Welcome to our St. Andrew's e-newsletter! Twice a month, you'll read exciting news about our scholars, artists, athletes, and servants--in and outside the classroom. You'll hear what inspires our teachers in the "Teacher's Corner," and you'll get wowed by what our graduates are doing these days in the "Alumni Spotlight." If you consider yourself a member of the St. Andrew's community, then this newsletter is for you.

Calling all writers! If you're itching to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard!) we would love to hear from you. Cru's News is looking for guest contributors who want to share newsworthy items with the St. Andrew's community.  If you have an idea for an article, contact us at [email protected].  Our next edition of "Cru's News" will be delivered on 10/23.   

Alfie Kohn will draw upon two of his books, "Feel-Bad Education" and "The Myth of the Spoiled Child."

St. Andrew's invites you to spend the evening with author Alfie Kohn, who will discuss his thoughts on parenting and educating children in the 21st century. Alfie will draw upon two of his books, Feel-Bad Education and The Myth of the Spoiled Child, during his discussion. This two-hour event will include time for Q&A with Alfie, and conclude with a reception and book signing.

When: Wednesday, October 22 at 6:30 pm

Where: Upper School Chapel

Discussion: According to Kohn, educational researchers believe there's a big difference between getting kids to think about their performance in school (that is, how well they're doing) and getting them to think about the learning itself (what they're doing). These orientations often pull in opposite directions, which means that too much emphasis on achievement can reduce children's interest in learning -- and cause them to avoid challenging tasks. When the point is to prove how smart you are, to get a good grade or a high test score, there is less inclination to engage deeply with ideas, to explore and discover. And there are psychological costs as well, as the push to excel takes its toll. In this talk, Alfie Kohn invites us to rethink our basic assumptions about competition, school success, and the relationship between our long-term goals for our kids and how we're actually raising and teaching them.

Head of School Sean Murphy, Lower School Head Kama Bruce, and Middle School Head Alice Nezzer will be hosting two parent information sessions prior to Alfie Kohn's visit. This is an opportunity to learn more about the school's perspective on learning and performance in school as it relates to Mr. Kohn's vision.  Invitations will be emailed soon for the following two dates:

SAS parent Peggy Keelan has created a sneak preview video of the cast in rehearsals.

The box office is now open for the Upper School's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.* Reserve your tickets ($15 Orchestra, $5 Mezzanine) for our shows on: 

Thurs., Oct. 30 at 7:00 pm

Sat., Nov. 1 at 7:00 pm

Sun., Nov. 2 at 3:00 pm

All performances will be held at the Dell Fine Arts Center on the Upper School campus. The 27 cast members on stage are accompanied by a professional, 11-piece orchestra, and supported backstage by 20 student crew members and stage managers. Ticket purchases can be made online through

*Sweeney Todd contains mature subject matter and is not recommended for our Lower School students. Our all-ages pre-show "Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop: Savories & Songs" will be performed every night one hour before the Sweeney Todd performance.   

--Which date you will attend (Oct. 30, Nov. 1 or 2)

--How many seats/meals you would like to reserve.  

St. Andrew's first-ever College Admissions Panel was held on October 2. We invited admissions officers from Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, Smith College, Trinity University, and Southwestern University to speak to our 10th and 11th graders, and their parents, on the subject of "demystifying" the college admissions process.  The panelists spoke about:

• How admissions applications are reviewed in their offices  
• How colleges evaluate the rigor of a student's curriculum
• Emerging trends and the future direction of college admissions
• How students can stand out in a positive way in the application process
• How they determine whether or not a student will "survive academically and thrive personally" at their institutions

The panelists concluded with some words of advice on finding the right fit for college:

• The college search can and should be a time for self-reflection
• Students need to visit campuses to get a real feel for the place
• Students should consult a variety of resources as they conduct their college search
• Authenticity is key - on the part of the student and the colleges/universities

The final word of the evening came from an admissions officer who said, "Oh, yes, and have fun with the process!  It is supposed to be fun!"

This event was added to an already buzzing college counseling season.  

In September, 82 reps from universities across the country came to campus to meet exclusively with St. Andrew's students (32 reps in just one week alone!). St. Andrew's also coordinated a college fair (in conjunction with St. Stephen's, St. Michael's, and Regents) which welcomed over 150 college and university reps. With all this activity, St. Andrew's students are surely getting a head-start on the college application process. View St. Andrew's college rep calendar here. Thank you Elizabeth Guice and Chad Fulton for contributing this article. 

Learning never ceases at St. Andrew's, not even at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning!  That's when about two dozen St. Andrew's Upper School students welcomed approximately 60 dedicated middle school students from the local Austin area to campus. This fall cohort of 7th graders came to St. Andrew's as part of the Breakthrough Austin program.  Breakthrough is an organization that seeks to address educational disparities in low-income communities by providing ambitious students with enhanced academic support.  To learn more about how Breakthrough is partnering with us to help some of Austin's sharpest young minds, please contact [email protected] 

Thank you Kendall Evans for contributing this article.  

On Friday, Oct. 3, St. Andrew's students celebrated the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi with a special morning chapel service. Students then joined parents and family pets outside, where they sang songs, heard a story about St. Francis, and had their pets blessed with a special prayer by Chaplains Ashley Brandon and Reverend Rob Leacock.  

St. Andrew's Celebrates the Classes of 2004 and 2009