1.31.2021
Dear Parents and Guardians.

Tomorrow is the start of Black History Month. With roots as far back as 1906, it wasn't until 1976 that President Gerald Ford made this month official. How far we've come since then! Today, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and many private businesses and large corporations take special notice of Black History Month.

At Trinity, we take the time to pay special attention to Black History Month (as well as Hispanic Heritage Month in September - October, and others). It is important that the long-forgotten history and experiences of Black Americans be woven into our everyday lessons and our everyday life. At Trinity, that is our goal.

Today I can share one important step that has been taken in that direction. On January 12, the Trinity High School Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution committing to practices encouraging diverse representation and continued diversity initiatives at the governance level. Click HERE to read the resolution. While it is important that the Board of Directors understands the need for and is committed to diversity, the actions of our own students demonstrate that we are striving for equity in the everyday experience at Trinity.

This week, on Wednesday, February 3, the Black Student Union will have their first meeting. The Zoom link will be in the announcements for the Blazers to join. In addition, two of our other student clubs are also paying special attention to the Black experience at Trinity. The Diversity in Action Committee is gathering stories and experiences from Black alumnae, while the SAFEE (Students Aligned For Equity and Empowerment) will take the role of amplifying Black student voices.

Because of our geography, Trinity has been blessed with a wide variety of races, religions, and ethnicities in our hallways for decades. As far back as the '70s, our graduation pictures boast students from the Irish and Italian enclaves of Melrose Park and Beverly to the predominantly Black nearby west side of Chicago neighborhoods, and the large Latinx population in neighboring Berwyn.

Our mission instructs that "Each student is recognized as unique." While we are all different, and we celebrate those differences, we come together as a community during these special months to celebrate one another. No matter where we're from, we know where we're going: Straight to the top! Together!

Shifting gears, it will not be long before we reach a much-needed Spring Break. We have been discerning various options regarding return to school after break. It is our goal that we return to in-person learning after spring break on April 5, 2021. To be clear: Trinity High School will not make a temporary transition to remote learning following Spring Break, we will maintain our current schedule for in-person and remote learning. As we have maintained throughout the pandemic, having an in-person option of learning is in the best interest of our students. We expect the rollout of vaccines for school employees to be well underway, if not completed soon. In keeping with the IDPH and CCDPH recommendations, we continue to discourage out-of-state travel, so we may continue with in-person learning for the remainder of the school year. As you plan for Spring Break, please keep in mind the travel-related quarantine guidelines (ever-changing, but updated HERE).

While there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of this very long tunnel, for now, safety has to remain our top priority. It is really not our goal to lessen the enjoyment of anyone's well deserved time off. Our guidelines were created in the best interest of our school families and teachers.

Stay well and stay warm!
Laura M. Curley
President
ELECTRONIC REPORT CARDS FOR BLOCK 2
This is a reminder that our grade reporting for Block 2 will be electronic-only. You will be able to access your child’s report card for Block 2 through the parent log-in on Plus Portals beginning on Tuesday, February 2nd. 

In order to view your child’s report card, please follow these steps:

  • On the Trinity website, click on the Parents Tab at the top to get the drop-down menu
  • Click on Plus Portals in the drop-down menu
  • Sign in to Plus Portals
  • To the right of your child’s picture, click on the tab labeled MORE
  • Below the picture, you will see a SCHOOL tab. This tab will open up to the Report Card and the student’s Attendance tabs. You will find their Block 2 final grades and their attendance records, respectively, by clicking on these tabs.
  • If you have issues accessing your Plus Portals account or if you need a password reset, please contact Mrs. Puttin at mputtin@trinityhs.org. She will be happy to assist you.
College Planning for the Class of '22
Attention Class of 2022! 
College Planning Kick-Off Meeting 

Monday, February 1 at 6:30 pm via Zoom 
Link to be sent on Monday, February 1.

All juniors are required to participate. Parent attendance is also encouraged! 
For more information, click here
Class of 2023 IB Information Night
Join us for IB Information Night for Pre IB sophomores and their parents on February 3 at 7 pm via Zoom. Anyone who would like to learn more about the two - year junior and senior IB diploma and certificate program is welcome to attend.

More information and Zoom link will be sent to the class.
 
Important information for Class of 2022 Juniors and Families 
On Friday, March 5th, members of the Class of 2022 will celebrate their Junior Retreat and Junior Ring Ceremony.  Please visit this link for more information about the plans for the day and to link to a family survey to indicate your preference for your student to attend the retreat in-person or virtually. 
Trinity In the News!
Pioneer Press Newspaper - Congratulations to Trinity junior Madeleine Falkenholm. In mid-November, she was one of nearly 200 students who took part in the International Baccalaureate Creativity, Activity and Service Conference Charity Hackathon. Each group was given $1,000 to spend to address an aspect of climate change and environmentalism. Madeleine, and her teammates from International Baccalaureate schools around the world, took first place with their project to help Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development, a nonprofit in the Sacred Valley of Peru.
YA Books that give hope to today's teens

Trinity Library has all of these books available as eBooks and/or eAudiobooks through Sora, our OverDrive app. Please email Ms. McGreal at lmcgreal@trinityhs.org to learn how to gain access. We also have several in print, which can be given to your daughter at school.
Trinity Athletics return to action!
We are excited to have the Trinity Blazers return to action. This past Wednesday, the IHSA released a revised schedule for the year with basketball, bowling and dance all given the go-ahead to start immediately. While bowling and dance were able to get their tryouts in before the statewide shutdown, basketball held its tryouts this past weekend with bowling and basketball competitions set to start the week of February 8th! Be sure to keep an eye on the daily announcements as well as future newsletters for information about Trinity’s spring and summer sports!
Father/Daughter Virtual Trivia
It's time to brush up on your trivia and get ready for the Father-Daughter Trivia Night!  Since we can't host the Father Daughter Dinner Dance, Fathers Club wants to be certain to get Trinity dads and their daughters together. So Fathers Club will be hosting a Father-Daughter Trivia Night on Friday, February 12th at 7pm.
Sign up for an evening of fun - prizes will be available for first, second, and third place.
ICYMI (In case you missed it ... info from previous newsletters)
Education Management Platform
We are excited to share that Trinity will be moving to the Blackbaud Education Management system beginning with the 2021-2022 academic school year. Blackbaud brings our entire community of students, faculty, and staff together in a streamlined working and learning experience.
 
Current student(s) will be receiving their login credentials at the end of this month to register for their 2021-2022 academic year classes after meeting with their counselors. Parents will also be receiving login credentials. With this streamlined login process, parents will be able to sign up for Trinity notifications via email and text, and access academic, athletic, and activity information on their daughter and more.  
2021-2022 Tuition Letter
Last week's newsletter included information about Trinity's 2021-2022 tuition. Click here for the letter.
Tax Credit Scholarship

The Big Shoulders Fund Tax Credit Scholarship Application, made possible by the Illinois Invest in Kids Act, Tuesday, January 12 at 8 a.m. Below is the Application Tool Kit which includes how-to videos, a copy of the application, school list, an application day cheat sheet, and more.
Virtual Chapel Prayer Book