A Message From the Head of School

Four Guiding Principles: The Basis for Decision-Making and the Keys to Success

Parents who invest in an independent school education for their children have certain obvious expectations: a safe and orderly environment, competent teachers, quality academics, and a well-maintained physical environment. There are additional factors that must also be present if an independent school is to completely fulfill its potential and achieve or maintain the loyalty and support of its constituents.

As the numerous opportunities and issues related to administration of an independent school emerge on a daily basis, the decision-making process must be based upon sound, fundamental principles to ensure that the school steers a steady course in pursuit of its mission. Stability and trust are the results of a good decision-making model. What guiding principles comprise this model for success and consistency?

The first and foremost principle is a commitment to a personalized approach to education. An important factor to promote this ideal is for the administration to keep class sizes small. Teachers’ case loads must be kept well below 100 students in order for the teachers to be able to provide individual attention. Also, while it may be intuitive to treat everyone the same in order to be fair, a bureaucratic mentality is contrary to good education. All students and every situation are unique and good decision-making takes the many differences and subtleties into consideration. Teachers are expected to see students as individuals and reports to parents should include individual narratives rather than simply numeric averages. Communications between the teachers and parents must be frequent and focused on the individuality of students.

Another component of a good leadership philosophy is a commitment to providing multiple opportunities for students to discover, to cultivate, and to demonstrate their talents. The school should provide these multiple opportunities in the arts, athletics, leadership roles, and other co-curricular programs. Every student needs to be “in the spotlight,” at some time and it is the school’s responsibility to create these opportunities. The school should strive to make all programs available to all students. In most schools, students gravitate to certain groups (athletes, artsy kids, tech-savvy kids, etc.). Within the scope of selective admissions, the school should provide all programs for all students. We are in the business of creating opportunities whereby students achieve something meaningful, grow in confidence, and more readily embrace new challenges. Success builds success.

The third guiding principle is to purposefully work toward a strong sense of community. Young people need to feel a sense of belonging -- of ownership in their own education. There are many things schools can do to promote this principle. A strong sense of community gets students caught up in the culture of achievement and future planning. In such a community, academic success is the expectation and ultimately the question is not whether you are going to college, but where you are going to college.

The fourth principle is an over-arching commitment to do all things as well as resources will allow. School leaders must maintain the highest possible standards in all that they do. We should expect teachers to be superb instructors, students to work hard and behave, and support staff to maintain a client service perspective. We should expect administrative planning which anticipates the needs of teachers, students, and parents and handles potential problems proactively. A commitment to continuous improvement, the highest level of accreditation, and high standards in all aspects ensures that the quality of educational services is second to none.

It is no coincidence that these principles are what parents are seeking in a school for their children. Adherence to these principles sharply distinguishes independent schools from other types of schools in the region and can distinguish one private school from the others. They form the basis of operations at Trinity Collegiate School and we invite you to experience the difference.


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Homework Forms Facebook TCS Today Job Opportunities CONTACT US Athletics Admissions Headmaster Business Office		A Message From the Head of School Four Guiding Principles: The Basis for Decision-Making and the Keys to Success Parents who invest in an independent school education for their children have certain obvious expectations: a safe and orderly environment, competent teachers, quality academics, and a well-maintained physical environment. There are additional factors that must also be present if an independent school is to completely fulfill its potential and achieve or maintain the loyalty and support of its constituents. As the numerous opportunities and issues related to administration of an independent school emerge on a daily basis, the decision-making process must be based upon sound, fundamental principles to ensure that the school steers a steady course in pursuit of its mission. Stability and trust are the results of a good decision-making model. What guiding principles comprise this model for success and consistency? The first and foremost principle is a commitment to a personalized approach to education. An important factor to promote this ideal is for the administration to keep class sizes small. Teachers’ case loads must be kept well below 100 students in order for the teachers to be able to provide individual attention. Also, while it may be intuitive to treat everyone the same in order to be fair, a bureaucratic mentality is contrary to good education. All students and every situation are unique and good decision-making takes the many differences and subtleties into consideration. Teachers are expected to see students as individuals and reports to parents should include individual narratives rather than simply numeric averages. Communications between the teachers and parents must be frequent and focused on the individuality of students. Another component of a good leadership philosophy is a commitment to providing multiple opportunities for students to discover, to cultivate, and to demonstrate their talents. The school should provide these multiple opportunities in the arts, athletics, leadership roles, and other co-curricular programs. Every student needs to be “in the spotlight,” at some time and it is the school’s responsibility to create these opportunities. The school should strive to make all programs available to all students. In most schools, students gravitate to certain groups (athletes, artsy kids, tech-savvy kids, etc.). Within the scope of selective admissions, the school should provide all programs for all students. We are in the business of creating opportunities whereby students achieve something meaningful, grow in confidence, and more readily embrace new challenges. Success builds success. The third guiding principle is to purposefully work toward a strong sense of community. Young people need to feel a sense of belonging -- of ownership in their own education. There are many things schools can do to promote this principle. A strong sense of community gets students caught up in the culture of achievement and future planning. In such a community, academic success is the expectation and ultimately the question is not whether you are going to college, but where you are going to college. The fourth principle is an over-arching commitment to do all things as well as resources will allow. School leaders must maintain the highest possible standards in all that they do. We should expect teachers to be superb instructors, students to work hard and behave, and support staff to maintain a client service perspective. We should expect administrative planning which anticipates the needs of teachers, students, and parents and handles potential problems proactively. A commitment to continuous improvement, the highest level of accreditation, and high standards in all aspects ensures that the quality of educational services is second to none. It is no coincidence that these principles are what parents are seeking in a school for their children. Adherence to these principles sharply distinguishes independent schools from other types of schools in the region and can distinguish one private school from the others. They form the basis of operations at Trinity Collegiate School and we invite you to experience the difference.