History and Traditions

Rooted in Love and Learning: Edith Aiken and the founding of Trinity Episcopal School

Trinity Episcopal School is rooted in the vision and dedication of Miss Edith Aiken, a woman whose life embodied a deep belief in the goodness, humanity, and godliness of people. Born on November 21, 1885, in New Orleans, Miss Aiken carried these values into her life's work—educating children with love, acceptance, and high expectations.

In 1917, at the age of 31, she founded The Little School for Little Children in her family's home, Warwick Manor, located at 1223 Second Street in the Garden District of New Orleans. Known to many as Miss Aiken’s Little School, it quickly became a beloved part of the community. Her philosophy was progressive for the time: she created a child-centered, individualized program that fostered both academic learning and emotional growth. Beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic, Miss Aiken taught poetry, French, and drama. Elaborate plays and pageants with beautiful costumes were highlights of each school year, and students gathered each morning for an assembly.

The School’s 1929 catalogue captured the spirit of Miss Aiken’s approach:

“The secret of the school is that once a child enters, they are treated with complete acceptance, as if they were the best person in the world. Each child is given complete acceptance and love. This does not mean the school is not strict. They learn, and are told when something isn’t right, but they are told in a positive way.”

Miss Aiken ran her school for 43 years, nurturing countless students and setting a standard for compassionate education. By 1950, the school had relocated to a larger facility at Second Street and Camp Street, and was known as Miss Aiken’s Kindergarten and Primary School. At that time, the school served about 150 students, with tuition ranging from $150 for kindergarten to $200 for third and fourth grade.

In 1958, preparing for retirement, Miss Aiken approached Canon Turner at Trinity Episcopal Church with a proposal to transfer her school to the church’s campus. Two years later, in the fall of 1960, Trinity Episcopal School officially opened its doors on Jackson Avenue.

Today, Trinity is a co-educational school serving around 500 students from Early Childhood through Eighth Grade, with a dedicated team of over 100 faculty and staff members. The school continues to honor the legacy of Miss Aiken and the mission of Trinity Episcopal Church, which since its founding in 1847 has remained committed to the educational and civic life of New Orleans.

Miss Aiken served as Headmistress for the first year of Trinity Episcopal School. Since then, Trinity has been led by a distinguished succession of Heads of School: The Reverend Thomas N. F. Shaw (1961–1975); The Reverend Charles Rodney Smith (1975–1976); Mr. George David Hardman, Jr. (1976–1981); Mr. Edward Pickett Cavin (1981–1994); Mr. Julian Patrick Bull (1994–2001); The Reverend Dr. Michael C. Kuhn (2001–2014); The Reverend E. Gary Taylor (2014–present)

Trinity Episcopal School remains steadfast in its mission to build confident, resilient upstanders on a foundation of academic excellence, moral responsibility, and faith, continuing a tradition that began more than a century ago with Miss Aiken’s vision of education rooted in love, acceptance, and excellence.
 

Steady in the Storm: Trinity’s Katrina Response

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi, causing over 1,800 fatalities and an estimated $125 billion in damages to New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Katrina was among the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States and, at the time, the costliest tropical cyclone on record. Eighty percent of the city and large tracts of neighboring parishes were inundated with standing floodwaters for weeks. Around 1.2 million Louisianans were displaced for months and even years, and thousands never returned. In July 2006, not quite a year after Katrina, New Orleans’ population had dropped by more than 250,000. 

In the aftermath, Trinity was faced with questions and decisions that would forever define who we are as a school. Most notably, no Trinity student, teacher, or staff member suffered physical harm, but our evacuated stakeholders were scattered, their lives forever changed. Due to the substantial damage to the Greater New Orleans area and the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, Trinity could not hold a typical school schedule for the Fall 2005 semester. Therefore, we collaborated with two other ISAS New Orleans area schools, St. Paul’s Episcopal School and Isidore Newman School, to offer classes and a familiar routine to children living in the city from any of those schools. “St. Truman,” as it was affectionately known, provided comfort, purpose, and normalcy to a shell-shocked city.

Next was the question of employee salaries. Knowing that Trinity’s strength lies in its exceptional faculty, the Head of School contacted all faculty and staff to guarantee their employment through the 2005–2006 academic year. There was also the looming issue of tuition payments. It was clear that the extraordinary circumstances dictated a liberal tuition reimbursement policy, notwithstanding the legality of enrollment contracts. The Board offered to reimburse any or all tuition for the 2005–2006 academic year, including for students who switched schools. Additionally, Trinity Church pledged $1,000,000 of endowment funds to cover losses resulting from these policies, and the School agreed to suffer the first $500,000 of endowment loss. 

When Trinity reopened in January for the Spring 2006 semester, lower enrollment reflected the city’s ongoing displacement. Even so, the school’s thoughtful decisions during the crisis earned strong community loyalty, resulting in strong enrollment numbers for the Fall 2006 semester. However, it was clear that the focus of the future would be on student recruitment and retention. 

None of this would have been possible without the extraordinarily close partnership between Trinity Church and School. The Church’s offer of substantial financial support, while continuing to respect the School Board’s autonomy in school matters, was invaluable. This spirit of trust and collaboration proved essential to our recovery and continued growth.

In 2008, Trinity carefully reviewed the financial impact of the two years following Katrina, considering factors such as property damage, insurance settlements, tuition reimbursement, and budget deficits. Despite the many challenges, the School calculated an aggregate net loss due to Katrina of approximately $50,000, approximately 1% of our $5,000,000 budget at the time. Additionally, no funds from Church or School endowments were depleted. Since then, Trinity has consistently maintained balanced budgets or ended each year with a surplus.

This chapter in our history is powerful proof that doing the right thing—even when it is hard—truly pays off. It reaffirmed our commitment to care for every member of our school and to serve as a steady presence in our city, no matter what challenges arise.
 

Rising to the Challenge: Trinity Episcopal School and the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic tested schools around the world—but at Trinity Episcopal School, it revealed the true strength of our community. From the moment the campus closed on Friday, March 13, 2020, Trinity responded with resilience, creativity, and a steadfast commitment to our students’ growth and well-being

“I work in education and Trinity at Home is by far the most impressive distance learning program I'm seeing—for keeping the community together and for actual learning for students. Well done! And it’s just another great example of ‘Why Trinity.’”

“Other schools are busy still building the plane, while Trinity is already flying! Trinity clearly has the best interactive online school in the city.”

Lessons That Last a Lifetime

The COVID-19 crisis challenged Trinity in ways no one could have imagined, but it also deepened the School’s commitment to its core values: Gentle, Generous, Truthful, Kind, and Brave. Teachers learned new skills that now enhance their classrooms. Students learned flexibility, compassion, and resilience. And the Trinity community, even during the most uncertain days, stayed united in mission and spirit.

This chapter in Trinity’s history is not just about how we survived a crisis—it’s about how we grew stronger, together.

A Field for the Future: Athletics, Community, and Environmental Care

Trinity Episcopal School’s commitment to the whole child extends beyond academics and into dynamic physical education and extracurricular programming. For decades, Trinity’s athletic field has been the heart of daily recess, as well as annual traditions like the Trinity Olympics, athletic matches, and more. In 2021, Trinity Episcopal School launched a major campus improvement project, replacing its grass athletic field with a state-of-the-art synthetic turf field.

The Ripley Family Turf Field and Stormwater Management System

The new 60-yard by 30-yard Ripley Family Turf Field was rotated and expanded to better support Trinity’s vibrant athletic and recreational programs, from recess to lacrosse competitions. 

As part of the project, Trinity also installed an underground stormwater management system to reduce neighborhood flooding. The system collects and retains rainwater beneath the field, helping prevent drainage overload in one of the rainiest cities in the country.

During construction, Trinity students engaged in an in-person, hands-on educational experience where they learned about the turf installation process and discussed stormwater runoff and retention. 

Thanks to this upgrade, Trinity students now enjoy consistent access to the field regardless of weather conditions, minimizing downtime after rain and maximizing time for physical activity, teamwork, and play. The space also serves as a highly functional venue for Trinity Church and School events, welcoming families and visitors from the greater New Orleans community.