Fall Update 2022

Regents School

of

Austin

Fall Update

2022

Contents ENROLLMENT UPDATE CHRIST AND CULTURE CAMPUS UPDATES SURVEY RESULTS CURRICULUM REVIEW UPCOMING EVENTS

A LETTER FROM THE

Head of School This school year has brought much joy to my heart! I hope you are now in a good rhythm of a new year. Normalcy brings about that which is expected or typical. The pandemic caused us to rethink how to do school. I am thankful it did not become a new normal for us or culture as a whole.

As a Dad, I am tenderhearted as my older two children are a senior and junior. Some days, I feel like I am going to blink and one-third of our household will be off to new things. I can feel the time slipping away each day, and yet, I am reminded of the reality of why I as a parent exist and why Regents exists. To disciple, train, and send. We were never meant to keep our children in a quiver or at school. Parents, we have the ultimate responsibility to disciple and shepherd our children to shoot them as arrows into this world. As a K-12 community, we have a vision to prepare the students under our care for a life of service to God and man. We are not just college preparatory. Do we want to prepare our students for college? Absolutely!

However, if that is the telos of our educational endeavor then that is myopic.

We are a life preparatory school, preparing students for college, and beyond, which in essence is the life here on earth and eternal life.

As we begin another year, I encourage you to have vision for your parenting and what it means to send your children into this 21st century world we live in. As we begin another year, please enjoy this Fall Update as a snapshot perspective on what is happening at Regents.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Dan Peterson, Ph.D. Head of School

Enrollment Update

I am pleased to share that our 2022-23 enrollment is 1,090 students, with the addition of 166 new students from 73 new families. New families, what a blessing you are to our community!

In light of the changing landscape in education on a number of fronts, we were overwhelmed by the number of applications we received. Our Admissions staff went through an extensive process to maintain our high admissions standards in order to find mission-fit families.

Many thanks to our amazing Admissions staff and volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year, our host families, and all of our community for helping make our new families feel welcome on our campus.

Christ and Culture

In January 2020, the Christ and Culture Task Force began convening to think biblically about the cultural issues of the day and potential issues in the future. The Task Force released its report in Spring 2022 on how to remain kind in our convictions as believers living in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to Christian faith. Head of Rhetoric Josh Simmons presented on Christ and Culture at Dads’ Boot Camp earlier this month. He also interviewed Jonathan Pageau on Symbolism and the Christian Story on the Regents Podcast. Listen here! In just a few weeks, some of the task force members will be presenting the Christ and Culture task force report to national leaders in the classical Christian movement at a Society for Classical Learning conference.

Updates to the Regents Campus

Over the summer, our Facilities team was hard at work making some much-needed updates to our campus, including the addition of the new classroom and adult bathroom in the K-2 wing, the new Grammar playground, new Logic lockers, and the new Main Field press box. Thank you to our Facilities team for all they do to keep our campus beautiful and functional!

Curriculum Review

Several administrators and faculty members will lead the curriculum review on Foreign Languages, Literature, and Physical Education this school year through our Regents Curriculum Review process. The process assesses current curriculum, researches potential curriculum, and implements new curriculum if needed.

2021-22 Survey Results

We survey our community each spring to give us feedback on our school’s areas of strength and opportunities for growth. We read each response and are thankful for your insight as it helps us in our continual pursuit of excellence. Responses included:

Areas of Strength • • • • • •

Excellent, caring faculty Strong faculty/student discipleship Classical Christian education Christian worldview Community Beautiful campus

Areas of Opportunity

Uniform Enforcement The administration has put in place a stronger focus on uniform enforcement with multiple communications to the Regents community. We are thankful to our students and parents for partnering with us to ensure students are in the correct uniform.

Student and Parent Culture Director of Community Liz Benigno began her work this fall to enhance the K-12 parent experience and foster community and involvement throughout the whole Regents journey. Our Speaker Series will also continue this year, giving biblical guidance on parenting in our current culture.

Diversity As a thought leader on biblical diversity, Dr. Aaron Howard has spent time with our board, senior staff, faculty and staff, parents, and students. We are grateful for the time he spent with our community to talk about diversity and unity, and we look forward to taking next steps to promote biblical diversity at Regents. Click here to watch Dr. Howard’s presentation. Also, save the date for January 3, 2023, when Dr. Angel Parham will be on the Regents campus to talk to our faculty, staff, and parents.

Affordability With the rising cost of everything these days, we understand parents are concerned about being able to afford Regents in the future with increasing tuition. The Regents board and administration are committed to meeting 100% of verified financial need.

As the Regents Fund continues to grow through events like the biennial Families Helping Families event and donor contributions, less tuition money will have to be used to fund tuition assistance.

Co-Curricular Experience As we pursue excellence in our co-curricular activities, the Regents board has appointed a Co-Curricular Task Force to look at long-term sustainability, finances, and parent involvement of co-curriculars, including Athletics and Fine Arts.

Campus Safety Regents recently sent out an update on our campus safety and security. We are currently conducting our search for the Chief of Security position with the goal of hiring this fall, and we are in the process of receiving quotes for fence installation.

Campus Facilities Over the last year, the Campus Task Force has been developing an updated Campus Master Plan to provide needed facilities. This extensive process has involved gathering community input through a survey and listening sessions, as well as a comprehensive site analysis of complex environmental and regulatory restrictions. Later this semester, the Campus Task Force will share its findings and recommendations.

upcoming events October

U.S. Senator Ben Sasse | October 15

Senator Ben Sasse will be coming to the Regents campus on Saturday, October 15. Senator Sasse will be joining us in Knights Hall from 8:30-10 a.m. to discuss raising children to become active and engaged citizens and answer questions from the audience. We received an overwhelming response, and reservations for seats are now closed.

We will provide a link to view his talk after the event.

Homecoming | October 24-28

Regents Homecoming week is October 24-28. We are thrilled to welcome back our alumni and enjoy community fellowship together before the Knights play San Antonio TMI at 7 p.m.!

November

Thanksgiving Chapel | November 14

Parents are invited to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday at this annual buddy chapel from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the gym.

December

Fine Arts Christmas Celebration | December 8

This December 8, we are hosting the Fine Arts Christmas Celebration to celebrate the birth of Christ through Fine Arts performances, displays, and activities. Join us for a time of fellowship, beauty, and joy, as we cherish the work of our students and adore the Author of Creativity. Schedule to come!

January

Dr. Angel Parham | January 3

Dr. Angel Parham will join us on January 3 from 9-11 a.m. in the Main Gym to speak to parents and faculty and staff about noticing the themes of diversity within classical Christian curriculum and literature.

Hillary Ferrer, Mama Bear Apologetics | January 24

In this talk, Hillary will summarize parts 1 and 2 of the book Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality. She will discuss the importance of God’s sexual commands, and examine what sex, marriage, and gender are supposed to teach us about God. Join us in the Oak Room from 8:30-10 a.m. to hear from Hillary.

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