The Highlander: Fall 2022/Winter 2023

The Highlander

The mission of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is to provide an enriched academic program within a Christian environment emphasizing the fulfillment of each student’s potential.

Core Values

COMMUNITY

Based on trust, traditions, communication, appreciation, and support

SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION

Developed by intentional instruction in moral and ethical behavior

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Reflected in both the knowledge base and behavior of the faculty, staff, students, parents, and board members

CARING, CELEBRATION, AND HUMOR

Fostered by kindness and collegiality

Dear St. Andrew's Community,

Seventy years have passed since St. Andrew’s Episcopal School first opened its doors in a two-story house on Pearl Street. So much has changed since then, but one thing has remained the same: our commitment to fulfilling each student’s potential, nurturing each student on their educational journey, and cultivating our four pillars.

This magazine celebrates the beginnings of our school, the growth and change it has undergone over the decades, and the incredible future ahead of us. Our students continue to thrive as scholars, artists, athletes, and servants, and the pages of this magazine are filled with those shining accomplishments.

Looking ahead, there is so much for which to be grateful. We are hard at work with our team of architects from LPA and our site planning task force on plans for the Athletics Complex and Student Union, our new Southwest Parkway Middle School and new 1st–3rd Grade Lower School building. These new facilities represent a historic moment for St. Andrew’s, as we will finally be able to fully meet the needs and hopes of our teachers for much-improved learning environments. These buildings will be representative of the amazing work our students and teachers can do together and I could not be more thrilled. Generations of St. Andrew’s families paved the way for the campuses our community currently enjoys and what an incredible opportunity we have to make St. Andrew’s even better for our students now and in the future.

I am consistently inspired by our beloved community and the work we do together. I hope you enjoy the articles, photos, and memories on these pages—they tell the story of a wonderful year thus far.

Melissa Grubb Head of School

A Reflection

70 Years as a School and Our Bright Future Ahead

It is no small thing to start a school. Any building can be a school, but the building itself is not the school. No matter how carefully placed the walls and the windows and the chalkboards are, the structure will not actually be a school until the children and teachers come. During the summer a school feels curiously empty, and a visitor leaves with the uneasy sense that he has been trespassing. The emptiness is from the lack of children—their voices, their movement, and their belongings.

A special school is one where there is a sense of family and togetherness. The children, the teachers,

and the parents all make up the school. They all work together to create the warm family feeling that permeates the very halls of such a school.

St. Andrew’s stands today as a monument to the vision of its founders and to the lives that have been touched by that vision. The school will continue to flourish if we have the right reasons for what we do and the courage and the stamina to reach our goals with integrity. Others will carry on our quest when we have done all we are able to do.

ALICE LEE MCKENNA , from The Gift and the Blessing: A History of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (1992)

St. Andrew's Episcopal School in its first year of operation.

Seventy years have passed since St. Andrew’s charter was established on June 23, 1952. The School was founded by three Episcopal congregations that had preschools and were thinking of expanding; The Rt. Reverend Scott Field Bailey and Bishop John Hines were at the forefront of this movement. With the newly established Board of Trustees, equipped with $4,000 and a vision for an Episcopal School for “all of Austin,” they set their sights on establishing a primary school that would provide “the training and development of the entire personality of each pupil— spiritual, mental, and physical.” Little did they know what they would do with $4,000 and a dream.

St. Andrew’s opened its doors in the fall of 1952 in a large two-story house on Pearl Street, near the University of Texas’ west campus, with two first grade classes and a combined second and third grade class. Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, St. Andrew’s continued to grow, adding fourth, fifth and sixth grades as well as new buildings. In 1978, the Board contemplated—and ultimately voted for—the establishment of a Middle School. In the fall of 1982, the first class of seventh graders began their Middle School journey at St. Andrew's and became the first middle school graduates the following year.

In 1987, Head of School Lucy Nazro assembled a “Committee of 35” to commemorate the school’s 35th anniversary. This committee studied the idea of adding an Upper School to accommodate Austin’s growth. While they did not see the viability of adding an Upper School at that time, they did envision it as a possibility in the future.

1995 was a pivotal year in the life of the school— conversations about adding an Upper School were growing stronger and the Board ultimately voted to add an Upper School in May of 1995. Austin had indeed grown and needed another independent high school.

However, St. Andrew’s faced its perennial challenges: land and money. Where could a high school be built given that at least 40 acres would be needed? Where would the school get the money? The search for land began, and no property near the 31st Street campus was available. Lucy Nazro recalled, “We came to this property on Southwest Parkway and the only living creature on site was a horse. The property was covered with cedar trees. I wondered who in the world would come all the way out here for school? Little did I know!”

St. Andrew’s launched its Upper School with 41 students in portable buildings on 31st Street in 1998. Thanks to many, many generous families

Students gathering in front of the Middle School building in the 1980s.

St. Andrew's students during Field Day 1988.

and foundations, by just the next year, two classes of Upper School students were able to move into classrooms and truly begin their journey on the Southwest Parkway campus. The inaugural class—the Cornerstone Class—graduated with great fanfare in 2002 and many of their traditions and celebrations continue to this day. The Upper School now has an enrollment of over 400 students and now we have the great joy of enrolling children of our Upper School alumni in our kindergarten classes, continuing the wonderful legacy of our school.

But St. Andrew’s was not done just yet! As Austin continued to rapidly grow, conversations around the establishment of a kindergarten program began to increase. In 2014, the Board of Trustees voted to launch a kindergarten program and, in true St. Andrew’s miracle fashion, the beloved Daughters of Charity convent next door to our 31st Street campus was listed for sale. The funds were raised to purchase the land and a capital campaign was launched for a new kindergarten building. It is lovingly named “Eleanor Hall” for Eleanor Gammon Berry ’58, one of

the first sixth graders to graduate from St. Andrew’s Lower School.

Today, St. Andrew’s is a thriving dual-campus school on 181 acres with nearly 1,000 students in grades K-12. The original tenets and mission of our school’s founding remain: a focus on every child’s mind, body and spirit while helping our students realize their full potential as Scholars, Artists, Athletes and Servants. Consistent throughout our 70 years is the continued commitment by our teachers to know, love and nurture each child along their educational journey.

The class of 2002 was the first class to graduate from St. Andrew's Upper School.

Eleanor Hall opened in 2015, launching our Kindergarten program and rounding out St. Andrew's as a K-12 school.

Homily from The Rt. Reverend Scott Field Bailey

We knew from the beginning that the faculty must teach out of the overflow of their own understanding and attitudes. The teacher must be someone whose cup runs over and produces a blessing and abundance for someone else. This has meant that the faculty must keep their growing edge sharp, by study and by continuous application of heart unto wisdom. It has meant that the faculty must be educators who have a continually growing fund of understanding and sensitivities in order that responses can be made to the child’s real questions: “ Who am I? ” and “ Why am I here? ”

We wanted a faculty who were not only eager to teach that which a child must know to live in our present-day culture, but also we wanted people who were willing to lead the child progressively into new fields of understanding and broader fields of experience than that which is merely necessary. We wanted a faculty who would be excited merely by the process of helping children find their own answers, in helping the children look at, and work with, the concepts that are already theirs. We wanted a faculty who would find joy in stimulating the creative process that God has instilled within the child. We have had this kind of faculty, and in the main, this is the reason for St. Andrew’s success.

Heaven help us if we miss, for in the next few years the children will be trying their wings in the world. They will meet the skeptic and the cynic. But if St. Andrew’s has done its job and parents have seen themselves as part of the curriculum, we will find that our children will live in homes wherein they remain in perfect love and peace together and wherein there is found to be spiritual benediction and grace.

Excerpts from “The Gift and The Blessing” and “St. Andrew’s Episcopal School: A Gift to Our Children” 60th anniversary book were used in this feature

On the Horizon

A School for Austin’s Future Generations

Tremendous growth and changes have occurred in the seventy-year life of our beloved school. As our founders said: “We want a school for all of Austin,” and we are truly realizing their dream with our new Campus Site Plan and Comprehensive Capital Campaign.

St. Andrew’s is embarking on the first phase of its comprehensive site plan to build:

• An Athletics Complex and Student Union on Southwest Parkway

• A new and relocated Middle School to Southwest Parkway

• A new 1st–3rd Grade Lower School Classroom Building

In addition, endowment funds are being raised to support Teacher Compensation and Benefits and to boost St. Andrew’s robust Financial Aid Program.

These new facilities will accelerate St. Andrew’s desire and intention to enhance and expand our programming in all aspects of our students’ lives, honoring our four pillars of Scholar, Artist, Athlete and Servant. With Austin’s tremendous growth, the school is also projected to modestly increase the student population with a continued commitment to maintain small class sizes and student-to-teacher ratios and a focus on increasing the diversity of our student body.

An aligned 6th–12th program on Southwest Parkway will provide advanced academic opportunities for our students, improve leadership and mentoring development, provide broader access to state-ofthe art athletics and fine arts facilities and allow for deeper collaboration between Middle and Upper School faculty.

On our 31st Street campus, our teachers have long dreamed of improved and technologically advanced classroom spaces for our Lower School students. They will flourish with a new two-story academic building that will have age-appropriate classrooms, flex-space, innovation labs and designated spaces for learning specialists and small-group learning opportunities.

Beyond this first phase of the Campus Site Plan are plans to add ten tennis courts with a tennis center on our Southwest Parkway Campus, a third field on Southwest Parkway, a new Dining Hall and Pavilion on 31st Street and much needed improvements to our existing buildings.

It is an incredibly inspiring time in the life of our school. Hundreds of families, alumni and friends of St. Andrew’s have helped build our classrooms, gymnasiums, theaters, fields, chapels and libraries over the past 70 years. We move forward with gratitude and celebration for the community our predecessors helped build and remain hopeful about this next exciting chapter for St. Andrew’s Episcopal School!

Renderings of the Southwest Parkway Athletics Complex and Student Union.

Clockwise from right:

Preliminary design of new Lower School classroom building at the 31st Street campus.

Preliminary design of new Middle School building on the Southwest Parkway campus. Lobby of the Athletics Complex and Student Union. Student lobby in the Southwest Parkway Athletics Complex and Student Union.

Then Now

Though much has changed throughout our school's history, so much remains the same. Seventy years after the school's founding, scholars, athletes, artists, and servants still come to St. Andrew's to find their passion and fulfill their potential.

Did You Know?

In honor of the 70th anniversary of St. Andrew’s, here are a few facts you may not know about the school, and some recollections from faculty members who have seen the school grow for decades!

• Crusader Field has a pool underneath it.

• McGill Chapel used to be the site of the Head of School’s home.

• The Lower School PE department has over 125 years of combined tenure at St. Andrew’s!

• St. Andrew’s launched the first Social-Emotional Learning program in Austin.

• 34 St. Andrew’s alumni have returned to work at the school, including 11 current faculty and staff members!

• The high school property used to be a working ranch.

• The first Middle School classes began in September 1982. Classes were held in two houses on the property—East Rock and The Yellow House. During this era, students chose the school colors and mascot.

• The oldest St. Andrew’s tradition is the First Grade Christmas Pageant, started in 1952.

• The first year of Athletics was in 1982 when the Middle School opened. The first team was a 7th grade boys basketball team, coached by Tom Costas!

• There is a horseshoe hanging in the Upper School chapel that was found on the property before construction began.

Recollections

The ball from the first varsity football win in 2001 (in the gym trophy case) was decorated by Kate Jones who didn’t even work here at the time—she was just married to me who coached in the game!

JUSTIN JONES

In 1996 or 1997, my son’s class buried a time capsule outside what is now Doug Eleby’s classroom. We still haven’t opened it!

BETSY ROSS

When I first interviewed at the upper school, a cow mooing along the fence by the chapel interrupted my conversation with Ms. Carlson. I was coming from a school in the center of Houston, so having cows for neighbors blew my mind.

—PERRIN SHELTON

In the early days of the high school campus, chapel was held in the gym since the chapel had not yet been built! What is now the athletic trainer’s office was once used as a dance studio that was rented out to Ballet Austin— it wasn’t uncommon for three year olds to be in the middle of ballet class while chapel was going on in the gym!

JENNIE LUONGO

The Cornerstone Class of 2002 at the groundbreaking of the Upper School in 1998.

Former Head of School Lucy Nazro at the blessing of the Upper School chapel in 2000.

A congratulatory telegram received on the opening day of St. Andrew's Episcopal School on September 8, 1952.

The first grade Christmas pageant started in 1952, and continues to this day!

Building the Future

St. Andrew’s Teaching Fellowship Program

Ahead of the 2022–23 school year, Head of School Melissa Grubb shared the news that St. Andrew’s would be launching a new Teaching Fellowship Program. “One of the aspects of the St. Andrew’s community that I admire most is our commitment to DEIB work in an Episcopalian context,” said Mrs. Grubb. “In support of that, we are excited to announce that the Board of Trustees has fully supported a teacher fellowship program, for which Kama Bruce has served as architect and Mily Pérez will lead for the 2022–23 school year.”

The mission of the St. Andrew’s Teaching Fellowship Program is to identify and cultivate early career educators via intentional professional development experiences paired with practical co-teaching and teaching opportunities in an independent school setting. As a premier independent school in Central Texas, St. Andrew’s is committed to using its position and resources to identify, professionally develop, and inspire young teachers toward career discernment and success in a variety of educational settings.

The fellowship program is initially in conjunction with Huston-Tillotson University and Texas State University. The purposes include providing an independent school experience to recent college graduates interested in pursuing positions in independent schools. These degreed fellows, competitively selected, will be partnered with and mentored by our outstanding faculty to gain the valuable experience needed to successfully enter the independent school job market, contribute to the diversification of the St. Andrew’s faculty, and assist other independent schools in doing the same.

“The Teaching Fellowship Program is a one-year teaching experience that places teaching fellows in classrooms, ranging from kindergarten to grade 12,” said Mily Pérez, Director of the Teaching Fellowship Program. “In addition to teaching with their mentor teachers, the teaching fellows will be able to gain a well-rounded experience through participating in family-teacher conferences, field experiences, professional development opportunities, and afterschool programming.”

 The inaugural class of St. Andrew’s Teaching Fellows. Dymon Moore, Ebonee Hunt, and Kailee Norman, pictured with Program Director Mily Pérez.

Three new Fellows were welcomed to St. Andrew’s for the first year of the program, each working with an experienced teacher and mentor in their area of interest. Kailee Norman has been working with kindergarten teacher Carla Childs, Ebonee Hunt with Lower School art teacher Jae Lappinga, and Dymon Moore with Upper School English and Journalism teacher Claire Canavan. “I began my teaching career in a fellow program many years ago,” said mentor Carla Childs. “The experience I gained learning from my mentor was invaluable and allowed me to enter the field as a prepared, competent, and confident teacher. I am thrilled to pass this along to another young educator.”

Mentor Jae Lappinga remarked, “Being a mentor has helped me reflect on my own teaching practice while at the same time collaboratively plan for ways to change and grow the art program. It has been a great experience having my teaching fellow as a thought partner and also a helping hand.”

Along with daily classroom experience, St. Andrew’s Fellows engage in a weekly seminar each Friday where they learn about relevant topics in education and discover ample opportunities for discussion and reflection. During their seminars, Fellows discuss topics such as classroom management, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in education, building positive connections with parents and guardians, best practices with student support, neurodiversity, and differentiation, and healthy classroom cultures, among so many other topics. Along with valuable teaching and

shadowing experience in their mentor’s classrooms, fellows have also been able to experience professional development opportunities outside of St. Andrew’s, attending the ISAS Beginning Teacher Institute in Dallas and the NAIS People of Color Conference in San Antonio.

The program not only gives Fellows hands-on field experience in the classroom, but also provides career guidance as Fellows prepare to enter the educational workforce. In the spring, the Fellows will complete their program objective—a full week of classroom teaching paired with the presentation of their teaching portfolios to divisional faculty. During their time in the field, the Fellows have been identifying and documenting specific pedagogical, content, and personal goals, and working towards meeting each of those as they pave their path towards the finish line. During its pilot year, the fellowship program has been a huge success, with lots of exciting opportunities in the future.

The St. Andrew’s Teaching Fellows Program is the result of collaboration by many talented educators— many thanks to Kama Bruce for bringing this important project to fruition, Mily Pérez for directing the program going forward, and Priya Kenny, Co-Director of Diversity and Lower School Counselor Jasmin Vara ’09 for their generous help at our recruiting events.

Alice Nezzer and Mily Pérez visited the Huston-Tillotson University career fair in September to recruit next year’s class of teaching fellows.

Ebonee Hunt connects with Noah A. in art class.



Upper School Celebrates Our Foundation Pillar Days

At the beginning of the 2022–2023 school year, a new program was introduced at the Upper School: Pillar Days. Four times a year, the entire Upper School community will focus on one of the school's four pillars: Scholar, Athlete, Artist, and Servant.

The Servant pillar was the first to be celebrated on September 19, a day headed up by Austin Davis that saw our students and faculty engaging in service projects both on and off campus. On campus, ninth and twelfth graders packed 40,000 meals with Mission of Hope for Haitian orphanages. Tenth grade students, along with fifth graders visiting from the Lower School campus, wove stars out of ribbons for One Million Stars Texas, an initiative that aims to make a positive impact on local issues of violence using the traditional Indigenous/Pasifika craft of star weaving. Off campus, juniors undertook cleanup of the Barton Creek Greenbelt, organized hygiene production at Austin Diaper Bank, unpacked supplies at Salvation Army, and so much more, working alongside nonprofits like Casa Marianella and Posada Esperanza, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Austin Creative Reuse.

Athlete Pillar Day was next on October 13. The day kicked off with offerings from student leaders in chapel. They offered perspectives on the meaning of competition, teamwork, and physical activity. In the afternoon, upper schoolers got moving, competing by grade level in four different field day events: tug of war, capture the flag, relay races, and even LifeSize Mario Kart! The Class of 2024 ultimately became the inaugural Athletics Pillar Day Champions. It was a day buzzing with energy, excitement, and friendly competition—the Upper School Athletic Council did a terrific job planning the day’s activities.

Scholar Pillar Day followed on November 14, a day for our students and faculty to celebrate the life of the mind. Led ably by Dr. Gustavo Garza, Chair of the History Department, and Cate Gasco, Chair of the Fine Arts Department, this year’s Scholar Pillar day explored the theme of “The Role of Art in Society.” The afternoon began with a panel discussion with faculty members who shared the importance of art in their field and life. 9th and 10th graders were treated to a modern adaptation of The Odyssey performed by Joe

Goodkin. Students considered the cultural importance of the poem, explored the nuances of the oral tradition, and enjoyed listening to folk music that recalls the significant themes of Homer’s epic. Meanwhile, 11th and 12th graders engaged in a lively public debate about the role of art in society. Teams of 11th and 12th graders were involved in a hotly contested public exchange; in the end, the 12th grade emerged victorious, with William Sykes ’23 and Meredith Shaw ’23 being declared winners.

On February 16, the school’s artists shone on Artist Pillar Day. During the day’s experience, students were able to choose experiences from course offerings in the Fine Arts Department. Upper schoolers were able to experience a jam-packed afternoon of artistic offerings, each of which included at least one performing art, one visual art, and one instrumental music experience. In this unique experience, students were able to engage with fine arts they previously might not have considered. Perhaps most importantly, student leaders in each particular fine arts discipline were the leaders of each activity, not faculty

members. The campus was alive with arts and student leadership was on full display. Select choir students taught in 4-part harmony, photography students led instructional workshops, and ceramics students exhibited pottery demonstrations on the wheel, among so many other offerings. The day ended with a preview performance of Guys and Dolls. The afternoon was spent completely engaged in the entire St. Andrew’s arts curriculum, a noble feat accomplished by Cate Gasco and Jason Kruger.

The Four Pillars are the cornerstone of the St. Andrew’s experience, the four ways in which the school hopes all St. Andrew’s students will see themselves throughout their time on campus. The school aims to graduate well-rounded scholars, athletes, artists, and servants who are critical thinkers and passionate leaders in their communities. With each Pillar Day this school year, Upper School students gathered together to reflect on these four shared values, celebrate each unique facet of a St. Andrew’s student, and ruminate on what makes this community special.

Highlander Highlights

NAES Conference in San Antonio

Several St. Andrew’s administrators and students attended The National Association of Episcopal Schools Conference in November, with some US students serving as ushers, acolytes, and readers (in Latin, English, and Hebrew!) After the Select Choir sang at the Eucharist, the bishop of West Texas had the entire congregation pause to applaud their offering. Special thanks to all of our community members who represented St. Andrew’s so beautifully among so many of our peer schools.

Serving With iACT

In October, 18 eighth grade students, parents, and MS faculty painted a family home in East Austin, as well as some small repairs and landscaping work. The annual event was organized by iACT, a local Austin organization dedicated to interfaith dialogue and community service. Many thanks to all the students, faculty, and parents for living the St. Andrew's mission and being active servants in our community.

Lower School Rocks The Vote

Lower School raised awareness on the midterm elections this year by creating their own elections! For a week ahead of Election Day, an Early Voting display was presented in the Lower School hallway, where students learned about election basics and had the opportunity to let their voices be heard on issues like favorite animals and most-wanted superpowers. On Election Day on November 8, administration carried out a larger-scale election, where all student voters received special SAS I Voted stickers and voted for which Friday treat the Lower School would enjoy that week.

MS Takes Longhorn Certamen

The Middle School novice Latin team took third place at the Longhorn Certamen tournament at the University of Texas this fall. Many competing teams were made up of high school juniors and seniors, which made the middle school team’s third place finish even more impressive!

Senior Stuns At Model UN

Emma Kim ’23 was awarded Outstanding Delegate at this fall’s Central Texas Model United Nations conference for her role as Xie Fei, the Party Secretary of Guandog in the Global Simulation Committee tackling Chinese policies in the 1990s. 19 delegates from St. Andrew’s competed in 11 different committees at the conference, ranging from subjects including The Disarmament and International Security Committee to questions of conscious retail in a globalized economy.

Forrester Honored In London

Going For Gold

This winter, the Upper School Spirit Club organized and executed Gold Week, a week to raise awareness for childhood cancer that culminated in a boys basketball game against Awty International School.

Upper School English teacher Andrew Forrester had the honor of his work being read aloud at Royal Albert Hall in London—and his comedic essay was performed by none other than awardwinning actor Benedict Cumberbatch! Andrew’s piece was originally published in McSweeney’s and was read aloud at Letters Live, a UK-based show “where remarkable letters are read by a diverse array of outstanding performers.”

Highlander Highlights

TPSMEA All-State Festival

St. Andrew's musicians were well-represented at the TPSMEA All-State Festival this year. This annual festival brings together the top musicians in the State who were selected for the All-State ensembles. This year, St. Andrew's was proud to have 14 students in attendance. Karsten Lyle ’23 was selected as one of only 2 drummers in the State to perform with the All-State Jazz Band. Finley Ahearn ’24, Laila Antonini ’25, Lucy Bowles ’25, Jacob Burrows ’23, Cannon Dunaway ’25, Jules Goldman ’26, Mark Greenberg ’23, Isaac Hilton ’23, Gracie Imes ’24, Karsten Lyle ’23, Stella McAbeer ’24, Anthony Tassone ’23, Kara Thomas ’23, and Annie Zimmerman ’23 were selected for the All-State Choir, marking the 5th year in a row that St. Andrew's has had the most All-State Choir members from a single co-ed school in the state. Mark Greenberg ’23 was recognized for being a 4-Year All-State Musician, and is only the 6th student in St. Andrew's history to receive such a distinction. Finley Ahearn ’24, Anthony Tassone ’23, and Isaac Hilton ’23 each earned the honor of 1st Chair in the state for their respective sections. The students practiced with renowned clinicians, met peer musicians from across the state, and performed beautiful, impressive concerts after only two days.

Stepping Up To High School

Eighth grade students visited the Upper School campus this fall during Step Up Days. Step Up Days offer eighth graders the opportunity to visit high school classes and meet new teachers, visualize themselves on the Southwest Parkway campus, and experience some of the freedoms of life as an Upper School student.

POCC Inspires

A group of St. Andrew’s faculty, staff, and teaching fellows traveled to San Antonio in November for the National Association of Independent Schools' People of Color Conference. The mission of the conference is to provide a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. Attendees were lucky enough to meet up with our colleague Kama Bruce, who is currently the Assistant Head of School at Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon.

Middle School Bonds on Class Trips

Middle School students embarked on their annual class trips, with eighth grade traveling to Big Bend and sixth grade traveling to Mo Ranch. Eighth graders enjoyed incredible hikes, stunning sunsets, and unforgettable memories. They spent time connecting with one another and reflecting on their time in middle school. At Mo Ranch, sixth grade connected similarly. From enjoying sunset chapel to canoeing the river to braving the zipline and ropes courses, the retreat was packed with fun and class bonding.

Art As Activism

Fifth graders participated in an “Artivism” unit in Jae Lappinga’s art class, in which they created a poster highlighting a social issue of their choice. After studying the work of Chicano printmakers, interdisciplinary artist Favianna Rodriguez, and other student activists, students created a poster using collage and printmaking techniques to add layers of shape and color to their work. Students chose where to hang their work around the school in order to maximize their artwork’s impact.

Abbott Signs At Notre Dame

Margaret Abbott ’23 became the first Division I signee of the year when she signed her National Letter of Intent to row collegiately at the University of Notre Dame. She becomes the first-ever St. Andrew's student athlete to go on to compete collegiately for the Fighting Irish.

Perspectives

Think of your favorite superhero: how did they come to be? A radioactive spider bite, a genetic anomaly that granted incredible abilities, an iron suit of invincible armor? Though we may not all have powers as epic as these heroes, we do have inimitable traits that make us who we are and family histories that permeate our entire beings. This concept is how fourth graders in Ms. Georgea Siow’s Social Studies class began their unit on Origin Stories, a project that spanned months.

The Origin Stories project was rooted in an anti-bias approach, an educational philosophy that is, according to the Anti-Defamation League, “designed to increase understanding of differences and their value to a

respectful and civil society and to actively challenge bias, stereotyping and all forms of discrimination.” Said Siow, “When we talk about an anti-bias approach at this age, we’re talking about learning about other people and developing empathy and respect. By listening to each other’s stories, we are connecting with our community. Ultimately, it leads to awareness and social justice work—now that we understand our own journey and we can empathize with the stories of others, how can we understand the needs of others and help our communities?” These concepts of empathy, perspective, and sharing laid the foundation for the project.

Fourth graders dove deep into their family history, determining how their ancestors arrived in the place they called home, the barriers and difficulties they faced on their journey, and the hopes and dreams that were fulfilled once they became settled. To kick off the project, the social studies class invited family members of fourth grade students to present on their family histories in chapel. Students heard inspiring tales of hardship and success, war and peace, and difficulties and opportunities from around the

Fourth grade social studies students discover the origin stories of themselves and their peers.

world. After seeing presentations from families of their peers, fourth graders were enthusiastic to jump into their own family research and uncover unknown details about family members and the lives they lived. Students interviewed family members, used online resources, and looked through old photographs to get their information, which would ultimately result in a presentation to their peers, utilizing skills of research, writing, and public speaking.

What was most important for Siow during this project was making sure students learned about perspectives other than their own. “This project should help us gather perspectives outside ourselves, our community, our culture—the idea was ‘how can we gather those perspectives to create lasting change?’” said Siow.

While presenting, each student was able to bring their classmates into the story of their lives, leading to empathy and moments of reflection. “Through those presentations, they were able to see how their stories were the same and how their stories were different.” said Siow. “So many of us found out about relatives we never knew about. We heard stories about how different people saved different members’ lives and how they helped in their communities in different ways.”

Students found themselves fascinated by the stories they learned about their families.

As part of the project, students focused on one special member of their lineage. The class heard all kinds of stories: people who immigrated to America to escape war and get an education, people who came from nothing and became successful entrepreneurs, people who fought for social justice, and so many more. Each of these people inspired their family members that succeeded them.

“During my research, I asked a lot of questions about my great grandmother, who is very special to our family,” said Caroline S. ’31. “She was an entrepreneur when she was young, which was unusual for a woman at that time. She started a pistachio business in El Paso, Texas and after a lot of hard work, she was able to get her pistachios in the Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog. She was an inspiration to my dad, who also became an entrepreneur. Who knows, maybe someday I will follow in her footsteps!”

Allison H. ’31 spoke of her great great grandmother, who was an inspiring force for women’s rights. “My great great grandma Sue was really mad that her opinion didn’t matter when it came to voting, so when the women's rights movement started, she joined and became a suffragette.” said Allison. “Her dad, who also believed in women’s rights, had to come with her to a rally so no one would hurt her. The other people were really violent towards the suffragettes. She ended up being on the front page of a newspaper that day!”

Hayward B. ’31 discovered stories about one of his ancestors who came to America in 1842 and went on to find great success. “He came to America on a ship with no family and he didn’t know anybody in America. He came to America with no money and he became a successful businessman selling sodas. He made new soda flavors and he was also president of a bank.”

“I feel this fourth grade project has changed me forever,” said Caroline S. ’31. “Before this year, I did not know the countries that make up my origin. I thought that where I’m from didn’t matter. Now I‘m proud to say I know my origin and I am very happy that I know it.”

By listening to each other’s stories, we are connecting with our community. Ultimately, it leads to awareness and social justice work—now that we understand our own journey and we can empathize with the stories of others, how can we understand the needs of others and help our communities? ”

Seismic Innovations

Eighth grade scientists explore plate tectonics, force, and architectural strategy through earthquake project.

Being home to ten percent of the world’s active volcanoes, Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, and while sitting in his office early that January morning, Itakura believed the earthquake that had hit Kobe was relatively mild. He couldn’t have been more mistaken—the Great Hanshin Earthquake registered at the highest seismic intensity and caused widespread destruction across Kobe. But because Itakura’s office had been sitting on an experimental rubber foundation designed to withstand earthquakes, Itakura barely felt a thing.

Building a model house with similar properties to Itakura’s office building was the ultimate goal for students in Mr. David Ritchie’s eighth grade science class, who culminated a unit on force and plate tectonics by researching, designing, and building structures that could withstand an earthquake. After studying force, plate tectonics and plate boundaries, students began researching earthquakes, where they happen across the world, and what steps have been taken in earthquake-prone areas to mitigate damage to buildings. Students studied the many innovations that have been made in earthquake-withstanding buildings, discovering not only what technologies have been successful, but the why behind them.

“They researched a ton of different strategies, and they had to include at least two in their final product,” said Ritchie. “Some of the houses had cross-bracing, some had free-moving weights at the top. They had to understand how these strategies worked in real life, in places like California and Peru.” After a significant research process, students began sketching out their prototypes, then building actual models and running tests on them. Students kept a journal throughout the project, evaluating themselves each day and noting what worked and what didn’t. These notes would be

critical to their final report, where students detailed their strategies, how they work in real-life applications, and how they recreated it with materials in the science classroom.

To test the houses, Ritchie constructed an earthquake simulator from planks of wood, PVC pipes, and rubber bands, activated by a power drill. Students used this structure to troubleshoot their houses during the building process, setting their houses on the simulator in short bursts to observe and address problems in the build. Some ideas had to be scrapped entirely, turning a fresh page for new questions and potential solutions. The testing process was one of curiosity, observation, and experimentation, with students learning just as much from their mistakes as they did from their successes.

After two weeks of building, “Earthquake Day,” as it was known, arrived with much excitement and some nerves—ideally, students’ houses would be able to stay standing after thirty seconds on the earthquake simulator. “Everyone was holding their breath, seeing if their houses would be destroyed at the end of the thirty seconds,” said Ritchie. Thanks to their shrewdlychosen design choices and clever craftsmanship, the vast majority of houses stood tall and proud even after a bumpy ride on the simulator. The earthquake project was a challenging yet creative scientific pursuit that stretched the minds of middle school scientists and honed their skills in research, engineering, and problem-solving. It is this kind of meaningful, hands-on application that makes knowledge truly stick.

In January of 1995, architect Yasuhisa Itakura was finishing up a late night of work at the construction company where he worked in Kobe, Japan. His office began swaying around 5:46 a.m, but not one pencil rolled off his desk, not one book fell from his she lves.

They replicated the same architectural strategies that are used in real life while constructing buildings, but instead of using concrete and steel, they used cardboard, paper plates, and popsicle sticks, ” said Ritchie.

Champions of Change

After studying the works of both abolitionists and transcendentalists, junior English students embarked on an ambitious research project: to explore and analyze connections between the literary works of a historical reformer to a contemporary issue or work, whether it be a political issue, a cultural movement, a new technology, movie, book, or podcast. Through the comparison, new discoveries were uncovered about both works.

The project fell under an overarching unit asking the question “How do you change society and how can nature change the self?” Through reading works by Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau, juniors considered what it takes to be an effective reformer and what a person can do when they see injustices and devastations happening in their world. By analyzing their literature, classes studied the varied ways these different reformers were trying to create change through their own writing. By connecting these works to a contemporary issue or work, students were able to track the progress of the issues at hand and the work that still remains for this generation.

“We saw everything—Beyoncé’s Lemonade, different protest movements around the world, Fight Club, ecoterrorism, Taylor Swift albums.” said English teacher Jennifer Tollefson. This freedom of choice allowed students to approach the project with enthusiasm and personal connection, though their idea had to be approved in a formal proposal before they embarked upon more thorough research.

For many in the class, the creative connections drawn by their classmates allowed them to see the transcendentalist or abolitionist works in a new way. One student connected Frederick Douglass’ “What To A Slave Is The Fourth of July” to the song and music video “This Is America” by Childish Gambino. “He was thinking really carefully about how they both thought about America and race, and how they presented their perspective to a white audience.” said English teacher Dr. Amy Skinner. In 1852, Douglass delivered his famous speech addressing the hypocrisy of the celebration of July 4 in America at a time when African-Americans were still enslaved. 166 years later, Childish Gambino released his groundbreaking song and video on racial oppression, racial violence, and

Upper School English students turn the focus on abolitionists, transcendentalists, and modern-day changemakers.

DOUGLASS THOREAU

the concept of pop culture as a distraction from issues of oppression. Though the ways that racial inequality manifested in 1852 to current day differed, both pieces of art addressed the gap between the ideals and the reality of American freedom and democracy for Black Americans. It got the class thinking: how has the country made progress when it comes to social change and how has it stayed the same?

Another project compared Henry David Thoreau’s ideas on isolationism to the Pink Floyd concept album “The Wall,” a rock opera that tells the story of a rock star who blocks himself off from the world behind a metaphorical wall. Through themes of isolation, anti-conformity, and societal manipulation, the album echoes many sentiments expressed by Thoreau in works like “Walden”. Thoreau believed that by separating oneself from society, one could deepen their self-understanding and strengthen their ability to resist societal oppression and conformity. Over a hundred years separated the release of these two works, yet so much remained the same.

Rhetorical tools are critical to any person hoping to change the world—people are loath to pay attention to a writer or speaker without conviction, emotion, or ability to tell a story. Students studied each work through the lens of these devices and uncovered how they were used to persuade their audience. “Something that came up during our discussions was the current state of our culture, how sometimes it can seem like people are all just yelling at each other or only talking to people who already agree with them. We talked

about how it was so powerful to see someone like Frederick Douglass, who is incredibly smart about how he’s thinking of his audience and how he can communicate to be most effective.” said Skinner.

Through studying these influential texts intended to create change, students observed the art of true persuasion, how these masterful authors were able to understand an opposing perspective and the benefits that understanding held for creating effective communication. Juniors noticed how carefully each reformer constructed their sentences, what rhetorical devices they applied, and what audience they were intending to reach. Literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, and thorough research were key components to this project. Ultimately, the research culminated in an oral presentation to the class, another chance to sharpen an important skill, this time in public speaking and presenting.

“So much of what we read is in the big Norton anthology, which can feel really historical and a little overwhelming sometimes,” said Skinner, “but this project makes the texts more accessible and allows them to truly see the influence these figures had on American culture.” After the Reformer project, English 11 teachers hope that students continue to look for ways their studies show up in their modern world, taking note of the new generation of changemakers inspired by those who came before.

TRUTH EMERSON

Art Across The Ages

AP Art History students travel to San Antonio to engage with their curriculum face-to-face.

Because of the breadth of the curriculum, AP Art History is one of the most challenging AP courses. The designated curriculum includes 250 pieces spanning the millenia and the globe and is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester college course. The study of art history invites students to discover the diversity in and connections among forms of artistic expression throughout history and from around the globe. Students learn about how people have

responded to and communicated their experiences through art making by exploring art in its history and cultural contexts. The AP Art History course welcomes students into the global art world as active participants, engaging with its forms and content as they research, discuss, read, and write about art, artists, art making and responses to and interpretations of art. This fall, AP Art History students made time for some off-campus learning to supplement their classwork.

On November 9, joined by beloved Art teacher Chris McCoy, both classes of AP Art History spent the day at the San Antonio Museum of Art and the McNay Museum of Art. So that students could connect the museums’ collections to the AP curriculum, I created a “scavenger hunt” (a fun test grade!), sending them to pieces such as tapa cloth and Malagan masks in the Oceanic collection, the seated stone scribes in the Egyptian gallery, and Roman busts.

Most of the specific pieces we analyzed at the McNay Museum of Art are more contemporary and therefore, studied later in the school year. Previewing some of the usual favorites like Cezanne, Picasso, and Monet, students also challenged themselves with the sculptures of Magdalena Abakanowicz.

Remembering the impact of my own high school art history field trips, I know how important it is to see art in person. It can be the difference between simply learning and authentically engaging. This group brought a level of confidence, knowledge, and critical thinking that made Mr. McCoy and me very proud.

COURTNEY ELLIOTT, Upper School History

Teacher, 12th Grade Advisor/ College Counselor

Loading up the bus

with my Art

History classmates made me feel like a second grader all over again, lunch bag in one hand and pencil in the other. Nothing matches the energy of a field trip. However, it is a little different going through this extended learning experience as a senior in high school. Being able to physically look at the pieces face-toface changes the way you think about them. Your brain is instantly a little more focused and slightly more bright.

During this field trip, I was able to dedicate space and time to each piece we looked at, making the story behind it even more meaningful and immersive. Not only that, but it also inspired us to talk and discuss the piece more freely with each other. Of course, we engage in a lot of discussions during the class, but I thought being physically there allowed for even more natural conversations which helped us build off each other and expand our understanding of each piece. Going to the museums also allowed us to linger in other art pieces around the ones we were focused on too. I loved being able to calmly walk around with the intent of applying what I have so far learned to other pieces we have not yet studied. It was a very enjoyable day which flowed with ease since I noticed everyone in the group, including the teachers, was eager to be there.

INES MARTINEZ ’23

To Thine Own Self Be True

Theater students tackle Hamlet in ambitious fall play production.

In his many years of theater production, Jason Kruger has picked up the Shakespearean classic Hamlet again and again, always with the intention of making it his next production. But each time it felt a little too daunting or “big” for the project at hand, so he’d put it back on the shelf, telling himself he’d come back to it next time.

When Kruger stepped into the newest role of his nearly twenty-year career at St. Andrew's—Upper School Theatre Director—in July of 2021, he decided the time had come. “Beginning a new era in a program should start with something big to set the expectations, right?” Kruger wrote in the production Playbill. Aside from starting with a splash, Kruger felt like Hamlet was actually the perfect fit for the Upper School Theater Production class to take on for their fall play because of the parallels and relatability it has to high school students of today.

Hamlet, often called the greatest play ever written, follows the story of Prince Hamlet, a young man seeking revenge against his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Prince Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, to seize the throne and marry Hamlet’s mother. Exploring themes of betrayal, revenge, corruption, and appearance vs. reality, the play illustrates the devastating impact these tragic events have had on Hamlet, particularly on his mental health. Though it may not have been spelled out that way 400 years ago when Shakespeare wrote the play, it’s clear that Hamlet experiences a crisis of mental health, and the display of raw emotion is one of the many reasons the play has stood the test of time. The themes of mental health disorders, or “madness,” as it was referred to in Shakespeare’s time, also influenced Kruger’s decision

to choose Hamlet for this year’s production. “I wanted us to see a Hamlet who is a strong but fragile college student trying to cope when the world around him is crumbling and he feels like he has to take matters into his own hands.”

Kruger recognized that many high school and college students struggle with mental health problems in this country, but stigma still prevents many young people from speaking out about it. He saw Hamlet as an opportunity for St. Andrew’s students to discuss this incredibly important issue that impacts their daily lives. Senior English classes were reading the play at the time of production, so Kruger attended classes to discuss these ideas with them as well. This is what he had to say about the experience: “I was eager to explore these ideas with our company, the senior English students, and our community. My hope is that we were able to bring new life into the immortal words of perhaps one of the greatest plays ever written.”

Though they only had five weeks to put on their fall production, it is clear the Theater Production students came away with a deep understanding of themes and messages of Hamlet and created a beautiful rendition of this classic play that allowed the audience to leave with the same understanding. While many audience members had seen Hamlet before, everyone certainly left with new ideas to consider. Said Kruger, “I’m proud of this group of students for taking on this challenge. Doing Shakespeare’s greatest play in five weeks is asking a lot. I hope we ask you more questions than we answer—that’s what theater does at its best. It holds up a mirror and asks ‘what is your role in this tragedy?’”

Cast List

HAMLET: Arwyn Heilrayne

CLAUDIUS: William Sykes

GERTRUDE: Meredith Shaw

POLONIUS, GRAVEDIGGER: Owen Almy

LAERTES, PLAYER 1: Johnny Gallick

HORATIO, PLAYER 2: Kate Tully

OPHELIA: Morgan Harrison

ROSENCRANTZ, PRIEST: Lili Krengel, James Hill

GUILDENSTERN, OSRIC: LJ LeBlanc

Technicians

DIRECTOR: Jason Kruger

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AND SET DESIGNER:

Laura Kieler

STAGE MANAGER: Katie Bradley

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER AND LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR: Elle Foster

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Bill Peeler

SOUND DESIGNER: Johnny Gallick

SOUND BOARD OPERATOR: Jay Carter

COSTUME DESIGNER: Laura Skipper

MASTER WELDER: John Frost

MASTER CARPENTER: Adam Witko

SCENIC CHARGE ARTIST: Jason Kruger

COSTUMES CREW: Arwyn Heilrayne

CONSTRUCTION CREW

Tommy Bullion

Jude Crawson

Jaime De la Garza

Montfort

Andrew Farmer

Knox Matthews

Cooper Payne

PROP CREW

Luke Edwards

Matthew Farmer

Thomas Lyman

SCENIC PAINTERS

Margot Metschan

Claire Price

Ella Townsend

Ryan Williams

Lower and Middle School Performances

STONE SOUP

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, second grade put on their annual performances of Stone Soup, with each class creating their own unique retelling of this classic folk tale. The second graders’ imaginations came to life with each different story, but each performance drove home the importance of sharing and community. Many thanks to the students, Aimee Zivin, Lucy Bourland, Rebecca Kyriakides, and all of the second grade parents who helped carry on this special tradition.

OZMA OF OZ

After many weeks of hard work and preparation, fifth graders performed Ozma of Oz in November. Inspired by the classic Wizard of Oz, Ozma of Oz follows Dorothy and her great uncle through a time-travel adventure, meeting many friends and learning some lessons along the way. Bravo to all actors and musicians on their performances in this funny, creative and heartwarming production. Aimee Zivin, Darrel Mayers, and many parent volunteers did a terrific job bringing everything together for this fantastic play.

THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE

St. Andrew’s Middle School performed The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane this fall. Based on the awardwinning novel by Kate DiCamillo, this play tells the story of a toy rabbit named Edward who becomes lost after accidentally being thrown overboard during an ocean voyage. His journey spans many years and he meets many special people along the way, teaching Edward all kinds of lessons about love, friendship, and home. Middle schoolers told this tender story with care and compassion, bringing the lessons learned by Edward to a larger audience. Bravo to theater teacher Laura Skipper and the cast of this wonderful show!

Luck Be A Lady

Guys and Dolls Dazzles Audiences

BY EMI ALDERSON ’24

Originally published in the Winter 2023 St. Andrew’s digital newspaper The Tartan

As the Dell Fine Art Center (DFAC) begins to relight its stage lights and we hear the magic of laughter and catchy music, students fill the halls while eagerly waiting to enrapture the audience with a comedic, “golden age” musical.

This February, the St. Andrew’s performance of Guys and Dolls premiered to rave reviews. Mr. Jason Kruger, who became the new Theater Director after the departure of beloved teacher Rick Garcia, came into the theater program ready to tackle the highenergy and fun show while continuing to create the welcoming environment that the theater program is known for. After eighteen years at the St. Andrew’s Middle School, Mr. Kruger stated, “I had a good sense of the history of musicals at the Upper School. I knew that I wanted to do something that we haven't done.”

With this stylized show in mind after auditions, it became clear that Guys and Dolls was a perfect fit for the student talent at St. Andrew’s.

“This is a really funny and stylized show. The actors did a really good job of finding the comedic beats,” said Assistant Director Arwyn Heilrayne ‘23 Guys and Dolls, a romantic comedy musical from the 1950s, follows the story of Nathan Detroit who needs a venue in New York for his gambling. However, the story takes a turn and creates an unlikely Manhattan pairing: a high-rolling gambler and a missionary girl. Heilrayne explained that the musical is picked based on the actors and their talent.

As intense and daunting as the audition process seems, Mr. Kruger wants new students and students with diverse acting or artistic backgrounds to participate in the musical. For students possibly

considering the musical next year, Mr. Kruger shared, “It’s a lot of work, but there is no doubt we will meet you where you are.” With lots of ambition and big hopes that translated into a fantastic production of Guys and Dolls, he hopes to continue that supportive and welcoming community throughout this process. Going into this musical season, Mr. Kruger said, “My hope is that this will be one of those places where we can bridge some different worlds.”

When actors began rehearsals in November, they started to explore their characters and understand what it meant to act as a gambler from New York in the 1950s. Mr. Kruger shared his views on character development and interpretation, saying, “It's my job to create the roadmap. I tell you how to get from point A to B, but it's your job to figure out how we get there.” The musical is a time commitment for all participants, directors, and even behind the scenes tech theater students. In November, actors gathered in the DFAC for their first rehearsal, starting at two hours each for five days a week. However, once they got back from winter break, the intensity of the rehearsals increased. Lucy Bowles ’25, who played Mimi the Hotbox Dancer, explains, “I want people to know how much work goes into the musicals besides the cast. The fact that the student directors and the 'techies' do so much behind

the scenes and the show definitely wouldn’t be as good without them.”

The behind the scenes tech theater students, also referred to as “Techies,” “help visually support the storytelling the actors are doing on stage,” said Ms. Laura Kieler, Tech Theater teacher. Ms. Kieler encourages her students to develop the skills to eventually work independently on their projects for the musical. She shares, “My greatest joy is to empower my technicians to be able to create the show and run the show.” Tech Theater students greatly impact the musical by helping with everything from lights and music to makeup. Ms. Kieler said, "I just want people to know that the amount of work and coordination that it requires to do the technical work is probably far more than anyone knows.”

Students, families, and faculty alike enjoyed the comedic aspect and high-energy show performed by many familiar faces. All actors and crew for Guys and Dolls shared a similar excitement for the week of performances to see their hard work pay off in the audience's reaction., and the directors shared a special moment after seeing their work come to life. Mr. Kruger says, “My favorite part of a performance is when I watch a show that I directed and you can't tell where the directing ends and the acting begins.”

“

“One of my favorite songs or scenes is Luck Be A Lady. The guys have all gotten really into it and learned their choreography so well, and it makes it really fun to watch.”

(Assistant Director)

“My favorite scene is the scene when Sky Masterson meets Sarah Brown for the first time. My favorite song is either If I Were A Bell (I'm a little biased!) or Luck Be A Lady.”

MEREDITH SHAW ’23 (Sarah Brown)

Luck Be A Lady and Adelaide!”

WILLIAM SYKES ’23 (Lieutenant Brannigan)

“Ms. Skipper. She's doing costumes, and she does such amazing work and has all of the actors looking amazing. Also, my assistant Caroline Cotlar. They were new to this side of show business and they worked so hard and picked it all up so quickly. I couldn't have done this show without them.”

—ARWYN HEILRAYNE

“There are so many unsung heroes in the cast and crew who made this show amazing. I want to recognize Jay Carter, who mic’ed me every day!”

—MEREDITH SHAW

“St. Andrew's is a place where you can be involved in everything, and if you are at all interested in the musical, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Whether you play sports, sing in the choir, or have never done a musical before, there is a place for you in our cast and crew.”

—WILLIAM SYKES

One of my favorite songs or scenes from Guys and Dolls was:

An unsung hero or secretly awesome person from the musical I want to recognize is:

If a student is intimidated or uncertain about whether to try out for the musical next year, I would tell them:

ARWYN HEILRAYNE ’ 23

Cast List

NICELY-NICELY JOHNSON: Anthony Tassone

BENNY SOUTHSTREET: Jude Bush/David Moore

RUSTY CHARLIE: Chi Brown/Cannon Dunaway

SARAH BROWN: Meredith Shaw

ARVIDE: Martina Faini

MISSION BAND:

AGATHA: Julia Caramelli

CALVIN: Harrison Parker

MARTHA: LJ LeBlanc

THE CORPORAL: Matthew Sykes

MISSION BAND MEMBERS: Martina Faini, Olivia Korman, Allegra Pizzolatto

HARRY THE HORSE: Johnny Gallick

LT. BRANNIGAN: William Sykes

NATHAN DETROIT: Mark Greenberg

ANGIE THE OX: Ben Gilham

MISS ADELAIDE: Kate Tully/Kaitlyn Zimmermann

SKY MASTERSON: Jacob Burrows

JOEY BILTMORE: James Hill

DRUNK: Carter Pease

HOT BOX DANCERS:

MIMI: Lucy Bowles

ALLISON: Lili Krengel

FERGUSON: Khamirah Maxwell

VERNON: Charli Squire

ADDITIONAL HOT BOX DANCERS: Ava Barnard, Emme Orchid

GENERAL CARTWRIGHT: Kelly Carolan

BIG JULE: Matt Gilbert

SOCIETY MAX: Carter Pease

LIVER LIPS LOUIE: Jules Goldman

THE GREEK: Aidan Embestro

BRANDY BOTTLE BATES: Sean Goodlett

SCRANTON SLIM: Wyatt Torres

MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Carter Pease

CRAPSHOOTERS: Jude Bush, Chi Brown, Cannon

Dunaway, Aidan Embestro, Ben Gilham, Sean Goodlett, Jules Goldman, James Hill, David Moore, Carter Pease, Anthony Tassone, Wyatt Torres

RUNYONLAND CHARACTERS:

SIGHTSEERS: Bo Aycock, Litty Dasch, Millie Deane, Emme Orchid

PHOTOGRAPHER: Sean Goodlett

ELDERLY WOMAN: Andrea Osteiocochea

ACTRESS: Ava Barnard

TOUR GUIDE: Angelique Serofim

PICKPOCKET: Carter Pease

NEWSPAPER SELLER: Wyatt Torres

NEWSPAPER READERS: Ben Gilham, James Hill

WATCH SALESMAN: Chi Brown/David Moore

Technicians

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Arwyn Heilrayne

ASSOCIATE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Caroline Cotlar

STAGE MANAGER: Katie Bradley

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: Elle Foster

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: Bennett Julian

ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR: Isaac Hilton

ASSOCIATE ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR: Stella McAbeer

SPOT OPERATORS: Paula Vidal-Tama, Millie Barnstone

SOUND BOARD OPERATOR: Jay Carter

COSTUMES, HAIR, AND MAKEUP: Giulia Faini, Naomi Gilmore, Claire Price, Morgan Harrison

FLY RAIL CREW: Bo Wieland, Alex Stumpf, Samuel Carsner

SET CONSTRUCTION: Tech Theater I–IV

SCENIC RUNNING CREW: Cate Kleber, Jude Crowson, Nate Howard, Ryan Wallin, Hale Matthews, James Reilly, James Borgerding

Photos courtesy of Peggy Keelan Photography

SAS Comes Together at 7th Annual Dig Pink Match

St. Andrew’s was thinking pink on Friday, September 30, a day that marked the seventh annual Dig Pink volleyball game. Dig Pink is a national volleyball event that raises funds for breast cancer treatment and research through the SideOut Foundation. The school has hosted Dig Pink volleyball events since 2016, with tens of thousands of dollars raised from St. Andrew’s campaigns. For years, it has remained a special partnership for the Athletic department.

This year’s Dig Pink match was unforgettable. After having to scale back so many athletic events over the last two years, the Athletic Department wanted to make this year’s event truly spectacular. This would be a memorable day where the entire school community could gather and feel the Highlander spirit and energy. Both girls and boys volleyball, field hockey, and football played games; parent volunteers ran a shrimp boil tailgate, and Lower School took part in the annual Fun Run on the Dell Track.

Friday began with Upper School students, decked out in their best pink attire, heading to 31st Street to greet and open doors at Lower School carpool. Later that night on Southwest Parkway, the evening kicked off with the Dig Pink girls volleyball game. The stands teemed with pink and the feeling in the gym was electric, with crowds already buzzing. Fueled by the crowd’s energy and the passion behind the Dig Pink mission, the Highlanders dominated with a 3–1 win against Awty. After the match, the first-ever Maureen Thompson Memorial Service Award was presented, a national award named after the mother of Taylor Thompson ’17, Kyla Thompson ’20, and Katelyn Thompson ’23. The Dig Pink program at St. Andrew’s was started in honor of Maureen, who passed away from metastatic breast cancer in 2014. Her namesake award was given to a high school or college volleyball player who excels on and off the court. The inaugural recipient was Molly Phillips, a right-side hitter for the 2022 National Champion University of Texas Women’s

Volleyball team. Molly interned at the Side-Out Foundation during the summer of 2022 and exemplifies the kind of person who should win this award.

Both the Dig Pink match and the Dig Pink fundraising campaign were smashing successes: the St. Andrew’s campaign ended up raising over $20,000 for metastatic breast cancer patients. Nationally, Dig Pink also benefited from the first-ever corporate challenge, which was introduced in 2022. The U.S. Money Reserve donated $5,000 to launch the challenge, with CEO Angela Roberts challenging other companies to follow her lead and join the Dig Pink fundraising challenge as well.

The Highlander spirit continued to shine on the Upper School field, with varsity field hockey playing against Awty, parent volunteers running a hearty shrimp boil tailgate, and Lower School students running their annual Fun Run around the Dell Track. Boys volleyball played their Dig Pink match against Awty later that evening, senior athletes were honored at their Senior Night ceremony, and varsity football carried out a win over Rosehill Christian. Middle School athletes and faculty/staff were also honored during their respective appreciation nights.

Some wore pink and some wore St. Andrew’s blue, but the community spirit shone bright on September 30. From kindergarten Highlanders to seniors, families came out in droves to lift up our Servant and Athlete pillars. St. Andrew’s has shown tremendous support for the Dig Pink event for the past seven years—the 2022 season was no exception. This community is a special one, who rallies around each other in so many ways. To learn more about Dig Pink and how you can get involved, click here or watch this video.

Scenes from Southwest Parkway on September 30, an epic night of athletics and community-building to support the Dig Pink cause.

The Rebirth of St. Andrew’s Spirit

The student-run SAS Spirit Club sends school spirit skyrocketing after a decline during COVID -era school years.

BY ELLIE HERZ ’24

Originally published in the Fall 2022 St. Andrew’s digital newspaper The Tartan

Led by seniors Maddie Warren and Kate Tully, the SAS Spirit Club hopes to bring back the pride that’s been lost for these past few years. The club’s mission statement reads, “We all know the disappointment of a boring student section at a game or concert, but we are here to make sure no one feels that way again . . . We will be promoting, decorating and supporting events like concerts, sporting events, the musical, etc. ”

In order to make big accomplishments within the school, the leaders decided to make spirit teams, all focusing on different goals. Warren and Tully split the club into decor and design, cheer and involvement, media and journalism, and information and communications. Junior Ben Stapleton, leader of the media and journalism team, plays a huge role in the club by creating photography and videography content for the club’s 400-follower Instagram account. Stapleton said, “I want to make consistent content that gets people excited about St. Andrew’s and also makes students at other schools recognize the change within St. Andrew’s. I just want to see a packed student section at our big games and see standing ovations at student performances. Something about that just makes the school seem more fun.” Stapleton hopes that his work will make athletes feel like they are a part of something big; maybe even like they are celebrities.

The senior Spirit Club leaders hope that the club itself, along with its mission, will be passed on to younger students and continue to inspire school spirit. In the coming months of this school year, the club has big things planned for athletics and arts. They look forward to promoting the winter sports season, the musical Guys and Dolls, and even the St. Andrew’s music festival named St. Andrew’s City Limits (SACL). By participating in all of these events, the club hopes to change the culture at school. Most importantly, they want students to be proud, be loud, and appreciate all things at St. Andrew’s.

During COVID, there was a noticeable decline in spirit at St. Andrew’s. The loss of a student section and school events made it tough to truly take pride in school. Tully added, “Two years of limited student sections and distance between people have made it hard for people to initiate and feel comfortable getting loud and publicly showing support for our school.” The shift from the COVID school year into last year made it hard to regenerate the spirit that was lost. But now, thanks to the Spirit Club, our vigor is back and stronger than it has been in many years past. With the club’s help, the morale of all students has been lifted and restored. “We've already seen a tremendous difference since our club started, and our goal is to change our school's community indefinitely,” Tully said.

On a Friday night in October, The Hill is packed with dozens of roaring students supporting their girls volleyball team as they compete in the annual Dig Pink match against Awty. The students are all dressed in pink, ready to cheer on their school and fight for a win. The spirit in the gym is like nothing St. Andrew’s has seen in years.

Leaders of the St. Andrew's Spirit Club. From left to right, William Berry, Ella Townsend, Maddie Warren, Kate Tully, and Ben Stapleton. Not pictured: Evan Albritton and Tate Butter.

Overall, we want to enhance the spirit and support every activity at St. Andrewʼs. ”

Boys Cross Country Crowned 2022 SPC 4A Champions

For the first time in ten years, the St. Andrew's Boys Cross Country team achieved a historic accomplishment by being crowned the 2022 SPC 4A Champions. The team traveled to Tomball, Texas on November 5 for the SPC Championship meet, where they competed against some of the top teams in the conference. With some incredible individual performances, the Highlanders finished with 57 points (low score is best), narrowly beating 2nd place St. John’s (61 points) and 3rd place Houston Episcopal (62 points).

Leading the way for the team was William Dunaway ’23, who took first place individually in the 4A race with a time of 16:01.50. Luke Dial ’25 (5th place), Jake Gooch ’23 (7th place), and Reed Robinson ’26 (12th place) all joined William in receiving All-Conference medals, by placing in the top 20 individually. William Sykes ’23 was the 5th

team finisher (the top 5 go into the team score), coming in 35th place overall.

At the Upper School Fall Sports Awards, the team was celebrated for their achievement. The track and field captains continued the St. Andrew’s tradition of presenting the SPC Championship trophy to the school, and Head of Upper School Ben Courchesne gladly received the trophy from the team.

The Boys Cross Country team, Head Coach Gilbert Tuhabonye, and Assistant Coaches Liz Shelton and Cindy Albach, should be congratulated for their fantastic season and for bringing the title back to St. Andrew's. This fantastic accomplishment is a testament to their level of talent, commitment, and synergy as a team.

Living the Servant Pillar

By ANNIE SYKES and AUSTIN DAVIS , Directors of Service Learning

Service is one of our four pillars at St. Andrew’s: just as students develop their skills as scholars, athletes, and artists, we hope that they will consider how to use their talents to give back to our school community, the Austin community, and even the world. Already this year, St. Andrew’s students have demonstrated an eagerness to contribute through service. Grade levels have learned about community issues and volunteered to address them, such as the recent fifth grade field trips to Community First Village. Individual students have committed to organizations around town whose mission inspires them, from Austin Pets Alive to the Central Texas Food Bank to Keep Austin Beautiful. As a school, each division led successful supply drives in November as part of a school-wide service initiative. The third grade led the Lower School in a book drive for BookSpring, the Middle School House Captains led a diaper drive which, according to Austin Diaper Bank, was their most successful of the year, and the Upper School gathered much-needed winter supplies for Posada Esperanza. In addition, in September, the Upper School pressed pause on the normal schedule

to devote an entire afternoon to service, with students packing meals, creating social justice art installations, and traveling to a range of organizations around Austin. On their own and together, our students are beginning the work of a lifelong commitment to service.

At St. Andrew’s, an orientation toward service is one key way we express our Episcopal identity: indeed, our Chapel theme this year is “Called to Love,” and we believe that acts of service are fundamental to answering that call to demonstrate love. The Service Learning team—comprising Annie Sykes on the 31st Street Campus and Austin Davis at Southwest Parkway, along with many other members of the St. Andrew’s community—work to offer service opportunities that channel and facilitate this service orientation. We publish a variety of ways to engage in service that are age-appropriate and capture a range of students' interests. We also aim to offer opportunities for various connected groups: advisories, grade levels, classes, teams, Houses, divisions, and more. By engaging in service with different members of their community, students observe that service

is both relational and communal—something to be done with those you love for those you love. What’s more, students build new skills during acts of service, many of which take place off campus in unfamiliar settings: students need to advocate for themselves, ask questions, and use context clues to figure out how they can best contribute to a cause or a project. Rather than just being an “add-on,” service at St. Andrew’s is a key avenue for learning, growth, and contribution to the community.

Our hope is that students will come to consider service as a core part of their life at St. Andrew’s. We want them to consider what unique skills and talents they have, and then explore ways those gifts can be used in service of others. While some students will try out

many different kinds of service over their St. Andrew’s careers, we think it is particularly meaningful for students and their families to build relationships with one organization or cause. For guidance, students are welcome to come talk to the service director on their campus; in addition, they can look at the Community Service page on mySAS, or they can consult lists curated by organizations like ATX Today, GivePulse, and more.

Below, you can find service guidelines, expectations, and resources per division. We hope this will help families and students continue to grow as servants, and we also hope you don’t hesitate to reach out to us with ideas, questions, and anything else service-related.

St. Andrew’s Service 101

LOWER SCHOOL

Though there is no recommendation or requirement for service in the Lower School, our youngest students still find many ways to help their community. From designated campus cleanup days to the 3rd Grade Book Drive to field trips to Community First! Village and more, Lower School students and teachers find creative ways to live into the Servant Pillar.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Middle School students are recommended to serve (and submit!) 15 hours each year in Middle School. Students who complete at least 15 hours of service per year will

graduate with a Distinction in Service, and students who go above and beyond the recommended hours will be recognized at the annual Four Pillars Banquet. Students log their hours into a database found in the Morning Report, and they receive an update email each Monday that helps them keep track of their progress. Middle School students can find opportunities to serve by checking the Middle School Community Service google site or by meeting with Annie Sykes.

UPPER SCHOOL

Upper School students are required to complete at least 40 hours of service by the time they graduate, logging their service hours as they go. Students who complete at least 100 hours of service will graduate with a Distinction in Service, which includes a marker on the diploma itself and a recognition at the annual Senior Awards Ceremony. Upper School students can find opportunities to serve by checking the US Community Service mySAS page or by meeting with Austin Davis.

Community Builders

Student service projects during St. Andrew’s Day benefit the community in Austin.

Each November during St. Andrew’s Day, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School honors the extraordinary members of the community who inspire students, give selflessly to the school and its people, and make St. Andrew’s the special place that it is . It is a day to celebrate our patron saint, our community members, and our focus on service.

After the eucharist this year—particularly special since it was presided over by the Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Texas—St. Andrew’s students, faculty and staff, and parents gathered on the Nazro Green for an all-school lunch and music by the rock bands.

At its heart, St. Andrew’s Day is about service. In that spirit, the afternoon focused on service projects across all grade levels. In a massive effort spearheaded by Directors of Service Learning Austin Davis and Annie Sykes, service projects took place on two campuses. Teachers had the opportunity to lead projects for causes close to their hearts, and students also took part in projects for organizations the school has relationships with, like Posada Esperanza.

On both campuses, students got to work. Wildflower seed packets were constructed for Shoal Creek Conservancy, care packages created for ICU nurses, letters written to service members in Fort Hood, dog toys crafted for Austin Pets Alive, donations sorted for Austin Diaper Bank, blankets made for Community First Village, backpacks filled with school supplies for Backpacks For Hope, books sorted for BookSpring, and manna bags created for the unhoused population. In only one afternoon, students produced a spectacular output for these important community organizations in Austin.

Service is core to the mission of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and is seen as part of the school’s Episcopal identity—as students hear the spiritual messages of compassion, service, and love, they are compelled to put the lessons into action through working to improve the world around them.

St. Andrew's Day Award Winners

Greg Weaver

LUCY COLLINS

NAZRO FACULTY SERVICE AWARD

Jeff McCrary ’94

SOUTHWEST PARKWAY

TEACHING AWARD

Cate Gasco

31ST STREET

TEACHING AWARD

Barton Ballard ’81

15 YEAR SERVICE RECOGNITION

Lori Hahn, Cindy

Albach, Hope Ruiz, Alice Nezzer ’81

JEANNINE AND JOHN C. MILLER AWARD

Called to Love

By ASHLEY BRANDON , Lower and Middle School Chaplain

In the entryway to the McGill Chapel on the 31st Street campus, there is a large glass plaque mounted on hardwood from the house that once stood on the building site. The plaque marks the dedication of the chapel and the generous gifts that made it possible. It also bears a passage from the Letter to the Colossians that has been woven into the fabric of our being as a school. It reads: “Beloved, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” As we embarked on our tenth year in the McGill Chapel, Mother Whitney and I chose to anchor our chapel theme for the 2022–

2023 school year in this passage from Colossians, settling on the theme of “Called to Love.”

In reflecting together on this passage, we were struck by the first words, “Beloved, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly beloved.” This felt like the perfect starting point for our journey, as it reminds us from the very beginning who we are and whose we are. We began the year by reflecting on our creation and the idea that we are all, in our beautiful diversity, made in the image of God who is Love, and that love, by its very nature, is relational. We were created for connection and community, and this fundamental understanding of our interrelatedness is essential to our understanding of love. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his Letter From a Birmingham Jail, “In

a real sense, all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” The xhosa word for this understanding and way of being is “ubuntu,” which is sometimes translated to mean “I am because we are.”

The imperative tone of the passage is also important; it takes the form of a call or command. We have been reflecting together on what it means to be called by and for something that is bigger than ourselves. The word “vocation” comes from the Latin vocare, “to call,” and has been described by Walter Brueggemann as “a purpose for being that is related to the purpose of God.” How are we, individually and collectively, called to take part in God’s loving purpose? How can we grow in our ability to listen for and discern the stirrings of God in our hearts?

Finally, we have been exploring the idea that love is not just something we feel, it is something we do. Real love is hard and messy, but it is also beautiful and true. Too often the word “love” lives in realms of hearts and rainbows, but our hope is to bring it down to earth and explore what it actually looks like in practice. What does it really look like to treat one another with compassion and kindness, to practice humility, or to be patient and gentle with the people in our lives? What does it really look like to forgive? How was the love of God embodied in Christ, and what do other faith traditions have to teach us about this kind of love?

As we move through the year, Mother Whitney and I hope to create a space in chapel where these words from the letter to the Colossians can challenge, inspire, encourage, and call us to love.

Beloved Community

Blessing of the Pets

Fall Fest

Beloved Community

Homecoming

Beloved Community

Grandparents’ Day

On February 16 and 17, St. Andrew’s grandparents and grandfriends enjoyed experiencing daily life at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School alongside students. At both campuses, grandparents and friends enjoyed a coffee reception and a welcome from Head of School Melissa Grubb before joining students in their classes. Across all three divisions, grandparents and grandfriends were treated to chapel services, performances, and special lessons with their students.

The joy was palpable all morning long with students eager to show off their classrooms, introduce their teachers, and tell all about their favorite lessons of the year. A favorite St. Andrew’s tradition, Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day remains a wonderful reminder to students that learning is a lifelong journey.

1 Four generations of St. Andrew's: Lower School teacher Kathryn Pierce (daughter of MARGARET MILLER PIERCE ’ 66 ), CHARLIE BARKER-MEADOR ’ 33 , KATHRYN MILLER ANDERSON ’ 65 , Eugenia Miller (part of SAS since 1959), and EMILY MEADOR ’ 96 pose after Chapel to celebrate Charlie serving as a Chapel Helper this fall!

2, 3 This St. Andrew's Day, on which our entire K–12 community joined together, two alumni faculty members were honored with special awards. Assistant Head of School, ALICE NEZZER ’ 81 , spoke of each award winner, JEFF MCCRARY ’ 94 and BARTON BALLARD ’ 81 Read more here !

4, 5 This fall, SARAH WILSON ’ 92 released a new book, Dig: Notes on Field and Family . In this photography series, Sarah takes us on a journey originally taken by her late grandfather, a professor of geology and paleontology at the University of Texas. As Sarah began to look at his teaching slides of his digs in West Texas and Big Bend, she realized that she had photographed some of the exact landscapes, from the same vantage points, almost 50 years later. Visit sarahwilsonphotography.com to learn more!

6 Our Upper School Director of Learning Services, Nuala Judycki, teamed up with Director of Upper School Admissions, Malia Aycock, to present on their experience adding a Learning Specialist to the Admissions Committee. They were later joined at dinner by STEVEN GARCIA ’ 02 and MARGARET WORKS YERKOVICH ’ 03 , who serves as the Asst. Head of Admissions at St. Francis Episcopal School in Houston. Fun fact: Margaret began her admissions journey by working on her Senior Project with Malia Aycock back in 2003!

7 DANIELA RIMER ’04 was featured by the Rice University School of Engineering for her work teaching dual language STEM classes for underserved students. Daniela is now an instructor at STARBASE Austin, a STEM program hosted by the Texas Military Department at Camp Mabry. Read the full article

8, 9 Congratulations to JORDAN HARO ’ 09 , who married Ann Lupo in April 2022. His best man was DR. JAKE BOXBERGER ’ 09

10 A lum WHITNEY LANGSTON ’ 09 taught an Upper School Entrepreneurship Class this fall, covering everything from 401(k)s and Roth IRAs, making a LinkedIn profile, professional networking and understanding taxes. To wrap up the semester, Whitney invited her students to the Accenture Office downtown, where she works as an HR Consulting Senior Manager. The students got to tour the office, meet with employees and try out Oculus Headsets. The group was also joined by ESME JAIMES ’ 18 , who just started at Accenture as a Tech Analyst!

11 MARGARET HECK ’11 writes, “ JAMES WISEMAN ’09 and I tied the knot in Virginia Beach in November! James was my lacrosse manager in high school and we reconnected a decade later when we bumped into each other at the alumni tent at his SAS homecoming 10 year reunion! We now live in Hillsborough, NC and love showing the triangle area to our SAS friends when they come to visit.” Pictured is the happy couple with friends, AARON LEMKE ’08 and MAX FROST ’11 .

• FLO CLEMONS ’09 and ADAIR CUMMINGS BELISLE ’09 partnered up to open Flo's Wine Bar & Bottle Shop in Tarrytown, which opened on March 1! Flo's serves wine by the glass and has a large selection of bottles for sale. They are joined by Allday Pizza to provide on-site food, serving pizza, salad, and gelato to pair with each glass. Read more here

• ALLISON PORTNOY ’05 will begin serving as an Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health this July!

1 This October, HATTIE SHERMAN ’ 12 partnered with Recess Pickleball and Texas Oncology in creating the first annual Pickleball for Pink Tournament. This fundraiser benefiting Women Who Conquer Cancer, brings awareness and funds to research the hereditary causes of breast cancer. Hattie, a breast cancer survivor herself, raised over $97,000 through her fundraiser page, ticket sales for her Pickleball for Pink Tournament at Bouldin Acres, and with the sales of the "Breast Cancer Awareness" pickleball paddle, designed by SUSANNAH HADDAD ’ 11 .

2 Voyage Austin published a conversation with AILEENE ROSALES ’ 16 , owner of Andy's Minis, Austin's original mini pancake vendor. "Watching my small business grow is only proof that anything you set your mind to can be achieved with hard work and not only have I seen it within my own experience but also other great small business owners whom I connect with!" Click here to read the full article !

3 BARRETT GUTTELL ’ 17 was recently featured by Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management on the power of building a network. Vanderbilt is known all around the world. The connections are truly endless." Barrett is currently living in Dallas! Full article

4 This October, ETHAN ROGERS ’ 17 landed the role of Courfeyrac in Les Miserables on Broadway. The show has been touring all around the country, and Ethan has also taken on being an understudy for Jean Valjean. He had some SAS fans come to see him perform in Nashville this January! From left to right: AIMEE WILLIAMS ’ 17 , JACK WILLIAMS ’ 19 , HASIE SHERMAN ’ 19 , AMELIA BAST ’ 20 and ETHAN ROGERS ’ 17 Click here to find showtimes and locations !

5 NATHAN LIETZKE ’ 19 is a starting setter on the Stanford University Men's Volleyball team. In January, Nathan made his way home to Austin to represent Stanford in the First Point Volleyball Foundation Collegiate Challenge held at the Austin Convention Center! After the first night of games, Nathan snapped a picture with Dan and Heather Latreille!

6 ETHAN SHAFFER ’ 21 (middle) posed for a picture with Former Asst. Athletic Director Josh Blumenthal (left) and current Asst. Coach Andy Crimmins after a big game. Ethan plays lacrosse for Texas A&M!

7 Director of College Counseling Elizabeth Guice and Associate Director Chad Fulton attended the annual National Association for College Admission Counseling Conference in September, and had a chance to visit Rice University. Of course, they stopped in to see our SAS alums who are now Rice Owls: ELLE GARCIA ’ 22 , JACK HAVEMANN ’ 21 , and ADRIAN ALMY ’ 19 with their wings up!

8 From Highlander Jesus to Belmont Jesus, BRAY STRATTON ’ 22 is finding ways to engage his Episcopal identity beyond St. Andrew's. The Belmont University freshman was covered by the school’s student newspaper for dressing like Jesus. Read more here

Alumni News

Our Empowering Women of our World Club has hosted many Alumni visitors this fall.

In November, Brenna Cannon ’11, Product Manager for Seed Health, gave sound advice to our students on choosing your own path to eventually do what you love. She was accompanied by friend and fellow alum, Taylor Barnhill ’11, who is a Human Resources Business Partner for WeTransfer.

In October, Dr. Canavan’s Journalism class was visited by Lena Blietz ’11, who talked about her experience as a reporter in the field. After class, she was greeted by Heather Latreille and Jason Kruger!

This fall, our Alumni have been spending time on our campus speaking with student groups and classes. If you’re interested in returning to St. Andrew’s to speak with students, please email alumni@sasaustin.org

Merritt (Bury) Rasmussen ’09, Elizabeth Birdsong ’11, Brenna Cannon ’11, Susannah Haddad ’11, Allie Zodin ’11, and Kylee Orlando ’12 all returned to campus to meet with the EWOW Club in January.

Margot Miller ’04 zoomed in with the Medical Club this fall to talk about her experience as an Acute Care Physical Therapist in Chicago.

Tree planting and blessing in honor of Lauren Dill ’04

On November 2, the Upper School community observed All Souls' Day, joined by alumni, family and friends of our late and beloved friend and teacher, Lauren Dill ’04. In addition to reading the names of those whom our community love but see no longer, Jennie Luongo offered a heartfelt homily in remembrance of Lauren.

Mid-service, our students, faculty and alumni in attendance processed outside to bless a newly planted Cedar Elm in memory of Lauren. The Reverend Whitney Kirby blessed the tree with holy water, and the Choir led the closing hymn, Dona Nobis.

Thank you to the Dill family and many of Lauren’s classmates, students and friends for joining us for this

special day of remembrance. We hope this intentional placement of the tree between the Chapel and the softball field will provide comfort for its visitors in between two of Lauren's favorite places on campus.

Click here to read Jennie’s homily.

Alumni Gatherings

Homecoming Alumni Tailgate 2022

Alumni On Campus

Upcoming Alumni Events

MARCH 5

Wine and Paint Night with Mr. McCoy

MARCH 23

True Blue Alumni Networking Event

APRIL 1

Alumni Reunion Celebration

APRIL 27

True Blue Alumni Networking Event

MAY 18

Senior Dinner, honoring the Class of 2023

MAY 24

True Blue Alumni Networking Event

MAY 28

Alumni Baseball Game

Jason Herd ’95, Richard Slaughter ’91, Emily Klug Slaughter ’95 and Amy Paddock ’87 catch up under the Alumni Homecoming Tent!

The next generation: John Bennett ’02, Laura Milton Garza ’04, Steven Garcia ’02 and Ryan McLaren ’03 pose with their kids at Homecoming.

Class of 2022 Alumni Claudia Ellington, Bering Edwards and Luke Weaver bump into Mr. Otto while visiting campus!

True Blue Coffees and Happy Hours

Alumni Holiday Party

It was wonderful to see so many Alumni at this year's Alumni Holiday Party. Thank you to our alums, faculty and friends who came out to celebrate, to Santa Rita for hosting us, and to the Select Choir and Master Keys Club for providing joyful holiday music. A full photo album can be found here

Alumni enjoying drinks at Better Half at our November Happy Hour.

Owners of Radio Coffee + Beer, Jack Wilson ’02 and Greg Wilson, chat with Chad McLaren ’10 at the October True Blue Alumni Coffee.

Our August True Blue Coffee was held at Merit Coffee on South Lamar.

Our October True Blue Coffee was extra special, with former faculty John Pomeroy and Rebecca Yacono joining us!

A Place to Grow

Thank you so much for your donation!

In my four years at St. Andrew’s, I have found this school to be a genuinely unique community made up of passionate teachers and keen students, and we could not be the school we are today without your generous support.

As an incoming freshman, I remember, like most people, being terrified of starting over at a new school surrounded by strangers, but even before the academic year had begun, I had already developed amazing friendships, through sports and extracurricular activities, that have continued throughout my high school career. By the first day of school, I felt truly welcomed and at home in the St. Andrew’s community. As the year progressed, I wanted others to know just how special this place was. I eagerly welcomed prospective students onto our campus to give them a full sense of our community and met with my younger sisters' friends to talk to them about high school and tell them all I could about the advantages of St. Andrew’s.

Unlike many other schools, the ability our teachers have to design their own creative curricula is a special thing that allows students to be more engaged and immersed in the content of their classes. A student could study and diagnose a real case report in order to learn more about psychology, or create their own podcast interviewing different book characters from the literature they read during junior year english. By utilizing aspects of our four pillars (Artist, Scholar, Servant, and Athlete), in their lessons, students are able to understand and experience the world around them in unique and innovative ways at SAS.

The teachers at St. Andrew’s are dedicated and caring. They are always there for you, ready and willing to help you with anything and everything. They genuinely want you to succeed and are excited when you excel. They have all impacted our lives in amazing ways and taught us to think critically for ourselves and dive deeper into resources and information to fully understand the society in which we live.

During my time here, I have discovered a sense of trust, community, and independence that I have not

found anywhere else. St. Andrew’s has provided me with the tools to explore my interests to the best of my ability and to deepen my understanding of intricate concepts and ideas. St. Andrew’s is where I realized that I want to become a doctor, and thanks to my teachers and fellow students I now know what I want to do with the rest of my life, which would not have been possible without your help.

Your donations allow students to forge their own paths and explore their own interests. Your support allows us to continue to be the remarkable school and community that we are and strive to improve for future generations. I cannot express how much your contribution means to me and my fellow students.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Clara Donovan ’23

“

The St. Andrew’s Fund supports each and every St. Andrew’s student, in the classroom and beyond. Thank you to all of this year’s donors, whose gifts have allowed students and teachers to continue learning and growing in joyful and innovative ways.

Leadership Team

MELISSA GRUBB

Head of School

ALICE NEZZER

Assistant Head of School

BEN COURCHESNE

Head of Upper School

TIM MOORE

Head of Middle School

KATY ROYBAL Head of Lower School

BRANDON ARMBRUSTER Chief Operations Officer

AMANDA BOARDMAN

Director of Health and Wellness

KAREN COWAN

Chief Financial Officer

CATHERINE HERTER ERVIN

Director of Advancement

PRISCILLA LUND

Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid

MATT LIPSTEIN

Director of Technology

MICHELLE ROE

Director of Human Resources

Board of Trustees

YVETTE RIOS Board Chair

THOMAS QUEEN Vice Chair

NICOLE BRENNIG Secretary Chair, Advancement Committee

SEAN GREENBERG Treasurer Chair, Finance Committee

TORI BLAKE Chair, DEIB Committee

BETH COHEN

THE REV. ANGELA CORTIÑAS

PHIL DIAL

VICKY GREGG

JEFF HOWARD

MICHAEL HSU

GRACE INGRAM-EISER

Liaison to the Parent Association

CHRIS MABLEY

AMY PADDOCK '87

Chair of Head Support and Evaluation Committee

ANNE SMALLING

Chair of Investment Committee

ROBERT STRAUSS

RAVI VEMULAPALLI

GREG WEAVER

Chair of Buildings and Grounds Committee

JASON NEAR, EX-OFFICIO

Chair of Committee on Trustees Immediate Past Chair

ST. ANDREW’S LOWER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

1112 W. 31st Street

Austin, Texas 78705

ST. ANDREW’S UPPER SCHOOL 5901 Southwest Parkway

Austin, Texas 78735

FIND US ONLINE!

facebook.com/sasaustin.org

Instagram: @sasaustin