Board of Trustees Report

Dear St. Andrew’s Community,

We are in Year Three of the implementation of our school’s fiveyear Strategic Plan, and we are so pleased to report that the efforts toward our Six Goals are very much in progress:

1. Ensuring Programmatic Excellence 2. Enhancing Facilities 3. Strengthening Financial Sustainability 4. Investing in the Athletics Pillar 5. Increasing Diversity and Inclusion 6. Elevating the Way We Communicate

While this school year was like no other in history, the Board remained focused on supporting St. Andrew's administration and faculty as we navigated COVID-19 and its implications to our students, teachers, facilities, families and future.

Despite the disruption of COVID-19 and the additional work the pandemic response required, all six goals of our Strategic Plan are being realized in the following ways:

1. Ensuring Programmatic Excellence: Our Home Learning Program was designed and implemented in a matter of weeks in the spring of 2020 to accommodate the shift in virtual learning due to COVID-19. New technologies were implemented, new professional development provided, and expanded methods of teaching and learning were created to support St. Andrew’s academic expectations. In addition, current Lower School Head Kama Bruce will be transitioning into a new role as our Assistant Head of School to guide our Directors of Curriculum and Instruction in their devoted work to continue K-12 alignment and strengthening our academic program. Katy Roybal will join St. Andrew’s leadership team in July as the new Head of Lower School.

2. Enhancing Facilities: COVID-19 forced us to rethink classroom space – indoor and outdoor – and amplified our need for bigger and better facilities, especially on our Lower School campus. St. Andrew’s is in the final stages of hiring an architecture firm to formalize the Master Site Plan, which includes re-imagining the Lower School classroom facilities, the addition of an Upper School Gym, the consideration of the Middle School location and improvements to the Upper School campus and facilities. We anticipate being able to share these plans in late 2021 and look forward to enhancing our facilities on both campuses.

3. Strengthening Financial Sustainability:

to strengthen the Endowment Fund, which has a current balance of more than $16M, in partnership with the Investment Committee (a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees). We continue the wise management of our revenues and expenses, and we experienced a strong admissions season and another record-breaking year of fundraising this school year.

4. Investing in the Athletics Pillar:

pillar of priority for the School, and since 2018, there have been administrative and structural changes to the Athletics Program and personnel. In March, St. Andrew’s announced the hiring of veteran football coach Rick Reetz as the next 5th through 12th grade Football Program Director and Upper School Faculty member. Eight graduates from our Class of 2021 are D1 and D3 NCAA athletes and will pursue their sports in colleges and universities across the United States. The addition of an Upper School Gym in the Master Site plan will further improve opportunities for our athletic programs.

5. Increasing Diversity and Inclusion:

and Belonging (DEIB) efforts are an important component of our school mission, and as such, the School remains focused on improving diversity in our student body, our faculty and staff and our Board of Trustees. This is reflected in successful increases in diversity year-over-year. Our DEIB team expanded to provide leadership at each campus and division, and a new Diversity Statement of Purpose was created to better reflect our intention: “St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is committed to building a beloved community of learning that embraces diversity, champion’s justice, and honors the dignity of every human being.” continue in this space, which also includes academic programming, and we are proud of the progress so far.

6. Elevating the Way We Communicate:

continues to evolve and improve, including the 2020 launch of St. Andrew’s new website. With COVID-19, communication became

Board of Trustees Report

School Gym, the consideration of the Middle School location and improvements to the Upper School campus and facilities. We anticipate being able to share these plans in late 2021 and look forward to enhancing our facilities on both campuses.

3. Strengthening Financial Sustainability: St. Andrew’s continues to strengthen the Endowment Fund, which has a current balance of more than $16M, in partnership with the Investment Committee (a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees). We continue the wise management of our revenues and expenses, and we experienced a strong admissions season and another record-breaking year of

4. Investing in the Athletics Pillar: Athletics continues to be a pillar of priority for the School, and since 2018, there have been administrative and structural changes to the Athletics Program and personnel. In March, St. Andrew’s announced the hiring of veteran football coach Rick Reetz as the next 5th through 12th grade Football Program Director and Upper School Faculty member. Eight graduates from our Class of 2021 are D1 and D3 NCAA athletes and will pursue their sports in colleges and universities across the United States. The addition of an Upper School Gym in the Master Site plan will further improve opportunities for our athletic programs.

5. Increasing Diversity and Inclusion: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts are an important component of our school mission, and as such, the School remains focused on improving diversity in our student body, our faculty and staff and our Board of Trustees. This is reflected in successful increases in diversity year-over-year. Our DEIB team expanded to provide leadership at each campus and division, and a new Diversity Statement of Purpose was created to better reflect our intention: “St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is committed to building a beloved community of learning that embraces diversity, champion’s justice, and honors the dignity of every human being.” More work will continue in this space, which also includes academic programming, and we are proud of the progress so far.

6. Elevating the Way We Communicate: Communications continues to evolve and improve, including the 2020 launch of St. Andrew’s new website. With COVID-19, communication became more important than ever before and St. Andrew’s adopted new technologies to assist with parent-teacher engagement, classroom communication, and community-wide communication. Opportunities like virtual Town Halls, webinars, virtual meetings and more were developed to keep the SAS community proactively informed as we progressed through the virtual, and then on-campus, school year. Moving forward, many of these technologies will be available (like Zoom) to allow our full community to engage with special events and meetings: Parent Association meetings, for example, will be hosted in person but also via Zoom so that we can stay as inclusive as possible.

We are incredibly grateful to St. Andrew’s faculty, administration, Board of Trustees and families and feel very optimistic about the school year ahead. Special thanks to our Parent Advisory Committee, who helped us navigate COVID-19 throughout the entire year. Their expertise and thoughtful counsel has been invaluable. As you will see in this magazine, despite enormous challenges, we persevered. We are fulfilling the implementation of our strategic plan, we were able to return to campus safely, and we have graduated our seniors, who had an incredibly successful season of college admissions. We are a blessed community and we thank you for your faith and support.

We would like to extend a special note of gratitude to Head of School Sean Murphy, who is departing St. Andrew’s this summer. He spent eight faithful years serving St. Andrew’s; establishing a kindergarten program, strengthening our Episcopal Identity and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging programs, hiring a world class faculty and staff and paving the way for improved curriculum, programming and thoughtful learning experiences. He leaves behind a legacy of which we are all proud, and we thank him for his service and devotion to St. Andrew’s.

Sincerely,

Jason Near

President, Board of Trustees

Amy Paddock

Vice President, Board of Trustees

The St. Andrew’s Fund supports each and every one of our St. Andrew’s students, in the classroom and beyond. This year, more than ever, your gifts made a difference as we supported teachers and students rising to the extraordinary challenges they faced. Thank you so much for supporting students and teachers—we are so grateful for you.

Thank you so much for your donation to the St Andrew’s Fund! Your kindness and generosity towards the community is very much appreciated. Because of your donation, students have access to materials and methods that allow them to reach their full potential academically and individually.

My experience at St. Andrew’s helped me discover who I am, and provided me with experiences and opportunities to help me reach my full potential. I have been exposed to many influential and impactful individuals who have guided me throughout my high school years, and the valuable lessons I have learned can be applied both inside and outside of the classroom. The unique arts program at St Andrew’s gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and thrive through select choir, musical leadership positions, and VIVA Arts Club. Not only have I developed and expanded my interest in the performing arts, I have been able to explore many areas of study that were less familiar to me. I’ve learned about the history of art, interconnectedness of religion, influential writers, and accomplishing science experiments I never imagined could be possible!

The education, teachers, resources, environment, and fellow peers at St. Andrew’s helped shape me into a well-rounded individual, prepared to take on the next chapter in my life, college. I love that St. Andrew’s is full of individuals that take on challenges, express new ideologies, and have a willingness to take action. The people around me at St. Andrew’s have truly inspired me in more ways than I could count, encouraged me to be the best version of myself, and instilled in me the confidence to make my own path. I am so thankful that even after I graduate, the sense of community I feel and lessons learned will live on.

The community at St. Andrew’s is a very special place. I sincerely thank you for your donation that allows the community to continue to be the best it can be. I am so grateful that other St. Andrew’s students will experience the same resources, encouragement, and enduring community support made possible in part from your donation. Know that you have impacted the lives of many students that will change the world!