Bond of Brothers magazine: Year in Review 2014-15

Bond Brothers OF

YEAR IN REVIEW, 2014–2015

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR SAN ANTONIO ACADEMY OF TEXAS

Fine Arts Flourish Creativity in Action PAGE 15

®

Over the summer, the campus entry way signs were redesigned to provide a polished, updated appearance, while a new campus directory and directional signs were erected to help visitors navigate the property. Special thanks to the SAA Grounds & Facility Committee who spearheaded the project, and to the Class of 2015, who underwrote the campus directional signs.

Thank you, Class of 2015!

Bond Brothers OF

In this issue FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 5 STUDENT OUTCOMES 6 CHAPEL: CREATING A CULTURE OF CHARACTER 13 FINE ARTS FLOURISH: CREATIVITY IN ACTION 15 CURRICULUM 17 IN THE CLASSROOM 45 COMMUNITY OUTREACH 49 AROUND CAMPUS 53 ATHLETICS 57 ACADEMY COMMUNITY & SUPPORT 65 ENRICHMENT 68 ALUMNI 70 COMMENCEMENT 79

EDITOR Becky Shimek, Director of Communications

CO-EDITOR Virginia Beeler, Associate Head of School/Academics

CONTRIBUTORS Ruth Berg Natalie Bock, Wildcat Sports Mary Shrader Valerie Tamez John Webster

PHOTOGRAPHY Natalie Bock Mary Candee Dana Parish Priscilla Power Haley Royer Becky Shimek

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BE HONEST. BE KIND. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.® San Antonio Academy of Texas offers prekindergarten through eighth grade boys an exceptional academic program that features small classes, a family-like atmosphere, the development of a positive self-image and a foundation for life based upon the love of God and country, integrity and respect for each other.

San Antonio Academy admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.

Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.

Member of the National Association of Independent Schools.

San Antonio Academy of Texas 117 East French Place San Antonio, Texas 78212-5899 (210) 733-7331 voice (210) 734-0711 fax sa-academy.org

Mr. Christopher Allison Dr. Sergio Alvarado Mr. George Bodden ‘84 Mr. Steve Chiscano, Vice Chair Mr. Gary DeLaune, Ex-Officio Mrs. Elizabeth Hart Mrs. Lisa Kelleher Mr. Jacob Leibowitz, ‘99, Ex-Officio Mrs. Molly McAdams Mrs. Deborah Miller, Ex-Officio Mr. James Oliver Mrs. Victoria Roca Mr. Rob Sabom Mrs. Kelly Satel, Secretary Mr. Greg Seay, Chair Mrs. Patricia Smith Mr. John Tate Mrs. Melanie Thomas, Ex-Officio Dr. Robert Thomas, Ex-Officio Mr. Dennert O. Ware Mr. John Webster, Ex-Officio Mrs. Laurie White Mr. Greg Wright, Treasurer Mrs. Tina York, Development Committee Chair Mr. Josh Zeller

®

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

A Common Bond On the morning of September 6, 1886, Princeton University scholar, Dr. W.B. Seeley, stood on the front porch of his new schoolhouse and saw 33 young men walking across Travis Park for the first day of school at what was to become San Antonio Academy. Legend has it that Dr. Seeley noticed that some of the boys were carrying rifles, and it said that during the noon lunch recess, when Dr. Seeley’s students adjourned to nearby Travis Park, they enjoyed a competition to see who could shoot the greatest number of squirrels out of the trees. It is said that the squirrel population of Travis Park declined precipitously and that Dr. Seeley was not pleased.

I often wonder what those boys were like. Photos of students who attended SAA line the first-floor hallway of Taylor Hall.

Sometimes, as I lock the building at day’s end, I look at their faces (I don’t talk to them) and here’s what I see: I see young men who were enthusiastic, energetic, spirited, bold, confident and ready to take on the world. The earliest students of San Antonio Academy were anchored by a code that emphasized God and country, character, leadership, high standards and a strong bond of brotherhood. Today that code is still strong at SAA. For thirty years I have watched the faces of our 8th graders during commencement as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. As I look at our boys, I see the same look I have noticed in the photos. I see young men who are enthusiastic, energetic, spirited, bold, confident and ready to take on the world. Our students learn the importance of God, country, character, leadership, high standards and brotherhood. And… our boys are anchored by a code that teaches them how important it is to: “Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be.” Our boys all know how important that code is.

Even Pre-K boys understand the importance of the code.

The mother of a Pre-K boy emailed this message to me in September: After a long week, Maximo was kind of tired and quiet this morning, so I was encouraging him with all of the fun things we have planned for this weekend. He said, “So I don’t have school tomorrow?” To which I replied, “Nope it’s the weekend! I’m so excited to have you all to myself at home for two whole days.” He sat back in his car seat, exhaled and said, “Whew. I love my school so much, but I’m so glad it’s Friday. It’s hard to every day always be kind and honest and the best I can be.“ Whether you are an Academy student, an SAA alumnus, the parent of an Academy boy, the grandparent of an Academy boy, a member of the faculty and staff, or a friend of the school, you share a common bond. You are part of a culture anchored by common traditions, traditional values, and The Code—“Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be.”

You and I share the same mission at SAA, as we teach little boys to become young men of character, so they can become leaders and make the world a better place.

It makes me proud to be part of our school.

—JOHN WEBSTER, HEAD OF SCHOOL

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

Student Outcomes SPEECH In a citywide privateschool speech contest, Academy boys FINISHED 2nd, with many SAA boys advancing to the finals.

THREE Academy boys WON awards at the Regional Science Fair—with one student taking Fourth Place Grand Champion in Physics and qualifying for the National Science Fair.

ART The SAA Art Show included 223 works of art submitted by 167 boys in grades 1-8.

That means 59% of students in those grades participated in the Art Show. That’s a lot of Academy boys who love art and PERFORM at a high level.

49% of our 7th and 8th graders scored in the TOP 10% on the National Spanish Exam, which was administered to thousands of students nationwide. Two 8th grade students earned a PERFECT SCORE of 100%! Nationwide only 60 of the 163,496 students who took the exam registered perfect scores.

ROBOTICS SAA’s robotics teams EARNED top awards in local competitions. The RoBuccaneers, won the 1st Place Champion’s Award, while Team Infinity, received the “Mechanical Design Award”, and both teams advanced to Regionals. At Regionals, Team Infinity earned the”Gracious Professionalism Award” in Core Values.

MATH The MATHCOUNTS team PLACED 5TH in the Regional Meet, defeating all other private and charter schools that entered the competition.

PATRIOTS The SAA Honor Guard presented the colors, and the SAA choir WOWED the crowd as it sang the National Anthem at the April 12 Spurs game.

TWO Academy 8th graders earned MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS, one with a full-tuition scholarship to The McCallie School (a $200,000 value) and another with a partial scholarship to Central Catholic.

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SAA 7th graders were STATE-RECOGNIZED on the college entrance test, the SAT, administered under the aegis of Duke University’s Talent Program (TIPS). SAA’s Recognized students turned in scores that were higher than the average score for high school students who took the test, with an aggregate average score of 1588 (533.8 on Verbal; 547.7 on Math; 506.2 on Writing). 100% of SAA’s returning 6th graders have qualified to take the SAT next year.

LAWS OF LIFE 4 out of 16 finalists in the Better Business Bureau’s Laws of Life Regional Essay Contest were SAA boys. At an awards banquet the four boys were told that they CLAIMED the first, second, third and fourth places out of 435 essays submitted.

ATHLETICS SAA’s varsity athletic teams posted an aggregate 57-13-3 record, WINNING or tying 82% of their games. More important, 100% of all boys in grades 3-8 participated in after-school athletic activities.

96% This year, over 96% of our boys participated in SAA’s after-school activities, filling 1,214 positions. After-school activities are an integral part of life at The Academy, as many of our guys remain on campus and stay INVOLVED at the end of the day.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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THE TEX HILL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Accepting Applications October 1, 2015–January 5, 2016

The Tex Hill Scholarship Program provides tuition, fees, textbooks and uniforms to two fifth grade boys who will attend San Antonio Academy during their 6th, 7th and 8th grade years.

sa-academy.org 210.733.7331 San Antonio Academy admits students of all race, color, and national or ethnic origin. Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.

Member of the National Association of Independent Schools.

BE HONEST. BE KIND. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.

®

The Tex Hill Scholarship Winners San Antonio Academy proudly announces this year’s winners of The Tex Hill Scholarship: Deandre Marshall and Ty Osterhage.

In 2007, San Antonio Academy announced The Tex Hill Scholarship Program, which provides tuition, fees, textbooks and uniforms to two fifth grade boys attending San Antonio Academy during their 6th, 7th and 8th grade years. The three-year Tex Hill Scholarship is valued at more than $60,000.

The purpose of the program is to seek outstanding young men who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, citizenship and participation in activities and who demonstrate the potential to become leaders in the school community.

Applications were accepted from students new to The Academy and also from boys currently enrolled at SAA. The final decisions were made by the Tex Hill Scholarship Committee which consisted of members of the school community who do not work at SAA or have a child enrolled at The Academy.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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STUDENT OUTCOMES

During the past ten years, over 80 Academy boys have been elected or appointed to more than 160 leadership positions at their high schools; during the past three years, 40 Academy grads have been recognized as Eagle Scouts.

John Amini ’05 Ben Barenblat ’05

Battalion Commander at Lee HS ROTC

Rob Cavender ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Vincent Dawson ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Micah Graf ’05 Ash Hollis ’05 Patrick Joyce ’05 AJ Lewis ’05

Sophomore Board; Captain of Golf Team at International School of the Americas Freshman Class Treasurer at Berkshire (CT) Captain of the Varsity Football Team and Defensive MVP at Central Catholic Student Council Representative at AHHS

Joseph Shields ’05

Student Body President at SMH; Sophomore Class VP at SMH

Andrew Simms ’05

Honor Council Representative at SMH

Ross Studer ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Lex Stewart ’05

Class Representative; National Honor Society; Varsity Basketball Captain at TMI

Paul Terracina ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Curtis Vaughan ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Beau Watson ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Johnny West ’05

Student Council Representative at AHHS

Will Yancy ’05 Jerry Harris ’06 Hank Leeper ’06 Joe Montemayor ’06 Tyler Richard ’06

Commander of Cavalry at Texas A&M; Student Council Representative at AHHS Senior Class Parliamentarian at Churchill HS Senior Class President at SMH; Senior Leadership Honorary; Freshman Representative to Upper School Head Search; Captain of Freshman Basketball team at SMH National Honor Society at Central Catholic Class Representative, Honor Senate, 9th & 10th grades; Resident Advisor in Freshman Dorm, Membership to TRP Woods Leadership Honorary Society at The McCallie School; Valedictorian

Marlow Taylor ’06

Sophomore Class VP at Keystone; National Honor Society at Keystone

Michael Blume ’07

Battalion Commander at Central Catholic

Brandon Clingman ’07 Wesley Gonzalez ’07 Henry Guerra ’07 Tom Holshouser ’07 Coley Kellogg ’07 Andrew Matalon ’07

Student Body President at SACS Class Representative, Community Service Council at SMH; President Spanish Club Company Commander at TMI; Battalion SGM; US Army Recruiting Commandant Award; National Honor Society, President Spanish Club Class Representative, Community Service Council at SMH Class Representative, Sports Council at SMH Track Team Captain

David Rochelle ’07

President, Sports Council at SMH

Spencer Romo ’07

Superior Cadet Award for TMI’s Corps of Cadets, Company Commander

George Shaw ’07 Taylor Thornton ’07 Alex Bathie ’08 Timothy Brown ’08

National Honor Society at AHHS Class Representative, Fine Arts Council at SMH Sophomore and Junior Class Secretary at AHHS; Student Council Executive Board Resident Assistant in Freshman Dorm at McCallie

Jace Canty ’08

Student Council Representative at AHHS; National Honor Society; National Spanish Honor Society

Nick Prete ’08

Class Representative, Student Council at SMH

Thomas Rochelle ’08 Ryan Studer ’08 Jim Bugg ’09

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Freshmen & Sophomore Class VP at TMI; National Honor Society; Captain of Varsity Baseball Team; National Honor Society VP; Company Commander

Class Representative, Sports Council at SMH; Captain of Varsity Baseball Student Council at AHHS Secretary, Young Conservatives Club at SMH; Yearbook Editor

Chris Kaihlanen ’09

Cum Laude; National English Honor Society; Student Council; Math Club President at SMH

Anthony Kayruz ’09

Student Body President at SMH; Student Council Representative at SMH; Presidential Scholar

San Antonio Academy of Texas

STUDENT OUTCOMES Austen McDonough ’09 Garrett Notzon ’09

Landes Rangel ’09 Griffin Rubin ’09

Zach Schaeffer ’09 Matthew Villanueva ’09 Parker Brown ’10

Steven Constantin ’10 Clark Finney ’10

Jeremy Heath ’10 Lane Kirstein ’10 Travis Long ’10 Marshall Noble ’10 Grant Roberts ’10 Wallace Schmuck ’10 Stephen Trippy ’10 Riley Zander ’10 Dalton Banks ’11 Sebastian Bathie ’11 Dustin Brownlow ’11 Ford Douglass ’11 Jonathan Gottsman ’11 Isaac Moody ’11 Harrison Richter ’11 Grant Sechler ’11 Marshall Thurmond ’11

Freshman Class President at Boerne Champion Honor Council President at TMI; Honor Council Representative; Guidon Bearer at TMI; Company Commander at TMI; National Honor Society, Treasurer; Senior Army Initiative Leadership Award; Boys State; Boys State Counselor New Student Ambassador at St. Mary's HS in Colorado Springs Governor of The Texas Junior State of America; Selected by Texas Junior Statesmen of America as one of five students from Texas to attend a leadership summit in California; Invited to participate in National Center for Learning & Citizen Conference in Chicago.

National Honor Society at AHHS Summa Cum Laude; ACTS Team Co-Director at Churchill HS Freshman Council; Ambassador for Incoming Students at McCallie; National Youth Leadership Conference; Keo Kio, Senior Leadership Honorary; Resident Assistant; National Honor Society; President of Amnesty International at McCallie Battalion Staff at TMI; Guidon Bearer at TMI Sophomore Class President at AHHS; Junior Class President; VP Future Business Leaders of America; President of Future Business Leaders of America; President of Texas Traditions; Spirit Club President; Student Senate 67th and 68th Session at Texas A&M Student Council at Hotchkiss in Connecticut; Teaching Assistant; Dorm Proctor National Honor Society at AHHS Fine Arts Council at SMH National Honor Society at AHHS National Honor Society at Churchill TMI Corp of Cadets XO National Honor Society at Health Careers; Parliamentarian of NHS; National Math Honor Society National Honor Society at AHHS National Honor Society; Spanish National Honor Society; Varsity Football Captain at AHHS Student Council Vice President at AHHS National Honor Society; Marianist Society at Central Catholic Student Council Historian at AHHS Sports Council at SMH National Honor Society at Central Catholic Undergraduate Honor Society at Churchill; National Honor Society at Churchill Sergeant at Arms of Sophomore Class; Treasurer, Junior Class; Treasurer, Senior Class; Newspaper Co-Editor at AHHS Spanish National Honor Society Sergeant at Arms at AHHS; Future Business Leaders, Social Chairman

Raul Aguilar ’12

Guidon Bearer; Academic All State in TAPPS at Central Catholic

GW Bodden ’12

Battalion Executive Officer at TMI

Saad Eshan ’12 Tom Bugg ’12

Battalion Commander at TMI Fine Arts Council at SMH

Russell Freed ’12

Community Service Council at SMH

Mohan Iyengar ’12

National Honor Society at Keystone

Dustin Smith ’12 Marshall Webb ’12 Jack Wright ’12 Robert Allison ’13 Marshall Beldon ’13 Walt Buzzini ’13 Alexander Johnson ’13 Andrew Lemke ’13

TEPS: Sophomore Leadership Honorary; National Honor Society at McCallie; Resident Advisor Honor Council Representative at SMH Sports Council at SMH; Spanish National Honor Society Student Council at AHHS Sophomore Class President at Churchill TEPS: Sophomore Leadership Honorary; Dorm Council; Biblical Ethics Award; Junior Class Student Council President at McCallie National Honor Society; Sophomore Class Representative; Student Body Treasurer; Squad Leader; Color Guard; Saber Guard; Admission Ambassador at TMI; United World College Summer Leadership Forum Student Shadow Ambassador at SMH

Daniel Lemke ’14

Class Representative at SMH

Reed Sechler ’14

Treasurer, Freshman Class at AHHS Year in Review, 2014–2015

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2014–2015

SAA Leadership Positions

BATTALION STAFF

COLOR GUARD

DRUM CORPS

Commander Will Zachry Executive Officer Ben Chapman Adjutant Hunter Lee Aide De Camp Jack Chapman Operations Officer Hasan Ehsan Inspector General Josh Uviedo Public Relations Officer Santiago Martinez

Commander Austin Tibbetts Eddie Garcia Michael Blaess Myles Jonas Simon Powell

Commander Jack Covert Executive Officer Ethan Fish Spence Baldwin Donny Duggan Angelo Huff Sammy Barr Vivek Beeram Jeb Brysacz Chazz Hunter Rod Hunter Ben Metersky Walker Noble Sam Riggs

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

COMPANY A

COMPANY B

COMPANY C

COMPANY D

Commander Michael Wood

Commander Lee Charles McNeil

Commander Harrison Stuart

Commander Emory Scott

Executive Officer Ben Feinstein

Executive Officer Manuel Zuniga

Executive Officer John Howard Hassmann

Executive Officer Ben Zeller

Platoon Leader Will Nunns

Platoon Leader Cameron Dudley

Platoon Leader Daniel Covert

Platoon Leader John IV White

Platoon Leader William Tucker

Platoon Leader Reece Traylor

Platoon Leader Daniel Espey

Platoon Leader Andrew Hieger

Training Officer Argyle Amberson

Training Officer Griffin Kelly

Training Officer Luke Peeler

Training Officer John Ben Shepperd

Sergio Alvarado Alex Alvarez Traylor Azar Sammy Barr Sawyer Barr Steven Benke Gavin Boyle Hutton Campbell Jack Casey Harry Crawford Juddy Crawford Max Dabbous Ethan Feinstein Cole Finney James Forgason Beckett Gabriel Jatin Gurrala Edward Hart Max Hart Emory Hill Angelo Huff Chazz Hunter Christopher Hunter Blake Johnson Jamie Johnson Parker Johnson Jose Carlos Martinez Nate Mayo Ben Metersky Aidan Notzon Jack Osterhage Ty Osterhage Max Rosenbloom Jordan Sampson Campbell Seay Mark Sechler Wendell Snow Edward Snyder John Paul Tucker Michael Wagner Calvin Walls Alex Weis Ben Weis Parker Worley Matthew Ybarra

Aidan Campbell Gage Casey Troy Cervantes Christopher Chan Cameron Chan Niko Chiscano Billy Conn Connor Davis Cole Dudley Jackson Duffin Cole Dunn Griffin Erwin Roan Erwin Bailey Fletcher Anthony Fletcher Griffin Freiling George Hale James Jacob Abraham Kirkpatrick Seth Meade Ethan Met Vishal Nair Steven Nguyen Warren Oliver John Paul Ortiz Ben Powell Zachery Powell Alex Pruitt Henry Ramirez Isaiah Rettig William Riggs Sam Riggs Ben Rios Henry Satel Garrett Scott Browning Shemwell Reed Shemwell Lee Smith Morgan Smith Drew Stewart Tristan Tamez Mason Traylor Samuel Velez

Jake Bentley Chaz Bregman Noah Bregman Hill Britton Spencer Britton Jeb Brysacz Courtlandt Buzzini Tucker Conlin Joshua Cross Michael Delvacchio Nico Diaz Donny Duggan Ethan Dziczkowski Ben Espy Eli Greenberg Robert Gulley Elias Hansen Harry Hassmann James Hawes Rod Hunter Ryan Jourdan Richard Kinsel Zachary Liu Braden Malone Clark Mandigo Andres Martinez Matthew McCutcheon Connor McGrath Dillon McManus Sam Nye Justin Pisano Peyton Randolph Henry Robison Dylan Rybacki Shane Rybacki James Schnoebelen Mark Schnoebelen Marc Thiltgen Jack Travis Joey Turner Daniel Wang Clark Webb Gray Woodson Liam Wray John York

Gavin Anderson Chip Anderson Bennett Angulo Eshanth Beeram Vivek Beeram Timothy Blymyer Richard Cage Jonathan Duperier Curtis Gunn Chase Holley Max Huddleston Quinn Jones Raed Khan John Kohl McAdams T.J. McFarland Isaac Miller John Miller Reaves Miller Diego Morales Walker Noble Mac Northington Joseph Notzon Anish Padala Ethan Parkhurst Robbie Pena Erik Peterson Razik Rehman Jackson Rogers John Saad Teel Sabom Arthur Seay Andrew Seay Ishan Shah Keaton Shindler Nathaniel Shriner Matthew Silva Arun Simha Parker Thill Luke Thomas Mikey Vildosola Wells Walker Jay Welder Nicholas Wheeler Miles Wright Omer Zafar

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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SALUTE TO VETERANS: 8th Grader Santiago Martinez calls upon his fellow cadets to honor our nation’s veterans present during The Academy’s annual celebration, “Veterans Day Convocation,” on Friday, November 7.

Chapel

Creating a Culture of Character 13

San Antonio Academy of Texas

MISSION: San Antonio Academy begins each morning with a schoolwide convocation where stories, film, the Pledge of Allegiance, announcements and shared experiences reinforce the school’s mission and promote the strong sense of family that is very much a part of The Academy’s culture.

Anyone who has ever attended an Academy Chapel knows that there’s never a dull moment; especially on Fridays where students, parents, faculty and staff all take part in the fun. The 2014-15 school year was filled with many memorable (and silly) moments, as John Webster— with his group of ‘Guapos’— along with other brave participants, took center-stage to make us smile. Highlights included…

MAESTRO IN THE MAKING: With the wave of his hands, Head of School, John Webster elicits a roar from the boys to mark the end of Upper School Field Day.

ARE YOU READY WILDCATS? “I can’t hear you” hollers fifth grader Griffin Erwin as he gets Ellison Hall prepped to join him in spelling: “S – A – A!” With his booming pipes, Griffin was hailed as The Academy’s unofficial yell-leader.

EPIC BATTLE: (below, left to right) “Marauders” Coach McClintock with faculty members Dr. Patrick Atkerson and James Pellman do battle while (far left) Gary Marvin ’89 protects a bucket full of tickets.

The Chapel skit promoted “Drop in the Bucket ticket sales” for the upcoming Fall Family Fair event, themed: Be honest. Be kind. Be EPIC. HOLIDAY HUMOR: (above) After watching the movie classic, A Christmas Story, first grader Jack Hall enters the “change-omatic” and is transformed into a larger version of himself, a.k.a: Dr. Patrick Atkerson. (below) John Webster dubs Admissions Assistant Director, Gary Marvin ’89, winner of the “Ugly Holiday Sweater” contest.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Fine Arts Flourish Creativity in Action

Music

Art

Stage

“Music not only engages the mind, body, and soul like no other discipline, but its sounds can empower, refresh, comfort and move our boys into greater versions of themselves. Sharing music unites SAA boys in its own unique way, and it is truly a joy to watch them grow both individually and together.”

“Boys get it in their heads that they aren’t any good at art, and it is difficult to change that, so I try to get them on a positive note early on. Before long, I’m hanging their artwork on the walls of Ellison Hall for display in the annual art show. It’s truly amazing to see the transformation in their skill and confidence level.”

“One of the most powerful ways San Antonio Academy taps into the instinctive kinetic tendencies of young boys is through the school’s strong theatrical thrust into every aspect of its curriculum. Because performance and public speaking is an integral part of the curriculum for every grade level, Academy boys experience prolonged and comprehensive exposure to skills that enhance the development of poise, confidence and rhetorical assurance.”

— RUTH BERG Music Department Chair

— CARY GATES Art Department Chair

— BRENDAN MOORE English Department Chair

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Math ADDRESSING DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

Math Creates Problem Solvers

As a component of their Everyday Math curriculum, fourth graders in Siomha Moore’s class used pennies to model fractions of sets, such as 1/3 of 21 or 2/6 of 24. The goal of the activity was to teach concepts in ways that address the different learning styles. In this activity, visual learners were able to see the fractions come to life, and kinesthetic learners could feel and experience the creation of fractions.

MISSION: Mathematics education at San Antonio Academy provides a challenging and stimulating environment which emphasizes mathematics as a language, producing competent thinkers and effective learners with lifelong problem-solving capabilities.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

Geometers Are First to Open the Doors Sixteen eighth graders took advantage of the opportunity to complete a high school level geometry course instructed by Mike Hansen. Students who score A’s in the class often receive high school credit. This elective class met weekly, Monday through Thursday mornings from 7:00-7:50. The students who completed the course were: Michael Blaess Daniel Covert Jack Covert Hasan Ehsan Daniel Espey Ethan Fish

Myles Jonas Santiago Martinez Lee Charles McNeil Emory Scott Harrison Stuart

Reece Traylor Josh Uviedo Michael Wood Ben Zeller Manuel Zuniga

CURRICULUM Academy Students Excel in PREP Course The PREP program, a mathematics-based academic enrichment program offered over the course of three summers, enrolls over 1300 students each year. The following students successfully completed the course this past summer: Vivek Beeram Anthony Fletcher Erik Peterson

Arun Simha Anish Padala

POWs Test Writing & Mathematical Skills Both Mike Hansen’s seventh and eighth grade algebra students solved their POWs (Problems of the Week/writing assignments) using numbers and words. They also quickly realized the importance of math in real life situations. By making statistical investigations of bivariate data, finding regression equations suggested by scattered data, solving linear equations, and investigating rates of change, they could compare different rental car contracts, cable television contracts, and taxicab rates in order to discover which company offers the best value.

Geometers Offer Secrets to Success Last year’s geometers left letters of advice to the upcoming class. “Geometry is a joy! I highly recommend that you dance in the mornings with Mr. Hansen before class starts because it starts off the day the right way. He plays the greatest song called ‘In the Mood.’” Other advice included:

SAA Finishes Strong in AMC–8 Contest SAA seventh and eighth graders competed in the AMC–8 contest, a nationwide free response, no calculator math competition given to more than 150,000 students in more than 2000 schools. Top SAA finishers were: 7TH GRADERS Jake Bentley Hasan Ehsan Shane Rybacki Drew Stewart

•• Cut out electronics during the day which will allow you to

finish homework sooner and go to sleep earlier.

•• Completing homework every day provides valuable

practice, and it allows you to see what areas you are struggling with.

•• Be there every day.

•• Don’t procrastinate.

•• If you have questions, go see the teacher.

•• Mr. Hansen is extremely diligent in his work, and because of this, you won’t have to question his authority and wisdom.

The total score for The Academy team of Josh Uviedo, Michael Wood, and Myles Jonas earned them the recognition of a Certificate of Merit. Along with those mathletes, scores for Hasan Ehsan, Jake Bentley, Harrison Stuart and Santiago Martinez earned them recognition and their names engraved on the trophy plaque.

MATHCOUNTS Team Places 5th at Regionals Seventeen of our 7th and 8th graders competed against 50 other top teams from 19 area schools at the annual MATHCOUNTS competition. Coach Hansen’s team of Michael Wood, Josh Uviedo, Will Zachry, and Harrison Stuart took 5th place team honors with Josh placing 5th as an individual and 4th in the Countdown Round, earning him an invitation to compete at State. The SAA mathletes included: 7TH GRADERS Jake Bentley Troy Cervantes Isaac Miller Anish Padala Razik Rehman Shane Rybacki Wendell Snow Drew Stewart

GEOMETERS WAKE UP TO "IN THE MOOD"

8TH GRADERS Myles Jonas Santiago Martinez Harrison Stuart Michael Wood Top 5% Josh Uviedo Top 5%

8TH GRADERS Hasan Ehsan Myles Jonas Santiago Martinez Emory Scott Harrison Stuart Josh Uviedo Michael Wood Will Zachry Ben Zeller

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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English EIGHTH GRADERS HELP PRE-K WRITE LETTERS TO SANTA The eighth grade boys assumed their roles as leaders and big brothers when helping the Pre-K boys write letters to Santa Claus.

While the older boys served as scribes, the little guys shared with them their Christmas wish lists and other thoughts for Old Saint Nick. The Pre-K boys then decorated their letters before sending them to the North Pole.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

English Department Encourages Writing MISSION: The English Department provides students with the skills to enable them to become proficient communicators in regards to writing and speaking with clarity and precision.

Cubing Activity Opens Avenues for Creative Thinking Brendan Moore peaked his eighth graders’ curiosity when he displayed an instrument unfamiliar to the class. In their Chromebooks they had to describe it, compare it, associate it with something else, analyze it by parts and composition, apply it and argue for it. For each activity, the boys were given three minutes. The assignment that followed was a 300 word paper, in which the object was a focus, as it was in the cubing exercise. Mr. Moore provided his classes an opportunity to look at things in a deep and different way. This could also be applied to the way they look at a piece of literature or anything they do. He successfully stretched and challenged them, and the resulting products were testaments to that.

CURRICULUM S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G Bee

Photo Captions Spark Reader’s Curiosity

Fourth grader Daniel Wang won the schoolwide Spelling Bee after a close battle in the final round with Vishal Nair who was runner-up. After Vishal went out on the word grievance, Daniel spelled nativistic correctly to win that round and then spelled immediacy to claim first place. Among the other challenging words that both boys spelled correctly in the finals rounds included: synecdoche, nihilism and apocryphal.

Other contestants that qualified to participate in the Spelling Bee were: Troy Cervantes, Hasan Ehsan, Max Hart, Angelo Huff, Alex Pruitt, John Saad, Parker Thill, and Josh Uviedo.

Melinda Biehl had her sixth graders choose a photo and use a caption to identify the person, place or recent event that would intrigue the viewer into wanting to know more.

Academy Students Excel in Speech Tournament Thirty-seven Academy students competed in a variety of events at the Incarnate Word High School Invitational Speech Tournament.Three Academy boys, Ben Feinstein, Max Rosenbloom, and Ethan Fish, reached the finals in two events.

In the Finals, The Academy took the following medal or trophy positions: Max Rosenbloom (9th in Monologue), Michael Wood (7th in Poetry Interpretation), Ethan Fish, Jack Osterhage, and Will Tucker (2nd, 4th,and 7th respectively in Prose Interpretation), Ethan Fish, Max Rosenbloom, Ben Feinstein, and Vivek Beeram (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively in Impromptu Speaking), and Elias Hansen, Ben Feinstein, Myles Jonas, and Manuel Zuniga (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th respectively in Public Speaking). In addition, SAA placed 2nd overall in the speech tournament.

“Misty, my best friend, offered a trade: a kiss for a treat.” —SAMMY BARR

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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CURRICULUM Sixth Graders Focus on Sensory Description Eyes squinting, I could spot the mountains around me, brushing the sky, jutting up from the ground, looming in the distance.

I could hear the soft hum of the heater blowing warm air in my face. It was so dark outside it looked like the world was swaddled in a blanket.

EIGHTH GRADER’S ESSAY WINS RECOGNITION Each year when SAA’s Alumni Council sponsors the Col. W.T. Bondurant Oratorical Contest, four seventh and eighth graders and one sixth grader present their

—Gavin Boyle

essays to members of the Council. The students are

The bullfrogs on the shore croaked loudly as ducks, red-winged blackbirds, and many other birds whistled and chirped. The smell of dust and outdoors drifted through the air.

instructed to write about a person who has had a major

—Max Hart

lesson, or the impact of values on their lives. Finalists

While Walking into School…

were Troy Cervantes, Jack Osterhage, John Howard

Priscilla Power spied a bird’s nest that had fallen from a tree.

Some people may have walked past it, either unnoticed or uninterested, picked it up and thrown it in the trash, or in her case, retrieved it thinking what a great topic for a narrative essay. Excerpts from a couple of the writing pieces included:

Hassmann, Michael Wood and Gavin Boyle.

The nest itself had been precious to me since my mother died.

It had reminded me of her love and care. She herself had always been like the mother bird who had been in that nest.

When she died, I realized nothing lasts forever; not love, not evil, not anything.

determination. In addition to his own experiences,

—Aidan Campbell The little bird worked all by herself every day, of every week, of every month. The crooked, twisted nest that she herself had created, now completed, lay up in the great oak tree.

Exhausted, the little bird lay down to get some rest. Her husband Jay returned the next morning, several worms in his mouth. “What is this?” he exclaimed as he reached the nest.

—Jack Osterhage

Third Graders Focus on Word Choice SPRING Bright sunny days Warm fresh breezes Flowers blooming Butterflies flying in the air Sweet smelling bluebonnets Bees buzzing in the warm sun Spring is finally here!

—Gavin Anderson SPRING Sunrays are gleaming Beautiful butterflies fly past the gardens Blooming flowers and grassy meadows Bunnies hopping Giant trees with blossoms Baby birds hatching from eggs Spring is here!

—Matthew Ybarra

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

impact on their lives, how they learned an important

The 2015 W.T. Bondurant, Jr. Oratorical Contest Winner was John Howard Hassmann whose essay was on John Howard used examples from history, literature and sports of individuals who faced adversity with grit and determination, an important life skill.

CURRICULUM

Fourth Graders Share Fearful Experiences

THIRD GRADERS WANT TO BE THE LONE RANGER

I was in the gym when the tragedy struck. A kid at my other school named Eric was shooting hoops with me, and both of us were having fun! I was in a basketball position, standing there ready to catch and shoot, on the wooden floor of the gym. Eric ran up to the hoop while dribbling and threw his ball, which then rebounded and curved in a glorious arc, but gravity overpowered it and it fell right on my finger, and I thought in my head, “Ouch!”But the true pain didn’t come just yet. After the basketball bounced off, the pain intensified, and I couldn’t hold back the tears.”

—Jatin Gurrala

—Joey Turner

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Top Places in the 2015 Laws of Life Contest

To ease the nerves of the Pre-K boys, they are teamed up with fifth graders on the first day of school. Thereafter, each is assigned to the same lunch table with his buddy. In addition to seeing each other at lunch time, the fifth graders read to their Pre-K buddy a few times over the course of the school year and help them decorate their cardboard shoe boxes for the annual Pre-K Float parade. In Laura Douglass’ English classes, the boys wrote poems offering advice on “How to Be a Good Buddy.”

Out of 435 entries, 16 finalists and their families were invited to attend a special ceremony where the following regional winners were announced and awarded a cash prize and certificate. In their essays, they shared their own values based on experiences and people in their lives that exemplified those values.

Make your buddy feel proud when he tries new, healthy foods.

Use positive words.

Help your buddy, but try to teach him to do the task himself.

Encourage him by giving him lots of praise.

Set a good example for him to follow.

—Daniel Wang

1ST ������ Michael Wood (8th grade), Trust Jack Osterhage (7th grade), Courage Lends a Hand 3RD ������ Jonathan Duperier (6th grade), My Life: An Endless Game of Dodgeball 4TH ������ Troy Cervantes (7th grade), The Power of Perseverance

Treat them with kindness.

Make them laugh.

Have patience with them.

Put them first.

Give them attention.

—John Saad

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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CURRICULUM

Reading LIBRARY INTRODUCES MAKERSPACE

Reading Program Bucks National Trend

SAA library staff experimented with

MISSION: SAA’s reading program provides skills that enable boys to become proficient, critical and enthusiastic readers.

The Academy instills purpose and meaning to reading through a variety of genres, texts, and cross-curricular connections. A love for reading is fostered in each child, creating a culture of lifelong readers.

a Makerspace last year and plans to continue with it throughout the coming year. They provided the boys a physical space to share resources and knowledge and network and build, while encouraging creative thinking and student-led learning. Their first Makerspace was creating a Mother’s Day gift, and interested upper school students were invited to come and go during recess and after school.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

Sixth Graders Encouraged to Think Outside the Box As an introduction to The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Melinda Biehl assigned American Civil Rights terms to her sixth graders to research overnight and share their findings with the class the following day. Each student was thoroughly invested in his own topic on which he could report with enthusiasm and expertise. Using the Smartboard, Mrs. Biehl projected images of the relevant people, events or places as each boy presented.

As a follow up, the students decided on a present they might give to their “topic.”

One student wanted to give Martin Luther King a framed photograph of President Obama. Another whose topic was Birmingham Church Bombing, wanted to give a copy of the ledger of the generous donations made to rebuild the church.

CURRICULUM Seventh Graders Broaden Their Horizons with Study of Hiroshima

Readers Theatre: Kinder Flips Instruction

To bring rich meaning to their study of Hiroshima, Priscilla Power’s seventh graders engaged in a variety of activities.

After seeing the Ted Talk, “Why I Love a Country that Once Betrayed Me,” the boys heard a Japanese American share his experiences after the bombing of Hiroshima when he and his family were taken to a POW camp in the United States. Earlier they had read the story “The Bracelet,” also about a Japanese POW family. Having read that one of the characters in the novel appeared in 1955 in “This is Your Life,” Mrs. Power found it on the internet and showed it to her classes.

Anne Trevathan and Kristin Railsback had a method to their madness when they videotaped their boys saying the phonograms. The intent was to help the parents hear how the phonograms are supposed to be pronounced and to encourage the boys to practice the phonograms by watching the video at home. The boys loved hearing their own voices and seeing themselves smile and cheer at the end. The videos were easily accessible on the parents’ phones or their iPad.

Book Trailers Showcase Favorite Bluebonnet Titles Maree Longoria’s fifth graders created movie trailers about their favorite Texas Bluebonnet books. After Technology Facilitator, Linda Gielen explained how to use iMovie, the boys added their own creativity to the scripts they had written and produced book trailers on their iPads. Having read at least five chapter books from the list, they voted, along with the State of Texas, on the one they’d like to win the official title. The winning book went to The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait, while SAA boys’ top selection was Neptune Project by Polly Hollyoke.

Sixth Graders Practice the Art of Pinch Pots After reading A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, a novel about a Korean boy who has a dream of becoming a master potter, Melinda Biel’s sixth graders had the opportunity to try their hand at making their own “pinch pots.”

The term describes the simplistic methodology used to create the miniature pots, as outlined in the book, detailing the texture of the clay and the skill involved in shaping it into pots.

Under the guidance of Cathy Cummins and the Enrichment Department, along with guest artist, Trina Bacon, each boy was given a ball of clay that he shaped into a small bowl, using just his hands. Once the bowl was properly formed, each student completed his creation by etching with pencils, Korean-inspired designs, such as flowers, cranes and other nature-related images, into the pot’s exterior.

Judy McMurray, a current tutor and former history teacher, brought her Japanese trunk show to talk with the boys about her experiences and the customs there. Knowing Japanese food has to be part of the experience, the students enjoyed lunch at the Tokyo Steakhouse. Further enrichment was provided by both Cathy and Michele Cummins, along with haiku and essay writing in which the boys chose to write either on whether the United States was right or wasn’t right to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. The boys listened to Japanese music, learned songs in the language and participated in an origami lesson.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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History DESTINATION: STATE CAPITOL & BLANTON MUSEUM

History Comes Alive!

In conjunction with their study of

MISSION: SAA’s Social Studies/History Department provides students with the skills that enable them to understand how the past affects the present and how to make informed decisions to participate in a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.

Texas History, the seventh graders traveled by chartered bus to Austin to visit the State Capitol, the Capitol Visitors Center and the University of Texas’ Blanton

Apples Put to the Test

Museum. A guided tour began at

As part of a cross curricular study, Anne Trevathan’s and Kristin Railsback’s kinder classes put apples through a series of tests.

In social studies, the kinder boys learned about the various seasons of the apple tree, the variety and products made from apples, and they celebrated Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. Each boy brought an apple to compare size and color and also learned the four sounds of the phonogram a in their language arts class. In science, an experiment was conducted to determine buoyancy (would the apple sink or float?)

The apples were then peeled to make applesauce and to identify and observe the parts that would form a solid or a liquid. To integrate math, a taste test was performed on a number of apples, and the class created a tally graph. Once the “thumbs up or thumbs down” votes were collected, each boy entered the data onto the graph. The taste test also reinforced the previous “Five Senses” unit as well as served as a healthy snack.

the Capitol Complex culminating in the Capitol where the boys received an unexpected visit with Speaker of the House, Joe Straus. They then traveled to the University of Texas to participate in a docent-led tour of the Blanton Museum, where the Charles and Judy Tate Latin American Collection is on temporary loan.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

CURRICULUM Remember the Alamo!

After studying Texas history and visiting the Alamo, Jan Fry’s and Carol Beckwith’s third graders relayed their impressions from the perspective of an Alamo defender.

It was pitch black outside. I was frightened. I knew they were coming. I sprinted to my wall. The Mexicans were here! It was about a 12 to 1 battle. Everybody knew we had already lost. They broke in the North wall. I raced rapidly to protect Jim Bowie. I was killed with a bayonet, but at least I killed some of the enemies. Jim Bowie already had pneumonia, but he also got shot. The battle was over in about 30 minutes. But some of the Texans retreated. They joined the forces of Sam Houston. They yelled, “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

—Sam Nye

Fifth Graders Pack Gear for Travel on the Oregon Trail In conjunction with their study of the Oregon Trail, Laura Douglass’ social studies classes researched the wagon that transported the pioneers who risked their lives to settle there.

ACADEMY PLACES FIRST IN BATTLE OF FLOWERS ESSAY CONTEST…ONCE AGAIN!

When they determined the dimensions of a covered wagon, they measured and marked it on the classroom floor. Then they listed items necessary for survival on the journey, and labeled objects in the classroom to represent needed provisions, placing them inside the outline of the wagon. As their wagon filled up, the boys could readily discover there was no room for luxuries or nonessential items on their 2,000 mile journey.

Seventh grader Browning Shemwell

Eighth Grader Wins Geography Bee

our Treasured Past at Texas Historic

Students from grades four through eight qualified to compete in the school-wide Geography Bee. They included: Eshanth Beeram, Troy Cervantes, Daniel Covert, Ben Feinstein, Curtis Gunn, Max Hart, Andrew Hieger, Mark Sechler, Edward Snyder, Browning Shemwell, and Ben Zeller. Alternates were Vivek Beeram, Cameron Dudley, Cole Dudley, Chase Holley, and Dylan Rybacki. Eighth grader Andrew Hieger won first place with sixth grader Max Hart as the runner-up.

won 1st Place in the Battle of Flowers Texas History essay contest.

This year’s topic was “Exploring Sites,” and Browning chose to write on “The Miracle of Sabine Pass.”

Insightful Questions Posed to Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu The Dalai Lama celebrated the occasion of his birthday early, along with his best friend, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and some very special birthday cards from Academy boys were hand-delivered

by Mrs. Shannon Sedgwick Davis, mother of then third grader, Connor Davis. Mrs. Davis is the CEO of the Bridgeway Foundation and works alongside famous human rights advocates, including the birthday honorees.

Our first, third and eighth graders decorated birthday cards for the Dalai Lama and wrote down questions for them. One of the toughest questions was by Jack Covert asking whether China deserves forgiveness after all they have done to his people. “He dug into that question more than any other one,” said Mrs. Davis in regards to the 17-minute answer that elicited “some very staggeringly emotional moments.” Another question that prompted emotional responses was by Diego Morales who asked the Dalai Lama to describe how and what he missed about Tibet. The recorded responses and pictures were prepared in a video montage.

CRICKET CREATES INTEREST When Barry Bradley’s World Cultures class studied India, three students of South Asian heritage, Vishal Nair, Vivek Beeram and Arun Simha, introduced the game of cricket during class and then took to Frost Field to demonstrate how to play the sport.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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CURRICULUM

Sixth Graders Produce Newspapers Reflective of Historical Times English teacher Melinda Biehl and World Cultures teacher Barry Bradley combined efforts in the integrated research project that resulted in newspapers such as The British Times, The Greek Gazette, and The Roman Times. Each newspaper included a flag, banner headline, banner article, secondary article, an editorial, letter to the editor, obituary, advertisement and cartoon with a satirical or comical approach to an issue of the day.

Tour de L’Academy Race Still Draws a Crowd For 25 years now, the first graders of San Antonio Academy have competed in the annual bike race, dubbed the Tour de L’ Academy. As parents, families, and teachers cheered from the sidelines, the first graders raced around a field in this friendly competition for the coveted yellow jersey. The seventh graders assisted the boys, encouraging them. Despite the event being held off-campus for the first time, the race went off without a hitch and in the nail-biting finish, a new winner of the yellow jersey was named, Alex Cross. Those Academy boys not able to be present for the event were able to see segments of the race in a video shown in chapel. Visit SAA’s Vimeo page to view the fun.

FIRST GRADERS ENJOY MEDIEVAL TIMES Lindsay Kramme’s and Tanya Weis’ first graders explored the country of England and its rich history. The boys especially enjoyed learning about the kings, knights, and scribes of the medieval time period.

The class discussed various aspects of castle life, tested newspaper catapults, and created illuminated manuscripts using their initials.

A medieval festival served as a culmination of the unit, where the boys savored medieval macaroni and cheese (using only their hands, of course), designed a coat of arms on a shield, and decorated their own regal goblets with jewels.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

It’s All Greek to Second Grade For over twenty years, SAA second grade classes have tied on togas and braved the stage in Ellison Hall for the annual Greek plays which originated with Enrichment Director, Cathy Cummins. While sharing various Greek myths with the audience, the boys also carried symbols that represented the different gods portrayed in their myth. After each skit, the actors held up a sign with an important moral that summarized their tale. To further emphasize the moral, the audience was asked to recite it in unison with the boys. Memorable morals included, “There are consequences when you do something wrong,” “Goodness prevails over evil,” and “Patience is important.” To celebrate their impressive performances, Kathleen Hill’s and J.J. Cornwell’s second graders enjoyed a Greek feast “fit for a king.”

CURRICULUM

Knowledge of American History Evident in Fifth Graders’ Writing COME TO THE GOLD RUSH

By Edward Hart See all the beautiful hills and mountains.

Hear the water of the river lapping against the shore.

Feel the smooth wood handle of the pickaxe.

Taste the original sourdough bread.

Smell all the sweets and homemade pies made by the women.

COME TO THE GOLD RUSH

By John Kohl McAdams See the gold glistening in the sun.

Hear the miners digging in the hard brown dirt.

Feel the sun come beating down from the clear blue sky.

Taste the sweet mountain air mixed with soil and sweat.

Smell the money all around.

HOW TO START A CIVIL WAR

By Alex Weis Eliminate slavery in the United States causing the South to secede.

Place a tariff on imports so the South has to pay extra money for manufactured goods.

Disagree on whether or not new states in the West should allow slavery.

Assist slaves in escaping to free states by way of the Underground Railroad.

Elect Abraham Lincoln as President who might end slavery.

History at a Glance

Ellis Island 1ST GRADE

Star Spangled Banner 5TH GRADE

Day at the Museum 3RD GRADE

Bill of Rights 4TH GRADE

Middle East Tasting 7TH GRADE

South America KINDER

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Science KINDER DISSECTING OWL PELLETS

Scientists Investigate Their World

Anne Trevathan’s kinder boys

MISSION: The SAA Science Department uses a hands-on approach to teach students to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, problem solve and use the scientific method to investigate the world around them.

dissected owl pellets as they were studying the phonogram ow.

ExploraVision Project Excites Curiosity as Boys Engage in Design Process For the first time, Cathy Baumgardner’s fourth graders participated in the ExploraVision Competition, the world’s largest K-12 science competition. It’s a collaborative project in which small groups develop an idea/innovation/invention. Her boys worked together to come up with their project idea, researched it and created what they envisioned. They then produced a written paper, an abstract and five sample web pages. Each team presented their abstract and web pages to an audience of parents at their Engineering Expo.

Toshiba & NSTA Recognize Academy Students’ Achievement Two of the ExploraVision teams were publically recognized at chapel in front of students, teachers and parents for their Honorable Mention awards. Those recognized were: THE BEEPO LIGHTNING PANEL........ Nate Mayo, Ethan Met, Parker Thill THE PREDATOR DETECTOR JCT........ Tucker Conlin, Christopher Hunter, John Paul Ortiz

Using Analogies to Understand Functions of Cell Parts Kim Stanage’s sixth grade science classes were divided into small groups and charged with the task of making an analogy by comparing the structure of the cell to the subject of their choice (parts of a house, McDonald’s, a movie theatre, a school). The task required collaboration, teamwork, higher level thinking, and creativity.

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CURRICULUM Science Fair Participants Advance to Regionals Seventh graders again participated in a school Science Fair under the direction of James Pellman. The student-constructed displays were a culmination of months of research, planning and experimenting using the scientific method. Students recorded observations in a data table and created a graph demonstrating their results. During the Fair, six judges canvassed each display, while students showcased their projects through oral presentations. The top five projects competed in the Alamo Regional Science and Engineering Fair at St. Mary’s University. They are: FIRST ������������������������ Browning Shemwell—Using Laser Refraction to Measure the Sugar Content of a Liquid SECOND ������������������ Josh Cross—How Does the Number of Coils Wrapped Around an Electromagnet Affect Its Strength THIRD ���������������������� Isaac Miller—Which Bridge Can Hold the Most Weight?

FOURTH ������������������� Justin Pisano—Does Temperature Affect the Sugar Content of Bananas?

FIFTH ����������������������� Mac Northington—What Part of School Produces More Bacteria on a Petri Dish?

The results at the Regional Fair were as follows: FOURTH GRAND CHAMPION (PHYSICAL SCIENCES)...... Browning Shemwell THIRD (BIOCHEMISTRY).................................................. Justin Pisano FOURTH (PHYSICS)..........................................................Josh Cross Browning qualified for State competition.

PRIMARY BOYS LEARN HOW TO RECYCLE PAPER In preparation for Earth Day, the primary classes learned first-hand how to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper. Each grade level completed all the stages of the process which included tearing up a newspaper in small pieces, wetting the newspaper in a watery-glue mixture, rolling it out to dry flat and then decorating the newly-formed paper with pictures related to the Earth. What a great display for the bulletin boards!

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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CURRICULUM

BOYS WELCOME THEIR REPTILE VISITOR In their animal unit, Lindsay Kramme’s and Tanya Weis’ first graders discussed features and traits of animals, biomimicry, solutions to problems due to animal features, and survival behaviors. What better way to reinforce instruction than with a visit from Scottie, a corn snake! The boys had the opportunity to touch the snake and even have him move down their arm, if they wanted. During their time with Scottie, they learned how he smells with his tongue, that the warmer he is the more active he is, his protective traits, and they even observed him shedding his skin.

SAA JOINS THE WRITING INSTRUMENTS BRIGADE SAA embarked on a new recycling effort hosted by the international upcycling and recycling company, TerraCycle. Instead of tossing used up, dried out, or broken writing instruments in the trash, they were deposited this year in one of the collection boxes on campus.

PRE-K GETS THE HEART PUMPING While learning about the human heart and how it functions, the boys saw how it pumps blood through the body by using a balloon, a straw, and red colored water. Watching the excitement on their faces as the “blood” came shooting out was priceless.

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CURRICULUM

Team Infinity

THE ROBUCCANEEERS Vivek Beeram Daniel Covert Jack Covert Ethan Fish

RoBuccaneers

Myles Jonas T.J. McFarland Walker Noble Josh Uviedo Gray Woodson

TEAM INFINITY Cameron Chan Donny Duggan Emory Hill Isaac Miller FLL Lego Teams Advance to Regional Championship The RoBuccaneers and Team Infinity, coached by Cathy Baumgardner and Tyna Powers advanced to the Regional Championship comprised of 61 teams from the south Texas area. The challenge this year was “to improve ways of learning.” In order to advance to Regionals, the teams had to score in the top half of the robot game as well as perform exceptionally well on the project, design, and core values components of the challenge. The SAA teams included fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Both the RoBuccaneers and Team Infinity finished in the top half on the robot game.

Team Infinity took home the coveted Gracious Professionalism Award in Core Values.

The award recognizes a team whose members show each other and other teams respect at all times. They recognize that both friendly competition and mutual gain are possible, on and off the playing field. SAA received one of only 12 awards that were given.

At the qualifying tournament, Team Infinity received the Mechanical Design Award which recognizes a team that designs and develops a mechanically sound robot that is durable, efficient and highly capable of performing challenge missions.

The RoBuccaneers received the 1st Place Champion’s Award at the qualifying tournament, recognizing a team that embodies the FLL experience, by fully embracing the Core Values while achieving achieving overall excellence and innovation.

Ty Osterhage Robbie Pena Erik Peterson Shane Rybacki

THUNDERCATS Alex Alvarez Michael Delvacchio Anthony Fletcher John Saad Henry Satel Morgan Smith Edward Snyder Daniel Wang

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Wellness Dimensions of Wellness MISSION: The purpose of the Dimensions of Wellness program is to give SAA boys a more comprehensive perspective of who they are in mind, body, and spirit while striving to teach them to live a healthy life.

Staying Safe in a Digital World Counselor Theresa Moore invited Donna McElroy, SAA’s attorney to speak to our boys and our parents as two separate audiences. Mrs. McElroy explained to her audiences of 5th–8th graders that all posts say forever; deleting it doesn’t mean it is gone away. She encouraged boys to carry out The Academy mission day to day in their words, actions and posts. Her topic for parents was Social Media and Our Children—The Fine Line Between Safe and Dangerous.

Parent Forums Focus on Raising Confident Boys Counselor Theresa Moore chose Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer’s book, Raising Confident Boys, as the source of her topics for Parent Forums. The tips in the book offer straightforward actions that parents and teachers may use, with explanations of how each action will contribute to boosting confidence. This book was purchased for Academy teachers to read over the summer and was made available for purchase to all parents.

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Dangers of E-Cigarettes and Vaping Addressed After the seventh and eighth graders viewed a video in which adolescents themselves discussed the danger of E-cigarettes and vaping, Head of School, John Webster and Counselor Theresa Moore addressed the topic with the boys.

Primary Boys Learn to Work as a Team Sometimes working together as a team is frustrating and difficult, but it’s an important lesson to learn. That was the message that Jenny Ligon, SAA’s Wellness and Guidance Director, taught Kathleen Hill’s and J.J. Cornwell’s second graders through a challenging group activity. After reading Teamwork Isn’t My Thing and I Don’t Like to Share! by Julia Cook, Jenny divided the boys into groups of four’s and five’s to stack plastic cups into a pyramid tower. The catch was that the boys were not allowed to use their hands to pick up the cups, but rather a contraption made of a rubber band with strings tied around it.

Each boy held onto a piece of the string, working in unison to stretch the rubber band in order to pick up and drop the cups.

After a few practice rounds, the class was then divided into two large groups to see which team could build the tower fastest.

As expected, the boys got frustrated when their towers would collapse throughout the stacking process. At the conclusion of the activity, the boys demonstrated that encouraging their teammates rather than reprimanding them when things didn’t work out was a better plan.

Book Study Draws in Parents Theresa Moore chose Late, Lost and Unprepared by Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel as her eight-week book study for interested parents. She explained that the book is a parent’s guide to helping children with executive function, offering practical advice and specific skills that have been proven to work with children who have difficulty with time management, organizational skills and planning ahead. Also discussed were social skills that often are not age-appropriate as a result of executive function.

Technology Technology Integrated Into Every Classroom MISSION: The Technology Department prepares students to become lifelong learners and contributing members of an ever-changing information-based society through an integrated computer curriculum that builds key technology skills.

Learn to Mod Elective Offered Technology Facilitator, Linda Gielen, offered the online course, LearntoMod, to interested seventh and eighth graders as an elective. Through this self-directed program, the boys explored the fundamentals of Java and Blocky programming which taught them how to create their own Minecraftmod. At the end of the semester, the participants had the opportunity to apply for college prep computer science credit through the University of San Diego by paying a fee and passing a final exam.

Experience with Programming Is Essential Alan Gielen introduced programming to the 4th and 5th graders using Scratch, and he worked with 6th graders on programming (coding) logic and languages—Scratch, BASIC, Python and Java Script.

Technology Merges with Spanish Play Auditions Natalie Bock discovered a text-to-speech site in which her fifth graders could audition their lines for their upcoming play performance. It included audio recording and voice recorders, and allowed the students to both see and hear the text of their audition lines, spoken by a native Latin American Spanish speaker. Its effectiveness was evident in the performances.

Geekbus Experience Inspires Future Programmers Thanks to Jeff Woodson, father of Academy student Gray, the fifth graders were able to experience and learn more about computer software programming as presented by SASTEMIC’s Geekbus. Our fifth graders first attended a workshop to learn the fundamental elements of computer software design and how to perform functions in the Python programming language and the Linux terminal using a Raspberry Pi computer. They later boarded the bus where they were introduced to the 3D printer.

Technology Reboots More Classrooms The Academy has utilized resources, including Chromebooks and Google Drive for fifth through eighth graders. Sixth graders also have their own personal Chromebooks for classroom use and at home for remote access to their school work. Although not issued to fifth graders to take with them, those boys use them in the classroom. Technology Director, Alan Gielen, says that Google Drive is an important component of our technology program. Seventh and eighth graders use Google Docs and Google Drive to write papers, create spreadsheets, and collaborate on projects. Everything is instantaneously saved on the Internet and can be accessed from any technological device with Internet access. Teachers also use an online console, Hapara Teacher Dashboard, to access student accounts for sharing files, sending documents, monitoring activity and editing work.

Year in Review, 2013–2014

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CURRICULUM

Stage Academy Boys Take the Stage MISSION: At San Antonio Academy boys learn to demonstrate poise and confidence and express themselves clearly and expressively as a result of the numerous opportunities they have to perform in front of an audience.

Eighth Graders Impressive in Henry V Performance The eighth grade boys took to the stage to perform one of the most cherished annual traditions at San Antonio Academy: The 8th Grade Shakespeare Play. This was the year for Henry V. Preparations began in early January, when, in addition to learning challenging lines for multiple roles, students also constructed sets and props, supplied their own costumes and learned how to operate sound equipment and light boards while becoming proficient with the nuances of Shakespeare’s language. Their hard work resulted in loud applauses and standing ovations at the end of each performance.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

Special thanks go to SAA mom Paulina Martinez for heading up the makeup team and all the other SAA parents who helped out with the costumes and stage properties.

Thanks also to Linda Gielen and Freddie Cedillo for assistance with the lights and sound systems and to Ruth Berg and Amy Girardeau for assisting singers.

CURRICULUM Expression, Elocution and Eloquence Evident in Speech Elective The Speech and Debate elective offered this past fall was the answer to a request by seven eighth graders who wanted more public speaking opportunities. Brendan Moore answered their call by working with them in an array of rhetorical formats.

After having examined the importance of eye contact, projection, stage presence and modulation of voice, they proceeded to prepare and present impromptu orations, dramatic readings, expository declamations and a debate. The culmination of their work was a performance in Ellison Hall in which they demonstrated all they had learned in one final performance. Acquitting themselves with composure and style, the boys presented duet acting, a monologue, poetry interpretation, public speaking, and prose interpretation.

FIFTH GRADE PRODUCTION OF LATIN AMERICAN LEGENDS Eighth Graders Debate the Topic Ten of Brendan Moore’s eighth graders earned the right to engage in a war of words by debating the issue, Freedom of speech is more important than religious sensitivities.

Both teams showed they researched the topics. The alternates paid careful attention to all of the speeches and provided a ready supply of rebuttals for their teammates to use. In the end of a closely called debate, the judges, Barry Bradley, Karl Graf, and James Pellman, determined that the wining group was the team proposing the proposition. Members of the debate teams were: TEAM PROPOSING Ethan Fish Harrison Stuart Michael Wood Will Zachry Ben Zeller (alternate)

TEAM OPPOSING Ben Chapman Jack Covert Hasan Ehsan Ben Feinstein Manuel Zuniga (alternate)

Voted Top Debater was Jack Covert and Top Public Speaker over the entire speech unit was Ben Feinstein.

For the fourth consecutive year, fifth graders impressed an audience of parents, grandparents, faculty, staff and other classes with their Spanish fluency and simultaneous acting skills. Although the plays were performed entirely in Spanish, audiences could follow along with the English narration and printed guides. Las Leyendas Latinoamericanas were composed of four legends—El Sol y la Luna, Ixy y Popo, El Misterio en la Calle de Olmedo, and Pobre Inocente!

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Language SECOND GRADERS SHINE Since it is believed that poetry is the window to the soul of language and culture, it wasn’t surprising that Señora Hieger’s second graders recited Spanish

Emphasis on Communication Skills MISSION: The Spanish Department generates enthusiasm for the language and its culture by providing students with challenging and engaging opportunities to develop the skills necessary to use Spanish in their daily lives.

poems in front of an audience of parents. With props in hand relative

Así Soy Yo

to the poem’s subject, the boys

Señora Hieger’s second graders enjoyed their “Así soy yo” activity, in which they described themselves to their classmates.

The boys created a “Flat Stanley” that they decorated to represent what they look like, including illustrations of their favorite activities and other items such as favorite food, animal and color. Once completed, the boys showed off their “Flat Stanley” self while reading their descriptions in front of the class, entirely in Spanish. The activity provided an opportunity to work on their writing skills in Spanish and also practice their oral pronunciation.

showed poise and confidence when reciting such poems as La Corazón, El Sol, La Primavera, and Rosa.

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CURRICULUM SAA Students Excel on Spanish National Exam With over 157,000 students participating, the following Academy boys earned Premio de Oro winners (top 5% in the nation), having received nationwide recognition with a score at or above the 95th percentile: 8TH GRADERS Daniel Covert Jack Covert Hasan Ehsan Ethan Fish Santiago Martinez Emory Scott

7TH GRADERS Harrison Stuart William Tucker Michael Wood (100%) Will Zachry Ben Zeller (100%)

BILINGUAL Aidan Campbell Angelo Huff Browning Shemwell Manuel Zuniga

Boys Introduce Mi Familia

Those students who were Premio de Plata winners (top 10% in the nation), having received nationwide recognition with a score from the 85th through the 94th percentile were: 8TH GRADERS Argyle Amberson Ben Chapman Eddie Garcia Myles Jonas Hunter Lee Will Nunns Josh Uviedo

7TH GRADERS Billy Conn Spence Baldwin Troy Cervantes Donny Duggan James Forgason Elias Hansen Dillon McManus

Isaac Miller Mac Northington Jack Osterhage Wendell Snow Drew Stewart

As an ongoing and culminating activity in their first unit of study “Nos Conocemos,” Natalie Bock’s third and fourth graders busily worked through the stages of the writing process (planning, writing, revising and presenting), as they described their family members.

Those students who were Premio de Bronce winners (top 15% in the nation), having received nationwide recognition with a score from the 75th through the 84th percentile were: 8TH GRADERS Jack Chapman John Howard Hassmann Lee Charles McNeil Austin Tibbetts

7TH GRADERS Curtis Gunn Seth Meade Joseph Notzon

Michael Wood and Ben Zeller achieved PERFECT SCORES on the 2015 National Spanish Exam, answering all 100 questions correct.

Our previous perfect score was Joseph Shields, Class 2005.

Fifth Graders Compete in Intense Partidos de Fútbol Señora Bock’s fifth graders took to the soccer field with intensity and gusto. Las Tortugas Rápidas blew past Los Mariachis Locos by a score of 4-2. In her other section Las Conchillas Mullidas weren’t to be fooled by their cute name which means fluffy little rodents. They brought down their opponents, Leónes Gordos by a score of 5- 4. Señora Bock, as officiator and teacher, was impressed by the lack of English spoken on the field which was the primary objective of the annual 5th grade event. Recognition was given to Los Mejores Jugadores del Español for their impressive ball-handling skills and finesse on the field and to Los Mejores Habladores del Español who used their Spanish the most to encourage other players and to keep the game moving quickly and fairly.

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Music RECORDER KARATE ENCOURAGES MUSIC LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Boys earn “belts” for their recorder straps as they complete activity sheets at home and perform increasingly difficult songs on the recorder.

Seventh Grader’s Vocal Talents Recognized Donny Duggan was selected to participate in a National Honor Choir of the American Choral Directors Association. As a result, he sang with the Morman Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City in late February.

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Notes from the Music Department MISSION: SAA’s Music Program offers broad, hands-on musical experiences, with training and live performance opportunities in voice, movement and instruments. Our goal is to make music learning fun, practical and stimulating as we seek to develop each boy’s abilities, enjoyment, knowledge and appreciation of music.

Eighth Grader as Pianist Receives Standing Ovation Ethan Fish has been playing the piano for most of his childhood. Each year he attends a two-day Suzuki workshop at Texas State University in San Marcos, which typically includes four classes a day and a recital.This year he performed Fur Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven at the recital and learned Sonatina in C Major, Op 20, No.1-Allegro

by Friedrich Kuhlau for his concertata piece, accompanied by string instruments.

Ethan played Fur Elise for the standing room only crowd at Grandparents Chapel and received a well-deserved standing ovation!

CURRICULUM Concert Choir Members Sergio Alvarado Gavin Anderson Eshanth Beeram Vivek Beeram Michael Blaess Chaz Bregman Noah Bregman Hill Britton Spencer Britton Richard Cage Christopher Chan Max Dabbous Connor Davis Ethan Dziczkowski

Donny Duggan Griffin Erwin Roan Erwin Cole Finney Bailey Fletcher Griffin Freiling Jatin Gurrala George Hale Harry Hassman Chazz Hunter Christopher Hunter Quinn Jones Ryan Jourdan Matthew McCutcheon T.J. McFarland

Ben Metersky Diego Morales Vishal Nair Aidan Notzon Sam Nye John Paul Ortiz Alex Pruitt Henry Ramirez William Riggs Jackson Rogers Dylan Rybacki John Saad Garrett Scott Ishan Shah Keaton Shindler

Arun Simha Edward Snyder Harrison Stuart Tristan Tamez Parker Thill Mason Traylor Reece Traylor John Paul Tucker William Tucker Joey Turner Samuel Velez Wells Walker Daniel Wang Ben Zeller

SYMPHONY PLAYERS TUNE UP To enhance and enrich understanding of the unique characteristics of their musical instruments, San Antonio Symphony players were invited to perform for the student body during chapel time.

Featured here is the double bass demonstration, complete with a kindergarten helper. The Academy thanks the Nancy Jean Newman Memorial Music Endowment for this enrichment opportunity.

MUSICAL MONDAYS SHOWCASE TALENT After an audition, students were invited by the Music Department to share their talents during the time of silence after the blessing in the lunch room.

Performers included:

KEYBOARD Sergio Alvarado Hill Britton Max Dabbous Chase Holley Walker Noble Edward Snyder Harrison Stuart Beau Taber Daniel Wang

RECORDERS Searcy Campbell Christian Chiscano Michael Davis Kaden Fenno Jack Hall Daniel Hyche Aidan Rasor Christian Rasor Isaac Parkhurst Ekam Mehat

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CURRICULUM

Celebrating & Sharing Song

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

CURRICULUM

Art Art Encourages Creativity

FILM ELECTIVE PROMPTS INSIGHTFUL THINKING

MISSION: The Art Program is dedicated to bringing out the very best in each student’s abilities, as well as promoting and fostering confidence and creative thinking. SAA art students learn the fundamental skills in a variety of media, while enhancing their awareness and understanding of art as a means of personal and social expression.

In his History of Film elective, Cary Gates explored with his sixth grade students how films have changed from the Silent Era to modern time. In their analysis of the films, Mr. Gates promoted higher level thinking with questions he posed, requiring the students to elaborate and support their answers. “Do you think filmgoers, with the increase in violent crime in society, as well as the increase in violence with both films and video games, have become insensitive to seeing blood and gore on the screen?”

Sixth Graders Frost Cakes on Canvas In Dana Parish’s sixth grade elective class, 15 boys grew hungrier with each brush stroke. The boys were introduced to the paintings of Wayne Thiebaud, a famous painter notorious for his works depicting cakes and other delicious desserts. The boys watched a short video as an introduction to Thiebaud and the inspiration behind his sweet subjects. They perused his book, A Paintings Retrospective, to learn how to apply thick layers of acrylic paint that resemble layers of frosting. Mrs. Parish offered a palette knife “to help them create texture like real icing while also keeping the background detail smooth.” She also brought in an eatable fruit tart which served as the subject for the young painters. The treat was cut up and devoured at the conclusion of class. The boys considered themselves lucky enough to have their cake (on canvas) and eat it too!

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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CURRICULUM Pre-K and Kinder Boys’ Art Displayed in First Annual Show This past year the Pre-K and kinder boys learned about famous artists and their specific techniques or styles, influencing the theme for the show, “Inspired by…”

Art teacher, Elizabeth Eversberg explained Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night prompted boys to want to depict a starry night over San Antonio. Elizabeth added that, “the boys really enjoyed getting messy with Jackson Pollock’s splatter paint style” and that she is “still finding evidence of the fun from that lesson in the art room.

AT THE HEART OF ART: PRIMARY BOYS LEARN STICK FIGURES FIRST

PRIMARY BOYS GET CREATIVE Creativity abounds in the Pre-K and Kinder art classes. Art teacher, Elizabeth Eversberg, began the year by teaching the boys five of the “Elements of Art”—line, color, shape/form, texture, and space. While focusing on texture and learning about the different types, the boys were let loose to explore and experiment with a wide variety of items offered in the “Texture Buffet” to create their own collage. “They were thrilled to have such freedom of choice and a chance to manipulate and incorporate so many different kinds of textures,” said Elizabeth.

Once the collages were dry, she put together a mini art show of their pieces, knowing how important it is for the boys to feel confident and proud of their accomplishments.

What resulted was a very colorful, three dimensional show of the young artists budding talents.

Walking in Michelangelo’s Shoes Pre-K and Kinder boys got a sense of what Michelangelo felt when he was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Under Elizabeth Eversberg’s direction, they laid on their backs under tables when instructed to create a mural on the paper attached underneath. The boys also tried their hand at creating through sculpture, again patterning their efforts after the famous artist who was also an architect.

Director of the SAA Art Program, Cary Gates introduces the first and second graders to drawing by simplifying it as much as possible— with stick figures. Often overlooked because of their basic and simple qualities, Mr. Gates emphasizes their importance to his students explaining: “I will give the boys exercises where they are required to draw a stick figure, preferably a figure in action, to get them to see the basic angles and movement of the body.” This method is also referred to as gesture drawing, which essentially means capturing the form without detail. Once the boys have completed their stick figures they expand on the shape to fill out the flesh and add further detailing to complete the drawing.

Cary adds that “understanding this basic foundation is important for students to improve their skills.”

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Parents & Extended Academy Family On Fire Safety In observance of National Fire Safety Week, Connie Haiduk’s and Trisha Sinclair’s Pre-K boys received a special visit from the San Antonio Fire Department with presentations given by two firefighters, Gabe Munoz ‘89 and Brett Joiner ‘85 who are SAA alumni. The big red fire truck was followed by the new ambuBus which can hold and tend to up to 20 people during a disaster.

The firemen reviewed key concepts of fire safety with the boys, testing their knowledge on “Stop, Drop, and Roll, having an escape plan and calling for help after exiting the house. They also put on a full set of safety gear, including breathing mask and tank, to demonstrate what they looked and sounded like.

The boys especially enjoyed directing the hose.

On Her Career as Special Agent Providing protective security to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is just one among many impressive accomplishments and accolades listed on Becky McKnight’s resume. Speaking to the upper school boys in Ellison Hall, Becky shared her insight and experiences about a career that has taken her around the world, specifically West Africa. She said that being fluent in French, it was easy for her to fall in love with the people and their cultures. Becky has strong ties to The Academy who donated art supplies to the Kimbondo Orphanage outside Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. For many years she assisted with Summer At The Academy, where her mother Yulanee McKnight has served as the program’s registrar for 15 years and where her brother Chris McKnight was a graduate in 1988. She attributes strong work ethic to the success she has experienced in her career.

ON NUTRITION Thanks to Edie Britton, mother of Spencer and Hill, viewers are able to read Nutrition Nuggets tips in the Parents Corner section of the eNews, which

On the Brain

is released monthly during the school year. Here Edie

Dr. John Burnside, a child psychiatrist who treats children at the ADHD Clinic, took Cathy Baumgardner’s fourth grade science students on a tour of the brain. He discussed basic brain anatomy, tests of the parietal lobe and provided fun facts. His parting message was to be safe by staying away from illegal drugs.

provides helpful and healthful tips and ideas to foster

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

positive, nutritional habits in our boys, reinforcing the goals set forth by The Academy’s Nutrition Committee.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Bring Their Expertise on Campus ON DENTAL HEALTH Kathleen Hill’s and J.J. Cornwell’s second graders visited the offices of Academy parent and orthodontist Dr. Bloyce Britton. The boys learned not only about

On Creativity Matthew Cross (father of Alex Cross) invited the first graders to participate in the Marshmallow Challenge, an activity he viewed on Ted Talks. Each team of boys was given dry spaghetti, tape and a marshmallow and was instructed to build the tallest tower they could in 20 minutes.

dental care but also the effects of good nutrition.The on-site observations and hands-on demonstrations provided an incredible learning experience.

On Hanukah Dr. Barry Menick and his wife Lisa, parents of Asher, spoke with the second graders about the tradition of Hanukkah.

Their presentation included the Menorah and reasons behind the celebration. They enlightened them as to the different foods eaten during Hanukkah, gifts given, and the Dreidel game. They brought each boy a packet of chocolate “gilt” to use as bets on the game. The Menicks left the boys with a greater understanding and appreciation for different religious traditions.

On Texas Bluebonnet Books Mary Milligan, St. Luke’s librarian, was invited to talk to Maree Longoria’s fourth and fifth graders about her role on the Texas Bluebonnet Committee. She informed the boys of what it involves and how many books she has to read to narrow the number down to 20. She also was able to discuss next year’s book nominees.

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Special Events & Guest Leadership Speakers The Academy welcomed Bruce Bowen, three-time NBA champion and father of SAA first grader Ozmel to Ellison Hall. A fast-paced video highlighting Bruce’s contributions to the Spurs’ team set the perfect stage as Bruce gave a spirited talk on the core values that helped him achieve success: attitude, hard work, determination, teamwork and leadership.

Bruce also introduced his young SAA basketball “allstars” who beamed in the spotlight as he gave them Award-winning children’s author, Kimberly Holt, explained to her audience of upper school boys how she had lived in seven places by the time she was twelve years old because her dad was a Navy Chief. This way of life became great inspiration for her novels and picture books. She told the boys, “My ideas are inspired from the small moments in my life, which are then transformed by my imagination.” Holt is well-known for her two novels turned into movies: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town and My Louisana Sky.

Another author of children’s books, Lee Bacon visited The Academy. After a presentation for upper school students in Ellison Hall, he followed up with individual writing workshops for 4th– 6th graders. Some of his books include Joshua Dread, Nameless Hero, and Hidden Fortress.

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

recognition for their efforts on and off the court.

Dr. Earl Nye, grandfather of third grader Sam and second grader Wesley, spoke to the student body on the attributes that will make one’s quality of life better.

Mr. Nye is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of TXU Corporation (formerly Texas Utilities Company).

He referenced Dr. Seuss’ book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and donated the book to the library, encouraging the boys to be inspired by its words. He listed the attributes to live by as the Four C’s, confidence, character, compassion and choices, emphasizing the importance of making decisions thoughtfully.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Living legend, Dr. Granville Coggs, shared his experiences as an original Tuskegee Airman for a captive eighth grade audience. Dr. Coggs spoke about overcoming difficult obstacles in life and encouraged the boys to always do their best. One of the lines in the dedication of his book reads, “I promise that if you work with integrity and persistence, you will exceed everyone’s expectations.”

By invitation of Academy dad and alumni, Corbin Snow ‘77, his friend Leigh Madden, spoke to the seventh and eighth graders.

Mr. Madden is a Senior Director with Microsoft Corporations where he leads the company’s U.S. Air Force business unit. He conveyed the following leadership lessons to his audience: learn how to be a good follower, act with integrity, take risks, challenge yourself and others, be compassionate, and never quit.

Harvey Najim, the Executive Director of Sirius and one of the top 100 executives, came to speak to our upper school boys by invitation of Academy dad, Steve Chiscano. Mr. Najim is known as a successful businessman who generously gives back to the community. As the first person in his family to graduate from college, he tells an inspiring story. He attributes the following to his success in life: faith in God, an education, being overly prepared, integrity, perseverance, and community service. He encouraged the boys to make their dreams a reality.

Dr. Tervie Duperier, father of Jonathan and Joseph, made it all happen—six former Olympians at the same place at the same time—San Antonio Academy.

In conjunction with the Fall Family Fair theme, Be honest. Be kind. Be EPIC!, the heroic and legendary Olympians were invited to The Academy. Olympians included Jeffrey Clark (’84 wrestling), Dr. Robert Beck (’60 pentathlon), former Academy dad Dominic Grazioli (’04 trap), former Academy dad Sean Marks (’00 and’04 basketball), John Monroe (’10 speed skating), and Velizar Iliev (’00 pentathlon).

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Making a Difference With Service Projects The entire 2014 school year was filled with the spirit of giving, as our boys spread goodwill throughout our community and around the world. Students were encouraged to earn money or use a portion of their allowance when contributing monetarily to a project.

Each Grade Level Collected…

KINDERGARTEN

PREKINDERGARTEN

New teddy bears and gently-used Halloween costumes for the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas.

Toys for Sonny Melendrez’s Community Center, which assists the area’s underserved children.

2ND GRADE

1ST GRADE

Children’s books for the San Antonio Assistance League “Togs for Tots” program.

Art supplies for The Children’s Shelter.

3RD GRADE

Food items to help children at Stafford Elementary (Edgewood ISD), who might go hungry over the holidays.

5TH GRADE

6TH GRADE

New toys for children at CAM’s (Christian Assistance Ministry) Christmas Store. Over a period of a week, toys and gifts were given to 707 children.

New socks and underwear and new or gently-used coats to benefit the homeless served by the San Antonio Catholic Worker House.

8TH GRADE

7TH GRADE

$1,360 to help the underprivileged children living in Los Quinchos in Nicaragua.

$826 to World Vision for third-world villages in Africa.

Katie-May Griffiths / Shutterstock.com

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Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock.com

4TH GRADE

New or gently-used books to donate to San Antonio’s Each One Teach One, directed by Carolyn Heath, a former Academy parent.

San Antonio Academy of Texas

Pete Niesen / Shutterstock.com

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

With Community Outreach Projects Primary Boys Send Holiday Cards to U.S. Troops Jenny Ligon guided the primary boys through a service project to create holiday cards to send to U.S. troops stationed overseas. She first talked to each class about Veteran’s Day and read the book Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin which compares an American soldier to a superhero. She then led a discussion about the sacrifices soldiers make for our freedom such as being far away from home and their families for long periods of time. The Pre-K and Kinder boys colored holiday cards, while the first and second graders wrote short letters. This activity corresponded with a previous guidance lesson on showing compassion and being kind to others.

First Graders Pull Through “Weed Wednesday”

THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE Kinder boys sang festive songs and gave out handwritten cards

First graders rolled up their sleeves to participate in a new community project at Phil Hardberger Park.

After putting on their gardening gloves, the boys spent the morning pulling weeds in the park’s butterfly meadow. They worked to remove doveweed from growing in the area to allow the natural grass to grow instead.

As a reward for their hard work, having filled 30 bags of weeds, the boys were allowed to explore a nearby playground.

at Thanksgiving for residents at Chandler Nursing Home.

AT THE SAN ANTONIO ASSISTANCE LEAGUE After filling 494 hygiene kits to be given to children in need, Kathleen Hill’s and J.J. Cornwell’s second graders received a personal safety Fifth Graders Lend a Hand at CAM

lesson entitled “I’m in Charge.”

After touring the Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) facilities, Academy fifth graders pitched in to help sort donations, sweep staging areas and pick up trash as community service outreach. They first became aware of CAM’s mission, offering temporary assistance to individuals and families in crisis situations, when the class donated toys for CAM’s Christmas store.

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH

3RD GRADERS GIVE BACK AT THE FOOD BANK Academy third graders volunteered their time and energy at the San Antonio Food Bank. Assisted by teachers Jan Fry and Carol Beckwith and a group of generous parents, the boys spent the morning labeling canned goods that would be distributed to 16 counties throughout Southwest Texas, feeding thousands in need. By the end of the hour and a half shift, the boys had packed 2,495 pounds of canned spinach! Then the boys were given a tour of the facility, including the warehouse and garden areas. One student reflected, “It was an honor helping others.”

Haven for Hope Touched Hearts After touring Haven for Hope, Academy sixth graders engaged in hands-on community service consisting of organizing backpacks for children of the homeless, sorting and categorizing clothing and loading a truck with boxes of toys and jackets.

Choir Visits San Antonio Rehab Hospital During the holiday season, the Concert Choir visited one of our accompanists who had suffered a stroke and was undergoing rehabilitation. Both Madolyn Fallis and the other residents awaiting their arrival were overwhelmed with the warm greetings and musical enjoyment they received.

With Intergenerational Programs Living Legacy Program Initiated by Cathy Cummins and now in its twenty-senenth year, the Living Legacy program at the Chandler Nursing Home continues to impact the lives of Academy boys and their senior friends. Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th graders each visit and interview a senior “buddy.” Thanks go to the sponsor, Virginia Beeler, and to this year’s participants.

6TH GRADERS 7TH GRADERS 8TH GRADERS Sammy Barr Spence Baldwin Hasan Ehsan Vivek Beeram Courtlandt Buzzini Ben Feinstein Jeb Brysacz James Forgason Razik Rehman James Jacob Jack Osterhage Emory Scott Richard Kinsel Anish Padala John York Andres Martinez Parker Worley Ben Metersky Ethan Parkhurst Max Rosenbloom The boys write acrostic poems about the residents, highlighting qualities and details of their lives. Framed copies of the “living legacies” are read and presented to the senior participants.

Shirley Robinson

7TH GRADERS BRUSH UP Under the guidance of Karl Graf, Alan Gielen and Ed Crump, Academy boys spent a day painting tables, benches and metal interior doors in addition to doing some landscaping at Young Women’s Leadership Academy, a college preparatory public school for girls.

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She loves trivia Has a son who teaches chemistry at Palo Alto Interested in the Presidents Reading is a hobby; likes all genres of books Lived in San Antonio all of her life Enjoys talking about history Younger self worked at Frost Bank.

Remembers her childhood while growing up with two sisters On occasions she paints and does ceramics Bass, soprano, or tenor; she enjoys all Interested in programs on T.V. especially movies Nixon was a good president Spelling is a skill that she has Observant to life around her; likes to grow plants Never shows sadness, even in hard-times.

— Vivek Beeram and Max Rosenbloom San Antonio Academy, May, 6, 2015

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

With Schoolwide Drives

SAN ANTONIO YOUTH LITERACY BOOK DRIVE

Annual Food Drive

The school-wide book drive culminated in multiple boxes of ageappropriate books to be distributed to children for summer reading.

SAYL served 1100 students and had a goal of 3 books for each student.

Including The Academy’s donation, more than 8,000 books were collected.

Academy boys collected 1724 pounds of food during the 2014 Annual Food Drive, providing 1,312 meals.

Pennies for Patients SAA participates annually in the program benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This past year the school collected $2,325 which brings our total contributions to $19,892.

End-of-Year School Supplies Drive SAA faculty and staff donated boxes and boxes of school supplies to the Children’s Shelter, serving over 3000 children and families. Special thanks go to Yulanee McKnight, Summer At The Academy Registrar, for coordinating these efforts.

Cork Recycling SAA recycled 25,553 corks equating to $1,022.12 in donations to cancer research. The Academy has collected over 97,000 corks since we began the program in 2011.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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AROUND CAMPUS

Celebrating Years of Service

Each year, faculty and staff are recognized for their years of service at San Antonio Academy. Thank you for your dedication!

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Ed Crump 20 YEARS

Mike Heineman 20 YEARS

Laura Douglass 15 YEARS

Cary Gates 15 YEARS

Connie Haiduk 15 YEARS

Peggy Klein 15 YEARS

Yulanee McKnight 15 YEARS

Peter Rios 15 YEARS

William Wray 15 YEARS

San Antonio Academy of Texas

AROUND CAMPUS

Tony Aguilar 10 YEARS

Ruth Berg 10 YEARS

Kathryn Dehlinger 10 YEARS

Mike Hansen 10 YEARS

Iliana Hieger 10 YEARS

Mary Shrader 10 YEARS

Mike McClintock 5 YEARS

Tyna Powers 5 YEARS

Kristin Railsback 5 YEARS

Valerie Tamez 5 YEARS

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AROUND CAMPUS

John Webster 30 YEARS

A legacy of teaching “Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be.”

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San Antonio Academy of Texas

AROUND CAMPUS

Faculty & Staff Shine New Faculty & New Roles

In addition to teaching fifth grade math, Dr. Patrick Atkerson assumed the role of Learning Specialist. He is credentialed in that area and has proven himself as an effective communicator, respected by both colleagues and parents. In that capacity, he addresses different learning styles and monitors academic progress.

Having handled major operational responsibilities in the After–school Care program in past years, Jenny Ligon assumed that position last year. In addition, she serves as Wellness and Primary Guidance Coordinator.

Siomha Moore joined SAA’s fourth grade team as an English and math teacher.

She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Notre Dame and had been teaching a self-contained fourth grade class at Hirsch Elementary for two years prior to coming here. She had previously served as a Teach for America Corps Member and has taught classes at Summer At The Academy for several years.

Siomha’s experience, creativity and energy, made her a good fit for our school and our boys. Coincidently, Siomha happens to be our own Brendan Moore’s daughter; it is obvious Siomha has inherited her father’s gift for teaching.

We are fortunate to have Amy Girardeau join our Music Department. Amy was familiar to Academy boys both in the primary and upper school, having substituted here the past several years. Amy taught music at Redland Oaks Elementary School for 22 years and has both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Education degree from the University of Texas in Austin. Amy has brought both her talents and passion for teaching music to our boys.

Elizabeth Eversberg is another face that was familiar to many of The Academy’s primary boys.

Elizabeth worked with Cathy Cummins for several years in the Early Bird and Enrichment program which offered her opportunities to use her creativity and teaching talents. As the Pre-K and Kinder art teacher, she integrates art activities with topics of study while influencing the boys’ ability to imagine and create.

We were fortunate to have J.J. Cornwell join us as a second grade teacher. She is a very talented and experienced teacher who has spent all of her seven years at Cambridge Elementary. J.J. is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Applied Learning and Development.

J.J.’s energy, enthusiasm and creativity has already served our boys well.

Dana Parish was another welcomed addition to the Art Department. As an artist and a private art teacher, she brings talent and experience to our boys. She teaches our sixth grade art elective, Drawing and Painting, and has assisted in Cary Gates’ seventh and eighth grade elective classes and the Art Club. Dana was already familiar to the boys having been a substitute on campus as well.

SAA Faculty Shine Off Campus Professor Allen Hamilton, Academy Texas History teacher, was featured in the March 2 issue of the Express News in an article entitled “Prof separates Alamo fact, fiction.” The article references his lecture given to about 120 visitors at St. Philip’s College. It says that the intent of his one-hour lecture and slide show, titled “Everything You Wanted to Know About the Alamo but Were Afraid to Ask,” was not to reveal truths about one of the most important battles in the history of the world. One truth revealed was that there is no evidence that Davy Crockett wore a coonskin hat.

Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Wildcat 57

San Antonio Academy of Texas

ATHLETICS

“I love the feeling I get after a great race, no matter what I have to endure. So stopping that day was never an option.

It would have been like quitting on myself.”

— T. J. McFARLAND

humidity. When it was all said and done, the young Wildcats, averaging just 12 years old, finished in 17th place, beating out a dozen high school squads.

Mud, Sweat, and Tears Wildcats participated in five races covering a total of ten miles. Ten hot, humid, hilly, wind-blown, chilling, obstacle-strewn, sloppy, mud-covered, rain-drenched relentless miles. More than two dozen blue-and-white clad athletes willingly signed up for this special breed of “fun” when they joined the 2015 Wildcat cross country team.

Ranging from fifth to eighth grade, this year’s Academy runners jogged to the starting line with a vast variety of experience, speed, and objectives.

With each runner racing with his own personal goal in mind, success abounded for Wildcats at every level of competition.

Coach Natalie Bock taught her team that a key element for all runners is their mental game. “I always tell the guys that more than 50% of their success in each race is not in their legs,” she said.

“It’s in their head. They’ve got to think about their goals while they’re running, and they have to keep a positive attitude throughout the race. Those who showed up eager and mentally ready to succeed usually did just that.”

Led in every race by Josh Uviedo (8) and Jonathan Duperier (6) (who each averaged mile splits in the low sixminute range), the Wildcats earned great accolades as a team, finishing first or second in several invitationals. With a dozen or more schools typically racing together, taking home a team trophy was a tremendous feat.

One season highlight was the Wildcats’ performance at the UTSA Romo Classic Invitational, a huge meet hosting over a thousand collegiate and high school runners from all across the state. SAA guys ran alongside 32 junior varsity high school teams in the scorching heat and

Another fascinating moment was the mud-covered Lutheran Stampede, at which the Wildcats secured their first team championship of the year. Just minutes before the gun, an unforgiving thunderstorm left the course in brutal condition, dominated by flooded moguls that had become impossibly slick and with mud puddles up to the knee. T.J. McFarland was one of the first Wildcats to cross the line, helping secure the championship, despite the fact that halfway through the race he lost his shoe in a mountain of mud and ran the remainder of the course barefooted.

Not the wretched conditions, not the burning in his lungs, not even a shoeless foot would allow T.J. or his teammates to give up. “I love the feeling I get after a great race, no matter what I have to endure,” T.J. said. “So stopping that day was never an option. It would have been like quitting on myself.”

In the end, eight runners earned the distinction of Varsity lettermen, having finished as a crucial point-scorer in more than half of the season’s meets. On average, these elite runners clocked a mile pace of well under seven minutes each, leading the Wildcats through their victorious season. These top runners included Cameron Chan (5), Jonathan Duperier (6), Eddie Garcia (8), Elias Hansen (7), James Jacob (6), T.J. McFarland (6), Browning Shemwell (7), and Josh Uviedo (8).

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ATHLETICS

“It takes a lot to come back like they did in these games, and they did it when it counted.

The cohesiveness of the team would have made any coach proud.”

—COACH BRITTANY SCHRADER

Varsity Soccer Leads by Example In its first year transitioning to winter ball, The Academy’s varsity soccer team played nearly 20 games from September to February. Despite the demands of an incredibly long season, the strong team persevered to a tournament championship, giving up only one single loss over the six months of play.

With only four eighth-graders on the roster, Wildcat soccer was a young program in 2015. But while on paper SAA may have looked like the underdog squared up against older, faster, bigger teams, the Wildcats found success because they focused on playing a smart game.

“Passing is key, and most teams struggle with it,” said Coach Brittany Schrader.

“But we connected well, and it was beautiful when we possessed the ball like we trained to do.”

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Coach Schrader commended the 201415 varsity team for their unique work ethic and attitude. One stand-out leader was eighth-grader Manuel Zuniga.

Though an obvious prodigy on the field—he set a school record when he scored seven goals in a single game— Manuel contributed just as substantially through his leadership. “He made players around him better. He was always able to get them going when they needed to,” said Coach Schrader.

But Manuel wasn’t a one-man show.

When someone wasn’t on their game, another leader would jump up and take the reins. With their skill on the field and ability to motivate their teammates, seventh-graders like Joseph Notzon (7) and Justin Pisano (7) will be ready to lead the program next year. “The sixth-graders followed our lead,” Pisano said, “Which gave us great rhythm and chemistry on the field that the other teams just couldn’t match.”

One of the most memorable wins of the season was the game against powerhouse St. Matthew’s, in which the Wildcats rebounded from a score deficit of two goals to finish with a hard-fought tie. Later in the season, however, the Cats suffered their only loss to KIPP. But the loss was soon vindicated when the team dug deep to shut KIPP out 4-0 in the championship game of the tournament.

“It takes a lot to come back like they did in these games, and they did it when it counted,” Coach Schrader said. “The cohesiveness of the team would have made any coach proud.”

Playing alongside their varsity friends were the twenty-plus athletes that comprised the Developmental team. In their six games, these players exuded intense enthusiasm for the game, and Coach Schrader is quick to give this program credit for varsity success.

“It is very exciting to see how the Developmental program fuels the success of our varsity. The players develop significantly, even within the games,” she said, as they prepare to replace today’s varsity players next season.

In 2015-2016, Academy soccer officially moves from fall to winter ball, a move that is sure to bring the stronger competition and larger variety of opponents.

ATHLETICS

Wildcats are Students of the Game Don’t let their size fool you: Academy footballers are on the field to win. With only eighteen varsity players, many of whom were dwarfed by the opponents they encountered; it would have seemed that the Wildcats faced a mighty uphill battle in their 2014 season, to say the least. But a perfect season record of 8-0 proved the Wildcats clearly had something up their sleeve.

played ‘lights out’ every night,” Coach said. Their smart play allowed only five touchdowns to be scored all season long against SAA. In fact, throughout the season, challengers posted an average of just three points per game.

Complemented by the shrewd Wildcat offense, which bulldozed through the opponents’ lines to average a hefty 24 points per game…well, you do the math.

That secret weapon was grit, according to Coach Leon McNeil. “Our kids are smart,” he said. “They’re very coachable, and they played each game with success in mind.”

“Our kids are smart. They’re very coachable, and they played each game with success in mind.”

How did that trait get them through a schedule that pitted them against some of the most impressive public middle school programs in town? “Facing these toughest of opponents had forced the Wildcats to re-examine the definition of competition,” McNeil said.

Clearly, one of the biggest competitive strengths of the blue and white was an unrelenting defense. “Our defense

—COACH LEON MCNEIL There was one nail-biter of a game in which the Wildcat tally didn’t reach quite so high—the season-defining face-off with LaVernia. Both teams’ defenses kept the other line running ragged and scoreless for one unsuccessful drive after another… until Lee Charles McNeil (8) finally zig-zagged across

the field and into the end zone on a 101-yard interception return. That touchdown was the only score either team posted all night, shaking up a mighty program which had been undefeated before squaring up against the Cats.

The coaching staff is looking to implement a new defense in the 2015 season in an effort to capitalize on what is already one of the strongest aspects of Academy play. Furthermore, many of the “White” (JV) team members are expected to fill the gaps left by the departing eighth-graders—good news, given that the young squad posted a promising 5-3 record in 2015 against the same formidable programs.

Returning player Curtis Gunn (7) said the Cats will take advantage of their knowledge of the sport as they prepare to pounce in 2015. “We are students of the game,” he said. “We play the game smarter that our opponents. Everyone on our team knows what to do.”

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“It’s not fun to lose, but it helps in teaching lessons on how to do better next time.

We worked on our mistakes, and we made sure to execute in the next game.”

— DANIEL ESPEY

physical public school programs. Early in the season, the Cats traveled to Lowell Middle School, where back-andforth play resulted in a high-scoring tie, forcing overtime. “This was one of those moments when our boys refused to believe they were only playing the game to get better,” McNeil said. “Make no mistake about it, that night our boys were playing to win.” And win, they did, with a buzzer beater launched by Emory Scott (8), bringing down the house with a 51-49 game for the win column.

Strength in Adversity As a seventh-grade squad in 2014, this year’s eighth graders posted a remarkable undefeated record. It’s understandable, then, that as this year’s varsity team, the same guys marched into 2015 with the confidence that perfection could be repeated. So when they walked away from their eighthgrade season with a respectable, but not undefeated, record of 9-6, did they consider it a disappointment?

A resounding “no” was the answer from the athletes and their coaches. “More learning took place this year than all of

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last year,” said Coach Leon McNeil.

“Our losses as a varsity squad taught the boys more about competition than all of last year’s wins ever could have possibly done.”

In hindsight, as a matter of fact, many players described the challenges this season posed as rewarding. The game forced upon the players a new level of mental fortitude that drove them to several upsets and to victories that at first simply seemed out of reach.

The team’s schedule was once again dominated by showdowns with large,

“We understood that no matter how bad we might have started, we had to forget about it, and keep on going,” said Lee Charles McNeil. “This helps a team that is losing in the first half come back and win the game.” Teammate Daniel Espey (8) agreed. “It’s not fun to lose, but it helps in teaching lessons on how to do better next time,” he said. “We worked on our mistakes, and we made sure to execute in the next game.”

To say that basketball blood runs deep at The Academy might be an understatement. One would be hardpressed to find a guy in any grade who didn’t dribble a ball at some point in the year. With two eighth-grade teams, two seventh-grade teams (the “A” team posting a strong record of 10-5), a couple sixth grade club teams, and after-school and P.E. clinics for Academy boys of all ages, Wildcat basketball is as popular as ever. And it shows no signs of slowing down.

ATHLETICS

“It doesn’t matter what the opponent does, it just matters how well you play.”

— JACK COVERT

As an eighth grader, he and his peers not only served as examples of the skills of the game, but more importantly, as examples of the character tennis requires. “We helped them learn how to end every match positively,” he said. “No one is ever impressed if you get angry on the court. It doesn’t matter what the opponent does, it just matters how well you play.”

Character on the Court Out there on the tennis court, a player can get lost in his own little world. He hears nothing, other than the perfect twang of the ball as it ricochets off the racquet’s sweet spot. He sees nothing, save for that precise spot just inside the corner of the baseline and sideline where he aims his swift serve in hopes of acing his opponent. And there is nothing to lose, because out there, he knows he’s going to give all that he’s got in him anyway, no matter what.

That’s tennis. A world unto itself that a top handful of Academy boys had the privilege of experiencing last spring.

Comprised of 17 fourth- through eighthgraders, the “A” and “B” tennis teams got a chance to improve their game

though matches against top programs across the city. Posting a 7-3 season record, the tennis team capitalized on its evenly-distributed skill levels, allowing many athletes to make strong contributions to each match.

Seasoned veteran twins Jack and Daniel Covert were among the eighth-graders who dominated the team roster and who stepped up to the plate this year, providing solid examples of leadership and aggressiveness to the younger team members.

“It was nice to be on a team with friends from other grades that I might not have interacted with otherwise,” said Jack Covert of his five-year tennis career at SAA.

Other top players included Michael Blaess (8), Browning Shemwell (7) and Roan Erwin (5). Coach Bobby Zander said one of his favorite parts of coaching these guys and the rest of this year’s team was watching them take a skill they’d acquired in practice and use it purposefully in their next match.

Memorable moments from the season included the championship tournament, in which the Cats turned up their jets and finished fifth overall—much higher than expected—and the duel with Alamo Heights, always a fun match-up since many of the guys know each other and the competition is always very close.

Coach Zander was proud of the team’s performance this year, but as he looks ahead to next year, when nine players from his 17-member team will have graduated, he is relying on his younger players to fill the many gaps. He’s not worried, because there’s a lot of talent in his up-and-comers, he said. Plus, with over 60 PK-2nd graders training with Coach Zander in after-school programs throughout the year, Coach is ensuring he’s got a solid base of enthusiasts to populate the world of Wildcat tennis for years to come.

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THE FEINSTEIN BROTHERS THE EPITOME OF SAA BROTHERHOOD Coach McNeil called it the “Greatest Moment in Academy Track History.” Spectators called it “Inspiring.” And our boys called it just plain “Awesome.”

Out for his first track season, eighth-grader Ben Feinstein had his own kind of hurdles looming before him as he warmed up for his one and only meet of the year. Not that there was ever a hint of fear or trepidation. Quite to the contrary, at practice he would attack every event with full determination, even the hurdles. So with the support of classmates and family, including his teammate and little brother Ethan (5), Ben arrived at the meet ready to compete in a sprint relay and the 1600m run. His new racing-style prosthetics in place, Ben and his team dashed to a second place finish in their relay, and, hours later, all that remained was the open mile.

Huge Strides The weather was uncharacteristically cold on the Wildcat track team’s first venture to a track invitational in March. Bundled up against the bone-chilling winds, the guys cut through one another’s breath hanging in the air as they fine-tuned last-minute details of their relay exchanges. They huddled together tightly on the ready bench, mentally running each step of the race before them, envisioning themselves crossing the finish line in record time. They stooped to rub warmth into their legs, numb with cold, as they carefully measured their steps for the triple jump competition.

Veterans braced against the wind as they walked newcomers to the shot put ring to demonstrate legal throws.

Despite the cold, despite the short season, and despite the fact that eighth graders were limited by their busy schedules to compete in only one of the three scheduled meets, the 50-plus Wildcat track team made huge strides in 2015. Whether it was breaking a school record, taking home a trophy, or simply breaking an individual barrier with a new personal best, records were shattered everywhere around town.

Knowing it was their one and only track meet together, Ben’s brother Ethan secured permission to run the mile alongside his big brother. Around the track for four laps Ethan and Ben ran, cajoling and motivating each other all along the way, running sometimes side by side, sometimes one brother in the lead, and sometimes the other. After sprinting the final straightaway, Ben dashed across the finish line steps ahead of Ethan, with a time of 8:05— shattering his previous personal best by almost a full minute.

If you asked Ben, he’d just call that mile a “Fun Run” with his Kid Brother. But Coach Brittany prefers to call it “The Best Example of SAA Brotherhood She’s Ever Seen.”

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Newcomer Teel Sabom (5) surprised more than his coaches when he decided he might like to try the hurdles this year. Sprinting quickly to the head of the young pack each time he competed in the 110m hurdles, Teel knew he’d tapped into a talent he never realized was there. “I found out that I was faster than I thought. I didn’t realize I’d be that good at jumping over something that looks really big,” he said.

New school records were set in four events. Lee Charles McNeil (8) now owns The Academy 100m dash record at 12.31 seconds. Josh Uviedo (8) took the SAA mile record, setting it now at 5:45. With a time of 9:03, Anish Padala (7) knocked seven seconds off the long-standing 2400m run. And with a throw of 136’3”, Billy Conn (7) didn’t just shatter the previous SAA record—he came very close to surpassing the best middle-school throw recorded in the state.

The 5/6 grade team won top honors at two of the three meets, defeating a dozen teams or more each time, thanks in part to the examples set by their older counterparts. “We are such a large team with few coaches,” Coach Brittany Schrader said. “The boys coached each other, and they really learned from one another.”

ATHLETICS

“It’s difficult to win a game if your focus isn’t on the whole team.” — CAMPBELL SEAY

On the Edge of Perfection Flawless. That’s how Coach Brent Conlin described SAA lacrosse’s most exciting win of the 2015 season. Though the Cats won every one of their ten games, except for a season-closer tie, it was the mid-season victory over Reagan High School that will forever be etched in their memories.

“We played as flawlessly as boys this age could ever play. We were meticulous on both sides of the field,” Coach Conlin recalled. “From the opening whistle to the final horn, the mighty Cats played with every ounce of heart and soul they could muster. This was without a doubt the highest level of play I’ve seen from a team since I began coaching at The Academy.”

Because Reagan is typically the strongest opponent on the schedule, this game is one of the most highly anticipated of the year. So when the Wildcats pulled together mid-season to defeat this most

formidable of adversaries, a magical shift swept over the mindset of the team.

“The Reagan game changed the season’s perspective,” Conlin said. Whereas before, many players were focused on their own individual stats, “after the Reagan game, is was no longer about ‘how many goals I scored’, ‘how many shots I saved’--they started focusing on pulling together to achieve success as a team,” he said.

All season long, the Cats pulled out all the stops to bring their play to the highest levels. Passes were crisp. Catches were focused. The Wildcats’ game-IQ increased with every match. Eighth-graders Hunter Lee and Cameron Dudley led the pack on total scoring, while goalkeeper Michael Blaess (8) boasted a save ratio that could rival any pro.

But in keeping with their focus on “team,” success wasn’t dependent upon a couple of stars. As many as

five different guys might score in any given game, and the impressive line of defense kept a litany of shots on goal from getting anywhere near their goalie.

“It’s difficult to win a game if your focus isn’t on the whole team,” said Campbell Seay (7). “If you don’t move the ball, the opposing defense will simply collapse on you. Everyone’s got to work together to keep the ball moving until a clear shot opens up.”

Younger Cats got an opportunity this year to square off against other schools as well, playing a handful of games across town that served to prepare them for their climb into the varsity ranks next year.

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ACADEMY COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

YOU are important to us. YOU make a difference.

The Academy surpassed its Annual Giving goal of $600,000 during the 2014-2015 school year, reaching $708,135 to help build a stronger school for our boys. Annual gifts enable The Academy to attract and retain the very best teachers and keep the school small, ensuring that each boy is known, understood and valued.

For the 6th consecutive year, 100% of Academy parents supported the Annual Fund, joining our board of trustees and our faculty and staff who also reached 100% participation. Only 3% of the nation’s private schools achieve this goal. Other groups who have supported the Annual Fund this year are grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni and friends of San Antonio Academy.

THANK YOU to the Annual Fund leadership, Chairs Sherolene & Scott Barr, Co-Chairs Sydney & Kevin Fenno, Alumni Chair Jamey Steen ‘03, Grandparents’ Chair Martita Seeligson, Faculty/Staff Chair Coach Mike McClintock, parents of alumni Corinne & Jim Yancy ‘66 and to the 600+ participants who made a gift toward SAA this year.

2014 Fall Family Fair was “EPIC!”

Thanks to you and your family and friends, this year’s Fair enjoyed: •• 104 servings of fresh cotton candy.

•• Over 500 hours of volunteer time in booths

during the fair. Thank you, event chairs Debbie and Terive Duperier, for leading a great team.

•• The giant 5 lb. Hershey bar had 580 tickets

vying for a WIN in the Drop in the Bucket.

•• 28 alumni served beverages in the alumni

booths and countless other alumni returned to campus to rekindle their memories of SAA. •• 8th graders were dunked 303 times in the new

dunking booth.

•• Only 2 pieces of trash found on the front field

at the end of the night. Incredible! Thank you for working as a team to keep our fancy field in top condition.

•• Thousands and thousands of smiles all night long!

•• $100,000 raised for SAA. •• Over 360 donors of cakes, supplies, cash,

prizes, auction items and food make this all happen.

This money goes to SAA’s Annual Giving program which funds classroom programs and teacher salaries. Your support is keeping San Antonio Academy small so that each boy is known, understood and valued.

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ACADEMY COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE Every fall semester, donors who are members of the Circle of Excellence receive an invitation to attend an annual donor recognition dinner. Members of the Circle of Excellence are donors who made a cumulative gift of $1,000 or more to The Academy during the previous fiscal year. This year’s event was

Grandparents are SPECIAL to our school

held on November 5 at the home

SAA’s Grandparents and Grandfriends warm our hearts with their love & support. They support our students in many ways—helping parents with carpool, attending school performances and joining their grandsons for lunch. Other grandparents serve as volunteers, provide leadership on the Grandparents’ Council or support SAA with an annual gift. Indeed, SAA grandparents are special to our school!

Scott Barr. The event began with

During Grandparents’ Chapel on September 24 and February 26, grandparents got a glimpse of how their grandsons begin their school day.

One of SAA’s most treasured days of the year is Grandparents’ & Grandfriends’ Day. Held on November 21, the event began with a special luncheon for grandparents at Club Giraud, hosted by Mrs. Helen Groves and Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Traylor.

Luncheon attendees were entertained by the 45+ member SAA Choir, who performed Old Joe Clark, Al Shlosha D’Varimand America, Of Thee I Sing.

Following the luncheon, grandparents and grandfriends joined The Academy’s family on campus to enjoy a musical performance by the primary students, whose program included singing, dancing and playing musical instruments; a Pass-In-Review Parade by the upper schools boys and student-led tours of the campus. More than 500 guests were in attendance.

of SAA parents, Sherolene & cocktails and special remarks from Head of School, John Webster, and Board Chair, Greg Seay, followed by an elegant dinner.

Guests at the dinner were given a sneak peek of this year’s Annual Fund video, Your Gift Makes a Difference, before it was launched to the entire Academy family the following day.

Students Celebrate SAA’s Annual Fund Participation San Antonio Academy celebrated the great success of this year’s Annual Fund with two out-of-uniform days and a schoolwide pizza party. These fun

Special thanks to Sherolene & Scott

incentives help make the

Barr, parents of Sammy, 6th grade,

campaign exciting for

and Sawyer, 4th grade, for hosting

students. Thank you parents

such an important event that honors

for backing our boys!

the many people who support SAA. Year in Review, 2014–2015

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Parents Club THANK YOU to our rock-star parents!

In 2014–15, Parents Club donated $5,000 to the SAA Scholarship Fund.

Our dedicated armies of parent volunteers are busy during the school year giving their time and talents as class representatives, manning snack sales and the Cat Shack store, serving as dance chaperones and decorating committee, making sure cadets are hydrated during their Alamo guard shift, providing breakfast and lunch treats to SAA’s faculty & staff, and so much more.

To find out how you can get involved as a parent, please visit sa-academy.org/ parentsclub.

Blue & White Unite May 1, 2015 was a spectacular evening for Academy friends and family to re-unite under the iconic oak tree in front of Taylor Hall. Greeted by seven Academy cadets in blue uniform, 280 guests shared their memories about the 129-year-old school and what The Academy has meant for them, their families and for the San Antonio community.

Corbin Snow, Class of ’77, father of four Academy boys and former chairman of the board, opened the gala with remarks about his grandfather attending San Antonio Academy. The Snow family is one of eight families who have sent four of more generations of boys to SAA. The inaugural Blue & White Unite marks a new annual event where parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, alumni, faculty and friends come together to celebrate the values and traditions that will keep San Antonio Academy strong for another 129 years.

Elliott Hayne of SA Fresh created a mouth-watering meal and The Academy’s own Director of Food Services, Marc Garza, started the evening with gourmet appetizers. David Ramos of AV Source set blue lights to cascade perfectly through the beautiful oak trees. Over 150 businesses and individuals contributed fabulous live and silent auction items. Tom “T Bone” Bounds and Mike Osterhage had the crowd rolling in laughter during the live auction and kept their spirits high for SAA. Guests enjoyed 232 works of art in the Annual Student Art Show in Ellison Hall, and read the stories of 28 ordinary Academy alumni, living their best and most extraordinary lives.

Personalized event programs with snapshots of photographs and stories from yearbooks of the 1920s and 1930s gave guests something to chat about as they walked down memory lane. The stories reminded us how much “everything changes” and “nothing changes”—all at the same time.

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Event Chairs, Tinker and Vincent Notzon and Susan and Steven Pisano, lovingly created an evening of memories, camaraderie and future-thinking for a school that works diligently at helping young boys grow up to be men of character who make a difference in the world.

BLUE & WHITE UNITE!

ENRICHMENT

Enrichment

Free Parent Lecture Teaches Life’s Most Essential Skill Speaking to a classroom filled with engaged Academy teachers, parents, grandparents and visitors from area schools, Reading Department Chair, Maree Longoria, captivated her audience leading a discussion of the best methods for teaching the most essential life skill: reading. In her presentation, Maree reviewed legislative mandates concerning American education, referencing a portion from the Report of the National Reading Panel. Created in 2000, the Report cites the components of an effective reading program include explicit instruction in phonemic awareness; systematic phonics instruction; methods to improve fluency; and vocabulary and comprehension strategies. Mrs. Longoria also outlined the latest brain research findings that demonstrate children are not “wired” to read; rather they need constant, explicit input in phonics.

The discussion provided the perfect segue to the introduction of the city’s premier phonics instructor, San Antonio Academy’s own Cathy Cummins, Director of The Reading Institute, who offered instruction in the 71 most frequently used written sounds (phonograms) in the English language.

Cathy then guided the participants through the correct pronunciation of the sounds, the 29 Rules of English that relate to these phonograms, and effective comprehension techniques.

Prior to her presentation, Maree Longoria appeared before the San Antonio Academy Board of Trustees to reveal the results of this research. Emphasizing the need for The Academy’s curriculum to remain strong in the area of reading, Maree believes that the 71 phonograms in English “should be taught ‘ad nauseam.’”

Each attendee received a folder packed with free reference materials including Ms. Cummins’ flashcards, “Phonopics,” reading lists for elementary students and fun phonics games.

ABOUT CATHY CUMMINS’ FREE LECTURE SERIES In addition to instructing her Enrichment Classes and teaching children to love books through her Early Bird Reading Programs, Cathy Cummins is on a mission to help inspire and educate parents in the community by presenting free parenting lectures, which focus on timely and popular topics by authors in the education field.

Cathy navigates through best sellers such as, The Excellent 11, by the 2001 “Teacher of the Year” author Ron Clark, a book which examines the qualities that teachers and parents should demonstrate in order to motivate and educate children. Other topics such as Dumbing Down Our Kids and The Organized Student address how parents can monitor and manage children so that they achieve their maximum potential.

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ENRICHMENT

2015 SUMMER AT THE ACADEMY by the Numbers

• 422 classes offered • 1,662 students filled 6,622 slots • 1,135 family interactions were made • 15 International and National students attended including England, Hong Kong, Hungary, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and communities all over Texas.

A very sincere THANK YOU to everyone who was part of the Summer At The Academy Team and helped in so many ways—every day—to keep everything moving smoothly for our many “happy campers.” Now, it is LIGHTS OUT until we start planning for Summer 2016! Visit sa-academy.org/ summerattheacademy for updates.

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ALUMNI

2015 Colonel W.T. Bondurant, Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award Recipient Honored “I am honored to be so honored. I want to repeat what John Webster, Head of School, said so well about the values that Academy boys learn, which are honor, honesty and responsibility—something that seems to be missing in a lot of peoples’ lives.

When a boy leaves San Antonio Academy, he knows determination, and I think I have raised three sons that are good examples of the school’s good works.”

—PATRICIA GAULT STEVES

“ Patsy exemplifies the school’s most cherished values.

Words that I have heard used to describe her include: extraordinary, intelligent, inspiring, charming, respectful, grateful, determined, devoted, courageous, strong-willed, eternally-optimistic. But these adjectives don’t even begin to describe how remarkable she truly is. In recognition of her leadership, vision and impact on the San Antonio community, and in a special way— San Antonio Academy, we are pleased to present her with the 2015 Col. W.T. Bondurant Sr. Distinguished The Alumni Council of San Antonio Academy of Texas presented Mrs. Patricia Galt Steves with the 2015 Colonel W.T. Bondurant, Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award on Tuesday, February 10 at a special luncheon in her honor at the San Antonio Country Club. Proceeds from the event benefit the Colonel W. T. Bondurant, Jr. Scholarship Endowment, a needbased scholarship fund for young boys attending San Antonio Academy.

Patricia Gault Steves has, for all of her adult life, been supportive of and involved with numerous nonprofit organizations. She is dedicated to her family, the community and to the world around her. As a founder of the National Wildflower Research Center, Mrs. Steves has been instrumental in the planting of wildflowers along Texas highways. She remains actively involved with the San Antonio Museum of Art, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, the Conservation Society and as Chairwoman of the Board of Steves and Sons.

Humanitarian Award,” says Miguel Dilley, San Antonio Academy Alumni Council President, Class of 1995.

In honor of Patricia Steves’ accomplishments and service toward the community, 171 guests, including Lila Cockrell, SAFD Chief Charles Hood, Edith McAllister, John Steen ’63, Dick Tips and Rosemary Kowalski attended the event. Special thanks to the many individuals and businesses that supported the award luncheon, including The Dilley Law Firm, Mission Park, The RK Group and Steves and Sons, this year’s Partners in Education Business Sponsors. In addition, thank you to the following table sponsors: Catto & Catto LLP, Mr. & Mrs. William E. Dreyer, Frost Bank, Mr. & Mrs. Steve C. Lewis, Mr. & Mrs. John V. McLaughlin, The Tobin Endowment and Mr. & Mrs. H.B. Zachry, Jr. TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT SA-ACADEMY.ORG/ALUMNI.

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ALUMNI

Alumni vs. 8th Grade Tug-of-War Challenge Rainy weather conditions did not stop alumni from returning to SAA to battle the 8th grade students in a game of tugof-war on April 10 during the Upper School Field Day. Held in the school gym and hosted by the Alumni Council, this was the first Alumni vs. 8th Grade Tug-of-War Challenge at San Antonio Academy. Tug-of-war is known as a highly competitive sport and a fan favorite with our school’s student body. Including SAA alumni in this year’s Field Day added excitement and teamwork amongst both current and former Academy students. “The Alumni Council is always finding new ways to interact with the current students so we can assist in the continuation of SAA’s tradition of strong leadership and brotherhood,” said Miguel Dilley ‘95, 2014-2015 President of the Alumni Council.

While the alumni were unable to defeat the 8th graders during two rounds of tug-of-war, it was a fun and memorable event for not only the participants, but for all the fans, students, faculty, staff and parents who cheered on both teams. “Today’s Alumni vs. 8th grade Tug-of-War Challenge was my favorite field day event in all of my 9 years at SAA. I loved that the boys got to see alumni. It makes me think of my own son growing up and becoming a man and returning to be involved at his school, “said one Academy parent.

THANK YOU to all of the alumni who participated this year.

The alumni team included Lorenzo Arce ’11, Rowe Blount '03, Barry Bradley (honorary alumnus), Beverly Coiner ’99, Miguel

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Dilley '95, Jonathan Gottsman '11, Sean Knoll ’02, Pedro Martinez ‘97, Gary Marvin ’89, Chris McKnight ’88, Alexander Pfirrmann ’11, Landes Rangel ’09, Karthik Reddy '12, Adam Reed ’99, Sam Rosenbloom ’11, Marc Thiltgen ’86 and Bobby Zander '72.

STAY TUNED AT SA-ACADEMY.ORG FOR MORE ALUMNI NEWS & EVENT INFORMATION.

ALUMNI

Relive, Remember, Reconnect Reunion Recap 2015 On May 28, the eve of Commencement, alumni of all ages returned to campus to relive, remember and reconnect with fellow classmates and former teachers at the 4th Annual Gather Under the Oak Tree reception underneath the iconic oak tree in front of the steps of Taylor Hall.

receiving a special plaque from members of the Alumni Council at Gather under the Oak Tree, Sra. Bolen was presented a diploma from San Antonio Academy at the 2015 Commencement ceremony on May 29.

While yearbooks were on hand to ignite fond memories, alumni gathered to reminisce about their former school days at San Antonio Academy and to catch up on their lives today.

As a special part of the event, the Alumni Council bestowed the honor of Honorary Alumna to Sra. Luisa Bolen, Teacher & Spanish Department Chair, in celebration of her 26th anniversary at San Antonio Academy. In addition to

For alumni from the Class of 1965 and Class of 2005, the festivities continued throughout the evening as each class held their own reunion dinner at La Fonda on Main. Special thanks to Rick Kuper ’65, Joseph Shields’05 and Lex Stewart ’05 who helped SAA coordinate outreach efforts with their classmates for the reunions.

The following day after Gather under the Oak Tree, reunion alumni enjoyed a special breakfast, served as field marshals during the Pass-In-Review

parade on Frost Field, and received milestone anniversary medals during the Commencement ceremony.

Alumni who returned to campus in celebration of their 10 year, 25 year, 50 year and 75 year anniversaries were: Benjamin E. Barenblat ‘05, Joseph Shields ‘05, Andrew D. Simms ‘05, Lex Stewart ’05, Mikey Vaughan ‘05, Will Yancy ’05, Chris Galvan ’90, Edgar Basse III ‘65, Will Beinhorn ‘65, James Bitter ‘65, Philip Hudson ‘65, Harold Johnson ‘65, Ed Kott ‘65. Rick Kuper ‘65, Ard Richardson III ‘65, Ramiro Villarreal, Jr. ‘65 and Marvin Lebman ‘40.

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THANK YOU! San Antonio Academy would like to extend its appreciation to alumni and friends who made a donation toward the Alumni & 8th Grade Luncheon.

Special thanks to Suzy & Cappy Lawton at La Fonda on Main for their generous and continued support of SAA.

Alumni Welcome 8th Graders to the Ranks On May 6, alumni, faculty and students of SAA gathered in the afternoon for lunch at La Fonda on Main for the annual Alumni & 8th Grade Luncheon.

With over 60 guests in attendance, SAA alumni reunited with one another as they carried on the tradition of welcoming the 2015 graduating class to the Alumni Association of San Antonio Academy.

This year’s luncheon was co-chaired by Chris McKnight ’88 and Jacob Leibowitz ’99. “The luncheon is a time-honored tradition that gives alums the opportunity to reconnect with SAA and share their experiences with current students,” says Jacob. During the program, members from the Alumni Council presented each 8th grader with a special Academy Alumni gold pin, a symbol of their entry into the SAA alumni ranks.

As 8th graders sat and visited with alumni over a delicious buffet of Mexican food, they heard advice on how to apply the foundation, lessons and friendships received from SAA into their future. Charlie Biedenharn ‘96 spoke about the impact that The Academy has made on his life, recalling several early Saturday mornings working with the Head of School during a time when he was struggling. “I have come a long way. I owe much of my growth to the foundation of love, care and attention received at San Antonio Academy,” says Charlie.

A special highlight of the event was when the Alumni Council surprised Spanish teacher, Sra. Luisa Bolen, with the announcement that they are honoring her commitment to the boys of SAA by making her an Honorary Alumna of the school. This May, Sra. Bolen completed 26 years of service at San Antonio Academy.

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IMAGES BELOW, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sra. Luisa Bolen, Andrew Simms ’05, B.J. Stewart ’96 and Lex Stewart ‘05 with 8th graders who are preparing to graduate from SAA. Jonathan Delmer ’80, Ed Bondurant ‘54 and Steven Pavelka ‘88. SAA Alumnus, Ed Bondurant ’54, taught at SAA in the 70s & 80s Charlie Biedenharn ‘96, shares with students and fellow alumni the impact SAA had on his life.

Allan Smith ’72 and Jon Amberson ‘71

ALUMNI

Womack Family Inducted into Blue Bonnet Legacy Society Founded in 1886, San Antonio Academy of Texas is rich in history. Generations of families who have attended SAA help to make our school what it is today—a place where young men are taught to be honest, to be kind and to be the best they can be. As The Academy moves forward into the future, it is important that we remember our heritage and the families who are a unique part of the school’s history. One of those ways is through The Blue Bonnet Legacy Society, a group of families who have sent four or more generations of boys to San Antonio Academy. During this school year, the Womack family was inducted into the society on March 31.

The four generations of Academy students in the Womack family are Owen Womack ’29, Decker Womack ’29, Jess Womack II ’60, Walter Womack ’61, Jess Womack III ’92, William Womack ’95 and current SAA students, Russell ‘22 and Blake ‘24 Duncan. A reception was held in the family’s honor in the Bondurant Library on campus at SAA. John Webster, SAA Head of School, spoke about the history of San Antonio Academy, and the impact that the Blue Bonnet Legacy families have had on the school. The other Legacy families are Altgelt, Downie/Armstrong, Frost, Munson/ Snow, Steves, and White. Tom Bondurant ’63 made a toast to the Womack’s in honor of his father, Col. W.T. Bondurant, Jr. ‘39, founder of the Society. Charles Noble ’43, remarked that he was proud to have the Womack family as friends, and was honored to be there with them that day.

Guests at the event were treated to an encore presentation of “Day at the Museum” by members of the third grade class.

Above: (back row) Jess Womack ’92, Lou Womack, Robert and Virginia Nell Duncan; (front row) Blake‘22, Russell ‘24 and Mitchell Duncan.

Left: The late Jess Womack II ’60, father of William ’95 and Jess ’92 Womack.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Lane Traylor, Class of 1984 to keep the students interested. What I discovered, though, is that kids feed off excitement. It’s contagious! If you can get excited, they will get pulled in and be excited too,” he adds.

Lane meets with members of the Young Astronauts Club once a month from 3:45–5:00 p.m. Last school year, 65 students ranging from 1st thru 8th grade enrolled in the program. He begins every meeting by offering a snack to the boys, followed by a lecture and an activity.

Lane Traylor, Class of 1984, says that since his childhood, he has been drawn to space technology. Growing up, he says he always heard the story of how his mother watched the first Apollo mission in flight while she was in the hospital for his birth. Three days after he was born, the Apollo flight landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

In April 1984, Lane was a fifth grader at San Antonio Academy when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) kicked off The Space Shuttle Program. “I remember during Study Hall at SAA, which back then was located on the second floor of Taylor Hall, a small television was brought into the room for us to watch the first shuttle take off. As a young boy, watching these launches and visiting NASA, I gained more interest in learning about science and space. It was an exciting time with new missions and technology emerging in our country,” says Lane.

Fast forward 30 years later, Lane is back on SAA’s campus, only now he is serving as an instructor for the school’s Young Astronauts Club.

The Young Astronauts Club, a junior rocketry and after-school program for students, was established at the school in 1988 by Cathy Cummins, SAA’s

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Director of Enrichment. Cathy developed a program that supported students’ interest in space. Then, from 2005 to 2014, Prof. Drew Kennedy headed the club and served as its Director and Head Space Cadet.

“My goal is to help inspire the boys to appreciate the vastness of the challenges in space that are being accomplished.”

— LANE TRAYLOR, ‘84

In 2014, when Prof. Kennedy announced his retirement, some may have wondered who would take charge of the Young Astronauts Club. Lane, an Academy alumnus and current SAA Parent, was the ideal candidate for the job.

Lane has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master Degree of Science in Finance from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

With Lane’s education and professional background in engineering and science, in addition to his affection for SAA and space, he was a perfect fit to run the program. “When Mr. Webster approached me about taking over the club, my answer was an immediate, ‘Yes!’” says Lane.

“My only concern was if I could inspire the boys to get enthusiastic about science technology and space with all the competing interests around them. I wondered if they would view space as fascinating today as it was for me when I was a kid. With photos and renderings of planets everywhere, it’s a challenge

During each meeting, Lane covers various topics with students that include: the solar system, science in space explorations, physics and orbital mechanics. He incorporates handson activities that go along with each subject. “My goal is to help inspire the boys to appreciate the vastness of the challenges in space that are being accomplished,” says Lane.

When asked to recall what he remembers most during his former school days at SAA, he says “I remember the life lessons Col. Bondurant taught me and his approach on how to address problems. Throughout my life I fell back on the school’s core values and foundation.”

ALUMNI

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Thomas Cummins, Class of 1989 SAA Alumnus Thomas Cummins is an artist and photographer who has established a well-renowned reputation both locally and far beyond the city limits.

Though his home base is San Antonio, Texas, Thomas can be frequently found working art residencies at some of the world’s most prestigious museums.

His next stop will take him to Germany, where he has been chosen to complete an artist residency at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien museum in Berlin. Located in the borough of Kreuzberg, the Künstlerhaus Bethanien has a worldwide reputation for its international residency studio program. The organization began in 1974 when it was based out of an abandoned hospital adjacent to the Berlin Wall. Today, up to 25 artists from countries around the world live and work at the Museum simultaneously and San Antonio is the sole city to represent artists from the United States. For three months, Thomas will live and work in Berlin and he will conclude his stay with an exhibition at the institute’s premises. The following year, his artwork from Berlin will be on

display in San Antonio at the Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum.

Thomas describes his images of architecture as an “attempt to disclose how individuals define themselves throughout surrounding social structures as well as how institutions and establishments similarly determine what art is.”

After graduating from San Antonio Academy in 1989, Thomas attended Keystone High School. He then received his BA and BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin and his MFA from Maine College of Art. During the course of his undergraduate

studies, he was accepted to study art abroad at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, England, as well as in Mexico at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende. Thomas has received grants and fellowships from the Artist Foundation of San Antonio, ArtPace, the Cultural Collaborative, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Cy Twombly Foundation as well as public art commissions from the University Health System and Public Art San Antonio. In addition to Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Thomas has attended over a dozen national and international artist residencies including New York’s prestigious Yaddo, Baie Sainte-Marie Residency in Nova Scotia, and at the National Center for Contemporary Art in Russia.

THOMAS LEAVES HIS MARK: Displayed since 1989, a wall with mosaic tiles painted by young artists at area schools, including SAA, was created to serve as the entrance of Hemisphere Park until the wall was demolished in 2014.

The Academy’s tiles have since been preserved at SAA. (pictured left)

Thomas Cummins’s photograph of Westerkerk, Amsterdam,the burial place of Rembrandt and the building to which neighbors Anne Frank’s Secret Annex.

VISIT THOMAS’S ONLINE GALLERY: thomascummins.com

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Class Notes Jason Conley ‘95 was recently awarded the Finnish Basketball League Player of the Month award. Upon receiving his award, however, Jason proudly wore a shirt reading “Player of the Month MADSEN”, the name of one of his teammates, whom he felt deserved to be honored, showing Congratulations to Brian Steward ’79 and his wife Hannah who welcomed a baby girl, Grace Eleanor, on November 17, 2014, into their family.

true character and a love for both his team and the game.

Captain Anson Howard ’02 and Meredith Muecke were wed on October 4, 2014 in the bride’s hometown, Bay City, Texas. The couple is currently living in Washington, D.C., where Anson is serving as a Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps.

Congratulations to Rowe Blount ’03 and his bride, Sage Hopkins Noe, who were married on May 30, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas.

On August 6, 2014, Gloria and Miguel Dilley ‘95 welcomed a baby boy, Edward Steves Dilley. Miguel is serving as the current SAA Alumni Council President.

SAA Alum Chris Galvan ‘90 makes local and national news for being locked inside a FedEx store for two hours. Way to go Chris for making the best out of a difficult situation! Read full news article at sa-academy.org/alumniclassnotes.

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Congratulations to Lt. Reggie Hargrove ’05 and his bride, Jennifer Ruvalcaba, who were married on June 6, 2015 in Spring Branch, Texas. Brother, Phillip Hargrove ’06, served as Reggie’s Best Man.

ALUMNI

Dalton Banks ‘11 was named “Male

Congratulations to Joseph Shields ‘05 and his bride, Andrea, who were married on December 13, 2014.

Athlete of the Year” by College Promoters Recruiting San Antonio.

He will attend Cornell University in the fall, and will compete for the starting QB position.

Over the summer Griffin Rubin ‘09, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, served on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in Washington DC. He also was chosen for the John Huntsman Sigma Chi Leadership Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah, attending this past July.

Griffin is a third generation Academy alum.

Congratulations to Marlow Taylor ‘06 who finished 18th place overall, in just his second marathon, at the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon in December.

Jacob Menick ‘07 graduated from Reed College with a BA in Mathematics. In August, Jacob left for London where he began his new job as a Software Research Engineer for Google DeepMind.

Nolan Ellis ‘11 enjoyed a great baseball career as pitcher for Antonian High School. This year he was 9-0 with 5 saves and had an Earned Run Average (ERA) of 0.25. Nolan was elected All-State and nominated to the All-American team.

In addition, he served as the starting pitcher in the high school all-star game, where MLB scouts check out prospects.

His current plan is to attend UT Arlington in the fall.

Jeremy Heath ’10 returned to SAA during his Holiday Break to visit his former teachers. Jeremy is a 2014 graduate of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT, and is currently a freshman at Union College in Schenectady, New York, majoring in Economics. Jeremy is also a member of the school’s basketball team, which is in the NCAA Division III.

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Congratulations CLASS OF 2015

ALUMNI

The Class of 2011 met on January 4 for a reunion dinner at The Longhorn Café.

Alumni who attended were: Lorenzo Arce, Antonio Aguilar, Dalton Banks, Sebastian Bathie, Nolan Ellis, Zach Ford, Conoly Koontz, Alexander Pfirrmann, Dan Meyer, Jacob Miller, Ben Rindler, Robert Schenken, Grant Sechler, Spencer Shaw, Caleb Snow, Marshall Thurmond, John Wagner, Patrick Wheeler, Bennett Word and Bart Zachry.

Completing his sophomore year at TMI, Alexander Johnson ‘13 has already accrued a long list of leadership positions and honors/awards. As part of the TMI Corps of Cadets, Alex served as Admissions Ambassador, Squad Leader and Saber Leader of the Color Guard. In addition, he was the Sophomore Class Representative for Student Council and Treasurer of the Upper School Student Council, and he recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Marshall Webb ‘12 advanced to the quarterfinals in the Tournament of Champions competition for Extemporaneous Speaking at Northwestern University, finishing in the Top 24.

Jack Renaud ‘14 received a varsity letter for Division II Lacrosse in his freshman year at The Woodlands High School.

During his first year of high school at Churchill, Marshall Beldon ‘13 received straight A’s in his classes and took part in numerous extra-curricular activities, such as the Winner’s Circle Advisory Board, BBYO (he holds position as Treasurer), the Varsity Golf team, Unity club and Fishing club. Marshall was also elected as the Sophomore Class President for this school year.

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Reed Sechler ‘14 was elected Freshmen Class Treasurer at Alamo Heights HS.

IN MEMORIAM: Mr. Jackson Nicholas Downie ‘39 Col. Peter L. Hilgartner ‘41 Mr. Van H. Howard ‘49 Mr. John H. Savage’53 Mr. Charles O. Biedenharn ’68 Mr. Charles Michael Elrod ‘03

On May 29, 36 young Academy men passed through the Bondurant Gate, accompanying their classmates for the very last time. From the Salutatory Address by Harrison Stuart to Michael Wood’s Valedictory Address, to closing comments from Honorary Scholar, Emory Scott, the 129th Commencement was marked with memorable moments. We wish our graduates the very best!

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Fond Farewell “It has been an honor and privilege to teach at San Antonio Academy for the past twenty years. I leave with many fond memories of the boys, faculty and staff, and administration. The Academy is an amazing school which will remain in my thoughts and prayers. During my retirement, I will always strive to ‘be honest, kind, and the best I can be!’” —CAROL BECKWITH