The Podium - Magazine of Sayre School

THE PODIUM Magazine of Sayre School Winter 2016

HOMEGROWN CLASSICS PAGE 18

A Message from Stephen Manella Head of School The significance of active stewardship can never be over stated. To care for and sustain something in which one has been entrusted—the land, the environment, property, and even an educational ideal—is an awesome responsibility that ultimately impacts and shapes future generations.

This year’s Podium highlights the numerous ways in which members of our community have embraced stewardship. Our feature article, “Homegrown Classics,” presents two alumni families and their commitment to Central Kentucky and the legacy of the land that is intertwined with their lives.

Articles on the Sayre Farm and the Middle School Green Team both illustrate how our faculty and students have used a curricular focus on agriculture and environmental sustainability to the betterment of our broader community. And, in the photo on this page, I am standing in front of our duplex on 129-133 Constitution Street that is in the process of being renovated. This building, which is one of the oldest duplexes in Lexington, has been unoccupied for a number of years and in need of a tremendous amount of exterior and interior work. The extensive restoration of this building will be completed in the spring at which point the duplex will become the new home for our Center for Academic Services.

Providing a range of support for our students to maximize their achievement is a critical aspect of maintaining David Sayre’s educational vision of providing “an education of the widest range and highest order.”

Lastly, this past spring, Sayre School lost a dear friend and one of our most influential benefactors, Mr. Don Jacobs Sr. If you ever had the pleasure of having a meeting with Mr. Jacobs, you know that he ended each discussion with the same question, “Is there anything that I can do for you?” He had a keen ability to identify an area of need and then figure out a way to address it. It was this desire to make a difference in the lives of our students that led Mr. Jacobs to establish two endowments at Sayre, one for financial aid and one to support and sustain a groundbreaking program that he envisioned and developed—The Don Jacobs, Sr. Personal Finance, Legal and Civic Responsibilities Seminars.

This program, focused on our seniors and supported by alumni and parent mentors, has been benefiting our students for over a decade. Thanks to Mr. Jacobs’ extraordinary stewardship, his vision and generosity will continue to impact future generations of Sayre students.

Stewardship makes all the difference in the world, and propels our students “to lead purposeful lives in an everchanging world.”

We should all be thankful of that during this holiday season.

Go Spartans!

Note to Alumni and Parents of Alumni:

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Please notify Sarah Tauchert Rushing at srushing@sayreschool.org with your current email and mailing address so that we may keep you informed of current news and events. Thank you!

Students and Faculty 550 15 7:1 70% 22% 15 24%

2015-2016 Sayre Facts

Students preschool through 12th grade Average class size Student-to-teacher ratio Faculty holding advanced degrees Students from diverse racial backgrounds Central Kentucky counties represented Students receiving financial assistance totaling over $1.15 million

2015 Advanced Placement Highlights

Members of the Class of 2015 enrolled in 31 different colleges in 14 different states, the District of Columbia and Israel.

80% of seniors who took an AP class earned a score of 3 or higher 60% of seniors who took AP classes were designated as AP Scholars 100% of students taking the AP Spanish and AP French exams earned scores of 3 or higher 100% of students taking the AP European History exam earned scores of 3 or higher 100% of students taking the AP Studio Art exam earned scores of 3 or higher 100% of students taking the AP Physics C and AP Physics 1 exams earned scores of 3 or higher 92% of students taking an AP Science exam earned scores of 3 or higher 85% of students taking the AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC exams earned scores of 3 or higher

Class of 2015 Results • Members of the Class of 2015 were admitted to 95 different colleges in 25 states • 100% college bound • 75% of seniors received merit scholarships totaling over $4.4 million • $80,000 average scholarship per student • 4 seniors participate in intercollegiate athletics, one at the Division I Level • 47% of seniors scored 28 or above on the ACT; over a quarter of the class scored 30 or above • 5 National Merit Semi-Finalists; 4 Finalists

Legacies Over the past 161 years, students have followed in their parents’ footsteps graduating from Sayre.

Among those in the Class of 2015 were Elisabeth Dawahare, Sam Dawahare, Alice Edwards, Annie Marcum, Cullen McLamb, Sara Otis, Maddox Patterson, and David Trapp III. Alumni pictured left to right are B. Patterson ’82 with Maddox, Mary Ginocchio ’80 with Annie, Jonathon Otis ’82 with Sara, Marghie Parsons ’84 with Alice, Jennifer Stephenson McLamb ’82 with Cullen, and Michael Dawahare ’79 with Sam and Elisabeth.

3 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Board Welcomes New Members We are pleased to welcome three new members to the Board of Trustees—Amy Allen, Morgan Fister, and Sue Strup.

Amy Allen is a past Board member who has been re-elected after a break of several years. She previously served two terms in the Classes of 2008 and 2012 and is also a past President of the Sayre Parent Association. Amy will be serving on two committees-Trusteeship and Enrollment and Marketing. She and her husband Michael have two children—Ashley graduated from Sayre last year and is attending the University of Kentucky and Alexander is in our 8th grade.

We are also pleased to have Morgan Fister join the Board and serve on our Finance Committee. He is an Executive Director and Wealth Management Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. He and his wife Taylor have two sons—McMillian is in 10th grade at Sayre and Simms is in 8th grade at the Lexington School. Morgan and Taylor recently opened up their home for Moonshine Mamas, a ladies night out event offered annually at Spectacular.

Sue Strup and her husband Stephen are longtime members of the Sayre community. Their son Spencer graduated from Sayre in 2011 and from DePauw University this past year. Their daughter Sydney is member of the Class of 2017. Sue is a Career Consultant in the UK Career Resource Center. Sue has been a tremendous volunteer for Sayre over the years, hosting admissions events at her home and chairing sponsorship for the Spectacular. She will be serving on our Advancement Committee.

Board Awards The McClellan Award is named in honor of Major Henry Brainerd McClellan, Sayre’s most distinguished and longest tenured Headmaster who served Sayre from 1870-1904. The The Miles Service Award is named in honor of Dorothy Moomaw recipient of this award is to be a friend or organization of the Miles, Headmistress of Sayre from 1952-1961. Awards are given to both a current parent and a parent of an alum who have been actively school that has made significant contributions in the form of service to the student body. This year’s award was given involved in the daily life of the school. This year’s recipients are Gay posthumously in memory of Kelly Fleckinstein who served four Barnett and Dudley and Marla Webb.

Headmasters over her forty years career. Kelly was literally the Gay Barnett ’72 and her husband voice and face of Old Sayre, the first person you would see when Mike have been members of the Sayre entering the building and the first voice you would hear when community for 25 years. Their 3 children calling the school. Confidentiality was a badge of honor. Her have all attended Sayre, Sarah Gay ’04, trust was iron clad. She was strong. She was fiercely loyal. She Tebo ’09 and Clay ’16. For over a decade, was unflappable. She was simply the best and her presence and Gay has been an advocate for drug influence is still felt today. and alcohol education at Sayre and has The Trustee Award is given to a current been the primary leader of our parent organization CHOICES since its inception or past Trustee of the school who has been singled out by his fellow trustees five year ago. Her efforts have fostered an atmosphere of open and as a leader in providing guidance and informed communication among parents rooted in the noblest of direction to the school through his objectives—the safety of our students. or her efforts. In a legendary year for Dudley and Marla Webb, from the thoroughbred racing, this year’s Trustee Award recipient is best first day they joined our community described as the Board version of the Triple Crown. Over his five years ago, have been enthusiastic eight years of service, Clay Green has shared an abundance and generous supporters of the Sayre of his time, talent and treasure to advance and strengthen community. From opening up their the school. During his tenure, he has served on both the home to host admissions events for the Upper School to answering Advancement and Finance Committees, chairing the latter in his the call to serve on our Board and school committees, they have final year. Although term limits required him to step down from actively promoted and advanced Sayre within our community and the Board, his service to Sayre has not ended. He is currently a with prospective families. Their sons, Alex and Will, graduated last member of our Capital Campaign Committee. Clay and his wife year and are attending the University of Kentucky and the University Edie have two children at Sayre--Isabel will be graduating this of Alabama respectively. Their daughter Elle is a member year and Cosby is a member of the Class of 2019. of the Class of 2018.

Each year the Board of Trustees honors four individuals for their distinguished service to Sayre.

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In Their Voice An Amazing Summer Adventure

By Sana Aslam ’16

In August of 2015, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Adventures of the Mind Summit in Philadelphia on a New York Times Scholarship.

Having never heard of this conference, I was not exactly sure what to expect. The official website summarized Adventures of the Mind as “TED Talks for high schoolers.” Naturally, as a TED Talk enthusiast, I waited in excited anticipation for the week.

Sana with her favorite author Amy Tan

I quickly found Adventures to be an eye-opening experience. The week entailed many inspiring conversations, awesome mentors, trips to the National Constitution Center, and of course, fascinating TED Talk-inspired presentations on a wide range of topics from the evolution of civil rights in the United States to the changing face of journalism abroad.

I found myself basking in the pure brilliance of world-renowned writers like Amy Tan, archaeologists like Zahi Hawass, magicians, painters, evolutionary biologists, and economists. But above all, Adventures of the Mind was an exceptional opportunity to meet students from all around the country. I especially found myself loving the experience of being the first Kentuckian many students had ever met. (Needless to say, I made sure to brush up on my basketball trivia beforehand).

Within hours of the summit’s onset, I was developing a collaborative poetry social network with fellow poetry lovers under the guidance of experienced computer scientists, learning to play poker with a world champion, and honestly just taking in everything the intellectually stimulating environment had to offer.

Adventures inspired within me a greater thirst for understanding the diverse ways through which individuals make sense of the human experience and find purpose within the world. And as I continue to explore new experiences in life, I hope to approach them with an even more open mind, a quality I admired most in the various people, fellow kids and adult mentors, whom I had the privilege of meeting at Adventures of the Mind.

Research That Led Me to Poland

By Clara de Castro ’16

In the summer of 2015 I attended the International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry in Kraków, Poland. It all started in February when I submitted my abstract to attend the meeting as a delegate representing the United States. In April, I received an email informing me that I was accepted into the symposium titled, ‘The Clara presenting in Poland Role of Monoamines in Modulating Behavior.’ I would be presenting my work on Drosophila larvae and the driving and modulating factors that affect the larval heart rate. The Drosophila fruit fly is used to model over 60 different human diseases, but until now no work could be done on the larval heart because there was not a stable medium in which to perform the dissections. As part of my research, I devised a stable saline solution in order to perform physiological, pharmacological and genetic studies on the Drosophila larval heart.

It would not be the first time I presented this research. I had already given an oral presentation at the Kentucky Chapter of the American Physiology Society, at the Undergraduate Research Showcase at the University of Kentucky, and a few other venues.

This presentation was very different. The presentation room was in the middle of Kraków at Jagiellonian University where Nicolas Copernicus and Pope John Paul II studied. The company was overwhelming. In attendance were heads of departments and CEOs of biotech firms and scientists with hundreds of publications. I realized that no one was an expert on everything, and they were all so interested and excited to teach me, a very young student, about their research.

We did not just talk science, though; we discussed everything from politics to favorite movies. I met a professor working in Sweden who was from India and did his Master’s degree in Australia and PhD work in Israel. Each delegate had such a different and unique perspective on scientific inquiry. My presentation was well-received and the other delegates were excited about where my research could lead. The most rewarding and exciting part of the conference was meeting such fascinating and smart people who were so willing to teach and talk about science and their lives back at home.

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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The Sayre Farm Takes Root Sayre’s Athletic Complex (SAC), located ten minutes to our east on a stunningly beautiful swathe of property on Canebrake Drive, has provided a stage for the school to further its longstanding commitment to physical education and a deep, inclusive and competitive sports program. Sayre currently fields over 40 teams, and in the course of the past several years, a number of those teams have been distinguished in Fayette County and even in the region.

Sayre’s premiere field space has also become one of the most desired practice and game venues for area teams and leagues, and generates both income and visibility for the school.

Anyone who has strolled the rolling 1.5 mile Cross Country course encircling the 50 acre SAC has probably seen signs of other interesting activity on the property periphery.

Introducing The Sayre Farm

There’s enthusiasm in Stephen Manella’s voice as he shares updates on the roughly ten acres of SAC land designated as the Sayre Farm, an enterprise he imagined with a committee of Sayre students, staff and faculty.

As we all come to clarity about the dwindling sources of water and food for a growing world population, progressive schools are becoming more intentional about instigating meaningful education surrounding sustainability, the environment, and natural resources. And as Sayre grows, the school takes better stock of its own resources. This very thinking drove the Sayre Farm Committee to reimagine notions about the property once considered a plot of land only for sports fields and facilities.

Sayre has long held the belief that good students are also good stewards. “There has always been a great deal of enthusiasm both for community service and green initiatives on campus,” said Lower School science teacher Deborah Melear. Sayre students and faculty have won numerous citywide recycling contests, and have grown flowers and vegetables on campus. Food Service Director Bill Barnes has sought out opportunities to buy local produce and to compost food waste. Science and art classes beautify spaces with native plantings, rain gardens and community art. In April, to celebrate Earth Day, students have attended special showings of award-winning documentary films such as “Kilowatt Ours” and “Food, Inc.” The establishment of the Sayre Farm provides the school with the opportunity to extend programming we carry out on campus and in our downtown neighborhood to ten acres of rural property where students can go for purposeful hands-on study of biology, agriculture, and the environment – programming which is essential for any 21st century curriculum.

Over the course of a relatively short span of time, the Sayre Farm Committee has planned and implemented a number of initiatives with exciting ties to our curriculum: the purchase of 100 apple trees and the development of a small nursery of native tree seedlings to give back to the city when they are ready for transplanting; the creation of a model watershed and wetland outdoor lab; the building of bat houses for insect control; and a Shiitake mushroom growing site.

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Here is what has happened already: • The introduction of a pumpkin and gourd patch, planted and harvested by students. Roasted pumpkin seeds were included on the salad bar for several weeks following harvest. Students and faculty baked pumpkin bread and muffins. Gourds are being dried for art projects in the future.

• Active beehives. The first honey may be available in the fall of 2016.

• Growing and harvesting of hot peppers. Jalapeño jellies, made and jarred by students and faculty, quickly sold out at the Fall Festival.

While ties to the science curriculum are perhaps the most obvious, Middle School teacher and Sayre Farm Committee member Chris McGinley likes to refer to the Farm as a micro-economy enterprise. He points out that the social studies curriculum intersects with farm work in a variety of ways, from consideration of agricultural sustainability, water and food sources, and economics, to the study of global cultures generally.

“The Sayre Farm will grow to include much more cultivation and the development and financial management of more and more products,” said Mr. McGinley. “Ideally, teachers will design aspects of their curricula around the work on the farm and regular, weekly visits will become part and parcel of the Sayre experience.”

It was in the first month of the school year that Mr. McGinley and several students harvested jalapeño peppers for jelly, the first of a couple of products developed for the community from the fruits of the Sayre Farm. The jelly was so popular at the Fall Festival that Mr. McGinley and his fellow farm workers limited sales to two per family. Fall Festival attendees were also treated to pumpkin bread and muffin samples baked by the 3rd and 5th grades with Mr. Barnes in the Buttery kitchen.

The Sayre Farm produce will grow to include other fruit jellies and products. Blackberry crowns are in the ground, and apple trees are slated for planting this year. Apple trees can produce in five years or even less, and the blackberry patch will produce its first harvest in roughly two seasons.

“Any project involving hands-on work, as long as it ties into the general curriculum, enhances the education experience we provide here,” said Mr. McGinley. “Farm work and micro-economy enterprises allow children to understand how we meet fundamental needs like food production. It allows them to experience the challenges our food producers face even on a small scale.”

The 2015 Sayre Horse Show and Spectacular combined to raise upwards of $15,000 to support the Sayre Farm.

There is schoolwide enthusiasm for the ways this exciting enterprise can redouble the impact a Sayre education can have upon young people.

“One of many added values of a Sayre education is its city location, and curricular ties to downtown are abundant,” said Mr. Manella. “Sayre’s faculty likes to think of the downtown as an extension of our campus. I like to think of The SAC and Sayre Farm as our second campus – a place where generations of Sayre students will not only compete in their favorite sports, but also study science and agriculture and economics, and come to a deeper understanding of the globe and our collective mandate to make it a better place to live.”

Cover photo: John ’83 and Jack ’24 Backer with Kenneth Melear working on the bee hives on the Sayre Farm.

Photo by Mark Mahan

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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A Year in Review 2014-2015 Project-Based Learning in the Lower School The Lower School is alive with investigation, innovation, creativity, research and collaboration! Young children learn best when the curriculum is designed around real life and accessible contexts, when adults give them the opportunity to make choices regarding their course of study, and when the process allows them to develop the core 21st century skills of critical thinking, communicating, cooperating, and decision making. This fall, our hallways have been filled with written pieces, drawings, and charts full of data documenting the children’s study of The Buttery, storms, transportation, The Odyssey, fire stations, color, insects, sunflowers, and Australia, among other ongoing topics. Students express what they have learned through music, art, movement and the written word.

This project-based learning has included the use of Imagination Blocks on the playground, which allow children from all grade levels to immerse themselves in the physics of balls, ramps, and construction while directing their own creative play; preschool students visiting a dark room as a part of their project work investigating the purpose and structure of cameras; and upper elementary students engaging deeply in Greek mythology and the Great Depression.

It is abundantly clear that students in our building are deep in thought and activity.

One particularly vibrant example of hands-on learning has been the Lower School involvement in the Sayre Farm.

Our children have participated in a full growing cycle from farm to table. They planted, maintained, and harvested pumpkins. Then they processed the pumpkin, baked pumpkin bread with the pulp, and perfected their hospitality skills by personally serving the delicious bread at our Fall Festival.

We continue to maintain our core academics with such programs as Everyday Math, Kidwriting, and Journeys: A Path to Balanced Literacy (a reading program) to ensure that each Lower School student has strong basic skills to apply in context as they engage in higher order thinking, and inquiry-based hands-on activities.

Our classrooms and hallways are humming with activity each day as children not only learn strong academics, but live them!

Setting High Standards Sayre has participated in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) for many years. To qualify for Duke TIP, a student must score at the 95th percentile or higher on one of several nationally normed standardized tests. While Sayre eschews the high-stakes testing of many schools, we do use standardized tests in a limited way in order to benchmark our program against national norms. The excellent results we see annually are a firm indicator of the program’s academic strengths across the board.

In 2014-2015, 62% of Sayre’s seventh graders qualified to participate in the TIP program. After having taken either the SAT or the ACT in their seventh grade year, three students qualified for state recognition; they were Caroline Parker, Roan Sanders, and Benjamin Waltman. In addition, Benjamin Waltman also received Grand Recognition, Duke TIP’s highest honor.

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The Sound of Success – Musical Highlights of 2014-2015 In keeping with the Fine Arts Department’s mission, the music program at Sayre “provides students experiencebased fluency in the language of music through the study of various disciplines, traditions, and innovations. We study historically important and relevant contemporary artists, collaborate with established professional musicians, and are given a variety of performance opportunities on our campus and in our community.” All students in the lower and middle divisions participate in musical instruction each year. In the Upper School, students may pursue their passion for music through choral program and/or instrumental electives, and may qualify for college credit by taking the Advanced Placement Music Theory course. Beginning with the Quarter Notes Chorus in Grade One and culminating with the Upper School Sayre Singers or Spartones, vocalists learn how to sing in ensembles and perform in public. Instrumental instruction in the Lower School begins with an introduction to Orff instruments and recorders, and continues in Middle and Upper School instrumental ensembles. Recently the instrumental music program has expanded to include guitar and piano instruction.

In 2014-15, Sayre music students experienced plenty of success in musical competitions. Lucie Allen ’16 and Alex Simpson ’18 participated in the 2014 Morehead State Choral Festival. The Upper School ensembles were invited to perform in the Shaker Village December concert series. Abby Grunwald ’21, Claire Peters-Seymour ’21 and Allison Yandell ’22 were selected for the 2015 Kentucky Children’s Chorus. Wrennie Lambert ’19, Elise McKinney ’19, Will Peters-Seymour ’19 and Alex Simpson ’18 performed in the Kentucky Junior High All State Chorus. Mustafa Akhtar ’18, Lucie Allen ’16, Jesse Klus ’16, Annie Marcum ’15 and Alek Zieba ’15 received Superior and Excellent rankings in the 2015 Vocal Solo and Ensemble Festival. The Middle School Chorus received a superior ranking and won best overall chorus in their division at the 2015 Music in the Parks Festival. What a year!

Bo List Makes Playbill® As part of its Back to School week in August 2015, Playbill featured a handful of educators from across the U.S. Bo List was selected for the interview by Stagedoor Manor, a 26-yearold theatrical training camp in the Catskills where Mr. List has been on staff for several years.

Alumni of Stagedoor Manor include Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore and Robert Downey, Jr. For this issue of The Podium, Mr. List shared how he works with actors and students, what we can learn from theater and how Sayre supports artistic endeavors.

“I love what I do. I love creating plays and telling stories. So the most gratifying thing for me is when I see that love blossom in my students. Great stories have great lessons to tell. Without Romeo and Juliet, how could we caution against hasty infatuation? Without The Crucible, how could we caution against gossip and slander? Without Into the Woods, how could we show students how interconnected we all are, and how our choices have consequences?”

“The longer I live myself, the more I realize that the most successful artists I know aren’t necessarily the most talented. They are the hardest-working, and the artists who best know how to persevere and promote. I know some LOUSY artists who know how to market, and they never give up – and I know some BRILLIANT artists who just can’t get ahead.”

“Fortunately Sayre ‘gets’ the arts – meaning that my fellow faculty and administrators understand the importance of what I do, and how art is essential to our quality of life.”

You may read the Playbill interview in its entirety at http://www.playbill.com. Search for “Meet the Teachers Who Are Shaping Broadway!”

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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The Middle School Green Team Thinks Globally, Acts Locally Although Sayre School is located in an urban area with limited green space it is committed to helping the environment through education and positive change.

The Sayre Middle School Green Team has been working on many projects to help the environment and our school over the past two years. These projects have been on different subjects including energy, health and safety, composting and recycling, and air quality. We worked in the community compost bins, helped the preschool classes plant a garden, conducted energy surveys to see how much energy was being used unnecessarily, and switched the entire Middle Mart snack store into a Middle Market where only local, healthy foods were sold. In our efforts to help our school tackle these projects, we educated our peers and teachers by conducting activities with them, hosting energy fairs, and making presentations. During the 2014-15 school year, we went to Frankfort to present our projects and received three awards for our efforts in environmental education and conservation.

We have been creating strong relationships with different community organizations, such as Bluegrass Greensource, Habitat for Humanity, National Energy Education Development (NEED), Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS), SeedLeaf, and Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE). We really enjoy working with people in the community who care about the same things we do. We hope you keep watching for updates on our projects and consider coming to one of our events. We want to help our school and our community be more aware of the environment!

Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament Before the opening pitch of Sayre’s first baseball game on Thursday, March 19, 2015, members of the Sayre community gathered to acknowledge friends, families and faculty members who have been affected by breast cancer. The tournament ran through Saturday, March 21, 2015.

Jump Rope for the Heart!

For the past 16 years, Lower School students have participated in the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope For Heart program, raising over $100,000 in that time. The event is coordinated with the Physical Education unit on jumping rope where students learn the basics plus a variety of tricks, based on age and skill level.

During the Jump Rope for Heart event, participating students count how many jumps they make during a specified amount of time. Sponsors make donations for a total dollar amount or a certain amount per jump. It’s an enjoyable time for all the students – the music is playing, the gym floor booms with the sound of jumping, and the children get fit while having fun!

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It was a good year to be a Spartan!

#SPARTANSTRONG It may be some time before we can truly pass judgment on 2014 as a vintage, but when it comes to Sayre Athletics, it is safe to say that 2014-15 was “a very good year.” Our athletic successes may be too numerous to list, but keep reading for some of last year’s highlights.

• The Lady Spartans’ basketball team won the 11th Region All A Tournament for the second straight year.

• Sayre Baseball advanced to Regional play for the first time since 1997, taking down traditional powers Bryan Station, Scott County and a top-five ranked Lafayette team before falling to the eventual Region 11 Champions.

• Our girls’ cross country team advanced to the State Track Meet and finished 9th, led by standout Maddox Patterson ’15, who also added an unprecedented 6th individual State Title last year.

• In Lower School, athletics has also been consistently growing as we look to cultivate and strengthen the Future Spartans feeder system. Basketball leads the way with clinics and camps, while Future Spartans enters its 25th year! Baseball, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, golf and volleyball are also now being introduced to our Lower School students through clinics, camps, leagues and as part of the PE curriculum as we consistently look for ways to instill a passion for athletics and Spartan Pride at every level.

The Abby Sayre Cup: Outstanding Female Athlete Award The Abby Sayre Cup is presented annually at graduation to the outstanding female senior athlete.

This past spring, however, there was no way that the Athletic Department could narrow their choice down to just one athlete, so the 2015 Abby Sayre Cup was shared by three outstanding young women.

The first recipient was Gabby Bowie, who set numerous school records in basketball during her six-year varsity career. She is a member of Sayre’s 1000 point club, having scored over 1800 points in her career, and she is the only player in school history to record over 1000 rebounds, with 1312. With 689 blocked shots, Gabby not only set a school record, she also moved into third place in the history of Kentucky girls’ basketball. She also led her team to back-to-back appearances in the Class A state tournament. Gabby is now attending the University of Kentucky.

The second award winner was Maddox Patterson. She has six Kentucky Class A state championships to her name, three in cross country and three in track. She has led her cross country and track teams to nine region titles, three top-ten rankings in the state for cross country, and a second-place finish in the state track meet in 2011. Maddox is currently running cross country with the University of Florida in the SEC. Our third remarkable young woman athlete from the Class of 2015 was Madeline Rolph. She won the singles tennis state championship her sophomore year, made it to the semi-finals her junior year, and was state runner-up in the singles state championship as a senior. She led the girls’ tennis team to a state final four in 2014, and was ranked as high as 47th in the nation during high school. Madeline currently attends Bowdoin College, a Division III tennis powerhouse in Brunswick, Maine, where she is continuing her tennis career.

What a rare and wonderful treat it was for us to watch these three special athletes perform during their illustrious careers at Sayre.

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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2014-2015 National Honor Society Inductions

In November 2014, 38 new inductees, 10 from the class of 2015 and 28 from the class of 2016, joined the 21 current members of Sayre’s National Honor Society, representing 49% of the Upper School’s junior and senior classes.The selection committee evaluates candidates in four areas: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

The Rotary Club of Lexington Honors Two Sayre Seniors The Rotary Club of Lexington presented scholarship awards to high school and college students at their Scholarship Awards Program in May 2015.

Dealla Samadi ’15 received a scholarship of $1,000 based on her outstanding academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community service. Dealla graduated with a GPA of 4.47, carrying a full schedule of AP classes. Dealla was the Captain of the Sayre Girls Varsity Basketball Team and Sayre Honor Council Chair. She was the President of Sayre’s French Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Math Club, and Co-Captain of the Multicultural Club. Dealla was the recipient of numerous 2015 Sayre senior awards: the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Academic All-State Award, the Kentucky High School Athletic Director’s Association Sportsmanship Award, the Lillie F. Webb Award (a Sayre endowed award based on communication proficiency and cultural appreciation in modern languages), and a University of Kentucky Merit Scholarship. In her free time, Dealla plays piano and volunteers at Hartland Hills Retirement Home. Dealla was among only eleven students offered admission to the University of Kentucky’s BS/MD Accelerated Course of Study program in 2015. She was also a recipient of the prestigious Otis Singletary Scholarship.

Alice Edwards ’15 submitted an essay nominating Upper School History teacher Woody Snowden for the 2015 Jack T. Bryden Great Teacher Award. Alice was a National Merit Finalist and received a Sayre School High Honors Diploma. She was a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and the International Thespian Society. She received the outstanding senior award from the National Society of Arts and Letters in Creative Arts at the 2015 Sayre Upper School Awards ceremony. Alice started her first year at Agnes Scott College in the fall of 2015.

Pictured left to right: Dealla Samadi ’15, Woody Snowden and Alice Edwards ’15.

Five National Merit® Scholarship Semifinalists National Merit Scholarship Program announced five Sayre students as Semifinalists in the 60th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Randy Mills, Sayre School College Counselor, recognized Alice Edwards (Agnes Scott College ’19), Will Edwards (Centre College ’19), Chauncey Hill (Washington University in St. Louis ’19), Nausher Hussain (Vanderbilt University ’19), and Alek Zieba (Columbia University ’19), for “demonstrating through distinguished performance high potential for future academic accomplishment.” Over twenty percent of Sayre’s Class of 2015 was recognized by National Merit, including these five semifinalists. Alice, Chauncey, Nausher, and Alek also earned National Merit Finalist distinction. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

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Alek Zieba ’15 Named an Egleston Scholar at Columbia University Alek Zieba ’15 was selected as an Egleston Scholar at Columbia University in New York, New York. Being named an Egleston Scholar is Columbia Engineering’s most prestigious academic designation for undergraduates. The Dean of Engineering at Columbia University wrote Alek last May saying, “We consider you one of the most talented students admitted to the Class of 2019.”

Alek was the first student from Kentucky to be named an Egleston Scholar. Alek was also selected a 2015 National Merit Scholar and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship. During his senior year, Alek completed two undergraduate level mathematics courses at the University of Kentucky while maintaining a challenging course load at Sayre. In addition to his studies, Alek conducted an internship with the local company, Awesome Inc.

Two Students Enrolled in U.K.’s BS/MD Accelerated Course of Study Program Sayre School students Hina Iqbal ’15 and Dealla Samadi ’15 were among only eleven students offered admission to the University of Kentucky’s BS/MD Accelerated Course of Study program in 2015. The BS/MD Accelerated Course of Study offers gifted and talented students the chance to complete both a Bachelor’s degree (BS or BA) in Biology and an MD degree in only seven years.

(University of Kentucky, meded.med.uky.edu/bsmd-program) Hina and Dealla were also recipients of the Otis Singletary Scholarship providing undergraduate tuition, books, fees, room and board, and a stipend.

Pictured left to right: Hina Iqbal ’15, University of Kentucky Admission Counselor Anna Harris and Dealla Samadi ’15.

50 Years of Sayre Commencement Ceremonies The graduation of the class of 2015 marked two special anniversaries, one for Sayre, and one for Judy Grunwald, wife of Alumni Director Emeritus Tom Grunwald. Sayre celebrated its 50th graduating class in the New Era and Judy celebrated a special golden anniversary by attending her 50th consecutive Sayre graduation. To honor Judy’s unique achievement, Abby Grunwald ’21, daughter of Jane and Andrew ’89 Grunwald, presented roses to her grandmother at the graduation ceremony in May.

Six National AP Scholars in the Class of 2015 The Advanced Placement Program recognizes high school students who demonstrate “college-level achievement through AP courses and exams.” Six students from the Class of 2015 earned scores of 4 or higher on eight or more AP exams. These students are Alice Edwards, Chauncey Hill, Nausher Hussain, Hina Iqbal, Dealla Samadi, and Alek Zieba.

13 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Sayre Brings Art to Life in Cuba Sayre Lower School art teacher Georgia Henkel recently returned from a trip to Cuba where she fulfilled a long-term professional goal to establish an international children’s art exchange. Her trip was made possible through a summer sabbatical grant from Sayre.

Georgia has always sought to provide her students with an authentic creative experience. It was also her desire to connect them with young artists in a more obscure and underserved area, a place where a youth art exchange had not been pursued before, to give Sayre students the opportunity to share a unique view of their cultural environment as seen through their own art and eyes.

Georgia’s journey began last January when she was visiting family in Florida.

She wandered into a small gallery on Anna Maria Island featuring an exhibit of artists from Baracoa, Cuba. Baracoa is located on the spot where Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba on his first voyage. It lies on the Bay of Honey (Bahía de Miel) and is surrounded by a wide mountain range – an isolated spot, connected to the rest of Cuba only by a single mountain road built in the 1960’s.

Georgia decided to explore what opportunity might exist for her students to exchange art with children in Baracoa. That spark of curiosity, ignited by a chance visit to a small Florida gallery, would lead to one of the richest experiences of this Sayre teacher’s life.

“I contacted Soledad Pagliuca, the organizer of the exhibit in Florida. Soledad also started the Friendship Association whose mission is to promote and foster meaningful educational and cultural exchanges with the Cuban people. They have concentrated most of their efforts in the Guantánamo Province. Soledad was excited about my idea and met with me to share her thoughts on the challenges and potential of a children’s art exchange in Baracoa.”

In Georgia’s first conversations with Soledad, she had learned about how and where children are taught art in Cuba, and about the abundance of expression in the artistic realm. She also learned about the challenges of a children’s art exchange, not only in a remote city such as Baracoa, but anywhere in a society that uses art primarily to convey ideology. “While young artists in Cuba have freedom to explore materials, the subject matter must be related to one of the Revolutionary leaders,” explained Georgia. “When looking at the children’s art, you see not only the repeated faces of these men but also images from their writings.”

Sayre artwork

With Soledad’s guidance, Georgia made arrangements for a solo trip to Baracoa, a rare venture even now that restrictions on travel between the United States and Cuba have loosened. She took with her artworks created by twenty Sayre students, in hopes of initiating a student art exchange.

“Cuba has always used culture to soften the face it presents to the world. I understood that the arts are an integral part of the school curriculum and wanted to understand the pedagogy and purpose for this dedication to culture. I quickly realized that all Cuban children are given a unique and beautiful arts immersion at a very young age. It is inherent in their everyday lives…. music, art and dance are everywhere. Having so few distractions lends itself to a calmer, sometimes more introspective and focused way of life. “ 14

Cuban artwork

“Most cities in Cuba are situated around a Casa de Cultura. These are usually historic buildings, closely monitored and run by the government, that serve as a community and tourist hub. Free concerts, performances and studio visits are held there. They also serve as the official place where students who have been identified as gifted in the arts can come and work with professional musicians, dancers and artists. Artists in the Casa de Cultura make art primarily for tourists, but create art for personal fulfillment on the side.”

After discussions with the Cuban Minister of Culture, Baracoa’s Casa de Cultura lead teacher Jorge Vinent arranged for Georgia to exhibit the Sayre student art at the Casa de Cultura and the city hospital. The art will remain in Baracoa for one year. She returned from Cuba with a collection of art created by Baracoa students.

While the paintings from the young Cuban artists will be exhibited eventually at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and Lexington’s Central Library, Georgia is launching the exhibit in the Sayre Buttery, the school dining hall, which could be considered our campus Casa de Cultura.

“We cannot know at this point how the Art Exchange will evolve over the years, but for the time being I am excited that when we gather in the Buttery for lunch or special events, our entire school community will have an opportunity to view and talk about these wonderful paintings created by the children of Baracoa.”

“The experience of sharing the Sayre artwork illustrated a clear difference in the freedom that we have in the US to satisfy our curiosity by exploring our imagination, gleaning ideas from famous artists, and challenging ideas – freedoms we take for granted every day.”

Summer @ Sayre From academic and athletic camps to the more traditional summer camp experience, Sayre was an exciting place to spend the summer of 2015!

Discovery Camps provided weeklong immersive explorations of special topics, including math, literature, gardening, crafts, graphic design, gaming and robotics. Athletic camps are always a popular summer option. Student athletes could choose to develop their skills in basketball, soccer and horseback riding. In Summer Safari, students from age 2 through 11 enjoyed age-appropriate activities and field trips each week. They played on the water slide, enjoyed snow cones in the Front Circle, and blew bubbles all over campus! Average weekly attendance was 126 students, up nearly 20% over 2014.

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194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Celebrating Its Silver Anniversary On May 9, 2015 the Sayre Horse Show celebrated 25 consecutive years. The combined test and dressage show is held annually at Masterson Station Park. Held for the very first time in 1964, the original horse show went on hiatus in 1972. It was revitalized in 1990, and has been held annually since then. The horse show is sanctioned by the Kentucky Dressage Association and the MidSouth Eventing & Dressage Association, and draws competitors from around the region.

The horse show would not be possible without the help of so many volunteers: students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and past parents, who give freely of their time and talents. Dedicated members of the equestrian community and competitors also volunteer to make sure that the “show goes on.” Proceeds from the 2015 horse show will support the Sayre Kids-to-Kids program and help to purchase apple trees for the new orchard at the Sayre Farm.

The Kelly Fleckinstein Award for Sportsmanship was awarded for the first time in 2015 and is dedicated to the memory of Kelly Fleckinstein, who worked at Sayre School for 42 years. She was the Assistant to the Head of School for over 20 years, and volunteered for the Horse Show for each of its 25 years. Her dedication ensured the Horse Show’s success. This award is presented to the individual whose sportsmanship reflects the qualities for which Kelly was admired: propriety, respect for others, graciousness in winning or losing, and service to the community. The recipient this year was Lauren McDowell.

Pictured on the right: Olivia Richardson ’22 riding Innovative Lady.

Homegrown Classics Sayre is a homegrown classic! For 160 years the school has sat squarely at its downtown location on Limestone Street. Many times during the course of its history its future has been in question, but each time the school has shepherded its resources in order to fulfill the mission of its founder. Each Head of School, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, is entrusted not only with the care of the school during his tenure, but also with ensuring its ongoing wellbeing. The nature of Sayre’s mission, the education and nurturing of the young, lends an extra sense of importance to the job, a job that can be summed up in one classic old school word – “stewardship.”

Since taking the helm, Stephen Manella has hit the ground running, recommitting Sayre to its downtown location and exploring new avenues to connect the school’s programs and outreach to the neighborhood in which it has resided for generations. On another front, Sayre has gotten into a time-honored Central Kentucky vocation – agriculture. Being grounded in the land is a Central Kentucky thing to do, but beyond that, the school has designed an innovative program using the athletic complex on Athens-Boonesboro Road to enhance its curriculum.

The individuals and families connected to Sayre through the years who could be considered outstanding examples of “homegrown classics” are legion. The desire to take something which one has received in trust and ensure its well-being for future generations is entrenched in the very being of many Central Kentuckians. Coupled with a strong sense of place, this desire is a powerful force. Three alums representing two families, two farms, and two Central Kentucky counties serve as a representative sampling of a much larger whole.

Allison Hancock Bishop ’10 Marketing Communications Coordinator Walker Hancock ’08 Managing Director “We believe that it is important to preserve the unique beauty of Central Kentucky’s landscape and to that end Claiborne has worked with the Bluegrass Conservancy and taken the action step to ensure that this will always be farmland.”

On a stunning fall morning in early October with a crystalline blue sky overhead and trees beginning their annual turn, The Podium traveled out to Claiborne Farm to check in with two recent Sayre alumni. They represent the fourth generation of a family that has stewarded one of the region’s most venerable thoroughbred operations, with Walker Hancock ’08 now serving as Managing Director. Overseen by Allison Hancock Bishop ’10, Claiborne Farm’s website beautifully articulates the farm’s story. For over a century, the Hancock family has nurtured, grown, and sustained one of the nation’s most preeminent horse farms. Established originally in Virginia’s piedmont, Claiborne Farm moved its base of operations to Bourbon County early in the 20th century, where it remains to this day. Seventy-five champions have been born on the farm and twenty-two members of the National Racing Museum’s Hall of Fame were foaled and/or raised at Claiborne. The farm’s tagline captures the farm’s and the Hancock family’s essence: paying homage to the traditions of the past, but working toward a secure future.

Claiborne is a dynamic place, symbolized not only by the fleet thoroughbreds it produces, but also by the dedicated work ethic and commitment of the latest members of the Hancock family. Excerpts of The Podium’s conversation with these two “homegrown” members of the Sayre family follow.

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What is the last book you’ve read? What did you take from it? For Walker it was American Sniper and for Allison, Gone Girl. “Mysteries are one of my favorite genres, and I also like to make comparisons between books and the movies that they have been made into. This time around, I saw the movie first and then picked up the book.” Walker countered that, “For me it was the other way around…this time I actually read American Sniper before I saw it. I thought it was so very powerful, I couldn’t imagine having your finger on the trigger, aiming at a kid, but needing to do so in order to protect your brothers in arms.”

What is your favorite restaurant in Central Kentucky? Why? Without thinking twice, Walker went with Cracker Barrel and Southern comfort food. Allison allowed that the question was tough, but because pizza is her all-time favorite, she would go with Smashing Tomato.

You live in the paradise that is Bourbon County. For what musical group/singer would you drag yourself down Paris Pike to brave Rupp Arena? First out of the starting gate was Allison with Carrie Underwood, “I’ve loved her since American Idol.” For Walker it was Eric Church – “I actually went to see him twice in three days, first at Rupp and then up to Indianapolis, because I liked him so much. The last concert they went to together was actually a family outing with their parents, Seth and Debbie Hancock (former Sayre board member) and Allison’s husband Will, to the Eagles, which they presented to their mother as a Mother’s Day gift.

You could have made your lives anywhere. What is it about Central Kentucky that keeps you here? Walker: “The horses, the farm, the beauty of Central Kentucky, which we can take for granted so easily. Every time I’m away and return home I realize what an incredible privilege it is to live here. I get to live the saying “do what you love and never work a day in your life.” For me it’s always been about the horses and the farm. I loved growing up here playing in the creek.” Allison concurred with her brother about the beauty of the Bluegrass and mentioned that she often finds herself pulling over to take pictures. She also appreciates the four seasons, the sense of Southern hospitality and the graciousness of the people in Central Kentucky.

Claiborne is literally the soil from which you have sprung…what does it mean to you? How has it shaped the person you have become? It’s precious, it’s home, it’s family, it’s what we’ve always known. Because we grew up together out here, our mother always said you’ll never have a better best friend than your sibling, and she was right. The relationship we developed growing up serves us so well as we join together to work on Claiborne’s behalf…we couldn’t have had better role models than our parents. Through them we learned responsibility, the value of hard work, the importance of family, and to treasure this special corner of the world.

What are your goals for Claiborne? The thoroughbred landscape is continually changing and we certainly want to win races, but everyone does …essentially what we want to do is to keep it going for the next generation, to honor and build upon the outstanding work that has gone on before us.

This is a multi-faceted operation. Which is the facet that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning?

Walker: “For me it’s racing. I’m competitive and I like to win!” Allison: “For me it’s definitely not the racing, it’s foaling season…I love being around the babies and watching them grow up.”

What does your Sayre experience mean to you? The lifelong friendships that we’ve developed….the fact that Sayre grounds people in Central Kentucky and that many Sayre alums return home and those friendships can be nurtured and sustained.

19 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Justin Sautter ’91, Financial Advisor at Russell Capital, Fifth Generation Farmer at Walnut Hall Stock Farm and Joint MFH for the Woodford Hounds “My current Sayre experience as a parent and board member shows me the importance of having a lot of oars in the boat…I am so impressed by the high level of commitment put forth by Sayre’s faculty, staff, trustees, and wider family and the high level of commitment that needs to be nurtured and sustained in order to make Sayre what it is…”

On a Monday afternoon in mid-October, a week after the visit to Claiborne, The Podium spent some time with another Sayre alumnus who could readily be considered a “Homegrown Classic.” Raised on his family’s Walnut Hall Stock Farm, Justin and his brother Willis ’88 spent their formative years at Sayre before heading on to boarding school in the East and carving out careers in finance and law. The Sautters’ ties to Sayre are many and multigenerational, beginning with their mother Kitty. Kitty Sautter taught at Sayre, served as a longtime member of the Board of Trustees, chaired the Board of Trustees, and now finds herself, along with her husband Dr. Jim Sautter, in the role of a Sayre grandparent. Justin joins his mother and other family members as a member of the Board and he and his wife Libby are the parents of Kate ’21 and Liza ’23. Please find excerpts from The Podium’s conversation with another Sayre “Homegrown Classic.”

What is the last book you’ve read? What did you take from it? “Well, I always have four or five going at any one time…from fiction – espionage is a particular favorite to non-fiction…I’d have to say the one that I’ve read most recently that has left the greatest impression would have to be David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell (of Freakonomics fame). It struck me on several levels, but one of the most interesting is tied to my role as a Sayre board member … a theme in the book is that of a big fish in a small pond and that got me thinking about Sayre and its students and ideal class size.”

What is your favorite restaurant in Central Kentucky? Why? “I’d have to go with Sayre Alumnus Cole Arimes’ restaurant on East Main Street – Coles 735 Main. Why? The tempura avocado and grit fries for starters.”

You live in a beautiful corner of northern Fayette County. For what musical group/singer would you drag yourself down Newtown Pike to brave the melee that is Rupp Arena during a concert? “The Rolling Stones, whom I’ve never seen play and The Grateful Dead, whom I have experienced on several occasions.”

Your life’s trajectory has taken you away from Central Kentucky. What is it about where you’re from that drew you back? “The short answer would be kids and the countryside. I enjoyed my time in San Francisco and our time in New York, but East Coast life can be frenetic and I missed my tie to the farm. In New York our girls came back from the playground not “dirty” like you would be here, but rather covered in soot…that’s not good. Central Park is great, but when I’m there, I’m not outside.”

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Walnut Hall is literally the soil from which you have sprung…what does it mean to you? How has it shaped the person you have become? Why do you feel compelled to preserve it, to make sure that it is a “going concern”? “It’s my heritage. My brother and I take our responsibility to both the past and future seriously…we see ourselves as the fifth generation caretakers, stewards of what has been handed to us. I would want to hand it off to my children, should they want. It’s a lot of work, but we do get to enjoy it tremendously, from being able to send the kids out on their bikes to explore, to having our horses close at hand. During my tenure I have planted hundreds of trees, many of them myself. It is a pleasure to see the fruits of one’s labor.”

What are your goals for Walnut Hall? “Well, for the time being our retail beef operation is on hold, but our cattle operation is very much alive and well! When the market adjusts, I believe our dry aged, grass fed beef with no added hormones will be back in business. Horses will always be a part of the equation as they have been for over a century.

My wife, girls and I are very much into hunter/jumpers and, of course, the trotting horses overseen by my parents are still very much a part of the mix. My brother (who plays an active role from his base in Shanghai) and I see a future in a return to the past, with an emphasis on crops and other livestock such as sheep and pigs. Keeping it going is what my brother and I want to do. We don’t know it all right now; it’s a learning process…it’s not a mathematical equation but rather an essay.”

Of the many different hats you wear, other than father, husband, and son, which means the most to you? “My role as a joint Master of the Woodford Hounds and as a financial advisor are fundamentally the same. They both show that there are people out there who trust my judgment and are confident that I will make good choices on their behalf.That trust means a lot to me, and I am honored by it.”

What does your Sayre experience mean to you? “It provided me with the building blocks of life – success, failure, leadership opportunities, academic achievement, and sports. I had great teachers at Sayre and some have now taught my kids. That in a nutshell shows what a great place it is. I think some of my best memories are of class trips like the one to Pine Mountain, which gave us a taste of freedom, and the time Tim Samsil filled the gym with a ropes course that provided us with the opportunity to be challenged. Those two examples are emblematic of what Sayre does so well - introducing independence and encouraging its students to try new experiences.”

21 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Sayre Alumni Events Golf Scramble 2015

Twenty-five teams participated in the Thomas A. Grunwald Golf Scramble hosted on Monday, October 12, at Spring Valley Country Club. The annual event provided alumni, current parents and friends with the chance to enjoy a great day of golf while raising funds to benefit Sayre School. A big thank you to Peyton Tierney ’89, the committee members, and sponsors!

Don Rardin, Jr.’73, Annie Rardin Tackett ’01, Justin Tackett, Tom Stephens ’94, George Dickson ’94 Donnie Rardin ’98

Class of 1975 Reunion

Sam Varner, Jamie Lamonica ’90, Frankie O’Connor, Robert Goodman, Sr., Rob Goodman Jr., ’89

Tom Grunwald, Garth Waterfield ’03, Alex Worrell ’05, Devin Tweed ’02, Brian May

This past fall the Class of 1975 celebrated its 40th reunion with a fun weekend that included a Friday night cocktail party, lunch at Keeneland and dinner at Shakespeare & Co. Pictured in first row, left to right: Peter Lowitt, Holly Randle Poling, Sally Wiley McConnell, Michael Graetz, and Randolph Hollingsworth. Second row, left to right: Linda Talbott Barnes, Cynthia Loy Darst, Marlene McCarty, Cindy Featherston Baker, Mary Fran Johnson Gillum and Mark Griffith.

Thursday Night Out Begins at Sayre

Alumni gathered in the front circle and shared memories The CUP Starts in The Winner’s Circle and laughter before heading down to Thursday Night Live Alumni started off Breeders’ Cup weekend enjoying food on September 25. and drinks while listening to the sounds of Ann Frances Backer ’14 and Michael Dawahare ’79 in the Front Circle.

Jaclyn St. Clair ’08 Langdon Shoop ’91

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Tucker Bulleit ’11, Josh Bishop ’12, David McCulloch ’12, Dom Hall ’11, Helena Emig’12, Griffin Patterson ’11, Josh Solomon ’10, Ward Roberts ’10, Cabot Haggin ’11, Jamie Sutherland ’11

Alumni Reunion 2015

On October 16, Sayre celebrated its alumni with anniversary lapel pins given to the Class of 2005 (White Anniversary), Class of 1990 (Blue Anniversary) and the Class of 1965 (Gold Anniversary). For those of you who were unable to come, please know that you were missed.

The Class of 1985 with Tom Grunwald

Lora Wall Brown ’85, Phillips Mitchell ’86, Audra Quisenberry Miller ’85, Margaret Parsons ’84

Jessica Johnson Cavan ’85, Doolin Odell Alexander ’85, Cory Moore ’85, Sarah Mitchell Gibbs ’85, Robert Alexander, Jay Cavan Fred Gibbs ’85, Ben Graves ’85

Bush Gess ’06, Margaret Barr Gess ’05, Whitney Simms ’05

Scarlett Pitman Murphy ’98, Matt Murphy

Molly Haggerty Jones ’94, Evan Jones, Jonathan Otis ’82, Mary Otis

Andy Barton Fitch ’85, Jenny Barton Lusby ’84

Brenda Gutzman, Mark Gutzman ’65

Matt Blevins ’95, Don Johnson ’95, Erika Johnson, Meghann Van den Dool ’95, Stacey Rial Gudeman ’95

Kristen Hundley ’83, Ben Graves ’85, Cory Moore ’85

Cody Busing, Christina Sanders Busing ’05

23 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Sayre Alumni Class Notes ’75 Carol Giblin ’75 lives in New York City with her family.

Bob Danforth ’75 is now a Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University.

’91 Elizabeth McGee ’91 and Chris Lewis were married on November 15, 2014, at the First Presbyterian Church in Lexington. Stephanie Nahra Johnson ’91 served as Matron of Honor and Megan Haggerty Guy ’91 and Molly Haggerty Jones ’94 served as bridesmaids. The couple resides in Lexington.

Susan Offutt Arimes ’95 and Cole Arimes ’91 are the proud parents of Charles Parker Arimes born September 27, 2015. Park weighed 8 lbs. and was 19.5 inches long. Park joins his big sister, Hurst, at home.

’99 Parrish Isaacs ’99 and his wife, Sydney, are pleased to announce the birth of Henry Parrish Isaacs born June 20, 2015. Henry weighed 6 lbs., 6 oz. and was 19 inches long. Big sister, Louise, age 2, loves having a baby brother.

’05 John Carpenter Brooks ’05 and Laura Hendrickson were married August 22, 2015 in Highlands, North Carolina. Michael Russell ’05 served as a groomsman. Sayre alumni attending left to right: Eric Bunning ’07, Tucker Bulleit ’09, Stacy Blair Forrester ’06, John Brooks ’05, his wife Laura Hendrickson Brooks, Michael Russell ’05, Caroline Arnold ’05, Beth Blackey ’05, and Will Mayer ’04.

Laura Chandler Snowden ’05 and Steven Dant Sandman were married at Christ Church Cathedral on August 22, 2015. Maid of Honor was sister of the bride Callie Snowden ’10. Will Snowden ’10, brother of the bride, was a groomsman. Laura is the daughter of Woody and Robin Summerlin Snowden ’80.

Mary Theresa “Marty” Whitehouse ’05 and Richard Thomas Riney were married October 17, 2015 at the historic Red Mile Round Barn in Lexington, Kentucky. Members of the Sayre community in attendance were Sarah Stephan ’05, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Stephan, Laura Snowden Sandman ’05, Mr. and Mrs. Woody Snowden, Mary Ryan, her daughter, Amelia ’25, Robo Sutherland ’98, his wife Sarah, and son WR ’29.

’06 24

Olivia Greene ’06 currently resides in Decatur, Georgia and works for Literacy Action Inc. She loves that she has found a group of like-minded women in the Junior League of DeKalb County who enjoy serving the

community. Olivia has been volunteering with the Junior League of DeKalb for several years. Currently, she serves as chairwoman of the league’s annual spring fundraiser and Tour of Kitchens. She will serve as vice-president of fund development in the 2015-2016 “league year.”

’07 Caroline Dowell ’07 and Michael Thompson, Jr. were married December 20, 2014 in Lexington, Kentucky. Elizabeth Dowell ’07, of Louisville, Kentucky, the bride’s twin sister, served as her maid of honor. Stacy Blair Forrester ’07 of Atlanta, Georgia, and Kate MacNeil ’08 of New York, New York were bridesmaids. Harding Dowell ’01, brother of the bride, served as a groomsman. The couple resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

’11 Pictured are Sayre “lifers” Catherine Combs ’11 and Claire Simon’11 with a photo of themselves as first graders on field trip to the apple orchard as students in Gail Dawahare’s class. Catherine, who spent a semester in Florence, Italy, will graduate from the University of South Carolina in December. Claire graduated from Harvard in May, and began work in July for the District Attorney of the County of New York in Manhattan.

Yancey “Madison” Courtney ’11 graduated from Hillsdale in May of 2015. Madison considers herself a whiskey girl… after all, she lives next door to Woodford Reserve Distillery. Unlike most aficionados, she had the opportunity to write and research a senior thesis on this subject. During Madison’s senior year at Hillsdale, she worked alongside her thesis advisor, Professor of Chemistry Lee Baron. A chemistry major uninterested in medicine, Madison’s research and practical experience gave her a leg up for future employment in the bourbon industry. Madison began interning with a biologist at Woodford Reserve on June 1, 2015.

’12 During the summer of 2015, Helena Emig ’12 interned for Congressman Andy Barr and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare in Washington, D.C. She lived in the dorm with Ellie Fogg ’10 and just down the hall from Kelly Ball ’12. Ellie interned for Congressman Mario Diaz Balart and Kelly interned for the Republican National Committee.

DR Ball ’10 also worked in Congressman Andy Barr’s office. “Just goes to show our community is in every city and we are everywhere!” Pictured from left to right: DR Ball ’10, Kelly Ball ’12, Ellie Fogg ’10, Helena Emig ’12, and Paige Rusher, a friend of Helena’s and a student at the University of Kentucky.

’15 What are the chances of three recent Sayre graduates and their families running in to each other on vacation in Positano, Italy? In June, Mills Maloney ’15 and Alex ’15 and Will ’15 Webb were on Instagram and realized they might be vacationing near one another. Then one morning they bumped into each other! Pictured from left to right: Alex Webb ’15, Rollie Mills ’16, Mills Maloney ’15, Ellie Webb ’18, Alden Maloney ’17, and Will Webb ’15.

Thank you to all our alumni who have submitted notes for this magazine. Please submit your news and photos to Leslie Parrish Isaacs ’69 and Rob Goodman ’89 at alumni@sayreschool.org or mail them to the Office of Alumni Affairs, Sayre School, 194 North Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky, 40507.

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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In Memoriam The Sayre community and especially the Class of 2005 mourned the loss of Christopher Jay Atha ’05. Chris died at the age of 28 on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. Services were held Sunday, June 14 in Lexington with burial in Grant County, Kentucky.

Kelly Fleckinstein, our dear friend and colleague, died Friday, January 23, 2015. For forty-two years, Kelly worked in Old Sayre supporting four Headmasters, Donn Hollingsworth, William T. Williams, Clayton Chambliss, and Stephen Manella. Dignified, discreet, and fiercely loyal to our community, Kelly loved Sayre and we loved her back. Kelly is survived by five children, Jerry (Marsha) Fleckinstein, Jenny Barton (Joey) Lusby ’84, Andy (Jack Willoughby) Barton Fitch ’85, Lara Barton ’87 and John (Sherry) Barton ’89; brother, Robin (Becky) Botkin; sister, Kathy (Glenn) Tipton; two brother-in-laws, Rick Fleckinstein and Walter Bryant; 13 grandchildren; Stanley, Elizabeth, Jacob and Julia Fleckinstein; Sam, Bryan and Adin Lusby; Ashley (Cody) Chatham; Steven (Lacey), Charlie and Tyler Fitch; Lukas Curtsinger; and Thomas Barton; two great-grandchildren; Charlee and Delilah Fitch.

David Freeman ’72 died July 29, 2015. David was a former student at Sayre, and remained close to the Class of 1972. Jay Hollingsworth ’72 officiated at David’s funeral.

Hetty Nuckols Gross ’69, wife of Al Gross, died after a determined and courageous fight against cancer, October 22, 2015. “She handled her situation with dignity, spirit, and a calm that was truly extraordinary.” Survivors other than her husband include three children, Clay Gross (Jonathan) Tappan, William Vincent Gross, and Albert William (Katherine) Gross, Jr.; three grandchildren, William Chesney Tappan, Samuel Claiborne Tappan, and Henry Nuckols Tappan; and siblings Julia Nuckols Offutt, Charles Nuckols III, and James Ewan Nuckols. A memorial service was held at Midway Presbyterian Church.

Don Jacobs, Sr., recipient of the Sayre Medallion in 2014, Sayre’s highest honor, died April 15, 2015. One of his lasting legacies to Sayre is the Don Jacobs, Sr. Seminar. Its mission is to focus Sayre seniors’ attention on issues of fiscal responsibility and wise decision-making. He is survived by his wife Cathy, daughters Lisa Carol Jacobs Miller ’74, Lexington, Kentucky and Lee Ann Jacobs of Ft. Myers, Florida, and son Donald Lee Jacobs, Jr., Bal Harbor, Florida, seven grandchildren, including Meredith Miller ’11 and Wilson Miller ’16, and two great grandchildren. A son Brian Dudley Jacobs ’80 preceded him in death.

John P. Lackey III died June 21, 2015. John taught at Sayre for 23 years and then at James Lane Allen for 17 years, retiring in 2007. Known for his sense of humor, engaging teaching style, and knack for teaching math, John was well liked and respected as a teacher. At Sayre John also coached basketball, served as the Middle School director, and served as business manager. 40 years of students benefitted from having John as a teacher, coach, mentor, and role model. John is survived by his wife Sherry, sons John IV ’81 (Jenny) and Jeff ’84 (Lisa), daughter Jennifer Lackey (Brian) Moore ’89, and grandchildren John V “Quinn,” Dylan, Elizabeth, James, and Annie Lackey.

Elizabeth Carey Nahra, wife of Tyler Allan Nahra ’93, lost her courageous battle with breast cancer June 27, 2015 in Lexington. A well-known figure in the Lexington community, Elizabeth gave endless hours of volunteer service to the Junior League of Lexington, The Lexington Cancer Foundation, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

She served as president of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass for four years and chaired the McDazzle Gala nine times, raising record-breaking funds while simultaneously going through cancer treatments. In addition to her husband, Elizabeth is survived by her mother, Linda Woodall Carey Leavell; her three sons George Allan “Jake” Nahra, Nicholas Carey Nahra, and Woodall Reed Nahra; and two brothers, George Burgess (Sarah) Carey IV, Lexington; and Howard Woodall Carey, Austin, TX. Services were held July 1, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church in Lexington.

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Susan Lovaas Sommer ’70 died March 25, 2015. She fought lung cancer for nine years while living a very full life for most of it. True to Susie’s spirit and perseverance, she taught until three months before her death. She is survived by her two sons, Brandon (Allyson) Salisbury and Brian Salisbury, her granddaughter Addy Salisbury, her sister Kim Lovaas (Ben) Willis ’74, and her brothers Rick Lovaas ’81 and Charles “Chuck” Lovaas.

A Singular Legacy Like David A. Sayre before him, David Richard Youngblood made his way from the east coast to settle in Lexington, Kentucky, to devote the next twenty-nine years of his life to Sayre School. David arrived in Lexington in the fall of 1986, and his motive for moving west was a simple one: his soon to be wife, Ellen Rosenman, had accepted a teaching position at the University of Kentucky. So David left his English teaching job of twenty years at a large, public high school outside of Boston, to accept a position as Sayre School’s English Department Chair and teacher. Well over a thousand Sayre students have benefited from David’s simple life decision.

One might think that moving from a powerhouse east coast public school to a small, independent one in Kentucky would have been a culture shock, but not so for David.

“Every school has its stars and every school has students who need some work to improve their skills,” he acknowledged, and he happily jumped into doing what he loved best—teaching students about great literature.

For David, that meant showing them how to closely read a text, mine it for clues that would illuminate the author’s message, discuss those ideas with classmates under his guidance, and ultimately produce their personal analysis or creative response in written form. And for many of his past students, that was where the proverbial rubber hit the road. Mr. Youngblood was a stickler for nuanced, articulate, informed, and well-defended essays: meaning one, or several, drafts to earn his critical approval.

David never really had a favorite class (“Each year a class would invariably ask, “Are we your favorite class?” and it was always true when I said yes, because at the time they were my favorites.”) Each class was unique and special to David, and the challenge and joy for him was taking each one of them to the next level of their academic ability.

He did, however, have some favorite texts, All the King’s Men was one, as well as King Lear and Native Son. David loved stories that had intriguing characters, and a story line that had “a shocking quality to it, as well as an important central message where something bothers or upsets” the reader. It was equally important that the novels he chose had “an intellectual entry to them,” so that students could engage with them on multiple levels.

Now in his first year of retirement after a forty-nine year career of teaching English, David misses most the stimulation he received from engaging with his students year in and year out. He noted that with all the talk of how students have changed over the years, from his perspective Sayre students remained bright-eyed, friendly, and predisposed to wanting something positive to come out of their experience in his English classroom.

Besides all the students he has inspired over the years, David leaves behind a singular school legacy. He initiated the Kennedy Awards for Creative Writing that has been recognizing student writers for twenty years and continues to inspire Sayre’s talented young writers. David also introduced the Faculty Awards as part of the Upper School Awards Day. These awards, given to no more than three or four students in any grade each year, recognize students who bring their own unique and special qualities to enhance life in the Upper School beyond academic excellence. These student recognitions are the highlight of Awards Day. Finally, after attending the NAIS People of Color and Student Leadership Conference in 2008, David helped students organize Sayre’s Gay Straight Alliance, an organization that continues to promote safe zones for all students and an appreciation for all of our diverse perspectives.

So what does David hope his legacy will be? “More than anything, I hope that I was able to relate to my students and that I challenged them as best I could.” For certain, that is the very least David Youngblood has accomplished in his twenty-nine inspiring years leading Sayre’s English Department. As a mentor, leader, educator and colleague, with a wicked sense of humor, David will be sorely missed.

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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Faculty Professional Development Supports Sayre’s Diversity Mission Professional development funds supported two significant summer experiences that will enhance the school’s diversity programs.

Upper School teacher and college counselor Cathy Bilberry attended the SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) New Leaders’ Week. The National SEED Project is a peer-led professional development program that promotes change through self-reflection and interpersonal dialogue and builds capacity for more equitable curriculum, campuses, and communities. According to Cathy: “As part of my obligation for participation in the SEED leadership training, I have agreed to offer a monthly seminar to all faculty (LS, MS, and US faculty from all disciplines) and administrators. I am excited to be facilitating the SEED group, and sharing some of the materials, methods, and interactive exercises that I experienced. This isn’t a lecture series. Instead, my facilitation task is helping us to reflect on our own experiences with schooling, diversity, and connections with others and to have constructive conversations so we may engage with difficult topics without blame, shame, or guilt. We’ll reflect on our own experiences through journaling and conversation on topics that will include race and ethnicity, gender identity and sexual identity, schools and systems. These ongoing conversations will allow us to explore how to create an even better curriculum and school climate for all of our Sayre students.”

Sayre seeks to create an educational atmosphere of understanding and open dialogue that fosters respect for individual differences.

Fourth Grade teacher Susan Keegan attended a week-long NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) in Alexandria, Virginia. According to the NAIS description: “The DLI curriculum addresses the many dimensions of diversity to help you develop mindful initiatives and enhance ongoing efforts that support your institution’s mission and commitment to continuous improvement.

By examining and applying sound theory, best practices, and creative approaches to human interaction and organizational dynamics, institute participants enhance professional competencies, build credibility, foster innovation, and plan strategically for building and sustaining school communities that maximize the potential of students and adults alike.

DLI focuses on the following topics: intercultural conflict; leading and managing diversity initiatives; dynamics of privilege and power; curriculum development that is inclusive to all; intercultural communication; and racial, ethnic, and cultural identity.”

Susan found the experience to be extremely valuable, both personally and professionally. She is excited to apply what she has learned in her work as Co-Chair of the school’s Diversity and Multiculturalism Team, and feels the DLI experience provided a great knowledge base to draw from in discussing these complex issues.

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Sayre Faculty Recognized at the Class of 2015 Graduation The Board Award is bestowed each year by the Board of Trustees. It is the school’s most coveted faculty award because the recipients are nominated and selected by a committee of their peers. The award consists of a stadium tray, a check for $1000 and a $1500 professional development grant.

The classroom of the 2015 Board Award recipient, Maggi O’Neill, feels very warm, casual and friendly. In fact, her classes often begin with a minute or more of silent reflection to help students slow down, center, and de-stress.

But once class starts the room bustles with activity as she paces back and forth, talking students through a concept, stopping to help them understand Debbie Wheeler, Maggi O’Neill, Jennifer Hurst the process, and even demonstrating a principle as only a trained chemist can do. Even though she teaches what is for some a difficult subject and for others a natural affinity, she guides all of her students with the same steady hand, asking pertinent questions to help them find the answers to their questions. She manages to be empathetic and firm at the same time – no small feat. She is equally effective with younger and older students, engaging them in the scientific process and plenty of thoughtful practice. She is open and flexible to new ideas, and pursues ways to improve her own teaching – a model of lifelong learning.

In nominating her for the Board award, one of her peers said it best: “Maggi is uniquely adept at motivating students and making them feel valued. She is a master teacher who has worked with many of her colleagues to make them even better. She has a sincere love of teaching and inspires her students. When I think of the great teachers on our campus, Maggi is at the top.”

Endowed by M.L.L. Short in memory of his wife Judy, the Short Awards honor two faculty members for excellence in teaching. Each award consists of a framed etching of Old Sayre and a $1000 cash grant.

The 2015 Short Award for an outstanding teacher in a general category was awarded to Jennifer Hurst, who has demonstrated that she can coax musicality out of the widest possible range of instrumentalists and singers. Since 2003, she has taken students who have never held a guitar or a clarinet or a trumpet, or who have never sung in front of people, and introduced them to a new skill that might possibly change their lives. Walking into her classroom you see little pods of students, working in groups at their own level, creating music. There’s never a pause in the action.

Jennifer has demonstrated her many talents in a wide variety of teaching assignments all over the school: teaching primarily in the Lower School in her early years here and then “graduating” to the Middle School. She has led our band program in all three divisions, conducted the Lower and Middle School choruses, and is now responsible for music instruction in grades 5 through 8. Wherever she is, and whoever she teaches, she contributes hours and hours to rehearsals so that her students will shine. Her grace under pressure and dedication to students of all ages is remarkable.

The 2015 Short Award for an outstanding teacher in the area of science or mathematics was presented to Debbie Wheeler, a teacher who demonstrates daily the concept of sustainability. Since 2004, she has worked to sustain her students and the school’s environmental science program. In her classroom, students vigorously debate challenging environmental questions, and work collaboratively to think like scientists and solve problems creatively. You can see the results of Debbie’s leadership and collaboration with the Green Council all over campus: composting and recycle bins, water bottle refilling stations, rain gardens and rain barrels.

Through dumpster diving, collecting aluminum cans, weighing food waste generated in the Buttery, recycling paper, plastic and cardboard, using cloth napkins, and promoting organic gardening on campus and at the Sayre Farm, Debbie has been instrumental in establishing sustainable school practices that introduce students in all three divisions to the importance of preserving our world.

29 194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

Sayre Summer Sabbatical Thanks to the Summer Sabbatical Endowment Fund, two faculty members immersed themselves in enriching experiences.

Georgia Henkel received Summer Sabbatical Endowment funding to travel to Cuba to initiate a children’s art exchange. Here are some of Georgia’s impressions of the trip: “With summer sabbatical support from Sayre, I was able to establish a children’s art exchange between Lower School children at Sayre and children in the Guantanamo Province of Baracoa, Cuba. It was a great challenge to navigate the Cultural Ministry in an effort to gain approval for the project and obtain permission to work with local children. I took with me 20 paintings from our students and returned with 20 works from the children in Baracoa.

Among the many things I learned was the fundamental difference between Cuban art educational practice and our own. I have put together an exhibit to be shown at Sayre and then at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

I am working with the UK Medical Center to bring one of the artists to Lexington as a continuation of our engagement. I have spoken to many people about my project and am so proud to be able to share that it was all made possible through the support of the school.”

Summer Sabbatical funding also made it possible for Bettina Morrish to participate in the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for Teachers in Istanbul, Turkey. The three-week intensive program “provided teachers with a better understanding of a city and region that has been at the crossroads of regional and world history from antiquity to the present. The Institute used Istanbul as an intellectual point of departure to explore the Roman/Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and modern Turkey. With its emphasis on cross-cultural encounters and global comparisons, the program situated this history in the larger context of the Mediterranean and Middle East and in the even broader framework of world history.” The institute came at the perfect time to provide a foundation for the Upper School Global Studies course, “Turkey: Crossroads of Civilization.” This course focuses on the Byzantine, Ottoman and modern periods, emphasizing religion, literature, architecture and art.

The Podium is a magazine published by Sayre School. Contributors include: Linda Barnes (’75), Brad Becker,

Sarah Cummins, Chris Grill, Leslie Isaacs (’69), Dawn Jenkins Klus, Mark Mahan, Stephen Manella, Barb Milosch, Randy Mills, Phillips Mitchell, Timothy O’Rourke, Annie Papero, Kristin Seymour, and Woody Snowden.

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The Sayre Annual Fund is made up of hundreds of gifts from Sayre’s loyal parents, grandparents, alumni and alumnae, faculty and staff, and friends to the school’s operating budget. These contributions directly benefit Sayre students, paying for computer and laboratory hardware, classroom furniture and playground equipment, concerts, art exhibits, the Sayre Farm, and much more. In 2014-2015 donors added $396,410 to support the school’s operation. This year’s campaign, “So Much Happens with a Gift to The Sayre Annual Fund,” promises to be equally successful. The school has received $242,800 in gifts and pledges so far toward its goal of $365,000.

We are indebted to the following supporters who served on the Sayre Annual Fund Committee (*) and/or made calls at one of the phonathons: Kim Baughman (Board of Trustees), Pattie Broadbent*, Emily Cowles*, Holly Davis*, Stephanie Hustler*, Stephanie Johnson*, Ron Johnston*, Dawn Jenkins Klus, Zeff Maloney*, David Moore*, Andrea Tew (Board of Trustees), and Lori Wood*.

A New Legacy Begins: The Patricia “Kelly” Fleckinstein Library Endowment To our students and alumni, she was Mrs. Fleckinstein. To her colleagues and friends, she was Kelly. To all of us, she was the Grand Lady of Old Sayre. Now, thanks to the generosity of the Sayre community, Kelly Fleckinstein will be remembered by future generations of students. With over $7,000 in gifts made in her memory and honor, Sayre has established The Patricia Kelly Fleckinstein Library Endowment to support the purchase of books for the library.

Additional gifts to this endowment can be made to “Sayre School” in memory of Kelly Fleckinstein.

30th Anniversary of the Todd O’Neill Award This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Todd O’Neill Award. This endowed award is presented to an entering 9th grader who has attended the Middle School for at least 3 semesters and has distinguished himself or herself in the areas of scholarship, athletics, citizenship and service to the School. The award consists of an engraved julep cup and a $1000 scholarship applied to next year’s tuition.

Todd O’Neill was a student at Sayre from 1971 to 1977; his final year at Sayre was his eighth grade year. His family created an award endowment in his memory because they believed Todd was at his best in Middle School. Terry O’Neill, Todd’s brother, says that presenting the award has become an important annual event for the family as they honor Todd’s memory.

The 2014-2015 recipient of the Todd O’Neill Award was Athena Frasca. Athena lives her life with an open mind and a full heart. She participates in the life of the school, and makes decisions based on what is right. Her classmates and teachers had already honored her once by choosing her as the ninth grade representative to the Upper School Honor Council. Athena is skilled in so many areas – a talented artist, a swift runner, a gifted scholar, and a kind, good person and friend. The school recognizes the O’Neill Family for thirty years of honoring students for representing the school’s values so beautifully.

194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 ∙ www.sayreschool.org

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194 North Limestone Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 254-1361 www.sayreschool.org

The desire to take something which one has received in trust and ensure its well-being for future generations is entrenched in the very being of many Central Kentuckians.