News

Trinity hosted the 2025 Permian Basin Scholastic Chess Championship on Saturday, April 12th.  The event had 88 participants (including 16 Trinity Students).

 

In the Kindergarten-Grade 6 division, Chase Stelmaschuk went undefeated (6 wins and 1 draw for 6.5 points) to come in second place and win a nice trophy!  Other top finishers for Trinity were: Mason Midkiff tied for fifth place with 5 points; Ryan Hart tied for sixteenth place with 4.5 points; Jaxon Willman, Evan Holmes, and Charlie Schmalbach all tied for eighteenth place with 4 points.  Trinity tied for second place with MCA and Hillander in the team division, but failed to get the plaque because of the tie-breakers.  First place went to the Homeschoolers.

 

In the Grades 7-12 division, Ollie Mathweson also went undefeated (3 wins and 2 draws) to tie for first place.  In the tie-breaker, Ollie came in second place and won a nice trophy.  Trinity won the third place plaque in the team division with Homeschool coming in first, and MCA coming in second.

 

Many thanks to the Trinity parent/faculty volunteers that helped make this event a huge success.

Beginning on Monday students in Lower School will be administered standardized tests.  The assessments given this year will be the same as in the past, but the testing window will be extended.  This extension allows more flexibility in meeting accommodations for students.  It also enables teachers to be better able to continue regular instruction throughout the testing window.

Students in grades 1 through 4 will be taking modules from the CTP5.  The results of these assessments enable us to track group and individual progress as well as inform instruction for teachers.  Students in kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 4th grade will be administered the OLSAT (Otis Lennon School Ability Test).

Our testing schedule is as follows:

(unless indicated all testing will occur prior to lunch)

There is nothing for your child to do to prepare aside from getting a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast to start the day. You will be notified about the results of these assessments when they become available.

Thank you for your continued support.

Dr. Brian K. Peters

Head of Lower School

The seasons are changing. In the north, winter will be giving way to spring, while our very short spring will give way to summer. College basketball and March Madness will soon be completed and we will be in baseball season. In schools, we are entering what many call Testing Season.  Schools across the country will be administering standardized tests and here at Trinity we will do the same starting the end of April with the administration of the ERB test.  

I can remember so many decades ago when I took the California Achievement Test and would receive a grade level equivalent score. I may have been in the fourth grade, but my grade level equivalent score for some content area might have been 6.2, or sixth grade second month. I recall how this made me feel like a big shot!

I am sharing this because I recently read an article that shared about the prediction of future success for students. The article gave an argument that the greatest predictor of future success is not intelligence, or the measure of intelligence. The most reliable predictor of future success is the level of perseverance or grit in a student.

There was a very popular book years ago written by Angela Duckworth titled Grit.  Dr. Duckworth defined grit as passion and perseverance toward long term goals. In her research this characteristic of grit continually appeared in high achieving individuals.  

So, if that is the key to success, how do we foster it in our students? We want our students to be successful, let’s help them build up their perseverance and grit.

We must be role models. We need to take on challenges and even make mistakes ourselves, but do not give up the quest.

We must model and teach about commitment. When we agree to or decide to do something we must follow through. We can’t back out when it becomes too hard or inconvenient. We need to show that our commitments and/or lack of follow through impacts trust and relationships with other people.

We need to let our children struggle. Everything in life is not easy and when cannot and should not remove all of the obstacles. I like to say that we need to “let our children fall down and scrape their knees once in a while.”

We should continually praise the efforts of our children, but do so specifically. Don’t just give a generic “good job.” Be specific with praise and encouragement by commenting on what exactly the child did well.

Duckworth developed the following equation that spells it out.

talent x effort = skill 

skill x effort = achievement

First Grade Art Students studied Pablo Picasso and created a self portrait in the Cubist style he co-founded in 1909.

 

We finished in second place with a record of six wins and one loss.  Even though we did not win them all, the season was a great success.  I saw much improvement by our team, and I was happy to see the joy of learning/playing chess.  Our last two matches were against Homeschoolers and Carver.  We beat Homeschool Tribe by a score of 32.5 to 18.5.  Four of our members had all wins with no losses or ties: Jaxon Wilman; Chase Johnson; Mason Midkiff; and Garrett Herrera.  We lost to Carver by a score of 20.5 to 33.5.  Our top performer that day was Tobechukwu “Daniel” Okoli with two wins and a draw.

 

Our March Madness winners were: Nathan Makut (grades 1-3); Chase Stelmaschuk (grades 4-6); and Katie Li (upper school).  We also had a fun end of year party competition where our lower school team played against parents, faculty, and older players.  The lower school team easily won that match by a score of 70 to 21.  Our Iron Man this year was Garrett Herrera.  He got this award for playing the most matches during the season.  He totaled 80 games this season!  Our highest rated player was Tobechukwu “Daniel” Okoli with a rating of 1166!  Much thanks to our team captains this year: Christianne Meyer and Charles Dorman.

This week we returned from Spring Break.  At Chapel on Monday I told the students that there were 10 weeks remaining for this school year.  That’s a lot of time or not enough, depending on how you look at it.  Those days and weeks can drag on or they could fly by, depending on how you approach it.

Each year completed in school is a milestone that leads to the culmination of graduating as a senior.  We are quickly approaching that time of year when students begin looking ahead of where they presently are.  For our kindergarten students, they are looking at getting into a grade with a number attached, 1st grade.  The fourth graders are anticipating the end of their Lower School experience and moving on to Middle School.  On Monday, I reminded the students that we are not there yet.  There is still much to do and much to learn.  We have each and every day to learn more and improve what we currently can do.

I think we all know a song, This is the Day, that helps us to remember to be grateful for each day.

I want to add that we should not just be grateful for the day, but also be stingy with it.  There is much that can be accomplished in 10 weeks.  How many more books can be read?  How much proficiency can be gained with math facts?  What great interest can be discovered and nurtured with research?  How much personal development can be made toward being the best Trinity student possible?  

After all, history shows how much can be done in ten weeks. Columbus set sail on August 3rd and landed on an island in the Bahamas ten weeks later.  The same was true for the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, setting sail from England and landing near Cape Cod ten weeks later.  In 1978, the New York Yankees trailed the Red Sox by 14 games.  In the final ten weeks of the season, they went 52-21 to make up the difference.

The time is what we make of it.  Let’s make it count!

On March 5th the Trinity Chess Team took on Santa Rita.  Our top 22 players had no fear against Santa Rita’s top 19.  The match started great with Trinity leading 16.5 to 2.5 after the first round.

 

During that first round, one match that caught my eye was between Chase Stelmaschuk of Trinity vs Santiago Castillo of Santa Rita.  The game was in the middle stages, with both sides fairly close on material.  Chase had the better position with good control of the center and pieces invading his opponents position, and this opened up some tactics.  Chase used his bishop to capture his opponents pawn that was being defended by his opponents queen.  To his opponent, this seemed like a free bishop, so Santiago quickly captured Chase’s bishop with his queen.  But this was NOT a free bishop.  On Chase’s next move, he moved his knight to fork the king and queen which won the queen on the following move.  This was a nice tactic that was possible because Chase was controlling the center of the board.

 

The match continued much like it started with a final score of 43.5 to 10.5.  The following Trinity players went undefeated with no losses or draws: Christianne Meyer, Ebubecukwu “Joshua” Okoli, Chase Stelmaschuk, Tobechukwu “Daniel” Okoli, Evan Holmes, Sterling Wohlfahrt, Ryan Hart, Aharon Mathew, and Garrett Herrera.

Time for some thinking and a little time travel.  What do you remember about school?  Do you conjure memories of a total experience or just have memories of isolated events?

What do students today think of school?  Will they recall their total experience, or will they only remember certain events?

There are phrases like STUDENTS WILL NEVER REMEMBER THE WORKSHEET THEY DID IN 5TH PERIOD or I HOPE THE PILOT DIDN’T LEARN TO FLY THE PLANE FROM A WORKSHEET.  These, of course, are negative connotations of what a school experience can be.  What is a school experience?  To me, it is that daily action of the day.  It is not just the big events.

Our focus should be on the total school EXPERIENCE.  It should be about making each day something that can be remembered.  Of course, every day cannot be a big event, but every day can be special just by the way routines flow.

It is no surprise that happy children learn more.  In fact, it should be known that happy teachers also teach better.  How can we use this to our advantage?  It can be done by working to create a culture and climate that promotes happiness in all.  It can be done by connecting with all students and making their school day unique, personal, and special.

Shouldn’t the school environment be like this?  Students are greeted in unique ways each and every morning.  Lessons are taught in ways that are engaging and relevant for students.  A pervasive atmosphere of happiness permeates the building. Teachers are happier.  Students are engaged and excited about their learning.

I hope that all of this creates memories of a total school experience.  Years from now, students will remember not just the big events, but the day-to-day activities that occur.  If we can do that, we will have been successful in creating a school environment that is more than just memorable; it is most effective.

The Trinity Chess Club took on the Hillander Chess Club on Tuesday February 25th.  We had our top 18 competing this match, and our hopes were high that we could keep the winning ways going.  At the end of the first round Trinity had a 10 to 5 point lead, so we were off to a good start.

 

Two matches that caught me eye were in the second and third rounds by Sterling Wohlfahrt.  He was winning both games pretty easily, and he had many options to finish.  What stood out to me was the calm way he checkmated his opponent with just his king and rook.  At Trinity, we have a club for those that know this checkmate called the “Rooks Club.”  When the match was over, I told Sterling that I noticed his “Rooks Club” checkmates in the second and third rounds, and he told me he did the same in the first round also!

 

In addition to the “Rooks Club” checkmates I saw many of our players using the “Ladder Club” checkmate, and maybe that will be a story for another time.

 

The following players went undefeated this day (3 wins no losses or ties): Tobechukwu ”Daniel” Okoli; Sterling Wohlfahrt; Evan Holmes; Jaxson Wilman; Raj Annamalai; Aharon Mathew; Mason Midkiff; and Charlie Schmalbach.

 

When the match was over, Trinity defeated Hillander by a final score of 33 to 12.

March Madness Chess Tournament is Coming Soon!
Grades 1-6 will start next week (March 4th), and the 7-12 bracket will start after spring break (March 18th).  Games will be held during normal chess practice time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Click below to see the brackets.
Grade 1-3A Bracket
Grade 1-3B Bracket
Grade 4-6 Bracket
Grade 7-12 Bracket

“What happens if I pass out?”  This was the question I was asked when I arrived in the commons for our first chess match of the season. 

 

On Wednesday, February 5th, the Trinity Chess team took on Fasken.  Trinity’s top 26 players competed against Fasken’s best 18.  Our third graders made up a significant portion of our team, and for all of them, this was their first competitive chess match against another school.  Team captains Christianne Meyer and Charles Dorman did a good job settling the team down so that once the match started, we were all in the zone.

 

Nine of our players went a perfect three wins (with no losses or ties) this match: Christianne Meyer, Chase Stelmaschuk, Tobechukwu “Danial” Okoli, Jaxon Wilman, Evan Holmes, Aharon Mathew, Nicholas Gan, Ryan Hart, and Adam Walker.  This spurred Trinity on to a resounding 41.5 to 12.5 victory over Fasken.  More good news...Nobody passed out!

Saving Private Ryan is one of those movies that I have seen many times. I have lost count of the number of times.  I have been thinking about a couple of things.  The first is that close reading principles could be applied to watching movies many times.  The second was the leadership lessons that could be highlighted.

Tom Hanks plays the character Captain John Miller.  Toward the end of the story, we discover that in civilian life, he was a high school English teacher.  Based on what we see from his character throughout the film, I surmise that he would be a fine teacher; in fact, I believe that Captain John Miller would make a fine principal or school leader.  Here are my thoughts and parallels from Captain Miller leading men in battle and how it might apply to school leadership.

Captain Miller knew the goal or target and kept his eye on the target.  His "mission" is to find James Ryan and bring him out of the dangers of the war so that he could go home.  The big overall target was defeating the forces of Hitler.  Many times the smaller or immediate mission overlapped the larger overall one.  He always justified the actions that led toward achieving the overall mission.  As a school leader daily decisions are made.  Each of these has to be made with eyes on the overall goal of improving student achievement.

Captain Miller had an inspiring personality.  The men he led were of different backgrounds and beliefs.  Their reasons for being in the army probably varied as well.  He was able to get men to do things that seemed impossible.  This is quite present in the battle scene coming off the beach on D-Day and the culminating battle on the bridge.  As a school leader, it is helpful to be able to engage people and get them to believe in themselves.  Morale can go a long way toward a positive school culture.  A positive school culture can contribute to student learning.

Resourcefulness was a character trait of the Captain.  Many times throughout the mission, he and his men found themselves with limited resources in manpower and weapons.  With his leadership, they were able to improvise and be able to succeed.  It seems that in schools, we never have everything that we desire.  There can always be a justified need for more material or more people.   A principal has to make skillful decisions that put people and materials in the places that will yield the highest results.

Captain Miller demonstrated throughout the film that he was a servant leader.  I believe that the most effective school leaders share the same trait.  A servant leader doesn't ask anyone else to do something that he/she would not do him/herself.  Captain Miller asks much of his men, and he asks much of himself as well.  His men are placed in danger, and he places himself in danger.  It is apparent that he is well respected but also well-liked.  The magnetism of his personality and his humanity shine when Riven balks at the decision to move on after several comrades are killed.  Miller knows just how to quell the problem.

Calm confidence shines.  Captain Miller and his men are in the chaos of battle many times.  I'm sure it could be easy to freeze or shirk away from decision-making and responsibility.  Captain Miller calmly makes decisions and acts.  This calmness under fire is illustrated in his men who also act the same under extreme pressure.  School leaders, thankfully, are not met with many life-and-death decisions, but a crisis that is small could easily escalate into something major if not dealt with calmly and appropriately.

Captain Miller did not survive, but I am certain that he could have returned to his civilian life as a teacher and been an effective school leader.

Our students had the incredible opportunity to meet Callie Davenport Fuqua, author of Goodnight, West Texas and a proud Trinity School alumna from the Class of 2011, along with the renowned illustrator Richard Cowdrey. 

Callie shared her inspiring journey of writing this special book, and Richard amazed everyone by creating a real-time drawing of the Goodnight, West Texas cover art! It was a memorable moment celebrating creativity, storytelling, and the power of art.

In recent years there has been much written and shared in Education regarding Engagement. It is said and written that students must be engaged in order to learn. I’ll admit that I jumped on that train as well. I often discussed with teachers the need for engaged students in their classrooms.

I have read and reread a book titled Innovator's Mindset and came across two profound quotes cited in the text by Bill Ferriter, an educator and author. The quote related to engagement was this, “Engaging students means getting kids excited about our content, interests, and curricula.”

More recent discussion has taken engagement a step forward or perhaps in a different direction. This new thought for educators is on empowerment. Innovator’s Mindset also had a quote in the text from Bill Ferriter regarding empowerment. This quote was, “Empowering students means giving kids the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future.”

I started thinking about these two terms from a personal perspective. I am an active triathlete. It seems that I am constantly in training for that next event, always striving to improve. Training, though enjoyable for me, can, at times, become routine. I can become disinterested. This is when I see myself as “engaged in the training.” I am completing the laps in the pool. I am finishing the miles on the bike or on the run, but is there any real purpose? Am I profiting from the effort? Am I improving through this engagement?

In contrast, there are times (and I hope it is a majority of the time), that I am truly empowered. I am highly motivated. The purpose is clear. The desire is present. When I am empowered I am invested in the training. I am focused on the effort. I see the purpose within the big picture of improvement.

There is a difference. When I am engaged I am doing what is written on the training plan. When I am empowered I am instilled with the purpose of the training activity and invigorated with desire.

It seems that we need to get students “empowered to be engaged.” We need to look at the bigger picture of inspiring our students to be curious and motivated about learning. Sure, there are times that we have to teach things that are of little interest to some students, but that is when we need to work hard to make it relevant and meaningful, which can raise the level of curiosity. We need to help students see the big picture for the learning. We need to help students be empowered about their own learning and progress.

I would venture to say that a curious student is an empowered student, and yes, an empowered student is an engaged student.

First grade art students are eagerly working on paintings of penguins. Each student in the class is painting a different species of penguin based on the one they will be researching for their upcoming Penguin Day Program.

Sibley Nature Center would like to invite you to participate in their Girls-N-Science program this Spring!  
Click here for more information.

Open to grades 4th-8th

Limited to 20 participants

Runs 4:30PM-5:30PM on Thursdays (8 week program)

February 13, 20, 27

March 6, 20, 27

April 3, 10