Flourish Magazine Fall 2017

The magazine for friends and family | Fall 2017

Statement of Philosophy Trinity School is an independent, co-educational school serving preschool and elementary-age children. Founded in 1951 by Trinity Presbyterian Church and grounded in the ethical framework of the Christian faith and its Jewish heritage, Trinity accepts children of diverse backgrounds and provides experiences that foster mutual respect, trust, and cooperation among students, faculty, and parents.

Mission Statement The mission of Trinity School is to create a community of learners in which each child can acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to achieve his or her unique potential and become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community.

Non-Discriminatory Statement The 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 aid, or other school-administered programs.

Flourish Magazine is published bi-annually and mailed free of charge to students, parents, faculty, alumni, grandparents, and friends of Trinity School. For more information about Trinity, please call 404-231-8100 or visit trinityatl.org.

LEADERSHIP TEAM Joe Marshall Head of School Maryellen Berry Upper Elementary Division Head Ken Bomar Director of Finance Brad Brown Director of Admissions Margaret Douglas Director of Advancement Nicole Fash Director of Marketing and Communications Jill Gough Director of Teaching and Learning Reginald Haley Director of Operations Carol Meadows Director of Extended Programs Rhonda Mitchell Early Elementary Division Head Jeff Morrison Director of Technology Ginny Perkinson Assistant to the Head of School

2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Allen Moseley ’81, Chairman Matt Bartelt Robert Campbell Jason Chambers ’89 Susan Churchill Richard Courts Robert Cunningham Chris Gabriel David Genova Scott Hawkins Anne Hennessy Florida Huff ’79 Molly Jamieson Mark Kauffman Rob Kight Jenny Latz Tish McDonald Debbie Meyerhoff Brand Morgan Leslie Patterson Kelly Regal Tina Roddenbery John Shepard ’68 Farah Spainhour Ann Speer Mary Watson Ellen Wiley

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Contents TRINITY REINFORCES LITERACY BY BRINGING STORIES TO LIFE Trinity purchases state-of-the-art interactive tools and materials to help the School embark on a journey to teach, inspire, and reinforce literacy by bringing stories to life.

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YOUR CHILD IS KNOWN: THE IMPORTANCE OF “MY LEARNING” At Trinity, we capture students’ growth over time using innovative, authentic, and holistic practices that include Trinity’s internationally recognized “My Learning” process.

MATHEMATIZING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FOR DEEP LEARNING Mathematizing children’s literature is one way that Trinity Teachers bring mathematics alive for our young learners.

ALUM’S PASSION LEADS TO POSITION WITH NBA An avid basketball player throughout his life, Michael Russell ’06 looked to his passions when deciding what he wanted to do when he “grew up.”

I AM LEAVING TRINITY WITH...

Members of the Class of 2017 reflect on their Trinity Experience and how the School has prepared them to flourish in secondary school and beyond.

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole Fash

Meredith Burris Kerry Coote Margaret Douglas Nicole Fash Jill Gough Marsha Harris Becky Holden Joe Marshall Carol Meadows Shaun McCarthy Lauren McClelland

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie Rosengren

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Ridge Creative, Inc.

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Megan Noe Khette Plyler Katie Rosengren Alison Short Alice Trahant

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michie Turpin Paul Ward

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Head of School Joe Marshall working with students as a young teacher in 1982.

Dear Trinity Community, In 1980, I began my career as a Sixth Grade English teacher. On the one hand 1980 doesn’t seem that long ago, but on the other hand my first Sixth Grade students are about to celebrate their 50th birthdays!

Having been in education for nearly 40 years, I am commonly asked, especially by young teachers, how schools have changed since the ancient 1980s.

Back then I wrote on slate blackboards with white chalk, fatigued my arm turning a mimeograph machine, handwrote all student progress reports, and used a 4

paperback Merriam-Webster dictionary.

So, yes, there have been a few changes in education since the 1980s.

The biggest change, not surprisingly, is technology and the resulting ubiquity of and reliance on laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and Wi-Fi. Technology has revolutionized education in so many ways, from the ease of revising writing assignments to websites that provide answers to and steps for any math problem.

In 1980, memorization remained an essential skill for success in the classroom while today there is more emphasis on students quickly and accurately accessing content online. While still in its infancy for

use in schools, Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the next 10 to 15 years is predicted to further reshape schools into being even more personalized to the learning needs of each student. Technology has also helped provide ongoing professional development for faculty. Teachers today have access to the latest research, world-renowned educational pundits, and learning communities without having to leave their classrooms.

Because of technology’s influence, most schools now focus on developing the skills that students need to succeed in today’s Information Age. Tony Wagner’s 2008 book The Global Achievement Gap inspired many schools to develop student critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and entrepreneurialism. Wagner and Thomas Friedman, author of the The World is Flat, helped schools realize that an educational system based on Industrial

Age and factory-line needs was clearly outmoded. Schools began to move from students being consumers to students being creators of content. One stark change is how prevalent collaborative learning is today compared to 1980, when working in groups was a novelty.

Similarly, Carol Dweck’s 2006 book Mindset helped schools and teachers see the importance of fostering in students a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Helping students see that learning takes effort, is filled with missteps and setbacks, and requires perseverance and grit may not seem to be revolutionary, yet Dweck’s ideas have led to many changes in classroom pedagogy. In addition to connecting effort to achievement, teachers today have a greater whole-child focus compared to 30 years ago. Today students’ social-emotional (EQ) growth and development is equally important to their cognitive (IQ) progress.

Lastly, because learning today is less about attaining knowledge and more about what students will do with that knowledge, classroom teaching methods strive to empower students in their learning. Design thinking, problem-based learning, and STEM/STEAM initiatives have helped students see the real-life relevance and application of school.

While education over the past 37 years has clearly evolved in making schools more relevant and personalized for students, much remains constant. Just as Socrates from ancient Athens is still regarded as an exemplary teacher today, great teaching remains timeless, combining both art and science. Whether in 1980 or 2017, effective teachers get to know each one of their students as unique individuals; foster open inquiry; and let the needs, interests, and passions of each class help guide that year’s focus. The most critical factor for student

success and learning in school and beyond is the relationship between the student and teacher. And I’ve seen great teachers who fully embrace educational innovations whose classrooms are more traditional, circa 1980.

Sincerely,

Joseph P. Marshall Head of School

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Celebrating the Present, Preparing for the Future Trinity School excels at early childhood and elementary education.

Everything we do is designed to help children ages three through Sixth Grade flourish. Our students have the opportunity to savor their childhood while also acquiring a deep academic foundation and developing responsibility, leadership, and a strong sense of self.

Trinity School is a magical place. Come see for yourself.

Trinity School Open House Dates: 2017 November 14 | 9:30 AM December 7 | 9:30 AM 2018 January 10 | 9:30 AM

Reserve your spot today: 404-231-8118 or trinityatl.org

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SCHOOL NEWS

Welcome, New Board Members!

By Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Jason Chambers ’89

Tina Roddenbery

Ellen Wiley

A graduate of the Class of 1989, Jason Chambers says he is excited to serve in his new role at the best elementary school in Atlanta.

As the proud parent of two Trinity graduates, Tina Roddenbery rejoins the Board of Trustees. She is excited to reconnect with the School community and looks forward to learning more about the innovative programs that Trinity has implemented since her children were in school here.

Ellen Wiley and her husband, Buck, are parents to Fifth Grader Buckley.

“As an alum, I have always wanted to return to Trinity and give back in a meaningful way to show my appreciation for everything the School has done for me over the years,” he says. Jason looks forward to helping further Trinity’s rich tradition and its legacy of excellence in elementary education. He believes the School’s facilities and programs provide a flexible and dynamic learning environment for students as well as teachers.

“Trinity is blessed to have so many strengths,” says Jason. “The curriculum, culture, and learning spaces at Trinity encourage as many opportunities and experiences outside the classroom as they do inside the classroom.”

Additionally, he believes the overwhelming parental and community support at Trinity provides additional resources to allow every student the ability to pursue his or her individual interests.

President of Mountain Brook Water, a Louisiana-based manufacturing company that bottles and distributes Artesian Water throughout the Gulf Coast Region, Jason also serves on boards for various public and private organizations, including Micron Solutions, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Board of Visitors, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Hematologic Oncology Visiting Committee. He and his wife, Nancy, have a two-year-old son, Thomas.

Tina believes that Trinity’s unique elementaryonly program, which allows the School to focus solely on the education of students ages three through 12, is its biggest strength.

“Trinity continues to be on the cutting edge of research-based best practices in early childhood and elementary school student learning,” says Tina. “The teachers and staff, who are experts in these fields, are another of the School’s great strengths.”

Serving on Trinity’s Board from 2003 until 2012, Tina had the opportunity to sit on the executive committee as Secretary of the Board from 2004 until 2009. She also served on the governance, education, and finance committees and participated in two longrange strategic plans.

Tina is an attorney whose practice, Holland Roddenbery, focuses on all aspects of family and domestic relations law. She also currently serves as the Vice President of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the State Bar Board of Governors.

Tina and her husband, Hansell, are excited to reengage and support the mission of Trinity. Their daughter, Megan ’11, is a student at Wake Forest University, and their son, Julien ’13, attends Woodward Academy.

“The invitation to serve on the School’s Board of Trustees is both humbling and an honor,” says Ellen. She believes that Trinity’s Board is well regarded for putting the School’s leadership in a position to focus on each individual child’s educational experience, and she is excited about the opportunity to work with and learn from such a talented group.

Ellen asserts that the School’s talented faculty and staff are the reason it lives up to its reputation for excellence in elementary education. “Trinity students graduate with the education, leadership skills, and awareness of the broader world that they need to succeed in their next educational journey,” she says.

An active parent volunteer at Trinity, Ellen has contributed in many ways to the classroom, The Trinity Fund, and the Spotlight on Art Gala and Auction. She and Buck currently serve as 2017–18 Parent Fund Chairs.

Ellen previously worked in human resources for an apparel manufacturing company. She currently serves on the boards for Athens Academy and The Speech School and is an emeritus member of the University of Georgia’s Board of Visitors.

In addition to Buckley, the Wileys have two younger sons, Wilkins and Fraser, and they are active congregants at Christ Church Atlanta.

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SCHOOL NEWS

2017 Grant Recipients

By Katie Rosengren, Associate Director of Advancement

Due to generous philanthropic support over the years, Trinity School has the opportunity to recognize and thank exceptional faculty and staff members with awards from the endowment each year. These awards, which provide unique professional development experiences or stipends to enhance salaries, allow the School to honor passionate employees who are most dedicated to advancing Trinity’s mission. This year, the Academic Leadership Team celebrated excellence in service by presenting grant awards to 10 esteemed members of the faculty and staff.

P.E. Teacher Justin Cahill, Associate Director of Advancement Katie Rosengren, Music Teacher Phyllis Sommer, and Kindergarten Lead Teacher Caroline Tritschler were honored with Rollins Quest for Excellence grants, which recognize employees who embody excellence, dedication, and loyalty to Trinity. These grants, which include a stipend for personal and professional growth and renewal, were made possible by a very generous gift to the Growing Leaders campaign from the Gary W. Rollins Foundation and are a meaningful way to recognize outstanding service to the School.

Established through the Growing Leaders campaign in 2013, The Childress Family Fund for Faculty Excellence supports faculty members in their professional growth and development. Annual awards give teachers the opportunity to pursue innovative programs to increase awareness, knowledge, and proficiency or insight that will be applied in the classroom and shared with Trinity colleagues. Math Specialist Becky Holden, Fourth Grade Lead Teacher Brooke Ovorus, and Sixth Grade Lead Teacher Javonne Stewart, received awards from The Childress Family Fund for Faculty Excellence this year. Holden will use her grant to participate in Cognitive Guided Instruction, a professional

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development program focused on students’ mathematical thinking and the instruction that influences the development of mathematical thinking. She says her goal is to, “Learn more math; more deeply understand the Standards for Mathematical Practice; and deepen, differentiate, and extend learning for the students.”

Art Teacher Nina Chamberlain and Spanish Teacher Lauren Kinnard received grants from the Teacher Opportunity Fund.

Established in 1994, the Teacher Opportunity Fund is an endowment fund set up to honor excellence in teaching. The fund grants awards of $2,500 annually to faculty for exploration and curriculum enhancement. With her grant, Kinnard will travel to the country of Colombia and immerse herself in Colombian culture in order to better educate her students about the country, its history, culture, dialect, cuisine, music, and dance. She says, “As a teacher whose first language and culture are not that which I teach, it is extremely important for me to have authentic experiences with these cultures in order to teach from a place of genuine understanding. I believe the best way to do so is to spend time immersed in the culture one is teaching.”

Lastly, First Grade Lead Teacher Rebecca Stewart was recognized with the Stephen G. Kennedy Fund for Faculty Excellence award.

Established through the Growing Leaders campaign to honor former Head of School Stephen Kennedy’s 11 years of service to Trinity, this award and stipend honors a faculty member using innovative best practices to foster Information Age skills. Stewart, described by her colleagues as someone who “is always finding the newest teaching trends and ways to use technology in the classroom,” was honored to receive this award.

My Visit to Kensington Prep

By Meredith Burris, Media Specialist

By Kerry Coote, Second Grade Assistant Teacher

I have been fortunate to receive the Teacher Opportunity Grant twice during my 29 years at Trinity School. Last year, I was motivated to apply for the grant when I was given the opportunity to travel to Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna with the Cathedral Choir of Christ the King church in Atlanta. I could tell from the trip’s itinerary that there would be many opportunities for me to gather information to share with my students and colleagues. The trip took place in September 2016 and gave me more than I expected.

I enjoy sharing my love of mathematics with everyone. As a former member of the Faculty Staff Leadership Team’s Math Committee, I saw firsthand how professional development helped drive student success. Trinity’s Math Committee uses collaboration to help teachers share resources about effective classroom strategies and develop more impactful math lesson plans. As a committee, we challenged teachers to become better students of their craft by practicing more math together and taking time to work through math problems from their classroom assessments. These exercises helped teachers better anticipate student difficulties and determine how to direct them to overcome roadblocks. Also, many colleagues shared that going through this process gave them more confidence in their classroom to help students work through problems.

In Prague, I focused on studying architecture in order to share my findings with Sixth Grade art classes. Prague, known as the “City of 100 Spires,” has an amazing variety of architectural styles, many of which are topped with beautiful spires. Upon my return, I enjoyed sharing photographs with several art classes to inspire them to build similar structures in the architecture studio.

My most powerful and unexpected experience in Prague was visiting the Pinkas Synagogue in the Jewish quarter, which now serves as a memorial to the more than 80,000 Czech and Moravian Jews who were victims of Nazi genocide between 1939 and 1945.

The entire synagogue is covered with the names and dates of innocent men, women, and children who may have otherwise been forgotten. Last year, I shared photographs of this site along with related historical information with Fifth Grade classes as part of their study of World War II. In Vienna, I visited House of Music, an interactive sound museum known for exploring music on a playful as well as scientific level.

One of my favorite exhibits showed how Mozart—in order to amuse his unwilling piano students—would create songs based on the students’ names, assigning a musical phrase to each letter of the alphabet. I thought this would be fun to try with some of our music classes, and former Music Teacher Sharon Vrieland readily agreed. Rather than creating an alphabet, which would require 26 different musical phrases, we opted to use phone numbers since only 10 phrases were required. Each student wrote a measure of music for an assigned number and put them together to create some amazing pieces.

Throughout my trip, I also had the opportunity to hear the Cathedral Choir sing in some of the most magnificent cathedrals in Europe and spend time with two of my brothers and their wives. I am grateful that I had this incredible experience through the Teacher Opportunity Grant and have loved sharing what I learned with the Trinity community.

SCHOOL NEWS

My Trip to Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna

Building a strong academic foundation and fostering collaboration both among teachers and among students are the Trinity values I cherish most. This is especially true when my colleagues see examples of how best practices in math can be used in a meaningful way during peer-to-peer observations. This passion for mathematics and desire to share best practices with my teammates led me to seek out additional professional development opportunities at Trinity. Last year, a colleague and I successfully applied for and received The Childress Family Fund for Faculty Excellence grant. In March 2017, we visited Kensington Prep School, an outstanding independent private school for girls ages 4–11 in Fulham, London, England. I was excited about the opportunity to learn from an elementary-only school outside of the U.S. that has a strong tradition in mathematics and share my takeaways with the Trinity community.

Kensington Prep is very similar to Trinity in the ways that they use best practices when presenting math. My visit reinforced the idea that technology is a powerful learning tool when used in the right way, and that giving students the opportunity to use more hands-on methods in their learning promotes engagement and interest. They also placed special emphasis on the use of openended questions and interactive bulletin boards to help students with problem-solving tasks.

I am very grateful for this professional development opportunity.

It has allowed me to build on Trinity’s culture of collaboration among teachers, further strengthen my own understanding of mathematics, continue to position myself as a math resource for our community, and help students become mathematicians that are more confident problem-solvers and risk-takers.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Google Expedition Kits, Sphero Robot Education Kits, and classroom sets of Bloxels help bring traditional books and virtual and digital environments together.

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Trinity Reinforces Literacy by

By Katie Rosengren, Associate Director of Advancement

Trinity School is fortunate to have a longstanding partnership with the Lewis H. Beck Educational Foundation, a private foundation that awards grants to a limited number of high-quality schools and universities in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Foundation’s generosity has provided for significant enhancements to the Overend Learning Commons over the years, including base funding and state-ofthe-art equipment for the Beck Production Studio. This year, Trinity was honored to be selected for a grant to purchase interactive tools and materials for the Overend Learning Commons to help us embark on a journey to teach, inspire, and reinforce literacy by bringing stories to life.

Through virtual reality panoramas annotated with details, the Google Expedition Kits help teachers provide a powerful connection between text and virtual worlds for our students, bringing what they study in their classrooms to life. Through a virtual trip to France and England during their unit on European countries, Kindergarten students were able to “visit� the country to supplement what they learned in the classroom. The kits also enhanced the curriculum for Pre-K students through virtual visits to Mount Rushmore, the St. Louis Arch, and the Statue of Liberty during their study of historic monuments throughout the United States.

The goal of the Learning Commons is to provide an environment in which our students understand the relevance and meaning of their media studies by learning from both traditional and digital experiences. The recent generous grant from the Lewis H. Beck Educational Foundation allowed the School to purchase state-of-the-art, interactive tools and materials, including Google Expedition Kits, Sphero Robot Education Kits, and classroom sets of Bloxels, that help bring traditional books and virtual and digital environments together. These tools have allowed teachers to create relevant, deep, and inspiring learning experiences for Trinity students of all ages.

In the Apollo IHub (Innovation Hub), students used the Sphero Education Kits to design, build, and test protective carriages for the robots as part of a class challenge.

Second and Third Grade students used the robots to learn basic block programming while working in groups to program the robots to spell a word through movement.

These robots inspire curiosity, creativity, and invention through connected play and coding.

The classroom kits of Bloxels allow our students to design, build, play, and share their own video games; cultivate imagination; and encourage discovery and experimentation. Our Second Graders

used them in Idea Lab to supplement learning about computer programming.

In teams of two, the students designed and developed a story and used the Bloxels to share the story digitally through a video game platform.

SCHOOL NEWS

Bringing Stories to Life In addition to the high-tech tools, the generosity of the Lewis H. Beck Educational Foundation provided for a Lego wall that increases opportunities for tactile and kinesthetic experiences as it encourages creative play and discovery in the Learning Commons. The grant also provided for furnishings, including campfire tables for small group work and a multi-media display, that have significantly enhanced the media experience for our students.

Our goal when applying for the grant was to provide our students with more opportunities in the Learning Commons to experience the crossover between traditional resources and digital learning strategies and advance their understanding of literacy and media in a manner that is more engaging and relevant to the world today. The innovative and interactive tools funded by the Lewis H. Beck Educational Foundation are already accomplishing this, allowing our students to bring their stories and learning to life.

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STUDENTS

Your Child Is Known: The Importance of “My Learning”

By Marsha Harris, Director of Curriculum

My baby book sits in an old cardboard box in my basement.

Occasionally I will pull it out, pages yellowed and perfectly square photos slipping out from the once tacky pages. Memories of my childhood will flood my thoughts, of people who are no longer with us and of special times on the family farms and cottages that have been sold. In that same cardboard box is another treasure, my School Days portfolio that my mother archived for me.

Each pocket contains class photos and samples of my writing and art, evidence of friendships, hobbies, interests, and future aspirations. Both of these portfolios help tell my story over the past 40-something years. But what is missing?

As Jack Mezirow, American sociologist and Emeritus Professor of Adult and Continuing Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College, said, “A defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience.”

How can we give each student a voice? How can we see, hear, and observe growth over time with students? How can experiences and milestones be shared with parents and teachers and reflected upon by students? How can teachers learn more about their students so that they have a holistic view of who they are and what they need?

As part of Trinity’s commitment to help each of our students flourish, we capture their growth over time using innovative, authentic, and holistic practices. For the past six years “My Learning,” our internationally recognized digital portfolio system, has been used to record each student’s journey at the School, provide insight into learning experiences, and help students preserve and cherish their Trinity story. Each year, the process provides opportunities for students to practice self-reflection; see themselves as unique individuals; and to capture moments, realizations, and experiences that could otherwise be lost.

We have seen the power of this process as our students look back at their learning over the years through voice recordings, videos, and documentation of their written work. Trinity Teachers promote and value the art of reflection so that students begin to make meaningful connections and deepen their educational experience. We encourage students to ask themselves, “What did I learn? Why does it matter? How can I connect this to something I already know?”

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The “My Learning” process also informs teaching, connects parents to their children’s educational journey, and empowers students to be cognizant and accountable for their learning.

Through the use of multimedia tools, student experiences are archived to reflect the actions and emotions that occurred in real time.The practice of metacognition and students’ sense of self begin to develop. Students watch themselves interact with peers, perform on stage and in the classroom, and listen to themselves read a passage or work through a math problem to understand their solution.

Additionally, Trinity Teachers collect, archive, and reflect through “My Learning” so that we can see our students’ growth over the years, allowing us to know our students better. It is our responsibility to help students tell the story of who they are as learners, discover their strengths and interests, determine with whom they connect, and demonstrate how they grow physically and emotionally while they are with us.

I will always treasure my hand-bound School Days portfolio, and I am grateful that our school understands the importance of not only capturing each student’s journey in a digital portfolio, but also encouraging a culture of self-reflection and deep understanding. This school year, there are 170 crucial days that will be captured, reflected upon, celebrated, and archived so that our students will have the opportunity to discover who they are now and begin to make decisions about how they see themselves in the future. At Trinity School, every child is known, and we are fortunate to be a part of each student’s unique journey.

• Students recognize their academic growth, seeing where they started and how far they have come.

• Students can see how they have changed physically over the years.

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• Students look back and have fond memories of their experiences, friendships, and learning that they may have not otherwise remembered.

• Students begin to develop an understanding of who they are, how they learn, where their strengths lie, and how to improve in different areas.

• Students showcase their educational journey during student-led conferences and own their learning while celebrating their strengths.

• Teachers gather information about their students, looking at trends, talents, and experiences that can help inform them about each child.

• Parents get a glimpse into the experiences at school that can’t be documented on paper through voice, video, and the reflective process.

• We all learn that when we reflect, we have a deeper understanding of who we are and an opportunity to set goals and to see ourselves in a different way.

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STUDENTS

Mathematizing Children’s Literature

for Deep Learning

By Director of Teaching and Learning Jill Gough, Early Elementary Division Math Specialist Becky Holden, Kindergarten Lead Teachers Shaun McCarthy and Megan Noe, and Third Grade Lead Teacher Lauren McClelland

Deep learning focuses on recognizing relationships among ideas. In the book Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning, the authors state that, “During deep learning, students engage more actively and deliberately with information in order to discover and understand the underlying mathematical structure.”

At Trinity, we wondered what would happen if we connected mathematics with reading and writing. How might we deepen understanding of numeracy using children’s literature? What if we mathematize our read-aloud books to use them in math as well as Readers and Writers Workshop? What opportunities will teachers have to learn more about their readers, writers, and mathematicians?

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As a team, Early Learners through Third Grade teachers have taken up the challenge to integrate reading, writing, and mathematics during read-aloud moments.

With coaching from Early Elementary Division Math Specialist Becky Holden, Director of Curriculum Marsha Harris, and Director of Teaching and Learning Jill Gough, Trinity Teachers actively engage in selecting, planning, and implementing mathematized read-alouds.

Kindergarten Lead Teacher Shaun McCarthy says, “Using children’s literature to build numeracy is a fun and creative way to engage students that uses the left and right sides of their brain. Learning basic addition and subtraction is a part of Trinity’s Kindergarten curriculum. Teachers are given the flexibility of how to teach this important concept, and we love using a variety of texts to spotlight instruction.”

“For example, Pete the Cat is a favorite character among all students,” adds Kindergarten Lead Teacher Megan Noe, who shares a classroom with McCarthy.

“Kimberly and James Dean’s new book Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes is a perfect way to show the concept of joining together, addition, and taking away, subtraction. Throughout the book, Pete the Cat discovers that his friends are missing cupcakes for the birthday celebration. In ‘who-done-it’ fashion, Pete sets out to discover how the cupcakes go missing.”

As teachers and parents, we challenge students to show what they know in a variety of ways to develop deep foundational understanding of numeracy.

We know that strong mathematicians are flexible thinkers, clear communicators, and creative problem solvers. Every day we see students learn and think differently. We

STUDENTS

do not want them to simply arrive at an answer, we want them to be able to explain and show us the many different ways that they discover a solution.

According to author Michael Flynn in his book Beyond Answers: Exploring Mathematical Practices with Young Children, “How students present their arguments is also important to learning and understanding. When students can verbally support their reasoning with drawings, models, number lines, and action, understanding increases and they provide a point of reference for other children to comment.”

While participating in Trinity’s Numeracy Through Children’s Literature professional development workshop, Third Grade Lead Teacher Lauren McClelland received the book The Lion’s Share: A Tale of Halving Cake and Eating It, Too by Matthew McElligott. Soon after, during a fractions unit when the class was discussing equivalent fractions, she overheard a debate amongst her students. A student argued that a half is a half is a half; 1/2= 2/4= 3/6, all are equal to a half.

“In this instance involving the equivalent fractions, the student was spot on, but it made me raise the question of, ‘Is a half always equal to a half?’” says McClelland.

“The students could tell by my tone that the answer was ‘No,’ but they weren’t entirely sure what I was getting at. So I decided to help them discover more about my question, and I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to bring literature into our math class.”

McClelland read The Lion’s Share aloud, and as the animals in the book continued halving the halves of cake, she had her students draw out the same scenario on their own “cake.”

“Between the giggles, predictions, and squeals of, ‘Oh my gosh, the pieces are getting so small,’ I could see the light bulbs going off across the room,” says McClelland. “Although the animals in the book thought they had received a ‘fair share,’ our students discovered that it all depended on the size of the starting piece or the size of the whole. My students now had a better understanding of what I meant when I asked if a half is always equal to a half, and they could explain it, too.”

This read-aloud opened up the opportunity for rich discussion and engaging questions. Students received a more organic and deeper understanding of this math concept thanks to the book that brought it to life, and it was an engaging way to look at math through a different lens. As Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education Jo Boaler explains in her book Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching, “Mathematics is a subject that allows for precise thinking, but when that precise thinking is combined with creativity, flexibility, and multiplicity of ideas, the mathematics comes alive for people.”

Mathematizing children’s literature is one way that Trinity Teachers bring mathematics alive for our learners. We begin with a book or story and end with creative, flexible expression of thinking, problem solving, and success.

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STUDENTS

Trinity School Summer Camp Welcomed

More Than 400 Campers

By Carol Meadows, Director of Extended Programs

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The camp’s second year also saw some wonderful enhancements, including Flik lunch offerings and the addition of Atlanta Sports Camps. During this traditional sports summer camp founded

by Trinity P.E. Teacher Brian Balocki, campers engaged in activities such as soccer, kickball, tag and capture games, basketball, flag football, hockey, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, and cooperative challenges. Campers also spent two mornings each week at a local swimming pool where they played water sports.

Trinity’s Special Interest Camps once again offered fun and diverse learning opportunities. Many of these camps are taught by Trinity Teachers, and the following are some highlights.

Early Learners Lead Teacher Pam Lauer and Kindergarten Lead Teacher Brooke Kelly teamed up to teach the very popular Wilderness Explorers Series. This year they offered: Animal Tracks and Traps, The Enchanted World of Fairies, Junior River Keepers, and Insect Safari. Each of these camps featured exciting outdoor adventures in Discovery Woods.

Kindergartner Bryson says, “My favorite thing about wilderness camp is that we saw different animals and different insects, like a giant apple daddy snail. I am Bryson, the animal finder.”

Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Thomas Benefield’s Art Explorations Camp gave participants a chance to explore and develop their creative side. Abrakadoodle Art offered a combination of science, math, and art in its STEAM Art Adventure. Each Abrakadoodle camp ended with an art show where the campers presented their work.

During Fine Cooking Camp, campers learned about nutrition, cultural cuisine,

and etiquette and made a variety of dishes that included chicken and rice, cupcakes, and pizza.

In Early Learners Assistant Teacher Samantha Osby’s Lego Camp, campers were challenged to build large Lego sets that included flying machines, from helicopters to Star Wars ships. Engineering Specialist Kevin Howard taught the very popular Not So Evil Genius Invention Camp. He took campers on adventures against arch nemeses that allowed them to design, build, and problem solve their way out of seemingly impossible situations. Led by Pre-K Lead Teacher April Patton and Science Teacher Thalia Scott, Super Scientists Camps returned this year. Campers learned about chemistry in Fizz, Pop, Bang…Kids Chemistry and about prehistoric animals in Digging for Dinosaurs.

Kindergartner Kieran says, “I love Super Scientists camp! My favorite part was digging up dinosaurs and building dinosaurs.”

During Mathminds Camp, which is also a popular Extended Programs class led

by Second Grade Assistant Teacher Kerry Coote, campers worked at their own level and pace to solve math challenges. This camp offered something for those that needed extra support in math as well as those that love a math challenge.

“I love the size of the group,” says Third Grader Emma. “I get to work one-on-one with my teacher and work in a small group with one or two friends.”

Mark Your Calendars for Trinity School Summer Camp 2018!

June 4–29, 2018 Session 1: June 4–8 Session 2: June 11–15 Session 3: June 18–22 Session 4: June 25–29

STUDENTS

Trinity School Summer Camp offers new learning experiences for rising Pre-K through rising Sixth Grade students. The camp, which premiered in 2016, had a very successful 2017 season. In June, Trinity School had more than 400 campers participate in 20 different camps, which is nearly double the number of campers from its opening year.

Atlanta Sports Camps 9 AM–2 PM Rising First–Sixth Grade Students Special Interest Camps 9 AM–Noon Rising Pre-K–Sixth Grade Students Trinity School Summer Camp is open to the public.

Trinity parents will receive a sneak peek of the camps in December and registration will be offered to Trinity families at the end of January before opening to the public. Registration will open to the public on February 1, 2018.

Please contact Carol Meadows, Director of Extended Programs, at cmeadows@trinityatl.org for more information.

Trinity School Summer Camp is a great way for current families to stay engaged during the summer and for the School to connect with other members of the Atlanta community. Each camp offering is an opportunity for Trinity and non-Trinity students to be a part of a community of learners, gain new experiences, and build friendships in a safe and fun environment.

Whether they were learning to compete in a healthy way, be a team player, hike through the forest, or explore math and science concepts, every camper created special memories that will last a lifetime.

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STUDENTS

Extended Programs: Trinity’s Robust

After-School Program

By Carol Meadows, Director of Extended Programs

Trinity School’s after-school program, Extended Programs, has been around as long as Trinity itself. What began as a small program at Trinity Church has grown with the School and is now an integral part of the Total Trinity Experience.

Trinity offers both Core Classes and Special Classes after school. During Core Classes— Lunch Bunch, Stay and Play, Explorations, Study Hour, and Connections—our youngest students focus on learning and play, from enjoying playground time to engaging in small-group activities that enhance language skills, strengthen gross and fine motor skills, and enrich cognitive

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development. Our older students have the opportunity to complete homework in a structured environment, where Trinity Teachers answer specific questions, support good time management, and help implement study skills. Additionally, some Core Classes bring students from Early Learners through Sixth Grade together, creating opportunities for students to build friendships across grade levels, reinforce the bonds started in the School’s Buddy or Big Kid/Little Kid programs, and feel part of the larger Trinity community.

Offerings for Special Classes are driven by the interests of Trinity students and requests

from parents. Allowing students to choose the areas they would like to explore gives them more ownership of their learning and the opportunity to deepen their learning in areas that excite them. Led by Trinity Teachers and top-level professionals from the local community, an extensive variety of classes are offered.

Specials include performing and visual arts classes, such as Abrakadoodle Art, Alliance Theatre Acting, Choir, Improv, private and group music lessons, and sewing. Chess and Fine Cooking are very popular classes for all grade levels.

STUDENTS

Our students’ love for science is apparent in the number of STEAM classes that fill quickly every semester. Featuring robots, design thinking, programming, and engineering, some favorites include Cool Kids Coding, Minecraft Mania and YuGiOh, STEAM with Miss Kimberly, STEM Hands-On Science, and Trinity Robo Warriors.

Extended Programs also offers a diverse selection of sports programs, including baseball, fitness, golf, karate, soccer, tennis, and yoga. With more than 130 students enrolled each semester, Fast and Fit is one of the most popular classes. During this class,

First through Sixth Grade students increase their fitness level and develop teamwork and leadership skills while running, playing games, and having fun.

Whether a student enjoys indoor or outdoor activities, Trinity’s Extended Programs is committed to providing quality learning opportunities for all students. Each semester, approximately 1,200 seats in Core and Special Classes are filled, and more than 75 percent of Trinity students participate in at least one class with the average student enrolling in three classes. An essential part of the Trinity Experience, Extended Programs helps the School further its mission of

creating a community of learners in which each child can acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to achieve his or her unique potential and become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community.

For more information about Trinity’s after-school program, please contact Director of Extended Programs Carol Meadows at cmeadows@trinityatl.org.

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FACULTY

“I like to make connections with a real-life example and maintain a sense of continuity when I start a mini-lesson by reminding students about what we’ve been working on and connecting it to what is important to them.”

- First Grade Lead Teacher Paul Pileggi

“Reviewing and introducing comprehension strategies during mini-lessons brought my students to new ways of thinking and writing about what they read. I was able to apply these strategies in both fiction and nonfiction reading, language arts, and social studies.”

- Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Thomas Benefield

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FACULTY

A Workshop Approach to Reading and Writing at Trinity

By Marsha Harris, Director of Curriculum

At Trinity School, our goal is for students to have an appreciation for everything they learn. We empower our students to make choices in their education, voice their opinions, and set academic goals for themselves as they learn and grow. For reading and writing, our Early Learners are focused on establishing routines, listening to stories and retelling them, drawing, forming letters, and gaining print knowledge and phonological awareness. Beginning in Pre-K, the reading and writing workshop model provides opportunities for Trinity students to select texts that interest them while expanding their genre and to make choices in their writing across a variety of purposes.

The structure of the workshop approach to teaching is made up of the minilesson, work time, and share time.

During the mini-lesson, teachers target one teaching point, and students receive direct instruction on a specific skill in a short duration of time. The teacher makes connections, tells stories, provides time for active engagement, and then sends the students off to “work” while reminding them that these are skills that they will practice every day.

“The focused and engaging format of the mini-lesson is perfect for our younger students,” says Pre-K Lead Teacher Katherine Anderson. “Using that structure within the workshop approach allows us time to individually work with the children to assess and build their confidence as writers.”

During independent work time, students have time to develop and hone these strategies. They may read and write independently, participate in a strategy group with peers, or conference with their

teacher based on specific goals they have set. Teachers have a chance to get to know their students as readers and writers so that appropriate feedback is given to improve student achievement.

“While mini-lessons are geared to teaching strategies and skills to the whole class, small group instruction and one-on-one conferences between teachers and students are tailored to individual student needs,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Mary Jacob Harris.

At the end of a workshop session, students are invited to share a piece of their work and celebrate those strategies with their classmates.

“With captivating mini-lessons and high-interest topics that build off of one another, students’ imaginations and inner desire to learn more have increased,” says Brook Ovorus, Fourth Grade Lead Teacher. “Fourth Graders are eager to share what they have written and are exhilarated when discussing books they are reading.”

All of this structure has been put in place with research, best practices, and known success. The workshop model of instruction was developed by Lucy Calkins, founding director of the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of the best-selling grade-by-grade Units of Study curriculum guide books. The units provide a structure in reading and writing that fulfills cross-curricular connections alongside reading and writing for specific purposes and genres. Students begin to have an appreciation for craft while becoming creative and competent communicators.

Calkins says, “Teach the writer, not the writing.” At Trinity, we would add, “Teach the reader, not the book.” Personalization, differentiation, and specific goal setting with actionable feedback are apparent during these moments. The sheer volume of books that students encounter and the amount of writing that they produce during their work time show that students are building stamina as readers and writers.

There is a strong correlation between the effects of reading and writing and how they support one another in academic success.

Students who spend time reading become better writers, and vice versa.

Over the past several years, Trinity’s Literacy Committee has spent countless hours researching, analyzing, and balancing our literacy instruction so that we come to vertical and horizontal alignment throughout grade levels and divisions.

Additionally, the professional development that has occurred around the workshop model of instruction has impacted every member of the Trinity community. Trinity Teachers have mastered their craft by studying alongside Calkins at Columbia University, visiting out-of-state schools that exclusively use the workshop model, and working with local professors in the literacy field.

We are proud of our pedagogy, methods, and skills and celebrate continued growth from our students. We anticipate greatness in our youngest learners to our Sixth Grade leaders. Whether it’s drawing with strings of letters or crafting a narrative, our students are sharing their voices, telling stories, and learning about the world around them more than ever.

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FACULTY

I Want You To

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#ObserveMe

By Jill Gough, Director of Teaching and Learning

FACULTY

I love Trinity School. Daily I am reminded of what it looks like, feels like, and sounds like to be a lifelong learner.

We know that confident learners push themselves to reach for the next level.

As teachers, we are constantly offering feedback to our students so that they learn, grow, and become stronger. So how do we seek feedback to learn, grow, and become stronger?

When Trinity Teachers have questions about our craft and are determined to hone and enhance teaching, assessment, and relationship-building skills, we turn to each other for advice. We know from the work of authors Elizabeth City, Director of the Doctor of Education Leadership Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Richard Elmore, the Gregory R. Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education, that some of the highestquality professional development we can offer to each other is peer-to-peer observation and feedback. #ObserveMe is a growing movement designed by math teaching specialist and educational consultant Robert Kaplinsky to encourage peer-to-peer feedback among educators. Teachers who choose to participate create an #ObserveMe sign, which is hung outside their classroom door. The sign invites other teachers to drop in on a lesson and share their observations on a select set of goals that are listed on the sign.

Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Thomas Benefield says, “The sign is an open invitation. It’s there all the time. I want

to make sure that what I’m doing is most effective for my students, and I need feedback. Jill [Gough] has observed me twice. One of my goals is to use the right vocabulary during workshops, and she kept track of how often I did that. One of my challenges is not having a lesson go on for too long. I was able to look at Jill’s observations and see how much time had elapsed throughout the lesson.”

Early Elementary Division Math Specialist Becky Holden posed questions about three teaching practices: asking purposeful questions, supporting productive struggle, and listening and using evidence of student thinking. #ObserveMe provided her feedback that is different from, “You did a great job.” Or, “The kids were engaged.”

Holden says, “I was worried at first that the questions I have were a lot to notice; that I had too many things listed, even though I felt like they were all important.

My colleagues were able to notice all three of them, and that was encouraging. During the debriefs, I tried to let others do most of the talking because I knew what I wanted to happen during the lesson, but I wanted to see what others saw.

“My hope is that #ObserveMe helps me when I’m collaborating with other teachers after a lesson, since we can talk about posing purposeful questions, supporting productive struggle, and noting evidence of thinking,” she continues. “It opens up opportunities to have deeper conversations.“

same subject need to observe each other so that they understand their program horizontally and vertically. However, teachers also need observers from divergent subjects in order to gain a different perspective and share new ideas.

“I love Trinity School.

Daily I am reminded of what it looks like, feels like, and sounds like to be a lifelong learner.”

Utilizing #ObserveMe says that Trinity School is a community of risk-takers who are brave enough to want feedback about their teaching practices. It also says that we do the best job we can on a daily basis, and at any moment, colleagues are welcome to drop in. #ObserveMe is growing at Trinity School. A quest for deeper understanding and a culture that seeks feedback show evidence of lifelong learning and a commitment to growing every day.

Far too often educators think, “I teach math, so I need another math teacher to come and observe me.” And that is absolutely true. Teachers who teach the

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FACULTY

Celebrating More Than a

Elise Burbank

Arleen Honick

For 24 years, Elise Burbank served as a Kindergarten teacher at Trinity School. A native of Bergenfield, New Jersey, she received a Master of Science in Education from Georgia State College and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Wheelock College in Boston.

For nine years, Arleen Honick was on the faculty at Trinity School.

First, as a Fourth Grade Lead Teacher and then as a Fifth Grade Assistant Teacher. Born in Atlanta and raised in Fitzgerald, Georgia, Honick earned her Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia.

Q: Why did you want to work at Trinity?

A: I was taking reading classes in graduate school at Georgia State and got to know a woman in my class who was going to work at Trinity as a Kindergarten teacher. She raved about the School and how each Kindergarten class had about 30 Big Books per class! We became good friends, and I visited her classroom at Trinity and was so impressed. I eventually applied for a job and so did another person in our class. In the end, all three of us ended up teaching in Kindergarten and First Grade at Trinity.

Q: Why did you want to work at Trinity?

Q: What advice do you have for new teachers?

Q: What advice do you have for new teachers?

A: Be adaptable to change, embrace opportunities, and cherish your years working with children.

A: Make a connection with your students and their families; let them know that they are your priority! Remember that you are in a special place with a lot of support. Give yourself time and permission to learn “The Trinity Way.”

Q: What is your fondest Trinity memory?

A: My fondest memory of Trinity was when the basic structure of the new building was up, and we were able to stand in the room that would be ours, only without any walls.

Q: What will you miss most about Trinity?

A: I will miss all the happy children, the most wonderful parents, and, of course, the best teachers and friends in the world!

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

A: I have loved working at Trinity and will always think of it as one of the best schools in the world! I have truly grown as a person in this rich environment of learning.

A: My good friend Loretta Fine taught at Trinity and kept telling me how wonderful it was to work at the School. She knew that I wasn’t ready to quit working but wanted to spend my time teaching and not testing, which had become the main focus in public schools.

In addition, hearing about the parents, students, faculty, and administration made me want to be a part of this special community.

Q: What is your fondest Trinity memory?

A: This is difficult to answer because there have been so many special memories, but I loved the performance with pianist Alpin Hong at Symphony Hall. It was a special experience to work with him in the faculty/staff chorus and to watch the various performances from our students that night.

Q: What will you miss most about Trinity?

A: I will miss the friends that I have made and worked with every day. This is the hardest part about leaving.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

A: I have been blessed to end my career in education at this special place called Trinity School!

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FACULTY

Century of Service

Connie Sudlow

Sharon Vrieland

A native of Atlanta, Connie Sudlow taught at Trinity for 27 years, for 17 years in the Pre-K classroom and for 10 years in the twoand three-years-old classrooms. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Education from the University of Georgia.

Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sharon Vrieland was Trinity School’s first music director and served the School for 43 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids and a Master of Education with a concentration in conducting and curriculum development from Georgia State University. Vrieland also earned numerous certifications: Orff Schulwerk Levels I, II, and III; Kodaly I, II, III; Dalcroze Eurhythmics Levels I, II, III, and IV; Movement in Education with Phyllis Weikart Level I and II.

Q: Why did you want to work at Trinity?

A: I felt I would have opportunities to learn that were not available at my previous employer. Anne McCullough told me so much about Trinity, and it sounded like a wonderful place to work and learn with children.

Q: What advice do you have for new teachers?

A: Enjoy every minute, get to know the parents, and love the children.

Q: What is your fondest Trinity memory?

A: Each year I was so happy to get to know my new children, and at the end of the year I was so sad to have to say good-bye to them!

Q: What will you miss most about Trinity?

A: I will miss the children, the teachers, the staff, and the parents. I will miss having that wonderful connection that I make with each child in my class, and I will miss planning and thinking of ideas for my teaching.

Q: Why did you want to work at Trinity?

A: I accepted the position because the administration said they wanted someone to build an excellent program and that music would be considered a discipline, not a frill. They were serious about having an excellent music program in their school and that excited me.

Q: What advice do you have for new teachers?

A: Work hard and have fun while you do. Be friendly to all and believe in what you do with your whole heart. Use music in your classroom every day. Sing them a song, listen to a recording that fits your lessons, or play symphonic music because it is beautiful.

Q: What is your fondest Trinity memory?

A: Taking 80 children to Carnegie Hall and having them selected as the featured choir; being named a Lexus Leader of the Arts in 1991; teaching at Trinity Church with Ham Kimsey; and having the headmistress Miriam Griffin say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Q: What will you miss most about Trinity?

A: I will miss the close friendships, the enthusiastic student learners, the opportunities for professional growth, writing lesson plans, and the joy of creating aesthetic experiences for the students and school community.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

A: Trinity School has been a wonderful place to laugh, learn, and teach. It has given me purpose and an outlet for my desire to create beauty. I appreciate all the support available to do our best work.

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SPOTLIGHT ON ART

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Sally King Benedict works with Sixth Grade students.

First Grade students enjoy learning from Patrick Lewis.

Spotlight on Art for our Students

By Alice Trahant, Director of Spotlight on Art and Special Events

Each year, Spotlight on Art—the largest artists market in the Southeast and Trinity School’s largest fundraising event— provides our students with a unique opportunity to connect with the art world through the Children’s Art Project (CAP).

During the 2016–17 school year, we made exciting changes to this time-honored tradition, introducing Spotlight on Art & Education.

Join Us!

This new CAP initiative connects our Early Learners through Fifth Grade students with Spotlight on Art participating artists.

Last school year, Trinity enlisted one artist per grade level to produce a painting that captured current topics from that grade’s curriculum. Participants were Stephanie Henderson (Early Learners),

Nancy B. Westfall (Pre-K), Dawne Raulet (Kindergarten), Patrick Lewis (First Grade), Paige Follmann (Second Grade), Jean Alexander (Third Grade), Deeann Rieves (Fourth Grade), and Keli Nicole Burns (Fifth Grade). Throughout the production of each painting, these artists documented the process and progress of their work. Once the painting was completed, each artist visited with his or her assigned grade to present the techniques and materials used. Students received a true inside look into painting, from conception to canvas, and were able to question artists directly on their work and inspiration.

Artists Market

For their Children’s Art Project, our Sixth Grade students were once again provided the rare opportunity to collaborate with an artist to produce original pieces of art. Renowned Atlanta-based artist Sally King Benedict worked side-by-side with our Leadership Class to create two one-of-a-kind pieces. Known widely for her signature “face” paintings, Benedict walked students through the creation process, from pencil draft to the layering of acrylics and ink.

SPOTLIGHT ON ART

The Children’s Art Project puts the

We are so thankful to all of the artists who participated in this important educational program and look forward to seeing what Spotlight on Art 2018 has in store!

Gala Auction Celebration

January 29 through February 3

February 10

Featuring the work of more than 350 selected artists, spanning all price points and styles, the Artists Market includes an ever-changing inventory in 6,000 square feet of gallery space.

The Market averages daily sales of 1,000 pieces of artwork, and curated sections include contemporary, realism, sculpture, and jewelry.

The Fairmont 1429 Fairmont Avenue NW Atlanta, Georgia 30318 Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Visit SpotlightOnArt.com for details.

Opening Night Celebration Monday, January 29 | 6-9 PM Cocktails and Canvases Friday, February 2 | 6-9 PM Held at Trinity School, the Market is open to the public with free parking and admission. Visit SpotlightOnArt.com to see daily market hours.

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ALLISON WILLIAMS LEGACY SOCIETY

Planned Giving Support

Preserves the Child-Centric Mission: A Q&A with John ’68 and Peggy Shepard What impact has Trinity School had on you and your family?

Trinity School has had a long and significant association with my [John’s] family. My mother, Anna Shepard, was an early volunteer, advocate, and leader during the School’s infancy. In the 1960s, I attended Trinity with my siblings in the church basement, and our two children, Duncan ’99 and Margaret ’01, attended when the School was located further down on Northside Parkway. I have remained active in the School community, serving on the Board of Trustees. We are proud to say that Trinity has shaped and molded two generations of Shepards.

Why did your family choose Trinity School? Trinity’s nurturing, child-centric focus on elementary education was a founding principle of the School, and one that my [John’s] parents agreed with strongly.

This same philosophy was appealing to us when our children were young, and it still permeates the School today. The facilities, the teachers, and the teaching tools may change, but the core philosophy remains the same.

Why is Trinity a philanthropic priority for your family? We gladly support Trinity financially because we believe so strongly in its mission. We value deeply the importance of early childhood development and the impact it has on future generations. Trinity develops responsible, productive, and compassionate adults.

What inspired your planned gift to Trinity in addition to your Trinity Fund support? We made a planned gift as an extension of our current commitment to the School, allowing us to leverage our total giving. In addition, setting up a planned gift was simple to do and required no current “out-of-pocket” resources, making it one of the easiest ways to give. The icing on the cake was the creation of the

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Allison Williams Legacy Society. Not only was Allison my [John’s] minister and teacher, he and his wife, Jo, were my good friend’s parents. I spent a lot of time at the manse and around Allison and Jo. They had a big influence on the person I am today, and it is a privilege for my family to be a charter member of this legacy society that honors Allison.

What would you say to families or alumni who are considering a planned gift? We realize that many current families have diverse and taxing demands on their resources, including tuition, which might limit their giving potential at this time. A planned gift is a perfect solution. Making a planned gift is a visible sign of current support backed by a future obligation.

What are your hopes for Trinity over the next 65 years? Our hope for Trinity School, which celebrated its 65th anniversary last year, is that it remains at the vanguard of early childhood pedagogy while maintaining its nurturing and child-centric focus. With support from all of us, it can remain the national leader it is today.

Do you have any stories or memories that you would like to share that have made an impact on your relationship with Trinity?

My [John’s] favorite stories about Trinity revolve around my own tenure as a student. Miriam Griffin was the only headmistress I had. She was an accomplished educator and an engaging adult that children adored. While not condoning misbehavior, I have often said that being sent to the principal’s office was not that bad a punishment.

I would also say that upon reflection the integration of Trinity School was a significant event for me. In 1963, when I was in Second Grade, I did not take much notice of my new classmates’ skin color; it was not a big deal. Little did I know then how hard Allison Williams, Miriam Griffin, and the rest of the teachers and staff worked to make this historic transition seamless and natural. Although unnoticed at the time by my Second-Grade self, Trinity becoming the first racially integrated private school in Georgia was a seminal event in the School’s history; one in which we can all take pride.

REMEMBERING THE VALUE OF A PLANNED GIFT IS AS EASY AS A-B-C.

Help Trinity flourish with the gift of a lifetime As a founder of Trinity School, Reverend Allison Williams helped to guide the School’s mission of providing a challenging academic program for elementary students in a nurturing environment that fosters mutual respect, trust, and cooperation among students, faculty, and parents. Allison’s vision of Trinity is an inspiration, encouraging each of us to follow in his footsteps and create our own legacy.

The Allison Williams Legacy Society was founded to recognize those who establish a legacy with a planned gift to Trinity School. We are grateful for these members because their special form of financial support helps ensure that Trinity School can offer a rich educational experience to students for generations to come.

Planned Giving at Trinity A planned gift is a vehicle for anyone to create a charitable legacy. Trinity grows and flourishes with the help of these gifts. Our campus, named professional development awards, and endowed scholarships all benefit from the dedication of Allison Williams Legacy Society members.

Planned gifts continue our readiness for opportunities and challenges ahead and help Trinity remain a leading elementary-only educational institution. It is easy to leave a lasting legacy.

• Retirement Plan: make Trinity a full or partial beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) program • Life Insurance: designate Trinity as a full or partial beneficiary of an active life insurance policy • Donor Advised Fund: make Trinity the final beneficiary of your existing fund • Will and Estate: remember Trinity with a bequest for a specific dollar amount or with a percentage of an asset

A

APPRECIATED ASSETS

B

BENEFITS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

C COMPELLING LEGACY THROUGH CONVENIENT GIFTS THAT ANYONE CAN SET UP START YOUR LEGACY TODAY For more information about this new philanthropic opportunity, please contact Alison Short, Director of The Trinity Fund and Major Gifts, at 404-760-4407 or ashort@trinityatl.org.

Every student’s journey is enriched by your support All of Trinity’s resources are dedicated to early childhood and elementary education, and every step of our students’ journey, from Early Learners through Sixth Grade, is grounded in research-based best teaching practices. At the same time, students learn in a fun and nurturing environment that keeps the joy and curiosity of childhood at the center. This perfect balance requires resources that go beyond what tuition covers.

Your investment in The Trinity Fund supports the following essential resources:

In a community where every child is known and appreciated for his or her individuality, your gifts to The Trinity Fund help make up the difference between tuition and the true cost of a Trinity education and enhance each student’s Trinity Experience.

Please visit www.trinityatl.org/give or contact Alison Short, Director of The Trinity Fund and Major Gifts, at 404-760-4407 or ashort@trinityatl.org to make your commitment to The Trinity Fund today.

• Faculty salaries and professional development • Curricular upgrades and classroom enhancements • Technology • Need-based financial assistance

We are deeply grateful for the commitment you make annually to ensure that all of our students flourish throughout their Trinity journey.

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Erica Abraham Northeastern University

Sarabeth Hoffman Pennsylvania State University

Ashley Raymer University of Southern California

Jimmy Balloun University of Notre Dame

Myles Hudson The University of Chicago

Carly Reifenberger Auburn University

Reid Balser The University of Texas at Austin

Florida Huff Dartmouth College

Megan Roddenbery Wake Forest University

Tyler Bass Middlebury College

Bradley Jones Washington and Lee University

John Sheehan Vanderbilt University

Sam Bayne Southern Methodist University

Maddie Kupor University of Michigan

Sydney Simmons Davidson College

Christian Bradley Emory University

Caleb Levin University of Alabama

Sinclair Sparkes University of Southern California

Henry Bruce University of Richmond

GrifďŹ n Long Auburn University

Charlie Stewart University of Alabama

Ellen Buchanan Boston University

Ashton Maguire Furman University

Rebecca Stewart The University of Texas at Austin

Claire Cotton University of Georgia

Anna Mangum Bates College

Maggie Sutton Auburn University

Liza Crawford Texas A&M University

Grey McCarthy Washington and Lee University

Rankin Thompson Auburn University

Jack Davenport Georgia Institute of Technology

Caroline McCutchen Georgia Institute of Technology

Will Trimble Dartmouth College

Avery Dean Villanova University

Madison Minear University of Southern California

Mary Tucker Northwestern University

Isabel Draper Barnard College

Garrett Moorman Wake Forest University

Sawyer Uzzell Duke University

Sam Edwards University of Georgia

Margaret Moran Wake Forest University

Josh van der Eerden Vanderbilt University

Riley Feinour University of Virginia

Blair Nagel The University of Texas at Austin

Hannah Vanderver Georgia Institute of Technology

Camille Floyd University of Georgia

Ria Parikh University of Notre Dame

Kate Wallace Auburn University

Andy Garcia-Civita University of South Carolina

Julia Patton University of Georgia

Grace Weston University of Wisconsin

Allison Greenberg Emory University

Mary Brooks Perkey Wake Forest University

Courtney White The University of Texas at Austin

Elizabeth Harrison Auburn University

Carden Pressly New York University

Rollins Woodham The University of Texas at Austin

Andrew Hennessy Georgia Institute of Technology

Joe Protiva Colorado School of Mines

Isabelle Wyant Southern Methodist University

Ted Quarterman New York University

ALUMNI

2017 High School Graduates and College Choices

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ALUMNI

Alum’s Passion Leads to Position with NBA A Q&A with Michael Russell ’06 After he graduated from Trinity School, Michael Russell ’06 attended The Westminster Schools and the University of Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Public Policy. In his first year out of college, he is already making a name for himself in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Associate Program. An avid basketball player throughout his life, Russell looked to his passions when deciding what he wanted to do when he “grew up.”

Q: What are some of your favorite Trinity memories?

A: I have a plethora of “favorite

memories.” One was moving into the new school building my Third Grade year. My class was the first class to eat in the new lunchroom, and I still take pride in that. The trips to Jekyll Island and Camp Twin Lakes during my Fifth and Sixth Grade years were amazing.

During this time away from school, I really grew as a person and learned more about my classmates. And since we are talking about favorite memories, I can’t leave out beating the faculty in the Sixth Grade versus faculty kickball and basketball games.

Q: What did you want to do after college?

A: Because of my major in Leadership

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and Public Policy, many of my classmates went into the public sector, especially in Washington D.C. due to the close proximity to UVA. Immediately after graduation, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be passionate about my first job after college, and basketball is something I’ve been passionate about my whole life. As I moved further into the job application process, I realized that the sports industry would be something I’d love to be a part of. I searched the internet and

UVA’s career service website trying to find the “perfect” first job. In doing so, I stumbled upon this opportunity at the NBA and fell in love with the job description. I went through three rounds of interviews before the final on-site interview at the NBA offices in New York City.

Q: Tell us about your position with the NBA.

A: I’m in the NBA Associate Program,

a two-year rotational program that consists of four six-month assignments in different departments within the organization. At the end of the two years, each member of the program works with HR to determine the best department for them and goes into that department full time.

It’s an amazing opportunity because it allows you to see how the NBA works from many different perspectives and to network and meet people you wouldn’t have met had you gone into one department from the start.

I’m now in my second rotation in the Youth Basketball Development Department, working with the Jr. NBA to help grow the game at a grassroots level. We aim to teach kids ages 6 to 14 the fundamentals and values of basketball and work to create a fun and inclusive environment for every kid who wants to play the game.

Q: Did Trinity help foster your career path?

A: Trinity absolutely helped foster my

career path. I started at Trinity in Kindergarten, and it set the academic and social foundation that has allowed me to succeed in middle school, high school, college, and now in corporate America. Trinity is a special place because you are surrounded by so many intelligent people. I am very

appreciative of everything Trinity gave me. None of what I’m doing would be possible without it.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

A: I enjoy what I do at the NBA. I love

the work culture and being a part of such an inclusive organization is amazing. I look forward to going into a department permanently down the line and think that I will be here for the foreseeable future, continuing to grow within this organization. I’ve had so many amazing experiences already that I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the future. It’s good for me to grow in a new city. Outside of college, I’ve been in Atlanta my whole life, and New York City is a place that teaches you lessons you can’t learn anywhere else. I’m still learning and growing up here and enjoying the process of it. At the same time, I’m incredibly passionate about where I’m from and can see myself going back home at some point to help make the city of Atlanta a better place.

Q: Of what are you most proud?

A: I’m not most proud of anything I’ve

done, rather I’m most proud of my family. My mom is the strongest person I know. She has her health issues and continues to be the greatest influence in my life. My dad works so hard to make sure everyone is taken care of in our family. He’s the one that taught me how to be a man.

My brother was just accepted into a master’s program at the University of South Carolina, and I’m so proud of him and everything he’s done.

My family keeps me going, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have them behind me.

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Q: What advice would you give Trinity’s young graduates?

A: First, enjoy the process of growing up.

Second, there are going to be times in your life where you don’t succeed the way you wanted to—whether it’s in the classroom, in sports, in your extracurricular activities—but don’t let that stop you from working toward achieving your goals. There are going to be obstacles along the way, but those who stay true to themselves and keep moving in a positive direction are the ones that will make it.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

A: Outside of work I still love to play

basketball. In addition, I have so many great friends up here from Trinity, Westminster, and UVA, and I love spending time with them. It has been comforting to have a good friend base that I’ve known for over a decade in a city like New York. I also enjoy traveling, so whether it’s for work or for my own enjoyment, I love taking a break and exploring new places.

Q: Do you still keep in touch with your Trinity classmates?

A: I keep up with my Trinity classmates

all the time. We’re all over the map now, but anytime I’m in a city of theirs we make an effort to see each other. I went to school with some of the smartest kids I’ve ever met, and they’re all doing amazing things. It’s great to see how much they’ve grown since Sixth Grade.

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ALUMNI

CLASS OF 2017

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I am Leaving Trinity With...

Jack Barranco The Lovett School

ALUMNI

the ability to make friends of all ages; when I go to my next school, I hope to remember what a great experience Trinity was for me.

Brooks Balocki The Lovett School great friendships, memories, and great teachers.

Baker Battin The Westminster Schools amazing friendships that I will remember for the rest of my life.

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Claire Bonds

Josh Brockman

Whitefield Academy

The Westminster Schools

The Westminster Schools

many friendships, memories, and the things that I have learned.

the ability to believe in myself, present projects, use time management, and be the best I can be.

a bunch of friendships and knowledge that I can use in the future.

Andrew Buschmann

Ethan Bye

Camilla Carr

Marist School

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Jackson, MS

The Westminster Schools

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Sarah Berry

many great friendships and memories that will never be forgotten.

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great friendships, fun, and memories.

so many amazing memories that I have had over the years and great leadership opportunities.

Margot Carr

Charly Clark

Hayden Craig

The Westminster Schools

Whitefield Academy

The Galloway School

my great friends, my leadership, my hard work, and my passion for learning.

a memory of all of my friends.

some of the best experiences I have ever had and will remember forever.

Reilly Cullen

Cole Davis

Gregory Egan

Whitefield Academy

The Westminster Schools

The Westminster Schools

many amazing memories and my great friendships with classmates.

friendships.

new friends, a better sense of the world, and great memories; also, I want to remember all the teachers who have taught me and helped me learn.

Griffin Eubanks

Heather Frisch

Stella Gianni

The Westminster Schools

Woodward Academy

good friends and great experiences.

friendships I will never forget, lots of memories that I will cherish forever, and a love of learning that I would never have received if I had not come to Trinity.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Santa Barbara, CA a sense of hope and adventure.

Davis Hurt

Lindsey Johnson

Woodward Academy

The Paideia School

Woodward Academy

great memories.

leadership and friends.

memories with my friends and spending time with my teachers.

Liza Mobley

Cole Nevins

Claire Nichols

Woodward Academy

The Lovett School

Mount Bethel Christian Academy

amazing friendships that I have made over the years; I will miss Trinity with all my heart.

friendships I hope to keep, knowledge that will help me in the future, and memories that will last me a lifetime.

all the experiences and friends I have made and the knowledge that I have learned from my teachers and friends.

Reese Norman

Katherine O’Brien

Will Overstreet

The Westminster Schools

The Lovett School

Whitefield Academy

great friends, a bucketful of memories, and a better understanding of learning.

all the memories from outdoor education trips, the experience of being the lead in the opera Carmen, and all the friends I have made over my seven years at Trinity.

joyful memories of teachers; a passion for learning; and amazing memories of kind, loving, and accepting friends.

Anna Douglas Piper

Cristiano Profumo

Sam Reese

St. Mary’s Episcopal School Memphis, TN

Woodward Academy

Woodward Academy

millions of great memories from the last nine years as a student here.

many ways to get out of academic trouble and the knowledge that many people like me.

memories of both my friends and the teachers that I have had great times with.

Bella Sapone

Carter Spainhour

Allie Tonneson

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Atlanta International School

Woodward Academy

so many memories.

the amazing memories and my ability to work well in a group.

many friendships.

ALUMNI

Davis Hollis

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1

Tillman Douglas ’79, and his wife Margaret, Director of Advancement at Trinity School, welcomed their second son Robert “Bobby” McGee Douglas on April 24, 2017. Bobby joins his older siblings Tillman, Hampton, and Anabel.

ALUMNI

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John Symbas ’90 married Anne Compton at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta on July 8, 2017. Their reception followed at 103 West. The newlyweds then spent their two-week honeymoon in Greece, visiting Athens, Santorini, and Crete.

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Amy Pertuz ’88 spends her days preventing avalanches in Telluride, Colorado and Alaska. She is pictured with classmate Mark Bell ’88 and his sons, Third Graders Anselm and Max.

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Alison Wood Meyer ’94 and her husband, Charlie, welcomed their fourth child on August 3, 2017.

Charles Frederick Meyer III joins big sisters Frances, Tate, and Susan.

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Margaret Shepard ’01 married Thomas Slaughter at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on April 23, 2016. They live in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

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ALUMNI

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Graham Welsh ’98 married Clary Bosbyshell on May 6, 2017 on Sea Island. Clary is an interior designer in Atlanta, and Graham is a consultant for DePuy Synthes Spine.

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Jessie Maxwell ’99 married Justin Coffey on May 27, 2017.

Many Trinity graduates attended the wedding.

Pictured from left to right: Chelsea Kolff ’99, Lauren Cunningham ’99, Jessie Maxwell ’99, Katie Long McCauley ’99, Taylor Dryman ’99, Carly Drummond ’99

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Ashley Hester ’03 married Rob Pierson on August 5, 2017 in Atlanta.

The ceremony was at Peachtree Christian Church, and the reception took place at Cherokee Town and Country Club.

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Porter Henritze ’98 and his wife Amelia, a Third Grade Lead Teacher at Trinity, welcomed their first son, Frederick “Freddy” Eugene Henritze, on August 22, 2016.

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6 Back Row: Bob Cunningham, Beth Cunningham, George Maxwell, David Maxwell ’00, Taylor Dryman ’99, Carly Drummond ’99, Mary Long, Bill Long, Alex Simmons, Janine Brown Front Row: Chelsea Kolff ’99, Lisa Artery, Lauren Cunningham ’99, Katherine Maxwell, Justin Coffey, Jessie Maxwell ’99, Katie Long McCauley ’99, Julia Simmons ’12, Peter Maxwell ’03

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ALUMNI

During the summer of 2017, Christopher R. Kennedy ’08 worked as a full-time line chef and dishwasher at an upscale vegan restaurant in Austin, Texas called The Beer Plant. He will graduate from Oberlin College in 2018.

During the summer of 2017, Matthew M. Kennedy ’08 served as a full-time intern at an emergency refugee center in Austin, Texas called Casa Marianella. This internship satisfied a senior class elective at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he will graduate in 2018.

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“Once a Trinity child, always a Trinity child.” 2012 graduates show their Trinity pride as they prepare for their senior year at The Westminster Schools.

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Callie N. Kennedy ’08 taught at the Northwest Spanish School in Cedar Park, Texas during the summer of 2017. She served as an art and science teacher as well as a general assistant teacher in the summer school program at this bilingual school for children ages 3–6. In 2018, she will graduate from Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

Estee Park ’10, a student at the University of Notre Dame, delivered a TED-Ed Club talk on professional female soccer players and pay inequality called “The real goal: Equal pay for equal play” at the TED headquarters in New York City.

Jack Davenport ’11 was named Senior of the Class of 2017 at the Marist School Academic Awards ceremony.

Back Row: Matt Howard, Erik Montag, Peyton Kendall, Jack Balloun, Will Floyd, Jack Crawford, Bennett Speed, Rains Draper, Henry Alford Middle Row: Miles Davis, Paris Howland, Grace Nichols, Meredith Ficery, Emily Ferguson, Carlyle Rollins, Gabi Dolan, Annie Bernot, Caroline Levenson, Catherine Cole Front Row: Ryan Suddath, Dixon Rothschild, Brianna Resuta, Isabel Morgan, Caroline Stewart, Emma Cawley, Julie Street, Raegan Kelley, Betsy Blitch

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Christopher Walker ’13 (pictured with Coach Terrence Lasker) brought home the Men’s Cadet Sabre silver medal at the Junior & Cadet World Fencing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This event featured about 200 young men and women from around the world competing in cadet men’s sabre and women’s epee.

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Maddy Sudlow ’15 was one of four middle school students selected to show her film, titled All for One and One for All, All at the Holy Innocents’ Film Festival at LeFont Theaters in Sandy Springs.

ALUMNI

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Harrison Fuller ’15 won the Holy Innocents’ Middle School Film Festival this year for his film Sentiment.

Sentiment It is the story of a teenager facing the loss of his mother and realizing that too often we do not appreciate the important people in our lives until it is too late. It premiered at a red carpet event at LeFont Theaters in Sandy Springs in April and starred Kaelan Kelly ’15.

Recently, Harrison’s film was selected for two prestigious film festivals, the Catalina Film Festival in California and the 2017 All-American High School Film Festival in New York City, where his film was screened the weekend of October 6 at the AMC Empire 25 Theatre in Times Square.

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11 As Emily Seraphine Bronstein ’16 prepared for her Bat Mitzvah in January 2017, she began working on ways to make a difference for others. She was introduced to an organization called Global Sojourns Giving Circle, which has created several “clubs” in Zimbabwe and Zambia that act as support groups to adolescent girls in rural villages. She then started The Seraphine Project, which means “angels of light,” as a way to bring awareness and help raise funds to build more clubs. Emily says, “So far, I’ve loved being able to connect with my new friends across the world, and I hope to forever make a positive impact on others’ lives.”

Visit www.trinityatl.org/alumni to submit Class Notes and update your contact information.

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