September 1, 2015
Welcome to St. Andrew's "Cru's News," the e-newsletter that captures monthly highlights of our scholars, artists, athletes, and servants, as well as alumni stories and important event reminders. If you consider yourself a member of the St. Andrew's community, then this newsletter is for you!

Want to contribute a story? Contact communications@sasaustin.org 
 
 
Important Upcoming Dates     
MS "Back to School" Night - Wed., Sept. 2
Labor Day - No Classes - Mon., Sept. 7
US "Back to School" Night - Wed., Sept. 9
Parent Association Meeting - Wed., Sept. 16 
LS/MS Family Fun Fair - Sun., Sept. 27
6th Grade Mo Ranch Trip - Sept. 30-Oct. 2
School News   
Mr. Boutot welcomes his third-graders to class. 
The New School Year is Underway! 
This month we ushered in the 2015-16 school year at the Lower, Middle, and Upper School campuses! The Senior Breakfast was full of smiling seniors, who came to campus bright and early for breakfast tacos and the chance to peruse their yearbooks together before the first day of school. After the opening chapel service on Aug. 19, students at the Upper School began their first few days of school participating in on- and off-campus class retreats. At the Lower School, students enjoyed morning activities with their new teachers and classmates during "Meet the Teacher" Day on Aug. 21 in preparation for the first day of school on Aug. 24. The Middle School was also bustling with student activities as the 7th and 8th grades joined forces to accumulate House points during Middle School Orientation. As students prepared for their first full day of classes, they already had some familiar faces waiting for them at the door! Check out our Facebook page and Instagram for some of these back-to-school moments.  

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We're sharing fun moments in the daily lives of our students on Instagram this year!

Be sure to  follow @sasaustin to see what's happening around campus.

Want to share your own St. Andrew's moments with the community? Use #sasaustin.
Full STEAM Ahead at Lower School   
T his year St. Andrew's Lower School students will make new discoveries as they learn to problem solve and work together in Science Technology Engineering Art and Math (STEAM) Lab classes. During their first week of school, students were already in the Lab building the tallest standalone structure using spaghetti and marshmallows. But the purpose of the STEAM Lab extends beyond any single task. Read the full article here
 
Innovation Center Debuts at Upper School   
The exploration of Science Technology Engineering Art and Math (STEAM) in class is now overflowing into students' free time at the Upper School, with this year's debut of the Innovation Center. Josh Nelson, Curriculum & Technology Innovator, has created a space in which students can tinker and craft projects using 3D printers, a CNC machine, drones, and other fun tech tools. Josh is bringing students into the Center this month to introduce them to the space and tools they may be using as a part of their class studies. But the Center is mostly intended to be used as an extracurricular "springboard into other academic territory" that students may want to explore further during their free periods at school. Read the full article here 
Varsity Football Wins First Game of Season! 
by Ty Detmer, Varsity Football Coach 
The Crusaders started the season off with a 49-0 win on Friday Aug. 28! It was a great team effort with five different players scoring touchdowns in the win.  The Crusaders were led on the ground by Cole Baker '16 with 18 carries for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Crusaders shut out Faith Academy and returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns in the second half: one by Drew Brummer '16 and the other by Blais Herman '16. It was a great team effort on the defensive side of the ball with several players recording sacks and tackles for a loss.    

Cole Baker '16. Photo by Ralph Barrera 
Baker '16 Featured in Statesman's "Faces"  
Running Back Cole Baker was recently interviewed by Austin American- Statesman's Rick Cantu for their "Faces Off The Field" piece. The interview is excerpted below. Read the full interview here  
 
Is this season going to be extra special because you're a senior?
In a way, yes, because I'm really leading the team. We've got a big senior class coming up. Also, every year I've been a captain so it's felt like I've always been in a senior year here.

What does it mean to be a captain?
People look up to you. You're not the team. It's about everybody on the team, not me. It means a lot to me to be one of the captains.

What's it like being coached by Ty Detmer, a Heisman Trophy winner?
Well, you wouldn't think it just talking to him unless you already knew he was a Heisman winner. It's special because he played football at a higher level than any of us will ever play. He's come to the middle school to coach us.

Outside of football, what do you like most about St. Andrew's?
It's a small school, maybe 400 kids. Everybody knows everybody. That's what I like the most about it.  
 
Cross Country's Blake '16 Takes 2nd at Dripping Springs Invitational! 
St. Andrew's Cross Country team gave a strong performance at the Dripping Springs Cross Country Invitational on Aug. 22, with the Varsity Girls team finishing third overall and the Varsity Boys taking fourth.Hannah Blake '16 was the top finisher of the Girls team, placing second out of 32 runners. Hannah was interviewed by MileSplit Texas shortly after the race.

Caroline Biggar '16 
Volleyball's Biggar '16 and Guttell '17 Named Players to Watch   
Danny Davis of the Austin American-Statesman recently mentioned senior Caroline Biggar in his volleyball highlights. Read his post online here. Caroline and teammate Barrett Guttell '17 were also named "Players to Watch" this season by LoneStar Volleyball. Read the full details here. Good luck to Caroline, Barrett, and the rest of the Crusader Volleyball teams! 
Enjoy a Feast of the Senses This September! 
 
Art History teacher Marsha Russell's summer travels to Southeast Asia will make her art history lecture and dinner a true feast for the senses!

Join us on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Upper School, where you'll dine on a fabulous catered dinner before heading to Marsha's classroom. Marsha will provide a sneak-peek of her new AP Art History curriculum--Asian art not yet seen by her own students!--which includes her most recent discoveries from her summer travels overseas.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime journey with one of St. Andrew's most beloved teachers.  Even better: all proceeds from this event go towards St. Andrew's Financial Aid program.
Con Mi MADRE Orientation 
St. Andrew's hosted the Con Mi MADRE (Mothers And Daughters Raising Expectations) organization for their orientation this month. St. Andrew's continues to support Con Mi MADRE's mission to help young women achieve academic success and prepare for college and future careers. If you'd like to learn more about St. Andrew's partnership with Con Mi MADRE, contact Director of Diversity Kendall Evans

Lanctot '16 Finishes Girl Scout Gold Award
This summer Megan Lanctot '16 completed the final stage of her Gold Award project before heading out to Wales, England to do a three-week Outward Bound Extreme Expedition to celebrate her achievement.  Megan's project included over 120 hours of community service working with the Parks and Recreation Department on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Emma Long Park Motocross signage.  Megan placed 52 markers on the motocross trail and helped the city to safely mark the path for the motorbikes and mountain bikers that utilize the trail.  Megan also shared her Girl Scout experiences with the St. Andrew's 8th grade troop and encouraged them to stay in scouting throughout high school, and to make the most of their scouting experiences by heading to the GS World Center in Switzerland like she did her 8th grade year.  Megan has been in scouting since 3rd grade and has her Bronze, Silver and now Gold Award with the organization.  She hopes those in the St. Andrew's community will take the time and utilize Texas's premiere outdoor biking experience and frequent the trails she spent so much time marking.  Go Cru!
Community Service in 2015-16
Do you need to find some volunteer opportunities in Austin? Do you know what the community service requirements are for graduation?

Find answers on the "Community Service" Resource Board when you login to mySAS and click "Resources"!

Seniors Get "Jumpstart" on College Applications
Before school was back in session, almost 70% of the senior class voluntarily came to campus to participate in the "College Application Jumpstart" program during the first week of August! College counselors were answering questions, reviewing resumes, and giving tips for avoiding common mistakes on the Common and ApplyTexas applications. The Class of 2016 is heading into their college application process with a great head start! 

Crusaders Compete at 62nd Annual Latin Convention
by Jennie Luongo, US Latin Teacher
During the last week of July, a group of students from St. Andrew's Upper and Middle School divisions participated in the 2015 National Junior Classical League (NJCL) convention held at Trinity University in San Antonio. In addition to the contests and camaraderie that goes along with convention activities, the students were able to experience life on a college campus for the week from dormitories to the dining hall. Read the full article here.  

Alumni News
Get ready for a weekend of fun at St. Andrew's Upper School as we welcome the Classes of '05 and '10 back to campus! An invitation with details will be mailed to your current mailing address soon.

Does St. Andrew's have your updated contact info? Update your info and check for reunion details on our Alumni page here. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
 
Class of '15 Yearbook Party
The Class of 2015 gathered for one last hoorah and to peruse the 2015 Shield (yearbook) on August 9 at the Dell Fine Arts Center. See more Yearbook Party pictures here!
 
This is a special class indeed! More than $9 million in merit scholarship was awarded to these students, who were accepted to schools in 40 states in the U.S. and D.C., as well as schools in London, Montreal, Paris, and Berlin. Four student athletes will continue to compete at the collegiate level in baseball, track, and cross-country. In addition to these incredible accolades, it is evident by the hugs and revelry at the send-off party that the Class of 2015 has a special bond. Congratulations to the scholars, artists, athletes, and servants of 2015 that have shaped St. Andrew's for the better. You will always have a home at St. Andrew's, and we can't wait to see what you will do next! 

Congrats to Zach for being only the second cadet in Texas A&M history to complete the amazingly  rigorous US Army Special Forces Combat Dive School training!  The school includes a few college cadets such as Zach but the vast majority and the rest of the participants must be active duty special operations soldiers.  They come from all of the service branches (and a few allied countries) and typically have completed at least 2 tours of duty.  Only 1 in 3 who are selected to attend the school actually finish.

This course is a mentally and physically intense 7 week program and Zach is grateful to his high school coaches Janet Risser and Nathan Michaud for preparing him for this experience.  Zach is now a certified master diver, has the honor of wearing the combat dive pin on his uniform, and is no longer a fan of Shark Week having shared the habitat of way too many sharks this summer.  Al and Linda Lanctot are very proud of Zach's accomplishment.  They were also particularly happy to have him home safe for the 4th of July weekend before he headed to US Army Air Assault School at Fort Campbell in mid July and then back to TAMU in August. Thank you Linda Lanctot for sharing this exciting news! 

 

The Dell Fine Arts Center was the set for Max Frost's music video shoot on Aug. 20. Throughout the evening Max worked to bring his creative concept to life with his production team and fellow St. Andrew's alumni Jessie Bearden ('10), Andrew Brown ('10), guitarist Aaron Lemke ('08), and director Jordan Haro ('09). Keep a lookout for the video this fall, and see if you spot St. Andrew's Rock Band teacher Ed Jarusinsky (pictured, far left) on the drums!
 
Ellen's work was purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and it's now on display in their Contemporary Portraiture exhibition , which runs July 2015-April 2016.  US Art teacher Susan Kemner-Reed remarks, "It is so much fun to watch these young people move out into the world. She graduated from our first class at the Upper School!"
 
As Stephanie Williams embarks on a mission for an Indian community, she is reminded of her first "pure sense of community" she experienced at St. Andrew's.

Stephanie attended St. Andrew's from 2002 to 2006; though she graduated from an arts high school, she still remained connected to her teachers, including Latin teacher Jennie Luongo and Art History teacher Marsha Russell. Stephanie remarks that her advisor, "John Pomroy gave so much to me. He really believed in me." Stephanie adds, "The St. Andrew's community was so loving, supportive, and enthusiastic. It's what I remember most, looking back."

Stephanie was recently reminded of St. Andrew's "strong musical tradition" she loved so much with her mother's passing. She says, "I remember the hymns we sang in chapel for Hymn Sing--'Here I Am Lord' and 'Let There Be Peace'--and those are very comforting to me now." In addition to singing hymns, Stephanie remembers, "how much I loved playing bass in the orchestra concerts."

Stephanie attended Brown University where she majored in political science, focusing on human rights issues. After working for Amnesty International and interning at the United Nations, she focuses on helping victims of genocide and war crimes in Central Africa and India. Her mother, Susan, briefly volunteered as a nurse in an Indian orphanage; now Stephanie is continuing Susan's legacy of service. Stephanie is working with the Miracle Foundation to raise money and gather global health experts and doctors to support the Anwesha Child Protection Center currently run by eye doctors in Tripura, India. The campaign is called "Susan's Miracle." Stephanie would love to hear from you if you're interested in getting involved. Contact her directly ( sagwilliams@gmail.com ) or visit give.miraclefoundation.org/susansmiracle for more info.
Announcements & Reminders
First Parent Association Meeting on Sept. 16
All St. Andrew's parents are invited to attend the first Parent Association meeting of the year.  It will be held at the Lower School's Rollins Library on Sept. 16 at 12:15 pm.  SAGE will be catering lunch as we hear about plans for the coming year.  Don't miss this meeting!
 
Parent Volunteer Opportunities
On-Campus: Hot Lunch at Lower School
Hot Lunch volunteers are needed. If you would like to help serve lunch please contact Lisa Tully at lisa.tully@mac.com. This is a fun way to see your kids and check out the great food that SAGE is serving.

Off-Campus: El Buen Samaritano 
El Buen is looking for compassionate volunteers to teach ESL to a class of 15-25 motivated adults! Volunteers are trained to use an easy-to-follow curriculum, which starts in the Introduction level and ends in Level 4. Previous teaching experience and Spanish skills are not required. All volunteers need is a good heart and a passion for working with adults who strive for better lives. The commitment is once a week, Monday-Thursday from 9:30am-12:30pm, for entire fall session. The semester begins August 24 and ends December 10 . To apply, please visit   www.elbuen.org/volunteer. For more information, contact Lesly Reynaga at volunteer@elbuen.org  .
 
When You Shop Online, Shop Amazon Smile!
If you're looking for a really easy way to support St. Andrew's, consider making purchases via Amazon's Smile site. It's designed to donate 0.5% of your purchase price to a non-profit organization of your choice! Go to http://smile.amazon.com/ch/74-6003626  and designate "St. Andrew's Episcopal School Inc" as your non-profit. You'll support St. Andrew's every time you shop on Amazon!