In the opening of school faculty meeting, Bill Taylor laid out his vision for the Winter Term Projects which debuted this term. He charged the faculty to collaborate with a colleague in another academic department and generate projects of interest related in some way to their classes. By November, the faculty had created 50 proposals. Students also could pitch their own topics and find two faculty members as guides.
Topics run a wide gamut: Polarization of Climate Change, Build a Roller Coaster, Predicting the Economic Needs of a Hockey Rink, Physics of Music, Don Quijote as a “This American Life” podcast, Geometry of Roman Architecture, and Statistical Inequity of Capital Punishment Among Different Races.
Dean of Faculty Todd Hoffman oversees this program and orchestrates the scheduling logistics. The daily academic schedule was adjusted to create a 45 minute period every Wednesday morning which will allow time to focus on the projects. “We managed to create this window without taking away from class time,” said Hoffman.
In December, students signed up for three choices and were assigned their topic on a first come, first served basis. Enrollment in most projects ranges from two to ten students.
Each project will culminate in a final graded assessment such as a paper, a constructed object, video or podcast. The capstone work will be assessed by both participating teachers and will count as two credits on each student’s transcript.
According to Taylor, “Project-based learning places the students at the center of the learning process by allowing them to be active participants in a multi-faceted way. Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of the projects provides the opportunity to synthesize content from multiple sources and create something different, a highly valued skill in the so-called information age. Additionally, the projects model collaboration for the students as they see teachers, colleagues from different academic departments, working together in imaginative, creative ways.”
Kevin Emore ’99, an expert on counterterrorism and international relations, returned to campus in November to share some thoughts on leadership. Nearly 100 students and faculty showed up in Gardiner Library to hear his presentation.
“I learned more about leadership in my two years at T-P than in four years at West Point,” said Emore. “Leading your peers is the most difficult thing you’ll ever do. As an officer in the Army, when someone you outrank doesn’t listen to you, he can go to jail. As a captain, proctor, or prefect, you develop leadership skills when someone says, ‘Why should I listen to you?’ ”
Leadership involves knowing and caring for people. Emore learned this at T-P as head prefect and hockey captain, in the military as a field artillery officer, and in his work with refugee resettlement and counterterrorism. If a leader truly cares about his people, all his other actions and decisions fall into place.
Emore also emphasized the importance of gratitude, demonstrating genuine appreciation for the opportunities available and for the efforts of others. “When I arrived as a junior, Mr. Foster told me I better take this opportunity seriously because my parents were stretching themselves to send me here. His words kept me focused and grounded.”
“You can read all the books you want about leadership, but if you don’t care about your peers, or your subordinates, they will see right through it, especially when the going gets tough. At T-P, I was surrounded by humble leaders who genuinely care about this community. The Fosters, Kelloggs, Reades, Taylors, and so many others, have made the School part of their family. They quietly showed me how to lead.”
For those of us in the Pride, this is our proving ground, our playground – and our home. We’d love to show you around. Join us on January 9, 2016 – explore our campus, meet our great educators and students, and watch an action-packed varsity hockey game!
After registration at 12:00, Headmaster Bill Taylor will open our Preview Day with a talk about Trinity-Pawling’s vigorous learning environment and how we emphasize innovation, creativity, and critical thinking. From 12:30 to 2:00 you’ll have the opportunity to hear about our growing commitment to project-based and experiential learning, and meet our Winter Project leaders and elective course educators. Our College Counselors will be available to answer questions, followed by a panel discussion including our Associate Headmaster and Dean of Residential Life. Our Preview Day presentation will wrap up at 3:00, but we hope you’ll stay to watch our varsity hockey game at Tirrell Rink.
We look forward to meeting you!
Register here or call our Admissions office at 845-855-4825 and we’ll add you to our guest list.
Will Estony ’17, of Hopewell Junction, grew up listening to Classic Rock and Roll. He was given a guitar when he was 6 and now plays in Trinity-Pawling’s Jazz band. An avid runner, Will is captain of both the Cross Country and Track and Field teams.
Also interested in applied mathematics, Will recently took the term elective Introduction to Programming with Mr. Metcalf. When he had the opportunity to program his own game, Will quickly realized he wanted to incorporate his “eclectic and diverse” taste for music into his project – a game show format in which users choose between three genres – Classic Rock, Hip Hop and Pop music. Watch the video to learn more.
Headmaster Bill Taylor and Jennifer Taylor were warmly welcomed by over 200 alumni, parents, and friends at receptions in Washington D.C., Boston, and New York City. The brotherhood proved strong as alumni from ‘14 to ‘51 gathered to share thoughts and stories. Our extended Trinity-Pawling family also had the unique opportunity to hear from Headmaster Taylor about his inspiring vision for Trinity-Pawling’s future as well as from students about how they are incorporating project-based learning into their studies at T-P.
Thank you to all who attended and especially to Peggy and Phil Haughey ‘53, Barbara and Chris Roux ‘73, Michael A. Kovner ‘58, and Jean Doyen de Montaillou for hosting the festivities.
Photos from the events can be viewed here.
Stay connected and follow Bill on this journey of learning at Trinity-Pawling School – subscribe to his blog and follow his twitter feed.
Tradition stands strong at Trinity-Pawling School – our community gathered to celebrate the Candlelight Festival of Lessons and Carols on December 15 at 5:00 PM in All Saints’ Chapel. This Episcopal Christmas Festival has been a part of the Trinity-Pawling community since 1938. Modeled after the traditional service at King’s College, Cambridge – glowing candlelight, brilliant poinsettias, and greenery filled All Saints’ Chapel as the choir, organ and brass led the congregation in age-old carols of the season.
Photos of this celebration can be viewed here.
The cleats, nets, and shoulder pads have been stored away, and the Pride has moved inside for the 2015-2016 winter athletic season.
Varsity Cross Country finished in third place at the Annual Founder’s League Championships. Senior Jordan Harnum finished in 6th place overall to lead the squad, followed closely by fellow senior Jake Hough in 9th and junior Jordi Jefferson in 12th. All three Pride athletes were recognized as members of the All Founders League Team. Seven days later, the team continued their momentum with a 5th place finish at the New England’s Championships. Hough and Harnum would finish 11th and 12th respectively and would both earn All New England Honors.
The Varsity Football team also finished in fine form with a 20-14 victory at Kent on to conclude the season with a 5-3 overall record. Re’Mahn Davis ’18 had his best game of the season with a rushing touchdown early in the contest, followed by a kick-return touchdown later in the second half. With the game still up for grabs late in the fourth quarter, Pride quarterback Brandon Harris ’17 found Christian Layne ’17 on a 31-yard pass to seal the victory. Kent’s offense was denied for the majority of the contest thanks to the excellent defensive play of Pat Marks ’16, Henry Fracasso ’16 and Jake Conlan ’19.
The Varsity Soccer team defeated Salisbury 2-1 in the next to last game of the season, before falling to Canterbury in the finale. Against Salisbury, Joe Webber ’18 scored 20 minutes into the game to give the Pride the lead. Late in the second half with the score tied, Miles Martin ’16 crossed the ball into the middle where Frank Lugossy ’16 was able to head the ball into the upper-left corner for the game-winning goal. Martin and Lugossy were also selected to play in the New England All Star game in late November.
To begin the winter athletics season, the Varsity Wrestling team finished second out of seventeen teams at the Canterbury Tournament. David Bancroft ’19, Jeff Thompson ’17, and Khaleed Exum-Strong ’16 each won their individual weight classes. All three Pride wrestlers pinned three opponents on their way to first place. Zack Conlan ’19 won three matches and finished in second place, falling one takedown short of the championship. Placing third in their respective weight classes were Jake Conlan ’19 and Pat Marks ’16, while Avery Johnson ’17 placed fourth with two pins on the day.
Varsity Basketball suffered two hard-fought losses to Hotchkiss and Gunnery to open the season. The Pride were led by Monte Lambert ’16, who finished with double digit scoring in both games, and Jonathan Girard ’17 who managed a double-double against Hotchkiss.
Varsity Hockey lost their first game of the season to Loomis Chaffee 5-4 in an extremely exciting game. The Pride outshot the Pelicans 44-22, but could not manage to capitalize on as many opportunities. Ryan Deering ’16 scored two goals in the contest, with Jon Litschler ’16 dishing out both assists. Defensemen, Chris Taylor ’17 and forward Chris Connolly ’17 each added a goal as well in the contest.
The Varsity Squash team finished 5th out of 7 teams at the Annual Hopkins Tournament on December 5th. Abdalah Bekhiet ’18 led the Pride from the #1 varsity spot and won two matches on the day. Hunter Olstein ’17 also had a successful day with two more wins for the varsity.
The Varsity Skiing team is in training, but has yet to compete due to lack of snowy weather. The first competition for the squad will be January 13th at the Butternut Ski Area.
Roll Pride!
As a new faculty member, Patrick Hitschler has quickly adapted to the pace at Trinity-Pawling School. Shortly after joining T-P in September, Hitschler kicked off Trinity-Pawling’s drama program with a hilarious production of Drop Dead! performed at Gardiner Theater in November.
Outside of the theater, Pat coaches wrestling, and teaches English, American Literature, Modern English, and Public Speaking. The story-telling and improv techniques he utilizes in public speaking class gives his students “the skills to speak with confidence, whether it’s for a college interview or a class presentation.”
As a dedicated student-athlete himself, Hitschler never had the time to pursue his interest in theater and acting until college. On the same day he was recruited to play soccer for Franklin & Marshall College, Pat attended a high school drama production, inspiring him to make a conscious decision to pursue his interest in acting once at college. Pat’s athletic skills gave him a foot in the door, as he was often cast in parts that required heavy lifting, flips, and other rigorous acting. Soon he was being assigned lead roles and Hitschler’s creativity flourished in the theatrical environment. Pat eventually began taking charge of productions and directing his own college shows.
Hitschler prides himself on choosing productions that are geared to the community and that students will find entertaining. “If the shows are fun to perform, more and more students will want to become involved, and enthusiasm for the drama program will naturally grow,” he says.
“Drop Dead! was a great choice as my directorial debut at Trinity-Pawling – the characters are bad actors playing actors, it’s a very forgiving play when you’re unsure about the skill level of your cast,” admits Hitschler. Yet he was surprised by the level of talent and dedication of the T-P cast, “the kids worked so hard that they played very good ‘bad actors’ and had no problem with the demands of transitioning from one character to another.”
If audience reaction was any indication, the cast and crew came together and performed beyond expectation. “This certainly didn’t feel like a school production, as everyone was conveying their lines with emotion that felt real, and without a doubt, made the play as funny as it was. You could really tell that these actors spent many hours working hard to put on a quality performance,” raved student, Brennan McGuire ‘17.
“I’m lucky to be at a school where the students are interested in theater – they will learn great communication skills, collaboration and teamwork, and problem solving techniques,” says Hitschler, “I hope to expand the Trinity-Pawling Theater Department for the enjoyment of the T-P community.”
View photos from the Drop Dead! production here.
Alumni, have you recently gotten married, entered retirement, welcomed a new baby into the family, embarked on a great trip, been promoted at work, or won a community award? Let us know! Click the link here to submit your class notes by Monday, January 11, 2016, to be published in the next issue of Trinity-Pawling Magazine.
Last year, over 1,500 donors launched an extraordinary groundswell of support for Trinity-Pawling. They helped 305 very real boys on their journey to becoming great men.
Here’s why YOU matter today: Together, with gifts of all sizes, we’re laying a foundation for true excellence at Trinity-Pawling. To succeed, that foundation must remain strong from year to year. Our steady, reliable gifts enable teachers to innovate, programs to evolve, and T-P boys to thrive.
In this season of gratitude, we are grateful for your support.
Please make your gift today. Thank you, and Go Pride!
Members of Trinity-Pawling’s class of 2016 participated in a voluntary Independent Study Project during the fall term. Seniors were encouraged to study a topic of interest and explore the topic in depth. Students presented their ideas early in the term, and ultimately presented their findings to a faculty panel.
Cameron Somers’ 16 of Hopewell Junction, NY, who is the student leader of Trinity-Pawling’s Finance Club, was curious to learn about the financial background of 3 globally recognized companies: FedEx, Amazon, and Tesla Motors. “I wanted to get my information from a real source,” said Somers, “and I wanted to ask questions that would give me insight on what it takes to run a successful business.”
Somers interviewed James Lebenthal, CEO of Lebenthal Asset Management and CNBC’s Halftime Report. Trinity-Pawling was honored to welcome Mr. Lebenthal to campus for a presentation to the Finance Club and the accompanying video interview. Somers added, “Lebenthal analyzes companies for a living, so who better than him?” Watch his interview with Mr. Lebenthal, here.