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A Fortnightly Newsletter for St. Andrew's Parents (See links to updated St. Andrew’s news stories below.) September 9, 2005 Dear Parents, All of us are very excited to welcome the student body to St.
Andrew’s for the 2005-06 academic year. Throughout the months of June, July and
August, we plan for a new year: our faculty engage in remarkable professional development
activities; our staff works on important renovation projects throughout the
campus; we prepare faculty assignments and responsibilities and we develop
classes, advisor groups and dorm assignments for all our students. Suddenly, opening day arrives, and all this
planning springs into action. During our opening meetings of the year, the faculty focused on
every aspect of our work with students in this era in the School’s
history. I opened our meeting with
thoughts and reflections analyzing how the faculty at St. Andrew’s
contributes to the unique educational culture of a 24-hour-a-day boarding
school. At a time when media outlets
seem to be in curious ways skeptical of boarding schools and their place in
American education, I assert in contrast that St. Andrew’s, as it is
constituted today, provides the most exciting and creative approach to high
school education in the nation. The
private day school simply does not and cannot match the opportunity, the diversity, the quality of teaching and advising that goes
on each day at St. Andrew’s. I will be
happy to share my remarks later this month. Over our first couple of days, Assistant Headmaster Peter
Caldwell, Director of Counseling Whiz Hutchinson and Counselor Pam Brownlee
worked with Dr. Michael Thompson and me as we prepared our senior leaders for
positions of responsibility within the School this year. The Class of 2006 is a strong and mature
group with a deep abiding love of and respect for their School and the
community that has been built here.
Our teachers focused on ways they can lead the School in the
classrooms, dormitories and co-curricular programs, and we worked hard to
prepare them to work closely with the faculty as they counsel members of the
student body. Dr. Thompson is a
nationally acclaimed writer, school psychologist and lecturer. This year marked his third consecutive year
working with us. Our School year opened in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the
crisis in the Gulf. Along with the
rest of the country, we witnessed scenes of devastation and tragedy as an
entire region fell into chaos and disintegration. What the hurricane unearthed was America’s
remarkable disparity between rich and poor, black and white—issues of
poverty, race and invisibility that we focused on as a country in the 1960’s
and now ponder with new energy and restlessness. St. Andrew’s has sought to provide sanctuary and education to
those families affected by the tragedy.
We have sought to open our admission office to students from the
region, and we have enrolled two students displaced by the hurricane. We are working on ways to raise money
through our Chapel organizations and through our classes for disaster
relief. And, perhaps just as
importantly, we are trying to graduate students with the moral awareness and
sensitivity to be aware that in all our communities in this nation and the
world live those who are poor, elderly, disabled, invisible and
helpless. Our job is to not only
remember and recognize them, but to work on ways to help the poor into the
community of our country. I look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Tad Roach troach@standrews-de.org * * * School year starts on up-swing with hoe-down and the down
and dirty View a slide show from the quintessential St. Andrew's welcome
event--the square dance. Also, mud-soaked III and IV Formers enjoyed their orientation on Monday at Echo Hill. * * * Weekend Activities for September 9 -
11 The Social Activities Committee (SAC) has planned a wide variety
of activities to keep campus (and the surrounding areas) hopping all weekend
long. * * * Bishop Wright addresses students, faculty at first Wednesday service The Bishop of Delaware, Wayne Wright, shared words of welcome and
thoughts about Hurricane Katrina, which struck * * * Levinson, Crump Lectures set for 2005-2006 year Eminent political scientist and author of Einstein's Dreams will deliver talks this year. On-Line Resources for
Parents - 2005-2006
School Year Calendar - Fall Sports Schedules & Directions to Away Games - Faculty Directory On-Line |