ARCHDALE – Year 2 for Trinity Middle School has arrived, and it should feel more like home for students and staff.
“It does,” principal Aaron Barr said. “It’s a continuation of last year.”
A year ago, the opening of the new school was a special occasion, though it also came with normal challenges. There was a merging of students from previous schools that became part of the process.
“Everybody was kind of trying to feel their way,” Barr said. “You’re getting the culture of a new school worked out.”
Classes began this week for the new school year in the Randolph County School System.
Trinity Middle School, with sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, had about 530 students last year, and a similar number is anticipated for this school year.
The creation of Trinity Middle School meant the end of Braxton Craven School and the renaming of Archdale-Trinity Middle School to Wheatmore Middle School. Previously, those two middle schools were feeders to Trinity High School and Wheatmore High School.
Now, Trinity Middle School funnels students to Trinity High School.
So there was a transition period for numerous reasons last year.
“You’re still finishing things up,” Barr said. “There are some finishing touches.”
Instead of some of the generic tone that greeted students last summer, there are more areas displayed with the school colors that incorporate blue, black, and white. It’s probably more apparent that the school mascot is the Bulldogs.
“It’s not a plain wall,” Barr said. “Now we’ve gotten to put their personality on it.”
The school, which is the newest campus in the RCSS, lists three administrators and about 30 teachers among the staff. Barr had been principal at Hopewell Elementary School prior to moving to the position at the new middle school.
Trinity Middle School is holding a clean-up day at the athletics fields in an effort to spruce up those areas. Volunteers are asked to bring weed eaters and tools to assist in the process, which is set to begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 10 at the football and baseball/softball fields. A pizza lunch will be provided to those putting in the work.
