Palmer Trinity School

29 F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 VISIONAERIE He soon became an integral part of the English Department, where he both added strength and brought new perspective." And in the 23 years that followed, that strength has only grown. Moving up the ranks from Upper School English teacher to 11th grade Lead Advisor, it wasn't long before Judy Andrews became Associate Head of School in 1995, and Ashley was asked to take over as Upper School Head. He's been there ever since. "I can still remember the first classroom I had to myself," Ashley says with a laugh. "It was not in a building, but in modules, and I remember Brian Gershen, Jonathan Lawrence, and Marc omes in my 11 th grade class. ey enjoyed pushing the envelope; I often had to ask them to stop." And through all the students he has met and worked with, Ashley has not only made an impact on the School, but has been greatly impacted by the school, as well. "is was my first job when we emigrated, and I have grown here. My family grew up here too, so Palmer Trinity School has become our home," Ashley says. "is is truly a special place, and it is hard for me to define specifically, because it's more than just the buildings – it is the people that have made the difference. ere are so many students who had an impact on me and are so meaningful. is school has always had a welcoming and warm community feel, and I will always strive to maintain that." But as history has shown us, it's not only Ashley who has noticed how special Palmer Trinity School really is. "e growth of the school has been phenomenal and rapid. When I started here, the enrollment was at 300 students, and there were not many teachers. Neither the Humanities nor the Science building were here, and I shared a room with Iraida Robledo and team-taught 11 th grade with Adrianna (Palumbo) Truby," Ashley recalls. "One of the most important occasions I remember is being able to purchase the property on 184 th Street, and the excitement that it brought to campus. We dreamed about what the school could be, and we could see its potential. And now what I find exciting is that we are actually seeing development happening on that campus that we once only dreamed about." Today, Ashley Chapman has seen hundreds of seniors graduate, has given twenty graduation speeches, and has handed more than 1,500 seniors their diplomas. He made us all laugh when he raced across campus against Ms. Kemeness or sat in the dunk tank, and never fails to enlighten us with his daily Shakespearean quotes. In more solemn times, like when we've lost members of our PTS family, he's sympathized with us and led us through it. But as he never lets us forget, at the core of all these memories and experiences is the classroom. "Teachers don't always realize the impact they have on students. Being able to guide them to become positive members of the society we live in is so important," Ashley says. "It's fun to have that 'give and take' with them and to learn from them. What I love most about teaching is to see them come back as adults, having made a difference in the world." Below, left to right Ashley Chapman, Peter Tolmach, and Head of School Patrick Roberts at an end of year luncheon; In the army, 1980; Mr. Chapman and his daughter Erynn, 1992; Faculty of Dawnview High School, 1981.

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