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Three-Peat! Trinity Mock Trial Team Wins Third Consecutive Championship

February 05, 2025
By Chris Miller

For the third consecutive year, Trinity Episcopal School’s Middle School mock trial team was champion in the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s annual Mock Trial competition.

It is a unique achievement for Trinity’s team to be the winner three years in a row, said Jennifer Bader, Trinity’s mock trial and speech and debate coach.

Trinity’s team of Middle School students competed at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse on Jan. 31 against five other schools from across North Carolina. School teams acted as the prosecution and defense in a felony hit-and-run case and took on the roles of defendant and witnesses.

“I think one thing that sets our team apart is how well our attorneys can argue the rules of evidence and handle objections,” Bader said. “That is something that is very hard to do. They’re arguing the same rules of evidence that are used in real court, which even professional attorneys find hard to argue.”

In preparation for the competition, teams spent months building their cases, crafting their questions for witnesses and their cross examinations, and writing opening statements and closing arguments.

During each round of the competition, the prosecution from one school’s team faces the defense from a different school. Students “have not seen any of the other teams prior to the competition, so you have to be prepared for whatever may come your way,” Bader said.

The verdict? Trinity was the only school in the competition to win each round and top every judge’s ballot.

Not only did the presentation of the case set Trinity’s team apart, Bader said, but also students’ performances on the witness stand. “Our witnesses really take on the character of their role and it shows in their performance,” she said.

Bader began Trinity's mock trial team in 2022 and has been coaching middle and high school mock trial programs for nearly two decades, beginning in California where she and husband Bert coached teams before moving to Charlotte.

“I just love when the light bulb comes on for kids,” she said. “It’s really challenging material, but they really get into it. Once they understand everything and are able to execute (a case), I just love that moment.”

The students on Trinity’s 2024-25 mock trial championship team are: Turner Allen, Andrew Arriola, Charlotte Bloom, Elle Bonner, Oliver Brown, Hampton Bundy, Ansley Hankins, Ethan Lavoie, Anna Glenn McCready, Claire Niemann, Stella Simonsen, India Thompson, Mary Madison Tonsmeire, Aleyah Whitaker, and Sally Zolak.

Freedom Fete Explores Lessons from Charlotte's Past

January 24, 2025
By Chris Miller

“I always have hope.”

Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, one of the first Black students to integrate Charlotte schools, shared her experiences and perspectives alongside Mecklenburg County Commissioner Arthur Griffin and author Greg Jarrell in a conversation Thursday at Trinity’s annual Freedom Fete. The panel discussion was moderated by Ayeola Elias, Trinity's Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging.

Trinity staculty, parents, and guests listened to a history of Charlotte’s decades-long transition, and the impact those changes have had on individuals and communities.

“We are all in this together,” said Griffin, “but you’re going to have to put forth a personal commitment and personal effort to make Charlotte work” for everyone.

Jarrell, whose book “Our Trespasses” chronicles the urban renewal movement of the 20th Century and the destruction of communities such as Griffin’s native First Ward, encouraged the audience to cultivate friendships and experiences beyond their normal circles.

“You can shop for your groceries in different neighborhoods,” Jarrell said. “If we don't want to live in a segregated city, then we can make some choices to desegregate our lives,” he said.

The point of this education, as Jarrell called it, is to become knowledgeable enough to advocate on behalf of those who have been affected by Charlotte’s growth and change.

At a government level, Griffin said policy changes would be needed to protect neighborhoods from further erosion at the hands of growth.

“The intentionality of policy makers like me (is) to make sure that there are opportunities for our neighborhoods to stay intact in a diverse way,” he said.

Beyond individual actions, Counts-Scoggins said entire neighborhoods need “to learn to work together.” During the conversation, she shared her work as a mentor to public school students. “It's our responsibility to be able to teach our children their history,” she said.

Her dedication to young people was forged as a 15-year-old student who was jeered and spat on as she and others integrated the all-white Harding High School. After leaving Harding to escape the violent reaction from her classmates and the school community, “one of the things that I (vowed to) do is to ensure that what happened to me would never happen to another child.”

In response to an audience question about the country’s current climate of questioning continued diversity initiatives, Griffin said “we are going to keep moving, whether it's above ground or underground, to make sure that our story is told and that we're committed to a better world.”

Counts-Scoggins encouraged the audience to remain hopeful: “We’ve gone through worse struggles, and we can get through this.”

2025-26 Academic Calendar Now Available

January 22, 2025
By Chris Miller

There’s still plenty in store for Wildcats this school year, but to help with planning around the 2025-26 school year, the academic calendar is now available.

25-26 Academic Calendar
 

Here are some key dates for next school year:

  • First Day of School: Aug. 19, 2025
     
  • Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 24-28, 2025
     
  • Winter Break: Dec. 22, 2025 - Jan. 2, 2026
     
  • Spring Break: March 16-20, 2026
     
  • Last Day of School: June 3, 2026

Bishop Michael Curry Returns to Trinity

December 06, 2024
By Chris Miller

Trinity was honored to welcome the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry back to campus to lead the school community in a celebration of Advent.

“It really is a blessing to be here,” said Curry, who recently retired following a nine-year term as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

Curry has been associated with Trinity since its founding in 2000, when Curry served as bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. Over the years, he has been present for key moments in the school's history, including the blessing of the school's First Ward property and its main building, and Head of School installations.

Bishop Curry's visit coincided with the beginning of Advent - the season of anticipation and waiting for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. In his sermon, he said Advent was also reminder of God's presence.

“Wherever you love, God is looking out for you,” he said.

His message of love resonated around the world in 2018 when he delivered a sermon at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Following the Chapel service, Bishop Curry met with a group that included Trinity founders and local Episcopal clergy. He thanked current leadership for continuing the legacy and mission on which Trinity was founded. 

Head of School Imana Sherrill arranged a FaceTime call between Bishop Curry and founding Head of School Louis “Smokey” Oats. During the call, Bishop Curry asked how Trinity chose Wildcats as its mascot. Students were given the task of finding an animal that could be found in the region and wasn't already used by another area school, Oats said.

In her introduction of Bishop Curry at Chapel, Mrs. Sherrill read a quote of the bishop's that “is exactly what we need right now”:

“We are all God's children. We're a part of a Jesus movement to change the world with the power of love. That love will turn the world upside down. If it's not about love, it's not about God.”

Students Collect 954 Pounds of Food for Nourish Up

November 22, 2024
By Chris Miller

Trinity students in 1st and 5th Grades collected 954 pounds of food for Nourish Up, a long-time Trinity service-learning partner.

The canned and dry goods were blessed in the annual Blessing of the Cans Chapel on Nov. 22, before being delivered to Nourish Up pantries at First Presbyterian Church and Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte.

“When Trinity sees a need, we do something about it,” Rev. Lindsey Peery said in her Chapel Talk. “It’s part of who we are. It’s our family tradition” to serve our neighbors, not just during the holidays but all year. 

In addition to the service-learning partnerships at all grade levels, she referenced Trinity's collection drive this fall for communities that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. “You have been God's hands and God's feet all year,” she said.

Following the Chapel, 1st Grade students delivered their collection to the First Presbyterian pantry, where each week they help sort and stock food donations or deliver groceries to Nourish Up customers. 5th Grade earlier delivered collected items to Galilee Ministries' Nourish Up pantry, which includes a special “TES Peace Pantry” area for Trinity's food donations.

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