Academic Excellence
The Case for Giving: Academic Excellence: Now and for the Future
The first line of our school Mission Statement states: Trinity School cultivates academic excellence in an environment where each student is known, valued and has their unique voice. For the 2023 - 2024 Annual Fund, we’re focussing on Academic Excellence as our Case for Giving to the Annual Fund.
I sense that different people can define academic excellence in different ways. The definition may vary widely depending on the background and goals of each family. That variance makes perfect sense, given the diverse backgrounds of our families.
Still, it’s essential for Trinity to convey how we - as a school - define academic excellence. Academic excellence can be defined as:
Every student at Trinity is capable of academic excellence in every subject area,
and that excellence is a measurement of their individual progress and growth.
For academic excellence to be in our mission and part of our collective journey and commitment to every student at Trinity, there must be key attributes in place. These attributes are:
- A Comprehensive Curriculum that Teaches to the Genius in Each Child
Trinity offers a classical and enriched curriculum that teaches to the genius in each child. Beyond the core areas of reading and writing, math and science, and humanities, our curriculum includes music, drama, design thinking, foreign language, studio art, religious studies, service learning, garden science, library, and physical education.
- Excellent Teachers who Continually Develop Professionally
Trinity must continue to hire the best teachers, and these teachers must strategically target areas of professional development. Silicon Valley is a highly competitive environment for recruiting and retaining the best teachers, given the number of independent schools and cost of living, and Trinity’s process of attracting teachers is comprehensive. Examples of recent professional development for our teachers include the Reading and Writing Project, Creative Curriculum in the Preschool Envision Math, InquiryED for Social Studies, and the NAIS People of Color Conference.
- Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
By their fortunate position in life and access to the Trinity program, Trinity students will be the next leaders in our society. Our school designs a program with three essential leadership parts and is included in our Service Learning Program: Know, Act, and Organize others. First, our students are educated and know what they’re talking about. Second, to make social progress, they act on that knowledge. Third, and most important, they develop the skills to organize others.
- Preparation for Middle School
Trinity students confront an increasingly competitive landscape for middle school admissions. The school has a comprehensive matriculation process to help guide families and Trinity students to matriculate each year to their best-fit middle schools.
- Student-Centered
Trinity is driven by one essential question: “Is this in the student's best interest, learning, and social and emotional health?” The child is the center of gravity at Trinity, and we strive in every school scenario to hold the position clear and unflinching.
- An Environment of Inclusivity and Belonging
Trinity is a place where everyone belongs. Students, families, faculty, and staff cannot feel as if they are on the outside and looking in. Our families are diverse in their backgrounds and life experiences, yet we all fit in our inclusive community defined by our mission.
- Parental Involvement
Trinity builds strong partnerships with parents/guardians and understands that reaching for academic excellence is shared with the powerful influences at home. Factor in our Trinity Parent Association, which enriches the lives of our students, faculty, and staff through fun and dynamic activities and demonstrations of appreciation; the outcome is we’re a better school and community because of the TPA.
- Resources and Funding to Plan Ambitiously and Implement Thoughtfully
Trinity is a demonstrably better school because our families are generous and contribute to our Annual Fund. That’s not conjecture; that’s a fact. Tuition covers 80% of all our expenditures in our $7.0M operating budget. Giving at Trinity covers 11% of all expenditures, of approximately $800K. Without the generosity of our families, grandparents, and extended community, the school would not be able to plan ambitiously and implement thoughtfully.
Thanks to the generous support we received over the years, we’ve strategically enhanced the depth and breadth of our academic program and furthering academic excellence:
- Learning Support Program: Recognizing that every student learns differently, we’ve established a program tailored to diverse learning needs.
- Drama Class: Beyond academic rigor, we now offer a space for our students to explore their emotions, creativity, and the world around them through the performing arts.
- Orff Music Program: An interactive and collaborative way to learn music, this program teaches students about rhythm, melody, and harmony, fostering a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
- Outdoor Education: Engaging with nature, students learn firsthand about fieldwork and environmental science through trips to Teton Science School, Pinnacles National Park, Camp Redwood Glen in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Marin Science Institute, and many other field trips.
- Design Thinking: Students progress through stages of Discovery, Ideation, Experimentation, and Evolution in search of innovative solutions to problems.
- eNvision Math Program: With a fresh, innovative approach, students have an enhanced curriculum that makes math more engaging and applicable.
- Creative Curriculum for the Early Childhood Program: This curriculum deepens and extends our preschool philosophy and subsequent practice in how learning emerges in Trinity’s youngest learners.
These essential Trinity programs are not one-time costs; we implement them to sustain the program year after year. Therefore, the rationale for the Annual Fund is our commitment to academic excellence every year.
We ask you to join us in this endeavor, and the Annual Fund campaign kicks off on Wednesday, October 4. Embrace the future by investing in the present by sustaining and enhancing our program. Stand with us in our pursuit of academic excellence, as defined at Trinity School. Your support is not just a donation; it’s a testament to your belief in an enlightened future for our children.
