By Nicole LoRusso, Editor-in-Chief

After a long haul, Trinity Hall has finally found its new permanent home at Fort Monmouth located on Hope Road in Tinton Falls. This central location will provide easier access for many current students while also making Trinity Hall an option for many more prospective students than the initial permanent site on Chapel Hill Road.

“The challenges that Trinity Hall faced at Chapel Hill and then in dealing with the opposition was difficult on a personal level,” said Head of School Mary Sciarrillo. “Fort Monmouth has been a long process, but everything happens for a reason. We believe that the new space is a blessing. Having a building twice the size [of our current location at Croydon Hall] for the 2016-17 school year will support learning in ways we can only begin to imagine.”

Demolition of the new building’s interior began on Jan. 11 and will take four to five weeks to complete. In the meantime, renovation plans will be finalized, and after receiving final approval from the town, renovations can begin.

Demolition at new Fort Monmouth property begins with demolition of the interior. Photo courtesy of Bob Egan.

Phase 1 of the building, which will be completed for the 2016-2017 school year, features nine state-of-the-art classrooms, four science labs, collaborative student spaces and study rooms, teacher prep rooms, a dining hall, individual student lockers and kitchen facilities. The expanded space for returning and incoming students allows for a comfortable learning environment that is necessary for them to perform to the best of their academic ability. The new  buildings will allow for increased enrollment, beginning with next year’s freshman class that is anticipated to include 60 students.

“Location is key. The collaborative spaces we expect to include in the full build-out will support the type of learning we want for our students,” Sciarrillo said. “Trinity Hall is a maker space – a space that really encourages creativity, collaboration and community. Comfortable and challenging learning spaces lead to the best work and encourage students to do more, to analyze, to build and to be more innovative.”

As the building of the new campus is a $20 million capital campaign, the Board of Trustees looks to the school’s community and supporters to help raise money for the permanent location by donating to the annual fund. By hosting events like the Gala that took place last spring and the cocktail parties that were hosted in recent weeks, the Board of Trustees and administration anticipate that the ongoing support and dedication of the community will ensure that Trinity Hall’s new home will reach its fullest potential.

“Even as a student I know that the greatest amount I can give will be appreciated and worth it,” junior Abby Marcin said. “I have been attending Trinity Hall since its opening, and, now that we’re finally at the point where we will be moving to a permanent campus, I want to help in any way that I can.”

One of the most notable distinctions about Trinity Hall has always been the spirit and the dedication of the students, faculty and community, and Sciarrillo hopes the new location will be a place where that spirit can continue to flourish.

“We want [the new location] to be a home away from home where girls can get together and become their true selves,” Sciarrillo said. “The Trinity Hall spirit when you walk through the door will be evident.”

Head of School Mary Sciarillo takes a swing with the sledghammer during demolition of the new site at Fort Monmouth.  Photo courtesy of Lynn Retterer.

The groundbreaking and completion of Phase 2 will take place in 2017; as planned, Phase 2 will include a two-story addition, two visual and performing arts classrooms, ten additional classrooms, student meeting rooms, a media center and administrative offices.

“It’s amazing to see everything we could have imagined beginning to happen before our eyes. We’ve waited so long to find a location and now that we finally have one that we will be moving into it next fall, I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to work out,” Marcin said. “There’s so much I’m looking forward to seeing, and I know my classmates feel the same way.”