Welcome to Cru's News 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. If you consider yourself a member of the St. Andrew's community, then this newsletter is for you.
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Happy Holidays!
With this final newsletter of 2014, the Communications Team wishes you, the St. Andrew's family, a safe and joyous holiday season. We look forward to bringing you new stories in the new year! In the meantime, check our website and Facebook page for updates as our year comes to a close with holiday celebrations.
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Join Our Team
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]. |
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Winter Choir Concert Kicks-Off Holidays
 The Lower, Middle, and Upper School choirs joined together to deliver a stunning vocal performance of holiday music on Monday, Dec. 8. It was standing room only in the Dell Theatre, where students in grades 5-12 took turns taking the stage as the Grade 5 Choir, Grade 6 Choir, Middle School Choir, Middle School Women's Ensemble, Upper School Concert Choir, and Upper School Select Choir. Visit our Facebook page to find clips of the performances, including Rachmaninoff's Bogoroditse Devo sung in Russian by the Upper School Concert Choir. If you missed this all-school spectacle, there are still other opportunities to see our talented students perform this month. Scroll to "On the Horizon" at the end of the newsletter for the full list.
Select Choir Goes Caroling at Noon 
The Select Choir sang Christmas favorites like "Ding, Dong! Merrily on High" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" at St. David's Episcopal Church this afternoon in downtown Austin. The thirty-minute program also included the ethereal "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" and playful "Fum Fum Fantasy." Visit our Facebook page to hear a clip from their performance.
In addition to their performance at the Governor's Mansion this past week and their performance at the Capitol Rotunda slated for Dec. 19, Select Choir will also perform at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. in the coming months. It is a busy year for this talented group of singers, with their fearless leader Choral Director Michael Rosensteel leading the way!
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Harrison Oddo ('24) Plays Full Day of Chess in Tourney
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Harrison Oddo (pictured at right in green shirt)
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Third-grader Harrison Oddo represented St. Andrew's in the 2014 Spicewood Scholastic Chess Tournament on November 15. Over 430 local school children participated in 5 rounds of chess that lasted almost 8 hours. Players followed the USCF rules including touch-moves and mandatory clocks. Harrison medaled in the event coming in 19th place in his section! Thank you Karey Oddo for sharing this news.
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4th Grade Teams Up With Juniors, Seniors for Science Expo
The fourth-graders spent their day as scientists performing experiments with the help of St.  Andrew's Upper School volunteers during their Science Expo on Nov. 20.
Juniors and seniors paired with students to perform various science experiments spanning astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. Fourth grade teacher Donna Hunt explains, "The purpose of the Expo is for students to learn the scientific method, and have a healthy curiosity about science that extends beyond the walls of a classroom." Students traveled in groups to different experiment stations, where they read questions, wrote a hypothesis, and performed the experiment.
Experiments investigated how the Moon rotates on an axis, how animals use camouflage, how the brain interprets color waves, how thrust works in rockets, how acid rain affects statues, the pulling power of water molecules, and the effects of shifting air pressure. The students enjoyed working together with their Upper School counterparts to perform the experiments and then write their analysis and conclusion. It was a fun day of seeing science in action!
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6th Grade's Historical Fiction Day 
On Friday, Dec. 5, sixth grade students dressed as characters from historical fiction books they read as a recent collaborative unit in Language Arts and Social Studies. Students began the unit by each selecting a historical fiction novel with the help of the St. Andrew's librarians. Many of these novels were also coming-of-age stories, from The Executioner's Daughter (set in medieval Europe) to To Kill a Mockingbird, set in the south in the 1930's. Students proceeded to research the historical and cultural context of the settings of their novels, and then prepared creative presentations, ranging from skits to imaginative letters written by their characters.
Sixth-grader Mia Arriaga read Esperanza Rising, the story of a family who moves from Mexico to  California in the late 1920's. The main character, Esperanza, has to work to help feed her family. For Mia's presentation, she carried a basket of potatoes, grapes, and avocados: foods that the character picked as a migrant worker. Mia presented a letter that Esperanza might have written to her grandmother back in Mexico. Reflecting on the project, Mia says, "I related to the story because my family is also from Mexico, and Esperanza's personality reminds me of myself. Like me, she really loves her mom and works hard. Once she starts something, she likes to finish it, just like me."
Helen Chapin-Eiserloh and Evelyn Berry collaborated in reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a story  about a girl growing-up in the slums of Brooklyn in the early 1900's. Helen and Evelyn wrote and performed a script imagining the siblings in the book, Francie and Neeley, twenty years after the novel ends. "I loved the plot of the story and it was a great challenge," Helen says, "Also, historical fiction is a great genre!"
Jack Haveman dressed up in a full 1930's style gangster suit after reading Al Capone Does My Shirts. Several other students including Cammie Guttell, Trenton Jackson, Lila Josey, and Thomas Daniel also read novels from this series by Gennifer Chdenko, and enjoyed giving presentations. Looking back on Historical Fiction Day, Jack says, " I liked seeing everyone else's costumes and hearing their performances. I thought it was really fun and I would want to do it again." Sixth graders will indeed have the chance to do a similar project in the spring when they read, research, and respond creatively to literature from World War II.
Thank you Language Arts teacher Grace Ortman for contributing this article!
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The St. Andrew's second-graders put on an enchanting performance of Stone Soup on Friday, Nov. 21 in chapel services for the Lower School. The annual production of this old folk tale takes place before Thanksgiving as a reminder to be thankful for our blessings. The setting of Stone Soup changes every year, and this year the audience was transported to India.
For weeks leading up to the performance, students worked hard to memorize their lines, practice their song and story, and craft puppets to serve as the actors of the play. A visit from professional puppeteers helped students learn how to act with their puppets. In the style of professional puppetry, students dressed in black for the performance to let their puppets take center stage. Drama teacher Aimee Zivin narrated the story, accompanied by Music teacher Rebecca Kyriakides on piano and recorder. Second grade teacher Jimmy Agnew also made a cameo appearance as the rickshaw driver.
The Lower Schoolers took their Stone Soup show on the road this week to spread some holiday cheer in the local community. Nicole Williams' class performed for seniors at the Asian American Cultural Center, Jimmy Agnew's class visited St. James' pre-school students, and Mark Benthall's class presented at The Retirement and Nursing Center. Thank you Drama teacher Aimee Zivin, Music teachers Rebecca Kyriakides and Lucy Bourland, and Art teacher Holly Melear for helping our artists bring this story to life!
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"Hanukkah Happening" on Dec. 16 
Come celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at our First Annual "Hanukkah Happening" in the Lower School's Rollins Library. On Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 3:15 pm, there will be a short storytime with St. Andrew's parent Michelle Natinsky. (Bring your little ones from home, too!) After the story, we will celebrate with dreidels and with "sufganiyot" (jelly doughnuts) for everyone! For fifth- and sixth-graders, there will be the first ever "Dreidel Tournament," which will bring some healthy competition for the holiday and bring out the joy of the miracle of lights.
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Deadline for Lower School Trip to D.C. 
The deadline for fifth- and sixth-graders to sign up for the Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C. is Monday, Dec. 15.
To secure your student's place on the trip, an application and non-refundable deposit check (for $800) must be turned into Karen Cowan in the Business Office.
Contact Stephanie Kruger or Tim McGhee for forms.
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8th Grade Tours Big Apple
Over Thanksgiving break, eighteen eighth-graders embarked on the 29th annual trip to New York City with teachers Jason Kruger, Barton Ballard, and Molly Blackman. The rain didn't slow this group down! They took in all of the sights including Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, 5th Avenue, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Times Square, and many more! The group also saw Broadway shows Aladdin and Matilda.
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Middle School Drama Performs "The Crucible"
Eighth grade students will be performing Arthur Miller's Tony-award-winning play based on the Salem witch trials on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 pm, and on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm at the Upper School's Dell Fine Arts Center. Admission is free!
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Morning Meetings Keep MS Unified
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Students perform a scene from their play "The Crucible" during a morning meeting.
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The phrase "morning meeting" doesn't create a sense of excitement for most people. Yet morning meetings at the Middle School are anything but ordinary. Originally a gathering of Middle School faculty and students for general announcements, morning meetings have evolved to include community-building activities often led by the students themselves.
Recent activities have included a fashion show, a Jeopardy-style quiz game, and a skit on school dances. Head of Middle School Alice Nezzer beams with pride saying, "I am super excited about what's going on in Middle School right now. This is a great opportunity to watch them lead. They realize it's a lot of work but they feel fulfilled."
Morning meetings are still opportunities for faculty and staff to educate as well. Wednesdays are usually led by Doug Alford and involve discussions on technology or media. Recently Doug had a fake email sent to students to test their ability to identify spam. Then, during morning meeting, Doug revealed his secret ploy and discussed the results of his experiment with students.
The common area where the morning meetings take place was intentionally designed for communal gatherings like this. Alice remembers Tim McGhee's efforts to ensure the architects of the Middle School created a space for this type of engagement. The broader purpose for morning meetings is also important to Alice, who says, "These opportunities for students to lead and learn from each other in a safe environment is very much aligned with our Social Emotional Learning at St. Andrew's. And it's great that it doesn't have to happen in a classroom per se."
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Varsity Boy's Soccer Wins Tournament
 
Congratulations to the Varsity Boys Soccer team for winning the SAS Soccer Tournament last weekend! On Friday, the team won 5-4 in an exciting game against Trinity Valley. They built on their success the following day with wins against Regents (2-1) and San Juan Diego (5-1). The first place trophy was accepted by team co-captain, Tanner Svanas ('15) and honorary team member, Asher Fore ('24). Thank you Paula Taylor, team parent, for sharing this story!
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Allie Novess ('15) Selected by Contemporary Austin
 Senior Allie Novess was selected by Contemporary Austin this fall as one of 25 students in Austin to participate in their Advanced Young Artists Program. Over the course of several months, Allie will create a portfolio of work with a designated mentor, and showcase her final work when the program culminates in Summer 2015. We had a chance to talk with Allie about this exciting opportunity and where art will take her after graduation. How long have you been a student at St. Andrew's? I have been at Saint Andrew's since Freshman year! I love this school so much and I am extremely lucky to be able to go here. When did you first become interested in art? I took art classes throughout lower, middle, and high school. This year I am taking 3 "artsy" electives: AP Art Portfolio, AP Art History, and Select Choir. What sort of art projects at St. Andrew's are particularly memorable to you? I think my favorite art project is the one I am working on right now. My concentration, for my portfolio, is a collection of modern pieces that all represent change and growth. I like to use natural objects such as tree branches, rocks, and leaves on previously painted canvases.  | |
Allie's artwork is currently on display in the Upper School's Art Building.
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How have you grown as an artist at St. Andrew's? I have grown immensely as a person and an artist at St. Andrews. I have finally found my voice as an artist. My pieces are meaningful to me now and reflective of how I see the world and view life in general. I also think that my art-filled Junior Experience to France this past summer re-fueled my passion for art this year. How did you become involved in the Advanced Young Artists program? Mrs. Kemner Reed strongly encouraged me to apply. I'll work one-on-one with a professional artist (mentor) for 6 months on a joint project culminating in a final exhibition. I do not know who my mentor is yet but I was told that they will likely be someone with a different art style than me so that I can expand my horizons, which I would be ecstatic to do. Do you plan to pursue art after graduation? In what capacity? Absolutely. Ultimately I'd like to have my art reproduced and sold commercially. Whether my career will be built around visual art or not, I know that I will continue to paint and draw because art has and always will be my main passion. Who/what inspires you as an artist? Susan Kemner Reed has had an enormous influence on my life and I cannot thank her enough. She has been my art teacher for the past three years. She pushes me every day to be a better artist, to go out of my comfort zone, to experiment, and to find my voice as an artist. I have always had a hard time explaining what my work means to me and how I can relate it back to my life. She has helped me gain confidence and prepare for the professional world. I will miss her dearly when I graduate.
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New Latin Game Popular Addition to Annual Banquet
The St. Andrew's Latin Banquet included a new addition this year--a role-playing game called "Ludi Romani" in which students played the roles of Roman characters while in costume. The game united our Latin scholars of all ages and skill, and brought a fun new dynamic to the event that the students enjoyed. 
Sixth-grader Jack Haveman wrote, "This year, I thought that the banquet was more realistic and more educational than last year. The idea of the game was my favorite thing about the banquet." Junior Caroline Graves added, "The game was fun to be in, and there was more interaction between the younger and older kids."
Ludi Romani was played in teams with the goal of winning 'battles' to take possession of the Roman empire. Some students played deities to deliver messages between various provinces, while other students played historical figures like Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. Fifth- and sixth-graders served as messengers, doctors, priests, and other professions in Roman society.
In addition to the game, students enjoyed authentic Roman-style food served in three courses; a version of "antipasti," vegetables and meat skewers, and apples and gingersnaps.
Watch a video of the Latin Banquet on our Facebook page here. It was shot by students Noelle Brimble ('15) and William McKinnerney ('17) and edited by William McKinnerney. Thank you US Latin teacher Jennie Luongo for sharing this story.
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Please consider a year-end gift to the St. Andrew's Fund
Will you help us fund art, chapel and program expenses, professional development, and enhanced campus security for St. Andrew's students this year? Maybe you'd like to honor a special teacher this season! Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Andrew's Fund by Dec. 31. Thank you and happy holidays! - Laurie Ratliff & David Swanson, parents of Scout '22
- Jill Carey & Bill Gurasich, parents of Alex '15 and David '15
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Cameron Coffman ('10)
 
Cameron Coffman ('10) came to the Upper School campus today to visit with Art teacher Susan Kemner-Reed and talk about her life since graduating this week from UT with a BFA in Studio Art. Susan gave Cameron a tour of the Arts Building, which was only breaking ground when Cameron graduated from St. Andrew's.
When Cameron entered UT as a freshman she "didn't really know what I wanted to study. I wasn't certain I could make a career as an artist, as far as being able to get a job. So I took a year off from school and traveled to Spain. Then I realized that there's absolutely people who make a life out of being creative. That's when I came back and got into my art again." Cameron participated in many grants and fellowships offered through UT that allowed her to travel around the country, explore her artistic interests, and enabled her to "essentially graduate debt-free. I was amazed at how many resources were available at UT at no cost to me, and I took advantage of every opportunity I could."
Now, Cameron is working part-time as a photo lab technician at UT and working on her sculpture and photography (and some painting) in an east Austin studio. Susan is inviting Cameron to be a guest lecturer in her class as well, noting, "We have professional artists come in as guests, but I really like getting our alumni back to teach as well, so students can see what their peers are doing in the real world."
When Cameron reflects on her time at UT, she says, "St. Andrew's really prepares you for college, the way they teach you to think and analyze here. As a result, college was never unmanageable for me. I'm really going to miss it." Cameron plans on preparing a 15-to-20-piece portfolio for submission to master's programs, but first she plans to 'take a breather' and enjoy her recent accomplishment. You can see Cameron's portfolio of work online here.
Thank you Cameron for sharing your life updates with us!
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Click here for details. We hope to see you there!
 Many thanks to Emily Klug Slaughter ('95) and Richard Slaughter ('91) for hosting the Alumni Holiday Party this year! We visited with them about their time at St. Andrew's to learn why they stay involved with St. Andrew's and why it continues to have a special place in their lives.
Emily and Richard agree that what makes St. Andrew's special are the lifelong friendships that have stayed with them through the years, remarking "Our oldest and best friends are those we met at St. Andrew's. They are now part of our family as our children's Godparents." When they reminisce about their favorite memories of St. Andrew's, field trips and sports coaches seem to be their common memory. For Emily, "I had a blast playing basketball for Coach Barton Ballard in sixth grade. And all the fun field trips to San Antonio, Camp Allen, Mo Ranch, New York City, and Big Bend." Richard especially enjoyed flag football and basketball, and "being coached by Coach Costas."
Though it's hard for them to pick their most memorable teacher, both Emily and Richard remember their eighth-grade teachers fondly. Emily remembers, "I loved so many teachers. It's hard to pick just one. Jackie Donegan (who's Ms. King now) was my eighth grade American History teacher. She really made learning history so interesting and I looked forward to her class every day." Richard remembers, "Jerry Buttrey taught seventh grade Texas History. He challenged us to think beyond our years of age, and offered cultural anecdotes that enhanced his Texas History class." Richard's favorite St. Andrew's tradition was Earth Day and the Earth Ball. With the holiday season in full swing, Emily's favorite tradition "Lessons and Carols" is now close on the horizon!
Emily and Richard were married in 2006 at the St. Andrew's Upper School Chapel. Emily now works part-time as a private practice LPC, treating anxiety disorders and supervising counselors in training. Richard produces enterprise analysis for the Employees Retirement System of Texas. Their family has now grown to include 4-1/2-year-old son Richard "Tres" and 9-month-old daughter Margret. When they have a chance, they like to head to Matt's El Rancho for some good Mexican food, or venture into the water for some swimming in the summer.
Thank you Emily and Richard for opening your homes to your fellow alumni this holiday season, and for sharing your memories with the rest of us!
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 Getting to Know Elizabeth Guice & College Counseling The running joke in college counseling is that no one sets out to be a college counselor, but not so for Elizabeth Guice! As a high school student she already knew she wanted to have either her director of admissions' job or her college counselor's job. Elizabeth says, "I later laughed when I became a college counselor AND director of admissions at St. Andrew's. I should have enunciated better and made sure that God heard the 'or' in my statement!" As a high school history teacher, Elizabeth Guice found her way to St. Andrew's in 1996. With no existing high school at the time, former Head of School Lucy Nazro "had enough faith in me to pull together a bunch of different jobs for me." Eventually Elizabeth joined the newly minted Southwest Parkway campus as an admissions rep. "I love sharing my story of how I came to St. Andrew's with my students because it's a story of mutual faith - someone having faith in me and me having faith in a place. My first job at St. Andrew's wasn't exactly what I'd imagined I'd be doing, but it was a great lesson in the value of saying 'yes' to opportunities in life!" Saying 'yes' to opportunities is something Elizabeth, as Director of College Counseling, stresses to all students, especially those in ninth grade. She says, "The way to prepare for the college admissions process this early is to not close doors to possibilities. By this I mean don't decide that art or engineering are things you're not interested in before trying them. I've even asked students to try things they think they're bad at; sometimes they're surprised, and it's a learning opportunity that's incredibly valuable." Beyond providing guidance on college admissions processes, Elizabeth and her team are deeply vested in learning about each student's interests and goals in order to find the right college match. She explains, "Our focus is on the process and on the match made with the student and school. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this process because our students are individuals." The college counseling team comprises 12 Upper School faculty and staff who have built strong relationships with students over the years as their advisors, teachers, and coaches. In addition to knowing their students well, the college counselors work tirelessly to research colleges/universities to make sure they can recommend the best matches for students. Elizabeth glowingly remarks on her team, "They are the best. They travel to colleges, host college reps here, and meet with each other regularly to compare notes. We really act as a team. In a way, each student gets all 12 college counselors!"
St. Andrew's parent Tami Scott witnessed Elizabeth's substantial expertise first-hand over Thanksgiving break. She recalls, "I had always heard how good our college counseling program was but I have just witnessed it at its best. Elizabeth is amazing at her job. [My son] Cameron talked to her about visiting Vanderbilt over break. After a mere 10-15 minute conversation, she told him that he should visit Belmont University just a few streets over if he was interested in Business and Music. I can't thank her enough for putting this bug in his ear; I think he may have found his home away from home. She told Cameron about a school that most people didn't know existed based on what he was interested in and I think he has found his 'place.' And that makes a mom feel really good!"
While the end result (college acceptance) is the main focus, Elizabeth also believes the whole  process is equally important to students growing into independent adults: "It's about how students take risks, welcome success, handle setbacks, and support one another. They are at this wonderful time where the world is big and the possibilities are vast and yet there is reality. Reality that sometimes even if you do everything right, the world delivers a 'no' to you. And reality that sometimes, against all odds, you prevail."
Elizabeth loves her work, and it shows in the way she describes the program, her team, and most importantly St. Andrew's students. She says, "I know a lot of people at St. Andrew's feel this way, but I think I have the best job at St. Andrew's! The relationships that I have had the honor of creating make each and every day meaningful. Our students are going to be great in life; they are interesting, curious, compassionate, smart, resourceful, and generous." With this group of thoughtful, deeply committed college counselors at their side, our students are in good hands as they plan for the next big adventure in their lives.
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Announcements & Reminders
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Admissions Notes 
The application deadline for all students enrolling in grades 1-12 in the 2015-2016 school year is Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. More Admissions-related info can be found in their December newsletter here.
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Parent Association
Notes from the Dec. 3 Parent Association meeting are available to view here. Thank you parents for participating during this busy time of year!
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AmazonSmile for the Holidays
Save time and earn money (0.5% of qualifying purchases) for St. Andrew's when you shop on Amazon via http://smile.amazon.com. All AmazonSmile benefits are the same as your Amazon account, including your login. That means if you have an Amazon Prime Membership, you'll receive free shipping. It's simple, saves you time and earns St. Andrew's money.
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Crusader Magazine
Our 2013-2014 Crusader Magazine is now available to view online here. Read a year in review of our scholars, artists, athletes, and servants, including graduation ceremonies and awards, and peruse the annual report on giving for the 2013-2014 year . Extra print copies are also available on campus.
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Dec. 12 2nd grade Christmas performance in Chapel at 11:00 am
Dec. 12-13 8th Grade Play "The Crucible"at 7:00 pm, Dec. 13 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm, Dell Fine Arts Center
Dec. 14 Unisader's Short Documentary Screening 5:00 pm, Dell Fine Arts Center
Advent Evensong, 7:00 pm, Upper School Chapel
Dec. 17 1st-4th grade Las Posadas in Small Gym, 9:00 - 11:00 am
Dec. 18 1st grade Christmas Pageant in Chapel, 8:15 am
3rd-4th grade Christmas Pageant in Chapel, 10:20-10:45 am
Dec. 19 All-School Lessons & Carols in LS/MS Crusader Hall, 8:30 am
US Select Choir in the Capitol's Rotunda, 12:00 pm
Dec. 20 Alumni Holiday Party, Slaughter Residence, 6:30 pm
Dec. 22 - Jan 5, 2015 Winter Break
Jan. 15 Concert for Financial Aid Committee Meeting, LS/MS DuPont Room in Nazro Hall, 11:15 am
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