Continued Education Despite School Closures
Like the rest of our nation, Trinity High School has been facing the unexpected this spring with the arrival of COVID-19 and the subsequent closures of most public places. Despite this, Trinity teachers rose to the occasion and began delivering instruction just two business days after the statewide closures, weeks before their public school counterparts.
Teachers have continued to follow their curricula (Mrs. Piscioneri even
facilitated an online lab!), to offer support to their students, and to maintain high standards on assessments. The grades students receive for their fourth quarter work comes entirely from at-home instruction. This effort would not have been possible without our 1:1 Chromebook program, which began just weeks before school was closed. Through funds from generous donors to our
Capital Campaign, all students and teachers received Chromebooks for use in and out of school.
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Trinity Coordinates Meals for Healthcare Workers
In honor of the Class of 2020, Trinity supported community healthcare workers and businesses by providing meals during the pandemic. We worked in cooperation with
Philadelphia Steaks & Hoagies and
Philly Pretzel Factory to donate more than 900 hoagies, 600 pretzels, and drinks to Geisinger Holy Spirit, Bethesda Mission, and UPMC Pinnacle. It was important to us both to provide food for healthcare workers and to support local businesses that support our students so faithfully during regular operations. Special thanks to
Jonathan Holjes '19 for raising more than $600, Saint Joseph Parish for donating $500, Konhaus Marketing for the signs that accompanied the meals, and all members of the Class of 2020 who contributed. Read a
brief story on the effort in The Sentinel. Pictured below: Geisinger Holy Spirit Workers, Dave Cartwright P'21,
John Cominsky '85 (Principal), and
Dave Foran '79 (owner of Philadelphia Steak & Hoagies). You can contribute to the effort
here (note the Class of 2020 when you make your gift).
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Trinity's 3-D Printer Contributes Face Masks
Trinity's 3-D printer, which normally resides in the Library, is on loan producing 20 face shields a day. Donna Cunningham '24 and her father are working with Katapult Engineering to produce face shields using local 3-D printers. We are grateful that our machine could be used to produce life-saving equipment at this time.
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Great Books Program
Trinity has started a Great Books program! Students who choose to participate will select a book from a given category and work over the semester with a faculty member who sponsors the book for a personalized learning experience. The program is student-driven, inquiry-based, and aims to explore the human experience and its complexity through classic works of literature.
The students who are reading books this spring have chosen one of the following:
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky;
Night by Elie Wiesel;
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser;
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque;
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens;
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou;
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway;
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell; and
Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Read more about our program.
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Golden Apple Winner
Mr. Dave Geisel is one of seven Diocesan winners of the 2020 Golden Apple Award! This prestigious award honors educators in the Diocese who serve school, Church, and community selflessly. Having taught social studies, including AP Government, since 1986, coached numerous teams, served on parish councils, and organized community outreach programs, Mr. Geisel was a natural choice for the Golden Apple honor. Join us in congratulating him and thanking him for his dedication to his students and to Trinity High School!
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We'll Be There for You..
Trinity teachers and staff had some fun with the video below for our students. We think you'll enjoy seeing some familiar faces, too! Thanks to
Ryan Stager '19 for compiling it for us!
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Our Chaplain, Father Tim Sahd, has been making daily video reflections since mid-March for our students. Two are included below (catch appearances by Bishop Gainer and
Father Josh Weaver '11) Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see them all!
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Colin Gabler '99, an associate professor of marketing at Ohio University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for a one-semester teaching and research opportunity at the University of Pécs in Hungary. As a Fulbright Scholar, Colin will teach students, conduct research, engage with the local Hungarian community, and strengthen the bonds between OU and the University of Pécs. This competitive award is based on academic and professional achievement, service, and demonstrated leadership. Colin holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Alabama and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Wilkes University.
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Tori Fanucci '16, a senior at West Virginia University, devoted a significant portion of her college career to running her school's MountaineerTHON and rebranding the 21-year old organization. She participated in Trinity's mini-THON each year of high school, at first just attracted to what THON stood for, and then growing passionate about its mission over time. Mrs. Lindholm and Mrs. Stager, Trinity's mini-THON moderators at the time, helped her grow through their support and advice. By her senior year, finding a college that had a THON was a key factor in her college choice. "I knew that I wanted to continue participating in Dance Marathons and working to raise money for children's charities," Tori said.
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Each year, Trinity welcomes more than 100 new students through our doors. We prepare each of these unique students not only academically, but socially and spiritually. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on many of our families, and our students need the support of the Trinity community more than ever. By contributing to
The Trinity Fund, you support the monumental effort of our teachers to continue instruction online, the opportunities our students will have next year and beyond, and our mission to bring "the highest good" to all members of our community. You may also consider contributing through:
Named Scholarships
Named scholarships help provide support for the 40% of students who come to Trinity and rely on financial aid. Below, you can find more information on this important scholarship fund. Please reach out to the
Advancement Office with questions.
- An individual, company, or organization may establish a Named Scholarship with a designated annual contribution of at least $500.
- Donors may choose to name the scholarship (e.g., to honor others in any way).
- Named Scholarships are typically awarded to students who have demonstrated financial need through the Diocese of Harrisburg and Trinity High School's FACTS Grant and Aid application process. Recipients of funds are confidential.
- The Named Scholarship commitment is for one academic year. Renewal letters are mailed annually in the spring.
Redirect Your PA State Tax Dollars to Trinity High School
Do you pay more than $3,500 in state taxes a year? If so, you can donate the majority of your state tax liability to Trinity High School through the SPE (Special Purpose Entity) arm of the EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) program. Do not pay the state, send someone to school.
Last year, 14 families participated in the program and donated more than $220,000. This money helped defer the expense incurred by Trinity to support 40% of our families requiring financial assistance. For more information about this program, please contact
Monique Abbas.
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Trinity's Homecoming event is currently scheduled for Friday, October 2--save the date!
The Classes of 1970 and 1980 are planning to reunite this Fall. Find more details about upcoming reunions on
our website.
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Patrick DeMark '20 (138 lb.) won the District gold for the second time in his career, and the 4th place medal in the PIAA State Wrestling tournament. Read about Patrick's wrestling success and personal challenges in
this article from The Sentinel.
Trinity Boys Basketball players continued their winning streak by capturing their 7th consecutive District 3 title (and 19th overall District win). Their winning streak continued up to the quarterfinals of the PIAA State competition, when further contests were stopped due to public health concerns around COVID-19. Though disappointing, especially for our seniors, we look forward to their success next year.
Chance Westry '22 was named Player of the Year by
PennLive and
The Sentinel, and
All-State Boys Basketball Class 3A Player of the Year.
Coach Larry Kostelac Jr. '76 was named Coach of the Year by The Sentinel for the second consecutive year!
Trinity Swimming & Diving, led by
Coach Samantha Shirtliff '14, had a successful season, with a number of students placing in PIAA competitions. Top three District finishes included: Tommy Chase '20 placing second in 500 Freestyle, Scott Majka '20 taking the bronze in the 100 Freestyle and 50 Freestyle, Kari Powell '23 coming in third in the 100 Breaststroke, and our relay teams of Boys 200 Medley, Girls 200 Medley, and 200 Freestyle all taking third place.
Girls Basketball, led by
Coach Kristi Dunleavy Britten '89, came in second in District 3 and advanced to the first round of the State Playoff competition.
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Patrick DeMark '20 competes in the PIAA Wrestling quarterfinals.
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Members of the Boys Basketball team lift their seventh consecutive District 3 trophy.
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Chance Westry '22 passes the ball in front of a sold-out crowd.
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Class Notes
In and Around Trinity
- Lauren Rhoades McNaughton '01, a Nursing Professional Development Generalist with Geisinger, spoke to students about her experiences in the field of healthcare.
Professional & Personal Achievements
- Dr. Pete Alfano '03, who opened Alfano Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2019, organized an essential item donation drive to benefit local emergency medical services.
- Oliver Seneca '13 published his first book, "When The Sky Goes Dark," a horror/thriller novel.
- Amanda Knaub '16 was awarded the Paul G. Gaffney II Female Athlete of the Year by the Monmouth University Athletics Department.
- Megan Hess '18 and her University of Delaware Collegiate Synchronized Skating Team competed in the 2020 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Emily Ward '19 has been producing face shields as part of an ongoing project headed up by a professor at Drexel University in the fight against COVID-19.
Births
- Tabitha Nemeroff Josephs '10 and her husband, Oliver Josephs, welcomed their first child, Theodore Arden Philip, on Friday, April 24.
In Memoriam
- Dianne Vanaskie Witter '66
- Martha Berger Steigleman '67
- Michael Thompson '68
- Stephen Devlin '73
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