TRINITY COURAGE
TROPER LAUNNA
2024-2025
Board of Trustees 2024 - 2025
Table of Contents
Joel Conkling, Chair
Message from the Head of School
Kate Benson, Head of School Lynne Bramlett Britt Eason Shan Gao Jude Harmon Maria Kalinina Ivonne King Phil Lacroute Johanna Mahal Jon Poe Mary Elisabeth Plowden Reverend Dan Spors Salina Sung Amy Voedisch Maren Wolf
Message from Trinity’s Board of Trustees Chair Message from Trinity Parent Association Chair Highlights The Courage To Learn At A Glance Annual Fund Annual Gala Trinity Parent Association Our Financials Grade 5 Graduates
Our Mission To cultivate academic excellence in an environment where each child is known, valued, and unique in their own voice.
Message from Head of School Dear Trinity Community, The best learning doesn’t happen without a little bit of courage. I want to acknowledge how generously all of you have been in your support of both the school and me in my first year as Head of School. You courageously welcomed me back into the Trinity community and showed up wholeheartedly for our school and its mission. For that, I thank you. In this year’s Annual Report, we’ve organized our reflections around the idea of courage. Courage can take many forms. It can mean facing a challenge head-on, speaking up when it would be easier to stay quiet, or standing firm in your values. If I go down the path of truly examining my “why” behind choosing a career change all those years ago to become a teacher, I am led to the idea of courage. I believed then, and still believe deeply, in creating the conditions where young people can grow into courageous learners and human beings. And by that, I mean cultivating young people who courageously take on academic challenges, who courageously work toward their goals with determination, and who courageously stand up for others and for what they know to be right. Courage in schools isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a raised hand after a moment of hesitation, a child seeking guidance when there is something they don’t understand, or even asking a new friend to play at recess. I see it in our faculty and staff as well: guiding students to stretch beyond what’s comfortable, to lead with kindness, and to contribute meaningfully to our shared community. Courage is found in the relationships we build, the risks we take in our learning, and the trust we place in one another as we grow. These everyday acts of courage are the foundation of a thriving learning community. As Parker Palmer writes, “The courage to teach is the courage to keep one’s heart open, in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able, so that teacher and students and subject can be woven into the fabric of community that learning, and living, requires.” This is the kind of courage we aim to model at Trinity—and the kind we hope our students will carry with them long after they have left our campuses. Thank you to all of you for the trust you place in us and for supporting us in cultivating human beings who are courageous in their thinking, their actions, and their care for others. Warmly, Kate Benson Head of School
Message from Trinity School’s Board of Trustees Chair Dear Trinity Community, Inspired by our Timberwolf mascot, the theme for this year's Annual Report is “Courage.” It’s a quality I’ve regularly witnessed across our community, a strong and generous community for which I’m truly grateful. This year marked a big change for the school as we enthusiastically welcomed the new Head of School, Kate Benson. The grace and optimism shown by our faculty, parents, and students were remarkable and set a positive tone for the entire year. The Trinity School spirit is also alive and well in our classrooms—in students who take on new academic challenges, and in teachers who foster an environment where taking on academic challenges is encouraged, and every child’s voice is valued. This relationship between students and teachers is at the foundation of how Trinity fulfills its mission to cultivate curious minds and discerning hearts, developing students who have the confidence and courage to share those traits with the world in middle school and beyond. Our accomplishments of the past year are a testament to our collective spirit and our unwavering focus on providing an unparalleled education to all Trinity students. On behalf of the Board, my deepest thanks go to our families, generous donors, dedicated TPA members, and tireless volunteers. Your courageous investment of time, talent, and treasure is immeasurably important to our community’s success and allows our students to thrive. With gratitude, Joel Conkling Parent of Trinity Alums from the Classes of 2020 and 2024
Message from Trinity Parent Association Chair Dear Friends, 2024-2025 was a busy school year for us! The Trinity Parent Association team and the Gala committee worked hard on building community and making parents and children feel like one big Trinity family. Halloween Carnival and the Julia Robinson Math Festival brought together friends from both campuses. Big Help Day was a wonderful chance for families to gather at school and help make hygiene kits for local community organizations and sort books to be donated to Achungo School in Kenya. The License to Party Annual Gala was a celebration of elegance and generosity. It takes time, energy, and courage to volunteer. As a first-generation Russian immigrant, I still remember how anxious I felt when I first volunteered to read a book to 20 first graders. The anxiety of mispronouncing a word or choosing a story that was too long was undeniable. But I also remember how much joy I felt being in that classroom. That experience continued to fuel my courage to step outside of my comfort zone and find the strength to do new things. I have the privilege of witnessing the courage our TPA members and leaders demonstrate when taking on the challenge of running an event: from planning activities to ordering supplies, coordinating volunteers, hosting a count-me-in party, and asking other parents for donations. All that courage helps create lifelong friendships and precious memories for us and for our children. Our courage will inspire Trinity students to give their time and energy to the causes they find worthy. Thank you, Trinity volunteers, for your generous contributions of your time and talents and for another wonderful year filled with fun events for children and parents. Sincerely, Maria Kalinina Parent of Trinity Students from the Classes of 2027, 2030, and 2033
Highli 152 Students
100% Giving
In our Early Childho students enrolled, wh boasts 97 students exemplify courage by education and collab
Every single Trinity family, along with the Board of Directors and Staff, made contributions to the Annual Fund.
63 Years
For 63 years, Trinity outstanding acade setting that responsibility, welc all faiths and backg
ights
ood program, there are 55 hile our Elementary program s. Each day, our learners y actively participating in their borating with one another.
19 Cities
School has offered an emic program within a highlights social coming students from grounds.
Students come from 19 different cities that include Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Newark, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Jose, San Mateo, Stanford, Sunnyvale, Union City, and Woodside, to learn and be a part of the Trinity School community.
ANNUAL FUND The Annual Fund plays a vital role at Trinity School by enhancing our students' educational experiences. As an independent school, we rely on contributions to bridge the gap between tuition revenue and operating costs. Annual Fund gifts directly support student learning, faculty professional development, and countless other experiences that make Trinity unique.
Annual Fund Chair Alice Li
Grade 1 Class Captain Ria Purswani
Pine Class Captain Meghan Durkin
Grade 2 Class Captain Takahiro Baba
Laurel Class Captain Shan Gao
Grade 3 Class Captain Kyuhee Voorhies
Tierra Class Captain Teresa Mota
Grade 4 Class Captain Yoyo Ye
Kindergarten Class Captain Alex Wang
Grade 5 Class Captain Anu Vasanth
$576,630 Raised* The figures presented in this annual report are unaudited at the time of publication.
The Courage To L At Trinity, learning is both a challenge and a understandings with courage, whether in the clas learning or beyond the schoolyard. By tapping obstacles but also discover the excitement of learni
Learn At A Glace
joy. Our students embrace new knowledge and sroom through both independent and collaborative into their inner strength, they not only overcome rng.
ANNUAL GALA: LICENSE TO PARTY $253,293* Raised A Special Thanks To Annual Gala Co-Chairs Andreia and Thomas Stark Annual Gala Committee Monica Chastagnol Shan Gao Maria Kalinina Farheen Mirza Ria Purswani The figures presented in this annual report are unaudited at the time of publication.
The annual spring gala, License to Party, was an extraordinary evening that brought together the Trinity School community. Parents, alumni, friends, and staff joined in celebration, strengthening connections and honoring the spirit of Trinity, while also supporting our Fund A Need program. The gala successfully raised $253,293, reflecting Trinity School’s unwavering spirit of generosity.
Our Sincere Thanks to Trinity Parent Association Trinity Parent Association Executive Team Maria Kalinina President
Lauren Milano Elementary Campus Event Liaison
Piper Griffin Vice President
Ao Peng Early Childhood Campus Admission Liaison
Paul Buttery Treasurer
Ria Purswani Elementary Campus Admission Liaison
Ilana Morady Secretary
Lauren Ralph Room Parent Coordinator
Tiffany Chen Early Childhood Campus Event Liaison
Andreia Stark Gifting Committee, Benefit Gala
Kaitlyn DePristo Teacher Appreciation Chair
Salina Sung Elementary Campus Event Liaison
Alice Li Gifting Committee, Annual Fund
Each Year, Trinity Parent Association spends countless hours to support and enrich our learning community by serving as event chairs and room parents.
Special Event Chairs Paul Buttery, Maria Kalinina, Salina Sung and Erik Wolsheimer Back-to-School BBQ Min Haeberle and Teresa Mota Math Fest Shan Gao, Sandie Kulick, Yang Li, Lauren Milano and Haley Yu Halloween Carnival Tiffany Chen Early Childhood Campus Book Fair Early Childhood Campus Ice-Cream Social Piper Griffin, Salina Sung, Yoyo Ye and Jenny Zhao Lunar New Year Kemesha Delisser, Jie Yu and Nan Zhang Christmas Craft Fair Yan Luo Math Kangaroo Piper Griffin and Melissa Tronquet Big Help Day Lauren Milano Fun Day
Room Parents Lauren Ralph Room Parent Coordinator Tiffany Chen, Teresa Mota and Ao Peng Early Childhood Campus Shan Gao , Maria Kalinina and Lekha Mikkilineni Kindergarten Class Marita Irani, Farheen Mirza and Andreia Stark Grade 1 Shu Xiao and Mengyao Zhao Grade 2 Kaitlyn DePristo and Amy Voedisch Grade 3 Tiffany Chen and Neha Mehta Grade 4 Matthew Burt and Meghan Reynolds Grade 5
Our Financials* Expenses
Revenue Other 8.1%
Facilities 13.9%
Fundraising 10.3%
Financing 1.3% Admin 3.5%
Program 9.8%
$6,792,646
$7,019,507
Personnel 71.5%
Tuition 80.3%
The figures presented in this annual report are unaudited at the time of publication.
Our Faculty and Staff Ralph Ackermann Sallie Baron Kate Benson Anna Bykov Brenda Cano Xianjing Cao Rachel Cheung Bim Cleland Amy Della Maggiora Trish Doon
Michelle Flach Rhonda Gamblin Beneralda Flores Ivy Gates Heidi Gonzalez Renesha Haggans Michelle Hinshaw Yonas Kameda Sue Krishna Alison McKee
Colette McWilliams Alexa Menendez Jenny Nakagawa Krystin Neuenfeldt Lesle Olmos Vera Kristine Petermeier Anna Quijano Lady Reyes Stephanie Rubio Linda Rutherford
Rebecca Schoenstein Ali Steele Wenta Tesfaye Kim Thacker Pal Thinnappan Claudia Weitsman Alex Williams Olivia Wu Tait
Where They’re Headed
Congratulations to Grade 5 Graduates
Crystal Springs Upland School Field Middle Girls Middle School Harker
Sacred Heart Synapse Woodland Woodside Priory
Early Childhood Campus 330 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 Elementary Campus 2650 Sand Hill Road Menlo Park, CA 94025 www.trinity-mp.org