Trinity Preparatory School
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| Trinity Preparatory School | |
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| Motto | Ad astra per aspera - To the stars, through difficulties |
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| Established | 1966 |
| Type | Private |
| Head | Mr. Craig Maughan |
| Location | Winter Park, Florida, USA |
| Campus | Suburban, 100 acres |
| Enrollment | 805 |
| Faculty | 90 |
| Tuition | approx. $13,000 (Grades 6-12) |
| Colors | Blue & Gold |
| Homepage | www.trinityprep.org |
Trinity Preparatory School is a non-boarding, independent college preparatory school for children in grades 6 to 12 located east of Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and is often considered to be one of the best academic schools in the state of Florida. It was founded in 1966 by Canon A. Rees Hay and local community leaders. Its initial enrolment was just 173, but as of 2005, it has 818 students. Whereas other local schools, such as rival Lake Highland Preparatory School, have been expanding rapidly in the last few years, Maughan-led Trinity Prep has remained committed to keeping the grades 6-12 student population near 800 and class sizes below twenty students; in fact, the graduating class of 2007 has only 103 members. The school has a campus of over 100 acres (405,000 m²) located between Lake Martha and Lake Burkett.
The Winter Park campus has undergone extensive classroom building expansion and remodeling, including a 31,000 square-foot Education Center, a 28,000 square foot Athletic Center, an Olympic-size pool, and a 17,600 square foot Student Resource Center. The Malone Family Foundation selected Trinity Prep as a 2005 recipient of a two million dollar endowment grant for the school's scholarship program. Trinity is the only school in Florida to receive this recognition and one of only fifteen in the country.
The mission of the school is to develop students who are able to excel in college and beyond, contribute to their communities, lead in a changing society, and grow spiritually. The school has 97 degree holders (faculty/administrators); 41 have earned bachelor’s degrees, 50 have earned master’s degrees, and 6 have earned doctorates. There is a ratio of one faculty member for every 12 students.
Trinity Prep's student body is lead by a strong Student Council, charged with organizing social events, activities, and fundraisers. Past events include dances, BBQs, lunchtime dodgeball tournaments, and lunchtime whiffle-ball tournaments which in 2006 the sophomore team "Totally Awesome" won the championship. Elections are held at the end of each school year for the officers of the following 12-month period.
Trinity is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Episcopal Schools, Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, National Association for College Admission Counseling, Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, Secondary School Admission Test Board, Educational Records Bureau, Cum Laude Society, and Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Admission to Trinity is highly selective. The Admission Committee carefully examines each candidate’s prior academic record, standardized test results, and teacher and character recommendations to determine his or her potential for success at the school.
Opportunities for enrichment are afforded through participation in the school’s several dozen academic, service, arts, and recreation organizations. Moreover, the school enjoys a close collaboration with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in student-led academic research and has seen continued success in NASA's Student Involvement Program (NSIP).
The Trinity Prep Forensics team competes in speech and debate events locally, around Florida, and across America. Belonging to the National Forensic League (NFL), National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL), and Florida Forensic League (FFL), students have frequent opportunity for competition and refining of skills. The team is consistently ranked among the top ten in the nation.
In 2004-2005, 70% of students in grades 6-12 participated in competitive athletics including volleyball, football, cross-country, swimming, cheerleading, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, with renowned coach Dale Salapa, golf, track and field, tennis, bowling, and weightlifting. Four coaches received District Coach of the Year awards, and 5 players received District Player of the Year awards.
Twenty-six (26%) percent of the class of 2006 have been recognized by the National Merit, Achievement, and Hispanic Scholarship competition program. The average SAT score for students taking the exam in 2005 was 1303. Two Trinity Prep graduates currently attend service academies: one at West Point and one at the Naval Academy.
