SPARTAN LIFE
Summer 2015
SPARTAN Life
Spartan Magazine
EVENTS CLUBS CULTURE CELEBRATIONS AWARDS TALENT SPORTS HOLIDAYS ACHIEVEMENTS SUCCESS
Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy Since it was founded St. Stephen’s has been dedicated to equity and diversity among its community members. We live into this value in countless ways every day through our admission process, course curriculum and Chapel programming — and by celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday as a special opportunity to examine issues of race, class, gender, socioeconomics, sexual orientation and discrimination. This year, student groups marched at the Texas Capitol, watched a film about the Civil Rights Movement and participated in special interactive workshops on campus. The day ended with an allschool chapel service honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King and his tireless quest for justice.
Farewell to Retiring Faculty In June the St. Stephen’s community bid farewell to longtime members of the Upper School faculty, Hildeyardo Ramírez and Michael Murphy, Ph.D. Both left an indelible mark on our school community, and both will be greatly missed by their students and colleagues. Ramírez, chair of the Foreign Language Department, joined the St. Stephen’s faculty in 1982. A Spanish instructor, he was appointed to the Dean H. Towner Master Teaching Chair in 2013. “Sometimes I really feel like it was only yesterday that I stepped into my first class in the Middle School, which at the time consisted of classrooms 7 and 8—the little old building behind the Chapel,” he said. “If it seemed that time flew away it is because it has been an immensely gratifying journey,” Ramírez noted. “But I was not alone on this great journey. I had the coolest company anybody could wish for—my students. They were the ones who did the hard work. All I had to do was push, push, push until they flew.” Spanish instructor Virginia Talley ’97, a former student and current colleague of Ramírez, said she was motivated to pursue a career in Spanish education, in part, because of his great skill in the classroom. “He always taught with such
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
P H OTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: Michael Murphy; Hildeyardo Ramîrez
enthusiasm and passion,” she explained. “Señor Ramírez has a true gift for teaching. Thank you, to this amazing, kind and dedicated teacher and friend.” Ramírez departs the school alongside Classics Department Chair Mike Murphy, a member of the faculty since 1984. A Latin instructor for more than 30 years, Murphy believes Classics is a “discipline of the mind that helps develop a person’s integrity, a person’s spirit” and enables us to better ourselves as individuals. “Latin is a sharing of human experience,” he added. “I am tremendously grateful for the privilege of working here the past 30 years,” he said. “For me, the school is my students, who are as wonderful this year as they have always been. And, of course, I will miss the camaraderie I enjoy with my colleagues.” On behalf of a generation of Latin students, Spartan alumna Juliet Frerking ’01 declared: “Dr. Murphy, thank you for giving me—and many—a lifetime love of Latin.” The St. Stephen’s community is tremendously grateful to these exemplary instructors for their tireless dedication to their students and our school.
A Graceful Exit from Gunn Hall At the end of the school year, the Middle School said goodbye to math instructor Diane Butler, a beloved member of the school community since 1996. She will be greatly missed by her students, colleagues and staff who appreciate her many years of service to St. Stephen’s. Best wishes on your retirement!
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Kim Garey, Jon McCain and Shane Maguire; (back) Meredith Rogers, Patrick Smith, Jack Schwartz, Zibby Smith, Lilly Ferraro, Noah Binford, Noah Murphy, Martha Torres and Andrew Alvarez; (front) Colin Hancock; Georgia Plater, Amanda Cedillo-Johnson, Keira Washington, Mahria Farra, Blossom Maduafokwa, Ellie McCoin and Annie Simnacher; Grant Owens, Caroline Herrera and Lauren Gary; Ben Ellison, Jake Price and Matthew Dooley
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