Trinity Episcopal School of Austin

Trinity Episcopal School is a K-8 independent co-ed day school in Austin, Texas. The school was founded in 1999 in a rented blue house near the University of Texas campus. Since that inaugural year, the school has grown from 13 students to more than 500, moved to a 15-acre (61,000 m²) campus in West Lake Hills and built six buildings. Trinity Episcopal School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools.^[1]

Trinity's graduates attend some of the nation's public and independent high schools, including St. Stephen's Episcopal School, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, St. Michael's Catholic Academy, The Hockaday School for Girls, Choate Rosemary Hall, Avon Old Farms School, and the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School.

Academics

Trinity's Lower School uses a workshop approach for the teaching of reading and writing. Developed by Lucy Calkins of Columbia University, the workshop approach develops writers who have confidence in their own voices and fluency with a number of different formats and styles. Trinity's math program develops math fluency, treating the subject as a language to understand rather than a series of facts to memorize. The vertically integrated curriculum embeds basic algebraic and geometric concepts into the earliest math education and incorporates the workshop approach developed by Catherine Fosnot of the City College of New York. Students also take Think Tank, a program ordinarily offered in gifted & talented programs; Classroom of the Earth, a hands-on science program; music; art; Spanish; and physical education. Third and fourth grade students participate in Project Expert, a major research project that incorporates organization, writing, and presentation skills.

In the Middle School, students have an opportunity to complete both Algebra 1 and Geometry by the end of their 8th grade year. Students can also earn high school credit for a number of other classes, including Latin, Speech, and Integrated Physics and Chemistry.

Trinity's Head of School is Marie Kidd. Ms. Kidd is a distinguished independent school educator who began her education career as a teacher in 1978. She has worked in leadership positions as an administrator since 1991. Marie holds a Master of Arts in Education from Occidental College and a Doctor in Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Southern California.

Episcopal Tradition

As members of the National Association of Episcopal School, Trinity embraces the NAES description of Episcopal schools in a recent brochure, "In an Episcopal school, faith and reason are partners in an ethos that places learning solidly in the context of each person's lifelong search for truth. Within a Christian tradition of tolerance and open inquiry, an Episcopal education teaches students to welcome and respect diverse and differing points of view." Trinity offers daily chapel in both the Lower School and the Middle School. The Chaplain is the Rev. Ken Malcolm.

Athletics

The Trinity Tornado competes in the Austin Inter Parochial League (AIPL) in the following sports:

Girls: Cross-Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Golf, Swimming

Boys: Cross-Country, Tackle Football, Flag Football, Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Tennis, Track, Golf, Swimming

Arts

Trinity has a robust arts program that incorporates both elective courses and extracurricular activities. The school hosts a school-wide art show each spring, has several choirs and solo opportunities, and a drama department that produces a fall drama and a spring musical. Trinity's Varsity Choir won the Best in Class trophy at the 2009 Lone Star Showcase choral competition in Dallas. The school newspaper, "Eye of the Tornado," is student-led and produced.

References

External links

• Trinity Episcopal School