st. mark's episcopal school
winter 2018
2
#houstonstrong
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m ag a z i n e
vol. 2
parent guild events
22
remembering steve salley
winter 2018
2
#houstonstrong
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in this issue
events
From the Headmaster garhett wagers
vol. 2
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remembering
Garhett Wagers Headmaster
Mary Brophy, and Kariana Carlson, Class of 2023, support the Houston Astros
Matt, Class of 2027, and Jack, Class of 2025, Kaplan, at Breakfast with Santa
Remembering 8th Grade Science teacher, Steve Salley Ava Toubassi, ‘19, gets a hug from Vero Perryman, ‘27
table of contents 1
From the Headmaster
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Feature: #houstonstrong
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Engaging Children,
Inspiring Learning
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Episcopal Identity
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Student Snapshots
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Student Writers
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Athletics News
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Events
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Remembering Steve Salley
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Development Office
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2016 - 2017 Annual Report
Shray Aliota, Class of 2026, works with Ali Hamzeh, Class of 2021, in Tinker Lab
On the cover: Austen Hill and Vincent Lopez, Class of 2018, experiment in science On the back cover: Peter Pearson, Adell Anderson, and Tyler Jensen-Roman, Class of 2026, pose on the playground
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t would be easy, and, honestly even somewhat acceptable to describe the first half of the 2017-2018 school year as difficult. This is only natural, as there were events that made it such a significant challenge and an emotionally exhausting experience. Two days after school opened, Harvey hit Houston, leaving this city devastated. Many in the St. Mark’s community were impacted, directly and indirectly. The immediate effort required to address urgent needs, and the ongoing challenges people continue to face have worn us out, leaving many to feel in December the level of fatigue that usually comes with May. Our community lost a beloved teacher and friend, Mr. Steve Salley. The suddenness of this loss was like a gut punch in December to a collection of people who were already running on fumes. Additionally, the people of this community still faced the normal challenges of life, work, relationships, money, etc., while feeling exhausted and less equipped to handle them. That said, I don’t want to write about the sadness. It has become my practice to look for places to express gratitude, especially when things are hard. By focusing on the things I am grateful for, and taking the time to share that gratitude with others, I am reminded that we still have so much to celebrate, despite the challenges life throws at us. I am grateful for an incredible community at St. Mark’s, where many hands helped care for those who lost so much during the storm. I’m grateful for the generosity of folks who
contributed to the Faculty Harvey Relief Fund, which was a true blessing to those on our team who needed immediate financial support. I’m grateful we saw snow on the ground in Houston, and I loved watching our children try to make mini-snowmen and tiny snowballs. In fact, I’m grateful winter actually came to Houston this year. I’m grateful for an incredible team of faculty and staff at St. Mark’s who spend each day nurturing their environment to spark curiosity and passion for discovery in our children. I am grateful we found three incredible new team members to join us in January, ready to celebrate the uniqueness of our children. I’m grateful for my wife, Christine, and my daughter, Isabel, who love me, even when I make it hard. Finally, I’m grateful for our Houston Astros. Of course I love that they won the World Series; what an incredible accomplishment that uplifted this city at just the right time. However, I really appreciate them because they are fun to watch, play the game with integrity, and remind me why I loved baseball as kid. We wake up each day with a choice: to see what is hard in life and lament it, or to see the joy in the world and be grateful for it. Some days this choice may feel harder than others; for me, choosing a practice of daily gratitude helps me make the right choice for me to be my best self.
Garhett Wagers Headmaster
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It has become my practice to look for places to express gratitude, especially when things are hard.
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n Thursday, August 24, members of the school’s leadership team huddled around a conference table, looking at the radar and forecast, and making a plan. The decision to close school is never made lightly, but we could see that the storm brewing in the gulf was ominous, and that our families may need time to evacuate, prepare their homes, or get Above (clockwise): Sophia Hays, ‘24, and Alex Curran, ‘24, do demo work after Harvey; Coulson Batchelor, ‘21, Beckett Batchelor, ‘23, Nick Gillette, ‘22, and Trip Ducey, ‘19, work alongside 1st Grade Teacher, Lindsey Benefiel, and St. Mark’s dad, David Herr, at the home of a flooded teacher; St. Mark’s parents come together to help another parent, whose office flooded Left: Hudson Chapman, ‘29, poses with Preschool 2s Teaching Assistant, Alfreda Donato, on Go Astros Day
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Above (clockwise): Sofia Mercado, Mia Tribble, and Brooke Crabtree, all class of 2021, pose on Go Astros Day; Sarah Doan, Alex Ortiz, Madie Taylor, Annabeth Whittaker, Allison Artlip, ‘20, decorate Mrs. Anderson’s classroom during advisory in Astros orange and blue; Heldner Roddy, Luke Carter, and Will Ramani, all Class of 2023, support the Houston Astros
provisions for themselves. When Hurricane Harvey reached Houston over the weekend, we worked quickly to confirm that all faculty and staff members were safe. Then we turned our eyes to our school families, and attempted to understand the impact that the storm was having on our community. Between August 25th and 28th, Harvey parked itself over Houston, dumping over 50 inches of rain on some parts of town. As the clouds rolled away, the city rejoiced over the first beams of sunshine that had been seen in Houston in days. Houstonians did what Houstonians do best - we got to work. Within our community, we saw our families and staff helping one another by ripping drywall, packing boxes, moving possessions, doing laundry, bringing food, providing shelter, holding hands, and praying. We
established the St. Mark’s Community Cares Facebook Group - a private space where school and church families could offer support and ask for help from their St. Mark’s friends and neighbors. We restarted our school year quickly after Labor Day so we could continue to be a second home to our students and a place that offers consistency and predictability in the lives of our families. In the words of Garhett Wagers, “This is what A Community Engaged looks like from your school. We are engaged in developing and sustaining an atmosphere that stewards our students’ intellectual curiosity, faith, and passion for discovery, no matter the outside circumstances.” Shortly after our return to school, the Houston Astros made a run for the playoffs. The city rallied behind our baseball team, unified around the excitement of playing at
the division series, championship series, and eventually, the World Series. Here on campus, we held several Go Astros days, where students could wear their Astros gear to school to show support for our city and our team. When the Astros won the World Series on November 1, the city erupted into joyful celebration. On Friday, November 3, we live streamed the parade, providing popcorn for students as they watched the celebrations taking place downtown. The impact of winning the World Series was bigger than a sporting event to Houstonians this year; it was a tough battle to show the country our strength, resilience, and unity as a city. While Hurricane Harvey’s impact is still being felt by many in our city and in our St. Mark’s family, we are proud to be a part of a community that cares for its members and offers support to those in need. This year, and every year, we are #HoustonStrong.
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Karen Dunlap
Shannon Duncan
Engaging Children children who love learning” - Robert John Meehan
Kristin Sullivan
Inspiring Learning
Karen Dunlap,
Shannon Duncan,
Kaitlyn Todsen,
Kristin Sullivan,
The reason I came to St. Mark’s continues to be the reason I love St. Mark’s: it is a wonderful community that I am proud to be a part of. I love coming to school each day to work alongside incredible teachers that challenge me to think outside the box and become a better teacher. This year I learned about the “heart” of St. Mark’s and how truly dedicated and committed we are as a community. The effects of Hurricane Harvey were widespread, bringing challenges and hardships to many families. In these devastating times, the St. Mark’s community jumped into action embracing those in need and lifting up those facing challenges that seemed insurmountable. I witnessed students, parents and staff working together to help in whatever ways possible. Every day, I am reminded of the kindness, strength, and generosity of the St. Mark’s community and I am blessed to be a part of it. It is a wonderful feeling knowing I will never walk alone while I am at St. Mark’s.
When I first interviewed at St. Mark’s, I was very happy with the immediate feeling of belonging, warmth, and small community atmosphere. I love that I get to know not only my 3rd grade students, but also their families. It always brings a smile to my face when I see former students around campus and can say hello and continue to connect with them. In 3rd grade, we embrace our children’s learning styles through the responsive classroom approach, which consists of a set of practices that build academic and social-emotional skills. I see such joy in our children’s eyes when it is time for a morning or afternoon meeting. They love to sit on the carpet and share their experiences and plans with their friends or ask questions about something we discovered together in our learning. I love teaching reading to 3rd graders not only because I am an avid reader myself, but because at this age they are not learning to read but reading to learn. Reading leads to creativity, imagination, and the realization that one can achieve any dreams imagined.
I love St. Mark’s because of the community of educators, families, and students who all work to make this campus such a special place. From events like Scarborough Fair to Breakfast with Santa, the entire community works together to make each of our students feel cherished and valued. I love teaching science because our classroom is a special place where students can learn through their own discoveries, observations, and discussions with their peers. During our experiments, my students constantly amaze me with their questions and curiosity about the world around us. There is nothing more rewarding than having students develop a love of discovery and science, and I feel that it is such a privilege to teach them. Over the course of the year I’ve learned that our staff at St. Mark’s works constantly to help each other grow as educators. I am grateful for how much our science department has supported me, which has been a tremendous help during my first year of teaching science. St. Mark’s is truly a special place to be!
I love being part of a community that is always looking for new ways to engage our students. St. Mark’s truly is a place that encourages faculty to think outside the box and find ways to creatively engage students. Our kids are so curious! I love when I can connect something that we are learning in religion class to what they have learned in other subjects. In 5th grade this fall we made scale models of Noah’s ark using the dimensions given in the Bible. The kids used math skills to figure out how big their cubit was going to be and what they would use to represent it in their models. It was great to see them using rulers and calculators to make blueprints! So often faith and church is something that kids see as boring or irrelevant. I love finding ways to make the Bible exciting, and to unpack the story of God in a way that makes kids want to learn more. I want them to think and wrestle with their faith, and I try to give them a safe place to ask question and explore what it means to them.
Preschool 2s Teacher
“Teachers who love teaching, teach
Kaitlyn Todsen
3rd Grade Teacher
3rd through 5th Grade Science Teacher
School Chaplain; Religion Teacher
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The Liturgical Calendar
Episcopal Identity
A liturgical calendar helps us to orient ourselves on God as we move through the year.
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the rev. kristin sullivan
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St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
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Rev. Kristin Sullivan, School Chaplain
Left: Leo Olivarez, ‘25, in chapel
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ost weeks when students walk into my classroom their first question is, “did the arrow move?” The arrow they are talking about is the pointer on the liturgical calendar that hangs on the wall of the religion room. This liturgical calendar helps us to orient ourselves on God as we move through the year. Unlike a traditional calendar that has a start and finish, a straight line of motion, the liturgical calendar moves in a circle. Each year we move from the beginning of Advent, through Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Pentecost, and the long green season after Pentecost...and then we start all over again.
In school we celebrate these liturgical season in the classroom and in chapel. We remember how God has worked in history and how he still works in our lives today. We watch as the colors that hang in the chapel change, and count down weeks until Christmas, or Easter. The liturgical seasons give us a chance to step back and prepare ourselves for the mystery of God among us; to make sure that we don’t miss what is happening in the midst of our busy lives. The liturgical year orients us to God, and helps us to remember the sacred that is lurking in every corner of our lives.
Lucas Inman, ‘26, acolytes during Early Childhood Chapel
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Ava Phillips, ‘18, at Genius Hour, a self-guided, capstone study where students are challenged to think about a passion or an interest that they would like to explore further
Student Snapshots st. mark’s lions making our mark
Catie Merrill and
William Walker, ‘28, wears his turkey
Elise Stewart, ‘26, show the
crown at the Thanksgiving Friendship Feast
spiders they made with Mr. Salley as a part of a science project
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A group of students from the Class of 2028 learn about the violin from a guest musician from the University of Houston
The Class of 2025 learns about Diwali from a classmate
Top Row: Rats! The Musical was a great hit! Ann Michelle Manner, Sarah Doan, Alex Flores, and Wesley Barton, ‘20, perform on stage
Carson Ferstl, ‘18, at Genius Hour, a self-guided, capstone study where students are challenged to think about a passion or an interest that they would like to explore further
Mrs. Jackson’s Kindergarten class received a visit from famous Houston Sculptor, David Adickes, who poses here with Ryan Ackerman, Johnny Carlton, and Merrick Roth, all Class of 2026
Scarlett Murphy, ‘25, tries honey with apples as the 1st Grade students learn
Left: Philip Holmes, ‘27, listens to a guest speaker from the Houston Audubon who came to speak about owls
about the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanna Ella Johnston, ‘29, on the playground
Leanne Currier, Tess Padon, Greer
Kiera Gilmour, ‘22, reads
Drinnon, and Jamilah Citizen, ‘18,
during Lessons and Carols
experiment with dry ice in science
Student Writers marking their own stories
Shown clockwise: Tessa Dillard, Colin Livingston, and Caden Albright, all Class of 2022, show their In December books
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ODE TO MY CREEK
ODE TO WORDS
Going going gone leaving me with frozen feet watching the golden leaves fall effortlessly from their perch above where they plunge into the roaring whirlpool making themselves frozen there they get swished around then dunked going going gone they emerge 6 feet later a mouse hops on they move together as one downstream they crash into the bank the mouse jumps off then the water carries the leaves away until they’re just a memory gone
Words. Scattered. But then you fit perfectly together to make a perfect sentence. The ink of the pen soaking into the paper as a new story begins that turns into a magical story of wonder. You fill up the pages of a blank notebook and capture people’s thoughts and dreams. The way you can hurt and heal, the way that you can describe things, is deeper than the unfathomable darkness in the deepest depths of the ocean. You help us express who we are. You are a carousel that never stops turning. You can be powerful alone, but when you come together as one, You make a story come to life.
By: Abby Golub
By: Layla Younis
Above: Students in 7th grade (the class of 2019) wrote odes to celebrate an object that represents something they love to do and pay tribute to it in an exaggerated way. Students showed tremendous growth as writers in their use of figurative language, line and stanza breaks, rhythm, clarity, and the emotion conveyed in their poems. Students also improved their speaking skills by practicing eye contact, posture, pitch, pauses, clarity, volume, and expression in order to perform their poems in a compelling way for the audience.
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Athletics News
it’s always writing season at st. mark’s! our athletes gain inspiration for poetry on the field, court, and track. read more about the class of 2019’s odes on page 17.
fall sports
We had a great fall athletics seasons! Our lions represented St. Mark’s well, and had a lot of fun on the track, field, and court. Basketball season continues through January, and then we’re off to our spring sports: baseball, golf, tennis, and track and field.
Right: Varsity Soccer; JV Soccer
Soccer | 2 Teams | 29 Student Athletes Varsity | 2-5 Overall Record | 2-4 Conference Record JV | 8-1-1 Overall Record | 1-0 Conference Record
Top Row: Varsity Volleyball; JV Red Volleyball; JV White Volleyball; Bottom Row: 6th Grade Volleyball Team; 5th Grade Volleyball Team; Cross Country
Volleyball | 5 Teams | 45 Student Athletes Varsity | 5-17 Overall Record | 0-12 Conference Record | 2nd place finish in the Silver Division of the Bellaire Tournament JV Red | 11-6 Overall Record | 9-4 Conference Record JV White | 3-5-1 Overall Record 6th Grade Team | 8-6 Overall Record | 1-5 Conference Record 5th Grade Team | 5-7-1 Overall Record Cross Country | CiCi Calhoun, ‘18, placed in the top 10 in every race she competed in this season Sixth in the Trinity Klein Meet | Fourth in the Houston Christian Meet | Third in the St. John’s Maverick Ramble Second in the Westbury Classic Meet | Second in the GHAC Cross Country Championships 18
From Top: Georgia Bailey, 2020, serves the ball for a volleyball game; Oscar Lipski and Clive Kurtin, both class of 2020, playing soccer; Jack Hrachovy, class of 2019, takes a shot at a basketball game
O’ tennis racket You are my shield and sword You protect me and keep me from harm You deflect the malicious yellow bullets away from me Your glorious wires hit the ball at the speed of light The ball cracks as you collide with it Defender of the court Protector of my doubles partner You serve with pristine perfection When you tap the ball, it soars With gracious speed and accuracy The ball will strike the court with the strength of a lightning bolt Your intricate strings woven to perfection Your grip wrapped to perfection Your beautiful frame ever so perfect You are a racket of perfection Each point ends with a strike Each set ends with a smash Each game ends with a bang O’ but each tournament ends with you - Garner Kelling, St. Mark’s Class of 2019
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Events
co-sponsored by parent guild
Walker Evans, ‘24, flies high at Scarborough Fair; Eleanor Durden and Lulu Kovalik, ‘21; Wheatley Ducey and Yasmeen Younis, ‘22, enjoy Scarborough Fair
Our Parent Guild Officers at Scarborough Fair, Charlene Coddington, Ashley Baxter, Sara Elkins, and Jennifer Anderson
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vents at St. Mark’s are part of what makes our community special. These fun opportunities to come together bring joy to the faces of our students and help us preserve childhood. Many thanks to our Parent Guild who lead or co-sponsor these events with St. Mark’s.
Save the Date for these Upcoming Events
Scarborough Fair October 28, 2017
Grandparents and Friends Day
November 17, 2017
Breakfast with Santa December 2, 2017
February 27, 2018 Viewing of Screenagers April 27, 2018 All School Field Day
Left: Sophia Shaw,’26, and her sister, Emmie Shaw, ‘29, pose with Santa at Breakfast with Santa Photo Credit: Meredith Flaherty
Alyssa Skaggs, ‘23, and her dad, David, at Dads Donuts
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Remembering Steve Salley january 26, 1950 - december 3, 2017
Above: Steve Salley, 8th Grade Science Teacher, served St. Mark’s from December 2012 to December 2017; Mr. Salley being recognized by Ms. Hernandez’s 8th grade advisory from the Class of 2016 in 2014
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he St. Mark’s family lost a beloved member of the community in December. Steve Salley was our 8th grade science teacher and had recently been appointed as a science expert for our early childhood and early elementary science programs. Coming out of retirement in 2012 to serve as a long-term substitute for 7th and 8th grade science, we were fortunate to hire him full time and spend 5 years with Mr. Salley. Mr. Salley’s 45 year career as an educator spanned across various school districts and cities. He taught children as young as three and as old as 18, in schools with a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity. According to Mr.
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Salley, “In common, all [students] are the most precious of our resources. All can and do learn. Coming from different life experiences, all require unique, individual teaching methods and tools to learn. Also, they all need positive role models in order to remain on the road to find success in learning, and in life. My goal is to do everything in my power to assist children to succeed.” Mr. Salley truly lived our mission. He celebrated the uniqueness of each individual as he created a space where we could be curious, playful, and joyful. As a school, we are committed to striving to emulate his example to honor his legacy.
Right: Kristen Cleary, ‘20, reads the tributes shared by students on Mr. Salley’s lab door and windows
Development Office
update on annual fund | upcoming gala
Lou Ellen Stansell Director of Development
april 20th Save the Date | April 20, 2018 Join us on Friday, April 20, at the beautiful St. Regis Hotel. We invite all parents and friends of St. Mark’s to faire la fête with us for an evening full of festive cocktails, delicious fare, and great company. The origin of the word rendezvous in French is “present yourselves!” and we hope you will all do just that at this très chic affair. Merci in advance for your support! Underwriting and reservation opportunities are available online at: www.bidpal.net/stmes2018 If you are interested in donating an auction item, we would love to work with you!
Rohan Chaudhry, ‘27, plays with Gustavo Solari-Neumann, ‘19, in the courtyard
St. Mark’s Annual Fund
The St. Mark’s Annual Fund continues to be a source of pride in our community. We facilitated an abbreviated parent campaign this year, due to Harvey. With active fundraising happening between October 1 and November 30, we were able to reach 83% participation in just 8 weeks. As a reminder, our parent campaign has ended, but gifts can still be received, and counted. We receive gifts from Grandparents, Alumni, and Friends
Aimee Shapiro aimee_shapiro@yahoo.com or
throughout the year and we remain grateful for this important support. If you still wish to give, you can do so at www.stmes.org/makeagift. We are especially thankful for Gury and Pratik Doshi, shown here, who served as Annual Fund chairs for this year’s 201718 campaign. They recruited a strong group of Class Representatives who we rely on to make this effort successful. We are especially appreciative of their flexibility and enthusiasm for this crucial initiative in a unique year with the challenges of the fall.
Joanie Andrews andrewsfamily777@gmail.com
merci Gala Chairs Cecilia Edwards, and Merrily Calhoun Auction Chairs Aimee Shapiro, and Joanie Andrews
2017-18 Annual Fund Chairs Gury and Pratik Doshi
Decor Chairs Tori Fitzpatrick, and Jackie Freeman
Class Representatives
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Please email our auction chairs,
8th Grade
Donna and Mike McGinnis
2nd Grade
Kourtney and Vijay D’Cruz
7th Grade
Kelly Apple and Jason Orsak
1st Grade
Sonia and Gary Monteiro
6th Grade
Julie and Stephen Chiu
Kindergarten Ana Lisa Ramirez-Chapman
5th Grade
Katie Van Immerzeel and
and Mike Chapman
Brandon Anderson
Pre-K
Winnie and Ben Powell
4th Grade
Freda and Michael Lee
Preschool 3s Heather and Stephen O’Keefe
3rd Grade
Hilary Suzawa and Daniel Lemke
Preschool 2s Jennifer and Ryan Cassens
Parent Socials Elizabeth Trammell Student Socials Stacia Currier, Hazel McWhinnie, and Angela Lopez Student Art Jennifer Ducey
St. Mark’s Episcopal School 2016-2017 Academic Year At a Glance
A Note from the Director of Development A Community Engaged in Giving
473 TOTAL ENROLLMENT
ENROLLMENT 51
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2016-2017 Annual Fund
We owe a debt of gratitude to Danielle and Josh Batchelor, and to our dedicated Class Representatives for their excellent leadership of the 2016-2017 Annual Fund. The Annual Fund continues to be the most important way that we fundraise at St. Mark’s and the best way to support our children’s experience here. Donations to this fund impact our ability to provide enhanced curriculum, strong professional development, continually updated technology, and improvements to our facilities and campus. We reached new heights last year, raising $426,993 for our Annual Fund. In addition to reaching 100% participation for our Board of Trustees and faculty and staff, we reached a remarkable 90% parent participation.
capital campaign goal during this period. The official end to our fiscal year was June 30, 2017 and at that time we had reached a phenomenal $1.9 million. Be on the lookout for our final campaign report, coming soon!
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GRADE
CLASS OF
8TH
2017
7TH
2018
6TH
2019
5TH
2020
4TH
2021
3RD
2022
2ND
2023
1ST
2024
K
2025
Pre-K 2026
Pre-3S
Pre-2S
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2028
Parent Guild & Volunteers
Our parent organization enthusiastically serves the needs of our student and parent community with numerous events, and programs. St. Mark’s parents are uniquely passionate, and their commitment to our community shines through their efforts. We are tremendously grateful for the work of Suzanne Hays, who served as the Parent Guild president for the 2016-2017 school year. Part of what makes our community warm and inviting are traditions like Scarborough Fair, Breakfast with Santa, Parent Education events, Dads and Donuts, Visiting Authors, Grandparents Day, and the New Family Ice Cream Social. There are also parent volunteers on our campus literally every day working in classrooms or the library, facilitating classroom events or serving the Friends of the Library program. When we have tried to enumerate the number of volunteer hours that it takes to make a year at St. Mark’s run, the process is overwhelming. But our parents don’t volunteer here to be counted or be recognized, they do it to make us better and our community stronger. They also help us have a whole lot of fun along the way. A year’s worth of gift recognition appears in the pages that follow. We are proud to present this to you in a new format, and we hope you see the cumulative impact that we make as a community. We are a community engaged in giving with our time, talent, and treasure, and we thank you for your investment.
ANNUAL REPORT FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
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COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS
Fundraising 5% Annual Fund 2% Gala 2% Capital and Designated Gifts Other 88% Tuition and Fees 4% Auxiliary Services
80 60 40 20
70% Salaries and Benefits 10% School Program and Instructional 7% Maintenance and Utilities 6% General and Admin 4% Financial Aid / Tuition Assistance 3% G Building 1% Gala and Fundraising
100 80 60 40 20
Student Body 67% Caucasian 13% Bi-Racial / Other 7% Asian 6% Hispanic 6% Chose Not to Answer 1% African American Faculty and Staff 64% Caucasian 14% Hispanic 7% Chose Not to Answer 6% African American 5% Asian 3% Bi-Racial / Other 1% Native American
67%
7% 6%
1%
6%
64% 6%
5% 6% 14%
7% 1%
*For the 2016-2017 school year, our ethnicity options in our student information system are: African American, Native American, Hispanic, Asian, Bi-Racial / Other, and Caucasian. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, our options will be more inclusive and comprehensive.
STUDENT RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION Sincerely,
More. The St. Mark’s Campaign for Growth
The 2016-2017 school year marked the second year in our new expanded space, and we continued to fundraise for our
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REVENUE
It is my privilege to continue to serve the community of St. Mark’s Episcopal School. In each of my 6 years here, I have been reminded of the incredible generosity of our families and parents for different reasons. The 2016-2017 school year was marked with continued success in the Annual Fund and our other programs. As we forge ahead into the new year and the current priorities for St. Mark’s, it is sometimes difficult to pause and reflect upon the previous year. However, part of how we steward your gifts to St. Mark’s is through an Annual Report, which you may have seen on our website in the past. Our new robust magazine affords us an opportunity to tell our story in real time, and it seems prudent to recognize our generous community in this printed form, alongside this publication. We remain enormously grateful for your support and confidence in us.
EXPENSES
Annual Report 2016-2017
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Lou Ellen Stansell Director of Development
1% Jewish 1% Muslim 2% Hindu
36% Chose Not to Answer
60% Christian
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LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Annual Report 2016-2017
Emily and Joe Bill Whittenburg
Carolyn and Edmund Gaither
Trepanjeet and Jasvinder Sidhu
Joanie and David Andrews
Ketti Awad and George Younis
Carrie and Tim Gillette
Lisa and David Skaggs
Jae and Michael Graham
Grace and Benjamin Smith
Stasa and Michael Cushman
Sheryl Gussett and Phil Watts
Kristina Shu and Dean Smith
Shalini Dalal
Suzanne and John Hays
Sharon and Scott Soler
Randall Davis
Cathy and David Herr
Rita and Michael Stringer
Alex and Matt Doan
Amanda and Daniel Hrachovy
Yan Gao and Lei Sun
Cecilia and James Edwards
Rele and Saheed Jimoh
Liesbeth and Tim Tieleman
Peggy Eggelston
Jenny and Mark Johnson
Walter Lynch and Emily Todd
Stefanie and Ole Engels
Denise and Chad Joost
John Tressa
Amy and Eric Enger
Megan and Kevin Kaplan
Julie Kinzelman and
Diane and Glenn Finch
Jennifer and Ryan Cassens Catherine and David Crabtree Allee and Jim Crosby Jackie and Scott Freeman Yasmine and Mauro Gibellini Amy and Mark Melton Elizabeth and Christopher Mooney
HEADMASTER’S COUNCIL Sarah and Robert Amato Anonymous Marie and Charles Anstead Kathryn and Mark Artlip Najat and Ruchdi Barakat Laura and Steve Bradford
2016-17 ANNUAL FUND CHAIRS Danielle and Josh Batchelor
CLASS REPRESENTATIVES Laura and Steve Bradford BriAnne and Brian Dillard Tori and Sean Fitzpatrick Holly and Hugh Heslep
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE
Jill and Jerry Brooks
Danielle and Josh Batchelor
Kari and Kevin Brophy
Michael Bollinger
Karla and John Buergler
Karen and Michael Brisch
JoAnna and Allen Burton
Marsha and Sam Dodson
Beth and Ed Cadena
Jane and Robert Durden
Merrily and Jack Calhoun
Janice and Richard Kellogg
Julie and Stephen Chiu
Alyson and Ryan McConnell
William Citizen
Donna and Michael McGinnis
Sallie Morian and Michael Clark
Lauren and John Toubassi
Julie Kinzelman and Christopher Tribble Amy and Mark Melton Bethany and Chad Pedley Jessica and Ethan Phillips Cortney Richa-Hebert Emily and Matthew Spalding Lou Ellen and Brian Stansell
Sherry and James Kennett
Christopher Tribble
Michael Curran
Kelli and Joseph Gallegos
Jill and Clay King
Kathy and Jeff Vrabec
Jamie and Greg Grissom
Pamela and Jason Klein
Aniko Sabo and Richard Willson
Sowmini and Ravi Gudimetla Harleen and Abhinav Gupt
Diana and Roger Kurtin Hilary and Daniel Lemke
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Laurie Hatfield
Abby and Cory Ludens
PRESIDENT’S LIST
Natasha and Darren Hill
Elizabeth and David MacConnell
Catherine and Mehmet Akay
Richa Himani and Neeraj Hingorani
Julie and Rob McGarr
Jonathan Aliota
Angela and Alex Holmes
Charlene and Justin Coddington
Robin and Kevin McGowan
Anonymous
Bruce Holzband
Mina and Robert Covington
Allison and Patrick Miller
Teresa and Roberto Ardenghi
Katie and Bradley Honeycutt
FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE
Kourtney and Vijay D’Cruz
Sonia and Gary Monteiro
Barbara and Dan Batchelor
Sonja Bruzsaukas and Houston Haymon
Kathryn Van Immerzeel and
Anton and Oxana Derkach
Susan and Ken Murphy
Benjamin Baze
Tiffany Tran and Phan Huynh
BriAnne and Brian Dillard
Susan and James Newell
Margaret and Bob Baze
Jill and Gregg Jackson
ZoeAnn and Judson Bailey
Alison Dodson
Heather and Stephen O’Keefe
Terri and Darden Bourne
Alicia and Corey Jensen
Ron and Dana Bankston
Bradley Dodson
Mary Healy and Paul O’Sullivan
Jessica and Ken Breitbeil
Jayne and Garrett Johnston
Abbey and David Branch
Pratik and Gury Doshi
Kristin and John Ownby
Kelly and Damian Burke
Deborah and Keith Jones
Anne and Shawn Cleary
Jennifer and B.J. Ducey
Kenneth Parker
Patricia and Steve Carter
Jessica and Daniel Keiser
Angela and Brandon Fisher
Nancy Gilbertson and David Dutch
Jessica and Ethan Phillips
Cookie and Lee Centracco
Holly and James Kinahan
Hanan and James Harkness
Sarah and Earl Dyke
Allison Piper Wall
Caroline and Brody Chapman
Kristin and Gregory Koush
Holly and Hugh Heslep
Nicole and Don Ellithorpe
Amanda and Jack Robbins
Ana Lisa Ramirez-Chapman and
Gisette and David Leathers
Alexandra and Zachary Inman
Kelley and Stephen Eubank
Deborah and David Roylance
Allison and Pablo Mercado
Susanne and Randall Evans
Briar and Ian Salmon
Enriqueta and John Merrell
Tori and Sean Fitzpatrick
Kirti and Sailesh Saxena
Rupesh Vakil and Ajanta Patra
Margaret and Tanner Franks
Amy and Peter Scaff
Corrie and Bruno Chumpitazi
Amanda McCann
Leslie and Ed Royer
Jennifer and Jason Funderburk
Jeannie and Craig Schneider
Jessica and Gregory Cortez
Jessica Cook and Christian Mehnert
Greta and John Rytlewski
Jennifer Finch and Hank Fuselier
Aimee and Dan Shapiro
Allyson and Michael Cunius
Beth and Scott Meshberger
Brandon Anderson Andrea and J.P. Hoelscher
Maria‑Isabel Zapata and
SOCIETY OF ST. MARK’S
Mike Chapman Larissa Meyer and Kristofer Charlton-Ouw
Freda and Michael Lee Liana and Tim Madraimov Ashley and Christopher Martin
29
2016-17 ANNUAL FUND INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Sara Ruppelt and Daniel Metzen
Tonja Martin and Claire Harvey
Jennifer and Trey Clark
Gail and Carl Reed
Ms. Caitlin Dillon
Allison and Ben Sonnier
Ramona and Dennis Murphy
Elizabeth and Michael Hatfield
Melissa Luzardo and Martin Cocco
Catherine Rodriguez
Mrs. Kristen Dorton
Lou Ellen and Brian Stansell
Rakshanda Aslam and Tariq Muzzafar
Kimberly and Charles Hebenstreit
Stephen Cooper
Cynthia Russ
Shannon Duncan
The Reverends Kristin and Brad
Karen Dunlap
Amal and George Nassar
Lori and David Hess
Stacia and David Currier
Ellie and Patrik Ryham
Bethany and Chad Pedley
Angela and Edgar Lopez
Heather Davis‑Thraen
Cindy and Howard Schmerin
Laura and John Giffin
Grace and Joseph Tan
Winnie and Ben Powell
Jai and Karan Madan
Allison and Clinton Doerr
Patricia and Leslie Shockley
Allison Gras
Amy Tichacek
Lauren and Michael Pulido
Elina and David Madrigal
Paige Dominey
Elaine and Gary Skaggs
Ines Grimaldi-Hakam
Ms. Kaitlyn Todsen
Yassin Sallam and Naveen Rabie
Amanda and Richard Makin
Gerri Kiefer and Rodney Drinnon
Ruth Ann and David Stiles
Sally Hale
Mrs. Kerrie B. Upenieks
Ruby and Alfonso Ramirez
Clark Maloney
Roxanne and Cullen Evans
Lisette and Paul Theriot
Leticia Hernandez
Kristin and Darrell Uptmor
Marcia and Leslie Randall
Kesha Mclean
Jessica and Christopher Farley
Elizabeth Trammell
Steve and Bobbye Hicks
Chau T. Vu
Christine and Brian Rew
Amy and Eric Moen
Lucinda and Brad Fleming
Patty and Christopher Wailes
Janet A. Hinojosa
Christine and Garhett Wagers
Alla and Tiberiu Riconte
Mark Padon
Amie Flowers
Nancy and William Warren
Andrea and J.P. Hoelscher
Barbara and Philip Williams
Sarah and Jonas Risen
Kathryn and James Prappas
William Frame
Carrie and Neil Willard
Dorinda and Craig Howard
Cindy Williams
Mitzi and Franscisco Rivero
Jill Reno
Clarence Gilmore
Lu Wolfe
Jean Marie and Cutter Howard
Mrs. Michele Woods
Carolyn and Oliver Rodz
Sandra and Craig Richa
Elizabeth and James Glenn
Emily and Matthew Spalding
Lisa Roth
Dina and Dee Green
Deanna and Michael Thomas
Carla and Reagan Singer
Elizabeth Strelow and Neil Gross
Tara and Shane Treleaven
Denise and Martin Snyder
Jamie and Russell Hardin
Kim and Jeff Van Gundy
Jill and Ben Stamets
Julia and Matthew Hastings
Ara and Phillipa Vaporciyan
Amy and Mark Thibodeaux
Benjamin Hildreth
Julie and Sonny Vu
Jill and Barkley Thompson
Candice and Kevin Hude
Priscilla and Keith Wellmeyer
Anuja and Udayan Vyas
Jennifer and Ross Huthmacher
Crystal and Michael Williams
Carmen Watrin
Cindy and William Irr
Dyann and Malcolm Whittaker
Trudy and Robert Johnson
Dora De Los Santos-Wilson and David Wilson
HONOR ROLL
Jeena Varghese and Justin Jose
Linda and Wayne Adamson
Elizabeth and Marc Kilbride
Elizabeth and Sergio Amelio
Maria and Anatoly Kolomeisky
DEAN’S LIST
Jennifer and John Anderson
Kathryn and Edward Kovalik
Emily and Gerardo Amelio
Anonymous
Emily and Alexander Large
Anonymous
Natalie and Mauricio Ariz
Wendy and Thaddeus Leopoulos
Rose Anton
Emily and Art Armenta
Friederike and Roy Lipski
Mary Rose and Link Browder
Ana and Giorgio Bampi
Leslie Manner
Ana and Alberto Caudillo
Bevin and Michael Barrett
Tracy and Scott McKinney
Angie and Vik Chadha
Ashley and Aaron Baxter
Cass and Scott McNinch
Victoria and Bruno Chumpitazi
Kendra Baze
Elizabeth and Ilyas Colombowala
Kimberly and Wolfgang Winkelmayer Stephanie and William Young
30
Pam and Ron Jorgensen
IN HONOR / IN MEMORY TRIBUTES Susanne and Randall Evans in Honor of their grandchildren, Catalina Amelio, Julian Amelio, Walker Evans, and August Evans Mr. Richard Lackey in Honor of his grandchild, Kendall Keiser
FACULTY AND STAFF Margaret and Michael Alvarez Christine Anderson Anonymous Gauri and Mohit Arora Ms. Elise Banks Ms. Julie Barker Scott and Cathy Basso Sara and Nicholas Beckman
Kathy Howe Anne and John Jackson Maria Jaramillo Ms. Charlotte Jump Yong and Erika Lee Angela and Edgar Lopez Mrs. Martha Mayfield
Sullivan
CORPORATIONS, MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES, FOUNDATIONS, & ORGANIZATIONS Air Liquide USA LLC Anadarko Baker Hughes Foundation Bank of America Matching Gift Program
Janet Mayr
BP Foundation, Inc
Ms. Amanda McGee
Chevron
Mrs. Hazel McWhinnie
Dell Employee Engagement Fund
Ms. Susan Meeks
Dow Chemical Company Foundation
Edward and Brandee Metz
Enterprise Products
Laurie and Gary Mitchell Ms. Gabriela Olivero Susan Orlicek Mrs. Emily Owens Cathy Partney
ExxonMobil GE Foundation Good Done Great Edu-Center Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Mrs. Lindsey Benefiel
Barbara W. Reid
Emily and Simon Brabo
Cortney Richa-Hebert
Sara Brannon
Mrs. Dawn Robins
Sharon Bukaty
Dr. and Mrs. Troy P. Roddy
Elizabeth Munro
Mr. Matthew R. Burgy
Ms. Sakara Ross
Shell Oil Company Foundation
Ed Blanton
Ana and Erik Neumann
Ms. Brittney Cappiello
Mr. Steve Salley
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Beatriz and Orlando Diaz
Kristina and Bryan Blasingame
Tiffany and Jeff Nottingham
Jason Carroll
Ms. Allie Sarahan
The Carlyle Group
Sara and Christopher Elkins
Gunta and John Burt
Miwa and Juan Olivarez
Ms. Carrie Cherek
Mr. Brandon Scott
Wells Fargo
Hollie and Dave Fulghum
Lilian Dindo and Chadi Calarge
Kasteena and Sam Parikh
Ms. Rita Cofield
Scott Seaman
Fiona and Cameron Gilmour
Kitson Camp
Joanne and Nigel Patterson
Ms. Roma Coleman
Mary and Fred Silverstein
Fidaa and Ihab Hamzeh
Eka and Kenneth Chibuogwu
Margaret and Robert Pearce
Courtney Collins
Samantha Smith
St. Mark’s Parent Guild Phillips 66 Piper Jaffray & Co. Richard Stodder Charitable Foundation
31
The 2017-2018 National Junior Honor Society Officers, Sami Sabbagh, Class of 2019, Nia Mclean, Tess Padon, and Eliza Thompson, Class of 2018
winter 2018 | vol. 2 making our mark magazine team headmaster Garhett Wagers
director of communication and marketing Jean Marie Howard
graphic design Angie Coussirat, Winston Street Design House
photography Jean Marie Howard, Meredith Flaherty, Lou Ellen Stansell
writers and contributors Roma Coleman, Shannon Duncan, Karen Dunlap, Abby Golub, ‘19, Jean Marie Howard, Garner Kelling, ‘19, Lou Ellen Stansell, Rev. Kristin Sullivan, Kaitlyn Todsen, Garhett Wagers, Layla Younis, ‘19
Please note: We understand that multiple copies of Making Our Mark may have been sent to your address. In an ongoing effort to be good stewards of the school’s and the Earth’s resources, we would appreciate your help. Please let us know if: You received a copy of making our mark addressed to someone who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home or you have multiple community members at the same address, but you would prefer to receive only one copy for your household. Making Our Mark is published by the school’s advancement office and is mailed free of charge to current St. Mark’s families, alumni, and friends of St. Mark’s. For more information or to report an address change, please call 713-667-7030.
st. mark’s episcopal school 3816 bellaire boulevard houston, texas 77025
winter 2018
m ag a z i n e
vol. 2