News + Notes

Saints Earn National Academic Honors

Seniors Elise LaFleur, Jessica Pickens, and Madelaine Pickens have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. These three Saints are among the nation’s top 16,000 high scorers, including just 41 in Jefferson Parish.

About 1.6 million juniors in 22,000 high schools entered the National Merit Competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. All National Merit Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships, worth about $31 million, that will be offered in the spring.

Two St. Martin’s seniors — Natalia Bourg and Anabella Imbornone — received recognition from the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) for their performance among the top 2.5% of Hispanic and Latino PSAT/NMSQT test-takers in the region.

Faculty Member Named ONE TO WATCH in Education

Lower School Spanish teacher Sara Broussard was named to New Orleans CityBusiness magazine’s “Ones to Watch: Education” list this week.

Broussard uses the Comprehensible Input approach to language acquisition to reach language learners through real, compelling classroom communication. With this method, she helps students in kindergarten through 4th grade acquire language naturally, rather than learning it consciously.

In addition, last spring Broussard was one of just 487 teachers nationwide to receive a grant from Fund for Teachers, a national nonprofit that awards grants to pre-k through 12th grade teachers for self-designed fellowships.

Every year, the NHRP recognizes about 5,000 of the 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the test and achieve the minimum required PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score. The qualifying score may vary by state, region, and territory each year. In addition, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior year to qualify.

MATHLETES TAKE FIRST PLACE

StM took home high honors in the St. Paul’s Math Competition in September. Middle and Upper School students scored top finishes in individual and team competitions; their stellar results included three first place, three second place, and three third place wins. The Saints finished first overall at the competition.

Students Earn Musical Honors

Sixth grader Ella Bozeman was named to the Louisiana American Choral Directors Association All-State Children’s Choir. A panel of judges chose her recording as one of the best from recordings submitted by students across the state. This is the third consecutive year Ella has been selected for the prestigious chorus.

Sophomore Clara Conatser was selected to the Louisiana Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra. Clara was one of four students chosen from the New Orleans area in the first round. She competed against 36 students from all across Louisiana in the second round before being selected.

OurTown

St. Martin’s Performing Arts Department’s production of Our Town enthralled audiences for three nights of performances, November 7-9, 2018. With its humor, wit, and exceptionally powerful storytelling, St. Martin’s Our Town surprised and delighted audience members. For a full cast list, visit http://bit.ly/StM-Our-Town.

Admission Update

We seek bright and motivated students who are committed to being successful in school and in life and are dedicated to our unique school philosophy. For more information about admission at St. Martin’s, visit stmsaints.com/admission.

St. Martin’s student population has grown by nearly 100 students since the 2014-15 school year, compared toa 1% decline in private school enrollment nationally.

Alumni and current parents: there are admission incentives available for you. Learn more online at stmsaints.com/admission.

Welcomes New Faculty & Staff

Madison Aucoin ’16 George Cottage Teacher Infants

Justin Blanchard Choir Director

Allan Boteler ESL Teacher, Upper School English Teacher

Megan Danos George Cottage Teacher Ones

Jonathan Davis ’17 Technology Assistant

Jeannette Diket George Cottage Teacher Ones

Andy Dykema Middle and Upper School Spanish Teacher

Esther Frempong Middle School Math Teacher

Frank Gendusa Athletic Director, Head Football Coach

Eugenio Hernandez Middle School Social Studies Teacher

Jordan Hill Middle and Upper School Math Teacher, Assistant Football Coach

Rachel Johnson Middle School Spanish Teacher

Samantha Lister Special Events Coordinator

Sophia Masone Upper School English and Journalism teacher

Heather Patterson Upper School Counselor

Doris Ramirez-Gomez George Cottage Teacher Ones

Nikki Riess George Cottage Teacher Threes

Lauren Yates Head Librarian, Martin Family Library

Adrian Van Young Upper School English and Creative Writing Teacher

Stephanie Welker Second Grade Teacher

SCOREBOARD

VOLLEYBALL

VARSITY SEASON RECORD 22-15 CAPTAINS Ruby Reeves and Ellie Hurley HIGHLIGHTS The perennially strong volleyball team finished runner-up in the District 8-V race and looked strong heading into the postseason. The team entered the state tournament as the No. 8 seed. Head coach Ray Scioneaux led the team to the second round of the state playoffs where it eventually fell to Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau. Senior Ruby Reeves was selected for a prestigious all-star volleyball team, which consists of the top seniors from all divisions throughout the state.

FOOTBALL

VARSITY SEASON RECORD 3-7 CAPTAINS Ishmael Blackstone, Aidan Bonano, Ethan Everitt, Jack Fleishmann, and Kyle Winkler HIGHLIGHTS Frank Gendusa led his young team with a bright future through a tough schedule in his first year as head coach. Senior Kyle Winkler was selected First Team All-District as an offensive lineman. Second Team selections included Monte Lewis - Defense (linebacker) and Aidan Bonano - Defense (defensive back).

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

VARSITY SEASON RECORD District Champions, Division 1A State Runner-Up CAPTAINS Benjamin Bone, Rico Coleman, and Samuel Kellum HIGHLIGHTS After a strong season featuring three seniors earning personal records, the team, led by head coach Warren Lind, cruised to a District Championship and set its eyes on State. Along the way, Benjamin Bone, Rico Coleman, and Samuel Kellum were named to the 2018 District 8-1A Cross Country All-District Boys Team. Even brutal course conditions at the State Championship couldn’t stop the team from posting the top-three finishes in their race: Samuel Kellum, Ben Bone, and Rico Coleman, respectively, leading the team to a runner-up finish.

GIRLS SWIMMING

VARSITY SEASON RECORD 8th place in State Championship CAPTAINS Jessie Pickens and Lainey Pickens HIGHLIGHTS The girls swimming team, consisting of Lainey Pickens, Jessie Pickens, Clara Conatser, and Isabella Bartholomew, got off to a great state championship start with several Top 10 individual finishes, plus a Top 10 and Top 5 in relay events. The team continues to grow and improve and rounded out the season by placing 8th as a team in the state championship.

CHEERLEADING

CAPTAINS Madalyn Cranford and Farah Wells HIGHLIGHTS The cheerleading team returned to competition this year with a bang, placing 7th of 20 teams in the Universal Cheerleading Association regional competition in November. The performance earned the team a bid to the National High School Cheerleading Championship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando in February 2019. The team will also compete in the LSHAA Cheerleading State Tournament at Kenner’s Pontchartrain Center in December.

BOYS SWIMMING

VARSITY SEASON RECORD 6th place in State Championship CAPTAIN Ritchie Whitney HIGHLIGHTS Lifetime best times and strong relay performances helped buoy the team, which earned a 6th place finish in the state tournament in November. Ritchie Whitney, Kyle Winkler, Colby Watkins, and Brandon Roth got the meet started with a fourthplace finish in the 200 medley relay. The strong performances kept coming with three lifetime-best performances in the 200 free by Andrew Gary, Bennett Kahn, and Hayes Whitney. Brandon Roth also posted a lifetime-best performance in the 50 free. Senior Ritchie Whitney took home third place in both the 200 IM and the 100 free. Roth, Watkins, Hayes Whitney, and Ritchie Whitney clinched their impressive state performances with a third-place finish in the 400 free relay.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGHLIGHTS The Middle School volleyball team lost in the first round of the NOAL League championships. The flag football team finished runner-up in its league. The Middle School girls swimming team also finished the season in second place. The girls and boys combined swimming team rounded out its season with a runner-up finish. In Middle School cross country, the boys 7th and 8th grade team finished third, while the girls 7th and 8th grade team finished fourth.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

VARSITY SEASON RECORD District Champions, Division 1A State Runner-Up CAPTAIN Anabella Imbornone HIGHLIGHTS With the help of the individual district girls champion, sophomore Isabella Bartholomew, the girls team handily won the District 8-1A Championship title. Additionally, Isabella Bartholomew, Kaitlyn Hall, Anabella Imbornone, Rian McManus, Eleanor Parker, and Katie Williams were named to the 2018 District 8-1A Cross Country All-District Girls Team. The team closed out its season with a second place finish in the LHSAA Cross Country State Championship, with strong performances in less-than-ideal course conditions.

TEN QUEST10NS with FRANK GENDUSA

For nearly four decades, Frank Gendusa has served as a teacher, administrator, and coach,specializing in cultivating the talents of student-athletes, including many who have gone on to playin college and professionally. Gendusa comes to St. Martin’s from Fort Worth Country Day Schoolin Texas, where he led the school to a conference title in 2010 and was named Texas Private SchoolCoaches Association Coach of the Year in 2011.

Gendusa also served at Isidore Newman Schoolfrom 1981 to 2004, coaching eventual NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning. He won the President Gerald R. Ford All-American High School Coach Award in 2004 and was named district coach of the year multiple times. Gendusa is a veteran of the United States Navy.

In the summer of 2018, St. Martin’s announced Gendusa was not only taking the reins of the school’sfootball program but also stepping in as athletic director.

1. You worked as a teacher, administrator, and coach at Isidore Newman School for more than 20 years, then moved in to serve as athletic director and football head coach at Fort Worth Country Day School in Texas. How does it now feel to be back in New Orleans, and at St. Martin’s? Frank Gendusa: It has been a long journey. I’ve been looking forward to coming home for some time. I have known [Head of School] Merry [Sorrells] for many years and my grandson is here at St. Martin’s as well. Getting the opportunity to rebuild a football program that has been down a little bit, but has been good in the past, is exciting for me. I’m really excited to be here.

2. When you arrived on campus and officially joined the StM community this summer, what was your first priority? FG: My first priority was to get the football program going, as I originally signed on as the head football coach, but as the opportunity to be the athletic director became a reality, I started looking at a lot larger picture. I began thinking about things such as evaluating the existing staff, taking a look at our facilities, thinking about finding a way to attract student-athletes who will be successful in the classroom and as athletes. When you come in new, you have to sit back and learn about how things have been done, but you also want to use your experience and perspective to think about the goals you want to achieve and how to put those things into motion.

3. Talk to us about your athletic philosophy. What does it mean for StM athletes? FG: We have to teach students how to compete. That sounds simple, but if you look at the society we live in today, everything is a competition. They’re competing in the classroom to earn the best grades they can now. Then they will move on to compete in college. They’ll compete for jobs and compete to be the best person they can be. Our job is to teach students how to be competitive, to compete with class, and to uphold high standards of character. Eventually, our athletes will forget about the wins and losses, but your character—how your personality has been shaped by the school you’re in—is going to stay with you forever.

4. When St. Martin’s athletes graduate and go on to college, what is one thing you hope to have imparted to them? FG: I hope our students will have learned how to focus and budget their time. At St. Martin’s our students have an advantage. Being a smaller school means that our students balance a lot of extracurricular activities to be able to field all the teams and clubs we have here. So our students are really learning to work together and manage their time well. They’re confident heading into college because they’ve gained that background and the character traits they need while they were here at St. Martin’s.

5. Throughout your coaching career you’ve racked up some pretty impressive awards — 2011 Texas Private School Coaches Association Coach of the Year, President Gerald R. Ford All-American High School Coach Award (2004), District Coach of the Year (1994-95, 1997-99), and All-Metro Coach of the Year (1994) — to name a few. What is one accomplishment that you’re proud of that doesn’t appear on a resume? FG: The greatest thing about being a coach and a teacher is not necessarily something you accomplished on the field or in a classroom, but it’s what you feel when you see a former student later in life. I love when my former students come back and visit with me and tell me how they’re doing in life. Sometimes they’ll send me letters or I’ll run into them. It’s a great feeling to have someone tell me how they’re doing, to see that they’re a success as they grow, and to know I somehow played a part in that.

6. Can you name someone from your past whose mentoring you admire or hope to emulate? FG: If there was one person I had to name who influenced me the most in coaching, it would be Coach Reginelli from Newman School. Coach “Reg” and I coached together for 23 years. He taught me humility, how to win with class, and that you have to work really hard to be successful. Other than my dad, he is probably the most influential person I’ve been around.

7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? FG: I’d have to say there are two pieces of advice that have always stuck with me. The first is that once you get into a leadership role you have to hire good people and let them do their job. If you hover over them or micromanage them, you won’t be successful. The second is that there will always be conflicts. But no matter how you feel about the topic you’re talking about, you must always approach it from the standpoint of being kind. Choose kindness always.

8. In what ways do you hope the StM athletics program can engage students, even if they are not elite or varsity athletes? FG: I think being part of an athletic team is a learning experience in itself. Most independent school athletes won’t continue to play in college and beyond. But the traits they learn will stay with them for life—the traits of character, being humble, being kind, and understanding that we’re all different, but that’s part of the fun. Anyone who is part of an athletic team at some point in their life, I guarantee, will have picked up some or all of these traits by virtue of participating on that team.

9. Look into a crystal ball. What do you see in the future for the St. Martin’s athletics program? FG: I think StM athletics can be as successful as we want to be. We have to overcome the obstacles that all athletic departments and all athletes have. We have to learn how to compete, work hard to achieve goals, and know that nothing comes easily. The sky is the limit for St. Martin’s. There will be up and down years. It is very, very hard in a small school setting to be at the top every year. We’re going to naturally have some ebb and flow. But we’re going to work hard to make sure those valleys aren’t as deep as they used to be. I’m really excited about the future of St. Martin’s athletics.

10. You served as both football head coach and athletic director at Fort Worth Country Day as well. How do you balance all of those responsibilities? FG: In the fall, it is a challenge. Our coaches understand that while football is in season, a lot of my focus is on the games week in and week out. This is my third stint as an athletic director at a school, so what I’ve tried to do over the years is to spend the daytime hours taking care of my athletic director responsibilities. I work hard to try to make sure each team has the opportunity to be as successful as possible. Then about an hour before practice starts, I try to switch gears and focus on what I need to do for football. I care about all of our student-athletes and I want to make sure all our athletes have what they need to be successful. Once football season ends, you’ll see me at most games. Other sports are hard to get to while I’m in season, but once the season ends, I enjoy getting to the other sports and seeing our multiple sport athletes playing in the winter and spring.