Trinity School at River Ridge Annual Report 2018-19
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ANNUAL REPORT <strong>2018</strong>/20<strong>19</strong><br />
<strong>Trinity</strong><strong>School</strong>s<br />
. .<br />
T R U T H B E A U T Y G O O D N E S S
2 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
4<br />
6<br />
8<br />
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
WHO WE ARE<br />
OUR SCHOOLS<br />
10<br />
STUDENTS & ALUMNI WE SERVE<br />
12<br />
MEET OUR BOARD<br />
14<br />
STEWARDSHIP OF OUR MISSION<br />
16<br />
GRATITUDE<br />
18<br />
RIVER RIDGE CAMPUS<br />
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s 3
LETTER<br />
FROM<br />
THE<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
WITH ALUMNI FROM THREE CAMPUSES, 2,370<br />
STUDENTS ARE IN THE WORLD AS TRINITY<br />
SCHOOL GRADUATES.<br />
4 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends of <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>,<br />
For nearly forty years, <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s has been<br />
offering excellence in educ<strong>at</strong>ion with one clear<br />
mission: to train students to be of use to God in<br />
the wise care and governance of his cre<strong>at</strong>ion and<br />
in the building of his kingdom by establishing<br />
a culture marked by the discovery of truth, the<br />
practice of goodness, the cre<strong>at</strong>ion of beauty, and<br />
the development of intellectual and aesthetic<br />
habits of mind.<br />
With alumni from three campuses, 2,370 students<br />
have gone into the world as <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
gradu<strong>at</strong>es. They serve as doctors, lawyers, priests<br />
and pastors, engineers, homemakers, educ<strong>at</strong>ors,<br />
missionaries, and in hundreds of other ways.<br />
For the last several years, we have been working<br />
to bolster our communic<strong>at</strong>ions with the launch<br />
of new web sites for each campus, the cre<strong>at</strong>ion of<br />
Veritas Journal, an online journal of educ<strong>at</strong>ion and<br />
human awakening, and several other initi<strong>at</strong>ives.<br />
This newest tool for keeping you informed will be<br />
regularly published with content common to all<br />
three of our schools as well as content specific to<br />
each of our campuses. This first issue also serves<br />
as our annual report, fe<strong>at</strong>uring an overview of<br />
our schools’ history, new initi<strong>at</strong>ives th<strong>at</strong> we have<br />
undertaken, a budget report, and a word on our<br />
n<strong>at</strong>ional board.<br />
I hope you find it helpful. If you have any suggestions,<br />
please let us know.<br />
In Christ,<br />
Jon Balsbaugh<br />
President
WHO<br />
WE<br />
ARE<br />
In <strong>19</strong>81 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong> opened its first campus, <strong>Trinity</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>at</strong> Greenlawn in South Bend, IN. Two schools<br />
followed. <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>at</strong> <strong>River</strong> <strong>Ridge</strong> in Eagan, MN<br />
opened in <strong>19</strong>87 and <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>at</strong> Meadow View<br />
in Falls Church, VA held its first classes in the fall of<br />
<strong>19</strong>98. From the beginning, it was clear th<strong>at</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong><br />
would provide not only a different kind of educ<strong>at</strong>ion,<br />
but also a different understanding of wh<strong>at</strong> it means<br />
to be educ<strong>at</strong>ed.<br />
Early on, the founders realized th<strong>at</strong> it would not<br />
be enough to simply take the existing templ<strong>at</strong>e for<br />
educ<strong>at</strong>ion and try to improve upon it. In order to<br />
cre<strong>at</strong>e a genuinely different educ<strong>at</strong>ion, they knew<br />
they would have to start from a different found<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
The answers to these questions became the <strong>Trinity</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> curriculum. The m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics and sciences<br />
th<strong>at</strong> have shaped our world, the history and political<br />
theory th<strong>at</strong> have brought us to where we are now, and<br />
gre<strong>at</strong> works of philosophy and liter<strong>at</strong>ure—we believe<br />
all students should encounter these things.<br />
And the way we chose to educ<strong>at</strong>e is as important as<br />
the curriculum. We believe th<strong>at</strong> educ<strong>at</strong>ion ought to<br />
be about awakening, awakening minds and souls to<br />
the pursuit of truth, the cre<strong>at</strong>ion of beauty and the<br />
practice of goodness. In fact, we believe th<strong>at</strong> genuine<br />
learning only happens when we encounter reality in<br />
this way.<br />
In the years since our founding, we have become a<br />
n<strong>at</strong>ional leader in educ<strong>at</strong>ion. <strong>Trinity</strong> schools have<br />
been awarded an astonishing ten blue ribbon awards<br />
for excellence from the United St<strong>at</strong>es Department<br />
of Educ<strong>at</strong>ion. We are widely recognized as early<br />
pioneers of wh<strong>at</strong> would come to be known as the<br />
classical educ<strong>at</strong>ion movement. And our curriculum<br />
and philosophy of educ<strong>at</strong>ion have served as the<br />
explicit model for dozens of priv<strong>at</strong>e and charter<br />
schools in the United St<strong>at</strong>es.<br />
We are honored by this legacy and continue to<br />
measure our own success by the kind of young men<br />
and women our gradu<strong>at</strong>es become. At <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>,<br />
students become articul<strong>at</strong>e, educ<strong>at</strong>ed, and inquisitive<br />
agents of their own learning. They are well-rounded,<br />
dynamic young men and women who we are proud to<br />
go out into the world as <strong>Trinity</strong> gradu<strong>at</strong>es.<br />
So instead of merely asking how to “do school” better,<br />
the founders of the school began instead with the<br />
desired outcome and asked, “Wh<strong>at</strong> should educ<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
adults in our time really know? Wh<strong>at</strong> intellectual skills<br />
should they possess to deal with the world in which<br />
they find themselves? Wh<strong>at</strong> topics and texts should<br />
they have wrestled with?”<br />
6 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
TO US, THE REAL MEASURE OF<br />
EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS IS SEEN<br />
IN OUR GRADUATES. AT TRINITY<br />
SCHOOL, STUDENTS BECOME<br />
ARTICULATE, EDUCATED AND<br />
INQUISITIVE AGENTS OF THEIR<br />
OWN LEARNING. OUR ALUMNI<br />
ARE WELL-ROUNDED, DYNAMIC<br />
MEN AND WOMEN. WE ARE<br />
PROUD TO HAVE THEM GO OUT<br />
INTO THE WORLD AS TRINITY<br />
GRADUATES.
OUR<br />
SCHOOLS<br />
SHARING OUR GIFTS<br />
The <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s curriculum has been adopted by<br />
over thirty priv<strong>at</strong>e and charter schools<br />
n<strong>at</strong>ionwide serving nearly 20,000 students.<br />
OUR MEMBER SCHOOLS<br />
In 2014, <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s began a fresh initi<strong>at</strong>ive in<br />
n<strong>at</strong>ional educ<strong>at</strong>ion—the <strong>Trinity</strong> Member <strong>School</strong><br />
Program. In partnership with the Wilberforce <strong>School</strong><br />
in Princeton, NJ and <strong>Trinity</strong> Academy in Portland,<br />
OR, <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s provides curriculum, teacher<br />
training and ongoing development to independent,<br />
like-minded schools.<br />
8 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
248 STUDENTS<br />
TRINITY AT GREENLAWN<br />
SOUTH BEND<br />
275 STUDENTS<br />
TRINITY AT RIVER RIDGE<br />
EAGAN (suburb of Minneapolis)<br />
152 STUDENTS<br />
TRINITY AT MEADOW VIEW<br />
FALLS CHURCH (just outside DC)<br />
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s 9
STUDENTS<br />
AND ALUMNI<br />
WE SERVE<br />
TRINITY SCHOOLS TOTAL ENROLLMENT<br />
TRINITY AT GREENLAWN<br />
TRINITY AT RIVER RIDGE<br />
TRINITY AT MEADOW VIEW<br />
10 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
ONE OF OUR HIGHEST GOALS IS TO PRESERVE<br />
AND ENCOURAGE EACH STUDENT’S<br />
SENSE OF WONDER. OUR EFFORTS TO ASK<br />
HELPFUL QUESTIONS AND THEIR GROWING<br />
ABILITY TO FORMULATE THEIR OWN GREAT<br />
QUESTIONS LEADS TO INSIGHTFUL CONVER-<br />
SATIONS AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING.<br />
TRINITY SCHOOL ALUMNI AND STUDENTS<br />
ARE ENCOURAGED TO LOOK DEEPLY INTO<br />
THE WORLD AROUND THEM.<br />
TRINITY SCHOOLS TOTAL ALUMNI<br />
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s 11
MEET<br />
OUR<br />
BOARD<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s are oper<strong>at</strong>ed jointly and governed by<br />
a n<strong>at</strong>ional board of trustees. Our board is responsible<br />
for overseeing the mission and vision of the schools as<br />
well as the financial security of the schools.<br />
Our board members come from many walks of life.<br />
They are professionals with expertise in law, educ<strong>at</strong>ion,<br />
business and the sciences. Many are parents of<br />
current students or alumni. Each brings wisdom and<br />
experience to the management of the schools. Our<br />
board meets three times a year to engage in board<br />
development, explore new and ongoing str<strong>at</strong>egic<br />
initi<strong>at</strong>ives, and review and approve the budget.<br />
Craig Lent, Chair<br />
Ph.D. Physics, University of Minnesota, B.S., Physics<br />
University of California, Frank M. Freimann Professor<br />
of Electrical Engineering and concurrent Professor of<br />
Physics, University of Notre Dame<br />
Jon Balsbaugh (ex officio)<br />
M.A. English, University of St. Thomas, President,<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s<br />
Dan Brewer<br />
J.D. Golden G<strong>at</strong>e University - <strong>School</strong> of Law, Director<br />
of Human Resources and Financial Aid, <strong>Trinity</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>s (retired)<br />
Beth Bulger<br />
M.A. English, University of Minnesota, B.A. in English,<br />
Carleton University, Freelance Editor, Bulger Editing<br />
Johanna Clark<br />
Ph.D. Pharmacology, Georgetown University, B.S. in<br />
Chemistry, St. Mary's College, Head of <strong>School</strong>,<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> Academy<br />
Larry Lamanna<br />
B.A. in Theology and Liberal Studies, University of<br />
Notre Dame, M.A. in Intern<strong>at</strong>ional Rel<strong>at</strong>ions, Yale<br />
University, Ph.D. in Political Science and Intern<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
Affairs, University of Georgia<br />
Laurie Magill<br />
B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies, University of<br />
Notre Dame, Former Faculty and Administr<strong>at</strong>or <strong>at</strong><br />
Greenlawn and Meadow View campuses<br />
Kevin Ranaghan<br />
Ph.D. Theology, University of Notre Dame, Chairman,<br />
Branch Rel<strong>at</strong>ions Council, People of Praise<br />
Walt Seale<br />
M.A. Teaching Writing and Liter<strong>at</strong>ure and M.F.A.<br />
Cre<strong>at</strong>ive Writing, George Mason University,<br />
Coordin<strong>at</strong>or, Indianapolis, Campus Division, People<br />
of Praise<br />
12 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
ATHLETICS COMPLEMENT THE<br />
CLASSROOM AND THE VIBRANCY<br />
OF THE SCHOOL’S CHRISTIAN<br />
CULTURE, AS WELL AS PROVIDE<br />
A FORUM THAT ENHANCES OUR<br />
STUDENTS’ CHARACTER AND<br />
DEVELOPMENT.
STEWARDSHIP OF<br />
OUR MISSION<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s oper<strong>at</strong>es a single budget for the<br />
nonprofit corpor<strong>at</strong>ion. With input from local heads of<br />
schools, the president presents a budget incorpor<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
each of the oper<strong>at</strong>ing expenses of the three schools<br />
and the expenses of the central office to the Board of<br />
Trustees for approval.<br />
The work of the central office involves curriculum<br />
development, teacher training, branding and<br />
messaging, and other similar functions th<strong>at</strong> are held<br />
in common by all <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s. Moreover, a wide<br />
variety of practical financial m<strong>at</strong>ters such as payroll,<br />
insurance negoti<strong>at</strong>ions, and reimbursements are<br />
handled centrally to support the schools.<br />
In order to support a project or need <strong>at</strong> a local campus,<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s offer a wide range of ways in which<br />
donors and generous benefactors can partner with us -<br />
financially, including restricted don<strong>at</strong>ions. All schol<br />
arship don<strong>at</strong>ions are distributed locally, all capital<br />
campaigns are local, and we have a wide variety of<br />
ongoing initi<strong>at</strong>ives <strong>at</strong> each campus. The Director of<br />
Development <strong>at</strong> each local campus works with our<br />
benefactors to find a method of giving to the school<br />
th<strong>at</strong> honors and maintains the intentions of those<br />
benefactors.<br />
The budget for the central office represents<br />
approxim<strong>at</strong>ely 6% of the overall budget of <strong>Trinity</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>s annually.<br />
14 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
TRINITY SCHOOLS<br />
<strong>2018</strong>-20<strong>19</strong> SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES<br />
OPERATING REVENUE<br />
Public Funds<br />
Tuition and Fees<br />
Scholarship and Restricted Giving<br />
Public Funds<br />
<strong>Annual</strong> Giving<br />
Investment Income<br />
Other (misc gifts, affili<strong>at</strong>e fees,<br />
etc.)<br />
TOTAL<br />
$ 9,818,786<br />
$ 871,841<br />
$ 300,298<br />
$ 142,670<br />
$ 120,000<br />
$ 79,677<br />
$ 11,333,272<br />
OPERATIONAL EXPENSES<br />
Salary and Benefits (all faculty and staff) $ 5,728,653<br />
Unfunded Financial Aid $ 1,783,123<br />
General Oper<strong>at</strong>ing Expenses $ 1,439,615<br />
Buildings and Grounds $ 1,324,103<br />
Office of the President $ 730,000<br />
Funded Financial Aid $ 315,000<br />
TOTAL $ 11,320,494<br />
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s 15
GRATITUDE<br />
The Heads of <strong>School</strong>, faculty, and professional staff <strong>at</strong><br />
each campus are extremely gr<strong>at</strong>eful for the amazing<br />
generosity of so many dedic<strong>at</strong>ed partners and engaged<br />
members of <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s’ community of learners.<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s’ mission to form its students is only<br />
possible through the generous partnership it enjoys<br />
with current student families, alumni parents,<br />
alumni, grandparents, benefactors, and supportive<br />
friends in each campus community. It begins with<br />
thousands of volunteer hours th<strong>at</strong> support all manner<br />
of activities throughout the academic year. From<br />
the performing arts and sporting events to student<br />
field trips and extracurricular activities to community-building<br />
g<strong>at</strong>herings of all kinds, volunteers enhance<br />
and strengthen each campus’ school community.<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s also benefits gre<strong>at</strong>ly from the varied<br />
professional expertise of its parents and alumni who<br />
contribute to both the academic and oper<strong>at</strong>ional life<br />
of each school campus. Many partners step forward<br />
each year to make a variety of contributions. These<br />
include faculty members <strong>at</strong> local universities offering<br />
guest lectures, advisors for a mock trial team or a<br />
robotics team, and coaches for <strong>at</strong>hletic teams as<br />
well as those who sit on committees both formal and<br />
informal supporting str<strong>at</strong>egic, financial, and development<br />
goals <strong>at</strong> each campus.<br />
Additionally, members of each school community<br />
contribute generous financial gifts <strong>at</strong> all levels. This<br />
annual support enables each campus to respond to<br />
several important areas of need including unfunded<br />
student financial aid, faculty recruitment and development,<br />
and classroom enhancements. Generous<br />
benefactors also make possible improvements to the<br />
academic and <strong>at</strong>hletic facilities. All of these efforts<br />
continually work to enrich the experience of the<br />
<strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s mission for our students, families, and<br />
partners.<br />
TRINITY PROVIDES<br />
A CAREFULLY-CRAFTED<br />
CURRICULUM. READING<br />
GREAT LITERATURE, STUDYING<br />
GEOGRAPHY, CREATING MUSIC<br />
AND ART, AND STUDYING<br />
CALCULUS-BASED PHYSICS<br />
ARE JUST SOME OF THE WAYS<br />
THAT TRINITY STUDENTS<br />
ENCOUNTER REALITY.<br />
16 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s 17
RIVER RIDGE<br />
CAMPUS<br />
NATIONAL RECOGNITION<br />
On September 26, 20<strong>19</strong>, <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>at</strong> <strong>River</strong> <strong>Ridge</strong><br />
was named a N<strong>at</strong>ional Blue Ribbon <strong>School</strong> with the<br />
design<strong>at</strong>ion of Exemplary High Performing <strong>School</strong>.<br />
We received this honor previously, in <strong>19</strong>96 and 2008,<br />
making us the only high school in Minnesota to<br />
receive the honor three times. 45 minutes after the<br />
Department of Educ<strong>at</strong>ion announcement, bells rang<br />
to end fourth period early, and students, faculty and<br />
staff headed to the auditorium. The excitement was<br />
palpable as students specul<strong>at</strong>ed about wh<strong>at</strong> the good<br />
news might be.<br />
This moment served as an opportunity to remind<br />
ourselves th<strong>at</strong> the stuff of our ordinary days — solving<br />
problems, preparing for the Christmas concert, and<br />
conducting Humane Letters seminars — is the living<br />
out of our extraordinary vision for educ<strong>at</strong>ion, and<br />
th<strong>at</strong> this mission is made possible by the<br />
community of families and friends th<strong>at</strong> supports<br />
and sustains our community of learners. We<br />
celebr<strong>at</strong>ed with an all school picture and cupcakes!<br />
18 <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong>
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS<br />
Congr<strong>at</strong>ul<strong>at</strong>ions to our N<strong>at</strong>ional Merit Commended<br />
Scholars and Finalists! Seven members of the Class of<br />
2020, 14% of its senior class, were recently recognized<br />
by the N<strong>at</strong>ional Merit Scholarship Corpor<strong>at</strong>ion for<br />
their achievement on the PSAT. Cassandra Demlow,<br />
Erik Iverson, Charles Nykamp, Abigail Walter, and Carl<br />
Yaeger earned the honor of being named Commended<br />
Scholars by scoring in the top 3% of the 1.5 million<br />
students who took the PSAT n<strong>at</strong>ionwide. Erik runs<br />
with <strong>Trinity</strong>’s cross country and track teams. Charles<br />
is Program Captain of the Robotics team, and sings<br />
in Chamber Singers; Cassie, Abigail, and Carl are<br />
musicians in Wind Ensemble. Abigail is a photographer<br />
for the yearbook, and Carl leads the Speech<br />
Club. Finalists Luke Bormann and K<strong>at</strong>e Mealey scored<br />
in the top 0.5% in Minnesota. Luke is a three-sport<br />
<strong>at</strong>hlete and a member of Chamber Singers. K<strong>at</strong>e is<br />
a yearbook editor and particip<strong>at</strong>es on the Robotics<br />
team as a CADD designer. Congr<strong>at</strong>ul<strong>at</strong>ions to each of<br />
these students.<br />
AT TRINITY SCHOOL,<br />
ALL STUDENTS TAKE ART<br />
ALL STUDENTS LEARN TO CODE<br />
ALL STUDENTS ACT IN A<br />
SHAKESPEARE PLAY<br />
ALL STUDENTS GET RECESS!<br />
<strong>2018</strong> / 20<strong>19</strong> <strong>Trinity</strong> <strong>School</strong>s <strong>19</strong>