Palmer Trinity School

10 W W W. PA L M E R T R I N I T Y. O R G Athletic participation is a big part of life at Palmer Trinity School. Student-athletes are encouraged to not only excel on the field but also excel in the classroom. For some, finding a good balance between athletics and academics can be challenging, but senior Henry Fernandez says that finding the right balance is all about practice and finding support from those around you. Henry participates in cross-country in the fall, soccer in the winter, and track in the spring. He's currently in his 19 th season. Henry believes a good transition from middle school to upper school helps students to find their stride. "When you start out in middle school, you get eased into the workload. In regard to balance, I have to make a few sacrifices like starting homework at 7 p.m. I do lose sleep, and jumping into being a varsity student-athlete isn't easy, especially in the first season. But after doing it over and over you fall into a pattern and eventually find something that works for you." Long practices can be draining. Luckily, according to Henry, the coaches know about the rigor that Palmer Trinity has in its curriculum, and they understand that students need to put academics first. Henry's biggest support in the Palmer Trinity community is his advisor, Dr. Piersen. She's always eager to weigh in and give him advice on how to navigate school life. "She's been in education for a while, and she knows best," says Henry. Henry's advice for student-athletes who are trying to find a balance between school and athletics? "My advice is to never be afraid to take a day off from sports. e worst thing to do is fall behind in academics. We call ourselves student-athletes for a reason, you're a student first and an athlete second. Make time to study for your tests. I'm big on repetition and memorization. For things like math, I need to memorize formulas and processes, so that really helps me." FINDING THE BAL ANCE BE T WEEN ACADEMICS AND ATHLE TICS SUMMER E XPERIENCE AT PALMER TRINIT Y SCHOOL When we think of summer school, many imagine students sitting in a packed classroom, staring bored at the clock, thinking they would rather be on vacation. e Palmer Trinity Summer Experience has changed that image and now provides an enjoyable, exciting, and new sets of adventures for students. Our PTS Summer Programs have evolved to address the needs and wants of the student by providing courses and activities that are traditionally unavailable in the school-year curriculum or unattainable due to time constraints. Palmer Trinity School worked to bridge this curriculum and activity gap by providing opportunities during the summer months such as driver's education and paddle boarding. In addition to new programming, we were able to offer traditional courses in English and Mathematics. Led by talented members of our faculty, we were able to provide individualized attention and differentiated instruction. Courses taken in the summer allow student effort and the level of engagement to be the main focus over a grade and assessment. Students new to Palmer Trinity used this as an opportunity to acclimate to the campus and develop the study skills needed to prepare for the upcoming school year. Current students found these courses helpful for reviewing subjects where they needed assistance. In addition to enrichment and academic courses, the Palmer Trinity Summer Experience offered various levels of sport camps. Palmer Trinity strength coach Eric Perri offered beginning and advanced courses to provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for athletes who started conditioning. Individual sport camps provided an opportunity for younger athletes to work with Palmer Trinity Coaches to develop their individual skills and knowledge. While state of the art facilities, a beautiful campus, and innovative teaching make it easy to provide a high level of fun and enthusiasm during summer camp, real success is measured in the ability to develop students as confident and responsible members of the community. e Palmer Trinity Summer Experience has enabled many students to start the school year in a smoother and less stressful manner. We look forward to providing another summer experience in 2017 that will provide opportunities for continued growth and development. BY VA LORIE BA K E R , DIRECTOR OF AU XILI A RY PROGR A MS

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