Blog

Just as the rhythm of the school year is beginning to feel routine, 8th Grade students and families are also looking ahead to high school and the next step in their education. To help with that process, Trinity this year added high school counselors as resources. Middle School Language Arts Teacher Lilla Clark is assisting families considering local and regional public and independent schools, and Associate Director of Admission Benita Griffin is aiding families interested in boarding schools.

"We spend a lot of time getting kids here, but we also have to think about when they're leaving," Clark said. "I want the next step to be a good experience for every kid. I want to prepare them for high school, socially and academically, and make sure that they're going to be set up for success."

During this first month of the school year, Clark said she has been visiting area schools "and getting a feel for who might benefit from knowing this school." She then tries to point families in the right direction. "Do they want big class sizes? Are sports important? Extracurricular?"

"I want to give families a sense of how they can use what they've learned at Trinity to be successful in high school," Clark said.

From the boarding school perspective, Griffin said "families should know that for every 8th Grader at Trinity and their different personalities and different strengths, that there's a boarding school out there for their child if only they would consider pursuing it and exploring it."

"I've been in contact with so many boarding schools that recall having students in the past from Trinity and they want this connection again," Griffin said.

When considering a boarding school, Griffin said families should look at "the mission and core values that they've learned from Trinity, and schools where there is a global and international connection, where students are going to be exposed to different cultures, and where service learning is important."

Clark said the same is true for families exploring public and independent options. "Have a conversation about what are some things that you are looking for in a high school. It's thinking a little bit about what you value at Trinity and seeing if you can find those same things" in high school.