News

Feeling SAD?

Not that kind of sad—I am talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression typically occurring in the winter months). Now, while I don’t think many of us qualify for a clinical diagnosis to this degree, I do think we West Texans might be experiencing something missing. Maybe that something missing is the sun and the warm, walkable weather? Some of us may be experiencing some winter weather blues.

Last week, I remarked to some of my colleagues that something seemed off with Winnie (the therapy dog). She wasn’t acting differently necessarily, but she just seemed a little…off? sad? I tried all the usual things of giving her time off, extra walks at night and in the morning (primarily during dark hours because of scheduling), special treats, and even more love. It felt silly to tell people that the therapy dog seems off whenever she was still her normal self–just doing more of her squeaky yawns and seeming a little pouty and unmotivated. I went through the whole week and finally decided that maybe she had caught the end of trimester blues, even though she still very much wanted to attend school and be a part. 

But then, Friday afternoon rolled around. School was out, the weekend was almost starting, and kiddos were gone so she was off her leash and walking with me to finish up some tasks between the Middle and Upper School. Before I knew it, I heard a whine from her and she was uncharacteristically running away from me towards the recess area. I called to her and she hesitantly stopped, but kept wagging her tail at something I couldn’t see—kids playing football in the back turf area. They quickly welcomed her into the sunshine and supervised football game and she had so much fun catching the ball, being chased, and running circles with them. She was the happiest she had been in at least a few weeks.

Duh–That was it! She missed the sun and movement. 

Winnie and I walk many laps around the track with students during the warm weather–most days clocking around 8 miles. But, it has been so cold and dreary that most of our time is spent in an office with students these days, and walks are primarily in the dark of night.

It made me wonder….how many of us and our students are feeling just like Winnie? Something is off, but we can’t quite put our finger on what. If you are feeling sad for no apparent reason, unmotivated, excessively tired, worried, or just run down, you might be experiencing the Winter Blues. 

Some tips for beating the Winter blues:

As we begin the final month of the second trimester, I have started shifting my focus to the 2025-2026 school year. As families make decisions for next year, I want to share some insights into the daily educational experience unfolding within our Upper School community. I regularly say that Trinity’s Upper School strives to be a learning environment where every student is known, loved, challenged, and supported. I would add ”and prepared for their lives beyond Trinity School.” 

Our approach to teaching and learning is intentionally rigorous and ambitious. We believe in challenging our students to reach beyond their perceived limitations while providing the support and guidance they need to succeed. We know that actively experiencing productive struggle is where authentic learning occurs. In our classrooms, you'll find students building genuine relationships with their teachers and advisors, engaging in relevant learning activities, tackling complex problems, extending the learning of others by sharing their thoughts and ideas, and developing critical thinking skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Our students value their independence and the agency provided to them through their Upper School experience. Yet within this freedom lies a commitment and unwavering focus on each student's individual journey. Our college advising process exemplifies this approach – working closely with each family to identify institutions that align with each student's academic interests, personal goals, and abilities. Our process isn't about simply getting into college; it's about finding the right fit where our graduates will thrive and continue to grow.

Our teachers demonstrate this commitment daily through:

The results of this approach are evident in our students' achievements and growth. They're developing not just as scholars but also as confident, capable individuals ready to make meaningful contributions to their future communities. As we look ahead, we remain committed to making decisions that prioritize our students' best interests. We believe this steadfast focus on student success, combined with our appropriately challenging academic program, creates an educational environment where our students can investigate their interests, discover their passions, and further develop the skills they need for future success.

Thank you for your partnership in this important work. 

Timothy A. Jones, M.Ed.

Head of Upper School

P.S. We’ve had a series of Professional Development sessions recently regarding teaching and learning with AI. Translating that learning to my work, I used Claude AI as a brainstorming partner and organizational tool to write this Upper School update. 

We are excited to share that Trinity will host the second annual College Conversations: The Admission Landscape in 2025 on Thursday, January 30.

This night – open to all Trinity parents – will be a frank discussion about the college admission landscape. We will touch on how college admissions has changed, how Trinity students fare in holistic review, and the value of an independent school education. 

Our event begins at 6:00 p.m. (please note time change) in The Commons. Students in grades 9-11 meet with our guests during their advisory to learn more about college admissions. 

A group of Trinity alumni joined the faculty and staff for lunch Tuesday, January 7 and Charger graduates served on a panel for current students on Thursday, January 9. It is always a privilege to connect with our alumni, welcome them back to campus, and hear their insight into what a Trinity student can expect in college. They shared great advice, applicable to both the student and parent experience. Specifically, they mentioned that there is no such thing as too much communication with parents after moving on to college, that you will find your people wherever you go, and that they are thankful for their Trinity experience because they were prepared to succeed in their college classes.

Our most recent alumni from the class of 2024 also recently shared some written advice with our current juniors and seniors.

Answered by Quinton Klingensmith: “I would recommend that juniors starting their college search take some time to reflect on what they personally want in a college. It's important to focus on their own desires, not just what they think their parents expect. Use those personal priorities as a filter in the search process to find colleges that meet their criteria.

I hope this message helps students understand that the college experience is personal, and it's important to search for a place that aligns with their own desires, rather than chasing prestige or the idea of a school based on its football team or reputation.”

Answered by Lance Robertston: “Figure out what majors and programs you are interested in before thinking about particular universities. Once you know, or have an idea, of what you want to study, find the schools that offer the best programs for that.” 

Answered by Ezekial Bajomo: “As someone who spent significant time weighing multiple viable options, I found that it is essential to take the time to reflect deeply on the key aspects that you seek to derive from the college experience – whether it is preparation for a specific career, social opportunities, or intellectual growth. Pay close attention to the factors that will most influence your happiness such as distance from home, weather, academic rigor, and the overall ‘vibe’ of the student body; don't be afraid to trust your gut and lean into a natural inclination toward certain schools.”

Junior Conferences begin Monday and will take place the weeks of January 27 and February 10. During a 45-minute session, the students and parents hear an overview of the college application process so that we have a shared language and context as we go into the next 15 months, culminating with each student’s post-Trinity plan. 

The heart of the Trinity college advising philosophy is fit. The college match means different things to different people; this is normal. Ultimately, we will have discussions about where students see themselves thriving and what path they need to take to achieve personal and professional goals. 

Ongoing communication is highly valued in the college admission process. We feel strongly about the partnership required during these pre-college days and thank you for your support.

Seniors are continuing to hear news from colleges. Trinity students are finishing their college applications, and all students will receive responses from their applications on or before April 1. They then have until May 1 to make their final post-Trinity plan. As of this writing, 100 percent of the seniors who have applied to college have one or more acceptance, and a quarter of the class has enrolled in the college of their choice.   

The Upper School Math Department has had an exciting year, with the introduction of a new course and the launch of another course in a new modality. Math for Business and Social Science is now available as a junior/senior elective. Mrs. Vollet has been diving back into her business minor knowledge from over 20 years ago to bring this course to life!

Meanwhile, Statistics Honors is now being offered as a dual credit course through Midland College, taught by Mrs. Wheeler. These additions mean that all of our senior students (and some juniors) now have the opportunity to enroll in a dual credit math class. Our current dual credit offerings include:

In addition to these new academic opportunities, we’ve introduced competitive math exams for Upper School students. This year, we are participating in the Texas State Mathematics League (TXML). The high school competition consists of six exams taken throughout the year, with our team’s score determined by the top five scores from each test. As of January 13, we have completed four of the six exams, with several students participating in all four. Here are the individual top scorers so far:

As a team, we are in 16th place out of 22 teams, competing against some of the most selective private schools in the DFW area. Considering the competitiveness of the league and the fact that we haven’t held formal practices, I’m incredibly proud of our team’s performance! We will also offer an Algebra 1 TXML test sometime after April 15th. This will be open to any student (8th or 9th grade) currently enrolled in Algebra 1. We may also expand our test offerings to grades 4-8. Stay tuned for future announcements in The Charger if you have students in multiple divisions.

Looking ahead, from February 28 to March 3, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics will host the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge. In this competition, teams of 3-5 upper school students work to solve open-ended, real-world math-modeling problems. Scholarships are available for top-performing teams, making this an excellent opportunity for junior and senior students to showcase their skills.

If you’d like more information about our math contests, the MathWorks Modeling Challenge, or any of our course offerings, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Carly Vollet at cvollet@trinitymidland.org.