Thanks for Another Great School year!

As we reach the end of the 2025-26 school year, let’s give ourselves a congratulatory pat on the back! While every school year has inevitable peaks and valleys, the final days of the year with its myriad rites of passage always fill me with pride about what we’ve accomplished and the growth of our students.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction and future of Trinity. To assess school success and progress, they compare Trinity to other schools using quantitative metrics—areas like enrollment, student and faculty/staff retention, standardized test results, outplacement (middle school, high school, college), fundraising, student participation in Extended Programs/extracurricular activities, constituent surveys, etc. 

As I shared in yesterday’s faculty/staff meeting, Trinity excels in every one of these metrics.

But as the familiar quote reminds us, ’Not everything that counts can be counted.'

I’ve worked in four schools—each one for at least ten years. When I first interviewed at these schools, I immediately felt a certain vibe. There was an energetic, positive aura I sensed from students and teachers. I intuitively knew that working in these schools would not only be rewarding but joyful and fun. To me, it’s this qualitative feel that separates the great schools from the good ones.

We all contribute to the qualitative magic of Trinity. Yes, we track numbers. Still, it’s our culture, climate, and esprit de corps that make Trinity the special place it is for all community members.

I hope all of you have the same visceral feel about Trinity — the longer I’m here, the more I cherish it.

The end-of-year article below comes from a recent Education Week article. The author asked veteran teachers to provide in 6 words or less sage advice about sustaining the joy and meaning in teaching. There’s a lot of wise advice about building relationships, practicing self-care, and trusting and empowering your students!

Thanks again for a wonderful and fulfilling school year!

Joe

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Teaching Advice in Six Words

Show compassion to yourself and others

Acknowledge first, respect second, connect always

No child is a blank slate

Prioritize inquiry, minimize grading, maximize inspiration

Hold onto hope for each student

Begin each day with clean slates

Know them before you teach them

Being great at teaching requires authenticity

Leave the work at work — rest

Build relationships and even better boundaries

Don’t speak until they are listening

Growth can’t happen without critical reflection

The best PD is next door

Less of us, more of them