Trinity's Culture of Honoring

As soon as pupils arrive at Trinity Academy they are welcomed enthusiastically into the community; at the new student orientation senior students take the time to chat and get to know them and then introduce them to the rest of the school at the very first morning prayer. Throughout the year, strains of “happy birthday” can be heard as students honor each other’s special day, and those of the staff and faculty as well. Students frequently decorate lockers, make cards and posters, and bring in baked goods to make birthdays even more special. 

Honoring and loving others is a special mark of our school community. And it is not only on arrival at Trinity that students honor each other, but also on their departure. It is particularly touching to see how departing students are valued and recognized. I recently heard how, years ago, a 7th grade boys class decided to celebrate an 8th grade boy who was moving away; they gathered by the South picnic tables to honor him and presented him with a homemade trophy for him to remember them by. (Incidentally, apparently the boy still has the trophy, years later!) Such thoughtfulness by the students is an integral part of our school and continues to be frequently on display.

Recognition of departing twelfth-grade students takes place at the Senior dinner every year in June when each student is honored by a faculty member. A frequent remark from the parents after their child’s honoring is deep gratitude that their child was so well known and appreciated by the Trinity community. This special recognition follows on from honorings by varied ages of students in morning prayer. It is very affecting to see how the older students have impacted younger ones in various ways and to witness evidence of the tight bonds of friendship that exist across the year groups in our community. 

Deep friendship also exists among the faculty and staff. In the honors assembly during the last days of the school year, departing faculty members are honored by a colleague, and again, more informally, during the faculty lunch a few days later. This past year, during the honors assembly, several of us were brought to tears by the addition of the girls of the school singing a song they had rehearsed in secret for much-loved, departing Miss Ryland. 

As St. Paul encourages in Romans 12:10: "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Such are the marks of a loving, Christian community. Honoring traditions are woven into the fabric of Trinity and deepen and enrich the sense of community and friendship that we all enjoy.