2024-25 Mid-Year Impact Report

Mid-Year

Impact Report

F U N D

total raised total donors average gift median gift

EVERY GIFT COUNTS FOR EVERY STUDENT

Campaign

$1,208,147

summary

Leadership

givingmade up

OCT 2024

950 $1,272 $350

OCTOBER was the most popular month to give, with 358 donors who gave $596,366

Participation by Class

9%

of donors

61% of

dollars

Y OU

S UPP O R T

This fall, 9th grade Honors World History learned about networks of exchange from 1200-1450 CE. To put their skills to work, the class simulated Silk Road trade, with students acting as merchants from China, Byzantium, Arabia and beyond.

In addition to goods, students also exchanged disease cards to show how the Bubonic Plague transferred along trade routes, said Upper School History Teacher, Michele Turner.

“Lastly, they exchanged belief systems cards to show how cultural diffusion was omnipresent on the trade routes,” she continued. “During the debrief session, students discussed how the world’s people were mostly separated societies and nomads prior to established trade routes over land and by sea.”

These networks of exchange eventually became the globalized world we live in today, Ms. Turner added.

Students across divisions celebrated Lunar New Year and welcomed the Year of the Snake, especially at the Lower School!

In addition to Spring Festival activities (painting lanterns, making dumplings and sharing chocolate gold coins), students at our 31st Street Campus celebrated with a Lion Dance presentation from the Heavenly Lion Dance Company on Friday.

“Our kinder through fifth graders were excited to watch the beautiful dragon dance as a symbol of good fortune and strength,” said Head of Lower School, Yvonne Russell.

scholars

Y O U

S U P P OR T

servants

Middle school students gathered in October to help safely capture and tag monarch butterflies at Waterloo Park. Representing the MS Environmental Action Cabinet (EAC), student volunteers joined in the national Monarch Watch Tagging Program initiative, a collaborative effort to study the monarchs’ fall migration between the organization, Monarch Watch, and community participants.

Each fall, Monarch Watch distributes over a quarter of a million tags to thousands of volunteers across North America, who tag monarchs as they pass through their regions. These “community scientists” record the tag code, tagging date, butterfly gender, and geographic location before releasing the butterflies.

What’s more, this week St. Andrew’s EAC students had a unique opportunity to work alongside and learn from Waterloo Greenway Conservancy’s Horticulture Supervisor, Adriane Horne. She provided the tools, materials, and guidance on best practices for capturing, tagging, and releasing the butterflies. At the end of the season, the data is submitted to Monarch Watch and added to a research database.

Service isn’t limited to students!

Our alumni give back to the community as well.

Once way alumni demonstrate servant leadership is volunteering on campus through the Career Pathways Club. The Career Pathways Club aims to help students explore and learn about various potential career paths through lunch meetings with SAS Alumni.

They host presentations each month, and in February, Patrick McMurrey ‘03 came back to talk with students about his career as a Financial Planner for Northwestern Mutual.

This December, a group of talented 5th graders took the school’s stage by storm with a dazzling rendition of Alice in Wonderland: The Musical.

Bursting with creativity, energy, and youthful exuberance, the performance captivated parents, teachers, and students alike, bringing Lewis Carroll’s classic tale to life in a way that only a group of enthusiastic fifth-graders could.

Y OU

SU PPO RT

artists

Under the direction of Lower School Drama Teacher Aimee Zivin-Williams, who has been guiding the school’s musical productions for two decades, the students transformed into the unforgettable characters of Wonderland.

Earlier in the fall, seven SAS Choir members participated in the TPSMEA Middle School Honor Choir in Houston. Mei Mei B., Maible E., Ella G., Kendall K., Makayla M., Jonah L., and Aditi R. prepared and practiced music with other students from around Texas.

Many hours of practice culminated in a beautiful concert where the choir performed several pieces of music for a full audience.

“I am very proud of their hard work in preparing so much music in a short time,” said Middle School Choir Director, Tanna Bills. “I also appreciate our parent chaperone and the support of all of the parents and family members in helping these students participate in this exciting event!”

Y OU

S UPP O R T

For the first time in St. Andrew’s school history, both the Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls Cross Country teams won the SPC Championship! This is the girls first and the boys seventh win. Well done, Cross Country athletes!

athletes

This January, the Varsity Boys Basketball team traveled to Los Angeles to play in the Nike Real Run Winter Classic. The team played against some of the best competition in the CIF Southern Section, said Athletics Director Thomas Sale, and then went on to win SPC for the second year in a row!

Congratulations to these incredible Highlander athletes from the Class of 2025 on committing to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. Their hard work, dedication, and passion have brought them to this moment, and we can’t wait to see all they accomplish in the future!

Abraham B., Soccer at SCAD, Grace B., Volleyball at Colorado College, Caroline S., Field Hockey at Richmond, Dylan K., Lacrosse at Southwestern, and Kylie S., Swimming at University of Chicago

It was an incredible fall season for 5th-8th grade athletes, coaches, and families.

This November, our flag football and girls volleyball teams competed in 11 out of 12 league championship games and garnering 5 league championships—the most of any school in the league!

F U N D EVERY GIFT COUNTS FOR EVERY STUDENT

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School 1112 W. 31st Street Austin, TX 78705 sasaustin.org | saf@sasaustin.org