Thank you SAS for a great four years! Now on to college.
The latest SAS magazine came out, and there was an interview with the Maggie Rogers.
I wanted to share two excerpts from it, because I think they effectively summarize what our family loved about St. Andrew’s.
“[At St. Andrews] There is culture of quiet humility. It has its pros and cons. I think it helped me in the long run…I learned how to put myself out there, in a way that was comfortable to me and felt humble and grateful, at a really young age.”
“St. Andrew’s taught me to enjoy the process, to enjoy the work, not the reward.”
Worth reading the whole thing if you can get your hands on a copy…
@SevenDad I enjoyed hearing your take on SAS. It does indeed sound like an extraordinary place.
As I recall, your daughter chose SAS over another school based on your family’s revisit experiences (if I’m not mistaken–it’s been a while since I read your thread on this). Would you say that the other school provided an apt counterpoint to the much admired SAS ethos?
@DonFefe: Well, in terms of revisit experience, 100%. As much as I loved the other school and the adults (and many of the kids) we encountered on our initial visits (summer and fall), not to mention the phenomenal campus/facilities…we all got a not-so-good vibe at revisit. Too many little/not-so-little things added up.
@SevenDad: I think it is really the little things that make the difference. You have to try and get a feel for what makes a school “tick.” Do they practice what they preach or fail to live out their mission statement or marketing slogan? As SwimKid prepares for his VI form year, I continue to be impressed by the little things at SAS.
I’ve met only one student from SAS–we met him as high school recruiting event at DC’s former middle school–and he struck me as an exceedingly down to earth and genuine person. He represented the school well, in my view.
^ A girl in my old school is going to SAS and she’s really nice and super smart.
Ah, parent’s weekend… so much to comment on, it’s hard to know where to start. I’ll just touch on one moment.
Introducing the headmaster’s welcoming speech, a parent reflected on the common struggle that everyone in the SAS community has shared: finding a way to describe the school to others in a way that’s believable. Sure, it was a big laugh line… but the struggle is real!
Seven years ago, the passionate testimonials from parents in this forum helped squeeze St Andrew’s (which we had never heard of) onto the bottom of our list of schools to visit. With every contact, visit, tour, or conversation the school climbed higher on our list. We have been unbelievably happy with every aspect of the school (and now realize that every advocate for the school on this forum has really undersold the magic of the place in order to maintain some semblance of credibility).
If your family is looking for someplace to apply this cycle, I urge you to take a close look at the material on the [SAS Website](http://www.standrews-de.org). If the values expressed are even vaguely appealing arrange a visit immediately! This school delivers. It is simultaneously kind and challenging. It provides an unsurpassed educational experience. It is loving, warm, and accepting, yet challenges everyone to fight complacency, engage in honest self-reflection, and pursue authentic character development. It offers a powerfully transformative, exhilarating experience in a deeply engaged community of incredible people who are just “all in.”
Unbelievable, right?
I hope to find time to make a few posts reflecting on what makes this place special to us, now that we are in our final year. I have always felt indebted to this forum, without which we would not have found SAS. Know that I will always be happy to exchange PMs with folks (even if you are reading this a couple years after posting) and promise unvarnished truth about whatever details you might be curious about. Don’t hesitate to contact me!
Was about to post something about the 2 recent SAS grads who were in the winning HOCR WV8 boat to bump this thread, but I see that seekers has already done the bumping for me!
I look forward to reading seeker’s reflections on 7 years as an SAS family. I’m just a little bit sad that our time as a matriculated SAS family lasted only 4. Go Saints!
@seekers - Indeed! The struggle is real!
I can’t believe that we just experienced our last SAS Parents Weekend. It has been an amazing and transformative experience for our family! I am also happy to share thoughts on St. Andrew’s with families who are applying this cycle.
@seekers , @SevenDad, @Charger78, @NCSwimmom: If my kid happens to end up at SAS, her College Confidential aunts and uncles can always visit during Parents Weekend as traveling to the other coast might be cost prohibitive for us 
@CaliMex: I have seriously considered crashing many a Parents Weekend since 7D1 graduated!
@SevenDad Glad you crashed my first Parent’s Weekend! What a great night at Cantwell’s Tavern!
I’m still mulling how to summarize the strengths of this place for prospective families… It’s hard to know where to start, and how much detail to go into. As an opening salvo, I’ll share a couple quotes from the official SAS [url=http://www.standrews-de.org/uploaded/academics/CollegeCounseling/SchoolProfile2016-17.pdf]School Profile/url. If the link breaks, you can find the School Profile in the college counseling section of the SAS website
These are nice concise quotes that distill some of the essential character of the place. It’s ridiculously hard to express how flawlessly they execute on the dual goals of character development and intellectual growth for their students. There was no better place for our kids, who have grown and thrived in ways we could never have imagined when we first started looking into schools.
More details to come, and as always, feel free to PM me.
Inspiring Teachers
That was the title of the SAS women’s network event this weekend.
(I loved the double entendre of ‘teachers who inspire’ and ‘inspiring those who teach’… or ‘inspiring others to become teachers’? it all works)
Every year a leadership team of incredibly powerful and inspiring women pull together a conference with scores of alumni coming back to offer thought-provoking keynote lectures, an informative panel of speakers, and dozens of fascinating workshops led by alumni. The student body attends all of these and benefits from the connection to the amazing alumni network.
This is how SAS puts its spin on Homecoming Weekend. The annual ‘Cannon Game’ fought on the gridiron is offered as a form of closing ceremony. [While heavily attended, large sections of the community split off to root for the soccer team in state quarterfinals, or the cross country team competing in the state championships.] But the athletic events were far from the main event. It is a weekend of connection, reflection, inspiration, and celebration.
A couple of observations from a parent’s perspective:
We remain grateful that parents are fully included in events like this while our students are present. And note that this particular weekend is very open to former parents (I connected with a couple). But we can’t help but be aware that our time as active members of this community are coming to a close. This is in sharp contrast to the depth of connection that our children will have for a lifetime…
The returning alumni of all generations were warm, open, authentic, and profoundly thoughtful. Everywhere you turned you could see loving and joyful reunions. It was particularly fun to see the overexcited-puppy style greetings the recent alumni were given from current students, who jumped on them everywhere they went. But it was obvious how profoundly connected every generation of saints is to this community, no matter how long ago they graduated.
The current students were as engaged, thoughtful, playful, and content as ever. On Friday, a prospective student asked about acceptance of diversity at SAS, and I said it is readily observable when you see how students sit with friends in gatherings: there are always multi-racial groupings, not segregated. Friendships are not bound by race/gender/SES/citizenship/class-year. They have deep, loving, authentic connection with people all around them. In this weekend’s lectures, I saw what I always see: a student cuddle up against a friend, somebody playing with the hair of a student in front of them, an arm around a buddy, between talks there was excited conversation and more than a little laughter. Again, they are happy, affectionate, and engaged.
On the drive home, my wife was reflecting on our connection to this community, and wondering how we will fill the void when we aren’t coming down on a regular basis. Even for us as parents, it is a constant source of intellectual stimulation, of meaningful and deep connection, and in dark times it is a source of hope and renewal.
@seekers I think we need to suggest that parents get invited to summer reunion weekends : )
SAS fam. in Eastern PA/NJ area…should we host a toast?
Yes! @SevenDad you should certainly host a toast!
SAS shares “[Friday News]( https://www.standrews-de.org/school-life/noxontownnews)”. This week’s intro exemplifies the intentionality with which students are invited to reflect on the culture in the school, have real agency in contributing to the community, take pride in taking leadership roles, improve what they can, but preserve a legacy for future classes.
Dear St. Andrew’s Family,
I have learned a lot over 21 years as St. Andrew’s Head of School, but nothing has been more important to me and the evolving culture of this community, than a principle I try to apply every semester: turn to students for wise counsel, advice, and perspective.
One of the mistakes high schools have made over and over again in America is minimizing the gifts, wisdom, and intelligence of students. At many schools, student voices are dismissed, ignored, or at best, narrowly channeled into planning activities. Students know when their Heads and teachers do not respect their judgement, maturity, and perspective. When they feel either diminished or powerless, students do not develop ownership or responsibility for the moral and ethical spirit of their schools.
At St. Andrew’s, we consult with students on the significant, complex, and essential questions we face as an institution. We do so both because our students have great judgement, maturity, and creativity and because the habit of asking students for responsibility and good leadership inspires them and helps them to grow.
Here is an example: An important and significant part of our faculty hiring process involves the candidate meeting with our senior interviewing team. For each campus visit, our group of seniors spends over 45 minutes with each candidate, posing questions about his or her interest in St. Andrew’s, educational philosophy, approach to the mentoring of students, energy, stamina, patience, and sense of humor. In addition, the interview process enables the teacher candidate to ask the students important questions about the quality, culture, and humanity of the School.
Our senior leadership team this year has performed at a high level. They are well prepared for each interview; they represent the School and the culture of the community with great intelligence, generosity, and honesty; they communicate the care and consideration they feel for St. Andrew’s future; they share perceptive assessments of the fit between the candidate and the School.
The implications of such senior leadership are profound. Candidates immediately understand that the miracle of St. Andrew’s is the responsibility of the students. They see our oldest students exhibit all the qualities (and more) we describe in our mission statement, website, and catalogue. They understand the trust and respect I, as a Head, have for the senior class. The candidates invariably want to be a part of this faculty, largely as a result of this experience with our students.
Of course, our seniors learn a lot as well. In a powerful and immediate way, they witness and experience the art of interviewing. They learn how to construct questions, connect with remarkable visiting men and women, reflect on their full St. Andrew’s careers, and share their observations and recommendations with me. They begin their own preparations for the interviews in their future.
Here are six reflections written recently by members of the interviewing team: [OP notes: I redacted the names of six seniors originally attached to each quote]
This approach to education and leadership is not revolutionary or new. It reflects a simple but powerful truth that communities of mutual regard, trust, responsibility, and generosity inspire great cultures, achievements, and leaders.
Best,
Daniel T. Roach, Jr.
This says so much about SAS …