WINTER 2020
FROM TOP LEFT (CLOCKWISE): (1) Kaitlin Tse '27, (2) Sarah Merritt '23, Ben Hofer '23, TJ Jobe '23 (3) Kobie Crowder '32, Clay McComb '20, Mac Keller '32, Dash Barron '32 (4) Samson Celerier '27, Jack Dial '27, Marcos Erlanson '27, Beckett Curry '27, and Finn Dooner '27 (5) Laila Antonini '25
12 MAKING AN IMPACT
FEATURES 7 8 12
16 NURTURING NATURE EDUCATION
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Campus Connection Cabinet Creates Mentorship and Camaraderie The Young Leaders Institute at St. Andrew's PARK Happenings on Southwest Parkway Bee-ing Sustainable All Things Bright and Beautiful We Love Our Parent Volunteers Homecoming 2019: Celebrating the St. Andrew's Community Reflections on the St. Andrew's Pollyanna Conference
WE ARE SCHOLARS
BLESSING OUR FURRY FRIENDS
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It's a Pollinator Palooza
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Our Faculty are Scholars, Too
Members of the Class of 2020 Named National Merit and AP Scholars Welcome Ben Courchesne: New Upper School Head
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GIRLS TIE ALL-TIME WIN RECORD
WE ARE ARTISTS
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MUSICAL TACKLES HARD QUESTIONS
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“Spring Awakening”: Upper Schoolers Wow Audience St. Andrew's Singers and Musicians Recognized by TPSMEA
WE ARE ATHLETES
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Serving up SAS History
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Cross Country Team Finishes Strong
Athlete Advisement Groups Help Shape Department Advancements
WE ARE SERVANTS
56 HELPING OTHERS IN CENTRAL TEXAS
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ST. ANDREW'S DAY CELEBRATION
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Highlanders for Hope: St. Andrew's and El Buen Samaritano Partner for Happy Thanksgiving Handy Helpers Serve Homeless Neighbors Outreach Central Texas: A New Spin on the 7th grade Service Trip Community Members Honored at St. Andrew's Day Alumni News Reunion 2020
LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Administration Head of School, Sean Murphy Head of Upper School, Todd Stephenson Head of Middle School, Alice Nezzer Head of Lower School, Kama Bruce Chair of Board of Trustees, David Grimm St. Andrew’s Lower and Middle School 1112 31st Street, Austin, TX 78705 St. Andrew’s Upper School 5901 Southwest Parkway, Austin, TX 78735 Mission Statement The mission of St. Andrew's Episcopal School is to provide an enriched academic program within a Christian environment emphasizing the fulfillment of each student's potential.
Dear St. Andrew’s Families, Alumni and Friends, This magazine represents a wonderful start to our school year, filled with athletic, artistic, servantleadership and academic accomplishments. Our students have a diverse array of interests and talents that delighted us on stage, made us cheer in the stands, and beam with pride during our chapel announcements and celebrations. What a wonderful community we have created together, and I hope you enjoy the stories, photos, and memories that shine on these pages. Happy New Year!
Sean Murphy Head of School St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
COVER PHOTO Upper School students perform fall musical "Spring Awakening."
Photo credit: Peggy Keelan
Statement of Purpose St. Andrew’s seeks students of character and intelligence from diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The school strives to help young people achieve their potential not only in intellectual understanding but also in esthetic sensitivity, physical well-being, athletic prowess and moral decisiveness so that they may lead productive, responsible lives, not only for themselves, but also for their community. Diversity Statement of Purpose St. Andrew’s sees diversity as an integral element of community and education, and a vital facet of our mission, core values, and Episcopal identity. We believe that community diversity manifests in many ways, including ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, family composition, and physical ability. In our commitment to attracting, fostering, and celebrating all aspects of diversity, St. Andrew’s aims to create an intentional environment of equity and inclusion. We recognize that this work is constantly evolving as we address the changing needs of a diverse community and as we educate our students to engage with a diverse world. We believe that our strength and resilience as a community stem from our commitment to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God. Core Values COMMUNITY — Based on trust, traditions, communication, appreciation, and support SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION — To develop moral behavior HIGH EXPECTATIONS — Reflected in both the knowledge base and behavior of the faculty, staff, students, parents, and board members CARING, CELEBRATION, AND HUMOR — Fostered by kindness and collegiality Statement of Nondiscrimination St. Andrew’s Episcopal School admits qualified students regardless of race, color, nationality, ethnicity, religion, physical disability, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, ethnicity, religion, physical disability, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation in the administration of any policies or programs generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
Campus Connection Cabinet Creates Mentorship, Camaraderie "I’ve learned how to put things into a different perspective and learned to be more kid-like again." Charlotte Parker
Eighth-grade member of CCC
Peer mentoring is a cornerstone of St. Andrew’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program, and SEL Director
Scott Zimmerman has done great work in creating programs that unify students on our two campuses. This year, the new Campus Connection Cabinet is creating mentor/mentee relationships between lower schoolers and middle schoolers on the 31st Street campus. Zimmerman was blown away by the students’ interest in being a part of the Cabinet — it is made up of 95 middle school volunteers. The Campus Connection Cabinet offers the opportunity for middle schoolers and lower schoolers to be paired up for mentorship and friendship. Eighth grader Charlotte Parker is a member of the CCC and appreciates the bond that she has created with her third-grade buddy, Whitney Nichols. Whether they’re playing games or just chatting about their days, Charlotte has come to love the time spent with her buddy, and her buddy loves having a new friend and role model to look up to.
It’s not just the younger children who learn from the middle schoolers — the older students learn from the lower schoolers too. Charlotte says, “CCC opens your mind to spending time with people who are younger than you. They’re actually really cool and creative people. I’ve learned how to put things into a different perspective and learned to be more kid-like again.” As the eighth graders move to the Upper School next year, they’ll have the opportunity to join the Bridge Advisers, who mentor Middle School students. These kinds of mentoring programs create unity between campuses and across grade levels. When asked what advice she would give to her lower-school self, Charlotte says, “Love yourself and trust yourself — go with your instincts.” She’s one of many valued students who have made a real impact in the lives of St. Andrew’s lower schoolers. The program has allowed middle schoolers to further practice leadership, good citizenship, and healthy relationships in their day-to-day lives at school, creating a positive environment for all. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 7
the Young Leaders Institute at St. Andrew's St. Andrew's and AISD students inspired by innovative Central Texas companies and institutions
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Now in its 4th year, the Young
Leaders Institute, led by St. Andrew’s Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Scott Zimmerman, gave 18 Central Texas students the opportunity to hone in on their own leadership strengths and put their skills to the test. For two weeks this past summer, these 18 students - 9 from St. Andrew’s and 9 from local AISD schools - learned from a variety of leadership experiences both in-house and through Austin-based companies and institutions. With the goal of giving the students a comprehensive picture of the many different forms a leader can take, they visited places like the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas, YETI, the State Capitol, Texas State University, Pluckers Wing Bar, Kendra Scott and Dell Technologies. Each visit gave them a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes for these successful, innovative companies to thrive in their respective market. Not only did the students have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of the leaders of these organizations, but they put their own skills to the test as well. At Pluckers Wing Bar, they learned how hard work, cooperation and perseverance can be the difference between success and failure, and each student went through the general manager training program. At Kendra Scott, the focus was on the three pillars that the company has lived by since its inception: Family, Fashion and Philanthropy. They saw these pillars brought to life as they helped design jewelry and penned handwritten notes that were brought to patients at Dell Children’s Hospital. At YETI, the group was
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A visit to Kendra Scott headquarters highlighted the importance of a company's core values.
Building Future Leaders asked to generate and present ideas of how to improve customer engagement, products and the already strong YETI brand. The culminating event was the two-day Dell Leadership Experience. They spent the final two days of the two week session at Dell Technologies learning about three of the largest branches of the company and had the opportunity to meet different leaders within those branches, including the Director of Corporate and Social Responsibility, and Joyce Mullen, President of the Global Channel and Embedded Edge Solutions and wife of Upper School Head, Todd Stephenson. These were just some of the experiences these students had throughout the two weeks, and according to SAS junior Aidan Madoff, each and every one was inspiring and immensely valuable to understanding what it takes to be a successful and effective leader today. “Leadership isn’t about showing dominance over others, but leadership is encompassing everybody, and maintaining everyone’s equal value, while still sticking to a game plan and getting everything done.” Additionally, Aidan walked away with more
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insight about the skills needed in a leadership role, particularly “being honest with yourself and others and being seen as trustworthy and reliable,” he said. His time at the Young Leaders Institute made such an impact that Aidan decided to bring it back to SAS with him. In an effort to give his peers the opportunity to learn what he did this summer, he started the Young Leaders Club at the beginning of this academic year. While still in the process of getting it up and running, he hopes to use the club as a platform to discuss leadership topics with his classmates and bring speakers to campus who can share their experience in leadership with the entire student body. The SAS students who participated this summer were Guy Crickmer ‘21, Josephine Dowd ‘21, Colt Pepe ‘21, Aidan Madoff ‘21, Hannah Hayes ‘21, Patrick Anderson ‘23, Michaela Mgba ‘22, Ben Ingram-Eiser ‘22, and Eli Johnson ‘21.
"Leadership isn’t about showing dominance over others; leadership is encompassing everybody, and maintaining everyone’s equal value, while still sticking to a game plan and getting everything done.” Aidan Madoff SAS Junior
Students got a glimpse behind-the-scenes at YETI.
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PARK Happenings on Southwest Parkway PARK Stewards making an impact via Outdoor Education
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To Greg Mele, Director of Outdoor Education, it is invaluable
to give students the opportunity to get out of the classroom, have autonomy, and see their work come to life. “The decisions they make and the work they do could last decades, and that is not a typical experience in high school,” he says. He is referring to the work that students are doing as PARK Stewards during their Special Interest Project (SIP) Period, formerly known as 8th Block. During this free period in their schedule, Upper School students follow a passion, pursue an interest, create something, or immerse themselves in a topic of their own choosing. Sixteen Upper School students have chosen to spend their time working with Mr. Mele focusing on outdoor education. Projects include campus landscape architecture, building and maintaining gardens on campus and helping Mr. Mele realize his vision for the PARK, including creating a trail network through the 48 acre space, cedar clearing, creating a seating area in the arboretum near DFAC and building a campground space. “Projects require looking at things you look at every day from a different perspective to figure
Aaron Day '22 clears cedar and debris in The PARK.
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PARK Stewards out the best way to maximize the space,” says Mr. Mele. “With landscape architecture, design is incredibly important. Being thoughtful about how you design a space, whether it be the gardens on the edges of the Nazro Green or the camp sites and groves in the Park — being deliberate about the design will make a lasting difference in whether the space is used. Even though it is often on a subliminal level, people naturally gravitate toward beautiful welcoming spaces, particularly in the outdoors. If the spaces created on campus don’t have a welcoming and appealing feel, our students, faculty, and visitors won’t use them.” For sophomore Aaron Day, his SIP period in the PARK has become more than just a class. Aaron runs his own excavation company, Armour Excavating, clearing and repairing land for Central Texas residents. When he arrived at St. Andrew’s in 2018 and needed to complete service hours (a requirement to graduate), Aaron approached Mr. Mele to see if he could use any help in the PARK. It’s been two years since Aaron brought his skills and equipment to the PARK, and in that time he has had a significant impact on its development. Primarily using his bulldozer with one of its 11 different attachments, Aaron has assisted in some major projects, including the DFAC arboretum seating area, designing and building a campsite to be used by SAS students, cedar clearing, debris removal from the ranch that previously occupied the land, and the trail network and parking path in the PARK. “When I first came to St. Andrew’s, I didn’t know how I was going to connect to the school, but once I started working in the PARK, I realized that was going to be how I connect with my school. My SIP period is my favorite class. I care a lot about the other jobs I do, but this one is different — this is my school.” 14
PARK Stewards use their SIP Period to revitalize and improve the Upper School campus.
"If the spaces created on campus don’t have a welcoming and appealing feel, our students, faculty, and visitors won’t use them." Greg Mele
Director of Outdoor Education
There are currently 9 PARK Stewards spending their SIP periods working with Mr. Mele on campus and PARK improvement projects. Since 2018, there have been a total of 16 students that have worked on these projects. Cameron Wilkerson '19 Nick Barron '20 Grace Moreland '20 Maddie Binford-Wiggins '20 Everett Bradley '20 Stefaan Meinert '20 Tristan Gallagher '21 Rory Caskey '22
Amanda Thomas '22 Aaron Day '22 Michael Barrow '22 Tommy Bullion '23 William Berry '23 TJ Jobe '23 Gavin Moore '23 Marshall Harrell '23
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Highlander Hive founders and beekeepers Will Snider '20, Teddy Gilman '20 and Truman Cunningham '20.
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Bee-ing Sustainable When senior Truman Cunningham heard Mr. Mele’s homily in
chapel about the importance of incorporating nature into education, he was struck by the idea that building a relationship with nature from a young age can have a strong impact, particularly when it comes to sustainability and compassion. He joked with his friends, Teddy Gilman and Will Snider, that they should become beekeepers and build a hive in the PARK. All jokes aside, it didn’t take long for his “silly idea” to take on a life of its own. With encouragement from Mr. Mele, the three classmates began to explore the idea more seriously and realized it was something they were interested in pursuing. Research quickly revealed that there was much more to beekeeping than meets the eye, but that made it all the more intriguing.
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A New Venture with St. Andrew's Highlander Hives Truman “was astonished by their complexity: For example, in the period of two to three years, queens can lay around half a million eggs. But I became fully invested when I learned that hives have individual personalities. I really just love this idea. I love that, somehow, 30,000+ bees can all come together to make one organism.” As they moved along in the process, it became clear that bringing a hive to the PARK wasn’t going to be easy. The first step was to find someone with experience to help navigate the process. They decided to visit the Austin Sustainable Food Center, a location that has a similar bee setup to what they wanted to create. There, they met Liz Cardinal. Happy to help, Liz showed them the hives at the Center and maybe more importantly, introduced them to Tara Chapman, founder of Two Hives Honey. Tara, now the official, professional 18
St. Andrew’s beekeeper, and affectionately known as their “beesource”, was integral to the trio learning the ropes of beekeeping. She helped them understand everything they needed to know to prepare for the hive installation, connected them with the supplier of the bees, and has continued to teach and guide them through the process of caring for their hives. Since introducing the Highlander Hive to the PARK in September of 2019, Truman, Teddy, and Will check in on the bees about every two weeks. They check to ensure each hive is healthy, has a laying queen, and is getting enough food. Based on what they find, they make adjustments like transferring frames from stronger hives to help the weaker hives grow. To make sure the bees survive the colder months, they recently winterized the hive — an extensive, and sometimes painful, process that includes taking inventory of all the bees and rearranging each frame of the hives,
Will, Truman and Teddy smoke the hive to calm bees before extracting honey.
" ‘Save the bees’ has changed from an idea to an action for us, and I love that we have been able to positively affect the environment.” Will Snider '20 PARK beekeeper
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which the bees don’t typically enjoy. Despite only having the hives a short time, they’ve already seen the fruits of their labor. “We successfully established three hives in the PARK, and we have some honey!” Truman shared. “We are also going to render some beeswax, so we can make other products (like lip balm). Since our hives are already developed, we will get to do a full harvest our first year if everything goes to plan. More honey is on the way.” When reflecting on their work, Will noted that he has learned far more than he could have anticipated. Aside from the ins and outs of bees and beekeeping, he credits this project with teaching him about leadership, pain, stress, and pride. From a leadership perspective, this was an independent project, so the responsibility of making their idea a reality fell entirely on them. “We had to take initiative because without our work it was never going to happen.” With that responsibility naturally came stress. “A very stressful part of our beekeeping experience has been scheduling. Honorable mentions go to feeling bees try to shake my gloves off and being stung without knowing if I was allergic, but I think scheduling takes the cake. Figuring out the best times to check on the hives has been a stressful
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but rewarding experience, and I am so glad the three of us were such good friends before starting the process. I think our friendship has helped us work through issues better than we would have otherwise.” But like any successful endeavor, from the stress and hard work comes pride. “I am very proud of what we have been able to do,” said Will. “Not only did we work with each other to accomplish a goal, but we forged new relationships with faculty at St. Andrew’s and professionals in the beekeeping field. ‘Save the bees’ has changed from an idea to an action for us, and I love that we have been able to positively affect the environment.” As far as pain, well, bee stings hurt. Truman, Will, and Teddy will all graduate from St. Andrew’s this spring, but they’re making sure to do their best to keep the Highlander Hive thriving long after they’re gone. Along with bringing the hives to campus, they have started a club, The Highlander Hive, for students interested in learning more about beekeeping. With the help of Mr. Mele and Tara, their hope is that some students from this club will emerge as the next beekeepers of St. Andrew’s and continue their work well into the future.
A fresh batch of Highlander Hive Honey.
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All Things Bright and Beautiful St. Andrew's Blessing of the Pets On Friday, October 4, K-2 students and their families brought their favorite furry friends for the annual Blessing of the Pets service. Each pet received a blessing from Lower/Middle School Chaplain Ashley Brandon and Upper School Chaplain Whitney Kirby in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, on the day of his feast. They also received a certificate commemorating the blessing!
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We
♥ our Parent Volunteers!
Each of us plays a part
in making St. Andrew’s a unique and welcoming community. From our hardworking faculty and staff to our bright students, our school community is truly special. Part of what makes our community so wonderful are our dedicated parent volunteers. Our SAS parents serve our school in so many ways, from helping out at the panini press during lunch to reading
to students at the library to answering phones at the front desk and assisting with school-wide events like St. Andrew’s Day, Homecoming, and Grandparents’ Days. We truly appreciate the efforts of our parents who help make our school as great as it can be. To all our parent volunteers, we thank you for all you do! If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please click here.
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Homecoming 2019
Celebrating the St. Andrew's Community
On a crisp November evening, the St.
Andrew’s Episcopal School community gathered on the Southwest Parkway campus for an evening of picnicking, face painting, mingling, and cheering on our volleyball, field hockey and football teams. Faculty and staff, parents, students, and alumni all show up each fall for this treasured St. Andrew’s tradition, which began with the inception of the high school in 1998. After a Spirit Week full of fun themed dress days ranging from Pajama Day to Decades Day, students were fired up
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for the homecoming picnic and football game. Food trucks from Roppolo’s Pizzeria, Quality Seafood Market, and Teo Gelato kept folks well-fed and happy, and families were excited to take pictures in front of the huge SAS balloons at the photo station — three times the size of some of the youngest students! This strong sense of community has been the hallmark of St. Andrew’s for nearly 70 years, and no day exemplifies it more than Homecoming. Middle schoolers volunteered to paint the faces of Lower School students at the face painting station, and they guided younger kids at the
Photos: Sarah Wilson ‘92
pumpkin painting table. Students flexed their creativity when making their pumpkins, painting everything from SpongeBob Squarepants to Sully from Monsters Inc. Before kickoff, the Spirit Tunnel tradition brought kindergarteners into the action to welcome the football players onto the field with their senior buddies. The Alumni Tailgate tent provided a fun spot for faculty and all former SAS students to relax and reconnect, complete with BBQ and live music. David McDonald ‘07 and his band Steel Betty came by the tent to play some live bluegrass and folk songs for his fellow alums —
brisket sandwiches, live music, and catching up with old friends made for a perfect evening. Class reunions for the Classes of 2004, 2009 and 2014 were held the next evening, which provided an opportunity for more alumni to come together! As always, Homecoming was a fun evening catching up with all of the people who make the St. Andrew’s community great. Thank you to the entire school for making it another night to remember! Click here to view photos of the great event!
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26 Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Kendall Evans, opens the Pollyanna Conference.
SAS student and alumni panel (from left to right): Kate Sarahan '19, Squeaky Buentipo '20, India Caramelli '20, Cam Evans '21, Montse Nieto '21, Amarion Hall '20, Martha Pincoffs '92, Bri Hardeman '14
Reflections on the St. Andrew's Pollyanna Conference By Kendall Antonelli | Parent
Students. Alumni. Faculty. Staff. Administrators. Parents. Board Trustees. We all came together
at the Pollyanna Conference to “Build Community through Inquiry.” A required training for all St. Andrew’s employees, the event was open to any parents who wanted to participate as well. But the much needed perspectives were those of our students, our young adults, and recent graduates. Their bravery and candor sits with me today as I reflect upon the day-long learning opportunity to dive deep into the culture we have and the culture we want on our campuses, the types of humans we want to send into the world, the types of teachers and faculty we want to lead our children, and the role that we, as parents, play -- whether intentionally or unintentionally. I first heard Kendall Evans, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, announce the January conference right after the school year had started at an event hosted at the middle school, an open-invitation St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 27 SAS employees and parents collaborate.
Dr. Ali Michael speaks to the SAS audience.
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. potluck for those interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion. It was a simple affair with delicious food, and some of our community’s awesome smiling faces and rambunctious children. (Or perhaps it was only mine that fell off the risers and caused a commotion). Kendall mentioned the upcoming and developing Pollyanna Conference as an opportunity to ask ourselves hard questions, and knowing that most would not be answered, leave at the end of the day with a set of challenging questions that would later be used to develop a strategic path to learn, move forward, and create more meaningful opportunities to be an inclusive community. Fast-forward (literally, in that blur of the first-half of a year) to returning to campus for a short week. 28
We hadn’t even gotten back into the routine of school, and yet, that first Saturday back, we met approximately 260 stakeholders in the Upper School theatre. After Kendall and Head of School Sean Murphy kicked off the program with poetry and Adam Ortman, Director of Mindfulness, led us in a grounding exercise, Dr. Ali Michael took the stage to set up a framework for us, presenting a version of her popular TedX talk “How Can I Have a Positive Racial Identity? I’m White!” Dr. Michael helped contextualize our work for the day. Much of her talk centered on the notion that most white people aren’t raised talking about race, and consequently don’t talk about it later in life -- often well meaning, good people fearful of saying the wrong things. Dr. Michael asserted that talking about race is a skill that can be developed
and practiced, and that the more we, as white people, engage in these seemingly challenging conversations, the better we will become at navigating them. Her own work is guided by the goal of answering the following: “How do we raise kids in a way that they love themselves enough to love outside themselves and love fully...and in a conscious, socially just way?” Ultimately, Dr. Michael reinforced the idea of creating a “beloved community,” where everyone can live authentically, none are oppressed, and where everyone sticks up for each other so that all people can be their full, true selves. We moved from the larger presentation format to smaller discussion groups in rooms around the Upper School divided into groups of parents, faculty/staff, students, and alumni. I had the opportunity to serve as a facilitator in the parent group, affording me the chance to listen. At first glance, we acknowledged that many of us looked the same -- a group of mostly white moms, which, when we’re honest with ourselves, does reflect much of the population at St. Andrew’s. We sought to answer two prompts: (1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘culture’ and how would you describe the cultural environment at St. Andrew’s? (2) Describe a time when you experienced feeling welcomed and included at St. Andrew’s and/or a time when you experienced feeling unwelcome, excluded, or marginalized. As we answered, it became clear that although our responses were contextually framed from that of mostly white moms, we represented heterosexual and homosexual relationships, had children of various skin colors, practiced different religions, and comprised adoptive and biological families, to name a few. We took a mental and physical break over lunch and reconvened in the theatre for a panel of students and alumni. Moderated by alumni Bri Hardeman ‘14, each panelist introduced themselves and shared their pronouns. They sat behind a skirted table, spotlighted on a stage, looking out at their teachers, trustees, and parents, and bravely answered some tough questions: "Which part of your identity has (or had) the
biggest impact on your experience at St. Andrew's?" "What was the most memorable takeaway from today's morning session? What resonated with you the most?” "What would you like the St. Andrew's community to get out of this ambitious conference?" It would be insufficient to try to summarize their complex responses, and I don’t want to minimize their emotions, nor the realities they expressed, and any attempt to do so would be through the filter of this white cisgender mom. I can offer the perspective from my seat. I held my breath at points. I felt awkward. I felt inspired. I felt sad. I felt grateful. And I felt like we’ve got work to do. But I did not feel hopeless! Quite the opposite. I felt grateful to be a part of a community that takes the time on a Saturday for self-reflection and some hard questions. I felt grateful for the very real opportunity to continue engaging in this challenging but needed dialogue -- and in some
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"It’s never about making someone the bad guy, but more just like getting them to receive it in a way that makes them not only want to listen but then become the allies that we need." Amarion Hall '20 Panelist
cases, “simply” listening to those marginalized voices in our community. I felt that if these young adults were able to take the “hot seat” to voice some of their truths and realities, that we can — and should — do the same. I will say that there seemed to be a common theme that students felt supported by our St. Andrew’s staff, many of whom had been there for critical moments AND that there is still a lot of learning, healing, and opportunity to become a more inclusive community that values all of us and where each of us belongs. When asked what we could or needed to do as a school community, panelist Amarion Hall ‘20 said it best: “I think we need to keep having more things like this, but with more students. If more people could hear what was said earlier (by Dr. Michael and in the small discussion groups), I think that would go a long way… It’s never about making someone the bad guy, but more just like getting them to receive it in a way that makes them not only want to listen but then become the allies that we need." I am by no means an expert on DEIB work (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). And I have probably missed opportunities that our school has afforded us. I know as a working parent that it can be challenging to take advantage of these occasions. But I can also reassure you that the school has offered morning coffees, after school potlucks and dinners, and now a weekend conference — all in an attempt to better understand ourselves as well as the community we want to be. Are we “there” yet? No. Is this enough? No. And yet, we can acknowledge this AND simultaneously work to be better. St. Andrew’s does not currently appear to be shying away from tough conversations and selfreflection. Kendall Evans’s leadership style and non-judgmental demeanor invite and encourage
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more learning opportunities. I’m confident those of us in the majority can do better. One group lacking at the Pollyanna Conference was that of parents. As we expect and hope that our administrators and teachers continue to educate themselves on “culturally responsive teaching,” so too should we expect the same of ourselves. After all, our children come home to us each day and model after us. I hope you’ll join us in the conversation and work to be better. A great place to start — where I met many St. Andrew’s faculty and parents — is by taking Leadership Austin’s “Courageous Conversations” training, offered as a partnership between the City of Austin and its creators. Kendall Antonelli is a local business owner and mom to Everett '30 and Elia '32.
Grandparents' Day Thank you to everyone who joined us
for our Grandparents and Special Friends’ Days! As always, it was a pleasure to have over 500 guests visit our campuses and spend time with their grandchildren during their school day. A very special thank you to the Grandparents’ Day Committee chairs Julie Orchid (US) and Meg O’Connell (LS/MS) and the entire volunteer committee for all their hard work in making this such a special event for the whole St. Andrew’s community. To see all the photos from Grandparents’ Day, click here.
St. Andrew’s provides a space for students to experiment and change, fail and overcome, dream and discover, while acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed wherever they find themselves. None of this would be possible without the generous donations of individuals such as you. I sincerely thank you.” Read Katherine’s full letter at bit.ly/kandrews20
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It's a Pollinator Palooza! Every year, the 2nd grade, led by teachers Annie Billups, Andy Boutot and Ashlye Battaglia, starts their year off with their Pollinator Palooza project. This comprehensive project integrates reading, writing, science, art, and drama, and this year, for the first time, they had the opportunity to share it outside the SAS community by presenting their work at the Austin Central Library. The primary goal of the project is for each student to answer the question: "How can we, as activists, educate and inspire others to protect pollinators and their habitats?" Students researched hummingbirds, bats, bees, or monarchs through a variety of experiences and resources: numerous books on pollinators in our classrooms, field research at
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WE ARE SCHOLARS
2nd graders Clara Herndon, Ozzie Baugher and Emily Freeland observe monarch caterpillars.
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2nd graders Lucy Sitz, Nora Hale and Pierce Curry present their project at Pollinator Palooza.
The PARK at the Upper School, observations of our own butterfly larvae, a field trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and more. They each chose a pollinator to focus on and wrote zines presenting their answer to the question, which were displayed in the Central Library. Students wrote multiple drafts and received peer feedback. They learned how to research, how to use nonfiction text features, and how to organize their facts and ideas. Similarly, they drew multiple drafts of their pollinator and received peer feedback. The goal was to "see like a scientist" and draw accurately instead of from their imaginations. Part of their research was observing the life cycle of monarch caterpillars in the classroom — the caterpillars were let go when they became butterflies. Meanwhile, the project extended to their Drama class where the students were learning about bats for their play. The play tied in lots of facts about the bats under the Congress Avenue bridge, information about pollination, and other wildlife in our city. Students performed in McGill Chapel and then took their show on the road and 34
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2nd graders perform in chapel.
2nd graders Maclean Simmons and Townes Kath-Lipson teach their audience about bees.
performed at the Central Library downtown. The play also included a language component, with students reciting lines in English and Spanish. To showcase their science learning and include more collaboration, students created educational booths for Pollinator Palooza. These ranged from games that taught pollination to bat caves to studentcreated videos. These were the curricular areas that covered throughout the project: ■ Science: plant parts, pollination, habitats, predators, life cycles ■ Reading: Reading nonfiction for information; identifying text features such as headings, bold words, indices, and captions; summarizing text; synthesizing text; combining what you already know with new information ■ Writing: Turning research notes into complete sentences; organizing informational writing; using text features; elaborating on the topic; language conventions; revising; peer editing ■ Spanish and Social Studies: Cultural significance of the Monarch as it connects to Día
de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), students will join a symbolic Monarch migration and journey with students in Michoacán, Mexico and other parts of the United States. ■ Art: Drawing what you see “like a scientist” and recognizing symmetry; Creating bat puppets for the 2nd grade play ■ Drama: Students will learn about bats through their play, which is a spin on the classic Stone Soup.
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Members of the Class of 2020 Named National Merit and AP Scholars Last October, approximately 1.5 million juniors in the U.S. took the PSAT, which serves as the initial screening for the National Merit Scholarship program. From that pool, approximately 16,000 students achieved a score high enough to place them in the semifinalist category. This group represents less than 1% of each state’s high school seniors.
National Merit Scholars Semifinalists Amelia Bast ★ Sina Mohammadi At St. Andrew’s, Amelia Bast and Sina Mohammadi were the 2 semifinalists from the Class of 2020. From this point, they will complete a scholarship application which will be reviewed to see if they will progress to the finalist stage of the National Merit competition. The application consists of their academic record, endorsements from St. Andrew’s, a personal essay, and information about their participation and leadership in school and community activities. Once students move to the finalist level, Merit Scholarship winners are chosen based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in college studies.
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National Merit Commended Students Katherine Andrews ★ Truman Cunningham ★ Teddy Gilman ★ Jessica Liu ★ Sidney Marsh ★ Pearce Strickland About 34,000 Commended Students have been recognized for their exceptional academic promise. They placed among the top 50,000 scorers on the 2018 PSAT.
National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars Kenneth Flores ★ Alejandro Hernandez ★ Sarah Payet While being commended for their performance on the 2018 PSAT, a group of students have also been honored by the National Hispanic Recognition Program. All three have been named to the Scholar level in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. They were evaluated based on their PSAT scores and GPA.
AP Scholars Rachel Clarke ★ Kenneth Flores ★ Alejandro Hernandez ★ Owen McWilliams ★ Sina Mohammadi Students also get recognized by the College Board each year that they take AP exams. The AP Scholar Awards recognize high school students who have demonstrated exemplary college-level achievement on AP Exams. These exams are scored on a 5-point scale. The St. Andrew's students above received a 3 or higher on 3 or more exams and have been named AP Scholars.
AP Scholars with Honor Jacob Marcus ★ Sidney Marsh The students above have been named AP Scholars with Honor by receiving an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
AP Scholars with Distinction Teddy Gilman ★ Jessica Liu These students above have been named AP Scholars with Distinction by receiving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 37
Our Faculty are Scholars, too ... Over the course of the summer and throughout the school year, our teachers pursue opportunities to learn, grow, share and challenge themselves as academics. Faculty and Staff Professional Development is a priority of Head of School Sean Murphy, our three Division Heads, and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Josh Nelson, and is supported by gifts to the St. Andrew's Fund. Valuable insight from conferences, seminars, and experts help continuously improve the experiences our teachers are able to provide in the classroom. Already in the 2019-2020 school year, more than 50 faculty and staff have benefited from professional development experiences around the world: Greg Mele, Director of Outdoor Education at the PARK on our Southwest Parkway campus, spent time at the North Country School in Lake Placid, NY. NCS is a leading school in Edible Schoolyard programs, sustainability and outdoor engagement with over 90 years of experience. Greg was able to explore the school's original continuous flow rotary drum composter, their zero-waste dining hall (which produces high-grade compost used in their garden and production fields), their teaching kitchen and children's garden, and their greenhouses which are used as experiential learning tools. The school has a garden of 100% student-grown flowers as well as vegetables that are eaten in the school dining hall. Greg left North Country School inspired and motivated to explore more ways we can serve our environment.
Upper School History teacher Courtney Elliott visited Colombia for two weeks in July. Her classes at St. Andrew’s include a strong emphasis on Latin American studies and art history, and her experience in Colombia gave her lots to bring back to her classroom. Among other things, she went to the Botero Museum in Bogotà , which houses one of Latin America's most important collections of international art -- the permanent collection includes works by Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Sonia Delaunay, and Pablo Picasso. This summer, Upper School chemistry teacher Cindy Albach went through a workshop at the University of Texas where she worked through a yearlong UT-developed engineering program in 2 weeks. With her team, she built a pinhole camera, redesigned a flashlight, designed and built an earthquake-proof tower, and much more. Cindy loved the problem-solving challenges that the workshop gave her, and was able to bring what she learned from this workshop to her classroom at St. Andrew's.
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In June, a few St. Andrew’s faculty members and some St. Stephen’s Episcopal School faculty members traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the National Diversity Practitioners Institute. This three-day program helps faculty develop and strengthen their tools to develop more equitable and inclusive school communities. In attendance were Priya Kenny (7th grade Science Teacher and Asst. Director of Diversity for K-6) and Annie Sykes (Dean of Middle School Student Services) from the Middle School as well as Sam Davis (Upper School Library Educational Technologist) and Kate Jones (Assistant Head of Upper School & Upper School Dean of Students). The four attendees developed their ability to recognize their own implicit biases by examining facets of their identity - race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and more. Attendees also learned to critically examine their organization’s beliefs, patterns, and mindsets in order to better strive toward equity.
Over the summer, Sykes and Kenny combined forces to use the training to align SEL (Social & Emotional Learning) and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) work through middle school advisory programming. Jones and Davis are using what they learned at NDPI plus their Restorative Justice Coordinator training to implement programs at the Upper School. The National Diversity Practitioners Institute is an incredible opportunity to equip faculty members to prioritize and execute work that makes St. Andrew’s a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive school.
best of my career. While there, I came to understand and appreciate AMLE's unique set of principles, beliefs, and practices related to middle school education and the advocacy role they serve in this regard. Their 2010 "This We Believe" position paper guides their work and provides a reliable, research-based framework that helps ensure educators continually meet the unique needs of 10-15 year olds who "undergo more rapid and profound personal changes than at any other time in their lives." Session topics included developing and maintaining a positive school culture, teacher supervision and feedback, managing organizational change, creating inclusive schools, teaching strategies for a block schedule, building quality assessments, and much more. “In my short time at St. Andrew's, I've already seen numerous indices of effective middle school practice that comport with AMLE's high standards, said Richards. “Over the next year in my role as Middle School Director of Curriculum and Instruction, I look forward to sharing and implementing some of the ideas I took away from the Middle level Leadership Conference that could help our school be even better, particularly in the areas of teacher growth, honing assessment practices, and preparing for a block schedule” In December, Upper School Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mily Perez traveled to Seattle to attend People of Color Conference. “It was my 2nd time ever attending and I quickly remembered how energizing, moving, and inspiring this event can be. It was an opportunity to attend meaningful and relevant workshops, while at the same time allowing for networking with people from all over.” Mily attended workshops about grading for equity, empowering female leaders in schools, building stronger relationships between diversity and inclusion directors
Mark Richards, the new Middle School Director of Curriculum and Instruction, attended the Middle Level Leadership Conference (through AMLE: Association for Middle Level Education) held in San Diego this summer. In his words, “This conference proved to be one of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 39
and heads of schools, and she also attended keynote presentations that were educational, profound, and emotional. “It was also a fantastic opportunity to deepen connections with my own colleagues from the lower, middle, and upper school divisions — an opportunity we don't often have. My key takeaways from this conference are to find ways to help install meaningful affinity group opportunities for our students in a way that does not make them feel "othered," and to begin conversations with US faculty about our grading practices with an eye towards equity.” Ms. Perez also attended a two-day Beyond Diversity conference at the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin this December. She is currently part of the Courageous Conversations PLC at the US, and wanted to build on this by attending the conference where Courageous Conversations originated. “Marcus Moore was a phenomenal presenter, said Mily. “He was able to talk about race in a way that was informative and never demeaning. Moore's energy, style, and material made the conference feel much shorter. On day 2 we were asked to rate our privilege based on a questionnaire, and it was enlightening to see where we fall on the spectrum, especially in relation to fellow attendees and colleagues, even. People from all sectors in Austin attended, and it was powerful to witness one or two breakthroughs.” Upper School Fine Arts Department Chair and teacher Dr. Dave Guidi was recently invited to lead a teachertraining session at the 2020 Texas Private School Music Educator’s annual convention. His session, Starting a Jazz Band, ranged from topics including pedagogical practices, building relationships, providing students with quality experiences, and how to reinforce a culture of lifelong learning by setting near-term accomplishable goals for students and praising effort. The session also included
a focus on the importance of strenghtening community between members within a professional organization, like TPSMEA, to work in partnership with one another as resources for their professional development. Dr. Guidi serves St. Andrew's in a variety of ways, from administrator to teacher, department chair, and college counselor, and appreciates the generous support from the school to grow in each. His recent professional development includes attending the 2019 ISAS Deans Workshop, the 2019 ISAS Department Chair Workshop, the 2018 NACAC Annual Conference, the 2018 Think Global Project Based Learning Academy, and ISM's Chairing Your Department. He also takes part annually in the TPSMEA All-state Convention, as well as helping to plan the ISAS Fine Arts Festival with fine arts coordinators from sister schools and other like institutions. Through each, he has been afforded the opportunity to work alongside colleagues in similar positions to explore current trends in school management, secondary education, building school programs, and providing access to private schools and colleges for underserved communities. His plans this spring include serving on the ISAS Accreditation Committee review for a peer school. Lower School Learning Specialist Brianna Berkowitz attended a January Literacy and Learning workshop hosted by Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning™, heralded as the nation’s premier literacy Institute. The Institute gained its reputation because of its clear focus on providing evidence-based reading research and strategies for those who teach all ages and grade levels. At this conference, Mrs. Berkowitz learned about the current findings on reading instruction, reading difficulties and reading intervention from leading researchers. She also learned further about classroom strategies from seasoned practitioners around the United States. "I loved having the opportunity to learn from some of the leading researchers in the field of literacy. There's much to be learned about the cognitive science of reading and writing and it's important to stay connected to this research as we consider our own practices in the classrooms here at St. Andrew's," Berkowitz said. The Institute addressed how teachers can prevent and remediate reading difficulties, how children learn to read, and why some children have difficulties learning to read. All sessions were designed to deliver not only the latest research on reading but also effective strategies that can be implemented in classrooms of tomorrow.
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Lifelong Learners Dozens more professional development opportunities will be
exercised this spring, a testament to the commitment and devotion by St. Andrew’s faculty to continually improve the classroom experience and our students’ learning. Here are more examples of our teachers engaging in higher learning opportunities this school year: 1. The CERN — In September, the St. Andrew's Physics team (Dan Latreille, Richard Wright, and Amanda Powell) traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to visit and tour the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. 2. Beyond Diversity Workshop (Leadership Austin) — Middle School math teacher Meredith White and Upper School librarian Regan Schwartz completed this training in the fall. Leadership Austin has developed these seminars in support of the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism & Systemic Inequities. The seminar goal is to have business and community leaders from across our region have a common learning experience and shared language as we continue to wrestle with diminishing the impact of institutional racism and systemic inequities across our community. 3. Spiceworld International — SAS Technology team members Sam Davis, CTO Matt Lipstein, and Victor Nunez attended the Spiceworld International Conference in Austin in September. As Matt says, "Spiceworld is where thousands of IT pros and hundreds of tech brands have come together . . . (for) hands-on experiences with the latest IT products and solutions." 4. NACAC Conference — Upper School science teacher and College Counselor Bryan Dunn (Upper School science), Upper School humanities teacher and College Counselor John Fitzsimons, and Associate Director of College Counseling Chad Fulton attended the NACAC Conference in Louisville, KY for four days in September. This National Association of College Admission Counseling Conference brings together more than 6500 secondary and post-secondary college admission counseling professional to exchange ideas, hear from experts, and learn more about the products and services that will enable them to accomplish their goals.
St. Andrew's Physics team visited the largest particle physics lab in the world in Switzerland this fall. 5. TheatreFest 2019 — Middle School theater director Jason Kruger and Upper School theater director Rick Garcia attended this annual conference of the Texas Educational Theatre Association in Dallas for four days in September. This conference offers training and education for current and future practitioners. 6. AP Calculus AB Workshop — In October, Upper School math teacher Anne Barry attended this one-day workshop in Austin, which provides advanced skills training for AP teachers. 7. SPARC Annual Conference (Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Conference) — In October, Director of Auxiliary Programs Ken Allen attended this three-day conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, which addressed the wide range of responsibilities held by summer/auxiliary program leaders that include human resources, marketing, business management, innovation and entrepreneurship, programming, operations, and technology. 8. Texas Foreign Language Association Conference – Lower School Spanish teacher Carolina Gomez-Kramer attended this conference in Houston in October. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 41
Lifelong Learners 9. 2019 Internet Librarian Conference – Lower School Librarian Mary Whitaker attended this conference in Monterey, California. in October. The conference incorporated practical advice, inspiring thought leadership, and in-depth training that focused on trends shaping the future of libraries and information professionals and where the information industry is going (and how to get there first!) 10. Shoulder to Shoulder Global Solutions Forum — Upper School Science faculty Lyndsie Lambrecht, Bryan Dunn, Katie Osiecki, and Eric Hansen attended this three-day program in Vail, Colorado in October. 11. SAES (Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools) Biennial Conference — Middle School Head Alice Nezzer attended the SAES Conference in Houston in late October. 12. Advisory Coordinator Workshop — Kate Jones (Assistant Head of Upper School and Dean for Students) attended this one-day workshop in Austin in October. 13. Institute on Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder — Brianna Berkowitz (Lower School Learning Specialist) attended this one-day institute, led by Dr. Russell Barkley, at Rawson-Saunders in October. 14. GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Conference — Mily Perez (Upper School DCI) attended this one-day
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conference at St. Stephen's in early November. 15. ISAS (Independent School Association of the Southwest) Student Life Workshop – Upper School Fine Arts Department Chair, Dr. Dave Guidi, attended this one-day conference in Houston on Saturday, Nov. 9. 16. Turtle & Tortoise Projection Group Conference — As an extension of his graduate research, 6th grade science teacher Nelson Melendez attended this conference in Mesa, Arizona in midNovember where he presented Diet of Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) from Northern and Southern New Jersey. 17. Kagan Workshop — 5th grade teacher Heather Robinson attended this one-day workshop on cooperative learning in Leander, Texas in November. Kagan develops and shares revolutionary instructional strategies proven to boost engagement and achievement. This workshop focused on cutting-edge teaching structures to create classroom success, management tips, how to form effective teams, strategies for creating a cooperative class through teambuilding and classbuilding, and why cooperative learning produces gains when group work often fails. 18. Beyond Diversity Seminar — 4th grade teacher Janice Gray attended this two-day, local workshop sponsored by Leadership Austin in November.
Welcome Ben Courchesne New Upper School Head
Mr. Ben Courchesne will assume the role as Head of the Upper School beginning in July 2020. An alumnus of Phillips Exeter Academy, Mr. Courchesne graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in English, Middlebury College with an M.A. in English Language and Literature with graduate coursework at Harvard University and Oxford University, and a M.Ed. in Independent School Leadership at Columbia University's Teachers College in New York. “I am so pleased Ben will soon be leading our Upper School faculty and programming,” said Sean Murphy, St. Andrew’s Head of School. “He brings a diverse set of skills and talents to this position and is a life-long educator, innovator and visionary thinker. We are fortunate to have him joining our St. Andrew’s community.” A nationwide search was launched in the fall of 2019 for the Upper School Head position. A team of faculty members and administrators filtered through dozens of applications of highly qualified candidates from around the United States. In January, Mr. Courchesne was one of three finalists considered for the position. “My first interaction with the search committee signaled that St. Andrew's school is a warm, thoughtful, and inviting community,” said Mr. Courchesne. “My visit to campus confirmed my first impression and more. I observed joyful learning, care-filled teaching, and evidence of a close-knit, spiritual community.” Mr. Courchesne has a long history in education, serving most recently at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia as Associate Dean, Dean of International Students, Associate Director of Leadership & Ethics Program, and further at the Roxbury Latin School in Massachusetts as Assistant Director of College Counseling, Founding Director of Leadership Programs and Initiatives, and as an Upper School English Teacher and Advisor.
Ben Courchesne with his wife Audrey and their three children.
“I look forward to becoming part of the fabric of the St. Andrew's family and learning and growing alongside the St. Andrew's students and faculty,” said Mr. Courchesne. “Together we will ensure that St. Andrew's is a joyful, challenging, and meaningful experience for all of us.” Ben will replace Dr. Todd Stephenson, a 20-year educator and administrator at St. Andrew’s who has served as St. Andrew’s Head of Upper School since 2013. Dr. Stephenson announced his retirement from St. Andrew’s in early fall. “We are deeply grateful for Todd’s contributions as a history teacher, department chair, and ultimately as our Upper School Head these past six years,” said Mr. Murphy. “He leaves our Upper School well prepared for great things, and I look forward to Ben’s leadership going forward.” Mr. Courchesne will lead a faculty and staff of 92 and 403 students at the Upper School next school year.
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“ Spring Awakening” Upper Schoolers Wow Audience
“Please turn off your cell phones.” Theatergoers have heard this refrain for years, but at St. Andrew’s Upper School’s recent production of Spring Awakening, audience members actually used their phones throughout the show to grapple with the show’s difficult themes in a new way. Inspired by techniques of Brazil’s Theatre of the Oppressed, director Rick Garcia’s addition to the show had audience members visit a dedicated website throughout touchpoints in
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Photos by parent volunteer photographer Peggy Keelan
"The Spring Awakening" cast confronted difficult issues in the fall musical performance.
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With a double cast, they were able to perform seven shows over six days.
Photos: Peggy Keelan the show. After certain scenes, the performance would pause and a question appeared on stage that dealt with a theme audiences had recently witnessed in the show. The questions revealed connections between the problems dealt with by the teenagers in Spring Awakening’s 19th-century Germany to the ones many teens struggle with today. Spring Awakening explores difficult topics like sexuality, depression, and abuse. Led by a cast of talented young performers including Ethan Hanna, Will Snider, Eugenia de la Garza, Aislin Lyman, Teddy Gilman, and Shelby PomeleoFowler, the show wove upbeat rock-inspired songs alongside melancholy ballads. The Upper Schoolers performed the musical from October 23 to October 28 — many of the roles were double-cast to give as many talented actors and actresses the chance to shine as possible while also assuaging the stress of performing so many shows in a row. Again this year, Garcia and his team cast every student who auditioned for a theater production. Garcia is grateful 46
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that he and his team have cultivated a theater program where so many students want to participate, but acknowledged the creativity needed in order to stage 49 performers in a script only written for 13. The scenic element of a turntable also presented some challenges to work through — the cast and crew were only able to rent the turntable for 10 days. With such a limited rehearsal time, the cast was required to learn their dances and blocking on the moving floor on a much quicker timeline. The tech theater team enjoyed the opportunity to work firsthand on the mechanics and theatrics of this kind of device. By researching whether the stage would support the weight distribution of the turntable, our technicians experienced the intersection of art, math, and science. So much goes into a St. Andrew’s theater production. From our performers to our technicians, production staff, and parent volunteers, everyone who takes part in a show plays a vital role in creating an immersive, exciting, and often emotional experience for their audience. Hats off to the entire cast and crew for another amazing show!
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St. Andrew's Singers and Musicians Recognized by TPSMEA Every year, students from members of the Texas
Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) are selected to represent their school in the regional and all-state choirs. As it historically is, St. Andrew's is very well represented again this year. Of the 20 schools in the Central Texas/Houston region, 28 members from St. Andrew's were selected. Four students were selected for Treble Choir and 24 for Mixed Choir. Of those 24, 18 were in the top 10 and 12 in the top 5. Fifty schools across the state participate in TPSMEA, making up a 200 member All-State Choir. The average number of students represented by each school is 4.4. This year, 18 singers from St. Andrew's were selected, making it the second year in a row that St. Andrew's has had the most students selected in the state. Of the 8 ranked sections of the choir, St. Andrew's had the first chair in 4 sections. Eugenia de la Garza, Lindsay Borgerding, John Burrows, and Teddy Gilman all received first chair, the highest ranking in the state for their section. John is a three-time All Stater and Eugenia,
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Lindsay, and Teddy are two-time All Staters. Four St. Andrew's instrumentalists were selected for the 2020 Texas Private School Music Educator's All-state Conference. Sophomore violinist Kavya Srinivasan was the first orchestra student in four years to be selected for the All-state Orchestra and ranked 8th from nearly 100 TPSMEA state wide auditioning violinists. Senior clarinetist Katherine Andrews was selected for the Concert Band, and two students, senior Finn Dickens and junior Jack Bellingrath, were selected for the Jazz Band. Jack was chosen first chair to lead the trombone section, and Finn was the sole pianist chosen. Katherine Andrews and Emma Schmidt were also selected for the TPSMEA All-Region Honor Band. Fine Arts Department Chair Dr. David Guidi offered, "Combined with the tremendous success of our choir students, this is a first for St. Andrew's music students. With students represented in all four of the all-state ensembles, we have a lot to be proud of and are thrilled by how well represented we will be at the conference. The competition is fierce, and our students excelled."
Congratulations to all the selected singers and musicians — you make our school proud! Regional Choir Members
All-State Choir
Amelia Bast Lindsay Borgerding Christian Brown John Burrows Bella Castro Rachel Clarke Eugenia de la Garza Lauren Dryer Bering Edwards Claudia Ellington Teddy Gilman Sofia Gonzalez Laney Goodrum Mark Greenberg Anna Jackson Priya Julian Sabrina Kalmans Lily Kruger Aislin Lyman Emily Mulva Rachel Owens Sarah Payet Shelby Pomeleo-Fowler Will Snider Sawyer Staloch Bray Stratton Caroline Sullivan Maria Tobias
Amelia Bast Lindsay Borgerding* Christian Brown John Burrows* Bella Castro Rachel Clarke Eugenia de la Garza* Teddy Gilman* Sofia Gonzalez Mark Greenberg Priya Julian Aislin Lyman Emily Mulva Rachel Owens Sarah Payet Shelby Pomeleo-Fowler Will Snider Bray Stratton Maria Tobias
*Indicates first chair
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Serving up SAS History By Josh Blumenthal | Associate Athletic Director
In a varsity girls volleyball season that saw change from the very beginning, it ended in the same fashion. The team began the season with new head varsity volleyball coach Zack Kweder, rising ninth grade additions, and a new commitment to success. It was the end of season change, however, that truly set the 2019 campaign apart from all others.
Back row, left left to right: M Chandler '20,
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After starting the season with two straight losses, the squad went on to rattle off 23 combined victories, with the last one occurring on Homecoming versus local rival St. Stephen’s School, thus tying the all-time wins mark set in 2010. For their efforts, the team entered the season-ending Southwest Preparatory Conference Tournament as the 4th seed in the South Zone, and remained primed to lay claim to the victory mark. Behind an opening round straight sets (3-0) victory over Trinity Valley School, the program did just that, claiming the elusive 24th, and thus the St. Andrew’s record for most victories in a girls volleyball season. Kweder, who previously served as the junior varsity coach, was elated, and remained quick to give credit to his players and staff.
t to right: Lauren Lietzke '21, Chastity Boyett '22, Kyla Thompson '20, Lily Gordy '21, Oneida Habarurema '21, Front row, Mia Tobias '22, Katelyn Thompson '23, Vera Milam '21, Mia Arriaga '21, Ava Nykaza '20. Missing from photo: Sawyer , Michaela Mgba '22, Manager Scout Swanson '22.
“The 2019 volleyball season is a great example of what we will be building at SAS,” he explained. “The athletes aligned with maximum effort, being good teammates, and working towards a common goal. I am honored to have witnessed a team really take hold of these concepts and go for it this last season, and breaking the all-time record at SAS was special and something to be proud of.”
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Athlete Advisement Groups Help Shape Department Advancements By Josh Blumenthal | Associate Athletic Director
While many high school athletic departments rely solely on decisions made by the
administrators and staff of the department, Highlander student-athletes truly have the opportunity to play a major role in the development of their athletic program. At both the middle and upper school divisions, the students apply to serve on the Athletic Council (US) and Athletic Cabinet (MS), and are then selected via a group of administrators and coaches. These members are not only tasked with generating ideas for enhancement, but they themselves take the lead on many of their initiatives. “It gives a voice for the athletes of the school for them to have a leadership position in the decision making for St. Andrew’s Athletics,” said four-year council member Ethan Hanna ’20. At the Upper School, in an effort to be a more efficient and effective committee, the Athletic Council decided to create subcommittees that would focus on different topics. After some deliberation, they decided their priorities were player retention, building a buddy system with the younger Highlanders, and increasing attendance 52
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at athletic events. Some accomplishments of note by the subcommittees of include: 1. Spirit Days: The committee plans themed days to generate excitement during the school day and encourage students to attend athletic events after school. They have also planned events that happen during the game in an effort to attract more fans. The Teddy Bear Toss, which happened in mid-December, was not only a fun event, but helped the Austin Police charity Blue Santa by asking fans to bring a stuffed animal to throw on the court after the first points were scored, which were then collected and donated to the Blue Santa program. 2. Facilities Improvements: Members of the Council have expressed to the administration concerns or requests they have regarding some the physical setup of the athletics facilities. These requests have led to changes in layout, and easier access to equipment and facilities. 3. Buddy Program: Creating connections between the upper and middle school athletic programs through a buddy program is important to Athletic Council members. Players from the younger teams will spend a game on the bench of an upper school team, giving them a chance to meet the older players and get a glimpse into what it’s like to be on a varsity team.
US Athletic Council Members SENIORS
JUNIORS
SOPHOMORES
FRESHMEN
Ethan Hanna Fabio La Pietra Sidney Marsh Michael Ross Chase Samuels Kyla Thompson Patrick Wilson Daniela Youngberg
Kristin Fowler Lauren Lietzke Melina Ruelas Millie Sunshine Kate Vandergriff Charlie Welland
Chastity Boyett Bering Edwards Elle Garcia Brady Kurad Kris Latreille Daphne Nguyen Gavin Reintjes
Emma Davis Morgan Harrison Margot Metschan Katelyn Thompson Maddie Warren
In the Middle School, the areas of focus for the
Cabinet have been on planning activities and events, increasing school spirit and end of the season recognition of each team. Most recently, they helped plan a Pack the House event at the middle school that attracted the largest crowds of the winter sports season. They are also working on spring events, including planning activities for the Middle and Lower school Easter Service. The Athletic Cabinet meets twice a month.
Middle School Athletic Cabinet Members 8TH GRADERS
7TH GRADERS
Loula Aycock Kailen Cohagan James Ehrlich Halston Fedorowicz Hardin Hanson Ellison Herz Matthew Malone Lily Martinez John Henry McLean
Andrew Nelson Caroline Simmons 6TH GRADERS Bo Aycock Kaitlyn Gooch Cooper Johnson Melanie Kay Price Mary Louise Townsend Luke Willis
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Cross Country Team finishes Strong This fall, the Middle School Cross Country team
had an outstanding season with an even better finish. At the AIPL Championship meet on October 23, the 5/6 and 7/8 boys teams each won the championship, and the 5/6 and 7/8 girls teams were both runners up. These fantastic finishes were highlighted by some outstanding individual performances, including: 5/6 Girls 2nd place - Melanie Kay Price 4th place - Jacqueline Drako 5/6 Boys 2nd place - David Brennig 3rd place- Mateo Salinas 4th place - Alex Alderson 5th place - Karlton Haussmann 7/8 Girls 1st place - Anna Wayne (AIPL Champion) 7/8 Boys 1st place- John Henry McLean (AIPL Champion) 2nd place - Luke Dial 5th place - Sam Marsh 54
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JUNE 1 thru JULY 10
AGES 4 thru 18
EARLY ARRIVAL & AFTERCARE
HALF-DAY & FULL-DAY CAMPS
Learn more at SASAUSTIN.ORG/SUMMER
Thank You.
This year, 898 parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends gave a record-breaking
$1,114,469
for students, making a difference in classrooms, on fields, on stage, and in the studio. We are so grateful!
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Highlanders for Hope
St. Andrew’s and El Buen Samaritano Partner for Happy Thanksgivings Thanksgiving is a joyous time for many, but for so many Travis County families, the holiday can be fraught with stress because of food insecurity. In the spirit of our Servant pillar, our community, in partnership with El Buen Samaritano, supports local families each year through the Highlanders for Hope food drive. 1,400 Austin-area families received a turkey, pie, and all the trimmings, the St. Andrew’s community donated the trimmings for 1,200 of these meals.
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Photos by parent volunteer photographer Peggy Keelan
Lucy '25, Francie '27 and Mamie '29 Bowles gathering items for Hands for Hope.
For our students, Highlanders for Hope kicks off the holiday season by instilling a sense of gratitude and service. During a season where we can become easily distracted with the self, the food drive allows our community to extend a hand of service to those less fortunate. Students took on leadership roles by counting and checking completed bags, making sure that each bag of food was stocked with all of the necessities for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. St. Andrew’s community members impart an appreciation for the Servant pillar from early on in a student’s life at St. Andrew’s. Lower and Middle School Chaplain Ashley Brandon, who spearheads the Highlanders for Hope project every year alongside Laura Milton, said, “I think this drive is so important because it reminds us, in a season of abundance and gratitude, that we are called to share with one another and to lift up our neighbors who are going through a hard time.” 58
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Brandon continued, “The drive was founded by a St. Andrew's student almost 20 years ago, and I love the way it continues to unite the whole school to make a meaningful impact on our wider community.” Sara Taube ‘06 started the food drive in partnership with El Buen Samaritano as the Harvest Bowl, which was at the time associated with St. Andrew’s annual Episcobowl football game versus St. Stephen’s. As a volunteer for El Buen, Sara saw the need for more items in El Buen’s food pantry, so she took matters into her own hands. This food drive eventually transitioned into a drive for St. Andrew’s to collect items for El Buen Samaritano’s Hands for Hope Thanksgiving event — many families register for food for this event, and El Buen wanted to ensure that every family could be fed. Thanks to El Buen Samaritano and St. Andrew’s, these families could enjoy the dignity and pleasure of a Thanksgiving meal with their loved ones.
Handy Helpers serve Homeless Neighbors Third graders Anita Vemulapalli, Mamie Bowles,
Sally Queen, Teddie Gish, Eliza Miller, Adaire Metschan, and Kendall Keller make up the Handy Helpers, a group of girls dedicated to helping our homeless neighbors in Austin, one bag at a time. Anita, the founder of the group, first felt a need to help in kindergarten, when she first learned about homelessness. “I felt sad for them, so I created a drive,” she explained. “First, it was only for clothes — used, but they were intact. Then in second grade, I did it again with some of my friends and I helped other kids to have a good Christmas with the other half of my Christmas money.” Eventually, word spread around the school and the Handy Helpers grew to seven students who were dedicated to the cause. They met during many of their recess periods in the library to get organized, make posters to help collect donation items, and brainstorm other ways to help. Their main goal this year was creating “manna bags.” The Handy Helpers asked the community to donate items that they would later assemble into the manna bags — the bags included things like nonperishable food items, toiletries, Ziploc bags, utensils, bottled water, socks, and bus passes. The Helpers collected enough goods to assemble into 150 bags. They were then placed in the hallway of St. Andrew’s so that members of the community could take them and give them out whenever they see a person in need. Eliza recalled a moment where she saw the group’s manna bags make an impact: “One time, we saw a homeless person who couldn’t work because he had a leg injury. My mom gave a manna bag to him and said “God bless you,” and that man’s face was really happy and he said thank you.” It was powerful for all of the girls to see the direct impact their bags had on people in need. Kendall spoke about a big lesson she learned during the project. “For me, I found out that it feels better to give a gift than to get a gift. It feels really good to give a manna bag — it feels almost like I’m getting a gift myself, because I know they’re smiling, so it makes me
smile.” Teddie shared some realizations she had during the project about how fortunate she was, saying that, “Sometimes you take your family members and the things you have for granted, and that’s not good because some people don’t have any family members or even a bed they can sleep in.” Sally explained that seeing the homeless problem in Austin made her more aware of the global scale of the issue. “If homelessness is so big in Austin and Austin is just a tiny part of the world, we should think of how big it is in other parts of the world, because Austin isn’t the only place with homelessness.” This realization has inspired her to keep serving and making a difference. While the Handy Helpers have made a big difference, Adaire urged her fellow students to get involved as well so the group can accomplish even more as a team. “There are so many people that are homeless that we can’t do everything, so the more kids help us, then the more people we can help.” she said. Mamie agreed: “I just don’t want people to forget to keep helping out — seven people can’t change the whole world. Tell your friends and family and those people can tell those people and we can have a lot of Austin helping out.” Through the project, Anita, Mamie, Sally, Teddie, Eliza, Adaire, and Kendall have learned valuable lessons of servitude, selflessness, and gratitude. They embody our Servant pillar completely and admirably — and this is only the beginning of what is sure to be a lifelong commitment to helping others. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 59
Loading bags to bring to El Buen Samaritano for Hands for Hope.
Outreach Central Texas A New Spin on the 7th grade Service Trip When the 7th grade trip to Heifer Ranch
was canceled unexpectedly, the trip planning committee, with only a couple months to plan, saw the sudden change as an opportunity. The team planned a three day trip for the 7th grade that kept the focus on “looking at the world in a service oriented way,” but added elements they'd been hoping to incorporate for the past several years. In hopes of creating a more meaningful experience for each student, this trip had a more local emphasis, focusing on Austin area non-profit organizations, and students were divided into small groups to complete different service projects, instead of working as one large groups as they had in the past. Over the course of the three days, the 74 members of the Class of 2025, divided into 12 groups ranging from 5 to 13 students, researched and volunteered for these Austin non-profit organizations: 60
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■ AGE of Central Texas, Round Rock and Cedar Street ■ Inks Lake State Park ■ Central Texas Food Bank ■ Down Home Ranch ■ El Buen Samaritano ■ Magdalene House ■ Out Youth ■ Round Rock Area Serving Center ■ Carrying Hope ■ Settlement Home ■ GEN: Girls Empowerment Network Down Home Ranch is a non-profit in Elgin offering social, educational, residential and vocational opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Here, students worked side by side with the “ranchers” -- the individuals who live there -- landscaping around the facility and helping package and organize poinsettias, which the ranch sells during the holidays as a primary source of income.
A group of 7th grade girls spent the day at the Girls Empowerment Network (GEN).
At El Buen Samaritano, an Austin non-profit committed to helping Latino and other families in Central Texas through high-quality and affordable healthcare, education and basic needs services, students had three main tasks. First, they planted turnips and other vegetables in the garden to be used in the food pantry. They also worked in the food pantry, bagging and carrying client's groceries. Finally, a good portion of their time was spent working on the Hands for Hope Food Drive. This was a particularly special task for the students because the St. Andrew’s community provided the trimmings for the majority of the Thanksgiving meals for El Buen to distribute to local families, donating over 1,200 bags. The 7th graders collected bags from SAS, checked the contents and rebagged the items for distribution. It was a particularly meaningful opportunity for those students to see the Hands for Hope food drive come full circle. The group that visited Magdalene House — an organization providing safe and supportive housing, access to healthcare services and counseling, and vocational training for survivors of sex trafficking — worked together to prepare a home for a client to move into. They cleaned and painted the inside, cleaned up the yard, and created a beautiful “Love” sign from pieces of wood on the property that they hung on the fence in the yard. At AGE of Central Texas in Round Rock, a nonprofit that provides education and support to older adults and adults experiencing severe cognitive decline, students spent the day with the clients. They played bingo, mop hockey, and other games, and had the chance to chat, spend time getting to know the clients, and keep them company.
Students helping prepare a home for the Magdalene House.
These are only a few examples of the work the students did over their three days of service, but it is clear that each student had the opportunity to learn about the community they are growing up in, meet people they might otherwise not have the opportunity to cross paths with, and understand the joy and importance of helping others. Once they finished up their work for the day, students and chaperones came together each night at Camp Buckner in Burnet. They spent their evenings reflecting on and sharing their experiences with their peers, working together on team building activities and having some good ole summer camp fun! Despite the limited time to plan, the 7th grade team is very excited about the new format for the 7th grade service trip, and look forward to next year’s Outreach Central Texas!
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Community Members Honored at St. Andrew's Day On November 22, 2019, the St. Andrew’s
community came together for the annual celebration of our patron saint. Not only is St. Andrew’s Day a day to honor Saint Andrew himself, but a day to honor all of the beloved members of our community who help make St. Andrew’s so wonderful. It is always special when our entire school comes together, and on this day, students, faculty, trustees, families, and friends all gathered to pay homage to these dynamic members of our St. Andrew’s family. Upper School Chaplain Whitney Kirby and Lower and Middle School Chaplain Ashley Brandon led our service along with a sermon from Reverend Miles R. Brandon, II. Lower, Middle, and Upper School choirs sang beautifully and the Upper School orchestra provided lovely music, as always. After a moving service, Head of School Sean Murphy presented several awards to the honored members of our community. The Jeannine and John C. Miller Volunteer Award honored Lydia Soldano for her years of volunteer work to the school. Lydia has been involved with St. Andrew’s since the day her daughter Mackenzie, now a sophomore, began the first grade.
The Thompson Family and Head of School Sean Murphy.
“Lydia is calm, organized, and hardworking,” commented one of our volunteer parents who has worked with her closely. “During a great time of transition for our school, she served as a Parent Association Co-President and was able to handle both change and complaints effectively. She has been incredible with the Spirit Shop and works insanely hard. She is always willing to step up, roll up her sleeves, and do whatever is necessary to make the stores successful -- we’re incredibly lucky to have her.” The Outstanding Alumni Award went to Taylor Thompson ‘17. The School does not typically present this award to our younger alumni because, as expected, they are just launching their lives and careers, but Taylor is an exception in many ways. His servant heart has led him to some amazing work with Habitat for Humanity, and it only felt natural to celebrate his leadership on this day. Taylor has been involved with Habitat for Humanity since he was 16 and has continued that work at the University of Virginia.
Volunteer Award winner, Lydia Soldano, and John C. Miller.
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In 2014, Taylor and his two sisters lost their mother, Maureen, to breast cancer. She was a local architect who designed Habitat homes herself, beginning when she was a college student at the University of Texas at
Former Head of School Lucy Nazro and Steven Garcia '02
Annie Billups and Sean Murphy
Austin. In honor of her, and while still in high school, Taylor began his own Habitat project, raising $85,000 to complete – and ultimately build – his first Habitat home. He only became more involved from there, even meeting President Jimmy Carter on one of the Habitat for Humanity Carter Work Projects. In his heartfelt acceptance remarks, Taylor spoke on St. Andrew’s, saying, “This school is a special place. A special community. From the classroom to the field to the stage to a number of service opportunities, this place is more than just a school. In my family’s darkest hour, this community held my sisters and I in its heart and carried us.” Middle School Admissions Director & Upper School Assistant Admissions Director Steven Garcia ‘02 received the Lucy Collins Nazro Faculty Service Award for his dedication to the excellence of St. Andrew’s. “You are a gift to our school,” Sean Murphy said, “From your energy and devotion to our Admissions program, to leading and supporting our Breakthrough Austin efforts, to coaching our high school baseball team, you do it all with a welcoming smile and a servant’s heart, and we are grateful for you.” From the day he stepped onto campus as a student in 1990, Steven has exemplified so many of St. Andrew’s core values including stewardship, growth mindset, inclusivity, hard work and spirituality.
Susan Kemner-Reed and Sean Murphy
Murphy said, “She provides a beacon of quiet leadership, dedicated to pushing boundaries in her own practice while inspiring those around her. Her stalwart embrace of project-based instruction and learning creates a joy of learning in her students that is contagious.” For the Southwest Parkway campus, Susan Kemner-Reed was honored for her two decades of service to the school. Kemner-Reed was praised for “finding so much joy and beauty in the world around her, and especially in her students -- they love her gentle encouragement, quick wit, and discerning eye, which has inspired many students to follow their artistic passions long beyond the classroom.” We are so grateful for her contributions to our school and her outstanding work with our students. The Faculty and Staff Service Milestone Awards honored K-12 Athletic Director Jeff McCrary, Rock Band teacher Ed Jarusinsky, Lower School Head Kama Bruce, and Associate Director of Technology Kim Roberts for 15 years of service, Chief
When speaking about Annie Billups, who received the St. Andrew’s Teaching Award for the 31st Street campus, Mr. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 63
15 year employees Jeff McCrary, Ed Jarusinsky, Kama Bruce and Kim Roberts.
40 year employee, Besty Ross and Sean Murphy
Financial Officer Karen Cowan, Latin teacher Jenny Luongo, and Maintenance Team member Marcelo Martinez for 25 years of service, and Betsy Ross for 40 years of service. The school would not be what it is without the contributions of these award winners -- they care about St. Andrew’s deeply and do all they can to help the school reach new heights. Though the weather didn’t allow for the typical all-school lunch on the Nazro Green, SAGE Dining prepared a delicious meal for everyone that they enjoyed in the gym before parting for Thanksgiving break. It was a memorable day for all, and a wonderful tribute to our incredible community members who make our school the special place it is.
25 year employees Jennie Luongo and Karen Cowan with Sean Murphy. Missing from photo: Marcelo Martinez.
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ALUMNI NEWS ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL
WINTER 2020
Julia Magness ‘89 writes, “I moved to Memphis Tennessee and am loving the city. Several other Austin musicians have also moved here including Dale Watson, Chad Pope and Will Sexton. It is a great city and I look forward to continuing my real estate and music businesses here. I still come back to Austin once a month to sing at Stubb's. You can catch me singing with The Original Bells of Joy during the Gospel Brunch there on the first Sunday of every month.” Here’s an article from The Daily Texan, quoting Julia on her performances at Stubb’s.
Author and blogger Mark Manson ‘02 has written a new book, Everything is ******: A book about Hope and it debuted at #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list in May 2019. This follows his previous best-selling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A *** which came out in 2016, selling 9 million copies worldwide. Everything is ****** focuses on selfhelp, human happiness, and navigating today’s world. Mark’s website describes it as “Drawing on mountains of psychological research, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato and Nietzsche, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another. He looks at our relationships with money, entertainment and the internet, and how too much of a good thing can psychologically eat us alive. He openly defies our definitions of faith, happiness, freedom, and even of hope itself.” Read more here. 66
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Martha Pincoffs ‘92 writes, “I have just launched a new, social impact company, Waking Giants. (www.wakinggiants.me) It is a quarterly subscription service that explores the issues of today through historical context and connects subscribers to action they can take to participate in the solution. We ground with history, inspire with art, and connect with action.” Here she is speaking in the McGill Chapel a few weeks ago.
Ezra Levin ‘03 and his wife,
Leah Greenberg, were guests on the Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs podcast. In 2016, Ezra and Leah founded Indivisible, a progressive political group focused on activating a grassroots movement all over the country. They are now a 501(c) organization. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.
In March 2019, Will Weaver ‘02 was announced as the Head Coach of the Sydney Kings, a member of the National Basketball League, the premier professional basketball league in Australia and New Zealand. His first season leading the Sydney based team has been a successful one — with a record of 18-7 the Kings are in first place in the league and their win against the Illawarra Hawks made them the first team to secure a 2019-20 NBL finals spot! Watch a video of an interview with Will here.
David McDonald '07 and his band, Steel Betty, released a new album this fall titled So Darn Lonesome. The self-proclaimed folkgrass trio played to a sold out crowd in September at the Cactus Cafe in Austin in celebration of their new music! David also provided live music at this year’s Alumni Homecoming Tailgate. You can check them out here!
Justin Soffer ‘94 joined FoundersCard as Chief Marketing Officer on January 1, 2020. He is based in the company's New York City headquarters. Sarah Doonan ‘11 is
currently a second year Master of Landscape Architecture student at Harvard's Graduate School of Design.
Nathan Michaud ‘04 and his husband, Justin, dropped by campus this fall to wish their niece a happy first day of SAS kindergarten!
Elizabeth Kohout ‘04
graduated from UT with a Master’s in Nursing in December. She is working as a hospice nurse in Austin. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 67
Actor Ben (Schenkkan) McKenzie '93 is making his
Steven Garcia ‘02
was awarded the Lucy Nazro Award during our St. Andrew’s Day celebration. This Faculty Service Award recognizes and honors members of the Faculty and Staff “whose work far exceeds the ordinary demands of the job.” Steven was joined by his family on stage, including sister Lizzie ‘08, as he accepted this award from Head of School Sean Murphy.
Broadway debut in Bess Wohl’s Grand Horizons at the Hayes Theater in New York City through March 1, 2020. Ben is best known for his starring role in the hit television series,“The O.C.” from 2003 to 2007, as well as his leading role of Jim Gordon in Fox’s “Gotham.” You can read more about Ben in this article, and catch him on the Today show giving St. Andrew’s a shoutout by clicking here.
Philip Swanger '08 was interviewed
this fall by the University of Georgia Classics Department, where Philip wrapped up his third year of their Summer Classics Institute MA program. Philip has just moved to North Carolina, where he's teaching Middle and Upper School Latin. Read the full article here ... you might spot some familiar St. Andrew's names.
Grace Kago ‘06, a Graduate Student Research Scientist at the University of Texas, dropped by campus in January to check out the Science Research Symposium in the DFAC. She had to stop by and say hello to Elizabeth Guice.
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Taylor Kay Ford ’11
received her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Kentucky. She is currently an LPC intern and is building her private counseling practice serving teens and young adults in Westlake/SW Austin.
Max Frost ‘11 has released a new song, “Back in the Summer” and is currently on an Australian Summer Tour with the band, Bastille.
Congratulations to Callie Clemons ‘07 on her marriage
to Randy Burns on October 26 at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. By her side was sister Flo Clemons ‘09. Best wishes to the newly married couple.
Susannah Haddad ‘11 was
selected to exhibit a body of her work at the Dougherty Arts Center. The show, A Deconstructed Way, will be up from February-April, including a Reception on March 5, and an Artist Talk on March 25.
Dr. Aaron B. Albrecht ‘96 is Chief Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA. He is responsible for coordinating large-scale technical efforts for and providing insight/advice to his Air Force customer regarding the National Security Space (NSS) certification effort of the Northrop Grumman OmegA launch vehicle. In his almost seven years at The Aerospace Corp, Aaron has applied his engineering mechanics background to structures, large and small, across all current NSS launch vehicles (Delta IV, Atlas V, Falcon 9). For example, as the Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) lead, he was deeply involved in both major Falcon 9 anomaly investigations, the CRS-7 in-flight failure and the Amos-6 on-pad failure. More recently, he led a multidisciplinary team in a technical assessment related to solid rocket motors, which the Air Force recognized as reducing program costs by $130M. Aaron strongly encourages any interested St. Andrew’s Alumni, across all engineering disciplines, to check out the job postings at aerospace.org. The company is in a major hiring mode this year, particularly for mid-career individuals, and the postings span a wide array of technical disciplines. Aaron lives in Hermosa Beach, CA with his wife and three children.
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Mac Porter ‘13, (University of
Michigan class of 2017) graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Science degree in Acoustics and Music Technology in August and is working in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This fall, Erica Weisman ‘13 celebrated the grand opening of a new kitchen space for her company, Seattle Cucina Cooking School in Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal! Erica started Seattle Cucina with her co-founder Alice Carli in 2017, and their business has grown tremendously. Nearly 200 people stopped by the grand opening, where they participated in cooking demonstrations, art projects, meeting Seattle Cucina’s sustainable food tabling partners and more! Check out their website here, and catch a class next time you are in the Pacific Northwest.
Allison Sjoberg ‘09 married
Hogan Leatherwood in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on December 7. Here she is pictured with her father and fellow SAS Alum, Matt ‘70.
Jessie Bearden '10 has made a name for herself as a self-proclaimed multidisciplinary artist, working on projects with high profile brands such as ESPN, GAP, and even Taylor Swift! This year, she was a contestant on Season 2 of NBC’s Making It, hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Though Jessie didn’t ultimately win the competition, she made it as a finalist in the last episode.
Kyle Quick ‘10
is an engineer for LJA Engineering in Austin, and was on campus this winter to inspect a manhole. While on campus, he reconnected with Greg Mele, who joined him in the PARK.
Sarah Brooke Ford ’13 received her BBA in marketing with an international business minor at Texas State University. She is currently working on her career as a marketing coordinator and events planner. 70
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In August, lefty pitcher Sam Selman ‘09 made his Major League Baseball debut after being called up by the San Francisco Giants, becoming the first St. Andrew’s Upper School Alum to play in an MLB game! He appeared in 10 games for the Giants and finished the 2019 season with a 4.35 ERA, giving up six hits and striking out 10 over 10.1 innings. Prior to playing in the MLB, Sam was pitching for the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, the Sacramento River Cats. This summer, faculty members Dan and Heather Latreille, and their sons Kevin ‘19 and Kris ‘22 cheered him on from the stands! You can read more about Sam’s career here. It’s been a busy year for Marcus Roper ‘08! Marcus married his wife, Natalie, in March, and they are both joining Austin Country Club as golf members. Marcus began a new position at Compass Real Estate as a Realtor/Principle, receiving his Real Estate Brokerage License. Marcus also started his own company, The Westhorn Group, operating within the umbrella of Compass. He was ranked #9 in Property Spark’s Top 20 Austin Real Estate Agents on Social Media. Marcus has also begun helping with Rick Garcia’s Maestro Arts Project.
Kate Zapalac ‘14 is graduating this May from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business with a Master's.
Congratulations to Aaron Lemke '08, who was named in Forbes' 30 Under 30 for Media. Aaron cofounded Wave, a VCbacked tech startup based in Austin. Wave hosts live virtual concerts, streamed all over the world. You can read more about Aaron here.
In December, Elisabeth Foster ‘15 published Raspberry Colored Scars, a book about her personal experience with sexual assault and the healing process that accompanied it. Elisabeth double-majored in government and sociology at the University of Texas, and founded Lasting Empowerment for Teen Success (LETS), a non-profit organization with a mission to improve the experience of incarcerated youth in Austin. Raspberry Colored Scars is available on Amazon at this link.
Laine Porter ‘15 graduated from the University of Texas at
Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Learning and Development in May and is working in Austin. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School // sasaustin.org // 71
St. Andrew's Upper School welcomed Caroline Graves '16 back to campus in September for the first Cultural Competency Chapel of the year! Caroline spoke to the student body about Ableism, the discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities. Fellow classmate, Ariana Weiss '16, came back to campus to hear Caroline speak. Caroline is a student at UT and an advocate for the disabled, having been in a wheelchair for most of her life. You can read an article she wrote here.
Mary Hootkins Frenkel ‘05 writes, “After
graduating from the University of Missouri in 2009, I worked in the merchandising department for an ebook company called BooksOnBoard. After meeting my husband, Yair, and marrying in 2012 we started a business called Texas Premier Locksmith. We now do over $2,000,000 in sales annually and have recently created another company called TXP Security, which specializes in smart home security features for both homes and businesses. We welcomed a daughter named Cate in 2014 and welcomed our son, Lev, in 2018. We currently live in north Dallas and enjoy traveling.”
Andrew Taylor ‘15
graduated from Texas A&M University in December with a degree in Computer Engineering. He has accepted a job with Google and will be relocating to California in March.
Gabriel O’Shaughnessy ‘17 is in his third year at the Eastman School of Music. He will play Anthony Comstock and Indiana Elliot’s brother in "The Mother of Us All," Virgil Thomson’s opera about Susan B. Anthony with libretto by Gertrude Stein, and will play Judge Turpin in "Sweeney Todd." Both productions are with the Eastman Opera Theatre in the Spring. 72
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Jonathan Zornio ‘16
will graduate from Carnegie Mellon University in May with a BS in Biological Sciences/ Genetics, and a minor in Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology.
Nicole Falkenberg Wilcox ‘08 and
her husband Don welcomed baby girl Isla Mae Wilcox on October 26, 2019.
Megan Kamm '15
Mackenzie Schafer ‘15 graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Computer Science and was hired by Google as part of their Engineering Residency Program in Mountain View, CA. The Mountain View Googleplex has almost 2 dozen buildings spread over vast sprawling campus, so Mackenzie was more than surprised to be assigned a work station in the same building and same floor as Forrest Dunlap ‘14, a fellow SAS alum who she hadn’t seen in years. Forrest graduated this year with a degree in Computer Science from USC and was also hired as part of the Engineering Residency Program. They both work on Google’s Android. What a small world!
began her year of service with AmeriCorps this fall and has been placed with Breakthrough Central Texas! As a St. Andrew's student, Megan volunteered with Breakthrough on Saturdays at the Upper School. Here she is celebrating the Breakthrough Challenge.
Sienna Mazzetti ‘14 writes, “I graduated
in 2018 from Rhodes College with degrees in Russian Studies and Chemistry, and just started my second semester of veterinary school at the Royal Veterinary College in London.”
Ellie Rudy ‘18 is continuing to train for
the Texas 4000, the longest annual charity bike ride in the world. As a 2020 Rider, Ellie will begin her ride in Austin this May, and bike the Sierra Route to Anchorage, Alaska. True to the name, the distance is about 4,000 miles, and is predicted to take about 70 days. If you want to keep up with Ellie, click here.
Catherine Powell ‘15 graduated with distinction at the top of her class in May 2019 from the University of Virginia. She was awarded “The School of Nursing student contributing the most to the University of Virginia,” which was voted on by faculty and peers.
Catherine also had the prestigious honor of being selected to live on the Lawn in the heart of grounds in Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UVA states, “living on the Lawn is a privilege reserved for a select few at UVA” with a record of “unselfish service to the University and Charlottesville communities, and achievement in their respective fields of activity and academics.” At UVA, Catherine served on the University Honor Committee, as Director of the Pet Pals student volunteer program, on the Hoo Crew Athletics Committee, on the Nursing Student Council, and as a Fourth-year Trustee. She also served Reformed University Fellowship in various positions, including President, Music Team Coordinator, and as a vocalist. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority. Catherine now lives in Austin and is a pediatric nurse at Dell Children’s Hospital.
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After making the Dean’s list his freshman year at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Stone Mountain ‘18 wanted more. Stone is studying Musical Theater at a top ranked MT program at the CCM but he is not waiting for graduation to start working as a professional. In fact, during the 2019 fall semester, Stone was hired and performed with two prestigious professional organizations: Lexington Theater Company in Lexington, Kentucky, and Icons of Broadway in Austin. In November, Stone performed with the Lexington Theater Company at their Script-to-Table event featuring dinner by famed Chef Oiuda Michaels and full performance of "Sondheim on Sondheim." Stone was one of only three college performers and the youngest in the cast. In December, Stone returned to Austin to perform in the Icons of Broadway Holiday Spectacular held at Huston-Tillotson University. Again, Stone was one of the youngest performers and stole the show with his "Hamilton" rap. Congratulations to Stone on his success in and out of CCM.
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This fall, Taylor Thompson ‘17 was presented with the Outstanding Alumni Award at our St. Andrew’s Day celebration. This award was established to be given to a graduate of St. Andrew’s who has distinguished him or herself in their work or in service to the community. Taylor, pictured here with former President Jimmy Carter, has continued to do great work with Habitat for Humanity in his third year at the University of Virginia. Taylor is an architecture student, and worked this summer with Habitat for Humanity's Government Relations and Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C. Taylor earned the Beth Garrett Memorial Grant, which provides funds for students to serve as interns in the field of public policy. You can read more about Taylor's projects here! Taylor's story is featured in the book, "Our Better Angels" by Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity. The book came out this fall, and includes a foreword by former President Jimmy Carter.
William Blake Ford ’16 will be
graduating with honors with a BBA in entrepreneurial studies at Texas State University in May.
Congratulations to Matthew Tobias '18, who has been accepted into the Disney College Program! For the 2020 Spring Semester, Matthew will be working in the Operations division of Disney Parks and Experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Simms Ehrlich ‘19 is playing club volleyball at UT.
Mason Ezell ‘16 accepted a job at Bain and Company as an incoming management consultant.
Alumni Holiday Party For the first time, the St.
Andrew’s Alumni Holiday Party was held in downtown Austin at The Cedar Door. About 100 Alumni and Faculty members came out to celebrate the holidays together! If you’re interested in helping plan next year’s Alumni Holiday Party, please email alumni@ sasaustin.org. Click here for a photo gallery from the evening.
New York Happy Hour Our annual
NYC Alumni Happy Hour is always a fun time! New to the city? Join us next fall to reconnect with St. Andrew’s Alumni in NYC!
Alumni Soccer Game It was a beautiful January day for our Alumni Soccer Game. The Alumni team beat the students 3-2. Thanks to everyone who came out.
Homecoming Our Alumni Tent at our annual all-school Homecoming Celebration was extra lively this year, with barbecue from St. Andrew’s Sage Dining Staff, and folk grass music from David McDonald ‘07 and friends! Click here for a full Homecoming gallery.
Events St. Andrew’s Alumni Events are always popping up around the country. Make sure you’re on the list by updating your contact information here.
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Reunion 2019 The Classes of 2004, 2009 and 2014 got together this fall to celebrate their 15th, 10th and 5th Reunion milestones, respectively. With a beautiful three-course meal at Second Bar + Kitchen, and a Homecoming tailgate the night before, it was a fun-filled weekend.
Upcoming Alumni Baseball Game Save the Date for our 3rd annual
Alumni Baseball Game! Alumni will take the field on Sunday, May 31 for a friendly game of baseball with Coach Steven Garcia ‘02, followed by a grill out! All Alumni are welcome! Want to play? Email sgarcia@ sasaustin.org.
Have some news to share? We want to hear from you! Email Alumni Relations Manager, Julia Driscoll at alumni@sasaustin.org.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Reunion 2020 CLASSES OF 2005, 2010, AND 2015 THIS IS YOUR REUNION YEAR! SAVE THE DATE
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2020 Interested in helping plan your class’ reunion? Email alumni@sasaustin.org
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St. Andrew’s Episcopal School 1112 West 31st Street Austin, Texas 78705