Welcome Lower School Students

7/24/2024

Brian Peters, Interim Head of Lower School

Dear Trinity Families,

I hope that all in our community are doing well and have enjoyed the different pace of life that summer can provide. I am nearly certain that many are ready to have their children return to school and within just a few short weeks we will be doing just that!

I am excited about this new role here as Interim Head of Lower School. I am eager to lead Lower School for the 2024-2025 school year. Personally, I enjoy reading, baseball and living an active life. I enjoy training and competing in road races (any distance through marathon) and triathlons. I have earned a B.S. from Clarion University in Pennsylvania. I have earned M.Ed, Principal Certification and PhD from Penn State University. Most of you know me as the 4th grade Reading teacher. That has been my position since coming to Midland and Trinity in 2021. Prior to that, I held positions as a teacher, instructional coach, principal and curriculum director at schools in State College, PA and in Humble, TX. During this time I have developed philosophy and beliefs about schools and education. These have evolved as I have learned and grown as an educator.

I believe that a school should foster an atmosphere of innovation and risk-taking. Someone once said that “everyone and everything is either getting better or worse. Nothing stays the same.” As individuals and as a school we should be in a mindset of continuous improvement. As leaders and educators, we model this practice so that students can attain the same mindset.
I believe that a school should encourage creativity. Rote learning is increasingly unconnected to the world we currently inhabit and certainly will provide no advantage in the future. We must encourage students to seek and develop their passions. They will then refine them through creativity. This characteristic is certainly prevalent within the arts, but goes beyond, to the way we approach problems. Students need to develop creativity in order to solve the real-world problems related to math and science as well. “Every child is an artist.” Let’s not forget that and let’s not inadvertently discourage the creativity associated with it.
I believe that a school should provide opportunities for collaboration and leadership. Everyone is a leader. The only way to hear the voices of all is through collaboration. Teachers must move beyond collegiality toward true collaboration for the benefit of all students. Collective thinking and solutions provide long term gain.
I believe that all students can learn and want to learn. Everyone is born with natural curiosity. The school must adapt to this natural curiosity. Learning must be relevant and interesting to our students. Our students must see and believe that the learning and the products associated with it have meaning. Students must have opportunities to share their knowledge with an authentic audience. As educators we must keep that curiosity alive and not squelch it.
I believe that future success of students is connected with communication. Students learn to receive information as well as transmit it. Reading and other forms of literacy are a foundation of gaining knowledge. The tools are continually changing, but it still comes down to understanding the message. Next, is the ability to use the information in some manner and transmit it to others in usable methods. These methods and forms, though also changing, still come down to writing and the transfer of one’s thoughts and ideas.

All of these beliefs can certainly be supported through the environment and through resources, but the primary mechanism for success is the educators within the school.

Teachers will officially return to campus on Monday, August 5 to begin the preparations for the start of the school year. We will welcome several new staff members to our Trinity Lower School family as well as some who have shifted to new positions.

I will be sharing with you soon more information pertinent to the start of school. Enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Kind regards,

Brian Peters

Interim Head of Lower School

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Welcome Lower School Students

Trinity School of Midland