3 minute read
Meet Yvonne Russell
After an extensive national search, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is delighted to announce the hiring of Yvonne Cervantez Russell as the new Head of Lower School, effective July 1, 2024. Mrs. Russell joins us from St. George Episcopal School in San Antonio, where she has served as the Director of Lower School for the past nine years.
Mrs. Russell brings an impressive record of success both as a classroom teacher and as a school administrator. She is known for her ability to foster leadership within institutions, build strong collegial relationships among faculty, and forge meaningful partnerships with parents.
At St. George Episcopal School, her achievements include developing a comprehensive Lower School technology initiative, aligning curriculum and instruction across grades JK–5, implementing a new school-wide assessment tool, and prioritizing faculty professional development in early childhood literacy, math instruction, and technology. She also dedicated instructional time to entrepreneurship, diversity, and inclusion, established signature service learning projects for all grade levels, and developed the Lower School STEAM program.
Instrumental in establishing the Social and Emotional Learning Program at St. George, Mrs. Russell deeply values the use of data and metrics to reflect on and improve current practices. She emphasizes the importance of understanding data in various forms—test results, constituent feedback, and program statistics—to ensure that a school remains relevant, dynamic, and effective for all students.
One faculty member remarked, “I appreciated her leadership style and her preference for collaborative approaches. She also emphasized the significance of open, transparent, and frequent communication in today’s context.” A parent commented,
Mrs. Russell shared her vision, saying, “Great schools don’t just happen; they are thoughtfully planned. I look forward to setting the tone and direction for St. Andrew’s Lower School, resulting in students who engage fully, follow their curiosities, ask questions with confidence, and learn from their experiences as they interact with content, one another, and their world. I am grateful for the opportunity to join the St. Andrew’s team and be part of this incredible organization’s future!”
In addition to her roles at St. George, Mrs. Russell has served on school boards, and as a public school vice principal, principal, and classroom teacher, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge that will greatly benefit the Lower School community. Outside of her professional life, she and her husband, Travis, enjoy traveling and hiking with their dogs, Luna and Abbie. They have three children: Elizabeth, a pediatrician in the NICU at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Matthew, a Sourcing Specialist for SpaceX; and Luke, a sophomore engineering student at Texas A&M University.
