For Immediate Release
Trinity Hall announces faculty, freshman class
- Students enrolled in the Trinity Hall “Leadership Class”
- Applications still being accepted for Fall 2013
- Curriculum details and Founding Faculty members introduced, bios included
Middletown, NJ — Trinity Hall, an independent, all-girls high school in the Catholic tradition, will open its doors in Fall 2013 to students from 23 towns in Monmouth County. This leadership class will attend classes led by a full staff of founding faculty at Trinity Hall’s temporary location of Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road, Middletown Township, until a permanent location is finalized and announced.
Applications still being accepted for Fall 2013
Trinity Hall is still accepting applications for its inaugural class; the number of enrolled ninth graders for Fall 2013 is expected to rise.
“Our first class is strong in number and academic potential,” says Mary Sciarrillo, head of school. “The enrolled students represent top students from many area programs. The Trinity Hall program will be rigorous and engage young women at the highest level, challenging each girl to be her best.”
Bus routes are being developed to accommodate the current student body and will be finalized this summer.
“From the beginning, Trinity Hall was built to serve students and families from all over Monmouth and Northern Ocean counties,” says James Palmieri, assistant head of school. “As such, the school is committed to providing transportation to families, starting with establishing three bus routes to meet the needs of enrolled students in the Leadership Class.”
Curriculum and Faculty
Academic excellence is a core foundation of a Trinity Hall education. Trinity Hall students will have unique opportunities to experience educational programs developed just for girls.
The school provides small classes in a complete range of courses, from engineering, physics and advanced mathematics to interdisciplinary courses in the humanities. A full fine arts selection will be offered to the student body.
The founding faculty consists of experienced professionals with expertise in their subject area and passion for providing a rich and challenging program of study for their students.
Trinity Hall Founding Faculty
Alyssa Morreale: English
Alyssa joins Trinity Hall from the Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ, where she has taught English/Humanities to high school boarding students since 2003. Her courses included: Journeys– 20th Century Revolutions; English Composition & Literature; AP English Literature and Composition; Madness in Literature; Literary Journalism; and Asian American Literature.
A native Floridian, Alyssa earned a B.A. in American Studies and Pre-Medicine at the University of Notre Dame and a M.A. in Journalism at Indiana University. She was a four-year scholarship varsity swimmer for the Fighting Irish. While at Peddie, Alyssa served as girls’ dormitory supervisor, school newspaper adviser, class adviser, student adviser and assistant swim coach.
Kali Lambrou: Science, Engineering, Math, and Dance
Kali joins Trinity Hall from Dwight School, a premier NYC independent school located at Central Park West. Kali has taught Science (Physics and Earth Science), Math and Design Technology in Dwight’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level Design Program, spanning grades 7-12 since 1999.
Kali earned a B.A. in Computational Engineering Mathematics at Fordham University and a M.A. in Mathematics and Education at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education. She received her second master’s from Teachers College Columbia University in TESOL/Applied Linguistics with a focus in Statistics. Kali also danced professionally for ten years and is fluent in Greek.
Katie Gillen: History
Katie joins Trinity Hall from Mount Saint Mary Academy, a Catholic all-girls high school in Watchung, NJ, where she is an alumnae and current Social Studies teacher. In six years in the classroom at MSMA, Katie has taught World History, US History I, US History II and AP US History, spanning grades 9-12.
Katie earned a B.A. in History from Providence College where she was a four-year varsity swimmer for the Friars. Katie received her Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing from the College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University. At MSMA, Katie served as student council moderator, HOPE club moderator and varsity coach of field hockey. She also coached swimming at Chatham High School.
Kevin Polke: Mathematics and Music
Kevin joins Trinity Hall from his alma mater, St. Rose High School in Belmar, NJ, where he has been teaching Mathematics since 2002. He has taught all levels and courses to grades 9-12, including Statistics and AP Calculus. Kevin utilizes cutting-edge technology in the classroom and his teaching philosophy is centered on a problem-based learning model. In addition to teaching and developing Mathematics curriculum, he served as adviser to the National Honor Society and Math Team, and has served as Musical Director for the school.
After graduating St. Rose as Valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar, Kevin attended Yale University and earned a B.A., magna cum laude in Mathematics. He participated in both the Yale Glee Club and Tory Party Debate Society. Kevin then attended Harvard Law School and received a J.D. in 2000. He served as a member of the Harvard Defenders and the Journal of Law & Technology, and led the Scales of Justice, an a cappella singing group. He is a member of the New Jersey Bar.
Melissa Fairchild: Spanish
Melissa joins Trinity Hall after having taught Spanish for five years at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, NJ, before relocating to Monmouth County in recent years. At Oak Knoll, a Catholic independent school with an all-girls middle and high school, Melissa taught a variety of levels and courses, spanning from 8th grade Spanish to AP Spanish Language during her tenure.
Melissa earned a B.A. in Spanish from Muhlenberg College and a M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT and Madrid, Spain. During her time abroad and travels to follow, she made a conscience effort to immerse herself in as many different cultures as possible to be able to offer language students a more well-rounded perspective of language and culture. At Oak Knoll, Melissa served as a faculty mentor, student adviser, world language week coordinator and soccer coach.
Melissa Whelan: Theology and Technology
Melissa, a graduate of an all-girls high school and an all-women’s college, joins Trinity Hall from Mother Teresa Regional School in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, where she was the first and current Principal of the school since 2006. Previously, she served as the first lay Principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Highlands, NJ; Dean of Students at Saint John Vianney High School in Holmdel, NJ; and Social Studies and Religion teacher at three Catholic high schools in NJ.
Melissa earned a B.A. Honors in History with minor in Theology at Saint Mary’s College and a M.A. in Educational Administration, Curriculum Planning and Supervision at Georgian Court University. She is excited to return to her all-girls roots at Trinity Hall to help deepen the faith of young women and prepare them for a future role in the church.
Sister Mariann Mahon, RSM: Campus Minister
Sister Mariann Mahon, Sister of Mercy, joins Trinity Hall from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ, where she has served as Director of Campus Ministry. At GCU, her department actively involved students in two related aspects of spirituality –worship and service — and provided students opportunities to take advantage of liturgies and gospel reflection sessions to increase their knowledge of their chosen faith.
Sr. Mariann earned a BA from Georgian Court and a M.Ed. in Religious Education and Pastoral Studies from Boston College. She has taught at a number of high schools in New Jersey including Phillipsburg Catholic, St. Mary’s and Mt. St. Mary’s Academy. Sr. Mariann served on the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of NJ Leadership Team, serving for two full terms – one as vice-president. Sr. Mariann also served in several areas of direct service for Catholic Charities. At Trinity Hall, Sr. Mariann will help form a community of young women who will become leaders and living examples of the benefit of a faith and value-based learning environment.
Ken Santos: Director of Athletics
Ken, the former girls’ varsity soccer coach at Red Bank Catholic and a current teacher at Markham Place School in Little Silver, joins Trinity Hall as Director of Athletics and head soccer coach. In total, Ken has been teaching for 11 years and coaching at the high school and college levels for 16 years; six of those were spent as the men’s assistant at Monmouth University. He is the product of a single-sex high school education at Christian Brothers Academy, and he went on to play varsity soccer at Villanova University. In 2011, he was inducted into the Villanova’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He also played professional soccer in both the United States and Portugal.
Ken’s own experiences with athletics have played a major role in his life as a person, and he hopes to continue to guide the young women at Trinity Hall in their pursuit of high academic and athletic standards.
About Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall is a private independent school in the Catholic tradition assisting in the spiritual, moral and integral formation of every student while maintaining high standards of academic excellence. In a technology-rich learning environment, a superior faculty and a challenging interdisciplinary curricular program fosters leadership, respect, perseverance and faith.
For more information, visit www.trinityhallnj.org.