The Fay School 2023-2024 Annual Report on Philanthropy by The_Fay_School

2023 2024 ANNUAL REPORT

THE FAY

F U T U R E L E A D E R S

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL MORGAN B. SCOVILLE, M.Ed.

With 34 years of “deliberately building and educating the future leaders of the world” completed, I’m proud to share that the 2023-2024 school year brought us all much to celebrate! Your children benefit in countless ways as Fay continues to pioneer new successes in the early childhood and elementary school space. The tireless, ongoing efforts of our faculty and staff, the trust and confidence that Fay families put into our vision, and the bold and innovative priorities laid out in our Board of Trustees’ approved Strategic Plan enable The Fay School to absolutely thrive! We have the results, and they speak for themselves:

• Celebrated the inaugural year of our ISAS Accreditation

• Completed the installation of our Bienenstock Natural Playground.

• Every child leveraged their emotional intelligence through Responsive Classroom principles to direct the creation of Fay’s first-ever school-wide Social Contract.

• The National Association of Independent Schools directed Thaden School (AR) to visit Fay because of Fay’s “strong academic programming, leadership development, and outdoor education "

• Head of School Morgan Scoville was selected by the NAIS to serve as a Faculty Member for the NAIS Institute for New Heads for a second year in a row, one of only seven sitting independent school heads to hold this honor

• 100% participation in our Annual Fund for a third year in a row

• Volunteered in our community for the second annual Fay Day of Service

• Hosted our second annual Fall Festival with the support of the Parents’ Club

• Enjoyed another record-breaking year of admission applications and family tours.

• Served as a host site for the Texas Children in Nature Network’s Winter Summit.

• Appreciated the generosity of the Holiday Gift Fund, thanks to the Parents’ Club.

• Entered five Fay canoe teams in the 52nd Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta

• Participated in the 2024 Houston Art Car Parade

• Fourth Grade collaborated with Urban Harvest’s Farmers’ Market

• Primary School children experienced Fishing Day at Fay, a tradition.

• Conducted our second annual Multicultural Fair.

• Mr Elijah Nash ‘26 served as Head of School for the day.

• Initiated the first annual Third Grade Campus Campout.

• Ms. Ozden Ozkanoglu presented at Rice’s Winter Early Literacy Summit.

• The Third Annual Gena Lewis Distinguished Teacher Award was awarded to Second Grade Lead teacher Ms Carolyn Hart to fund her Project-Based Learning unit Changing Landscapes – Houston, Fay, and the Buffalo Bayou.

• Boogied down with an off-campus Forever Young Gala.

• Fifth Grade Leaders hosted the Second Annual Dog Day at Fay.

• Fay Leaders sang the national anthem at the Sugar Land Space Cowboys game

• Primary students enjoyed another year of Forest Days and Student-Led Conferences

• Hosted three Fay’s Got Talent shows

• Fostered ongoing partnerships with Ready to Grow Gardens, Moonshot, The Garden Hen, Urban Harvest, Houston Arboretum, Memorial Park Conservancy, Texas Children in Nature Network, Memorial Park Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston Zoo, Barnes and Noble, and Rice University.

• Performed five musicals: Kindergarten –Sleepover Party; First Grade – Big Beautiful Planet on Earth Day; Second and Third Grades – Vacation on Mars; and Fourth and Fifth Grades – Matilda

• Celebrated The Fay School’s Class of 2024 with the annual traditions of our Gator Crawl and Alumni Speaker at our outdoor graduation ceremony.

• Completed the update of all our classroom furniture to better support our Project Based Learning Units.

Reflectingonthispastyear,weknowwehave anunbelievablefoundationtokeepadvancing andtokeepmodelingtheverybestpracticesin earlychildhoodandelementaryeducation We remaininaweofFay’samazingteachersand staff,appreciativeofthesupportandtrustyou sharewithuseveryday,andeagertokeep deliberatelybuildingandeducatingthefuture leadersofthisworld!

Itisnoteasytobuildthisenvironment dedicatedtothesuccess,growth,andbenefitof thechildrenofFay,butasateamofeducators, administrators,parents,anddonors,itis somethingweareabletoachievetogether Thankyouforyoursupportandpartnership!

Sincerely,

Morgan B. Scoville, M.Ed. Head of School

2023-2024

THE FAY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Omar Samji BOARD CHAIR

Marie Fay Evnochides FOUNDING HEAD OF SCHOOL

Jas Brar

Maris Castro

Sabrina Colgin

Lauren Duke

Jason Itkin

Lauren Libby

Justin Leighton

Jared Levinthal

Kranthi Patel

Sarah Pollock

Megan Pond

Alex Smith

Kate Withall

LETTER FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

OMAR SAMJI

OnbehalfoftheBoardofTrustees,I’mhappyto reportthatthe2023-24schoolyearcontinued ourupwardtrajectoryofsuccessandrenown. TheFaySchoolisaspecialplaceforeveryonein ourcommunity,andweareextremelyfortunate tohaveamyriadofpowerful,positiveforcesthat continuetopropeltheschoolforwardinits effortstoleadearlychildhoodeducation.These forcesinclude:

•AstrongandestablishedHeadofSchooland LeadershipTeam,withMorganScoville completinghissixthyearatFay

•Acommittedandenthusiasticparentcommunity, whichachieveditsthird-in-a-row100%Annual Fundparticipation(whichistrulyremarkable).

•Steadyenrollmentandlong-termfinancial stability,withthestudentbodyjustexceeding300.

•ArobuststrategicplanthatfocusesonFay’s keydifferentiators,includingoutdoorand experientiallearning,leadershipdevelopment throughemotionalintelligence,andinnovation

DuringourannualBoardretreat,wewelcomed newmembersaddedinthe22-23schoolyear andreaffirmedourcommitmenttosupporting andshepherdingtheprogressofourStrategic Plan.Puttingthoughtfulworkintoidentifying howbesttoinvestinandimproveourcampus andlearningspacestoensureTheFaySchool remainsthebestearlychildhoodandelementary schoolinHoustonandbeyondisourpriority duringtheseretreats,andwestrivetocarrythat intentionalityforwardthroughtheyearas challengesandopportunitiesarise.

WhiletheBoard’sroleatFayfocuseson strengtheningtheschoolforfuturechildren, MorganandtheLeadershipTeamarefocusedon ensuringthattheresourcesavailabletodayare usedtoenhanceourchildren’sexperienceright now.Whetheritisinnovativeprofessional developmentforourteachers,orunique experientiallearningresources,Fayhastheluxury ofoptingfortheverybestresourcesavailableto fulfillthehopesanddreamsthateachparenthas forourchild’seducationatFay–aplace(asMorgan remindsus)thatMarieFayEvnochidesfoundedon theprinciplethatchildrencomefirst.

Thecomingyearspromisetobeexciting,enriching, andimpactful.Fay’spresentandfuturehavenever beenbrighterandmoreexcitingthanitistoday.I wouldberemissifIdidnotrecognizebothMarie FayEvnochides’foundingvisionoftheschool,and thenumerouscommunitymembersonwhose shoulderswestandtoday.Wehaveaveryexciting journeyaheadaswebuilduponthelast34years andtakeactiontoensurethehealthandvibrancy ofTheFaySchoolforthenext34yearsandbeyond.

Sincerely,

Omar Samji Board Chair

PHILANTHROPY PHILANTHROPY

AT FAY, WE SEE FUNDRAISING AS ONE OF MANY NATURAL OUTCOMES TO DELIVERING ON OUR VISION EACH AND EVERY DAY.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT LISA ARRINGTON

The 2023-24 school year was another fantastic one for fundraising at The Fay School! Community engagement and giving were at an all-time high, and strong support from parents, Trustees, faculty, staff, grandparents, and friends contributed to our success Collectively, our community raised over $1.26M in support of our students, faculty, and programming.

The TEAM FAY Annual Fund, led by Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo, reached our goal of 100% participation from faculty and staff, Board of Trustees, and Fay families for the THIRD year in a row Every single member of our current Fay family came together as one team to support our efforts. This record figure is far above the national independent school average of 68% and is evidence of the true strength of the Fay community.

Our devoted Parents’ Club, led by Co-Chairs Kristina Brar and Libbie Libby, created community and connection for all Fay families. They planned and hosted the All-School Roller Rink Party, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, our secondannual Fall Festival, the Book Fair at Barnes & Noble, and the Forever Young Gala, which grossed over $639,000 in support of Fay! Our active parent volunteers also staffed Garden Days, Forest Recesses, class parties, and more throughout the school year.

The Fay School experience is enhanced by this devoted group of parents whose impact goes far. Thank you for allowing us to focus on what matters most: your children and their education We are deeply grateful for your support and partnership.

Lisa Arrington Director of Advancement

The Advancement Team consists of the Director of Advancement, Associate Director of Advancement, Director of Admissions, Director of Extended Day, and the Director of Communications The goal of this team is to provide innovative and future-focused tactics to promote the mission and strategic plan of the school. The Advancement Team strives to create a culture of philanthropy and engagement amongst the various constituencies. The Advancement Team deliberately creates opportunities to further solidify The Fay School as a leader of early childhood and elementary education in Texas and nationwide.

Lisa Arrington Director of Advancement

Jasmyn Artis Director of Communications

Megan Bryan Director of Admissions

Barrett Donahue-Mink Interim Associate Director of Advancement

Alicia Lux Interim Director of Communications

Rachel Rubin Director of Extended Day

Lauren Sposato Associate Director of Advancement

2024-2025

PRELIMINARY ANNUAL FUND RESULTS

This year we spent the month of October inviting our community to participate in the TEAM FAY Annual Fund campaign. At the conclusion of our campaign, the Annual Fund triumphantly raised nearly $520,000 and saw 100% Fay Family, Faculty & Staff, and Board of Trustee participation in support of the vision of The Fay School for the fourth year in a row. Thank you to the 83 families who joined at the 1991 Society Circle Level with gifts of $2,500 and above. We are grateful for Annual Fund Chairs Sandy and Katy Shurin, the dedicated group of parents who made up the TEAM FAY Annual Fund Committee, and all who supported the fund! We look forward to continuing our campaign as we reach out to our Fay grandparents and alumni families

If you wish to support the 2024-2025 Annual Fund, please contact the Director of Advancement, Lisa Arrington, at LArrington@thefayschool.org. We look forward to celebrating our donors with our 2024-2025 Annual Report to be released in the fall of 2025.

2023-2024

ANNUAL FUND RESULTS

It is essential to take the opportunity every year to present our fundraising results and share the impact on your children. During the 2023-2024 Annual Fund Campaign, the Fay community came together all in as TEAM FAY with 100% of faculty & staff, the Board of Trustees, and current Fay families participating with their support.

The Annual Fund directly advances the various initiatives identified in our Strategic Plan. This plan captures Fay’s future and places your children on an accelerated and authentic path to leadership through social-emotional intelligence while leveraging experiential and outdoor learning. Some of the ways that the 2023-2024 Annual Fund was put into action include:

Enhancing campus security and safety.

Supporting our faculty and staff – we attract talented professionals by offering competitive benefits and salaries, and unique professional development opportunities so Fay teachers keep enhancing their craft as educators.

Saying “yes” to innovative teaching and learning opportunities that fall outside of the operating budget. Maintaining our beautiful campus – daily maintenance of our school and any unforeseen facility needs that require immediate attention like new HVAC equipment and new flooring in classrooms.

We’re confi son to The F learning is jo nurtured, an encouraged forward to s environmen exploration Fay inspires into well-rou individuals, the Annual F commitmen exceptional – Ivy and C Parents o

Leadership giving at the top circles of support constituted over 81% of the total funds received in the 2023-2024 Annual Fund. These monies represent the core of the fund’s ability to support programs at The Fay School We thank the following leadership donors for their vision and investment in Fay

2023-2024 76 Donors

2022-2023 72 Donors

Founder’s Circle

($35,000 and above)

Ivy and Charles Dong

Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo

Leadership Circle

($25,000 - $34,999)

Marie and Steve Evnochides 2021-2022 72 Donors

Head’s Circle

($10,000 - $24,999)

Danielle and Lawrence Berry

Lixia Han and Terry Chen

Kristen and Zachary Colander

Joanna Kornfeld and Paul Friedman

Kisha and Jason Itkin

Brittany Sakowitz and Kevin Kushner

Katherine and Ronald E Lee, Jr

Megan and Andrew Levy

The Don & Colletta McMillian Foundation

Emma Lewis and Charles Orzech

Mary Rose

Katy and Sandy Shurin

Erin and Jacob Slosburg

Fay Forest Circle

($7,500 - $9,999)

Maris and Jason Castro

Amanda and Randall Fenlon

Thanatcha and Matthew Goitia

Sami and Justin Grefé

Erin and John Nelson

Kranthi and Amish Patel

Mahwish and Haroonur Rashid

Fay Farm Circle

($5,000 - $7,499)

Katie and Jas Brar

Tina Ansari-Cotton and Troy Cotton

Lauren and Clark Edlund

Paula and Jonathan Goldberg

Cheryl Goudy and David Lavallee

Libbie and Jesse Libby

Lauren and Russell Libby

Kristy Godwin and David Martin

Aimie Killeen and Chris Mastoris

Sara and Nathen McEown

Lee Bar-Eli and Clifford Nash

Erin and John Nelson

Sarah and Beau Pollock

Piper and Eric Trestman

86 Donors

101 Donors

126 Donors

Bayou Circle

($2,500 - $4,999)

Tawnia and David Adelman

Saba and Irfan Ali

Monica and Yordan Alvarez

Adele Houghton and Fernando Autrique

Niki Roberts and Krisa Benskin

Alisa Baker and Ryan Black

Suzanne and Robert Blakely

Kristina and Kip Brar

Sylvia and Adam Burke

Diane and John Chaney

Melissa and Marc Cougle

Sheza and Umar Darr

Seema and Sam Farooqi

The Flournoy Family

Ann and Phillip Fox

Aoife Cunningham and David French

Carin and Sameer Giga

Kelly and Kim Hales

Taylor Imel

Anne Peetz and Collin Johansen

Poonam Kapoor

Sana and Mudassir Khan

Mona and Omar Khawaja

Sarjana Momin and Sayeed Khowja

April and Benjamin Leibman

Jenya and Alex Menkhaus

Susan Lee and Henry Mok

Apoorva Jadhav and Ekim Muyan

Kelly and Cody Nicholson

Amy and Preben Nielsen

Julie and Frank Parker

Kavita and TJ Patel

Jenny and James Rogers

Katherine and Richard Rose

Morgan Scoville

Leslie and Andrew Snelgrove

Basak and Scott Stookey

Lindsay Lambert and Mark Valdez

Dylin Webster

Kate and Timothy Withall

Courtney Wulfe

In our now sixth year here, we are proud to support a school with a strong emphasis on putting the children first. Fay fosters a warm and nurturing environment where students feel supported and encouraged and are introduced to an incredibly wide range of curriculum and activities. The close-knit community creates strong connections among families and will continue to be a place we support each year.

– Libbie and Jesse Libby, Parents of Violet ‘27 and Serena ‘30

GENERAL GIVING

The Fay School received 362 gifts to the 2023-2024 Annual Fund representing support from current families, alumni families, grandparents, foundations, corporations, and friends of Fay

2023-2024

$563,009

Gator Supporter

($1,000-$2,499)

Sneha and Rahul Agarwal

Neha and Mohit Agrawal

Michelle and Renzo Bolivar

Melissa and Phillip Brown

Haifa Hamdi and Daly Daly

Nila and Krishna Danda

Stephanie and Stefan Diasti

Taylor Dio

Lauren and Brandon Duke

Sandra and Lynn Eastham

Kristen Latta and David Endelman

Ruth and Dan Flournoy

Kristin Kott and Steven Granda

Gabriela and Steven Graubart

Priscila and David Gross

Melinda Hall

Laura and Terry Harvey

Sabeena and Jazib Hasan

Sana Malik and Shayan Hasnain

Komal Gowani and Karim Hemani

Morgen Doty Hool and Kevin Hool

Sushma Charania and Zeeshan Jivani

Amy and Justin Keiter

Sonya Paravaneh Khan and Umer Khan

Gina Xu and Benjamin Koh

Sonia Singh and Harman Kular

Nazma and Altaf Makanojia

Shabana and Azim Makanojiya

Jo and Shawn McDonald

Rashmi and Tanveer Momin

Kerri Namoc

Shoba and Neema Navai

Stephanie and Ryan Noble

Roxanne and Shane Pettipas

Pernia Latif and Arif Qureshi

Ines Melendez and Andres Rengifo

Syeda and Adrian Reyes

Carolyn Rubenstein

Rekha Chalasani and Aditya Singh

Gabriela and Quitman Smith

Stephanie and Christopher Smith

Sarah-Jane and David Sturgess

Alefiya Akbarally and Omar Suby

Kelly and Matthew Turner

Marianne Kox and Johan Vogel

Maren Silberstein and Michael Watson

Nirvana and Calvin White

Stephanie Kellam and Chris White

Alexandra and Eli Witus

Barbara Wulfe

Friend of Ernie ($1-$999)

Heather and Mark Adam

Delores Adams

Alvin Adelman

Safia Durab and Faraz Ahmad

The Alfi Family

Linleigh Alford

Sabina and Asif Ali

Asra and Syed Ali

Alyssa Allen

Mina and Oluwaseun Alonge

Paige and Andrew Alvis

Lisa Arrington

Jasmyn Artis

Wael Awad

Robert F. Baldwin, III

Kiranpeet and Gavin Bajwa

Cristina Cordeddu and Renato Barbedo

Anne and Jack Bellows

Mary Ann Benoche

Emma Berno

Burke Butler and David Berry

Courtney Black

Mahereen Maherali and Faizan Bodhani

Danielle Keuss and Ray Brandhurst

Amy and Josh Bray

Lizzie Bright

Beverly Browne

Megan Bryan

Yau-San Tam and Nicholas Bryant

Diana Cabrera

Olga Rodriguez and Oscar Calderon

Kristine Caldwell

Evelyn Canales

Nicole and Seth Caplan

Tess and John Chaney II

Andrew Chang and Angela Chang

Kimberly and James Chapman

Dalhia Chokr

Carol Christ

Sabrina and Paul Colgin

Andrea Couto

Evelyn Crockett

Scott Cunningham

Adam Dock

Jennette and William Dong

Scott Doughty

Sarah Dropek and Jesse Huebner

Barbara Duecker

Kellie Finch

LaSonya Fleming

Jeff Fountain

Murray Fogler

Kelly Froelich

Michael Garcia

Denisse Garcia

Robyn and Edward Gavrila

Tessa Gerall

Shoa Zuri and Omar Ghandour

Pam Gibaut

Michelle Goddin Vandana Thapar and Leonel Gomez

Amber and Peter Goudeau, III

Shamiya Green

Xochytl Greer

John Grube

Anita Manoharan and Amit Gupta

Caroline Gaston and Noush Haghpeykar

Melissa Halleran

Lesley Davis and Chad Harrison

Carolyn Hart

Kulsoom and Muzzamil Hasan

Meredith Hedemann

Abby and Louis Hendel

Janet Hinojosa

Samantha Holroyd

Megan and Damon Hopkins

Rebecca Lewis and John Hughes

Dillon Hutyra

Jimena Ibarra

Samantha and Christopher Jacobe

Betsy Jansa

Poonam Kapoor

Merih and Hasan Kayar

Natasha and Aadel Khan

Aubrey and Evan Kinat

Carol and James King

Kelly and Taylor Kirk

Clea and Kody Kobza

Erin Kondelis and Brandon Campbell

Roshni and Ankil Lalu

Dilnaz and Sulmaan Lateef

Nina and Phong Le

Angela Ting and Byron Lee

Suzanne Elmilady and Todd Leffler

Linzi and Justin Leighton

Angelyn and Jared Levinthal

Brenda Lockett

Katherine Lydecker

Ali Lyman

Ashye and Robert Marcus

Megan and Matthew Markland

Monica Clemente Sequeira and Andriy Martsi

Rachel Moretta and Holly McAllister

Jakima McDowell

Coby and Frank McElroy

KC McMordie

Carmen Medina

Shumaila and Fayyaz Mohamedali

Sana and Fahim Momin

Rufina Sunesara and Shehzad Momin

Asha and Faisal Momin

Sevil and Jason Moore

Griffin Morris

Natalie Moussa Thresa Newkirk

Patrice and Blair Nicol

Melinda and James Noel

Rene Ornelas

Ozden and Fatih Ozkanoglu

Lyndsie and Ian Palmer

Han Pham and Joon Park

Dalal and Nasir Pasha

Chloe Zhao and Tony Peng

Elizabeth Perez

Pam and Bill Perreault

Mary-Bonner Baker and Hunter Perrin

Timothy and Emma Peterson

Gustavo Petricca

Fiyyaz Pirani

Katherine Price

Raquel Moraes and Sebastian Puchalski

Robert Ramirez

Yanelli Rangel

Sadia and Feroz Rehman

Cathie Riley

Annie and Gregory Rosenfeld

Kathryn Rovegno

Rachel Rubin

Oksana and Robert Sabo

Neda and Amir Sabzevari

Alison Salinas

Rabia and Omar Samji

Margaret and Enrique Sanchez

Ryan Sanchez

Marissa and Zach Savrick

Jacki and Andrew Schaefer

Noreen Shaw

Crystal and Hussein Shel

Melissa Sherman

Georgina and Yev Shevchenko

Emily and Adam Shisler

Anjum Kherani and Amaan Siddiqi

Mana Yegani and Jed Silverman

Nancy and Greg Smidt

Alex Smith

Adrianne Morse and Jared Spain

James and Brian Spitz

Lauren and Tony Sposato

Jay Stewart

Lindsay Stewart

Lucy Strickland

Yuliya Rudenko and Eli Svetlov

Gary Tabakman

Felicia Tew

Leanna Tran

Elizabeth Travis

Fanny and Joris van Brussel

Felicia Venza

Twisha and Sandeep Verma

Sherida and Tony Vida

Alicia and Jay Villarreal

Monique and Shanon Vos

Kelly Waheed

Valerie Wallace

Donna Washington

Kelsi and Will White

Emily Womack

Marlie Wuntch

Atessa and Keu Zafar

Ketam Hamdan and Amir Zegar

Julie and Ziad Zeini

Both of our children are thriving at the Fay School, and we couldn't be happier with their experience. Every day, they look forward to the engaging and hands-on learning opportunities, whether it's in the classroom with passionate teachers who care deeply about their development, exploring nature in the Fay Forest, or taking part in the class musical. Fay offers an environment where curiosity and creativity are encouraged, and it's those exceptional opportunities that inspire us to support the Annual Fund. We're grateful to be part of a community that nurtures their growth and development.

– Seema and Sam Farooqi, Parents of Sameera ‘28 and Zain ‘31

Faculty + Staff

The Fay School Facult Staff is a group of dedicated individuals working each day to fulfill the school’s mission. As professionals in their respective fields, they perform to the highest standards in elementary and preschool education We are proud that these community members have expressed their support of the school’s mission through a gift to the 2023-2024 Annual Fund.

Delores Adams

Linleigh Alford

Lisa Arrington

Jasmyn Artis

Wael Awad

Mary Ann Benoche

Emma Berno

Courtney Black

Lizzie Bright

Beverly Browne

Megan Bryan

Diana Cabrera

Kristine Caldwell

Evelyn Canales

Dalhia Chokr

Carol Christ

Andrea Couto

Evelyn Crockett

Scott Cunningham

Adam Dock

Scott Doughty

Sarah Dropek

Barbara Duecker

Kellie Finch

LaSonya Fleming

Jeff Fountain

Kelly Froelich

Denisse Garcia

Michael Garcia

Tessa Gerall

Pam Gibaut

Michelle Goddin

Shamiya Green

John Grube

Carolyn Hart

Meredith Hedemann

Janet Hinojosa

Megan Hopkins

Dillon Hutyra

Jimena Ibarra

Betsy Jansa

Evan Kinat

Brenda Lockett

Jakima McDowell

KC McMordie

Carmen Medina

Jason Moore

Natalie Moussa

Thresa Newkirk

Ozden Ozkanoglu

Emma Peterson

Katherine Price

Ross Purdy

Robert Ramirez

Yanelli Rangel

Cathie Riley

Kathryn Rovegno

Rachel Rubin

Alison Salinas

Margaret Sanchez

Ryan Sanchez

Morgan Scoville

Melissa Sherman

Lauren Sposato

Lindsay Stewart

Lucille Strickland

Felicia Tew

Elizabeth Travis

Felicia Venza

Kelly Waheed

Valerie Wallace

Donna Washington

Emily Womack

Marlie Wuntch

CORPORATE FRIENDS

Thank you to our corporate friends for partnering with us through matching gifts, sponsorships and donations

Albertsons Safeway Arch Insurance Group

Don and Colletta

Dermatology & Laser

G and Pauline M

Kona Ice of Houston

GRANDPARENTS

A gift to the next generation

We would like to thank the following grandparents who made gifts to The Fay School in 2023-2024 in honor of their grandchildren. We are lucky to have such a wonderful group of grandparents who take the extra step and support our school through one of our fundraising opportunities.

Alvin Adelman

Diane and John Chaney

Ruth and Dan Flournoy

Robyn and Edward Gavrila

Melinda Hall

Katherine and Ronald E. Lee, Jr.

Melinda and James Noel

Sylvia and Tito Perez

Ann and Alan Perlman

Pam and Bill Perreault

Nancy and Greg Smidt

Betty and Jesse Tutor

Barbara Wulfe

ALUMNI PARENTS

In Honor of Sophia Adelman

In Honor of Johnny and Nora Chaney

In Honor of Walsh and Win Flournoy

In Honor of Beau Rosenfeld

In Honor of Olivia and Reese Shurin

In Honor of Kate Leighton

In Honor of Reese Riseden '21 & Tristan Riseden '23

In Honor of Bella Morris

In Honor of Brady & Rowan Castro

In Honor of Ellie Blakely

In Honor of Jackson Bright

In Honor of Orion Vida

In Honor of Ky Wulfe

We would like to thank the following alumni parents and friends of Fay who continue to support our mission.

Heather and Mark Adam

Sabrina and Paul Colgin

Brandon and Lauren Duke

Angelyn and Jared Levinthal

and Omar Samji

Rabia

HONORING

IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE HONOR OUR FOUNDER, MARIE FAY EVNOCHIDES, AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO STAND BEHIND HER VISION FOR FAY.

Over thirty years ago, The Fay School opened its doors and began a journey that would touch the lives of all who encountered it. The founding Head of School, Marie Fay Evnochides, envisioned “ a place where children come first.” Today, that vision reverberates in all that we do, creating an environment unlike any other a special place made possible due to our unwavering commitment to children and families. In the school’s 20th year, we were incredibly proud to announce the formation of the Marie Fay Evnochides Society Named for our visionary founder, the society was created to permanently recognize Annual Fund supporters who make The Fay School a philanthropic priority. Members of the Marie Fay Evnochides Society are those who have made lifetime, cumulative gifts to The Fay School Annual Fund of $50,000 or more. They exemplify Marie’s vision, and their support ensures that The Fay School continues to impact young lives.

*Cumulative donations from all returning families who began prior to August 2022 will be grandfathered into the former total of $25,000.

A LEGACY

MFE SOCIETY INDUCTEES

Heather and Mark Adam ★

Leslie Goldman and Scott Aitken

Elva and Truett Akin

Philip Ball

Jessica and Jonathan Barrett

Sugene Kim and Bob Basu

Danielle and Lawrence Berry

Bailey Dalton-Binion and Greg Binion

Danya and Clint Bogart

Ali and Rich Bruskoff

Ruth and Scott Calabrese

Michael and Natalia Cannon

Chad Clay

Beth Coblentz

Sabrina and Paul Colgin

Tina Ansari-Cotton and Troy Cotton

Ivy and Charles Dong ★

Gabriela and Daniel Dror

Lauren and Brandon Duke

Melynda and Steve Dunn

Marie Fay and Steve Evnochides

Carolyn Grant Fay

Paige and Tilman Fertitta

Linda and Jim Fischer

Ann and Phillip Fox ★

Joanna Kornfeld and Paul Friedman

Tracy and Robin Gay

★ designates new inductees in 2023-24

Josie and Conrad Goerl

Thanatcha and Matthew Goitia ★

Ellisa Kerswell and Nicholas Gole

Angie Munoz and Luis Javier Gonzalez

Alicia and Garrett Gordy

Susan and Jeff Gray

Sami and Justin Grefé ★

Bella and Gordon Gsell

Debbey and Glenn Guy

Shanna and Scott Halperin

Lauren and Geoffrey Harrison

Galina Saburov and Bernard Hatch

Terri and John Havens

Caroline and Bruce Hurley

Kisha and Jason Itkin

Erin Jones

Cheryl and Will Jordan

Jennifer and Thomas Kane

Katherine and Matthew Kardesch

Masu and Badar Khan

Carol and Stephen King

Karen and Chris Kreidler

Cheryl Goudy and David Lavallee ★

Megan and Andrew Levy

Eugene Loveland

Marcy and Jeffrey Margolis

Anastasia and Preston Marshall

The Don & Colletta McMillian Foundation ★

Wendy and Chris Mehling

Paula and Hal Mentz

Kallie and Ben Miller

Shilpa Damle-Mogri and Zen Mogri

Keith Morris

Laura Boyd and Brinkley Morse

Joan Neuhaus

Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo

Elaine Block and Dennis O'Rourke

Emma Lewis and Charles Orzech ★

Karan Sra and Nishil Patel

Sarah and Beau Pollock ★

Kirsten and David Polyansky

Laura and Brannon Robertson

Mary Rose Besse and Michael Ross

Sonia Scarselli

Katy and Sandy Shurin ★

Julie and Karl Sturm

Sarah Svoboda and Chris Taylor

Amy and Michael Trahan

Mara and Jorge Troop

Dionne and Phillip Ukleja

Sarah and Benjamin Wilbanks

Kassandra and Michael Winstone

Courtney Wulfe

Oxana Beliaeva and Forrest Wylie

TEAM FAY

ANNUAL FUND COMMITTEE

The success of the 2023-2024 Annual Fund would not have been possible without this dedicated group of parent volunteers

Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo

Annual Fund Chairs

Katy & Sandy Shurin

New Family Chairs

PARENT COMMITTEE:

Tawnia & David Adelman

Neha & Mohit Agrawal

Niki Roberts & Krisa Benskin

Amanda & Randall Fenlon

Ann & Phillip Fox

Kelly & Kim Hales

Sana Malik & Shayan Hasnain

Taylor Imel

Suzanne & Todd Leffler

Meg & Matt Markland

Kristy Godwin & David Martin

Sara & Nathen McEown

Preben & Amy Nielsen

Jenny & James Rogers

Mary Rose

Erin & Jake Slosburg

Gabriela & Quitman Smith

Kelly & Matthew Turner

FAY STAFF REPRESENTATIVE

Ryan Sanchez

The things that make Fay special, such as the forest, chicken coop, and our teachers and staff, aren’t always accounted for in the operating budget. So, it’s incredibly important to our family to support these unique Fay treasures through the Annual Fund.

– Lauren and Clark Edlund, Parents of Maddox ‘27 and Weston ‘29

PARENTS’ CLUB

HARD WORK, PHILANTHROPY, AND COMMUNITY

Many thanks to this devoted group of parent volunteers who helped us throughout the 2023-24 school year.

Parents’ Club Co-Chairs:

Kristina Brar

Libbie Libby

Book Fair

Sandra Eastham

Amanda Fenlon

Fay Gala

Sami Grefé

Lyndsie Palmer

Faculty & Staff Appreciation

Ivy Dong

Kelly Nicholson

Carolyn Rubenstein

Campus Decorations & Class Parties

Carin Giga

Meg Markland

Fall Festival

Tawnia Adelman

Dana David

Lauren Edlund

Family Engagement

Paige Alvis

Jenny Rogers

Jacki Schaefer

Grandparents &

Special Friends Day

Melissa Brown

Amy Keiter

Dalal Pasha

Laura Harvey

Paula Goldberg

Maha Maherali

Priscila Gross

Gary Tabakman

Jacki Schaefer

Kavita Patel

3 4 5

Libbie Libby

GENA LEWIS FUND

The Gena Lewis Fund was established by the Marie Fay Evnochides Fund (MFE Fund) in the fall of 2021 to celebrate former Fay teacher Gena Lewis and to help further drive the implementation of Priority 2 in our Strategic Plan, redefining the academic experience by excelling in experiential and outdoor learning.

Gena Lewis left an indelible mark at The Fay School as a First Grade Teacher. During her 18-year tenure at The Fay School, Gena started the “Open Work” program that laid the groundwork for the experiential learning in Fay’s classrooms today. As a result, the Marie Fay Evnochides Fund established a teaching award in her honor This annual award will fund selected experiential activities or projects and recognize the teacher or teachers who proposed the idea

2024 Gena Lewis Award Ceremony

Congratulations to our 2024 Gena Lewis Distinguished Teacher Award recipient, Second Grade Lead Teacher Ms Hart! Her winning project proposal focuses on pollinators with the driving question, “How has the Buffalo Bayou affected the development of Houston and The Fay School?” Students will study the natural and man-made elements of our landscape, exploring maps, geography, natural resources, and climate to understand how Houston and Buffalo Bayou have changed - and changed each otherthrough the years.

We love Fay because our kids can learn everyday skills through engaging experiences whether it's in the garden, the chicken coop, or in their classroom —all while having fun. Fay's amazing campus is filled with opportunities to learn and discover new things. It is always a welcoming space where they can grow, be with friends, and develop strong skills. Faculty and staff at Fay truly care about the kids. It's an amazing community.

– Paula and Jonathan Goldberg, Parents of Emma ‘27 and Alex ‘29

2024 FAY FOREVER YOUNG GALA

The 2024 Fay Forever Young Gala was a party for the ages. Gala Co-Chairs and Dancing Queens Sami Grefé and Lyndsie Palmer led the planning and execution of this night of glitz and glam, creating an evening to remember as we celebrated staying Forever Young at Fay The energy and camaraderie of the night were a testament to our Fay Family’s commitment to our community and your children.

Attendees enjoyed an engaging live auction and big board and participated in a Paddles Up initiative raising over $110,000 for our new Lü Interactive Playground and a technology refresh In total, the event raised over $640,000 for your children’s education! Thank you to our Title Sponsor Theorem Vineyards, and thank you to the talented, enthusiastic, and dedicated volunteers for their work on a beautiful evening celebrating the Fay community.

Gala Co-chairs

Sami Grefé and Lyndsie Palmer

Parents’ Club Co-chairs

Kristina Brar and Libbie Libby

Auction

Alisa Baker and Lauren Edlund

Decorations

Samantha Jacobe and Meg Markland

Faculty / Staff Rep

Evan Kinat

Liquor Pull

Erin & Jake Slosburg

New Family Chairs

Katy & Sandy Shurin

Sign-Up Socials

Nilofur Alfi and Kristen Colander

Student Art

Kristina Brar, Dana David, and Jenny Rogers

Underwriting

Ivy & Charles Dong and Gabriela & Quitman Smith

Underwriters

Rhythm Royalty

Sami and Justin Grefé

Dance Dynamo

Lauren and Clark Edlund

Ann and Phillip Fox, April & Ben Leibman, Kavita and TJ Patel, Jenny and James Rogers, and Courtney Wulfe

Libbie and Jesse Libby

Carolyn Rubenstein

Party People

Adele Houghton and Fernando Autrique

Alisa Baker and Ryan Black

Katie and Jas Brar

Maris and Jason Castro

Lixia Han and Terry Chen

Gaby and Steven Graubart

Paula and Jonathan Goldberg

Sana Malik and Shayan Hasnain

Lauren and Rusty Libby

Sara and Nathen McEown

Jenya and Alex Menkhaus

Lee Bar-Eli and Cliff Nash

Emma Lewis and Charles Orzech

Lyndsie and Ian Palmer

Kranthi and Amish Patel

Chloe Zhao and Tony Peng

Crystal and Hussein Shel

Basak and Scott Stookey

Piper and Eric Trestman

Sherida Tutor Vida and Tony Vida

Gala Event Sponsors

Bar

Sami and Justin Grefé

Big Board

Ivy and Charles Dong

Lauren and Clark Edlund

Decor

Libbie and Jesse Libby

Live Auction

Theorem Vineyards

Photography

Carolyn Rubenstein

2023-2024

CORPORATE PARTNERS

These generous businesses have committed significant funding to help Fay accomplish its mission. Please consider supporting those who support Fay, our corporate partners: