Holy Trinity School (Richmond Hill)

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Holy Trinity School
Address
11300 Bayview Ave. Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4S 1L4, Canada
Information
Religious affiliation	Anglican Church of Canada
Head of School	Mr. George Rutherford
Deputy Head of School	Mr. Terry Thomson
School type	Independent, Private
Grades	Kindgergarten to Grade 12
Language	English
Motto	Ex Doctrina Mores (As a result of knowledge, training, indoctrination and education come character and right living.)
Team name	HTS Hawks
Founded	1981
Enrollment	700+ (September 2006)
Homepage	http://www.hts.on.ca/

Holy Trinity School(HTS) is a co-educational and independent university preparation day school affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada, which welcomes members of all faiths. There are over 700 students currently enrolled from Senior Kindergarten to university entrance (grade 12). HTS is an accredited member of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (C.A.I.S.).

HTS is located at a modern and recently expanded facility situated on a beautiful 37 acre campus located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

The school is committed to educational excellence and to the development of the character and individual abilities of our students, within the context of Christian values and personal integrity. Courses are taught at the advanced level by a dedicated faculty who set high standards for themselves and their students.

Contents 1 Mission Statement 2 History and Symbols 2.1 Brief History 2.2 School Symbols

[edit] Mission Statement

Holy Trinity School is committed to educational excellence, as measured by readiness for university entrance, and to the development of the character and individual abilities of our students within the context of Christian values and personal integrity.

In 1996, Mr. P. Geldart, a Board Governor, developed this rationale for the HTS Mission Statement.

"Holy Trinity School is committed to educational excellence" - It is important to recognize that the priority of the school is education, and education as measured against not only its competitors but also the broader educational community. Excellence within the educational arena is a vision which empowers direction, as it is not a finite point or place. This is recognized in the use of the word "committed" as the school is determined to move consistently in the direction of educational excellence, regularly measuring itself against not only other providers of education, but also the needs of those it serves. This commitment to educational excellence is demonstrated by the quality of the faculty; the emphasis on faculty development and evaluation; the procedures in place for an ongoing review and evaluation of curriculum and programmes; and the determination to provide first and foremost for those aspects of the school which ultimately affect the students' academic performance.

"As measured by readiness for university entrance" - The school recognizes that not all students will move to university given the wide variety of pursuits, and alternate academic disciplines and educational opportunities available at graduation from Holy Trinity. However, it is also recognized that there needs to be some visible measure against which our pursuit of educational excellence can be targeted and evaluated. To this end the school has committed to university entrance as the standard whereby we will evaluate our success in pursuing educational excellence. This measure is particularly effective in that it not only provides a tangible measure of the effectiveness of the ongoing academic programme, but it also carries with it the built-in progression of increasing standards. As universities continually raise the bar for entrance, so increasing focus and attention can be brought at the preparatory level to ensuring these standards are met. Again this commitment to university entrance as a measure is further demonstrated through the focus on investment required in people, buildings, facilities, and programmes that are necessary to achieve this particular objective.

"And to develop the character" - This is a reference to our focus on the moral fibre of each individual student, and the need to ensure the development of sound character. Consistent with this determination is the emphasis placed on recruitment, and the evaluation of faculty and staff influencing the student body as role models, as well as the evaluation of potential students. This is further evidenced in the standards, rules, and regulations of the school which foster in practice the principles espoused and upheld by the parent body. It is felt that the character of the individual student is important to sustain him or her through the years following those spent at Holy Trinity and as such is an important priority for the school and its members. Again this is reflected in the references to student involvement and the academic and extra-curricular programmes outlined in our Long Term Plan.

"And individual abilities of our students" - This element of the Mission Statement refers to the priority the school places on looking at the abilities of each student on an individual basis, and not as a whole, or a group. It reinforces the school's priority to ensure sound teaching to the individual, with reference to the individual ability of each student, and the need of each student to receive teaching and coaching appropriate to that student's particular level. The focus of the school has been to deal with academic issues on a personal level not only through homework journals, and the student/teacher relationships, but also in dealings with parents. This commitment to dealing with the individual, and the abilities of the individual, is one of the pillars of the school's commitment to academic excellence. The school's commitment to low student-teacher ratios and smaller class size is further evidence of this focus.

"Within the context of Christian values" - It is recognized that the school welcomes students of all religious and ethnic backgrounds, but we further recognize that Christian values are universal and are espoused by the members of the Holy Trinity community regardless of personal faith. Further, the need to provide a context against which the educational system and priorities are established is crucial, in order to determine standards, ethics, morals, and principles by which the students will live and learn to live in the years following those spent at Holy Trinity. Our commitment to sound Christian values is reflected not only in the policies of the school but in the day-to-day behaviour displayed by, and expected of, our students.

"And personal integrity" - Holy Trinity believes strongly in the talents of the individual, as well as the potential of each individual. The integrity of those with whom members of the school come into contact on a regular basis must reflect the elements of the Mission mentioned above. Students, faculty, staff, and those who have frequent dealings with the school are expected to behave in a fashion that would be considered exemplary, a model for the students, and the community. This aspect of the school is one which has stood it in good stead since its inception and remains central to the school's values.

Holy Trinity believes strongly in its Mission Statement, not because of the words but because it is a clear reflection of that which already is; as well as a reflection of our commitment to the future.

Evidence of this, is the statement produced by the faculty and staff, independent of the Board, as they are committed to upholding the school's values in their own words, namely:

Everyday, in a Christian setting, we strive to foster and advance the intellectual, social, spiritual, moral and physical well-being of our students, that they may exhibit integrity and excellence of character as they take their positions in the world.

Clearly, this kind of commitment from the faculty and staff is further evidence of the values captured by the Mission Statement.

[edit] History and Symbols

[edit] Brief History

HTS was founded as an independent school in 1981 in Thornhill by members of Holy Trinity Church. The founding Board of Governors, lead by its founding Chair, John Langton, hired Father John Rose, then Chaplain at Ridley College, as the founding headmaster.

The school’s first classrooms were in Holy Trinity Church’s basement. The school’s rapid expansion meant that within two years HTS outgrew the facility and had to relocate to a new campus that was a rented school property on Bainbridge Avenue in North York. The school’s present campus was built on land purchased by the Board of Governors in Richmond Hill. This campus was officially opened in 1985 with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Lincoln Alexander and the Archbishop of Toronto, the Most Reverend L.S. Garnsworthy in attendance. In the years since its relocation, the facility has been expanded three times and is currently how you see it today.

While Holy Trinity School is proud of its Anglican traditions, it welcomes members of all faiths.

[edit] School Symbols

The school's crest features a symbol representing three arms joining together to form the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The crest also contains a cross which symbolizes the school's commitment to Christian values. The school's Latin motto, located at the base of the crest, is "Ex Doctrina Mores". It means "as a result of knowledge, training, indoctrination and education come character and right living".

The Hawk, which figures on many of the school's sports uniforms, is symbolic of the heights to which we hope all HTS students will fly. The inspiration to use the hawk came when a group, visiting the site before the present building was constructed, saw a lone hawk flying above the property.