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.

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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.

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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

Thanksgiving 2014

TES Archive Image: Thanksgiving In-Gathering 2005

Trinity Episcopal School students mark the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with an in-gathering of foodstuffs and other supplies for those in need.  The collection occurs in classrooms in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  Then, on the Tuesday morning of Thanksgiving week, students from each homeroom bring these gifts en masse to Chapel.  Members of Student Council meet them at the altar rail and arrange everything at the base of the altar.  The sight of all of these gifts gathered is inspiring and a metaphor of the great good that can happen when people work together toward a common goal.  Following worship, members of Student Council accompany these supplies to St. Vincent’s pantry.  St. Vincent’s helps folks with basic necessities like food, hygiene products, and diapers.  Helping this outreach ministry reminds our students that love of neighbor requires thinking of the needs of others.  It also is a way of gaining perspective as we take stock of the blessings in our own lives.
  
As of this writing, workers have begun tearing out the old curb cuts along the perimeter of the School’s soon-to-be playing field.  Please join me in giving thanks for the Galveston Foundation which is funding the new sidewalk and curb improvements, fill dirt, and landscaping, for the Sealy & Smith Foundation which sold the property to the Diocese of Texas, and, most of all, for the Moody Foundation which funded the purchase of the property and demolition as well as the fencing and other amenities still to come.  Of course, the project is taking longer than anticipated.  Ready or not, please plan on joining other members of the Trinity Church and School family on Sunday, December 14, at 2:00 PM, to witness Bishop Dena Harrison dedicate the property for the purpose of educating mind, body, and spirit!

By the time you receive this, basketball season will have begun at Trinity.  Please note the published schedule under the Athletics Tab of the school website (www.tesgalv.org).  I hope you will experience the Charger spirit by joining us for home games at the Robert L. and Ann Moody Activity Center.

An angel from TES Lessons & Carols 2013

Finally, please note for your calendars, the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols: Friday, December 19 in Trinity Episcopal Church beginning at 10:30 AM.  For many, this is the most sublime moment of the school year!

Faithfully,

David C. Dearman +
Head of School

Start of School 2014

A group of TES 8th Graders peruse the new Trinity Charger Yearbook.

School opened smoothly on Tuesday, August 19, and by the end of the first week 228 students were enrolled….marking the third consecutive year of growth.  Enrollment has yet to reach the pre-Ike number of 242, but that’s only part of the story.  Compared to six years ago, Trinity Episcopal School has moved forward by leaps and bounds.  With the addition of the Robert L. and Ann Moody Activity Center and the soon-to-be-completed athletic practice field, the campus has a more significant visual impact on Galveston’s downtown.  The recent 10-year re-accreditation by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest has reaffirmed Trinity’s mission and quality.  I can’t help but think these are significant factors in the school’s enrollment recovery.

Each year, we announce those 7th graders who are eligible for participation in the Duke University Talent Identification program.  These students earn eligibility based on their exceptional performance on nationally-normed standardized tests taken the year before. The 8 students so honored this year are Kelly Carmichael, Noah Elzner, Christof Gault, Logan Kelly, Christian Quinn, Nicholas Sutton, Courtney Whittaker, and Nick Zompa.

Please join me in welcoming our new faculty: Francie Buergler continues the family tradition of teaching at Trinity; Francie’s mother, Sissy Howell, taught here for many years.  An experienced teacher and graduate of Texas State University, Francie will be teaching Kindergarten at Trinity.  Russell Johns is our new athletic director and physical education teacher.  He is a graduate of Concordia University where he majored in Kinesiology.  He recently served as baseball coach at O’Connell College Preparatory.  Brook Miller will be teaching 5th Grade; she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.  Brook will be away on maternity leave soon after the start of the school year; during that time her teaching duties will be assumed by Anna Vandiver, an experienced teacher and cum laude graduate of Augusta State University, Augusta, Georgia.  Our other 5th Grade teacher will be Kelly Shaffner who graduated from Texas State University and comes to us most recently from Parker Elementary.  Kelly’s solid references included Stacy Wisner who is also joining our faculty (teaching 3rd Grade).  A graduate of University of Houston, Stacy was recognized as elementary teacher of the year for GISD in 2011-2012.  These talented folks are rounding out an already strong teaching staff at Trinity Episcopal School!  Finally, help me welcome Amy Gaido to her new role as Lower School Coordinator and Assistant Head of School.

From Left to Right: Russell Johns, Francie Buergler, Kelly Shaffner, Brook Miller, Anna Vandiver, & Stacy Wisner

Faithfully,

The Rev. David C. Dearman
Head of School

Summer Begins 2014

TES Class of 2014

The 17 students who graduated on May 29 are shown here on the Garth just before their Commencement.  These latest graduates are Libbie Lee Ansell, Hunter Thomas Blackwell, Kelli Michele Blackwell, Charles Bush Cragar, Santiago Tobias Faus, Barrett Charles Gaertner, John-Austin Gaertner, Amanda Grace Shallenberger Galan, Joseph Bentley Jaworski, Nayarith Jimenez, Frances Clair McBride, Emily Marie Metyko, Gabrielle Alyse Prets, Seth Michael Ricks, Zane Campbell Seigel, Kelley Jane Shepherd, and Sarah Faye Tillman. These kiddos will be sorely missed, but we look forward to hearing great things about them in the future!

By early summer, activity should begin on the new property at the north end of the campus.  The extraction of a gas tank and the demolition of the old drive-through banking operation will precede work to create a fenced playing field.  Using a phrase from our past, signage at the construction site will highlight the double entendre: "Trinity is a Good Place to Grow."

Thanks to solid support for the Annual Fund, various maintenance projects will take place including painting overhead ceilings and replacing the worn deck at Hollamon Hall as well as resurfacing the outdoor sports court.  

Trinity BOT Vice-President Meg Walker announced recently that the first round of engraved pavers will be placed at the entrance to the Robert L. and Ann Moody Activity Center as part of the Building Our Future: Paving the Way Campaign to help sustain the maintenance and programs of our new building over a multi-year period.  The deadline for orders on this first round of pavers is June 16.  Please see www.tesgalv.org for details.  This is a great way to celebrate loved-ones and to remember those who have come before us.

I am pleased to report that  longtime Trinity benefactors Dr. and Mrs. Robert Eanes have made a substantial gift to help the school acquire and implement software from Senior Systems 
including Admissions, Enrollment Management, Business Office, and Development Modules.  This upgrade to an integrated data management system will help us address a recommendation from the ISAS/SAES Visiting Committee.

The first-ever Camp Charger will be held on weekdays from July 7-18.  This program is open to students in rising grades 3-8 and is not to be confused with our Summer-long Camp for the younger ones!  Please see www.tesgalv.org for more details or contact Camp Director Anna Hyatt: ahyatt@tesgalv.org.

David C. Dearman, Head of School

The Virtue of Striving

Trinity Episcopal School seeks to foster the ability to strive.  This image, one of our 6th Grade students making it to the top of the climbing wall at Camp Allen, shows the joy that accompanies striving followed by accomplishment.  It is also an image of character development in progress!  

In order to develop the character of striving, there must also be times of failure....times when our students are tempted to give up but instead renew their best efforts. Sometimes as teachers and parents, the hardest part for us is standing by compassionately while our children learn to deal with disappointment....something they cannot learn if we keep rushing in to rescue them from their dilemmas.

Recently, I received a mailing from the Galveston Academic Excellence Booster Club, an organization to which Layne and I gratefully contribute.  In 2013, this organization recognized 12 Galveston high school seniors with academic scholarships.  It is striking to me that, of these 12, half are graduates of Trinity Episcopal School!  Trinity only goes through 8^th Grade, and is obviously not responsible for the academic material that produced outstanding GPA’s for these 6 seniors (now in college).  It cannot be a coincidence, though, that our small school has such a disproportionate share of these honorees.

Long after the curricular details of a middle school education have faded into the mind’s foundation, a student’s character remains front-and-center in contributing to success.  I believe that Trinity fosters the kind of character that helps students achieve in high school and beyond.  Not giving up easily, having a strong work ethic, being courageous, demonstrating humility, and being considerate of others….these are among the virtues that lead to success.  More importantly, they contribute to a life that is worth living.  Congratulations to these 6 members of the TES Class of 2009: Lauren Balentine, Kate Dannenmaier, Jordan Raschke, Sara Rismiller, William Wheeler, and Bryce Willey.  Go Chargers!