Director of Advancement’s Report

Despite the challenges, the 2019‑2020

school year’s Advancement program

brought much to celebrate.

FROM THE OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT

2 John 1:12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. This scripture verse seems to take on even more meaning after many months of quarantine, Zoom calls, Teams meetings, and social distancing. The essence of Episcopal High School is our joyful community, and we like to be together!

Despite the challenges, the 2019-2020 school year’s Advancement program brought much to celebrate. Parent volunteers grilled quail, sold concessions, treated students with snow cones, decorated for events, delivered birthday treats for teachers, and so much more.

All fundraising efforts at EHS are successful because of volunteers as well. Alumni, parents, grandparents, and Trustees serving on the annual fund, gala, and capital campaign committees raised essential funds for the school. In the pages to follow, we will recognize the volunteers and contributors for this 2019-2020 school year. While traditional spring events were canceled and we were not able to thank you in person, please accept our most sincere gratitude.

The generosity of the EHS community is unparalleled. When we next return to campus, families will see a new baseball diamond completed and an elite-level field hockey field under construction. The campus master plan campaign, Lead the Way, continues to seek gifts for Phase Two of our campus completion: a new Visual and Performing Arts Complex and then a new Benitez Chapel. Our Phase One buildings, the Hildebrand Athletic Center and Underwood Student Center, have been incredible additions to our campus, and we look forward to completing the campus master plan through our ongoing capital fundraising efforts.

There are many other success stories to celebrate for the 2019-2020 school year. Our Admissions Office had an incredibly strong year with a healthy increase in interest and applications in the school. The message that EHS students “stand out” among the rest is resonating with the greater Houston community. A strong enrollment and record-low attrition mark a successful school.

Superb communications efforts for EHS also continued this school year. With a meteoric rise in social media followers, EHS is a leader among peer schools for the quality of content. Pillars magazine is an award-winning publication, beating out universities and large hospital systems in regional competitions. The communications team has remained on call seven days a week during campus closures, working tirelessly to keep our community informed and celebrated.

As I write this from my home office in July, I truly do miss my colleagues, friends, and students of EHS. When the campus bustles with activity, there is inescapable joy and boundless energy that radiate broadly and permeate my spirit. I will carry this positivity with me until I can “visit you and talk with you face-to-face, so that our joy may be complete.”

Sincerely, Peggy Haney, Director of Advancement