Patterns Magazine - Jan. 2019

Patterns

WINTER

2019

The Magazine of St. Martin’s Episcopal School

Help St. Martin’s unlock $500,000 for our campaign!

5.5

$

A friend of St. Martin’s announced a gift of $500,000 to the campaign when the fundraising total reaches $5 million.

You have the key to make this a reality! All gifts help the school claim the $500,000 and cross the finish line!

Visit stmartinschool.org for more details and to give online.

Pledges can be paid over 1-5 years. Thank you to those who have already given!

Together build.

invent.

play.

Replace the destroyed home of the Early Childhood program with a transformative space that doubles the size of the original building and creates additional classrooms, a multi-purpose space, and a STEAM village.

Expand the Elementary School STEAM lab to take better advantage of adjacent outdoor space.

Replace the turf that is used daily by more than half of the school’s students, and address other renovations needed within Warrior Hall.

MILLION

ANONYMOUS DONOR

92%

OF GOAL

The Campaign for St. Martin’s Episcopal School

Patterns EDITOR Kristi Gaffney

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Luis Ottley Kristi Gaffney Sarah Taylor Dr. Mary McPherson Cindy Alexander Tony Shaffer Dr. Tiffany Russell Nicholas Lennon, 8th grade Gracie Crofton, 8th grade Photography: Kristi Gaffney Sarah Taylor Adam Linke Paul Ward Design: Kathy Florence ADMINISTRATION Dr. Luis Ottley Head of School Cindy Alexander Principal, Early Childhood Dr. Mary McPherson Principal, Elementary School Tony Shaffer Principal, Middle School John Cunningham Chief Financial Officer Kristi Gaffney Director of Marketing Tina Haas Director of Advancement Blythe Marsau Director of Enrollment Management and Tuition Assistance Dr. Tiffany Russell Director of Diversity and Inclusion The Rev. Stefanie Taylor Chaplain Deacon Amy Dills-Moore Associate Church Rector Patterns is published biannually by St. Martin’s Episcopal School. Please direct any letters, comments or news items to: St. Martin’s Episcopal School 3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 (404) 237-4260 Attn: Kristi Gaffney www.stmartinschool.org kgaffney@stmartinschool.org Mission Statement : St. Martin’s Episcopal School is dedicated to providing a quality education of the whole person in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning.

contents

WINTER

2019

this issue

2 4 13 14 18 22 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 36 Follow us!

LETTER

From the Head of School SEEN & HEARD

News and happenings in the school community WELCOME BACK, TODDLERS

Two-year-olds return to St. Martin’s preschool program TOGETHER WE MOVE

New Early Childhood Learning Center opens doors LIFE IN THE MIDDLE

SMES’ Middle School Principal shares his perspective W H AT I F?

Thoughts from SMES’ new Director of Diversity and Inclusion B R I N G I N G T H E S TAG E TO L I FE

A recap of the Drama Club’s Jr. One-Act play competition JOIN THE CLUB!

Club options for SMES students INBOUND PANAMÁ E XCHANG E

Students from Panamá spend three weeks at SMES FAC U LT Y N E W S

Updates from our faculty and administration SPORTS WRAP-UP

Fall sports teams complete seasons P O R T R A I T O F A G R A D UAT E

Austin Logan, Class of 1994 CLASS NOTES

Alumni News VOICES

Mary McPherson, Elementary School Principal

@NewsatSMES

smesatl

celebrating:

faith

from the head of school Dear SMES Families, Dr. Luis A. Ottley

Happy New Year to the entire St. Martin’s community! My hope is that everyone enjoyed a time of reflection and renewal over the Christmas holiday break and we can now move forward with purpose into a brand new year. The month of January is typically full of resolutions and planning and I’ve spent the past weeks both reflecting and looking forward to what looks to be a very exciting 2019 at St. Martin’s.

As I spent time planning, I was struck by a calling to be more prayerful in my thinking and it took the form of three steps I would like to share with you: Stand. Watch. Prepare.

Stand. I’m choosing to believe that ours is a safe universe—a universe God chose to enter as an infant. Watch. I’m choosing to consciously look for a coming that has already come and will come again. Prepare. I’m choosing to snatch moments from the busyness of my life and find wisps of awe and wonder. Going through these steps has given me the comfort to rediscover that God has chosen to dwell in us and that we are invited to be ready to dwell in God. I invite you to undergo your own personal planning process with God at your side.

This issue of Patterns is grounded in celebration of our core values. I invite you to peruse the pages of the magazine to read about some of the activities that occurred during the first semester and to learn more about upcoming news, programs and philosophies at St. Martin’s Episcopal School. You can read about the status of our new Early Childhood Learning Center that, at press time, is just weeks from welcoming students into classrooms. We can celebrate the endless possibilities for educating and nurturing our youngest students in this state-of-the-art space. To support the building and other improvements around campus, we’re happy to report robust news of our community coming together to truly support the capital campaign, Together We Rise, that has made the new space a reality after the arson fire.

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SMES Core Values

You’ll get a great view from “The Middle” as middle school principal Tony Shaffer shares St. Martin’s’ philosophy on the value of growing up in a preschool-8th-grade configuration. He shares why middle school is truly “the point.” This year has welcomed a new director of diversity and inclusion, Dr. Tiffany Russell, to campus and she shares a message about the importance of asking questions. Dr. Russell’s mission at our school is founded in kindness and I look forward to her continued contribution and integration into the community at large.

I’m also pleased to continue the Patterns tradition of including stories written by two of our 8th-grade students. We celebrate uniqueness as we allow our oldest students to spread their wings and explore their capabilities as students and human beings. The Portrait of a Graduate feature celebrates milestones in two ways. This issue’s spotlight is a “first” as he is both an alumnus and a SMES parent. As part of St. Martin’s first graduating 8th-grade class in 1994, Austin Logan has come full circle by bringing his son to join the St. Martin’s family as a student.

There is much more to read and learn in this issue and I invite you to enjoy it in its entirety.

As we all prepare for the journey into 2019, I encourage you to be mindful of John’s mission of preparation to be a fit disciple of Jesus in the book of Luke. God seeks to prepare him to be a ready follower so all mankind can be ready for God’s salvation. This is a great reminder that we can all be prepared for the road ahead in this New Year.

Luke 3:3-6 Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, And the crooked shall be made straight,and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Wishing you love, light and blessings always,

2018 was a year full of new initiatives at St. Martin’s, one of which was a thoughtful examination of the mission of the school and the St. Martin’s brand. After many months of strategic work­— from market research to the creation of a formal brand foundation —the branding team discovered a lack of clearly communicated core values that are ever-present at St. Martin’s.

So this school year seven core values were introduced to define the St. Martin’s community.

Beginning last September, each month of the ’18-’19 school year intentionally celebrates a different value in and out of the classroom. Visitors to campus will find new signage in the carpool key with a new value added each month. In addition, teachers are finding ways to intentionally celebrate the value of the month in their classrooms.

From third graders creating a geocaching project with special clues to find value-themed treasures to Praise Band celebrating faith through varied performances throughout the school year—St. Martin’s is proud to celebrate these tenants in earnest.

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seen & heard fall semester

MIDDLE YEAR MILESTONES

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Students Earn

Duke TIP

Middle school students signed the SMES honor pledge following a special chapel service at the opening of school. The pledge is an important milestone for SMES’ oldest students and acknowledges their understanding of honesty in and out of the classroom.

LEARNING & LAUGHTER WITH

mother goose

ST. MARTIN'S

Early Childhood students enjoyed original songs and fingerplays created

by Jane Kitson as Mother Goose. The performance taught important early childhood lessons in an engaging and funny way and allowed EC students to sing, clap and wiggle their bodies while enjoying the art of oral storytelling!

TOUCHDOWN TRADITION At St. Martin’s, Football Friday is a fan-favorite fall tradition during which students are invited to don their favorite football team jersey for the day. Team spirit energized the entire campus as toddlers through 8th-graders, faculty and staff repped their team colors.

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Congratulations to 28 SMES 7th-graders who qualified to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP).

Students were selected based on their 6thgrade standardized testing scores and now have the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT and participate in programs for MS students hosted by various colleges.

Liam Adcock Nathan Altiery Makayli Anochie Reese Black Avalana Brock Jake Curcio Katherine Davis Charlie Duerr Zoe Embleton Ian Gaffney Tulsi Goel Ansley Granade Alex Hall Erielle Harris

Skyla Harris Carter Hathaway Sophia Henry Reese Hudson Christopher Kartsonas Walker Lauth Grayson Leiter Anna Loffredio William Morris Katie O’Mara Antonio Shaffer Elle Warnett Ellora Yadav Connor Ziegler

PTO FALL

Festival & Church

Bazaar

An

seen&heard

SMES friends and families celebrated fall together at the annual PTO Fall Festival and Church Bazaar in October. Children and their parents enjoyed rides like the Rapid Slide and Dragon Swing and expressed their creativity through face painting, games and sand art.

Delicious food and drink were provided by local food trucks and church volunteers, and guests perused an artists’ market with local vendors. The Student Art Show took place the same day featuring individual artwork by Beginners - 8th graders, and monochromatic self-portraits by SMES students, faculty and staff.

Oktoberfest

Parent Social to Remember

On a festive fall evening, SMES parents gathered at the home of Holly and Colby Craig to enjoy an Oktoberfest-themed party with food, entertainment and friends. This event is a wonderful tradition by which new and returning families meet or reconnect during a night of fun!

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seen & heard fall semester

Fall Drama Ensemble Steals the Show

OPEN HOUSE Wholehearted Dedication to a

Drama students wowed the crowd with a variety show at the Fall Drama Showcase. Students performed a one-act competition piece, “The Iliad, the Odyssey and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less,” combined with improvisation and scenes and songs from their musical theatre classes. The troupe went on to perform at the Georgia One-Act Competition in Savannah and took Best Over-All Production Design for costumes, sets, lights, sound and props. Eighthgraders Emma Schwind and Nicholas Lennon were selected for the All-Star Festival Cast.

Child’s Education St. Martin’s welcomed prospective families to campus to learn more about the SMES experience during the fall Open House in November.

Visitors were welcomed by faculty, staff and student ambassadors and heard remarks from Head of School Dr. Luis Ottley, current students and alumni during a short address. Student ambassadors guided prospective families around campus so they could visit classrooms, meet teachers and even take a sneak peek inside the new Early Childhood Learning Center.

Inaugural PTO Warrior 5K and Fun Run The PTO expanded its annual school community 5K and Fun Run (formerly Jingle Jog) into a community-wide event and welcomed more than 300 runners from the Brookhaven and greater-Atlanta community. The Warrior 5K was a Peachtree Road Race qualifying event on a certified course that wound through the beautiful Brittany neighborhood. After their race, Fun Run Male participants celebrated with drinks, Judson DiVenere 5K Female 14-16yrs food, music and an award ceremony.

Stella Jane Eskew Fun Run Female Congratulations, winners!

Lila Botham

5K Female 0-10yrs Kiley Spink 5K Male 0-10yrs Bobby Rohs 5K Female 11-13yrs Reese Black 5K Male 11-13yrs Owen Radics

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5K Male 14-16yrs Truman Thompson Overall Female winner of the 5K Reese Black (23:20)

Overall Male winner of the 5K Truman Thompson (17:58)

Fingers were cold, but hearts were warm as EC students, their 8th-grade buddies and a few festive faculty members joined in the EC Halloween Parade on October 31. St. Martin’s students, faculty and staff along with many parent spectators lined the parking lot to cheer on Shrek, a rainbow unicorn, bubble gum and many more!

After the parade, students enjoyed special Halloween treats and festivities.

No Tricks Only the Treat of Tr adition

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seen & heard fall semester

Service with a Smile Throughout the school year, each grade level takes responsibility for a variety of service projects as part of giving back to the community. Following are some projects students took on this fall.

1st-Grade Food Drive: Our youngest elementary students sponsored a school-wide food drive in November to support the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach.

and the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach, SMES 3rd-grade elves helped collect children’s toys for underprivileged families in Atlanta and worked the “shop” on distribution day.

2nd-Grade Visits Canterbury Court: Throughout the year, 2nd- graders visit the residents of Canterbury Court senior living center to play bingo and deliver cards and candy.

6th-Grade Lost and Found: Every other week, 6th-grade classes clean out the lost and found bins and return labeled items back to students. At the end of each semester, unclaimed items are donated.

3rd-Grade Santa Shop: In collaboration with St. Martin’s Church

7th-Grade Recycling: Every Wednesday, 7th-grade classes take

turns emptying recycling bins throughout the school to help keep classrooms and offices tidy and green.

Coat Drive: Every year as the weather gets colder, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church partners with the school to collect gently-used adult and child-size coats, scarves, gloves and boots for the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach.

Many more projects are planned for 2019!

Warrior TV Celebrates 10th Anniversary Congratulations to Warrior TV on its 10th anniversary reporting the St. Martin’s news! Warrior TV is a student-driven television news show in which middle school participants assign, write, film, edit and report the news at SMES. Every episode is uploaded to the school’s YouTube channel and published to the SMES community.

Warrior TV now produces live broadcasts too! Check out Warrior TV on the school’s YouTube channel: “St. Martin’s Episcopal School Videos.”

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hip hip horray for

Grandparents' Day St. Martin’s welcomed grandparents of Early Childhood and Elementary School students to campus for two heartwarming Grandparents' Day celebrations. At both events, visitors enjoyed breakfast while students performed a special program. Highlights included adorable sing-alongs from EC students while ES students showcased storytellers and band and choral performances.

Grandparents heard remarks from St. Martin’s Fund Grandparent Chairs Cathy and Grover Thomas, Head of School Dr. Luis Ottley and a thoughtful prayer from Mother Stefanie Taylor.

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seen & heard fall semester

To Honor Those Who Have Served In honor of Veterans Day, SMES hosted its annual Veterans Day celebration complete with speakers, student essay contest winners, patriotic music performed by SMES choruses and bands and a presentation of the flag by the 4th grade.

Students, parents and members of the community crowded into the school gym to enjoy the performances and hear an inspiring keynote message from 2nd-grade parent E-5 Sergeant Kevin W. Higginbotham and a reading by “The Veteran I Admire Most” essay contest winner, 4th-grader Vada Peters.

Each year, SMES students are involved in every part of the program. They welcomed the veterans in attendance, explained the importance of Veterans Day, introduced speakers, performed “Taps.”

Coordinates

for Our Core Values Now you can find Kindness at 33°52’47” North, 84°19’44” West on the St. Martin’s campus! Our 3rd-grade team created geocaches for each of the St. Martin’s core values: Faith, Kindness, Friendships, Uniqueness, Possibilities, Milestones and Growing Up. Classrooms from each division can follow clues to find the value-themed treasures inside each box and leave treasures of their own in this STEAM-centered activity.

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An Offering of Music

Members of the MS and ES choruses sang with students from other Episcopal schools as part of a combined youth choir for the offertory and communion at the National Association of Episcopal Schools’ annual conference in November. Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church The Most Rev. Michael Curry officiated the service.

Kindergarten Christmas Program

Kindergarten students performed Christmas songs and presented the Nativity story for friends and family in St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. The program opened with choreographed Christmas songs in which students moved and grooved to crowd favorites like “Hip Hop Reindeer” and “A Gift for Santa.”

The performance transitioned to the true meaning of Christmas when Kindergartners dressed as kings, shepherds, angels and animals and crowded around the manger scene to reenact the Nativity story.

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seen & heard fall semester

Gingersnaps, Snickerdoodles and Brownies, Oh My!

The annual PTO Cookies and Carols was very sweet indeed thanks to the PTO elves and their generous helpers. Each grade level took turns picking from an impressive assortment of home-baked treats and then enjoyed storytime and caroling with Santa.

Maybe Christmas, Perhaps, Means a Little Bit More For Grinch Day, the 2nd grade hallway was transformed into Whoville, and 2nd-grade students and teachers dressed as Whos from Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Throughout the day students enjoyed Grinchthemed activities and games, and watched the beloved film, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

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Welcome back, toddlers

By Cindy Alexander, Early Childhood Principal After a 16-year break, the St. Martin’s 2018-19 school year welcomed back the beloved Toddler class to round out its preschool program. In the Toddler classes, children learn without pressure and at a pace most appropriate for each child. The goal is for students to be engaged, supported and challenged while continuously growing and progressing.

Teachers are warm and caring, enabling each child to successfully transition into a daily routine that stimulates his or her independence while still giving them the nurturing attention they need.

Language development is an integral part of their daily routine, and through rich, hands-on activities, children are introduced to

new cognitive, fine-motor and gross-motor skills. Toddlers are filled with natural curiosity, and the program encourages their desire to explore and discover so that they can grow up to be innovators and problem-solvers.

Toddlers also take part in many enriched learning opportunities such as science/

STEAM, art, guidance, library, French, Spanish, music and movement and religion. These well-rounded experiences help advance skills and learning as they transition into their third year of life. This school year, 19 two-year-olds are enjoying a full experience as SMES’ youngest students on campus.

Looking for picture books to read to your child? These integrate science and math skills into the stories: Big, Bigger, Biggest

by Nancy Coffelt Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker Count! by Denise Fleming Have You Seen My Monster?

by Steven Light

Go, Dog, Go! By P.D. Eastman Growing Vegetable Soup

by Lois Ehlert My Heart is Like a Zoo

by Michael Hall Perfect Square by Michael Hall

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possibilities celebrating:

Together

St. Martin's long-awaited Early Childhood Learning Center opens to students in January

xcitement is growing as campus crews diligently work to put the finishing touches on the rebuild of Claiborne Hall. St. Martin’s Early Childhood students are poised to move into the new space this month and students, teachers and administrators are ready! Over the course of the project, school leaders have often heard questions like, “What will be in the new space?” and “Is this part of the Together We Rise campaign?” At long last, the St. Martin’s community will come together to celebrate the completion of this new space and reap the rewards of many months of hard work and dedication.

The completion of this transformational project is a milestone in the school’s history. Even more, it represents the latest chapter in the story of St Martin’s Episcopal School’s emergence into the thriving 21st-century independent school that it is today.

Thanks to the vision and investments of those who have come before, St. Martin’s has upgraded its facilities over time to serve new generations of students—most notably through the additions of Warrior Hall in the late 1990s

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We Move!

"We have an amazing campus thanks to the families who came before us and helped build what our kids use today. It’s our turn to give back and support this campaign. We have all been blessed. Let’s share our blessing for the benefit of St. Martin’s students today and tomorrow."

—Roger House, Capital Campaign Chair

and the Middle School building in 2012. More recently, school leaders had been exploring options for creating a larger, purpose-built space for the youngest students, and as the Board of Trustees was in the process of drafting a new campus master plan to realize this vision, something devastating happened.

An arsonist broke into Claiborne Hall at dawn on July 4, 2017, and set fire to St. Martin’s Early Childhood Center. The fire damaged 7,500 square feet of property and destroyed entire classrooms, an award-winning science lab, offices, a lobby, hallways, and more.

Only a few tables and chairs could be salvaged. Luckily, no one was injured, and the school’s leadership was able to work with St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church to find alternative spaces so the preschool students could Construction photos taken weeks before scheduled opening.

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The innovative Science Lab will include a critter center, weather station and much more.

Garage-style doors will allow for more natural light and fresh air as well as easy access to the new playground area.

begin classes for the 2017-2018 school year on time and on campus. But it was clear — the rebuilding of the Early Childhood (EC) Center was now the most immediate priority in the campus plan.

With the help of the entire administrative leadership team, the church, the board, architects, outside consultants and St. Martin’s families, the school carefully assessed its needs and what was feasible within a tight timeline and available resources. To better meet current needs and allow room for future growth, the school decided to use this setback as an opportunity to regrade the property and add a lower level, thus doubling the square footage on the same footprint.

After careful due diligence, St. Martin’s Episcopal School launched the $5.5 million Together We Rise capital campaign to rebuild Claiborne Hall and tackle some additional pressing needs to address the growing STEAM program and a few overdue upgrades to campus.

Early Childhood Center Rebuild and Expansion

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St. Martin’s has replaced the destroyed Early Childhood Center with a larger educational building that incorporates the latest early childhood best practices to foster developmentally appropriate engagement and collaborative learning among young children. Adding a level below the original first floor will provide a total of 19,200 square feet on two levels.

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The St. Martin’s Early Childhood Center includes: • A new secure entrance to welcome children and their families to St. Martin’s.

• Eight large classrooms with adjoining bathrooms for toddlers through Pre-K, plus communal spaces, wide hallways and a staff workroom.

• A spacious lunch hall for preschool through Pre-K. When not being used for lunch, it will serve as a “rainy day” spot for indoor group activities, as well as a versatile multipurpose space for meetings, parent programs or student performances.

• A dynamic new STEAM Village for toddler through first-grade classes that includes a Science Lab, Tinker Lab and Art Room.

Elementary STEAM Lab & Makerspace Students in 2nd through 5th grade will dream, discover and do more in the newly expanded indoor/outdoor ES science lab space that includes: • A garage door to provide a seamless flow between the interior and exterior learning areas, with plenty of room, both inside and outside, for forming small groups and conducting hands-on experiments.

• A new shade structure to allow students to spend time outdoors throughout the school year.

• All-weather activity tables and seating, which can be rearranged as needed to collaborate in small groups.

• Attractive outdoor storage to complement the natural setting.

Turf Replacement and Warrior Hall Renovations Often referred to as the “in between field,” the turf space adjacent to the Middle School and Warrior Hall is used daily by students for recess, outdoor instruction, PE and before/ after school care. The school replaced the old turf with a more durable, safer, synthetic turf during the summer of 2018. The campaign will also provide some additional renovations to Warrior Hall.

Every Gift Matters

Together We Succeed Foundations and other funders ask, “Have your current and alumni families given to this effort?” High participation in the campaign from families helps the school leverage additional support.

An anonymous donor has pledged to give the campaign $500,000 once the school raises $5 million. At press time, $400,000 was needed to meet that goal. Thank you to the SMES Board of Trustees, PTO, St. Martin’s Church, and many generous SMES family donors who have already contributed. St. Martin’s hopes to hear from every family with a gift, no matter the size, to support this challenge in order to meet our goal!

The Together We Rise capital projects will result in invitingly modern and child-centric spaces that will allow the school to better attract, retain and educate students. Please visit the campaign page at the school’s website for details and donate online with a pledge that can be paid over multiple years.

Innovative exterior architectural design elements seamlessly integrate the new building into the overall campus design.

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growing up celebrating:

Life In The

By Tony Shaffer, Middle School Principal

pending one’s life “In the Middle”—teaching, guiding and coaching young adolescents — can sometimes feel like a “Doctor Who” episode. Indeed, the Doctor consistently finds himself facing incomprehensible situations, but I’m actually thinking more specifically about the show’s Eleventh Doctor. “Bow ties are cool!” he says, while other characters repeatedly tell him that bow ties are not cool. The doctor reacts with something between confusion and indignation.

My job is kind of like Doctor Who’s bow tie.

When I tell someone that I’m a middle school principal, the reaction is reliably something along the lines of, “Oh, bless you!” While I appreciate the blessings, I’ve had to learn not to be confused by the intent behind them, because I adore my kids and love my job. When I tell people, “being a middle school principal is cool!” it’s often their turn to be confused. I assume that this is because the middlegrades years can be such a goofy, awkward time in life. It can be difficult for doctors, bankers or architects to understand why anyone would willingly sign up to spend time with kids at this age.

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— Allie Campbell, SMES Alum, Class of 2018, current freshman at Pace Academy Excerpt from remarks as an 8th grader at St. Martin’s Open House, Jan. 2018

“Here at St. Martin’s,

I have felt safe and free to try new things and challenge myself to grow and do my best in academics, my spiritual life and my extra-curricular activities. St. Martin’s’ challenging academics have pushed me to work as hard as I can, and by putting forth my best effort, I have become a better student.

Middle It’s not an annoyance: It’s the point The middle-grade years didn’t used to be acknowledged as particularly special in any way. I attended a junior high for 7th and 8th grades, and it was as its name implied. The school was large, the classes were big, the teachers were smart and, best as I could tell, the function of the school was to sort us for later tracking in high school. Upon entering 9th grade after completion of our two years of evaluation, sorting and data analysis, we were labeled either “college prep” or “not.”

The whole system was quite efficient.

I experienced all this at a well-regarded, high-quality suburban junior high that fed a similarly well-regarded high school

in northern California. Only as an adult, then later as a professional, did it dawn on me that this efficiency was not at all effective if the goal was to fully develop the potential of each student.

The idea that you could only take art if you were an artist or could only run crosscountry if you were a runner was merely frustrating to me when I was 13. As a professional, with some education and experience in these matters, I can see that it clearly misses the point.

The point is that adolescence is not an annoying stage in which kids just can’t make up their minds and seem to live on a roller coaster that we can’t even keep up with, much less help them navigate.

The point is that this is a time like no other in life—a time in which interests

Recently I was able to achieve a goal of mine. I finally became a part of Student Council. In 5th grade, I decided I wanted to run for Student Council. And I didn’t get it. I ran again in the 6th grade. I didn’t get it. I ran again in 7th grade, and I didn’t get it. But because of the encouragement and support I have always felt from my teachers and peers, I ran for a fourth time this year and I got it. I’m not sure I would have had the courage to try a fourth time in a different community, at a different school. But over the years at St. Martin’s, I have acquired the tools to succeed and the courage to keep trying.

So I stand before you today, VicePresident of Community Services for the Student Council, Co-President of the Drama Club, Co-Senior Warden of Student Vestry and a part of a championship volleyball team. I have benefited from everything that makes St. Martin’s great, and I have done it in my own time, growing at a pace that has been just right for me. I can honestly tell you that this school has been the perfect place for me to grow up.”

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When they are adults, we will look back and see that their commitment to the law was rooted in their adolescent intolerance for injustice. When they are adults, we will realize that their desire to be a doctor began with their wish to help others and ease suffering. When they are adults, we will see that success as an entrepreneur was predictable given their ability to motivate the cross-country team to do one more repeat in the hot Georgia summer.

All of that will be so obvious—when they are adults. and abilities, skills and passions appear and disappear with astonishing ease. As a parent, I share the dismay at the dusty drum set sitting in the corner and the years of soccer practice that led to ultimate frisbee.

But those changes in a kid’s interests and desires are necessary unless we accept the premise that we know everything we need to know about a kid when he or she is 11 years old. UGA’s starting quarterback Jake Fromm is a perfect example for how strongly I disagree with this idea. When he was 13 years old, he was playing in stadiums in front of 10,000-plus enthusiastic fans—of baseball.

During the 2018 football season at UGA, he completed more than 70 percent of his passes.

The “sorting” view of young adolescent development would have led any rational parent to tell young Jake to put down the football and concentrate on his slider.

The growth mindset approach is different from the sorting approach (the fixed mindset

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approach). Having a growth mindset means that we should actually celebrate the middlegrade years and focus lots of attention on this developmental stage because it’s the time in their lives in which kids will try so many new things, get them wrong, and try again on their way to mastery.

Treating the middle grades as merely the minor leagues—as a trial we just have to tolerate on the way to the calmer waters of adulthood—misses the point of early adolescence. Our kids "In The Middle" are on emotional roller coasters because they feel both elation and injustice so powerfully.

They can see adult-level competence and want so desperately to achieve it. They have such confidence in their own independence and feel so constrained by the reasonable limits we place around their autonomy.

They feel all of these things because they are supposed to, not because something is going wrong.

We all fail on the way to success SMES alum Allie Campbell’s story (page 19) as a candidate for Student Council is absolutely precious to me.

If you only read the story through 6th grade, what you learn is that she ran for Student Council, failed, ran again and failed again. What we all know in our heads­—that failures teach us how to succeed—is of scant comfort to our hearts as we parents, teachers, coaches and mentors guide from the side and help our charges find their way. It’s the 8th-grade experience (or the 10th-grade experience or the experience in our adult lives) that tells us what the real learning was in 6th grade. In Allie’s case, the real learning was that you try again, you work on it some more and you keep coming back until you succeed.

I recently heard something similar from a mom who wanted me to know that she was celebrating a science assignment in which students were given few guidelines and were tasked with demonstrating differences in density among various liquids. Her child was frustrated, had to start over several times, had to document and assess his failures and bitterly

resented the lack of clear instructions for creating a successful demonstration.

system is still in place and then run out again to explore the park some more.

We believe that there is also value in learning to design for yourself, learning to tolerate ambiguity, learning how to craft your own questions and decide how best to answer them. When our 8th-grade teacher team came up with the idea for the capstone boxcar project we piloted last year, I love that they left space for the wheels literally to come off of the cars if that was the result of the team’s design. We celebrated those failures, not because the car didn’t work out as they wanted, but because not a single adult ran out to fix the problem.

The teams ran out, grabbed their cars and began talking—arguing—quickly and sometimes fiercely about the engineering solutions that would best address the problem. Challenge accepted.

In the same way, our middle schoolers seek to solve problems that really need adult guidance and then want help with the most obvious or trivial tasks. They want to have our support, but they don’t want to need our support. Autonomy and mastery are so evidently desired by adolescents that it’s easy to lose sight of purpose. As with foreshadowing in a novel, sometimes purpose is only evident when we look back.

How to be happy Daniel Pink says that happy people are happy because they have found autonomy, mastery and purpose. The middle-grade years are the cradle for all of these. We have all seen a toddler run from mom or dad, circle the playground, come back to check in and verify that the support

When they are adults, we will look back and see that their commitment to the law was rooted in their adolescent intolerance for injustice. When they are adults, we will realize that their desire to be a doctor began with their wish to help others and ease suffering. When they are adults, we will see that success as an entrepreneur was predictable given their ability to motivate the cross-country team to do one more repeat in the hot Georgia summer. All of that will be so obvious— when they are adults.

Adulthood will come in its time, and I encourage every parent of a 6th, 7th or 8th grader to celebrate the time you are living now with your child.

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W hat

If?

kindness celebrating:

By Dr. Tiffany Russell Director of Diversity and Inclusion As a child, I was naturally curious.

I would ask a lot of questions— sometimes as a way of being seen and heard, but mostly because I really wanted to learn how things worked. I have been told that as an adolescent, my questioning was more directional with the end result in mind—good grades, college admittance and graduation. But my passion for asking more probing “what if ” questions was reignited as a graduate student. And now, as a researcher and diversity and inclusion practitioner, I love asking questions and listening to people’s stories.

Children ask questions so well. And we might assume that people, in general, find it easy to ask questions. Research shows that question-asking peaks at age five, followed by an increased need to just find the answer. If questions aren’t answered, the lack or loss of critical thinking and innovative thought may be at stake. What if we, as educators and parents, prioritized asking questions for the sake of inquiry?

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Students at St. Martin’s do this very well. Asking “what if ” leads to curiosity, discovery and joy. Asking “what if ” leads to new relationships, and it pushes us to think creatively.

For example, in science class asking the question, “what are dreams” is different from asking, “what if we did not dream.”

We may have to do some research to define dreams (and there is a lot of research), but we would also have to tap into our imagination to think about and attempt to answer, “What if we did not dream?” Why is that?

Questions like “Can I go over to a friend’s house?” or “Where are you going to high school when you leave St. Martin’s?” are easier to answer because there may be a precedent for such questions. Play dates are common and high school choices, while sometimes complicated, still have a natural or programmed response based on information gathered over time that feels good or natural to say. However,

“what if ” questions allow us to explore boundaries and push ourselves to find the hard answers. We have to access our imaginations and our dreams, and we have to be real with our responses to these questions.

But how do we teach students and adults to push through the discomfort that could come with exploring boundaries?

Co-director of The Right Question Institute, Luz Santana, says that question formulation is critical to strengthening critical thinking skills and can be taught to students at any age. As students become more comfortable and skilled at asking questions, they become more comfortable discussing differences safely and wholeheartedly. Likewise, when we ask “what if ” more often, we will become more comfortable with the process.

Now, as adults, some of us were taught that having questions was a bad thing. As a result, we stop asking questions or at least stop asking the imaginative questions out of fear or worry—concerned that we could be seen as wasting time, holding up progress or simply asking too many questions that shine a light on areas of growth. As a result, critical inquiry suffers as do our relationships with each other.

But this is not the case at St. Martin’s. St. Martin’s is a place where inquiry is for students and adults. Our questioning is driven by our collective desire for what is best for our community. Let us continue asking “what if ” together.

Not knowing the answer is okay, but never asking the question is worse.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Brene Brown

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Bringing the Stage to Life:

celebrating:

uniqueness

by student writer Nicholas Lennon, 8th grade

Jr. One-Act Competition or the last five years, the St. Martin’s Drama Club has competed in the Jr. One-Act Competition, in which competing schools present a 45-minute one act play that is judged on its acting and tech abilities. This year’s competition was held on Oct. 20 in Savannah, and was very successful and a great experience for all involved.

The process started last spring when Mrs. Heidi McKerley, drama department head, began auditioning students for “The Iliad, The Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less.” The show is a comedic retelling of ancient Greece’s famous myths. Actors had all summer to learn their lines, so once the school year began rehearsals immediately started. The first step of rehearsing was “staging” the show, which means the actors learned when to go on stage and what to do on stage. Next the actors “cleaned” the show by fixing problems, improving their acting, and adding more comedic layers. All of this was over the span of weeks and required dedication and focus from all the actors.

A very important aspect of theater is tech, which helps bring the show to life. Eighth-grader Simon Gutterman, who has worked on sound design for the last two years said, “Tech contributed to the overall design of the show and enhanced the production in all ways possible.” The three types of tech in the play were the set, costumes, and sound design. The actors see and feel that difference in the show when the tech components are added. Actors have to perfect managing their costume changes, set changes, and sound queues. Lastly, the cast has the dress rehearsal, which was a performance on the gym floor the night before the competition. It was a good way

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for the actors to get used to an audience and prepare for the coming performance.

The morning of the show, the actors woke up bright and early, all eager and nervous for the day. They loaded the bus and began their four-hour journey to Savannah. Once the actors arrived, they ate lunch and began preparing for the show. Then the actors had ten minutes to walk through the stage led by Mrs. McKerley. This is the first and only time the actors have to see the stage.

Finally, it was showtime! “St. Martin’s, you are up to the starting line,” said the show’s announcer. This was the event the actors, actresses, and crew had been preparing for over many months. All of the hard work led to this moment. “St. Martin’s, your time starts now!” prompted the announcer.

The show began and it felt like a flash to the actors and crew.

Afterward, everyone felt accomplished and excited. Later the cast went to the award ceremony where Nicholas Lennon (Zeus) and Emma Schwind (Hera) won the All-Star Cast Award, and the show won Best Overall Production Design.

“The students did a terrific job on the one act this year,” said Mrs. McKerley. “All of the students grew in their vocal, mental, and physical skills during the one-act process. I am exceptionally proud of their work and how well they represented St. Martin’s at this annual event.”

After the event, the actors went home proud of their accomplishments, and went to bed knowing they gave it their all.

by student writer Gracie Crofton, 8th grade Being in a club also includes activities, like trips and fundraisers. In Japan Club, there is the possibility of a trip to Japan, while in Book Club, the members receive copies of that month’s book to read and then keep afterward. Japan Club is new, but fun and educational because during meetings they watch videos on the culture of Japan. Plus, each member receives a pair of chopsticks and is instructed on how to use them.

Join the Club!

MS: Chess Spirit Drama One Act Fishing Club Praise Band MS Select Warrior TV Stage and Tech Team Legend/Yearbook Creative Writing Club French Club Spanish Club SOLVE Student Council Student Vestry Honor Society Green Club Library/Book Club RELATE Japan Club

ES: ES Science Olympiad Solve Jr. Jr. Drama ES Chorus Chess One Act Stage and Tech Team Praise Band

ootsteps pounded on the tile as she ran through the lobby (though she wasn’t supposed to), excited for her next club. She was eager to learn and eager to see what the meeting had in store for today. Her footfalls became soft on the carpet and she slowed to a fast walk. As she approached the door, the bright light of the midday sun shone upon her face, filling her with a sense of warmth and adding to her already pleasant emotions. As she entered, she thought, “Another great day continues!”

The activities across clubs are widely different but fun all the same. In Green Club, students record the numbers of plastic water bottles saved by the new water fountains donated as last year’s eighth-grade gift. It is now over 20,000 bottles saved in total.

Club activities such as these are crucial because the students socialize and have fun while learning about themselves, their peers and the world. It is very important for students to be involved in clubs.

The leader of the Chess Club, Mr. Andrew Schwartz, noted, “Students are at school to learn and gain new experiences. Clubs provide them with interesting, often unique experiences that they usually cannot get from their outside lives or their regular school day. Thus, clubs are a way for students to release their creativity and reveal the unique peculiarities of their personalities.”

Students agree that clubs at St. Martin’s are a fun way to spend time, be a leader, socialize and learn.

They provide opportunities for growth and learning while letting students enjoy their interests.

At St. Martin’s, this experience isn’t uncommon for a student heading to a club meeting. Clubs are a fun way to spend time during lunch period. There is a large variety of them, and some offer leadership opportunities that allow the students elected to experience the feeling of leadership while working together to plan fun events and fundraisers for the club. Joining a club can also develop life and school skills. Japan Club sponsor Mrs. Christine McAleer said, “Clubs can help students build empathy with others and discover their passion.”

Student Council is another way to get involved at SMES. Elections take place near the beginning of the year and students run to be one of two Student Council Representatives in their homeroom; one is male, and the other female. The winners of the elections earn a seat on the Student Council and take requests from students about what they’d like to see at the next dance or hear about ideas for new events.

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“The homestay is vital to the Panamá Exchange Program because it removes students from all their familiar comforts and pushes them outside of their comfort zone, but not so far that they stop learning. It is here— beyond their automatic frame of mind—that the most learning happens.”

— Head of School and program founder, Dr. Luis Ottley

Inbound Panamá Exchange

By Sarah Taylor, Communications Coordinator For the second consecutive year, St. Martin’s Episcopal School welcomed 8th-grade exchange students from Colegio Episcopal de Panamá (CEP), a K-12 Episcopal school in Panamá City, Panamá, for three weeks of cultural immersion.

The seven exchange students experienced day trips to notable cultural sites in Atlanta, as well as St. Martin’s classes, and most importantly, homestays with St. Martin’s families.

During the school day, the students attended 8th-grade classes at St. Martin’s and visited classrooms from each division to interact with younger students and answer their questions about Panamá. A noticeable adjustment for the exchange students was St. Martin’s 2-year-old through 8th-grade model (vs. their K-12 school), in which 8th-grade students serve as the role-models of the school. “The Early Childhood kids are always trying to imitate what the older kids do,” said exchange student Ana Daniela.

Beyond St. Martin’s, the exchange students explored CNN, the World of Coke, the Center for Civil & Human Rights, the Carter Center, the Georgia Capitol and the Georgia Aquarium.

For 18 days, each exchange student spent their evenings and weekends in their host family’s home, learning about and living

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the family’s culture. During this time, the exchange students matured by virtue of the experience of living in the hosts’ homes, following their rules, eating their food and adapting to their habits. The cultural differences like bedtimes or food preferences are exactly why the homestay is so important.

“The homestay is vital to the Panamá Exchange Program because it removes students from all their familiar comforts and pushes them outside of their comfort zone, but not so far that they stop learning,” said Head of School and program founder, Dr. Luis Ottley. “It is here—beyond their automatic frame of mind—that the most learning happens.”

The St. Martin’s program is somewhat unique in that opportunities for middle-school students to study abroad can be hard to find in the United States. In the spring, a group of St. Martin’s 7th- and 8th-grade students will have the opportunity to travel to Panamá for an immersion experience of their own.

A special thanks to SMES host families Meredith and Scott Butler, Lori and Rob Lott, Allison and Craig Camp, Michelle and Peter Crofton, Mendy and Rob Eskew, Wendy and Jay Schmitt and Ann and Darren Short, without whom this exchange would not have been possible.

FA C U LT Y N E W S

Jennings Stryker Terenshinski Fourth-grade teacher Alex Betts and her husband Matt welcomed baby Sutton Pryce Betts on August 31, 2018. She weighed 7.3 lbs.

First-grade teacher Maggie Tereshinski and husband John welcomed baby Jennings Stryker Tereshinski on July 28, 2018. He weighed 7.9 lbs. and was 21 inches.

Head of School Dr. Luis Ottley was awarded a Bishop’s Cross at the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta’s annual council meeting for his work advancing the diocesan mission to ”draw the circle wider.” In his two years at SMES, Dr. Ottley has hired a director of diversity and inclusion, enhanced the multicultural education committee, increased the number of faculty and staff positions held by people of color, diversified the board and increased the diversity of the student body.

Dr. Ottley (r) with Bishop Robert Wright

Sutton Pryce Betts Third-grade teacher Lyndsey Parker married Brian Craig Berngard on October 12, 2018, in New Orleans, La.

Lyndsey Parker Human Resources assistant Earle Hall married Lakita Nolley Hall on August 10, 2018 (a palindrome: 8102018) at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur. They honeymooned in Vietnam.

Tamara, Chad and Benjamin Brown Maria Rigby with fiancé Etienne Finance Associate Maria Rigby is engaged to Etienne Demers Bouchard.

The wedding is scheduled for April 27, 2019, at Camp Marymount in Nashville, Tenn.

Earle Hall

Toddler lead teacher Lynn Stuart married Paul Beshears. They were married on December 28, 2018, at Wilson Chapel, Peachtree Presbyterian Church.

Lynn Stuart

Eighthgrade math teacher Emily Heend and husband Doug welcomed baby Eli Benjamin Heend to the world on November 15, 2018. He weighed 5 lbs., 14 oz.

Eli Benjamin Heend

Early Childhood counselor Tamara Brown and husband Chad welcomed baby Benjamin Chad Brown to the world on December 3, 2018. He weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz.

Human Resources Manager Stephanie Cantillo received the 2018 Presidential Exemplary Volunteer Award from the Society for Human Resource Management Stephanie Cantillo (SHRM) - Atlanta chapter. Ms. Cantillo has volunteered with SHRM Atlanta since 2015, and currently serves on two Volunteer Leadership Team committees helping with member support and professional development.

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AWARDS Girls A Volleyball

Sports Wrap-Up

MAAC Abby Williams MAAC Hadley Broughton WARRIOR Sophia Henry WARRIOR Katie Nama

Notes from the AD: Team spirit can be measured by success, work ethic, determination and improvement. When team spirit is high, players work hard, compete and push one another, which leads to personal and team growth.

It should come as no surprise when this happens, wins follow. During this fall’s sports season at SMES, every player and every team progressed.

Therefore, it was a successful season.

Girls B Volleyball WARRIOR Emerson Rand WARRIOR Ansley Massanelli MIP Elizabeth McCall HUSTLE Eva McLaren

Girls C Volleyball WARRIOR Luna Ochoa Hernandez HUSTLE Hanna Livingston MOST IMPROVED Wesleigh Harvey

— Mark McDaniel, SMES Athletic Director

Boys A Soccer

MAAC Ryan Lisowski WARRIOR (OFFENSE) Christopher Kartsonas WARRIOR (DEFENSE) George Futrell MIP Austin Easterly

Boys B Soccer WARRIOR AWARD Lucas Voorhies HUSTLE Jack Cunningham MOST IMPROVED Tate O’Leary

Cross Country MAAC Eloise Smith MAAC Truman Thompson WARRIOR Reese Butler WARRIOR Charlie Duerr MIP Amanda Houston MIP Charlie Parker

Ultimate Frisbee

Read on to learn about each team’s season.

CROSS COUNTRY The St. Martin’s cross country team, led by a core of amazing coaches, had a great season. Both teams ran well in the Georgia Middle School State Championship. The girls placed ninth and the boys fifth, and one individual finished third overall.

In the MAAC Championship, the girls’ team placed fourth overall in a close race with three runners placing in the top five.

The boys finished second overall with two individual top-five finishes. Through hard work, smart running and a team effort, both teams made the season count.

WARRIOR Matthew Aronowitz and Luke Williams HUSTLE Jackson Dickert MOST IMPROVED Antonio Shaffer

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GIRLS VOLLEYBALL The St. Martin’s A volleyball team finished the fall athletic season as repeat MAAC champions. A match-up against Atlanta International School in the championship round put the team to the test, but the girls prevailed in the end, winning the game 2-0. All of the hard work and determination throughout the season culminated in a rewarding end.

The B volleyball team went undefeated in league play this year. They worked hard and won several matches by large margins. On a couple of off-nights, they still found a way to win. This team refused to concede a single point, let alone a single set. They proved they know how to win and they do not accept defeat. Great job, girls!

The C volleyball team saw significant improvement leading to great results for the season. With several new faces gaining exposure to the sport, the team focused on the fundamentals. The girls played well all season long and never backed down when facing other schools' A teams. They have a lot to be proud of.

BOYS SOCCER The boys A soccer team had a rollercoaster season. They started off strong but struggled through the middle of the season. The boys were determined to salvage the season, worked hard and persevered. Overall it was a great season, full of grit and a never-say-die mentality.

Boys B soccer featured a strong team with the will to win. The team spent time learning how to work together and how to adapt to different playing styles. By the end of the season, the B-boys team looked prepared and united.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE Though still a new sport to St. Martin’s, the ultimate frisbee team showed undeniable growth, improvement and success each time they touched the field. Every outing, the players worked to their fullest potential as a team and individually. The team finished with a winning record and skills to build on for the future.

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celebrating:

milestones

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE Austin Logan

SMES Class of 1994 (first 8th-grade graduating class)

8th grade at SMES

High School: Holy Innocents' Episcopal School College: University of Georgia Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration, Management Information Systems Favorite food: Homemade Fried Chicken Favorite app: Pandora

Favorite place I’ve visited: Curacao

Favorite movie: “Tombstone” or any good cowboy movie.

Favorite SMES tradition:

Austin Logan is the Executive Vice President of Client Services at Bridge2 Solutions, a global company that builds industry-leading software for rewards, incentives and loyalty companies. In his role, Austin leads a multi-national team of more than 150 analysts, project managers, development and quality assurance personnel that design and implement innovative software for the industry.

Austin enjoys handiwork projects for his home and automobiles. “I grew up hearing the motto: ‘you should never have someone do anything for you that you can yourself.’ I find that working on these types of projects and repairs is physically challenging and also provides a relaxing separation from my typical work. I’ve replaced entire bathrooms and roofs…..the successes of which may be up for debate!”

Austin’s family time is best spent boating on Lake Lanier and going to UGA football games with his wife, son (SMES 1stgrader Wesley) and daughter.

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I remember chapel was a great time to get a break and reflect as well as to hear a message that was meaningful to my stage of life.

As a St. Martin’s alum, how does it feel to have a child at SMES? I have a great sense of comfort and relief knowing that my child is in a caring environment that is familiar to me. Sending our child to school at St. Martin’s feels more like we are sending him to spend time with family than to school.

What is one thing that is different about SMES now and SMES in the ‘90s? The campus size and facilities are so different and impressive from when I was in school.

We still had some classes in the church and a trailer but now everything is state of the art.

What is one thing that is the same from SMES now and SMES in the ‘90s? The sense of family and love for children is just as I remember. I could quickly tell from interacting with teachers and students during our visits to the school that SMES has a cheerful and compassionate atmosphere.

Something special you learned at SMES: I think St. Martin’s was the first place I truly learned how to make friends and understand the complexities of those relationships. I am still in touch with one of my SMES friends who also went to the same high school.

class notes

Class of 2003

Class of 2005

Patrick Bello lives in Lexington, Ky., and is a product analyst for Ale-8, a soft drink company founded in 1926 that distributes mainly in the Great Lakes states and also nationally via Kroger, Cracker Barrel and specialty stores.

Sarah Gray Remer married Patrick Polk on Oct. 20, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. Her two brothers, who both attended SMES, walked her down the aisle. Sarah’s lifelong friend and former SMES student Harrison Douglas also participated in the wedding. Harrison is currently working as a benefits analyst in Washington, D.C., and Sarah teaches middle school special education in Tampa.

Ellen Burger (previously Ellen Marsau) married Kenny Burger on June 9, 2018, in Dallas, Texas. The newlyweds honeymooned in Maui.

Class of 2007

Sarah Gray Remer

Charles Mixon lives in Bluffton, S.C., and works for Moss Creek Golf Club.

Susan Bloom

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

Edward Duke graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2016 with an economics degree and is currently working as a space analyst for Cherokee Distributing Company in Chattanooga.

Mary Walker Mixon works for GF Sports, a live events and sports entertainment company, as a title-tournament manager and partner services coordinator for the BB&T Atlanta Open and the New York Open. Mary Walker is running the Atlanta Half Marathon and has competed in multiple Spartan races.

Susan Bloom recently moved to Columbia, S.C., where she is teaching elementary special education.

Ryan Marinos graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2018. He is currently working at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. In January, he will begin an internship with Disney in Orlando.

Natalie Chu works for a renewable energy company called NextEra Energy.

She specifically focuses on battery storage systems and wind energy.

Ellen Marsau Burger, husband Kenny and family PATTERNS

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Anna Akins lives in Charlottesville, Va., and is a technology reporter at S&P Global.

Callie Cardenas graduated a semester early from Auburn University in December and will be starting a position as a learning and talent coordinator at RaceTrac in January. Callie was recently engaged to her high school sweetheart and will be married in March.

Class of 2010 Robert Beeland graduated summa cum laude from Sewanee: The University of the South in May with a double major in English and philosophy. He received departmental honors in English for his thesis and passed departmental exams in philosophy and English with distinction and honors. Robert is a paralegal with the law firm Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell in Atlanta.

Class of 2012 Ming Byce studied abroad at SooChow University located in Suzhou, a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province of eastern China. Suzhou is where Ming was adopted in 2005. She is in her junior year at Furman University.

Class of 2013

Emma Duke graduated from Georgia Tech with highest honors in May. She moved to New York, N.Y., and works for Morgan Stanley as an IT team member supporting New York wealth managers.

Olivia Haas graduated from Converse College in 2018 and recently moved to New York City to work as a paralegal for Central American Legal Assistance, a non-governmental organization offering low-cost representation for asylum cases. This past summer, Olivia spent time with the current SMES generation while chaperoning the first outbound SMES exchange program to Panamá City, Panamá.

Anna Johnson graduated from the University of Mississippi in May and moved to New Orleans to earn a graduate degree in speech-language pathology at Louisiana State University.

Ken Roberts is a sophomore at University of Richmond in Richmond, Va., studying business. Ken is a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Natalie Chu at Angkor Wat in Cambodia Madison Mischik graduated from the University of Georgia in May with a degree in public and international affairs and a minor in Russian studies. She will attend UGA law school in the fall of 2019.

Ryan Connor is a band manager and recently toured the U.S. overseeing a series of sold-out shows. During the summer, Ryan leads mission trips to Haiti with Praying Pelican Missions.

Class of 2011 Lili Byce transferred from Catholic University and is finishing her undergraduate education at UGA.

Jack McGinnis in "The Diviners" Jack McGinnis is a freshman at Bard College. Over the summer he starred as Buddy Layman in “The Diviners,” a Main Street Players production in Griffin, Ga. Jack also played this role at HIES in 2015.

Kristen Elliott is a sophomore at Florida State University, where she studies hospitality management. Kristen spent her freshman year studying abroad in Italy and Spain.

Olivia Haas (far right) in Panamá

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Maggie Mixon is a sophomore at George Washington University and a member of Alpha Delta Pi, the membership chair for Conservative Women at GWU, and works at Iron Gate restaurant. Maggie was accepted to The American University of Paris and will begin there in January. She volunteered with Leadership Experience for eight weeks this past summer teaching English in Hungary and Slovakia.

Class of 2014 Addie Duke graduated from Greater Atlanta Christian School in May and is currently a freshman at Georgia College and State University. She is studying mass communications.

Erika Kaivani is a freshman at Sewanee: The University of the South where she plans to major in psychology. She is continuing her equestrian career on Sewanee’s Varsity Equestrian Team.

Her beloved horse, Red, also moved to Sewanee, Tenn., and lives on campus at the Equestrian Center.

Marc LeVan is double-majoring in business management and psychology at the University of South Carolina. He is the guitarist and synthesizer player for a shoegazing (subgenre of indie and alternative rock) band from Columbia, S.C., called Clairvoyant Chasm. Marc’s band recently signed with Exquisite Noise Records.

Phillip Thornton graduated from The Lovett School in 2018 and now attends The University of Colorado in Boulder.

Philip was on Lovett’s tennis team that won two state championships. He is enjoying UC Boulder and has pledged Kappa Sigma fraternity. Phillip is thankful for the great education and support he received at SMES and looks forward to keeping up with friends!

Nicole Mulford is a senior at Dunwoody High School. She plays shortstop on the varsity softball team which made it to the state playoffs. Nicole was selected for First Team for Division 6 Region 7, Offensive Player of the Year, and DeKalb Player of the Month. She recently received an offer to play softball for Berry College. Nicole is also active in the Academy of Finance (runs a Cake Pop business), BETA Club, senior class cabinet, DECA and Young Life. She is co-president of her class for the National Charity League and has volunteered more than 375 hours at various charities in the Atlanta area.

Class of 2016 Taylor Rand is a junior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, where she is copresident of the Baking for Charity and BearTones (HIES acapella group) clubs.

She is enrolled in one AP and three honors classes this year and is also a member of the yearbook staff. Taylor also began working a part-time job as a hostess this past summer.

Sarah Van Duser graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School and is now a freshman at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Gerald Filmore is a freshman at Harding University and has received a partial cross country and track scholarship.

William Roberts William Roberts graduated from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was a crew team captain and music award winner. He received a congressional nomination and was later appointed to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island. William is the first freshman of the year at the Academy to earn a coveted Kings Point pin for his participation on the Men’s Varsity Four Boat that beat the Coast Guard at the Head of Housatonic Regatta in Connecticut.

Paige Demba is a freshman at Ball State University in Indiana where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in acting. This summer she will intern at Serenbe Playhouse.

Sydney Royal

Class of 2015 Gracie Ackaway is a senior at Dunwoody High School, where she is student government president, member of the National Honor Society and captain of the varsity tennis team. She will attend the University of Georgia in the fall.

Sydney Royal is a junior at Pope Globalization Academy and works part-time as a volleyball coach for the YMCA of Cobb County. She credits her experience playing volleyball at St. Martin’s as the catalyst for her success.

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Marist Honors SMES Grads Marist held its annual Academic Honors Night in August and recognized the following SMES alumni for academic achievement during the 2017-2018 school year: Dean’s List: Lindsey Bryson, ‘17; George Parker, ‘17; Emily Davis, ‘15; Claire Payne, ‘17; George Fish, ‘15; William Payne, ‘16; Jack Griffin, ‘17; Mena Sarradet, ‘17; Elisa Herrera, ‘17; JT Termini, ‘16; Francesca Herrera, ‘17; Kennedy Walls, ‘16; Annie Oates, ‘14 Honor Roll: Brennen Barlik, ‘15; Abby Lauterbach, ‘15; Henry Bieze, ‘16; Ryan MacGinnitie, ‘17; Ben Brown, ‘16; Justin Morgan, ‘15; Molly Farrell, ‘17; Shannon Murphy, ‘16; Margaret Fish, ‘16; Ellie Pittman, ‘17; Eliza Griffin, ‘15; Chandler Sharp, ‘15; Reid Kelly, ‘17; Will Sjostrom, ‘16; William Lasco, ‘17; Brock Thrasher, ‘15 Blue Award: Dorothy Bailey, ‘18

Emily Wood is a junior at St. Pius X Catholic High School and is co-president of her class for the second time.

Class of 2017 Arden Adams is a sophomore at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School and is active in the theater program, appearing in “The Magic Paintbrush,” “Our Town,” “Aladdin” (duallanguage edition) and Arden Adams “A Night in Elsinore.” Last summer she attended the International Thespian Festival and received an Excellent overall. She is also active with Vernon Vocals, Interact Club, Female Empowerment, the iDiploma Program and is the historian for the Drama Club.

Audrey Holton is a sophomore at Pace Academy. Last summer she auditioned for and was accepted to the Young Vocal Artist Program at Julliard in Geneva, Switzerland. Nine girls were accepted from seven different countries.

Melissa Rubiano Melissa Rubiano is on Sky Dancers, the drill team at Timber Creek High School in Texas.

Bobbie Akin is a sophomore at Marist and was elected to the homecoming court in fall 2018.

Grace Demba is a sophomore at Pace Academy, where she plays JV volleyball and is a member of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership Council and student advisory board. Over spring break, she will tour and study in South Africa.

Gold Award: Gabrielle Marshall, ‘19; Angela Pappadakis, ‘19 Marist Honor Society 2017-18 Inductees National Honor Society: Justin Douglass Morgan, ‘15; Lauren Young, ‘15; Henry Bieze, ‘16; Benjamin Brown, ‘16; Lee Fenstermacher, ‘16; Skeet Fortner, ‘16; Virginia Gwin Fortner, ‘16; Shannon Murphy, ‘16; Taryn Murphy, ‘16; Will Sjostrom, ‘16; J.T. Termini, ‘16; Kennedy Walls, ‘16

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Winter 2019

Audrey Holton

= ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Bobbie Akin

Class of 2018 Lydia Davis is a freshman at Riverwood International Charter School and is taking AP government and politics.

She plans to try out for basketball, tennis and golf.

Lura Underwood Lura Underwood is a freshman at St. Pius X Catholic High School, where she is in the starting rotation as an outside hitter for the varsity volleyball team. The team went undefeated in its division and won the 4A state championship against Marist. The Lady Lions were ranked fifth in Georgia.

Allie Campbell is a freshman at Pace Academy, where she is a school ambassador and participates in drama.

She was an ensemble member in the fall drama production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and looks forward to performing in the spring production of “Disaster!” ,

Alumni from 2014 and earlier gathered to reconnect with friends and SMES faculty and staff during the holiday season at Blue Top Bar and Grill. They shared stories about college and beyond, and reminisced about their years at SMES together.

St. Martin’s Welcomes New Alumni Coordinator A familiar face around St. Martin’s, Kathryn Johnson brings more than 10 years of experience working in the admissions office to her new role as alumni coordinator. In addition, Kathryn has been part of the St. Martin’s family for many years as a SMES parent of two daughters, Anna and Sarah, who graduated in 2010 and 2008, respectively.

In her new role, she will facilitate alumni events, oversee communications and much more.

Send your class notes to Kathryn to help SMES stay in touch with you!

Email kjohnson@stmartinschool.org or call 404-228-0734.

PATTERNS

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friendships

MARY MCPHERSON, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

celebrating:

voices

Twenty-one years ago I set foot inside St. Martin’s for the first time. I was a 23-yearold fresh out of college and in the middle of my first year teaching high school social science in DeKalb County.

My first encounter at St. Martin’s was set in motion with an observation in the middle school to see if making the switch to an independent school was worth the assumed decrease in salary.

The moment I entered the school, I immediately felt a difference. It was unlike anything I had experienced during my field experiences or my time teaching public high school. I couldn’t quantify that feeling at the age of 23, but I knew that this school provided the teaching environment I wanted to grow in. I had no idea then that I would spend my professional career at St. Martin’s.

Flash forward 20 years later and here I am still loving and very thankful for the school that took a chance on a teaching rookie in 1999. As I think back over the 20 years I have been at St. Martin’s, there are clear reasons why I have chosen to remain here but the one that is the strongest is the human connection.

Being in a work environment that values people over all else has allowed me to be the educator and now principal that I always wanted to be.

Earlier in my career at St. Martin’s, I had the freedom as a teacher to respond to the needs of my students both academically and emotionally, and now as their principal I have the same flexibility to see each child and understand his or her needs as I help guide them­—along with their parents—to be the best person they can be. It is this ability to see each child as a unique being that allows me to build strong relationships with students and their families. I want all of them to know that I deeply care about their child and them.

I know that St. Martin’s has made a difference in the lives of its students when I receive a phone call, text or email from former students who are now in their late 20s or 30s who want to see if I have time to grab dinner with them. Though they have been away from SMES for many years, somehow reconnecting with St. Martin’s feels like coming home. I couldn’t agree more!

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Winter 2019

= ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Join us this summer! Summer camps at St. Martin’s Episcopal School provide a variety of child-centered activities focusing on skill building, learning and lots of fun for children in rising Pre-K through 8th Grade. We offer one-week sessions specializing in the following activities and much more. Check online for a full list.

• • • • • •

Golf Tennis Baseball Soccer Basketball Volleyball

• • • • • •

Dance Cheer Acting Music Art Musical theater

• • • • • •

STEAM Game design Drone Science Engineering Academic brush-up

SESSION 1: June 3 - 28 SESSION 2: July 8 - August 2 Mark McDaniel, Director mmcdaniel@stmartinschool.org 404.228.0760

REGISTRATION OPENS FEBRUARY 1, 2019 Camp brochure posted online: stmartinschool.org

3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven, GA 30319 Enrollment at St. Martin’s Episcopal School is not required to attend.

St. Martin’s Episcopal School 3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30319

SAVE THE DATE 17TH ANNUAL

ST. MARTIN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT Proceeds benefit St. Martin’s Endowment Fund

Monday, April 1, 2019 Cherokee Town and Country Club Early Bird Registration Ends March 1, 2019 To register visit stmartinschool.org/support