Flourish Magazine Spring 2017

The magazine for friends and family | Spring 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.

Contents Started more than a decade ago to help build community amongst our students, the Buddy Program fosters relationships between students of different grade levels.

10

THE TRINITY GARDEN: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY LEARNING SPACE At Trinity School, students have the opportunity to participate in true farm-to-table initiatives every fall and spring.

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.

13

VISITING AUTHORS SHARE MORE THAN STORIES Visiting authors bring their stories to life while encouraging a love of reading and writing in students.

Non-Discriminatory Statement

18

SUPPORTING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AT TRINITY SCHOOL

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.

In 1963, Trinity School became the first racially integrated private school in Georgia. Today, the School’s culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion encourages community members to bring their whole selves to school.

CATCHING UP WITH ROSS BAIRD ’97 Ross Baird ’97, who was recently featured in Forbes magazine, gave us a glimpse into his life and work since graduating from Trinity School.

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.

4

TRINITY BUDDY PROGRAM: BUILDING COMMUNITY AND FRIENDSHIP

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole Fash

Maryellen Berry Sarah Morgan Bonham Kathy Bruyn Kate Burton Margaret Douglas Nicole Fash Julia Lee Joe Marshall Sarah Meurisse Rhonda Mitchell

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Margaret Douglas

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Ridge Creative, Inc.

30

Brooke Ovorus Khette Plyler Gina Quiñones Lauren Rose Julianne Schaaf Alison Short Alice Trahant Kim Washington

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michie Turpin Paul Ward

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.

Contents Started more than a decade ago to help build community amongst our students, the Buddy Program fosters relationships between students of different grade levels.

10

THE TRINITY GARDEN: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY LEARNING SPACE At Trinity School, students have the opportunity to participate in true farm-to-table initiatives every fall and spring.

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.

13

VISITING AUTHORS SHARE MORE THAN STORIES Visiting authors bring their stories to life while encouraging a love of reading and writing in students.

Non-Discriminatory Statement

18

SUPPORTING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AT TRINITY SCHOOL

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.

In 1963, Trinity School became the first racially integrated private school in Georgia. Today, the School’s culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion encourages community members to bring their whole selves to school.

CATCHING UP WITH ROSS BAIRD ’97 Ross Baird ’97, who was recently featured in Forbes magazine, gave us a glimpse into his life and work since graduating from Trinity School.

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.

4

TRINITY BUDDY PROGRAM: BUILDING COMMUNITY AND FRIENDSHIP

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole Fash

Maryellen Berry Sarah Morgan Bonham Kathy Bruyn Kate Burton Margaret Douglas Nicole Fash Julia Lee Joe Marshall Sarah Meurisse Rhonda Mitchell

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Margaret Douglas

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Ridge Creative, Inc.

30

Brooke Ovorus Khette Plyler Gina Quiñones Lauren Rose Julianne Schaaf Alison Short Alice Trahant Kim Washington

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michie Turpin Paul Ward

It is also gratifying when Trinity’s attributes are praised by more quantitative and qualitative metrics.

As many of you know, in the early fall we had a school accreditation team from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) visit the School for three days to observe Trinity in action and to assess Trinity against independent school best practices. The visiting team was comprised of educators from other SAIS schools. During their visit, team members sat in classes; met with various constituent groups from parents to alumni, teachers to students; and reviewed our Self-Study report and growth plan.

Register for Trinity School Summer Camp!

Atlanta Sports Camps

Special Interest Camps

NEW! Academic Camps

For rising First through Sixth Grade

For rising Pre-K through Sixth Grade

For rising First and Second Grade

Boys and girls of all athletic abilities

Limited Space Available

July 17–21 and July 24–28

Include basketball, lacrosse, pool activities, soccer, and more

Include science and art activities, LEGO challenges, and outdoor exploration

Monday–Friday

June 5–30

June 5–30

Monday–Friday | 9 AM–2 PM

Monday–Friday | 9 AM–1 PM

$325/week, daily lunch included

$300–$370/week, daily lunch included

Morning sessions: 9 AM–12 PM Afternoon sessions: 1–4 PM $350/week per session, daily lunch available for $50/week

After-care available until 2 PM

One of my favorite quotes is from an unknown author, “Childhood is a state of mind which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity.”

Based on our own experiences and those of our children, we all know how special and magical Trinity is, affectionately referred to as Hogwarts by so many! We could tell hundreds of stories that extol the School’s many wonderful qualities.

In their final accreditation report, members of the visiting team praised Trinity in countless areas, and a few stood out to me as most impressive. First, the team experienced firsthand the cohesion and care of our community in supporting the growth and success of each Trinity student. They saw the resulting poise and confidence in our students in regard to school, learning, and themselves. Second, the team noted the strong congruence among all school constituents, particularly in their support of the School’s program and pedagogical emphasis and our unique elementary-only model. Third, the team commended Trinity’s commitment to continuous improvement in all areas. Never resting on our past success, we employ time-tested educational best practices while also being forward thinking and embracing research-based, innovative, and reflective ideas for how to maximize student learning. Not surprisingly, the visiting team enthusiastically recommended Trinity for continued accreditation!

young alumni and past parents about their experiences at Trinity. Many things struck me about their responses. The most memorable were their reflections on Trinity’s nurturing, caring environment and how our teachers make learning fun, dynamic, and relevant. The School’s commitment to providing a strong academic and character foundation and fostering continued excitement for and engagement in curiosity in school and toward learning was also very significant to respondents. Additionally, I was struck by the importance of enduring friendships that began at Trinity.

It’s important for us to receive feedback about Trinity from first-time visitors and current families, but it was very satisfying for me to see how lasting the Trinity Experience is for both graduates and their parents.

As an elementary school, Trinity is driven by two key precepts: preparing our students for the future and cherishing the wonder and innocence of their childhood.

One of my favorite quotes is from an unknown author, “Childhood is a state of mind which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity.”

Certainly our goal as an elementary school is to develop in our students the foundational and necessary skills, knowledge, habits, and attitudes for subsequent success and happiness. Yet we also afford them ample time to be kids, to enjoy their childhood, and to keep puddles opportunities for as long as possible!

Sincerely,

In addition to the impressive findings of the SAIS team, last spring we surveyed Joseph P. Marshall Head of School

Sign up your child for one week or multi-week sessions Register online at www.trinityatl.org/summercamp

3

It is also gratifying when Trinity’s attributes are praised by more quantitative and qualitative metrics.

As many of you know, in the early fall we had a school accreditation team from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) visit the School for three days to observe Trinity in action and to assess Trinity against independent school best practices. The visiting team was comprised of educators from other SAIS schools. During their visit, team members sat in classes; met with various constituent groups from parents to alumni, teachers to students; and reviewed our Self-Study report and growth plan.

Register for Trinity School Summer Camp!

Atlanta Sports Camps

Special Interest Camps

NEW! Academic Camps

For rising First through Sixth Grade

For rising Pre-K through Sixth Grade

For rising First and Second Grade

Boys and girls of all athletic abilities

Limited Space Available

July 17–21 and July 24–28

Include basketball, lacrosse, pool activities, soccer, and more

Include science and art activities, LEGO challenges, and outdoor exploration

Monday–Friday

June 5–30

June 5–30

Monday–Friday | 9 AM–2 PM

Monday–Friday | 9 AM–1 PM

$325/week, daily lunch included

$300–$370/week, daily lunch included

Morning sessions: 9 AM–12 PM Afternoon sessions: 1–4 PM $350/week per session, daily lunch available for $50/week

After-care available until 2 PM

One of my favorite quotes is from an unknown author, “Childhood is a state of mind which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity.”

Based on our own experiences and those of our children, we all know how special and magical Trinity is, affectionately referred to as Hogwarts by so many! We could tell hundreds of stories that extol the School’s many wonderful qualities.

In their final accreditation report, members of the visiting team praised Trinity in countless areas, and a few stood out to me as most impressive. First, the team experienced firsthand the cohesion and care of our community in supporting the growth and success of each Trinity student. They saw the resulting poise and confidence in our students in regard to school, learning, and themselves. Second, the team noted the strong congruence among all school constituents, particularly in their support of the School’s program and pedagogical emphasis and our unique elementary-only model. Third, the team commended Trinity’s commitment to continuous improvement in all areas. Never resting on our past success, we employ time-tested educational best practices while also being forward thinking and embracing research-based, innovative, and reflective ideas for how to maximize student learning. Not surprisingly, the visiting team enthusiastically recommended Trinity for continued accreditation!

young alumni and past parents about their experiences at Trinity. Many things struck me about their responses. The most memorable were their reflections on Trinity’s nurturing, caring environment and how our teachers make learning fun, dynamic, and relevant. The School’s commitment to providing a strong academic and character foundation and fostering continued excitement for and engagement in curiosity in school and toward learning was also very significant to respondents. Additionally, I was struck by the importance of enduring friendships that began at Trinity.

It’s important for us to receive feedback about Trinity from first-time visitors and current families, but it was very satisfying for me to see how lasting the Trinity Experience is for both graduates and their parents.

As an elementary school, Trinity is driven by two key precepts: preparing our students for the future and cherishing the wonder and innocence of their childhood.

One of my favorite quotes is from an unknown author, “Childhood is a state of mind which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity.”

Certainly our goal as an elementary school is to develop in our students the foundational and necessary skills, knowledge, habits, and attitudes for subsequent success and happiness. Yet we also afford them ample time to be kids, to enjoy their childhood, and to keep puddles opportunities for as long as possible!

Sincerely,

In addition to the impressive findings of the SAIS team, last spring we surveyed Joseph P. Marshall Head of School

Sign up your child for one week or multi-week sessions Register online at www.trinityatl.org/summercamp

3

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

Trinity School’s Buddy Program is a highlight of each student’s journey from Early Learners through Fifth Grade. The Sixth Grade Leadership Class participates in a separate leadership program called Big Kid/Little Kid. Started more than a decade ago to help build community amongst our students, the Buddy Program fosters relationships between students of different grade levels. At the beginning of the school year, each class from the Early Elementary Division is matched with a class from the Upper Elementary Division, and teachers plan monthly activities for their buddy classes.

Trinity Buddy Program: Building Community and Friendship

For our Early Learners through First Grade, the program provides them the opportunity to become friends with older students and to connect to the bigger Trinity community. Seeing their older buddies in the halls and during Trinity Together Time (TTT) helps Trinity’s younger students feel a sense of belonging and build confidence.

“I love making ABC chains with my buddy,” says Early Learner Anna-Charlotte.

Second through Fifth Grade students enjoy the experience of being leaders and mentors while connecting and bonding with their younger buddies. Often the role of a buddy allows older students to shine in ways that they would not be able to with peers their

own age. It also provides Upper Elementary students with opportunities to practice empathy, patience, and communication skills that foster leadership skills.

Second Grade buddies made marshmallow launchers and tested how far they could launch their marshmallows.

“I love making ABC chains with my buddy,” says Early Learner Anna-Charlotte.

“I like being a buddy because you get to spend time with the younger kids and help them learn about things, play with them, and put a smile on their face,” says Fourth Grader Reid. “I loved having a buddy when I was younger. It was exciting to have them visit, because I looked up to them.

Now I’m the person the younger ones look up to.”

Teachers also enjoy seeing a different side to their students as they watch them interact with children of other ages and make new connections. Students learn from one another as they play, build, and create together. Joint activities—reading, creating art projects, celebrating holidays, walking in Discovery Woods, and playing at recess—are all significant in the eyes of Trinity buddies. Exploration and discovery during STEAM projects have also become popular shared activities in several classes.

For example, recently Kindergarten and

The joy that buddies bring to one another is evident when they meet and throughout the day when they see each other at TTT, lunch, in the hallways, and at recess.

Students often ask their teachers, “When are we going to see our buddies?”

Throughout the school year, students feel the support of their buddies as they participate in school events. Students create signs cheering their buddies on during Pre-K Olympics or spot them performing in the Nutcracker or TTT. Younger children are thrilled to watch their buddies perform, and they are often seen shouting, “That’s my buddy!”

The Buddy Program builds connections that deepen a student’s Trinity Experience and is one of the many ways Trinity cherishes childhood, builds community, and fosters relationships amongst students.

By Julia Lee, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

4

5

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

Trinity School’s Buddy Program is a highlight of each student’s journey from Early Learners through Fifth Grade. The Sixth Grade Leadership Class participates in a separate leadership program called Big Kid/Little Kid. Started more than a decade ago to help build community amongst our students, the Buddy Program fosters relationships between students of different grade levels. At the beginning of the school year, each class from the Early Elementary Division is matched with a class from the Upper Elementary Division, and teachers plan monthly activities for their buddy classes.

Trinity Buddy Program: Building Community and Friendship

For our Early Learners through First Grade, the program provides them the opportunity to become friends with older students and to connect to the bigger Trinity community. Seeing their older buddies in the halls and during Trinity Together Time (TTT) helps Trinity’s younger students feel a sense of belonging and build confidence.

“I love making ABC chains with my buddy,” says Early Learner Anna-Charlotte.

Second through Fifth Grade students enjoy the experience of being leaders and mentors while connecting and bonding with their younger buddies. Often the role of a buddy allows older students to shine in ways that they would not be able to with peers their

own age. It also provides Upper Elementary students with opportunities to practice empathy, patience, and communication skills that foster leadership skills.

Second Grade buddies made marshmallow launchers and tested how far they could launch their marshmallows.

“I love making ABC chains with my buddy,” says Early Learner Anna-Charlotte.

“I like being a buddy because you get to spend time with the younger kids and help them learn about things, play with them, and put a smile on their face,” says Fourth Grader Reid. “I loved having a buddy when I was younger. It was exciting to have them visit, because I looked up to them.

Now I’m the person the younger ones look up to.”

Teachers also enjoy seeing a different side to their students as they watch them interact with children of other ages and make new connections. Students learn from one another as they play, build, and create together. Joint activities—reading, creating art projects, celebrating holidays, walking in Discovery Woods, and playing at recess—are all significant in the eyes of Trinity buddies. Exploration and discovery during STEAM projects have also become popular shared activities in several classes.

For example, recently Kindergarten and

The joy that buddies bring to one another is evident when they meet and throughout the day when they see each other at TTT, lunch, in the hallways, and at recess.

Students often ask their teachers, “When are we going to see our buddies?”

Throughout the school year, students feel the support of their buddies as they participate in school events. Students create signs cheering their buddies on during Pre-K Olympics or spot them performing in the Nutcracker or TTT. Younger children are thrilled to watch their buddies perform, and they are often seen shouting, “That’s my buddy!”

The Buddy Program builds connections that deepen a student’s Trinity Experience and is one of the many ways Trinity cherishes childhood, builds community, and fosters relationships amongst students.

By Julia Lee, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

4

5

Sixth Graders Exemplify

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

LEADERSHIP Through Big Kid/Little Kid Program

By Kate Burton, Sixth Grade Science Teacher

Sixth Grade, Trinity School’s leadership year, is a unique time period that is richly layered with traditions, growth experiences, and lots of fun. Members of our Sixth Grade Leadership Class are 12-year-olds, so what do they know about leadership? And if the whole class is comprised of leaders, who is doing the following?

Through Morning Meetings and the Sixth Grade Values classes, Trinity Teachers help students identify their personal values and leadership styles. We practice giving and receiving compliments, and we talk a great deal about how to be part of a community.

More than an hour each rotation is intentionally focused on building leadership in our students. But of the multiple leadership building opportunities that Trinity Teachers present to the Leadership Class, it is the Big Kid/Little Kid Program, the time Sixth Graders spend with Early Elementary Division students each “D” day, that has one of the greatest impacts on who they are as leaders.

Each Early Elementary class, from Early Learners through First Grade, is assigned two or three Sixth Graders who are the class’s Big Kids throughout the year. The process behind assigning Big Kids to Little Kids is very intentional. At the beginning of the year, the program is explained to Sixth Graders, who then rank their interest in working with a certain grade or classroom.

Utilizing those rankings, the teachers then match Sixth Graders to classrooms according to their talents and strengths.

Big Kids’ responsibilities include sitting with their Little Kids during Trinity 6

Together Time (TTT) and spending time with them in their classrooms. As Big Kids, Sixth Graders act as role models for attentive listening during TTT, and then their time with Little Kids may mean helping a class go to music class, presenting to First Graders about the Georgia coast, or even helping to lead a Morning Meeting.

Sixth Graders are encouraged to look for ways they can help the younger students find their own paths toward leadership.

And while each group of Sixth Graders is unique, one thing remains the same each year: a bond is formed between the Big Kids and Little Kids, and each group shows more maturity and cohesion within the Trinity community because of that bond.

Pre-K student Clara says, “I like playing with them.”

Sixth Grader Reilly says, “I like how excited they get and how they shout my name whenever they see me.”

But really, does all this activity mean that our Sixth Graders are being leaders?

The answer is yes, and we see it every day in their actions and words.

For example, I was recently stopped by a Pre-K teacher. She wanted me to know how helpful one of our Sixth Graders had been with a Pre-K student who was distressed after the contents of his bookbag fell out as he was heading to his classroom.

The student was struggling to refill his bag when a Sixth Grade boy noticed and stopped to help him. The Sixth Grader then walked the little boy to his classroom and happily chatted with him about his

weekend to distract him from the tears he had been shedding. The Pre-K teacher wanted us to know about this kindness, how this Sixth Grader saw someone who needed help and stepped in.

The late Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century, said, “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”

The Big Kid/Little Kid Program is an opportunity for our Sixth Graders to have a real impact on our younger students’ lives. No one understands the needs of a Trinity student quite like another Trinity student. Our oldest students are finishing the journey that our younger students are starting. The Sixth Graders pass on a legacy of leadership as they model positivity, responsibility, respect, motivation, initiative, and kindness.

Donning their cobalt blue shirts, our Sixth Graders send a visual reminder of their leadership role every day. The choices they make and the actions they take demonstrate that they take this responsibility seriously, whether they are working one-on-one with their Little Kids, presenting in front of their entire Little Kids’ classroom, or helping students pick up items that were dropped during carpool.

As the Big Kid/Little Kid Program proves, the best way to learn how to be a leader is by leading.

Sixth Grader Cristiano says, “My sister has two kids about the age of the Pre-K students, and I love spending time with them. Being with the Pre-K students reminds me of my family.”

7

Sixth Graders Exemplify

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

LEADERSHIP Through Big Kid/Little Kid Program

By Kate Burton, Sixth Grade Science Teacher

Sixth Grade, Trinity School’s leadership year, is a unique time period that is richly layered with traditions, growth experiences, and lots of fun. Members of our Sixth Grade Leadership Class are 12-year-olds, so what do they know about leadership? And if the whole class is comprised of leaders, who is doing the following?

Through Morning Meetings and the Sixth Grade Values classes, Trinity Teachers help students identify their personal values and leadership styles. We practice giving and receiving compliments, and we talk a great deal about how to be part of a community.

More than an hour each rotation is intentionally focused on building leadership in our students. But of the multiple leadership building opportunities that Trinity Teachers present to the Leadership Class, it is the Big Kid/Little Kid Program, the time Sixth Graders spend with Early Elementary Division students each “D” day, that has one of the greatest impacts on who they are as leaders.

Each Early Elementary class, from Early Learners through First Grade, is assigned two or three Sixth Graders who are the class’s Big Kids throughout the year. The process behind assigning Big Kids to Little Kids is very intentional. At the beginning of the year, the program is explained to Sixth Graders, who then rank their interest in working with a certain grade or classroom.

Utilizing those rankings, the teachers then match Sixth Graders to classrooms according to their talents and strengths.

Big Kids’ responsibilities include sitting with their Little Kids during Trinity 6

Together Time (TTT) and spending time with them in their classrooms. As Big Kids, Sixth Graders act as role models for attentive listening during TTT, and then their time with Little Kids may mean helping a class go to music class, presenting to First Graders about the Georgia coast, or even helping to lead a Morning Meeting.

Sixth Graders are encouraged to look for ways they can help the younger students find their own paths toward leadership.

And while each group of Sixth Graders is unique, one thing remains the same each year: a bond is formed between the Big Kids and Little Kids, and each group shows more maturity and cohesion within the Trinity community because of that bond.

Pre-K student Clara says, “I like playing with them.”

Sixth Grader Reilly says, “I like how excited they get and how they shout my name whenever they see me.”

But really, does all this activity mean that our Sixth Graders are being leaders?

The answer is yes, and we see it every day in their actions and words.

For example, I was recently stopped by a Pre-K teacher. She wanted me to know how helpful one of our Sixth Graders had been with a Pre-K student who was distressed after the contents of his bookbag fell out as he was heading to his classroom.

The student was struggling to refill his bag when a Sixth Grade boy noticed and stopped to help him. The Sixth Grader then walked the little boy to his classroom and happily chatted with him about his

weekend to distract him from the tears he had been shedding. The Pre-K teacher wanted us to know about this kindness, how this Sixth Grader saw someone who needed help and stepped in.

The late Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century, said, “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”

The Big Kid/Little Kid Program is an opportunity for our Sixth Graders to have a real impact on our younger students’ lives. No one understands the needs of a Trinity student quite like another Trinity student. Our oldest students are finishing the journey that our younger students are starting. The Sixth Graders pass on a legacy of leadership as they model positivity, responsibility, respect, motivation, initiative, and kindness.

Donning their cobalt blue shirts, our Sixth Graders send a visual reminder of their leadership role every day. The choices they make and the actions they take demonstrate that they take this responsibility seriously, whether they are working one-on-one with their Little Kids, presenting in front of their entire Little Kids’ classroom, or helping students pick up items that were dropped during carpool.

As the Big Kid/Little Kid Program proves, the best way to learn how to be a leader is by leading.

Sixth Grader Cristiano says, “My sister has two kids about the age of the Pre-K students, and I love spending time with them. Being with the Pre-K students reminds me of my family.”

7

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

Morning Meetings

Set the Stage for Joyful Learning

By Second Grade Lead Teacher Kathy Bruyn, Fourth Grade Lead Teacher Brooke Ovorus, and First Grade Lead Teacher Julianne Schaaf

Foster a sense of belonging, build selfconfidence, and reinforce learning – these are all important goals for the elementary school classroom. The introduction of Morning Meeting in the fall of 2014 as a way to start the day has focused on all three of these important goals. Through a strategically structured Morning Meeting, each Trinity Teacher has been able to create

8

a space in the classroom that encourages the growth of important social skills that students will need in the future. By participating in the four parts of a Morning Meeting—greeting, sharing, group activity, and morning message—classrooms have evolved into high-functioning learning environments where community, trust, and respect flourish.

Greeting Beginning with a greeting, students welcome each other by name in clever ways: with a funny handshake, roll of a ball, or rhythmic tune. “Say my name” is a favorite greeting among Second Graders, who enjoy using silly voices that their peers will in turn repeat to greet them. Another

favorite is the Skip Two Greeting, during which each student takes a turn going around the circle, skipping two classmates and greeting the third with a handshake and a “Good morning, student’s name.”

This is a favorite among First Graders because they like to predict who will be the last one standing. The greeting gives each student the opportunity to be welcomed by name and helps starts the day in a positive and inclusive way.

Sharing Sharing immediately follows the greeting.

Communication is one of the “Four Cs” of 21st Century Learning, and students have the chance to practice this skill during this part of Morning Meeting. First Graders practice speaking and listening skills during a sharing game. A student shares three things on a topic of his or her choice and then places one chip down for each detail shared. Another student then uses the chips to respond with what he or she heard. A great way to practice appreciation and learn how to make classmates feel good is a Compliment Circle. In this sharing activity, each student has the chance to give or receive a compliment from his or her peers. Each compliment begins with, “I appreciate you because.” Less informal

sharing can also occur when students volunteer to share an entry from their writer’s notebook, present an independent research project, or show an artifact they brought in from a family trip. Social and emotional intelligence is nurtured, and the students begin to practice and use communication skills in their academic work and social relationships.

First Grader Ava says, “Morning Meeting is a great way to stretch out your mind and to focus on what someone is saying and doing. And it helps you focus on what is coming next.”

Group Activity During the group activity, students can be in charge of selecting or creating a short activity for the class or a teacher can lead an academic game to reinforce an aspect of the curriculum. This is also an opportunity for character education as students can practice determination, team building, and empathy. Singing, dancing, and performing yoga are just a few examples of group activities to get adrenaline flowing at the start of the day.

Morning Message Morning Meeting concludes with a message to focus students on the goals and structure of the day. Students enjoy knowing what is ahead, and teachers enjoy having the opportunity to focus students on skills they have learned or will learn that day.

When asked how they feel about the implementation of Morning Meetings, students agree; they love them.

Fourth Grader William says, “At first I felt nervous when I talked in front of groups, now I really enjoy it.”

Morning Meeting sets the stage for a successful social environment in the classroom that positively affects students’ behavior, academic work, and overall outcomes inside and outside the classroom.

At Trinity, we share the belief that children learn best when they feel a sense of belonging and purpose in a safe and joyful learning community.

If you would like to learn more about Morning Meetings, please check out the Responsive Classroom’s 80 Morning Meeting Ideas books for different grade levels that are utilized by Trinity Teachers.

9

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

Morning Meetings

Set the Stage for Joyful Learning

By Second Grade Lead Teacher Kathy Bruyn, Fourth Grade Lead Teacher Brooke Ovorus, and First Grade Lead Teacher Julianne Schaaf

Foster a sense of belonging, build selfconfidence, and reinforce learning – these are all important goals for the elementary school classroom. The introduction of Morning Meeting in the fall of 2014 as a way to start the day has focused on all three of these important goals. Through a strategically structured Morning Meeting, each Trinity Teacher has been able to create

8

a space in the classroom that encourages the growth of important social skills that students will need in the future. By participating in the four parts of a Morning Meeting—greeting, sharing, group activity, and morning message—classrooms have evolved into high-functioning learning environments where community, trust, and respect flourish.

Greeting Beginning with a greeting, students welcome each other by name in clever ways: with a funny handshake, roll of a ball, or rhythmic tune. “Say my name” is a favorite greeting among Second Graders, who enjoy using silly voices that their peers will in turn repeat to greet them. Another

favorite is the Skip Two Greeting, during which each student takes a turn going around the circle, skipping two classmates and greeting the third with a handshake and a “Good morning, student’s name.”

This is a favorite among First Graders because they like to predict who will be the last one standing. The greeting gives each student the opportunity to be welcomed by name and helps starts the day in a positive and inclusive way.

Sharing Sharing immediately follows the greeting.

Communication is one of the “Four Cs” of 21st Century Learning, and students have the chance to practice this skill during this part of Morning Meeting. First Graders practice speaking and listening skills during a sharing game. A student shares three things on a topic of his or her choice and then places one chip down for each detail shared. Another student then uses the chips to respond with what he or she heard. A great way to practice appreciation and learn how to make classmates feel good is a Compliment Circle. In this sharing activity, each student has the chance to give or receive a compliment from his or her peers. Each compliment begins with, “I appreciate you because.” Less informal

sharing can also occur when students volunteer to share an entry from their writer’s notebook, present an independent research project, or show an artifact they brought in from a family trip. Social and emotional intelligence is nurtured, and the students begin to practice and use communication skills in their academic work and social relationships.

First Grader Ava says, “Morning Meeting is a great way to stretch out your mind and to focus on what someone is saying and doing. And it helps you focus on what is coming next.”

Group Activity During the group activity, students can be in charge of selecting or creating a short activity for the class or a teacher can lead an academic game to reinforce an aspect of the curriculum. This is also an opportunity for character education as students can practice determination, team building, and empathy. Singing, dancing, and performing yoga are just a few examples of group activities to get adrenaline flowing at the start of the day.

Morning Message Morning Meeting concludes with a message to focus students on the goals and structure of the day. Students enjoy knowing what is ahead, and teachers enjoy having the opportunity to focus students on skills they have learned or will learn that day.

When asked how they feel about the implementation of Morning Meetings, students agree; they love them.

Fourth Grader William says, “At first I felt nervous when I talked in front of groups, now I really enjoy it.”

Morning Meeting sets the stage for a successful social environment in the classroom that positively affects students’ behavior, academic work, and overall outcomes inside and outside the classroom.

At Trinity, we share the belief that children learn best when they feel a sense of belonging and purpose in a safe and joyful learning community.

If you would like to learn more about Morning Meetings, please check out the Responsive Classroom’s 80 Morning Meeting Ideas books for different grade levels that are utilized by Trinity Teachers.

9

A Multidisciplinary Learning Space

By Lauren Rose, Science Teacher

At Trinity School, students have the opportunity to participate in true farmto-table initiatives every fall and spring.

A beloved part of the curriculum, the Trinity Garden includes raised garden boxes, a bunny- and deer-proof fence, and a rain barrel, allowing the garden to thrive throughout the seasons. The garden provides an ideal environment for multidisciplinary learning, from science and nutrition to art, math, and social studies. What began as a small plot in 2003 has grown into the outdoor learning space the garden is today.

Early Elementary Division students begin the school year learning about plant life and the differences between root and leaf vegetables. They plant radishes, lettuces, cabbage, and carrots in late September and harvest them in early November. Upper Elementary Division students repeat this process in the spring and also plant sweet potatoes that will grow over the summer.

The harvested vegetables are enjoyed by all members of the Trinity community, from the student farmers who plant the produce to the Flik chefs who incorporate them into the lunch menu. At Trinity, students are growing their learning and environmental awareness while growing the School’s garden.

“I liked the taste of the cabbage that we grew,” says Early Learner Ethan.

Additionally, Early Learners reinforce their study of the five senses in the garden, where there is always rosemary to smell and lamb’s ear to touch. Pre-K students use the garden to study camouflage by creating animal figures that they hide amongst the plants and to study how water is absorbed and repelled. Kindergartners use the garden to study germs, worms, and butterflies.

“By using our wonderful Trinity Garden for several lessons, the students’ natural curiosity and being in a familiar environment create an amazing experience in which both wonder and discovery explode into exciting ‘aha!’ moments,” says Science Teacher Thalia Scott.

One of the many goals of the Trinity School science curriculum is to expose students to a variety of topics and experiences that include planting, harvesting, and tasting food straight from

10

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

The Trinity Garden: the ground. Students have the opportunity to put on gloves, dig in the soil, and get messy! Some of the students’ favorite memories from work in the garden are doing things out of the ordinary for them, like pulling weeds and watering.

“By using our wonderful Trinity Garden for several lessons, the students’ natural curiosity and being in a familiar environment create an amazing experience in which both wonder and discovery explode into exciting ‘aha!’ moments,” says Science Teacher Thalia Scott.

“I really liked weeding in the garden because it’s fun getting dirty,” says Fourth Grader Max. There’s something special about putting a seed in the ground and a few months later pulling out a vegetable and eating it. These experiences support our science curriculum in many ways, including the study of the needs and lifecycles of plants.

11

A Multidisciplinary Learning Space

By Lauren Rose, Science Teacher

At Trinity School, students have the opportunity to participate in true farmto-table initiatives every fall and spring.

A beloved part of the curriculum, the Trinity Garden includes raised garden boxes, a bunny- and deer-proof fence, and a rain barrel, allowing the garden to thrive throughout the seasons. The garden provides an ideal environment for multidisciplinary learning, from science and nutrition to art, math, and social studies. What began as a small plot in 2003 has grown into the outdoor learning space the garden is today.

Early Elementary Division students begin the school year learning about plant life and the differences between root and leaf vegetables. They plant radishes, lettuces, cabbage, and carrots in late September and harvest them in early November. Upper Elementary Division students repeat this process in the spring and also plant sweet potatoes that will grow over the summer.

The harvested vegetables are enjoyed by all members of the Trinity community, from the student farmers who plant the produce to the Flik chefs who incorporate them into the lunch menu. At Trinity, students are growing their learning and environmental awareness while growing the School’s garden.

“I liked the taste of the cabbage that we grew,” says Early Learner Ethan.

Additionally, Early Learners reinforce their study of the five senses in the garden, where there is always rosemary to smell and lamb’s ear to touch. Pre-K students use the garden to study camouflage by creating animal figures that they hide amongst the plants and to study how water is absorbed and repelled. Kindergartners use the garden to study germs, worms, and butterflies.

“By using our wonderful Trinity Garden for several lessons, the students’ natural curiosity and being in a familiar environment create an amazing experience in which both wonder and discovery explode into exciting ‘aha!’ moments,” says Science Teacher Thalia Scott.

One of the many goals of the Trinity School science curriculum is to expose students to a variety of topics and experiences that include planting, harvesting, and tasting food straight from

10

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

The Trinity Garden: the ground. Students have the opportunity to put on gloves, dig in the soil, and get messy! Some of the students’ favorite memories from work in the garden are doing things out of the ordinary for them, like pulling weeds and watering.

“By using our wonderful Trinity Garden for several lessons, the students’ natural curiosity and being in a familiar environment create an amazing experience in which both wonder and discovery explode into exciting ‘aha!’ moments,” says Science Teacher Thalia Scott.

“I really liked weeding in the garden because it’s fun getting dirty,” says Fourth Grader Max. There’s something special about putting a seed in the ground and a few months later pulling out a vegetable and eating it. These experiences support our science curriculum in many ways, including the study of the needs and lifecycles of plants.

11

STUDENTS

Share More than Stories

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Meeting visiting authors and storytellers is an important part of Trinity students’ educational experience. These special visitors to the School’s campus bring stories to life, educate students on the creative process and importance of writing, encourage discussions about different cultural and social perspectives, demonstrate that writing can be a career choice, and ultimately inspire creative writing and reading for pleasure. After visits, media specialists notice an increase in library use and in reading selection diversity.

“We learned that all living things need food, water, shelter, and space. At first I didn’t know that this also included plants,” says Third Grader Lexi.

Our older students have the opportunity to be adventurous; to try new foods; to use unfamiliar tools, like rakes and trowels; and to physically care for the seeds they put into the ground.

Second Grader Celeste says, “I never thought I would like radishes! I’m going to ask my mom to buy them.”

To understand watersheds and runoff, Fifth Graders shape unplanted garden beds into mountains and gullies and then make it “rain” using a watering can. Students see rivers and lakes form as the dirt is worn away into channels and the water collects in the lowlands. They also see erosion as the sides of the mountains give way and their lakes fill with muddy water.

12

Gardening supports not only student learning in the classroom, but also lifelong

learning. Children learn how to take responsibility for their environment and become members of a greater community.

The garden also provides students with knowledge of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Through gardening, students try new foods and learn how to eat a balanced diet. Research on school gardens also implies positive changes in student attitudes. Providing opportunities for non-conventional learning, beyond the classroom, allows all students to thrive.

The Trinity School Parents’ Association Garden Committee plays an active role in the success of the garden. The Committee’s goals are to teach all the students at Trinity about prepping, planting, and growing healthy whole food; to provide students the opportunity to watch the plants grow and taste food straight from the garden; to supplement the cafeteria with fresh produce; and to use the garden as a vehicle to teach students about multiple disciplines using an outdoor, hands-on approach.

Garden Committee Co-Chair Kathy Forte believes the investment the School and TPSA has put into the garden program has come back ten-fold.

“There is so much opportunity for students to learn in a garden,” says Forte.

“From seeing how plants grow and where our food originates to watching a seed turn into a plant and become a big radish.

It’s all part of a great program. One teacher told me she had a student tell her that the garden is her favorite part about Trinity. How awesome is that?

“The garden also provides a beautiful and calm outdoor space,” she adds. “It’s therapeutic for everyone.”

The Trinity Garden is a wonderful place for risk-taking, learning, and growing.

With continued support from the teachers, administrators, and parents, the garden will continue to provide unique learning opportunities for years to come.

“Having the great privilege of hosting authors for elementary students is tremendously fulfilling; the excitement on the students’ faces is uplifting,” says Head Media Specialist Myra Morrison. “There is much that can be learned from this kind of exceptional experience. Not only do authors bring books and the art and process of writing to life for students, but they also instill their personal love of reading in students. And if they tell a story, oh my, what a great deal can be learned by just being quiet and listening, in between big belly laughs, of course!”

“I tell them stories, but the children tell me their stories as well. It is that symbiosis that creates the final piece of the puzzle for me.”

for playing a role in the democratization of America, but also for the escape they provided her as a child.

With more than 20 years’ experience telling stories to hundreds of thousands of children, Deedy captivates her Trinity audiences with her flair for storytelling. When asked if she considers herself a writer or a storyteller, Deedy states that she no longer feels that the two roles are mutually exclusive.

“It [the library] was a place where I found sanctuary,” says Deedy. “My childhood was not easy. I was a poor child, a refugee, a weird, goofy kid, and the library was a place where I made friends…with Stuart Little, Charlotte and Wilbur, Amelia Bedelia, Encyclopedia Brown, and the Boxcar children.

“I used to separate the oral and the writing,” she says. “When I am using the written word to narrate a story, the language and construction are different because you are not there to give intonation, expression, and physical movement. Now, I feel like I am becoming a writer who can tell a good story.”

The author, who was born in Cuba, grew up in Decatur, and now lives in Stone Mountain, says that libraries have always been important to her. Not only for providing free access to knowledge and

STUDENTS

Visiting Authors

“In the pages of books, I had friends who were constant, whose fealty was proven over and over again. The library was as close to heaven as a poor kid could ever get.”

The acclaimed author faced other challenges growing up. Diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, Deedy says that she could always tell there was something “not quite right” in the way she learned as a child. Yet she won a writing contest in the Sixth Grade that showed her the power of words.

This school year, Trinity School has hosted two authors, Carmen Agra Deedy and Christina Geist.

Deedy, the author of 10 children’s books, who has visited Trinity’s campus a half a dozen times, presented to students, faculty, and staff in November. Deedy’s love for children is the reason she visits schools.

“I feel that as I try to connect with the world and remember my own place in the world as a child, being with the students is an infusion of sensory memories, of sights and smells,” she says. “Watching children play games and say extraordinary things, they strip you of polish. They keep you fresh and real and bring out your authentic self.

13

STUDENTS

Share More than Stories

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Meeting visiting authors and storytellers is an important part of Trinity students’ educational experience. These special visitors to the School’s campus bring stories to life, educate students on the creative process and importance of writing, encourage discussions about different cultural and social perspectives, demonstrate that writing can be a career choice, and ultimately inspire creative writing and reading for pleasure. After visits, media specialists notice an increase in library use and in reading selection diversity.

“We learned that all living things need food, water, shelter, and space. At first I didn’t know that this also included plants,” says Third Grader Lexi.

Our older students have the opportunity to be adventurous; to try new foods; to use unfamiliar tools, like rakes and trowels; and to physically care for the seeds they put into the ground.

Second Grader Celeste says, “I never thought I would like radishes! I’m going to ask my mom to buy them.”

To understand watersheds and runoff, Fifth Graders shape unplanted garden beds into mountains and gullies and then make it “rain” using a watering can. Students see rivers and lakes form as the dirt is worn away into channels and the water collects in the lowlands. They also see erosion as the sides of the mountains give way and their lakes fill with muddy water.

12

Gardening supports not only student learning in the classroom, but also lifelong

learning. Children learn how to take responsibility for their environment and become members of a greater community.

The garden also provides students with knowledge of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Through gardening, students try new foods and learn how to eat a balanced diet. Research on school gardens also implies positive changes in student attitudes. Providing opportunities for non-conventional learning, beyond the classroom, allows all students to thrive.

The Trinity School Parents’ Association Garden Committee plays an active role in the success of the garden. The Committee’s goals are to teach all the students at Trinity about prepping, planting, and growing healthy whole food; to provide students the opportunity to watch the plants grow and taste food straight from the garden; to supplement the cafeteria with fresh produce; and to use the garden as a vehicle to teach students about multiple disciplines using an outdoor, hands-on approach.

Garden Committee Co-Chair Kathy Forte believes the investment the School and TPSA has put into the garden program has come back ten-fold.

“There is so much opportunity for students to learn in a garden,” says Forte.

“From seeing how plants grow and where our food originates to watching a seed turn into a plant and become a big radish.

It’s all part of a great program. One teacher told me she had a student tell her that the garden is her favorite part about Trinity. How awesome is that?

“The garden also provides a beautiful and calm outdoor space,” she adds. “It’s therapeutic for everyone.”

The Trinity Garden is a wonderful place for risk-taking, learning, and growing.

With continued support from the teachers, administrators, and parents, the garden will continue to provide unique learning opportunities for years to come.

“Having the great privilege of hosting authors for elementary students is tremendously fulfilling; the excitement on the students’ faces is uplifting,” says Head Media Specialist Myra Morrison. “There is much that can be learned from this kind of exceptional experience. Not only do authors bring books and the art and process of writing to life for students, but they also instill their personal love of reading in students. And if they tell a story, oh my, what a great deal can be learned by just being quiet and listening, in between big belly laughs, of course!”

“I tell them stories, but the children tell me their stories as well. It is that symbiosis that creates the final piece of the puzzle for me.”

for playing a role in the democratization of America, but also for the escape they provided her as a child.

With more than 20 years’ experience telling stories to hundreds of thousands of children, Deedy captivates her Trinity audiences with her flair for storytelling. When asked if she considers herself a writer or a storyteller, Deedy states that she no longer feels that the two roles are mutually exclusive.

“It [the library] was a place where I found sanctuary,” says Deedy. “My childhood was not easy. I was a poor child, a refugee, a weird, goofy kid, and the library was a place where I made friends…with Stuart Little, Charlotte and Wilbur, Amelia Bedelia, Encyclopedia Brown, and the Boxcar children.

“I used to separate the oral and the writing,” she says. “When I am using the written word to narrate a story, the language and construction are different because you are not there to give intonation, expression, and physical movement. Now, I feel like I am becoming a writer who can tell a good story.”

The author, who was born in Cuba, grew up in Decatur, and now lives in Stone Mountain, says that libraries have always been important to her. Not only for providing free access to knowledge and

STUDENTS

Visiting Authors

“In the pages of books, I had friends who were constant, whose fealty was proven over and over again. The library was as close to heaven as a poor kid could ever get.”

The acclaimed author faced other challenges growing up. Diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, Deedy says that she could always tell there was something “not quite right” in the way she learned as a child. Yet she won a writing contest in the Sixth Grade that showed her the power of words.

This school year, Trinity School has hosted two authors, Carmen Agra Deedy and Christina Geist.

Deedy, the author of 10 children’s books, who has visited Trinity’s campus a half a dozen times, presented to students, faculty, and staff in November. Deedy’s love for children is the reason she visits schools.

“I feel that as I try to connect with the world and remember my own place in the world as a child, being with the students is an infusion of sensory memories, of sights and smells,” she says. “Watching children play games and say extraordinary things, they strip you of polish. They keep you fresh and real and bring out your authentic self.

13

Despite this victory and the epiphany it provided, in Ninth Grade Deedy was still struggling with the English language. It was an English teacher who showed her what language could do. After Deedy stated that English was hard, the teacher said there were no excuses and provided her with a thin little book, along with a battered dictionary, and made her promise to finish it. Deedy stayed up the entire night reading.

Geist’s husband, Willie, is the anchor of NBC’s Sunday Today with Willie Geist and co-anchor of MSNBC’s Morning Joe. They have two children, a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old. Because of Willie’s early schedule, their bedtime and morning routines look different than the typical American family. Illustrated by Tim Bowers, Buddy’s Bedtime Battery was inspired by the couple’s son and their goal of savoring their children’s childhood, including the sometimes difficult bedtime routine.

“There were these battling clans, there was murder; it was a Ninth Grader’s dream,” she says. “I asked my teacher if the author wrote anything else, and she said, ‘Macbeth was not his greatest work,’ and she gave me another book. She could have assessed me and dumbed me down several levels, but instead she opened up a new world to me. She saw me as something more than an accent. She saw a brain and a mind behind that. She took a chance on showing me what words could do when they are strung together.”

“I actually wrote 10 stories initially,” says Geist. “I have always had stories dancing around in my head, since I was little. It is not unusual for me to see a story wherever I go. This story represents an honest look at what goes on at home with a toddler.

How bedtime can be a really trying time of day, and how it is sometimes hard to find the fun energy and tap into your child’s imaginary world when you are sort of over it and just want everyone to settle down.

We aspire to do this as parents, and some days are better than others.

Today, Deedy’s newest book, The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet, has already received starred reviews from Publisher Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and the seasoned author has some sage advice for children who want to become writers.

“It [the powering down] is also a real technique called progressive muscle relaxation, which can be utilized at bedtime,” she adds. “I am not a child development or a sleep expert, but I have children and I’ve lost a lot of sleep! This book is just one more tool in a parent’s bedtime toolbox.”

“You need the hunger for knowledge,” she says. “Writers are readers. Not once have I known it to be otherwise. To write good books, you need to read great books.”

For more information about Carmen Agra Deedy, visit carmenagradeedy.com.

14

Christina Geist, Trinity’s other visiting author this year, is new to the world of children’s books, and she is already making her mark in the writing world. Ranked third in sales for all books on Amazon.com in its first week, her first book, Buddy’s Bedtime Battery, was published in September.

“Some students have this natural inclination to write, and if that is your way of communicating, you can steer yourself to certain careers and make writing a part of your path, a part of your job. I feel like if you can write well that you can do anything in life, even in this technology-driven world.”

For more information about Christina Geist, visit christinageist.com.

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

During her visit to Trinity, Geist introduced students to robot-loving Buddy and the process for “powering down” his body from head to toe for bedtime. After an animated reading of her book, the author also explained the process of developing an idea into a published book to a captivated audience of Early Elementary Division students.

Geist, who runs two businesses in addition to being a wife, a mom, and a published author, says that it is important to make time to write and tell your story.

Geist, who runs two businesses in addition to being a wife, a mom, and a published author, says that it is important to make time to write and tell your story.

“It is not easy to sit down and write something, especially if you have another job,” Geist says. “But if you have ideas or characters in your mind or your heart that you cannot shake, you owe it to yourself to let them come to life. It’s your way of expressing yourself.

15

Despite this victory and the epiphany it provided, in Ninth Grade Deedy was still struggling with the English language. It was an English teacher who showed her what language could do. After Deedy stated that English was hard, the teacher said there were no excuses and provided her with a thin little book, along with a battered dictionary, and made her promise to finish it. Deedy stayed up the entire night reading.

Geist’s husband, Willie, is the anchor of NBC’s Sunday Today with Willie Geist and co-anchor of MSNBC’s Morning Joe. They have two children, a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old. Because of Willie’s early schedule, their bedtime and morning routines look different than the typical American family. Illustrated by Tim Bowers, Buddy’s Bedtime Battery was inspired by the couple’s son and their goal of savoring their children’s childhood, including the sometimes difficult bedtime routine.

“There were these battling clans, there was murder; it was a Ninth Grader’s dream,” she says. “I asked my teacher if the author wrote anything else, and she said, ‘Macbeth was not his greatest work,’ and she gave me another book. She could have assessed me and dumbed me down several levels, but instead she opened up a new world to me. She saw me as something more than an accent. She saw a brain and a mind behind that. She took a chance on showing me what words could do when they are strung together.”

“I actually wrote 10 stories initially,” says Geist. “I have always had stories dancing around in my head, since I was little. It is not unusual for me to see a story wherever I go. This story represents an honest look at what goes on at home with a toddler.

How bedtime can be a really trying time of day, and how it is sometimes hard to find the fun energy and tap into your child’s imaginary world when you are sort of over it and just want everyone to settle down.

We aspire to do this as parents, and some days are better than others.

Today, Deedy’s newest book, The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet, has already received starred reviews from Publisher Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and the seasoned author has some sage advice for children who want to become writers.

“It [the powering down] is also a real technique called progressive muscle relaxation, which can be utilized at bedtime,” she adds. “I am not a child development or a sleep expert, but I have children and I’ve lost a lot of sleep! This book is just one more tool in a parent’s bedtime toolbox.”

“You need the hunger for knowledge,” she says. “Writers are readers. Not once have I known it to be otherwise. To write good books, you need to read great books.”

For more information about Carmen Agra Deedy, visit carmenagradeedy.com.

14

Christina Geist, Trinity’s other visiting author this year, is new to the world of children’s books, and she is already making her mark in the writing world. Ranked third in sales for all books on Amazon.com in its first week, her first book, Buddy’s Bedtime Battery, was published in September.

“Some students have this natural inclination to write, and if that is your way of communicating, you can steer yourself to certain careers and make writing a part of your path, a part of your job. I feel like if you can write well that you can do anything in life, even in this technology-driven world.”

For more information about Christina Geist, visit christinageist.com.

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

During her visit to Trinity, Geist introduced students to robot-loving Buddy and the process for “powering down” his body from head to toe for bedtime. After an animated reading of her book, the author also explained the process of developing an idea into a published book to a captivated audience of Early Elementary Division students.

Geist, who runs two businesses in addition to being a wife, a mom, and a published author, says that it is important to make time to write and tell your story.

Geist, who runs two businesses in addition to being a wife, a mom, and a published author, says that it is important to make time to write and tell your story.

“It is not easy to sit down and write something, especially if you have another job,” Geist says. “But if you have ideas or characters in your mind or your heart that you cannot shake, you owe it to yourself to let them come to life. It’s your way of expressing yourself.

15

the Mission:

#TrinityReads

Bringing Positive Discipline into the Classroom

By Upper Elementary Division Head Maryellen Berry, School Counselor Sarah Morgan Bonham, and Early Elementary Division Head Rhonda Mitchell

Positive Discipline, a program developed

by Dr. Jane Nelsen, is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs, who believed, according to Nelsen’s book Positive Discipline, that “the primary goal of all human beings is to feel a sense of belonging and significance,” and the challenges we face with children are actually a result of a child’s mistaken belief in how to achieve this. Positive Discipline challenges us to look “below the iceberg” of behavior and examine our own responses and feelings in situations to identify the “mistaken beliefs and goals” underlying a child’s behavior. By establishing clear expectations upfront and approaching misbehaviors from a place of empathy and understanding, we have an opportunity to connect with children to find solutions that build lasting skills.

In 2014, the School began offering Parenting the Positive Discipline Way classes to groups of Trinity parents in response to requests for parenting strategies that complemented the School’s practices. After extensive research on social-emotional and parenting programs, Trinity decided Positive Discipline was a great fit for the School due to its alignment with our mission and philosophy to guide children to become responsible, productive, and compassionate members of the community with experiences that foster mutual respect, trust, and cooperation among students, faculty, and parents. These are values that Trinity faculty, staff, and parents work to instill in their students and children, and Positive Discipline provides the map by which to transform our greatest challenges in raising and educating children into opportunities to build critical life skills over time for long-term success.

16

During the SAIS Self-Study process two years ago, the School identified an opportunity to leverage our strengths of developing a strong character foundation and empowering students by investing time in building a framework that would equip faculty with a research-based understanding of child development as well as common language and practices for guiding that development. In order to build on Trinity’s nurturing and supportive climate and the work teachers instinctively do to foster relationships and connections in the classroom, the School began to explore Nelsen’s Positive Discipline in the Classroom this year. Now faculty members, along with parents, are learning a philosophy and practices that will help us to fulfill our common mission.

Trinity has a long-standing dedication to professional development in order to build upon our curriculum and teaching practices and grow as a community of lifelong learners. In continuing our commitment to equipping teachers and empowering students, Trinity has devoted significant time outside of the school day to more deeply study the practices of Positive Discipline to explore ways to support students’ growth socially and emotionally.

School Counselor Sarah Morgan Bonham, who was certified in Parenting the Positive Discipline Way and Positive Discipline in the Classroom in 2014 and 2015, has partnered with Dr. Kelly Gfroerer to provide education and training to faculty and staff over the course of the school year. Gfroerer is the Director of Training and Research for the Positive Discipline Association and consults with parents, educators, and schools across the United States. In addition, Division Heads Maryellen Berry

and Rhonda Mitchell were certified by Gfroerer and Nelsen in November during a two-day intensive Positive Discipline in the Classroom training held at Trinity.

This training was open to educators from all over the world so that Gfroerer and Nelsen could provide ongoing support and coaching to teachers growing in their practice of this approach. The same week, Trinity also had the pleasure of hosting Nelsen as a guest lecturer for parents and educators across Atlanta.

One of the results of looking at the behavior of children is that it has directed us to look at our own beliefs and styles.

Learning how to be both kind and firm to support a student is a hallmark of developing consistent behavioral expectations. On the continuum between kind and firm, most of us lean more to one side or the other and fear the result of the opposite attribute.

Positive Discipline training has shown that one can present an approach that encompasses both kindness and firmness, which results in students’ security in their sense of belonging and in their motivation to make behavioral changes.

As children enter new developmental stages, we, too, must learn how to adjust to support their ever-changing needs.

We will continue to deepen our learning and understanding in the coming years so that we thoughtfully and intentionally integrate our new learning and mindset into the classroom. By educating parents and faculty, we look forward to seeing the power of the parent-teacher partnership come to fruition as we shape the lives of young children together.

Katherine Anderson @KAnderson_PreK “You have to teach the heart before you can reach the head.” – Carter Bayton (PD pg. 78) #TrinityReads 3

Meredith Burris @Meredith30082 Positive Discipline ch 6. “When you check instead of assume, you discover what students are really thinking and feeling…”#TrinityReads 4

Learning takes place in many ways and on different time schedules. When Trinity faculty and staff need more time to work and learn together, we leverage the power of social media. As part of the School’s ongoing professional learning, we are encouraged to participate in virtual book clubs. We use the #TrinityReads hashtag as a catalyst for sharing what we hope others will read and discuss with us.

FACULTY

FACULTY

Sharing

Rhonda Mitchell @rgmteach Positive Discipline and Design Thinking – both are about human-centered problem solving.

“Use curiosity to promote connection.” #TrinityReads 5

April Patton @MsAprilsPreK When students participate in creating solutions… they are more likely to keep to agreements because they have ownership in them. [119] #TrinityReads 3

Nicole King @NicoleNking Connect-Thinking about “Choice Words.” …replace discouraging statements with encouraging and empowering ones (p. 60) #TrinityReads 3

Lauren Kinnard @LaurenKinnard Challenge: strive to connect before correct more often – have already seen this work this year! #TrinityReads #PositiveDiscipline

Javonne Stewart @JavonneS Connection – Just watched a First Grade teacher effectively use the “Bugs and Wishes” strategy.

It really works! #TrinityReads 7

Kristi Story @kstorysquared Extend-This #FeelBetter #DoBetter #TrinityReads

3

Robin Martin @ELButterflies “Kind and firm leaders are realistic about change.” #TrinityReads 1

3

4

17

the Mission:

#TrinityReads

Bringing Positive Discipline into the Classroom

By Upper Elementary Division Head Maryellen Berry, School Counselor Sarah Morgan Bonham, and Early Elementary Division Head Rhonda Mitchell

Positive Discipline, a program developed

by Dr. Jane Nelsen, is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs, who believed, according to Nelsen’s book Positive Discipline, that “the primary goal of all human beings is to feel a sense of belonging and significance,” and the challenges we face with children are actually a result of a child’s mistaken belief in how to achieve this. Positive Discipline challenges us to look “below the iceberg” of behavior and examine our own responses and feelings in situations to identify the “mistaken beliefs and goals” underlying a child’s behavior. By establishing clear expectations upfront and approaching misbehaviors from a place of empathy and understanding, we have an opportunity to connect with children to find solutions that build lasting skills.

In 2014, the School began offering Parenting the Positive Discipline Way classes to groups of Trinity parents in response to requests for parenting strategies that complemented the School’s practices. After extensive research on social-emotional and parenting programs, Trinity decided Positive Discipline was a great fit for the School due to its alignment with our mission and philosophy to guide children to become responsible, productive, and compassionate members of the community with experiences that foster mutual respect, trust, and cooperation among students, faculty, and parents. These are values that Trinity faculty, staff, and parents work to instill in their students and children, and Positive Discipline provides the map by which to transform our greatest challenges in raising and educating children into opportunities to build critical life skills over time for long-term success.

16

During the SAIS Self-Study process two years ago, the School identified an opportunity to leverage our strengths of developing a strong character foundation and empowering students by investing time in building a framework that would equip faculty with a research-based understanding of child development as well as common language and practices for guiding that development. In order to build on Trinity’s nurturing and supportive climate and the work teachers instinctively do to foster relationships and connections in the classroom, the School began to explore Nelsen’s Positive Discipline in the Classroom this year. Now faculty members, along with parents, are learning a philosophy and practices that will help us to fulfill our common mission.

Trinity has a long-standing dedication to professional development in order to build upon our curriculum and teaching practices and grow as a community of lifelong learners. In continuing our commitment to equipping teachers and empowering students, Trinity has devoted significant time outside of the school day to more deeply study the practices of Positive Discipline to explore ways to support students’ growth socially and emotionally.

School Counselor Sarah Morgan Bonham, who was certified in Parenting the Positive Discipline Way and Positive Discipline in the Classroom in 2014 and 2015, has partnered with Dr. Kelly Gfroerer to provide education and training to faculty and staff over the course of the school year. Gfroerer is the Director of Training and Research for the Positive Discipline Association and consults with parents, educators, and schools across the United States. In addition, Division Heads Maryellen Berry

and Rhonda Mitchell were certified by Gfroerer and Nelsen in November during a two-day intensive Positive Discipline in the Classroom training held at Trinity.

This training was open to educators from all over the world so that Gfroerer and Nelsen could provide ongoing support and coaching to teachers growing in their practice of this approach. The same week, Trinity also had the pleasure of hosting Nelsen as a guest lecturer for parents and educators across Atlanta.

One of the results of looking at the behavior of children is that it has directed us to look at our own beliefs and styles.

Learning how to be both kind and firm to support a student is a hallmark of developing consistent behavioral expectations. On the continuum between kind and firm, most of us lean more to one side or the other and fear the result of the opposite attribute.

Positive Discipline training has shown that one can present an approach that encompasses both kindness and firmness, which results in students’ security in their sense of belonging and in their motivation to make behavioral changes.

As children enter new developmental stages, we, too, must learn how to adjust to support their ever-changing needs.

We will continue to deepen our learning and understanding in the coming years so that we thoughtfully and intentionally integrate our new learning and mindset into the classroom. By educating parents and faculty, we look forward to seeing the power of the parent-teacher partnership come to fruition as we shape the lives of young children together.

Katherine Anderson @KAnderson_PreK “You have to teach the heart before you can reach the head.” – Carter Bayton (PD pg. 78) #TrinityReads 3

Meredith Burris @Meredith30082 Positive Discipline ch 6. “When you check instead of assume, you discover what students are really thinking and feeling…”#TrinityReads 4

Learning takes place in many ways and on different time schedules. When Trinity faculty and staff need more time to work and learn together, we leverage the power of social media. As part of the School’s ongoing professional learning, we are encouraged to participate in virtual book clubs. We use the #TrinityReads hashtag as a catalyst for sharing what we hope others will read and discuss with us.

FACULTY

FACULTY

Sharing

Rhonda Mitchell @rgmteach Positive Discipline and Design Thinking – both are about human-centered problem solving.

“Use curiosity to promote connection.” #TrinityReads 5

April Patton @MsAprilsPreK When students participate in creating solutions… they are more likely to keep to agreements because they have ownership in them. [119] #TrinityReads 3

Nicole King @NicoleNking Connect-Thinking about “Choice Words.” …replace discouraging statements with encouraging and empowering ones (p. 60) #TrinityReads 3

Lauren Kinnard @LaurenKinnard Challenge: strive to connect before correct more often – have already seen this work this year! #TrinityReads #PositiveDiscipline

Javonne Stewart @JavonneS Connection – Just watched a First Grade teacher effectively use the “Bugs and Wishes” strategy.

It really works! #TrinityReads 7

Kristi Story @kstorysquared Extend-This #FeelBetter #DoBetter #TrinityReads

3

Robin Martin @ELButterflies “Kind and firm leaders are realistic about change.” #TrinityReads 1

3

4

17

FACULTY

FACULTY

Supporting Diversity,

Equity, and Inclusion at Trinity School

By World Languages Teachers and Diversity Committee Co-Chairs Sarah Meurisse and Gina Quiñones and First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington

Our culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Trinity School encompasses and celebrates multiculturalism, individual value, and a belief that difference is what makes our community unique. This mindset contributes to Trinity’s rich learning environment and encourages our community members to bring their whole selves to school. By having a diverse and inclusive community, Trinity ensures that its students and teachers learn empathy, respect, and acceptance for all individuals and their unique identities, including religious beliefs, family structure, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, class, and learning styles. As part of our school mission, we strive to help children become active, compassionate members of the global society.

Our primary goal is to guide and support our students and all members of our community by helping them answer the following questions.

• Who am I?

18

• How can I be a contributing, supportive member of a community?

These questions provide a framework for the efforts toward a school culture that recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Faculty members have worked closely with Rosetta Lee, a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker, to define what these terms mean in an independent school community.

• Diversity: difference, variety • Equity: providing opportunities and access to all so that every person can achieve his or her full potential.

Equitable treatment involves acknowledging diversity, recognizing and celebrating differences, and eliminating the barriers that prevent the full participation of all persons • Inclusion: feeling a sense of belonging, worthiness, and value in an organization/school As part of teachers’ ongoing professional development, Trinity commits to sending a team to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) each year.

Attending PoCC provides teachers and administrators with multiple opportunities to learn from nationally renowned speakers and to offer their voices and perspectives on a national scale through workshops and affinity groups.

After attending the PoCC for nine years, First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington served on the PoCC Planning Committee in 2016.

Working behind the scenes, Washington received a firsthand look at the amount of preparation and effort that goes into creating this event.

“Each year that I attend this conference, I am inspired by the work teachers around the country are doing to help their school become more inclusive,” says Washington.

“I always leave with a toolkit of resources, information, and ideas that I enjoy sharing with my colleagues and students. Also, one of the biggest highlights for me this year was meeting Georgia’s living legends John Lewis and Hank Aarons.”

For the last two years, World Languages Teacher Lauren Kinnard and World

Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Gina Quiñones have served as PoCC Affinity Group Facilitators.

In 2016, Kinnard guided a group of about 550 white teachers through conversations about how their experience as white people affects the way they understand race and racism and how they interact in their classrooms and schools. Quiñones led a group of about 200 Latino/a educators and administrators through the process of engaging with social issues that affect school communities.

“It has been an invigorating and empowering experience for many reasons, but by far my favorite parts are sharing our stories and enjoying joyful fellowship through song and dance,” says Quiñones.

The following are reflections from some of the other 2016 PoCC attendees.

“You never see with the same lenses after PoCC,” says World Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Sarah Meurisse. “PoCC got to the core of my humanity. Learning dances that our ancestors would have done to unite people and finding how my voice can be of service to others were key gifts that I brought out of the conference.”

“Because of inspiring words from Bryan Stevenson, I am compelled, now more than ever, to be a stronger advocate for all Trinity students, and to stand in the gap for them when they are unable to speak

for themselves,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Nicole King.

In addition to PoCC, faculty members also participate in other off-campus professional development opportunities, including NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute, Master Class in Inclusive Leadership, iChange Collaborative, and BOLD Leadership Summit.

A new initiative, BOLD is an annual gathering of educators of color who are looking to grow in their careers and make an impact on education through leadership of an independent school.

Early Elementary Division Head Rhonda Mitchell is a BOLD Fellow. Last year, she participated in the leadership summit; this year, she will serve as a class leader.

“Over the last decade, independent schools have increasingly evolved to have student bodies and faculty that are more reflective of the communities in which they are located,” says Mitchell. “This diversity in enrollment and teachers provides students the opportunity to learn and develop broader perspectives that will be valuable to them throughout life. The BOLD Summit was designed to develop the skills and networks of new and aspiring leaders in independent schools.

As a participant, I spent a week with current women heads of school and other independent school leaders developing the knowledge and skills important to moving a school forward. This year, I

will participate as a class leader, sharing learnings from my areas of strength so that others can benefit. The BOLD Summit was an affirming experience that provided me with a new level of confidence and practice to serve the Trinity community.”

Additionally, during pre-planning in August, Trinity’s diversity leaders offer in-house professional development to establish mindfulness about the importance of keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of what we do as we prepare to welcome students back to school. Throughout the school year, ongoing professional development opportunities at Trinity offer faculty members opportunities to lead this mission-critical work within our entire school community. Faculty leaders facilitate sessions and offer support to strengthen and expand our day-to-day classroom practices.

In 1963, Trinity School became the first racially integrated private school in Georgia. Today, as a community, we strive to continue to have diversity, equity, and inclusion be an ever-present, integrated part of the school day; to value the power of conversation and dialogue; and to embrace an attitude of continual growth and learning.

19

FACULTY

FACULTY

Supporting Diversity,

Equity, and Inclusion at Trinity School

By World Languages Teachers and Diversity Committee Co-Chairs Sarah Meurisse and Gina Quiñones and First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington

Our culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Trinity School encompasses and celebrates multiculturalism, individual value, and a belief that difference is what makes our community unique. This mindset contributes to Trinity’s rich learning environment and encourages our community members to bring their whole selves to school. By having a diverse and inclusive community, Trinity ensures that its students and teachers learn empathy, respect, and acceptance for all individuals and their unique identities, including religious beliefs, family structure, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, class, and learning styles. As part of our school mission, we strive to help children become active, compassionate members of the global society.

Our primary goal is to guide and support our students and all members of our community by helping them answer the following questions.

• Who am I?

18

• How can I be a contributing, supportive member of a community?

These questions provide a framework for the efforts toward a school culture that recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Faculty members have worked closely with Rosetta Lee, a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker, to define what these terms mean in an independent school community.

• Diversity: difference, variety • Equity: providing opportunities and access to all so that every person can achieve his or her full potential.

Equitable treatment involves acknowledging diversity, recognizing and celebrating differences, and eliminating the barriers that prevent the full participation of all persons • Inclusion: feeling a sense of belonging, worthiness, and value in an organization/school As part of teachers’ ongoing professional development, Trinity commits to sending a team to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) each year.

Attending PoCC provides teachers and administrators with multiple opportunities to learn from nationally renowned speakers and to offer their voices and perspectives on a national scale through workshops and affinity groups.

After attending the PoCC for nine years, First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington served on the PoCC Planning Committee in 2016.

Working behind the scenes, Washington received a firsthand look at the amount of preparation and effort that goes into creating this event.

“Each year that I attend this conference, I am inspired by the work teachers around the country are doing to help their school become more inclusive,” says Washington.

“I always leave with a toolkit of resources, information, and ideas that I enjoy sharing with my colleagues and students. Also, one of the biggest highlights for me this year was meeting Georgia’s living legends John Lewis and Hank Aarons.”

For the last two years, World Languages Teacher Lauren Kinnard and World

Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Gina Quiñones have served as PoCC Affinity Group Facilitators.

In 2016, Kinnard guided a group of about 550 white teachers through conversations about how their experience as white people affects the way they understand race and racism and how they interact in their classrooms and schools. Quiñones led a group of about 200 Latino/a educators and administrators through the process of engaging with social issues that affect school communities.

“It has been an invigorating and empowering experience for many reasons, but by far my favorite parts are sharing our stories and enjoying joyful fellowship through song and dance,” says Quiñones.

The following are reflections from some of the other 2016 PoCC attendees.

“You never see with the same lenses after PoCC,” says World Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Sarah Meurisse. “PoCC got to the core of my humanity. Learning dances that our ancestors would have done to unite people and finding how my voice can be of service to others were key gifts that I brought out of the conference.”

“Because of inspiring words from Bryan Stevenson, I am compelled, now more than ever, to be a stronger advocate for all Trinity students, and to stand in the gap for them when they are unable to speak

for themselves,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Nicole King.

In addition to PoCC, faculty members also participate in other off-campus professional development opportunities, including NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute, Master Class in Inclusive Leadership, iChange Collaborative, and BOLD Leadership Summit.

A new initiative, BOLD is an annual gathering of educators of color who are looking to grow in their careers and make an impact on education through leadership of an independent school.

Early Elementary Division Head Rhonda Mitchell is a BOLD Fellow. Last year, she participated in the leadership summit; this year, she will serve as a class leader.

“Over the last decade, independent schools have increasingly evolved to have student bodies and faculty that are more reflective of the communities in which they are located,” says Mitchell. “This diversity in enrollment and teachers provides students the opportunity to learn and develop broader perspectives that will be valuable to them throughout life. The BOLD Summit was designed to develop the skills and networks of new and aspiring leaders in independent schools.

As a participant, I spent a week with current women heads of school and other independent school leaders developing the knowledge and skills important to moving a school forward. This year, I

will participate as a class leader, sharing learnings from my areas of strength so that others can benefit. The BOLD Summit was an affirming experience that provided me with a new level of confidence and practice to serve the Trinity community.”

Additionally, during pre-planning in August, Trinity’s diversity leaders offer in-house professional development to establish mindfulness about the importance of keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of what we do as we prepare to welcome students back to school. Throughout the school year, ongoing professional development opportunities at Trinity offer faculty members opportunities to lead this mission-critical work within our entire school community. Faculty leaders facilitate sessions and offer support to strengthen and expand our day-to-day classroom practices.

In 1963, Trinity School became the first racially integrated private school in Georgia. Today, as a community, we strive to continue to have diversity, equity, and inclusion be an ever-present, integrated part of the school day; to value the power of conversation and dialogue; and to embrace an attitude of continual growth and learning.

19

PARENTS

PARENTS

An Afternoon

at Neiman Marcus

By Alice Trahant, Director of Special Events and Alumni Relations

Just in time for holiday shopping, Neiman Marcus generously hosted Trinity School’s annual Spotlight on Art Pop-Up Gallery on the main floor of its Lenox Square retail space in Atlanta. The Pop-Up Gallery, which ran throughout the month of October, featured a curated collection of artwork from 28 Spotlight on Art artists and included original canvases and sculptures that ranged from contemporary to realism.

New this year was Spotlight’s Afternoon at Neiman Marcus event, which the store hosted on October 20. Partygoers were treated to a runway show and a brief presentation on the latest fashion and home trends led by Neiman Marcus Public Relations Manager 20

Rebecca Brodnan, Spotlight Artist and New York City-based Fashion Illustrator Inslee Fariss, and celebrated Interior Designer Clary Bosbyshell of Margaux Interiors Limited. Following the presentation, Fariss taught a one-hour illustration class, during which attendees were shown the fundamentals of drawing their own fashion figures.

A fun time was had by all during this special event for the Trinity community. Spotlight on Art would like to thank Neiman Marcus for its continued support and tremendous partnership.

21

PARENTS

PARENTS

An Afternoon

at Neiman Marcus

By Alice Trahant, Director of Special Events and Alumni Relations

Just in time for holiday shopping, Neiman Marcus generously hosted Trinity School’s annual Spotlight on Art Pop-Up Gallery on the main floor of its Lenox Square retail space in Atlanta. The Pop-Up Gallery, which ran throughout the month of October, featured a curated collection of artwork from 28 Spotlight on Art artists and included original canvases and sculptures that ranged from contemporary to realism.

New this year was Spotlight’s Afternoon at Neiman Marcus event, which the store hosted on October 20. Partygoers were treated to a runway show and a brief presentation on the latest fashion and home trends led by Neiman Marcus Public Relations Manager 20

Rebecca Brodnan, Spotlight Artist and New York City-based Fashion Illustrator Inslee Fariss, and celebrated Interior Designer Clary Bosbyshell of Margaux Interiors Limited. Following the presentation, Fariss taught a one-hour illustration class, during which attendees were shown the fundamentals of drawing their own fashion figures.

A fun time was had by all during this special event for the Trinity community. Spotlight on Art would like to thank Neiman Marcus for its continued support and tremendous partnership.

21

A

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.

APPRECIATED ASSETS

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.

B

ALLISON WILLIAMS LEGACY SOCIETY

ALLISON WILLIAMS LEGACY SOCIETY

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

BENEFITS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

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 elementaryonly 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

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 Major Gifts, at 404-760-4407 or ashort@trinityatl.org.

• Will and Estate: remember Trinity with a bequest for a specific dollar amount or with a percentage of an asset

22

23

A

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.

APPRECIATED ASSETS

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.

B

ALLISON WILLIAMS LEGACY SOCIETY

ALLISON WILLIAMS LEGACY SOCIETY

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

BENEFITS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

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 elementaryonly 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

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 Major Gifts, at 404-760-4407 or ashort@trinityatl.org.

• Will and Estate: remember Trinity with a bequest for a specific dollar amount or with a percentage of an asset

22

23

Events

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

Alumni

SPOTLIGHT ON ART ALUMNI AND PARENT OF ALUMNI COCKTAIL RECEPTION Trinity alumni over the age of 21 and parents of alumni were able to beat the crowd to Spotlight on Art’s Cocktails & Canvases when they were invited back to Trinity for a special cocktail hour prior to the start of the full event.

Wine and hors d’oeuvres were served in the Idea Lab and iHub as former classmates and friends and parents of friends caught up on life. For some, it was the first time they were seeing Trinity’s “new” campus. For others, it was the first time they were able to spend time in Trinity’s makerspaces.

SEVENTH GRADE REUNION On a beautiful day in September, members of the Class of 2016 were invited back to school for their first official reunion. Trinity’s youngest alums enjoyed pizza and time on the playground, on the track, and in the new Gaga pit, which they purchased as part of their Class Gift when they departed as Sixth Graders. For some, this was the first time they had seen each other since graduation, and for all, it was a great opportunity to share stories of their new schools.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE BOWLING PARTY Trinity graduates who are now in Seventh or Eighth Grade gathered at Brunswick Zone on a December afternoon for pizza, bowling, and fun with old friends.

There were strikes, spares, and lots of laughs.

24

25

Events

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

Alumni

SPOTLIGHT ON ART ALUMNI AND PARENT OF ALUMNI COCKTAIL RECEPTION Trinity alumni over the age of 21 and parents of alumni were able to beat the crowd to Spotlight on Art’s Cocktails & Canvases when they were invited back to Trinity for a special cocktail hour prior to the start of the full event.

Wine and hors d’oeuvres were served in the Idea Lab and iHub as former classmates and friends and parents of friends caught up on life. For some, it was the first time they were seeing Trinity’s “new” campus. For others, it was the first time they were able to spend time in Trinity’s makerspaces.

SEVENTH GRADE REUNION On a beautiful day in September, members of the Class of 2016 were invited back to school for their first official reunion. Trinity’s youngest alums enjoyed pizza and time on the playground, on the track, and in the new Gaga pit, which they purchased as part of their Class Gift when they departed as Sixth Graders. For some, this was the first time they had seen each other since graduation, and for all, it was a great opportunity to share stories of their new schools.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE BOWLING PARTY Trinity graduates who are now in Seventh or Eighth Grade gathered at Brunswick Zone on a December afternoon for pizza, bowling, and fun with old friends.

There were strikes, spares, and lots of laughs.

24

25

ALUMNI

1

4 2

Somer Rochow Ruggles ’90 and her husband, Mark, welcomed their son, Cash Murphy Ruggles, on December 5, 2016.

2

6

Christy Maddox Haile ‘93 and her husband, Rob, welcomed Louise Freeman Haile on September 16, 2016. She was 6 pounds, 14 ounces and 21 inches long.

6

8

Clay Prickett ‘96 married Ali Gray on May 9, 2015. The couple lives in Atlanta. Clay is an engineer for Thrive Consulting and Ali works in the Alumni Relations Office at The Westminster Schools.

ALUMNI

1

Spalding Nix ’87, owner of Spalding Nix Fine Art, emceed Trinity’s Spotlight on Art live auction on February 11, 2017. As the auctioneer of the event, Spalding helped Trinity School raise an amazing amount of money.

Beth Whitaker Tate ’92 and her husband, Edward, are thrilled to announce the arrival of their identical twin girls, Cochrane Everett Tate and Cannon Miller Tate. Born on November 1, 2017, Cochrane was 5 pounds, 1 ounce and 18 inches long and Cannon was 5 pounds, 5 ounces and 19.125 inches long. They were both named for beloved maternal grandmothers. The twins join big brother Whitaker.

8

4

In Memoriam Josephine (Jo) Culp Williams, wife of Trinity School’s founder, the late Reverend Allison F. Williams, died peacefully on March 23, 2017, surrounded by her family.

She was born in Fort Mill, South Carolina on July 17, 1928, the daughter of Brice Dilmond Culp and Alpha Barnes Culp. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. Jo is survived by her children, Hadyn Williams Culbertson (Mike) and Brice Barnes Williams ’68 (Anne); her grandchildren, Hayes Culbertson, Allyson Hudgins, Tyler Hudgins, Hayden Williams ’03, and Mac Williams ’00; her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Williams Henry; and many nieces and nephews.

26

Mark Bell ’88 was recently promoted to managing principal at Diversified Trust in Atlanta. The company used a national firm when searching for this position. While the results yielded many strong candidates, Mark stood out. He received this promotion after a year at Diversified Trust preceded by time at Brand Bank and Brand Properties. Mark is also an adjunct professor at Emory University.

3

John Symbas ’90 and Anne Compton are engaged to be married. The couple, who live in Atlanta, is planning to wed on July 8, 2017.

3

5

Walter Constantine ’93 and his wife, Lib, welcomed their second son, David Hayes Constantine, on November 11, 2016. David was 4 pounds, 7 ounces. Big brother Denver loves his new role!

7

Kate Nellis Burns ‘95, her husband, Clay, and their son, Brady, welcomed their second child, James “Jay” Parker Burns, on September 2, 2016.

7

9

Emily Hart Cobb Breece ’97 and Brad Breece welcomed their daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Rose Breece, on November 20, 2016.

9

5

27

ALUMNI

1

4 2

Somer Rochow Ruggles ’90 and her husband, Mark, welcomed their son, Cash Murphy Ruggles, on December 5, 2016.

2

6

Christy Maddox Haile ‘93 and her husband, Rob, welcomed Louise Freeman Haile on September 16, 2016. She was 6 pounds, 14 ounces and 21 inches long.

6

8

Clay Prickett ‘96 married Ali Gray on May 9, 2015. The couple lives in Atlanta. Clay is an engineer for Thrive Consulting and Ali works in the Alumni Relations Office at The Westminster Schools.

ALUMNI

1

Spalding Nix ’87, owner of Spalding Nix Fine Art, emceed Trinity’s Spotlight on Art live auction on February 11, 2017. As the auctioneer of the event, Spalding helped Trinity School raise an amazing amount of money.

Beth Whitaker Tate ’92 and her husband, Edward, are thrilled to announce the arrival of their identical twin girls, Cochrane Everett Tate and Cannon Miller Tate. Born on November 1, 2017, Cochrane was 5 pounds, 1 ounce and 18 inches long and Cannon was 5 pounds, 5 ounces and 19.125 inches long. They were both named for beloved maternal grandmothers. The twins join big brother Whitaker.

8

4

In Memoriam Josephine (Jo) Culp Williams, wife of Trinity School’s founder, the late Reverend Allison F. Williams, died peacefully on March 23, 2017, surrounded by her family.

She was born in Fort Mill, South Carolina on July 17, 1928, the daughter of Brice Dilmond Culp and Alpha Barnes Culp. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. Jo is survived by her children, Hadyn Williams Culbertson (Mike) and Brice Barnes Williams ’68 (Anne); her grandchildren, Hayes Culbertson, Allyson Hudgins, Tyler Hudgins, Hayden Williams ’03, and Mac Williams ’00; her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Williams Henry; and many nieces and nephews.

26

Mark Bell ’88 was recently promoted to managing principal at Diversified Trust in Atlanta. The company used a national firm when searching for this position. While the results yielded many strong candidates, Mark stood out. He received this promotion after a year at Diversified Trust preceded by time at Brand Bank and Brand Properties. Mark is also an adjunct professor at Emory University.

3

John Symbas ’90 and Anne Compton are engaged to be married. The couple, who live in Atlanta, is planning to wed on July 8, 2017.

3

5

Walter Constantine ’93 and his wife, Lib, welcomed their second son, David Hayes Constantine, on November 11, 2016. David was 4 pounds, 7 ounces. Big brother Denver loves his new role!

7

Kate Nellis Burns ‘95, her husband, Clay, and their son, Brady, welcomed their second child, James “Jay” Parker Burns, on September 2, 2016.

7

9

Emily Hart Cobb Breece ’97 and Brad Breece welcomed their daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Rose Breece, on November 20, 2016.

9

5

27

Ben Beilman ’02, a violin soloist who is a recipient of the prestigious 2014 BorlettiBuitoni Trust Fellowship, a 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a 2012 London Music Masters Award, recently performed the violin solo from Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

10

Maria Coyne ’05 just released an EP with her band, Maria and the Coins.

12

Mary Caroline Hunt ’03 married Neal Davis in Atlanta on April 9, 2016. Neal is from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the couple met at Auburn University.

Kathryn Jungman ’02 married Sahil Saini in Houston, Texas, on December 3, 2016.

11 11

14

Emily Grien ’02 married Chase Warden on November 12, 2016, in Highlands, North Carolina. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kate Heyer ’02 married Ryan Mandrell on October 29, 2016, in New York City.

13 13

28

14

Blake Gillikin ’10 and Grant Haley ’08 play football for Penn State. Both Blake and Grant had great seasons for the Nittany Lions. They were instrumental in Penn State’s successful season and win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, sending the team to the Rose Bowl.

12

Molly Coyne ’02 is moving to New York City to pursue acting.

Mary Hipp ’00 married Reid Rogers on October 22, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Michael Russell ’06 graduated from University of Virginia and is now working for the NBA in Los Angeles.

Stuart Hunt ’03 married Eleanor Alby on November 5, 2016.

Tyler Bass ’11 has signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Christian Bradley ’11 has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Emory University in Atlanta.

Sydney Simmons ’11 will continue her soccer career at Davidson College in North Carolina, where she has signed to play with the Wildcats in the fall.

Jillian Carroll ’12 had an extraordinary experience at Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts. During the 2015 graduation, she received the Founders’ Medal, which is Fay School’s prestigious award that is presented to the member of the graduating class who has excelled with respect to academics average, rating, and citizenship.

Jillian remembers Trinity School as a very special place that prepared her to meet the challenges she has faced since graduating in 2012. Today, Jillian continues to represent Trinity well. She is a junior at Deerfield Academy located in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

15

Catherine Cole ’12 is a Girl Scout in Troop 333. To earn her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive, she is working on a project focused on education, empowerment, and outreach. Catherine has spoken to many younger students about environmental issues that affect a range of animals, and she is trying to empower students to take a stand for what they care about. As part of her outreach and sustainability efforts, Catherine has built a number of bluebird houses. She recently donated three to Trinity and is excited to see them put to use on campus.

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

10

Katherine Bell Hill ’98 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their first son, Connor Matthew Hill, on March 31, 2016.

Katherine recently finished her residency training in pediatrics and joined the faculty of Stanford School of Medicine as a clinical instructor of adolescent medicine.

15

Ellie Munson ’13 and her friend Libby Mitchell were selected to participate in the 2016–17 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year Fundraising Campaign.

This entails raising $40,000 for Blood Cancer Research during a six-week campaign that supports families and scientific research to help increase blood cancer survival rates.

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

29

Ben Beilman ’02, a violin soloist who is a recipient of the prestigious 2014 BorlettiBuitoni Trust Fellowship, a 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a 2012 London Music Masters Award, recently performed the violin solo from Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

10

Maria Coyne ’05 just released an EP with her band, Maria and the Coins.

12

Mary Caroline Hunt ’03 married Neal Davis in Atlanta on April 9, 2016. Neal is from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the couple met at Auburn University.

Kathryn Jungman ’02 married Sahil Saini in Houston, Texas, on December 3, 2016.

11 11

14

Emily Grien ’02 married Chase Warden on November 12, 2016, in Highlands, North Carolina. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kate Heyer ’02 married Ryan Mandrell on October 29, 2016, in New York City.

13 13

28

14

Blake Gillikin ’10 and Grant Haley ’08 play football for Penn State. Both Blake and Grant had great seasons for the Nittany Lions. They were instrumental in Penn State’s successful season and win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, sending the team to the Rose Bowl.

12

Molly Coyne ’02 is moving to New York City to pursue acting.

Mary Hipp ’00 married Reid Rogers on October 22, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Michael Russell ’06 graduated from University of Virginia and is now working for the NBA in Los Angeles.

Stuart Hunt ’03 married Eleanor Alby on November 5, 2016.

Tyler Bass ’11 has signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Christian Bradley ’11 has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Emory University in Atlanta.

Sydney Simmons ’11 will continue her soccer career at Davidson College in North Carolina, where she has signed to play with the Wildcats in the fall.

Jillian Carroll ’12 had an extraordinary experience at Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts. During the 2015 graduation, she received the Founders’ Medal, which is Fay School’s prestigious award that is presented to the member of the graduating class who has excelled with respect to academics average, rating, and citizenship.

Jillian remembers Trinity School as a very special place that prepared her to meet the challenges she has faced since graduating in 2012. Today, Jillian continues to represent Trinity well. She is a junior at Deerfield Academy located in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

15

Catherine Cole ’12 is a Girl Scout in Troop 333. To earn her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive, she is working on a project focused on education, empowerment, and outreach. Catherine has spoken to many younger students about environmental issues that affect a range of animals, and she is trying to empower students to take a stand for what they care about. As part of her outreach and sustainability efforts, Catherine has built a number of bluebird houses. She recently donated three to Trinity and is excited to see them put to use on campus.

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

10

Katherine Bell Hill ’98 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their first son, Connor Matthew Hill, on March 31, 2016.

Katherine recently finished her residency training in pediatrics and joined the faculty of Stanford School of Medicine as a clinical instructor of adolescent medicine.

15

Ellie Munson ’13 and her friend Libby Mitchell were selected to participate in the 2016–17 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year Fundraising Campaign.

This entails raising $40,000 for Blood Cancer Research during a six-week campaign that supports families and scientific research to help increase blood cancer survival rates.

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

29

Ross Baird ’97

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

Catching up with

By Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Ross Baird ’97 and his venture firm, Village Capital, have been highlighted in numerous publications, including features in Forbes magazine. After Trinity, Baird attended The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and then graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a Master of Philosophy in comparative government from the University of Oxford in England, where he attended as a Marshall Scholar. Baird and his wife, Jen, currently reside in Washington D.C.

Q:

Tell us about your time at Trinity.

What are some of your greatest memories?

A: The best part about Trinity was the

freedom to create and explore. In First Grade, a few of us finished the class reading list, and Ms. Sallie helped us develop our own reading list. We saw the Sixth Graders reading White Fang.

We said, “We can do that,” and we did. In Fourth Grade, my classmates and I decided we would set the Wagon Train record, and we beat the fastest group to Oregon by two days and still hold the record.

Q: What started you on this career path?

A: Trinity made me realize early on

30

that I could develop new ideas and that they were worth pursuing. I’ve always been interested in what I do today—entrepreneurship: discovering, developing, and promoting new ideas—though that was never a career

path. In college, I studied politics and government because I believe they are the closest things to entrepreneurship that schools offer.

When I was at the University of Virginia, I developed a startup idea to help teach civic education. At Trinity, we had “mock elections” every presidential election year and learned what the most important public issues were. I didn’t see that at other schools, so a friend and I developed a technology platform to help teach kids civics.

I was fortunate enough to have an early investor in this idea named Bob Pattillo, who backed the idea.

The civic education platform was somewhat successful, but the bigger success was my great relationship with Bob. After completing graduate school, I moved back to Atlanta to work for him, developing and investing in new startup ideas that could change the world.

Q: What is Village Capital?

A: Village Capital is a venture firm that

finds, supports, and invests in business ideas that will improve the world. I developed the firm to invest in new businesses that will have positive impacts on society. We invest in entrepreneurs in the health, education, energy, agriculture, and financial services sectors who are solving major societal problems. Over the past seven years, we’ve invested in more than 70 companies around the world.

Perhaps most exciting, and most important, is that Village Capital invests in entrepreneurs who are in society’s blind spots. Trinity taught me the inherent value of everyone, regardless of who you are, or where you come from, and I think that our innovation economy under-values most ideas. More than 90 percent of my firm’s investments are in cities outside of New York and San Francisco, with several in Atlanta.

Forty percent are led by women CEOs and 20 percent have AfricanAmerican and Latino founders.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Village Capital?

A: The idea came from my time as both

a student at the University of Virginia and an employee of a startup bank in India.

At UVA, I was fascinated by the design of Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village,” where students and teachers lived next to each other on the lawn at the center of the university. Jefferson suggested that innovation and true learning do not happen with the top-down delivery of knowledge from expert to learner; instead, teachers and students are side by side and teachers facilitate learning, from hard knowledge to useful information, through a free exchange of ideas and concepts.

31

Ross Baird ’97

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

Catching up with

By Margaret Douglas, Director of Advancement

Ross Baird ’97 and his venture firm, Village Capital, have been highlighted in numerous publications, including features in Forbes magazine. After Trinity, Baird attended The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and then graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a Master of Philosophy in comparative government from the University of Oxford in England, where he attended as a Marshall Scholar. Baird and his wife, Jen, currently reside in Washington D.C.

Q:

Tell us about your time at Trinity.

What are some of your greatest memories?

A: The best part about Trinity was the

freedom to create and explore. In First Grade, a few of us finished the class reading list, and Ms. Sallie helped us develop our own reading list. We saw the Sixth Graders reading White Fang.

We said, “We can do that,” and we did. In Fourth Grade, my classmates and I decided we would set the Wagon Train record, and we beat the fastest group to Oregon by two days and still hold the record.

Q: What started you on this career path?

A: Trinity made me realize early on

30

that I could develop new ideas and that they were worth pursuing. I’ve always been interested in what I do today—entrepreneurship: discovering, developing, and promoting new ideas—though that was never a career

path. In college, I studied politics and government because I believe they are the closest things to entrepreneurship that schools offer.

When I was at the University of Virginia, I developed a startup idea to help teach civic education. At Trinity, we had “mock elections” every presidential election year and learned what the most important public issues were. I didn’t see that at other schools, so a friend and I developed a technology platform to help teach kids civics.

I was fortunate enough to have an early investor in this idea named Bob Pattillo, who backed the idea.

The civic education platform was somewhat successful, but the bigger success was my great relationship with Bob. After completing graduate school, I moved back to Atlanta to work for him, developing and investing in new startup ideas that could change the world.

Q: What is Village Capital?

A: Village Capital is a venture firm that

finds, supports, and invests in business ideas that will improve the world. I developed the firm to invest in new businesses that will have positive impacts on society. We invest in entrepreneurs in the health, education, energy, agriculture, and financial services sectors who are solving major societal problems. Over the past seven years, we’ve invested in more than 70 companies around the world.

Perhaps most exciting, and most important, is that Village Capital invests in entrepreneurs who are in society’s blind spots. Trinity taught me the inherent value of everyone, regardless of who you are, or where you come from, and I think that our innovation economy under-values most ideas. More than 90 percent of my firm’s investments are in cities outside of New York and San Francisco, with several in Atlanta.

Forty percent are led by women CEOs and 20 percent have AfricanAmerican and Latino founders.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Village Capital?

A: The idea came from my time as both

a student at the University of Virginia and an employee of a startup bank in India.

At UVA, I was fascinated by the design of Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village,” where students and teachers lived next to each other on the lawn at the center of the university. Jefferson suggested that innovation and true learning do not happen with the top-down delivery of knowledge from expert to learner; instead, teachers and students are side by side and teachers facilitate learning, from hard knowledge to useful information, through a free exchange of ideas and concepts.

31

ALUMNI

The bank in India where I was employed was working in the sector known as “microfinance,” in which thousands of banks across the world are lending to the poor, with a repayment rate of more than 99 percent. In the microfinance industry, peer groups of small-scale entrepreneurs, such as hairdressers, craftspeople, and farmers—mostly women—meet regularly, share their business plans, and then decide among themselves who receives a loan.

Both the bank and the “Academical Village” placed a heavy emphasis on transparency and community. I took inspiration from both of those models to launch a firm that would find entrepreneurs from undiscovered backgrounds, build communities around these entrepreneurs, and make investments in the best ideas.

Q: Where do you see your role/business going in the next few years?

A: Our goal with Village Capital is

to build a stronger, more inclusive economy by empowering innovators who are on the front lines everywhere.

There are great entrepreneurs in Anchorage, Atlanta, and Nairobi, but the market isn’t finding them.

I believe if you work hard and have a great idea, you should have the chance to be successful, and I want to invest in entrepreneurs who are making that promise a reality. We currently manage $18 million, which has exceeded my initial expectations, and now that I see the potential of what we can do, I think we’re just getting started.

Q: What is the most exciting thing you have done career-wise?

A: Working for a startup in Hyderabad,

India, for more than a year. My mentor had invested in a microfinance bank, and he told me that they needed

32

a young person to join the company and “do stuff.” The company bought me a one-way ticket to Hyderabad, and it changed my life. Instead of pursuing a traditional career at wellknown consulting firms or investment banks like most of my classmates, I walked door-to-door in the slums of India, talked to high school principals, and asked them how we could help.

I’ve never looked back.

Q: Did Trinity help foster your career path? If so, how?

A: Trinity absolutely helped foster my

career path, instilling a mindset that made me an entrepreneur. I believe having hands-on learning experiences from an early age helped me develop an attitude of creative exploration that led to finding solutions for some of the world’s largest problems. This creative atmosphere has helped me question the status quo of how things work and is at the foundation of what has brought me joy in life.

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

A: First, when you find something you’re

passionate about, work as hard as you can, because it feels like fun! If you’re willing to work, you will be successful. In Fourth Grade, my team worked like crazy to win Wagon Train because we saw a goal and we wanted to stick to it. A couple of my classmates’ parents, and even Ms. Mo, were worried that we were working too hard. But none of us students believed we were; we had a goal and we wanted to reach it. Second, it’s OK to be a “nerd.” Stick to what you’re interested in, because it will ultimately pay off. I had weird ideas that didn’t necessarily make me the cool kid in school, but when you’re in your career, it’s cool to be smart and a “nerd.” Dealing with rejection

and criticism now will help you in the long run. When I raised my first fund at Village Capital, I asked more than 1,000 people to help. More than 970 people said no, but 30 people said yes, and now we manage $18 million. The urging I had from my Trinity Teachers—from Ms. Berry to Ms. Sallie to Ms. Mo—to be myself, instilled a persistence that still matters every day.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I am proud to have a great family.

My wife, Jen, is amazing, and we are expecting a son in June. On a professional note, I am most proud of the businesses that our companies at Village Capital have built. Over the last six years we’ve worked with more than 600 businesses through our programs, and 93 percent of our companies are surviving. Our investments have created more than 10,000 jobs, and we’ve served more than 5 million customers.

We’re seeing real traction; however, what most people do not see is the time, the years when it was just me, working hard every day to get to this point. I am proud of starting at ground zero, seeing where Village Capital is today, and envisioning where we will go in the future.

For 65 years,

we have been helping children flourish.

Trinity School’s commitment to its students has been strong and unwavering for 65 years: to create an environment that prepares each child to become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community. This lofty mission requires resources that go beyond what tuition covers. The Trinity Fund, the School’s annual giving campaign, helps to make up the difference. The collective philanthropic support from the entire Trinity community allows the School to remain steadfast in its mission and deepens the everyday experience of all 606 Trinity students.

Your investment in The Trinity Fund supports the following essential resources: • Faculty salaries and professional development • Technology • Curricular upgrades and classroom enhancements • Need-based financial aid

Q: Do you still keep up with any of your Trinity classmates?

A: My first friend at Trinity, Robbie

Brown, is still one of my closest friends. The great thing about Trinity kids is that our friendship culture is so strong. I could name 20 different Trinity kids that I stay in touch with, and whenever I see one, whether it’s been two years or 20, it’s like we just left off.

Please visit www.trinityatl.org/give or contact Khette Plyer, Director of The Trinity Fund and Alumni Relations, at 404-231-8112 or kplyler@trinityatl.org to make your commitment to The Trinity Fund today.

We are deeply grateful for the commitment you make annually to ensure that Trinity School continues to help students flourish for another 65 years!

ALUMNI

The bank in India where I was employed was working in the sector known as “microfinance,” in which thousands of banks across the world are lending to the poor, with a repayment rate of more than 99 percent. In the microfinance industry, peer groups of small-scale entrepreneurs, such as hairdressers, craftspeople, and farmers—mostly women—meet regularly, share their business plans, and then decide among themselves who receives a loan.

Both the bank and the “Academical Village” placed a heavy emphasis on transparency and community. I took inspiration from both of those models to launch a firm that would find entrepreneurs from undiscovered backgrounds, build communities around these entrepreneurs, and make investments in the best ideas.

Q: Where do you see your role/business going in the next few years?

A: Our goal with Village Capital is

to build a stronger, more inclusive economy by empowering innovators who are on the front lines everywhere.

There are great entrepreneurs in Anchorage, Atlanta, and Nairobi, but the market isn’t finding them.

I believe if you work hard and have a great idea, you should have the chance to be successful, and I want to invest in entrepreneurs who are making that promise a reality. We currently manage $18 million, which has exceeded my initial expectations, and now that I see the potential of what we can do, I think we’re just getting started.

Q: What is the most exciting thing you have done career-wise?

A: Working for a startup in Hyderabad,

India, for more than a year. My mentor had invested in a microfinance bank, and he told me that they needed

32

a young person to join the company and “do stuff.” The company bought me a one-way ticket to Hyderabad, and it changed my life. Instead of pursuing a traditional career at wellknown consulting firms or investment banks like most of my classmates, I walked door-to-door in the slums of India, talked to high school principals, and asked them how we could help.

I’ve never looked back.

Q: Did Trinity help foster your career path? If so, how?

A: Trinity absolutely helped foster my

career path, instilling a mindset that made me an entrepreneur. I believe having hands-on learning experiences from an early age helped me develop an attitude of creative exploration that led to finding solutions for some of the world’s largest problems. This creative atmosphere has helped me question the status quo of how things work and is at the foundation of what has brought me joy in life.

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

A: First, when you find something you’re

passionate about, work as hard as you can, because it feels like fun! If you’re willing to work, you will be successful. In Fourth Grade, my team worked like crazy to win Wagon Train because we saw a goal and we wanted to stick to it. A couple of my classmates’ parents, and even Ms. Mo, were worried that we were working too hard. But none of us students believed we were; we had a goal and we wanted to reach it. Second, it’s OK to be a “nerd.” Stick to what you’re interested in, because it will ultimately pay off. I had weird ideas that didn’t necessarily make me the cool kid in school, but when you’re in your career, it’s cool to be smart and a “nerd.” Dealing with rejection

and criticism now will help you in the long run. When I raised my first fund at Village Capital, I asked more than 1,000 people to help. More than 970 people said no, but 30 people said yes, and now we manage $18 million. The urging I had from my Trinity Teachers—from Ms. Berry to Ms. Sallie to Ms. Mo—to be myself, instilled a persistence that still matters every day.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I am proud to have a great family.

My wife, Jen, is amazing, and we are expecting a son in June. On a professional note, I am most proud of the businesses that our companies at Village Capital have built. Over the last six years we’ve worked with more than 600 businesses through our programs, and 93 percent of our companies are surviving. Our investments have created more than 10,000 jobs, and we’ve served more than 5 million customers.

We’re seeing real traction; however, what most people do not see is the time, the years when it was just me, working hard every day to get to this point. I am proud of starting at ground zero, seeing where Village Capital is today, and envisioning where we will go in the future.

For 65 years,

we have been helping children flourish.

Trinity School’s commitment to its students has been strong and unwavering for 65 years: to create an environment that prepares each child to become a responsible, productive, and compassionate member of the expanding global community. This lofty mission requires resources that go beyond what tuition covers. The Trinity Fund, the School’s annual giving campaign, helps to make up the difference. The collective philanthropic support from the entire Trinity community allows the School to remain steadfast in its mission and deepens the everyday experience of all 606 Trinity students.

Your investment in The Trinity Fund supports the following essential resources: • Faculty salaries and professional development • Technology • Curricular upgrades and classroom enhancements • Need-based financial aid

Q: Do you still keep up with any of your Trinity classmates?

A: My first friend at Trinity, Robbie

Brown, is still one of my closest friends. The great thing about Trinity kids is that our friendship culture is so strong. I could name 20 different Trinity kids that I stay in touch with, and whenever I see one, whether it’s been two years or 20, it’s like we just left off.

Please visit www.trinityatl.org/give or contact Khette Plyer, Director of The Trinity Fund and Alumni Relations, at 404-231-8112 or kplyler@trinityatl.org to make your commitment to The Trinity Fund today.

We are deeply grateful for the commitment you make annually to ensure that Trinity School continues to help students flourish for another 65 years!

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