December is always such a special time of the year at Trinity School. One of our Seniors recently wrote about how Trinity does a great job of celebrating the Christmas season. We pack a lot into the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Certainly, I think the trimester model helps us shift our focus better on the reason for the season. Additionally, trimesters seem to be more student friendly than the traditional semester and Christmas at Trinity is a big beneficiary of that strategic organization.

This year’s school-wide theme is about Sparking Curiosity. One way we intentionally spark student curiosity in the Upper School is through the addition of student-led clubs. Since adding clubs to the Upper School schedule, we have seen a wide variety of interesting and meaningful activities proposed and executed by our students. Over the last two years, the Music Performance club has enriched our community with the addition of Coffee House events. This year, they added a Holiday themed Coffee House to the schedule. These community events have been a great opportunity for students to share their creative and performance talents. This is also a great chance for these students to build confidence through sharing their acting, writing, or musical abilities with their peers, parents, and teachers.

During the event, one student shared a series of promotional materials she had made as a sophomore encouraging another club, The Things That Fly Club, to change their name to the Rocket Club. While her bid to change the Club name was ultimately unsuccessful, she was able to channel an outlet for her creativity that would not have occurred otherwise. Here is one witty example of the campaign…

Ultimately, I think it is fitting that the Things that Fly Club stuck with their name. This name pays homage to Bill Coombes who taught a class with that title but also highlights that our students are ready to launch by the time their Trinity experience comes to a close. However, unlike a rocket that crashes down after exhausting its fuel source, our students are built to soar in college and beyond. As an educator and a life-long learner this is an especially meaningful Christmas gift.