Trinity in Full Sail

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Lower School Parent Night Plenary

Tonight we completed the third of three Parent Nights at Trinity.  These are one of great rituals of school life, when parents show up to hear about their students’ classes, follow their schedules, meet their teachers.

Moving past Parent Night always feels a bit like sailing out of the harbor—granted, a big harbor.  We’ve been sailing now for four weeks, and it’s not like we’re waiting on Parent Night to get down to work.  But it feels like open seas now: All of our preparations for the year are behind us, and the horizons of learning opportunities are open before us.

There is also a wind in our sails from good Parent Nights, and this year’s were particularly good. 

Each of the three nights was different, in a uniquely good way.

Middle School seemed to be brimming with community.  The teamwork and collegiality among the faculty were evident in the very structure of the evening.  They experimented with a new format, having the parents stay put and bringing the teachers to them.  We’ll want to evaluate that—would love to hear from parents.  My sense is that we had more time for the teachers to talk (not constrained by the typical seven-minute class), but the logistics were challenging (poor Mr. Needham having to shuttle his presentations between the gym and the US Library) and there’s something about sitting in your student’s desk, seeing the posters on the wall.  I was very impressed with the MS teachers’ universal adoption of Haiku as a Learning Management System, and I think that will move our MS learning to a new level.  The cooperation and collegiality among the MS faculty was very encouraging.

Upper School was marked by growth and challenge.  There was a great turnout—not typical among American high school parent events.  The US has grown from 124 to 147, and the parents got a feel for the wonderful, energetic, crowdedness in the halls and common areas.  They also got a first-hand look at our excellent faculty and the challenge they bring to our students.  The teachers were impressive to a person—they take their craft very seriously, are dedicated and well-trained.  The faculty has reached a size that creates a good sense of team, and they are like iron sharpening iron.  The variety of classes and courses is impressive, and you could feel the good buzz in the commons area as US parents milled about during their “free” periods. 

Lower School was energetic and optimistic.  I love to stand at the door on LS night and see the faces of parents entering the building.  They head straight to the classrooms, eager to see their students’ work, sit at their desks, read the bulletin boards, and learn about their schedules.  Mrs. Lemke talked about the richness of our pedagogy, focusing on ideas and things.  She showcased one of the field trips that makes our learning so authentic and rich.  Parents had a chance to sign up for field trips and major class events—and they did!  No shortage of energy in that group.  And of course it’s gratifying to hear the new parents say how thankful they are for Trinity and for the good start their children have had.  My favorite moment?  Hearing Mrs. Bohn tell her parents what she does when students complain about the flavor of jelly on their peanut butter sandwich.

It’s a joy to work at Trinity.  Here’s a shout out to our fine teachers and our great parents with whom we partner.

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