Lean-In to Thanksgiving

A Lower School Student's Thanksgiving List - 2013

As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, I am thinking about the story from the Gospel According to Luke in which Jesus cleanses the ten lepers (Luke 17: 11-19). From a distance, a group of lepers calls out to Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus sees them and says, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” On their way all ten are made clean, but only one returns to Jesus to give thanks. While all ten are cleared of their disease, only one….the one who returns to give thanks… is made whole in body, mind, and spirit. The story reminds me that gratefulness is something we are called to practice. Even when we have what we need and get what we want, or not, something is missing in our lives if we do not take stock of our blessings and appreciate God’s grace even in the small, ordinary things.

When we don’t take the time to be thankful, perhaps the “something” that is missing is joy. Brené Brown defines joy as a spiritual way of engaging with the world that is connected to practicing gratitude. Her research underscores the value of teaching our children to practice thanksgiving…and, of course, the most effective way we can do this is to model it ourselves. One fairly common way to practice thanksgiving is to keep a gratitude journal. Sharing round robin style works well at the family dinner table.  I want to be more mindful of the blessings in my life and to engage my world more joyfully.  Don't you want that too?  

Please note the following calendar items for Trinity Episcopal School this holiday season:

• School Chapel and Food Ingathering is Nov 24 (Tue) w/ full day of school
• Thanksgiving Holidays are Nov 25 – 27 (Wed – Fri)
• Festival of Lessons and Carols is Dec 18 w/ noon dismissal (10:30 AM- Fri)
• Christmas Holidays are Dec 21- January 1, 2016
• Teacher Preparation Day (No School) is on Jan 4, 2016 (Mon)
• Classes Resume  on Jan 5, 2016 (Tue)

Start of School 2015

Trinity Field Ready for Play

Growing enrollment is the big news as the school year begins. The week before classes, Trinity was already anticipating more than 242 students, surpassing a number not seen since September 2008!  This marks the point where enrollment has fully recovered from the effects of Hurricane Ike!  As the year begins, every classroom available to the school is being used for instruction.  In order eventually to allow double sections in each grade level, the school will need to recover the number of classrooms compared to pre-Ike.  During the current fiscal year, the school’s Board of Trustees will be working on a way to provide additional classroom space for 2016-2017.  This is a good problem to have!

Trinity Field is ready for the start of school!  By the time you read this, the Middle School alley will be gated with the gates being open for morning and afternoon carpool.
  
In Chapel on September 3, Trinity will recognize 8th Graders who have attended here continually since Kindergarten.  I am grateful to report that 19 students are eligible for this recognition; we call them the “Alpha-Omega Society.”  This is the largest group since we began acknowledging students this way in 2004.  We are, of course, grateful for all of our students, but it is fitting that we take some time to give thanks for our “long-timers.”  The parents of these students have given them the most complete Trinity experience possible: Sarah Brannen, Kelly Carmichael, Morgan Cook, Tara Donnelly, Noah Elzner, Christoff Gault, Caroline Grant, Kennedy Harrington, Alex Ivash, Jordan Kelly, Logan Kelly, Aidan Knupple, Elizabeth Pennington, Christopher Perkins, Rocio Prida, Christian Quinn, Nicholas Sutton, Courtney Whittaker, and Nicholas Zompa.

To Live Is to Be Vulnerable

In the 2005 comedy film “Little Manhattan,” the almost 10-year-old protagonist, Gabe (played by Josh Hutcherson), develops his first-ever crush on a girl named Rosemary (played by Charlie Ray).  The movie is filled with examples of vulnerability as Gabe tries to make sense of his feelings and how to appropriately express them.  In one memorable scene, Gabe appears calm and collected on the outside…but inside he’s a nervous wreck, as he first reaches out to hold Rosemary’s hand.  Can you remember this kind of emotional roller coaster from your own youth?  But this is not something confined to youth, is it?  The story underscores the truth that relationships, at all stages of life, involve uncertainty, emotional risk and exposure.

This spring and continuing into next year, I’m leading a study for our faculty on Brené Brown’s book entitled Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead.  And just why should we study this? Brown writes, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.”  In line with Brown’s research-based ideas, I’m betting that honest conversations about vulnerability will help us more fully embrace the education of mind, body, and spirit!  Over the summer, Rev. Susan and I will be preparing a parenting class based on Brené Brown’s “Daring Way™.”  We’re hoping to offer this class in the fall and will welcome folks from church and school as well as the wider community….more details later.

Trinity’s summer schedule for children and youth includes:
Summer Camp (rising PK3 – 2nd Grade) June 8-July 3 and July 6-31
Camp Invention (rising 1st – 6th) June 8-12
Camp Charger (rising 3rd – 8th Grade) July 6-10 and July 13-17
Charger Basketball Camp (rising 5th -8th Grade) July 27-31
Charger Volleyball Camp (rising 5th – 8th Grade) August 3-7

Check online (www.tesgalv.org) for more information about these opportunities or call at 409-765-9391. Please note: the school’s summer Moody Hall Office schedule is Monday-Thursday 9 AM to 3 PM and begins on June 8.

Faithfully,

David C. Dearman
Head of School

In Memory of Dave Barker, President of the TES Board of Trustees from 2000-2003

In memory of:

DAVE VAN NESS BARKER

1. CELEBRATE AND GIVE THANKS FOR A LIFE WELL-LIVED

If I had to come up with one word to describe Dave Barker it would be “passion.”

A. “Passion” has multiple meanings…and in one sense, the intense desire and enthusiasm for something….one can’t miss that Dave loved architecture. Like his wife, and best friend, Carlotta, he was an artist. He could see order in chaos…and work to bring what was in his mind’s eye into reality….in Dave’s case using the tools of math, engineering, and design. I remember my first visit to one of their restored historic structures that was also their home, on 25th street, and being shown a copy of the Galveston Architectural Guidebook by Ellen Beasly and Stephen Fox. The way they talked about the images in that book... It was apparent right away that Carlotta and Dave shared a passion for the beauty of Galveston. Throughout his career, Dave earned various recognitions and awards for his work, but the best testaments to his vision are the existing restored homes and the structures of his design.

B. Thinking about Dave, the idea of “vocation” comes to mind. Frederick Buechner defines vocation as the place God calls you to, where your deep gladness (read “passion”) meets the world’s deep hunger. Dave’s work was a vocation… having studied with Howard Brownstone, author of “The Galveston that Was,” Dave already had a heart for historical preservation when both his and Carlotta’s passions eventually led them to Galveston. This island was a fabulous place for an architect-artist team and a young family. What Dave continued to develop as his work happened to be sorely needed as the historical preservation movement really took off here. You are truly blessed when what you love to do is relevant, and needed, and you can see the results of it…and people enjoying and appreciate it.

C. Dave had the gift, as does Carlotta, of seeing the potential in things…. Seeing things that many people can’t. I understand that their first family home, not far from here on Sealy was a real “diamond in the rough” at first. We’re talking there were chickens and rabbits living in the kitchen! Involving their family home in the work, Dave and Carlotta were fully invested…they were all in…put their entire lives into the restoration of historic Galveston. They weren’t the only ones…but certainly on the vanguard…and today, those of us who reside and visit here, get to enjoy a Galveston where the aesthetics of the past have been brought to life.

D. OK, so enough about work…. We can only scratch the surface in this celebration

E. Dave had a life other than his day job…he had other passions that he enjoyed with his family and friends. Dave loved to play…he played card games with friends and board games with the kids, he watched the University of Houston Sports teams, and even TV games… he could answer all the questions on jeopardy! He loved to cook and entertain…the Dave and Carlotta team would not just make a dish….but a beautiful dish…aesthetics was always celebrated. But, I will hazard to suggest that most of all, Dave loved to play outside. Dave’s daughters all reminisce about sailing and water skiing. He loved to bike and walk… one aside: Alice Ann O’Donell, a retired family medicine physician who is widely known for her work with Galveston’s Featherfest and passion for the great diversity of birds on the Island…credits Dave and Carlotta with fueling her own passion…. her interest in birding really came alive when she purchased a guided bike tour of Galveston that Carlotta and Dave offered to lead as an auction item gift for a Trinity Episcopal School fundraiser. This is a great example of how your passion can touch the lives of others.

F. As you may have noticed, I've found it hard to talk just about Dave without also talking about Carlotta. These two were a team…they had a passion for one another. These two met at 14. Carlotta asked him to marry her at 16, and they married each other as 20-somethings. They did everything together… important decisions were worked out on their frequent walks. In some ways, like two peas in a pod…but each brought different gifts to the table which allowed them to do amazing things… like building their house in Lake McQueeney!

G. The girls, Vanessa, Danielle, and Joellan each commented on what Dave has passed on to them. Each of their personalities has been informed in different ways by their dad’s passions. Vanessa credits her love of architecture and old things, Danielle credits her devotion to Trinity Episcopal Church and the Galveston community, and Joellan credits her love of sports…football and basketball. All three girls were raised in a family that allowed their dreams and passions to develop uniquely. They have great memories of Dave’s strengths and even some areas where he was a little sketchy… it seems that automobile maintenance was not Dave’s passion, for example! Ice Cream is a repeated theme…but I just couldn't figure out how to include that in this sermon…. Well, there, I guess I did. Dave had a sweet tooth. His sense of humor showed…I loved Joellan mentioning her dad trying to make her laugh as they walked down the aisle at her wedding!

H. Another passion Dave and Carlotta shared was their church. Dave held every position imaginable for a lay person at this church. .. senior warden, junior warden, Sunday school teacher, usher, chairman of the building committee. One member of the building committee told me that the unglamorous work authorized by the building committee in Dave’s day (shoring up the bell tower and adding a new roof, literally saved the building during Hurricane Ike! ….he even designed the columbarium where he was interred earlier today. Dave served as president of Trinity Episcopal School’s board of trustees and the chair of the search committee that called me here in 2002. It’s an understatement to say that I am deeply indebted to him! Here is another aside…outside, near the bell towers; there is a statue of a little girl seated and holding a flower. One of the girls, Joellan, was the model for that beautiful statue. The statue will always remind me that we are called to seek and discover order and goodness in this world.

2. OK, NOW FOR THE FINAL WORD
At a memorial service, those of us who stand in the circle of Christian faith know that we must proclaim the Resurrection. Fittingly, the family chose a reading from the Gospel According to John with an architectural reference. In this reading Jesus tells us that there are many structures, or dwellings places, in which we may abide in his Father’s house. He reminds us that he has prepared a such place for each of us. Danielle shared with me something from Dave’s final hours that I think Dave would want us to know. At one point near the end, Dave was following something in the room with his eyes….but Daniele could not see what he was looking at and Dave wouldn't say what it was. Whatever it was, he broke out into a deep peaceful smile. We don’t like to talk about the end, when we cross over to the other side, so these kind of things don’t get shared much…but priests do hear of these visions. (If you are interested in learning more, I refer you to the published work of the Rev. John Price, a priest in the Diocese of Texas.) So I’m kind of left wondering what Dave was seeing… perhaps, it was the city of God, or Dave’s own promised abiding place in Heaven. What Dave saw is a reminder to us that death is not the final word. Passion is also the term used for Christ’s suffering and reminds me that Dave had his own share of physical suffering. But he endured with character, perseverance, and faith. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, might we all give thanks for the life of this wonderful passionate man…this architect, best friend, dad, lover of the outdoors and person of faith… and might we all learn something from his deep gladness that will enable us to live more passionately in our own lives. In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

The Rev. David C. Dearman
March 21, 2015

Spring 2015: Standardized Tests in Perspective

Creating a colored pencil masterpiece
in art class at TES.

Trinity Episcopal School administers norm-referenced standardized tests to our students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade each spring; this has been a part of the Trinity experience for generations.  We use these tests to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and to give our parents some idea of how their children are progressing compared to other students at the same grade level nationally.  The tests we use are “high ceiling” norm-referenced tests (think of the bell curve or a normal distribution); attempting to “teach” to these tests would be a Sisyphean task (think fool's errand).  These tests are but one tool among many that we use in the pursuit of education.

I think public education in Texas, as of late, focuses too much on test scores. While, the “high-stakes” tests we hear so much about are helping to hold accountable poorly functioning districts and schools, I worry that the process may leave students with the highest academic potential at risk.  As I understand it, the tests are criterion-referenced (think of a test for which you are given all the answers beforehand...like a spelling test).  The ceiling is low enough that one could presumably “teach” specifically to the test and make a difference.  With anxiety in the system, teachers are tempted and even encouraged to over-review material in order to raise scores on an aggregate level.  One complaint is that the most academically-oriented students find constant reviewing for "the tests" excruciatingly boring, while at the same time they miss out on pursuing more challenging and meaningful material.

At Trinity Episcopal School we value many things that are not measured on achievement tests.  Fine arts, for example, form a critical part of Trinity’s approach to educating the whole child: mind, body, and spirit.  Helping students “find” their creative selves builds resilience in the face of a constantly changing future and contributes to self-understanding.  From the standpoint of our school’s mission, it is unfathomable that we would ever reduce fine arts in order to replace the time with over-reviewing a narrow band of cognitive skills.  Studio art, music, Spanish, physical education, chapel, field trips, character education, community building events…these all need time at school, as does the rigorous pursuit of core academics.  Without any one of these, our students would be greatly diminished.

Faithfully,

The Rev. David C. Dearman

TES Testing Dates:
April 8, 2015 - OLSAT (Grades 1,3,5, &7)
April 13-17, 2015 - Stanford Achievement Tests (K-8)

Ash Wednesday & Lent 2015

It came to my attention that some students thought the ashes used on Ash Wednesday were derived from cremated remains.  Wow, I’ve not heard that one before, but I can see how a child might come to this conclusion.  We do sometimes use the term “ashes” in that way.  But, the ashes used in school Chapel are actually derived from the palm branches used at Trinity Church on Palm Sunday from the previous year.  Trinity parishioner and former Trinity Episcopal School teacher Jacque Ellis prepares the ashes by burning the palms.  The ashes are a symbol reminding us of our mortality…it is only by God’s gracious gift that we have the hope of life eternal in the communion of saints.

+++++

Last week I returned from Camp Allen where I attended an intensive week-long program on The Daring Way™.  This program is based on the research and writings of Brené Brown.  Bishop Doyle strongly encouraged the clergy of the Diocese of Texas to participate in this program, and I’m very grateful to all the folks around here who allowed me to do so.  Going forward, I will be integrating the learning into my work by looking for points of intersection between Brown’s theoretical framework and generally accepted best practices of teaching and learning.   As my attention has turned to Ash Wednesday and to Lent, one such intersection comes quickly to mind: Shame is a spiritual problem.  It is correlated with counterproductive, self-destructive behaviors and is ineffective for behavioral change.  From an educational standpoint, shame has no place in the classroom.

Lent is not about shame.  Shame is the painful feeling that we are not worthy of love and connection.  The Gospel message is that God loves us unconditionally.  All children are God’s children, created in God’s image and worthy of love.  Shame tells us a lie…that we are a lost cause, flawed and without hope of redemption.  Lent, however, does involve guilt.  Guilt tells us the truth that we are people who are worthy of love and connection who have done things we should not have done.  Effective teachers (and parents) know in their bones to focus on the behavior, not on the person.  Guilt tells me I made a mistake; shame tells me I am a mistake.  There is a big difference!

Lent is a time in particular when we acknowledge our guilt…that we have made mistakes and intend to lead a new life.  We are called to live always in the knowledge that God is compassionate and forgiving and has made this known most clearly in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Faithfully,

David C. Dearman

Epiphany 2015

Our "3 Kings" at the Festival of Lessons and Carols held December 19, 2014

The current season of the Church Year is entitled Epiphany.  The term epiphany literally means manifestation.  The season begins with the story of the Three Kings who visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.  In this visit, the wise ones who journeyed from afar were successful in their quest to see the newborn King.  From the standpoint of Christian faith, God’s Son was manifested to these seekers who, in turn, presented the well-known gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Christians refer to this story as the Epiphany because God was revealed (in an epiphany) to the Three Kings in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The season of Epiphany, then in a more personal sense, asks us to consider how it is that the Holy is made known to us in our own experiences.
  
The story of the Wise Men from the East takes on a more immediate relevance for our own lives when we ask about our own journeys.  Where are we looking for meaning and purpose?  How do we know when we have found these things?  What is our authority?  The Episcopal Church counts Richard Hooker among its great theologians.  Hooker wrote, in the 16th Century, that authority in faith should be based on scripture, tradition, and reason.  This has become known as the “three-legged stool.”  The inclusion of reason means that faith for Hooker was not an irrational clinging to something.  Put simply, being faithful means to trust….it does involve reason but does not claim certainty.  Epiphany Season is a good time to be reminded that theology is not an exact science, and this should lead us to appreciate those who have differing paths.

…

First thing back at school from the Christmas holiday, I learned that Trinity Third Grade teacher Stacy Wisner earned the top spot as best teacher in the 2014 Best of Galveston Awards.  The top three vote recipients in each category have been published on Galveston.Com.  Well over 100,000 votes were cast overall in what the Houston Chronicle referred to as "The Oscars of The Gulf Coast."  Congratulations, Stacy!

Please note: TES will be closed on Monday, January 19, as we observe the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and  on Monday, February 16, as we observe Presidents’ Day.

Faithfully,

The Rev. David C. Dearman, Head of School

Line drawing by TES 5th Grader Ryan Dorado