Biscuit's Bulletin Spring/Summer 2023

BISCUIT'S BULLETIN SAINT ANNE'S DAY SCHOOL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Vol 2

SPRING/SUMMER 2023

In This Issue

From the Director

SPRING 2023

What is a community? When I taught Kindergarten many years ago, Life in Community was a yearlong theme of study where the children explored what it means for a group of individuals to share spaces, interests, and common goals. These investigations led to beautiful projects involving families, neighborhoods, places of worship, and extracurricular activities. Every year, the children decided that community wasn’t just about sharing something in common; it was also a feeling. Without exception, the children used the word "love" to define what community meant to them.

Celebrating the Class of 2023 Springtime Highlights Professional Development Cultural Arts Soirée Success Classroom Feature

GRANDparents Annual Fund

A thriving community is one where people feel connected, encouraged, and inspired to create. It promotes a love that fuels each person and the collective toward something greater. Saint Anne’s Day School and Enrichment Programs is more than a place where children attend school. Ours is a thriving community where people who love children and believe in their boundless capabilities come together to create an environment of marvelous joy.

In this edition of Biscuit’s Bulletin, you will see many examples of the love emanating throughout our community, from classroom provocations to POPs events and even in the production of this newsletter. Thank you for being a member of the Saint Anne’s community and for the way your love helps us thrive.

Take care.

Summer Camp

Behind the Bulletin Editors Danielle Hutlas and Emma Moore Content Curator Emma Moore Art Direction/Design Danielle Hutlas Featured Photographer Danielle Hutlas Annual Fund Emma Moore Contributors Kristin Baynes, Kathy Bennett, Sarah Bennett Cook, Annie Jamison, Rhonda Mitchell, Day School Staff

Rhonda Mitchell Director

Danielle Hutlas Assistant Director Admissions, Social Media, Community Engagement Emma Moore Administrator for Advancement Registrar, POPs & Alumni Liaison, Summer Camp Enrollment To subscribe to Biscuit's Bulletin, or if you have photos, stories, or memories of Saint Anne's to share, e-mail:

alumni@saintannesdayschool.com.

BRIDGING CEREMONIES

2022-2023

Bridge Room (Transitional Kindergarten, TK) and the Sun, Window, River Rooms (Pre-K) classes held their Bridging ceremonies, graduations for those children leaving Saint Anne's or looping on to TK. Classes conducted individual classroom ceremonies recognizing each child and their accomplishments. It was a bittersweet morning, as we said, "We wish you well!" to the students and educators continuing their next chapter beyond Saint Anne's Day School.

ALPHA-OMEGAS

Children who attended Saint Anne's Infant/Toddler Programming through Pre-K/TK

Abigail Alawabdy Davis Dick Miller Ederle Vivi Fruh

Livi Lancaster Rawson Livezey Elizabeth Monk Ava Morse

CeCe Phillips Bode Tennille Giles Whitney

As Infant/toddlers, clockwise from top left: Rawson, Ava, Davis, Elizabeth, Bode, Livi, Miller

Springtime Highlights Spring semester is always a flurry of activity. Once the Day School returns from Spring Break, the final weeks of the school year fly by at lightning speed, and this year was no different.

Post Bridging Ceremonies grade-wide party on the playground

Sweetheart Breakfasts (February) The Valentine's breakfasts continued this year with classes Threes and older inviting their sweethearts (a grandparent, parent, or other family member) to party, craft, eat yummy snacks, and play games.

Muffins & Momosas (May)

Nesting Room Threes hosted a beautiful Mother's Day Brunch for its moms.

Teacher Appreciation (May) Hearts for Heroes (February) For its annual spring service project, the Saint Anne's community created Valentines and artwork and collected candy for its local heroes. This year's contributions reached Fire Stations No. 5, No. 26, No. 28, Emory St. Joseph's Hospital and Saint Anne's Terrace.

Spring Specials (March/April) In addition to fall's successful Cooking and STEM classes, Enrichment Programs Specials added Art and French Club to its spring rotation and ended with a Ballet recital.

Thank you to POPs for hosting a lovely afternoon celebrating our staff at the annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.

Retirements (May) It's official -- Ms. T is a retiree! Mzia Tevdoradze has served Saint Anne's for 16 wonderful years, both in the Day School and After School. We will miss her dearly and wish her a retirement full of good books and very strong coffee.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Day School has long prided itself in the area of professional development and supporting our growthoriented teachers in the field of early childhood education. Throughout the school year, Wednesday Workshops are reserved for such opportunities. Some of these in-house experiences included:

Monica Maddison BLOOM Behaviour's Educational Consultant Monica Maddison met with us virtually, leading two interactive sessions around neurodiversity and cultivating inclusive classrooms. We are fortunate Monica will join us in person this fall for even more engaging professional development.

New Teacher Experience

Interested in knowing more about the schools our children attend after Saint Anne’s, Day School educators traveled to eight different Atlanta schools this spring:

New teachers participated in an experience around environments, materials, and provocations. Educators discussed the use of the environment as a third educator, how we curate our classrooms to feel warm and inviting, and the types of materials and activities we offer children to encourage their curiosities and learning styles.

Teachers reimagined classrooms, collaborating on ways to rethink how the spaces are used.

The Galloway School Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Morris Brandon Elementary The Schenck School St. Benedict’s Episcopal Trinity School Westminster Schools Woodward Academy.

“Good collaboration is always important, and it’s good to help your fellow educators. They have different points of view and fresh perspective, and it also gives you an appreciation for your own space,” says first-year Butterfly Room educator, Shantate Watkins.

School Visits Studio Sessions

Spring semester's new Art Studio teacher Grace Davis graciously offered a clay atelier to the staff, sharing the ins and outs of working with the malleable medium.

Topics of discussion included techniques, glazing methods, various types of clay, and pieces created by the children.

RETURN OF CULTURAL ARTS

After a Covid-19 hiatus, the Day School welcomed back in house field trips this year. The cultural arts experiences included: Learning Dome -- Operation Teach's mobile planetarium and outer space presentation Kids Go Wild - Storyteller Christy Foelsch, grandmother to former Saint Anne's alumni Georgia and Lucie Tate AWARE Wildlife - An Animal rehabilitation center visited with a turtle, an opossum, and an owl Butterfly Ballad - Puppet show from Piccadillly Puppets Beekeeping - Former Day School educator and current consultant art therapist & LPC - Jenn Nestor Cardwell shared her hobby and a honey tasting made by her very own honey bees.

The POPs Page: Spring Soirée A longstanding tradition of Saint Anne's, the annual Spring Soirée serves as the school's largest fundraiser. This year's auction Chairs dedicated countless hours to ensuring the event's success, and succeed they did, raising over $70,000!

The Latin Nights themed evening included a taco truck, live music, three signature cocktails, stunning items up for bid, beautiful tropical decor, a VIP area, and attendees who came dressed to impress. The Soirée was highly attended by both families and staff.

Thank you to everyone involved in bringing Latin Nights to life: our generous families for their contributions and sponsorships, the teachers and parents who helped with Class Creations, staff and parents who assisted with all the behind the scenes setup and details, and Administration, especially Emma Moore, for coordinating all the moving parts, and Studio Educator Grace Davis for their extra time arranging the countless floral displays.

Among the many outstanding details of the night, the new addition of the exclusive VIP area for Platinum and Gold Level sponsors featured cigars, charcuterie, and a pour of Pappy Van Winkle's 10-year aged bourbon.

2023 Soirée Chairs, Above from left: Nancy Pollock, Erinn Pearson, Weezie Finlay, Erised Quintas

The Engram Family The Anderson Family

McNeish Family Pearson Family Martyanova-Dzhanov Family Livezey Family Baaklini Family Whitney Family

Henson Family Ederle Family Finlay Family Hogg Family Loyd Family Mitchell Family

Tarbet Family McCullar Family Ellis Family Hart-Breece Family Phillips Family Thompson Family Cuzzone-Garcia Family

Marsh Family Hite Family Kozachenok Family Hawkins Family Knight Family Davidson Family Scott Family

House Family Cain Family Leach Family Dick Family Iselin Family Willett Family OrugantiNiranjan Family

Dailey Family Batcheller Family Zucchero Family Quintas Family Pollock Family Alawabdy Family

Classroom Feature

Our springtime feature follows Saint Anne's Transitional Kindergarten class, the Bridge Room, and its semester's work with kindness and connectivity, both in the classroom, at home, and into the community. Through an interactive charity project, the five and six year olds connected the Day School with its neighbors through friendship jewelry.

Since the beginning of the school year, the Bridge Room focused on relationships. The class explored connectivity in relation to nature, themselves, their families, one another, their similarities and differences, the world and its various peoples and cultures.

Inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bridge children discussed their dreams for the world:

"People making new friends is fun for the world.

Be happy, and be nice to all of your friends.

Be nice and spread joyness.

Have peace. Be loved.

Stay who you are, and be nice.

Have lots of fun.

Be kind to everyone.

Be respectful and good.

Be loving and kind."

These conversations led to thinking of ways we can help our community - both inside the classroom and out. The class expanded on its compliments and shoutouts to one another, recognizing the ripple effect kindness has and how powerful our words can be.

Bridge educators Kristin Baynes and Annie Jamison implemented an "acts of kindness" jar, and celebrated when the children said or did something nice for their peers, writing the acts down and filling a jar with all the kind deeds. Families continued the sentiments at home. From this experience the Bridge's service project was born.

"We have witnessed children offering to help each other, sharing sincere compliments, welcoming friends to join in play, and sending warm wishes to our unwell friends at home. The excitement this is bringing into our classroom is warming our hearts."

Kristin and Annie, Bridge Room teachers

Extending their acts of kindness beyond the classroom, the children determined their class gift to the community -- what have lovingly come to be known as Bridge Bracelets, stretchy jewelry that spread joy. The children brainstormed words of positivity: "peace, love, joy, friendship, lightness, kindness, etc." that were then beaded onto each bracelet. With the help of family, peers, and some neighbors at the Saint Anne's Terrace senior living center, 200 bracelets were created.

Gaines: My favorite part about being in the Bridge Room was making bracelets for charity.

Miller: Charity means helping other people and animals.

My favorite part about it was getting to pet the dog at the end.

Children from the Bridge Room After a couple in-house days and Church sales one Sunday, the bracelets sold out almost immediately, raising nearly $1,000. Because of the Bridge's love for people and animals, the proceeds benefited Urban Recipe, a local food pantry, and LifeLine Animal Project, a local rescue. While there are lessons of kindness and charity to be learned throughout this process, Bridge Bracelets are more than just beautiful baubles, but vehicles for love and connectivity, bridging together their makers, buyers, and fellow wearers.

"The connections we have all built, the friendships and collaborations we have created ... have all been found inspirationally in joy, love, peace, kindness, and respect."

Kristin and Annie Above: Bridge children present representatives from LifeLine Animal Project and Urban Recipe with their bracelet proceeds and learn more about each organization.

Grand Parents

Not only does the Day School enjoy parent participation, we love grandparent visits too. The children's smiles are never wider than when their families spend time with them at school.

Recognizing the importance family plays in children's developing identities, Ms. Milford and Ms. Thomas (Nesting Room Threes teachers) hosted a classroom Grandparents' Day where these beloved family members shared in a morning of fun activities -singing, cooking, story time, and more. The educators note that the children often bring up their grandparents when sharing details of their lives outside of the Day School. "Grandma was picking up today. Grandpa was taking them to a baseball game this weekend, and so on." As Ms. Milford adds, "Learning more about a child's family and where they come from gives us a better picture of the whole child."

For the Tennille family, Saint Anne's involvement is a family affair. Bode (Pre-K) and Tapley (Twos) have attended the Day School since their infant days; their older brother, Townsend, is a Saint Anne's graduate.

Leah Tennille, their mother, is an avid church member and parent volunteer who also substitutes for the Day School. Next door at the Saint Anne's Terrace live Leah's parents, Michael and Margaret Kannensohn. The grandparents often walk the short path connecting the Day School and Terrace to pick up their grandchildren, and on occasion, they surprise Bode and Tapley as their class' Mystery Reader. When the Cultural Arts Learning Dome inhouse field trip visited, Michael and Margaret eagerly joined.

"Learning more about a child's family and where they come from gives us a better picture of the whole child."

Sephonia Milford, Nesting Threes educator

Grandparents Cont'd

Family Feature: The Bennett Bunch

Q&A with Kathy and Sarah Q: What is your favorite part about working in the same place as your (grand)kids?

Kathy: My favorite part about working in the same place as my daughter and grandchildren is that each and every day I have the privilege of just laying eyes on them. I have so many friends that tell me they are so excited because their children are coming to town to visit. I secretly smile to myself knowing I saw mine just walking down the hall.

Sarah: Seeing how happy [my kids] are without me! I feel so proud when I spy them going down the hall with their class, off to discovering new things. [As for my mom], I can get a hug from her pretty much whenever I need. It's special when parents that know both of us realize that I'm her daughter and then tell me how much they love my mom.

Q: What fun story or detail would you like to share about being at Saint Anne's all together?

Kathy: When my granddaughter Caroline was finally old enough to come downstairs to After School, and I, her "Mimi," would be in the same room with her I was so excited.

But I was taken aback one day when she called me "Ms. Bennett" instead of Mimi! I know she was just trying to be like the other children but it did give my heart a jolt. Nowadays I am back to Mimi, but every now and then I hear "Ms. Bennett" ...

Sarah: Almost every library book in our library has my mom's handwriting in it. During her years as librarian, my mom wrote the dedication stickers on the first page of each new book that year. Now, whenever Caroline checks out a book and we open the cover, I get a quick jolt of joy when I see her handwriting.

It's super special to me. To me, that library will always be hers.

Elaine Christopher (Longtime friend and former colleague): The Bennett Ladies are positive influences in our school. Caroline and James light up our corridors with their smiles and inquisitive ways. It is a true testament to our school’s philosophy when three generations can learn and grow together!

From left: Kathy Bennett, Caroline and James Cook (grandchildren), Sarah Bennett Cook (daughter)

A Family Affair It's not often that three generations go to the same school at the same time, but for Kathy Bennett, Sarah Bennett Cook, and James and Caroline Cook, that's the norm.

Kathy came to the Day School as a part-time librarian in 1993, and her role has since evolved to full-time After School Director. In between those times, Kathy also served as resident storyteller, Queen Glitter.

Her daughter, Sarah, joined the Day School as a full-time teacher in 2012, and now Kathy's grandchildren, Caroline (Pre-K) and James (2y) attend.

Mother to Daughter to Mimi During Kathy's tenure as librarian, Ms. Bennett welcomed each child with a nose "Boop! What's your name?" As Queen Glitter, each child received a sweet story and a pinch of glitter. Kathy also portrayed Peter Pan along with an array of other fun characters. In her most recent role, to her grandkids she is "Mimi."

Blast from the Past

The reknowned Queen Glitter turned Mimi.

Daughter to Teacher to Mother After college Sarah tested the Saint Anne's waters, working as a nanny for a Day School family, frequently substituting, and working prior to that as a teenage Camp Counselor. With the encouragement of other Day School educators, Sarah applied for a full-time position at the school and fully dived in to the Saint Anne's community. Since then, she's taught Twos, Threes, Pre-K, and this past year served as a grade level lead for the Threes classes.

Clockwise from top: Kathy and Martha Isler in the Butterfly Room. Kathy's storytelling persona as Peter Pan. Sarah as a teenage Summer Camp Counselor.

Saint Anne's Scholarship Funds Judy Eckardt Scholarship Fund Judy dedicated her life to making a better world for children. She was an inspiring teacher who used her many talents to create a thirst for learning in all of her students. Judy loved life and instinctively knew how to help others see the joy of learning new things. She touched every teacher, parent, and child who called her friend and/or teacher.

The treasured memory of Judy Eckardt lives through the Judy Eckhardt Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Ryan Grand Scholarship Fund Ryan Grand (12/6/1989 - 11/15/2011) enrolled at Saint Anne's Day School in 2000 when he was 6 months old and continued through his Pre-K year. He loved his time at Saint Anne's so much he continued to come back to the school during his high school and college years to work as a Summer Camp counselor. Some of his closest and earliest friendships were established at Saint Anne's and continued throughout his life. Because of his strong connection with the Day School, Ryan's family and friends established the Ryan Grand Scholarship fund.

Martha Isler Memorial Fund Martha loved children and had a passion for teaching. She had a Master's Degree in Elementary Education and taught at various elementary schools around Atlanta before coming to Saint Anne's as a teacher. She was a gifted educator and had several students who stayed in touch with her into their adulthoods.

Martha's daughter, Maggie Isler Killgore attended Saint Anne's as a child and her four children have also attended, with her youngest currently enrolled. Martha was a very active grandmother and could be seen weekly at Saint Anne's, bringing her grandchildren to school or picking them up in the carpool line.

Because of her deep affection for Saint Anne's Day School, her family and friends created the Martha Isler memorial fund. Martha died on July 22, 2021.

Edith M. Smith Memorial Fund Edith was a much loved teacher of the Twos and Threes at Saint Anne's Day School for 41 years. She was an outstanding storyteller and could capture the hearts and minds of all ages with her stories. She was a member of Saint Anne's Church and an active participant in the school's Chapel services. Often she was approached by her now adult students with fond memories of their time at the Day School. Edith's 3 children and 4 grandchildren were all alumni and gave many hours of volunteer service to the school.

Edith Smith died on December 5, 2018.

Saint Anne's Supporters 2022-2023 Annual Fund Donors The Barker Family The Batcheller Family Kristin Baynes Kathy Bennett The Benoit Family Sarah Buchly The Burdette Family Alina Buzea Yusufji April Chalmers The Childress Family Elaine Christopher Tonya Cole Angie Cook Sarah Cook Loreen Costa Rebecca Cummiskey Chetta Davis Olivia Dillon Susan & Malcolm Duncan

Mike Dunlap The Dzhanov Family Allison East The Engram Family Caroline Fleming Elizabeth Ferguson Lindsey Glass The Griffith Family The Gump Family Charlotte Hassett Denevia Hicks The Hirsekorn Family Yuri Huntsberry-Morton Danielle Hutlas Annie Jamison Mary Kibler The Killgore Family JM and Nancy Kota Larmore Family Foundation

Katie Lebel The Leach Family The Loyd Family Maddox Family Private Foundation The Maebert Family Sephonia Milford The Miles-Davidson Family Charlotte Mills Rhonda Mitchell Emma Moore Laura Mullins Monica Murray Jennifer Nestor-Cardwell The O'Rouke Family Winnie Pannell Jenny Rogers The Rollins Family Saint Anne's Church

Tena Sarabia The Scott Family Greg & Eileen Seitz Faye Sisk Melissa Sebel Kathleen Slovis The Tarbet Family Mzia Tevdoradze Yeme Thomas The Thompson Family The Truist Foundation The Waggeners Kristin Watts Shantate Watkins Alexandra Weldon The Whitney Family Angela Wilhoit

Georgia Wimberly Pierce Memorial Scholarship In 2007, when Georgia was almost three years old, she passed away while vacationing with her family. The families and friends of the Pierce family created the Georgia Pierce Memorial Scholarship fund in her honor.

Since 2008, the funds raised annually for the scholarship are allocated toward the total amount of financial aid distributed each year.

Photo: Children in Georgia's Memorial Garden

2022-2023 Pierce Scholarship Donors Rebie Bland Ashley Brantley Ashton Bozard Susannah Hubbell Cami Hutchinson Suzette Laney Maryanne Martin Troy McCormick Paige Merrill Daisy Miller

Eleanor Morrison Elizabeth & Roger O'Connell Natalie Scott Chelsea Sneed Marcy Swan April Tegler Katherine Todd Traci Waite Elizabeth Zadig

Summer Camp Saint Anne's annual Summer Camp hosted five weeks of fun throughout June and July. As always, camp was well attended by both Day School and the greater community, welcoming children ages two to seven years old.

This year Camp also launched an After Care program allowing children to extend their days until 4pm.

Above: In a Camp class of all girls, the Threes teachers decided "GRL PWR" would be the perfect theme to celebrate each other.

Camp themes this summer included topics like cooking, sea creatures, up-in-the-sky, art, music, messy play, nature, GRL PWR, Water Day, and of course, a fabulous 4th of July Celebration -parade included. And, as is Camp tradition, the popsicle truck visited every Friday.

3098 Saint Anne's Lane NW Atlanta, GA 30327

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Saint Anne's Day School 3098 St. Anne's Ln NW Atlanta, GA 30327 404-237-7024 alumni@saintannesdayschool.com www.saintannesdayschool.com

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