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THE MAGAZINE OF ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

SUMMER 2021

Congratulations 2021 Graduates

COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTDOOR PLAY

Open House SNEAK A PEEK NOVEMBER 7

WholeheartED Dedication To A Child’s Education Q 2-year-olds

through 8th grade attention and instruction Q Unique opportunities to pursue passions Q Strong spiritual formation Q Personalized

S T M A R T I N S C H O O L .O R G

CONTENTS

THE MAGAZINE OF ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL SUMMER 2021

FEATURES 13 Rights of Passage In 5th Grade

14 Graduation 2021 20 On Our Minds

Dreams, goals and advice from our 8th grade grads

EVERY ISSUE 3

Letter

Seen & Heard

From the Head of School

News and happenings in the school community

Volunteer Spotlight Shara Sanders

28 Student Reporters Stories around campus

Portrait of a Graduate Alayna Feng (’08)

38 42

Sports Wrap-Up Faculty News Updates from our faculty and administration

Alumni Notes

Voices

Updates from our alumni

Savanna Ford, 4th-grade lead teacher

22 Coloring Outside the Lines Middle School Art

24 St. Martin’s PTO

A message from the co-presidents

26 5 Things About Chapel at SMES 30 From Learning to Read... To Reading to Learn

Using multisensory lessons to promote early literacy and a love of reading

32 Belonging

Civic Dinners offer authentic conversations

34 Outdoor Play

ON THE COVER We celebrate the St. Martin’s Episcopal School class of 2021!

Building Conﬁdence Outside

36 St. Martin’s

at High Point New Facility Opens Soon

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

EDITOR Kristi Gaffney ASSISTANT EDITOR Sarah Belisle CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Belisle Spence Camp Savanna Ford Kristi Gaffney Sapna Goel, student Charlie Hildreth, student Annie Hollett Jennifer House Mark McDaniel Dr. Luis Ottley Dr. Tiffany Russell Erin Spink Libby Tyler Sarah Taylor Rev. Dr. Stefanie Taylor PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Belisle Kristi Gaffney Adam Linke Sarah Taylor Paul Ward DESIGN Stalling Design ADMINISTRATION Dr. Luis Ottley Head of School Cindy Alexander Principal, Early Childhood Lynne Perry Interim Principal, Elementary School Tony Shaffer Principal, Middle School Cheryl Doughty Director of Finance & Operations Kristi Gaffney Director of Marketing & Communications Blythe Marsau Director of Enrollment Management & Tuition Assistance Dr. Tiffany Russell Director of Diversity & Inclusion Lauren Sims Director of Advancement The Rev. Dr. Stefanie Taylor Chaplain The Rev. Monica Mainwaring St. Martin’s 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.

2 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

HEAD OF SCHOOL

“I am so proud of our students, faculty, staff and families for weathering the storm of COVID-19 and staying strong to ﬁnish strong.” This issue also offers a perspective on the value of outdoor play, an overview of our Civic Dinners initiative, along with many of the magazine’s regular pieces. You’ll meet our volunteer spotlight, learn about a SMES alum and enjoy a SMES faculty member highlight along with short event blurbs in the Seen & Heard section.

he 2020-21 school year will go down in the record books as one steeped in resiliency. It will long be remembered with words like flexibility, uncertainty and safety. And while all of those descriptors are undoubtedly true, I want to take a moment to underscore this year as one also filled with strength, love and community. To hold school for an entire school year amid a global pandemic is nothing short of miraculous. I am so proud of our students, faculty, staff and families for weathering the storm of COVID-19 and staying strong to finish strong. The opportunity to hold our graduation ceremony in The Cathedral of St. Philip was the pinnacle of this school year. To be able to honor the class of 2021 in a traditional SMES manner made for a wonderful day. In this issue of Patterns, please enjoy an article about this special group of 8th-grade students and the ways we were able to honor them as they finished their time here at St. Martin’s

I’m also excited to report that our new High Point Campus will be welcoming its first group of Baby Warrior students in July. You can read more about this and meet our new Infant Early Learning Director, Erin Carey, on page 36. On campus this summer, The Camp at St. Martin’s is in full swing, and our staff is busy planning for the upcoming school year. We look forward to sharing plans with the community as we get closer to August. In the meantime, please enjoy the magazine and the respite that summer brings, and continue to stay safe. With love, light and blessings always,

Dr. Luis Ottley Head of School

You’ll also find interesting curriculum-oriented features about multisensory learning in Early Childhood, 5th-grade transitions and out-of-the-box teaching in Elementary and Middle school art classes.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Seen + Heard

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Excellence Exempliﬁed

Honor Society Induction The St. Martin’s Honor Society inducted 25 new 8th-grade members in January. Parents, peers and school staff watched the ceremony via live stream while inductees enjoyed remarks from Middle School Principal Tony Shaffer, received their medals and recited the honor society pledge. To reach this 8th-grade milestone students must make the honor roll or the headmaster's list for three semesters, participate in school service and exemplify excellent morals and character.

Congratulations to this year’s inductees: First row (l-r): Eloise Smith, Charlie Rohs, Marshall Lisenby, Luke Williams, Handley Greeley, Sapna Goel; second row (l-r): Aiden Hoath, Max Bertolino, Alec Flint, Candler Neel, Archer Love, Mrs. Heend; third row (l-r): Drew Park, Tate O'Leary, Lillian Thomas, Ingrid van der Mandele, Alan Nguyen; fourth row (l-r): Mother Taylor, Eva McLaren, Riley Aronowitz, Caroline Palmer, Mateo Tagtachian, Mrs. Potenza; ﬁfth row (l-r): Jackson Dickert, Janie Alexander, Nicholas Demba, Caroline Short, Judson DiVenere

Annual Tradition

Bee Great

School Sunday

MS Spelling Bee

St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church celebrated the ministry of its parish school, St. Martin’s Episcopal School, at the annual School Sunday worship service in January. The virtual service was live streamed and the school provided pre-recorded instrumental music for the prelude. An important tradition for the community, the service allowed school and church members to serve as readers, acolytes and ushers.

St. Martin’s Middle School Spelling Bee offered a COVIDfriendly twist on an annual tradition. To ensure the safety of participants and audience members, contestants socially distanced in the gym while their peers, parents and teachers tuned in to cheer them on via live stream. The unique format did not diminish the competition, however. The 24 contestants, each selected through internal homeroom competitions, competed for seven tough rounds before 6thgrade student Patrick Feagin spelled “voracious” to take fi rst place. Second place went to 8th-grade student Drew Park.

4 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISC EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

SEEN + HEARD

CELEBRATING

100 Days Smarter St. Martin’s Early Childhood and Elementary School students celebrated 100 days of school in February with 100-themed outfits and activities. Kindergarten students showed off homemade t-shirts sporting 100 cotton balls, buttons or polka dots. First-graders donned scratchy sweaters, gray wigs and canes to shuffle around the school as centenarians for the day.

Early Childhood

Prospective Families Welcomed St. Martin's welcomed a limited number of prospective Early Childhood families to a COVID-19 friendly, on-campus preview event on a Saturday in late January. Visitors arrived in intervals and met briefly with school leadership before enjoying socially-distanced, single-family tours led by Middle School student ambassadors. The following day, prospective Elementary and Middle School families arrived in intervals to enjoy their own preview event complete with brief remarks from Head of School Dr. Luis Ott ley and socially-distanced meet and greets with select teachers while touring Warrior Hall and the Middle School building.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

SEEN + HEARD

IN THE SPIRIT OF ST. MARTIN

Share Your Cloak In January, SMES families were invited to share their cloaks with those in need by donating gentlyused, cold-weather clothing such as coats, mittens, hats and boots to St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church’s annual coat drive in support of the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach. Together, SMES families and SMEC parishioners donated more than 300 coats to local Atlanta families. St. Martin’s alum Jack Fry, a volunteer at the drive-through coat distribution event, offered his own jacket to a patron when the Suthers Center ran out of outerwear in the gentleman’s size.

WASH AND WAX

Clean Cars for a Cause St. Martin’s parents rallied to support the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach food pantry by participating in the fi rst-ever SMES Clean Car Contest. For $1, parents could clean up their car to enter for a chance to win a goody bag and trophy, custom-made by contest judge and SMES Facilities Manager Terry Dotson. Congratulations to winners (l) Tricia Anderson and (r) Marty Martenson and honorable mentions Mike Davis, Liz Means and Adair Hallman.

6 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Kindness Blooms

PTO Spring Flowers Th is March brought the annual St. Martin’s Spring Flowers tradition to campus for everyone to enjoy. PTO parents collected flower orders, and with the help of the Whole Foods floral department, beautiful bouquets were delivered to every SMES faculty and staff member. Thank you, PTO, for fi nding a way to continue this wonderful school tradition!

SEEN + HEARD

PTO Furndraiser

Fling Blooms The PTO’s virtual Fling fundraiser bloomed beautifully on a February Saturday, raising a record $225,041 for the school. PTO volunteers worked tirelessly to turn St. Martin’s largest annual fundraiser into a COVID-19 friendly live-stream event that generated excitement and camaraderie within the community while raising funds for the school. To kick off the festivities, VIP ticket holders, event sponsors and their families enjoyed a car parade through campus. Visitors were invited to stop by a selfie station to take a family photo before a beautiful floral backdrop and drive to the wine pull to choose from more than 100 bott les. Before leaving campus, families received sponsor swag and VIP goody bags featuring bouquets, hors d’oeuvres, cocktail ingredients and more to enjoy during the evening’s live stream event. That evening, the St. Martin’s community logged on to participate in a high-energy live stream auction fi lled with show-stopping items, raffle prizes and more. Some event highlights were: Christy Pott le won the Golden Ticket raffle for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Costa Rica! Kairos math teacher Laura Lewis won this year’s Teacher Parking Spot raffle, securing a dedicated parking spot for the 2021-22 school year. And Merideth Rodgers won the Bloom raffle for a virtual wine tasting for six hosted by Terra Terroir. To cap off the event, Coach Albanese, who had volunteered to shave his head if the Fling hit its fundraising goal, went bald for Bloom!

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

SEEN + HEARD

Bravo!

Georgia Thespian Conference The St. Martin’s drama students look forward to the Georgia Thespian Conference each February, and this year was no exception. Thespian troupes from all over the state came together virtually as each student submitted a video for the individual event competition. Over the three-day conference, the students attended workshops, watched shows from around the state, and listened to guest speakers. St. Martin’s received the highest number of overall superior scores for middle school individual events in Georgia. Seven students received superior honors, with four of those scores awarded for performance and three for tech and design. Congratulations to our St. Martin’s thespians!

“Kids Helping Kids”

Good Samaritan Service Project Th is year was St. Martin’s 24th year collaborating with The Good Samaritan Health Center, which provides children in Atlanta with medical and personal care. Parents, students and teachers donated 710 gently used books, 30 fi rst aid kits and 53 hygiene kits to families in need.

Teamwork is the Dreamwork

Middle School Retreats Travel restrictions brought middle school retreats to school this year. Each grade level had its day of celebration as part of these on-campus retreat events. Each day started with activities on the turf such as wiffle ball, four square and basketball. Students also watched movies, played games in their homerooms and ended the day with games on the field culminating in a byhomeroom tug-of-war showdown! The days were fi lled with team building and lots of fun.

8 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

SEEN + HEARD

Growing Up

5th-Grade Crossing the Green Fift h-grade students ended their elementary school careers as they “Crossed the Green” into middle school. The group was greeted by the middle school principal, Mr. Shaffer, at the doors of the middle school building. These new middle schoolers have so much to look forward to, including a new building, new uniforms and numerous new opportunities.

A Good Deed, Indeed

4th-Grade Lemonade Stand Stemming from classroom work and reading assignments centering on kindness, SMES 4th graders mirrored the helping spirit of the main character of a class novel study by creating a reallife project to help others. The 4th-grade lemonade stand was born, and students raised funds to donate to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

SEEN + HEARD

St. Martin’s Strong

ES Field/FUN Day Elementary School students spent the fi nal Friday of the year celebrating field day while wearing their “St. Martin’s Strong” t-shirts! Students enjoyed games and activities, from prison ball and jumping rope to playing with a giant parachute and cornhole. The main att raction was the bounce obstacle course on the field and the Kona Ice truck.

Moving Up

Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony HONK, WAVE, CHEER SMES Kindergarten is graduating this year! The Kindergarten class celebrated its graduation with a drive-by family event. Each family decorated their car while the Kindergarten teachers cheered on their students. The event was a celebration of all the students’ accomplishments in Early Childhood while wishing them the best of luck “across the bridge” in Elementary School!

10 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

SEEN + HEARD

Bonding Together

8th Grade Class Trip The 2021 8th-grade graduating class spent time in Brasstown, GA, along with surrounding areas. The fi rst stop was the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where the class enjoyed a day of raft ing down the chilly Nantahala River. The rest of the trip consisted of hayrides, campfi res, golf, hiking, pool time and games. Having time to spend with their classmates was what the trip was all about.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

SEEN + HEARD

4th Annual

Boxcar Race Day With all of the obstacles thrown their way throughout the year, there were no obstacles on the course for the 8th-grade class when it came to boxcar race day! The race concluded the fourth annual 8th-grade semesterlong STEAM project. Students were divided into teams of three and applied their skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and math to build a working boxcar to race against their peers. The project began early in the semester when each team produced a to-scale blueprint of their design. Students then created a website to communicate the intention behind the boxcar design and determine a fun theme to support the project. Themes ranged from iCarly and Spongebob to disco. Each team's car was decorated, and fun costumes were chosen to support the theme. An added twist to the project included a choreographed team dance performance for teachers and parents to enjoy on race day. The teams competed for five titles: fastest boxcar, most agile boxcar, best overall theme, best website and the Carter Davis Spirit Award. After multiple rounds of racing, the “Dinosaurs” sped into fi rst place with the fastest car, while team “Star Wars“ clenched fi rst-place for best boxcar agility. The best website was awarded to the “8th-Grade Teachers.” The 5th-grade students and their teachers voted the best theme to the “Pirates.” Finally, the Carter Davis Boxcar Spirit Award went to Tate O’Leary for his kind and helpful att itude during boxcar week. Q

Fastest Boxcar

Most Agile Boxcar

Best Website

Best Overall Theme

Carter Davis Spirit Award

“Dinosaurs”

“Star Wars”

“8th Grade Teachers”

“Pirates”

Tate O'Leary

2021 AWARD WINNERS The project was created and named for Carter Davis, son of St. Martin’s 8th-grade English teacher Michele Davis, who passed away in August 2016.

12 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Flyin’ into Fifth Project • Group collaboration • Data collection and analysis • Scientiﬁc method/ inquiry

Rites of Passage IN 5TH GRA DE b y S PEN CE CAMP 5T H GRADE LEA D T EAC HER

ven though students at St. Martin’s have a rather unique and cohesive preschool through eighth-grade experience, the transition from elementary to middle school can be quite daunting. The fi ft h-grade year is designed to prepare students for the new challenges they will face when they cross over to sixth grade.

Fift h graders enjoy much more independence and responsibility than in earlier grades. They are allowed to walk to and from all classes without direct supervision which, prepares them for the much larger building they will have to navigate in middle school. Their executive functioning skills are honed by being responsible for keeping up with their assignments and supplies. They are also expected to manage their Chromebook, which they take home every day, and must remember to charge. Fift h graders are also tasked with tracking many longterm, multi-step assignments. Collaboration is a key component of fi ft h grade. They are challenged with navigating three collaborative, cross-curricular projects and many smaller ones in each of the core classes. The three are the Flyin’ into Fift h STEAM project, Cookie Company and the STEAM fair. Groups use their collective skills and knowledge to succeed in these challenging assignments.

Fift h graders always look forward to the trip to the UGA Marine Extension on Skidaway Island where the entire grade enjoys two nights and three days of learning and fun. Going to Skidaway in the spring is a highlight not only of the fi ft hgrade year—for some it’s the favorite activity of the entire St. Martin’s experience. The real transition to middle school starts with the Crossing the Green ceremony near the end of fi ft h grade. Students are led from Warrior Hall to the middle school. Th is ceremony is symbolic of the end of elementary school and passage into the next phase of their experience at St. Martin’s. Fift h grade is a time of reflection and a time to look toward the future. At St. Martin’s, the WholeheartED approach to education begins at a very young age. There is a sense of continuity throughout the St. Martin’s experience, but the transition from elementary to middle school is a big one, and we work hard to ensure our students are ready for it.

Cookie Company • Teamwork • Marketing • Sales • Measurement

STEAM Fair • Authentic problembased learning • Student driven • Learning about alternative energy and clean air

Skidaway Island Trip • Independence • Marine biology • Service

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

“St. Martin’s has lit a ﬁre within each of us. With the help of our parents who have loved us, our teachers who have inspired us and our friends who have grown with us...” - ELOISE SMITH IN HER GRADUATION ADDRESS

14 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Class of 2021 Lights up the Future b y SA R A H B E L I S L E CO M M U N I C ATI O N S CO O R D I N ATO R

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Words of Wisdom

ike their graduating peers around the world, the SMES Class of 2021 did more than excel in the classroom this year. They showed grit and inner strength as they powered through one of the hardest years of their lives by attending 8th grade during a global pandemic. On Thursday, May 25, their maturity and resiliency were recognized at a beautiful commencement, with the 57 members of the 8th-grade class processing into the Cathedral of St. Philip to be celebrated by a loving circle of St. Martin’s family, faculty and staff.

Whether they began their St. Martin’s education in Pre-K or Middle School, this unique class is bound by the milestones and memories they share, growing up within a caring community that encouraged them to wholeheartedly embrace life. The bonds they forged through challenges and achievements will last a lifetime. One by one, graduates took the stage to receive their diplomas from Head of School Dr. Luis Ottley. Board of Trustees Chair Derek Porter and The Right Rev. Robert C. Wright, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, were also present to offer congratulations.

16 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Commencement speaker and Student Council President Eloise Smith recalled experiences from her 11 years at St. Martin’s. She noted that through the years her class had been challenged to learn and grow as individuals. “St. Martin’s has lit a fire within each of us,” she said. “With the help of our parents who have loved us, our teachers who have inspired us and our friends who have grown with us—we have been provided an opportunity to find ourselves and that spark.” Eloise reminded her classmates that no matter how similar or different they are from one another, they have just begun to discover who they are in the world. Inspired by the ‘70s disco hit, “Born to Be Alive,” Bishop Wright delivered the commencement address, driving home the importance of living life to its fullest. He reinforced Eloise’s message, reminding the graduates that their spark will illuminate not only from their upcoming high school experience but the endless possibilities of the full lives that await them. The class of 2021 was “Born to Be Alive,” and Bishop Wright reiterated just how proud the St. Martin’s community is of everything they have accomplished during their lives. During a short reception that capped off the ceremony, graduates and their families viewed a moving slideshow and accepted a goody bag before leaving for private celebrations.

Traditions with a Twist Oglethorpe Award The Oglethorpe Award, the top student award, is given to an 8th-grade student who is a good citizen of the school and community and exhibits intelligence, compassion, enthusiasm, responsibility and common sense. Faculty members nominate students and the winner is determined by a committee. This year’s award recipient was Ingrid van der Mandele.

Honors Assembly

8th Grade Clap-Out The 8th-grade clap-out tradition kicks off the annual Honors Assembly and offers all students, faculty and staff a ﬁnal opportunity to applaud the soon-to-be graduates as they process around St. Martin’s Episcopal School for the last time as students. This year’s new outside COVID-friendly route was led by Head of School Dr. Luis Ottley ringing the ofﬁcial St. Martin’s bell with Middle School Principal Tony Shaffer by his side.

The annual Honors Assembly is held on the ﬁnal day of school to celebrate the outstanding achievements of students in Elementary and Middle School. This year, each division was honored at its own assembly in order to hold the ceremony live. Key recognitions included honor roll and headmaster’s list, student council and student vestry awards, as well as academic awards. At the assembly, 8thgrade student council representatives Nicholas Demba and Sapna Goel announced the class of 2021’s gift of outdoor tents to be used during eighthgrade Boxcar week and other school events.

Ingrid was recognized on the Headmaster’s List and won the math award at the Honor Assembly this year. She was a member of the St. Martin’s Honor Society, a student of the week and in seventh grade received the Spanish award. Ingrid was recognized by Duke TIP, a member of Student Vestry, was the Geography Bee runner-up and an active member in both the Spanish and SOLVE clubs. Since age nine, Ingrid has played competitive tennis and was a member of the St. Martin’s volleyball and tennis teams in Middle School. Outside of school, she volunteered at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and RISE Against Hunger. Ingrid is bilingual and has lived in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Reeder Excellence in Teaching Award The Reeder Excellence in Teaching Award is presented annually during the Honors Assembly to a teacher who has made a positive impact on students, colleagues and the community. It is the highest honor a teacher can receive at St. Martin’s. This year’s award was given to Department Coordinator and Middle School science teacher Susan Potenza. Criteria for nomination include a dedicated commitment to students, positive attitude, loyalty, dedication, ﬂexibility and good relationships with students, parents, administrators and other teachers. The honoree receives a stipend from the Reeder Foundation. The Reeder Award winner is peer-nominated and selected by previous winners.

Susan Potenza began her service at St. Martin’s as a parent of two middle schoolers. In 2000 she was hired as a 6th grade English and 7thgrade science teacher. Eventually, she focused exclusively on science, and, for the past 10 years, has been Chair of the SMES Science department. She has represented St. Martin’s at GISA and other educational conferences, while serving on multiple committees over her past 21 years at the school. Noted Susan, “Receiving the Reeder Excellence in Teaching Award was the highest honor I have ever received. I wake up every morning excited to go to work. Teaching for me is a passion, not a job. I am privileged to work in such a caring environment with innovative, talented, hard-working teachers, as well as a supportive administration and staff.. My favorite quote this year is, ‘Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their gifts at different times and in different ways.’”

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Best of Luck to the Class of 2021!

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

ON OUR MINDS... DREAMS, GOALS AND ADVICE FROM OUR 8TH GRADE GRADS

THIS OR THAT?

FAVORITE ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF ST. MARTIN’S Madden Berg ............................... Baseball

68%

Jamie Vicens ............................... Baseball Bradey Shannon......................... Baseball Sebastian Buitrago................... Basketball Valdemar Larsen ....................... Basketball Lana Holbert ................................ Cheerleading Gabrielle Hollier ........................ Dancing

32%

Eric Berg ........................................ Drawing Candler Neel ................................ Fishing Luke Pinson ................................. Flying • Guitar Connor Obser .............................. Football Fletcher LaCoste ....................... Football

20%

Hunter Phillips ............................ Gaming Eloise Smith ................................. Friends • Sports Marshall Lisenby ........................ Gaming Tate O’Leary ................................ Lacrosse Georgie Futrell ........................... Lacrosse Vanesa Chavez............................ Painting

80%

Eva McLaren ................................ Volleyball • Friends Ansley Matlock ........................... Reading Addison Matlock........................ Reading Mateo Tagtachian ..................... Rugby Wesleigh Harvey ....................... Soccer Handley Greeley ........................ Softball Lillian Thomas............................. Swimming Jack Gessner ............................... Tennis

88% 12%

Preston Grice............................... Ultimate Frisbee Hanna Livingston ...................... Volleyball Kaylee Underwood ................... Volleyball Alec Flint ....................................... Wrestling

DREAM CAREER

Charles Ashe III .......................... Baseball team general manager Caroline Castellaw ................... Interior designer or architect Addison Matlock........................ Kindergarten teacher Riley Aronowitz ........................ Orthodontist Connor Obser .............................. Photographer Nicholas Demba ......................... Actor Judson DiVenere ....................... Actor or fashion designer Sapna Goel ................................... Actress Marshall Lisenby ........................ Aerospace engineer Katherine Graham ..................... Author David Albert ................................ Baseball player Madden Berg ............................... Broadcaster or ﬁnance Charlie Rohs................................. CEO Hunter Phillips ............................ Clothing designer Tate O’Leary ................................ Game designer Janie Alexander ......................... Interior designer Preston Grice............................... Internet personality/YouTuber Gabrielle Hollier ........................ Lawyer Keegan Luisi-Robinson .......... Marine biologist Luke Pinson ................................. Pilot Archer Love.................................. Play in MLB or NBA Ingrid van der Mandele .......... Psychiatrist Ethan Cunningham ................... Scuba diver Dylan Mathis ................................ Senator of Wisconsin Lillian Thomas............................. Social justice worker Mateo Tagtachian ..................... Space scientist Charlie Hildreth.......................... Sports broadcaster Jack Breen .................................... Start a business Max Bertolino ............................ State senator Nicholas Parra............................. Surgeon or pro soccer player

FAVORITE ST. MARTIN’S TRADITION

Caroline Castellaw— 5th/7th Grade Buddies • • • Jackson Dickert— Student vs. Teacher Basketball Game • • • Alan Nguyen—Band Trip • • • Wesleigh Harvey—Boxcars • • • Lillian Thomas—Boxcars • • • Sapna Goel—Boxcars

• • • Caroline Palmer—Boxcars • • • Drew Park—Class Trips • • • Keegan Luisi-Robinson—Fall Festival • • • Caroline Short—Father Daughter Dance • • • Gabrielle Hollier—Feast Day • • • Connor Obser—Feast Day • • • Sebastian Buitrago—Field Day • • • Dylan Mathis—Field Day • • • Aiden Hoath—Field Day • • • Fletcher LaCoste— Grand Canyon • • • Jack Breen—Lessons and Carols • • • Candler Neel—Taco Tuesday • • • Charles Ashe III—Teacher vs Student Basketball Game • • • Preston Grice—8th Grade Clap Out • • • Eloise Smith—Band Trip • • • Janie Alexander—Band Trip • • • Ethan Cunningham—Dances • • • Ansley Matlock—Halloween Parade • • • Addison Matlock—The Musical • • • Hanna Livingston—The Parade • • • Kaylee Underwood—Trips & Sports • • • Charlie Hildreth—World Cultures Day

20 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

ST. MARTIN’S IN THREE WORDS Riley Aronowitz Nicholas Parra Jackson Dickert Jack Breen Eva McLaren Aiden Hoath Brady Lehwald Mateo Tagtachian Luke Williams Alec Flint Charlie Rohs Handley Greeley Madden Berg Vanesa Chavez Bradey Shannon Georgie Futrell Kaylee Underwood Hunter Phillips Archer Love Ingrid van der Mandele Lana Holbert Caroline Castellaw Fletcher LaCoste Judson DiVenere Jamie Vicens Nicholas Demba Caroline Short Alan Nguyen

Wholehearted, loving, involved Amazing, fun, exciting Challenging, amazing, supportive Education, important, fun Encouraging, fun, inﬂuential Epic, fun, cool Everyone ﬁts in Everyone is friendly Food, sports, education Fun, caring, friendly Fun, challenging, happy Fun, community, loving Fun, freedom, people Fun, friends, helpful Fun, interesting, learn Fun, loving, interactive Fun, sweet, short Happy, friends, community Happy, fun, community Inclusive, engaging, welcoming Inspiring, welcoming, challenging Learned and grew Live, laugh, love Loving, amazing, fun Really very short Relationships, loving, learning Sense of community Sports, involvement, loving

GOALS FOR HIGH SCHOOL

ADVICE TO INCOMING MIDDLE SCHOOLERS Archer Love Eva McLaren Keegan Luisi-Robinson Janie Alexander Eric Berg Jack Gessner Charlie Rohs Max Bertolino Charlie Hildreth Katherine Graham Lana Holbert Sebastian Buitrago Alan Nguyen Handley Greeley Sapna Goel Drew Park David Albert Riley Aronowitz Caroline Palmer Hanna Livingston Valdemar Larsen Dylan Mathis Luke Williams Aiden Hoath Jamie Vicens Alec Flint Nicholas Parra Brady Lehwald Candler Neel

SMES CLASS OF 2021

Bradey Shannon • To make varsity Max Bertolino • 4.0 GPA Eloise Smith • Achieve good grades and compete on varsity teams Ingrid van der Mandele • Be actively involved in clubs and activities Luke Pinson • Do well in music program Eric Berg • Get good at producing music Vanesa Chavez • Get good grades Tate O’Leary • Get into a good college David Albert • Get prepared for college Valdemar Larsen • Good grades Jack Gessner • Graduate Wesleigh Harvey • Grow as a person Judson DiVenere • I hope to set some records in sports Jackson Dickert • I want to be the best person I can be in and out of the classroom Charles Ashe III • I want to make varsity as a freshman Luke Williams • I want to start a frisbee club Katherine Graham • Improve my art Caroline Palmer • Keep straights A’s Brady Lehwald • Make the golf and basketball teams Drew Park • Take a lot of APs Ansley Matlock • To engage with other people and not shut myself out Ethan Cunningham • To get into a good college Marshall Lisenby • To maintain really good grades Georgie Futrell • To make at least 2 sports teams Caroline Short • To take more than one honors class Nicholas Demba • Try new things

Stay on top of your work Always complete your work on time Be organized Be yourself Be yourself—Don’t try to be someone you’re not Do good Do Membean and get it done now Do Membean and invest in GME Do your homework Don’t rush to grow up Don’t be scared to make new friends and try your best Don’t give up Don’t procrastinate Enjoy it! Enjoy your childhood Get enough sleep Learn from your mistakes and don’t make them twice MS is awesome! More freedom and everyone is so sweet! Never give up Pay attention when taking notes Stay focused on school Study The more sports you play, the better Don’t get behind with your work Try to make friends early Turn in your homework When you’re down, you’re the only one who can get back up Work hard and get your work done Work hard but have a good time

THIS OR THAT?

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PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Coloring Outside the Lines b y L I BBY TY L E R EL EM ENTA RY A N D M I DD L E S C H O O L A RT TE AC H E R

ave you seen our Middle School artists at work? From 6th- through 8th-grade, they learn to express themselves and celebrate their uniqueness through a variety of mediums and styles. Art class asks Middle School students to trust their skills, vision and voice to create something unique in the world. For many, this feels like a scary departure from the safety of clearly defined outcomes. But it is essential to becoming wholehearted artists and individuals.

Elementary School art lessons are more structured, as students learn the fundamentals. At a developmentally optimal time, Middle School students are given the tools they need to color outside the lines, including through what we call “choice” projects allowing students to select the medium or content they prefer to create a piece of art. Choice leads to greater ownership of, and investment in, their art. The results often exceed those from assignments with more rules and restrictions. One of my favorite moments in the classroom is seeing students all working on the same assignment, but creating something completely different from their peers. This is the goal of our work together: self-expression through art. To help make the most of choice projects, the Middle School art curriculum continues to develop foundational art skills beginning with drawing and painting. We work on expanding students’ recognition of the elements and principles of design, such as form, balance, rhythm and more. Curriculum goals also include the ability to recognize and name specific artists by the style of their work, speculate on the historical and cultural context of works of art and how to look for symbolism or hidden meanings. We practice with a variety of mediums and tools including pencils, watercolor, oil pastel, acrylic paint, clay and digital.

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From 6ththrough 8th-grade, students learn to express themselves and celebrate their uniqueness through a variety of mediums and styles.

To kick off our choice projects this semester, 7th-grade students created a piece inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” First, they listened to the poem while watching a slideshow of images from the civil rights movement. They were then asked to show how the poem moved them using either acrylic on canvas, watercolor on paper or the popular iPad app Procreate that imitates the natural feel of drawing and painting. For some, their interpretation was as literal as a painting of a caged bird. Others chose imagery that reflected the symbolism of the poem. Choice inspired students to create amazing artwork unique to their interpretation of a powerful subject. I also use technology and advanced mediums to engage students and prepare them for high school classes, and a possible career in graphic design. This year we introduced iPads and Apple pencils. The Procreate app features more than 100 brushes, blending modes, layer options and more, allowing students to test infinitely more ideas during the design process than they could using pencil and paper.

For some projects, like the popular 8th-grade shoe-painting assignment, I select the medium and ask students to come up with their own design. Students are asked to bring in a pair of white shoes to design and paint. The freedom to choose the style of shoe, and the fact that shoe-painting is a cool trend contributed to a high level of engagement. To begin, students took a picture of their shoes and tested various design ideas using Procreate. Because this app simu lates drawing and painting so well, students created a design within their abilities to paint that could be revised through trial and error. They primed their canvas using gesso, a thick acrylic paint, not typically part of a middle school art curriculum. Using acrylic paint pens, the students put their graphic design, drawing and painting skills to the test. Many took on the additional challenge of layering colors on their shoes to create inventive designs, from flamingos and bright geometric designs to daisies and pop culture references. Many 7th-grade choice projects involve 3D artwork, which is central to this grade level’s curriculum. In a 3D food design project, students use model clay to build and shape a model food of their choice. They enjoy the relaxing experience of using their hands to make art while practicing their sculpting and painting skills. Another project engages students in protecting the environment by transforming old paintbrushes into cartoon-like paintbrush people with polymer clay facial features decoratively colored with acrylic paint. Within certain restrictions and guidelines, students still have the freedom to bring their unique visions and personality to life through their artwork. Sixth-grade art offers an important bridge between the structured lessons of Elementary School and the freedom and customization awaiting in 7th-grade. While 6th-graders work within established guidelines, they begin to experiment with choice and individuality. For example, I will show them a piece of

Choice inspires Middle School students to take ownership of their artwork and make it uniquely their own.

art and ask them to create something inspired by the artist’s style or method. Some struggle, choosing to copy the piece rather than create something new. Throughout Middle School art, my goal is to empower students to trust their unique voice and perspective and to share it, fearlessly, with the world. Choice inspires Middle School students to take ownership of their artwork and make it uniquely their own. It is a time when many are seeking their voice, figuring out how they want to express themselves to their loved ones and the world. The art classroom offers them the opportunity to safely experiment, take risks and dare to create something imperfect and new.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

ach year, the PTO strives to enrich the St. Martin’s experience by building a sense of community and connections among families and students, supporting our teachers and faculty, and fundraising to augment the school’s budget and fund various initiatives. When we embarked upon our planning in the spring of 2020, we had no idea what this school year would have in store. We didn’t know if Covid would be short-lived and we’d have a completely normal school year or if we would be entirely virtual and unable to do any events. It turned out to be something in between. We were unbelievably grateful for in-person learning and the ability to hold most of our events to further the PTO’s mission, but Covid safety protocols required changes to every single PTO event and program.

As we reflect on the 2020-21 school year, we are incredibly proud of what the PTO was able to accomplish in this most unusual school year, and we want to express our gratitude for the hard work, creative thinking, and willingness to be flexible to each and every person involved in PTO this year. Despite the challenges, we were able to have a very successful fundraising year and managed to have most of the usual events and a couple of new ones, even if done in an unusual manner. A very special heartfelt thanks goes out to our PTO executive board, comprised of Abbey Bradner, Elizabeth Miller, Stephanie Kokabi, Sarah Jowers,

Judy Chang, Kelly Greene, and Anna Rocker. This board met weekly by Zoom and exchanged thousands of calls, texts, and emails to ensure all events were planned with administrative and medical team approvals, communicated to the school community, and financially managed and tracked. Their dedication, positive attitudes, and willingness to give their time and their talents wherever needed made for an effective team. Without that, we could not have accomplished all we did this year. We also want to thank the PTO chairs who organized and planned all of the events this year. Their willingness to re-think processes and be flexible with numerous constraints is very much appreciated. A huge applause goes out to Shara Sanders and Caroline Kulinski, cochairs of Virtual Fling 2021. They truly went above and beyond our wildest expectations and managed to pull off a fun, creative, and enormously successful fundraising event. We also appreciate the support of the Board of Trustees and the administration at SMES, whose support was invaluable. We are thankful for the opportunity to lead the PTO this past year. Through ups and downs, it showed us the resiliency and bright spirit of our school community. As we pass the torch to the incoming co-presidents, Abbey Bradner and Elizabeth Miller, we know the PTO leadership is in good hands. They will welcome your continued support as they strive to make the coming school year even better.

Sincerely,

Erin and Jennifer

ERIN SPINK

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JENNIFER HOUSE

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Volunteer Spotlight

W hat makes St. Martin's special to you and your family?

Shara Sanders

Is there a silver lining to being part of the SMES community during the pandemic?

When did your family become part of the St. Martin's community? We joined the St. Martin’s community in the fall of 2013 when our daughter Jillian started Kindergarten; she is now a rising 8th grader. We live in the Oak Grove/Tucker/Decatur area and had learned about SMES from former parent Susan Reese. Susan and I are members of the Junior League of DeKalb County, and I knew Susan’s children, Colin and Ansley, from volunteering with the youth group at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. We heard such great things about SMES from Susan and visited the school on several occasions. The two things that clinched it for us were the Open House visit to the EC science lab, and attending the PTO Fall Festival in 2012, where we experienced the apple cider pressing demonstration. Why do you volunteer? I attended Presbyterian College whose school motto is “Dum Vivimus Servimus” – While We Live, We Serve. I have taken that to heart and have tried to use my time, talent and treasure to serve the school and community as best I can. In everything I do, my goal is to make the world a better place for Jillian. I also volunteer because I love meeting new people, helping SMES teachers and staff, learning new things and facing new challenges.

One of my favorite volunteer tasks was working on the SMES core values. Hearing from other parents and teachers, administrators and staff about what makes SMES special was inspiring. The seven core values, faith, kindness, friendships, uniqueness, possibilities, milestones and growing up, truly sum up why SMES is special to us.

After the initial fear and stress over the unknown, we were very blessed to be able to pause, spend time together as a family, and re-set our priorities. Daily walks with our dog Thor, virtually connecting with friends, cleaning out the garage and basement, planting herbs and flowers and discovering new ways to serve the community are all silver linings. One of the most significant things I did during the pandemic was volunteering as a poll worker during the 20202021 elections. It was a highly stressful yet educational and fulfilling experience, one I would never have had if the pandemic had not happened. It was also inspiring to see how the SMES parent community has come together to support each other, the teachers and the school during the pandemic. I’m still in shock over the support that the 2021 Virtual Fling – Bloom generated. Thank you!

Joined St. Martin’s community: 2013 Volunteer Areas: • Room Representative • Book Fair Volunteer • Spring Flowers Volunteer • Veteran’s Day Volunteer and Chair • Hospitality CoChair • PTO Co-President 2016-2017 • Fling – Acquisitions Chair 2013 • Fling – Chair 2015 • Fling – Co-Chair 2017, 2019, 2021

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Things About Chapel at SMES

b y ST EFANIE TAY LOR S MES CHA P LAIN

In this year of COVID, like all things at school, chapel services had to be reimagined for safety. We also missed having parents drop in for services on Tuesdays. As an Episcopal school, our weekly chapel services are an integral part of who we are as a school and their importance to support our mission and values cannot be overstated. Enjoy a short “101” about chapel services at SMES.

Liturgy Chapel follows the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. Th is means it is likely boring for the children. I tell them every year: this is on purpose! In the Episcopal Church, we value silence. We value solemnity. We value empty space where the experience one has with God is whatever experience they are having. We do not want to curate an experience for people. The world is trying to entertain them 24/7. They don’t need any more entertainment. We want to gift them with solace and the ability to think, reflect, and, yes, be bored enough just to “be” and to have nothing between them and God.

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Participation Requirement Chapel is mandatory, just like classes. Sometimes people ask, “if this is an open and welcome school, why is chapel mandatory?” I start every year by explaining that I know there is more than one way to God and more than one way to understand God and that there are even those who do not believe in God. Then I tell them that the Episcopal Church is our way to God, and Jesus is how we get to know God. I tell them that as an Episcopal school, we have chosen this one way as an example of how to learn and be devoted to God because that is what we know and have to offer. I tell them it is an honor for me to have them witness this, and I thank them. If they choose not to participate, that is OK. I also tell them they can help me learn through their ways and invite me into their practice.

3 4

Volunteers Chapel provides the opportunity for students and faculty to practice faith life. We have readers, acolytes, and Eucharistic Ministers. All students, regardless of faith tradition, are welcome to participate in all areas of chapel life.

Eucharist Once a month (not in a pandemic), we have a Eucharistic service. Th is means we have communion. The students are invited to receive both the bread and the wine. In our church, we use real red wine, as is stipulated in our prayer book. Parents are notified before Eucharist takes place of our process, and they are in charge of making their wishes regarding Eucharist known to their child and the teacher. Children can come up to receive the bread and wine, just the bread, or just a blessing. They can also remain in their seat. I do not give a blessing in the name of Jesus if a blessing is what is given. Since many of the students who choose this option are not Christian, I do not want to disrespect them by giving them a blessing in the name of my God and not their God. Instead, I hold my hand up (I do not make the sign of the cross), and I say, “The blessing of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, be upon you now and always.”

Prayer List I keep a communal prayer list that gets read in chapel each week, and I keep a private prayer list that stays with me, and only I see. To put someone on the prayer list, students can tell me, email me, or tell their teacher, and their teacher can email me. Parents can email me as well. If someone needs long-term prayer, that can be noted, and they will stay on the list until I am notified otherwise. The prayer list gets cleared at the end of each month, and we start fresh the next month. We pray for those who need prayer, for the blessings in our lives, and for the dead.

All students, regardless of faith tradition, are welcome to participate in all areas of chapel life.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

STUDENT WRITER

Acting Through a Mask BY

SAP NA GOEL , 8 T H G R A D E

h i s yea r h a s been d i f ferent… rea l l y d i f ferent . T h i ngs have cha nged: some for the better, and some for the worse. But throughout the past year, we have all learned how to adapt to this sudden transformation of life. Staying in quarantine was not easy for anyone with long and dreary days sitting in front of a computer waiting to hear that ding to start a Zoom meeting. Luckily this school year, St. Martin’s students have been able to attend school in person, and it has been working really well. Despite masks, dividers on every desk, and hand sanitizing between every class, the Drama department had even more changes to make to be safe during the Covid pandemic.

It has been prett y hard, but the students at St. Martin’s got used to the big changes. One of the main struggles was to fi nd an alternative way to participate in after-school activities, especially drama. Students were not allowed to sing due to Covid-19 precautions, but singing is a key component of musical theater. Mrs. McKerley, the Director of Speech and Drama, worked so hard to make everything work. She said, “The adjustments that we had to make were better than not having any drama activities this year. We had to rely heavily on video. We were able to put out a Frozen Jr. highlights video last spring, and we held the Veterans Day Assembly and the Fall Drama Showcase on video too.” She’s not wrong about the dependence on videography. Students had to fi lm at home with stage-like lighting and unique costumes, and they had to give a full-on performance, just like they normally would in a show in front of an audience. None of this was easy, considering how the actors had to learn the songs and choreography at home, perform in a small space, and gather all of the right materials to make an extraordinary show.

Th is year, the drama club members weren’t able to participate in competitions like they normally would. In a pre-Covid year, drama participants go to the One-Act competition in the fall and to the Junior State Thespian Festival, or Thescon in February. Last fall, OneAct was unfortunately canceled, and Thescon was virtual. For Thescon, each drama troupe submits a number of individual events that are either musical, acting, or tech pieces from a wide variety of shows. Th is year, Mrs. McKerley fi lmed these individual events at school. Although the students couldn’t perform in person, they still had to wear full black clothing, use stage lighting, and sing and act to the best of their abilities while fi lming. They managed to get many good takes and earned many superior awards. Students participated in workshops such as audition preparation, stage combat, and key components that make an amazing monologue. Seventh-grader Katy Scott said, “Mrs. McKerley did a great job of directing us and keeping us safe. I was so glad that we had the opportunity to participate from home.” For St. Martin's spring musical, the students put on a production of Matilda Jr. Mrs. McKerley chose for it to be a fi lmed musical, kind of like a movie. Each grade level was kept apart and each scene was fi lmed separately according to who is playing which character. Scenes were fi lmed both at school and home, and costumes and props were provided for each student for each character they played. “It's been challenging. It's a new way to do everything. The last year was about trying to overcome obstacles to keep the experience as close to normal as possible,” said eighth-grader Ansley Matlock. “Mrs. McKerley never let us down, and she persevered through the hard times.” Even though the Drama Department students dreamed of per-

28 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

forming in front of a large crowd with bright stage lights and a ripple of applause, actors were so grateful that the show went on. Co-president, eighth-grader Nicholas Demba, says, “I’m prett y sad that I’m leaving this year. I have really great memories of my experience as part of the St. Martin’s Drama Club. It’s unfortunate that we had to make adjustments according to Covid-19, but I think we did a great job making the best of it.” Drama is always something many look forward to, whether it is a normal rehearsal or competition, and it is many students’ greatest passion. With the hard work of our teachers and the perseverance of the students, this school year will not be looked down on due to the limited things students could do, but it will be remembered as a year of learning and accomplishments.

STUDENT WRITER

Youth Passing League at SMES BY

CHARLES HI L D R ET H, 8 T H G R A D E

verybody likes football; it is America’s favorite sport. You are watching an intense game in the fourth quarter, fans cheering, players running, hearts pounding. The ball is thrown deep and caught; we win! However, there are many parts of football that people don’t like: the injuries, the falls, and the equipment. Th at’s why eight years ago, professional quarterback trainer and former UCLA offensive coach Quincy Avery, SMES coach Robert Harris and a few other people got together and founded the Youth Passing League. YPL was founded because football is only played in the fall, but with YPL, it is played at St. Martin’s in the spring.

In YPL, there is no tackling or shoving; once you get tagged, you are down. With passes every play, YPL is a great way to start off in football or improve your skills with extra passing, catching, and defending. “We over-exaggerate in practice,” says Harris. “So in games, it is muscle memory. YPL is a fun, safe, and engaging way to play football any time of the year.”

" W I TH PASS E S E V E RY P L AY, Y P L I S A G R E AT WAY TO STA R T O F F I N F O OTB A L L O R I MP R OV E YO U R S K I L L S W I TH E X TR A PASS I N G , C ATC H I N G , A N D D E F E N DI N G . "

Many enjoy YPL because of the excitement and competitiveness. When the team comes together and helps each other out, everyone has a chance to do something. The game might play out like this example. One of my team’s quarterbacks, eighth-grader Alan Nguyen or seventh-grader Jack Story, snaps the ball and starts the timer. They have four seconds to pass to one of four receivers or the running back. They pass to one of our receivers, and the pass is blocked, almost intercepted. Our coach picks a three-step drop, with all of the receivers doing slants. It is passed and caught for a fi rst down. We chose a fi ve-step drop, and we score a deep touchdown. The teams usually decide on taking a two-point conversion because it makes the game more exciting. We barely catch the ball and score two points giving us the lead and the win.

Two years ago, when I was in sixth grade, I played my fi rst season of YPL. Since so many kids in my grade wanted to play, we had two sixth-grade teams. My team lost in the fi rst round of the playoff s. However, the second, sixth-grade team won the championship with an amazing pass and catch. Last year, in my second season of YPL, we had many practices and one game. Our season was sadly cut short due to the COVID-19 virus. Th is season, we were only able to have three fun practices due to rain-outs and COVID-19. Eighth-grader Brady Lehwald said, “We didn’t get to play other teams, but we got to do everything we wanted to.” During those three practices, we did things a litt le differently; we were socially distanced as best as we could, wore masks in huddles, and only had practices with no competitions against other schools. YPL is an awesome way to play football safely and play year-round. Some players said, “It's fun, it's great.” and “The feeling of cooperation and teamwork really makes me enjoy it.” Many people love football but don’t love the downsides; that’s why there is YPL.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

From Learning to Read... to Reading to Learn Using Multisensory Lessons to Promote Early Literacy and a Love of Reading b y A N N IE H OL L ET T EARLY CHILD HOOD R EA D IN G & TECHN OLOGY T EAC HER

point in my education, a shift to multisensory instruction helped me master the core literacy skills I needed to begin to read to learn. Th is struggle motivated my decision to become a reading specialist.

he ability to read is one of the most revolutionary, and evolutionary skills ever mastered by humans. Though we have been reading for about 5,000 years, methods to teach literacy continue to develop. With the advancement of technology and the broadening of research into how students learn, multisensory instruction has taken center stage as the most beneficial method for all learners.

At St. Martin’s, practicing the foundational literacy skills begins at a young age. Some of our earliest learners are welcomed into the Reading Lab to practice letters, letter sounds and phonemic awareness skills using the Wilson Language Program (WLP) and the Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach. From infants through 3rd grade, St. Martin’s students consistently use the OG Approach and WLP alphabet and keywords. Each grade’s curriculum builds upon the prior, cementing a strong foundation for reading success.

In the St. Martin’s Early Childhood Reading and Technology Lab, I use multisensory teaching tools to equip young students with foundational reading skills and the ability to apply them, unlocking the gateway to complex literacy and comprehension. At some point along a student’s journey, there is a near-seamless transition from learning how to read to reading to learn. When I was in 2nd grade, I struggled with reading. I was able to recognize basic sight words and read and spell simple words, but only well enough to pass my classes. When the curriculum became more challenging in 3rd grade, my inability to string together sentences and make meaning of them became more evident. I lacked the foundational and coping skills needed to help me learn to read. At this pivotal

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As a result of my education, including a master’s degree in reading instruction, years of teaching and personal experience, I have witnessed the extraordinary potential of multisensory instruction on all types of learners. The OG approach uses multiple senses to help students learn information in a meaningful way. Th is not only enables students to retain new information, but also gives them the skills needed to apply this knowledge in future learning. In many ways, learning to read is becoming more active. In the Early Childhood Reading Lab, students practice concepts through visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile activities. When a student sees it, hears it, feels it and does it, the chance of retention increases. Using a multisensory

such as, “Do rat and hat rhyme?” correctly to get a point. They earn bonus points by tossing a bean bag into the bucket. The Kindergarten curriculum begins with a letter-sound review and advances into combining sounds to create simple words. Phonemic awareness skills and phonics rules are reinforced through the Orton-Gillingham phonics drill sequence. During the OG drill, tools like gel boards, dry erase boards and magnetic letter boards help students practice phonics rules and letter formation in a multisensory way. To cap-off the weekly lesson, Kindergarteners enjoy a fun activity that focuses on a specific skill, such as letter-sound association, word rhyming or blending identification.“Beat the Teacher” is a popular game that can be used with any skill. For instance, a student earns a point for the team by blending the word correctly with litt le or no help from the teacher.. Th is is a fun way to encourage students and boost their confidence, as they always beat the teacher! approach means that all students can thrive and learn from a lesson or activity, no matter their learning style. For instance, a student who learns best through visual and kinesthetic instruction can retain as much as a student who learns best through auditory and visual instruction. Each week, Beginners, Pre-K and Kindergarten students visit the Reading Lab to practice and reinforce the weekly reading concept through multisensory activities and lessons. Beginners practice the letter of the week and the sound it makes through games, books and music. Multisensory techniques help reinforce letter recognition, letter sound and letter formation.

Multisensory instruction makes reading accessible to all types of learners and ensures that from the beginning of their St. Martin’s education, students are engaged and having fun. The fi rst steps on a student’s reading journey are the most important, building a skills-based foundation, while fostering a lifelong love for reading.

“

Multisensory instruction makes reading accessible to all types of learners and ensures that from the beginning of their St. Martin’s education, students are engaged and having fun.

Th rough games like matching letters with objects and interactive SMARTBoard activities, students develop visual discrimination skills and begin to sequence the alphabet. Beginners love matching and putt ing pretend popsicles in order on an alphabet mat, or feeding pretend letter peanuts to paper alphabet elephants! In Pre-K, the curriculum builds, as more age-appropriate skills are added. The Pre-K curriculum also introduces a letter each week, but in the Reading Lab we focus on developing phonemic (individual sound) awareness skills such as letter-sound association, beginning sounds and rhyming. The always-popular bean bag toss game requires a student to answer a question

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

b y D R . T I F FA N Y R U SS E L L , DI R E C TO R O F DI V E R S I TY A N D I N C LU S I O N A N D T HE R EV. DR . STE FA N I E TAY LO R , S ME S C H A P L A I N

uring a faculty and staff training on diversity and inclusion several years ago, the facilitator used an analogy to explain the purpose of the training. She asked us to imagine two friends, a giraffe and an elephant. One day, the giraffe invites the elephant to his home. The elephant is excited and gladly accepts. When the elephant arrives, however, he is too large to fit through the front door. The giraffe tells him it’s no problem; he can just go through the garage. Once inside, the elephant notices that the giraffe’s home is full of lots of furniture, making it hard for the bulky guest to move around. Finally, the giraffe invites the elephant up to his room, but the elephant is heavy. As the steps begin to creak under his weight, he worries about damaging his friend’s lovely home. The elephant becomes anxious and self-conscious and tells his friend that he is worried about being there. The giraffe replies, “It’s no problem, I have a gym membership, and I can bring a friend, so you can come with me and lose weight, and then you’ll fit up the stairs. Also, the gym has a ballet class so you can learn to become graceful and move around the furniture with ease!” In order to fit in at the giraffe’s home, the elephant would have to change himself, even though there was nothing wrong with the elephant and he didn’t need to change. The giraffe needs to change his home if he wants to be hospitable and invite elephants over. Otherwise, elephants will not feel welcome, and they will feel like they don’t belong. This story is the underpinning of work to grow and nurture a safe, supportive and inclusive environment at St. Martin’s. We seek to create a space where every student can be fully authentic without having to sacrifice any part of themselves in order to feel like they belong.

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As humans, we crave a sense of belonging and connection. This yearning to be known and loved just as God created us is, in fact, part of our divine makeup. This is true in all aspects of our lives, at home, at school, at work, with friends, in our neighborhoods or even online. During a chapel service in April, a question was asked of the student congregation, “What is the difference between belonging and fitting in?” A third-grader responded, “It’s like if you’re at a new school, ...YOU’RE FITTING IN IF you’re fitting in if nobody NOBODY SEES YOU, AND sees you, and you’re belongYOU’RE BELONGING IF ing if everyone sees you.” EVERYONE SEES YOU. As we reflected on these words, we were struck by the simple, yet aspirational sentiment they represent. Author Brene Brown put it this way, “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” We must ensure a community where everyone is valued and heard. Ours is the kind of community that we are called to create through our baptismal covenant, one where the dignity of every human being is respected, and where everyone can be their authentic selves, without withholding their most interesting and contributive parts. So, what is the difference between diversity, inclusion and belonging? Diversity is the mix, inclusion is making the mix work and belonging is what happens when we do the mix work well. Like Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom of heaven, St. Martin’s is not a community built on sameness. We work to create a community where connectedness is our strength. Toward that end, May 17, 2021, marked St. Martin’s inaugural Civic Dinner gathering, a step toward creating a more

SEE YOU AT THE TABLE In the fall, we will continue with our conversations on “Belonging” and topics under consideration for spring 2022 include: “Building an Inclusive Culture” Like a rich tapestry made from a million different threads, the United States comprises a vast diversity of people with diverse cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, languages, ideas and dreams. Our diversity is perhaps our greatest strength, but it doesn’t mean that we’re always inclusive. Th is is a conversation where we can envision together an inclusive America and discuss why it matters to each of us. “Allyship” Allyship is the act of standing by someone so that we stand as one. It is a way to listen, learn, and act in solidarity with others. “Stand by Me,” an old gospel hymn popularized by Ben E. King in 1961, speaks to the spirit of Allyship. As an Episcopal school, achieving an inclusive culture in our communities, school, and the wider world is an essential part of who we are and how we do the work described in our students’ favorite hymn”: inclusive world where everyone has a seat at the table, and a voice in co-creating a better future. Th is community-wide conversation on Belonging was virtual, but we look forward to gathering next year in person and in safety. CIVIC DINNERS The Civic Dinners model, which became popular in Chicago in the 1960s, is about engaging in authentic conversation. It is built on the universal appeal of sharing a meal to tell our stories and listen to the stories of others as a way to see commonalities and differences. Biblically speaking, eating has always had spiritual significance. Most covenants were sealed with a meal, marriages were solidified with a feast and Jesus implores his followers to continue in the breaking of bread. Eating together is where holy work begins. Margaret Minnicks offers context in her book The Spiritual Significance of Eating, “The sharing of food,” she writes, “is a central theme in the New Testament. In the gospels, eating together is a symbol of unity, especially in Luke’s gospel where eating is mentioned 31 times.” As an Episcopal School grounded in the teachings and example of Jesus, sharing a meal to do the work of belonging is a sacred act.

“IN THE GOSPELS, EATING TOGETHER IS A SYMBOL OF UNITY, ESPECIALLY IN LUKE’S GOSPEL WHERE EATING IS MENTIONED 31 TIMES.”

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord And we pray that our unity will one day be restored And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love We will work with each other, we will work side by side We will work with each other, we will work side by side And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We hope you will join us in this sacred work of belonging so that we can fully know you, fully know one another and fully know ourselves. Watch for opportunities to volunteer for our next Civil Dinner and other events.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

The Promise of

Outdoor Play b y SARAH TAYLOR COMMUN I C AT I ON S COOR D I N ATOR

e hear it often these days—children just don’t play outside as much as they used to. Although it’s well known that unstructured outdoor time promotes healthy emotional, psychological and physical development, outside play appears to be on the wane. Consequences are familiar, including an uptick in childhood obesity and depression. At St. Martin’s, we believe in the great outdoors! Th roughout the year, we prioritize getting students outside and we encourage families to do the same. With a litt le creativity, it’s amazing how much fun and memory-making can take place when we open the door.

Varied and Unpredictable From the time a child begins at St. Martin’s, the daily academic schedule includes outdoor play, snack breaks and other opportunities to refresh minds and bodies. “We believe outdoor education offers important components to enhance the development of our students’ hearts, minds and souls,” says Early Childhood Principal Cindy Alexander. “With this goal in mind, SMES incorporates time and opportunities for students to experience a rich balance of academics and outdoor learning.” Early Childhood students enjoy a hands-on exploration of nature in St. Martin’s Outdoor Classroom, which features a compost area, dinosaur excavation site, a pond with fish and

34 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

frogs and gardening beds. Seasonal nature scavenger hunts, digging in the dirt for worms and watering plants are all part of the day in the life of Early Childhood education at SMES. A large green space is also available for rolling, running and cloud-gazing on soft cushions and the varied playground spaces offer lots of fun. Outside time remains a priority for SMES Elementary School children too. Opportunities include daily recess, breaks, PE and outdoor classes. First graders take their science journals outside and sketch objects they see in nature and an outdoor STEAM Lab engages older ES students in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Notes Interim Elementary School Principal Lynne Perry, “Spending time outside is essential for our students, not only in terms of health and fitness but also in the areas of reasoning, observation and environmental awareness.” The benefits of outdoor time don’t end with the younger grades. SMES Middle School Principal Tony Shaffer is vocal in his support of outdoor breaks. He explains, “Middle school students’ brains undergo a profound transformation, and we want to be sure they have the opportunity to experience joy, frustration, negotiation and teamwork outside of adult-devised activities. We want them to enjoy their childhood while developing greater autonomy.” Varied and unpredictable, the outdoors can do wonders for a child’s development at school and at home. While students may get sweaty and dirty, they’re gaining valuable experience in de-

cision-making, problem-solving and creativity. Unstructured outdoor activity promotes executive functioning and may even lead to improved academic performance. Those sweet moments when a toddler squats down to observe a wriggling worm in his yard or a 5th grader invents a game with her friends at recess play a significant role in kids’ future success.

More Confidence and Risk-taking Access to the outdoors and green space is an important factor in childhood health. According to the American Public Health Association, childhood obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression are becoming increasingly prevalent, in part due to more sedentary indoor lifestyles. Where kids used to spend hours after school playing outdoors until dinnertime, today’s youth are more likely to participate in structured extracurricular activities. But being intentional to schedule outside time for unstructured activities like a game of after-dinner family kickball, walking the dog together in a nearby park or exploring a backyard creek with a friend, can have invaluable benefits. Pediatrician and medical editor Dr. Claire McCarthy notes that time in nature builds a child’s confidence and encourages them to take risks. Th is can be particularly important as children tend to spend more and more time online. McCarthy stresses that a child willing to fail, and fail publicly, is far more likely to discover unknown talents and interests, stick with things when the going gets tough, and try again when things don’t go according to plan.

IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR PLAY Don’t lament the fact that your children aren’t playing as much outside as you did at their age. Instead, use the summer months as an opportunity to incorporate more outdoor time into your family’s lifestyle. Keep it fun and lead by example. Try these ideas this summer and rest assured that St. Martin’s will continue to ﬁnd ways to make the outdoors an integral part of your child’s education. • Tap into their interests. If your daughter loves art, encourage her to take a sketch pad outside. Just because you love to hike doesn’t mean she will. • Try something new. Maybe this is the summer you’ll (ﬁnally!) go camping. Or maybe after-dinner tennis on a local court will become your new routine. • Schedule outdoor playdates. Make sure the friend comes prepared for outdoor play with sunscreen, bug spray and old shoes for mud play. • Build an outdoor playspace together then turn it over to the kids. This could be as simple as a teepee made of fallen branches, or an old-school treehouse. • Make sure bikes, scooters, etc. are in good working order and accessible. Broken equipment stuffed into a corner of the garage won’t get much use. • Take indoor activities outside, like meals, reading and writing thank you notes. • Learn more at childrenandnature.org and check out Richard Louv’s books “Last Child in the Woods” and “Vitamin N.”

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Welcome to High Point! Infants and Toddlers b y ERIN CA REY EA RLY LEARNIN G D IR EC TOR , H IGH P OINT CA M P US

hile summer is typically slower at St. Martin’s Episcopal School, this summer is abuzz with activity as the new High Point Campus prepares to open in July. The new location’s opening comes on the heels of the expansion of the Early Childhood program to include infant classes in January of 2020. Th is fall, the SMES Baby Warriors program will welcome new students from eight weeks through toddlers at two campuses. The Ashford Dunwoody and High Point Road locations will welcome our youngest students to preschool at St. Martin’s. Th is spring, I was delighted to join the SMES faculty as Early Learning Director of the High Point Campus. With 15 years of experience in early childhood education, there is litt le I haven’t done. But supporting the launch of the second location of an outstanding, well-established school is one of the most exciting opportunities of my career. Over the next month or so, the High Point Campus will remain a busy construction zone, marked by steady progress in painting, tiling, installing cabinets in the classrooms, landscaping and much more. The end result will be a beautiful new sett ing with the same caring environment our precious young learners enjoy at the Ashford Dunwoody location. The St. Martin’s community celebrates this opportunity to continue to achieve our school mission: a quality education of the whole person in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning. We look forward to completing the addition this summer and hope you’ll stop by to visit!

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The High Point Campus will serve the families of 24 infants, from eight weeks to two years old, in three classrooms of eight children each. We will also welcome one classroom of 16 toddlers, for a total of 40 students.

Portrait of a Graduate ALAYNA FENG SMES graduation year: 2008 High School: Riverwood International Charter School Colleges/Degrees: Tufts University - Bachelor of Arts in International Relations; Emory University School of Medicine/Rollins School of Public Health MD/MPH (Epidemiology) Current Job: Ob/Gyn Residency at Hofstra/ Northwell at Zucker School of Medicine in New York Personal: After earning my MD/Master of Public Health, I’m currently in my ﬁrst year of residency at Hofstra/Northwell at the Zucker School of Medicine in New York. Last spring, I completed elective rotations in various disciplines including plastic surgery, trauma surgery and in-patient and outpatient HIV treatment. Outside of work, I enjoy pottery, yoga, cooking for my family and tending to our porch plants. Something special you learned at SMES: I have a distinct memory of Mr. Taube teaching us how rainbows form, which was awesome! I also remember dissecting cow eyeballs.

Favorite SMES tradition: The Grand Canyon trip (shout out to Mr. Conrad and Madame Carroll for taking care of everyone who got sick!) and chariot races in 5th grade. Most inﬂuential SMES teacher and why: Art teacher Ms. Guill for encouraging my love of art and working with my hands. Person I’d most like to meet and why? Michelle Obama because she’s an outstanding female role model on both professional and personal levels, plus she seems like she’d be a lot of fun. Dream job: Academic Ob/ Gyn. I'm Considering pursuing a surgical

subspecialty like Pediatric and Adolescent GYN. Favorite way to give back: Coordinating the Harriet Tubman Women’s Clinic, which is a free studentrun clinic in Clarkston, Ga. serving uninsured, migrant and refugee women from across metro-Atlanta. Favorite place I’ve visited: Most recently, camping in Zion National Park. Do you stay in touch with fellow SMES alums? If so, who and when, where? Lauren Buss (‘08) now lives with one of my best friends from high school! Q

Favorite food: Freshly baked bread + salted butter Favorite app: The Weather Channel (lol) Favorite book: impossible to choose, but most recently “The Overstory” by Richard Powers Pick one per line:

Books Sweet Beach

___ ___ ___ ___

___ Movies ___Surﬁng the Internet ___ Savory ___ Mountains ___ Lake Baseball ___ Football ___ Tennis ___ Other: Boxing!

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Sports Wrap-Up b y MA RK M C DA N I EL SMES ATH L ET IC D I R EC TOR

In each game, members of all three teams played to win, bringing focus and a competitive spirit to the court!. Although offensive decisionmaking remains an opportunity for improvement for our teams, their overall performance was strong and impressive. Like any athletic director devoted to students’ growth on and off the court, I would have preferred a “regular” basketball season, but all things considered, this one will deﬁnitely go down as a win! In fact, some changes made due to the pandemic worked so well that we are considering incorporating them into future seasons. Summing up the season, Coach Murphy may have said it best when addressing her 8thgrade team, “We would like to recognize our 8th graders for their leadership and commitment to the SMES basketball program. They will be missed and we wish them well on their next journey in high school. Thank you to all the athletes for taking lemons and making lemonade! We enjoyed the season and hope you did as well!” GO WARRIORS! BOYS BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL The winter basketball season may have looked different from years past, but a wonderful group of athletes worked hard and made the best of an unusual situation. Each week, 25 8th graders, 20 7th graders and 35 enthusiastic 6th graders came together to work on skills, develop their basketball IQ and have fun with their friends. Playing intersquad games with professional referees throughout the season gave our students a valuable game-like experience. The match-ups were all highly competitive with many ending with just two- or three-point margins. Coaches Albanese, Harris, Murphy, Taylor, Walker and Scott were so pleased with the athletes’ commitment and awesome teamwork.

38 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

SPORTS WRAP-UP

TENNIS The boys and girls tennis teams made the most of their non-traditional season. With 40 middle schoolers who signed up to participate this year, the team traveled to Hudlow Tennis Center twice a week. After perfecting the basic skills, the team played against Epstein, Galloway, Faith Lutheran and The Children’s School. The girls ended their season by beating Galloway to win the MAAC Championship tournament, and the boys team ﬁnished as runners-up. The players earned some wins and had a great time being out on the courts learning and growing as players.

YOUTH PASSING LEAGUE (YPL) TENNIS

This spring, YPL had a great turnout, with all players eager to learn. The team focused on route running and executing plays which translated into very competitive intramural games. The 6th-grade team proved themselves to be very coachable as they improved each week. The 7th/8th-grade team consisted of returning players who were competitive from the start. Through the internal scrimmages, the coaches were able to see just how talented both teams were. Q

GIRLS SOCCER

GIRLS SOCCER The girls soccer team felt lucky to play this season, even though things looked a bit different. From basic skills like passing and spacing on the ﬁeld to shooting for the far post, the SMES soccer players had fun learning and playing soccer with their classmates. The ﬁrst scrimmage took place at the beginning of April, with the 7th/8thgrade team playing the 6th-grade team. The teams played all out, with the 7th/8th-grade team winning 3-2. Coaches Davis and Rawls appreciated the awesome attitudes and effort this season - great job!

GOLF The 2021 golf season was a big success and ﬁelded a record-breaking 28 players on the team. The team spent many hours at the range, ﬁne-tuning their swing and technique. On the links, they worked on the pace of play, course management, and the game rules. The coaches were very proud of how the players handled themselves on the course and respected golf etiquette.

YOUTH PASSING LEAGUE

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

A Day on the Links

t. Martin’s celebrated its 19th annual golf tournament at Dunwoody Country Club on March 29 to raise money for the St. Martin’s Endowment Fund.

As 31 teams made their way through the course, golfers participated in a putt ing contest and played alongside the eighth graders on St. Martin’s golf team for one hole. The event ended with dinner and an awards ceremony, which included announcing the tournament winners and a raffle drawing for prizes. Thank you to all golfers and sponsors for supporting St. Martin’s to make this year’s tournament the best yet. Congratulations to all of this year's winners, along with the golf committ ee, volunteers, players and sponsors.

LOW GROSS FIRST PLACE TEAM

LOW NET FIRST PLACE TEAM

The Masterson Team

The O’Leary Team

Scott Masterson Judson Wallace Ben Avery Harrison Spires

Tim O’Leary Mark Hanna Brandon Howell Rich Rescigno

Putting Contest Winner: Giles Stevens Closest to the Pin: Mike Johnson Longest Drive: Dan Wirtz

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1 9 T H

A N N U A L

S E N I O R

A L U M N I

E V E N T

St. Martin’s Graduating Seniors Honored

his spring, some members of the St. Martin’s class of 2017 joined their former classmates and teachers on Zoom to celebrate their graduation from high school.

The group reminisced about their days at SMES, discussed highlights of high school experiences, and shared where they will be attending college in the fall. Middle School Principal Tony Shaffer also shared his memories with this group, who are the fi rst St. Martin’s graduating class during his tenure. Patt i Pitoscia ended the call with advice to the graduating class about making the most of their college experiences. Congratulations to the SMES class of 2017!

SMES Class of 2017 Sampling of College Choices: • Point Park University • University of Georgia • Samford University • Auburn University • Georgetown University • Grand Canyon University • University of Mississippi • University of Colorado Boulder • Loyola University Chicago • Georgia Southern University • University of Virginia • University of Kentucky • Washington University in St. Louis • Georgia Institute of Technology • University of Pennsylvania • Wofford University • Southern Methodist University • Berry College • Florida State University

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SMES CLASS OF 2017

2017

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Faculty News

UPDATES FROM OUR FACULTY

Brandi Tant

Greyson Taylor Tereshinski

Savanna Ford

CONGRATS! Fourth-grade math teacher Brandi Tant married Rush Kottkamp on Dec. 19, 2020 at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Louisville, Ky. Fourth-grade lead Savanna Ford married Matt Johnson on May 8, 2021 at the Foundry at Puritan Mill. First-grade lead Maggie Tereshinski and husband John welcomed baby Greyson Taylor on Dec. 17, 2020 measuring 9Ibs. 2oz. and 21.5 long.

Harper Ann Berngard

TiAnne Alise Hawkins

Third-grade teacher Lyndsey Berngard and husband Brian welcomed baby Harper Ann Berngard on Dec. 20, 2020. She was 7 lbs.and 8 oz., and 21.25 in.long. Second-grade teacher Katharine Veal and husband Stuart welcomed baby Richard Sidney Veal on March 9, 2021. Early Childhood Guidance Counselor LaToyia Hawkins welcomed baby TiAnne Alise Hawkins on June 3, 2021. She was 7 lbs. 1 oz.

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Infant Program Coordinator Kathryn Hechenbleibner, Middle School Academic Dean Laura Lewis and Math Resource teacher Sharon Bentkowski all became grandparents over the past few months!

Richard Sidney Veal

NEW HIRES & TRANSITIONS In the spring we welcomed Madeline Wentworth as the new third-grade teaching assistant, Samantha Saykaly as a new Kairos Teacher, Taylor Pafford as Beginners teaching assistant, Sarah Belisle as the new Communications Coordinator, and Jenny Pasley transitioned to the School Nurse role fulltime. Additionally, Gem Jirasevijinda and Chevonne Blackwell were welcomed to the Infant Program.

St. Martin’s,” says Johnson. “I will miss this wonderful loving community but plan to visit often.” In her retirement, Kathryn will enjoy playing more tennis, practicing more yoga, taking up guitar lessons, learning to play golf and traveling.

Lolita Burns

Kathryn Hechenbleikner

Kathryn Johnson

Kimberly McIntosh joined as the new Bus Driver and School Resource Ofﬁcer, and Erin Carey joined as the Early Learning Director - High Point.

Events Coordinator role in Advancement. Katie Smith has taken on an additional role as Enrollment Management Associate

Brittany Higgins will be moving into the Toddler Lead Teacher position, and Dani Davisson will be moving into the Toddler TA position. Wendy Steck will be transitioning to be the new Infant Program Coordinator. Fourth-grade teacher Brandi Tant is moving from the classroom to the Alumni & Special

Infant Coordinator Kathryn Hechenbleikner is retiring after 25 years of service at St. Martin’s. Kathryn has worn many hats during her time at St. Martin’s including working as the Early Childhood assistant, as Green Committee Chair, in the Explores program and ﬁnally as the Infant

FAREWELLS

Program Coordinator. “My heart will always hold a special place for the St. Martin’s community,” says Hechenbleikner. “The wonderful teachers, staff and the children that have ﬁlled many of my days with joy.” In her retirement, Kathryn will enjoy spending time with her family and exploring new adventures. After 13 years at St. Martin’s Special Events and Alumni Coordinator Kathryn Johnson is retiring. Kathryn ﬁrst joined the SMES community as a parent in 1996 and was an active volunteer, including serving as PTO copresident in 2005. She has served as a substitute teacher and in 2008 joined the staff as assistant director of admissions eventually transitioning to special events and alumni coordinator. “Most of my best friends and I met at

After 20 years of service to St. Martin’s SAGE Dining Services Lead Cook Lolita Burns retired this year to spend more time with family. School nurse Pam Pomar also retired after serving at St. Martin’s for seven years. Toddlers Lead Jessica Garcia, ﬁrst-grade lead Laura McFarland, Kairos teacher Katie Grice, and receptionist Margaret Barnett have decided to stay home to spend more time with their families. First-grade lead Asha King, second-grade teaching assistant Jordan Davis, and Explorers teacher Ebony Collier will be pursuing other teaching positions. First-grade lead Maggie Tereshinski, second-grade teacher Sumner Green, and ﬁfth-grade teacher Spence Camp will be pursuing new opportunities. In the Middle School, math teacher Melissa Grier, math teacher Emily Heend and English teacher Michele Davis have accepted other teaching roles. STEAM Coordinator Wade Hanse is moving to north Georgia and has accepted a leadership position at a school in Gainesville, Ga. Q

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Alumni Notes

UPDATES FROM OUR ALUMNI

Mary Sessions, ’97

Angela Walls, ’03

Hannah Breunig, ’05

Edward Whipple, '01

Lauren Coheley, ’04

Sarah Johnson & Melissa Fuller, ’08

Patrick Bello married his ﬁancée on December 12, 2020 in Lexington, Ky.

’05

’98 Leigh Kofﬂer is a mother of two children (Pearce and Ellis) who are currently students at St. Martin’s. She attended St. Martin’s from 1991-1998 before going to high school at Marist and then on to Auburn University. Leigh, a realtor with Ansley Real Estate, lives in Sandy Springs.

’01 Edward Whipple lives in Atlanta with his wife, Allie, and works as a managing director at ZRG partners, a global executive search ﬁrm.

Andrew Breunig lives in Asheville, N.C. with his wife, Jeannine, and two daughters, Grace (5) and Hope (2). Andrew is a system designer for LogikCull and enjoys hiking and camping with his family, and occasionally squeezes in an adventure trip with friends.

’03 Angela Walls lives in Atlanta, Ga. where she is a Speech/Language Pathologist for Gwinnett County Schools and Chandler is an Assistant Athletic Director at The Mt. Vernon School.

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’04 Lauren Coheley completed her doctorate degree in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Georgia in May 2020. She is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the department of nutrition at Texas A&M University. Dr. Coheley is also a registered yoga teacher and enjoys teaching at Corepower Yoga in her free time. Cathryn MacArthur lives in Peachtree Hills and works as a land use permit expediter and door hinge salesperson.

Hannah Breunig lives in Buckhead and works at QGenda. She volunteers at a community outreach center and with Free99Fridges. Both groups address hunger and homelessness in Atlanta. In her spare time she enjoys backpacking and has dreams of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.

’08 Sarah Johnson works as a program coordinator at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and is an active member of the Emory COVID-19 Outbreak Response Team. She and her husband David

ALUMNI NOTES

Claire Brehm, ’08 and Claire Hamner, ’08

Mary Walker Mixon, ’09

recently purchased their first home in Decaur with fellow SMES alum Melissa Morris Fuller (‘08) as their real estate agent. Claire Brehm is pursuing an Occupational Therapy doctorate at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Claire worked for a startup in the finance industry in Los Angeles for five years prior to beginning her doctorate program. P

’09 Mary Walker Mixon moved to Sarasota Fla. to become an account executive for partnerships at IMG Academy. She plays on two USTA teams, a beach

Maggie Mixon, ’13

volleyball team and two softball teams. She also volunteers as a Big Sister with Big Brother Big Sisters of America.

’11 Ripley Fricano works as a surgical oncology RN at Methodist University in Memphis, Tenn. She graduated cum laude from Union University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

’12 Ansley Harralson graduated from

Middlebury College, magna cum laude with a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Secret Journeys Paris and as a publicist for author Harriet Welty Rochefort’s debut historical ﬁction novel.

’13

Bryce Weber graduated with honors from Presbyterian College in May. Bryce was vice president of his class all four years of college, while working three jobs. He also tutored students, studied abroad and played violin in the college orchestra. He will continue his studies at the University of Virginia in the Curry College of Education for his master’s degree.

Kristen Elliott graduated from Florida State University this May with a major in Hospitality Management. Maggie Mixon graduated in May from American University of Paris with a double major in International Business and Global Communication. Maggie will stay in Europe to continue her career working in strategic management. She has worked as an international development manager for

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

ALUMNI NOTES

Kaitlyn Hoad, ’14

Taylor Rand, ’16

Arden Adams, '17

George Fish, ’15

’14

summer program. George hopes to reconnect with SMES classmates when he is back in Atlanta.

Kaityn Hoad completed her junior at the University of Georgia where she is pursuing a ﬁnance degree within the Terry College of Business. This summer, Kaitlyn will intern for Eastdil Secured, a real estate investment bank, in Los Angeles.

’15 George Fish graduated from Marist School in 2019 and was admitted to the United States Naval Academy where he is a third-class midshipman (sophomore). George is studying quantitative economics along with the required military curriculum. He will be working on a nuclear submarine this summer, while living in France, as part of a Naval Academy

’16 Abby Gillin is a rising sophomore at The University of Alabama in Huntsville and is majoring in astrophysics and minoring in biology. Taylor Rand is a rising sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. She is majoring in creative and entertainment industries, is a member of the Phi Mu sorority and serves as the president of her residence hall.

’17 Arden Adams graduated from The Mount Vernon School in May and will attend Point Park

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Grace Demba, ’17

University in the fall of 2021. In her senior year, she attended the Georgia Thespian Conference where she won three superiors in individual events, won the Pam Ware Leadership Scholarship (senior competition) and appeared in the Thespy Showcase. Bobby Akin graduated from Marist School in May and will attend the University of Kentucky in the fall. Caroline Belisle graduated from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. Caroline will attend The University of Georgia to play for the Lady Bulldogs soccer team in the fall of 2021. Grace Demba graduated from Pace Academy in May and completed

ﬁve AP classes along with Advanced Studio Art. Grace was involved with design at Parsons School of Design and interned at the Georgia Aquarium. She was very involved in student activities and sports and earned membership in the National Honor Society and as a Pace Arts Laureate. Grace will attend Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. to persue a BFA in Communication Design with a minor in Studio Art. Jack Duerr graduated from The Mt. Vernon School in May where he completed AP macroeconomics, statistics and US history and also was on the cross country and golf teams. Jack was a member of the National Honor Society and earned his Eagle Scout. He will

ALUMNI NOTES

Melissa Rubiano, ‘17

Ansley Graves, '18, Drew Chastain,'18, Annie Quinn,'18, Ross Ackaway,'18, Abby Hughes and Charlie Seelke, '18.

attend Samford University in the fall of 2021.

High School and will attend Berry College in Rome, Ga. He will also play on the Berry golf team.

Walker Flint graduated from The Fusion Academy in January 2021 and is taking a gap year. Kate Goggans graduated from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School and will attend Auburn University in the fall of 2021. Avery Graves graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School and will attend the University of Colorado Boulder in the fall of 2021. May Harvey graduated from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School and will attend Auburn University in the fall of 2021. At HIES, May was involved with cheerleading (Varsity Cheerleading Football Captain), soccer and diving. Charles Kyle graduated from St. Pius X Catholic

Matilda McCard graduated from St. Mary’s School in Raleigh, N.C. in May and will attend the University of Virginia in the fall of 2021. Hadley Nelson graduated from St Pius X Catholic High School in May. She was a Lion Leader and a member of the Varsity Dance Team, Senior Council and the National Honor Society. Hadley was also on the Principal's List. She will attend SMU in the fall of 2021. Sutton Nelson graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School in May where she completed AP studio art, was a member of the track and ﬁeld team and was the varsity dance team manager. Sutton interned at the Georgia

Aquarium and she will be attending Wofford College in the fall of 2021.

attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ in the fall of 2021.

Claire Payne graduated from Marist School in May where was on the Dean’s List all four years and was named a Finalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Claire was inducted in the National Honor Society, Société Honoraire de Français, and Mu Alpha Theta. She held several roles with the school newspaper and served as a retreat leader, peer leader and shadow host. Claire also tutored at Interfaith Outreach Home and was an active leader in DeKalb County’s Teen Court Program. Claire will attend Georgetown University in the fall of 2021.

Mena Serradet graduated from Marist School and will attend the University of Georgia in the fall of 2021. At Marist, Mena was in the National Honor Society, on the Dean’s list and was a member of the swim team, dive team and Spanish club.

Melissa Rubiano graduated from Timber Creek High School in Keller, Texas., and will

Ella Smoak graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School in May and will attend Georgia Southern University in the fall of 2021.

’18 Several alumni from the class of 2018 attended a spring formal together in April 2021. Pictured are: Ansley Graves (Dunwoody HS), Drew Chastain (Marist), Annie Quinn

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

ALUMNI NOTES

Mia Pistone, ’18

(Dunwoody HS), Ross Ackaway (Dunwoody HS), Abby Hughes (Dunwoody HS) and Charlie Seelke (Dunwoody HS) Sam Alexander is a rising senior at Marist School where he completed AP Bio, Honors Pre-calculus and Spanish. Sam is on varsity soccer and cross country teams and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is also a peer leader, a retreat leader and on Honor Council. Matthew Aronowitz is a rising senior at Riverwood Charter School and recently completed AP classes in world history, computer science, honors French III, chemistry and literature. Matthew is involved in the Best Buddies program and plays varsity basketball. He was accepted into the IB Diploma & Magnet program. Lydia Davis is a rising senior at Riverwood Charter School. She is in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, captain of the varsity golf team and head of the Letters for Rose chapter in Sandy Springs. Grant Gaffney is a rising senior at Marist School

where he completed AP classes in pre-calculus, chemistry, US history and computer science. Grant is a peer leader and is a varsity letterman on the cross country and track & ﬁeld teams. He is also on the Dean’s List, a member of the National Honor Society and will represent his school at Boys State this summer. Joanna Graham is a rising senior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School where she completed AP history, honors art, English and biology. Joanna is on the track & ﬁeld and the academic decathlon teams. Joanna won the silver award in the National Photography Contest, volunteers with Trees Atlanta and with the HIES middle school track team. Benjamin Nordstrom is a rising senior at Marist School. He is a varsity letterman in swim and cross country, the varsity swim captain, a member of the National Honor Society and both a peer and retreat leader. Benjamin was part of the state champion swim team for ’20 and ’21. Alex Norris is a rising senior at Marist School. She just completed AP chemistry, macroeconomics and honors math and Spanish. Alex is a member of the regional championship basketball team and also is a high jumper on the track team. She is a peer leader and on the dean’s list and honor roll. Quinn O’Connor is a rising senior at St. Pius X Catholic High School

48 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

where he just ﬁnished AP English, statistics and biology along with honors Spanish and pre-calc. Quinn is on the varsity soccer team and is in the National Honor Society and Spanish Club. Quinn has been on Dean’s list and Principal’s list. Dilyn Penn is a rising senior at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. She is in honors dance and math. Dilyn also runs track,is involved with the Black Student Union, Model UN and the Mandarin Club. Mia Pistone is a rising senior at St. Pius X Catholic High School. She is currently a student ambassador, a Lion Leader and will be a member of the SPX school dance program her senior year. Mia signed with UWM models and was on the cover of the Feb/March issue of “Simply Buckhead.” She was selected by Emory Hospital as a volunteer and works as a hostess in the evenings. Win Scott is a rising senior at The Mount Vernon School where his ﬁlm “Saturday Boredom” won 3rd place in the International COVID-19 Student Film Festival and the sequel “Sunday Boredom” won the top prize at the Georgia Thespian Conference. Will Tuggle is a rising senior at The Galloway School where he plays varsity baseball and is a college baseball prospect.

’19 Jack Schmitt is a rising junior at Pace Academy. where he completed honors algebra and chemistry and AP world history. Jack had a part in the spring play, “Mama Mia” and recently earned his Eagle Scout. Savannah Fleming is a rising junior at Marist School where she completed the honors american experiment. She is on the varsity lacrosse team and in the rapier and sign language clubs. She is a two-term honor roll student. Connor Hawk is a rising junior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School where he is on the varsity soccer team and Dean’s List. Thomas Kinser is a rising junior at The Mount Vernon School. He is on the track and ﬁeld team and earned Eagle Scout rank with his boy scout troop. Ryan Lisowski is a rising junior at St. Pius X Catholic High School where he is on the golf team and is involved with the guitar program. Ryan was also on the honor roll his sophomore year. Liza Love is a rising junior at St. Pius X Catholic High School where she is on the varsity track and cheerleading teams along with the dance team. She holds the school record for the shuttle hurdle relay and was a state qualiﬁer for the high jump. Angela Pappadakis is a rising junior at Marist School where she completed AP Euro, honors chemistry, Algebra

ALUMNI NOTES

II and Spanish III. Angela swims year round along with being on the swim team where she placed at the state level and won the ensemble award. She is also a shadow host and on the honor roll and dean's list. Kate Perry is a rising junior at Dunwoody High School. She is on the JV soccer team and was a semi ﬁnalist for the Governor’s Honor Program in Social Studies.

’20 Wyatt Alford is a rising sophomore at Marist School where he completed AP world history, honors geometry, algebra II and biology. He plays football and basketball. Wyatt won the Gold Award on the National Latin exam, the book award and the Latin class award. Avalana Brock is a rising sophomore at The Westminster Schools where she completed honors geometry and was on Honor Roll. She will run cross country in the fall. Jack Cunningham is a rising sophomore at Whiteﬁeld Academy where he plays basketball, lacrosse and is a member of Young Life. Charlie Duerr is a rising sophomore at The Mount Vernon School where he is on the cross country, swim and tennis teams. Charlie will be a lifeguard this summer. Ansley Granade is a rising sophomore at Marist School where she completed AP world history and honors biology.

Ansley runs cross country and is on the swim team. She was also on the Dean’s list her freshman year. Alex Hall is a rising sophomore at The Lovett School where he completed honors English and was on the swim team. Anna Loffredio is a rising sophomore at Dunwoody High School where she completed honors literature, Spanish III, biology and government. Anna is on the JV lacrosse team. John Madden is a rising sophomore at St. Pius X Catholic High School where he runs cross country and plays golf. Ian Gaffney is a rising sophomore at Marist School where he completed AP World History and honors math. He earned Honor Roll and Dean’s List each term of his freshman year. Ian runs cross country and track and was on the the state championship winning 4x800 relay team. Elizabeth McCall is a rising sophomore at Marist School where she completed AP world history and honors biology. Sheis on the debate team and made it to the top 10 in the novice state/regional debate competition. She is also in the Medicine Club, Mosaic Club, and a member of the Black Student Alliance. This year Elizabeth was accepted into the Fearless Dialogues Ambassador Workshop. Taylor Norris is a rising sophomore at Marist School where he completed AP world

Jack Cunningham, '20

Anson Soscia, '20

history and was a member of the state championship swim team.

Anson Soscia is a rising sophomore at Marist School where he completed AP world history and honors math. Anson is a varsity lacrosse player and also on the football team. He was also on Dean’s list and Honor Roll every term of Freshman year.

Sophia Pappadakis is a rising sophomore at Marist School where she completed honors geometry, algebra II and biology. Sophia was a football cheerleader, on the girls varsity golf team and was the varsity swim and dive manager She is also on the math team, Dean’s list and in the symphonic band where she won the director’s award.

Marjee Williams is a rising sophomore at Wesleyan School where she completed multiple honors classes. She plays varsity softball and was on the Honor Roll. Q

Emerson Rand is a rising sophomore at Marist School where she completed AP world history and is a cheerleader. Emerson was also on honor roll as a freshman.

We Love to Hear from You TO HAVE YOUR UPDATE PUBLISHED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF ALUMNI NOTES, PLEASE CONTACT Brandi Kottkamp Special Events & Alumni Coordinator bkottkamp@stmartinschool.org

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

NEW!

Alumni Leadership Council

The Alumni Leadership Council (ALC) is a group of SMES alumni committed to supporting the strategic priorities of the school while partnering with the Advancement Ofﬁce. The ALC members will serve as liaisons for their graduating class adn help plan alumni events and fundraisers for SMES. We are thrilled to introduce the founding members of the Council.

Leigh Kofﬂer, Class of 1998

Sean Arnold, Class of 2005

Jackie Florence Jolly, Class of 2006

Leigh and husband Jake are parents of Pearce and Ellis, rising ﬁrst and second-grade students at St. Martin’s. Leigh has worked in real estate for the past 15 years and is currently with Ansley Real Estate.

Sean is a 2014 graduate of Georgia Tech. He and his wife Egen are parents to two-year-old son, Walker. Sean works for JE Dunn Construction.

Jackie has an interior design degree and currently works as a lighting sales associate. She lives in Dunwoody with husband Knox. They are expecting their ﬁrst baby in October.

Hometown: Sandy Springs College: Auburn University Occupation: Realtor

Hometown: Morningside College: Georgia Tech Occupation: Commercial General Contractor

Lauren Buss, Class of 2008

Dave DeLany, Class of 2010

Sally Smith, Class of 2012

Lauren lives in Ansley Park and works for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Lauren and three-year-old Weimaraner, Rosie, love to hike and hang out around Atlanta!

Dave received his BBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Georgia. He lives in Atlanta and works as a senior associate in PwC’s Risk Assurance practice. He is planning a December 2021 wedding to ﬁancée Anna.

Sally graduated from University of Georgia and is now an LSLS student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is the author of a forthcoming exhibit for the American Archive of Public Broadcasting on the representation of Native Americans in public broadcasting.

Hometown: Ansley Park College: University of Georgia Occupation: Program Evaluator

Hometown: Atlanta, GA College: University of Georgia Occupation: Senior Associate

50 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Hometown: Dunwoody College: Georgia Southern University Occupation: Lighting Sales Associate

Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC College: University of Georgia Occupation: Masters Student, UNC Q

Igleheart Awards The fi nal chapel service of the year called attention to an important award given to both a student and faculty member. The Igleheart family established the Patricia Ray Igleheart Memorial Fund to honor Tricia’s legacy as a teacher at St. Martin’s. The SMES Endowment funds a professional development award to a SMES faculty or staff member who embodies qualities that Tricia exuded as a long-time teacher at St. Martin’s. Th is year’s award recipient is physical education teacher Susan Murphy. In addition, a Student Character Award honors a deserving student who is curious about the world around them and is a friend to all. Th is year’s student winner is rising 5th grader Ashleigh Rogers.

Susan Murphy

Ashleigh Rogers

Oglethorpe Award Nominees Nominated by the faculty, these nine 8th-grade students were nominated for the Oglethorpe Award. Th is annual award is given to an 8thgrade student who is a good citizen of his/her school, is academically sound and is involved in an extracurricular activity. Congratulations to this year’s nominees and to the Oglethorpe winner Ingrid van der Mandele. First row (l-r): Luke Williams, Ingrid van der Mandele, Marshall Lisenby and Sapna Goel; second row (l-r): Jackson Dickert, Nicholas Demba, Eloise Smith, Max Bentolino and Riley Aronowitz.

PATTERNS | SUMMER 2021

Voices STORIES FROM FACULTY & STAFF SAVANNA FORD

n Spring 2007, during an ordinary day of an ordinary week of middle school, I sat in my SMES 8th-grade English class in Room 013. We were reading “Romeo and Juliet,” and honestly, who knows if I was listening. (Mrs. O’Keefe, if you’re reading this - so sorry about that!) I was more than likely daydreaming, my eyes probably wandering around the cozy classroom on the bottom floor of Warrior Hall, back when the entire middle school could fit into a single hallway. Little did I know that Mrs. O’Keefe’s cozy little classroom would jump-start my career.

I was always driven by creativity and knew I would channel my creative abilities into my career. I started college as an Art Education major but quickly found that I don’t take after my art teacher mother as much as I had thought. I went through the “I don’t know what I want to do with my life, so I’m going to change my major” cycle until I found myself in the English program at Valdosta State. There I wrote more theses and read more Shakespeare than I could have imagined as a SMES student in Mrs. O’Keffe’s class. Back then, I had no idea how influential Shakespeare would be toward my calling as an English teacher. Fast forward to 2021, and although I am not a morning person, the beginning of the school day is my favorite time at SMES. And five years in as a SMES teacher, I still love bantering with students as they wish me a good morning and ask what I had for dinner the night before. It’s the time when I feel closest to my students; when I can chat with them about their day and what is going on in their lives, without assignments and classes getting in the way. The chance to get to know each student is my favorite part of teaching. My educational philosophy centers on individualized instruction and connecting with students, not just on an academic level but also socially, emotionally and spiritually. That’s why I work to make my classroom a welcoming and comfortable place to learn and grow. I especially love seeing the growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. It is commonly known among educators that August and May are the most challenging months of the school year. In August, students arrive in the classroom unsure of what the year will bring and how they will fit in, and the daily routines and procedures can be tedious.

52 SUMMER 2021 | ST. MARTIN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Savanna Ford Fourth Grade Lead Teacher

In contrast, the month of May is a completely different story. Students have shown their true selves, their best selves. They are filled with excitement about summer, but also with nostalgia about the year that has passed all too quickly. May is when I feel students appreciate and love their teachers the most and are eager to preserve the friendships and bonds formed over the school year. The atmosphere on campus is electric, and lots of fun, endof-the-year activities are taking place and, as students get restless, teachers are usually ready to pull their hair out! That end-of-the-year vibe was part of my decision to teach full-time at SMES. I had spent my high school and college summers working The Camp at St. Martin’s and gaining experience working with children of different ages, and I joked with Ms. P and Mrs. Alexander, “Save a job for me!” Then five years later, as a college graduate wondering what was next, I accepted a position as a SMES elementary assistant teacher and after experiencing that May excitement first-hand in the classroom, I began to realize that teaching might be my calling. After three years as an assistant, I found my place as the 4th-grade Language Arts teacher, and I couldn’t be happier. Being an alumnus teacher has been a unique and wonderful experience. Former teachers and classmates have become colleagues and friends. Teaching at SMES has offered many professional challenges and also opportunities for personal growth. As my students grow into themselves in my classroom (Room 013!), I continue to grow as well, comfortable in a place I have always considered home.

Graduates enjoy a slideshow presentation commemorating their time at St. Martin’s.

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 1084

3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30319

Important Dates 2021-2022 AUGUST 11 Aug 12 Aug

Orientation Day First Day of School

SEPTEMBER 6 Sep

Labor Day Holiday

OCTOBER 8 & 11 Oct 15 Oct

Fall Holiday Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school)

NOVEMBER 1 Nov 7 Nov 22-26 Nov

Faculty/Staff In-Service (no school) Admission Open House Thanksgiving Break

DECEMBER/JANUARY 3 Dec Kindergarten Early Dismissal - 1:30 pm 20 Dec- 3 Jan Christmas Break (no school) 3 Jan Faculty/Staff In-Service (no school) 4 Jan School Resumes Please consult the online calendar for a complete list of key dates . All dates are tentative and subject to change.