Can a small school excel without gov't funding?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Allison Bernhard

Phone:860-251-8337

EMAIL: principal@trinityday.org

WEBSITE: www.trinityday.org

Hartford, CT: 2/1/22 “Trinity Academy…. oh, the school associated with the college, right?” Wrong!

An independent, tuition-free elementary school serving 40 students from grades 1-4, Trinity Academy has sat in Hartford’s Asylum Hill neighborhood since 2014. As a member of the NativityMiguel Coalition, we are one of 70 schools in the US and Canada that educates students from surrounding neighborhoods, and requires 85% to be from low-income families for grant purposes. Our student body is made up of 60% Black, 25% Asian American, 12.5% Latinx/Hispanic/Latino, and 2.5% Pacific Islander students.

But enough with statistics.

Trinity Academy prides itself on creating lasting relationships with its students, families, and community. As one parent, Willona A., shares, “Since TA is smaller, families are able to build connections and strengthen their engagement with administration and teachers as early as the first day

of school.”

In a city that serves over 17,500 students, “TA exists to create an affordable elementary level private school education for Hartford residents and families in Greater Hartford,” Willona A. continues. “Unlike public schools in the area, TA provides students with an education that caters to their individual needs.”

These individual needs, despite unforeseen challenges of the pandemic, were ensured by our unwaveringly dedicated staff and community. Chromebooks, supplies, food, and most recently masks and test kits, were continuously distributed and maintained throughout our shut down – which lasted nearly all of the 2020-2021 academic year. More importantly, live classes (including art, yoga, gardening, and gym) were taught during a 10am-3pm virtual school day.

Like most schools, TA was concerned with academic growth, measured partly by MAP testing for our third and fourth graders, three times each year. With the help and determination of our team, testing data was collected in the Fall and Winter of 2020, and Spring of 2021.

These graphs highlight that TA’s third and fourth graders made, on average, eight months worth of progress in Math, Reading, and Language in only six months – during a school year that included only six, non-consecutive weeks of in-person learning. In other words, “smaller class sizes and exposure to higher learning experiences in a family-style environment,”

says parent, Kiri T., laid the groundwork for this massive success

So, what comes with a family-style learning environment? As Barima O., a third grader puts it, “I feel safe here because it’s fun and everyone always has big smiles for each other.” His classmate, Nolan M., says that his “favorite things [at TA] are the teachers, the math things – like division, multiplication, and area – and my friends.”

Trinity Academy graduate Eh Wah, a current sophomore at Ms. Porter’s School in Farmington, embodies this type of success story as she fondly recounts her days at TA. “I met my best friends [at TA] and I had an excellent relationship with all my teachers. At Trinity, I could comfortably express myself, particularly my geekiness!”

Eh Wah also notes that TA “helped enrich my education and prepare for my future. Trinity Academy is not a typical school, with its challenging curriculum and extensive opportunities. I’m proud to say that I’m a graduate from this amazing place.”

The warm and collaborative school culture is what has kept me part of Trinity Academy for nearly eight years. If you are interested in enrolling your child, donating time or resources, or stopping by for a tour of the school, please contact me, Allison Bernhard, Trinity Academy’s principal, at principal@trinityday.org. In the meantime, check out our website to learn more about how you can become part of TA’s inclusive and devoted community.

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