Acolade fall 2017 for web

ACCOLADE S T. G E O R G E ’ S E P I S CO PA L S C H O O L | 2 0 1 7- 2 0 1 8

Legacy of

LEADERSHIP

ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL is a private, co-ed, independent school for students from preschool through eighth grade. Established in 1969, St. George’s is distinguished by its qualified faculty, low student-to-teacher ratio and concept of “individualized education,” which builds upon the distinct talents and learning styles of each individual student.

This issue of Accolade is lovingly dedicated to Rob and Elaine Eichberger in recognition of their many years of dedicated service to St. George’s.

Dr. Eichberger will retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year after 35 years as headmaster. St. George’s has established the Eichberger Legacy Fund to provide a special opportunity for the St. George’s community to recognize the Eichbergers’ accomplishments and to ensure that their life’s work will continue for years to come. Please read the article titled Legacy of Leadership on pages 4 through 9 and about the Eichberger Legacy Fund on page 40.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2017-2018

PARENTS GROUP OFFICERS

Mr. Greg Schafer, Chairman Mr. Alex Breckinridge, Vice-Chairman Mrs. Heidi Gould, Secretary Mr. Leon Nowalsky, Treasurer Mrs. Rachel Alltmont Dr. Jennifer Avegno Mrs. Kate Cox Ms. Lee Anne Garner Mr. Kyle Graffagnini Mrs. Allison Hescock Mrs. Cappy Johnson Mrs. Norma Kimble Mrs. Krystil Lawton Mrs. Laurie Leaman Mr. Bruce Lelong Mrs. Annie Michaels Mr. Aaron Middleberg Mr. Josh Provosty Mr. Eric Revels Mrs. Cathy Schieffelin Cmdr. Damon Singleton Mr. Robert Suggs Dr. Robert Eichberger, ex-officio The Rev. Richard B. Easterling, ex-officio

Mrs. Rachel Alltmont, President Mrs. Krystil Lawton, Vice-President Mrs. Liz Schafer, Secretary Mrs. Emily Dodart, Treasurer

ADMINISTRATION Dr. Robert Eichberger, Headmaster Dr. Emma Whitman, Assistant Head of School and Director of Lower School Ms. Romaine McCarthy, Director of Middle School Mrs. Sherri Weiser, Director of Resource Services Mrs. Hayley Harang, Director of Early Childhood Mrs. Emily LeJeune, Director of Finance Mrs. Chrissy Negrotto, Director of Admission Mrs. Wendy Granier, Director of Advancement Mrs. Lesley Melancon, Director of Communications Mr. Wes Ganucheau, Director of Technology Mrs. Tamara Claverie, Director of Counseling Mrs. Katie Morton, Director of Talented and Gifted Mr. Eric Davis, Director of Maintenance

OUR MISSION: We excel in educating children. At St. George’s, each child grows academically, creatively, emotionally and spiritually, while developing a sense of self-worth and moral responsibility. We recognize that no two children are alike; each one possesses a fascinating combination of gifts and challenges. We serve a blend of learning profiles in a family-like atmosphere of care and concern with a highly trained and dedicated faculty.

Together, we embody perseverance, integrity, compassion and respect— values that foster lifelong learning and success.

ACCOLADE: In the Middle Ages, the Knighting Ceremony acknowledged personal achievement and service.

A tap with a sword signified formal recognition of a job well done. This tap was called the accolade. Accolade is published by St. George’s Episcopal School and is mailed to parents, grandparents, alumni families, faculty, friends and educational institutions.

ABOUT THE COVER: Rob and Elaine Eichberger with the class of 2018.

EDITOR: Christine Perrin CREDITS: Tamara Claverie, Wendy Granier, Hayley Harang, Katie Morton, Lesley Melancon and Emma Whitman contributing writers; design by Lori Monahan Borden Design; photography

by Kacie Fuselier Gurney, Jeff Johnston, Lesley Melancon, Katie Morton, Mike Palumbo and Elise Smith.

THANK YOU: Elaine Eichberger, Margie Fell, Tanya Musa, Connie Philburn and the parents, faculty and alumni who submitted photos and information.

FEATURES LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

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TEAMWORK WITH TEACHERS

14

LEARNING FOR LIFE

10

PROJECT APPROACH

16

DRAGON SPIRIT

MINDS-ON LEARNING

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IN THIS ISSUE 2 From the Headmaster

26 Noted & Quoted

3 From the Chairman

32 Student Art Gallery

22 Alumni News

34 Annual Report

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Accolades to All Dr. Robert Eichberger, Headmaster

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ast May, just months after my wife Elaine was serving her final weeks as St. George’s director of admission and shortly after announcing my impending retirement to the St. George’s board of trustees, the time had come to inform the faculty and parent body. The words did not come so easily, as this was perhaps the most difficult and emotionallycharged letter I have ever written as headmaster. Now, a few months later, it’s time to share the news with our extended St. George’s family. I wondered what more could be said or how else to express such heartfelt sentiments, only to realize that I had already done my best with such a bittersweet message. Please read below an updated version of that letter, as well as additional information in this issue of Accolade about the transition and search for a new head.

Dear Friends, Thirty-four years ago, Elaine and I came to New Orleans with our three young children to start an exciting adventure.

Neither of us expected that this would mark the beginning of a remarkable journey that would transform our lives. St. George’s Episcopal School has literally been our life’s work and an extension of our family. As you all know, at the close of the 20172018 school year, I will retire from my position as headmaster of St. George’s Episcopal School.

The St. George’s community has touched our lives in so many ways. While Elaine and I never planned to work together professionally, we were privileged to work side by side for all these years on behalf of the school. Over these many years, there have been innumerable people that have shaped St. George’s into an exceptional school. At this time, I thank each of you for the role you have played in not only our lives, but also in the life of the school.

St. George’s is one of the finest elementary schools in the country. It has been our honor to serve alongside a faculty that is truly dedicated to serving each and every student, placing the school’s mission at the forefront of all that we do. Our faculty has demonstrated time and again that their knowledge and expertise is valued and sought out by educators across the country. We are so proud to be among colleagues who are the best of the best in education.

As our journey changes course, we know that we leave a strong and healthy school in the hands of a board of trustees that is fully invested in the mission of St. George’s, a phenomenal administrative leadership team and a deeply passionate and talented faculty. Collectively, this group holds a moral compass for our school that will continue to guide the students and families towards a bright and exciting future.

It has been an honor to be a part of and serve this community for so many years. God has richly blessed this school in so many ways, but especially with the children we serve. We ask for His continued blessing on the family known as St. George’s Episcopal School and we humbly thank each of you for your willingness to walk with us during this journey.

With sincerest thanks and appreciation,

Rob Eichberger, Ed.D. Headmaster

Dr. Rob Eichberger thanks his “phenomenal administrative leadership team.” Standing, from left, are Romaine McCarthy, Chrissy Negrotto, Hayley Harang, Sherri Weiser and Dr. Emma Whitman. Seated, from left, are Dawn Steckler, Tamara Claverie and Wendy Granier.

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FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Transformations Greg Schafer with his son Andrew ’19

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very fall the days grow shorter, and signs emerge that winter is now upon us. Whether it is in the different colors of the trees or the holiday decorations that adorn many houses, a change in the seasons had arrived.

While this transformation is taking place in our city, we are also aware that at St. George’s, a long and rich summer of our own is coming to an end in the form of the retirement of Dr. Robert Eichberger.

Any list of the achievements of Dr. Eichberger would be insufficient. Under his leadership, the size of the campus has greatly expanded. Whether it was through the purchase of the Jefferson City Market (the present day gym) or the former courthouse (now the Michael R. Boh Early Childhood Center), he tirelessly worked to grow the school. However, much more important than bricks and mortar is that the school’s culture, with its emphasis on integrity, perseverance, compassion and respect, is a direct reflection of Dr. Eichberger. While we will name a new head of school in the coming months, there is no way Dr. Eichberger can or will ever truly be replaced. He will forever be known as the individual who transformed St. George’s from a small sleepy Uptown school to the academic powerhouse it is today.

It is impossible not to be sad or melancholy at this change.

However, to feel that this school has reached the apogee of its success would be to greatly sell short the enduring legacy that

Dr. Eichberger will leave us. Another spring and summer are just around the corner. What will ensure this is that the greatest gift that will remain from Dr. Eichberger’s tenure is the love he has instilled in the teachers towards the students and in the students’ interactions with one another. It is this love that makes St. George’s such a special, unique and nurturing place. Saint Paul reminds us of the enduring nature of love when he states in his first letter to the Corinthians, “As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away, but love will never end.”

In the months to come, when we are taking time to celebrate Dr. Eichberger and what he has done for St. George’s at a number of events, the lengthy list of his achievements will be recounted.

However, I hope what you remember as his greatest gift is his example of love in every aspect of his leadership. It is this love that Dr. Eichberger has instilled in the fabric of the school that will sustain it and keep it flourishing for many decades to come.

T. Gregory Schafer Chairman, Board of Trustees

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St. George’s wishes a fond farewell to Dr. and Mrs. Eichberger The Eichbergers will leave the St. George’s family with many fond memories. Here are a few fun facts: He is affectionately known as “Dr. E.” on campus and often takes time to stop during his busy schedule to share fun moments with students.

In addition to fulfilling his duties as headmaster, Dr. Eichberger has continued to teach honors algebra to eighth graders every year. He offers extra help generously, including sharing his phone number with students, as long as they promise to never call during a Redwings hockey game. ​ lthough Mrs. Eichberger A is a Spartan and the official Field Day scorekeeper, Dr. Eichberger is a Trojan. ​ Fiercely ​competitive, he plays along with his Trojan teammates every Field Day in May and during spirit week games in the fall. As of 2017, the Trojans and Spartans -- or Dr. and Mrs. Eichberger -- are in a dead heat, with each having 14 wins and one tie.

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When students gathered this past August for the traditional morning service to ring in the 2017-2018 school year, it was the 35th – and the very last – first day of school at St. George’s for Headmaster Dr. Rob Eichberger.

Dr. Eichberger assumed duties as headmaster of St. George’s following a nationwide search in 1983. He was a 15-year veteran in elementary education and former head of Luther Memorial School in Richmond, Va. He held a master’s degree in educational administration and was still completing requirements for a doctorate in education from the University of Virginia.

“Rob was a bright, young, enthusiastic educator ready to head his own school,” recalls Dr. Stephen Hales, then chair of the board of trustees. “I believe we both thought his tenure would be the usual three to five years, that he would help the school through its next stage of growth and move on, probably to a larger school, perhaps a northern one, closer to home and family,” he recalls.

Though eager to accept the challenge, Dr. Eichberger assured his family that he would get the young and emerging school “up and running in just

a few years” before returning home to Richmond. The Eichbergers were not prepared for the way they would be embraced by the St. George’s family, nor how quickly they would become rooted in the school community and enamored with the unique culture of New Orleans.

“What amazed me the most was that St. George’s had such a special group of parents working together on their vision,” recalls Dr. Eichberger. “They saw it as their vision to make the Eichbergers feel welcome. They had a tremendous enthusiasm for wanting this school to succeed and they were willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

In a brochure printed shortly after his arrival, Dr. Eichberger presented his plan for St. George’s.

Along with much-needed improvements to the facility, strengthening the school’s finances and increasing faculty compensation, his vision focused on the way St. George’s would educate the whole child. “We want to fully develop, not merely educate, each student. We want the whole child to grow in mind, body and spirit; academically, intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Most significantly, he conveyed the positive future he envisioned for the school. “St. George’s is bursting with potential. However it is still nowhere close to fulfilling its real promise. I see it serving, very shortly, as a lighthouse – a beacon – for what education should really be about. St. George’s is small enough, diverse enough and flexible enough; the faculty is strong enough; the students receptive enough; our parents interested enough to begin working immediately toward these goals and objectives.

I’m excited. Let’s get going!”

The majority of Dr. Eichberger’s tenure at St. George’s was served alongside

Connie Philburn has worked closely with Dr. Eichberger as assistant to the headmaster for 30 years. ​ Dr. E. has always been a good sport​ about participating in fundraising activities, no matter how gimmicky. He has been known to wear interesting costumes, take a dip in a dunking booth and even kiss a pig. ​ Dr. Eichberger is often teased about being a great Monopoly player, especially at collecting property. During his time at St. George's the campus footprint has grown by seven additional properties and more than five times in size.

Dr. Eichberger has ​presided over numerous ground breaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies. ​Every September, students gather​ on the front lawn of Porteous Hall​ for one of their favorite school traditions, celebrating Dr. Eichberger’s birthday with ​ cake or ice cream, all before 9:30 a.m.

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The class of 2018 will be the 35th class to graduate during Dr. Eichberger’s tenure at St. George’s. In all, he has presented ​ more than ​ 600 graduate ​ diplomas and is known for giving a personalized talk about each graduate.

Dr. and Mrs. Eichberger have been happily married for 48 years and are the proud parents of three children, all educated at St. George's.

Their only grandchild, Enzo Solitario, is currently a fifth grader at St. George's.

In addition to promoting school fundraisers and annual giving campaigns, Dr. Eichberger has always been willing to "take the show on the road" and stays busy attending private fundraising dinners and meetings, often equipped with a traveling poster, all in the name of raising funds for capital improvements.

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his wife Elaine, who retired last spring after 33 years of service to St. George’s. Already an active mother of three and school volunteer, Mrs. Eichberger accepted an offer from colleagues to join the administrative team just a few years after their arrival, once their youngest child Randy was enrolled in preschool. Randy was the third Eichberger to become a Dragon, following brother Robby and sister Nici.

By 1985, Dr. Eichberger had completed the daunting task of earning accreditation from ISAS (Independent Schools Association of the Southwest). “This is mainly what I was hired for and was first on my list,” he recalls. “It wasn’t that St. George’s couldn’t meet the requirements but rather that the process was lengthy and requirements had not yet been completed.”

Another item on Dr. Eichberger’s short list was to purchase a central air-conditioning system for the two historic buildings St. George’s then occupied, Porteous Hall and the adjacent two-story wooden school house. These were the first of several historic properties to be occupied by St. George’s and restored under Dr. Eichberger’s tenure. To help complete the task, the parent body hosted the school’s very first gala, Kool it for the Kids, which later became known as the annual Parents Group Soirée. It took three successful galas to raise the necessary funds.

Under his leadership, St. George’s would eventually incorporate an additional seven adjacent properties into the campus, increasing the school’s footprint five times over while also revitalizing the neighborhood. A 2009 Times-Picayune article applauded Dr. Eichberger as “a cheerleader for preserving historic buildings,” adding that “Eichberger can tick off a list of historic buildings – many of them part of the original municipal framework of Jefferson City before it was annexed by New Orleans – that have been reclaimed, retrofitted and folded into the Uptown campus . . . The school’s neighbors seem to appreciate the way it has moved into its future while respecting the past.”

Amid steady increases in enrollment and a pressing need for additional space, Dr. Eichberger pursued an opportunity to purchase the Jefferson Market, erected in 1921 as an open-

air market for the old Jefferson City. It would be followed by the purchase of the original Jefferson City Jail House in 1993 and the Jefferson City Court Recorder’s building next door in 1996, creating space for a new early childhood center.

Meanwhile, a campus-wide computer network was installed, integrating the curriculum and providing campus-wide Internet access. In 1999, Porteous Hall was further renovated to incorporate a spacious hi-tech library, outfitted with student laptops and a Smart Board. In the coming years, additional student computers were purchased and Smart Boards were added to virtually every classroom.

In 2000, on the heels of a new strategic plan and a master site plan and in response to surging enrollment, Dr. Eichberger looked for yet more space to add preschool classrooms for younger students, as well as space for additional facilities to accommodate lower and middle school students. Following lengthy negotiations, a 60-year lease-purchase agreement was reached with the adjacent Salem United Church, built in 1877, launching yet another historic preservation. By 2003, St. George’s acquired an existing preschool program at Temple Sinai on St. Charles Ave., where students remained before moving to new facilities at Salem Church.

In 2005, following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, St. George’s was one of the very first schools to reopen. At Dr. Eichberger’s request, the school welcomed 50 plus families, many of them children of first responders, who had returned to New Orleans but were desperately in need of schooling for their children. “St. George’s showed a mark of character. I am proud of the way our faculty and staff rose above their own personal needs to provide for the greater community.”

Over the next several years, St. George’s would purchase a small home on Camp St. and two adjacent homes on Gen. Pershing Ave. The first Gen. Pershing home was renovated and repurposed to include four new preschool classrooms to the existing early childhood center. The second property, a smaller shotgun house, was donated and carefully relocated, carving the way for new construction to connect the existing structures of the early childhood center.

The homeowner and dear friend of Dr. Eichberger’s, Mrs. Joyce Greiner, recalled, “Rob has been wonderful to me over the years. St. George’s is like family to me.”

The pursuit for new property became an incessant puzzle for Dr. Eichberger, who

Every fall, Dr. Eichberger participates in the third grade study of world explorers, posing as Kublai Khan.

During a scavenger hunt at the end of their Marco Polo unit, the third graders visit Kublai Khan to present holy oil from Jerusalem as they travel along the Silk Road.

Every spring, Dr. Eichberger travels to meet up with the eighth grade class for their annual trip to Washington, D.C. and Virginia, where he leads a tour of the University of Virginia, his alma mater, and Monticello.

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In addition to the support of Mrs. Eichberger, Dr. Eichberger has long valued the advice of a handful of cherished colleagues he refers to as his “kitchen cabinet.” Among them are Bettye Bagot, who has served St. George’s since 1993 as financial administrator and financial consultant; and Sue Gilly, who served since 1991 as a teacher, development director, lower school director and educational consultant.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Rob. He was not just a colleague but a friend. His contributions and guidance at St. George’s will forever remain in my heart.” – Sue Gilly “Under Rob's leadership, St. George's has touched thousands of children - helping them to find success for their future lives. The school has become a valued component of the city's educational system.” – Bettye Bagot Each year Dr. Eichberger welcomes a young student to his office to serve as headmaster for a day, an experience that is auctioned during the annual Soiree.

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maintained a running list of prospective buildings and was not opposed to knocking on neighbors’ doors to hunt down opportunities. “My children often teased me that I was playing a game of Uptown Monopoly, but the truth is that we have always needed the space.”

Mac Ball, architect, friend and former school parent, has worked closely with Dr. Eichberger on five major projects over twenty plus years.

He explains, “It has been a great joy given Rob’s love of buildings and his mission to create unique environments for teaching and learning.

Working with and in the context of historic buildings always affords that possibility and I think that is why St. George’s fits so seamlessly into its neighborhood. I always tell people he is the most important preservationist in New Orleans that no one has ever heard of!”

The Eichberger years were also marked by triumphs in other areas, as Dr. Eichberger’s tenure coincided with advancements in elementary education, which he quickly recognized and implemented to the benefit of St. George’s.

One such example is the way St. George’s responded promptly to a new movement in early childhood education.

“We recognized a trend as a new frontier in education. A few schools across the country had started adding early childhood services. The country was moving away from nursery schools and services like those provided in churches.

Also, research began to clearly show the many benefits of exposing children to education using a developmental approach.”

While the move to add early childhood services was widely embraced, Dr. Eichberger has faced ongoing questions and challenges in another area of importance. Should St. George’s maintain specialized services for children with learning differences or provide a strictly mainstream, traditional school curriculum? “That was one of the very first debates we had as a school. What we quickly learned was that St. George’s could do both -- continue as it always has, blending and balancing services for children with learning differences so that they can be educated along with everyone else. We knew that the same student with dyslexia, for example, may also be classified as talented and gifted. So we have always embraced and celebrated their differences. That is truly the essence of this school.”

St. George’s gained a reputation over the years for its unique ability to provide what Dr. Eichberger described in 1983 as “an education that is tailored to meet the needs of each individual child.” Also that first year, he stated that “educating the whole child” would be the school’s foremost goal in education, although “whole child education” did not become a buzzword for decades. Keith Pyburn, a former chairman of the board of trustees, stated, “Rob has worked tirelessly to provide a program based on the recognition that kids are diverse, a program that provides to the greatest extent possible, the best opportunity to each individual child.”

Past and present trustees distinguish Dr. Eichberger’s ability to assemble a trained faculty and build a specialized team of educators who work together to keep St. George’s at the forefront of childhood education. “Rob has the most incredible intuition when it comes to hiring the right people.

This difference has allowed St. George’s to become so successful. Under Rob’s guidance, St. George’s has, by far, become the best in the city,” states Keil Moss, former parent and chairman of the board of trustees.

Yet Dr. Eichberger points to his colleagues, the faculty, staff and administrators in his inner circle when reflecting on the school’s successes. “I don’t know that my vision was any greater than anyone else’s vision. Our success has been a collective process with so many working together. There has always been a moral compass guiding us to do the right thing. There is something magical about that.”

Dr. Eichberger especially values the love and support he has had from Mrs. Eichberger throughout his career. “I cannot thank Elaine enough for being my partner all along the way and for helping me and guiding me step-by-step.” As a school mother and volunteer and especially as a development director and admission director, Mrs. Eichberger is remembered for wearing numerous St. George’s hats. She worked with others to establish the school’s first bookstore; she launched grandparents day to become one of St. George’s most memorable traditions; she corralled and coordinated parent volunteers to host events and coordinate campus projects; she worked behind the scenes as a parent liaison to

oversee and support the Soiree, the Knight at City Park and other fundraisers; and in her position as admission director, she welcomed countless families on school tours, open house visits and eventually to the St. George’s family. “I’ve met so many wonderful parents and so many of them remind me that finding their way to St. George’s was one of the best things that ever happened to their family.”

Looking back is emotional for the Eichbergers, “a truly humbling experience,” says Dr. Eichberger.

“For parents, nothing in life is valued more than the wellbeing of their child, so when they look to you and ask what you think, that tells you something.

The love and respect that I have received, that really means something after all of the years. It’s so rewarding and so much greater than I’ve ever expected.”

The ISAS visiting committee, upon completion of the 10-year review last fall, commended Dr. Eichberger in its final report. “While it is unusual to single out any one person, the visiting committee feels that the service of Dr. Rob Eichberger to this community for the past 34 years is worthy of extraordinary commendation. All of the above citations are evidence of his leadership, grace and devotion to the school. The obvious respect, admiration and love professed by everyone in the St.George’s community for Dr. Eichberger is testimony to a man who embodies the values of St. George’s: perseverance, integrity, compassion and respect.”

Under Dr. and Mrs. Eichberger’s leadership, St. George’s has come of age and left its mark in the New Orleans community. Throughout the years, Dr. and Mrs. Eichberger formed a team as the school’s beloved head family, always cheerleaders and champions for St. George’s. Their work has extended off campus as well, as the Eichberger family has supported and befriended school families, often socializing and vacationing together.

Today, they cherish the opportunity to watch over their grandson Enzo Solitario, now a fifth grader at St. George’s, as he keeps the St. George’s experience alive and well for the Eichberger family.

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n the words of Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

Character education, life skills and experiential learning are just a few of the many labels used to describe methods educators practice to teach the whole child. During their most formative years, children will spend the majority of their productive hours at school, alongside peers, discovering how to play and learn together as part of a community. Now more than ever, as they work at developing life skills, young children lean on the support of caring professionals, such as school counselors, to help guide them along.

Teaching life skills classes, coordinating advisory group discussions and presenting anti-bullying campaigns are a few examples of how school counselors meet students’ needs.

They are trained to understand a child’s developmental stages and spot

potential issues so they can be addressed right away. “We are dedicated to developing the whole child, just as our school’s mission statement says,” explains Tamara Claverie, director of the counseling department. “We see our role as providing Mrs. Claverie and Mrs. positive support and guidance, not only to students, but to faculty and families as Sanders spend time modeling appropriate well.” social behavior with early St. George’s recently expanded its counseling department, adding Molly childhood students. In their early years, children develop Sanders as a counselor dedicated to early childhood students. Mrs. Sanders feels their social and emotional it is important to empower children to identify, express and manage their feelings. skills through observation With growing research on the importance of fostering a child’s social and and practice. emotional development during the early childhood years, St. George’s has also enhanced counseling services by creating a proactive plan to support preschool-age students. “Children develop skills over time. From birth, children begin to develop their self-concept through relationships and 10

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they need to feel comfort, safety and confidence within the context of these relationships. We teach children how to build friendships, communicate feelings and cope with challenges.”

Mrs. Sanders collaborates with teachers to implement developmentally-appropriate socialemotional strategies to support children in communicating feelings, problem solving and self-regulation. “Children need to see and practice effective ways to solve problems. As adults, we model appropriate problem solving. I spend a great deal of time scaffolding children in the classroom and on the playground by demonstrating how a problem can be solved and modeling how they can better communicate. Scaffolding provides a level of support above a child’s current level that will help them practice skills on the next level.”

At St. George’s, counselors are vital members of a team of educators and directly impact academic achievement by focusing on educational, personal and social development, both in the classroom and

through all of a child’s experiences. As stated by the American School Counselor Association: Elementary school counselors are educators uniquely trained in child development, learning strategies, self-management and social skills, who understand and promote success for today’s diverse students. They implement a comprehensive school counseling program to support students through this important developmental period.

Elementary school counselors do not work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program.

Mrs. Claverie sees the role of the Counseling Department as dynamic and essential. “It’s important that our faculty members join together

to provide a comprehensive education in character development as well as academics. We see it as our collective responsibility to work closely with each student to provide a solid foundation in moral development.” A primary goal of the program is to get to know every student and family, adds Mrs. Claverie. “It’s part of our culture here, not only to provide one-on-one interaction, but also to share our knowledge and information so that we are all one, all with the same message and all acting as St. George’s citizens.”

In recent years, schools, educators and school counselors have rightfully recognized the importance of character development as a vital component of educating the whole child and have taken strides to incorporate classes and programs into the curriculum. The following pages provide a few examples of services that are an integral part of the St. George’s experience.

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LIFE SKILLS While character development is woven through the entire curriculum at St. George’s, the life skills program is at its heart. Designed for students from kindergarten through eighth grade, the curriculum offers specific strategies to teach communication and relationship-building skills, choosing positive peers and resisting negative peer pressures. “We also work to encourage a healthy self-esteem, to promote mutual acceptance and respect and to give students the skills they need to be prepared for adulthood,” explains Mrs. Claverie.

Topics are introduced on an age-appropriate level. “It is our job to know the issues our students are facing at various ages and developmental stages, so that we are ready to provide lessons and support as needed. The program is flexible so that we can be most effective in addressing the issues that challenge students at a particular time,” adds Mrs. Claverie.

ADVISORY GROUPS Creating an open dialog for students within a small group setting is the primary goal of the advisory program for middle school students. Advisory groups complement the middle school life skills curriculum through talks about moral and character development and help guide students as they apply what they learn in their daily activities. Group discussions are moderated, but are less structured and more intimate. “Advisory groups open a dialogue between students and their faculty advisors to foster the development of character and positive choices, as well as teach them how to apply their skills within the school and community,” explains Mrs. Claverie.

BUDDY PROGRAM St. George’s offers a unique buddy program that pairs each student in pre-k4 through eighth grade with a buddy from another grade. Activities are scheduled throughout the school year to enable buddies to get acquainted and develop a special bond. Older students spend time reading with their younger buddies, playing games, creating crafts or simply bonding during school activities. Older students gain the self-esteem and confidence that comes along with the admiration of their younger buddies and younger students develop a strong sense of self as well as a positive connection to the school family by enjoying the attention of their older buddies. “We see these positive connections as one of the many ways we enhance our school culture,” adds Mrs. Claverie.

SERVICE LEARNING One of the greatest lessons all children learn is the value of helping others. At St. George’s, opportunities abound for students to get hands-on experience in service learning. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are part of a class service learning project every year, with some grades having a consistent project each year and others changing projects based on student ideas. Projects become a focus of classroom discussions and are integrated into the curriculum.

Over the years, students have supported such organizations as The American Red Cross, The Dragon Café at St. George’s Church, NOLA Tree Project, Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association, Jacob’s Color Link Initiative, Angel’s Place, Second Harvest Food Bank, Children’s Hospital, the Ochsner Blood Bank and many others.

In addition, the student council leads the school in supporting many local and global community service agencies by collecting

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THE CHARACTER PLEDGE

“As a St. George’s citizen, I promise to persevere in all that I do, to show compassion and respect for all, and to be known for my integrity”

St. George’s is recognized as a No Place for Hate School by the Anti-Defamation League for its pledge to maintain a respectful environment for all.

funds through dress down days. A Parents Group committee called DASH (Dragons in Action, Serving and Helping) also provides opportunities for families to participate in service projects together. In recent years, DASH has been responsible for larger school-wide drives, including support for areas devastated by natural disasters, food drives at Thanksgiving and the Angel Tree Project to benefit students and teachers at The Good Shepherd School. As the director of counseling and a DASH co-chair, Mrs. Claverie also coordinates service projects for the school. “We have such a wonderful and compassionate community who are always willing to support those in need,” explains Mrs. Claverie.

Service learning has grown steadily over the years, both in the number of projects and the number of people served.

“We are so amazed every year to see the compassion of our school community and the excitement of our students, knowing they have helped make a difference.

The best part is that we are teaching our children the blessing of helping those in need, so that they may experience the joy and rewards of serving others.”

CELEBRATING CHARACTER WEEK

St. George’s celebrates character week each spring to coincide with St. George’s Day, April 23, encouraging students to reflect on what it means to be a St. George’s citizen. Throughout the week, the counseling department highlights various stories demonstrating the importance of character and highlighting each of the school’s four core values -- integrity, perseverance, compassion and respect. At the end of character week, a student assembly features a review of each class service project throughout the school year, presented by class representatives from first through eighth grades. In addition, the student body is presented with a “No Place for Hate” banner, recognizing St. George’s efforts throughout the year to maintain an environment that is kind and respectful to all.

ST. GEORGE’S IS A BULLY-FREE ZONE

Each fall, the eighth grade class presents the school’s annual bully-free assembly to kick off the new school year with an important reminder to fellow Dragons: St. George’s is a bullyfree zone. This year’s presentation, the tenth annual, was based on the Dr. Seuss classic, “The Sneetches,” telling tales of tolerance, diversity and compromise.

The assembly concluded with students pledging to work together to keep St. George’s bully free by signing one of the anti-bullying banners hanging on campus. The pledge reminds students to: • Speak up. Tell the bully to stop and ask for help when needed.

• Reach out. Be a buddy, not a bully or a bystander.

• Be kind, respectful and friendly to everyone.

Along with life skills classes and middle school advisor groups, the assembly helps students understand what it means to be a bully, a bystander, a buddy or an ally and how they can work together to keep St. George’s bully-free.

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Dr. Emma Whitman enjoys a book with third grader Chyler Hampton.

Workshops: Parent-Teacher Teamwork

by Dr. Emma Whitman, Assistant Head and Director of Lower School and Tamara Claverie, Director of Counseling At St. George’s, we support the whole child and recognize that all children need something different to help them grow and develop to their fullest potential. Parents and teachers work together as a team to make this happen in a variety of ways. We offer parent workshops throughout the year to support this team approach.

Last school year, lower school developed a workshop series designed to target specific challenges that were relevant to each grade level. During each discussion, parents were able to join administrators and faculty in an open dialogue about strategies to support children at each developmental stage.

The workshops opened with an overview of age-specific developmental milestones, followed by strategies, tools and tips. Each presentation allowed time for questions and an open discussion on the topic. These engaging discussions represent the collaborative and reciprocal support network that is at the heart of St. George’s, nurturing relationships with families.

Fourth graders are developing independent study skills and learning to take responsibility for their homework.

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ACCOLADE

TEACHING INDEPENDENCE IN PRE-K4 AND KINDERGARTEN This workshop was presented by Emma Whitman, Hayley Harang, Ryan Balsamo and LeeAnn Foreman.

Children at this age are developing greater independence, control and creativity. They love helping and feel important when they are given tasks that are challenging. They learn best from clear and predictable schedules and are improving at expressing their own needs as opposed to interpreting the needs of others.

How parents can help foster a child’s independence: •

Chores and jobs are age-appropriate if children can do them in a few minutes and feel a sense of accomplishment.

•

Set routines and follow directions. Explicitly teach children how to follow directions with one and two steps and then build to three and four steps. Model what you want them to do and provide verbal and visual cues. Use consistent language and be consistent with your expectations. Children thrive on routines, so set them up for success.

•

Encourage self-help strategies. If you ask children to do something on their own, let them do it.

By kindergarten, children are learning to follow directions and complete independent assignments.

DEVELOPING POSITIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS IN FIRST THROUGH THIRD GRADES Left, by third grade, children grow more skilled at handling relationships.

This workshop offered strategies for building perseverance and independence, as well as tools to help students navigate the social dynamics during the elementary years. It was presented in collaboration with third grade teacher Jenny Moseley and second grade teacher Kelly Finegan.

In the elementary grades, children go through a range of shifting social dynamics. In pre-k4 and kindergarten, children play simple games collaboratively, but they begin to enjoy more structured games as they move into first and second grades. With these games come peer negotiations, discussions of justice and a need for greater problem solving and communication. By third grade larger groups become involved in these games and the need for problem solving with peers and negotiation increases. Pretend play shifts into team games.

The focus of this workshop was on creating independence and the power of making mistakes. How can we teach problem solving at the various ages? How can we create independence during homework? How can we help children problem solve independently in peer relationships?

How parents can help children become problem solvers: •

Talk about friendship traits and peers that help them feel happy. Reflect on how your child shows these traits as well.

•

At home, create a safe space for discussions by acknowledging feelings without judgement. Try not to be reactionary.

•

Let children come up with solutions; avoid the temptation to do it for them. Help them figure out what to do differently. They need guidance at this age.

SUPPORTING HOMEWORK AND DEVELOPING STUDY SKILLS IN FOURTH GRADE This workshop provided tips for parents to help increase homework independence while also providing support. It was presented by Emma Whitman, Tamara Claverie and fourth grade teacher Meghan Juba.

At St. George’s, fourth grade is the year that children are first exposed to letter grades, as well as the time that homework increases in preparation for middle school. This added internal pressure of grades, along with learning to study and take tests, can be a challenging transition for all children. With the support of teachers and parents, children learn to take responsibility for their own homework and study skills -- but it certainly takes teamwork to get there! At this age children have more worry and anxiety, while they also begin to complain a bit more and become more self-critical. They like factual information and will often ask for clarification about rules and justice.

How parents can help develop a child’s study skills: •

Be available but don’t hover. Be there to suggest that children take a break if feeling overwhelmed.

•

Make a strategic plan together about how to attack homework. Do they want to tackle harder problems first and do math last because it is the easiest? Listen and help them create a plan. Give praise to help build confidence.

•

Don’t make it a battle! Set a timer so children can monitor their own work. Be there to provide motivational support and give children choices about your level of involvement.

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Far left, Hayley Harang with Maggie Behlen

Teachers and pre-k4 students work to create a new pathway.

PROJECT APPROACH

&

Professional Development

By Hayley Harang, Director of Early Childhood Education

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ACCOLADE

At St. George’s, the preschool and pre-k4 program utilizes the project approach to guide teaching and instruction. The approach is based on listening to and observing students to find common topics and areas of interest worth further investigation.

The project approach is a teaching philosophy that allows children to explore real-world topics in an indepth way. Teachers help guide students through these interactive studies that involve collaboration, critical thinking and high-level investigative work. When this approach is done well, students are actively involved in leading their own learning process. When students are motivated and excited about what they are studying, they take more risks, reach a higher level of learning and become active thinkers and problem solvers.

Projects should be hands-on and allow children ample opportunities to ask questions and find answers. The goal is for children to take ownership of their learning, to work together and to get excited about their work and play.

To support this creative and reflective style of learning and teaching, it’s important for faculty to continue growing as educators and professionals in early childhood education and development, a process that involves continual reflection and professional development. This year, in addition to summer reading, teachers welcomed several visiting speakers presenting on such topics as social and emotional development, collaborative teaching and project based learning.

Dr. Krystal Vaughn, an assistant professor at LSU Health Sciences Center and a licensed professional counselor-supervisor, spent a whole day working with teachers at St. George’s. Her interactive and reflective workshop led teachers to strengthen and refine the language they use with the children, to analyze their classroom environments to maximize independence and learning and to build relationships within the teaching teams.

Julianne Thompson, a teacher in the 2-year-old classroom explains, “The classroom environment plays such an essential role in your practice as a teacher and ultimately becomes the ‘third teacher’ for the children. Dr. Vaughn challenged us to consider utilizing the webbing technique we often use for projects as a way to have the children engage in learning about their environment and each other.

For example, we took time to web the dramatic area; the children identified different tools, materials and how they use them. This webbing technique encourages the students to feel empowered and take ownership of their environment.”

Additionally, with the support of the Faculty Fund for Excellence, St. George’s hosted Dr. Sallee Beneke from St. Ambrose University to lead a project approach workshop. Dr. Beneke is an author of several books on the project approach and leads the graduate program in early childhood education at the University of Illinois. She created a project simulation to help show how important it is for students to have opportunities in hands on learning that build upon their interests. Teachers learned about the research and theories supporting this approach to education as well as ways to document student learning. All of the teachers left the workshop feeling empowered about the value of their work and the importance of this approach on early learners.

STUDENTS IN ACTION: This fall, as pre-k4 students were learning about their new classroom and parts of the school, they embarked on a pathways project. Students asked questions like: “Where does this door lead?” and “Why does that class get to go that way?” This led the teachers to start documenting the children’s interests during play, specifically with blocks and train tracks.

Pre-k4 teacher Rebecca Teall explains, “We noticed the students were really interested in knowing how to get to different places.

This was the first time they had a new level of independence and were able to go to the bathrooms, in between the two classrooms and out into the pre-k hallway.” The teachers created small group lessons to allow the children to explore different pathways Pre-k4 students select construction around school and to materials for their new pathway. start making connections and learning vocabulary like intersecting paths, dead ends and continuous paths.

“We wanted to give the students a shared experience of exploring pathways outside of the school grounds,” adds pre-k4 teacher Katie Steinhardt. “As a class, we traveled to the Couterie Forest in City Park to to investigate the paths there.”

After the visit, the students had many questions about how the various paths at the forest were constructed and the materials that were used.

Wes Michaels, a landscape architect and principal at Spackman Mossop Michaels, visited to help provide answers. This was particularly exciting because Mr. Michaels is a St. George’s parent and worked on the redesign of the Couterie Forest.

The final phase of the project was spent examining and testing materials. “We can tell students that cardboard won’t work to build a path but they need to be able to find this out for themselves. Then they will really believe it,” adds Ms. Teall. The students are working to construct a path in the butterfly garden to take them from one location to another and solve a real problem. The students are committed to addressing the needs of the preschoolers who use this area. Like real landscapers, they want to follow the proposal they created and should be compensated for their hard work and success. Maybe a pizza party?

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Katie Morton works one-on-one with third grade SPARK photography student Sophie Beach to edit photos using an Ipad.

Minds-On Learning:

By Katie Morton, Director of Talented and Gifted Services Enrichment opportunities abound at St. George’s: SPARK, Round Table meetings, author visits, assemblies and more. It is an educational approach embedded in our school culture and mission and it is one that reaches each and every single one of our students in a way that is both hands-on and minds-on.

Enrichment is an expression or educational term that is often thrown around but rarely understood or used to its full potential. If, outside of education, enrichment implies enhancing or adding value to something, within schools, enrichment improves students’ education. In other words, enrichment opportunities are the “lagniappe” to the set curriculum, adding extra advantages, benefits and connections for the students.

A major benefit of enrichment is the practice of fluent thinking. In short, fluent thinking is a student’s ability to generate ideas and it is incredibly important for successful learning in school, as well as successful, creative production in the workforce. Fluent thinking is used in St. George’s enrichment by allowing the students to take control of their clusters, their discussions and their community-oriented projects, whatever the form of enrichment may be.

Rather than feed students a pre-determined list of concepts or skills and let that be the bottom line of their learning, students are exposed to new ideas and then encouraged to determine what to do with them, ultimately leading to a student-driven project. As the students brainstorm all that they can do with their newfound inspiration, teachers lead them to the skills and information they need to accomplish their goal. Fluent thinking also allows the students to both make connections across subject areas as they generate ideas and find relevance in the learning experience.

Another benefit of enrichment is that students view information and skills through the lens of a professional associated with the topic being studied. For instance, students in a journalism cluster step into the shoes of a reporter. In a recent St. George’s journalism cluster, this was done both figuratively and literally as the kids learned and practiced interviewing and news writing skills. Other examples include students approaching fictitious crime scenes as detectives and scientists or students learning about animal habitats through the lenses of zoologists and environmentalists.

Finally, the most successful enrichment opportunities are interest-based. Our students are mixed across grade levels and almost always across ability levels. Enrichment celebrates the children’s strengths, allowing them to grow and learn without the hurdles of tests and homework. For students who struggle academically, enrichment can be their opportunity to shine and to be celebrated by classmates and teachers.

Enrichment opportunities -- from exposure to new experiences to the acquisition of skills -- happen in a variety of forms at St. George’s. Whether it is accomplished in a scheduled, intentional setting such as Round Tables or SPARK, or spontaneously in the classroom, enrichment is a worthwhile, invaluable experience for St. George’s students.

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ACCOLADE

SPARK: Igniting Young Minds! SPARK is an eight-week program for students in pre-k4 through fourth grade during which students meet in self-selected enrichment clusters led by one or more faculty members. Teachers become “guides on the side” as the students drive the direction of the cluster, learning new skills to complete a project that benefits St. George’s, New Orleans or an even broader community. The students’ new skills and projects are displayed in a final showcase for their St. George’s classmates, teachers and parents.

Middle School Round Tables: Round Tables allow middle schoolers the opportunity to learn about an area of interest outside of the normal curriculum. Speakers visit with the students-- who nominate themselves for these small group meetings and share information about their careers, hobbies or accomplishments. Students are encouraged to ask questions and prompt discussion. Speakers have included St. George’s teachers and parents, local law enforcement representatives, published authors and even the COO of the National World War II Museum. Technology, including Skype, is also used for speakers who cannot visit in person.

And More: Other enrichment opportunities include guest speakers, field

trips, author visits, projects within the classrooms and independently pursued projects.

Edith Miranda, Evelyn Lelong and Gigi Wagner man their cooking cluster display during last fall’s SPARK fair. In addition to table manners, measurements and recipes, the cluster featured a visit from local chef Kristen Essig of Coquette.

Jacob Lowe uses a screwdriver to secure a section of the first and second grade buddy bench.

Students built and painted the bench, which can be found on the lower school play yard.

Chaz Costello practices a yoga pose during the SPARK fair. Yoga cluster students gathered to learn about mindfulness while refining their yoga poses.

WDSU meteorologist and St. George’s parent Damon Singleton met with middle schoolers as a part of the Round Table enrichment program.

Cmdr. Singleton spoke about discovering his passion for the weather, as well as his perseverance to become a meteorologist.

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The 2017-2018 Dragons are fighting hard this year in athletics, with record numbers of students participating in a variety of sports and scoring impressive finishes in several arenas.

Now in his second year as St. George’s Athletics Director, Craig Laborde is pleased with the growing numbers of students enrolling in team sports and is still aiming for greater participation. “Our numbers were well up in fall

sports with more than 80 of our 122 middle schoolers participating,” explains Coach Laborde. “My focus is on getting more students involved and growing the athletics department to have a much larger footprint on our campus.” This effort, combined with a new online registration process for athletes and renewed enthusiasm from students and parents, has helped the Dragons reach success in the recently completed fall sports program.

The Dragons compete along with 15 other member schools in the New Orleans Athletic League (NOAL), of which St. George’s is a founding member. Coach Laborde has taken on a leadership role as the commissioner of baseball, soccer and golf for NOAL. “Because we are one of the smaller NOAL schools, I want to be sure that St. George’s has a larger role in the league,” he adds.

Coach Laborde, along with PE teachers Jean Liljeberg and Bobby Gendimenico, are using an updated athletics curriculum that is more aligned with the new goals of the athletics program.

“We now have a much larger focus on major sports so that the program can provide better support to our athletes. We feel that this will help participation as well as performance.”

The cross country team also performed well, with runners showing impressive progress throughout the season. Three runners finished the season with personal best records and Fiona Collins won the girls championship in the seventh-eighth grade individual competition.

Fiona Collins, Cross Country Photo by NOTC

On the volleyball court, both the sixth grade and eighth grade teams had winning seasons. The sixth grade team took second place in the league championship, finishing with a 6-2 record and as runners up in their division.

Sixth grade volleyball team

The swim team, although small in numbers, finished the season with a splash in league competition. With only five swimmers in the championship meet, the team accounted for seven top five finishes and took sixth place overall.

From left, Kata Segura, Evelyn Monstead and Nicholas Becnel

In flag football, St. George’s fielded four teams and had twice as many athletes participating this year. The teams improved steadily as the season progressed and the seventh and eighth grade blue team advanced to the playoffs, making it to the semifinal round.

Seventh and eighth grade boys blue flag football team with Coach Bobby Gendimenico

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Alumni News

Nicole Eichberger Solitario ’89 was recently named partner at Poskauer Rose. She is a member of the labor and employment law department and a member of the class and collective actions and wage and hour groups.

Ana Buckley ’02 and her husband Earl Labounty are the proud parents of two sons; Earl, born in 2015 and Ari, born April 18, 2017.

Sidney Torres, ’89 was honored as man of the year by the Louisiana/ Mississippi chapter of the The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The award was a result of the society’s inaugural fundraising campaign. Sidney raised an impressive $829,036 in 10 weeks. (Woman of the year Kaye Courington raised $126,949.) As an entrepreneur, Sidney founded SDT Waste and Debris Services, which cleaned the French Quarter and improved trash removal after Hurricane Katrina. In addition to owning upscale boutique hotels, Sidney’s recent project, The Cove, is a $100 million world-class resort in the Bahamas. He currently manages 25 limited liability corporations and employs 150 people. He is also starring in season two of “The Deed,” an investment reality show airing on CNBC. Photo by CNBC Andrew Haspel ’93 lives in Los Angeles, where he is first assistant accountant for season five of “Ray Donovan,” which airs on Showtime.

Brooke Rabin Weinstein ’00 gave birth to her second child in February, Eli Weinstein.

Brooke also owns a pediatric occupational therapy practice called Therapeutic Learning

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Center, which recently expanded to a larger facility on Metairie Road.

The company provides services to children, from infancy through high school, to support learning and development.

ACCOLADE

Melissa Steckler ’03 attended St. Martin’s Episcopal School and Tulane University, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications and a minor in French. Melissa moved to Utah to attend graduate school at Brigham Young University where she received a master of arts degree. Melissa resides in Salt Lake City where she is a project team leader for the marketing firm Axis 41. She recently wed Sgt. John Brian Spooner who is currently serving in the Army National Guard.

Patricia Boh ’06 works in Washington, D.C., as assistant to the British Ambassador of the United States to the Court of St. James.

Following her graduation from Southern Methodist University in international studies and King’s College London with a master’s degree in war studies, Patricia worked for Senator Tom Cotton (RAR) as a member of his legislative team.

Abby Botnick ’06 graduated from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in 2015. This May, Abby played the role of Rosie Alvarez in the production of “Bye Bye Birdie” at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. While studying at Carnegie Mellon, Abby worked throughout Pittsburgh as a professional dancer. She was also a recipient of Carnegie’s SURF Grant for her accomplishments in film and dance. ​While at Carnegie, the university funded the production of Abby’s film “Still Burning,” a reflection of her love of dance and cinematography. Abby also re-branded the Carnegie Mellon dance company Infra, which was in danger of folding ​before Abby and others worked to revitalize it. Abby is pursuing a graduate degree at Carnegie Mellon in entertainment industry management and studying aerial dance.

Lee Lee Barahona ’08 graduated from Spring Hill College in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic studies and a minor in biochemistry.

Lee Lee was admitted to the LSU New Orleans School of Nursing in the accelerated BSN program, with a full scholarship. Previously, Lee Lee worked in Orlando as the Latino outreach director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Although Hillary Clinton did not carry Florida, she did carry the Latino voters in Lee Lee’s district.

Ben Griffith ’09 is a senior communication major and student body president at St. Edward’s University in Austin. Ben was selected

by St. Edward’s to share his story, which was prominently featured on the school’s website. The video chronicles a typical school day for Ben, both on and off campus and highlights his determination to be elected to student government after losing his first race to fill a vacant senate seat. Says Ben, “I knew I was still going to be involved on campus and that I could run again and be successful. I wanted to give back to the St. Edward’s community that has given me so much.” Ben spent the past summer telling incoming freshmen and transfer students how to get involved as part of the Campus Involvement Team during orientation. Ben also works part-time for the campus recreation department and enjoys running throughout south Austin. Photo from St. Edwards College Brittany Philburn ’09 received a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Louisiana State University, graduating cum laude. She is attending graduate school at the LSU School of Allied Health in Baton Rouge, pursuing a master’s degree in speech language pathology.

Benjamin Soullier ’09 is a junior at the College of Washington and Lee in Lexington, Va., where he is pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in history, with concentration in politics and a minor in journalism.

He enjoys playing rugby as a member of the W&L Screaming Minks.

Frances Reisman ’10 graduated from Metairie Park Country Day, where she was all-state and all-metro pitcher in varsity softball, an athletic trainer for varsity football and member of the volleyball team. She volunteered in the Ochsner Baptist Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and organized a walk team to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Frances is a junior and elementary education major at Roanoke College, a member of Chi Omega Sorority and recipient of the Maroon Award scholarship. She has worked with children as a teaching assistant at The Children’s Place, with the Carrollton Booster Club and as a counselor at Jimmy Club Day Camp.

She aspires to become a kindergarten or first grade teacher. She was introduced as a member of the 2017-2018 New Orleans Debutante Coterie.

Christian Barahona ’13 graduated from Isidore Newman. He is attending the University of Notre Dame, where he was accepted by early decision with a full scholarship.

Gregory Bohn ’13 graduated from Jesuit High School and was awarded the All Academic Scholar Athlete Award for the LHSAA state wrestling tournament. Gregory is a freshman at the University of Texas McCombs Business School and was accepted to LSU, Notre Dame, Colorado School of Mines and SMU.

Mathilde Denegre ’13 graduated summa cum laude from Benjamin Franklin High School, where she was a National Merit finalist and recipient of the English department’s highest honor, the Dr. Shannon Antoine Award for Literary Studies. She currently attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

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Carolyn, Andree and Camille Moss ’13 Carolyn graduated from De La Salle High School and is attending Sewanee, The University of the South. Andree graduated from Isidore Newman and is attending the University of Denver.

Camille graduated from Benjamin Franklin and is attending Colorado State University, honors program.

Newell Schindler ’13 graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School and is taking a gap year from college. He is spending the year in Guatemala, studying Spanish and working to earn TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. While there, Newell is also volunteering at an orphanage that operates its own farm.

Louis Anthony Sivori ’13 graduated from De La Salle High School as salutatorian. He received the Homer Hit Scholarship and is attending the University of New Orleans, where he plans to major in computer science and physics.

Raymond Walker ’13 graduated from De La Salle High School and is attending Christian Brothers University in Memphis, as the recipient of the Maurelian scholarship. He was accepted to Spring Hill, the University of Tampa, Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi.

James Poche ’14 is a senior at Isidore Newman and a running back for the Greenies football team. He was recently honored by Louisiana Prep Sports as the Newman vs. Lusher player of the game. Prior to the game, Louisiana Prep Sports noted that James ranked “seventh among metro area rushers with 490 yards and 12 touchdowns.” Photo from NOLA.com

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ACCOLADE

Nicholas See ’14, a senior at Country Day, was selected to compete in the 2017 Greater New Orleans District Literary Rally, the American history division, held at Southeastern Louisiana University. Nicholas also qualified for State Rally.

Graduates

Nicholas Perrin ’15 is a junior at De La Salle High School where he is a member of the varsity cross country team, the varsity soccer team and the golf team. Last year Nicholas was the recipient of the award for most valuable golfer.

were accepted to the following colleges:

Samantha Raeder ’15 was selected to compete in the 2017 Greater New Orleans District Literary Rally, Spanish II division, held at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Samantha, a junior at Ben Franklin, was also selected to participate in the school’s Talented in Theatre program.

OF THE

Class of 2013

Ballet Austin Academy Christian Brothers University Colorado State University Colorado School of Mines Columbia University Duke University George Washington University Haverford College Kenyon College Louisiana State University St. Mary’s College of California Sewanee: The University of the South Southern Methodist University Spring Hill Tulane University University of Alabama University of Denver University of Klagenfurt Austria University of Louisiana Monroe University of Miami University of Mississippi University of New Orleans University of Notre Dame University of Southern Mississippi University of Tampa University of Texas McCombs Business School List is partial, based on responses.

Graduates OF THE

Class of 2017 were accepted to the following high schools:

Academy of the Sacred Heart Archbishop Rummel Benjamin Franklin De La Salle Holy Cross Isidore Newman Jesuit Louise McGehee Lusher High School Metairie Park Country Day

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy Pope John Paul II St. Mary’s Dominican St. Martin’s Episcopal School Santa Cruz High School (California)

‘FINANCIAL WUNDERKIND’

Ben Levy ’17, class graduation speaker and a current freshman at Benjamin Franklin, was recently the subject of a feature article in the New Orleans Advocate for his success at playing the stock market.

The article calls Ben a “financial wunderkind” for not only beating the stock market as an amateur investor, but also for teaching his strategy to other teens by writing booklets on financial literacy and teaching a class at the Microsoft store at Lakeside Mall.

Photo by New Orleans Advocate

Above: Jesuit students and former Dragons recently visited St. George’s. Left to right, Christopher Fitzpatrick, Austin Pottinger, Phillip Endom, Alex Wink and Yates Hoffman.

Members of the class of 2016 visited Knight at City Park.

Left to right are William Marzullo, Ethan Wachtel, Zack Nowalsky, Chance Goldfinch, Ben Walker, Richard Simmons with Max Hemperley below.

Drew Finkelstein, ’17, signs a yearbook during Knight at City Park. Drew was one of several 2017 graduates to visit and receive yearbooks at the event.

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INTERIM HEADMASTER ANNOUNCED

Ralph L. Wales, previously head of the Gordon School in East Providence, R.I., since 1994, was selected after a national search and extensive review process

by St. George’s Search Committee and the unanimous approval of the board of trustees.

Ralph L. Wales

Head of School Search Committee: Alex Breckinridge ’95, committee chair; alumnus; current parent; and vice-chairman, board of trustees Tamara Claverie, faculty, current parent George Denegre, Jr.,

former chairman, board of trustees; former school parent

The Very Rev. Richard Easterling,

rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church

Ava Fontenot,

faculty, former school parent

Sue Gilly,

former director of lower school, former trustee

Leon Nowalsky,

treasurer, board of trustees; former school parent

Shaun Rafferty,

former chairman, board of trustees; former school parent

T. Gregory Schafer,

chairman of the board of trustees, current school parent

Mr. Wales brings extensive experience in preschool through eighth grade education, along with a list of accomplishments that positioned the school as a leader in elementary education. Prior to his tenure at the Gordon School, Mr. Wales was assistant lower school principal and lower school principal at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Alex Breckenridge ’95, chair of the search committee, states, “I was immediately drawn to Ralph after seeing his commitment and passion to preschool through eighth grade education. His experience and 23 years as head of the Gordon School will ensure that he will be able to sustain St. George’s culture and values as we prepare for our permanent head of school.”

Board Chair Greg Schafer adds, “Ralph brings a wealth of experience and understanding that can be applied to our transition year and that will have a lasting impact on the school.”

According to Mr. Wales, “When I was introduced to the school, I was captured by this statement in the mission: ‘We recognize that no two children are alike; each one possesses a fascinating combination of gifts and challenges.’ This core understanding reveals the school’s wide-eyed, broad-minded embrace of young people.”

Mr. Wales holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is a community leader and president of the Association of Independent Schools of New England, as well as a trustee at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Mass. He has been happily married to Martha Dineen Wales for 29 years and is the father of three daughters, ages 26 to 18.

For more information about Mr. Wales and his letter to the St. George’s community, please visit the St. George’s website, www.stgeorgesepiscopal.com.

The home page features a link titled head of school search.

THIRD GRADERS LOVE THE RED CROSS For the twentieth consecutive year, the third grade class coordinated a two-mile walk-a-thon through Audubon Park to benefit The American Red Cross. Through the years, third graders have raised an impressive $60,000, with all funds remaining close to home to support local Red Cross efforts. Each year, the project offers valuable lessons, as students work closely with their teachers to plan and execute event logistics, design the event t-shirt, solicit donations and complete and tally their own pledge sheets.

Once funds are collected, students invite a Red Cross representative to visit campus for a special check presentation. This year’s event raised more than $3,700 for Red Cross, a humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, emergency services, healthcare and education. The event also has the support of the Brown Foundation, which underwrites expenses with a service learning grant.

Third grade teacher Sutton Ruiz, who launched the project with a former co-teacher, was the recipent of a special award from the Red Cross in recognition of her efforts to raise more than $60,000. “I love continuing this amazing community service project with my third graders. The Red Cross has been so appreciative and wonderful with our students.

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DISCO KNIGHTS

Left, Eric Davis and Eugenie Suggs Above, Co-chairs Kelly Marks and Annie Michaels display a Michalopoulos-inspired abstract painting created by sixth grade artists for the live auction.

Willie Pult poses with art created for the St. George’s Champagne Stroll exhibit.

ART SHOWCASE Each spring, St. George’s collaborates with the Magazine Street Merchants Association and art galleries along Magazine Street to participate in the Champagne Stroll. The exhibit featured cloud paintings inspired by the work of local artist and St. George’s dad Billy Solitario. Also featured were Jim Dineinspired works, string art, Minecraft pillows, clay vases and flowers, pinch pots and other ceramic creations and paintings rounded out the exhibit.

Visitors also enjoyed a photo booth modeled after “The Scream” by famed Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch.

St. George’s also hosted a fall art show titled Exploring Space. Art teachers Pam Skehan and Brynn Wilborn worked closely with student artists in preschool through eighth grade to produce the exhibit. Student artists have also shown their creations at City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks, NOMA’s Art in Bloom and at a recent exhibit for school families held throught campus.

The St. George’s Parents Group hosted its 34th annual Soirée, the school’s premiere fundraiser, with more than 200 guests in attendance.

“Disco Knights” featured live and silent auctions, music by Super T and the Revue and catering and beverages from more than a dozen New Orleans establishments. The event was co-chaired by Annie Michaels and Kelly Marks and coordinated by dozens of parent committee chairs and volunteers. Plans for the upcoming soiree, to be held on Friday, March 2, 2018, are well underway. “Jazz and Heritage” will be chaired

by Eugenie Suggs and Cynthia Sterbcow.

Volunteer support is still needed, and parents are encouraged to join the committee. More information is available on the Parents Group page of the school website.

Parents enjoy a break from the disco.

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Parents Group executive officers, from left, Rachel Alltmont, president; Krystil Lawton, vice president; Liz Schafer, secretary; and Emily Dodart, treasurer.

Each school year, the St. George’s Parents Group contributes countless volunteer hours to coordinate various projects and events that are vital to the school’s success. In addition to fundraising efforts that contribute significantly to the school’s bottom line, the Parents Group organizes numerous other projects to support the school, including vision and hearing screenings, school photos and faculty appreciation luncheons. Parents Group volunteers also greet visitors during open house, coordinate a welcome dinner for new parents and host the annual board meeting and spring dinner. Fundraisers include a gift wrap sale, a book fair and “Knight at City Park.” The group’s premiere event, the annual Soirée, is held each spring.

“To accomplish such lofty goals, the Parents Group is organized into distinct committees to ensure that all projects are well coordinated and executed,” explains Parents Group President Rachel Alltmont. “While all provide valuable support to the school, Parents Group activities also provide fun opportunities for parents to engage with one another. These opportunities build relationships across our entire school, truly creating the

family environment that we all love so much.”

With the funds raised, the Parents Group is able to provide budget support each year through its allocations committee. The committee meets several times each spring to review specific requests from faculty members to fund equipment, educational materials, teacher training and other items that are needed. Last school year alone, the Parents Group dedicated an impressive $29,000, which directly and immediately impacted our students.

“The Parents Group depends on the help of our parents to best support our school! There is an opportunity for everyone and we invite each of you to find at least one volunteer activity this year at school – whether in your child’s classroom, through our Dads Club, the Soirée or another project. It’s a great way to benefit your child’s education and experience this school year.”

For additional information about the Parents Group or the Soirée, please visit the Parents Group page on the St. George’s website, www.stgeorgesepiscopal.com.

Dads Club co-chairs Adam Norris and Dale Gallagher grill burgers in the middle school commons for an informal gathering of dads to kick off the new school year. Right, Jim Henderson, the voice of the Saints, speaks at a Dads Club gathering.

Each school year the St. George’s Dads Club holds social gatherings and fundraisers, all intended to build camaraderie among fathers, create school spirit and support the school. The school year kicked off with a barbecue welcoming dads to the campus and boasting record attendance. Co-chairs Adam Norris and Dale Gallagher have more events planned for the school year and encourage fellow dads to participate in the annual Super Bowl Pool, the afternoon of family fun at Rock ‘N’ Bowl, a cookout at Field Day and a new Mardi Gras event. Over the years, fundraising projects have provided manpower and funding for various academic and athletic services at St. George’s. For more information, visit the Dads Club page of the St. George’s website.

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STUDENTS SUPPORT GRAY DAY

St. George’s students continue their efforts to support Louisiana Gray Day to help raise awareness of brain cancer. In 2010, St. George’s resource teacher Mona Leingang lost her husband Gary to brain cancer. Through Mrs. Leingang’s efforts, The Louisiana House of Representatives established May 9, Mr. Leingang’s birthday, as a day to raise awareness of brain cancer, one the most aggressive types of cancer. Since then, St. George’s students and faculty have continued to support Gray Day while raising awareness and funds to support brain cancer research. Last year, St. George’s formed the Gray Day Gang to participate in the Kelsey Bradley Favrot Memorial Walk/ Run, to help establish a treatment center at the LSU Department of Neurosurgery in New Orleans.

This fall, the St. George’s team of 200 members walked in support of Cristina Arroya, a preschool parent currently undergoing brain cancer treatment. St. George’s is proud of Mrs. Leingang’s leadership and the continued support of the St. George’s family to advance this important cause. Says Mrs. Leingang, “I had only been at St. George’s eight months when I asked Dr. Eichberger if the school would promote brain cancer awareness.

I had no idea what it meant to have the support of St. George’s.

Since then, the school has been recognized on TV, in newspapers and on social media. While St. George’s has been doing the work for this cause, I have felt blessed beyond words to be part of this community.”

VISITING AUTHOR Peter Lerangis, a New York Times best-selling author of young adult fiction, visited third through sixth graders to discuss his latest book, “Max Tilt: Fire the Depths,” a hair-raising adventure. Mr. Lerangis has written more than 160 books, including “Seven Wonders” and the “39 Clues” series.

KUDOS FROM CITY COUNCIL

Sixth grader Pete Metzinger was recognized by the New Orleans City Council last spring, for his stellar participation in the national level of Academic Games competition. In addition to individual competition in five disciplines, Pete was part of the New Orleans Pelicans team, which included students from other local schools. Pete finished 38th of 80 competitors in current events and had impressive placements in the other categories, propaganda, equations, presidents and on-sets. “The competition was fierce but fair and good sportsmanship abounded. I like seeing Pete study with children from other schools, learning from each other, and excited about a common goal,” reports Pete’s father, Dr. Stephen Metzinger. This was Pete’s third time to compete at the national level of Academic Games.

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WHAT WILL WE MAKE AT CAMP? When middle schoolers just can’t get enough STEM in the classroom, they can always attend NOLA Tech Camp, one of the specialty summer camps held at St. George’s. Students get to use CAD (computer-aided design) to create objects for 3D printing, program robots to solve problems and design and publish their own websites.

Director of Technology Wes Ganucheau, self-proclaimed hacker and maker, teaches 3D design, one of three sections offered during NOLA Tech Camp. He guides students along as they conceive and create their own 3D prototypes using TinkerCAD and St. George’s 3D printers. “The goal is to make something that works. Something with moving parts that actually DOES something,” explains Mr. Ganucheau.

What do campers want to make? “We had a few catapults and trebuchets, some fidget spinners, a pair of tiny shoes that can fit on their fingers -seriously. Campers are free to make whatever they want, as long as it’s a functional object. Starting with primitive shapes like cubes and spheroids, students will arrange, deform and distort these shapes to create their design,” adds Mr. Ganucheau. “They were encouraged to test print moving or fitted components individually to find out if they will function. Each student took at least one printed object home with them at the end of camp.”

Mr. Ganucheau collaborates with two colleagues, each teaching distinct segments, to round out the tech camp curriculum.

Technology Coordinator Allie Segura presents the digital details segment, which explores the concepts behind everyday technology, leading students to create and publish their own websites. Middle School Math Department Chair and Robotics Team Head Coach Paul Williams teaches the robotics section, which guides students to design, engineer and program their own robots to solve real-world problems.

“St. George’s already offers many of these concepts within our regular school-year curriculum, but the camp takes it further and offers a fun and challenging opportunity for advanced students to go more in-depth than we can in the classrooms,” says Mr. Ganucheau.

NOLA Tech Camp is one of several summer programs offered on St. George’s campus. In addition to traditional day camp, including Dragon Camp for preschool through kindergarten students and Castletree Camp for first through fifth graders, academic specialty camps are also offered, focusing on specific areas such as reading, writing, math review and Kurzweil software training.

DRAGON PLAYERS PRESENT The 2017 Dragon Players presented “Willy Wonka, Jr.,” adapted from the Roald Dahl classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The annual middle school production featured musical performances and special effects set to the magical story of literature’s most famed candy maker.

Following two sold-out evening performances, the Dragon Players performed a matinee for second through eighth graders. The middle school play is a longstanding St. George’s tradition held each spring.

The play was directed by former teacher Maureen Missavage, with the support and collaboration of drama, creative arts and art teachers. Student involvement begins months in advance, with students working on every aspect of the production, including script adaptations, costume design, set design, auditions and rehearsals.

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MAKING MUSIC The St. George’s Concert Band presented its annual Spring Concert in the Salem Theatre with students performing an assortment of jazz and blues under the direction of Band Director Jonathan Martin. “It was a great culmination of our third year of band at St. George’s,” says Mr. Martin. “We have enjoyed our many performances and look forward to even greater things in the future.” In addition to the annual concert, band students perform at various school events, including creative arts showcases and the school’s own Mardi Gras parade.

SUPPORTING PUERTO RICO

St. George’s students showed their generosity and compassion for the citizens of Puerto Rico by collecting donations of diapers, formula, wipes, baby bottles, nipples and feminine care products to support those affected by Hurricane Maria. The drive was conducted

by DASH (Dragons in Action Serving and Helping) in collaboration with the statewide relief effort by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Three SUV’s were filled with donations to be distributed to thousands of Puerto Ricans remaining on the island.

ON FILM

In addition to juggling schoolwork and extracurricular activities, second grader and young actress Hannah Alltmont has had a busy year working with award-winning directors on six independent films, as well as the feature film Christmas in July, directed by Myles Matsuno.

Here, a film still shows Hannah in the indie film Night’s Still Young by director Brian Hollars.

PUBLISHED Middle school student Court Carriere is now a published author.

His poem “Maraca” was selected to appear in Treasured, a publication of the America Library of Poetry featuring poems submitted by teachers across the U.S. Although Treasured receives thousands of entries each year, its goal is to publish a few hundred pieces from young authors to help encourage their literary pursuits. Currently a sixth grader, Court wrote “Maraca” during fifth grade writing lab. According to his teacher Lindsey Goeke, “We studied various forms of figurative language and sound devices along with many different styles of poetry. This particular piece was inspired by objects around the room, including Mrs. Wood’s maraca.”

COVER KIDS First graders Ryan Carrigan and Daniela Elias appeared on the cover of November’s Nola Family magazine. The photo features Ryan and Daniela celebrating fall at Hollygrove Market and Farm. Photo by Twirl Photography.

Maraca

by Court Carriere The beat to my heart Covered in its beautiful art The maraca dancing Spinning and prancing Like the blood in my veins That I can’t maintain The beat to my soul for my maraca will never grow old –Court Carrere ‘20

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Student Gallery

Ted Harrison Landscape Pastel, Renee Morantez, Third Grade

Pinch Pot Alien Ceramics, Wills LeBourgeois, Second Grade

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Avery Holding a Sharpie Perspective Drawing, Walter Goliwas, Seventh Grade

Preschool Space Art Collaboration

Wooden Spoon Puppet , Oliver Granier, Dandelion Room

Texture Moon Mixed Media, Rowan Hiramatsu, First Grade

Audubon Birds of Louisiana, Block Printing, Fifth and Sixth Grade Collaboration

Galaxy Painting Watercolor, Quincy Martin, Fourth Grade

Ceramic Box, Jack Hance, Fifth Grade

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2016 - 2017

ANNUAL REPORT The 2016-2017 Annual Report is a celebration of those who have financially supported St. George’s Episcopal School and its programs.

The generous support from our current parents, grandparents, trustees, faculty and staff, alumni families and friends enables us to carry forward our mission and offer an exceptional learning experience that is uniquely St. George’s. We could not maintain our standard of excellence without you.

Thank You! We give special thanks to the volunteers of the Parents Group and Dads Club, who organize school events each year such as Knight at City Park, the annual Soirée, Book Week and Family Night at Rock ‘n’ Bowl. Thank you to all the parents and friends whose time and effort make these events successful and to our school families, alumni families, corporations and foundations who support them.

IN CO ME

E XP E N SE S

Tuition & Fees

86

Salaries & Benefits

Auxiliary Programs and Other Revenue

General & Administrative

Charitable Contributions

Maintenance & Plant

%

8%

6%

67% 13% 9%

Programs & Services

11%

FINANCIAL INFORMATION 2016-2017 FISCAL YEAR For additional information about St. George’s fundraising efforts or to make a contribution, please contact the Advancement Office at development@stgeorgesepiscopal.com or (504) 891-5509. Although we strive for complete accuracy, please make us aware of any errors or omissions that might have occurred in the 2016-2017 Annual Report.

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Annual Giving funds are essential to the school operations and directly support areas such as classroom technology, character education, faculty salaries, professional development, tuition assistance and many other resources that contribute to unique learning experiences for students and teachers. Support at all levels is deeply appreciated and makes an immediate impact on our students. Thanks are extended to all donors who supported the 2016-2017 campaign. It was a great success and raised more than $194,000!

2016-2017 ANNUAL GIVING VOLUNTEERS

Jennifer Brammell, Annual Giving Chair, with Wendy Granier, Director of Advancement

St. George’s also participated in the fourth annual GiveNOLA Day, organized by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Through this giving event, St. George’s received $26,485 from 117 donors! Many thanks to the generous donors listed below.*

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES LOWER SCHOOL Amber Lambert....................................... pre-k4 Harry Hardin..................................kindergarten Melissa Fuselier................................. first grade Courtney Costello....................... second grade Kate Cox....................................... second grade

Cappy Johnson................................third grade Kimberly Collins............................ fourth grade Norma Kimble............................... fourth grade

MIDDLE SCHOOL Peggy Odem......................................fifth grade Millie Fuller...................................... sixth grade Margaret Ann Minihan.................... sixth grade Jennifer Brammell..................... seventh grade Rebecca Zwart..............................eighth grade

2016-2017 ANNUAL GIVING DONORS We gratefully acknowledge all donors to the 2016-2017 Annual Giving Campaign. *

GiveNOLA Day participant

DONORS BY GIVING LEVEL Knights of St. George ($10,000.00 +) Mike and Lynn Coatney Family Foundation Fund Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kimble Chairman’s Club ($5,000.00 +) Cahn Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James L. Cahn Mr. and Mrs. Richard Cahn Coughlin-Saunders Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Ian Ferguson Mr. David Garner Ms. Lee Anne Garner The Gustaf W. McIlhenny Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Rodriguez Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Wiegand II* Dr. Hong Xin and Mr. Donglai Yang Benefactor ($2,500.00 +) Mr. and Mrs. Van G. Bohn Sr. Dr. & Mrs. Brett Edward Casey Mr. and Mrs. William J. Goliwas

Dr. and Mrs. R. Clay Gould* Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Graffagnini Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hale Mr. and Mrs. William Horvath Mr. Paul J. Leaman Jr. LWCC Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Marnoch Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Middleberg Mr. and Mrs. Leon Nowalsky* Mr. Alistair Salisbury and Ms. Tanya Mennear Mr. Michael Stag and Mrs. Catherine Cummins* Shield of St. George ($1,500.00 +) Mr. and Mrs. Jack Alltmont Dr. and Mrs. Warren Billings* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Cox Dr. and Mrs. Robert Eichberger* Mr. and Mrs. Raymond B. Falk Mr. Mark and Dr. Sara Fernandez Mr. David Garner Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kehoe* Mr. and Mrs. Dana Leaman Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Lelong

Ms. Marcia MacArthur Mr. and Mrs. Tim McLanahan* Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Puckett Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence G. Pugh III* Mr. and Mrs. Francis Raborn Mr. and Mrs. Greg Schafer* Mr. and Mrs. John Turner 2 Anonymous/Unknown Headmaster’s Cup ($1,105 +) Mr. and Mrs. Alex Breckinridge V* Mr. and Mrs. Janssen L. Casey Mrs. Carroll Suggs Dr. and Mrs. George Therapondos Dr. Jennifer Avegno and Mr. Kurt Weigle

Sponsors ($500.00 +)

Mr. and Mrs. John Amato Dr. and Mrs. David Borne* Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Brammell II Dr. John Carlson and Dr. Caroline Campion Mr. and Mrs. Hampton Carver Mr. and Mrs. Marshall H. Carver IV

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2016- 2017 Mr. and Mrs. Philip Claverie Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Donald Costello Mr. and Mrs. David Curry* Mr. Peter T. Curtis Mr. John DeCell and Dr. Mary Killackey Mr. and Mrs. George Denegre Jr.* Ms. Suellen DeRussy Downman Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Richard Favor Mrs. Margie Fell* Ms. Millie Fuller Mr. and Mrs. Cres Gardner III* Mr. and Mrs. L. Trimble Green William Trimble Green Charitable Trust Ms. Peyton P. Greene Dr. and Mrs. Jay Hescock* Mr. John W. Joyce and Ms. Christine Harvey* Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Kidder* Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kirschman Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Lawton III Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. LeBlanc Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Lee* Mr. and Mrs. R. Jackson Little* Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Michaels* Ms. Shelley Middleberg Mrs. George R. Montgomery Mr. Robert Pittman* Dr. Jennifer Raeder and Mr. David Dawes* Capt. and Mrs. Timothy Rieder Mr. Daniel Shea and Ms. Stephanie Stokes Dr. and Mrs. Charles C. Smith III Mrs. Anne Reily Sutherlin Mr. Daniel Velez Dr. Rachelle Ward and Mr. Jason Ward Mr. and Mrs. Louis R. Wejnert III* 1 Anonymous Donor

Friends Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Abbyad* Ms. Andrea Accardi Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Accardo Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Mark Allen* Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Allen Mr. and Mrs. Donald Alphonso* Amazon Smile Mr. Ronald Anderson Mr. Corey Schultz and Ms. Jessica Aris Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Armstrong* Ms. Kimberly L. Ashman* Ms. Caroline G. Avegno* Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bagot Jr.* Dr. and Mrs. Luis Balart* Mrs. Ryan Balsamo Mr. and Mrs. Larry Barard Dr. and Mrs. Neil Baum Becker Suffern McLanahan, Ltd* Mr. and Mrs. C. Devon Becnel* Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel V. Benjamin III Mr. and Mrs. Herbert L. Bennett Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bergin Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Bernard*

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Mr. and Mrs. Wade Bigner Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Blaum* Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bommarito Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Borengasser Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brannon Reverend and Mrs. Alexander Breckinridge IV Mr. and Mrs. David Broussard Mr. and Mrs. Jon Burckin Mr. Robert Burwell and Ms. Linda Barrett* Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Campion Mr. and Mrs. William Carrere* Mr. and Mrs. James Carriere* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Carrigan Dr. and Mrs. Gary Cecchine Mr. and Mrs. Warren Chapoton* Ms. Jane Charbonnet Mr. and Mrs. Donald Charles Mr. and Dr. Kenneth Christiansen Mr. Charles E. Clark Mr. and Mrs. Philip Claverie Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Coatney* Mr. Benny Collins and Ms. Judith Stone-Collins* Mr. and Mrs. Cesar Corzantes* Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Crawford* Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Cumings Ms. Annie Curry* Mr. and Mrs. Eric Davis Sr. Dr. Jessica DeBord and Mr. Nathan DeBord Ms. Betty K. DeCell Mr. Michael DeGeorge and Ms. Deborah Hinson* Mr. and Mrs. Husted DeRussy Miss Kara Deutch Mr. and Mrs. Mark Dodart* Ms. Penelope Dralle* Mr. and Mrs. William D. Dunn Mr. Chris Dvorak and Dr. Fern Tsien Dvorak Rev. Richard Easterling* Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Ehrensing Jr. Mr. Robert L. Eichberger Drs. Samir and Jane El-Dahr* Ms. Katherine Ellis Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Emmett Mr. and Mrs. John Endom* Mr. David Engles Mr. and Mrs. Paul Erny* Ms. Gloria Esthus Mr. and Mrs. Lester B. Falgoust Mr. Matthew Fanelli and Dr. Lisa Barbiero Dr. and Mrs. Gist H. Farr Mr. Robert Pinheiro and Ms. Amélie Ferré-Pinheiro Ms. Kelly Finegan Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Finkelstein Mr. Joseph W. Firkaly-Paciera Mr. and Mrs. Fred Flagler Mr. and Mrs. Paul Flower* Ms. Ava Fontenot* Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Foreman Dr. and Dr. Mark Forshag Mr. and Mrs. Russell Foster Ms. Suzie Fowler

Ms. Jane Fox Dr. and Mrs. Harold A. Fuselier Jr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Prentice Fuselier Mr. and Mrs. David Gaines Mr. and Mrs. Dale Gallagher Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garda Mrs. Patricia Gibbons Mr. and Mrs. Garland Gillen Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goeke Dr. and Mrs. Melvin H. Gold Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. Michael Granie Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Granier* Mr. and Mrs. George Graves* Mr. and Mrs. Tim Gray Greater New Orleans Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Griffith Mr. and Mrs. James Gundlach* Mr. and Mrs. James Gurney* Mr. Elder Gwin* Mr. and Mrs. James Hance* Mr. and Mrs. Paul Harang* Mrs. Ann B. Harris Mr. and Mrs. John Haspel* Mr. and Mrs. James Haydel Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Hayden Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hoffman Dr. Cathy Honoré Mr. and Mrs. Peter H. Hopkins Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hopwood Dr. and Mrs. David R. Hotchkiss Mr. and Mrs. D. Douglas Howard Jr. Ms. Jan Hutchison and Mr. Glen Wood Ms. Julianna Iacovone Ms. Donna Jimerson* Mr. and Mrs. Brian Johnson* Ms. Carol Johnson* Ms. Dee-Dee Johnson Ms. Hannagan Johnson* Dr. Frank Jordan Mrs. Meghan Juba Ms. Maureen Kennedy Mr. Randall Kleinman and Ms. Marla Hamilton* Mr. and Mrs. Louis R. Koerner III* Mr. Keith Kornman* Ms. Amie Krake* Ms. Jessica Kutcher* Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth H. Laborde Ms. Melissa Ladner Mr. and Mrs. Sean Laughlin* Mr. and Mrs. Austin Lavin* Mr. and Mrs. Leo Leach Mr. and Mrs. Charles LeBourgeois Mr. Ngawang Legshe and Ms. Jennifer Myhre* Mrs. Mona Leingang Mr. and Mrs. Archie LeJeune Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Liljeberg Sr. Mr. James T. Little Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Lopez Ms. Clare Loughran Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Marks*

ANNUAL REPORT Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Martin Ms. Frances Martinez and Mr. Luis Llamas Mr. and Mrs. Mike McCall Mr. and Mrs. Adam McConnell Mr. and Mrs. Chris Meaux Dr. Ann Metzinger Mr. Patrick B. Michell* Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Miller* Ms. Jacquelyn Miller Ms. Maureen Missavage Harry and Marion Mohre Mr. and Mrs. David Morantez* Ms. Gloria Morantez Mr. and Mrs. Frank Morton* Mr. and Mrs. Vinny Mosca Ms. Jennifer Moseley Mr. Samuel Berman and Ms. Samantha Murrah-Morris* Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Musa Mr. and Mrs. Jimy Negrotto* Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Nodier Mr. and Mrs. Robert Norton Ms. Margaret Odem Mr. and Mrs. David A. Olson* Mr. Joseph C. Paciera and Ms. Anna Marie Firkaly* Mr. Philip Pawlicki and Dr. Joy Kohlmaier* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Pellerito Mr. and Mrs. Ignace A. Perrin III* Ms. Kathryn Phelan Mrs. Lois M. Philburn Mr. and Mrs. Greg Phillips* Ms. Monica Prechac*

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Prokop* Mr. and Mrs. Raphael J. Rabalais Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Danny Ragan* Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Ramsey Mr. and Mrs. Michael Remillard Mr. Eric Revels and Ms. Stephanie Salvaggio Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Reznik Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ridgeway* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rooney Miss Allison Rosenbaum Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Ruiz Ms. Ashley Salmen* Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sanders Ms. Karin Sandstrand Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Savoy Dr. and Mrs. John Schieffelin* Mr. and Mrs. John Seddelmeyer Mr. and Mrs. John Segura Mr. Howard Shapiro and Ms. Catherine Boozman* Mr. and Mrs. Louis Shepard Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Silbert* Mr. and Mrs. James Simes Mr. and Mrs. S. Talmadge Singer II Dr. Enrica Singleton Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sison Ms. Pam Skehan* Dr. and Mrs. James Smith Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Sontag Mr. Daniel Spangler and Dr. Krystal Vaughn* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Steckler* Dr. John Steen Jr. and Mrs. Stacey Holman Steen*

Ms. Katherine Steinhardt* Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stone* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Suggs* Mr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Talley Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Teall Mr. and Mrs. Balad W. Tebo II UnitedHealth Group Inc. Mr. and Mrs. W. W. van Benthuysen Jr. Mrs. Daisy M. VanDenburgh Ms. Anna Vaughn Mrs. and Mrs. Megan von Qualen Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Waghorne Mr. and Mrs. Michael Weiser Mr. and Mrs. Martin West* Dr. Emma Whitman and Mr. David Hague* Mr. and Mrs. Eli Wilborn Mr. Paul Williams and Ms. Hailey Bowen* Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wilson Ms. Tanisha Wilson* Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Wilt* Dr. James Wise Dr. Thomas M. Wolf Mrs. and Mrs. Carl Allen Woods III Mr. and Mrs. Allen Zschiesche Ms. Rebecca Zwart 7 Anonymous Donors

Annual Giving Donor Party Left: Larry and Nina Pugh with Charles and Kyle Kehoe Leon and Ava Nowalsky

Left: Ellen Ball, Rob Eichberger, Elaine Eichberger and Mac Ball Adam and Michele Norris and Rachel and Jeff Alltmont

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2016- 2017 St. George’s gratefully acknowledges all donors to the Growing Together Capital Campaign: The campaign to expand St. George’s Michael R. Boh Early Childhood Center.

Donor listing as of June 30, 2017 Leadership Gifts

$5,000+

Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Boh Dr. and Mrs. Robert Eichberger Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kimble Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Lelong Libby Dufour Fund Mr. and Mrs. Leon Nowalsky Mr. Warner Thomas and Ms. Linda Bacon

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Alltmont Cahn Family Foundation Mrs. Margie Fell Mr. and Mrs. Dana Leaman

$30,000+ Dr. and Mrs. Warren Billings Compliance Solutions Inc. First Choice Technologies, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. R. Clay Gould Mr. and Mrs. Greg Schafer St. George’s Parents Group

$10,000+ Reverend and Mrs. Alexander Breckinridge IV Mr. and Mrs. Alex Breckinridge V Mr. and Mrs. George Denegre Jr. Ella West Freeman Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Graffagnini Dr. and Mrs. Carlos Rodriguez-Fierro Dr. and Mrs. John Schieffelin Selley Foundation

$1,000+ Dr. Jennifer Avegno and Mr. Kurt Weigle Mr. and Mrs. Troy Bourque Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Cox Mr. and Mrs. Gordon C. Dumont J.C. Dupont, Inc. Geneva Capital Solutions Gillan Associates Mr. David Glassman Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Granier Hunt Telecommunications LLC Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kas perczyk Ms. Romaine McCarthy Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Middleberg Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Nead Mrs. Caroline Nead Netcome Data Southern Corp.

Ms. Shirley Nowalsky Precision Telecom Technologies Riverbend Telecom, Inc.

St. George’s Endowment: Securing Our Future The St. George’s Endowment Fund will provide stability in the coming decades and create an opportunity for growth. Endowment gifts may be directed to the general endowment, restricted to a currently endowed fund or used to establish a new named fund.

Tower Ventures Management, LLC 1414 Veterans LLC

Friends Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Abbyad Crescent Merchant Services LLC Rev. Richard Easterling Mr. Jon Folse and Ms. Laurie M. Folse Mrs. Lee Anne Garner Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gothard Mr. David Garner Greater New Orleans Foundation Jessica Greenberg Mr. Roy D. Greenberg and Ms. Paula Greenberg Mr. and Mrs. Paul Guarisco Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Heggelund Dr. and Mrs. Jay Hescock Ms. Molly J. Homler Mr. and Mrs. Brian Johnson Mr. Andrew Lustigman Mr. James Lynch Ms. Judith Nowalsky Mr. Eric Revels and Ms. Stephanie Salvaggio Mr. Robert J. Sorrentino Sidney Steabman TMI Corporation

Thank you to our Endowment Donors:

Gifts below were committed between July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bergeron Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Lelong Mr. and Mrs. Greg Schafer

Honor/Memorial Donors St. George’s gratefully acknowledges those donors who have made a gift in memory of a loved one or in honor of a loved one’s birthday, anniversary or other special occasion. All honor and memorial gifts go into the St. George’s Endowment Fund to benefit not only our current students but future generations as well.

Gifts below were committed between July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017.

In memory of Michael Aucoin Mr. and Mrs. James L. Cahn

In memory of Lucille Charbonnet Hixon Mrs. Elizabeth D. Neilson

In memory of Chrissy Lapeyre Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Ball, Jr.

In memory of Michael R. Boh Mrs. Elizabeth A. Boh

In memory of Wilkins Kearney Dr. and Mrs. Jay Hescock Ms. Jessie S. Monsted Mr. and Mrs. Larry Simpson

In honor of Nicole Curran Ms. Jane Goldring

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ANNUAL REPORT Special Funds Thanks to the generosity of the St. George’s community, several special funds have been established to pay tribute to loved ones while also supporting important strategic initiatives of the school. These funds provide support for faculty professional development and retention, financial assistance to families, campus preservation and student scholarship awards.

The Fund for Faculty Excellence

Val Kehoe Scholarship for Resource Services

Mr. and Mrs. Burt H. Keenan

Ms. Suzie Fowler Mr. Michael Kehoe Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Smith The Stanley W. Ray Jr. Philanthropic and Civic Trust

Arthur Carroll Waters III Spirit Award Fund The Arthur Carroll Waters III Spirit Award Fund was created in 2011 in memory of Arthur Waters, a former St. George’s student and “a friend to all.” This award has been established

by Peter, Bonnie and Natalie Waters and their family and friends, to honor Arthur’s legacy. The award recognizes a current St. George’s student who exhibits school pride and good citizenship. The honoree also receives a partial tuition scholarship. Through the generosity of the family and friends of the Waters family, the fund stands at over $274,000.

Lelong Family Fund Betsey King Award The Betsey King Award was established in 2013 by Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Lelong to recognize an outstanding member of the St. George’s faculty. It also serves to honor founding head of St. George’s, Betsey King, who was a beloved and dedicated teacher, as well as fundraiser and supporter of St. George’s.

2017 recipient Lexa Davis ’18

St. George’s gratefully acknowledges donors to the Arthur Carroll Waters III Spirit Award Fund from July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 RECIPIENT: MARY HAYDEN Second grade teacher Mary Hayden with her son Martin and husband Bruce. The 2017 recipient was named at the Thanksgiving service on Wednesday, November 22, 2017.

PAST RECIPIENTS: 2013: Chrissy Negrotto 2014: Suzie Fowler

2015: Tanya Musa 2016: Mary Hayden

Mr. and Mrs. L. Moye Sanders Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Giovingo Sr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Parham Werlein Mr. and Mrs. George Griswold Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Summerour Mr. and Mrs. E. Burton White III Mr. and Mrs. Burt Keenan

Mrs. Anne Reily Sutherlin Mr. and Mrs. Walter Carroll Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Waters Mr. and Mrs. G. Anthony Gelderman III Mr. Thomas M. Gordon 1 Anonymous Donor

OTHER DESIGNATED GIFTS The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James L. Cahn Mrs. Caroline Nead Mr. and Mrs. Leon Nowalsky

2017-2018

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2016- 2017

Establishing the Eichberger Legacy Fund Over the past 35 years, Rob and Elaine Eichberger

have shaped St. George’s into one of the finest independent schools in our region. Their commitment to the children of New Orleans and the educational community has been unwavering and an inspiration for so many fellow educators. As Dr. Eichberger embarks on his last year as headmaster of St. George’s Episcopal School, it is only fitting that he wants to ensure that his life’s work will continue as the school moves forward with a future filled with hope. Thus, the board of trustees and the St. George’s administration have established the Eichberger Legacy Fund.

The fund will be directed by a board-appointed advisory committee that will include Dr. Eichberger. This committee will coordinate with the board of trustees to direct the Eichberger Legacy Fund towards strategic priorities that will continue to strengthen the school for decades to come.

The fund will have a special emphasis on projects such as providing financial assistance for deserving students, supporting capital projects, or advancing other areas identified by the school’s strategic plan.

This newly established fund provides a special opportunity for the St. George’s community to recognize the accomplishments of the Eichbergers and their unparalleled vision. St. George’s is a place where families have grown together, where lifelong friendships have formed and where our children have learned skills that will serve them all their lives. For the past 35 years, The Eichbergers have strengthened the foundation of St. George’s Episcopal School. All commitments to the Eichberger Legacy Fund will have a lasting impact on the life of the school for years to come.

*Please note that gift levels are representative of Dr. Eichberger’s 35 years of service to St. George’s.

All donors at the $3,500 level and above will be listed on the Legacy Donor Wall to be displayed in Porteous Hall. Thank you for honoring Rob and Elaine Eichberger through your gift to the Eichberger Legacy Fund. Please note that pledges may be fulfilled over a three-year period. To make a gift, please use the insert envelope provided or contact Wendy Granier, Director of Advancement, at wendy@stgeorgesepiscopal.com.

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ACCOLADE

Celebrating

THE EICHBERGER YEARS

at St. George’s

1983

2018

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018

Rob and E laine’s to honor

R E M A R K A B L E S E RV I C E

TO ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL Eichberger Legacy Committee

Bettye and Mike Bagot Ellen and Mac Ball Linda and Neil Baum Ann and Robert Boh Marie and James Cahn Joanne and Bill Chauvin

Sally and Walter Cockerham Milly and George Denegre Ashley and Randy Eichberger Melissa Parrish and Robbie Eichberger Marja and Ray Falk Sue and George Gilly

Chairman of the Board of Trustees T. Gregory Schafer

Nancy and Stephen Hales Donna and Jack Little Claudia and Cleland Powell Linda and Andy Schroeder Nici and Billy Solitario Bonnie and Peter Waters

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees Alexander N. Breckinridge, V

Eichberger Committee Liaisons Kirsten Breckinridge | Wendy Granier | Liz Schafer

For more information or to get involved, please visit www.stgeorgesepiscopal.com 2017-2018

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ACCOLADE S T. G E O R G E ’ S E P I S C O PA L S C H O O L | 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

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ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL Copyright © 2018

Phone: (504) 891-5509 Fax: (504) 895-1225

Is your St. George’s alumnus no longer at this address?

If so, please email us at alumni@stgeorgesepiscopal.com.

St. George’s Episcopal School 2017-2018

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