Palmer Trinity School

letter from Tom Reid U ntil four months ago, I had never been to Miami or Palmetto Bay and had known little about Palmer Trinity. After visiting, I quickly went from being interested in to being excited about the possibility of living here and serving as interim head. When I was offered the opportunity to do so, I accepted with enthusiasm. My wife Ann felt the same way, and we eagerly awaited the start to this year with the Palmer Trinity community. Before sharing some thoughts on the School and my role in the coming year, a little bit about my family and me, as way of introduction. Ann and I have worked in independent schools for forty years- I as teacher, athletic director, dean and headmaster; she as teacher, development officer and admissions director. Our daughter is an assistant middle school head of a girls' school, Dana Hall, and our son is a middle school athletic director at Thayer Academy. Both schools are in the Boston suburbs. We hope they will visit. They hope it will be in the midst of a New England winter cold spell! While spending part of our careers residing in boarding schools and then in head's residences, we have had a home in Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. At the end of June, we moved from Baltimore to Chatham, consolidating two homes. Now we are getting settled here and happy to be near the School. I have had the good fortune of never commuting in my career, which has made involvement in school life much easier- a part of my role as head that I value and enjoy greatly. Now to Palmer Trinity. There are certain qualities I look for in schools and school communities, that matter most to me. First is mood. Is there warmth, joy, playfulness and good humor mixed with a seriousness of purpose, commitment, and work ethic? Is there an air of confidence and self-knowledge with a good dose of humility and willingness to be self-critical? Is there passion, energy and a sense of urgency around possibilities and dreams with the wisdom and discipline to choose the right course and make them realities? There are certainly other qualities, but these are crucial, and Palmer Trinity has them all. That is what drew me here. In this coming year, while leading Palmer Trinity, I will work to provide a view of the School to help the Board, faculty and staff further develop the vision for the School in anticipation of the selection of the permanent head. I hope with my fresh eyes and different experiences, I can offer a perspective that will help shape plans and decisions to strengthen the School. Strong schools like Palmer Trinity can sometimes trap themselves into a "we have always done it this way" mode and be blind to new thinking and possibilities. While it is important to preserve values and mission, it is equally important to question and be willing to change practices. This year of transition and accreditation self-study provides the perfect opportunity for conversations about all things Palmer Trinity. Our Opening was smooth and routines are now well established. This year is sure to be full and the results great. There is much to look forward to in the coming months as we set the path in many ways for Palmer Trinity's future. Tom Reid Head of School S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 3 5

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