TMI Episcopal began the 2019-2020 school year Aug. 21 with its annual, university-style Convocation ceremony, at which the Rev. Scott J. Brown, head of school, announced the start of a “year of vision,” marked by several forward-looking developments in the life of the 126-year-old school.

During his homily in All Saints Chapel, Brown noted that the school opens with a record enrollment of 484 students across grades six through 12, with 95 students in TMI’s largest freshman class ever and a total of 133 new students.

He also announced the year’s theme, “See the light in each other,” inspired by Matthew 5:14-16. The theme, Brown said, “calls us into action by reminding us that each person is created by God, created to shine, created by the author of love to help author love in this world.” The new theme joins those from the two preceding school years: “We belong to each other,” from Romans 12:5, and “Respect the dignity of every human being” from the Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church.

The school will break ground Sept. 19 on the Walker Innovation Center, a flexible space for student-driven projects in design thinking, an educational approach already launching across disciplines this year. A new faculty member, Justin Kutscherousky, serves as Innovation and Design teacher/coordinator.

TMI also begins the year with Anne Schaefer-Salinas in the new position of Associate Head of School. As head of the school’s academic program, Schaefer-Salinas brings a background in curriculum development and will apply an educational philosophy that encourages collaborative learning that is reflective of current societal needs.