ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL D ELAWAR E
Thank you for your interest in St. Andrew’s.
We hope this viewbook intensifies your interest in the School’s mission, spirit, and ethos and leads you to visit our remarkable community. It is clear to me already that you and your family are thinking about the role education plays in the cultivation of intelligence, humanity, character, integrity, and innovation in the 21st century. I think that is why you are considering a drive, a flight, a night in a hotel: you are in search of a school connected to and inspired by a vision that is noble, distinctive, and inspiring. At particular moments in our nation’s history, the American school has served both as the learning lab and the foundation of illuminating and enlightening developments in the work of our democracy. At our best, American schools respond to the needs of a country and world calling out for peace, reconciliation, generosity, and faith. Today, in the years 2019-2020, we as a nation yearn to come together, to heal the wounds that divide us, to rescue and affirm dialogue, civility, respect, truth, and justice. Therefore, St. Andrew’s seeks to be a place—a school, a community, a movement—that articulates a new way forward for American education. We cultivate a community of teachers and students who come together each year to envision and build a school dedicated not only to individual excellence and achievement, but more importantly to principles of collaboration, teamwork, generosity, empathy, and service. St. Andrew’s is that school that seeks to embrace a synthesis of academic and human excellence. In other words, the School pursues an educational program and journey that not only cultivates lifelong habits of creativity, independent thinking, and problem solving, but also cultivates in our graduates an ethic and discipline that encourages them to lead, to serve, to affirm goodness, generosity, and integrity in the world. Ultimately, the spirit, ambition, and humanity of the 21st century St. Andrew’s emerge from the students, faculty, and staff who come together each year to pursue the habits of mind and heart that create patience, respect, good will, kindness, and grace. We find the best teachers in America and the world to teach, coach, direct and mentor here, and these teachers learn as much from our students as we teach them. We look for students who are kind, passionate, intelligent, and ambitious in their commitment to what George Eliot described as the “the growing good of the world.” We look for students who inspire their peers, their classrooms, and their communities. We know that the best way to fight for goodness, peace, reconciliation, and justice in the world is to assemble a school community that looks like the schools we envisioned decades ago: we imagined the 21st century schools would be diverse, bringing students together from different socioeconomic groups, racial and ethnic and religious backgrounds, national and international destinations. We imagined what could happen when our differences led us to a deep appreciation for our particular narratives and perspectives and an ability to come together as members of the human family. The 21st century St. Andrew’s explores the deep reservoir that is diversity, proximity, and inclusion. That is why St. Andrew’s is a school with a soul, a place that seeks to ignite in our students a passion for living generous lives of integrity in the world. This is not an idle quest, a repetitious and incessant pursuit of petty and provincial and self-obsessed goals. We participate in a movement to change the world. We invite you to visit us and share your dreams, your goals, your passions, your commitments, your spirit. I will be eager to meet you and your family. Daniel T. Roach, Jr. Merrill M. Stenbeck Head of School
Founders Hall 1 College Counseling, Registrar (ground floor) Reception, Head of School, Admission (1st floor) Hillier Corridor (2nd floor) 2 School Store (ground floor) Business Office (1st floor) Hillier and Fleming Corridors (2nd floor) 3 Main Common Room, Dining Hall (1st floor) Sherwood Corridor (2nd floor) Schmolze Corridor (3rd floor) 4 A. Felix duPont Jr. Chapel (ground floor) Classical Languages, History, Religious Studies (1st floor) Sherwood Corridor (2nd floor) Schmolze Corridor (3rd floor) 5 Forbes Theater (ground floor) Modern Languages (1st floor) Baum Corridor (2nd floor) Voorhees Corridor (3rd floor) 6 Irene duPont Library Other Facilities 8 Pell Hall 9 Moss Hall 10 Moss Annex 11 Alumni Hall: Advancement Office 12 Edith Pell Student Center 14 Amos Hall: English, Science Labs, Amos Lecture Hall (1st floor) Science Labs, Math (2nd floor) 15 Miller Health Center 16 Mein Hall 17 Gaul East 18 Gaul West 19 O’Brien Arts Center: Engelhard Performance Hall, Warner Art Gallery, Photography Studios, Music Rehearsal Rooms, Tawes Music Library, Painting, Drawing, Ceramics and Dance Studios 24 Organic Garden 25 Facilities Services Building: Campus Plant Offices and Facilities Services, Deliveries 26 Rodney Point Pavilion Sports Facilities 7 T-Dock 13 Kip duPont Boat House 20 Athletic Center: International Squash Courts, Competition Basketball Court, Wrestling Arena, Cameron Room 21 Sipprelle Field House: Basketball Courts, Fitness Center, Trainer’s Office, Locker Rooms 22 Genereaux Aquatic Center 23 Paddle Tennis Courts Residences F Faculty Houses H Head of School’s House
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We know St. Andrew’s is different, truly different, than the average high school—but what is it, exactly, that creates that difference?
“The question I’m most frequently asked about St. Andrew’s is essentially some variation on: ‘Is this real?’ Is this remarkable school culture actually possible, and if so, how have we achieved it? There are many ways to answer this question, but most often, I end up talking about how there is something distinctive here about the depth and power of the collaboration between students and our faculty towards a shared vision: the power and potential of a school community that balances intellectual rigor with kindness, authenticity, and human connection.” EMILY PRESSMAN
DEAN OF FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
The people at St. Andrew’s School are everything. You learn from them, you live with them, you cry with them, and you heal with them. You grow alongside each other and ultimately watch every individual change for the better. This extraordinary space has given me the opportunity to build true and unbreakable friendships. This is home. — Austin Brannan ’19
We all live here.
#2
We are accessible to all, regardless of means. The power of St. Andrew’s lies in its people and our commitment to each other. Since its founding in 1929, St. Andrew’s has offered need-based financial aid to any student who is admitted to the school, offering tuition grants to meet 100% of a family’s demonstrated need. This approach to financial aid was unprecedented at the time, and our 90 years of socioeconomic diversity fuels our distinctive campus culture of today—a culture centered on inclusivity and authenticity. We seek to find students who will steward these values for future generations of St. Andreans. This year, 46% of our current students receive financial aid, with an average grant of almost $48,000. There is no distinction between students who receive aid and students who pay full tuition. We are all St. Andreans, and what matters most is our character and the contributions we make to this community.
#3
It all begins in the classroom. We believe in academic and human excellence— and that these two principles are not mutually exclusive.
We believe... that a high school education should be centered on the joy of asking questions—the joy of exploration, research, and collaboration. (rather than studying to pass tests)
in discussing issues and challenges with each other across lab benches and seminar tables. (rather than listening to lectures in rows of desks)
that you, the student, are an equal partner in your own learning and in building the culture of our classrooms. (you are not here to be a passive receptacle of information from a textbook or teacher)
in doing the authentic work of scholars. Our community and our classrooms inform and reinforce one another. The diversity of our fully residential community makes possible the vitality of our academic program, and the rigorous work that is done in our classrooms each day is fundamental to our distinctive campus culture. This approach to learning, centered on not just learning but living with each other, keeps students and faculty in dialogue, thinking and rethinking our ideas and beliefs.
I have learned that the people I have surrounded myself with here have been instrumental to my growth as a scholar, activist, and human being. Ultimately, the wide array of experiences and stories that others have offered to me have helped and continue to help me in my own search for an identity. LOGAN BROWN ’19
Your Educational Journey at St. Andrew’s
DISCUSSION-BASED CLASSES & ASSESSMENTS SEMINAR TABLES
Our school mission engenders a diversity of perspectives in all areas of campus life, and this diversity becomes an invaluable tool in our discussion-centered classrooms.
EXHIBITIONS
Across disciplines and Forms, students orally defend their analytical papers in collaboration with student and faculty readers. Exhibitions take students’ thinking to another level—allowing students to develop, complicate, and refine their ideas, and to practice and engage in sophisticated scholarly discourse. They learn how to ask and respond to challenging questions in a way that opens up conversation and leads to intellectual discovery.
The Senior English Exhibition gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to analyze literature and develop my own ideas. Normally, you formulate your thinking in the classroom and see how your ideas are received, but in this case I was on my own throughout the reading and writing process. During the exhibition, I had such an amazing conversation with Mr. Speers and Mr. Torrey about the book—I learned almost as much then as I did throughout the whole writing process. The experience gave me a lot of confidence moving forward into college. ALEX VOGEL ’19
DIAGRAM OF A ST. ANDREW’S DISCUSSION Conversation is shared around the table, giving a voice to each student.
TEACHER-GUIDED INSTRUCTION, STUDENT-LED INQUIRY SCAFFOLDED CURRICULUMS
All of our classes, but particularly our introductory classes, are designed to provide a supported pathway for students as they move through our academic program. Teachers in each discipline plan backwards, designing assessments, projects, and classes carefully and systematically for each stage of our students’ academic development. This scaffolded approach allows teachers to provide the appropriate balance between traditional instruction and student-centered work. Students learn and practice foundational skills and concepts as they build toward exhibitions of mastery throughout the curriculum.
STANDARDS-BASED GRADING
In some math and science classes, teachers provide personalized feedback on how well students meet learning objectives (“standards”) within a given assessment. Students use this feedback to develop greater proficiency and can demonstrate their understanding through re-assessment. The result is that students spend more time in conversation with teachers about what comprises understanding and how it can be achieved, and less time talking about grades.
INQUIRY IN ACTION ADVANCED TOPICS TUTORIAL IN MATH
Students develop proofs for all of the theorems in Book I of Euclid’s Elements— without actually reading the Elements.
Reading through and studying Euclid’s proofs would have given us the same knowledge. The difference? Absorbing information isn’t nearly as powerful a way to learn as is producing the information yourself. In having the freedom to collaborate with one another and actually do the work of a mathematician instead of simply learning from the works of one, we strengthen our overall ability to think. SHRIDHAR SINGHANIA ’18
CLASSICS COLLOQUIUM
Greek and Latin students conduct independent research and scholarship on works of ancient epic poetry (such as Virgil’s Aeneid or Homer’s Odyssey), working remotely with classics scholars at universities around the country, then presenting their scholarship to the school community.
SCIENCE LECTURE COMPETITION
In this annual event, all juniors and seniors are invited to submit research proposals on a topic of interest within a discipline of science. After a preliminary round of faculty feedback, four students are selected to present their research and take questions before the entire school. Last year’s topics included nanomaterials, gravitational waves, and the physiological effects of stress.
DEEP ENGAGEMENT & UNDERSTANDING ADVANCED STUDY COURSES
With the encouragement of colleges and universities, St. Andrew’s moved away from teaching AP courses more than 15 years ago in order to design Advanced Study (AS) courses, which go far beyond preparation for standardized tests. Our AS courses ask students to engage in the authentic work of each discipline, explore complex issues and questions, and demonstrate their deep understanding of the material.
ELECTIVES
Our foundational liberal arts curriculum allows students the latitude to explore diverse interests and take deep dives in subjects through a wide array of semester-long electives.
SENIOR TUTORIALS
In the spring of their senior year, students with a demonstrated commitment to independent work have the opportunity to take a tutorial. Typically comprised of three to five students and one faculty member, tutorials are offered in all disciplines. Students are required to write weekly essays which they read aloud, critique, and debate in weekly meetings, in the spirit of the Oxford tutorial system.
SOME OF OUR ELECTIVES
American Social Reform Movements • Anatomy & Physiology • App Development in Swift • Applied Ethics • Asian Philosophy & Religious Traditions • Astronomy • The Call to Serve • Coming of Age: America in the Early Atomic Era • Intro to Computer Science • Creative Writing • Intro to Data Science • Democracy & Empire—Athens in the 5th Century • Engineering • Greek • Histories of Hate: American Racism & German Anti-Semitism • Latin American History • The Mediterranean World, 500-1500 • The Modern Middle East • Victorious Rome—Creation of a National Identity Through Conflict • Object Oriented Programming in Java • MicroController Programming & Robotics • Religion & Violence • Statistics
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TUTORIAL PROGRAM
www.standrews-de.org/tutorials
CONNECTION WITH REAL-WORLD LEADERS & CHANGEMAKERS We bring innovative leaders, thinkers, writers, scientists, activists, artists, and all-around amazing human beings on campus to connect with and inspire students—and we bring students out into the world for the same incredible encounters and experiences. The change-makers our students meet on and off campus help them to question the world, shift their perspectives, and expand their respect and empathy for others. RECENT ON-CAMPUS SPEAKERS & OFF-CAMPUS ACADEMIC EXCURSIONS
Jesmyn Ward
National Book Award-winning author of Sing, Unburied, Sing
Students attended a talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian & Frederick Douglass scholar David Blight in Chestertown, Maryland.
Po-Shen Loh
Head coach of the US International Math Olympiad team and founder of expii.com, a math & science learning website
AS Humanities students who wrote their Senior Exhibition papers on Transatlantic by Colum McCann traveled to NYC to meet the author at an SAS alum & parent book discussion.
Colson Whitehead
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad
Students discussed current homeland security issues with Delaware Senator Tom Carper during an all-school trip to Washington, D.C.
Hearing Bryan Stevenson speak was so powerful. His talk sparked a conversation that we are still having today at SAS about how we can make a difference to our country. ALICE HILTON ’19
Bryan Stevenson
Social justice activist and founder & director of the Equal Justice Initiative
Erin Burnett ’94 invited students into her studio at CNN headquarters in NYC to watch the filming of her show Erin Burnett OutFront.
Diane Nash
Civil Rights Movement leader
This is the nature of authentic learning and mastery: It requires practice and commitment. It requires scaffolding and feedback and careful preparation. And it also requires the ability to rise to the occasion and remain composed in the most highly charged conditions. This is the process of learning that we want to engage our students in every day in preparation not only for our quizzes, tests, projects, papers, and exams. Ultimately, we want them to be able to perform and enact their learning no matter the stage, no matter the circumstances. That’s why resilience, rigor, accountability, and the ability to collaborate and be in the moment are so important. But there is something else that is essential: the moment has to be meaningful and real, and as our students so beautifully demonstrate, there needs to be a sense of joy in the process. ELIZABETH ROACH
DEAN OF TEACHING & LEARNING
IT ’S A LL I N A DAY. A Typical III Form Schedule 8 A LOOK INSIDE: ENGLISH 1
•
During their reading of Macbeth, English 1 students collaborate to stage the final scene of Act II. “While the text offers little in the way of stage directions, this scene is a pivotal and chaotic moment in which every living character in the play is on stage,” explains English 1 teacher Mr. Porter. “Throughout our reading of the play, I ask my students to be their own directors, to stage the play in their own heads. This exercise gives them the chance to compare their takes on virtually all the characters and justify their own choices.”
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9 10 • 11 • 12 • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5
BREAKFAST SIGN-IN
ENGLISH 1
MID-MORNING BREAK: Pretzel Thursday
CHINESE 1
ADVISORY LUNCH & ALL-SCHOOL MEETING:
On Thursdays, advisories dine together. We then gather in Engelhard Hall to share announcements, news, awards, short presentations & performances, and general Saints love.
HONORS GEOMETRY BREAK US HISTORY: RESEARCH CHALLENGES
OPEN TIME: Relax on dorm & change for soccer practice AFTERNOON ACTIVITY: Soccer Practice
All students participate in their choice of afternoon activities, which include sports, theatre, dance, and community service.
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CAFETERIA-STYLE DINNER
• 7 •
OPEN TIME: Jazz Ensemble Practice
Many clubs and activities hold meetings during this time period. It’s also a popular time for hanging out and playing games on the Front Lawn.
8 • 9 • 10 • 11
STUDY HALL
ON DORM: Ping-Pong Tournament in Common Room! BRUSH & WASH IN ROOM/LIGHTS OUT: Phone in hall pocket, in room, lights out. Sleep is important!
A LOOK INSIDE: US HISTORY In their focus on primary source evidence, US History students explore fugitive slave ads from 1781-1861 from a nearby county in Maryland. Students collect data from these ads into a spreadsheet, then work in groups to analyze the gender breakdown of escaped men and women, the “value” of each enslaved person adjusted for inflation, and, using historic maps, the location of each ad and its corresponding distance to freedom. Students then put the data into conversation with Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which they have been reading.
A LOOK INSIDE: ENGINEERING In an assessment on design thinking, Engineering students work in groups to design a “Windaboolah”—a mode of transportation that must have room for five people; be able to travel through water, sky, and snow, and move through cities; be ready for unexpected adventures; and serve as a “home away from home.” Students must consider the needs and wants of users, define design principles, ideate multiple potential solutions, and build a prototype.
A Typical VI Form Schedule 8 • 9 • 10 •
VI FORM PERK!
Seniors are exempt from Breakfast Sign-in.
ENGINEERING
ADVANCED STUDY IN HUMANITIES
11 • 12 • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8
LONG LUNCH—OFF TO MENTORING!
Lunch on Wednesdays is cafeteria-style, to allow mid-week time for students to participate in local community service opportunities.
A LOOK INSIDE: AS CHEMISTRY ADVANCED STUDY IN LATIN: VERGIL BREAK AS CHEMISTRY
OPEN TIME: Environmental Stewards Meeting AFTERNOON ACTIVITY: Swim Team Practice
All students participate in their choice of afternoon activities, which include sports, theatre, dance, and community service.
OPEN TIME: Quick call to check in with Mom. FAMILY-STYLE DINNER: On Wednesday nights, we all eat dinner together in the Dining Hall.
CHAPEL: Wednesday evening services always feature a student, faculty, or visiting speaker.
OPEN TIME: Cookies & Milk with Mr. Roach!
• 9
STUDY HALL
• 10 • 11
OPEN TIME: Lead dorm function! ON DORM IN ROOM/LIGHTS OUT
For one of their many lab experiments, AS Chemistry students use a spectrophotometer to track the rate progression of a particular chemical reaction; they’re looking for clues about underlying molecular mechanisms. “On the one hand, this is a standard ‘AP lab’ with the stated goal of determining what is called a rate law,” explains AS Chem teacher Eric Kemer. “However, we use the fact that the experiment virtually never produces the precise ‘textbook’ answer to turn it into a short research project aimed at revealing the sources of this deviation.”
What about college? St. Andrew’s practices a powerful and unique approach to the college admissions process. Our College Counseling Team gives intensive and highly personalized guidance to each student: our counselors will help you make academic and extracurricular choices during your time at St. Andrew’s, advocate for you, and partner with you and your family through the application and financial aid process. As we counsel and support students, we also help them keep the college process in perspective. At the center of our college counseling process are two core beliefs, shared by students and faculty alike:
60-70 Colleges Visit SAS Each Year While on campus, college representatives hold mini-info sessions, eat dinner with students, and sometimes conduct interviews.
TOP TEN COLLEGES 2016–2019 Davidson College....................................12 University of Virginia...............................12 Bates College..........................................10 Tufts University..........................................9 New York University..................................8 Northeastern University............................8
1 The meaning of your St. Andrew’s experience encompasses much more than your college destination.
University of Chicago................................7 Columbia University..................................7 University of Pennsylvania........................7 The George Washington University..........7
2 The most important question you can ask during the college application process is how you will contribute to the college or university you attend. The goal at St. Andrew’s is to keep the college process free of drama, unhealthy competition, and high anxiety. Instead, it is a path to self-discovery.
College Counselors (all of whom live on campus)
The team is rounded out by an essay editor, an administrative assistant, and our Head of School.
28 TO 1
Senior-to-College Counselor Ratio
(The national boarding school average is 40:1.)
Our students enroll in the most selective colleges in the U.S. and around the world, but our primary goal is to ensure that each student finds the best fit—a college or university where the student will continue to thrive and be their best self. JASON HONSEL
DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
While playing guard for Wesleyan, Jordan Bonner ’15 (#24) was named 2019 Defensive Player of the Year by the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
Kat Kornegay ’16 represented Pomona College and presented her research on photovoltaics at the Conference of the National Society of Black Physicists in the fall of 2018.
Claire Miller ’18 (left, with her Georgetown crew lightweight doubles teammate) won Silver at the 2019 IRA National Championship.
A communications major at Elon, Anton Delgado ’16 spent summer 2018 working in advocacy and media for Save the Children Jordan, where he documented stories of Syrian refugees.
A Few Facts about Our Faculty
OUR 80 FACULTY MEMBERS HOLD MORE THAN 60 ADVANCED DEGREES. MS. PEARCE
Named two-time team captain & First Team All-American during her lacrosse career at Johns Hopkins; she was also nominated for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the top women’s lacrosse player in the nation MR. DALY
Has a Master’s of Public Health and a Master’s in Marine Science
MR. PORTER
Four-year member of the Cornell men’s rowing team
MS. GAHAGAN
Has lived in five different countries and visited an additional 17—including one trip that involved a month of hiking in the high Himalayas and drinking yak milk tea with Buddhist monks
MRS. CARROLL
All-American lacrosse player at Hamilton College, where she won a NCAA Division III National Championship with her team MR. REHRIG
Previously worked as a civilian nuclear engineer for the Navy at the Norfolk Naval shipyard, where he was part of a team that overhauled and modernized Nimitz class aircraft carriers MR. GILHEANY
Received a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching for 2012 to pursue research on pedagogy in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and published a paper based on this research in the peer-reviewed journal Religious Education
MR. TORREY
His fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in a wide variety of national literary journals MRS. KELSEY
Makes beautiful hand-knit sweaters for every baby on campus
THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR FACULTY LIVE ON CAMPUS, AND SERVE “IN LOCO PARENTIS” FOR OUR STUDENTS.
MR. FOEHL
DR. GEIERSBACH
Captain of the Williams College squash team that won the 2014 Division III Individual National Championship, and was ranked #10 nationally on the US Squash junior tournament circuit
Has a doctorate in music education from Columbia University, and studied the flute with the legendary Louis Moyse DR. HYDE
MRS. DAVILA
During school breaks, teaches literacy & ESL courses to low-income and immigrant students in rural Delaware
DR. O’CONNOR
Was an ophthalmologist prior to becoming a teacher, and served on medical mission trips in Kenya and Ecuador DR. JOHNSON
Ate every item on the Wendy’s dollar menu in under an hour while working toward his PhD in chemical engineering at UC Berkeley (today, Dr. Johnson is a vegan) MR. GOLD
Has danced with the Houston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet and with the Omaha Theater Ballet as Principal Male Dancer
While pursuing her graduate studies in astrophysics, interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where she researched sites of future star formation in our galaxy MR. MUFUKA
As a US Marine, served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and lived and worked in nine countries across five continents
MRS. TAYLOR
Worked for 15 years with the Glimmerglass Opera Theatre in Cooperstown, NY, where she was both a performer and a member of their technical staff
OUR FACULTY DESIGN AND TEACH MORE THAN 90 CLASSES, HALF OF WHICH ARE COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES.
STRETCH YOURSELF In his III Form year, Nick climbed out of his comfort zone by taking singing lessons; his sister Charlotte challenged herself too—by joining the football team!
MEE T
Nick Oxnam EASTON, MD
III FORM STUDENT
Nick’s thoughts on...
Admission Ambassador III Form Student Council Model UN Elementary School Mentor Acolyte Football Lacrosse Winter Musical
LIVING ON DORM
Living on dorm creates a family away from home for students. Dorm-mates help one another not just academically, but athletically and socially. Dorm life made the transition into boarding school a lot easier.
SAS TRADITIONS, LARGE & SMALL
Cereal Thursdays on Fleming were the most anticipated days of the week. Everyone, faculty and seniors included, would gather in the common room to eat cereal and hang out. These moments were always filled with laughter and funny stories. It helped us relieve stress from the week and connect with each other even more.
GAINING NEW PERSPECTIVES
My history class had a discussion about the atomic bomb that shifted my perspective on the United States during World War II. The discussion on the difference between a physical victory and a moral victory challenged my views of the United States.
FINDING CONFIDENCE
Doing the winter musical allowed me to show off my more artistic side through something I really enjoy. It made me more vulnerable—this is a side of me that not many people know about— but boosted my confidence in the end.
THE POWER OF SAINTS ATHLETICS
Being on the football team in the fall pushed me to my physical limits and helped me to access tenacity and grit I never knew I had. Being on the lacrosse team in the spring showed me the power a truly supportive team can have on its own success. My teammates made me a better person and athlete through their example.
Quick Fact
Favorite Dining Hall Snack Pretzel Thursdays!
working for something bigger than ourselves Imagine a high school where you live with your friends and teachers. At the end of the school day, you leave the classroom, but you don’t leave the community.
This is St. Andrew’s.
We not only learn together but also live together—and that fundamentally changes the nature of our school and your high school experience.
We believe... that what happens between 3:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s is what makes all the difference.
3:30 PM After class ends, you’re off to your afternoon activity.
FIELD HOCKEY
THEATRE DANCE
VOLUNTEERING
SQUASH
SOCCER
INDOOR TRACK
MOCK TRIAL
… the list goes on!
6:00 PM When afternoon activities conclude around 6:00 p.m., you’ll head back to your dorm room for a quick shower (and maybe a call to your family!), then down to the Dining Hall for dinner with friends, to a faculty residence for an advisory function, or perhaps into a van to bring & serve dinner at a local homeless shelter.
7:00 PM After dinner, you might swing by the Front Lawn to sneak in a game of Four Square before the sun sets, then: • Attend a Model UN meeting in the Main Common Room • Join an affinity group gathering at a faculty apartment • Write letters for the Attitude of Gratitude initiative in the library • Use a telescope to view the stars over Noxontown Pond with Ad Astra (our astronomy club) • Work on Vex robot with Robotics teammates • Direct a rehearsal of your play (written by you!) with your fellow Playwright Club members • Meet with the Environmental Stewards to organize plans to attend a climate march in Washington, D.C. • Meet with a college representative
… to name just a few options.
8:00 PM When you hear the St. Andrew’s bell tower chime eight, you know it’s time for dorm check-in and study hall. Study hall lasts until 10:00 p.m., and then it’s on-dorm time, which means you might: • Make brownies or nachos in your dorm kitchen • Have an interesting chat with the faculty member on duty • Play a hand of poker or an intense round of Ping Pong • Join in an impromptu dance party/sing-along • Rearrange the furniture in your dorm room with your roommate • Attend a “Wisdom Wednesday” talk in the Pell Dorm common room • Enjoy a slice of Derby pie in Ms. Pressman’s kitchen
Dorm life has been one of the best parts of St. Andrew’s for me. Thinking back over my freshman year, I’ve realized that I’ve learned more on dorm about friendship, love, unity, and sisterhood, than I have learned anywhere else in my whole life. On dorm, I’ve had constant support, from random compliments to someone being there when I just needed to talk. Dorm life is where I’ve grown the most and felt at home.
10:30 PM Finally, you’ve come to the end of your day. You’ll put your cell phone in the hall rack, do your nightly dorm job, and brush and wash in the bathroom. The senior on duty will stop by your room to say good night, chat about your day, and then it’s lights out. Get a good night’s sleep—it’s sure to be another full day tomorrow!
AUNYAE ROMEO ’22
What happens on the weekends? At St. Andrew’s, you already live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with your friends. On weekends, finding fun is as simple as waking up and walking out the door of your dorm room. Friday evenings are often reserved for guest speakers and special programs. On Saturday mornings, you’ll often be involved in community service; events, workshops and conferences; athletic practices and games; and occasionally, classes (some Saturdays are also set aside as “sleep-in mornings”). Sunday mornings usually involve Chapel, then brunch in the Dining Hall. The rest of the weekend is your free time to hang out, get outdoors, and enjoy excursions off-campus— everything from a simple walk to town, to trips to Philadelphia, D.C., and New York. SWAG—ST. ANDREW’S WEEKEND ACTIVITY GROUP SWAG organizes a “Weekend Plan” for every Saturday & Sunday—a huge schedule of on- and off-campus activities open to all students. SAMPLE SWAG SCHEDULE SATURDAY
9-10 AM 11 AM - 3 PM 11 AM - 5 PM 1-3 PM 6 PM 8 - 10 PM 8 - 10 PM 10 PM SUNDAY
Noon - 6 PM 12:30 - 3 PM 12:30 - 5 PM 1-4 PM 1 -3 PM 5 PM 6:30 PM
Equity Conference workshops Athletics practices/games Trip to Rehoboth Beach Supper Club—prepare meals at a faculty residence for local families in need Dinner trips to local restaurants Silent Disco in the library Open Mic Night & bonfire on the Front Lawn Chipotle Delivery in the Main Common Room Philadelphia trip to see matinee of Angels in America Trip to SkyZone trampoline park Scavenger hunt around Noxontown Pond Movie & mall trips Canoeing on Appoquinimink Creek Cookout & swimming at Rodney Point Dodgeball Tournament in Sipprelle Field House
80 MORE THAN
CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS WWW.STANDREWS-DE.ORG/CLUBS
OUR ALCOHOL & DRUG POLICY “Policy” isn’t really the right word—we all embrace our substance-free culture, and students, more than adults, should be given the credit for protecting and keeping this culture alive. There is no place for alcohol, drug or tobacco use at St. Andrew’s. We believe that alcohol and drug use threatens the fundamental process of adolescent development and changes who you are as a person—it changes the way you think, the way you concentrate, the way you act, the way you treat others, the way you confront and overcome adversity.
Our students appreciate that we expect them to live at a certain standard. We expect that they are going to value an environment that is drug- and alcohol-free. Part of doing that is giving students the opportunity to see how much fun can actually be had without the pressures of drugs and alcohol. They buy into it, and once you set a culture for that, it sort of feeds itself. Freshmen come in and the seniors and juniors are living out that culture in front of them, and so it just becomes what you do. There’s an expectation that what you experience here isn’t just for you—it’s for the next person. STACEY DUPREY
DIRECTOR OF GIRLS RESIDENTIAL LIFE
I love the Front Lawn, the pond, and the woods. Being outside with friends has given me some of my greatest St. Andrew’s memories. BEN HORGAN ’19
THE FRONT LAWN
Spending at least a few minutes each day on the Front Lawn is a way of life for St. Andreans. It’s more than a Front Lawn; it’s our living room. On the Front Lawn, you’ll play a quick game of spikeball or join in a snowball fight between classes, meet with your advisor on the T-Dock, and gather with your entire class after Chapel. You’ll throw a tennis ball with a faculty dog, fly down the slip n’ slide during Maui Wowie, and jump in the pond at 7 a.m. with the Polar Bear Club. We hold classes, cookouts, Chapel services, festivals, and weekend events on the Front Lawn, year-round.
The Spaces Where We Gather & Build Community
THE CHAPEL
We are an Episcopal school, grounded in and upheld by our Episcopal identity, and we welcome all persons, regardless of their religious background. We gather in the Chapel twice a week—once on Wednesday night, and again on Sunday for a more traditional service. Many services are student-led, and we celebrate a variety of world religions and religious holidays. Chapel is the place where we come together to share our stories and traditions and contemplate our values and beliefs.
THE DINING HALL HOW FAMILY-STYLE MEALS WORK Lunch at St. Andrew’s is different than lunch at most high schools. At St. Andrew’s, faculty and students eat one meal, all together every weekday—and we all have assigned tables. Two faculty and eight students—typically two from each Form—sit at one long table, with student table assignments rotating every few weeks. During meals, students take turns as waiters and are responsible for serving food and setting and clearing the table. We enjoy familystyle meals at lunch four days a week, and for Wednesday night dinner, prior to Chapel. All other meals are served cafeteria-style.
ENGELHARD HALL
A 516-seat auditorium space where we hold all-School Meeting once a week, and gather regularly for student performances, visiting speakers, panels, workshops, and so much more. The Engelhard stage has hosted everything from robotics demonstrations to salsa lessons to protest march poster-making sessions; from student science presentations to experimental theatre to talks by the leading minds in America.
During the Diversity Chapel open mic, Bilal Morsi ’19 opened up with huge vulnerability. He shared his story and made a true impact with everyone in the community. Afterward, Mr. Sanchez took us on a late-night run to Wawa, and we laughed and joked the entire way there and back. What will stick with me most about this night and this community is the way we are taught by our peers and teachers that being true to ourselves is always encouraged and valued. DIANA HONEY ’19
WHY FAMILY-STYLE MEALS WORK Family-style meals are a time when we slow down, connect, and catch up with one another. The table assignment system allows students from different Forms to get to know each other, and allows faculty to get to know students they haven’t yet taught, coached, or advised. Sharing a meal together connects us as a community and gives us an opportunity to take a deep breath during the day.
Your Community of Care All of the adults in our community work together to provide a network of care for each student. Beyond teaching and coaching, faculty also serve as advisors to students, and work in “dorm teams” on residence halls. Students are also supported by academic advisors, Form advisors, our counseling team, and our Health Center team.
THE ADVISING SYSTEM
Every student has a faculty advisor; new students are assigned an advisor, and returning students choose their advisor each year. In weekly meetings, your advisor will mentor and guide you in all aspects of life at St. Andrew’s, from the academic to the social and everything in between. Each faculty member has up to eight advisees at a time, who get together in a group regularly for “advisory functions” (dinners at the advisor’s home, birthday parties, off-campus excursions), and eat lunch together in the Dining Hall once a week. Your advisory will become your “mini-family” on campus.
THE DORM SYSTEM
Although seniors are responsible for much of the day-to-day leadership on dorm, each residence hall is also cared for by a dorm parent—a faculty member whose home is directly connected to the dorm or corridor—and a dorm team of four to five other faculty members. Dorm teams spend time with students on dorm each evening from 7:45 to 11:00 p.m., help students organize dorm functions, and support each dorm’s senior student leadership team. Your dorm parents will become your St. Andrew’s parents.
You will never have another opportunity in your life where the most amazing, curious, and passionate adults will be at your disposal, so take advantage of that and talk to every faculty member you can. Even if they do not teach you, live on dorm with you, or coach a sport you play, interacting with our faculty and staff will teach you so much about yourself and the world we are living in. CARSON McCOY ’19
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
St. Andrew’s places a huge part of the responsibility for stewarding the school and its culture into the hands of its students. Whether or not they hold one of the more than 100 leadership roles available to students, all Saints are expected to protect and uphold our community’s values, and to support and guide each other. Seniors are particularly tasked with leading their fellow students: seniors live on and lead an underformer dorm (there is no “senior dorm”), mentor a new student as a Big Brother or Big Sister, head up our Honor and Discipline Committees, and so much more. “Seniors at St. Andrew’s embrace crucial responsibilities within the school community,” explains our Head of School Tad Roach. “They literally make all the difference in the lives and experiences of individual students, in the culture of residential and student life, and the spirit and ambition of the arts, community service, and athletics.”
What do you notice about all the photos in this book? NO CELL PHONES! That’s not Photoshop—that’s our cell phone policy in action. The “phone rule” (as students call it) is this: students leave their phones in their rooms at all times, unless they are going off campus. During study hall and before lights out, underformers also put their phones in a designated space in the hallway. (This is why we ask new students to make sure they pack an alarm clock!) The goal of the phone policy is to cultivate and protect our school culture and our community by prioritizing face-to-face conversation and relationship-building.
Embrace the phone rule—it is so much more powerful than you think. HANNAH MURPHY ’19
Caring for Your Community
We believe that all members of our community share responsibility for improving the world in which we live. We believe that students should serve others because they want to—not because they are required to do so.
This is why St. Andrew’s does not have a community service requirement; all student service work is voluntary. We want our students to focus on the lives they are impacting through their service, not “hours earned.” We offer opportunities to get involved in service on the local, regional, national, and international level. We set aside Wednesday lunch each week as a time to participate in service, but opportunities to serve occur throughout the week and on weekends, too.
Just going and doing service, say, forty minutes a week—that’s not really what we’re talking about in our mission statement. What we’re talking about is having a heart that is oriented toward serving other people. CHAPLAIN JAY HUTCHINSON
A FEW WAYS TO SERVE AT ST. ANDREW’S Get to know a senior citizen through weekly visits to a local senior center for games, baking, and conversation Mentor a local elementary school student Give swim lessons to children with physical or intellectual disabilities in the Genereaux Aquatic Center Join in our weekly Friday night trips to local food pantries & homeless shelters in Wilmington, where you’ll serve and eat dinner with residents Volunteer for Delaware Special Olympics events, held both on and off campus throughout the year Build local Habitat for Humanity homes Ring a bell for the Salvation Army during the holidays
QUICK FACT
More than 70% of our students regularly participate in service.
Pitch in at the Veterans Resilience Center right in town Organize blood drives, clothing drives, food drives, and fundraisers Clean up trash on local roadways Take a service-learning trip in the US or abroad. Past trips have taken students to serve in New Orleans, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and South Africa.
STRETCH YOURSELF In the fall of 2019, Noor will head to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar.
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Noor El-Baradie CAIRO, EGYPT
VI FORM STUDENT
Noor’s thoughts on...
Admissions Ambassador Basketball Math TA Mock Trial Model UN Lacrosse School Co-President Volleyball
WHEN SAS FIRST FELT LIKE HOME
I truly felt that St. Andrew’s was home when I could leave my room for breakfast in my pajamas. I know that sounds silly, but think about what that represents: being comfortable enough with the SAS community to feel completely unjudged and loved regardless of the way you look or feel in the morning, knowing your relationships with the people around you surpass superficial expectations like what you are wearing or how you look.
EXPLORING NEW PERSPECTIVES
Mr. Kunen’s History of Religious Thought class my sophomore year was one of the first times I was forced to question my understanding of reality and existence. Reading philosophical works on how we conceive of and perceive God and our understanding of our own being was completely foreign to me but incredibly interesting and mentally demanding. Even as we studied material that affected each student differently, Mr. Kunen balanced mentorship and traditional teaching with the freedom required to do individual thinking and questioning. It’s a pretty special learning environment when you are encouraged to explore topics that can both unsettle and intrigue you.
THE PAYOFF OF PERSISTENCE
Volleyball at St. Andrew’s taught me what persistence and commitment look like and how they yield real results. We created a team culture that put all of our energy into hard work and consistency, and we built a connection that went beyond the two hours we spent on the court each day—a connection that made it easy to want to work for one another.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY
The biggest project I’ve done at SAS was being a part of the team that planned our Model UN conference. It was both challenging and exciting to write background guides and create all the materials needed to have in-depth debates about modern global issues. Being able to facilitate and create the experience of a Model UN conference for others on our campus was one of my proudest moments.
Quick Fact
Favorite Dining Hall Food Burrito Rush!
practice days, game days, and leaving it all on the field We believe all students—not just those with an affinity for athletics—benefit from the collaboration, self-discipline, and resilience that comes with participation in team sports.
You’ll bring the leadership, self-confidence, and responsibility you develop “on the field” to everywhere else you learn and live at St. Andrew’s—and beyond.
If you are a student-athlete seeking: ... highly personalized coaching that will both challenge and mentor you ... a team environment that is both competitive and supportive ... the chance to compete on the state and national level ... a program that will ask you to lean into discomfort and push yourself to new heights
... Saints athletics is the place for you.
Core Values of SAS Athletics SELF-DISCIPLINE • DETERMINATION • COMPETITIVE DRIVE • RESILIENCE • FOCUS • COMMITMENT • CONFIDENCE • RESPECT
What you gain from being an athlete at St. Andrew’s is not earned simply by showing up and playing sports. It is not earned in easy wins or blowout losses, but in the messy and dirty spaces in between. St. Andrew’s athletics is the testing ground where students practice the skills and develop the resilience to handle life’s real and demanding challenges. It takes special, dedicated, and steadfast coaches who are unwilling to lose focus on the teaching and mentoring of these values. This is St. Andrew’s education-based athletics. This is our purpose. AL WOOD
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
The 3-Sport Athlete
It’s really hard for me to pinpoint one single sport that has made
Although specialization is a huge trend in today’s high school athletics, St. Andrew’s encourages its studentathletes to pursue a different path—the path of the multi-sport athlete. Playing multiple sports rather than focusing on one year-round has been proven to better develop agility, balance, speed, and skills across all sports, and to decrease rates of injury and burnout in athletes.
the biggest impact on my time at St. Andrew’s, because the truth is that all three of my sports (crosscountry, basketball, and soccer), have impacted me and shaped me into the person and athlete I am today, in different but equally important ways. LEANDRE PESTCOE ’19
Our 23 Teams FALL BOYS Cross-Country Football Soccer
GIRLS Cross-Country Field Hockey Volleyball
WINTER BOYS Basketball Indoor Track Squash Swimming Wrestling
GIRLS Basketball Indoor Track Squash Swimming
SPRING BOYS Baseball Crew Lacrosse Tennis
GIRLS Crew Lacrosse Soccer Tennis
19
9
teams with head coaches who were college or professional athletes
coaches have received local or statewide Coach of the Year honors in the past five years
(5 have also coached at the collegiate level)
1 in 4 students receive All-Conference honors each year, on average
51 state tournament appearances over the past 10 years
Quick Fact
More than half of graduating seniors identified an athletic moment when asked to name a memorable or powerful experience from their time at St. Andrew’s.
136 conference championships in school history
Each member of the boys cross-country team had a great relationship with one another, which was what fueled our success. Being so close with my teammates inspired me to work hard for the team, as opposed to working simply for myself. Because of this, this year, we were able to become the fastest SAS team of all time, and one of the fastest in Delaware history. WILL CAMMERZELL ’19
Meet A Few of Our Coaches...
Lou Berl, Girls Crew
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From 2013 to 2015, Coach Berl served as head coach of women’s lightweight rowing at Harvard University. In her first year at Harvard, the team was undefeated and won the IRA National Championship, where she was selected as Women’s Lightweight Coach of the Year. Coach Berl has also coached several undefeated and championship crew teams at Ohio State, University of Virginia, and Trinity College (which she brought to its first-ever NCAA Championship).
Patrick Moffitt, Football
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Terrell Myers, Basketball
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Coach Moffitt was a three-year starting quarterback for the Williams College football team. Over those three seasons (2008-2011), he led Williams to a 20-4 record, including a perfect 8-0 mark and NESCAC Championship as a senior. He was also named New England College Football Player of the Year. Coach Moffitt spent three years coaching football at Norwich University, where he oversaw the quarterbacks and wide receivers, and helped guide Norwich to an ECAC bowl game in each of those three seasons.
Coach Myers played guard for St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia from 1993 to 1997. Following his stint at St. Joe’s, Coach Myers played professional basketball in Europe for more than ten years, including six in the British Basketball League, where he was a four-time All-Star and the 1998-99 BBL Player of the Year.
& A Few of Our Athletes I love that there’s both a team and an individual aspect to tennis. I love watching my teammates grow into future state champions, but I also love how all the responsibility for the outcome of my matches is on me, and no one else.
From the first moment of my freshman year season on the girls lacrosse team, my teammates and coaches introduced me to an environment that could be both competitive and supportive. REAGAN MEYER ’19
ENOK CHOE ’19
Rowing is unlike any other sport. If one person messes up, the whole boat is affected, but if you collectively work together and are never off, you feel the power. Coach Berl talks a lot about showing kindness towards each other, which creates this safe community, and she emphasizes really intricate technique. At the same time, we’re also pushing ourselves to be competitive with each other and to go deeper and harder each practice. The atmosphere she’s created allows us to do that.
You live with your teammates, and that makes the team even stronger. Your team becomes your family. That’s a big reason why I decided to come to St. Andrew’s—you’re living with your teammates, you’re playing together, you’re eating together. It’s like you’re one unit.
CHRISTINE WU ’20
Get the inside scoop on Saints athletics by searching #SAStogether on Instagram and Facebook, and by following @sas_athletics on Instagram.
LAMAR DUNCAN ’20
Tour Our Athletic Facilities OUTDOOR • 1,500 meter, six-lane crew course on Noxontown Pond • 11 tennis courts
Fields
• Six miles of cross-country trails • Five soccer fields • Four lacrosse fields • Two field hockey fields • Two baseball diamonds • Practice and game football fields
INDOOR
Sipprelle Field House (LEED Gold-Certified)
• Three basketball/volleyball courts • Indoor track • Performance studio & weight room • Cardiovascular fitness room • Sports medicine & rehab center • Locker rooms for all teams plus faculty
William H. Cameron Gymnasium • Nine regulation squash courts • Basketball court • 2,800-square foot wrestling room
Genereaux Aquatic Center
• Six-lane, 25-yard swimming pool
Kip duPont Boat House
• Three boat bays and an ergometer training room
IN THE ZONE In August 2019, Adrian was ranked the #1 wide receiver in the state. He has also earned: FOOTBALL • 2018 First Team All-Conference Wide Receiver (WR) & Linebacker (LB) • 2017 1st Team All-Conference (WR), Honorable Mention (LB) • 2016 Honorable Mention All-Conference (WR) BASKETBALL • 2019 1st Team All-Conference • 2018 2nd Team All-Conference
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Adrian Watts DOVER, DE
V FORM STUDENT
Adrian’s thoughts on...
Admissions Ambassador Basketball Elementary School Mentor Football Spring Play
TAKING PRIDE IN BEING A SAINT
I love to play football, but even more than our actual practices and games, I have loved being a part of the progress that we’ve made as a team since I first came to St. Andrew’s three years ago. There is an upward trend to the success of our football team, and that is something all of the players take pride in. If I had to pick a single best moment, without a doubt it would be winning the Cannon Game against Tatnall. It was something we had set out to do, and winning back the cannon was a great way to cap off our season.
SMALL CLASSES, BIG IMPACTS
I’ve enjoyed all of my classes as well as my teachers, but Ms. Babatunde’s Global Studies class is the one I have enjoyed the most. Throughout the first semester of my junior year our small class of five focused on the concept of globalization and its impact on not only us, but on communities, countries, and continents across the world. The class as a whole gave more substance to the ways that I digest what’s going on around me— what I see on social media, read in news outlets, and experience in my everyday life.
WHEN SAS FIRST FELT LIKE HOME
My first day at St. Andrew’s, after we had moved into our dorm rooms and our family members had left, we all went to the Square Dance. The dance was a great way to meet new people, but it wasn’t something that resembled many of my previous experiences. After the dance, about 15 to 20 boys went into the Old Gym to play basketball. As we started to play I felt very at home—the gym was filled with music and people, and resembled what my friends and I did countless times back home. I was playing with and against people I had just met that day, but in this seemingly small moment my transition to St. Andrew’s became much easier.
Quick Fact
The Cannon Game In this annual athletic tradition, St. Andrew’s football team plays conference rival Tatnall for the rights to a miniature cannon trophy.
a life full of color We believe in the exploration of the unexpected. We believe in turning your perspective upside-down and inside-out. We believe in failure as a pathway to success.
We believe that work in the arts will help you develop a more creative approach to problem solving (in all areas of life) and expand your capacity for empathy.
WE BELIEVE ... that everyone is an artist, and has a creative voice to share. That’s why every single student takes part in some aspect of our arts program. For you, that might mean being a member of the tech crew for the spring play, or participating in afternoon dance in the fall, or taking any of our semesterlong arts electives (like Printmaking, Music Theory, or Intermediate Filmmaking Techniques, to name just a few!), or going all-in with an Art Major in your discipline of choice. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ARTS CURRICULUM & CLASSES
www.standrews-de.org/arts
The Arts in Action EACH YEAR, OUR ARTS PROGRAM PRODUCES: • 4 theatre productions Recent productions include: Catch Me If You Can; The Crucible; Flowers for Algernon; Hello, Dolly; Into the Woods; Radium Girls; Sense & Sensibility • 2 student shows in the Warner Gallery (which also hosts shows by 4 visiting artists) • 4 Orchestra concerts • 4 Jazz Ensemble concerts • 4 dance performances • 2 student film screenings • More Andrean Ensemble & Noxontones performances than we can count! These groups each give major performances throughout the year, and sing in Chapel and at School Meeting. The Andrean Ensemble also gives performances in concert halls around the country and world. ARTS WEEKEND Our three-day festival celebrating the arts at St. Andrew’s takes place each May, and features: • dance, choral, and instrumental music performances • theatre production • student gallery show • student film screening • readings from The Andrean, St. Andrew’s literary journal We also host similar arts exhibition weekends for students and their families in the fall and winter! ART MAJORS Students can choose to pursue an “art major” in their junior or senior year, and can major in dance, drawing & painting, film, music theory & composition, or photography. Art Majors take a yearlong course in their chosen discipline that requires extensive independent work and artistic production outside the classroom, with a goal of building an individual portfolio of ambitious original work.
The O’Brien Arts Center is always full of students doing their own thing, whether that be dancing, practicing an instrument, painting, working the wheel—it’s a giant creative space just for us. TENZING KUNSANG ’19
Something I appreciate about St. Andrew’s is the way we accept each other. When I came here, I was so into sports—being an athlete was literally my entire identity. But by the time I was a junior, I decided I wanted to try acting class. When I was a senior, I performed in the winter play, and I had a fantastic time with that. I found a deeper passion, and I might even pursue theatre in college. Whereas, when I’m at home and I tell my friends I do acting, they usually respond with some sort of derogatory comment. That just doesn’t happen here. Kids are free to try whatever they want without feeling judged. That’s a huge thing. GARRETT HANRAHAN ’16
Arts Facilities O’BRIEN ARTS CENTER Engelhard Hall, a 516-seat performance hall Warner Gallery—a professional gallery space that houses four visiting artist exhibitions each year, as well as shows of student, faculty, and alumni work Multiple visual arts studio spaces A photography lab & dark room Graphic design, film & music production labs Rehearsal rooms for instrumental & orchestral music Acting/dance/yoga studio FORBES THEATRE A technologically sophisticated dramatic production space, home to our theatre program, which puts on two plays, many acting class exhibitions, and a musical with a live pit orchestra each year DANCE STUDIO A 1,000 square-foot dance studio space with sprung flooring
St. Andrew’s, for me, is a place and a community that dared me to experiment, asked me to rise to every challenge, and expected me to be no one else but myself. It taught me that if you’re open and honest and work hard every day, you will inherently do the work that you’re called to do, and that itself has the power to change the world.
MAGGIE ROGERS ’12
BILLBOARD-CHART TOPPING MUSICIAN & SONGWRITER (Maggie recorded her first album in the O’Brien Arts Center!)
The Andrean Ensemble (our advanced choral music group) has performed everywhere from the White House to Havana, Cuba.
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @life.in.obrien ALL SAS ARTS
Instrumental music students take master classes each winter with internationally renowned musicians who visit campus through our Haroldson Music Program. Dance students lead an Adaptive Dance program for local children with special needs.
The arts at St. Andrew’s are so, so strong. At some schools, when you do an art project, there’s a formula for doing that work, and it doesn’t teach you how to think creatively. At St. Andrew’s, they teach you how to think and create. And having access to the O’Brien Arts Center all the time, and to feel supported there, was so incredible.
KATIE STOUT ’09
WORKING ARTIST & WINNER OF ELLEN’S DESIGN CHALLENGE (check out her work @ummmsmile on Instagram)
STRETCH YOURSELF This year, Heleah tried out canoeing for the first time ever on Noxontown Pond.
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Heleah Soulati OXFORD, MD
IV FORM STUDENT
Heleah’s thoughts on...
Andrean Ensemble Elementary School Mentor Field Hockey Honor Committee Humans of SAS Lacrosse Musical Theatre Showcase Noxontones Winter Musical
DISCOVERING WHAT YOU LOVE
In the Noxontones—St. Andrew’s a cappella group—the individual work I put into memorizing parts and learning the material influences the entire group’s performance. Plus, the small size of the group allows us to develop strong, meaningful relationships while doing something we love. Singing with the Noxontones has given me confidence to perform on stage, and inspired me to join the musical theatre program—something I’ve come to truly love and enjoy!
FINDING JOY IN CHALLENGE
Honors Physics presented a unique learning approach that constantly challenged me—and I was always excited about going to class. Instead of learning through a textbook, Mr. Hammond had us use experiments to derive formulas. The class pushed me to truly understand physics concepts rather than memorize formulas.
CONNECTING ON DORM
Living on dorm has allowed me to see my classmates for who they truly are and ultimately helped me open up and break out of my shell. Spending 24 hours a day together means that we get to be crazy and spontaneous, and at the same time we learn to be caring and compassionate by being there for each other during the tough times.
WHAT MAKES ST. ANDREW’S DIFFERENT
The people at St. Andrew’s make the school so incredible. They challenge me at all times to be my real self, and support me, too. The friendships I have created here will last a lifetime, because they’re built through acceptance, trust, and kindness.
Quick Fact
Favorite Dining Hall Snack Muffin Mondays, especially the French Toast Muffins!
We live in community with the natural world. With 2,200 acres of land to explore, the time you spend outdoors on our campus and grounds will be central to your St. Andrew’s experience.
Our Campus
FORESTS + FARMLAND + TWO-MILE LONG NOXONTOWN POND + 10 MILES OF TRAILS =
INFINITE ADVENTURES!
I can’t imagine another school that has natural resources that could rival St. Andrew’s. The campus here is so rich and so vibrant. The pond, the woods, the grasslands, the garden—it’s all an invitation for students to go and explore, and there are so many discoveries just waiting for them. The campus of St. Andrew’s is an absolutely unparalleled environment for teaching. DAN O’CONNELL BIOLOGY TEACHER
SUSTAINABILITY AT ST. ANDREW’S We are a sustainable school, and as a community, we are committed to living in harmony with and caring for our 2,200 acres. Students, faculty, and staff work together to steward our land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources, and to contribute to environmental initiatives in the wider world. Sustainability is a consideration in decisions and practices at every level of school life. RECENT STUDENT-LED SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
50 kW solar array Beekeeping Club Climate action marches in Washington, D.C. & NYC Composting of Dining Hall waste Pollinator garden Project Zero (our annual, sustainable campus clean-up effort) Reforestation of local farmland Water testing of Noxontown Pond Potting bulbs and flowers from the organic garden and gifting to local civic organizations
I have so many favorite St. Andrew’s memories. Lying on the Front Lawn with my best friends and watching the stars. Going on long walks in the fields on the first days of spring. Driving back on campus after a break and practically jumping out of a moving car so I can hug the people I love. MACKLIN FISHMAN ’19
We believe you’re ready to take the next step. Continue your exploration of every facet of St. Andrew’s in greater detail at www.standrews-de.org.
WHAT ABOUT FINANCIAL AID?
And it’s as easy as 1-2-3.
are unsure of your family’s ability to pay our full tuition, we encourage you to apply for
1
If you are interested in St. Andrew’s, but you
Meet us in person! Call 302-285-4231 to schedule a visit to St. Andrew’s, which includes a campus tour with a student and an interview conversation with a member of our Admission team.
financial aid. St. Andrew’s provides grants for 100% of a family’s demonstrated need and is committed to being affordable and accessible to all students, regardless of your family’s financial circumstances. We are one of a handful of boarding schools nationally that guarantees to meet the financial need
2
Register for and take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), and request that your scores be reported to St. Andrew’s School (DE); our reporting code is 6280. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required if English is your second language. Our TOEFL reporting code is 8146.
of any accepted student. If I apply for financial aid, will that affect my chances of getting in to St. Andrew’s? A student’s ability to pay tuition is never a factor in our decision to admit a student. Our goal is to build a class that is socioeconomically diverse. St. Andrew’s works hard to avoid the “barbell model” of financial aid, in which the student body is comprised only of full-pay
3
Prepare and submit your application at standrews-de.org/apply. The deadline to apply is January 15, and supporting documents must be submitted by January 31.
and full-need students. Our financial aid program provides for families at all levels of need, including those “in the middle.” Do you offer merit scholarships as well as needbased financial aid?
Keep in touch!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us throughout the admission process with any questions, concerns, or updated information. You can reach us at 302-285-4231 or admissions@standrews-de.org.
We do not offer merit scholarships. We believe that every student we admit to St. Andrew’s is meritorious. Rather than leveraging scholarships as incentives, we use financial aid to open doors of opportunity for our families. How many students receive financial aid each year? In 2019-20, 46% of the student body received financial
KEEP UP WITH ST. ANDREW’S IN REAL TIME
aid. The average grant was $47,631, or 75% of tuition. How do I apply for financial aid at St. Andrew’s?
@sasdelaware livestream.com/sasdelaware
Visit standrews-de.org/accessibility to learn more about how financial aid works at St. Andrew’s and to begin your application.
Our Location
QUICK FACTS
We are located in the mid-Atlantic region, one hour south of Philadelphia; two hours east of Washington, D.C., and fewer than three hours from New York City. Our location puts us within easy reach of the educational and cultural resources of these cities.
2019-2020
306 STUDENTS, 100% BOARDING New York City
STUDENT BODY BOYS 153
GIRLS 153 III FORMERS 72
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
Wilmington
MARYLAND Baltimore
NEW JERSEY
St. Andrew’s
Washington, D.C.
V FORMERS 84
VI FORMERS 72 STUDENTS OF COLOR 41.5%
GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY
STATES 28 COUNTRIES 17 INTERNATONAL STUDENTS 16%
FACULTY Dover
DELAWARE Annapolis
IV FORMERS 78
FACULTY 80
% WITH ADVANCED DEGREES 71% STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO 5:1 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE 10
FINANCIAL AID TUITION $62,280 TOTAL FINANCIAL AID GRANTED $6,668,356 % OF STUDENT BODY 46% AVERAGE GRANT $47,631 100% of demonstrated financial need met for all accepted students
Thank you for your interest in St. Andrew’s.
We hope this viewbook intensifies your interest in the School’s mission, spirit, and ethos and leads you to visit our remarkable community. It is clear to me already that you and your family are thinking about the role education plays in the cultivation of intelligence, humanity, character, integrity, and innovation in the 21st century. I think that is why you are considering a drive, a flight, a night in a hotel: you are in search of a school connected to and inspired by a vision that is noble, distinctive, and inspiring. At particular moments in our nation’s history, the American school has served both as the learning lab and the foundation of illuminating and enlightening developments in the work of our democracy. At our best, American schools respond to the needs of a country and world calling out for peace, reconciliation, generosity, and faith. Today, in the years 2019-2020, we as a nation yearn to come together, to heal the wounds that divide us, to rescue and affirm dialogue, civility, respect, truth, and justice. Therefore, St. Andrew’s seeks to be a place—a school, a community, a movement—that articulates a new way forward for American education. We cultivate a community of teachers and students who come together each year to envision and build a school dedicated not only to individual excellence and achievement, but more importantly to principles of collaboration, teamwork, generosity, empathy, and service. St. Andrew’s is that school that seeks to embrace a synthesis of academic and human excellence. In other words, the School pursues an educational program and journey that not only cultivates lifelong habits of creativity, independent thinking, and problem solving, but also cultivates in our graduates an ethic and discipline that encourages them to lead, to serve, to affirm goodness, generosity, and integrity in the world. Ultimately, the spirit, ambition, and humanity of the 21st century St. Andrew’s emerge from the students, faculty, and staff who come together each year to pursue the habits of mind and heart that create patience, respect, good will, kindness, and grace. We find the best teachers in America and the world to teach, coach, direct and mentor here, and these teachers learn as much from our students as we teach them. We look for students who are kind, passionate, intelligent, and ambitious in their commitment to what George Eliot described as the “the growing good of the world.” We look for students who inspire their peers, their classrooms, and their communities. We know that the best way to fight for goodness, peace, reconciliation, and justice in the world is to assemble a school community that looks like the schools we envisioned decades ago: we imagined the 21st century schools would be diverse, bringing students together from different socioeconomic groups, racial and ethnic and religious backgrounds, national and international destinations. We imagined what could happen when our differences led us to a deep appreciation for our particular narratives and perspectives and an ability to come together as members of the human family. The 21st century St. Andrew’s explores the deep reservoir that is diversity, proximity, and inclusion. That is why St. Andrew’s is a school with a soul, a place that seeks to ignite in our students a passion for living generous lives of integrity in the world. This is not an idle quest, a repetitious and incessant pursuit of petty and provincial and self-obsessed goals. We participate in a movement to change the world. We invite you to visit us and share your dreams, your goals, your passions, your commitments, your spirit. I will be eager to meet you and your family. Daniel T. Roach, Jr. Merrill M. Stenbeck Head of School
Founders Hall 1 College Counseling, Registrar (ground floor) Reception, Head of School, Admission (1st floor) Hillier Corridor (2nd floor) 2 School Store (ground floor) Business Office (1st floor) Hillier and Fleming Corridors (2nd floor) 3 Main Common Room, Dining Hall (1st floor) Sherwood Corridor (2nd floor) Schmolze Corridor (3rd floor) 4 A. Felix duPont Jr. Chapel (ground floor) Classical Languages, History, Religious Studies (1st floor) Sherwood Corridor (2nd floor) Schmolze Corridor (3rd floor) 5 Forbes Theater (ground floor) Modern Languages (1st floor) Baum Corridor (2nd floor) Voorhees Corridor (3rd floor) 6 Irene duPont Library Other Facilities 8 Pell Hall 9 Moss Hall 10 Moss Annex 11 Alumni Hall: Advancement Office 12 Edith Pell Student Center 14 Amos Hall: English, Science Labs, Amos Lecture Hall (1st floor) Science Labs, Math (2nd floor) 15 Miller Health Center 16 Mein Hall 17 Gaul East 18 Gaul West 19 O’Brien Arts Center: Engelhard Performance Hall, Warner Art Gallery, Photography Studios, Music Rehearsal Rooms, Tawes Music Library, Painting, Drawing, Ceramics and Dance Studios 24 Organic Garden 25 Facilities Services Building: Campus Plant Offices and Facilities Services, Deliveries 26 Rodney Point Pavilion Sports Facilities 7 T-Dock 13 Kip duPont Boat House 20 Athletic Center: International Squash Courts, Competition Basketball Court, Wrestling Arena, Cameron Room 21 Sipprelle Field House: Basketball Courts, Fitness Center, Trainer’s Office, Locker Rooms 22 Genereaux Aquatic Center 23 Paddle Tennis Courts Residences F Faculty Houses H Head of School’s House
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ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL D ELAWAR E