The Highlander: 2024/2025 School Year

The Highlander

Mapped: How St. Andrew s Guided

on a Path to Thriving

Beyond the Classroom 42 Let the Games Begin!

46 The Adventure Continues: Visiting St. Andrew’s—Osaka

48 Meet The Highlights 50 TRADITIONS & CELEBRATIONS

62 Immersive Watershed Ecology Learning and Stewardship 63 Second Grade Dino Expo

Observing Earth Day 65 First Grade Showcases Wonders of the Sky

Fifth Grade STEM Explorers

100 Days of Kindergarten 68 Latin Students Achieve Great Things

St. Andrewʼs develops exemplary scholars, artists, athletes, and servants in a loving Episcopal community who are curious, courageous, and compassionate global citizens.

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,

Fostered by

Mandarin Students Begin School Year with Accolades

Bringing Our Covenants to Life 73 Lower School Students Explore Hands-On Learning Across Austin 74 Eighth Graders Experience Big Bend

Certamen Teams Compete

Dear St. Andrew’s Community,

I am filled with deep gratitude for the many ways our school community has come together this year to learn, grow, and celebrate one another.

In this edition of our Highlander magazine, you will find the vibrant spirit of St. Andrew’s captured in stories, moments, and milestones that reflect the heart of who we are: scholars, artists , athletes, and servants united in a loving Episcopal community. From the achievements of our students in the classroom, on the stage, and on the courts and fields, to the dedicated work of our faculty and staff, and the wonderful support of our parents and alumni, these pages reflect the strength and character of our St. Andrew’s families.

As we look ahead to next school year, I am filled with optimism and hope for all that is to come. Together, we will continue to build on the incredible momentum of this fall, embracing new opportunities to nurture curiosity, courage, and compassion in our students. Whether it’s the grand opening of our new Athletics Complex and Student Union, the expansion of our Middle School, or the launch of new programs that inspire and empower our students, the future at St. Andrew’s is bright!

Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary community and for your unwavering belief in the mission of St. Andrew’s. May this magazine serve as a joyful reminder of all we have accomplished together, and may it inspire us as we move forward with hope and purpose.

Faithfully,

Melissa Grubb Head of School

Highlander Highlights

First Day of School

Highlander-inspired melodies set the mood in August as students said goodbye to parents and are reunited with their fellow students and teachers across the three divisions. Nothing evokes the first day of school at St. Andrew’s quite like the hum of bagpipes!

Meet the Class of 2025

Upper School students kicked off the 2024–2025 school year with beloved traditions that included a processional and Senior clap-in, setting a warm, collegial tone for the year ahead.

What’s more, the Class of 2025 kicked off a new tradition, Senior Sunrise. In the fall, Seniors gathered in the early morning hours before dawn to connect and reflect together at daybreak.

Club Fair Showcases Diversity of Student Passions & Pursuits

Want to learn how to raise bees? Check!

Meet other cheesemongers? Consider it done.

Learn the ins and outs of ethical hacking and discover “the joys of breaking into things (with permission)?” You’re in luck!

From studying space to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to practicing hacky sack, if you have a passion—or simply want to learn something new—there’s a good chance there’s a group of like-minded students at the Upper School annual Club Fair!

Jessica Goudeau Visits St. Andrew ’ s for Women ’ s History Month

This week, a panel of student leaders representing the student group, Actualizing Beloved Community (ABC), hosted local author and advocate, Jessica Goudeau, in a special chapel service at the Upper School.

Dr. Goudeau shared how Maya Angelo impacted her life from a young age and joined in a lively panel discussion with students about her new book and what inspires her work today.

Highlander Highlights

Highlanders Pride Shines at Homecoming & Spirit Week

During Spirit Week, students were catching a ride on the Stagmobile and coming to school in off-beat looks—think pajamas, jerseys, and western wear. Some went as far as forgoing backpacks, opting instead to tote their notebooks in a Yeti cooler. Creative expressions of Highlander pride were hard to miss from K–12 students, alumni, and faculty alike during St. Andrew’s 2024 Homecoming Game and Spirit Week.

Hallowtide & Dia de los Muertos

Every fall, the St. Andrew’s community celebrates the season of Hallowtide—a three day celebration of All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. Observed through festive events such as a colorful Halloween parade, costume-filled Eucharist, and Fall Fest, as well as through Dia de los Muertos altars—nestled in the Lower School hallway and centered in the Upper School chapel where photos, keepsakes and traditional symbols to remember those in our community whom we love but are no longer with us.

“These three days of seasonal change from growth and harvest to rest and hibernation, reminds us in the Christian tradition that life is changed, but not ended,” said Upper School Chaplain Whitney Kirby. “Those whom we love but see no longer, whether they are saints or not, remain dearly departed and we acknowledge our love and gratitude for their presence and continued influence in our lives.”

In October St. Andrew's third graders had the opportunity to visit the Mexic-Arte Museum’s Day of the Dead altars and tried their hand at screen-printing traditional Dia de los Muertos designs.

Seniors Saddle Up for Grill Out

The Class of 2025 roped in a good time at their annual Grill Out celebration—complete with a visit from special guest Chuck Norris the pony!

Highlander Highlights

Faculty Tour Construction Progress As We Raise the Roof on Southwest Parkway

Our dreams are becoming a reality with the construction of St. Andrew's Athletics Complex & Student Union! Over winter break, SAS faculty and staff got the chance to witness firsthand the Athletics Complex & Student Union construction progress!

Exploring the space on a hard hat tour, you could feel the excitement as faculty and staff toured the facilities and learned more about the transformative additions coming to life on St. Andrew's Southwest Parkway campus.

View the construction progress captured via drone

Kindergartners Learn from Meteorologist and Host a Weather Expo

This spring, SAS kindergartners got a behind-the-scenes look at reporting Central Texas weather!

“We welcomed KXAN meteorologist, Kristen Currie to talk about different types of weather, how to prepare, and behind the scenes of being a TV meteorologist as the kick-off to Kindergarten’s weather project culmination,” said Kindergarten teacher and Department Chair, Whitney Chilton.

What’s more, our curious SAS Kindergartners became budding meteorologists! Students wrapped up their weather unit by hosting a lively Weather Expo for their families—sharing forecasts, fun facts, and big smiles.

SAS Welcomes Sister City Delegation from Chaing Mai, Thailand

St. Andrew’s recently hosted visitors from Prince Royal’s College in Chiang Mai, Thailand to our Southwest Parkway campus.

“Austin and Chiang Mai have very recently become official Sister Cities and St. Andrew’s is proud to be connecting with Prince Royal’s College as a part of this new partnership,” said Director of Experiential Learning, Blake Amos.

Prince Royal’s College is a private K–12 school that serves over 7,000 students. Beginning in 2026, St. Andrew's will start exchanging faculty with our new partner, followed closely by short multi-week student exchanges, continued Amos.

“More information is coming soon, but we will be looking for families to host our visitors next Spring and for upper school students to apply for these enriching opportunities to visit Thailand,” said Amos.

Meteorologist Kristen Currie demonstrates to young Highlanders how certain weather patterns work

Highlander Highlights

Coloring Our Community

Across divisions, this spring SAS students painted tiles for a mural installation in our new Student Union space that will open its doors this September!

Pollinator Palooza

SAS second graders wrapped up their integrated unit with a buzzing celebration! From scientific drawings to pollinator-themed math, students wowed families with their curiosity, creativity, and perseverance.

Exploring McKinney Falls State Park

Fourth graders kicked off May by exploring the natural beauty of McKinney Falls State Park. Before the hike, students participated in a variety of mindful observation activities before hiking on a one-mile loop around the Lower and Upper Falls. Along the way, they identified local plants and animals and asked thoughtful questions about the world around them.

It was a day full of discovery, curiosity, and joy in nature! Student reflections from the day:

"My favorite part was seeing ‘Old Baldy’ again because it’s fun to see one of the oldest trees in the USA.”

“My favorite part about going to McKinney Falls [State Park] was definitely when I got to see Old Baldy; that was super, super cool! Or maybe [it was] when I climbed up a gully. It was super hard, but I still got through it!”

Presenting . . . the Class of 2025

On the last Saturday in May, we closed out the school year with our final commencement event. The day began for our seniors with a class photo, followed by Eucharist in the Chapel, the presentation of diplomas, and closing with one of our most cherished traditions: the faculty forming a farewell line, giving each senior the chance to say goodbye to all who walked with them on their St. Andrew's journey—long or short.

We'll miss you, 2025! Keep in touch! The newest members of the St. Andrew’s Alumni Association

A heartfelt thank you to History Department Chair, Justin Jones, and Senior Luke McGrath ’25 for their inspiring graduation speeches.

more photos from the ceremony

View

Class of 2025 Award Winners

The History Awards

ROMAN RAWIE, LUKE PADDOCK, & ANNIKA RATHOUZ

The English Awards

SONIA SINGH, CHARLI SQUIRE, & AVA SWEENEY

The Packwood Math Awards

ALEX STUMPF, MICHELLE HUANG, & ROMAN RAWIE

The Science Awards

ALEX STUMPF, ANDREA OSTEICHOECHEA, & CAROLINE SIMMONS

The Mandarin Language Award

SAGE DARGIS

The Spanish Language Award

KAHNAN VIGNA

The Latin Language Award

LAILA ANTONINI

The Religious Studies Awards

MATTHEW SYKES & LUKE PADDOCK

The Warren Dickson Instrumental Music Awards

MICHELLE HUANG, NICA BOEREMA, & BRENDAN TAN

The Warren Dickson Vocal Music Awards

LUCY BOWLES & CANNON DUNAWAY

The Theatre Discipline Award

KAITLYN ZIMMERMANN

The Technical Theatre Discipline Award

BENNETT JULIAN

The Senior Yearbook Award

NIA TREVILLION & JOSEPH EMMETT

The Susan Kemner-Reed Visual Arts Awards

DYLAN KNIGHTEN & AVA HANNERS

The Kethan Kumar Filmmaking Awards

PANOLA SABO & KAHNAN VIGNA

The Artist Awards

MATTHEW SYKES & ALYSSA RODRIGUEZ

The Jeff McCrary Athlete Awards

CAROLINE SIMMONS & LUKE DIAL

The Scholar Award

ROMAN RAWIE & MICHELLE HUANG

The Scott Field Bailey Servant Awards

ALEX STUMPF & FELIPE MORENO

The Hilary H. Carlson Award

LAILA ANTONINI

By charting a path of dramatic growth throughout their individual high school journey, this senior exemplifies the tenacity and composure of the founder of the Upper School, Hilary H. Carlson.

The Cornerstone Award

NATE DONUS

Established to commemorate the pioneering Class of 2002, the Cornerstone Award recognizes that outstanding senior whose principled audacity and original thinking push the school to be a better version of itself.

The Lucy Collins Nazro Award

LUCY BOWLES & LUKE M c GRATH

Created to honor former Head of School Lucy Collins Nazro in recognition of her love of this school and her ability to unite and inspire others, this award goes to that remarkable senior who contributes in thoughtful ways to improve the life of the St. Andrew’s community.

The St. Andrew Award

ZAIN OSBORNE

The Episcopal tradition values employing the head and the heart in all that we do. Both are essential to encouraging people to love themselves, love their neighbors, and serve the deep needs of the world. Through our common life together, St. Andrew’s fosters a sense of each person’s belovedness and the desire to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.” The winner of this award embodies the spirit of our school’s foundation.

Here’s to the Class of 2029!

St. Andrew's honored eighth grade students last week with a special commencement that marked the graduation of the first, founding SAS Kindergarten class and honored achievement across the four pillars— scholar, athlete, artist, and servant—as students embark on the next chapter at the Upper School.

Cheered On and Stepping Up

St. Andrew’s fifth graders—the Class of 2032—marked a joyful sendoff to Middle School with spirit, heart, and a whole lot of celebration.

From reflecting on their final year in Lower School to literally running into their next chapter, these students embraced their “step up” with excitement and pride.

“What we’ve learned here will help shape our lives each and every day.”

Luke McGrath’s Graduation Address to the Class of 2025

Good morning, everyone—faculty, family, friends, and most importantly, my fellow soon-to-be graduates— the Class of 2025.

It’s surreal to be standing here.

I’ve been here at St. Andrew’s for twelve years, which officially makes me a “lifer,” a term that—depending on how your time here has been—may feel either like a badge of honor or a prison sentence.

But for me, being a lifer means something more than just longevity.

It means I’ve grown up with this school and with all of you.

I’ve seen our grade change, struggle, grow, and ultimately come together (especially this year) and it’s been one of the greatest privileges of my life to be part of it.

Here at St. Andrew’s, whether we’ve been here one year or twelve years, we’ve learned the basics of what to do: how to think critically and creatively, how to count and collect, and how to be courageous and capable people.

We’ll be able to use all that we’ve learned in our daily life to our future benefit. But much more importantly, what we’ve learned here will help shape our lives each and every day, if we choose to remember it.

So, this morning, I’d like to offer you three things that we’ve learned that we can use going forward that are not just for our benefit, but the benefit of everyone around us, too:

Trust your cape. Bite off more than you can chew. Make kindness the standard.

FIRST, TRUST YOUR CAPE.

It starts, unsurprisingly for me, with a song: “The Cape.”

Y’all are going to be shocked by this, it’s a song from an older country artist named Guy Clark.

The lyrics are simple, almost silly at first: A kid jumps off his garage wearing a cape made out of a flour sack.

But the song isn’t about flying. It’s about not knowing you can’t fly . . . And doing it anyway.

There’s a line, “He did not know he could not fly, so he did.”

And that one hit me, because so much of life is like that, right?

We spend years training ourselves not to try.

Not to risk. Not to look foolish.

But maybe the biggest leaps we’ll ever take are the ones where we screw up the courage, tie on that metaphorical cape, and jump, even if we have no clue where we’ll land.

Listening to that song freshman year, I had no clue that by this time, this moment, I would be as involved in this community as I am.

I had no clue I would lean into trying so many things, figuring “what the heck?” and screwing up my courage.

Even going into my senior year . . . I certainly didn’t know that I’d be playing the drums, playing lacrosse, joining Chapel Advisory Board, or that I’d land here at this podium today, but I’m grateful for all of it.

When we came into the Upper School, we were the “trouble grade,” (not like the big-egoed freshman we have now) but just classic, immature idiots.

Everyone thought we were going to be disruptive, and we were, but in the best possible way.

We were smart enough to be dangerous, and we applied that academically and socially and changed the landscape.

We raised the bar for ourselves and for each other.

By tying on our capes and being just reckless enough, we made this campus more lively.

We know how to make our presence known in the best possible ways.

We’re not going to let a room be silent (which is sometimes a curse) but it’s all in good faith—in ourselves, in each other, and in our capes.

ANOTHER THING WE LEARNED HERE WAS: BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW.

When you trust your cape, you learn you really can fly.

You’re willing to do more than you know that you can do, and therefore you’re able to bite off more than you can chew.

I felt that when I started my senior project—rebuilding the garden in front of the science wing just over there.

Let me paint the picture for you: The sun is barely peeking over the horizon. My clothes are already drenched in sweat from my two hour lacrosse practice just prior. And I’m rapidly throwing pitchforks full of mulch from one end of the garden to the other like some overly motivated landscaper.

It was exhausting. Mentally peaceful? Sure! Spiritually fulfilling? Maybe! But physically? Oh boy, I felt like a soggy noodle in a gardening glove.

But for some reason I kept showing up (not just because I didn’t want to find out what Dr. Fletcher would do if I left the place looking like a Home Depot exploded). But because, deep down, I felt something important was happening.

That garden just over there? It’s a symbol. That garden is a physical, dirt-under-your-fingernails representation of what I’ve built and grown over my twelve years here.

What I realized, through all those early mornings and sore muscles, was that the garden wasn’t too big. I wasn’t in over my head.

I was exactly where I needed to be: biting off more than I could chew, and chewing anyway.

That’s how growth works. You stretch and strain, and sometimes break a little, but you build something. You cultivate what nourishes you.

We’re all sitting here today because at some point, we all did something hard. We chose to commit.

Something, or someone, inspired and encouraged us to lean into something we loved and do more than we thought possible.

Class of 2025, we have grown as servants. We were

crucial builders of the SAS spirit culture and we always knew when to support one another in our efforts.

We have grown as artists, through musicals, performances, and in art galleries. We have shown that we push the extent of our creativity.

As scholars we were the last class to survive the data project, we earned a million Latin awards, and consistently heard that our presence made our classrooms better.

And! We are by far the most athletic grade. We had the first varsity football team in ten years (and had a winning record I might add), founded the inaugural dance team, revived St. Andrew’s cheer, and we are sending ten St. Andrew’s athletes to play at the collegiate level.

MAKE KINDNESS THE STANDARD.

I’m a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Bigger than the Oregon Ducks (for now). Bigger than the Texas Longhorns. Steelers, all the way.

And in the Steelers community, there’s a saying: “The standard is the standard.”

Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has never had a losing season. Because he expects consistency. He builds a culture around it.

Our culture has a standard, too.

St. Andrew’s has a culture of creating belonging because our standard is kindness.

Graduation is weird. We spend so much time looking ahead to this moment, but once it arrives, it kind of pulls the rug out from under us.

Suddenly, we’re not seniors anymore. We’re freshmen, again. Freshman in new cities, new schools, new jobs, new worlds.

We can’t leave behind what we’ve learned here. We have to remember those senior homilies you gave, all the wisdom you shared with the younger students.

Don’t forget those words, because now we’re the ones who need to hear them.

A constant refrain this year was how much the word “community” means to us because being at St. Andrew’s has shown us what that word really means.

Again and again, we shared the ways that we’ve grown because of how different this place is from other schools . . . kangaroos included. We admitted that we wouldn’t trade this difference for anything. What we’ve been a part of cultivating here is accepting the invitation to not just build this place up, but to build each other up, too.

We have to remember what it felt like this year. Remember, after all this time, how we really started coming together as a class. How good it felt to talk to people you hadn’t spoken to since middle school. The way we moved past cliques and friend groups and just . . . remained a community.

We’ve been told that not every senior class does this or is able to do this, and because of it, we’ve shown up and been present.

My definition of community is as follows:

A tight-knit group of people who understand that everyone has different needs—and whether they’re going through the best possible scenario or the worst possible situation—treat them to the absolute best of our abilities.

It’s watching people win awards in Chapel. It’s supporting everyone in the arts and uplifting them. It’s being there for the championships and for those times when you don’t know what to say, but you show up anyway. It’s saying “thank you” as you walk out of the door of your classrooms, and breathing together in our Moment of Arrival.

We recognize that we each have gifts and that those gifts are indeed given for our common good.

Hold on to that feeling.

Carry it with you.

And wherever you land next, set that tone from day one.

Be consistent. Be kind, not just once, but every day. Be the kind of friend who brings people together, not divides them.

To achieve a community of belonging, make kindness your standard.

It is a privilege to be up here today, but it’s also a privilege to be here with you today, my classmates, teammates, and friends.

We’ve talked the talk, we’ve walked the walk, and in just a few minutes, we’ll start a new chapter in our St. Andrew’s lives.

We won’t be here anymore, but don’t let that stop you from carrying each other and what we’ve learned together out into the world and whatever the future holds for us:

Trust your cape.

Bite off more than you can chew.

Make kindness the standard.

And if you do these things, you know what will happen . . . more than you can possibly ask or imagine.

Congratulations, Class of 2025.

On The Road Again

By BLAKE AMOS , Director of Experiential Learning

During Spring Break this past March, the SAS Experiential Learning Program* (XL) traveled with 15 students to Taiwan for a 10-day cultural tour. This was the first student trip abroad for SAS since 2019 and just the beginning of re-introducing our student travel program.

While half of the student travelers were taking Mandarin-Chinese with trip co-leader Dr. Jennifer Hsiao and hoping to practice their language skills, the other half simply signed up to have an adventure!

We were thrilled to explore Dr. Hsiao’s country so deeply and completely, literally journeying through the length of the entire island. From the incredible energy of Taipei, to the indigenous lands around Sun Moon Lake to the rocky coastline of Nanting we were able to

learn and authentically connect with all aspects of the land, food, culture, and amazing people.

Our group ground tea leaves, painted paper lanterns, took a cooking class, navigated the rail system at rush hour, were blessed by a tribal shaman, learned how to worship in local temples, and ate so much incredible food . . . just to name a few of our wild adventures.

A highlight for the group was our visit to Fanghe Experimental High School. Our students had been connecting virtually with their counterparts in Taipei for several weeks prior, so when we arrived there was a wonderful welcoming party to greet us! The students from Fanghe prepared a full day for us that included some art activities, outdoor games, and a specially prepared lunch. The culminating activity, that was completely built by the Fanghe students, was an app-based “Amazing Race” style game that took the students into the busy Dadaocheng Market of Taipei where they had to locate specific areas to interact with local merchants where they would then find their next clues. It was incredibly immersive and also allowed the students from both schools to enjoy hanging out

together while solving the adventure race. In the end many of the connections were so rich that some of the Fanghe students would pop into our itinerary to see and spend time with their new friends during the rest of our stay!

When asked why they signed up for this journey, one student said, “I had never been to Asia and wanted to experience the culture and to travel with friends of mine.” Some favorite student reflections included the joy of exploring the many night markets and how “the cuisine was so much more diverse than I expected.” Another said their highlight was the Fanghe school visit where “we met so many new friends that I still stay in touch with today.” I think Arun Somaney ’27 summed it up best when he said, “When you are traveling to a different place and experience these other cultures, you get this bigger idea of how the world works outside of the context of the way that we normally live.” This is why we offer these experiences. To be true Global Citizens, we must authentically engage with the greater world to learn about their culture, but also learn more about ourselves.

Not only were the students thrilled to visit Taiwan and have such an authentic experience, they were generally excited to travel with their SAS classmates. It has been a long time coming, and we are eager to announce future trip locations soon. Next up is our Middle School adventure to California to experience the Bay Area and spend a few days exploring Yosemite National Park. Keep your eyes open for many more future offerings!

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

In April we hosted visitors from Prince Royal’s College in Chiang Mai, Thailand to our campus. Austin and Chiang Mai have very recently become official Sister Cities and St. Andrew’s is proud to be connecting with Prince Royal’s College as a part of this new partnership.

Prince Royal’s College is a private K–12 school that hosts over 7,000 students. Beginning in 2026, we will start exchanging faculty with our new partner, followed closely by short, multi-week student exchanges. More information is coming soon, but we will be looking for families to host our visitors next Spring and for upper school students to apply for these enriching opportunities to visit Thailand.

*

You might be seeing this logo around more and more as the Experiential Learning program takes shape on both campuses. What is the XL Program? It is how we actionalize what our students are learning in the classroom and give them authentic experiences around our amazing school curriculum. It can be on campus, off campus, or across the globe. This can take shape in many different ways, but the goal is to add more to any programming. Think Exploration, Expansive, Exciting, Extending, Extreme . . think Experiential Learning . . . think XL!

Mapped

How St. Andrew’s Guided Me on a Path to Thriving

By LUCY BOWLES ʼ 25

By BLAKE AMOS , Director of Experiential Education

This fall, the Class of 2025’s Student Body President, Lucy Bowles, shared a Senior Offering with Upper School students—a St. Andrew’s tradition observed by many Seniors.

In her homily, Bowles shares what’s she’s learned and the role St. Andrew’s has played in activating her gifts and guiding her as she pursues a purpose-filled life that is “given for good.”

In an effort for you get to know me better, I’d like to share a fun fact about myself:

I have an absolutely awful sense of direction.

In 8th grade, I couldn’t find my way home during a run through my own neighborhood and accidentally added on two miles.

In my first week of getting my license, I came to the conclusion that if I took a certain exit to get off Mopac I would somehow still be on Mopac . . . and ended up in the parking lot of Austin High at 8:30 am on a Tuesday.

Last year, my cousins came down for Easter and I took them to walk Town Lake. It is quite literally a loop, I didn’t think it was possible to get lost, but, with my expert directional skills, we ended up off of the lake, wandering around downtown Austin.

This complete and utter lack of directional ability pushed me to grow close with one of my best friends early on. A friend who has stuck by my side for so long, my comfort and my safety: Google Maps.

From a ten minute drive going to a place I’ve been hundreds of times to a two hour drive to some foreign destination, I know that blue line will be there, guiding me where I need to go.

As long as my GPS is with me, I know I will never be lost, but simply a bit confused.

When I told some friends of mine that my senior homily was coming up, it wasn t long until one of them looked at me and said “I can t wait to hear about St. Andrews for fifteen minutes.”

Am I really that predictable?

I wish I could say that there was literally anything else I could talk about or wanted to talk about during this offering, but the truth is, this person read me perfectly.

I really don’t think I could come up here and tell my story without speaking about this place. If Google Maps is my safety on the roads, St. Andrew’s is my safety in life.

I have been at St. Andrews for twelve years. I have been at St. Andrews for about 115 months. I have been at St. Andrews for about 3,290 days. I have been here for the wholesome moments like rhythms nights, Las Posadas, crowding in the chapel with everyone to watch the world cup, or clapping teachers out of their last-ever classes.

I’ve also been here for the pretty strange moments, like getting a kangaroo loose on campus, hiring someone to rap the ABCs in Spanish at me and my classmates, my 3rd grade class’ four hamsters who all died in a two week period, a grade-wide synchronized swimming battle on our 8th grade trip, or watching people unicycle in a circle for 30 minutes.

I often try to explain the things that go on here to my younger sister, who goes to Austin High, but seriously, I can ’t. I mean, how can I explain that my favorite chapel often consists of a fake talk show put on by our Priest and the head of the IT department?

But from the weird to the wonderful to the weirdly wonderful, I have been with this place through it all, and it has been with me through it all. Yet, I don t think I understood its true effect on me until recently. Let’s go back a few years.

It turns out that I’ve always liked taking routes that have been mapped out before.

Going into 6th grade, I was a stereotypical middle schooler. From an outsider’s perspective, it may have seemed like I was forging my own path, venturing

out into the world without my map. But inside, I just wanted to do what every single other person was doing. Clearly, I was Google Maps-ing.

I bought clothes when I saw other friends wearing them, I joined councils my friends were on, applied for leadership positions everyone else was applying to, and only played sports in which I had friends on the team.

I joined theater in 6th grade after all of my friends decided they wanted to do theater.

If you had told middle-school-me that I would still be loving and doing the musical now, when most of those same friends have long since quit, I would have laughed at you. I didn’t want to be anybody controversial, but in that pursuit, ended up losing a lot of my individuality.

But when I got to the high school, my outlook on what it meant to be a vital part of a community changed for the better. This is a place where the best version of yourself is the most unique version of yourself.

I feel like in middle school, everyone is trying to wear the same things or do the same things. When I got to high school, though, I saw that differences are celebrated.

The people I admired the most were the ones who were just being themselves. It didn’t seem like they were actively trying not to be like everyone else, they were just people on a path they were excited about.

So, I started to look for ways that I could reach that destination, too.

It became clear to me that those people weren’t constantly seeking opportunities to be their better selves, but that this place allowed them to find those opportunities.

Leaning into this place, be it through sports or arts or classes or leadership—or all of them—would give me the chance to see a wider view of how I might map out my time here.

I realized that to get there, I would need to make more stops along the way to my destination.

Freshman year, I’ll be honest, it felt like too much.

I said yes to anything anyone asked me to do. I signed up for a million clubs, applied for nearly everything I could, and I was playing field hockey and doing the musical at the same time.

 Lucy with the Chapel Advisory Board

 Learning opportunities abound in AP Chemistry.

each other up, and we’re willing to support each other’s new adventures.

This is why I love being y’all’s Student Body President so much—I love being in a position where I’m out to spread appreciation to even the smallest corners of this school. And I would champion our community even if I wasn’t Student Body President.

Here are just a few things that I love doing at St. Andrew’s: Chapel, trying to learn Chemistry, playing with my teammates, helping others figure out how to get more involved, welcoming people to this community, singing and acting, and more.

Here’s another thing I love about

St. Andrew’s: Making your own path is encouraged, and taking a few wrong turns is celebrated.

“Why am I doing all this?” I thought all the time. But, I couldn’t not do it.

Sophomore year was more of the same, but it was last year that I really learned my limits. I discovered the downfall of trying to do everything, and trying to keep saying yes to people. It would be like if you put a destination into Google Maps and it showed you three different ways that you could get there and somehow taking all of them. Inefficient.

I realized by choosing everything, I wasn’t choosing. So I streamlined things a bit. I came into Senior year wanting to have particular things that I’m doing, and most of the things I’m doing are things that I love.

If “how you do anything is how you do everything,” I wanted to match my actions to my words. I didn’t want to promise people I’d do something and then not be able to give it my all. I’ve learned that to lean in, you have to let go of some things. You have to decide what to hold on to and navigate from there.

Things I have ended up loving are things that have amplified my love for this community.

I do love this community. I like that we’re small enough to know each other. Not just each other’s names, but our personalities. We want to celebrate each other, pick

Joining something and deciding not to do it anymore is okay.

Trying something and absolutely failing is okay too.

Last year in AP Chem, there were two weeks where a single class didn’t pass without me crying. But even when I would get a 40 on a quiz, Ms. Albach would just look at all the red ink on my page and congratulate me on all of my “learning opportunities.”

When I fell flat on my face during field hockey, we all just rolled with it. I laughed through the last part of the Senate homily just last week, and it was fine (except for a menacing look from Mama Whit, but she admitted that wasn’t directed towards me . . ).

My point is that when you make a mistake here, everybody knows you’re learning. Whether you make a mistake in front of your class, or the whole school, or your mistake takes you to the Honor Council, we’re not about shaming each other—it’s about how the paths that don’t take us where we want to go are still shaping us.

Every single route I have taken at the school has shaped some aspect of my life, and allowed me to realize what it means to be authentic. True relationships, real community, isn’t built on the surface.

People are interested in people who have interests.

There’s a reason middle school isn’t anybody’s favorite time in life. We have to find places and people who let us get interested, communities where we celebrate our common and different interests, and it makes us all more interested.

That’s St. Andrew’s.

Our chapel theme for this year is “Given for Good.” Although we are each given gifts for good, we aren t just handed these gifts.

As the reading says, those gifts are “activated” by the spirit. “Activated,” meaning that those gifts weren’t always there, visible to the eye. It takes time. For me, St. Andrew’s is that place that has activated and brought my gifts to life.

It hasn t polished what I already know I’m good at and hidden away what I’m bad at, but has instead surfaced my areas of strength and celebrated my weaknesses.

The things I love doing here are the same places where my gifts have been activated.

Because this community has shared with me the opportunity to find my gifts, it’s important to me that I share my gifts with the community. This is how I’ve lived into what it means to be “given for good.”

Whether I or you are given to be a scholar, artist, athlete, or servant, your gifts can be activated here at St. Andrew’s. They are given for good, and your gifts help our common good every single day.

I realized when I was a freshman that the people who were channeling their own gifts, knowing them and sharing them, were making this, our common good, our student body, what it’s meant to be and the best it can be.

We are many parts of one body, and we can’t be the body without each of us being interesting, discovering our interests, and activating our gifts.

We may all be in Chapel right now, but our personal journeys put us all at different distances from each other.

Just because we’re all at different places on the map doesn’t mean we can’t all be working towards the common destination of being confident in our gifts and getting ready to share them with the people around us.

 St. Andrew's through the years.

How do you close out a homily that’s been twelve years in the making?

How do you condense 3290 days into a few minutes?

The truth is that I can’t summarize what this place has done for me and the gifts it’s given me, what I can do is show that the route that got me here—every change in direction, every celebratory stop, every flat tire—almost all of them are on the St. Andrew’s map.

And I can also tell you that even if your destination doesn’t seem clear, it is there, and it’s important to latch on the people who will get you there—your family, your friends, your peers, and this school.

Even though my time on this map is coming to a close and I’m not going to be here next year, I know that because my gifts have been activated here, St. Andrew’s has given me the tools to thrive.

Even though this place has been safely guiding me along my route, I’ll be offroading next year.

I’ve been given the tools to trust my own directional abilities and know that each new path, each turn— wrong or right—is a chance for me to do anything in the future the way I’ve done everything here.

Be interested, say yes and say no, discover what I love, and know that I am blessed to be a blessing, called to love, made to be an instrument, and given for good.

Team, this life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us, so be quick to love and make haste to be kind. Amen.

Lucy Bowles was recently honored with the prestigious MoreheadCain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Faith in Our Future

St. Andrew’s “Raise the Roof” Campaign

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is thrilled to share exciting updates about our Raise the Roof Campaign, which is bringing our vision to life with our first project: our Athletics Complex & Student Union

This remarkable progress has been made possible through the incredible generosity of our SAS community, which has already contributed more than $17 million toward this transformational project. To help close the final gap, a generous donor offered a $7 million matching challenge—presenting us with an incredible opportunity to meet this ambitious goal together. When that $7M gift is fully matched, our fundraising will be complete for this facility.

A LEGACY OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

St. Andrew’s is no stranger to capital campaigns. Since

our first day of school 72 years ago, numerous trustees, volunteers, educators, and visionary leaders, guided by the faith of St. Andrew, have dreamed, given, labored, risked, and sacrificed to build this school into what it is today.

As 31st Street Chaplain Ashley Brandon remarked in her St. Andrew’s Day homily, “Think of the trustees who signed the note for the loan to purchase a plot of land for a permanent home for our school—with their life insurance policies as collateral . . . and a Head of School who convinced the Board to take a significant financial risk to purchase acreage in what felt at the time like the remote wilderness of southwest Austin with dreams of a high school campus, teachers and coaches who built departments and piloted programs, parents who enrolled their children in the first class of a new Middle School or a new Upper School, or a new kindergarten. When we look backward at our story, we can see a throughline of faith, and this history matters because it strengthens and encourages us as we set out to write the next chapter in our school’s story.”

TRANSFORMING THE UPPER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

For perspective, St. Andrew’s first Upper School graduating class—the Cornerstone Class of 2002— had just 41 students. Since that time, our student population has grown tenfold, with 435 students in grades 9–12 today.

While we have added classrooms and fine arts spaces to our Southwest Parkway Campus over the years, our 25 year old athletic facilities have remained the same: grass fields and one gym. Our gym is outdated and lacks adequate space that is desperately needed. With the future addition of 275+ middle school students, the time to move forward with this Athletics Complex & Student Union is now.

This facility will be a hub for student life and honors all four pillars: Scholar, Artist, Athlete, and Servant.

ELEVATING THE FOUR PILLARS

Scholar: Leadership, Time Management, and Focus

The new Athletics Complex and Student Union will enhance our Scholar Pillar by providing opportunities for students to develop essential skills like leadership, time management, and focus. Whether it’s organizing sports practices, managing academic schedules, or taking on leadership roles within a team, our facilities will challenge students to balance their intellectual growth with their extracurricular commitments— teaching discipline, accountability, and the power of collaboration.

Artist: Cultivating

Creativity through Dance and Performance

The arts will thrive with the addition of the first-ever dedicated dance studio, supporting the Artist Pillar. The space will be home to our flourishing Dance Program, offering students a place to explore creativity through jazz, ballet, hiphop, contemporary, and musical theater. Through choreography projects and performances, students will refine their artistic talents and gain confidence as performers, embodying the spirit of creative expression that St. Andrew’s values.

Athlete: Building Healthy Minds and Bodies

At the core of our Athletics Pillar is the belief that physical well-being strengthens both mind and spirit. The Athletics Complex will address the needs of our students with best-inclass training and conditioning spaces, more courts, team and film rooms, and upgraded locker rooms. With balanced schedules and high-quality facilities, our student-athletes will be able to maximize their talents both on the field and in the classroom, maintaining a healthy balance between athletics and academics.

As we gather in this holy sweet spot between the past and the future, the place that matters most— the present—I invite you to see yourself in this big, beautiful story . . . to dream about the next chapter . . . and to consider the unique and precious gifts that you have to share.

How might those gifts, given in the spirit of love and placed in the hands of God, be like loaves and fishes that multiply into a feast for thousands, or an acorn that grows into a sprawling Crusader oak tree, or a $50 donation that turns into a thriving K–12 Episcopal school that has produced thousands of exemplary scholars, artists, athletes, and servants, and whose story is only just beginning.

I can’t think of a better way to end than to echo the song our kindergartners sang, “The truth we come to know, as we live and love and grow, is the gift that opens our story. A story of the courage to begin, a journey of faith from within. With so much hope, joy and love . . . just imagine!”

—ASHLEY BRANDON Lower & Middle School Chaplain

Servant: Learning to Lead

and Compete with Integrity

Our Athletics Complex will also support the Servant Pillar by fostering a culture of teamwork, mentorship, and integrity. Through sports and communal activities, students will learn to work together, support their teammates, and compete with respect. The new Student Union will provide space for students to engage in service projects and collaborative initiatives, allowing them to give back to the community, mentor younger athletes and students, and serve as role models both on and off the field.

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR SEPTEMBER 5 GRAND OPENING

The Athletics Complex & Student Union is currently on track for a soft opening for pre-season in August 2025, with our ribbon-cutting and first home games on September 5th!

This space is offering students, faculty, and families a new hub for collaboration, connection, and excellence. It’s a space designed to support every student’s journey, whether as a team captain, a budding artist, or a member of a student club looking for space to connect.

As one chapter of the Raise the Roof Campaign nears completion, the vision for a new 64,000 square foot Middle School and STEM Center comes into sharper focus. Planned to house grades 6th–8th on the Southwest Parkway Campus, this facility will include flexible classrooms, ample outdoor learning and recreational spaces, a Black Box Theater and music halls to celebrate the arts, and a 6,600 square foot STEM Center for grades 6–12, paving the way for a more robust experience in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math. Anchored in our mission to develop exemplary scholars, artists, athletes, and servants, the new Middle School and STEM Center will provide the tools and spaces needed to prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow.

The Raise the Roof Campaign reflects the essence of St. Andrew’s: a community rooted in gratitude, courage, and compassion. With construction well underway and the generosity of our supporters blazing the trail, we are confident this campaign will set the stage for generations of Highlanders to thrive.

“This campaign is a testament to the faith and strength of the St. Andrew’s community,” shared Head of

School Melissa Grubb. “The finish line is in sight. This moment is about more than bricks and beams—it is about shaping futures. Together, we are building spaces that reflect the heart of St. Andrew’s—where curiosity, creativity, and connection can flourish."

Together, we are making history. Together, we are Raising the Roof.

HONORING THOSE WE LOST

As the new 58,000 square foot Athletics Complex & Student Union nears completion, four named spaces within the facility will carry forward the legacies of beloved members of our SAS community, whose lives left a lasting impact on the St. Andrew’s community.

The Lucy Collins Nazro Memorial Terrace offers one of the best views on campus. Named after our beloved former Head of School, who served St. Andrew’s from 1980–2012, this terrace is located just off the upstairs Practice Gymnasium and has a direct line of sight to the Chapel. As her daughter, Alice Nezzer 81 said, “Francie, Evvie, Philips, and I love that this terrace—connected to the practice courts and with a clear view of the Chapel— pulls together the spirit and the body—chapel and athletics—and that it is a space specifically designed for kids. A new gymnasium was always on Mom’s wish list, and I know she is smiling down on us.”

Our Golf Program is being enhanced by the acquisition of three new golf simulators, one of which will be named after Trent

Wilson ’09, who served as Captain of the Varsity Golf and Football teams at St. Andrew’s. Golf was his true love, and to celebrate his legacy, a group of 2009 alumni are raising funds to name a golf simulator in his honor. These simulators will provide future generations of golfers an exceptional place to train and develop their skills, just as Trent did.

The Johnson Craft Dunham ’12 Memorial Court will serve as the school’s main competition court— where students will compete, celebrate, and grow as teammates and individuals. Johnson was a talented basketball player, an excellent teammate, and a kind and generous student and friend—on and off the courts. A group of Johnson’s classmates and family members are coming together to honor his memory in this special space.

Just down the hall, the Ben Ledet ’20 Sports Performance Center will stand as a tribute to Ben’s passion for athletics, his dedication to his teammates, and his enduring spirit. This best-in-class facility will support the strength, conditioning, and wellness of student-athletes across all sports, ensuring that future generations of Highlanders are inspired by the joyful, wholehearted way he lived his life.

These four named spaces remind us that this campaign is not only about enhancing facilities—it’s about honoring people who helped shape the heart of this school. Families can still contribute to these special memorial gifts by contacting Catherine Ervin or Ashley Brandon in the Advancement Office.

Across divisions this spring, SAS students in grades K–12 painted tiles for a large mural installation that will live in our new Student Union space. Designed by Jackson Averill ’20, this mural will forever hold our students’ fingerprints and brush strokes—a commemoration to this special place that was designed and built for current and future generations of Highlanders.

COLORING OUR COMMUNITY—“THE FAMILY TREE”

Extending Our Mission Beyond Our Campus

The Transformative Impact of the New Athletics Complex and Student Union

At St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, our Founders envisioned “a school for all of Austin,” a place where excellence in academics, arts, athletics, and service would shape not only the lives of our students but also the fabric of the greater Austin community. That vision lives on today as we raise the roof on a new Athletics Complex & Student Union—a facility that will serve as a catalyst for connection, opportunity, and outreach.

Outreach to the Greater Austin Community

The Athletics Complex will be more than just a state-of-the-art facility; it will be a gathering place where our students, families, and faculty come together to celebrate teamwork, school spirit, and shared success. Designed to host games, tournaments, and school-wide events, the space will be a vibrant center for community engagement. From Friday night volleyball matches to graduation services, this complex will deepen the bonds that define our St. Andrew’s family.

A Hub for Building Community

True to our Founders’ vision, the new Athletics Complex will also be a resource for the broader Austin community. Through partnerships with local organizations, we will provide much-needed gym and court space for youth sports teams, clubs, and nonprofit programs. These partnerships will offer underserved communities access to high-quality facilities, empowering young athletes across Austin to grow in skill, confidence, and character.

Additionally, by hosting regional tournaments, camps, and special events, the Athletics Complex will not only support community engagement, but also generate revenue that will help sustain and enhance the school’s programs. Every event hosted at our facility is an opportunity to extend our outreach, create lasting connections, and support our local community.

This project represents more than a new building—it is a new step toward fulfilling our commitment to excellence and inclusion. It will help:

BUILD COMMUNITY: Create a space where students, families, and faculty connect through shared experiences that strengthen the fabric of St. Andrew’s.

DEVELOP LEADERSHIP: Cultivate leadership skills rooted in empathy, compassion, integrity, and authenticity, preparing students to become confident, ethical, and visionary leaders who positively impact their communities and the world.

EXPAND OUTREACH: Provide access to underserved communities, reflecting our Episcopal values of compassion and service.

SECURE SUSTAINABILITY: Generate vital revenue to enhance and sustain St. Andrew’s programs for future generations.

LIVE OUR FOUNDERS’ VISION: Reaffirm St. Andrew’s role as “a school for all of Austin,” supporting our neighbors while providing transformative experiences for our students.

Beyond the Classroom

Students Present Projects with Heart & Impact

Passion and talent were on full display across divisions as students synthesized their learnings and delved into a topic or issue that they cared deeply about this spring.

Whether students were unveiling their creative Fifth Grade Capstone videos, sharing their Project Citizen presentations at the Eighth Grade Civics Fair, or showcasing their Senior Projects to peers and families, Highlanders went beyond the classroom, imparting with the St. Andrew’s community what they learned and why it matters.

“Immerse yourself. Find your flow. Solve a problem. Serve a community. Lose track of time. Share your experiences. Present what you’ve learned. Lead, don’t follow,” wrote Senior Projects Coordinator and AP Literature and Composition Instructor, Kimberly Horne, in her directive to the Class of 2025.

PROJECT CITIZEN CIVICS FAIR

SAS eighth graders shared their insights and research with parents, faculty, and fellow students at the tenth annual SAS Middle School Project Citizen Civics Fair. Boasting over 75 civic projects, the fair celebrated the wide-range of subjects and issues.

“Our eighth graders have been working hard over the last four months to become experts on an issue within the greater Austin community or beyond. The project was designed to encourage civic participation, allow kids to explore topics they are passionate about, and use their problem-solving skills to try to address their issue,” said Head of Middle School, Tim Moore.

“Ultimately, we want to empower our students to realize that their voice and their actions matter and can make a difference, regardless of their age.”

For each topic, eighth graders interviewed at least one topic expert. From “Teen Nutrition” to “Issues with Air Traffic Safety,” the range of student interests and passion was an impressive sight at the Civics Fair in May.

THANKS FOR TEACHING US TODAY, SENIORS!

After several weeks off campus, the Class of 2025 returned to present their Senior Projects on the last day of school.

Completing this capstone project allows our Seniors to explore, create, work, build, research, serve, perform, and dive deep into topics that inspire them. The final step is to present their projects to current students, faculty and parents, before being “clapped” out of Chapel.

Let the Games Begin

St. Andrew’s Middle School proves that friendly, intramural competition can flourish well beyond Hogwarts.

Stepping inside the gymnasium on a warm Friday in August at St. Andrew’s 31st Street Campus, the first thing that hits you is the buzzing energy. Within the four walls of the gym, Middle School students, faculty, and staff exude a giddy excitement that’s palpable.

St. Andrew’s Middle School kicked off its first week of the 2024–2025 school year with a favorite tradition: inducting new members into Houses.

This intramural tournament includes everyone across the Middle School campus—from sixth graders to security staff—and is startlingly effective at fostering connection and building community. The secret? The annual House competition unites diverse teams around a common goal: to vie for first place and bragging rights.

The gym is a sea of bright, primary colored t-shirts proclaiming allegiance to one of four Houses—Bailey, McGhee, Nazro, and Wilson—each named after an influential St. Andrew’s figurehead. House captains work their way through the crowd of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, drumming up excitement, donning feather boas and other outlandish props like wigs and toy swords. A handful of faculty watch from the sidelines, smiling, and wearing t-shirts that read “Switzerland” in big block print. It’s a playful nod to their neutral role in the competition, often called on to judge with impartiality.

This afternoon, Bailey, McGhee, Nazro, and Wilson Houses will welcome new members into their fold with a rollicking induction ceremony, complete with creative initiation rituals and a cheer tunnel. Throughout the induction, the entire gymnasium echoes with cheers, laughter, and high fives, the entire school is eager to kick off the competition and start winning points.

“The Middle School House System was started 11 years ago, in 2014, to develop more connection points between different grade levels, teachers, and kids,” said Head of Middle School, Tim Moore.

Moore understood intuitively how to start and grow a successful House System, having spearheaded a similar program at the Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama,

where he taught history, served as Dean of Students, and was an award-winning coach before joining St. Andrew’s in 2014.

The beauty of the House competition is that peers are motivated to do well, Moore said. Houses can win points and improve their ranking through performing acts of service and teamwork that support their fellow peers and the Middle School.

“The Middle School House System is special for so many reasons, but most especially for the way it gives every kid in the middle school a chance to belong,” said Amelia Brandon ʼ28, a St. Andrew’s ninth grader and former House captain.

The competition also creates opportunities for students to work with faculty and staff in an informal, collegial setting.

“How cool is it if an 8th grade history teacher is in a House and doing an activity side-by-side with three sixth graders,” Moore said. “The students get to know

that teacher and, by eighth grade, they will know each other really well.”

What’s more, the House competition is a place where new students at St. Andrew’s are immediately welcomed and included, Moore continued.

“In general, it builds the community up and—especially for our younger kids—makes them excited to come to school,” he added.

Another added benefit of the House competition is incentivizing participation in community service and stewardship. Opportunities to earn points include a wide range of activities such as leading Easter egg hunts, turning in trip paperwork and acts of kindness.

Before the House System, a drive for school supplies would garner donations in the hundreds, and with the House System, that changed to the thousands, Moore said.

“Thinking back 10 years ago to today, what I didn’t

expect—and this is a credit to St. Andrew’s students— was the way that the kids would transform the experience,” he continued. “As the years have gone on, the student body and leadership of 88 current and former House captains have grown and evolved the House competition.”

Even the decision to name the Houses after influential St. Andrew’s leadership was student-led, Moore said, noting that it was House captains who pushed to connect current students to the rich history of the school through the House names and storytelling.

Moore has enjoyed witnessing kids get more comfortable approaching adults, advocating for themselves and their peers, and gaining leadership skills.

In the informal setting of House competition, “kids take risks and are quick to propose things” Moore said. At the heart of it, the House System is yet another way St.

Andrew’s students are known by St. Andrew’s teachers, fostering a sense of belonging during the crucial Middle School years.

“The House System is for anybody and everybody, so you can always be a part of a team in an environment that fosters the growth of friendships, and is just a really good time,” said Amelia Brandon. “As a House captain, I was able to see this firsthand while also being able to cultivate my skills as a leader, and learning how to be an ally to the people who really need a friend in middle school.”

This fall, the newly inducted students got their first chance to earn points for their House for the first time by knocking down pins at Highland Lanes. This decadeplus tradition of bowling together as a Middle School not only kicks off the annual contest for points, it sets the tone for the teamwork and growth that await them at St. Andrew’s in the year ahead.

The Adventure Continues

Rooted in our mission to develop “curious, courageous, and compassionate global citizens”, St. Andrew’s School is embarking on an exciting new partnership and exchange program with St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Osaka, Japan in the year ahead.

“Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, two of our students will spend the year in Osaka attending school at St. Andrew’s-Osaka, and two students from Osaka will spend the year in Austin attending school at St. Andrew’s,” said Associate Head of School, Alice Nezzer.

“The students from Osaka will stay in Austin from midAugust through early June without going back home.”

To gain more insight about our partner school and learn more about the Osaka-region that will soon be a second home for SAS exchange students, Head of Upper School, Steven Fletcher, Ph.D and Associate Head of School, Alice Nezzer, recently journeyed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Osaka, Japan.

This is Alice Nezzer’s second visit to the region, having traveled to the school to learn more about the program and possible partnership on a solo visit in 2023.

In November, the two SAS leaders toured the St. Andrewʼs-Osaka campus, met with school leaders and explored the surrounding area. They also snuck in some sightseeing fun which included touring an ancient castle, visiting museums, a bustling food fall, met with an SAS alum teaching English abroad, navigating planes, trains, and metro rail systems.

MEET THE TWO STUDENTS HEADED TO OSAKA, JAPAN NEXT YEAR

Congratulations to George H. ʼ28 and Max H. ʼ28—our two students representing St. Andrew’s at MomoyamaGakuin in Osaka, Japan in the upcoming school year!

This is George’s first year at SAS—he plays football, basketball, and lacrosse and is honored to represent St. Andrew's in Japan.

“I am excited to see what I can do with it,” he said. “I have always wanted to study abroad, so this is a major bucket list item.”

George is most excited to immerse himself into a new culture and learn a completely new language, he said, but anticipates missing his family and friends the most, followed closely by Texas culture and food.

Similarly, Max H.—who has been a student at SAS since the 1st grade and plays soccer, lacrosse, and is in one of the SAS rock bands—is excited to be chosen for the first SAS exchange program.

“Knowing now that I have been selected, I am excited and somewhat nervous—mostly because this is the first time St. Andrew’s has sent students to Osaka and I don’t really know what to expect,” Max said. “I am grateful I have the opportunity to go!”

At the top of Max’s list is learning everything he can about St. Andrews-Osaka.

“I am most excited about learning a new culture and language, living in a country that is new to me, and developing a deeper understanding of my own independence,” he said. “I am also intrigued by the opportunity to learn in a bigger, international school and what it will have to offer.”

Despite this, he anticipates that he will “miss my family and friends the most and also the SAS community.”

While preparing for their own years abroad, our two SAS students have advice for the incoming Japanese exchange students.

“One piece of advice I would give the incoming students is to jump into St. Andrews with an open heart, because the community is like no other,” said George.

Max agreed, adding that incoming students should make the most of their time while they’re here.

“I think they will only get out of this experience what they put into it, so they should explore as much as they can and be open to everything,” he said. “Austin and St. Andrew’s have so much to offer."

 From Left: Steven Fletcher, Alice Nezzer and Mike Nezzer tour Japan.

Steven Fletcher & Alice Nezzer visit

St. Andrew’s in Osaka, Japan

Meet The Highlights

The 2024 Fall Semester marked the exciting debut of The Highlights, St. Andrew’s inaugural dance team, under the guidance of director Taylor Rainbolt-Bernal. This dynamic team of ten talented dancers, representing a range of grade levels, has quickly become a vital part of the St. Andrew’s community, bringing energy and spirit to football games, pep rallies, special events, and beyond. Whether dazzling the crowd on the field, court, or stage, The Highlights embody joy and school pride.

Creating a team name was the first step in building a legacy, and “The Highlights” perfectly reflects their mission. Combining “Highlanders” with the essence of a “highlight”—an outstanding moment—the name was chosen through a collaborative vote among dancers and faculty, symbolizing the team’s bright and enduring presence.

The Highlights began their journey with a two-day private camp hosted by Crowd Pleasers Dance, where they mastered three routines to showcase throughout the year. As a year-long commitment, the team dedicates themselves to rigorous training, rehearsing three mornings a week before school. During football season, they can be found spacing formations on yard lines, while basketball season brings their energy courtside.

“In my short time at St. Andrew’s, I have experienced the communal spirit and have a deep appreciation for the positive reception of our team,” said Director of Dance, Taylor Rainbolt-Bernal. “Not only have we been championed by faculty, staff, and the student body, but by our parents as well. Every time someone tells The Highlights the positive impact they are making, I feel immense pride. The Highlights are remarkable dancers

THE HIGHLIGHTS SHOWCASE DANCE TALENT AT THE PREMIER

Three cheers for The Highlights Dance Team on their first annual spring dance showcase, The Premier, this April and here's to many more!

and individuals. It is my honor to work and build this program alongside them.”

As ambassadors for the St. Andrew’s community, The Highlights performed at Homecoming with a special routine featuring Kindergarten through 5th-grade students from the Little Lights Dance Clinic. This event showcased the growing enthusiasm for dance across campuses and affirmed the community's excitement for this new program.

The Highlights’ reach extends beyond St. Andrew’s, with October bringing a performance at Texas State University’s Strutters Fall Spectacular, offering a glimpse of collegiate dance opportunities. In December, the team spread holiday cheer at Austin’s Trail of Lights, further connecting with the local community. In February, they took to the stage in their first-ever competition, performing lyrical and jazz routines

that highlight their versatility and artistry. Their year culminated with a show-stopping Spring Showcase celebrating their journey with a vibrant display of routines for the entire St. Andrew’s community to enjoy.

Looking ahead, the future of The Highlights is bright. “With plans for growth in numbers and opportunities, the team is set to thrive, particularly when the new Athletics Complex & Student Union opens in 2025,” said Thomas Sale, K–12 Director of Athletics. “Their very own dedicated dance studio in this new facility will elevate their training and rehearsal capabilities, positioning The Highlights for even greater success.”

St. Andrew’s can take pride in this pioneering dance team, whose poise, dedication, and excellence inspire us all. Expect The Highlights to continue shining for years to come!

Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day

Every year, one favorite St. Andrew's tradition is when we welcome grandparents and grandfriends to both campuses to get a peek into the day-today lives of students. In September, our K–12 students loved having a chance to share St. Andrew’s with these special people in their lives.

First Grade Christmas Pageant

At the first grade Christmas Pageant in December, the wise men, angels, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, animals, carolers, and more all gathered to celebrate the nativity story with creativity and panache!

St. Andrew’s Day

On a bright and bracing November morning, our entire K–12 school community gathered to attend a chapel service in the Upper School gymnasium with a Holy Eucharist, special music, awards, and a sermon. As we do every fall, our community celebrates our patron saint together and dedicates service to others in our community.

In this year’s chapel service, Chaplain Ashley Brandon delivered a moving sermon on the Feast of St. Andrew, sharing how the story of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School— past, present, and future—is rooted in faith.

“Over the years, the location of this special celebration has changed, the faces in the crowd have changed, our award winners have changed, the lunch menu has changed, the service projects have changed, and Lord knows that the world around us has changed,” said Brandon. “But the purpose and spirit of this day remains constant.”

“To put it simply, we gather to tell our story,” she continued. “On St. Andrew’s Day, we push the pause button so that we, as a community, can remember where we came from, imagine where we are going, and reflect on where each and every one of us fits into the story.”

St. Andrew’s Day Award Winners

At the 2024 St. Andrew’s Day celebration, leaders spanning the St. Andrew’s community were honored for their service. This includes:

JEANNINE AND JOHN C. MILLER AWARD

John Burnham & Yvette Rios

LUCY COLLINS NAZRO FACULTY SERVICE AWARD

Michael Mims

31ST STREET TEACHING AWARD

Jill Hanners

SOUTHWEST PARKWAY TEACHING AWARD

Darcie Westerlund

FIFTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE RECOGNITION

and Betsy Ross

Kimberly Horne, Alfred Bradford, Matt Kelly, Ashley Brandon, Sean Fitzsimons, Michelle Roe, Rebecca Kyriakides,

CHARLES ALAN WRIGHT EXCELLENCE AWARD

Michael Griffith

Advent Evensong

St. Andrew’s annual Advent Evensong is a traditional choral service offered at the close of the day enhanced by the anticipation of the Advent season. In the festive weeks of December, the all-age, candlelit choral service is an opportunity to quiet the mind and spirit and to reflect on the season of Advent.

After the service, cider, cookies, music, and caroling keep the spirit of Advent alive well into the night.

Las Posadas

At the Lower School’s annual Las Posadas celebration in December, students reenact the story of Mary and Joseph as they search for shelter on the eve of Jesus’ birth— through song!

Las Posadas is a Christmas tradition in Mexico where families travel from house to house for nine nights before Christmas. The Las Posadas celebration at St. Andrew s, however, is a one-day holiday event!

Across Lower School Spanish classes this winter, students practiced songs to sing together at the celebration, which ends with hot chocolate and churros.

Feliz Navidad!

Lessons & Carols

Joy to the world! At the annual Lessons & Carols celebration before Christmas break, students, faculty, and St. Andrew's leaders told the nativity story through a moving service of carols and lessons from the Gospels.

Winter Formal

In January, Upper School students celebrated their Winter Formal with a winter wonderland-themed night of music and festivities!

From a silent disco to cozy fire pits, to dancing and enjoying s’mores and hot chocolate with friends, it was an unforgettable night of music!

Senior Campout

Ahead of Spring Break, the Class of 2025 enjoyed the tradition of the Senior Campout. This year was full of fun activities like an advisory dance off, a DJ set in the Learning Commons, and, of course, a little mischief!

Class of 2026

Step-Up Day

As the Seniors are off campus working on their Senior Projects, the Junior Class of 2026 celebrated their step-up day with a grillout, a Mister Softee truck, matching t-shirts and, of course, a water slide.

We're looking forward to more good times with our rising Seniors as they look to fill the shoes of our graduating class!

Blessing of the Pets

On October 4th, St. Andrew's celebrated the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi—the patron saint of animals— who inspired his followers to work for peace, live in harmony with all of God's creation, and care for the poor. Kindergarten, first, and second graders celebrated with their own annual Blessing of the Pets tradition.

Young students gathered with their parents and pets, stuffed animals, pet keepsakes, and photos at a special outdoor Blessing of the Pets Chapel Service that included live music by the Shoal Creek Ramblers.

Prom 2025: A Night Straight Out of the Roaring Twenties!

This year’s Great Gatsby-themed prom was a total blast. Seniors kicked off the evening early with trivia hosted by alum Aileene Rosales ’16 As the Juniors arrived, the fun continued with dancing, tarot card readings, and a snazzy red carpet. Gatsby would’ve approved.

Three Cheers for Bailey House

After a year of spirited games, meaningful service, and unwavering camaraderie, Bailey House has claimed the top spot in the 2024–2025 Middle School House Competition! In true SAS spirit, McGhee, Nazro, and Wilson joined in the celebration— cheering on their peers and honoring the joy of the annual House competition.

Lunar New Year

Students across divisions celebrated Lunar New Year and welcomed the Year of the Snake!

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

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

Celebrating Black History Month

Black History Month is a cherished tradition celebrating the remarkable achievements of Black Americans. At St. Andrew’s, we re proud to celebrate Black History Month across divisions through the voices of our own community members and a few from outside the SAS community.

“During Black History Month, it has become a tradition for some of our Lower School faculty and staff members to share stories about individuals who embody our chapel theme,” said Head of Lower School, Yvonne Russell. “ This year’s theme, ‛Given for Good, led students to learn about inspiring figures such as Jerry Pinkney, Amanda Gorman, Trombone Shorty, John Lewis, and many others.”

While February highlights these stories, we strive to seek wisdom from diverse voices and celebrate the gifts we have been given all year round, she added.

Huston–Tillotson University Concert Choir and their director, Dr. Marcus Rhodes, recently visited St. Andrew’ s students at both campus, celebrating Black History Month with choir performances in Chapel. What’s more, several Upper School Select Choir students were able to perform one piece with the choir as part of their presentation, “ I Know I ve Been Changed.”

Ramadan with Austin Peace Academy

Students from Austin Peace Academy visited our 31st Street Chapel to teach SAS Middle School students about the holy month of Ramadan.

Chaplain Ashley Brandon said that it was a beautiful way for our community to learn from Middle School students themselves. “The students from APA gave a wonderful presentation, answered questions, and shared gifts of date cookies with hand-written notes.”

Ash Wednesday

Today our K–12 communities observed Ash Wednesday with Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes, marking the beginning of Lent.

“Ash Wednesday prompts us to think about all the little things that build up our relationships, our ways of being, and methods of doing. It centers around the idea that life is made up of all the very little things, particles of dirt, and living things are made up of those same little things. We are made up into something, and someday will return to a state of being made into our surroundings.

And in the meantime, we have choices about how we get our hands dirty, what we build, and how we are neighbors towards each other.”

THE REVEREND WHITNEY KIRBY, Upper School Chaplain

The Festival of Colors

Holi—also known as the Festival of Colors—is a Hindu festival that celebrates the return of spring, the end of winter, and also celebrates good overcoming evil. It's a two-day festival that's celebrated in India and around the world.

Holi celebrations are a time to play and laugh. This March, SAS students did not disappoint!

Watch our Lower School Students Celebrate Holi

Women’s History Month

This spring, St. Andrew’s honored Women’s History Month with events that amplified the voices, experiences, and achievements of women across generations and industries. From student-led panels to meaningful community discussions, the month of March was filled with opportunities for learning, reflection, and empowerment.

At the Upper School, a special chapel service featured local author and advocate Dr. Jessica Goudeau, hosted by student leaders from Actualizing Beloved Community (ABC) Council.

Meanwhile, across both campuses, students took the lead in organizing thoughtful programming that celebrated female leadership. The Middle School’s CIA club hosted a Women's History Month panel, recognizing the accomplishments of community leaders and fostering dialogue on the importance of advocacy.

“Women’s History Month should be seen as a time to appreciate the women who have tirelessly fought for the rights that we now have,” said CIA club members Ray K. ʼ 29 and Mira W. ʼ29 “We also believe it is important to appreciate the women in your life and tell them you are grateful for them.”

The month culminated with the Empowering Women of the World Club’s Evening of Empowerment, where students welcomed a dynamic group of local women leaders. Panelists shared stories and strategies for creating positive change, encouraging students to consider how they, too, can lead with purpose.

Together, these events reflected St. Andrew’s ongoing commitment to honoring diverse voices, uplifting student leadership, and building a more just and equitable world.

Easter Magic in Motion

Our 31st Street campus community came together for an Easter Celebration.

Students from Kindergarten through 8th grade gathered for a special Eucharist service which included St. Andrew’s own faculty and staff band, the Shoal Creek Ramblers, with a surprise guest appearance by Mr. Mims.

What s more, after the service students enjoyed a Easter carnival in their classrooms.

The SAS middle schoolers cracked open a lot of fun at the annual Easter Egg Hunt & Carnival.

Check out some of the egg-citing highlights!

Honoring Our Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

We had an incredible celebration of culture, community, and connection during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at St. Andrew’s!

We were honored to welcome a wonderful group of parents and teachers who enriched our students’ learning by sharing their personal stories, cultural traditions, and experiences—from the vibrant celebrations of Hindu festivals like Raksha Bandhan and Navaratri, to the rich heritage of Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, and Korean cultures. Students also explored the teachings of Buddhism and learned about the diverse and flavorful Asian food scene right here in Austin!

At the Lower and Middle School, parents such as Stephanie S. & Ruchit S., Kathy B., Jessie G., Ali K., Hao S., Hema M., and Nanami R. brought books, stories, and personal experiences into chapel. Mr. Kenny Chilton and Ms. Emma DeVine inspired with powerful talks on heritage and identity. Our students walked away with a deeper appreciation for the diverse world around them.

At the Upper School, students heard reflections from students and faculty about a recent study abroad trip to Taiwan.

“From ancestor altars to shared meals and clean streets, Upper School students Atharva P. 27, Sasha B. ʼ26, and myself shared how Taiwan’s cultural strength lies in long-term thinking, social harmony, and meaningful restraint—insights gathered during their Study Abroad experience,” said Mandarin teacher, Dr. Hsiao.

Students also learned about considerations, perspectives, and cultural benefits of the student exchange with St. Andrew’s—Osaka, Japan in the upcoming school year.

Blending Japan’s deep-rooted value of harmony with America’s spirit of individuality, Nanami Russell, parent of SAS second grader Aina R. ʼ 35, spoke to how the two cultures can come together through a St. Andrew s education.

“It’s inspiring to see how blending these approaches can nurture students who are both compassionate collaborators and confident leaders, which we hope St. Andrew’s foreign exchange helps to reinforce,” she said.

At St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, we believe representation matters because our Episcopal identity encourages us to create a community where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to share their story.

Sixth Graders Embark on Immersive

Watershed Ecology Learning and Stewardship

Recently, during science class, SAS sixth graders have been immersed in watershed and ecology units, with a strong focus on Austin-area environmental engagement. Students detailed the Shoal Creek watershed and Austin area as a part of the Shoal Creek Map Project, said science teachers Selesha Subnaik and Emma DeVine.

As part of the Shoal Creek Map Project, students are creating a detailed map of the Shoal Creek watershed and the greater Austin area to explore our campus's geographic relationship to the creek and identify

possible sources of pollution that may impact its health, they continued.

Complementing this project, students also conducted a study of Shoal Creek. Their study concluded in a formal lab report that analyzed their findings.

To enrich these hands-on experiences, Austin Youth River Watch was invited to lead students in an on-site field experience with students, guiding them through water testing activities and highlighting the importance of their role in protecting Austin’s water resources.

Second Grade Dino Expo

In April, second graders showcased their integrated learning unit on fossils and dinosaurs at a Dino Expo!

The expo kicked off with students singing Johnny Cash s Dinosaur Song. Parents and caregivers came to the event, entering a festive hallway—complete with a 46 foot timeline of the earth—and read their students dino

stories, experienced their clay-made fossils, and learned the ins and outs of the dinosaurs!

The 2025 Dino Expo brought together learning that spanned reading both nonfiction and fiction, writing, science, math, music, and art. The second grade Garden Club even served their homegrown “ herbivore” salad to showcase their many recesses spent in the garden.

Observing Earth Day

SAS Lower School students got a head start on Earth Day with a special community chapel and a series of Buddy Grade Earth Day activities.

Second and fifth grade buddies teamed up to pot flowers, a project connected to what second graders were learning about pollinators.

Additionally, several grade-level buddies got together to design “fridge flyers” filled with environmental tips and illustrations, encouraging stewardship and everyday conservation. We hope all students came away inspired with new ideas for how they can help care for our environment!

First Grade Showcases the Wonders of the Sky

In March, SAS first graders explored the wonders of the sky! Students studied the moon phases, star constellations, and Earth's rotation around the sun.

After reading What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees by Nancy Tafuri, first graders wrote their own poems about what the sun or moon might see.

Their learning journey included: Shadow puppet plays in drama, sun, moon, and eclipse drawings inspired by Alma W. Thomas, sky songs in music class, and illustrating a Spanish book, El Conejo En La Luna

What's more, first graders presented their learning in a creative and interdisciplinary showcase!

Fourth Grade STEM Explorers

In March, SAS fourth graders became “STEM Explorers” for a day—from identifying mystery objects using only their sense of touch and smell, to building paper turbines and experimenting with how different designs affect their spinning speed, to testing out science and math principles for themselves.

“This Friday was so much fun and exciting because we got to work with Legos and other cool materials to build houses and fences to stop erosion, simulating what it would be like if erosion happened in real life,” said one fourth grader.

Watch as students perfect a cascading series of objects

100 Days of Kindergarten

What's in a number?

Lower School students recently celebrated their 100th day of class! Kindergartners celebrated this academic milestone, creatively learning more about what the number 100 looks like in the physical world with pom poms, red solo cups, and more.

Latin Students Achieve Great Things

At the 2024 NJCL Convention

From July 21st to July 27th, eighteen St. Andrew’s Latin students from both the Middle and Upper Schools traveled to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, joining other Latin students from across the country and world. Along the way, St. Andrew’s students stopped at Vanderbilt University for a campus tour and the Nashville Parthenon before joining the convention thanks to a generous grant from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. After some Nashville hot chicken for lunch, St. Andrew’s students took a bus to UT Knoxville to start the busy week. For this 71st annual convention, Latin lovers from all over the country and abroad competed in various academic,

creative, and athletic competitions to show off their talents and knowledge of the ancient Mediterranean. Additionally, opportunities for networking with fellow students from around the world abounded at colloquia and social events.

At the convention, McAlpine Kirkland ’25 won third place overall in Olympika for her outstanding performance in the swimming events. These are additional notable achievements awarded to the St. Andrew’s Latin students:

1st Place

Laila Antonini ’25, Costume

Ethan Benton ’29, Reading Comprehension ½

Eleanor Carrico ’30, Latin Literature ½

Sebastian Du Pasquier ’30, Mythology ½

McAlpine Kirkland ’25, 100 Yd Freestyle

McAlpine Kirkland, 100 Yd Backstroke

McAlpine Kirkland, 100 Yd Medley

McAlpine Kirkland, 50 Yd Backstroke

McAlpine Kirkland, 50 Yd Freestyle

Cate Kleber ’26, Pencil Drawing

2nd Place

Ethan Benton, Latin Grammar ½

McAlpine Kirkland, 50 Yd Breastroke

McAlpine Kirkland, 50 Yd Butterfly

Cate Kleber, Greek Derivatives III

Nina Urban ’27 Mixed Media Art

3rd Place

Laila Antonini, Mosaic

Ethan Benton, Latin Derivatives ½

Ethan Benton, Roman Life ½

McAlpine Kirkland, 200 M Freestyle

Cate Kleber, Digital Art

Nina Urban, Digital Art

Xander Yang ’30, Mythology ½

4th Place

Laila Antonini, Mottoes IV

Laila Antonini, Dolls

Laila Antonini, Jewelry

Cate Kleber, Jewelry

Paul Korman ’29 Classical Art ½

Owen LaBombard ’29, Mottoes ½

Nina Urban, Ink Drawing

5th Place

Ethan Benton, Latin Vocabulary ½

Ethan Benton, Greek Life and Literature ½

Martina Faini ’25, Reading Comprehension Poetry V+

Owen LaBombard, Roman Life ½

Henry Long ’26, Dramatic Interpretation Adv Prose

Passage 1

Maya Rossouw ’25, Reading Comprehension Poetry V+

6th Place

Ethan Benton, Academic Triathlon ½

Quinn Evans ’26 Greek Derivatives II

Maya Rossouw, Latin Vocabulary V+

Skye Rossouw ’25, Mixed Media Art

Xander Yang, Hellenic History ½

7th Place

Laila Antonini, Reading Comprehension Prose IV

Ethan Benton, Ancient Geography ½ Valentina Diaz ’30, Classical Art ½

Martina Faini, Latin Derivatives V+

Martina Faini, Roman History V+

Martina Faini, Ancient Geography ½

Holly Hornaday ’28 Classical Greek I

Paul Korman ’29, Roman Life ½

Xander Yang, Academic Triathlon ½

8th Place

Quinn Evans Reading Comprehension II

Nina Urban Mythology II

9th Place

Martina Faini, Latin Vocabulary V+

Owen LaBombard, Roman History ½

Maya Rossouw, Greek Derivatives V+

Maya Rossouw, Latin Derivatives V+

Maya Rossouw, Mottoes V+

Xander Yang, Roman History ½

10th Place

Eleanor Carrico ’30, Roman Life ½

Sebastian Du Pasquier, Hellenic History ½

Quinn Evans Roman History II

Quinn Evans Traditional Photography

Martina Faini, Classical Art V+

Lucy Sitz ’30, Classical Art ½

Mandarin Students Begin the School Year with Accolades

The SAS Upper School Mandarin Program kicks off the school year with awards, immersive experiences, and travel plans on the horizon.

Mandarin students at St. Andrew’s Upper School recently swept the awards at the third annual Chinese Writing Competition Committee, hosted by the Chinese Language Teachers of Association of Texas. Works written by four mandarin students—Asher Jaimes ʼ 27, Chase Anson ʼ27, Colette Iwakoshi 26 and Michelle Huang ʼ25—were recognized in the third annual Chinese Writing Competition Committee.

“Compared with other selected works, our students not only write with more imagination, but show more creativity and variety in styles which makes reading appealing and enjoyable,” said Upper School Mandarin Chinese teacher, Dr. Jennifer Hsiao.

The third annual competition was hosted by the Chinese Language Teacher Association of Texas, a regional association established in 2007 to serve both Mandarin teachers and students and affiliated with the Chinese Language Teachers Association—USA

IMMERSIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Outside of the classroom, this fall Mandarin students were recently visited by Honwa Folk Dancers and took a field trip together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival a Chinese harvest festival.

What’s more, the Mandarin Chinese program at St. Andrew’s is recruiting current SAS Upper School students to join Dr. Hsiao and Blake Amos in Taipei, Taiwan in the Spring of 2025. Students will explore local culture on a guided trip across Taiwan that will include city centers, villages, mountains, beaches, immersing students in the food, art, history and culture of the Taiwanese people.

View the complete CLTA 2024 writing selections in their annual publication

The other three students that received recognition for writing notable Chinese language works wrote their stories as a speed writing exercise, supervised during class by Dr. Hsiao, using only a dictionary app to write extemporaneously on a topic of interest to them.

In “Decon Gets Fat”, Asher James wrote a humorous story about this classmate and was recognized by the CLTA at the novice level. Colette Iwakoshi was recognized by the CLTA at the intermediate level for her story about her trip visiting her grandmother in California. Lastly, Chase Anson, was recognized by the CLTA at the intermediate level for a descriptive account of his trip to Africa.

Michelle Huang received recognition at the advanced level for her work, “The Customs of Chinese College Entrance Examination,” written as a cultural presentation assignment in AP Mandarin. Huang sourced her stories and insights from interviews and online research on customs practiced by Chinese high school students and parents to receive luck and perform well on exams.

Bound by Honor

Students at St. Andrew’s take academic integrity seriously, signing their commitment to uphold our Honor Code annually. SAS Middle School students sign their 2024–2025 Honor Code every fall.

Bringing Our Covenants to Life

Creating a ‘Community Promise’ Tree

Students learned about St. Andrew’s Community Promise this fall at the Lower School. This promise is a covenant that guides how students, faculty, and staff interact with each other as we work to build a strong Lower School community.

To bring students’ commitment to life, this year faculty and staff commissioned Beyond The Classroom’s Tech Theater class to create a Community Promise Tree.

The students modeled their tree after the St. Andrew’s Crusader Oak tree shading the walkways just outside the Lower School at the 31st Street Campus. This fall, every Lower School student and faculty member was able to “sign” their name with a fingerprint stamped leaf that makes up the Community Promise Tree.

“It’s a wonderful daily reminder of the strength and unity of our Lower School community!” said Head of Lower School, Yvonne Russell.

Lower School Students Explore Hands-On Learning Across Austin

Whether it’s visiting art, museums, libraries, or theatres, our youngest students experience the wider Austin community and participate in hands-on learning across Austin.

From learning about Day of the Dead altars in person at the downtown Mexic-Arte Museum or experiencing “Luna” at Zach Scott Theatre, these young scholars were immersed in the vibrant Austin arts community this fall.

Eighth Graders Experience Big Bend

In November, St. Andrew’s eighth graders experienced the vast wonder of Big Bend firsthand.

From camping, hiking, and exploring Terlingua and the South Rim, students enjoyed an extraordinary trip in West Texas with SAS faculty and parents.

Certamen Teams Compete

By Presley Kuo and Ainsley Jones

On Saturday, December 7, 2024, St. Andrew’s competed in a local certamen tournament hosted by LASA. The intermediate team, composed of Captain Holly Hornaday ’28 and Gideon Jones ’28, placed second. The advanced team, represented by Quinn Evans ’26, Captain Presley Kuo ’26, and Nina Urban ’27, also placed second, just 50 points behind the firstplace winning team from LASA.

This was a huge reduction in score difference from our last tournament and represents the accomplishment of a long-term goal. Congratulations to all our winners!

On Saturday, November 16th, the SAS Certamen team participated in the UT Certamen tournament with teams from all over Texas. In the high school divisions,

our Novice team, which included Anton Boerema ’28, Anna Jane Frost ’28, Captain Jai Gulati ’28, Keira Lyle ’28, and Sophie Oakes ’28, tied for 2nd place. Our Advanced team, which included Quinn Evans ’26, Captain Martina Faini ’25, Presley Kuo ’26, and Maya Rossouw ’25, placed 2nd to the defending area champion, LASA. Our Intermediate team, featuring Miller Bowers ’28, Parker Henderson ’28, Holly Hornaday ’28 Gideon Jones ’28, and Woods Smith ’27, finished fourth—just missing out on finals.

Thanks to all the faculty, students, and parents who helped make this tournament possible —it could not have happened without all your help. Congratulations to all the students who competed!

Fall, Winter & Spring Season: 5th-8th Grade Sports Recap

At St. Andrew’s, physical education begins in Kindergarten, laying the groundwork for a lifelong appreciation of fitness, teamwork, and athletic skill. Team sports are introduced in 5th grade, and by 6th grade, participation in athletics becomes a core requirement for all students. It is during these formative years that the Athletics Pillar begins to thrive, shaping confident, capable, and committed student-athletes.

St. Andrew’s Middle School is a member of the AIPL (Austin Inter-Parochial League), competing against other local independent schools. The Highlanders are always a dominant force in both the regular season and the AIPL tournaments each season and the 2024–2025 school year was no exception.

FALL SPORTS

Beginning with an extraordinary fall season, our flag football and girls' volleyball teams competed in 11 out of 12 league championship games, bringing home five league championships—the most of any school in the league! Some other standout moments from the season:

Flag Football: Two of our flag football teams, 2A and 3A White, finished the season undefeated!

Girls Volleyball: The 5/6 1A team won it’s third consecutive championship, and the 7/8 1A team claimed the title for the fourth year in a row!

Cross Country: Both our boys’ cross country teams

clinched top honors this season, earning two team AIPL titles.

Field Hockey: Our field hockey beat St. Stephen’s for the second year in a row!

Tackle Football: Despite facing tough competition all season, they emerged victorious in key games against Hill Country Christian and St. Michael’s Prep.

Boys’ Volleyball The boys' volleyball team may have been the most improved squad of the season. Despite having a roster of 6th and 7th graders, they defeated teams like NYOS and St. Stephen’s, both of which fielded 8th graders.

WINTER SPORTS

Always a powerhouse in the AIPL, this winter’s basketball teams continued their domination by playing in 9 of 14 championship games at the AIPL tournament, bringing home 4 titles! Our other winter teams also had great success, here are some of the highlights:

Soccer: Three out of our four teams secured a spot in the AIPL Championship game. Our MS teams got to showcase their talent versus Trinity at the MS Soccer Night hosted by the Athletics Cabinet and took home three out of four victories!

Swim: The MS swim team had a very successful season, including a fantastic performance at the AIPL Championship swim meet. In January, at a competition

held at the Texas School for the Deaf, many students set personal records.

Basketball The 7/8 1A boys, 7/8 3A boys, 5/6 1A boys, and 5/6 1A girls were all crowned AIPL champions!

Cheer: Our MS cheerleaders had a great season and brought so much Highlander spirit to every game.

SPRING SPORTS

The spring sports season at St. Andrew’s Middle School was one for the record books, filled with championship victories, historic performances, and unforgettable moments across the board.

Track & Field: Both the 7/8 Grade Boys’ and Girls’ teams captured the AIPL Championships, cementing their place as the top teams in the league.

Golf: The 5/6 Grade Boys’ Golf Team claimed the team title at Blue Lake Golf Course. Bennett U. �29 stole the show by winning the overall boys individual title and making AIPL history with the first-ever hole-in-one! On the girls’ side, Claire W. �31 won the girls individual title, an especially impressive feat as a 6th grader competing against older players!

Basketball: The 7/8 1A boys, 7/8 3A boys, 5/6 1A boys, and 5/6 1A girls were all crowned AIPL champions!

Cheer: Our MS cheerleaders had a great season and brought so much Highlander spirit to every game.

Field Day 2025

Across the Lower School, SAS students ended the 2024–2025 school year on a high note at Field Day 2025! From races, to snow cones, to water games and splash pad fun, there was a lot to love about the last day of Lower School.

“From classroom milestones and artistic achievements, to athletic triumphs and acts of kindness, this year has been full of accomplishments worth celebrating,” said Head of Lower School, Yvonne Russell. “ Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support and challenge each student, and our students have consistently impressed us with their curiosity, resilience, and heart.”

Powder Puff is Back!

The SAS Powder Puff game made a big return last night, thanks to the Classes of 2025 and 2026, and to all the fans who came out to cheer them on.

Great game, Seniors! Congratulations to the Juniors and coaches on their victory!

Rhythms Night

This winter, Rhythms Night, a time-honored SAS tradition dating back to 1977 did not disappoint! Kinder, first, and second graders performed rhythmical routines—incorporating equipment like lummi sticks, hula hoops and parachutes—with the guidance of Lower School PE teachers.

“This event is one of the longest held traditions at St. Andrew’s and continues to be many parents’ favorite night of the school year,” said K–8 Physical Education Teacher, Tom Costas. “Betsy Ross has been a part of

almost every Rhythms Night and enjoyed working on this year, celebrating her last year before retiring.”

What’s more, this marks the first year that the Kinder Kids performed two different routines, continued Costas, adding that the parachute number by the first graders was also an audience favorite.

“It was clear that the students had been well prepared and evident that they felt confident and had SO MUCH FUN!!!” said Lower School Music Teacher and Fine Arts Chair, Lucy Bourland.

Varsity Track & Field Stands Out at the Texas Relays

The Varsity Track & Field competed in the 97th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays this spring and brought standout performances by both the boys and girls 4x400 relay teams.

The girls’ team—Helia Askew ’ 27, Holly Hornaday ’28, Sonia Signh ’25, Ava Sweeney ’25—lowered their personal best by 14 seconds to 4:19, while the boys’ side—Joaquin Alzaga ’25, Abraham Balsen 25, Luke Dial 25, Reed Robinson 26—lowered their team time by 7 seconds to 3:28. Way to go, Highlanders!

Spring Sports Awards

We honored our athletes this May at our Upper School Spring Sports Awards ceremony. Congratulations to the award-winners!

BASEBALL

JV

Most Improved Player: Josh Daniel ʼ27

Coaches Choice Award: Canyon Shopp ʼ28

Most Valuable Player: Bode Dillard ʼ28

Varsity

Most Improved Player: Andrew Shoberg ʼ26

Coaches Choice Award: Eli Moore ʼ27

Most Valuable Player: Milo Malina ʼ26

All North Zone: Milo Malina ʼ26 & Ben Wilson ʼ28

All SPC: Milo Malina ʼ26

BOYS LACROSSE

Most Improved Player: Luke McGrath ʼ25

Coaches Choice Award: Roman Rawie ʼ27

Most Valuable Player: Dylan Knighten ʼ25

ALL-SPC: Dylan Knighten ʼ25, Midfield; Carson Henry ʼ26, Defense; James Borgerding ʼ25, Defense; Mateo Salinas ʼ26, LSM; Holland Dean ʼ25, Attack

THSLL Honorable Mention: Mateo Salinas ʼ26, LSM; Wyatt Eby ʼ28, Defense; Grayson Walrath ʼ27, Attack;

THSLL All-District: Cannon Dunaway ʼ25, Defensive Midfield; Carson Henry ʼ26, Defense

THSLL All-State: Dylan Knighten ʼ25, Midfield

GIRLS LACROSSE

Most Improved Player: Reese Barnard ʼ28

Coaches Choice Award: Stormy Maebius ʼ25

Most Valuable Player: Mary Louise Townsend ʼ26

All North Zone & All SPC: Laura Coffey ʼ26, Mary Louise Townsend ʼ26

THSGLL All Central District: Ava Barnard ʼ26, Nia Trevillion ʼ25

THSGLL All State: Laura Coffey ʼ26, Mary Louise Townsend ʼ26

BOYS GOLF

Most Improved Player: Kahnan Vigna ʼ25

Coaches Choice: Zain Osborne ʼ25

Most Valuable Player: Austin Hamlin ʼ27

All SPC: Jackson Tennant ʼ27 & Austin Hamlin ʼ27

GIRLS GOLF

Most Improved Player: Esme Kazzoun ʼ27

Most Valuable Player: Bo Aycock ʼ25

TENNIS

Most Improved Players: Olivia Aronoff ʼ27 & Woods Smith ʼ27

Coaches Choice Awards: Vince Vegas ʼ26 & Madison Wala ʼ27

Most Valuable Players: Brendan Tan ʼ25 & Elle Wallin ʼ27

All North Zone: Brendan Tan ʼ25 & Elle Wallin ʼ27

All SPC: Savy Cook ʼ27, Madison Wala ʼ27 & Vince Vegas ʼ26

TRACK & FIELD

Varsity Boys

Most Valuable Runner: Luke Dial ʼ25

Most Improved Runner: Hayes Paddock ʼ28

Coaches Choice Award: Reed Robinson ʼ26

JV Boys

Most Valuable Runner: Jackson Ghandgurde ʼ28

Most Improved Runner: Caleb Herd ʼ28

Coaches Choice Award: Riley Cline ʼ28

Varsity Girls

Most Valuable Runners: Sophia Kleberg ʼ26 and Sonia Singh ʼ25

Most Improved Runner: Marina Obregon de La Mora ʼ28

Coaches Choice Award: Holly Hornaday ʼ28

JV Girls

Most Valuable Runner: Ruth Balser ʼ25

Most Improved Runner: Maggie Tate ʼ28

Coaches Choice Award: Margo Murchison ʼ28

At SPC Championships, athletes who finished in the top three in their events received SPC Medals.

ALL SPC

3rd 200m: Sonia Singh ʼ25

3rd 400m: Sophia Kleberg ʼ26

2nd 800m: Reed Robinson ʼ26

3rd 1600m: Katherine Preheim ʼ25

3rd 1600m, 1st 3200m: Luke Dial ʼ25

2nd 3200m: Marina Obregon De La Mora ʼ28

2nd 300m hurdles: Holly Hornaday ʼ28

4x400 relay, 3rd: Joaquin Alzaga ʼ25, Hayes Paddock ʼ28, Abraham Balser ʼ25, Reed Robinson ʼ26

4x400 relay, 3rd: Ava Sweeney ʼ25, Sonia Singh ʼ25, Lucy

Coats ʼ27, Sophia Kleberg ʼ26

4x800 relay, 1st: Ava Sweeney ʼ25, Sophia Kleberg ʼ26, Marina Obregon De La Mora ʼ28, Katherine Preheim ʼ25

High Jump, 3rd: Aydan Key ʼ25

SPC SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Liam Metscham ʼ25, Nia Trevillion ʼ25

STERLING WILSON AWARD

Stormy Maebius ʼ25, Luke McGrath ʼ25

We are #ChargingForward together!

Celebrating Spirit, Strength, & Community

Homecoming

2024

St. Andrew’s Homecoming is always a highlight of the year, bringing together families, alumni, faculty, and friends for a night of celebration, excitement, and school spirit—and 2024 did not disappoint. While the temperatures evoked a warm summer night, the event had all the makings of a perfect fall gathering.

The Upper School campus was buzzing with energy as attendees of all ages came together to enjoy food, fun, and football. The Upper School Rock Bands set the tone with live music, while guests enjoyed tasty bites from a variety of food trucks. Students eagerly lined up for the dunk tank, sponsored by the Go Blue Booster Club, where they had the chance to dunk their favorite teachers and coaches. Others raced through inflatable obstacle courses or stopped by the festive stations to paint pumpkins, get face paint or glitter,

buy school spirit gear from the Spirit Shop, or even design custom hats.

In keeping with tradition, the P.E. Department hosted the annual K–5 P.E. Fun Run, where Lower School students, joined by parents, ran laps around the track before the football game. The crowd cheered enthusiastically from the stands as the runners zoomed by.

The 2024 Fun Run held extra significance as it honored Allison Baker, a beloved former St. Andrew’s parent who passed away earlier this year. Allison, the mother of Temple, Treeman, Cole, and Katherine, was an avid runner and an integral part of the MarathonKids program and the Fun Run during her time at St. Andrew’s. To honor her memory, her family, along with alumni, faculty, and friends, led the first lap in a heartfelt tribute.

The highlight of the evening was the Highlander football game, which did not disappoint. The team dominated in a thrilling 63–27 victory over LASA, keeping the crowd on their feet and filled with school pride. At halftime, Beck Stadium was alive with energy, featuring performances by the Cheer and Dance teams, a special Little Lights performance by K-5 students, and tributes to the 23–’24 SPC Championship Boys Basketball and Boys Lacrosse teams. The crowning of the 2024–2025 Homecoming Court added the perfect finishing touch to an unforgettable night.

St. Andrew’s Homecoming 2024 was a beautiful reminder of what makes this community so special— a place where traditions thrive, school spirit soars, and everyone belongs.

A huge thank you to Nifer Greenberg, Laura Townsend, Allison Bassetti, and the many parent volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring this fantastic event to life!

A Year of Titles

At the Upper School our varsity athletes continued to shine on the fields, courts, trails, tracks, pool, and dance floor this year! The inaugural year for the dance team was an incredible success from supporting teams each season to competing in competitions and performing their first full-length showcase. Every season boasted exciting competitions, personal bests, team growth and lots of Highlander pride! In a particularly triumphant year, the Highlanders took home four SPC championships this year—our boys and girls cross country team swept the podium, boys basketball repeated as 3A champions and boys lacrosse bested cross-town rival St. Stephen’s to continue their domination as the SPC lacrosse team to beat.

CROSS COUNTRY SWEEPS SPC

On the cool, crisp morning of November 9, history was made in Norbuck Park in Dallas, when the St. Andrew’s Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams each won their respective SPC championships meets, sweeping the top spot of the podium for the first time in the school’s history.

Luke Dial ’25 led the way with a 1st place finish in the boys’ race with a time of 16:16.40. He was followed by teammates Reed Robinson ’ 26 and Cyrus Shoghi 28 who finished 4th and 10th respectively. The final two

Highlanders to contribute to the scoring were William Metschan ’25 and Alexander Sutton ’26 finishing 11th and 13th, respectively, and giving the Highlanders 39 points and beating second place finishers, Awty International, by 29 points to take their second 3A title in three years.

On the girls side, Marina Obregon De la Mora ’ 28 set the pace with a 2nd place finish with the time of 20:21.11. Ava Sweeney ’25 and Sophia Kleeberg ’25 were on her heels with 7th and 8th place finishes respectively to also place three Highlanders in the top 10. Evey Flynn 27 and Sofia Rinaldo ’26 finished 11th and 14th respectively to give the Highlanders 42 points and the 1st place finish over John Cooper who finished with 55 points in the 2nd place spot.

Congratulations to both teams, Coaches Gilbert Tuhaybonye, Matt Bohan, and Liz Shelton on an incredible season and historic finish!

BOYS BASKETBALL GOES BACK-TO-BACK

The defending SPC 3A champion boys’ basketball team wrapped up an outstanding season with a 19–8 record, highlighted by a competitive tournament trip to California over Christmas break that helped sharpen their skills for the postseason, and an exciting and successful playoff run!

Entering the SPC tournament as the No. 2 seed after a 5–3 regular-season conference record, the Highlanders wasted no time making a statement. They opened with a dominant 71–36 win over John Cooper School in the quarterfinals, then edged past Cistercian in a hardfought 50–46 semifinal victory.

In the championship game, St. Andrew’s faced off against Episcopal School of Dallas—a team that had narrowly defeated them earlier in the season. The rematch was a physical, back-and-forth battle played in front of a packed gym and a buzzing crowd. With fans on the edge of their seats, the Highlanders held their composure and executed down the stretch, ultimately securing a 57–50 win to successfully defend their SPC 3A title.

BOYS LACROSSE WINS BACK-TO-BACK SPC TITLES WITH WIN OVER ST. STEPHEN’S

The Boys lacrosse team capped off a strong season with an 8–5 win over St. Stephen’s Episcopal School to claim the 2025 SPC 3A Championship. The victory marks back-to-back titles for the Highlanders and their third SPC championship in the past four years.

St. Andrew’s entered the tournament as the #2 seed after going 4–1 in conference play, with their only loss coming against St. Stephen’s during the regular season. After earning a first-round bye, the Highlanders advanced to the championship game with a hard-fought 3–2 win over Fort Worth Country Day in the semifinals.

In the final, St. Andrew’s made the most of their second chance against top-seeded St. Stephen’s. A focused and balanced team effort on both ends of the field helped the Highlanders to victory. Timely goals, strong defensive stands, and composed play under pressure allowed St. Andrew’s to come away with the 8–5 victory.

This year’s championship reflects not only the team’s skill and preparation, but also the continued strength of the lacrosse program at St. Andrew’s. With a strong foundation and a culture of teamwork and effort, the Highlanders once again proved they belong at the top of the SPC.

ATHLETIC AWARD WINNERS

Along with all the individual awards given to members of each team, St. Andrew’s gives out two distinguished awards at the end of each season.

The SPC Sportsmanship Award, given each season by the SPC, recognizes two student-athletes from each SPC school who demonstrate integrity and good sportsmanship during competition.

The Sterling Wilson Award, named in honor of Sterling Wilson, father of Grant and Trent ’ 09, is given to that athlete that best exemplifies the qualities of Sterling, who was passionate, fiery, and committed, both as an athlete and as a fan and supporter of the program.

The winners of these award, by season, were:

Fall: SPC Sportsmanship Award: Addie Zimmerman ’27, Girls Volleyball and James Borgerding ’ 25, Boys Volleyball; Sterling Wilson Award: Luke Dial ’ 25, Cross Country and Caroline Simmons ’ 25, Field Hockey

Winter: SPC Sportsmanship Award: Stormy Maebius ’25, Girls Basketball and Colin McCormick ’ 25, Boys Soccer; Sterling Wilson Award: Katherine Stone ’ 26, Girls Soccer and Nate Howard ’25 Boys Soccer

Spring: SPC Sportsmanship Award: Liam Metschan ’ 25, Track and Field and Nia Trevillion ’ 25, Girls Lacrosse; Sterling Wilson Award: Stormy Maebius ’25, Girls Lacrosse, and Luke McGrath ’25, Boys Lacrosse

Seniors who have committed to play sports at the collegiate level

Abraham Balser—Men’s Soccer at Savannah College of Art & Design

Grace Berry—Women’s Volleyball at Colorado College

Noah Castillo—Baseball at Southwestern University

Aydan Key—Football at Kenyon College

Dylan Knighten—Men s Lacrosse at Southwestern University

Sam Jones-Kokan—Football at Kenyon College

Caroline Simmons—Field Hockey at University of Richmond

Chaney Sternfeld—Cheerleading at University of Texas at Austin

Kylie Stuart—Women’s Swimming at University of Chicago

Nia Trevillion—Women s Lacrosse at Southwestern University

Unstoppable

Photography by A2Z Sports Media

This fall, the Varsity Cheer team teamed up with The Highlights Dance team in a dance-infused football field takeover!

88 ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Spirit

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Stratton

Winter Orchestra Concert

In the heart of winter, Middle & Upper School musicians performed their annual Orchestra Winter Concert!

“We played pieces such as Western Dawn, which has a very lively upbeat tune, Seek Ye First, which is a St. Andrew’s classic, and Somewhere in my Memory, the

theme song from the iconic movie Home Alone, ” said Levi W. ’30 “The music was led by our outstanding conductor and teacher, Mrs. Alvarado. It was a fantastic atmosphere, and the pieces sounded terrific when we all played in unison and harmony.”

Unstoppable Spirit

The Upper School photography students recently stepped off campus to view the current Ansel Adams exhibit at The University of Texas' Harry Ransom Center.

What's more, students also paid a visit to the iconic Hi, How Are You? mural by the late Austin artist, Daniel Johnston while on campus.

In early February, the St. Andrew’s Upper School hosted a Piano Festival, an event where upper school Master Keys Club pianists engaged with and judged performances by lower and middle school students, said LJ E. ’27, Master Keys publicity chair.

“The event created a fun and supportive environment for young musicians to showcase their talents!” LJ continued. “It was a successful day that brought together 16 students and families in celebration of musical talent!”

Rock Band Spring Concerts

Four SAS Upper School rock bands shared great tunes and original music at The Black Box in March and then hosted a festive “Rock-Tail Hour” at the 2025 Gala for Financial Aid!

Under the Sea: Sixth Grade Performs The Little Mermaid, Jr.

Bravo to our sixth grade choir and theatre stars!

We couldn't be prouder of the young performers who brought The Little Mermaid, Jr. to life with their talent, dedication, and enthusiasm. See this glimpse at some unforgettable moments from the show!

Third Graders

Explain “Why” in Pourquoi

Tales

SAS third graders recently delved into the wide world of frogs, reading frog-centric poetry and Pourquoi tales or stories that explain “why” certain things happen in the natural world the way they do.

Students went a step further, writing their own Pourquoi tales and then adapting several tales into scripts. They then created dramatic “ page to the stage” performances of these original stories!

Spring Concert Ensemble

The Upper School Fine Arts Department brought the campus to life with the Spring Concert Ensemble in the Dell Fine Arts Theatre, featuring standout performances by the Concert Choir, Select Choir, Jazz Band, Concert Band, and Orchestra.

But the music didn’t stop there—Mr. Jarusinsky’s Rock Band students closed out their season with high-energy sets in the Nazro Laboratory Black Box Theatre.

FOURTH GRADERS PRESENT

A Godly Dispute of Knowledge

In April, SAS fourth graders performed an original, student-written musical, A Godly Dispute of Knowledge—a creative culmination of their academic and artistic learning, and a hands-on extension of literacy skills, said Head of Lower School, Yvonne Russell.

“Their performance wove together poetry, math, history, science, and the value of arts and athletics,” she continued. “The students’ hard work was evident to everyone who attended the performances!”

Middle Schoolers Perform

High School Musical

We’re all in this together!

The Island of Dr. Libris

Set sail for adventure! Recently, SAS fifth graders brought imagination to life with their rollicking performances of The Island of Dr. Libris. Take a look at some magical moments from the show!

Our talented SAS Middle Schoolers lit up the stage with their performance of High School Musical this last week— and they brought the house down! From catchy tunes to heartfelt moments, the show was a celebration of friendship, self-expression, and being true to who you are.

Relive the energy, joy, and magic of their performance!

Joining Forces for The Empty Bowl Project

Middle school students and their families were recently invited to craft a bowl for The Empty Bowl Project. Each year, local artists, students, restaurant owners, and musicians work together through Empty Bowl to support Meals on Wheels of Central Texas and The Central Texas Food Bank Kids’ Cafe.

The turnout to the St. Andrew’s bowl making event was stunning, said Middle School Art teacher Kate Torres.

“It was so fun to see so many students and family members working together with purpose,” she said. “Attendees used 275 pounds of clay to make 82 bowls.

Those bowls have the potential to earn $2,460 for Meals on Wheels and The Central Texas Food Bank.”

In November, Torres hopes to see students and families at the Empty Bowl Project event, since it's the attendance that creates revenue for the two organizations.

At the event, artists and students contribute handmade bowls, restaurants contribute tasty soup and bread, and musicians offer entertainment as Austinites gather at the Central Texas Food Bank for pre-Thanksgiving fun.

A Teacher’s Perspective on Mamma Mia!

The Greek Island Musical Fantasy

By JUAN R. RECONDO , Upper School Spanish Teacher

As a child of the 70’s and early 80’s, I was inevitably surrounded by the music of ABBA, the Swedish musical group made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. So, as a Broadway fan, I was pleasantly surprised when Mamma Mia! opened on Broadway in 2001. ABBA ignited the jukebox musical fad that took over theatres in New York, London, and beyond.

The St. Andrew’s production of Mamma Mia!, which ran from February 5th through the 9th at the Dell Fine Arts Center (DFAC), brings to life a romantic Greek island through solid performances, amazing stagecraft, and songs that tempt every audience member to get up from their seats and dance.

A good show always makes you feel that there is an actual world that breathes on stage. The challenge of theatre artists and technicians is to make the audience believe in the physical dimensions of this constructed reality. Since I experienced one of the last dress rehearsals of Mamma Mia!, I was able to see the director giving directions; I listened to the musical director, Olivia Havel, making observations from the

Shows that fit the jukebox musical genre share specific characteristics. They use preexisting songs connected by an overarching narrative and are sung by fictional characters. Furthermore, the show is meant for a live performance, even when the songs were not originally composed for a musical. Mamma Mia! was not the first jukebox musical, but it opened the door for so many popular productions, which include Rock of Ages, based on 80s glam rock; On Your Feet!, which showcases Gloria Estefan’s music; and Hell’s Kitchen, based on Alicia Keys’ songs.

sound booth; and witnessed the choreographer, Taylor Rainbolt-Bernal, making sure that the dancing went without a hitch. Their energy demonstrates that what happens backstage and during rehearsals is as exciting as the show itself. But even with their interventions, the teenage performers behaved like seasoned professionals and continued inhabiting the Greek island where a young woman, Sophie (played by Amelia Brandon ’28 and Lucy Bowles ’25), looks forward to meeting her biological father, while her mother, Donna (played by Addy Zimmerman and Kaitlyn Zimmermann), prepares her small hotel for her daughter’s wedding.

The plot thickens when Sophie invites her three possible fathers to the wedding: Sam (played by Benjamin Gillham ’26), the romantic architect; Bill (played by William May 25 and David Moore ’25), the adventurous traveler; and Harry (played by Jude Bush ’25 and Matthew Sykes ’25), the proper British gentleman. Donna’s two best friends also come by to provide support. Their personalities beautifully complement each other with Donna’s independent spirit, Rosie’s (played by Andrea Osteicoechea ’25 and Allegra Pizzolatto 26) confident feminism, and

Tanya’s (played by Charli Squire ’25 and Ava Barnard ’26) love for the finer things in life. Alongside the main characters, the strong ensemble cast makes sure that the audience has fun.

As a Spanish teacher, it is inspiring to see students bring their best energy to the production. I was also highly impressed with the featured dancers, who added much needed corporeality and movement to ABBA’s hits. What’s more, the professional level of work of designers such as Nick Pascarosa ’ 25 (Technical Director), Bill Peeler ’25 (Lighting), Laura Skipper (Costumes), and Brydon H. Lidle, IV ’25 (Scenic and Projections Designer), among many others, ensures that the island of Kalokairi is filled with festive colors, white stonecolored structures, and the feeling of a sun-drenched Mediterranean beach.

Yet the true greatness of this dazzling show is the work that these teachers put into recreating an inspiring theatre experience for students. Furthermore, the sacrifice that the young performers devote to their work demonstrates that a student’s life is hard. But when they bring their all, magic and beauty will always be the inevitable outcome.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Student-designed sets bring magic to A Midsummer Night’s Dream performances

Upper School students have been hard at work designing and building the sets for the upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These artists have brought Shakespeare s enchanted forest to life with their craftsmanship and imagination.

Lower and Middle School Performers Bring Down The House

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

The curious, imaginative, mind-bending world of Alice in Wonderland was on display at the fifth grade musical this December.

STONE SOUP

The week before Thanksgiving, Lower School second graders performed, Stone Soup, a story based on a folk tale and parable about the value of sharing and caring for one another.

PETER PAN AND WENDY

In October, St. Andrew's Middle School performers brought to life J.M. Barrie’s classic story of Wendy, John and Michael Darling’s Adventures in Neverland with the inimitable Peter Pan, “the boy who would not grow up.”

Third Graders Donate 1,500 Books to BookSpring

In February, SAS third graders delivered over 1,500 books they had collected during their annual Book Drive. The field trip was a perfect conclusion to the a recent unit where students learned about access to books. At BookSpring, SAS third graders learned the ins and outs of a non-profit and how BookSpring serves the greater Austin community.

The Class

of

2028 Commits

to Serve

at the Central Texas Food Bank

This semester, every SAS freshman in the Class of 2028 is volunteering at the Central Texas Food Bank as a part of their commitment to service.

Sorting nourishing fruits and vegetables and helping fellow Austinites can be fun!

The Class of 2030 Experiences Camp Buckner

What an incredible experience for the 7th Grade Class of 2030!

This year’s Camp Service & Camp Buckner trip was filled with service, reflection, and fun. From volunteering at local organizations like Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center and Shoal Creek Conservancy, to tackling high ropes courses and creative activities at Camp Buckner, these Highlanders truly embraced every challenge!

Here's a glimpse of their journey—service projects, teambuilding adventures, and unforgettable moments.

Middle School Leaders Take to the Lake

“Last year we began a tradition of gathering all of our student leaders together for a culminating retreat during the Spring semester,” said Assistant Head of Middle School, Preston Achilike, Ph.D. “ This retreat includes a service project, fellowship, and reflection on their year as leaders.”

This year several student leaders gathered on Lake Travis for a change of scenery, as they partook in some trash pick-up and some fun paddle racing, as well as some intentional time to discuss their experiences and how they hope to move forward as servant leaders, he continued.

“This was a great year for the Middle School, and these students were able to close out the year with a most memorable time together,” Achilike added.

Sustainability Council Teams Up with Local Non-Profits to Clean Up Shoal Creek

“SAS students and members of the Sustainability Council joined the Shoal Creek Conservancy and the Gulf Trust’s Trash Free Gulf Campaign presented by H-E-B’s Our Texas, Our Future to help clean up litter in one of our local watersheds. The campaign aims to connect Texans with their shared waterways and the Gulf,” said SAS Junior and Sustainability Council leader, Sophia Kleberg ’26.

During the month of May, over 40 cleanup groups from across the state are partnering to clean up our watersheds and raise awareness for healthy streams, rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans, she continued. As part of this effort, cleanup partners will collect data on the type and volume of trash collected to support solutions addressing the root causes of excessive litter.

Tracking Monarchs

Middle school students gathered in spring to help safely capture and tag monarch butterflies at Waterloo Park in Central Austin.

Representing the Middle School Environmental Action Cabinet (EAC), student volunteers joined in the national Monarch Watch Tagging Program initiative, a collaborative effort to study the monarchs fall migration between organization, Monarch Watch, and community participants.

Slowing Down, Reflecting, and Connecting

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

At the end of the season, the data is submitted to Monarch Watch and added to a research database.

What’s more, the St. Andrew’s EAC students had a unique opportunity to work alongside and learn from Waterloo Greenway Conservancy’s Horticulture Supervisor, Adriane Horne. She provided the tools, materials, and guidance on best practices for capturing, tagging, and releasing the butterflies.

In October at Camp Capers and Mo Ranch, Upper and Middle School students gathered together in the beautiful Texas Hill Country to slow down, reflect, and connect each other off campus.

St. Andrew s Upper School freshman and seniors spent several days in Waring, Texas for the annual Camp Capers overnight retreats and SAS sixth graders headed to Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas for their annual three-day retreat.

Turning Science into Suds

Eighth graders use soap-making to make a difference

By DENIZ BEAL and DAVE RITCHIE , Eighth Grade Science Teachers

What began as a chemistry experiment, Middle School eighth graders have grown into something far more impactful through combining their creativity, financial skills, and strong sense of purpose to benefit the local community.

In September, eighth grade science students began the year by diving into chemistry—exploring acids, bases, neutralization reactions, and the saponification

process. After learning about the chemical processes, students put their know-how to work, making soap in the lab using plant-based oils such as shea and coconut combined with lye, a very strong base that requires careful attention to safety. Working with lye requires that students handle this powerful substance with caution and precision. Equipped with protective gear and making exact measurements, St. Andrew’s students took on the responsibility of working with a powerful substance, which heightened their focus and made their soap-making success even more rewarding.

What’s more, what made this chemistry project unique is how it grew well beyond the science lab.

St. Andrew’s students didn’t just make soap this year, they designed it. From soap molds shaped like Fruit Loops floating in "milk," to strawberry lemonade bars complete with tiny drink umbrellas, to boba tea-inspired creations topped with boba straws, the students’ imaginations led to some of the most unique designs we’ve ever seen. This project became a fusion of science and creativity, and our classroom transformed into a collaborative, STEM-driven environment. Instead of us standing at the front, teaching through lectures, we became facilitators, standing side-by-side with students as they brought their ideas to life.

LEVERAGING SOAP-MAKING SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE GREATER GOOD

Now in its third year, the annual eighth grade soapmaking project has grown into a powerful fundraiser. Our efforts are driven by a greater purpose: to sell soap, raise awareness for ALS, and set a yearly fundraising goal for the ALS Foundation of Texas.

This year, the eighth grade class set an ambitious goal of raising $4,000—an amount not yet reached by previous cohorts of eighth graders. Operating like a grassroots nonprofit, our students incorporated financial and math skills as they planned out their fundraising efforts. They set prices for their soaps, developed sales strategies, and practiced interpersonal skills, such as how to effectively ask for donations, even when no purchase was made. They were essentially running a business—deciding on product pricing, factoring in the cost of materials, and planning how best to reach their yearly goal.

On Grandparents Day in September, our eighth graders truly shined.

In the days leading up to the event, students presented their project during chapel, encouraging seventh and sixth graders to spread the word at home, raise awareness, and encourage families to support the cause by purchasing soap or making donations. The strategy worked. On Grandparents’ Day, a team of eighth graders set up a sales booth in the Middle School Commons, while teachers led a soap-making activity with grandparents and special friends in the classroom.

For the first time ever, the students sold out of soap completely, raising $3,100 in a single day—an all-time record. But they didn’t stop there. Determined to reach and even exceed their $4,000 goal, students have continued making more soap outside of class, fully committed to seeing the project through to its success.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

Even more impressive, what started as a friendly competition between class sections, has turned into a unified, grade-wide effort. This year, the entire eighth grade came together to tackle this as one, not only mastering chemistry and entrepreneurship, but also demonstrating collaboration, compassion, and initiative.

As their teachers, it has been incredible to watch our students grow through this experience. This isn’t just about raising money or making soap, it’s about showing Middle School students that they have the power to make a difference in the world, and watching them rise to that challenge with creativity, heart, and determination. By combining creativity, financial skills, and a strong sense of purpose, our students have taken a classroom experiment and turned it into something far more impactful: a real-world initiative that benefits their community and makes a lasting difference.

Bringing Beauty to Patients Through Art

One of the most extraordinary aspects of art is how it can beautify dark corners of a landscape, city, or room and invite viewers to contemplate and even find purpose and healing. This is exactly the transformational power that St. Andrew’s student-artist, John “Crosby” Averill ’26 , sought to harness when he set out to beautify a corner of the Austin State Hospital’s Children’s Ward with a hand painted mural this winter.

Inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall's vision and legacy of environmental stewardship, the St. Andrew’s junior kicked off an Austin-based chapter of Dr. Goodall’s youth conservation non-profit, Roots and Shoots.

Through months of research and legwork, Crosby developed a service project that brought together his passion for the natural world and his heart for service with Roots and Shoots.

With his vision in mind, he connected to Austin State Hospital Director of Community Relations, Cindy Reed, and together, the two collaborated on a design for a mural that would commemorate the community and brighten the hallways of the Austin State Hospital for some of its youngest patients and staff.

“Oscar, their therapy cat, had just passed away,” said Crosby. “There was interest from the community to commemorate him in some way, along with the entire community.”

Crosby hoped that this mural would not only memorialize Oscar and beautify the Children’s Ward,

he hoped that this mural would be a source of joy and hope. Another aspect that was important to Crosby was to incorporate nature in some way, along with a quote from Dr. Jane Goodall:

“It helps your own healing if you are doing something to help others.”

—DR. JANE GOODALL

Throughout the entire design and painting of the mural, the part that took the longest, according to Crosby, was coordinating the project specifics—designing the mural, cycling through feedback, gaining permissions, and ironing out logistics.

“Once I started painting, the work went quickly,” he said. When Crosby had put the final touches on the mural and the paint had dried, the art was ready to be installed.

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE: INSTALLATION DAY

In the lead up to installation day, Crosby was a little nervous. He had worked so hard to bring this mural to life, he said, but he wasn’t certain how it would be

received at the Children’s Ward.

But when installation day finally arrived, however, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“The ceremony was actually my favorite part,” he said. “All of the work had finally paid off and the kids and staff were excited about it.”

One of the young patients even gave Crosby a drawing of his own as a thank you for painting the mural.

Reflecting on the project, Crosby said he would jump at the chance to design and paint another mural in the future.

“It was a good experience to have, especially for art school,” he said. “It’s not just the painting that is a challenge—creating a design for someone else is a good skill to have and develop.”

Crosby comes from a family of advocates and artists. His brother, alum Jackson Averill ʼ 20, is hard at work designing and painting a mural for the Athletics Complex & Student Union, which will open this fall.

Celebrating Light in the Darkness

By PRIYA KENNY , K–8 Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

If we haven't been properly introduced, my name is Priya Kenny. I am the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Director for Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Much of my job is straightforward: I plan cultural events, lead some professional development for our teachers, write advisory curricula, and generally try to stay ahead of the curve as it relates to DEIB. We want to build a school where all students can thrive regardless of their identity.

As for me, I thought I'd share a bit about my identity. I very much identify as an immigrant, in part because I didn't really “settle” in one place until I was an adolescent. I spent my early years in Kuwait, where my father worked in the oil industry, and my mother did her best to acclimate and raise my brother and me. After that, we immigrated to New York and eventually came to Bryan, Texas when I was a pre-teen because of a program that brought skilled medical professionals— my aunt and uncle—to communities lacking proper medical care.

I'm originally from India, and although the caste system was banned soon after independence in 1947, many Indians in India still live somewhat segregated lives along caste, religion, and other identities. My family were “Latin Catholics” whose families came to the religion from Portuguese colonists in the sixteenth century. My parents met briefly in my grandmother's living room a week before their arranged wedding, facilitated in part by the semi-segregated life of their caste identity.

When they moved to “the Gulf,” my parents largely abandoned the segregation patterns they were raised with in exchange for a bustling social life. Though Diwali is a primarily religious Hindu holiday, we were lucky enough to celebrate it with my family’s Indian neighbors who invited us into their homes. I fondly remember eating jelabi in new clothes at our friend's house as bright diyas were lit around us. I remember

the joy of singing and dancing to Bollywood music as we made colorful rangolis. It's a vibrant festival of the triumph of good over evil, one of the most transcendent themes ever.

All this means that my experience of identity related to Diwali is interesting. Throughout my life, people who don't know much about India have assumed that I celebrate Diwali as part of my heritage because of my name and skin color, but other people from India shared this with me as an outsider.

It is just one example of how our self-identity and identity as perceived by others change based on context and knowledge, especially those of us who have experienced life as immigrants.

In any case, I am still thrilled every year to celebrate Diwali with the St. Andrew's community! Though Diwali is officially celebrated on Oct. 31st at St. Andrew's, Diwali festivities continued across our three divisions throughout November.

Just as my family welcomed new traditions years ago, I hope that our students who don't observe this faith will also lean into and embrace the joy of this auspicious holiday every year.

Becoming a Lifelong Learner

Dear St. Andrew’s Fund Donors,

Thank you so much for your donation to the St. Andrew’s Fund! Words cannot express how grateful I am for my time at SAS. During Thanksgiving, when I am asked what I am thankful for, the St. Andrew’s community is always at the top of my list, only second to my family.

I have attended SAS since the first grade, and ever since I can remember, the strong sense of community has always been the aspect of St. Andrew’s that stands out to me.

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.

Our student-teacher relationships foster a learning environment that is hard to replicate. Teachers not only care about what they teach, but they attempt to understand their students genuinely. I feel a sense of calm in classes in which I struggle because I know my teachers are on my side and want to help me learn and succeed. Teachers and administrators at St. Andrew’s not only recognize students’ potential, they champion it.

Recently, I was at club field hockey practice at a different school when a St. Andrew’s teacher spotted me out of the crowd and came over to say hello. This teacher has never taught me, other than occasional help in the math office. However, he knew me by name and showed an interest in getting to know me. This is repeated through so many faculty interactions. I now recognize how these connections are critical to my learning, and I would not be the student or person I am today without them.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is how to make mistakes and then grow from them. My AP Chemistry teacher, Ms. Albach, always says that “chemistry” is “chem is try” because she wants us to push us to be our best selves. She has helped me understand that it is okay to be uncomfortable while learning. I know that the academic experiences at SAS will not only teach us how to find derivatives and read Shakespeare, but also how to build relationships, and be a life-long learner.

The school’s emphasis on developing a whole person is evident in the four pillars: Scholar, Artist, Athlete, and Servant. St. Andrew’s is a place where you can fit into all categories and we are pushed out of our comfort zones to embody all of them. Our minds are constantly engaged in classes, and we have seemingly endless opportunities to try new things outside the classroom.

My opportunities to grow in and out of the classroom would not be possible without donors like you, and I sincerely thank you for your donations and support!

Caroline Simmons ’25

Senior

By

Each year, it seems like there are more and more events, celebrations, and services. Always with the best intentions, but nonetheless, we cram in every single thing we can in the spring. There are welcome events, farewell events, Senior Projects, pep rallies, SPC competitions, and award services. Some traditions have been around for decades, and some are newer than that, but each has been created with a specific goal in mind.

Two of my favorite events in the spring, the Senior Wildflower Chapel and the Senior Dinner, focus on celebrating our senior class in the spirit of becoming alumni.

The Senior Wildflower Chapel in March serves as a quiet moment to pause at the start of Senior Spring— a final chance to breathe before the rush of the season—while the Senior Dinner in May marks its close.

The tradition of the Senior Wildflower Chapel began with the Class of 2021. It was the height of the pandemic, and that senior class had not been together, all at once, for about a year. I find that it’s important to remember why this event started, and to understand that the underlying goal still hasn’t changed. Mother Whitney and I feel strongly about the symbolism of taking the senior class away from the heart of campus

to share a meal together, to experience nature together, to worship together, and to leave a mark on the place that has helped mold them.

Once again, we had beautiful weather for the Wildflower Chapel. Our seniors enjoyed a picnic ahead of heading into the PARK, sitting beneath one of our majestic oaks. In a meaningful gesture, each student and advisor scattered wildflower seeds—planting beauty for future classes of St. Andrew’s students.

The peaceful moment of pause is disrupted by the fun of the Senior Campout and Spring Break. As school resumes after a week off, so does the planning and preparing for tests, senior projects, and final college decisions. Before we know it, we’re winding down again, and getting ready for Graduation.

A week before Graduation, St. Andrew’s faculty and alumni came together to celebrate and honor the Class of 2025 at their Senior Dinner. This cherished tradition marks both a joyful conclusion and a hopeful beginning, offering seniors a moment to reflect on their time at St. Andrew’s and to look ahead to the future.

Ahead of the evening, the seniors were encouraged to take part in the Senior Challenge: a crash course in becoming a St. Andrew’s alum. They were asked to update their contact information, join our True Blue Alumni Network, and make a deferred pledge to the St. Andrew’s Fund—one that will be fulfilled at their five-year reunion in 2030. These small, yet meaningful actions ensure that the Class of 2025 stays rooted in the values and relationships they’ve built here, while also investing in the future of the school and those who will follow in their footsteps.

The evening was made even more special with an address from alum Dr. Courtney Wiener ’04 Courtney shared memories of her time at St. Andrew’s and reflected on the ways her high school experience continues to shape her life. She reminded seniors that transition is both exhilarating and daunting—filled with new environments, unfamiliar faces, and unexpected growth. Courtney spoke candidly about her own setbacks, including a difficult medical school admissions process, and encouraged students to find fulfillment in effort and purpose.

Courtney left the seniors with four research-backed principles for living a happy and meaningful life— principles she believes St. Andrew’s instilled in her from the beginning: staying physically active, seeking meaningful work, practicing mindfulness and gratitude, and building strong, supportive communities and relationships. As she reflected on her own enduring friendships, treasured school memories, and the impact of beloved teachers, she encouraged the Class of 2025 to carry the spirit of St. Andrew’s with them wherever they go. “This community will always be a part of you,” she said, “and you will always be a part of it.”

And that is the most important. As the Class of 2025 graduates, they also take on a new role—as alumni of St. Andrew’s. While their time as students comes to a close, their connection to the school remains strong and lasting. The St. Andrew’s alumni community is a wide-reaching and supportive network, built on shared experiences, values, and lasting friendships. Whether they return for reunions, connect through the True Blue Alumni Network, or simply carry the school’s traditions with them, graduates will always have a place here. St. Andrew’s is more than a school—it’s a lifelong community, and its doors will always be open.

JULIA DRISCOLL , Director of Alumni Relations

Spring

Remembering Sterling Oles ’05 Remembering Ben Ledet ’20

Sterling Oles O�Hara passed away peacefully on April 16, 2025, in God's presence, surrounded by her proud and loving family, after a valiant six-year battle with cancer. The bravery, grace, and selflessness she demonstrated during those years and throughout her life touched many thousands. She leaves behind a legacy of “Sterling Strong” to which all can aspire.

Sterling was born in Austin, was a St. Andrew’s lifer and a beloved member of the Class of 2005. A standout athlete, she led the varsity lacrosse team to two state championship games and earned all-state honors for her skill and leadership.

After graduation, Sterling attended SMU, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Sterling lived a life of service, moving to East Africa after college with the Uganda American Partnership to

work on the Akola Project, which supports Ugandan women entrepreneurs through sustainable business development. This experience sparked her interest to move to Washington, D.C. to work in national politics, which then led her to New York City to work for Fox News as a producer, writer and booker.

Sterling married Brendan O’Hara in 2016. They had returned home to Texas as Brendan was heading to graduate school at UT Austin. Sterling jumped in to work alongside her father as his Chief of Staff at Barshop & Oles Company in commercial real estate.

Sterling and Brendan decided to settle in Dallas in 2018 and welcomed twins James and Parker on June 27, 2019. Sterling bravely battled cancer for six years while raising her twins. They were her greatest gifts, and she spent her time with them as the most loving and compassionate mother she could be.

Sterling is greatly missed, but her work continues. Visit www.sterlingolesoharafoundation.com for more information on Sterling’s lifelong passion for health, nutrition, and wellness.

Benjamin Earl Ledet (“Ben”), a beloved son, brother, and friend to so many, passed away suddenly on August 10, 2024, at his home in Austin, Texas. He was born on September 17, 2001.

Ben had a truly extraordinary zest for life. With an inquisitive mind and boundless energy, he developed countless and varied passions, ranging from playing sports, particularly football, to hunting and fishing, golfing, and playing video games with friends. He had a passion for astronomy and loved to have deep conversations about the natural world around him (often lasting into the early morning hours). Ben had an exceptionally kind heart, a fun-loving and outgoing

personality, and an enduring smile. He enjoyed a beer, a shot of tequila, and his most favorite—Topo Chico. Ben never met a stranger. He was fiercely loyal. He left a lasting impression on everyone he met, and will be dearly missed.

Ben was a lifer and a beloved member of the St. Andrew’s Class of 2020. He was a standout leader and player on the varsity football team, and was a friend to all. His infectious energy and goofy sense of humor brought so much joy to our school. After his graduation from St. Andrew’s, Ben went on to study at Louisiana State University, where he was a proud member of the Theta Xi fraternity.

Alumni News

1 AMANDA BECK FOSTER 68 was one of the first alums to tour our new Athletics Complex & Student Union this fall!

2, 3 EMILY (KLUG) SLAUGHTER ’ 95 posed with son Dawson 37 , and LIZZY (GARCIA) JIMENEZ 08 joined daughter Ella ’ 36 for all the fun at our PE Open House this fall!

4 Congratulations to BAILEY HISLOP 13 on the birth of her baby boy, Mateo, seen here with big sister Sofia!

5 ALICE NEZZER 81 took a school trip to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Osaka, Japan this fall. While in Osaka, Alice met up with WILL PEARSON ’ 13 (seen here with Upper School Head Dr. Steven Fletcher), who is living in the area and teaching English. Alice was Will’s 8th grade English teacher!

6 MAX FROST ’ 11 released a new album this fall named The Road to Shelby Ave

7 KYLEE ORLANDO 12 was chosen to be a dancer in the Center for Child Protection’s annual Dancing with the Stars fundraiser. The event raised $2.8 million to support victims of child abuse in the greater Austin community.

9 CAMILLE HUDSON ’ 15 married Josh Minor on June 15, 2024, in Driftwood, Texas.

10 MEGAN THOMPSON HANGLITER ’ 15 welcomed baby girl London Joy Hangliter this fall!

11 ETHAN ROGERS ’ 17 has been touring around the country with the Broadway Musical, Back to the Future , playing the role of Biff. The show has received raving reviews, and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. This comes after Ethan toured with Les Misérables as one of the youngest actors to ever perform the role of Jean Valjean.

JEFF MCCRARY 94 passed the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7 exam in October.

ANNA RAU ’ 07 just started an MBA program at McCombs Business School this fall.

8 TRACE TURNER 13 has been busy building his directors portfolio with numerous shows in the Austin area. This fall, he created an AI interactive theatre piece called [oracle.ai] for the 2024 Frontera Short Fringe Festival and it was selected for the Best of Fest showcase. In May, Trace directed Aurora by Chris Fontanes for Bottle Alley Theatre Company, for which he was awarded a Bottle for Best Directing. He also directed the premier staged reading of Roaring by Kathleen Fletcher for Archive Theatre Company in July. Jack & Aiden , a show Trace directed in December of 2023 by Lane Michael Stanley & Tova Katz at Ground Floor Theatre, was nominated for 10 B. Iden Payne Awards (the local theatre awards), including Outstanding Direction of a Musical. This December, he directed Falsettos by William Finn and James Lapine at Ground Floor Theatre, which opened December 5th and ran through December 21. Trace was also nominated for Best Director in the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Entertainment Readers Poll.

KATE SARAHAN ’ 19 started a new role as Legislative Aide to Senator Judith Zaffirini, Dean of the Texas State Senate. She is excited to be back in Austin and working in the Legislature again, after spending time in Washington, D.C. serving as a Staff Assistant for Lloyd Doggett.

SAM RAUCH ’ 20 was recently awarded Austin’s All-Star for Portfolio Night 2024. This annual portfolio review is put on by the One Club for Creativity and hosted by Hahn, a creative agency based in Austin. Working creatives from all kinds of different industries, from tech companies to financial firms to freelance designers, came to offer reviews to young professionals like Sam. Among the 25–30 portfolios submitted, Sam’s was selected as the winning one, showing the strongest combination of good ideas, strong execution, and well-designed presentation.

1 BO STALOCH ’ 23 has been touring around the US, Canada and the UK with various artists like Wyatt Flores, Ashe, Zach Bryan and Turnpike Troubadours. NINA NAPLES ’21 has joined him for parts of his touring!

2 RORY O’HARA ’ 24 , SOPHIA SINGH ’ 23 and WILLIAM SYKES ’ 23 met up in the Boston area, where they are all attending school!

3 WALTER RICHARD ’ 24 is a freshman at the University of Colorado, and had the opportunity to compete in the CU Sustainability Hackathon. Walter’s team designed and built out a concept for Mallard Energy, a Thermal Energy Battery company with the goal of reducing wasted renewable energy and bringing added stability to the grid. The group was awarded a grant by 1000 Gretas to support their further development of their design and ideas.

4 In August, the CLASS OF 2024 returned to campus one last time at their Summer Send Off to pick up their yearbooks and catch up with one another before heading off on their adventures this fall!

5 This November, College Counselor Chad Fulton returned to his alma mater, The University of Tennessee, and met up with ADDI SELL 24

6 Last summer, we held our very first alumni event at Austin FC! Thank you to all who came out to support the home team. Our next Austin FC Alumni Event will be against LA FC on Saturday, July 5!

Some highlights include:

7 Such a great time reconnecting with so many alumni at our LA Alumni Dinner at Messhall Kitchen. Thank you to everyone who braved the LA traffic to get together with us.

8 JACK GUTTELL 18 hosted Chad Fulton, EVIE DEWEY ’ 23 , Courtney Elliott and Sarah Baldino for lunch at HomeState, the restaurant he manages. Jack graduated from Loyola Marymount University in LA, where Evie is now a sophomore.

9 JENNA SCHNEIDER 22 gave Chad Fulton, Elizabeth Guice and Courtney Elliott a tour of USC, where she is a junior, and they bumped into freshman GRACIE IMES ’24 while on campus!

10 Courtney Elliott snapped a selfie with former advisee STEPHEN ANDRULIS 21 , who attends UCLA.

11 Chad Fulton visits with former advisees GABRIEL KENNEDY ’ 18 , PATRICK WILSON 20 and BRADY KURAD ’ 22

12 This fall, alumni have been stopping by campus to speak with students through our Career Pathways Club. This club aims to help current upper school students explore and learn about various potential career paths through lunch meetings with St. Andrew ’s alumni. Some visitors have included DR. ALLISON PORTNOY 05 (pictured), who serves as an Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health and KYLEE ORLANDO ’ 12 , who works in marketing for Keller Williams.

In September, our College Counseling team was in Los Angeles for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) annual conference. Of course, no visit to LA is complete without visiting with our former students, who came out for campus tours, lunches, and our big LA Alumni Dinner. It was so special to gather with alumni from 2003 to 2024 who have settled in the Los Angeles area.

1 Our partnership with the St. Stephen’s Alumni Association has continued to strengthen. Once again, we had a fantastic turnout at our fall happy hour in October. Thank you to everyone who came out! More photos can be found here.

2 Thank you to all of our alumni, faculty and friends who gathered at this year’s Alumni Holiday Party. Click here for a full album from this treasured annual celebration

3 Our first Alumni event of the new year was our Alumni Soccer Game! Our soccer alums returned to the pitch for a friendly match against the varsity team, and some continued to the Haymaker for Premier League Soccer over snacks and drinks with Coach Fitz. Thank you to all who came out to play & watch!

4, 5, 6 This fall, our alumni, parents, current students, and faculty hit the links of Butler Pitch & Putt for our second Alumni Golf Tournament, hosted by the Alumni Board.

It was a beautiful afternoon for this event, which saw many different constituents coming together to raise money for the St. Andrew's Fund. Guests and golfers arrived at Butler Pitch & Putt, signed in, and teed off after hearing from Head of School Melissa Grubb, and MICAH WIENER ’ 03 , vice president of the Alumni Board.

Our youngest golfers were lower school students

THOMAS WARDLAW '34 and MAX EMBLETON '35 , who played with seniors LUKE PADDOCK and ZAIN OSBORNE .

All proceeds from this event benefit the St. Andrew's Fund!

1st place: Townsend Smith, Max Conte, Joel Berner, and Michael Speshock

2nd place: WILL TEMPLE ’ 12 , WILLIAM SEALY ’ 12 , Sam Moon, WILLIE BEUERLEIN ’ 14

Thank you to our sponsors:

Putting Green Sponsor: Kelsey Leigh Hughes, Fine Jewelry & Gifts

Food Sponsor: Michael Hsu, Office of Architecture

Lawn Games Sponsor: TexaScapes

Tracey Bury, who made a very generous donation to this event and all of our tee sign sponsors!

Read more about the tournament here!

7 KATHRYN MILLER ANDERSON 65 shared this photo from the graduation party for the Class of 1965 with their teacher, Lillian Corner.

8 SARAH WILSON 92 was selected as the 2025 Texas Book Festival poster artist. The photograph, Big Slide, Santa Elena , comes from her book DIG: Notes on Field and Family , for which she was a featured author at last year’s festival.

9 WHITNEY LANGSTON LEWIS ’ 09 and her husband, Clayton, welcomed Langston Bloom Lewis this spring!

10 HATTIE SHERMAN ’ 12 married Collier Gray on May 3 in Lockhart, Texas.

11 DR. KENDRA SCHAFER 14 and DR. ADAM ZEB 14 are both serving their residencies within the same hospital network in San Antonio!

12 STEPHEN ANDRULIS 21 writes, “I graduated in December, 2024, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from UCLA. I live in Los Angeles, working as credit analyst in Western Alliance Bank's commercial banking development program for recent graduates. I serve in the Public, Non-profit, & Affordable Housing division supporting municipal bond and debt financing infrastructure projects around the country.”

CATHERINE CHLEBOWSK ’10 recently moved law firms to join Winstead PC in their Houston office. Fellow alums JASE BURNER ’09 and JACKSON HUGHES ’15 also work with the firm!

1 JOHN BURROWS ’ 21 graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

2 HELEN CHAPIN-EISERLOH 21 , seen here with brother OLIVER ’ 18 , graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

3 EUGENIA DE LA GARZA 21 just graduated cum laude from New York University with a major in Drama and a minor in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. You can catch her at Zilker Theatre Productions summer production of Bring It On!

4 CAM GUTTELL ’ 21 graduated from Texas Christian University summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She was also awarded the Senior Scholar Award, which honors a senior that demonstrates leadership and academic achievement throughout their degree. While a student, Cam played on the TCU Beach Volleyball team, winning their first Division I National Championship—the first non-California team to do so! She will continue on to attend the Boston College School of Social Work, while working with Kiwi Recovery.

5 JACK HAVEMANN 21 graduated from Rice University, double majoring with a BA in Finance and Economics. He will be working as a Strategy Analyst for Accenture in Houston starting in the fall.

6 EMMA SCHMIDT ’ 21 writes, “I graduated summa cum laude from GWU with a BS in civil engineering and was awarded the Dean’s Alumni Prize and the Cruickshanks Award. I will be working in Reston, Virginia as a transit engineer for Kimley-Horn starting this Fall.”

7 MADELINE SWEANY ’ 21 writes, “This May, I graduated from the Texas A&M University Honors Program with a degree in Communication and a certificate in Strategic Communication. I was named one of the Top 10 Outstanding Seniors for the College of Arts and Sciences.”

8 MARIA TOBIAS 21 graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts. Next, she’ll be working in public relations at ECPR in Austin, TX.

9 LEONARDO SILVA ’ 21 graduated from Vanderbilt University, and is moving to New York City to work for a company named AlphaSights.

10 GEHRIG ZIMMERMAN ’ 21 graduated from Gordon College with a double major in Business and Finance. Sisters ADDY ’ 27 and ANNIE ’ 23 were there to celebrate!

11 On Sunday, May 25, our Alumni Baseball players returned to Tommy Yager Field to take on our current baseball team. The game resulted in an 8–5 win by the Alumni! Many thanks to all of our players, fans, and grillmaster, Brett Schwab, for such a fun day at the diamond!

TRISTAN GALLAGHER 21 graduated from Carroll College with a BS in Civil Engineering and has taken an engineering position in Boise ID.

BENJAMIN JACKSON ’ 21 graduated from the University of the South with a Bachelor of Science degree.

GRACE MCGRATH ’ 22 will be spending this summer working with APG in Los Angeles as an Artist and Repertoire intern, while participating in the UTLA program. She’ll be working on artist scouting and trend analysis.

CADE MCCALL 24 has started work as an assistant to a celebrity fashion stylist in New York City while continuing to expand his retail experience at a luxury boutique in the MeatPacking district.

CHARLIE MOORE 24 competed in the Ascension Seton CapTex Triathlon in May, scoring top 3 in his age group!

Save The Date Alumni Gatherings

Alumni, please join us for these upcoming events!

TRUE BLUE ALUMNI COFFEE

First Thursday of every* month (August–May) 7:30 a.m.

Start your day with coffee and connection with fellow alumni in the Austin area! *exception: January 8

ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY

Saturday, December 23, 6:30 p.m.

Celebrate the holidays with SAS Alumni and Faculty at Santa Rita Cantina!

ALUMNI HOMECOMING TAILGATE

Friday, October 24, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

All Alumni are welcomed back to campus for our annual Homecoming Festivities, including the Alumni Homecoming Tailgate in the *new* Athletic Complex. Join us for an evening filled with drinks, snacks, and the chance to reconnect with old friends while watching SAS Athletics.

REUNION WEEKEND

Friday–Saturday, April 17–18, 2026

Classes of 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021—this is your Reunion Year!

Save the date to celebrate this important milestone. All Alumni at least 5 years out are invited to attend Reunion events!

This spring, St. Andrew’s welcomed back the milestone classes of 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 to celebrate their 20th, 15th, 10th, and 5th year reunions, respectively.

The weekend kicked off with Kyle Fadal ’ 05 serving as our Alumni Speaker in Chapel. Kyle remarked that he was part of the first freshman class that had seniors above him on the Southwest Parkway campus. “When I started school here, the Dallas Cowboys were winning Super Bowls,” he joked.

He went on to speak on faith being belief in action.

“As you go out into this world, do good. You have been given great gifts, each of you uniquely made as reflections of God’s character. Be the light. Help people. Be authentic. I can promise you, if you live your life loving God, you will have purpose and find true joy.”

After Chapel, our Alumni were invited to tour the campus, including our new Athletics Complex & Student Union.

The weather was perfect on Saturday night for our Reunion Dinner on the Nazro Green. The evening was filled with bluegrass music from musician David McDonald ’07 and his band, Steel Betty, as well as delicious food and drinks from The Grove. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate.

Next year’s date is April 17–18, 2026. We can’t wait to celebrate with the Classes of 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. If you are interested in joining the planning efforts, email alumni@sasaustin.org

An Evening in Wonderland

This April, the SAS community gathered for an extraordinary night in Wonderland!

This year’s Gala for Financial Aid was one of the most memorable yet—and a beautiful testament to the strength of our St. Andrew’s community.

"The warm, generous spirit of our St. Andrew's community shone through in extraordinary ways that will positively impact students in life-changing ways," said Head of School, Melissa Grubb.

From the magical Evening in Wonderland entertainment to the incredible philanthropy of our community, the event was nothing short of phenomenal. Together, we raised over $1 million to support financial aid for future St. Andrew's students and their families!

Extra special thanks to Co-Chairs Morgan Burnham, Debra Gillham, and Misty Reid. St. Andrew’s support and spirit is one of the ways our community is truly extraordinary.

Watch this short video to learn how financial aid is meaningfully changing lives in our school community

Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day

September 25 & 26, 2025

Friday, September 5, 2025

Gala for Financial Aid 2025

Leadership Team

MELISSA GRUBB Head of School

ALICE NEZZER

Associate Head of School

STEVEN FLETCHER, PH.D Head of Upper School

TIM MOORE Head of Middle School

YVONNE RUSSELL Head of Lower School

BRANDON ARMBRUSTER Chief Operations Officer

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

KATHY QUISENBERRY Director of Human Resources

Board of Trustees

JOHN BURNHAM

BETH COHEN

NICOLE BRENNIG

EVAN DIAL ʼ 95

SILVER GARZA

SEAN GREENBERG

VICKY GREGG

MICHAEL HSU

EDDIE LEWIS

CHRIS MABLEY

LISA MILLER ʼ 96

JASON NEAR

SARAH QUEEN 88

RAVI REDDY

YVETTE RIOS, EX-OFFICIO

VERÓNICA ROSAS FERNANDEZ

J.R. RUIZ

JOHN SPONG

TODD STEPHENSON

AISHA D. GAYLE TURNER

ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

1112 WEST 31ST STREET

AUSTIN, TEXAS 78705

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