Amidst growth and change, exceptional faculty remain St. Andrew’s constant

One of my favorite aspects of school life is the cadence of goal setting, effort, and celebration. As our students prepare to demonstrate their progress and aptitude with our spring rituals — performing arts recitals, athletic assemblies and final exams — it is the perfect time to celebrate the growth and achievements of St. Andrew’s.

We must begin by noting what seems not noteworthy — a regular school year. While the Class of 2023’s experience was far from “normal,” we are grateful to conclude with many of the traditions that their preceding classes enjoyed. Remote learning is part of their lexicon, and their facility with technology is off the charts. While there are ways in which COVID-19 is still with us, the Class of 2023 are strong adaptors to a changed world, and we are proud of their flexibility and resilience.

I marvel at the changes in St. Andrew’s over the past decade. When my son E.J. joined the Class of 2013, we were 450 students in grades 6-12. The CTTL was just launching and beginning to influence teaching and learning for all St. Andrew’s students. At the time one faculty member oversaw all diversity initiatives. Today a team of diversity professionals is helping us to live our commitment to belonging for all. We are mapping our curriculum to connect learning in the lower grades with student progress in Middle and Upper school. Our youngest Lions learn and play in a state-of-the-art Lower School and we all enjoy a beautiful Student Center which hosts basketball games, assemblies and galas. More than 700 students from preschool through twelfth grade joyously work, play, and achieve together on one campus.

Despite many changes, some things have remained constant. Most important among those are the remarkable teachers and staff who dedicate themselves to our students every day. As we approach the school’s 50th anniversary in a few years, we must continue to invest in those who make the “St. Andrew’s magic” happen. We are committed to supporting their dedication by investing in their professional growth and development, providing a collaborative and supportive community, and creating opportunities to find joy in their St. Andrews experience.

Forty-five years ago, a small but committed group of trustees founded a school with a commitment to every learner. Today’s Board of Trustees is leading the way in building our financial foundation, supporting career growth for faculty and staff, and fulfilling our promise to students of a research-informed education in an inclusive community that provides opportunities for students both in and out of the classroom. As my time as Board Chair comes to a close, I know that our incoming Board Chair, Kellie Bickenbach, is prepared to lead us into the next chapter of the St. Andrew’s story. We have already accomplished so much. Together, we can accomplish even more.

Sheila Maith Chair, Board of Trustees

School Year Gets Off to a Roaring Start with Visit from Tony and Emmy-Award Winner

Kristin Chenoweth is one of the more recognizable actresses of the stage and screen. She had roles in “West Wing” and the Disney channel movie “The Descendants” and won an Emmy for her role in “Picking Daisies.” On Broadway, she won a Tony for her role in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and originated the role of Glinda in “Wicked.” Upper and Lower School students were treated to a visit from Chenoweth in September. With K-5 students, she read from her book “What Will I Do With My Love Today?” Later in the day, she spoke to Upper School students and answered their questions at an assembly. Chenoweth came to St. Andrew’s thanks to ninth-grade student Joel Crump ‘26 who attended her Broadway Bootcamp virtually in 2021 and in person in Oklahoma in 2022.

Expanded Lion-Cub Program Returns After a Two-Year Hiatus

After a two-year hiatus, the Lion-Cub program returned to St. Andrew’s, this time expanded to grades K-5 and 7-12. The program pairs Lower School students in kindergarten with Middle School students in seventh grade. Students in subsequent grades are paired together culminating in fifth graders being paired with twelfth graders. These oneon-one pairings are intended as permanent throughout a student’s time at St. Andrew’s. The Lions and Cubs have several planned activities throughout the year, including walking in the Walk for the Homeless at Homecoming and sitting together at K-12 chapel services. For many, these bonds last beyond St. Andrew’s.

Homecoming and Walk For the Homeless Draw Hundreds of Participants

It was a beautiful fall day for this year’s Homecoming and Walk for the Homeless with one of the largest crowds in school history coming out to enjoy the oncampus festivities. The Walk for the Homeless officially kicked off the day followed by soccer games, inflatables, crafts, and the Alumni Awards Luncheon. The Black Alumni Collective also hosted a tailgate prior to the alumni gathering. Fikile Richard Brushett ‘02 won the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Black Alumni Collective won the Thomas Shaw Award for Service, and the 1991-1992 girl’s basketball team and Alex Smith ‘17 were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.

Middle School Students Hear How Lions in the Community Roar

This year, Middle School students have been treated to a series of Roar Stories, as alumni and current parents have come to campus to speak to students about different professions and what it takes to be successful in their chosen fields. It began with Julian Barnes P’26, ‘29, a national security reporter for the New York Times covering the intelligence agencies. He spoke in December about his career in journalism and as a writer. In January, Abigail Stephenson ‘12 spent her day off from performing on Broadway in “Ohio State Murders” opposite stage icon Audra McDonald to speak to students about her path to Broadway, which began when she was a St. Andrew’s Middle School student. In March, a panel of parents and alumni spoke about jobs and careers in the sports industry. Students heard from Mark Alarie P’20, ‘24, Ken Babby ‘98 P’26, Richard Coco P’25, ‘28, Vania Flowers ‘92, Jen Mohr P’38, and Eric Winston P’30, ‘32. The final Roar Story is scheduled for late May with Dr. Peter Warfield P’27 speaking to students about careers in medicine.

More than 300 Grandparents and Special Friends Visit Campus

Just before Thanksgiving, St. Andrew’s was able to resume its in-person Grandparents and Special Friends Day for the first time since 2019. Close to 300 visitors came to campus, joining students from age 2 through Grade 12 in the classroom, hallways, and at assemblies. There were performing arts to entertain the guests of all ages.

St. Andrew’s Players Take a Bite of Chekhov

The fall play this year was “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov. Centering around the fate of the estate of the Gayecs, landed gentry whose beloved cherry orchard and family home are at risk of being sold, the play is often classified and presented as a tragedy, but the Upper School performers led by Ritchie Porter struck a balance between the serious and the humorous. The play was presented the width of MacDonald Hall with seating on the stage and in partially extended bleachers, creating a challenge for the performers while drawing in audiences.

Sixth-Grade Scientists Take Trips Off Campus to Explore Physical World

Science in the Middle School begins with Science

6: Scientific Foundations, a course that allows our sixth graders to get out and explore the physical world. In November, as part of their study of weathering and erosion, sixth graders visited Great Falls National Park and the cascading rapids. In April, students enjoyed the annual overnight trip to the Chesapeake Bay, where they spent three days exploring the ecosystem.

Third-Grade Performs Opera

In front of a captive audience of students from kindergarten and first grade, St. Andrew’s third graders, under the guidance of music teacher Danielle Drobny, performed an opera inspired by “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters,” a book by John Steptoe. The book tells the story of two sisters that take opposite paths to achieve their dream of marrying a king. To help prepare for the performance, students learned about the Shona language and Zimbabwean folklore and culture while studying the fundamentals of opera with Mary Gresock, an artist in residence at the Kennedy Center.

Student Artists Win Regional Awards

Three St. Andrew’s juniors were honored with Scholastic Art & Writing Maryland Region awards, including a Silver Key Award for Hannah Portner ‘24. Her blackand-white portrait of a ballerina devouring a seemingly endless supply of snacks was the highest recognition received by a Lion this year. Also being honored was Lara Alarapon ‘24 who earned Honorable Mention in Digital Art and Nando Molina ‘24, who won four Honorable Mentions in photography.

Young Alumni Return to Campus and Give College Tips to Seniors While Catching Up with Teachers

Annually, about a week after the calendar turns to a new year, you can spot a group of recent St. Andrew’s graduates on campus. Young Alumni Day is a hallmark of the St. Andrew’s school year and it was in person this year after a two-year break. This year, 16 alumni from the classes of 2018 through 2022 returned to speak to seniors about their college experience and to answer questions from picking roommates, to Greek life, to selecting a major.

Junior Qualifies for National and International History Competitions

Junior Ethan Linn ‘24 has made history his thing at St. Andrew’s. Not only is he a member of the St. Andrew’s Quizbowl team, but after scoring among the top 25% of student historians in the state-level competition, Ethan qualified for the National History Bee & Bowl and the International History Olympiad. The national competition is in Arlington, Virginia in June and the international one is in Rome in July.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt ...

Every February, as spring approaches, a bear comes out of hibernation in the Lower School. He finds a nice place to hide but he leaves plenty of tracks as he explores the space. Tracks perfect for our Preschool II students to find and follow as they go on an annual Bear Hunt. Students, who have been learning about bears, animal tracks, and cartography, draft a map and embark on their bear hunt. This year, the bear was Luis Aguilar P’23 ‘25 who students know from his daily welcome every morning at the Lower School carpool.

10th Annual Great Works Project Winners Announced

“The Lightning Thief” Electrifies Crowds in MacDonald Hall

The Upper School winter musical played to packed houses this February as the St. Andrew’s Players performed “The Lightning Thief,” a Percy Jackson musical based on the first of Rick Riordan’s beloved young adult novels. Joel Crump ‘26 made his St. Andrew’s debut as Percy alongside Charlotte Lobring ‘23 (Annabeth) and Eliora Adu ‘24 (Grover). The musical drew rave reviews from the Cappies and also featured Lara Alarapon ‘24 (Sally), Cameron Best ‘26 (Chiron), Leah Facciobene ‘24 (Luke), and Gabriel Martinez ‘24 (Mr. D).

The 10th annual Great Works Project winners were announced on February 28 with the largestever group of speeches taking place. More than 100 students argued for the book of their choice to be included in the 10th-grade curriculum with Benny O’Neill ‘25 winning from the five English 10 classes for “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie and Melissa Nugent ‘25 winning from the two Honors English 10 classes for “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller. Students first read their book then had to write a three-minute speech making their case for why the book should be included in the curriculum. Each class had a winner which advanced to the finals. The judges in the finals included the four previous winners still at St. Andrew’s, Eliora Adu ‘24, Zara Koso-Thomas ‘24, Cov Jackson ‘23 and Ethan McNamara ‘23, as well as one of the first-ever winners, Robyn Radecki ‘16 and Head of School Robert Kosasky P’18 ‘20. Students also were required to record their speech on video so students and their families could watch each speech to learn about the different books.

Students Excel on National Latin Exam

Eleven St. Andrew’s Middle and Upper School students were nationally recognized for their performance on the 2023 National Latin Exam, a challenging and prestigious exam offered under the joint sponsorship of the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. The highest medal students can earn on their exams, gold summa cum laude, was awarded to Andrew ‘27, Sinjin ‘27, Sophie Li ‘26, Samina Bhatia ‘25, and Melissa Nugent ‘25.

Yau Chi ‘29, Colin ‘28, Feynman ‘28, Kayla Bhatia ‘25, and Ian Sabin ‘25 won silver maxima cum laude on their exams, and Austin Love ‘26 earned magna cum laude.

Middle School Student Wins National High School Chess Championship

Eighth-grader Andrew ’27 competed in the U800 section of the National High School Chess Championship in Washington, D.C., in April. Andrew played seven games over the course of three days and won all seven matches. Of the 407 competitors in his category, Andrew was the only one to reach 7 points, securing him a first-place finish in his section.

Cum Laude Society Inducts 18 New Members

In April, eight twelfth-grade students and 10 eleventh-grade students were inducted into the St. Andrew’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society, which honors the school’s highest academic achievers. The ceremony was attended by eighththrough twelfth-grade students as well as members of the honorees’ families.

From the Class of 2023, Ryan Agge, Charlotte Lobring, Liza Matal, Marques Nana-Sinkam, Kate Schneider, Sam Segal, Sam Wiesel, and Kylie Wilbur were inducted, while Matthew Chensavasdijai, Joshua Cohen, Emily Conway, Kevin Hallagan, Emma Kee, Jake Lehrman, Kamdi Oguchi, Hannah Portner, Jasmine Wang, and Steven Zhong were inducted from the Class of 2024. The new inductees were welcomed into the Society by Alex Behram, Maziar Beiramee, Zyley Bender, Cov Jackson, Auveen Kaveh, Christina Rowe, Lauren Safra, and Milenko Stojkovic, members of the Class of 2023 who were inducted last year.

Twelfth-grader Tinoda Matsatsa ’23 also competed in the Championship, winning four of his seven matches. Their combined score earned them the highest rank nationally of all two-player schools competing at the U800 level.