Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Q. What programs does Trinity School offer?
A. We offer academic year programs on our two campuses:
Early Childhood Program (ECP) for 3- and 4-year olds, 330 Ravenswood Menlo Park
Junior Kindergarten (JK) - Grade 5 at 2650 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park
We offer four half-day, weeklong camps during July for four to seven year olds at 2650 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park.
Q. When is the application deadline?
A. 2011-12 academic year: January 21, 2011
2011 summer camps: open until the program is filled
Q. When will I find out if my child was accepted to Trinity School?
A. Letters informing families of admission 2011-12 academic year decisions are sent out on March 17, 2011.
Q. How many children are in each class?
A. ECP 3 and 4: approximately 32 children in two classes (1:8 student teacher ratio)
Junior Kindergarten: no more than 16 children (1:8 student teacher ratio)
Kindergarten through Grade 5: approximately 20 children.
All grades have a paraeducator, an assistant who works closely with the classroom teacher and students. The ECP 3-4, JK, and Kindergarten paraeducators are full day, while Grade 1 through Grade 5 paraeducators are in the classroom part-time. (1:9 student teacher ratio)
Q. What are the age requirements for ECP 3-4, Junior Kindergarten (JK) and Kindergarten?
A. ECP 3-4: Children must be age 3 by December 1st of the entry year.
JK: age 5 by December 31st
K: age 5 by September 1st
Q. What is the difference between JK and Kindergarten?
A. JK is an early childhood educational program that follows the project method. JK provides young five-year olds with an additional year of Early Childhood Education, socialization skills, and kindergarten readiness paced according to the child’s readiness and needs. Kindergarten marks the beginning of our curriculum standards and our elementary math, reading and handwriting program.
Q. Are most families Episcopalian?
A. About 20% of our families are Episcopalian. Most of our families are Christian, and we welcome families that come from many other faiths.
Q. How can parents be involved?
A. We welcome parent participation in many ways. The school sees parents as partners in their child’s education. The Trinity Parents’ Association is extremely active. Parents may serve as room parents, as volunteers in the library, as field trip drivers, or participate in activities such as Halloween Carnival, Christmas Craft Fair, Book Fair, Annual Celebration & Benefit, and many more.
Q. How do teachers communicate with parents?
A. We strongly value open communication with parents as we partner on behalf of children. Teachers’ blogs invite comment and student posting where appropriate. Teachers are available by email and meet with parents as requested in addition to the official reporting periods. Parent-teachers conferences are held twice a year. The School sends out a weekly email newsletter (Trinity Talk).
Q. May we return and observe an individual classroom for longer?
A. You are welcome to come on another school tour. However, outside of those designated tour dates, we shelter learning time.
Q. May my child come and spend a day in class?
A. Applicants for Grades 1-5 will shadow for one or two days as part of the application process. ECP 3-4, JK, and Kindergarten applicants attend a classroom playgroup.
Q. Do you offer a foreign language? If so, when?
A. Trinity School offers instruction in Spanish language. At ECP 3-4, music instruction takes place in Spanish. The goal of Spanish language instruction in the elementary grades is to provide exposure to the language and the many cultures that speak Spanish. Conversation and culture classes for Kindergarten through Grade 2 students are twice a week and three times a week for students in Grades 3-5. Students participate in hands-on activities using art, cooking, music, technology, dialog, reading, research, and writing.
Q. Do the children stay in the same classroom all day?
A. No. At ECP 3-4, students meet in a given classroom and then use the whole program space during work time. At the Upper Campus specialty teachers teach science, art, library, P.E., Spanish, garden, music and religious studies in spaces designed for those programs.
Q. What after school programs do you have?
A. Enrichment Express offers a menu of after-school classes for elementary students in each semester. Examples of classes include drama, ceramics, golf, hoops (basketball) and Mandarin language instruction. Offerings vary depending on student and parent interest. We also offer space for girl scouting programs. Again, depending on student interest, Trinity School parents have previously organized after-school basketball teams for some of the grades.
Q. Where do your graduates go on to school?
A. Approximately 85% of our graduates go on to local independent schools such as Woodside Priory, Castilleja, Menlo School, Crystal Springs Uplands School, Keys School, and Sacred Heart School.
Q. What are the benefits of your school size?
A. Trinity School is committed to being a small school. We want each child to understand the scope of his/her school, to know the adults and the other children. We see that as children progress from grade to grade they comfortably take on increased levels of awareness and responsibility, giving them the confidence to communicate easily with peers and adults. Every child at Trinity School is known.
From an adult point of view, our school size engenders a strong sense of community. The teachers and staff are able to work together with professional collaboration. They know the children at all grade levels. Teachers and parents are strong partners communicating about the education of the child as well as the needs and initiatives of the community. Parents too form strong friendships and bonds with each other that often last well beyond the Trinity School years.
Q. What opportunities do students have for working in mixed-age groups?
A. These opportunities happen in many ways. The older grades become reading buddies with students in younger grades. Children play together in mixed- age groups at recess (JK – 2 at first recess, 3 – 5 at second recess). The whole school comes together every morning at Chapel. Teachers collaborate and plan lessons targeted for multi-grade grouping. A group of student leaders meets every quarter to help lead the school in a service project. These are representatives from Grade 2 through Grade 5.
Q. Does the school teach conflict resolution skills?
A. We use a system of conflict resolution called “Talk It Out.” Children learn the steps to communicate effectively about issues they may have. Initially teachers guide the process. Eventually the children are able to “Talk it Out” themselves.
Q. How does Trinity School meet the needs of individual students?
A. Because our school is purposefully small, teachers know their students very well. We are able to meet each child at his or her point of learning. Teachers differentiate instruction within the classroom through both support and enrichment.
Q. Why does Trinity School use the Educational Research Bureau (ERB) test and not the Stanford test used by public schools?
A. In congruence with California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), we use the ERBs. They help us benchmark ourselves to other independent schools.