Welcome to our inaugural 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.

Since we haven't yet mastered the ability to be in two places at once, we are relying on you to help us find these stories. We encourage you to contact us ([email protected]) with any exciting news you want to share. You don't have to be a great writer, you just need to have an idea.

Oh, one more thing: we know the word "e-newsletter" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. That's why we are asking our creative St. Andrew's students to help us name this e-newsletter in the "Roses Are Red" contest. Any student in Grades 1-12 can participate; the contest details are at the end of the newsletter. So get reading! 

New 1st-graders share popsicles under the oak tree during orientation on Aug. 25.

The smell of fresh erasers and the sound of squeaking sneakers bounced down the halls on Aug. 25 as St. Andrew's welcomed Lower and Middle Schoolers to their first day of school.  

The summer heat certainly didn't diminish the high energy our students brought to campus, as they caught up with old friends, met some new faces, and popped in and out of doorways to explore their teachers' decorated classrooms.  

Teachers sat with students under the shade of the oak trees enjoying lunch together and asking each other important questions like "Where are you from?" and "What's your favorite snack?"  

Returning students could be overheard helping new students: "Are you looking for the lunch line?" to the reassuring  "Don't worry, that door never opens!" It's safe to say that teachers and students are energized and ready to see what their year has in store for them. 

The Class of 2015 sign their shirts and go to work decorating them--and each other--with chalk.

After their first few days of class, Upper Schoolers immediately 'retreated' off campus to reconnect with each other and prepare for a successful school year.  

The freshmen retreat for the Class of 2018 was at Camp Lonehollow in Vanderhill. St. Andrew's 103 freshmen-of which 48 are new and from 22 area middle schools-challenged themselves to work together on teams.

The sophomores remained on St. Andrew's campus for their retreat. Health and wellness experts discussed issues such as drugs and alcohol, human sexuality, texting and driving, and self-esteem. Students participated in demonstrations, listened to testimonials, and shared personal insights to better understand these complex subjects.  

With the college application process looming near, it's easy to understand why stress management was the focus of the junior retreat. While on St. Andrew's campus the juniors learned healthy ways to manage stress, using activities like exercise, meditation, and yoga as some examples.

The seniors retreated to Camp Young Judaea in Wimberley. They focused on building leadership skills that they will apply throughout their last year at St. Andrew's, and well into their future. They also focused on hula-hoop competitions and dousing each other in a vibrant, colored chalk battle.

Director of Diversity Kendall Evans with family dog Skip.

The word 'diversity' means different things to different people.  Here at St. Andrew's, the term is predicated on the enduring belief that the dignity of every human being should be respected and their unique perspective honored.  This year, the diversity team at St. Andrew's will make every effort to provide opportunities for students to be meaningfully engaged in activities that will bring to life this concept in new and interesting ways.  Student-centered, project-based, and interdisciplinary initiatives will be combined with a focus on community engagement so that matters related to equity, multiculturalism, and plurality - both on campus and off - can be explored to the fullest.

The Parent Association Diversity Committee (PADC) plays an important role in this effort. The committee is for parents who are passionate about fostering an inclusive, vibrant and diverse educational environment for the families of St. Andrew's. To this end, several important meetings and events are scheduled throughout the school year. On the immediate horizon are the following:

• LS/MS Meet & Greet: Sept. 6, Picnic tables near the field at 10am
• US Reception: Sept. 6, Dell Fine Arts Center at 5pm
• Seeking Equity in Education and Diversity (SEED) Parent Meeting: Sept. 21 in US Library 1-4pm

If you'd like to join the PADC or volunteer to help us with our ongoing projects, please contact one of the following:Yvette Wesbecher, LS/MS Chair: [email protected]; Veronica Segura, US Co-Chair: [email protected]; Mary Beth Barnstone US Co-Chair: [email protected]; Kendall Evans, Director of Diversity [email protected]  

Jumpstart is an after-school option where 5th- and 6th-  grade students can get ahead on school work and get help developing study and organization skills. Jumpstart will only be offered for the first three months of the school year, which is the ideal time for students to have some extra help getting back into the school groove. Sessions will run after school until 5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. (Of course, you can pick up your student before 5pm if needed.)  Students can come to one, two, or all three days each week. Drop-ins are also welcome if after-school plans change. Sessions start next Tuesday, September 2. If you are considering Jumpstart or any of the other Beyond the Classroom enrichment courses available for 5th and 6th graders this Fall, please visit the BTC sign-up page for more information: http://www.sasaustin.org/lower/btc 

Visit our Facebook page to see all the Ice Bucket Challenge videos.

The nationally trending "Ice Bucket Challenge" has finally made it's way to St. Andrew's. Middle School Drama teacher/Football coach Jason Kruger was challenged by his football players to take the icy plunge, and he accepted without a flinch. Mr. Kruger then gleefully challenged Head of Middle School Alice Nezzer and Head of Lower School Kama Bruce, and the challenges caught on like wildfire from there. LS/MS Chaplain Ashley Brandon took it on, as did the Varsity Field Hockey team. Head of Upper School Todd Stephenson, Upper School Chaplain Rob Leacock, and College Counselor Elizabeth Guice are next up: be sure you check our Facebook page for these latest dunks! To date, the ALS Association has raised $88.5 million through this viral campaign.

The Advanced Certamen - Texas team at the NJCL competition in Atlanta, GA.

During the last week of July, 20 students from St. Andrew's Upper and Middle Schools participated in the 2014 National Junior Classical League (NJCL) convention at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of our students excelled in their individual academic, artistic, and athletic contests (Click here for full list of winners and categories). St. Andrew's big triumph came as a part of the Advanced Certamen team from Texas, which won second place in the national tournament. The final standings were Massachusetts (125), Texas (95), and Virginia (50). Congratulations to St. Andrew's graduates Olivia Hindera ('14) and Nate Eakman ('14) and senior Bryce Deskins ('15) who made up the St. Andrew's contingency of the Texas team.

Addison Brown made top rank of the Boy Scouts this summer.

This summer, Head of School Sean Murphy was pleased to receive a letter from the Boy Scouts of America, notifying him that St. Andrew's sophomore Addison Brown ('17) achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle Service Project that earned him this top honor was the construction of a water collection system for the Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First Village. Community First Village is a 27-acre master-planned community that provides affordable housing for the chronically homeless in Central Texas. Addison successfully led 37 volunteers through nearly 500 hours of work over a five-week period. His project involved the construction of a ferrocement cistern, clearing the land and pouring a reinforced concrete foundation, and finishing with the installation of a gutter system. St. Andrew's is proud to recognize Addison for applying his ingenuity outside the classroom on such a worthy project.

Theater Camp At Warp Speed

How long would it take you to memorize the script, songs, and choreography to a musical? Students in grades 7-11 managed to put on a full production of the fairytale mash-up musical "Into the Woods" in just one week, under the direction of Upper School Choir director Michael Rosensteel and Middle School Drama director Jason Kruger. During the week, 43 students from St. Andrew's and other area schools brought the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella to life, culminating in two performances at the Dell Performing Arts Center. If these students pulled that off in one week, there's no telling what they'll do next year.   

Middle School students and chaperones have the ride of their life down a whitewater river.

Middle School students and faculty participated in a two-week Spanish immersion experience in Turrialba, Costa Rica this summer. The students lived with Costa Rican host families and attended small, intensive Spanish classes in the mornings. In the afternoons, students enjoyed cultural and ecotourism activities including cooking, dancing, river rafting, and touring a national archeological site. Students also spent two afternoons doing volunteer work at a senior citizen home.  

"The authentic setting in which to practice their language skills, combined with the opportunity to experience a culture very different from their own, created a powerful experiential learning opportunity," commented Rebecca Jobe, Middle School Spanish teacher and one of the trip chaperones. Alice Nezzer, Head of Middle School, also helped chaperone and explains, "The oft-used Tican expression 'pura vida' perfectly describes the 'full of life' experience [we had]. The trip was all about embracing the life and culture of Costa Rica: from zip-lining, to tasting termites, to playing Bingo with senior citizens, to practicing our Spanish, we all enjoyed 'pura vida'!"

Where do our alumni go after they ride off into the sunset? Some come back home to us to help raise the next generation of talented alums. We currently have nine alumni on staff, three of whom have joined us this year.

Lizzy Garcia ('08): Lizzie graduated from St. Edward's University and received her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Lizzie says, "I wanted to come back to SAS because it's my second home. I attended school here from 1st to 12th grade, and then came back to coach for a couple of years a few months after I [graduated college]. It wasn't really a question whether I would teach here or not, it was more of a 'when' am I going to teach here. I truly love this community and everyone who's part of it. I have always felt at home here. I couldn't imagine teaching anywhere else. I simply love it here!" We are certain Lizzie's enthusiasm will shine through as she mentors students as the resident Early Childhood Aide.

Laura Milton ('04): Though not technically new to St. Andrew's faculty, Laura now serves as the Junior Experience Coordinator and Upper School Community Service Coordinator. She joined the Middle School in 2008 as a Community Service Coordinator. We are excited to have Laura lead us in her new role!   

Jasmin Vara ('09): Jasmin graduated from Middlebury College, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology and Education Studies. She says, "I am excited to work at SAS because I can share what I learned during my time at the Upper School and play a different role in building such a special community."  

Sam Selman ('09)

Photo courtesy of Ken Inness/MILB.com

Sam Selman ('09) was recently promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers, which is the AAA club of the Kansas City Royals. Sam played collegiate baseball at Vanderbilt, and he is now in his second full season of professional baseball. His ascension through the minor leagues has been quick, and the next step for him would be in the Major Leagues with the Royals. Here are the awards he has received already in his career:

2013 - MILB.COM Organizational All-Star - Kansas City (AL)

2012 - Post-Season All-Star - Idaho Falls (PIO)

2012 - Pitcher of the Year - Idaho Falls (PIO)
July 30, 2012 - Pitcher of the Week - Idaho Falls (PIO) 

Before a student set foot on campus this fall, our teachers were meeting together for a week of "in-service" activities: meeting new faculty and staff, brushing-up on school procedures, and sharing their summer experiences in small workshops. One such workshop was hosted by Middle School History teacher Barton Ballard, who attended a CITYterm conference (hosted by The Master's School) in New York this summer, along with Upper School English teacher Brady Nash and more than 150 teachers from across the country.

The "Teaching for Experience" symposium focused on "experiential learning," which Mr. Ballard explains was a contentious term for many participants. Though various definitions of the term floated around, the teachers spent most of the time discussing the merits of learning through various activities, rather than rote exercises. Though history is inherently past, the authoring experience of putting facts together to tell a story is a form of experiential learning that history teachers can use. Mr. Ballard discussed his lesson on loyalists and patriots in the American Revolution. He asks his students to create "propaganda infomercials" in the role of either a loyalist or patriot, and finds his students reflect their understanding of the subject through their dramatic portrayals.

A key take-away for Mr. Ballard is to "slow down." He recognizes that he is energized by his students who engage at a fast pace, and that he forgets to take a moment and let his students absorb all the material. The theme of lenses also resonated with him: the idea of approaching his subject material through the lens of math, or art, for example. Linh Tran, Upper School History teacher, remarked that the lens framework is one she uses effectively with her 9th-graders. Ms. Tran finds that an interdisciplinary, non-linear approach to history allows students to make their own connections and discover "why" things happen on their own.

Roses are red, Crusaders are blue,

We need a new name, and we're counting on you!

It's time to show us your creative side and help us name our e-newsletter. We're going to make it a contest. Here's how it works:

Go to our Facebook page (facebook.com/sasaustin.org)

"Like" us (If students don't have a Facebook account, then parents can help.)

The top three names with the most "Likes" will be finalists. The e-newsletter team will make the final decision on the winning name. The winner will receive a gelato party for 10 and will be featured in a future e-newsletter edition.

The contest begins right now, Aug. 28, and runs until Sept. 4. We will announce the winner on Facebook on Sept. 5. So, what are you waiting for?