Trinity School

A Place where Children Learn to Love Learning

PK3 - GRADE 8 CATHOLIC INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND

The property on which Trinity School stands traces its origins to a 1732 land grant from Lord Baltimore to John Talbot. For nearly 175 years, the land remained a working farm owned by successive families. In 1906, the Mount Calvary Episcopal School for Boys purchased the property, relocated its Baltimore campus to Ilchester, and renamed the institution the Donaldson School for Boys. Financial hardships during the Great Depression forced the school to close in 1933.

In 1934, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur purchased 183 acres of the former Donaldson School property, including five Tudor-style buildings and two small cottages, for $40,000. The property was acquired to establish a novitiate on the lower Eastern Seaboard for the formation of new Sisters and to serve as the Motherhouse of the newly established Maryland Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The campus included the main school building (now St. Lidwine Hall), the Chapel, the Mansion (located on the site of the present-day Middle School), the cottages (now Primary Buildings 1 and 2), and another school building that the Sisters renamed St. Margaret's Hall, which later served as the residence for boarding students before it was eventually demolished.

Under the leadership of Sister Rosalia of the Blessed Sacrament, SNDdeN, the first Provincial Superior of the Maryland Province, the Sisters quickly expanded their ministry beyond the formation of new Sisters. Soon after the novitiate was established, Monsignor Leary, pastor of St. Louis Church in Clarksville and a close friend of Sister Rosalia, encouraged the Sisters to open a Catholic school to serve the descendants of Charles Carroll and other Catholic families in Howard County. In response, the Sisters opened Trinity Preparatory School in September 1934, a junior high and high school for girls that welcomed both boarding and day students. Classes were held in the building now known as St. Lidwine Hall. Over the next five years, the Sisters transformed the remaining Donaldson School buildings to provide classrooms, residence halls, dining, and recreation space while constructing a convent complex to support both the novitiate and the growing school.

Recognizing the need for Catholic elementary education in the community, the Sisters opened the elementary division in 1941, enrolling students in Kindergarten through Grade 6. Named Julie Billiart Country Day School in honor of the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Saint Julie Billiart, the school welcomed its first class of 21 elementary students and 13 junior high students. To accommodate the growing elementary program, the Sisters discontinued the boarding program and repurposed the former boarding facilities for classrooms and other educational uses. As enrollment continued to increase, the Sisters expanded the elementary school, beginning construction on the first addition in 1950. In 1958, the elementary division was renamed Trinity Lower School to distinguish it from the high school. The final classroom and library addition in St. Lidewine Hall was completed in 1966.

A significant transition occurred in 1972 when the Sisters closed the girls' high school. The decision followed nearly two years of strategic study and discernment. Beginning in the fall of 1970, the principals of Trinity and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, together with the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and a joint Steering Committee, explored the possibility of consolidating the two schools in response to changing enrollment patterns, increasing financial obligations, and the growing need for capital improvements to the Ilchester campus. By late 1971, however, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish withdrew from further consideration of the proposed consolidation.

Throughout the discernment process, the Sisters evaluated not only enrollment trends and long-term financial sustainability but also the resources required to maintain and improve the historic Ilchester campus while preserving Trinity's distinct Notre Dame mission, educational philosophy, and governance as an independent school. After careful analysis and prayerful discernment, the Sisters concluded that remaining independent would best position the School to respond to changing educational and family needs while maintaining the flexibility to shape its curriculum, programs, and future direction. Following the closure of Trinity Preparatory School in 1972, the Middle School (Grades 5 through 8) moved into the former high school building. At that time, the School adopted the name Trinity School, by which it is known today.

Trinity's commitment to educational excellence was recognized in 1978 when it earned accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, becoming one of only seven Catholic schools in Maryland to receive this distinction. The Board of Trustees was established in 1988, strengthening the School's governance and long-term stewardship. Trinity's academic program received national recognition when it was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1989 and again in 1999.

During the 1990s, the School engaged in strategic planning to ensure long-term sustainability and effective stewardship of the Ilchester campus. The Sisters' and Board developed a long-range plan to reduce the size of the campus while preserving its educational and religious purposes. As part of this plan, 35 acres were sold to Howard County Public Schools in March 1994, followed by the sale of 98 acres to Grovemont in July 1995.

With a newly configured property, the School adopted a comprehensive strategic plan in 1996 that prepared for future growth and capital improvements. The plan called for expanded educational facilities, including the construction of a new Middle School building, improvements to campus infrastructure, and the renovation of St. Lidwine Hall to serve as administrative offices and instructional space. These strategic initiatives positioned the School for continued growth and contributed to its successful reaccreditation by Middle States and the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS) in 1997.

The strategic planning undertaken by the Sisters and Board during the 1990s culminated in a defining milestone in the School's history. In February 2001, the Board purchased Trinity School and its 48-acre campus from the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, securing the School's long-term future while preserving its Catholic mission. The following month, an Affiliation Agreement was executed that formalized the enduring relationship between the School and the Sisters, ensuring the preservation of the School's Catholic identity and distinct Notre Dame de Namur educational philosophy. This period also marked a significant governance transition with the adoption of a President–Principal leadership model.

The School continued to invest in its facilities and academic programs throughout the 2000s. In 2002, the new Middle School building, St. Julie Hall, opened and was dedicated. In 2004, the Kindergarten Cottage was completely renovated and reopened as St. Joseph Hall to support the expansion of the full-day Kindergarten program, which officially began in 2006. That same year, Trinity was reaccredited by both AIMS and Middle States. The School further expanded educational opportunities with the opening of the Julie Program in 2007 to support students with diagnosed language-based learning differences and adopted a new administrative structure in 2008 consisting of a Principal, Head of Primary School, and Head of Middle School.

Responding to the needs of young families, Trinity expanded once again in 2009 by opening Preschool and PreKindergarten Plus programs for three- and four-year-old children. In 2011, the School introduced the Kindergarten Transitional Program (formerly known as PreK Plus) to provide an additional year of growth and development for children who would benefit from the gift of time before entering Kindergarten. The School continued to strengthen its academic program with the introduction of a STEM initiative in 2012 and was recognized as a Maryland Green School in 2013 for its commitment to environmental education and stewardship. In 2016, Trinity was once again reaccredited by both AIMS and Middle States, reaffirming the School's commitment to educational excellence and continuous improvement.

Following the unexpected passing of longtime Head of School Sister Catherine Phelps in 2018, the Board of Trustees appointed an interim Head of School while conducting a national search. In 2019, Trinity appointed its first permanent lay Head of School, marking an important transition in leadership while remaining steadfast in its mission and the educational vision of the Sisters. In the fall of 2022, the School adopted the Head of School–Division Director leadership model. While the responsibilities of the administrative team remained unchanged, the updated titles aligned Trinity's organizational structure with that of other Notre Dame de Namur schools across the country, reinforcing a shared governance model while preserving the School's established leadership practices.

Looking toward the future, the Board in collaboration with the School engaged the Trinity community in developing a new 2024–2029 Strategic Plan, adopted in 2024. Written through the lens of the School’s mission and Hallmarks of a Notre Dame Learning Community, the plan is organized around four strategic priorities—Identity, Community, Program, and Stewardship—and reflects broad participation from trustees, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, and other stakeholders.

In 2025, following the dissolution of the Maryland Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Trinity entered into a new Affiliation Agreement with the Ohio Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. This agreement reaffirmed the School's enduring relationship with the Sisters and its ongoing commitment to preserving and advancing the mission, Hallmarks, and educational philosophy of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.