2022 - 2023 Annual Report

Our Mission

Sabot School is a school designed to sustain children’s quest for meaning and understanding, harness the power of their theories and ideas, and guide their inquiry and research. In an environment that supports co-construction, collaboration, and respectful exchange, we challenge our students to become effective communicators and disciplined thinkers, capable of solving problems in our increasingly complex world.

Sabot Senior Administrative Team

Shannon Montague Head of School

Carol-Margaret Bitner

Associate Head of School for Academics and Research

Karen Hurlbert Director of Enrollment

Chris Hackenberg Director of Operations

Meg Johnson Director of Finance

Maggie Barrett

Senior Administrative Liaison & DEIJB Outreach Coordinator

Beverly George Director of Development & Alumni Relations

Allison Seay Communications Officer

Kelsey Donegan Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Board of Directors

Brenda Daglish

Chair

Owner, House to Home Renovations, LLC

Toni Winston Vice Chair

Executive Assistant, Capital One

Jon Becker

Secretary

Associate Professor, Educational Leadership, VCU

Dan Daglish

Treasurer Owner, House to Home Renovations, LLC

Braxton Apperson Vice President, Delta Point LLC

Courtney Beamon President, Delta Airport Consultants, Inc.

Katherine Brakman

Associate Director of Post Production, SuperJoy/The Martin Agency

Elaine Phillips Director of Preschool

Aja Jones Director of KindergartenGrade 3

Jess Khawaja Director of Grades 4-8

Reese Vinson Director of Enrichment Programs

Micah Dalton Principal, DLG Strategic

Patrick McColgan BDO, Partner

Laura Meyers Artist & Community Volunteer

Mac Purrington Owner, Apple Spice Junction

Grant Shivelight Quality Director, Jacob’s Engineering

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

I am pleased to present this Annual Report, a comprehensive document that I hope provides useful information about Sabot’s goals, activities, and financial performance specifically for the academic year 2022-2023. This report, while thorough, is not exhaustive, and we welcome your continued engagement, your questions, and your support.

I extend my gratitude to those who have contributed to the immediate work of this report—our administrative team, our Board of Directors, and many of Sabot’s faculty members. Of course, there is no way to adequately express my thanks to those for whom this report is intended: our many generous donors who have given of their time, talent, and treasure; our entire extended Sabot family, including alums, grandparents, and community partners; our current families who entrust this school not only with their dollars but with their child’s education and their child’s right to joy; and, to our inspiring student body, a collection of uniquely intelligent, creative, accomplished, inquiring minds. Thank you, each and every one of you. Sabot is a better place because of you.

It has never been clearer that Sabot School is a cherished institution, a community of care and resilience, and a one-of-a-kind place that calls, always, for our finest efforts. Sabot School is certainly worthy of great celebration and in ways a single document could never fully contain. This report with our Mission ever at the forefront, hopes to highlight some of our achievements and to articulate the opportunities that lie ahead, in alignment with the school’s strategic plan and framed by Sabot’s core values: Learn, Wonder, Grow, and Care.

These long-held values are now formally articulated, and we are excited to highlight in the following pages some of the ways those values are reflected in school life. Our hope is that we continue to catalog and curate a collection of stories that help us tell, celebrate, and amplify the Sabot story.

And our story is a good one indeed. As we look back on the year that has passed and look ahead to what is to come, I anticipate your continued partnership and your ongoing generosity, and I am as excited as ever for Sabot’s future. Our foundation is strong, our pedagogy unmatched; we have dedicated faculty and staff, an engaged parent body, and inspiring and wonder-filled students. The Sabot story continues!

With gratitude,

Shannon Montague Head Of School

HONOR HALL

Named for beloved former Head of School, Irene Honor Carney, Honor Hall began as a dream in 2016, broke ground in 2020, and opened in January 2023.

This long-awaited building boasts sixteen learning spaces, including a dedicated science lab. Comprised of 16,000 square feet and designed with Reggio-inspired learning in mind, this purpose-built facility serves grades K-8 and opens up to the forest on the lower level.

Honor Hall was a pivotal part of Sabot’s strategic plan, as it creates a sense of community and allows for cross-program activity between grade levels due to the close proximity of the classrooms. It honors the beauty and vitality of the work happening inside the walls and highlights our leadership in the greater education community.

We are so grateful for everyone who has donated to our “Where the Heart Is” campaign for helping us bring this dream to life, and we are excited to open the lower level of Honor Hall in Fall of 2024.

SABOT’S VALUES: Learn, Wonder, Grow, Care

Sabot is a community with a continuing commitment to our shared core values. These values guide our philosophy, our programs and our daily interactions.

Distilled to four words from wide-ranging discussion, Sabot’s values should surprise no one. By naming them outright with confidence and clarity, Sabot’s path is decisive and committed; Sabot School is a space to Learn, to Wonder, to Grow, and to Care. Our teacher-researchers expect complex and difficult questions and use student interest and inquiry to engage learning in ways that are meaningful and relevant and which make use of the myriad learning spaces available—from the forest to the laboratory to the atelier.

At the core of these discussions was our conviction that a child is born with “a hundred languages”—that is, myriad ways of thinking, asking, expressing, understanding, and communicating—which represent the various dimensions and potentials of their learning, the ways they construct knowledge, and the forms and processes by which they create meaning. The work before us was to articulate values that fully affirm our pedagogical principles. We called to mind Jean Piaget’s remarks—“Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered himself, that child is kept from inventing it and consequently from understanding it completely”— and recognize that a Reggio-inspired educator has a uniquely important responsibility to offer direct instruction though never at the expense of discovery.

In a world where every path has complexity and challenge, in a world where paths can seem more like mazes, Sabot doubles down on those core things that make us a one-of-a-kind leader in progressive education not only in our region but also throughout this country.

Our values align with what John Holt, educator and pioneer of the youth rights movement, wisely said: “Since we can’t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever must be learned.” This is another way to understand, more globally, the aim of an emergent curriculum; it is learning with intention and relevance in an environment that encourages inquiry, research, reflection, collaboration, and full participation.

Sabot is a place to learn.

In the Reggio Emilia Approach®, learning is an experience that depends on the participation of everyone—students, teachers, families—in order to balance and nurture the ecosystem of the larger forest of education. In a Reggioinspired setting like Sabot’s, we maintain that participation in the discovery and construction of knowledge and the ways it is represented and expressed is one of our school’s most important values.

This means that our work is to provide spaces, arrangements, provocations, questions, languages, methods, and strategies that make learning and participation in this way possible and meaningful from our youngest-aged students to our oldest. It is what Sabot means by “inquiry-led” and “studentcentered.” We believe that children are not empty, passive vessels waiting to be filled; rather, that they are active and capable protagonists who deserve a rich and permeable learning experience.

Sabot is nationally known as a “teaching teachers” school. We continue to prioritize and invest in our faculty’s growth and professional development while showcasing our work on a larger stage. Our orientation for new faculty members includes robust exposure to the Reggio Emilia Approach, current research and best practices in progressive education, and a framework for ongoing professional development.

Our daily schedule and the arc of our academic year is intentionally constructed to provide ample time for teaching teams to plan, reflect, share, and support Sabot’s pedagogical approach and its cycle of inquiry. A Reggio-inspired program is a demanding one, and Sabot remains committed to empowering its faculty with research, mentorship, and

“

Teaching in a team means that every child is supported. Our unique strengths complement one another as we strive towards the shared pedagogical goal of ensuring that every child’s ideas are heard.

Shannon Lauer & Melanie Nan

4th Grade Teaching Team

At Sabot since 2013 and 2010

opportunities to present their own findings to a larger audience. This is critical to developing and maintaining a network of like-minded educators in support of this revolutionary approach as we aim to nurture and sustain a love of learning in every community member.

OUR PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Audrey Villanueva, Preschool

At Sabot since 2022

“It’s a real privilege to be somewhere that holds childhood in such high regard and allows space for the children to learn, grow, fail, and mend. “

Patrick Wildermann, 3rd Grade

At Sabot since 2020

“Teaching at Sabot is doing something rather than just talking about it. We educate the whole child, helping them find meaning and really connect to their learning.”

Tais Bohigas Amigo, Spanish

At Sabot since 2022

“The collaborative environment is what makes working at Sabot so unique. Staff across all levels come together to discuss projects, ideas, and research. Getting input from so many different points of view strengthens our entire community.”

Sabot is a place to wonder.

No matter the age that a person—child or adult—arrives at Sabot School, we aim to cultivate an appreciation for wonder and a love of learning. In fact, to respond with wonder and awe is one of the thinking dispositions at the core of social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors, or Habits of Mind, at our Reggio-inspired school. Borne of the vision of Loris Malaguzzi in Reggio Emilia, Italy, our philosophy is rooted in a deep conviction that every person, from birth, is a subject with rights and a natural capacity for wonder and inquiry; moreover, we believe that every child is equipped with their “hundred languages” by which they can express and make visible what they think and know. With this conviction, we form and hold our “image of the child” as a strong, capable, and creative learner, one with particular interests, gifts, and ideas no matter their age. And, we expect the teacher-researchers that companion them in their learning to be just as adaptive, reflective, and creative.

Our program begins with learners as young as age 2 and culminates in 8th grade; the intentional arc of our Reggioinspired education affirms that our students, and particularly our graduates, are not only prepared well for the next chapter in their education but for the rich complexity of a long life beyond schooling. Evidence shows us that Sabot students are empowered to ask good questions, listen well, self-advocate, solve problems, think critically, work alone and in a group, speak with adults and to an audience, consider multiple perspectives, persist, self-start, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. They are prepared for test-taking and essay-writing, yes, but more importantly, they are well-prepared for the great experiment that is an

“The freedom that Sabot gives their students lets us be ourselves, and it has allowed me to express myself in new ways as I’ve matured, and in my same silly ways as I grew at my own pace. Thank you Sabot for allowing us kids to be kids, and giving us the space we need to explore our internal and external worlds.

Keira

Brickley, ‘23 8th Grade Graduation Speech

examined life, prepared for difficulty and for joy, for their new cycles of learning, and for their full engagement with the world around them.

Fortunately, for a Sabot student, moving forward does not mean going away. We have the privilege of hearing about their experiences during events like the Graduate Panel and Fall Fest and through our ever-expanding alumni networks. Each year at Sabot’s graduation ceremony, during which 8th graders are escorted by their 2nd grade reading buddies, we are moved, affirmed, and as confident as ever that the Sabot story is one of generational excellence and perpetual promise. Their legacy inspires all of us.

Sabot is a place to grow.

When we say we value growth, we mean we value intentional, responsibly-paced, and careful expansion for the primary purpose of bringing what we believe is the best educational experience in Richmond to more people. Our growth is about access, and it is about continuing the revolution our founders (and, before that, our school’s Reggio Emilia, Italy, ancestors) hoped to see. Sabot will always be a small school; it plans for two sections per grade level for the obvious social benefits, for increased diversity of thought and of the makeup of our student body, for classroom flexibility and, over time, additional financial resources that bolster our overall programming.

Several significant decisions during the 22-23 school year inaugurated important additions effective in the fall of 2023. For instance, recognizing the value of music as one of the “hundred languages” of the Reggio philosophy, Sabot decided to add the position of Music Atelierista for students in Preschool through Grade 2; we continue to seek ways to more intentionally foster children’s interest and exploration in music as part of their Sabot experience. We also decided to add a new preschool classroom, The Hive, to our growing program for the 23-24 year. Sabot has, annually, an extensive waitlist for its preschool; not only are we now able to meet

1995

Adopted the Reggio Emilia Approach®

Sabot School founded as a preschool

extends the preschool program to include elementary

more of the demand of our applicants, but this additional cohort is supporting our efforts to have two sections of Kindergarten each year. Just as the founding Sabot families did, we hope to expand Sabot from the ground up, to retain our youngest learners for as many years as we can.

Additionally, we decided to form and implement a ‘bridge’ program from 5th grade to Middle School, creating an intentional transition year to help smooth and optimize a student’s journey from Lower School into Grade 6. The new program bridges curriculum and skills between grades and provides emotionally sound support for students as they transition to the Middle School schedule and model.

In recognition of the environment as the third teacher and the significance of contextual learning, we have decided that our Middle School will be extending the reach of its field study program to an international level. Seventh and eighth grade students will fundraise to support a bi-annual international trip, starting with a trip to Panama in the spring of 2025. The 22-23 year marked the initial planning stages for this cultural, experiential, and linguistic learning experience.

2007

at Stony Point established through a merger, still on two campuses

We’re all together! Preschool moves to Stony Point campus

Sabot

Sabot

Sabot is a place to care.

The foundation for understanding our complex, diverse, and often unjust world and our place in it is built during the first eight years of life. During those years we begin to form our unique identity, and we start to construct our attitudes towards other people, particularly toward those who are different from us. To develop a positive sense of self and others, we all need opportunities to learn about and celebrate who we are, as well as learn about and celebrate a multitude of diverse identities and cultures.

From birth, children internalize the messages they receive— from their families, from their teachers, from the media— about who is important and who is “other.” Sabot takes this kind of work of relationship, identity, and reflection very seriously, and we honor parents and other caregivers as the primary teachers of children. This is why the parent community at Sabot is our pillar of strength and our most important partner; we cannot fully know or nurture our students without them.

To this end, we are delighted by the reinvigoration and commitment of Parents@Sabot (formerly the Parents Association) and know that when we address with students certain Habits of Mind—especially Persisting, Thinking Flexibly, Remaining Open to Continuous Learning, Communicating with Clarity and Precision, and Listening with Understanding and Empathy—that these disciplines must be practiced and modeled by their companioning adults. From stewardship and volunteering to room parenting and event planning, care and kindness has always been a hallmark of the Sabot experience. And now, it is a formally articulated value of our school. Just as there is no overstating the value of a relationship-driven pedagogy, there is no overstating the value of mutual respect, open communication, restorative approaches to behavior, reflective practices, and co-construction of understanding.

It is not only our students who come to understand how they work best, what they need as learners, and where their responsibilities lie, but all of us. It is why we say that adults are co-learners, that we’re all teachers and researchers in our own ways—because as members of a small community, we are in fact affecting change in the larger society. Sabot’s work—and the work of a Reggio education—is not limited to the students in our school any more than it is limited to only our trained faculty. Parents of students are essential not only to the school’s success but to Malaguzzi’s original vision. Collectively, we are careful citizens who commit to upholding those values that can make our world better.

OUR PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Mary Bohrer, Honor Hall Desk

At Sabot since 2013

“Children at Sabot grow up being loved, nurtured, and respected by adults. This trickles down, creating an environment where older children take care of younger ones. It’s beautiful to see.”

Ann Reavey, Counselor

At Sabot since 2011

“I am thankful to work at a school where parents are collaborative partners in supporting their child’s learning experience.”

Maggie Barrett, Senior Administrative Liaison & DEIJB Outreach Coordinator

At Sabot since 2007

“Care shows up every day at Sabot. From the child who runs to get a bag of ice for a friend who has skinned their knee to the adult offering patience to a young child attempting to master a new skill to simply acknowledging and greeting by name those in our midst.”

Breaking ground for Honor Hall

Bottom floor of Honor Hall opens, 6 additional learning spaces

Honor Hall opens, 10 learning spaces

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 2022-2023

Annual Giving Allocations

2022-2023

Annual giving is a key benchmark to show institutional strength and is the cornerstone of the school’s fundraising efforts. Because of you, our generous donors, we were able to fund the following:

Fund-A-Cause

Beautifying the grounds, tennis court renovations, side landscaping

The Sabot Stronger Fund

Annual Giving Field trips, professional development, enhanced building security

Where the Heart Is

Capital Campaign

Construction of Honor Hall

Designated Gifts

This year our expenses exceeded our revenue. Each year, we expect to expend all revenues received in furthering the mission of our school. From year to year, we may show a small net revenue or a small net expense, evening out over time. 2022-2023 was a year of building. We expanded our faculty and administrative staff to prepare for the growth of the school, our programs, and the opening of Honor Hall.

OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR

GREATEST RESOURCE

Anonymous Donation Chromebooks for Middle School

Humanities Grant

Field trips

The Reggio-inspired classroom model has two teachers per section from Preschool to Grade 5. Not only does this model support our innovative studentcentered curriculum, but it also keeps our student/ teacher ratio much lower than peer schools.

With two-person teaching teams, faculty are more easily able to pivot and follow lines of inquiry and paths of curiosity while efficiently and thoroughly documenting the learning that happens in any environment.

Faculty have regular pedagogical meetings within grade levels and also meet monthly as a whole group to learn, share, and problem solve together. Sabot knows that these shared times foster collaboration, deepen our practice, and spark creativity.

PREPARING FUTURE LEADERS

Professional Development

In 2022-2023 our faculty and staff attended the following:

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference

NAIS People of Color Conference

Virginia Association of Indepenent Schools (VAIS): Safe & Healthy Schools Conference

Virginia Counsel for Private Education (VCPE) Behavioral Threat Assessment Training

VAIS Accreditation Workshop on the Ten-Year Self Study Process

Transformational Conversations

Webinar with Debbie Irving

Racial Equity Facilitator Training

Connected Math Project Training

In February 2023, ten 7th-grade students from Sabot participated in District 8’s National History Day Competition. Several of our students achieved top honors, earning them invitations to present at the statelevel competition in late April. This event marked the culmination of months of dedicated research. Sabot extends its heartfelt congratulations to all participants.

Middle School participants—and winners—in the Virginia History Day State Contest include Caroline S., who won the Anne R. Worrell Junior Project Award and Lucian P., who won first place in the individual junior paper category. Lucian also won the Asian & Latino Solidarity Alliance Latino History Award and moved on to the national competition last June. Congratulations to Raymond, Penelope, Julia, Renna, Shayna and Eve for participating at the state level as well.

Project Zero Sparks Training*

Orton Gillingham Training

Story Workshop Studio*

How Social Media Can Affect Your Child

North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) Summer & Winter Conferences*

Reggio Children Fundamentals of Reggio Digital Study Group*

Hiring & Retention Practices Webinar

VAIS Webinar “Cultivating Inclusive Communities” with Dr. Loretta Ross

Orff Certification Level 1 music Training

Peer visits and virtual learning with similar independent schools (Advent School Reframing Our Image of the Child & CBI Forest School)*

Ross Greene: Advanced Training in Collaborative & Proactive Solutions: Moving From Power and Control to Collaboration and Problem Solving

Independent School Management (ISM) Leading the Effective Middle School

Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP) Certified Admission and Enrollment Management Program

* designates a Reggio-Emilia specific training

2022-2023 GIVING

The Sabot Stronger Fund, our annual giving program, focuses on the future – a future where we will continue to grow and build. To support collaboration and respectful exchange. To be a Small School for Big Change.

The Sabot Stronger Fund makes it possible for us to provide – in addition to the excellent education funded by tuition – ongoing improvements that support our students’ learning. Your contributions strengthen our school and enable us to envision a stronger future.

Gifts below were made to the Sabot Stronger Fund (unrestricted funds) between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. Thank you to the multiple donors who wish to remain anonymous for their generous gifts to Sabot School.

Forest Circle

gifts of $10,000 to $24,999

Brenda & Dan Daglish

Founders Circle

gifts of $5,000 to $9,999

Dale & Mac Purrington

Discovery Circle

gifts of $2,500 to $4,999

Jennie & Travis Shaw

Forest

Circle

gifts of $1,000 to $2,499

Christy & Micah Dalton

Linda & Alan Fleming

Ann Reavey & Peter Gilbert

Carol & Gaillard Owen

Catherine Henney & Michael Raff

Courtney Beamon & Spencer Waddell

Toni & Antoine Winston

Wonder Circle

gifts of $500 to $999

Jacqueline & Jonathan Becker

Kathryn & David Gammino

Meghan McSweeney

Theresa & Jeffrey Murray

Pamela Leber & Stanley Mabbitt

LeAnn & Frank Mazzeo

Karolyn & Keith Silliman

Laura & Joel Yellin

Wanda & Daryl Yoder

Lindsey Jones & Matthew Young

Garden Circle

gifts of $250 to $499

Maggie & Tim Barrett

Marty Gravett & Mark Campbell

Karen Fischer

Jill & Michael Gasper

Caroline & Tyler Nichols

Irene Carney & Fred Orelove

Virginia & Riker Purcell

Sarah Anne & Charles Reed

Jennifer Salluzzo & Cedric Vigil

Dragon Circle

gifts up to $249

Eileen & Matthew Avitable

Diane and Mike Balister

Richard Barrett

Patricia & Robert Becker

Carol-Margaret Bitner

Esa Sferra-Bonistalli & Ryan Bonistalli

Katherine & Eric Brakman

Janna Fuentes

Jennifer Galambos

Clare & Bob Gengarelly

Beverly & Ron George

Sarah & Brian Lile

Teresa & Peter McBean

Memorial & Honor Gifts to the Annual Fund

Anonymous donations were made in honor of the following:

The Loving Sabot Staff

Charlie Odell’s teachers

Mabrey Matherly

Nicky Daroy

Melanie Nan & Shannon Lauer

In Honor of Eli Fischer

Karen Fischer

In honor of Jodi and Betsey

Cheryl Perl

In memory of Roberta Hayman

Cheryl Perl

In honor of Shayna Becker

Patricia & Robert Becker

In honor of Avery Shaw

Richard Barrett

In honor of Shannon Montague

Jennifer Galambos

In honor of Evan James Wolff, Class of 2016

Joe Wolff

In Memory of Mary Baxter

Esa Sferra-Bonistalli & Ryan Bonistalli

Irene Carney & Fred Orelove

Judith & Glenn Nordin

Kara Page

Heather & Christopher Paoloni

Cheryl Perl

Ashley & Gavin Raphael

Corporate Donors & Matching Gifts

Amazon Smile

Carmax

Dream Dinners

Gelati Celesti

Kroger

Maison Real Estate

Gearhead Camera, Inc.

Raytheon

River City Consulting

TerraCycle

Virginia Care Partners

Yay Lunch!

In honor of Ryan, Cameron, and Juliette Paoloni

Heather & Christopher Paoloni

In honor of Christian Mexal’s first-grade class

Teresa & Peter McBean

In honor of Kendall Nordin

Judith & Glenn Nordin

Auction Directed Gifts

Fund-A-Cause Restricted Gifts

Brooke & Braxton Apperson

Kerry Mills & Pippin Barnett

Maggie & Tim Barrett

Jacqueline & Jonathan Becker

Sasha & Kirk Chamberlain

Cara & Whit Clements

Brenda & Dan Daglish

Kathrine & Dan Daroy

Arantxa Jarque Llamazares & Huberto Ennis

Jilly Witty & Graham Evarts

Roxanne Schofield & Benjamin Faatz

Sarah & Max Fischer

Gifts-In-Kind

Briana Forbes

Beverly & Ron George

Naa-Sakle Akuete & Kyle Healy

Lauren Cranfill & Benjamin

Helfinstein

Christina Bryza & Hwan Hill

Karen Hurlbert

Meg & Bob Johnson

Aja & Austin Jones

Tamsen & Tony Kingry

Lauren & Byron Knowlson

Masey Ross & Stephen Lane

Rachel & Nathan Love

Dori & Matthew McGuire

Thank you to the following individuals, families, and businesses for their invaluable in-kind donations to Sabot School.

Individuals & Families

Malik Banks

Gayle Barber

Kerry Mills & Pippin Barnett

Maggie & Tim Barrett

Rachel & Kevin Beanland

Carol-Margaret Bitner

Mary Bohrer

Irene Carney & Fred Orelove

Ivana & William Chichester, III

Ross Decker

Anna Downs

Kathryn & David Gammino

Nancy Sowder & Scott Campbell

Clare & Bob Gengarelly

Alana George

Andrea & Alex Hache

Chris & Tom Hackenberg

Phyllis & Wayne Jennings

Rosalyn & Loring Kutchins

Courtney Morano & Bill Lawson

Charlie Lawson

Beth & Roger Lamanna

Elena Lamanna

Pam Leber

Henry Lee

Matt Lee

Serena Light

Jen & Colin McCarthy

Meghan McSweeney

Laura Meyers

Sally & Rick Meyers

Tom Meyers

Lucile Miller

Shannon Montague

Marty Montpetit

Yadira Carrillo & Gerardo

Nevarez Moorillon

Amy Pack

Tania Fernandez & Julian Pozzi

Ann Reavey & Peter Gilbert

Sabot Board of Directors

Page Schalow

Meg & Grant Shivelight

Elizabeth & Tom Sundberg

Barbara Thomas

Lauren & Marshall Tucker

Kelly Parker & Ari Ugwu

Amanda & Garret Westlake

Toni & Antoine Winston

Abbey & Derek Miller

Shannon Montague

Marty Montpetit

Stephanie Parady

Elana & John Patrizia

Rebecca & Anthony Rhoads

Jennifer & Devin Strickland

Elizabeth & Tom Sundberg

Imhan Kim & Grant Tinney

Barbara Thomas

Amanda & Garret Westlake

Tara & Tim Wiley

Nicole Sackley & Eric Yellin

A huge thank you to the sponsors who contributed to help make our annual gala and auction a success.

Apple Spice

DLG Strategic

House to Home Renovations

Maison Real Estate

Meg Traynham Homes Team

Businesses

AZ Blessed Beads

Brown Baylor LLC

Cross Creek Nursery and Landscaping

Dover Hall Experiences, LLC

Dream Dinners

Flo X Miroir

Fourth Trimester Postpartum

Doula LLC

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center

Garnett’s Cafe

Gelati Celesti

Good Foods Grocery

Grazing Crazy

Holiday Barn Pet Resorts

Hotel Cape Charles

KJ Boudoir

Laura Lee’s

LovEvolve

Maymont Foundation

Molly Virginia Made

Noted Xpressions

Papeterie

Parsons Fine Arts Services

Peak Experiences

Perk!

Planet Fitness

River City Roll

Riverside Outfitters

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

RVA on Wheels

Soul Shine Studios

Tania del Carmen Photography

The Roosevelt

Top Golf

Trader Joe’s

Vasen Brewery

Wendell Welder Landscape

Design

Yay! Lunch

By supporting the Where the Heart Is, our Capital Campaign, you have enabled Sabot to construct exciting, new, purpose-built learning spaces. We now have a new classroom building - Honor Hall! The donors listed below helped make this dream a reality.

Thank you additionally to the multiple donors who wish to remain anonymous for their generous gifts to the Where the Heart Is campaign.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING SHAPE SABOT’S FUTURE Together our community raised over $1.5 million to complete Phase 1 of Honor Hall

Cheri & David Anthony

Brooke & Braxton Apperson

Melanie Nan & Clifford Barcliff

Kerry Mills & Pippin Barnett

Maggie & Tim Barrett

Janet Barstow

Mary & Tim Baxter

Jacqueline & Jonathan Becker

Pam & Bruce Belleman

Jennifer & Tom Bendel

Emileigh & Matthew Benson

Page & Robert Bethke

Emma & Clyde Beverly

Erin Bishop

Carol-Margaret Bitner

Robin Blanchard

Edith & John Bleattler

Hannah & Casey Bohn

Esa Sferra-Bonistalli & Ryan Bonistalli

Paulette & Richard Bonistalli

Stephanie Fox & Eric Bowers

Katherine & Eric Brakman

Kelly & Vincent Brooks

Charmaine Nerone & Isaac Brown

Nicole & Anthony Brown

Brandi & Joshua Bryant

Linda Burroughs

Luellen Butler

Elena Calvillo

Marty Gravett & Mark Campbell

Sheree Campbell

Lynne Chambers

Jara & David Chambers

Sarah Golding & Jay Chiaramonte

Margy & Gene Childs

Cara & Whit Clements

Jacqueline & Matthew Cohen

Rasheeda Creighton

Anais Murphy & Ryan Cuppernull

Brenda & Dan Daglish

Christy & Micah Dalton

Ross Decker

Vanessa & Egidio Del Fabbro

Stephanie & Kyle Denholm

Lori & Robert Downs

Mary & Joe Driebe

Leigh Dudding

Bridget Dunnavant

Joyce Eanes

Arantxa Jarque Llamazares & Huberto Ennis

Allison Seay & Josh Epley

Roxanne & Paul Fantl

Amanda & Andrew Featherstone

Heidi & Chris Fidler

Sara Ferguson & Richard Fine

Jennifer & Christopher Finn

Sarah & Max Fischer

Shannon & Danny Fisher

Erin & Jason Forsyth

Simone Frantz

Gretchen & Morgan Friday

Janna & Jacques Fuentes

Allan Funk

Beth & Ryan Furgurson

Jennifer & Michael Galvan

Tara Gardner

Jill & Michael Gasper

Meghan Geiss

Liz Gengarelly & Steve Powers

Beverly & Ron George

Page & John George

Ann Reavey & Peter Gilbert

Jessica Lucia & Dan Hardy

Ashley & Brian Harris

Jane & James Hartough

April & Jim Heitchue

Regis Heitchue

Sandy & Steve Henderson

Donna Joyce & Laurence Hill

Lynn Hill

Laura Hinkle

Alison Kent & Mike Hoke

Rebecca & Jon Hollis

Caroline & Kevin Hoover

Kyra Haigh & Shawn Humphrey

Linda Huntington

Maya & Stuart Glaser

Russ Gnoffo

Michael Godfrey

Anna & Mark Golden

Danielle & Brad Goldschmidt

Mary & Winston Gravely

Helena Gromosaik

Chris & Tom Hackenberg

Kim & Jonathan Hahn

Debbie Hanger

Elizabeth & Douglas Hanson

Sally & Kurt Jaskowiak

Meg & Bob Johnson

Barbara Leary Jones & Douglas

Jones

Caroline Browder & Brian Jones

Mickey Jordan

Jiji Kikhia

Jennifer & Wes Kaufman

Lisa & Sean Kelly

Denise Daly Konrad & Otto

Konrad

Myung-Wha & Samuel Koo

Nour & Timothy Krawczel

Renee & David Kunnen

Julia & Mike Lang

Julie & Bill Langan

Sarah & Donald Larmee

Shannon & Barry Lauer

Courtney Morano & William Lawson

Mary Ann Leatherwood

Morgan Todd Ledford & Jason Ledford

Beverly & Harold Light

Sarah & Brian Lile

Anne & Raymond Lile

Jennifer & Diego Lo Prete

Pamela Leber & Stanley Mabbitt

Lindsey & McKendry Marano

Kirsta Millar & Ken Marcus

Jeanine & Michael Maruca

Julie & Chris Massie

Mabrey Matherly

LeAnn & Frank Mazzeo

Jen & Colin McCarthy

Natalie Crichigno & Patrick

McColgan

Sarah & Scott Meacham

Laura & Eric Meyers

Sally & Rick Meyers

Elica Ivanova & Slavi Milev

Cliff Miller

Lucile Miller

Shannon Montague

Marty Montpetit

Marlo & Bryan Morrison

Susan Moss

Mimi Hanaoka & Shahan Mufti

Theresa & Jeffrey Murray

Kate & Hugh Murray

Rebecca Domin & Chris Musina

Jane & Rick Myers

Jay Nanavati

Vanessa Nixon

Judith & Glenn Nordin

Jodi Perl-Odell & Betsey Odell

Stuart Orelove

Irene Carney & Fred Orelove

Terressa Campbell Oten & Bryan Oten

Carol & Gaillard Owen

Amy Pack

Alisa & Jace Padden

Sara Jo & Todd Padenich

Stephanie & Heath Padrick

Kara Page

Ann Page

Sara Lovelace & Rob Paige

Heather & Christopher Paoloni

Kimberley & Todd Parsons

William E. Phillips

Betsy Phillips

Andrea & Gian Pierotti

Brooke Purcell

Virginia & Riker Purcell

Dale & Mac Purrington

Catherine Henney & Michael Raff

Harriet Schanzer & David Raine, Jr.

Jyoti Gwalani-Ramnani & Dharamdas Ramnani

Ashley & Gavin Raphael

Elizabeth & Jennifer Redpath

Sarah Anne & Charles Reed

Sherri Reese

Jennifer & Matthew Rho

Rebecca & Anthony Rhoads

Amy & William Rider

Patty & Tom Roberts

E. Claiborne Robins, Jr.

Grace Rochfort

Samantha & Charles Rodriguez

Kristy & Adam Rose

Emily & AJ Sanfratella

Page Schalow

Roxanne Schofield & Benjamin

Faatz

Vineeta & Jay Shah

Amina & Omar Shams

Jennie & Travis Shaw

Meredith & Rob Shields

Meg & Grant Shivelight

Megan Taylor-Shockley & Jeff Shockley

Karolyn & Keith Silliman

Clare & Zach Sisisky

Julie & Vincent Slack

Lisa Smith

Susan & Tim St. George

Britt & Brendan Staley

Lynn & Mark Stevens

Jennifer & Devin Strickland

Elizabeth & Tom Sundberg

Graciela & Robert Tedesco

Kimberly & Douglas Towne

Lauren & Marshall Tucker

Brenda & Marshall Tucker

Tappan & Morgan Vickery

“Reese Vinson

Suzanne Bessenger & Kevin Vose

Courtney Beamon & Spencer

Waddell

Jordi Williams & Edwin Wallace

Lauren & Brett Waterworth

Linda & Alan Waterworth

Christine & Kyle Webb

Sherry & Gary Webb

Amanda & Garret Westlake

Margaret & Mark Westlake

Carmen Wicker

Suzanne & Harold Williams

Lenna Ottewill & Matthew Willis

Marla & Craig Wilson

Toni & Antoine Winston

Amy Chenoweth & Andy Woltman

Colleen Wright

Kristina Kierzek & Nick Wright

Nicole Sackley & Eric Yellin

Wanda & Daryl Yoder

Jennifer Horton & Stephen Yoder

Foundations, Corporate Donors & Matching Gifts

Carmax

Community Foundation

Dominion Foundation

The Mary Morton Parsons

Foundation

Veritas Technologies LLC

“Why do I give? I regularly donate to a few places around the community, those which I consider places of excellence and seriousness, whose commitment and kindness are fighting for a better world. I think of Sabot as one of those places. It is rare to find such a great opportunity to contribute to something of that unqualified goodness, how could I not join and do that?”

- Anonymous donor

VOLUNTEERS

2022-2023 Volunteers - Our Sabot Heroes of Time & Talent

Much of the richness of our program comes from invaluable contributions of time and talent. Our community brings many forms of genius and expertise to Sabot. Thanks to their generosity, we have been able to tap into the considerable talents of artists, carpenters, educators, event planners, gardeners, graphic designers, marketers, musicians, and volunteer “wranglers” just to name a few!

Braxton Apperson

Tim Barrett

Rachel Beanland

Jacqui Becker

Jon Becker

Patrick Bernhardt

Lea Birsch

Logan Blanchard

Hannah Bohn

Mary Bohrer

Guthrie Bowers

Vince Brooks

Joe Brown

Lyddall Brown

Christina Bryza

Liz Burke

Yadira Carrillo

Kirk Chamberlain

Sasha Chamberlain

River Chambers

Whit Clements

Joseph Cohen

Erin Coulter

Dan Daglish

Denise Daly Konrad

Daniel Daroy

Kathrine Daroy

Ross Decker

Stephanie Denholm

Leigh Dudding

Bridget Dunnavant

Chris Eklund

Owen Eklund

Josh Epley

Briana Forbes

Claire Frost

Meghan Geiss

Alana George

Maya Glaser

Andrea Hache

Alex Hache

Tom Hackenberg

Jane Hartough

James Hartough

April Heitchue

Jim Heitchue

Hwan Hill

Courtney Hughes-Harris

Kelsey Irvin

Arantxa Jarque Llamazares

Bob Johnson

Erin Kelley

Jonathan Kelley

Tamsen Kingry

Lauren Knowlson

Dave Kunnen

Elena Lamanna

Raphael Lebouleux

Theresa Light

Colin McCarthy

Jen McCarthy

Dori McGuire

Allison Mesnard

Lenora Mesnard

Laura Meyers

Meredith Mexal

Lucile Miller

Marty Montpetit

John Murden

Theresa Murray

Tyler Nichols

Sarah Orr

Lenna Ottewill

Alisa Padden

Kim Parsons

Lewis Parsons

Todd Parsons

Jodi Perl-Odell

Alex Place

Betsy Phillips

Corey Posey

Lin Powers

Julian Pozzi

Jennifer Redpath

RJ Reibel

Rebecca Rhoads

Hillary Sabin

Nicole Sackley

Jennie Shaw

Grant Shivelight

Meg Shivelight

Laura Sievers

Clare Sisisky

Sophia Smith

Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.

- Helen Dyer Parks Funding and Volunteer Coordinator

Susan St. George

Jen Strife

Elizabeth Sundberg

Tom Sundberg

Neil Thomas

Doug Towne

Kimberly Towne

Lauren Tucker

Tappan Vickery

Amanda Westlake

Tara Wiley

Tim Wiley

Hannah Williams

Matt Willis

Toni Winston

Skylar Winston

Graeme Wright

Eric Yellin

Lucy Yoder

Elly Yoder

Jon Yost

Miranda Yost

To 2025 and Beyond: Sabot’s Strategic Plan

In the fall of 2020, the Board embarked on work to develop Sabot’s current Strategic Plan, To 2025 and Beyond, by conducting Faculty and Parent Surveys and engaging in Parent Focus Groups. To 2025 and Beyond was built upon the 2012 Our True North and the 2015 Our True North 2.0 initiatives that focused on People, Programs, and Place with the addition of a fourth focus Positioning. We are pleased to share the accomplishments from the 2022-2023 school year.

Last year, the school prepared for the growth that the new classrooms in Honor Hall would provide. We have thoughtfully restructured administrative staff in key areas of development, admissions, marketing, and academics, which has in turn strengthened the school’s leadership team. We have increased funding for tuition assistance for students and staff. We have continued to prioritize the two-teacher model in preschool and lower school classrooms; while we expand to two sections per grade, we are committed to maintaining this model. New iPads have provided increased accessibility and assistive learning support. We have added a Director of Enrichment Progams, who oversees after-school programs and A Sabot Summer.

We have also seen the reinvigoration of Parents@Sabot (P@S), who have given of their Time, Talent, and Treasure to further the growth and mission of the school. The addition of Learning Groups has allowed for parents, faculty, and staff to connect, brainstorm, and share

This year we prioritized technology in the classroom. The Middle School now has a 1:1 student technology program where all students are issued Chromebooks and use Google Apps for Education. Lower school students have access to iPads, which they use for research and documentation. In addition to Smart Boards, we have also updated the science equipment.

Additionally, this year we saw a renewal of pre-pandemic field trips and extracurricular programming, including Beyond the Classroom and A Sabot Summer. We continued to refine and expand our knowledge of our Reggio-inspired curriculum, sending 19 faculty members to Reggio-specific professional development. We intentionally worked to create a bridge program to ease the transition from Lower to Middle School, which began in the 23-24 school year. In 6th grade, we added a humanities course, and we expanded our student-created musical productions.

Honor Hall opened in January of 2023 — a huge, multi-year project that created 10 learning spaces with 6 more to come in the fall of 2024. These rooms are equipped with Smart Boards, and the building houses a dedicated science lab. There have also been significant upgrades/updates to the safety and security of our school.

PLACE 2022-23

Advancements such as an enhanced visitor management system, controlled access to the Main House and Honor Hall, updated carpool procedures, stronger campus monitoring and campus-wide communication systems are small steps we have made that do not change our welcoming environment and make our campus more secure in tangible ways. Our Director of Operations is trained in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management and an Emergency Procedure (EP) Working Group has been created to review the school’s Emergency Plan. Additionally, the Board has created a Risk Management Task Force which will work together with the EP to continue refining our safety and security practices and procedures at Sabot.

The 2022-23 school year also saw a lot of campus improvements, such as repairing historic walls and pathways, refurbishing the trailers for administrative office use and extracurricular activities, and building the highly anticipated Gaga pit on the playground. As always, we continue to steward our outdoor classrooms as well — maintaining our community garden, our athletic resources, and our neighboring forest.

POSITIONING 2022-23

This year, Sabot’s reputation has been enhanced through several avenues. We have refreshed our website and reinvigorated our blog, with a plan to highlight the Middle School and Exploratory programs specifically. We’ve increased our social media presence with the addition of a full-time Communications Officer. We’ve employed an external marketing firm (River City Consulting) to support our advertising efforts.

We’re also working to establish ourselves pedagogically through a cohesive understanding of what our approach means, which is an ongoing task. Internally, we’ve created Learning Groups, Mission Moments, and have enhanced professional development across grade levels. Externally, the Sabot Institute hosted events where we welcomed likeminded educators from across the country.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Preschool 50th Anniversary Celebration

1. The Sabot community gathers together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sabot Preschool program.

2. Sabot alums Elly ‘22, Sophia ‘19, Graeme ‘22, Skylar ‘22 pose together.

3. Retired preschool teacher, Robyn Johnson, and retired Early Childhood Director, Marty Gravett, enjoy the celebration.

4. Birth of a Planet: Richmond on Paper documentary screening

5. The Daroy family

6. Clare Gengarelly, GP ‘31 & ‘36

7. Grandparents are warmly welcomed by school leadership.

8. A beloved annual tradition, students present faculty members with a flower during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Nicole Sackley & Eric Yellin P’23 & ‘26

10. Staff members Elize Saaiman & Mabrey Matherly P’24 & ‘27

11. Toni Winston, P’22 & Laura Meyers, P’20 & ‘22

12. 4th graders present at the Umbrella Project Celebration.

13. The Class of 2023 cuts the ribbon for Honor Hall.

14. Jace ‘30 and Christian ‘30 helping with the move in!

15. Laura Meyers, P’20 & ‘22, Irene Carney, Former Head of School, Lucile Miller, GP ‘20 & ‘22 joyfully celebrating.

16. Annual spring forest walk with newly enrolled families.

9.

Gala in the Garden

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Our graduates are off to new adventures!

Congratulations to the class of 2023!

Our graduates are attending:

Trinity Episcopal School (2)

Highland Springs High School Center for Engineering

IB Program at Patrick Henry High School

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

Open High School (2)

James River High School Center for Leadership & International Relations

Mills Godwin High School

Class of 2023: High School Acceptances

Class of 2019: After High School

Each fall, we welcome a panel of Sabot alumni back to campus to speak specifically with current middle school students and their families. The panel represents up to a dozen area high schools—public, independent, and regional. Attendees find that this panel not only addresses some of the nuts and bolts of the high school application and admissions process, but that it also offers a helpful and more holistic glimpse into a postSabot school experience. As ever, we are inspired by our graduates and are grateful for their wisdom, their honesty, and their generosity.

The Sabot School Class of 2019 is off doing great things after high school graduation! Some of them are pursuing their passions in the working world, and others are continuing their studies at the following schools:

College of Charleston

Virginia Commonwealth University

James Madison University

2022 Fall Graduate Panel

3400 Stony Point Road Richmond, VA 23235

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Umbrella Project Celebration and Explo Expo

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

End-of-Year Forest Walk

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

8th Grade Graduation