookshire, Pre-K Associate Teacher

Lauren Covington, Third Grade Lead Teacher

Michaela Davida, Fifth Grade Lead Teacher

Vesna Galtere, Early Elementary French Teacher

Steve Heinmiller, Facilities Manager

Laura Kaplan, Fourth Grade Lead Teacher

Erica Pendleton, School Counselor

Deisy Pinto, Upper Elementary Spanish Teacher

Jennie Rountree, First–Third Grade Science Teacher

Jackie Sears, Fourth Grade Associate Teacher

Leisy Stevenson, Director of Spotlight on Art and Special Events

Kayleen Whitmer, Director of Extended Programs

Those who have reached their 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th years of service at Trinity gathered for a group

photo: Brian Balocki, Terrell Lee, Katie Rosengren, Carole Gaillard, Rebecca Stewart, Vicki Eyles, Pam Lauer, Marsha Harris, and Margaret Douglas.

Highlights

Trinity Tidbits

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Extended Programs students go on parade

Extended Programs held one of their most magical events of the year, the annual Disney parade for the Early Learners who attend Lunch Bunch. On December 2, 2022, Trinity’s youngest students dressed up as their favorite Disney characters and paraded around campus while members of the school community cheered them on.

Burton earns

At Trinity since 2007, Kindergarten

Lead Teacher Kate Burton completed her Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership from Kennesaw State University in December 2022 after successfully defending her dissertation, “Service Learning – It’s Elementary!

Teacher-Initiated Service Learning at an Independent Elementary School.” The dissertation featured Trinity’s Fifth Grade Freshwater Fair and First Grade Pantry Pals service-learning projects based on extensive interviews with Science

Teacher Becky Maas and First Grade Lead Teachers Abbie Shaw and Rebecca Stewart.

Sheree Du Preez featured on podcast

Early Elementary Division Head Sheree Du Preez, who has been at Trinity since 2021, discussed her pathway to a career in education as well as effective formal assessments on the fourth episode of The Principal’s Desk podcast that dropped on December 13, 2022. This weekly podcast is led by David Franklin, EdD, an award-winning school administrator, education professor, curriculum designer, and presenter.

Early Learners and Pre-K students donate 417 sets of pajamas

For 11 years, Early Learners and Pre-K students have participated in a service-learning endeavor called the Warmth Project. During the month of December, students and their families donate pajamas to children in need, which is meaningful to these young students as they can understand warmth and safety and love from caregivers and that these circumstances are not always available to everyone. This school year, the grade levels donated a combined total of 417 pairs of pajamas and celebrated with a pajama day on December 9, 2022.

Kate

doctorate

Fifth Graders raise record-breaking $22,560 for life-saving filters

On November 30, 2022, Fifth Graders hosted their annual Freshwater Fair, sharing what they have learned about freshwater ecosystems and making learning fun for all Trinity students. At the event, Fifth Graders operated creative games they constructed and offered impressive facts about animals from all over the world. All Trinity students and teachers were invited to attend, and there was a five-coin “entry fee” per person. This year’s fair brought in $906.82. Combined with the $21,653.18 raised during the Fifth Grade’s annual freshwater walk-a-thon, Trinity’s Fifth Grade raised a record-breaking $22,560 to purchase life-saving freshwater filters through Start With One Kenya and Uzima Clean Water Mission that go to Njoro in Kenya, a region that has a high rate of water-borne disease. Each filter costs $40 and lasts for 10 years, and the money raised allowed Fifth Graders to provide 564 families with safe drinking water for the next decade.

Sixth-Grade families are 100 percent in

For the fourth year in a row, the Sixth-Grade parents were challenged to be the first grade level to reach 100 percent participation in The Trinity Fund. And for the fourth year in a row, they met the challenge in early December 2022. To show their appreciation to our Sixth-Grade families for their support, for setting the bar high, and for leading by example, the Office of Advancement hosted a pizza and ice cream party for the entire Sixth Grade Leadership Class on January 20.

Early Learners are grateful for friendship

On November 17, 2022, Early Learners gathered to have their annual Friendship Feast. They sang “Go Now in Peace,” exchanged friendship necklaces, and enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner together. There were full tummies and thankful hearts all around.

Third Grade presents Balloons Over Trinity

On November 17, 2022, Third Graders paraded around the Trinity Track during the annual Balloons Over Trinity, their version of the Macy’s Day Parade. Students partnered with classmates to create balloon puppets for the parade as part of a special Thanksgivingthemed STEAM project after reading Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade.

Gough and Coote lead sessions at NCSM and NCTM conferences

Director of Teaching and Learning

Jill Gough and Upper Elementary Math Specialist Kerry Coote, who both began working at Trinity in 2012, presented “Using Data to Guide Decisions around Multiplication Fluency: What Gets Measured, Not Graded, Gets Improved” at a workshop session during the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Regional Conference and Exposition held in Baltimore, Maryland, from November 30–December 2, 2022. They also led the same workshop session during the 54th National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) annual conference held from September 26–28, 2022.

Fourth Graders support veterans

In November 2022, Fourth Graders supported 20 veterans who call the Veterans Empowerment Organization (VEO) in Atlanta their home. Over a 10-day period, the students and their families collected much-needed items, such as shower shoes, hooded sweatshirts and pants, toboggan beanies, and winter coats. The students also wrote letters of appreciation to the veterans and delivered them along with the donated items and some sweet treats to the VEO on Veterans Day.

Sarah Meurisse featured on French radio station

On November 8, 2022, Upper Elementary French Teacher Sarah Meurisse, who has been at Trinity since 2015, was featured on a radio show called “Un Jour Dans le Monde,” which translates to “A Day in the World” on the French radio station France Inter. Offering her unique perspective as a French-American citizen and teacher, Sarah sat down with well-known journalist and talkshow host Fabienne Sintes for a two-hour long discussion about Georgia and American politics.

Brad Brown and Marsha Harris earn Harvard certification

Director of Curriculum Marsha Harris and Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management Brad Brown have earned their Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University. The online certification program is a joint offering from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and its Business School and is composed of four courses: Leading Learning, Leading Change, Leading School Strategy and Innovation, and Leading People. Marsha, who has been at Trinity since 2008, completed her certification in November 2021 and Brad, who has been at Trinity since 2016, completed his in November 2022.

Becky Holden presents at CMC-South

At Trinity since 2015, Early Elementary Math Specialist Becky Holden presented “Making Mathematics Meaningful with Community Connected Tasks” at the California Mathematics Council 63rd annual conference held on November 4 and 5, 2022.

Trinity hosts annual School Festival

All current families and employees were invited to join the fun at the annual School Festival that occurred on October 23, 2022. Activities and attractions were placed throughout Trinity’s campus and included a zipline, rock wall, obstacle course, face painting, and carnival games.

Trinity has a very Grand Day

We welcomed students’ grandparents and special friends on campus for Grand Day on October 21, 2022. Our guests enjoyed a welcome reception and song by Trinity’s choir then visited classrooms to experience a morning at Trinity with their grandchild. It was a joy to see our students light up when their grandparents and special friends walked into the room.

Sixth Graders participates in annual fall outdoor ed trip

From September 21–23, 2022, members of the Sixth Grade Leadership Class participated in their annual outdoor education trip to Camp Glisson. Students made lifelong memories while participating in traditional outdoor activities such as ziplining, team-building exercises, games, bonfires, and swimming.

Visiting author and illustrator Janet Stevens delights students

On October 19, 2022, students in Kindergarten through Third Grade enjoyed a visit with awardwinning children’s book author and illustrator Janet Stevens. After discussing her lifelong love of art and the inspiration behind many of her stories and illustrations, Ms. Stevens drew a bear for each grade and received input from the students on how to dress him. She has received numerous book awards, including a Caldecott Honor Award, Time magazine’s Ten Best Children’s Books, and the Wanda Gág Best Read Aloud Book.

Fifth Graders enjoy overnight stay at Camp Will-A-Way

Fifth Graders enjoyed their annual outdoor education trip to Camp Twin Lakes: Will-A-Way on October 13 and 14, 2022. They enjoyed their overnight stay, making memories they will cherish for years to come. Students participated in fun activities like rock climbing, team-building exercises, making pottery, and more.

Waffle House CEO visits Trinity Sixth Graders

On September 7, 2022, Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer spent time with Trinity’s Sixth Grade Leadership Class. Students asked Mr. Ehmer what it means to be a leader, and he shared his thoughts on how to connect with others and how to lead with a loving, humble, and generous heart. Afterwards, Sixth Graders enjoyed a delicious breakfast provided by Waffle House.

Trinity School’s rich history began in 1951, and we maintain and occasionally update numerous grade-level, division-wide, and school-wide traditions that reinforce the School’s identity, curriculum, and values. This section is dedicated to highlighting some of the many special events that our students look forward to every year.

Sixth Graders’ First Day Caravan

The first day of school is important for all students, but there is something extra special about the Sixth Graders’ carpool caravan.

Pre-K Catches the Gingerbread Man

At the beginning of the school year, Pre-K students once again found the runaway Gingerbread Man while becoming acquainted with all the faces and places at Trinity. Staff and faculty from all over the campus provided students with clues to find the elusive Gingerbread Man.

Early Learners Treasure Hunt

In September, Early Learners wrapped up Pirates Week and their Shapes unit of study with a real-life treasure hunt!

Pre-K Nursery Rhyme Parade

In September, Pre-K students dressed up as their favorite characters, paraded through the hallways, then recited nursery rhymes in the new Early Elementary Dining Hall during the annual Nursery Rhyme Parade.

Early Elementary Halloween Parade

Early Elementary Division students and faculty donned fantastic costumes and put the Trinity community in the Halloween mood by throwing the annual Halloween Parade.

Fourth Grade Patriotic Performance

The Fourth Grade’s live Patriotic Performance returned after a two-year hiatus. Fourth Graders celebrated patriotism and Veterans Day by singing songs and honoring our community’s veterans and military service members during a very special all-school assembly.

Fifth Grade Presents The Nutcracker

Put on every year by Fifth Graders, the much anticipated performances of The Nutcracker were set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score and included dancing, elaborate costumes and set design, and epic battles.

Thanksgiving Program

All students and teachers came together and celebrated the Thanksgiving season with musical performances during a special all-school assembly.

Second Grade Trade Day

Each year, Second Graders culminate their Native American unit with Trade Day. In the fall, they learned about four Native American nations from different regions of the country. Acting as anthropologists, they then led a special Trinity Together Time to share their knowledge with the rest of the student body. Afterward, the Second Graders continued their work as anthropologists, coming together to understand the importance of trading resources between different nations.

Upper Elementary Holiday Program

Trinity Traditions 1

The Upper Elementary Division students put everyone in the holiday mood by presenting a special musical performance of Christmas and Hanukkah songs at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

All traditions occurred during the first half of the 2022–23 school year.

1. Sixth Graders’ First Day Caravan

2. Fifth Grade Presents The Nutcracker

3. Pre-K Nursery Rhyme Parade

4. Early Elementary Halloween Parade

8 9

5. Thanksgiving Program

6. Fifth Grade Presents The Nutcracker

7. Early Learners Treasure Hunt

8. Sixth Graders’ First Day Caravan

9. Second Grade Trade Day

10. Pre-K Nursery Rhyme Parade

11. Pre-K Catches the Gingerbread Man

12. Upper Elementary Holiday Program

13. Fourth Grade Patriotic Performance

14. Early Learners Treasure Hunt

15. Fifth Grade Presents The Nutcracker

Features Together at last

Patriotic Performance Assembly on November 11, 2022.

All students and teachers gathered on August 19, 2022, for the first Trinity Together Time (TTT) since March 11, 2020, after a two-anda-half year pause due to health restrictions necessitated by the pandemic. The joy was palpable as everyone connected, sang together, and set the tone for the upcoming school year ahead.

Trinity Together Time is a longstanding tradition at the School. These regularly occurring allschool assemblies formally came together under the direction of Gwen Cleghorn, the interim head of Trinity School from 2000–2002. They began on Trinity’s former campus in the bottom floor of the gym, which was the original Allison Williams Activity Center (AWAC). Gwen was the biggest proponent of TTT and considered it one of Trinity’s greatest endeavors.

In her final Head of School message in the spring 2002 edition of Inside Trinity, the predecessor to Flourish magazine, Gwen wrote about the major achievements of the 2001–02 school year. Included at the top of these achievements was celebrating the institution of regular Friday morning assemblies, called Trinity Together Time. She said that these assemblies “have enabled all students from threeyear-olds to Sixth Graders to share their experiences and thus enjoy an enriched sense of community.”

Enjoy a peek at some of this school year’s assemblies!

Welcome Assembly on August 19, 2022.

Sixth Grade Leadership Assembly on September 9, 2022.

Second Grade Trade Day Assembly on December 2, 2022.

“What I love most about TTT is watching my Pre-K kids learn from the older kids. They always ask when they will be up on stage leading with excitement in their eyes.”

– Pre-K Associate Teacher Eman Srouji

“I like Trinity Together Time because I get see different shows and see my friends and family.”

– Pre-K student Maddox

“I have missed TTT so much because it brought back a sense of community! I love having all grades in one room. We get to see members of the Leadership Class begin the assembly and sit with our Sixth-Grade buddies.”

– First Grade Lead Teacher Abbie Shaw

“I love TTT because I get to see my sister and watch the other grades perform.”

-First Grader Whit

“While the community never wavered in the absence of TTTs, being back in the AWAC surrounded by the entire Trinity community was a welcomed visual reminder of how special our school is! TTTs are important to me as a teacher because they provide our students with a chance to be leaders from a very young age. Since our community is so welcoming, even the shyest of students shines on stage because they feel safe. TTTs are important to students because it allows them to appreciate their support system. They can look around the AWAC and see siblings, past teachers, division heads, friends from different grade levels they’ve met through the Buddy Program or after-school activities, and sometimes parents and know that each one of those people loves and supports them.”

– Second Grade Lead Teacher Claire Snyder

First Grade Zoo Exhibit Assembly on March 3.

Artist-in-Residence Assembly on March 21.

Celebration of Cultures Assembly on March 24.

“I like it when Stripes comes out and that sometimes we get to watch plays that the Sixth Graders make and that we get to spend time together. On Trade Day, it was fun that we got to show and talk about the games we learned to play on stage.”

– Second Grader Emerson

“I think TTT is important because we get to learn about what people do in their grades and learn about each other. I missed TTTs because I liked having the little performances we did on stage. My favorite TTT was the Thanksgiving program, because we got to sing these cool songs with the whole Fourth Grade.”

– Fourth Grader Morgan

“I’ve loved TTTs since I started here, and now that I am in Sixth Grade, I kind of host them, which makes them even more fun. I get to see all the younger children, who are just like I was once, enjoying them. My favorite memory at a TTT was when I was in Pre-K and sitting in the lap of my Sixth-Grade buddy. I enjoyed sitting with her and enjoying the TTT with someone I looked up to.”

– Sixth Grader Axley

Third Grade Living Museum Assembly on March 15.

Trinity’s World Languages program evolves with best practices

By Upper Elementary World Language Teachers Sarah Meurisse, Carrie Peralta, and Deisy Pinto Vega

“I took Spanish for four years in high school, but now I can’t do anything with the language.”

A version of this statement is inevitably heard at any gathering where adults share their experiences of learning a foreign language. The disconnect between what was learned in the old-school foreign language classes and applying those skills to real-life situations seem to be something that was just accepted. Thankfully, second language instruction and learning has come a long way and Trinity School has embraced and adopted forward-thinking advancements.

Start early, stay the course

It’s never too soon to start learning another language. The cognitive and social benefits of language learning last a lifetime and promote connections to an expanding global community. Younger learners are often uninhibited in their skills and unafraid of making mistakes, which can often be an obstacle for older learners. Second language programs of the past were often not introduced until high school or, if you were lucky, middle school. Instruction was mostly focused on grammar and isolated vocabulary with very little real-life application. Many of us can remember the mundane textbooks, vocabulary lists that measured the length of our arm, endless verb conjugations, cultural tidbits, and scripted dialogues that had no connection to authentic situations.

Trinity School has evolved with best practices, and six years ago, we expanded our World Languages program to include our Early Learners, who begin at age three, and Pre-K students. In the Early Elementary Division, students begin their language learning journey by taking a half year of Spanish and a half year of French. During that time, students learn a new language through songs, skits, roleplaying, storytelling, and real-life situations. Exposing the children at the early age of three to both French and Spanish is what makes Trinity School’s World Languages program so unique. Setting the foundation for future proficiency and love of the language are keys to their success.

Also, according to American linguist and educational researcher Stephen Krashen in his article “The critical period for language acquisition and its possible bases,” learning a learned language younger than age 12 helps children acquire the sounds more easily as the brain has not yet hardened. Children under the age of 12 can pick up a language more quickly and speak more fluently without an accent. At Trinity, students have the opportunity to achieve nine years of language learning before this critical age of language learning begins.

Spanish Teacher Carrie Peralta strikes a dance pose when asking students in Spanish whether they prefer to dance or to sing.

Led by French Teacher Sarah Meurisse, Fourth Graders practice counting from 1-100 as they dance and sing "Worm Song" by Alain le Lait.

Fifth Graders Parker and Noah act out the roles of the "bad guys" from their French class novel, La France en Danger et Les Secrets de Picasso, in front of their peers.

World Languages in the Upper Elementary Division

As students advance to the Upper Elementary Division, so do the material and language acquisition goals. By Second Grade, students have had enough exposure in both languages to make an informed decision to select either French or Spanish as the language of study for their remaining years at Trinity. By concentrating on one language, students can deepen their skills, primarily in listening and speaking with additional emphasis on reading and writing.

If you were to peek into an Upper Elementary World Languages class today at Trinity School, you would see that many of the curriculum anchors of the past have disappeared. Authentic materials are utilized in grades 2–6 through novels, art, film, and music. In the classroom, you hear students engaged in real conversations with their peers in the target language, discussing how to navigate through the streets of Paris or their favorite places to visit in the Andes Mountains, having cultural and political conversations that arise from Picasso’s Guernica, and comparing and contrasting American families to the famed Encanto family while making cross-curricular connections to studies of immigration and migration. You would see a focus on communication over grammar, doing with the language rather than knowing the language, all within a cultural context.

Upper Elementary Spanish Teacher Deisy Pinto says, “The World Languages curriculum contributes to building our students’ confidence. For example, Sixth Graders explore their creative side by writing a script and producing a video based on the plot of a novel we read in the target language. This allows students to play to their strengths. Some students go above and beyond with their acting skills, while others find it easier to work on editing or to write the script. Besides putting the language into practice, they are gaining social skills as they pick roles and work as a group to complete the project.”

Trinity’s Upper Elementary World Languages curriculum is the result of an informed and well-thought-out process that took six years to create. Its formation included the guidance of a renowned World Languages consultant as well as the input and experience of Trinity’s Spanish and French teachers. The result of that process is an FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) program that centers instruction on thematic units. The curriculum is live and growing. The teachers proudly embrace the fluidity of the

curriculum, making modifications and enhancements every year to fit the needs of our students and school culture. This flexibility was never more apparent than over the last two-and-a-half years of the global pandemic, which has been a challenging time for all. In the spring of 2020, teachers had to make immediate shifts in our planning and delivery of in-person instruction to a completely remote learning environment. Thankfully, as Trinity opened its doors in the fall of that same year, families had the option to select either a virtual or in-person form of instruction. Teachers were put to the test again and had to plan for both formats to deliver their lessons. Luckily, technology was the saving tool that provided suitable methods and materials for both types of learners. Through the use of online sites such as Seesaw, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Quizlet, and Rockalingua, Trinity’s World Language teachers were able to deliver custom-made games, tasks, and assessments that would continue to move our school’s curriculum and goals forward while also being enjoyable for the students. These online tools served to connect the online learners with the in-person classroom experience, and today, they continue to supplement the instruction our students receive as they are all back in the classroom.

Deisy points to the winner of a rousing game of Bingo, which is a fun way for students to become familiar with new Spanish vocabulary.

A Celebration of Cultures

Trinity’s mission states that we are compassionate members of the greater community, which is why the World Languages team is dedicated to preparing students for the world outside our classroom. We want the students to live the language and culture in our classes. We realize that there are cultural benefits to learning another language in addition to the cognitive, critical thinking, and character development ones. At Trinity School, we give students the opportunity to feel a part of the global community through activities such as asking for ice cream, singing, dancing, playing games, listening to stories, and talking to classmates entirely in the target language.

Trinity proudly recognizes and celebrates the diversity within our school throughout the year. Orchestrated by the World Languages team, the annual Celebration of Cultures is one of our favorite festive days in which all Trinity community members have the opportunity to highlight their ethnicity, race, heritage, or nationality. This wonderful tradition pulls our community together in a way that honors our individual and collective identities. We are grateful for our collaboration with Trinity’s music teachers, who help plan musical performances for that day’s allschool assembly. At this year’s Celebration of Cultures on March 24, Bollywood dancers, a historically Black college and university (HBCU)-inspired drumline from Redan High School, a Mariachi band, master storyteller Mama Koku, an Indian Kathak performer, choral composer and director of original folk choir and dulcimer music Malcolm Dalglish, and Caribbean dancers and stilt walker helped highlight our diversity in both the Trinity and greater community. Each year, parents and other relatives are invited into the classrooms to share their family’s culture, a special holiday, or a delicious treat from a particular region.

Upper Elementary Spanish Teacher Carrie Peralta says, “I love this day because it allows all students to shine as individuals and express what makes their heritage, race, ethnicity, or religion special. We learn that everyone has a culture and should be proud of it.”

The celebration of different cultures is also lived out each day in World Language classes through “mirrors and windows,” an important concept that is also a part of Trinity’s diversity philosophy.

As Upper Elementary French Teacher Sarah Meurisse says, “We want to expose our students to new experiences, people, and ways of life through windows into French and Spanish culture. We also want the students to see themselves in these other societies by relating their identities to the Hispanic or Francophone cultures through lessons that are designed to be mirrors. For example, during ‘calendar time’ we discuss the important dates in French- or Spanishspeaking countries as well as those in the cultures of the students in class. That way we connect our students’ cultures to the Francophone and Hispanic ones.”

A spiraling curriculum

Students participate in a spiraling curriculum from age three through Sixth Grade, allowing them to combine previously learned material with new topics to create a deeper and more meaningful connection to the language and cultures. Trinity School models its World Language teaching practices and proficiency guidelines on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards. After multiple years of continuous study in one language, students leave Trinity with emerging intermediate proficiency and typically enter the advancedtrack classes at their subsequent schools.

A hallmark of the Trinity School curriculum, the World Languages program prepares our students for success from an early age not only in their future language learning endeavors but also in real-life application as citizens in an ever-expanding global community.

Work Cited

Krashen, Stephen. “The critical period for language acquisition and its possible bases.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Volume 263, Issue 1, 2006, pp. 211-224.

Pre-K student Amelia helps Mama Koku tell the story of Anansi the Spider during Celebration of Cultures.

Wentzscopes open up new worlds

By Makerspace Specialist Paul Pileggi and Science Teachers Becky Maas, Brooke Ovorus, Jennie Rountree, and Thalia Scott

Trinity’s science program instills in children a sense of wonder about the world around them. To continue to promote active learning, three Wentzscopes were recently purchased for the science labs. The inventor, Budd Wentz, who holds degrees in law and engineering, originally designed these large-view microscopes for the New York Hall of Science to allow multiple viewers to see three-dimensional objects simultaneously. Any object that can fit under the microscope’s lens can be viewed, and specimens no longer need to be prepped for microscope slides. Wentzscopes are easy to use and very kid-friendly; students simply place their item beneath the large-diameter lens and turn a single knob to bring the image into focus. For added durability, the microscopes are permanently mounted to tables, which can be easily rolled around to enhance any classroom experience.

Witnessing the extraordinary in the ordinary

From the moment the Wentzscopes were unveiled at Trinity, students of all ages have been excitedly exploring new worlds opened up by the magnifying lenses. They have been surprised to find microscopic organisms living inside rocks and surprising amounts of dirt and oil on their teacher’s cell phone screen. Students have witnessed leaf trichomes in action. The hair-like structures not only trap tiny insects and water droplets but also look as if they are dancing in the wind.

The Wentzscopes have empowered students to act on their own curiosities and gain greater independence in seeking answers to their questions. Students use the microscopes to examine classroom specimens as well as those brought from home and collected on campus. One student, who wears a medical device, used it to get a closer look at the inner workings of the tiny circuit board that controls his monitor. Spice granules can look like magnificent gemstones under the Wentzscope. It can be attached to monitors and Smartboards for even greater viewing. Students love sharing their notices with all of their classmates. “What is that?” has become a favorite specimen guessing game. We’ve noticed a heightened sense of wonder and passion-based discovery since the Wentzscopes were introduced.

Magnifying concepts

The Wentzscopes have helped deepen students’ educational experience by making scientific concepts visible. For example, when First Graders were performing the “Dancing Raisins’’ experiment, viewing carbonated raisins under a Wentzscope helped them gain a greater understanding of what was causing the raisins’ increased buoyancy. Students were able to see just how many carbon dioxide bubbles had attached themselves throughout the peaks and valleys of the raisins. During their rock study, Third Graders used a Wentzscope to get a closer look at the mineral makeup of rock collections. In Fifth Grade, learning

Kindergartner Halsey watches brine ship, a.k.a. sea monkeys, move under a Wentzscope.

about water moving from a solid to a liquid in the water cycle became vividly evident when an ice cube was put under a Wentzscope. Students gasped with surprise to see flowing water sluicing along the facets of the ice cube, air bubbles moving within, and the entire cube sliding sideways. None of these actions were visible with the bare eye.

The magnification is just right for Early Elementary students because it allows them to see close-up details while still being able to relate to the item they are viewing. The simplicity of the microscopes have highlighted the power of observation and sparked several explorations by our Early Learner, Pre-K, and Kindergarten scientists. They have enjoyed observing their own skin, hands, fingers, fingernails, and fingerprints. In fact, most of their science lessons end with them wanting to explore whatever they are using or have made under the Wentzscope. Early Elementary students were eager to use the new microscope to explore sea monkeys, a.k.a., brine shrimp. After viewing them as a class through a Wentzscope attached to a monitor, they were delighted to observe how quickly they moved. Imagine how excited our Kindergartners will be during the worm unit of study when they observe the worms’ body parts in detail and see their behaviors up close.

The Wentzscopes have allowed students to closely observe specimens that they cannot see using standard light microscopes, which require specimens to be translucent and thin enough for a slide. In Fourth Grade, students are looking forward to using the new microscopes during their forestry unit, when they will have the opportunity to observe owl pellets as well as plant, soil, bark, and moss samples from Trinity’s Discovery Woods. In the fall, Fifth Graders were able to observe the movement of a snail while studying freshwater ecosystems. Sixth Graders used the microscopes during squid dissections to observe chromatophores, which are the pigmented cells on cephalopods that help them camouflage with their surrounding areas. Doing this allowed them to see an up-close account of these cells, which is not as clear through the naked eye. During another lab, Sixth Graders were able to watch candy canes dissolve in a pan of boiling water and in a pan of vinegar. When students placed the candy under a Wentzscope, they could easily see tiny portions of the candy canes in both liquids moving at a rapid rate. Being able to easily use a Wentzscope during this experiment deepened the students’ understanding of the lab.

Sixth Grader Brynn was excited about the experiment and the Wentzscope. She says, “It was extremely cool to see the candy canes dissolve after a couple of minutes. I loved being able to observe more closely under the Wentzscope.”

In the iHub, a Wentzscope has been used during an Extended Programs unit on electricity and light. Students were asked to complete a circuit from a coin cell battery

through an LED diode. In the process of testing, the teachers explained how an LED functions and even showed a picture. The Wentzscope allowed them to take the demonstration a step further by presenting the lighting of an LED live and on a large screen. Without the scope, this lesson would have been fun and engaging but would have relied on imaginings to fill in the gap of what happens when a circuit is complete.

Opening up new possibilities

Science teachers and students have enthusiastically enjoyed the addition of the Wentzscopes. As the science team explores the many applications of the new microscopes, more ideas arise on how they can be incorporated into the curriculum and classroom. Whether viewing water from the creek in Discovery Woods or comparing mouse fur to explore physical traits, the Wentzscopes add many possibilities for new experiments and samples as we continue to dive into our science units. Available for any faculty member’s use, the Wentzscopes are opening up a new microscopic world to students and teachers alike.

Early Learner Lucy takes a close look at the "snow" she and classmates made during science class.

Photo by Sophia Aarons

Sixth Grader Brynn appreciates the magnified view of candy canes dissolving.

First Graders Katelyn and Jesse point out the different dandelion parts on a screen connected to a Wentzscope.

Growing a caring community through the Buddy Program

By Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Kathy Bruyn and Pre-K Lead Teacher Tiki Norris

Fifth Grader Hal and his Pre-K buddy Apollo enjoy spending time together.

In an elementary school, where there can be a divide between the early and upper divisions, the exact opposite happens at Trinity, thanks in part to our Buddy Program. For more than 20 years, this program has stretched across the School, pairing younger grade levels with older ones and specific classes within those grades. The program pairs Early Learners with Fourth Graders, Pre-K students with Fifth Graders, Kindergartners with Second Graders, and First Graders with Third Graders. Teachers plan regular activities for the buddy classes that foster the cross-grade friendships and deepen educational experiences. Sixth Graders lead through Trinity’s Big Kid/ Little Kid Program and mentor students and assist in each Early Elementary classroom.

As Pre-K and Fifth Grade lead teachers, we have witnessed firsthand the benefits of the Buddy Program. The age difference between a Fifth Grader, who is 10 to 11 years old, and a Pre-K student, who is four to five years old, makes for a magical bond. The Fifth Graders have an opportunity to step out of the world of upper-elementary academics and middle school preparation and retreat to focus on the simpler things. They open a package of markers for their buddy and realize the simple skills they possess and may

take for granted. They make their buddy laugh and feel a sense of leadership and pride. They help their buddies pack up at the end of the day and notice how it feels to help others. As teachers, we witness these moments and realize that only with authentic experiences like these will our students develop these observations, realizations, and feelings.

One of our favorite parts of the program is the pairing of students at the beginning of the year. We match up similar names like Lauren and Lizzy or Maddox and Max and often find out we can pair two Jacks or two Campbells together, so it is easy for them to remember one another’s names and make a connection right away. Sometimes, we can make intentional pairings according to personality and hobbies to offer the best experience for each student. We always hold a big “ceremony” to announce the buddy pairs and have them stand up together as we call their names. It’s so fun to see them greet each other for the first time and know that this will be a special year of bonding.

During one of our bi-weekly buddy activities, you will see big hugs and high-fives as they greet each other. You might overhear a conversation about gymnastics or pets, and you are guaranteed to hear laughter. During our time together,

Fourth Graders Elise, Kaylee, Anne Scott, and Sarah make initial connections with their Early Learner buddies, Zoe and Lucy, during an All About Me activity.

What my Buddy means to me

“My buddy makes me so happy; she is so kind to me.”

- Isabel (Pre-K)

“We play a lot of fun games together.”

- Apollo (Pre-K)

“I love to play on the playground with my buddy. We always race, and I win!”

- Henry (Pre-K)

“Whenever he leaves, he makes sure he gives me a hug.”

- Watson (Fifth Grader)

“When our buddies don’t know how to do something yet, it’s fun to help them.”

- Alex (Fifth Grader)

“She always has something to tell me and tries to make me laugh.”

- Catherine (Fifth Grader)

“My buddy likes to be independent. It makes her proud when she can do something on her own.”

- Macaulay (Fifth Grader)

we read books, decorate gingerbread houses and Valentine bags, have fun on the playground, walk the trails, and go on exciting scavenger hunts around Trinity. We always try to tie activities into curricular areas. When the Pre-K students are working on memorizing their part in the Nursery Rhyme Parade, the Fifth Graders listen, encourage, and help them prepare. As Pre-K students develop their fine motor skills, their buddies offer guidance and patience as they cut strips for a Halloween pumpkin creation. And when the older buddies participate in the Fifth Grade Olympics in front of the whole school each spring, their Pre-K buddies are their biggest fans. It always warms our hearts to see the students build a relationship and share a strong connection. As teachers, it is so important to see this side of our students. So often, we only get to observe them interact with peers. They intentionally spend most of their school hours alongside children of their own age, learning, playing, and growing. But the unique interactions during buddy activities are sometimes where a child really shines. The Buddy Program, across grade levels, contributes to Trinity’s mission of helping students develop their character and compassion. This time spent together is truly a magical one that our students will never forget.

Second Grader Wesley and his Kindergarten buddy Jay work on a Valentine's Day art project together.

Pre-K student Maddy and her Fifth-Grade buddy Katherine play together in the sensory center.

Kindergartners “travel” lessons last a lifetime

By Kindergarten Lead Teachers Brooke Kelly and Shaun McCarthy

G’Day! Welcome to Australia!

Cheerio! Welcome to England!

Akwaaba! Welcome to Ghana!

¡Hola! Welcome to Mexico!

During the Kindergarten Around the World unit, each classroom transforms into a different country, and students “travel” throughout their class’s country, seeing many sights along the way. An experiential education program, Kindergarten uses the Around the World unit to build upon students’ understanding of community, which we delve into each fall. Students explore different cultures and compare them to their own as we immerse them in the language, history, culture, and customs of another country for five weeks. This year, our classes “traveled” to Australia, England, Ghana, and Mexico.

Before taking off on their “flights,” students and parents are tasked with creating a small suitcase at home. Many

use large shoeboxes, and students make their suitcases look realistic by adding small wheels, handles, stickers, luggage tags, and more. Students then “pack” small items they would need on our trip, and many of them use their prior knowledge of their destination to pack accordingly. Students heading to Australia always remember their sunscreen, bathing suit, or sunglasses, and those headed to England are sure to pack a good umbrella!

At the beginning of the unit, students practice their public speaking skills by sharing their suitcases with an audience of their peers. Students explain how they made their suitcases, why they decorated them the way they did, and what they packed for their trip. The suitcases are then showcased in the Kindergarten hub hallway.

This year, on January 20, our students boarded flights to their prospective countries and set off for a month of nonstop fun and adventure. Our classrooms were transformed into the interior of a plane, and students were

Lola creates her own dot painting using paint she made from ochre after learning about Australian Aboriginal dot painting and how the paints are created from items in nature, like crushed rocks (ochre) and juice from berries.

Jade offers friends fresh produce and tells them all about the Makola Market, a well-known market and shopping district in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Sean, real-life pilot and Trinity parent, reviews the route to Mexico with students before take-off.

encouraged to store their homemade suitcases “under their seats in front of them or in the overhead bin.” Flight attendants, who look a lot like their teachers, served water and Biscoff cookies to students during the safety video. The pilot, who was either a teacher or a parent, provided seatbelt instructions and weather updates. Then, the flight took off with in-flight entertainment showcasing the sights and sounds of the classroom’s destination.

Over the five-week study, literacy, math, writing, and STEAM projects are integrated into the students’ lessons. This is Kindergarten Lead Teacher April Patton’s favorite part.

“I love watching our students’ excitement for learning about a completely different culture and place in the world,” she says.

Through these activities, students are able to fully immerse themselves in their studies. Some activities this year included recreating the traditional art of papel picado in Mexico, hiking Australia's Blue Mountains (a.k.a, the blue trail in Discovery Woods), building mini versions of the London Eye using toothpicks, and creating Kente cloth patterns in Ghana.

After each activity, students journaled about their new experiences, which allowed us to zero in on writing mechanics and introduce the upcoming All About unit of study for writing.

“One of my favorite parts of Around the World is that we create a book for the students of all of their fact writing during the voyage,” says Kindergarten Lead teacher Shaun McCarthy. “They blossom into confident writers, sounding out all types of words, by the end of our trip.”

Just as the countries of study get integrated into classrooms throughout the unit, the classrooms slowly transform into the countries. In England, a double-decker bus awaited passengers daily. In Mexico, the smells of quesadilla and Mexican hot chocolate wafted into the hall. In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef lined the windows. In Ghana, the sound of “Che Che Kule” was heard all around.

“The excitement you see on the kiddos’ faces when a eucalyptus tree is erected in the corner of the classroom with leaves they made is priceless,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Brooke Kelly.

Specials classes even get in on the fun. Early Elementary Music Teacher Phyllis Sommer incorporates a well-known

James and George became experts on King George III to teach their peers all about him, including his role in the royal family, his hobbies, and his leadership qualities.

song from each country into her lesson plans, and every Kindergarten class learns all the songs. This year, students learned “Kookaburra” and “Waltzing Matilda” for Australia; “Che Che Kule” for Ghana; “London Bridge,” the song and the game, for England; and “Mexican Hat Dance,” the song and the dance, for Mexico. Early Elementary P.E. Teacher Laura English incorporated the Around the World unit into classes by teaching kids how to play cricket.

All these incredible learning experiences led to the cumulative event in the beginning of March.

For the grade-wide Trip Around the World, all students were in charge of sharing their knowledge of a specific place or person from his or her class’s country and spent time practicing a presentation for when we had Kindergarten visitors from other countries. Some classes invited Second Grade buddies to visit in the days leading up to the Trip so students could practice and engage with an audience before presenting at the grade-level and parent Around the World Exhibits.

Julia Lee says, “My favorite part is watching a child become an expert in a certain area and present their knowledge to their peers. It empowers our learners.”

Before departing and returning back to Atlanta, just in time for Spring Break, all of the students’ journal entries, souvenirs, and photographs are packed into their homemade suitcases so they can remember their Around the World trip forever.

Every year, we are amazed by how much the students learn during the Around the World unit. We see evidence of joyful and deep learning when they become ambassadors of their countries and confidently share their expertise with their peers and parents, who also come to visit. Their public speaking skills grow; eye contact, poise, and voice projection are enhanced after the students’ trips Around the World. We also see substantial growth in their writing mechanics. Students begin to use capitalization and punctuation more regularly, and they transform into brave spellers, remembering sound spelling and sight word strategies.

Each year, we strive to give our Kindergarten students a month-long adventure that will last them a lifetime. Perhaps the authors of the family travel blog Travel Melodies said it best, “If you want to raise well-rounded kids, who grow up to become global citizens, you must explore the world with kids!”

Whitfield and Eleanor teach Miller, Nealy, Wesley, and Connor about the Mayan temples in Mexico.

Staff Story: Debbie Bright

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

“My parents were partners, equals,” she says. “There wasn’t that your job-my job thing. All household responsibilities were shared, between them as well as us kids, who had assigned duties.”

The oldest of four children, Debbie has two sisters and a brother, whom she remains close to. She says that growing up in a small, close-knit town with a dad who was very involved in the community had its upsides and downsides.

“The village helped raise us, but it seemed like everyone knew my dad, so everyone knew us kids,” she says. “We couldn’t get away with anything, even good stuff, without him hearing about it someway. We rode our bikes and went all over the place and had creeks and woods and hills to climb and play in. We just had to be home before the streetlights came on.”

For 15 years, School Nurse Debbie Bright has been caring for Trinity community members, first as a substitute nurse in 2008, then as a full-time employee beginning in 2011. From providing bandages for scraped knees and honey for sore throats to monitoring students’ blood sugar levels and the ever-changing guidelines of the COVID-19 health crisis, Debbie has done it all with her warmth and quirky sense of humor intact.

From the time she was a little girl, Debbie knew she wanted to help people. Born in Madison, Wisconsin in the 1950s, she was four when her family moved to the college town of Oneonta, New York. Debbie’s dad, Bill Bright, worked for Wohl Shoe Company and had accepted the offer to run the shoe department in the iconic and now defunct Bresee’s Department Store. A member of the school board, he participated in the local Masons group and Kiwanis Club and went to the Elks Lodge every Thursday night. He even ran for mayor when Debbie was 17. Carol, her mom, was a stay-at-home parent until she began working in the counselor education office at the State University of New York when Debbie was in the Third Grade. Debbie says she enjoyed a happy childhood and that her parents were “pretty liberated” for the times, though she didn’t realize it until later in life.

In high school, Debbie worked for her dad selling shoes and managing payroll and inventory. She grew tired of people asking her what she wanted to do after high school, and after narrowing it down to being a teacher or a nurse, Debbie chose nursing because she could not fathom being responsible for dozens of kids at one time. Her mom encouraged her at the age of 16 to be a candy striper at the local hospital to gain a firsthand look at careers in the healthcare industry. Debbie spent many hours chatting with patients, helping them fill out menu requests, and passing out meal trays as well as taking on a part-time job in the hospital selling and installing rental televisions to patients. This experience not only confirmed her desire to go into nursing but also led to her meeting her future husband, who rented a television from her and subsequently asked for her phone number while he was laid up in the hospital after an injury.

While not a stipulation of her parents, paying her own way through nursing school was very important to Debbie. After diligently saving her shoe store and TV rental earnings and receiving two scholarships, one from the hospital for her volunteerism as a candy striper and one from a national organization, she accepted an offer to attend St. Elizabeth’s Hospital School of Nursing in Utica, New York. During her three-year program there, Debbie gained a plethora of hands-on experience and discovered her passion for working in the operating room.

Debbie was married two weeks after graduating from St. Elizabeth’s. Following a brief honeymoon, she began working at Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta, where her brother had been born and where her three children—a daughter, Angela, and twins, Barbara and Scott—were eventually delivered. After rotating shifts on the

Debbie's Trinity employee headshot taken in the fall of 2013.

medical-surgical floors, she applied for and accepted a position in the operating room. She remained there until after her twins were born in 1981, then began her time at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York, during which she earned her CNOR (Certified Nurse - Operating Room) certification.

A few years later, Debbie and her family moved to Fayetteville, Georgia, where her then husband had accepted a job selling fire trucks and ambulances. Debbie began working in the operating room at Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale when it was still a small community hospital. She spent several years there, eventually becoming the supervisor of the general surgery group and endoscopy equipment, laser safety officer, and overseer of infection control as well as safety officer for the operating room and PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit). After a divorce and a change of management at Southern Regional that would have shifted her job responsibilities, Debbie took on a quality assurance role at the Atlanta location of American Red Cross Blood Services (ARCBS) in 1993 after 17 years in the operating room. Later, the center moved to Douglasville, where she eventually became the location’s medical assessment coordinator. As the medical office nurse, she provided and tracked hepatitis B and flu vaccines for employees and volunteers, of which there were hundreds in September of 2001 alone.

During Debbie’s early days with the Red Cross, a friend who also worked at ARCBS signed her up to be a volunteer courier for the National Marrow Donor Program, which only accepts highly dedicated and flexible individuals due to the urgent, life-saving nature of the organization’s mission. Debbie was terrified at first because she had never flown by herself, but in a wonderful turn of events, her first trip was to Phoenix, where her mom and sister Terry lived. Over a few-year period, Debbie traveled nationally and internationally, including Amsterdam, Germany, San Francisco, New York City, and Spain.

“There wasn’t much warning for the deliveries, but I had a marvelous boss who would let me off to go,” says Debbie. “Each trip was an amazing experience, and I believe I am the only person to have met both ends of the bone marrow donation. When I delivered bone marrow in Barcelona, I met the recipient, an 18-yearold, which was very cool. The same kid needed a second donation from the same donor, who I then met when he came in to donate the marrow, which is a twoto three- hour procedure.”

It was also during her time with the Red Cross that Debbie was introduced to Trinity School. Dr. Krista Hillyer, one of the Chief Medical Officers at the ARCBS

Fun Facts about Debbie Bright

Favorite foods: Bacon and dark chocolate

Favorite musicians: Several, from Barry Manilow to Barenaked Ladies

Favorite show: The HBO series Chernobyl

Secret talent: Driving a stick shift

Favorite books: The Stand by Stephen King and the Spanish-language edition of Iberia by James Michener

Favorite school subjects: Spanish and math

Favorite children’s books: The Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins series, Little Women, and Heidi

Favorite Flik meal: The wraps

In August 2022, Debbie visited Tempe, Arizona, to belatedly celebrate her mom's birthday with some of her siblings, siblings-in-law, and grandchildren.

during the course of Debbie’s tenure there, had two sons enrolled at Trinity. She asked Debbie how she would like to be a school nurse for a day as the School was having a hard time finding a one-day sub for Scottie Johnson, Trinity’s nurse at the time. Debbie accepted the new challenge.

“I was terrified on my first day at Trinity,” says Debbie. “My first patient was a facilities guy who cut himself, and my second patient was a mom. After that, I filled in regularly for about three years, and Scottie even invited me to attend some meetings about electronic health records and help her choose the vendor. So, when Scottie decided that she needed to retire, [then] Head of School Stephen Kennedy was my greatest supporter in getting the position because I knew the students and the school. I wanted to work here full time because it’s truly a magical place.”

Debbie considers her main duties to be supporting the health of the students and employees and doing what’s necessary to keep each child in the classroom and healthy enough to learn. While these have always been her goals as a school nurse, from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Debbie took these responsibilities to the limit. Available to families and employees almost every waking moment for more than two years, until the health crisis finally slowed down in the spring of 2022, Debbie has served as Trinity’s COVID-19 expert since the disease first appeared. She has remained on top of the latest research and guidelines and played a significant role in creating the protocols that allowed Trinity to re-open and remain open since August 2020.

Debbie says she “just kept on keeping on” to endure the strenuous circumstances.

“I would monitor emails all day, set reminders to check on people when they could come back, and try to check on everyone who had COVID every time,” she says. “I checked the CDC information every day. I said I have to do this; I have to have the answers and be well informed. It helped to have a community of school nurses behind me to share ideas and talk to other people who were going through the same thing.

“And the team here was amazing,” she continues. “Joe [Marshall] was so supportive of us and always on track with us. Trinity’s COVID task force was incredibly encouraging and helpful. We had great discussions and were always on the same page.”

Debbie also says that she believes the Trinity population is even more of a community than it was prior to the pandemic.

“I think the Trinity community grew; I think we all grew,” she says. “We came together in a lot of cool ways. It got our attention, we readjusted our priorities, and we really pulled together. This was a lesson we weren’t looking for and one that we didn’t need, but I think we did well. Straight As for everyone.”

One of the reasons Debbie has stayed at Trinity for more than a decade is the respect and support of the community and “the love she feels from so many people.” And in 2021, Debbie received special recognition and a monetary award for her devotion to Trinity’s students, employees, and families when she was named a Trinity Rollins Quest for Excellence recipient.

Rollins award winners are nominated by their peers, and the following is an excerpt from one of several nominations Debbie received: “Debbie Bright has done everything possible to help us maintain a safe and healthy environment in the midst of a pandemic. She has been a constant pursuer of knowledge and makes sure we are always following the most current guidelines. She continues to exude enthusiasm and love for others and Trinity, even amidst the stress and impossible situations she has faced. She is a wonderful colleague and friend, and I believe she is incredibly deserving of this special recognition.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the Allison Williams Activity Center on August 9, 2021, when a tearful Debbie accepted the honor, turned to her fellow employees, and said, “I wanted to keep you safe. You and the students. You are all my children.”

Debbie’s love of helping others extends to her time outside of work. For 23 consecutive years, she volunteered at the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture Oshkosh, one of the largest air shows in the world that is held in Wisconsin each summer. After a one-day stop during a vacation in 1996, Debbie fell in love with the event and kept returning every year. She initially served as a medical volunteer, then moved into a kitchen supervisor role and didn’t stop until the pandemic began. Each year, she would drive 19 hours to Oshkosh with crayfish, gator tail, and homemade roux for gumbo, making a separate pot, of course, for those who were allergic to seafood. She would spend the week providing lunch and snacks for 20-150 volunteers each day, beginning at 6 AM with freshbrewed coffee.

In addition, Debbie joined the Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF), an all-volunteer un-armed military branch under the governor, in 2004 and served for almost a decade before she was honorably discharged in 2013. She said she was moved to “do something, show her patriotism, be a part of something bigger” after 9/11 and thought GSDF would be a good fit after hearing Clark Howard talk about it on his radio show. Debbie began her time with the GSDF as a medic, Private First Class, eventually making her way to first lieutenant. She was the medical officer for many missions and was also responsible for duty-level assignments of others based on their health assessments. The missions included Dobbins evacuations of citizens displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005; healthrelated processing of troops for National Guard deployment,

including hundreds of vaccine injections; and medical support during University of Georgia home football games, Kennesaw’s Big Shanty Festival, the Atlanta Greek Festival, and various military exercises. A certified CPR instructor, she also trained hundreds of GSDF troops in the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support course. Debbie was honored with numerous medals and awards during her time with GSDF.

“My favorite mission was probably the work we did at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, unloading military transport and plane loads of evacuees from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina,” Debbie says. “My superiors won the admiration and appreciation for a job well done. We unloaded one plane in 25 minutes and that included newborns in neonatal isolettes, stretchers of incapacitated patients, and dozens of wheelchair-bound patients. This was Labor Day weekend, and when the call went out, we had 104 volunteers, boots on the ground, at Dobbins within two hours. We spent that weekend together in tents, eating MREs, never taking our boots off when we napped between planes.”

In a career that now spans close to five decades, Debbie keeps her concern for others at the forefront, always taking the time to really get to know all the students and teachers in her care. She enjoys working alongside Kelsey Ricci, Trinity’s other school nurse who joined the employee roster full time this school year. Debbie says that at some point she needs to figure out how to successfully retire and that the future is full of reading all the books on her list and spending as much time as possible with her family, including her 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

For now, she maintains a fast pace through the hallways of Trinity School, even after two hip replacement surgeries in December 2021. She says the students keep her energized. Debbie’s advice to them?

“Never stop learning to learn,” she says.

Pictured in 2016, Debbie takes on her recurring role of Mouse Nurse in the Fifth Grade's annual performances of The Nutcracker

SPOTLIGHT ON ART 2023: YEAR IN REVIEW

By Leisy Stevenson, Director of Spotlight on Art and Special Events

Pop-Up Gallery at Neiman Marcus

We kicked off the 41st Spotlight on Art season with our Pop-Up Gallery at Neiman Marcus which was held September 27–October 27, 2022. The event included thoughtfully curated artwork from five preeminent contemporary artists: Shannon Coppage, Reagan Corbett, Emily Newman, Kristin Shearer, and Brook Soss. All work was available for purchase.

An Evening at Neiman Marcus

On October 27, 2022, a group of Trinity parents enjoyed An Evening at Neiman Marcus. This sold-out event featured a fall fashion trends presentation by Rebecca Brodnan, Public Relations Manager of Neiman Marcus, as well as shopping and light bites and bubbly.

Pop-Up Shop at Trinity School

The Spotlight on Art Pop-Up Shop took place during parent-teacher conferences on November 7 and 8, 2022. The event featured artwork, jewelry, and items for the home. It was the perfect opportunity to shop for loved ones for the holidays. We also added a new evening event on November 7 that was open to the public. Guest enjoyed a signature cocktail, wine, and charcuterie bites while browsing items in a relaxed environment.

Artists Market

This year’s Artists Market was held in the Allison Williams Activity Center (AWAC), which was once again transformed into a 6,000-square-foot gallery space. Held January 30–February 4, the Market featured the work of more than 300 artists in categories ranging from realism to jewelry, whimsical to contemporary. The Market included two evening events – the Opening Night Celebration on January 30 and Cocktails & Canvases on February 3. We are excited to announce that the 2023 Artist Market was our most successful show to date!

Gala and Auction

To cap off the Spotlight season, we held our annual Gala and Auction for the Trinity community. Four-hundred parents, faculty, staff, and special guests attended this sold-out event that was held on February 25 at the Atlanta History Center. The festivities included a seated dinner catered by Bold Catering and Design, cocktails, a silent and live auction, and music by DJ Ben.

2023 Nonprofit Beneficiary: BlazeSports

Continuing Spotlight’s service-learning tradition, the Trinity Sixth Grade Leadership Class selected BlazeSports as this year’s nonprofit beneficiary to receive a monetary gift from Spotlight on Art. BlazeSports’s mission is “to change the lives of youth and veterans with disabilities through adaptive sports and recreation.” The Sixth-Grade class is helping plan and lead Upper Elementary P.E. classes in late April to teach students about adaptive sports. Students in grades 2–6 will participate in various sports that day using adaptive sports equipment. It will be a great opportunity for students to learn that everyone, including those with disabilities, can participate in a sport with some adaptations.

Thank you to our Volunteers

Trinity is grateful for all the volunteers who make Spotlight on Art a success. A special thank you to this year’s Spotlight leadership team: Spotlight Chair Katie Wolf; Spotlight ChairElect Emily Mills; Artists Market Co-Chairs Libby Barge, Katie Kirtley, and Jaci Shanks; and Auction Co-Chairs Kit Bowlin and Beth Tate. These individuals devoted countless hours to planning, organizing, and executing Spotlight’s series of events that benefit Trinity in multiple ways.

Thank you for making this year’s Spotlight on Art season so special!

Auction Co-Chairs Kit Bowlin and Beth Tate; Spotlight Chair-Elect Emily Mills; Spotlight Chair Katie Wolf; Artists Market Co-Chairs Libby Barge, Katie Kirtley, and Jaci Shanks

Pop-Up Gallery at Neiman Marcus

An Evening at Neiman Marcus

Gala and Auction Artists Market

Alumni

Catching up with Kathryn Boyd Crabtree ’02

By Anne Torrey McCuean ’08, Advancement Associate and Alumni Relations

We were excited to catch up with Kathryn Boyd Crabtree, a 2002 graduate of Trinity School. Kathryn attended St. Martin’s Episcopal School for Seventh and Eighth Grade, graduated high school from The Lovett School, then earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy (MAcc) from the University of Georgia. A licensed CPA and Certified Negotiation Expert, she worked in client services for PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining her mom, Kim Boyd, in real estate. A wife, mother, and realtor, Kathryn is also a board member of the 300 Club of Atlanta, a nonprofit that provides aid to the officers and families of firefighters, police officers, and first responders who are either disabled or killed in the line of duty as well as stateof-the-art equipment to metro Atlanta organizations, such as the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. Kathryn shares her favorite Trinity memories and how her Trinity Experience helped shape her life and career.

Q: What do you remember most about your time at Trinity? What are some of your favorite memories?

A: The Sixth-Grade trip to Jekyll Island was a highlight of my Trinity Experience. It felt like such a big deal to be away from home on an overnight field trip, and the activities we did felt so important. The teachers were always so invested in us. I remember a handful of them taking a few of us aside at Jekyll

to tell us we were going to be the presidents of our own “ice cream companies,” and we had to pick our teams. It felt like such a big deal. I was so proud and took it so seriously. I also absolutely loved the Oregon Trail in Fourth Grade. There were so many events and activities that never felt like “school.” I was never bored!

Q: What about your time at Trinity had the biggest impact on your life today? Which Trinity Teachers made a lasting impression on you?

A: I really loved to learn at Trinity. I look back at each grade with a smile on my face just remembering the fun we had. Practically speaking though, in Sixth Grade we had a Study Skills/Note Taking class that had a huge impact on me. I learn by reading and writing, and the class on note taking taught me skills that carried me though the CPA exam. Figuring out my own learning style was an important Trinity lesson. My Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Emily [Emily Winship], should go down in history as the world’s greatest teacher. I’ve never met anyone with her energy and enthusiasm for life. My Fourth-Grade teacher, Miss Mo [Margaret McGinness], was another icon. She would read to us from the most exciting books when we had downtime in her class, and I loved it.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: I’ve been married for six years to Bill Crabtree from Tallahassee, Florida. Bill was also a business major at UGA but a year older than me. We didn’t officially meet until after we both graduated and were living and working in Atlanta. Bill is the owner of Enviro-Master Services of Atlanta Southeast, a health and safety company. He primarily does sales so we both spend a lot of time on the phone with clients. We live in Peachtree Park and have a two-year-old son, Boyd Crabtree. He is so much fun, so full of energy, and loves all things sports.

Q: Tell us about your career path. What piqued your interest in real estate?

A: I knew I wanted to be a business major as I am a very practical person and everyone in my family is very entrepreneurial. I ended up majoring in accounting within UGA’s business school because I attended college in the middle of a recession and graduates of the accounting program had almost 100 percent job placement. My advisor really sold me on accounting even though I was not very passionate about it. They were right though, and I got a great job offer right out of college before I even finished my master’s degree.

While I took a real estate elective during my degree program and loved it, I was mainly interested in becoming a realtor because of my family history in real estate. I’m a thirdgeneration realtor, and it was always in the back of my mind. I work with my mother, Kim Boyd, who has been in the business for more than 30 years. My mom also worked

with my grandmother, Holly Boyett, before my grandmother retired. Accounting was a great start, but as my mom’s business was blowing up eight years ago and she needed extra hands, the timing was perfect. I love my career now and can’t imagine doing anything other than real estate.

Q: Describe your typical day-to-day work schedule.

A: There is really not a typical day, which is one of the things I love about real estate. For example, today I met with a seller in Peachtree Hills to talk about market prep and to-do list items before our photoshoot. Then I stopped by a home inspection in Chastain Park with my buyers who went under contract over the weekend. After that, I went to two price evaluations for other agents in the area to help price upcoming homes for sale. In between those appointments, I worked on paperwork; there is so much paperwork in this business. I reviewed another buyer’s inspection report and set up contractor meetings for additional evaluations and estimates and pulled comps for an upcoming listing appointment. I ended the day at my son’s pediatrician because he has an ear infection. I’ll be working some tonight after he goes to bed, but I don’t mind. When you find something you love to do, it truly never feels like work. I love finding the perfect match for my buyers or negotiating the best offer for my sellers. It makes me so happy!

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

A: My favorite thing to do is spend time outside with my family. My son loves golf, and while I don’t particularly like to play, I love spending time with my husband and son while they play. I enjoy playing tennis and joined an ALTA team last year. We are members at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, which has so many wonderful organizations to support and ways to get involved in our community locally and globally.

Kathryn smiles for the camera with her husband, Bill, and their son, Boyd.

Alumni Events

Seventh Grade Reunion

On October 12, 2022, the most recent members of the Trinity School Alumni Association and their parents were invited back to campus to reunite with former classmates and friends. Members of the Class of 2022 enjoyed a fun evening in the Allison Williams Activity Center (AWAC) reminiscing about cherished Trinity memories and sharing stories of their new schools over delicious pizza!

Owen Pham ’22 and Cole Campbell ’22 smile for a photo. Sophie Eldridge ’22 and Emily Buschmann ’22 enjoy catching up over a slice of pizza.

Members of the Class of 2022 pose for a group photo.

Alumni Night at Trinity School

Trinity’s annual Alumni Night for alums 21 and older was held on November 10, 2022. Graduates spanning from the Class of 1960 to the Class of 2003 congregated in the Overend Learning Commons for a night of catching up over dinner and drinks. Pero’s pizza was served as a nostalgic tribute to our alums who were students when Pero’s was offered every Friday on Trinity’s previous campus, right up the road on Northside Parkway. Attendees enjoyed an evening of reminiscing over fond memories of their favorite teachers and stories from beloved Trinity traditions, such as Field Day, Fourth Grade Westward Expansion, Fifth Grade Olympics, and Sixth Grade Opera.

Clark Goodwin ’60 checks in to ensure Trinity has his current contact information so that he will receive all alumni communications.

Olivia Leonaitis Robinson ’03 and Kathryn Hays ’03 are overcome with laughter while sharing Trinity memories.

Kelly Crowe Mandy ’90 and Whitney Brown Novak ’90 reminisce about their time at Trinity while perusing a yearbook.

Your support helps each student

flourish

All of Trinity School’s resources are devoted to building strong, independent young minds. For more than 70 years, Trinity has fostered a joyful love of learning, in which each child develops the knowledge, skills, and character to achieve his or her unique potential as a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the School and greater community.

The Trinity Fund is the foundation of philanthropic support for Trinity students and everything they experience at Trinity. Gifts to this annual giving initiative are used to address the School’s immediate needs, such as curricular enhancements, classroom improvements, faculty

salaries, technology, and need-based financial assistance. The Trinity Fund gives the School the necessary resources to elevate the Trinity Experience from a great one to an exceptional one.

Join us as we strive for 100 percent participation in The Trinity Fund. Your support and generosity ensure that our students will continue to flourish for years to come.

www.trinityatl.org/give

Contact Katie Hammett, Director of The Trinity Fund and Major Gifts, at khammett@trinityatl.org for more information or to make a gift.

In Memoriam

Laurel “Amy” Weeks ’80 passed away on November 8, 2022, at the age of 54 after a brief battle with cancer. An Atlanta native, Amy graduated from Woodward Academy, then attended the University of Georgia, where she joined Chi Omega Sorority and served as her pledge class president. She went on to graduate from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and pursued different careers and interests, including the founding of the Southeastern Reiki Center in Decatur, before becoming a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty for 20 years. In her free time, Amy dabbled in stand-up comedy, ran marathons, was a coach for Girls on the Run Atlanta, and served as intake coordinator, foster mom, and adoption day volunteer with Adopt-A-Golden Atlanta, her favorite nonprofit organization. Through her volunteerism, Amy met the love of her life, Jessica Randall. In 2020, they married, and Amy became a proud stepmother to Tate, Avery, and London Thornton. That same year, the newlyweds opened the real estate brokerage firm W Realty Atlanta.

In addition to her wife and stepchildren, Amy is survived by her mother, Lyn Selph (Weeks) Riddle [John]; sister, Amanda (Travis) Szwast ’84; niece, Emma Szwast ’14; nephew, Finn Szwast ’17; aunt and uncle, Alexa and Mike Selph; and cousins, Holly Selph ’89 and Alex [Eugenia] Selph ’91

Michael Shlesinger ’14 passed away unexpectedly at the age of 20 on October 26, 2022. A seventh-generation Atlanta native, Michael was born on December 4, 2001. He graduated from Suffield Academy in Connecticut and was a sophomore at Southern Methodist University, where he was studying finance, real estate, and art history. An avid NBA fan, Michael was also passionate about movies, music, books, and fitness. His friends and family describe him as deeply loyal and loving, always wanting the best for those around him. A vivacious young man, he was known for his “can-do” attitude and creative ideas that never ceased to amaze.

Michael is survived by his parents, John Shlesinger ’73 and Sara Shlesinger; sister, Abby Shlesinger ’12; grandmothers, Elice Haverty and Joyce Shlesinger; aunt and uncle, Sue and Danny Lipson; and cousins, Mimi and Michelle Lipson and Andrew and Chris Lowell.

Alumni

Class Notes

Compiled by Anne Torrey McCuean ’08, Advancement Associate

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and Alumni Relations

Walter Constantine ’93 and his wife, Lib Constantine, welcomed Georgia Elizabeth Constantine on January 10. Georgia joins proud older brothers David and Denver.

Allison McKinley ’97 married Fred Schmitz on November 19, 2022, on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The wedding party included Trinity alums Ali Griffin ’98, Hall McKinley IV ’00, and Caroline McKinley ’03

Natalie Murphy Hewlett ’00 and her husband, Will Hewlett, welcomed Rollins Harrison Hewlett on August 12, 2022. Rollins joins proud big brother Sam.

Hall McKinley IV ’00 and his wife, Sarah McKinley, welcomed their first child, Hall Forbes McKinley V, on October 3, 2022.

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Mark Shaw Jr. ’00 and Elizabeth Weston were married on October 15, 2022, in Augusta, Georgia. Fellow Trinity alums David Towles Jr. ’00 and Thomas Coleman ’00 were groomsmen. The happy couple resides in Atlanta, and Mark recently started his own property and casualty insurance brokerage.

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Michael Cunningham ’02 and his wife, Mary Lauren Cunningham, moved back to Atlanta from San Francisco in 2020. They welcomed their first child, William Maxwell Cunningham, on October 22, 2022.

Caroline Murphy Kinzey ’02 and her husband, Ford Kinzey, welcomed their first child, Rebecca Forester Kinzey, on May 16, 2022.

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Kate Heyer Mandrell ’02 and her husband, Ryan Mandrell, welcomed Remi Olivia Mandrell on September 26, 2022. Remi joins big sister Emma. 9

Laura Silverstein Richardson ’04 and her husband, Nicholas Richardson, welcomed their first child, Bennett Lewis Richardson, on March 18, 2022. The family resides in Atlanta, where Laura is a pediatric dentist at Buckhead Pediatric Dentistry.

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Maria Coyne ’05 married Drew Churchill on July 2, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bridesmaids included Trinity alums

Molly Coyne ’02 and Casey Leonard ’05

Robert Hays III ’05 married Emma Kate Buster on October 22, 2022, in Highlands, North Carolina. Groomsmen included Trinity alums Ben Hays ’05 and Richard Hays ’08

Cole Bryant ’06 married Shannon Hodgson of Athens, Georgia, on July 9, 2022, in Atlanta. Groomsmen included Trinity alums

Peter Bryant ’06, Wiley Ballard ’06, and Jack Bryant ’08

David Heyer ’06 married Margot Hillyer on October 1, 2022, in Westchester, New York. The wedding party included Trinity alums

Kate Heyer Mandrell ’02 and Connor McCarthy ’08

Rachel Walker ’06 married Adam Erickson on December 10, 2022, in Asheville, North Carolina. Bridesmaids included Rachel’s sisters and fellow alums, Anna Walker ’10 and Sarah Walker ’10

Anna Silverstein ’07 married Aaron Ravin on October 1, 2022, in Atlanta. Trinity alums Drew Silverstein ’01, Laura Silverstein Richardson ’04, and Carly Herbert ’07 were members of the wedding party.

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Margaret Walker ’07 married Blake Culver on October 1, 2022, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Bridesmaids included Trinity alums

Elizabeth Walker Wadsworth ’04 Grace Caswell ’07, and McClain Newton ’07

Porter Adams ’08, a blockchain security expert with Kudelski Security, won the world's first quantum computing competition at Defcon, a well-known hacker convention, in August 2022.

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Kate McQuilken ’08 married Blake Secret on October 29, 2022, in Atlanta.

Bennett Speed ’12 graduated from Wake Forest University in May 2022 and is working for Wells Fargo as a commercial real estate analyst in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Charles Troutman III ’15, a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, co-authored “Strong sl(2,C) Actions on Partially Ordered Sets,” which was presented at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Boston in January. Charles conducted his research through the MathILy-EST program, which is an intensive, highly selective summer research program for undergraduate students. Last summer, he completed an apprenticeship through the Jane Street IN FOCUS trading track program in New York City. The program provides selected undergraduate students an opportunity to learn about mathematical and financial topics through mock trading sessions, lectures, and group activities.

Edward Blaha ’16 and George Blaha ’16 competed against former Trinity classmate Matthew Fernando ’16 at the Paul Short Invitational, one of the nation's top cross country meets, on September 30, 2022. Edward and George run cross country at Columbia and Matthew runs cross country at University of Pennsylvania. The second image is a throwback to them starting a race together during the Fifth Grade Olympics.

Samar Kibe ’18 was recently selected for Atlanta Intown and Reporter Newspapers’ 14th annual 20 Under 20 list. Samar was chosen for his role in co-creating The Lovett School’s Mental Health Liaisons, “bringing attention to student mental health and training peer liaisons who can create student-directed programming around mental health and serve as links between students and counseling staff.” 20

James Rhee ’18 is currently a junior at Westminster, section editor of the school newspaper, and varsity baseball player. He was recently selected for Atlanta Intown and Reporter Newspapers’ 14th annual 20 Under 20 list for helping underserved individuals. In 2017, James and his older sister, Julia Rhee ’15, co-founded Double Play ATL after playing teams with inadequate gear. More than 35 partnerships and 20+ gear drives later, they have donated approximately $90,000 in equipment to underserved communities locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2020, in partnership with Dicks Sporting Goods, they created a need-based scholarship, to help aspiring athletes afford the registration fee at their local community. In 2021, James founded the Triple Play ATL Student Money Management program to provide free financial literacy programs to disadvantaged communities as he believes proper money management is critical for success and is not often taught in schools. In partnership with Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, he has hosted and provided numerous financial literacy seminars locally, nationally, and internationally for students and their friends and families. 21

Last fall, Gabby Emch ’20 was a freshman starter on the Pace Academy varsity volleyball team, which is currently ranked 17th in the nation. With an overall record of 42-1, the team won the state championship on November 5, 2022, in class AAAA against Lovett in three straight sets. Gabby accumulated more than 220 digs and 60 aces. 22

A Sixth Grader at Deerfield-Windsor School, Ellee Wingate ’23 was named overall champion at the Winter Spectacular competition on December 18, 2022, hosted by the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Competing with equestrian riders from all over the world, she placed first overall after earning three first-place ribbons, one second-place ribbon, and one thirdplace ribbon in five events. Ellee is also ranked first overall and is the standing Overall Champion for 2022 in the Flat Division with the Cheryl & Co. Southeast Circuit as well as the 2022 Reserve Champion for the year in the Ground Rails Division for the Southeast.