Portrait of a Graduate
Values-Driven, Opportunity-Focused
Although we have an excellent academic structure and strong communications, the School is not guided by rigid control, but rather, by our values: honesty, respect, compassion, and responsibility.
The PTS Student Handbook provides clear expectations for student behavior and administrative response to disciplinary actions, but we are a school where a positive attitude and the willingness to work hard allows students to exceed all expectations.
Student life at PTS is filled with opportunities to engage with the community. Explore the resources on this page to learn more about student life at Palmer Trinity School.
Making Caring Common
In March of 2018, Palmer Trinity School was among the nation’s first schools to join a new national campaign called Making Caring Common #CommonGood Campaign to mobilize middle and high schools to prepare young people to be constructive community members and citizens who create a better world. Led by Harvard’s Making Caring Common project, the Caring Schools #CommonGood campaign aims to motivate schools to take action to help mend our country’s fractures and strengthen democracy.
Making Caring Common (MCC), a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, helps educators, parents, and communities raise children who are caring, responsible to their communities, and committed to justice.
Student Resources at PTS
Perhaps the most important relationship a student will develop at Palmer Trinity is with his or her advisor. However, the following resources are available at all times.
Palmer Trinity School has two school counselors on staff who participate in and help coordinate student-support services. Counseling services include individual counseling, small groups, and peer counseling. Programs, activities, and workshops are provided to assist students in their social and emotional development. The school counselors act as a liaison between teachers/staff, parents, and administrators when appropriate. When a possible learning problem is identified, a referral is made to the Learning Resource specialist. Referrals are also made when an emotional/psychological problem requires the outside assistance of a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor.
The Learning Resource Specialist provides support for students with diverse learning needs through consultation and collaboration with their parents and teachers. Through consultation with teachers, parents, and students, the Learning Specialist assists in identifying students with learning differences. The Learning Specialist provides support to faculty, parents, and students for interventions and strategies to address learning differences, and makes recommendations to parents, as necessary, for a comprehensive evaluation. The Learning Specialist coordinates extended time testing accommodations and other special learning needs of students. Refer to Testing Accommodations for guidelines related to applying and using extended time testing.
Palmer Trinity School advisors work to ensure that the “whole student” philosophy of the school is carried out. An advisor will counsel and mentor students and act as a liaison between the school and parents. Throughout the school year, the advisor assists the student and the student’s family with both academic and social concerns. The role of the advisor is to act as a link between student, teachers, and family. Advisors conduct individual and group meetings with their advisees on a regular basis. They meet with parents to discuss student progress in a prearranged formal student/parent/advisor conference when necessary. In addition, the advisor is available for informal conferences with teachers or parents upon request.
The clinic is located in room 113. Students who feel ill or are injured will be seen by the School Nurse. Students not feeling well may rest for one period in the clinic, but after that time they must either return to class or go home. Time spent in the clinic is counted as an absence from the class.
If the nurse feels the student is unable to return to class, the nurse will call the parent or emergency contact person to come to pick-up the student, or give permission for the student to drive home. All medications coming from home must be clearly labeled with your child’s name and kept locked-up in the clinic. It is the responsibility of the parent to notify the school nurse of any health changes in their child.
