Congratulations to the Class of 2020 students invited to participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program!

Twenty Trinity Prep students from the Class of 2020 have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as high scoring juniors on the October 2018 PSAT/NMSQT and have met the requirements to enter the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Congratulations to Cecilia Arney, Jason Baron, Sofia Blumenfeld, Shay Buchanan, Jessica Celuch, Justin Davis, David Escue, Phoebe Fowler, Daniel Galvez, Anusha Karandikar, Eashan Kothari, Samantha Lin, Audrey McAnally, Aidan McLaughlin, Katie Rohrbaugh, Levon Tabirian, Bhrajit Thakur, Elizabeth Ugan, London Wharton, and Harper Wilcox.

With a PSAT Selection Index score of 212 or above, each of these students is among the 50,000 highest scoring participants of some 1.6 million program entrants who took the PSAT in October 2018.  Of this group, approximately 16,000 will be named National Merit Program Semifinalists in September, representing the top scorers in each state.  The remaining 34,000 high scorers will be commended for their performances but they will not continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition. 

Congratulations to the Trinity Prep students who took part in this year's National Latin Extracurricular Exams. Below are the results.

National Latin Vocabulary Exam

Silver

• Polsinelli, Nikolas (Latin ½ )
• Yuan, Maggie (Latin 3)
• Zhuang, Lindsey (Latin 3)
• Zhang, Andrew (Latin 4)

Bronze

• Liu, Caden (Latin ½ )
• Nguyen, Eric (Latin 2)
• Wilemon, Lainey (Latin 2)
• Galvez, Daniel (Latin 4)
• Wehr, Adam (Latin 5)

National Roman Civilization Exam

Gold

• Wang, Jackie (Advanced)
• Polsinelli, Nikolas (Novice)

Silver

• Pope, Molly (Intermediate)
• Yuan, Maggie (Intermediate)

Bronze

• Zhang, Hanson (Bronze)
• Wang, Jeffrey (Novice)
• Wang, Kelsey (Novice)

National Classical Etymology Exam

Gold

• Galvez, Daniel (Latin 4)
• Zhuang, Lindsey (Latin 3)
• Polsinelli, Nikolas (Latin ½ )
• Chong, Eva (Latin 1)

Silver

• Pope, Lili (Latin 4)
• Huang, Alexis (Latin 4)
• Wang, Jackie (Latin 5)
• Yuan, Maggie (Latin 3)
• Halladay-Glynn, Molly (Latin 4)
• Beute, Monroe (Latin 4)
• Huang, Evan (Latin 2)
• Nguyen, Eric (Latin 2)

Bronze

• Merriam, Marissa (Latin 2)
• Castro, Matthew (Latin 5)
• Kothari, Eashan (Latin 5)
• Wilcox, Kara (Latin 2)
• Lutz, Riley (Latin 2)
• Peng, Elaine (Latin 2)
• Chandra, Maansi (Latin 3)
• Quiao, Amy (Latin 4)
• Zhang, Andrew (Latin 4)
• Iusue, Ava (Latin ½ )
• Singla, Danush (Latin 1)
• Wilemon, Lainey (Latin 2)

National Mythology Exam

Bronze

• Yuan, Maggie (Latin 3)
• Yuan, Austin (Latin 1)
• Polsinelli, Nikolas (Latin 1A)

Congratulations to Ryan Psik ‘19! He has achieved the dual distinction of being selected for both the Echols Scholar and the Jefferson Scholar programs at the University of Virginia.

Echols Scholars:

The UVA Office of Admission looks for academic excellence, intellectual leadership, and evidence of the ability to grapple with complex topics. Students selected for the Echols Scholars program come from a diversity of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, urban and rural geographic locations, and public and private schools with various programs and opportunities. What matters is that the student has taken the strongest academic program and course of study possible in his or her school and has performed well in it. The Office of Admission is also interested in academic leaders and intellectual risk-takers. We seek "active and aggressive" learners and evidence in a student’s record that demonstrates independence, initiative, intellectual versatility, and the ability to thrive in a creative and mentally engaging community.

Jefferson Scholars:

Awarded solely on the basis of merit, Jefferson Scholarships are granted to candidates who have undergone a rigorous selection process. Students are placed into regional competitions which determine the 120 finalists who are invited to Charlottesville for the Jefferson Scholarship Selection weekend in late March. The goal of nurturing future leaders is at the heart of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation’s mission: to attract to the University the most promising leaders, scholars, and citizens in the world. This award is​ Intended to cover the entire cost of attendance for four years at the University of Virginia and includes an extensive supplemental enrichment program that supports and nurtures these students throughout their four years at U.Va.

Recently 109 TPS students took the National Latin Exam, where 70% of TPS students scored above the average and 70 students received awards! TPS walked away with 2 perfect scores, 24 "Gold" Summa Cum Laude, 23 "Silvers" Maxima Cum Laude, 16 Magna Cum Laude, and 12 Cum Laude! Below are the winners broken out into class. 

The Community Service Award for Outstanding Leadership is given to those students who not only exhibit a long term and unfailing commitment to a specific service organization, but they also have demonstrated strong leadership skills and assumed more responsibility as they grow in their service commitment.  These students receive a plaque and their names will be included on the perpetual plaque located near the Upper School Office. 

The Community Service Award for Outstanding Leadership recipients: 

• Junior, Annabelle Lawton for all of her work with giving back to the community, but especially for her work with the iCan Bike program.  The goal of iCan Bike is to teach individuals with disabilities to ride a conventional two wheel bicycle and become lifelong independent riders. This achievement, in turn, creates a gateway of opportunity, helping them gain assurance and self-reliance in many other aspects of their lives. Camille Gardiner with the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida presented the award. 
   
• Freshman, Lauren Carlson for her amazing work of putting on Dancing for Parkinson's, a fundraising event to to benefit the Michael J. Fox for Parkinson's Research that raised almost $7000. Janine Papin, who was instrumental in helping her put on the event in the Trinity Prep Auditorium presented the award.

LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY SERVICE

Trinity Prep includes in its mission statement a commitment to developing students who are able to excel in college and beyond, contribute to their communities, lead in a changing society, and grow spiritually.  Two special awards were created to recognize students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment and leadership in service to the community whether through Trinity Prep programs, clubs or independent of Trinity Prep.  

The Certificate of Honor for Leadership in Community Service is given to a student who shows initiative or a long term commitment to a cause with a significant impact on the local community. 

Certificates of Honors for Leadership in Community Service Recipients:  

• Junior, Michael Finkelstein, and his commitment to serving at the Orlando Science Center 
• Sophomore, Francesca Fulmer and her commitment to serving Boothbay Sea and Science Center
• Freshman, Leah Keefe and her commitment to serving Give Kids the World 
• Freshman, Lilly Nguyen and her commitment to serving Emmanuel Choir at St. Phillip Minh Church 
• Freshman, Alex Wang and his commitment to serving with Orlando Symphony Youth Orchestra 

The Presidential Community Service Award is presented to students who have given of their time to the tune of 100+ hours of community service this school year.

Bronze (100-174 hours)

Silver (175-249 hours)

Gold (250+hours)

This is a reminder that the athletics newsletter will be sent directly to your email moving forward. It will no longer be available only in Notes from the Quad. 

Herff Jones is looking forward to working with senior parents this year on graduation materials and making this year as memorable as possible. Information can be found here. Deadline to receive discounted prices will be December 6. 

Please join us at Bloomingdale's on December 7 for our Shopping Day to promote the Ellis Award!  Raffle Tickets for great prizes will be sold in the car line on December 6 and the day of the event. They are $5 each or $20 for 5. We look forward to seeing you there! Also, check out this Ellis Award promo video.

Trinity Prep will be offering many athletic, academic, and enrichment camps for the 2020 summer! Check our programs and register after the New Year or email summer@trinityprep.org for more information.
 

The Trinity Prep Advancement and Admissions staff works collaboratively with the Trinity Parents Organization throughout the year in an effort to welcome our newest Saints. As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to remind our new families how thankful we are to have them as part of the Trinity family. This week during advisory,  new students received a TPS tote bag to bring home to their families. We are grateful you chose Trinity Prep. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Also, TPO treated our seniors to Chick-fil-A chicken minis for their Senior Surprise. We are thankful for our wonderful seniors.

Thanksgiving is next week, which brings a multitude of calories, emotions, and preparations for many. Some may travel, some may host, some enjoy friends and family, some celebrate quietly. The main themes of this holiday have traditionally been gratitude and a big, wonderful meal. Here are some tips for having a healthier Thanksgiving Day this year. READ MORE >>

Nov. 22: Fleur de Lis Cup Tennis Tournament
Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving Break 

Seniors Matthew Castro and Olivia Demetriades have been selected as winners of National Merit Scholarships. Both Matthew and Olvia are winners of the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation with its own funds.

All winners of the approximately 7,500 National Merit Scholarships are chosen from the group of approximately 15,000 National Merit Finalists. In order to advance in the competition and be considered for a Merit Scholarship Award, a Semifinalist had to become a Finalist by fulfilling several requirements that included submitting a detailed scholarship application and presenting a record of very high academic achievement.

Approximately 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships will be offered to the Class of 2019 nationwide, and every National Merit Finalist is considered for the award. Winners are named in every state, in numbers based on the state’s percentage of the nation’s high school graduating seniors.

The National Merit Corporation also offers both College-sponsored and Corporate-sponsored National Merit scholarships, and winners of these scholarships will be announced by the National Merit Corporation later this spring.

Trinity Prep seniors John Baldwin, Will Driscoll, Setareh Gooshvar, Andrew Kwa, Dominic Martinez, Andrew Miller, Olivia Miller, and Jackie Wang have each been offered college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships.

The National Merit Corporation offers several types of scholarships including college-sponsored scholarships.

Approximately 200 colleges and universities underwrite more than 4,800 National Merit Scholarships annually. Only National Merit Finalists who plan to attend a college or university that sponsors Merit Scholarship Awards can be considered for one. Winners are chosen by officials of the sponsor college or university.

In order to be considered for any of these scholarships, students must achieve National Merit Finalist status by first qualifying as National Merit Semifinalists, by fulfilling several additional requirements as part of a detailed scholarship application, and by presenting a record of very high academic performance.

The Community Service Award for Outstanding Leadership is given to those students who not only exhibit a long term and unfailing commitment to a specific service organization, but they also have demonstrated strong leadership skills and assumed more responsibility as they grow in their service commitment.  These students receive a plaque and their names will be included on the perpetual plaque located near the Upper School Office. 

The Community Service Award for Outstanding Leadership recipients: 

• Junior, Annabelle Lawton for all of her work with giving back to the community, but especially for her work with the iCan Bike program.  The goal of iCan Bike is to teach individuals with disabilities to ride a conventional two wheel bicycle and become lifelong independent riders. This achievement, in turn, creates a gateway of opportunity, helping them gain assurance and self-reliance in many other aspects of their lives. Camille Gardiner with the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida presented the award. 
   
• Freshman, Lauren Carlson for her amazing work of putting on Dancing for Parkinson's, a fundraising event to to benefit the Michael J. Fox for Parkinson's Research that raised almost $7000. Janine Papin, who was instrumental in helping her put on the event in the Trinity Prep Auditorium presented the award.

LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY SERVICE

Trinity Prep includes in its mission statement a commitment to developing students who are able to excel in college and beyond, contribute to their communities, lead in a changing society, and grow spiritually.  Two special awards were created to recognize students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment and leadership in service to the community whether through Trinity Prep programs, clubs or independent of Trinity Prep.  

The Certificate of Honor for Leadership in Community Service is given to a student who shows initiative or a long term commitment to a cause with a significant impact on the local community. 

Certificates of Honors for Leadership in Community Service Recipients:  

• Junior, Michael Finkelstein, and his commitment to serving at the Orlando Science Center 
• Sophomore, Francesca Fulmer and her commitment to serving Boothbay Sea and Science Center
• Freshman, Leah Keefe and her commitment to serving Give Kids the World 
• Freshman, Lilly Nguyen and her commitment to serving Emmanuel Choir at St. Phillip Minh Church 
• Freshman, Alex Wang and his commitment to serving with Orlando Symphony Youth Orchestra 

The Presidential Community Service Award is presented to students who have given of their time to the tune of 100+ hours of community service this school year.

Bronze (100-174 hours)

Silver (175-249 hours)

Gold (250+hours)

Twenty-one Trinity Prep students from the Thespian Troupe 1780 represented Trinity Prep at the State Festival in Tampa March 20 to 23. In order to attend the state festival, all participants had earned superior ratings at the District Festival last fall.

Our one act of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” that had won at the District Level earned Trinity Prep another superior rating. Trent Bangle’s costume design for Medea, that had won Best in Show at the District level, also earned a superior rating. Other events: large group musical, small group musical, ensemble acting, monologues, and play-writing all earned excellent ratings. The students attended classes, workshops, and performances, and connected with students from across the state. 

If you missed seeing a performance of “The Curious Incident…,” or would like to see it again, please plan on seeing it when they perform at the Orlando Fringe Festival in May. They will be in the Brown Venue, inside of the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre on Friday, May 17 at 5:30 PM, Saturday, May 25 at 8:45 PM or Sunday, May 26 at 1:15 PM.

Congratulations to Ryan Psik ‘19! He has achieved the dual distinction of being selected for both the Echols Scholar and the Jefferson Scholar programs at the University of Virginia.

Echols Scholars:

The UVA Office of Admission looks for academic excellence, intellectual leadership, and evidence of the ability to grapple with complex topics. Students selected for the Echols Scholars program come from a diversity of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, urban and rural geographic locations, and public and private schools with various programs and opportunities. What matters is that the student has taken the strongest academic program and course of study possible in his or her school and has performed well in it. The Office of Admission is also interested in academic leaders and intellectual risk-takers. We seek "active and aggressive" learners and evidence in a student’s record that demonstrates independence, initiative, intellectual versatility, and the ability to thrive in a creative and mentally engaging community.

Jefferson Scholars:

Awarded solely on the basis of merit, Jefferson Scholarships are granted to candidates who have undergone a rigorous selection process. Students are placed into regional competitions which determine the 120 finalists who are invited to Charlottesville for the Jefferson Scholarship Selection weekend in late March. The goal of nurturing future leaders is at the heart of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation’s mission: to attract to the University the most promising leaders, scholars, and citizens in the world. This award is​ Intended to cover the entire cost of attendance for four years at the University of Virginia and includes an extensive supplemental enrichment program that supports and nurtures these students throughout their four years at U.Va.