Monday Message 9-9-19

Our routines 9-2.docx

Dear Families and Friends of Trinity,

Schools of the twenty-first century are expected to provide a level of safety and security unprecedented in the history of education. At Trinity we have responded with a myriad of strategies to strengthen safety and security on our campus. All employees at Trinity are Mandated Reporters for the State of Texas; all employees must pass an extensive background check and are required to participate in Safeguarding God’s Children, an Adult Misconduct and Child Abuse Prevention training offered by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

To that end, any parent who wishes to volunteer directly with children at school must first register for and complete a Safeguarding God’s Children class approved by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.  The certification must be renewed every 5 years.  A Safeguarding Class has been scheduled at Trinity for Thursday, September 5, at 5:30 PM in Eaton Hall.  Parents interested in this training must let Rachel Brown know by email at  rbrown@tesgalv.org  no later than Wednesday, August 28.  We need your name and a current email address in order to start the process by sending an emailed invitation.  Once the email is received, please follow the link and instructions. The process must be completed by Tuesday, September 3^rd for placement in the class on September 5.  Please note that the process is controlled by the Diocese of Texas: the School cannot place people in the class without their first registering via these steps.  Prospective volunteers will be asked to provide references and submit to a background screen.  If you are unsure if your Safeguarding Certification is current, please email Mrs. Brown at the email above.

With warm regards,

Mark Ravelli

Head of School

Dear Trinity Families,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year at Trinity Episcopal School.

I hope you are having a wonderful summer break, filled with opportunities to learn, grow and spend some quality time with your loved ones. I look forward to our sixty-eighth year as a school. Teachers are busy planning engaging lessons and many of them have been on campus throughout the summer months. Below are short bios on our new, and some not so new, faculty personnel.

Our new staffing positions for the 2019-2020 School Year

Angel Odem-PK2 Teacher, Beginning School: Miss Angel has been working with preschool aged children for the last three years, and has been at Trinity for a year now. She moved from League City to Galveston a year ago, and Angel has fallen in love with the island life! She is the second oldest of four, and she is very close with her family! Her hobbies include reading, watching movies, studying history, hanging out Downtown, and going to the beach.

Caitlin Powell-Grade 2, Lower School: Mrs. Powell is excited to join the teaching staff at Trinity Episcopal School! She has a master’s degree from Hunter College and has taught for five years, taking the last year off to have their daughter Penelope. Mrs. Powell moved a year ago from Brooklyn, New York after her husband accepted a job with the Houston Chronicle. Her husband Nick is the Galveston County Reporter for the Chronicle. She lives in Galveston with her husband, daughter, and dog Bonita. They love to go for long bike rides, explore Galveston Island State Park, and spend as much time as possible at the Rosenberg Library (story hour every week is her daughter's favorite). She believes in collaboration with her colleagues and is excited to be a part of community where every student is heard and motivated to learn.

Rea Sader-Grade 5, Lower School: Mrs. Sader began teaching in 2002 and has taught elementary school in Montreal, Canada and London, UK in both French and English. She moved to the island with her husband in January and admirably took over the Grade 2 class whilst Mrs. Krinock brought Lucy into the world. Her husband Ben is originally from Galveston. She loves biking along the seawall and walking to and from work. Rea enjoys knitting and crocheting in her spare time, as well as perfecting her pizza dough. She has felt very welcomed to Trinity and is very excited to be part of the team.

 Mrs. Janice Brown-Spanish Grades K-8: Mrs. Brown has been working hard throughout the summer to transition and navigate herself into teaching Spanish. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has studied and worked in Oaxaca, Cancun, and Monterey, Mexico. She has lived and worked as an interpretive liaison on Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and on NAS Rota, Spain. She also did a brief tour on Naval Air Base Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. She taught Spanish to 4-year old classes at the Beginning School here at Trinity for 7 years and English to Spanish-speaking children for 15 years. As a former immersion student herself, she brings much experience to the Spanish immersion classroom. She will continue to work closely with Jeremy Johnson in the Extended Day program. Janice graduated from Texas Southern University’s School of Pharmacy and from Mexico’s Universidad de las Idiomas. Mrs. Brown is a commissioned Episcopal Lay Chaplain.

Shannan Pfeifer:………………

Throughout the summer, the teachers have spent numerous days on campus preparing for this coming school year. The Math Curriculum Committee has been busy finalizing our Mathematics Curriculum Roadmap, and our school will continue to be a highly regarded learning community.

We will build on the character of each individual and engage each child on feeling comfortable with whom they are as individuals. We will inspire each child to achieve his or her highest potential by promoting intellectual, social, physical and spiritual growth in a safe and nurturing community. Our standards will be set high as we provide a strong PreK-8 academic program.

Carpool for Lower School (Kindergarten through 5^th Grade Only)

Beginning of Day: Please remember that cars should enter the Moody Hall carpool line only from 22^nd Street and then proceed west along Ball Street to turn under the porte-cochere that fronts 23^rd Street as shown below. Attempting to shortcut this route makes the process more dangerous and understandably irritates those who are conscientiously following the proper procedure. Please stay alert while in Trinity carpool lanes and remember that it is a violation of law to use cell phones while driving in school zones! Children will be marked tardy after 8:00 and parents must accompany their child/ren to the front office, no exceptions.                                                           

Ball Street

Main Entrance

Cars must head south on 22nd to ensure an organized drop off and dismissal

End of Day: I urge as many of you as possible to use the carpool line. You will obtain a Carpool Line Dashboard Name Strip at Orientation. While there is some wait in the car line, it is a more efficient system than coming into the school to retrieve your child. If you do park, we ask that you (or whomever you are designating to pick up your child) not park anywhere along the north side of Ball Street which must be kept clear after 2:30 PM to allow the carpool line to form and exit. On-duty teachers will assist students getting into cars under the porte-cochere. Parents walking up for pick-up should enter on Ball Street. Please do not come on foot to the porte-cochere entrance.

Please note: These Beginning of Day and End of Day procedures pertain to the Moody Hall Carpool only. Directions for Middle School drop-off are below.

With the permission of the City of Galveston, the Middle School alley is gated at both the west and east ends of the alley. This encloses Trinity Field within the secure area of the campus. Trinity staff will open these gates for carpool by 7:30 AM and again by 2:30 PM. Once opened, Middle School (grades 6-8) parents should enter the alley from 23rd Street by Randall Hall and proceed to the 2nd internal gate on the east end of Hollamon Hall.

Middle School Pickup During the Day: Parents needing to pick up a middle school child for an appointment during the day should make prior arrangements with the homeroom teacher. Once parents arrive, students will be sent to Moody Hall, where parents must sign them out from the main office. For security, the gates off the Middle School Campus are kept locked during school hours. The entry point to the campus during instructional hours is the monitored door off Ball Street unless otherwise announced.

The strength of Trinity Episcopal School lies in the steadfast faculty and staff that are deeply committed to the education of your children. I am very excited about the upcoming school year, and I cannot wait to see you on the 19th and your children on the first day of school!

Save the Dates:

• Thursday, August 1^st 6:00 PM Safeguarding Children’s for parent volunteers: Eaton Hall
• Monday, August 19^th 6:00 PM Parent Orientation (ADULTS ONLY)
• Wednesday, August 21^st 8:00 AM First Day of School!
• Wednesday, August 21^st 8:00 PM            Welcome Back to School Coffee Hour for Parents
• Friday, September 13^th 5:30 PM PTO Back to School Luau for Families

With warm regards,

Mark J. Ravelli Head of School

Dear Trinity Families,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year at Trinity Episcopal School.

I hope you are having a wonderful summer break, filled with opportunities to learn, grow and spend some quality time with your loved ones. I look forward to our sixty-eighth year as a school. Teachers are busy planning engaging lessons and many of them have been on campus throughout the summer months. Below are short bios on our new, and some not so new, faculty personnel.

Our new staffing positions for the 2019-2020 School Year

Angel Odem-PK2 Teacher, Beginning School: Miss Angel has been working with preschool aged children for the last three years, and has been at Trinity for a year now. She moved from League City to Galveston a year ago, and Angel has fallen in love with the island life! She is the second oldest of four, and she is very close with her family! Her hobbies include reading, watching movies, studying history, hanging out Downtown, and going to the beach.

Caitlin Powell-Grade 2, Lower School: Mrs. Powell is excited to join the teaching staff at Trinity Episcopal School! She has a master’s degree from Hunter College and has taught for five years, taking the last year off to have their daughter Penelope. Mrs. Powell moved a year ago from Brooklyn, New York after her husband accepted a job with the Houston Chronicle. Her husband Nick is the Galveston County Reporter for the Chronicle. She lives in Galveston with her husband, daughter, and dog Bonita. They love to go for long bike rides, explore Galveston Island State Park, and spend as much time as possible at the Rosenberg Library (story hour every week is her daughter's favorite). She believes in collaboration with her colleagues and is excited to be a part of community where every student is heard and motivated to learn.

Rea Sader-Grade 5, Lower School: Mrs. Sader began teaching in 2002 and has taught elementary school in Montreal, Canada and London, UK in both French and English. She moved to the island with her husband in January and admirably took over the Grade 2 class whilst Mrs. Krinock brought Lucy into the world. Her husband Ben is originally from Galveston. She loves biking along the seawall and walking to and from work. Rea enjoys knitting and crocheting in her spare time, as well as perfecting her pizza dough. She has felt very welcomed to Trinity and is very excited to be part of the team.

 Mrs. Janice Brown-Spanish Grades K-8: Mrs. Brown has been working hard throughout the summer to transition and navigate herself into teaching Spanish. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has studied and worked in Oaxaca, Cancun, and Monterey, Mexico. She has lived and worked as an interpretive liaison on Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and on NAS Rota, Spain. She also did a brief tour on Naval Air Base Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. She taught Spanish to 4-year old classes at the Beginning School here at Trinity for 7 years and English to Spanish-speaking children for 15 years. As a former immersion student herself, she brings much experience to the Spanish immersion classroom. She will continue to work closely with Jeremy Johnson in the Extended Day program. Janice graduated from Texas Southern University’s School of Pharmacy and from Mexico’s Universidad de las Idiomas. Mrs. Brown is a commissioned Episcopal Lay Chaplain.

Shannan Pfeifer:………………

Throughout the summer, the teachers have spent numerous days on campus preparing for this coming school year. The Math Curriculum Committee has been busy finalizing our Mathematics Curriculum Roadmap, and our school will continue to be a highly regarded learning community.

We will build on the character of each individual and engage each child on feeling comfortable with whom they are as individuals. We will inspire each child to achieve his or her highest potential by promoting intellectual, social, physical and spiritual growth in a safe and nurturing community. Our standards will be set high as we provide a strong PreK-8 academic program.

Carpool for Lower School (Kindergarten through 5^th Grade Only)

Beginning of Day: Please remember that cars should enter the Moody Hall carpool line only from 22^nd Street and then proceed west along Ball Street to turn under the porte-cochere that fronts 23^rd Street as shown below. Attempting to shortcut this route makes the process more dangerous and understandably irritates those who are conscientiously following the proper procedure. Please stay alert while in Trinity carpool lanes and remember that it is a violation of law to use cell phones while driving in school zones! Children will be marked tardy after 8:00 and parents must accompany their child/ren to the front office, no exceptions.                                                           

Ball Street

Main Entrance

Cars must head south on 22nd to ensure an organized drop off and dismissal

End of Day: I urge as many of you as possible to use the carpool line. You will obtain a Carpool Line Dashboard Name Strip at Orientation. While there is some wait in the car line, it is a more efficient system than coming into the school to retrieve your child. If you do park, we ask that you (or whomever you are designating to pick up your child) not park anywhere along the north side of Ball Street which must be kept clear after 2:30 PM to allow the carpool line to form and exit. On-duty teachers will assist students getting into cars under the porte-cochere. Parents walking up for pick-up should enter on Ball Street. Please do not come on foot to the porte-cochere entrance.

Please note: These Beginning of Day and End of Day procedures pertain to the Moody Hall Carpool only. Directions for Middle School drop-off are below.

With the permission of the City of Galveston, the Middle School alley is gated at both the west and east ends of the alley. This encloses Trinity Field within the secure area of the campus. Trinity staff will open these gates for carpool by 7:30 AM and again by 2:30 PM. Once opened, Middle School (grades 6-8) parents should enter the alley from 23rd Street by Randall Hall and proceed to the 2nd internal gate on the east end of Hollamon Hall.

Middle School Pickup During the Day: Parents needing to pick up a middle school child for an appointment during the day should make prior arrangements with the homeroom teacher. Once parents arrive, students will be sent to Moody Hall, where parents must sign them out from the main office. For security, the gates off the Middle School Campus are kept locked during school hours. The entry point to the campus during instructional hours is the monitored door off Ball Street unless otherwise announced.

The strength of Trinity Episcopal School lies in the steadfast faculty and staff that are deeply committed to the education of your children. I am very excited about the upcoming school year, and I cannot wait to see you on the 19th and your children on the first day of school!

Save the Dates:

• Thursday, August 1^st 6:00 PM Safeguarding Children’s for parent volunteers: Eaton Hall
• Monday, August 19^th 6:00 PM Parent Orientation (ADULTS ONLY)
• Wednesday, August 21^st 8:00 AM First Day of School!
• Wednesday, August 21^st 8:00 PM            Welcome Back to School Coffee Hour for Parents
• Friday, September 13^th 5:30 PM PTO Back to School Luau for Families

With warm regards,

Mark J. Ravelli Head of School