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From a Distance

Teachers, staff and students prepare for a resumption of school — without the Trinity campus
As our city, our country and our world work to confront the unprecedented challenges caused by the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Trinity has responded by building online structures of support for the continuation of teaching, learning and community.

While students enjoyed an extended spring break through Wednesday, March 18, teachers and staff have been busy preparing for a transition to distance learning beginning next week. Trinity’s dedicated technology staff has worked tirelessly to provide teachers and students with platforms that can support continuity of teaching and learning — as well as virtual space for collaboration and community building.

As of Thursday, March 19, the Trinity campus is closed. Daily updates about the schools status and response to disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak are available at our online resource page.

“As we do our part to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, we have still found ways already to come together as a community,” said Head of School Rob Short in a phone message to all students and parents on March 17. “The work of our teachers and staff over the last few days — all aimed at ensuring your students continue to have the best Trinity experience possible — has been truly remarkable."

After this extended spring break, beginning Monday, March 23, Trinity will resume instructional days on a modified daily schedule, beginning with its first “Virtual Morning Meeting” at 8:45 a.m. The schedule will maintain elements of the class sequence that are already familiar to students, but with four classes per day instead of six. “We have kept the rotation for the same reasons that we originally adopted it: the ability to give students a variety of learning experiences over the school day,” said Lee Sprague. Virtual Morning Meeting will occur every other day (with the exception of the first two days, which will both begin with one). Also built into the schedule are times for club meetings and time for students to set up appointments with teachers to get extra help.

In Trinity’s plan for continuity of instruction, teachers and students will collaborate using online platforms, some of which they are already familiar with — such as Google Classroom and Powerschool — along with a real-time video conferencing platform (RingCentral) that will facilitate synchronous student-teacher interactions, classes and the Virtual Morning Meeting. (RingCentral uses the same software platform as Zoom, an industry leading tool for video conferencing.)

“While we recognize that no online platform can replicate the Trinity experience, our goal is to maintain as much teaching, learning, continuity and community as possible during this unprecedented circumstance,” said Associate Head of School Lee Sprague in a letter to students and parents on March 17. “We are excited to begin this adventure with you. We are enthusiastic about interacting with all of you soon as we begin school life virtually.”

“I am grateful and proud of the multitude of ways all of our colleagues have illustrated the strength and spirit of our community,” Sprague said, calling the dedicated work of Titan faculty, staff and technology team “a hallmark of Trinity.” 
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Trinity Episcopal School

3850 PITTAWAY DR | RICHMOND VA 23235-1099 | Phone: 804.272.5864 | Fax: 804.272.5865 Email: mail@trinityes.org