Notes from Jan

3/15/12 2:58 PM in News and Events

FINE ARTS WEEK 2012

The students have done an outstanding job with all their presentations this week –the concerts, the art shows— the musical opens tonight (Thursday).  If you haven’t been to the Art Shows, check them out before you come to South Pacific! Thanks to our dedicated faculty for their creativity and their ability to encourage the students to create!

3/9/12 3:59 PM in News and Events

An Eventful Couple of Weeks

The last two weeks have been extremely busy and full of emotion. Last week it was exciting as I was at the NAIS (National Association of Independent School) national conference in Seattle. Be glad we live in Florida! The conference was outstanding, full of great speakers and workshops, but the weather was cold, rainy and downright horrible.  The conference was on INNOVATION and the keynote speaker was Bill Gates. Pretty innovative person I would say! (See photo). I look forward to sharing with the faculty all  I learned in Seattle.

This week has been eventful. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. The situation at Episcopal High School was horrific. I know their community appreciated having Father Nathan on their campus these past few days. Please keep the school in your prayers.

Luckily this week we did have some wonderful events happen here.  I watched the final Business Plan presentations conducted by 8th graders in Mr. Hertrick’s class.  It was an innovative project with outstanding outcomes.  Stop any eighth grader and ask what they did! I also visited the Intermediate Chapel to watch John Whelan receive the 1st place award from the local Elks Club for his essay on the importance of the Pledge of Allegiance.  Well done, John (see photo).  On Wednesday night, the Winter Athletic Awards were presented to all our talented student-athletes. Great season! The Athletic Department’s new format for this evening event is wonderful. Thanks to all the students and parents who attended and to the Booster Committee for a delicious dinner. The Middle School hosted the Very Special Art’s Day on Thursday.  The Middle School students welcomed 100 pre-school children from the Children’s Academy of Southwest Florida, Inc. to have a fun day of art outside. There were a lot of happy faces on campus all morning! The day continued to be enriching due to the two concerts from the Yale a capella group called Something Extra. They really were “something extra” special because our own Kathleen Addison, who graduated from SSES and is in her sophomore year at Yale, is part of the group!  Today we ended with another inspirational Flag Friday in Lower School and an exciting field day in Intermediate School.  I know more happened this week…! And yet we do teach classes full of excellent academic coursework, but the life of our school is wonderful!

2/23/12 3:41 PM in News and Events

Mock Trial Team is #1

Congratulations to the members of the Saint Stephen’s Mock Trial team who placed first in the12th Circuit Mock Trial Title Competition against other Manatee County High Schools on Tuesday night of this week. The members of the team are: Katie Carrington, Kenzie Lin, Kaitlyn Moore, Evan Moscoso, Kattie Schroeter, Laura Culp, and Cole Sorenson. Their adviser is Ms. Pat Murphy, who has been an important part of the Mock Trial Program for many years. On Wednesday morning I received a wonderful phone call from one of the Manatee County judges in the court system who had watched the competition. He was calling to tell me how impressed he was with our student’s performance. He commented that each student was prepared, confident and dynamic in his/her role. Again, congratulations to these talented students!

2/16/12 10:10 PM in News and Events

ANOTHER GREAT WEEK AT SAINT STEPHEN’S!

VALENTINE’S DAY at SAINT STEPHEN’S: On Tuesday I was sitting quietly in a meeting in the Board Room when the Upper School Student Council members burst through the door, dropped to their knees and recited a sweet Valentine poem written just for me! When they finished their prose they handed me a red rose! I was so touched by their kindness! Thank you, Upper School Student Council! When I ran into Anna Boyd at the end of the day, she said the entire group could hardly talk without saying something in rhyme!
COLLEGE CELEBRATION WEEK: Congratulations to the College Counseling Office for setting up an outstanding week for our students and parents. I was pleased to listen to the admission’s officers from the University of Miami and the University of Central Florida share how they really know about the Saint Stephen’s program and they know our students…..and they are impressed with both!
It was also fun today seeing students from the Fledgling to the Seniors, and most of the faculty and staff wearing t-shirts and sweatshirts from colleges and universities from all over the country!
MANATEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COFFEE : This morning people from the community visited the campus for the Chamber Coffee. They were greeted by Lower School students welcoming them in Mandarin and Spanish! Mr. Rick Ellis and Coach Tod Creneti did a wonderful job speaking to the group about the value of a Saint Stephen’s education.
Another great week at Saint Stephen’s!

2/9/12 6:00 PM in News and Events

Run, Freddy, Run!

Hope everyone is planning to come out to run or walk in the Falcon 5K Run on Saturday. This weekend I am at Penn taking my classes, but I will be thinking of you all. I have my 5K T-shirt (designed by 4th grader Katie Carlsen) ready to wear on Saturday morning.Wish I could be there. Have fun!

1/27/12 2:50 PM in News and Events

Academics are Strong at Saint Stephen’s

This week we have had many new families visit the School, looking at Saint Stephen’s for the 2012-13 school year for their child(ren). Talking with these families, they always compliment the School regarding our academic reputation. We are proud of the academic record of our students and the dedication and commitment our teachers have to teach them. It was evident this past week as we honored the majority of the student s in both Middle and Upper School who worked to achieve the Honor Roll, Director’s List, Head of School List or received recognition for Effort and Improvement. Students work hard to learn and achieve their grades along with balancing the sports, the arts and the service they participate in within and outside of school. The outcome is a well-rounded student who has the confidence to take on challenges and is prepared for what lies ahead.
I also sat in on the AP Workshop that Mr. Whelan and Ms. Teske presented this week to parents of 8th-11th grade students. This is another example of the outstanding academics we have at Saint Stephen’s. The overall AP (Advanced Placement) program in the United States was explained, as well as the AP Program at Saint Stephen’s. As our “experts” shared, not all our students take AP’s but the majority, 88%, of our students do take at least one AP. And of that majority we have been consistent over the years with the students performing exceptionally well on the AP exams—(100% of our students who take an AP course have to take the exams -not true at all schools). 94% of our students scored a 3-4-or 5 on the AP’s which is a score that is recognized by colleges and universities, showing outstanding performance.
Congratulations to our students and teachers for the love of learning—and doing it well!

1/20/12 6:45 PM in News and Events

Saint’s Fund Update

The Saint’s Fund Thermometer is moving up! Thanks to the families who
have given to the Saint’s Fund this year. Although we are pleased to have “hit” our dollar goal this week, we still want to reach 100% parent participation by the end of the school year.  If you haven’t given, please consider sending in your donation, no matter the amount, to help us achieve this “participation” goal. Every gift counts! When we apply for grants, it is important to show that we have the support of our parent community.  Thanks for your help! Jan

1/13/12 4:44 PM in News and Events

St. Stephen’s Day Chapel–January 2012

I am sharing with you the speech I gave this week to the students in the Upper, Middle and Intermediate Schools. In Lower School I shared a similar story, but developmentally appropriate.

St. Stephen’s Day Chapel January 2012
Each year, we set aside a chapel to honor our patron saint, St. Stephen. December 26th is actually the day in the church calendar that is set aside to recognize him, but since we are not in school that day, we always have our chapel in the month of January, close to that December day.
St. Stephen lived long ago and is often remembered because he was the first deacon of the church. As the Bible states in Acts 6-7, he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.” Although not one of the original Apostles, he was ordained a deacon with six others and he had a very strong love of God. As stated in Acts, he was “full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders among the people.” We know St. Stephen was a great preacher and never hesitated to share his beliefs about God with others, even when they didn’t want to hear it. What we often remember about St. Stephen was that he was the first Christian martyr who was stoned to death for his beliefs.
As I continue to do research each year about St. Stephen’s, this year I have found some other interesting facts about him. Not only was St. Stephen very religious in his beliefs and commitment to God; and not afraid, obviously, to share his thoughts but I have learned that St. Stephen was one of the first “social workers” in the church. It was his task to organize meals to feed the poor and hungry. Some of you, especially those from England, may have heard of Boxing Day. Well, Boxing Day, as it is called in Britain, is celebrated on December 26th in remembrance of St. Stephen. It is a day in which people used to collect money throughout the year in little clay boxes and on Boxing Day or the Feast of Stephen. These boxes were broken and the money was distributed to the poor for food and clothing. In some homes and communities around the world today, a box is labeled and set beside the Christmas tree. Families, thankful for all the blessing given to them, choose one of the gifts they received to put into the St. Stephen’s box; and when the box is full it is sent to help the poor in their community or some mission in the world.
Finding this information, I believe St. Stephen would be pleased to have a school, our school, named after him that values community outreach—and so much of what we do here at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School is just that—we want to serve others, locally and globally. From when you students were in Lower School, you have filled the wagons full of canned goods and food to help the Christ Church Lord’s Pantry remain full each week for the many people in this community who depend on this as a source of their food—and you still give today in your divisions. I know when we ask for any donation of toys, clothes or food, you understand the importance of giving back to others. Your work with Rotary Club, the Salvation Army, the Southeastern Guide-dogs, the Blood bank, areas churches and schools, plus put in hours of community service each year—all to make a difference to others and hopefully you know in your heart of hearts what it is doing for you. I know you all work very diligently at the academics, the arts and the athletics you are involved in at the school, but I am also so proud that you see the value of serving others.
St. Stephen was obviously a humble man of great integrity who through his actions affected those around him during his life, but it is wonderful, as well as amazing, that hundreds of years later, we still carry on, proudly, in his name, what it truly important in life—helping others, giving to those less fortunate, reaching out with what talents, time and treasure we have been blessed with to help those who are in need.
So as members of the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School community, we know life can get so busy and go by so fast that we may forget how important these things truly are. Let’s use this day, St.Stephen’s day, to remember to be a “social worker” like St. Stephen, to reach out and find ways to help others, to be mindful of what truly can makes a difference to others and to do it with the spirit of St. Stephen—humbly and with integrity.

1/6/12 3:10 PM in News and Events

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and welcome back to school as we begin Semester 2. It was great to see all the students, teachers and parents on Tuesday! Wednesday the Upper School officially recognized the new Circle of Flags that surround the Upper School Commons. The flags represent the countries and cultures of the Upper School students. It’s a meaningful and colorful addition to the Upper School’s world-class education!  Special thanks to Ellen Carruthers for her work on the project! Thursday afternoon was full of athletic competitions for our 6th -12th grade students; and Friday began in the Lower School with wonderful Flag Friday–and it wasn’t too cold outside! Busy week and it’s fun being together again! Jan

12/2/11 1:07 PM in News and Events

Grandparents’ Day to Lessons and Carols—It’s a Busy Time of the Year

Just last week we had over 450 grandparents on the campus to spend the morning with our students. It is always one of my favorite events at the school. The students are so happy to be with their grandchildren. As a grandma myself, I can tell you my husband and I were thrilled to be with our little granddaughter! Thanks to Beth Barnes and all the moms who volunteered all morning to create a special day! During the Grandparents’ Day program down at the gym, students from each division entertained everyone with songs about Thanksgiving, turkeys, and America. It was very moving when we honored the grandparents who had served in the military. The Lower and Intermediate School students handed out “thank you” certificates to the veterans while the Falcon Voices sang God Bless America. All in all, it was a great day.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. This year Jim and I had our entire family home. Nephews and nieces also joined us for a very thankful Thanksgiving!

Before we left for Thanksgiving, the School was blessed to receive two generous gifts. We received a $50,000 anonymous gift to the Saints Fund for the School to purchase iPads for every teacher. As we continue to further 21st century skills with our students, technology definitely plays an important role. For the rest of this school year, teachers will discover ways to incorporate the iPad into what they teach. As a school, Saint Stephen’s will not be an iPad school but a school that uses iPads to enhance the learning. Once we know the teachers are comfortable using the iPad, we will determine how to unfold the program to the students. Many schools that have already implemented an iPad initiative will help us learn what will be the best way to go forward. We will keep everyone informed along the way. No decisions have been made yet and no time frame has been established for when the students will be using the iPads.

The other blessing was that the School received a $50,000 gift to the Endowment. We truly appreciate the generosity of those who understand that giving, whether it is for the annual fund, capital projects or the endowment, is how the School enhances our programs and plan for the future. Tuition just doesn’t cover it all.

Now that December is here, things are busier than ever. The Wednesday Fall Sports Award night was a huge success in its new venue and new format. I was proud to use this forum to announce that Carlos Boothby has officially become the new Athletic Director. He received a rousing round of applause! Coach Boothby, along with Tod Creneti, the Assistant AD, and the rest of the PE staff and coaches are excited to move the Athletic Program forward! Congratulations, Carlos.

Also this week, Dave Samler has announced his retirement after 33 years of dedication and commitment to Saint Stephen’s. Today is his last day in the office. But I am sure he will
come back to see many of our sporting events, since he has such a love for athletics after serving as the School’s athletic director for 21 years! We wish Dave all the best as he heads off on a new adventure!

Please come out to the many holiday music programs we have scheduled this month.Check out the School’s calendar. The students will get you into the Christmas spirit. Also, be looking for the School’s electronic Christmas card in a week or so—it is going to make you laugh!

Happy Holidays! Jan