For nearly two years, construction workers, architects and Trinity’s staff members have been working day in and day out to develop and build a new Intermediate School in the district.
Mrs. Benzenhoefer gets the privilege of being the first principal of this school, having previously been the Assistant Principal at Trinity Middle School.
The Trinity Intermediate School (TIS) is located on the middle school’s campus, making this area a bustling center of learning, creativity and opportunity. Now that the fourth and fifth graders from all around the district are attending, they are swimming in opportunities!
Jeff Bricker, a technology teacher at the Intermediate School, shared some of the perks the fourth and fifth graders are experiencing.
“I’m really excited about integrating Hummingbird Robotics and the Maker Space into our curriculum. It will be a great opportunity for students to collaborate, think creatively and get hands-on experience with coding and robotics,” commented Bricker.
Students also get to know each other before they enter middle school, which is a great building block to a strong Trinity community.
Bricker shared, “Something that sets the Intermediate School apart is how it brings together several communities that were previously spread across four different elementary schools. By uniting all 4th and 5th graders in one place, it helps create a stronger sense of community and unity within the district.”
The union of all fourth and fifth graders into one school is also helping to streamline the education of these students.
“One key benefit is that it brings all of the 4th and 5th-grade teachers under one roof, allowing them to collaborate more effectively and work together as a cohesive team,” Bricker remarked.
The school also features an outdoor classroom, an asset the other Trinity schools don’t have. It also was built alongside a new athletic complex, which hosts practices for sports teams and adds an extra facility for Trinity sports to grow.
Along with the fourth and fifth graders, teachers from all around the district got to come together at the Intermediate School.
Chandra Abbondanza shared, “I was extremely excited to move to our new intermediate school! It is part of Hiller history and I very much wanted to be a part of it!”
This year, she is teaching fourth grade social studies, which she is happy to come back to after teaching kindergarten for a few years.
“Every grade level has something special to offer. I love Social Studies, and I love this age group. It’s a perfect fit for me,” she shares.
The Intermediate School is planning to offer many different extracurricular activities and clubs this year and in the years to come.
Abbondanza shared, “In our fourth and fifth grade social studies classes, Mr. Cowden, Mrs. Benz and I will be organizing a Trinity Intermediate Student Council. Students will learn about the election process, campaigning and presenting their candidacies. Since this is an election year and we will soon elect a new president, it should give students a better understanding of how an election works. We plan to hold an election for those students who choose to run. Our student council will be responsible for organizing community service projects. We hope to teach our students the importance of being good citizens and making a difference in our community.”
Bricker added, “There will be a wide variety of clubs and activities available. I’m particularly looking forward to starting a Coding, Robotics and Gaming Club. It’s going to be an exciting way for students to develop new skills and have fun!”
It’s going to be very different having all of the fourth and fifth grade teachers and students all together in one building. The Trinity Intermediate School definitely has a bright future ahead, and it will be exciting to see what change it brings in our community.
