Trinity School (New York City)
Trinity School | |
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Address | |
139 West 91st Street , 10024-1399 | |
Coordinates | 40°47′25″N 73°58′15″W / 40.790298°N 73.970861°W |
Information | |
School type | Private |
Motto | Labore et virtute (By labor and virtue) |
Religious affiliation(s) | None (previously Episcopal) |
Founded | 1709 |
Founder | William Huddleston |
Head of school | Suellyn Preston Scull (interim) |
Grades | K-12 |
Gender | Coeducational |
Enrollment | 986 |
Schedule | Day |
Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
Athletics conference | Ivy Preparatory School League, Athletic Association of Independent Schools |
Mascot | Tiger |
Website | http://www.trinityschoolnyc.org |
Trinity School is a private, preparatory, co-educational day school for grades K-12 located in New York City, USA, and a member of both the New York Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League. Founded in 1709 in the Tower of the old Trinity Church at Broadway and Wall Street, the school is the fifth oldest in the United States[1] and the oldest continually operational school in New York City.[2]
History
Trinity School was founded by William Huddleston, working under the aegis of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in 1709 as a charity school for Trinity Church. Originally open to both boys and girls, classes were held in the steeple of Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, but in 1749, Trinity moved into its own building across the street. The building burned down two months later and had to be rebuilt. Columbia University, then King's College, was founded in that building's first floor.[3] Trinity traditionally educated its students for Columbia given their close ties.
In 1789, Trinity's 56 boys and 30 girls were under the instruction of John Wood, clerk of St. Paul's Chapel at 29 John Street. No longer a charity school, its tuition stood at seven dollars per quarter, in addition to a one guinea entrance fee.
In 1838, Trinity closed admission to girls. Girls would not be readmitted until 1971.[1] In 1889, Trinity School moved to 627 Madison Avenue (at 59th Street), and moved again a year later to 108 West 45th Street. In 1898, the trustees established the St. Agatha's School for Girls at 257 West 93d Street as a sister school for Trinity. St. Agatha's eventually closed its doors.
In 1895, Trinity moved to its current location at 91st Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Trinity currently occupies three connected buildings: 139 West 91st houses the Lower School; 115 West 91st houses the Middle School; and 101 West 91st houses the Upper School.[4]
Shortly before the completion of the new upper school building in 1968, Trinity severed its Episcopal ties with Trinity Church, and is now non-sectarian, and receives no endowment from the Church. The school does, however, retain an Episcopal priest who is paid by Trinity Church. He delivers weekly chapel services at the school, as well as the annual baccalaureate service held at Trinity Church each May.
In 1946, the Trinity-Pawling School was named in recognition of its ties to Trinity.
Trinity is the oldest continually operating school in New York State, as it remained open during the Revolutionary War, thanks to its Loyalist ties.
The Wall Street Journal consistently ranks Trinity as one of "the top three" high schools in the United States, as measured by students' admission to exclusive colleges.[5]
In 2009 the school is celebrating its Tricentennial with a series of commemorative events.
Academics
In terms of its high school, Trinity is perhaps notably different from its other private school peers for its relatively small offering of Advanced Placement classes outside of mathematics and languages. It offers AP classes in Statistics, Calculus, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, French Language, French Literature, Vergil, and Latin Literature, but none in history, English, or science, although college-level coursework is offered in said subjects. As in most schools, students have the option of preparing for these AP Exams independently, and many do. The school administers many, but not all, of the AP tests within its building. Though no strict core curriculum exists in the high school, the lower and middle school courseloads are highly structured, while ninth and tenth graders are offered limited flexibility in their courses. Juniors and seniors, however, are much freer to flexibly select electives and other such courses. English is the only subject mandated through four years. Math is mandated for three, the languages for three, and the lab sciences for two. There is also a Physical Education requirement.
Trinity is also perhaps notable as a high school for having a full Classics department, which is widely recognized as one of the strongest in the nation.[6] Students from Trinity often place high in the New York Classical Club High School Sight Translation Contest, which is held every year generally for New York City private school students.[7] Trinity also has had its own student-run Classics Club for several years.
Trinity's academic program is also perhaps unique in that it mandates for all students at least one semester of religion. These courses range from those examining religious themes in literature to those analyzing world religions to those relating ethical or religious issues to modern life.
Trinity has, corresponding to different departments or subjects, a host of academic prizes, most of which are reserved for seniors. There are Hawley Prizes awarded each year to the three members of each Upper School grade who have the highest tabulated Hawley GPAs. These GPAs are strongly weighted in terms of the perceived difficulty levels of the classes taken. There are also a small number of graduation prizes.
Athletics
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Winter
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Spring
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Athletic awards
For decades, Trinity has awarded a number of athletic awards each year to athletes participating in school sports. The awards are voted on by participating athletes, and there are three awards given per sport. In addition, there are two higher honors bestowed, chosen with faculty input and presented by the Headmaster. The JV Sportsman award is given to the Junior Varsity athlete with the best sportsmanship. The Alumni Award is defined as the athlete that has contributed the most to their sport, and is usually given to a graduating senior. Some sports, such as soccer, have other specific special awards.
Ivy Preparatory School League championships
Independent Schools state championships
- Volleyball - 1997
- Baseball - 2006
- Basketball - 2007, 2009
Student organizations
Trinity boasts many student-run organizations. They include:
- Academic Quiz Bowl - A trivia game group that regularly meets and performs in city tournaments
- Black Affairs Club - A very active club which appreciates different aspects of black culture and society
- Classics Club - A long-surviving club that appreciates the work of the classics and has hosted events such as the traditional Latin scan-off
- Columbus Magazine - The school's student-run and student-published literary magazine
- Jewish Affairs Club - Hosts the Great Trinity Latke-Hamantaschen Debate, in addition to providing other services to both Jewish and non-Jewish Students
- Model Congress - Trinity's award-winning student delegation that writes legislation and holds mock sessions of Congress with other schools across the country. They recently won the 2008 Princeton Model Congress James Madison Award for Best Delegation, as well as numerous committee gavels and two of the ten full-session gavels.
- Phonic - The school's publication dedicated to music
- Plumology - a club devoted to reading and writing
- Rasgos - The school's Spanish publication
- Trinity Student Senate - Elected student government body that passes legislation, communicates with the school administration, and controls club funding
- The Trinity Times - The school's long-running student newspaper
Notable alumni
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Notable attendees
- Humphrey Bogart, actor
- Truman Capote, novelist and screenwriter
- Jennifer Connelly, actress
- Yo Yo Ma, cellist
- James Murdoch, media executive, son of Rupert Murdoch
- Oliver Stone, film director
- Eric Trump, son of American business magnate Donald Trump
- Ivanka Trump, daughter of American business magnate Donald Trump
- Colson Whitehead, New York based novelist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient.
References
- ^ a b Currivan, Gene. (1971). TRINITY SCHOOL WILL ADMIT GIRLS; Institution Founded in 1709 Plans Change Next Fall. The New York Times. Feb 12. pp. 35.
- ^ Trinity School viewbook, p. 4: http://www.trinityschoolnyc.org/pdf/general/viewbook.pdf
- ^ Trinity Church schoolhouse[dead link]
- ^ Google aerial satellite image of the Trinity campus
- ^ College Bound News. "Admissions Watch." Vol. 18 No. 9, citing the April 2, 2004 Wall Street Journal. May, 2004. See http://www.collegeboundnews.com/03-04issues/may04.html#anchor514965 or view the full WSJ rankings from its archives at http://webreprints.djreprints.com/wsj_tuition_040104.pdf
- ^ http://www.prepreview.com/school/Trinity_School_NYC.html
- ^ http://www.nyclassicalclub.org/
- ^ http://www.nysun.com/style/makeover-artist/379/[dead link] accessed 2009-03-27
- ^ John McEnroe - Growing Up