March 5, 2015


Welcome to Cru's News 
Welcome to our St. Andrew's e-newsletter! Every month, you'll read exciting news about our scholars, artists, athletes, and servants --in and outside the classroom. If you consider yourself a member of the St. Andrew's community, then this newsletter is for you.

If you have any interesting news you'd like to share, contact us at   communications@sasaustin.org with your story ideas and pictures!
On The Horizon

LS/MS/US Parent-Teacher Conferences - No Classes - March 6

Daylight Savings Time begins - March 8

8th Big Bend trip - March 8

Book Fair - March 10-12

Special Topics Day - March 13

5th/6th Washington DC trip - March 14

MS London trip - March 14

Spring Break - No Classes - March 16-20

Parent Enrichment "High Risk Behaviors and the Adolescent Mind" - March 24

Kick-Off to 9th Grade - March 25

5th McKinney Roughs trip - March 26

ISAS Fine Arts Festival - March 26-28

Texas State Latin Convention - March 28-29 

 

In the Community
Book Fair is Almost Here

Book Fair is just one week away! It's a family affair as we go "Under the Big Top" at the Lower School Rollins Library on March 10-12. You'll find a great selection of books from Book People, including Topher Bradfield picks, books on summer reading lists, and books for parents too! Book Fair hours will be:
  • Tuesday 3/10: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm
  • Wednesday 3/11: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Thursday 3/12: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Can't make it? Go to www.bookpeople.com and type "St. Andrew's Book Fair Purchase" in the notes section.


There are volunteer opportunities to help with this fun event, so if you haven't signed up already, please look for volunteer sign up sheets in your parent portal.

First Graders Have Lift-Off

First-graders visited the State Capitol on March 3 for Space Day Texas 2015! The NASA-sponsored  event included interactive activities and exhibits on the International Space Station and the future of space exploration. First-graders have been learning about the phases of the moon and what outer space looks like in their classes. It looks like our students and teachers had fun blasting off into space!   

Judge Talks Dreams and "ML" with Lower School

On Feb. 26, Judge Harriet Murphy spoke in Lower School chapel services about her experience as a judge, her life growing up during the civil rights movement, and her friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout high school and college (She called him "ML"). Harriet also had the chance to talk with students about what they want to be when they grow up. Anna Faith Williams '25 says, "She encouraged us to go to school and do what your dreams tell you," and Gigi Thomas '25 says, "She believes in us."

 

 

Uni-Saders Roll Into Casis     

 

On March 3 and 4, the Uni-Sader riders and mentors taught Casis Elementary's fourth and fifth grade PE classes. It was a great opportunity for our students to collaborate with their peers in the greater Austin community! The wheels keep rolling as the Uni-Sader's fearless leader Jimmy Agnew aims to bring the club into other Austin schools. Jimmy will sit on a panel discussion and screen his short documentary on March 16 at the George Washington Carver Cultural Museum from 5:00-7:00 pm. 

LS & MS Ready for PSIA Competition

We are proud to have 37 Lower and Middle School students representing their peers and St. Andrew's at the upcoming Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA) competition at Regents School on Saturday, March 7. They will be competing in a total of 65 events that span spelling, math, writing, and art! Click here to see more details on the event. Go Cru!

 


Shakespeare Festival at MS Commons

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet played out recently at the 19th annual Shakespeare Festival in the Middle School McGhee Commons. Eighth-grade English students performed 21 scenes from the play to celebrate their five-week study of Elizabethan language, Renaissance theater, and arguably the Bard's most popular tragedy.

 

Though Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, the Nurse character provided effective comic relief, moments before the SAS custodian's rolling ladder morphed into an ivy-covered balcony. The audience also enjoyed the accompaniment of Middle School trombonist Nathan Lietzke and pianist Emma Rodman as well as a ballet interlude by Emma, Dorothy Thompson and Sophia Levy

 

Despite limited rehearsals following their classroom study, students navigated Shakespeare's plots and poetry well. Dramaturgy and rehearsals were under the direction of MS English teachers Elizabeth Martens and Dorothy De La Garza. Thank you Dorothy and Rachel Westgate for sharing with us!  

 

Football Highlight Reel Captures Record Season

St. Andrew's Middle School Football team had a record season of 5-2 this year--the best record for MS Football in five years! Watch the highlight reel of this year's record season here. Thank you to SAS parents Gavin Vilarreal for filming the games, Jen Grogono for sourcing the video editor and the MacDougall family for creating the highlight reel!

 

Perhaps the sweetest victory for the St. Andrew's team was beating arch rival St. Stephens 19-6, and thus ending a nine-year losing streak to the Knights.The only two losses of the season were by a combined three points; two points on a last-minute safety, and one point on an extra-point conversion.

 

This was Jason Kruger's first season as head coach of MS Football. One parent remarks, "Jason's leadership played a key role in uniting the Middle School athletes and the Upper School assistant coaches." Upper School Football coach Ty Detmer also attended many games to work with the athletes on the sidelines. Congratulations to the MS Football team for an outstanding year! Go Cru! 

 

MS Prepares to Fly in "Peter Pan"     

Rehearsals are underway for 68 Middle School students preparing to wow audiences in their "Peter Pan" production on May 8. St. Andrew's has hired a professional harness rigging company to help our five Middle School students "fly" during the show!

 

Performers will have the help of their Upper School peers; the Theatre Tech students are building the set pieces, and 20 crew members will be on-hand for support during the performance. Senior Ellie McDaniel will serve as Assistant Stage Manager as a part of her Senior Project.

 

For the first time ever Lower School students will be able to preview Act I of the show at the Upper School. Not only will the cast get an enthusiastic live audience for rehearsal, but our Lower School students will get a glimpse at the life of Middle and Upper School artists. 

 

Parent Enrichment: "High Risk Behaviors and the Adolescent Mind"  

 

Please join us on March 24 at 12:15 at the US Library to hear a very dynamic speaker who was on our campus last Fall speaking to all of our sophomores. Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S, will discuss how high-risk behaviors affect the developing adolescent brain. Parents, teachers and counselors will learn techniques for preventing high-risk behavior and increasing executive functioning skills will be discussed. Ms. Collier is currently the Director of the Behavioral Health Institute and the Choices Prevention Program for The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston. Crystal speaks from experience and also from the science behind it.  She is very engaging and you won't want to miss it!

Allie Novess '15 Shares Reflections on D&L Day
Amal Kassir

On Diversity & Leadership Day, Allie Novess '15 was particularly inspired by 19-year-old slam poet Amal Kassir. Allie took some time to reflect on Amal's performance and share with us how she was impacted. Click here to read the full interview with Allie. 

 
   

Dr. Amy Harris, St. Andrew's strings teacher and orchestra conductor, was invited to lead the Middle School Honor Orchestra at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas on Feb. 20 and 21. She led talented Middle School string players in an intensive two-day workshop that culminated in a final concert. She conducted pieces by Handel, Meyers and Spata, as well as a world-premier piece called "Western Overture" composed by Allysa Kassler for the 10th anniversary year of the Middle School Honor Orchestra. Thank you Amy for sharing with us! 

Upper School Coaches Take Top Prize

St. Andrew's athletes have some star-studded coaches to brag about!

 

Photo by Rodolpho Gonzalez

 

Congratulations to Upper School Football coach Ty Detmer, who will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on April 9! Ty won the 1990 Heisman Trophy during his college career as a two-time All-American at BYU before playing for five NFL teams over 12 seasons. Ty is one of eight inductees being honored in Waco on April 9. Read more info on the reception and banquet events here.

  

 

 

 

St. Andrew's also congratulates Upper School Cross-Country coach Gilbert Tuhabonye, who recently won his age division (40-44) and finished 15th overall at the Austin Marathon on Feb. 15. Gilbert's final time was 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 32 seconds.  
 

 

Congratulations Ty and Gilbert!

 

"Sacred Space" at US For Reflection 

   

Students in the Art Studio classes recently worked as Architects to create a small "sacred space," a structure without iconography and off the beaten path for creative thinking, contemplation, or prayer. Roughly 70 art students worked with artist-mentor Nick Schnitzer and US Art teacher Chris McCoy. They used saws, drills, and paint rollers to layer paint, create wood-grain, and varnish every foot board.  

 

Gabriel Kennedy remarks, "It's interesting how something that looks so simply beautiful could be so much work." Cate Davis says, "I experienced turning something on paper into an actual three dimensional structure, sticking to an idea, never quitting because it was too difficult." Taylor Bethea says, " It gave me a great sense of accomplishment because I've never built something of this scale before."

 

Chris McCoy remarks, "We offer our small sacred space to the St. Andrew's community as a place to feel connection, as a home, a sacred place for a reverent moment, a spot to chill, to stretch, to contemplate." Watch the time-lapse video of this project by Nick Schnitzer here. Thank you Chris for sharing this story with us! 

 
Tamburr Inspires Student Musicians and Artists
 

Musician Christian Tamburr recently offered a clinic for the students in the St. Andrew's Jazz Band. While on campus, he joined forces with the Upper School Jazz Band and Dr. David Guidi to perform for the students in Rock Band, AP Music Theory, and Susan Kemner Reed's art students, who were invited to draw (pictured right is senior Sarah Wareing's sketch). As a professional touring musician, former musical director for Julio Iglesias, and current jazz ambassador for Lincoln Center in Abu Dhabi, Christian offered numerous insights on performance and the music business to students. Read more about Christian on his website here.

 

 

 

Advanced Certamen Wins Area Championship

  

The St. Andrew's students competed well on their home turf this year during the the Texas State Junior Classical League (TSJCL) Area F Latin Convention. The Middle School Certamen and Upper School Intermediate Certamen teams both took second place. The Advanced Certamen team won first place and will now combine with the LASA team to represent the Austin area at the TSJCL State Convention. Click here to read the full story and the complete list of winners. Congratulations to all the winners and "bonam fortunam omnibus" at the TSJCL State Convention, which will be held on March 26-29 at Amarillo High School.  

 

Charlie Tusa '16 Builds 20-Foot Bridge
  
Congratulations to Charlie Tusa '16 who recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts of America. Charlie joined Scouting in first grade as a Tiger Cub in St. Andrew's Pack 23. After receiving his Arrow of Light, Charlie crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 399. His Eagle Project involved designing and building a 20-foot bridge to connect two prayer paths at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church. The project extended over two weekends and required transporting 80-pound bags of concrete mix down a steep valley to the site using a zip-line, mixing the concrete to make the center support piers, attaching wooden beams to the piers, and then building the bridge on top of the beams. Charlie and volunteers from St. Andrew's and the Troop also cleared brush and created a short crushed granite path to connect the bridge to an existing path. Thank you St. Andrew's parent Susan Kidwell for sharing.

 

Save the Date for All-School Art Show

  

Mark your calendars for the All-School Art Show on Friday, April 17. Our Lower, Middle, and Upper School artists will join together at the Upper School to show off their talents in music, art, and vocal performance. Stay tuned for more details, including a schedule of opening night activities!

 
 

 

 

"Toast the Derby" on Sunday, May 3!
  

Save the date for St. Andrew's Annual Concert for Financial Aid as we "Toast to the Derby" at 6:00 pm on May 3, 2015 on the Nazro Green at our Upper School campus.   

 

Reserved seating, table sponsorships, and corporate sponsorship opportunities will be mailed soon and available online next week!   

 

Join us for delicious Derby-inspired food and signature cocktails, amazing live and silent auctions, and incredible entertainment by Emerald City band!  

 

We're off to the races, all in support of St. Andrew's Financial Aid Program! 

 

Get Your SAS Summer Camp Spot!

    

 

In a cold winter spell, what could be more exciting than planning your summer activities? Registration is now open for SAS Summer, three weeks of fun and friendship with the St. Andrew's family!

 

Austin-area artists, athletes, scientists, and achievers are invited to join us June 8-26 to explore new interests and refine skills with our renowned faculty. Our camp isn't just for kids either. High school students from all across Austin will find a unique camp experience specifically tailored to their interests.

 

Learn more about "Animal Planet," "Sports Plus," "Once Upon a Stage," "Japanese Furniture Design," and our many other summer camps by visiting our SAS Summer camp page here.

 

Camps fill quickly, so be sure to register early! Questions? Contact Aimee Zivin, St. Andrew's Director of Beyond the Classroom programs.  

 

Alumni News
February Fun for Local Alumni!
 

St. Andrew's alumni braved the cold to share food and fond memories on Feb. 24 at the Austin-area Alumni event hosted at Plucker's. But the evening was not just for reminiscing; St. Andrew's had lots of exciting news to share with alumni!

 

Head of School Sean Murphy talked about the major planning developments launched this year, including the master site planning process with Boston-based company Utile, and the new kindergarten program slated for Fall 2016.  

 

A brief presentation on the new St. Andrew's website showed off the dedicated "Alumni" page, where alumni can now sign-up to be a mentor to current St. Andrew's students, find upcoming events, see pictures and read alumni news, share their recent accomplishments, and help plan regional and reunion events.

 

If you're a St. Andrew's alum, be sure to check our Alumni pages for more updates as we grow our Alumni Association and plan regional gatherings and our annual reunions!

 

Steven recently submitted his updates to us through the new  Share a Story web page for Alumni, in order to make himself available to other St. Andrew's students who may be interested in pursuing a similar career. Here's what Steven has to say:

 

After graduating in the [St. Andrew's] Cornerstone Class, I enlisted in the Marine Corps. I served for 8 years as a Counterintelligence/Human Intelligence Agent. I was an interrogator and military source handler collecting and disseminating crucial tactical intelligence information from human sources supporting the various US Special Forces during multiple tours in Iraq. I completed my bachelor's degree in International Relations from American Military University while I served.

 

I moved back to Austin when I got out in 2011 and started my own business, consulting and selling enterprise technology solutions to the Federal Government and other governmental agencies. Concurrently, I created and led a sales division for another established technology company managing a sales staff and running marketing operations.

 

In 2013, I began the Executive MBA program at the University of Texas in Austin. At 30, I am the youngest member of my class which is made up of executives and senior managers from a variety of professional backgrounds. I will graduate with honors in May.

 

Also since 2013, I have been working in Austin's vibrant and growing start-up scene as I switched careers into software and IT management solutions. I've built a career in technology sales and marketing and intend to follow that career path until I am able to found and build my own technology company from right here in Austin.

 

I hope everyone is doing well! Go CRU!

 

Thank you for sharing with us Steven! We look forward to more exciting updates.
Announcements & Reminders
Spirit Shop

Check out the new shirts at the Spirit Shop!

The LS/MS Spirit Shop in Crusader Hall is open the first Thursday of every month from 2:00-4:00 pm.

 

If you need spirit gear in between those dates, the Upper School Cru-Op is open Monday-Friday from 2:30-4:30 pm in Founder's Hall.

 

You can also order online anytime at www.sasspiritshop.org. 

 

Questions? Email spiritshop@sasaustin.org.