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THE STEWARD SCHOOL

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CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

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Page 1: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

THE STEWARD SCHOOL

Page 2: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

• • mIssIon statement The mission of The Steward School is to

provide a high-quality college preparatory program that encourages students of varied talents and abilities to develop their unique strengths in academics, athletics, and the arts, while instilling the values of responsible citizenship. The Steward School seeks and celebrates the individual talents of every student and is committed to offering its students an educational experience in an intimate and nurturing, yet challenging, environment.

The Steward School will:

• Champion small classes and limit the size of the overall student body so that it will have the ability to identify and develop the talents of each student.

• Provide opportunities for individual participation to an extent not possible in a larger school.

• Ensure that each student acquires the values of honesty, integrity, and responsible citizenship by adherence to the Honor Code.

• Provide structure and discipline adequate to give each student a moral and ethical compass.

• Require that each child develops a sincere commitment to learn and grow.

• Attract an enthusiastic, dedicated, and talented faculty who rejoice in helping each child reach his or her potential.

• Ensure that the faculty and students are aware of and embrace the tenets of Steward's Mission Statement.

The Steward School admits students without regard to sex, race, coLor, religion, or national or ethnic origin to aU the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

THE STEWARD SCHOOL

,

Page 3: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

1 ~etter from the Headmaster

2 vliddle School Al ternate Program

6 ,atino Education Advancement 'rogram

7 feard It In The Halls

,round Campus

11 Musical Milestones

13 Parents' Association News

15 Fine Arts

17 Athletics

19 Alumni News

21 Letter from the Chairman of the Board

23 Welcome to Steward

Published by TH E STEWARD S C HOOL

11600 Gayton Road Richmond, Virginia 23238

(804) 740-3394

Administration

Kenneth H. Seward HeacJma" er

Carolyn Brandt Assistant Head a/School

Lisa Dwelle Dlrectoro/Finance

Sarah Melvin Directaro/Development

Scott Moncure Director at Adm.uion.

Butch Keller He.dotU_school

Mike Maruca HeadatMiddie school

Deborah Hanger Head o/Lo_r School

Publication Staff

Tracy Lynch Copy Editor

Sherilyn Smail Design Editor

john Alley, Paul Busse, Chip Chapman, Cindy

Grissom, Mike jiancristoforo, Butch Keller, jane

Keller, Karen Lechner, Tracy Lynch, Glenn New,

Rugene Paulette, Sherilyn Smail, Hunter White Conttibuting photographers

Printing

Total Printing Company

The editors have made fNery attempt to ensure the accuracy of informat ion reported in th is publicat ion, We apologize for any inadvertent errors.

Visit us on the web at

www.stewardschool.org

THE STEWARD SCHOOL

Page 4: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

LEITER FROM THE HEADMASTER

The School is filled

with concrete

examples of how

the ethic of care

animates the

collective spirit and

activity of the

community for all

its members ...

One of my challenges is to track and measu re institutional growth and health. I firmly believe that by any crite ria one would choose, Steward is doing very well, and especiall y in terms of the following important factors: student admission and retention; faculry attraction and re tention; parent participation in the annual fund and as volunteers; athletic participation and success; artistic engagement; character format ion; academic achievement, effort, and attitude; engagement with the world beyond the school; discretional), participation in school ac tivities by students, facu lty, and pa rents; and coll ege admissions (students being accepted into the schools that are appropriate fo r them).

But there exist standards that are not so easy to measure---standards that are importan t to any true assessm nt of institutional hea lth. T speak of the standards of carc (Are we ca ring fo r the se lf, for others, for the community, and fo r a cause?), of personalization (Are we discovering and developing each child?), and of mission (Are we true to 0 111' central purpose?) .

The School is fill ed with concrele examples of how the ethic of care animates the collective spiril and ac tivity of the community for all its members: the Parents' Association thank ing the entire facu lty and , taff du ring Appreciation Week and sponsoring SEED programming lha t help, parent, be better parents. Students during Alternate Program serving others in need locally, or 'eeking to explore the world in France, Greece, and A rgentina. The Lower School supporting the Upper School basketball team at the Athleti( Jamboree or the entire school coming together (faculty, staff, and students from all divisions) for the annual Write -a-Thon. Students caring about scholarship, character, leadership, and 'ervice a, recognized by the National Honor Society. The Art Department ca ring about the "Lost Buys of Sudan" by hosting a gallery show for a painter who is creating a school in Africa-and the student response and outpOuring of support that resulted.

When I th ink of personalization, I ask myself: Are we teaching students one by one? Do we fmd the time to meet with them individua lly? Do we know each student as a whole person? Do we know their parents? Do students have the opportunity to be included in classes and ac tivities that interest them? Do they know others in their class and division-and in other cia 'se and divisions? Do students assume each day that they can walk into any offi ce throughout the school and be welcomed, get help, be treated fairly and

respectfu lly, or have an opport unity to just chat? I want to make sure that what we are teaching and what they are learning are helping them to become the person that they want and need to be.

The Vision TwentyEleven Mission Committee has spent comiderable time and effort crysta llizing what makes us different and , in my mind, becrer fo r the type of students we are trying to reach and grow given the mission of the school. We have drafted essays on academic excellence, demands and pressu re, competition, community and care, individuality, independence of thought, globalism, real-world knowledge, earned self-esteem , balance, "bandwidth" (a term for the variation of talent and ability), and diversity. T hese essays wi ll no doubt help to articulate the importance of aligning mbsion to practice.

To remain true to our central purposes of caring, personalization, and mission and to become recognized as the leading college-preparatory school in the Richmond area for discovering and growing each student's unique talents, imerests, and passions, we will need to COntinUE to focus on how to realize these purposes-and on what our faculty and staff need in order [0 cominue to make it happen- for all of our studems. Thank you for supporting our efforts to this end.

Ken Seward Headmaster

Page 5: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

Evolution of the

Eighth-graders and their chaperones at Wilderness

Adventure,

Middle School Alternate Program Mirrors the Growth of Its Participants

During the Middle School years students experience extraordinary physical, intellectual, and emotional change, They enter as just-graduated Lower 5choolers-a mere three months beyond fifth grade-and leave ready to tackle the challenges of Upper School. In addition, ~s children become teenagers, their eyes )pen to the world around them, and, if ~ll goes well, they develop a stronger, jeeper sense of empathy for their fellow ;tudents and citizens,

rhese assumptions form the basis of the '1iddle School Alternate Program. "It has !volved over the years," explains Head of '1iddle School Mike Maruca, "to more !ffectively parallel the changes students !xperience as they move from grade to :rade," Originally designed to give :tudents a week "to do something off .he beaten path," the Program has :hanged because of the insight of Middle ;chool teachers and parents-those who :now the students best.

iow has Alternate Program evolved? 'he Program was originally created with :ommunity discovery in mind,

It sent all Middle School students out "into the field " to explore thei r communities through various visits to and tours of local industries and historical sites-giving students the chance to see more of the world immediately around them. This component of community involvement and discovery is still the core of the sixth-grade portion of Alternate Program. Each day during the week, students travel to sites designated by themes (see description below) and led by faculty members to get "a stronger feel for the world around us­surroundings we could take for granted ," according to Maruca,

Mrs. Margaret Maclin , who worked with the sixth-graders during the week, puts it this way: "The 'Exploring Richmond' portion of Middle School Alternate Program opens students' eyes to the history, commerce, and culture that are so much a part of Richmond."

Teachers louise Robertson and Wallace Inge and former teacher Patti Woodle saw the perfect opportunity to fill a gap in the seventh-grade portion of the Program, explains Maruca. "We are always trying to

be conscious of community service and looking for ways to do it well," he continues, "They came to me with the idea of focusing the seventh-grade Alternate Program on two components of community service: wanting to be of some help and coming away with some greater understanding," The seventh-graders now travel to community organizations in teams to work with those less fortunate than themselves,

Students must complete a series of reflective journals about their experiences throughout the week. According to Dr. Robertson, "The seventh-grade week of community service allows our students the opportunity to witness the world through the eyes of an autistic child, a homeless man, an abandoned pet, and those less fortunate than themselves, In return , the students open our eyes in the way they meet the challenges of the week with incredible maturity, enthusiasm, care, and hope ,"

Thanks to the enormous support of seventh­grade parents, who are actively involved with the process by traveling with the students around town to their group assignments, the seventh-grade portion of the program, now in its second year, is receiving rave reviews from parents, teachers, participating community groups, and- most importantly-the students who participate and who whole-heartedly agree that their lives have been altered in the process, (To find out more, see the Quotations on page 5,)

Maruca explains that the seeds of the current eighth-grade program were planted when a parent suggested that by eighth grade, students were ready for someth ing different. And so, five years ago, the Program added the Wilderness Adventure component for all eighth-grade students, and it has been a success ever since, Students travel for one week to this outdoor adventure facility in

Continued on page 3

SprinlZ 1007 2

Page 6: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

southwest Virginia, where they unplug from the rest of the world and plug into

getting to know each other- and

themselves. (No electronic devices are

allowed, by the way.) Students are divided into fou r different groups. They stay in log cabins and are accompanied by five facu lty chaperones. They are also

accompanied by Wilderness Adventure

staff members who specialize in outdoor education. According to Ms. Karen Lechner, one of the School's chaperones,

"The e ighth-grade trip was a chance for me to bond with the students as a

human being and not just as their math teacher, building another level of trust

and interest. They were more responsible and considerate of their peers and the

community. The pettiness and cliques seemed to disappear, and they became

adults when responsibility was in order but were able to play and be more accepting of each other's differences when it was time to relax."

"What they do is under the umbrella of

teambuilding," says Maruca, "But I don't like that description, because it's about

more than that. It 's about teamwork. It's about testing yourself. It's about zip lines, spelunking, playing games, and talking and singing together while

someone plays the guitar. It's so much more than teambuilding."

And the timing is perfect: developmentally, eighth-graders are preparing for Upper

School life, in which teamwork,

knowledge of self, and knowing how to push themselves to achieve personal success are all critical elements. Each

year, students leave for the week and return to Steward knowing more about

their fellow eighth-graders, the teachers, and how they approach challenges and seek solutions.

Next year, Upper School students will be required to complete 50 hours of

community service. With the experience of the Middle School Alternate Program beh ind them, rising freshmen will no

doubt be ready to seek out opportunities that will help them learn even more

about themselves, about others, and about what it means to give a part of themselves in the process.

3 Srrlllg Z007

d d 1 M • 1 e

Sixth-Graders Around Town By Mrs . Margaret Maclin

The theme of Alternate Program for Grade 6 was "Exploring Richmond ." This year's exploration

included four offerings: Business and Technology; The River; Arts and Culture; and Ghosts, Ghouls, and Graveyards. Because the program is a hands-on, experi ential one, students traveled to such sites as

the Poe Museum, Hollywood Cemetery, St . John 's

s c h 00

Church, Belle Isle, Harper's Hardware Store, Ukrop's, and IMAX at the Science Museum 0

Virginia, t o learn fi rst-hand about the people and places that make the Richmond area ar

exciting place to live. One parent of a sixth-grader said her son "dominated our dinner table discussion fo r the whole week recalling the different things that he saw and learne(

Sixth-graders Charlotte Levering and Mackenzie Marcia said , "Alternate Program was awesome! It was the best week of school all year, and all schools should have it ."

''Alterna,t'e Program was awesome~

Ii: Wi l th~ b~ It "\fe:el of cnl!())()) ! lIU y:ei/~ E/liJd l ilt cArGoi nJoaUd hll'V~ it. II

Page 7: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

f\lternate Program

Seventh-G raders Reach Out To Communities In Need By Mr. Wallace Inge

The seventh-grade students volunteered their Alternate Program days to help organizations in our community. The students set out Monday-Thursday to work from approximately 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.

The students helped with various organizations doing numerous chores and activities.

At the Virginia Home, students played cards and made crafts with residents, served coffee, laughed, and-most importantly- chatted and just spent quality time with the residents . At the Dominion and Faison Schools, each student was partnered with an autist ic student and his or her teacher. At the Richmond Animal League students cleaned cages, walked and bathed dogs, and learned about the t ime and nurturing required when working with animals. At Head Start, the YMCA, and Sacred Heart Center, students spent time with the young children and assisted their teachers. At the Oregon Hill Baptist Church, students spent the week folding clothes, organizing the food closet, and doing other chores in preparation for Thursday morning, when residents from the community came to

"shop" for clothes, toys, and

food . At the Children's Museum students assisted the staff with their work and children in their games.

The afternoons were spent at school working on paintings portraying the students ' experiences and listening to speakers. Our speakers included employees of the YMCA, Bev Jeanette and Nancie Wingo; Steward sen ior Katy Kasper on her volunteer work; and our very own Mike Maruca on his experience opening the Sacred Heart Center.

Through personal essays, which increased in complexity of thought as the week went on, students revealed that it was an incredibly rewarding week.

Eighth-Graders Experience t he (Wilderness) Adventu re of a Lifetime By Mrs. Rugene Paulette

This year during Alternate Program, the eighth-graders loaded up the bus and headed to Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing, located in beautiful southwest Virginia, for the sixth straight year. After students unloaded the bus full of numerous suitcases and pillows, the staff made room assignments, and the adventure began.

The day started with a bountiful lunch prepared by staff chef Lynn, the best cook in town. She kept us well fed all week with the most wonderful breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The week involved well-organized and challenging activities, including canoeing, caving, rock climbing, high and low ropes courses, the climbing wall, and the ever-so-popular zip line. In the evenings everyone relaxed around the fireplace on the over-sized leather sofa or played games with friends around the large tables. Guitars and the piano could always be heard . Sitting around the campfire was another favorite evening activity. What a perfect place for ghost stories!

Each day ended with group meetings, when students discussed the highlights of the day and had a chance to express their feelings about the day's activities. The week was over too soon. As many students have expressed in the past, the Wilderness Adventure eighth-grade trip is the best time they have had at The Steward School.

Page 8: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

• From Parents of Seventh;Graders

Memorable uotatlon from the

Seventh ... Grade Alternate Program ... It was wonderful to watch the group's progression from our discussion on the way to Sacred Heart (beginning of program day two) to the discussion on the ride home today (end of day three). Each of our students had grown in his or her understanding of the situation in which the children of SH live. They grew in t hei r ability to look beyond their comfort zone and appreciate others unlike themselves. Finally, they realized that even the smallest of tasks performed can offer comfort, support and assistance, thereby genuinely making a difference in the life of another.

Just a quick thank you for the incredible week of Community Service. [Our daughter's] experience, which from all I have heard mimics the others', was so eye-opening and worthwhile. Allowing these Middle Schoolers to be exposed to someone else's life has been so powerful. And seeing their own peers in a different light has been equally impressive.

From the Seventh .. Grade Students My only suggestion for the students who come next year is to love. That is all: love.

Think about what it would be like to be homeless. Cold, hard streets to sleep on, relying on a community service church for food, no family to help in your time of need. I now know how fortunate I am to be blessed with everything I have.

Jane always asked me if I had a mother and if I would be her own mother.

Why have these tragedies not happened to me, an able person who does not truly deserve the blessings given to me? Luck is the answer. Pure, straight, dumb luck.

I am jealous of how much strength the people have with the little that is given to them.

Not all the things in life are fair or equal for these residents, but it is the way they handle their problems or obstacles that helps them get through each day with a smile.

After spending three days with these great kids, I have learned many important things I should know in life. I have also learned many important things about myself.

In a sense, we all live in a little bubble created by our wealth and good fortune, when really t world is not like that in any way.

I was with the kids [at the Dominion School for Autism] on Tuesday, and was so impressed with the interaction between our students and

This week at the Faison School has opened my eyes to the people in the world who are less fortunate than me, and I feel it is my duty to help these kinds of people.

theirs in such a challenging environment. Not only did they have hands-on experience with the children, the teachers were great about explaining the specifics of autism. Yesterday, [our son] said he was on a swing and a boy grabbed his hair to get him off and wouldn 't let go. I was surprised [our son] wasn't upset, but instead explained to us that the boy was having a 'stim' and that these children have difficulty with impulse control. It's been wonderful to see this compassionate side of [our son] shining through ... This was the first experience [he] has had with kids unlike himself and ... I know he has a greater appreciation for the blessed life he has been given. Our sincere thanks.

I was able to spend time with these children and help the teachers unlock the locks to the childre~ minds. The experience made me feel special because I know I helped someone.

People, especially those who have so much to give, need to think about the other half of the world more often and make someone's day better.

I definitely have a better sense of how our lives are determined by circumstances.

From A Community Organization Please extend our sincere thanks ... for the many services you all provided for the Children's Museum this past week. It was a very rewarding week for me personally and I want to say again

that I think it is a WONDERFUL program! I hope the students got as much out of it as we did, and I hope we will be on Steward School's service week calendar again next year!

AlisonJones-Nassar Volunteer Coordinator

Children '5 Museum of Richmond

Page 9: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

LEAP ....................... ~ ....... LATINO EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT PROGRA M

At the December 13,2006, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce holiday gathering, Commerce President Michel Zajur introduced Headmaster Ken Seward to make a special announcement about Steward's new Latino Education Outreach Initiative. Seward told the group that The Steward School had just received a $SO,OOO matching grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation to go toward this initiative, named Avanzando-Spanish for "moving forward ."

am very proud to be part f this academic venture ~hat will inspire and expose oung members of the

,atino community and their ~arents to the opportunity of 'eceiving an independent chool education.

-Melanie Rodrrguez LEAP Program Director

Seward has spearheaded the creation of the Avanzando initiative, which is designed to address the gap that exists to a significant portion of the Richmond minority community-that of the Latino population. Although the population of Latino students in Henrico County is growing exponentially, Latino students are significantly underrepresented in independent schools. Avanzando will reach out to members of the Latino community through a variety of initiatives, including several need-based scholarships, a mentoring program, and educational partnerships with local Latino-based businesses.

The E.E. Ford grant makes possible the implementation of Avanzando 's first outreach intiative, the Latino Education Advancement Program (LEAP). LEAP seeks to introduce area Latino students to the fundamentals of independent school educational experiences and academics. Moreover, this six-week summer program will enrich and support the education of Latino students no matter what school they attend.

Specific details of LEAP are as follows:

• LEAP is targeted to rising eighth-grade Latino students and families.

• Steward will offer a rigorous, enriched college-preparatory curriculum in English as a second language (ESL), Spanish (for native Spanish speakers), math, physical education, and technology.

• The program will be administered by Spanish-speaking Steward staff on The Steward School campus beginning in the summer of 2007.

• At least 20 students and fam ilies will be acclimated to the demands of independent school curriculum and cultu re.

• Parents will be invited to participate in various components of the program, and they will be guided by Admissions representatives through the process of selecting and applying for admission and financial aid to an independent school.

• Two students from the Summer Preparatory Program will receive four-

year, college-preparatory scholarships to The Steward School (including tuition, books, computer access, and on-site tutors) .

• Families and students from the previous year will return each summer for additional educational support and to serve as mentors to incoming students and families .

As Seward explains, "We are reaching out to area youth at a critical age: their academic and personal interests are growing, but the educational and social opportunities available to them may be limiting. LEAP seeks to bridge the gap between the two." He calls the grant, "a chance to make a long-held dream come true."

Michel Zajur, Founder and CEO of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, is excited about the E.E. Ford grant-and about the opportunity it holds. "The Steward School and Ken Seward have a heart and a vision for the Latino community in Richmond. This program truly opens the door to many educational opportunities not previously possible to young members of our community."

The E.E. Ford Foundation's grant is a 1:1 matching gift, and the School will actively seek the support of other members of the metro-Richmond community to make the initiation of LEAP and other Avanzando programs a success. I nterested donors may give to The Steward School or to the Virginia Hispanic Chamber Foundation.

The Steward School will initiate Avanzando with the aid of community partners, including the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Genworth Financial Hispanic Forum, the Genworth Foundation, Regent University, the Virginia Mentoring Partnership, the Magna Group, a Latino engineering corporation, and General Services Corporation (GSC), a residential property management group. We thank these organizations for their support and encouragement.

\ •• ••••• •••••••••• • •••• i .... ,..."., ''''t~-

Page 10: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

On March 24, five talented teams of Lower School students participated in the regional

tournament for Destination Imagination, a world-wide creative problem-solving organization. After months of preparation, these teams presented their unique solutions to

one of five different challenges to a panel of appraisers. At the end of the day, the Steward School teams captured four awards. The "Rising Stars" team (second-graders) were presented with a "DaVinci Award" for outstanding creativity. (The DaVinci Award is rare and quite prestigious.) Another team captured two awards in the "Round about Courage"

challenge-a "Renaissance Award" for outstanding engineering (for a tree that appeared to have been cut down and was restored to life at the end of the skit) and third place in their

division. Finally, the team in the "Switching TraDitions" challenge improvised a six-minute skit using randomly selected elements and captured second place. Congratulations to all

students (and their leaders) for their creative, "outside-the-box," award-winning presentations.

Lower School

It was an exciting winter for fourth-grader

Skylyr Phillips. Skylyr was chosen to

participate in TEAM XL, an advanced

dance team that features selected

students from all Minds In Motion groups.

Team XL members rehearse weekly after

school at another school. Additionally,

Skylyr has been selected to be a student

in the Stoner Wins lett Scholarship ballet

class at the School of Richmond Ballet.

Teacher Chris Tickle has another reason

to be proud of his son, Pierce. Pierce has been named Youth Ambassador for the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure (a

bicycle fundraiser) in Reston. Pierce's grandfather died from complications from

diabetes in 2004. Pierce and his family have ridden in the Tour de Cure for the

last two years. Last year, they raised over $12,000. Pierce, his brother Philip, and

Mr. Tickle each rode 32 miles. (If you'd like

to sponsor the Tickles, please email chris. [email protected].)

After three years of classes and training, in December, fifth-grader Lauren Perry tested for her black belt in Tae Kwon Do and passed. Lauren is waiting for that black belt to arrive from Korea any day

now!

Will Pittman, a second-grader, traveled with his mom and his two dogs to The Kentuckiana Cluster, where each dog earned a Club medal and one received Best in Breed. Will took on the responsibilities of walking and grooming their Anat olians Shepherds and kept everything organized ringside at the event, which is one of the largest Dog Shows in the U.S. with the country's top dogs and best handlers competing.

Fifth-grader Baxter Carter was recently chosen to be a member of t he 25-membe cast of Godspe/ljunior, a SPARC productior

Congratulations to kindergartener Katie Define and third-grader Will Define for their outstanding completion of the Saturday Enrichment Programs at the University of Virginia .

This winter, third-grader Carme n Manganello and second-grader Kendall Schroder cut their beautiful hair and donated it to Locks of Love.

Betty Tharrington spent eight days in Guatemala with University of Richmond students on a spring break mission trip. She helped to make cook-stoves and participated in six "house blessings" for i community that had been wiped out tw years ago by Hurricane Stan.

The Varsity Baseball team considers themselves lucky to have three of the finest batboys around: third-graders Spencer Culbertson, Andy McDonnell,

and Will Define.

Cassandra Mart inez, a fifth-grader in M Blum's class , participated in t he Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, which took pia, on Saturday, March 31. Cassandra ran portions of the 6.2-mile route, along wi her parents and younger brother. This i~

Cassandra's first race.

Page 11: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

Middle School

Congratulations to eighth-grader Molly Gagan (flute) and sixth-grader Christian Rennie (violin) for earning spots in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra. (For more on the many recent musical accolades earned by Steward students, please see "Musical Milestones" on page 11 .)

Blair Carnes, a sixth-grader, represented the state of Virginia in a swim championship in Buffalo, NY, in March.

Ajoya Speight, an eighth-grader, was recently selected to attend the Black Data Processors Association Youth Computer Competition, which will take place in Washington, DC, in August.

Upper School

Steward photography student John­Walker Knight won both first and second place for the "Capture Maymont on Film" contest this year. Freshman Richard Kish won third place. John-Walker's and Richard's photographs were displayed at the Maymont Flower and Garden Show the weekend of February 23. Steward had several photographers enter this year's contest, including also Hunter Meakin and Nick Shaw.

Dabney Broaddus, Tim Wiles, and Sarah Nelson auditioned and were accepted into District Chorus. It was a two-day event that involved a full-day practice and ended with a concert.

This winter, ninth-grader Ashley Dawson made the ski team at Wintergreen.

Read all about it! Freshman Nate Price has been featured in the Richmond Times­Dispatch and The Washington Post for his talent as an ice-hockey goalie. Nate is one of the top goalies in the nation in his age group.

Know someone who deserves a shout-out? Want to recognize someone's hard work? Jot an email to Tracy Lynch, with the subject line "Heard it in the Halls" to [email protected].

Junior laura Skove has been an active member of two choirs in the Greater Richmond Children's Choir. The Choir meets every Monday to rehearse for four hours. They perform around town at various functions-with the symphony, for instance-throughout the year. Laura sings in the Pro Arte Choir, which is a soprano/alto choir, and the Cantare Choir, which is a high-school level choir that includes boys and girls. This su mmer, Laura and her choir-mates wi ll travel to the American Choral Directors' Association national conference in Los Angeles; next year, she will travel with the group to China.

Congratulations go to sophomore Kevin Meyer, who received his Eagle Scout in the late winter. Kevin is a member of Troop 444, sponsored by Reveille United Methodist Church

Junior Polly Cannalla traveled to Brazil for this year's Minimester. Polly worked for Cross Culture Solutions out of New York. She was placed in Salvador, Brazil, working in a day care center run by nuns and established by Mother Theresa.

Sophomore Keith Murphy submitted his original artwork to the "Drawi ng Your Dreams" poster contest, sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia College Savings Plan. His drawing was in the top twenty, chosen out of 20,000 entries. The twenty finalists received $250 toward their college funds.

Music teacher Bonnie Anderson was included- for the fourth year-in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, The National Honor Roll of Outstanding Teachers and Who's Who of American Women.

Mrs. Rodriguez, Mrs. Healey, and 15 Upper School students (1 , 2) had a fantastic time on their Minimester trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The group toured the typical sights of the capital city, enjoyed a private boat ride through the Parana River, attended a dinner tango show, visited a typical estancia, or farm (where the students rode horses, went on a carriage ride, had a barbecue lunch, saw another tango show, and even danced), and visited a subtropical forest (where the students zip-lined through the trees and repelled off a mountain into a waterfall), among other fabulous opportunities, which included meeting people from all over the world.

For this year's Minimester, junior Michael Brady worked for Robot Productions, Inc. in Orlando, FL. He worked in their main facility, where they design and produce entertainment robotics, animatronics, and special effects primarily for the Walt Disney Company and their 11 parks around the world.

Page 12: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

Write,a,Thon Steward's second-annual, school-wide Write-a-Thon, held on April 16, involved over 600 people-including faculty, staff, and students from all three divisions. Various writing stations throughout the Lower and Upper School buildings gave students the chance to explore a variety of genres, such as nonfiction, fiction , poetry, cartoon writing, and others. Activities crossed disciplines, as well. In one station, for instance, students were asked to examine a work of art and then write a story about what happened either before or after the moment in time captured by the artist . Another station introduced students to various musical compositions, after which they wrote responses to what they'd heard.

Throughout the day, students alternated through the stations, traveling in groups and working together as they created. At the end of the day, students had the opportunity to share what they had created at one of four" Artist Assemblies," the culmination of a day that took students outside their normal schedules and into the world of writing. According to second-grade teacher and co-organizer Robin Ricketts, "The day offered all of us the chance to embrace the opportunity for students to experience cross-grade collaboration, writing creativity, and public speaking. It was great, too, to see the students having such a good time."

The most exciting component of the day was no doubt the opportunity that students had to work with each other, across grades and even schools. Lower School students traveled to stations in groups, and they were paired with groups of Middle and Upper School students, who were there to assist, brainstorm with, and guide Lower School students every step of the way.

Head of Lower School Deborah Hanger explains, "Last year, the Write-a-Thon fa r exceeded our expectations and proved to be so inspirational to eve ryone-not just the students. This year, with even more students, faculty , and staff involved, it's no surprise that it was even more of a success."

Page 13: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _ .

Learning Trees In 2005, Upper School science teacher Mary Greenlee applied for and received a grant from Project Learning Tree, a program of the American Forest Foundation. Project Learning Tree is an award-winning multidisciplinary environmental education program for teachers and students in grades pre-K through 12, and it is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad.

The goal of Mrs. Greenlee's grant was to involve Steward students in a community-

based project that would improve soil and water conservation, provide a habitat for birds, and educate students about planting and conservation. On December 1, 2006, her environmental science class worked with Mrs. Hathaway's kindergarten class to plant trees around the sediment pond on the Steward campus.

The project accomplished the goals of the grant, while also contributing to the future beauty of our campus.

MS Students Go For the Green When Middle School teacher Karen Lechner came aboard the Steward team, she soon noticed at least one thing differed from the San Francisco-area school where she had taught previously: environmental consciousness. "Where I came from, everything was recycled," she explains, "And that felt good, knowing that nothing was going to waste."

After asking around, Ms. Lechner learned from a friend at Collegiate that although Henrico County does not pick up recycling at businesses and schools, there is a

gentleman who has his own business doing so (and who charges a minimal monthly cost). Upon getting supportive approval from the Administration and Mr. Maruca, Ms. Lechner knew the next step was to gauge student interest to help make a school-wide recycling effort a reality.

Little did she know what an enthusiastic response she would receive. "I put it out there to the eighth-graders, to see if they'd be interested in making it a club," she explains, "And a small group

immediately came forward. Now, they do it all, and it just makes me so happy to see. And the kids are psyched about it." Once every two weeks, the Club sorts through recycling bins that have been placed around the school to collect paper and plastic bottles. They take the larger bins to the Maintenance Building and return the bins to the appropriate spots.

With help from Mr. Tickle in the Lower School and Mrs. Greenlee in the Upper School, Steward's "going green" is becoming contagious. Steward 's food service company, Meriwether Godsey, is looking at "green" alternatives when serving students. If you'd like to find out more about how to become a part of Steward's recycling effort, contact Ms. Lechner at karen.lechner@ stewardschool.org or Mrs. Cameron at [email protected].

Su" .. ,l.t)'';' 10

Page 14: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007
Page 15: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007
Page 16: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

THE PARENTS' ASSOCIATION: SEED Program Brings Dr. Robert Evans to Steward By Sharon Forbes, Parent Educ~tion Co-Chair

Faculty, staff, and parents all benefited from the SEED Speaker Program Series when Dr. Robert Evans visited Steward School on February 26 and 27. Dr. Evans is a clinical and organizational psychologist and author of the book, Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope With the Crisis in Childrearing. Dr. Evans met with Parents' Association Board Members and Administration at an informal luncheon/discussion on Monday, February

26. That evening, he conducted a Faculty Development session,

featuring an interactive lecture attended by all

faculty and staff.

At noon on February 27, Dr. Evans spoke to over

150 parents from Steward and our surrounding

community on "Raising Healthy Children in

Challenging Times." Dr. Evans's message to parents was concise and simple, yet very encouraging. Listing the elements that we, as parents, think our children need in order to grow into productive adults, Dr. Evans broke the list down to the three most crucial: Nurture, Structure, and Latitude. His presentation focused on the appropriate amounts of these three elements in our children's lives.

Alternately humorous and serious, his discussion dismissed the myth of "quality time," pointing out that, in fact, what parenting involves is plenty of boring, mundane, repetitive time and precious little quality time, but Dr. Evans stressed that true nurturing is all about spending that time with our children.

He went on to discuss "parenting techniques," emphasizing the importance of ability over expertise and going so far as to recommend closing the parenting books to spend that time with our children. Dr. Evans closed with his idea of the essential rules for parenting:

1. When you are with your children, you are always teaching, and they are constantly learning from your behavior. Think twice about the model.

2. Most kids are resilient and not fragile . They do not need to be perfect, and they can handle more than we often give them credit for.

3. Identify the minimal non-negotiable rules for your family and hold the line on them always.

4. Do not leap to fix problems for your child. Smoothing the path is not preparing the child for the future .

. .. ....... . ............................. ----..... ....................................... . ................................... . In Good Company Series Closes with a Blast By Barbara Werderman, Alumni Rel~tions and Development Associate

"In Good Company" was a rousing success in its premiere season. As a community we wanted to create something fresh , a concept that allowed people to choose a themed event based on their interest, while still supporting our School. A t otal of eight sponsored events allowed the Parents' Association to fund -raise and friend-raise. All eight events were enormous successes.

13 n Xli

From Skeet Shooting to "Boogy'in with

the Bopcats," fun was had by all as

parents and friends of Steward got to

know each other in these intimate social

events. "As a new parent at Steward School, I felt welcomed into the

community and was able to get to know

some great families," said one Lower

School parent_ The Barn Blast Finale, held

on April 21, was the perfect end to a great series. Beautiful weather, a large crowd, and even a mechanical bull made the event memorable.

A special thanks to all of the individuals and corporate sponsors who put so much time and effort into these events! Thanks to them, and thanks to your participation, we were able to turn an idea into reality.

Page 17: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

LEACH NG OUT 0 COMMUNI I'

[he Steward School Celebrates Faculty/Staff l\ppreciation Week in a BIG WAY! 'y Cindy A rrington, Hospitality Co-Chair

The Steward School's celebration of

Faculty/Staff Appreciation week is an

annual effort led by the Parents'

Association-an opportunity to say

"Thank You" in a special way to the

School's outstanding faculty and staff and

to recognize their dedicated efforts that

make The Steward School a truly special

place. The nearly 150 faculty and staff

members were treated to a week of

surprises, recognition, and great food!

On Monday, banners around campus and

the school's marquee announced the

celebration to the community-at-large.

Parents' Association Hospitality

Committee members worked over the

weekend to make sure this Monday was

special; upon arrival, teachers and staff

found their lounges completely cleaned,

organized, and stocked with goodies.

On Tuesday morning the Facilities

Management staff was treated to a "hot

breakfast"-<lur thanks for the outstanding

effort they make to keep Steward running

perfectly and our campus one of the

loveliest spots in Richmond. Also on

Tuesday, Steward School signature aprons

were delivered to each member of the

.~'~~'UL'~~UL'~. • ••••••••••• ~

Steward faculty and staff, a generous gift

from the Reeves-Xu family. Included with

the aprons were gift certificates for

a bit of pampering at a local salon. The

signature event of the week was a catered

luncheon in the Cramer Art Gallery, which

gave everyone a chance to relax, chat, and

enjoy the camaraderie that is a hallmark

of our school.

Thanks to the generous donations of

Steward families, Thursday and Friday

were busy with the delivery of "Giving

Tree" presents! Faculty and staff members

were previously asked to submit "wishes"

for items that would help them in the

classroom and with their work around

campus. An outpouring of support

generated the fulfillment of over 150

wishes, from books and teaching aids to

specialty equipment-items that will

enrich the Steward experience.

Many thanks go to our generous

Steward families and members of the

Parents' Association Hospitality

Committee for making the 2007

Faculty/Staff Appreciation celebration

a week to remember!

Sent by Linda

Dunvil/e, on

behalf of the

Lower School.

Page 18: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

PERFORMING ARTS This Winter and Spring:

january 5: The Basketball Pep Band

played at the Steward Invitational. The basketball pep band performed for all the

Friday home basketball games this season, including the lower School Athletic

jamboree on February 2, as well as the VCC Tournament at Richard Bland

College on Saturday, February 24.

january 29: Richmond Symphony Discovery Concert (Grades 4-8). All

lower School students in grades 4 and 5

and all Middle School music students attended a special program by the

Richmond Symphony entitled "Space: Above and 8eyond."

February 2 - 3: District Band Weekend

(off campus) and February 9 -10: District Chorus Weekend (off campus). Steward students auditioned for these honor

ensembles that rehearsed and performed these weekends. (See the Musical Milestones article on page 11 for more information.)

February 15 -17: Student play, Barefoot in the Park (1) . This Neil Simon play featured Steward Upper School students.

March 29: Student-Directed One-Act

Plays. There were four plays on the bill, two of which were directed by seniors

Coldon Martin and Steven Rogers as their

senior projects . The other two plays were directed by Craig Smith with students from his acting classes.

March 30: MS/US Talent Night (2 , 3, 4).

The show featured 23 acts that included 11 Middle School acts, 8 Upper School acts, 1 combined faculty and student act, and even a couple of performances by

Upper and Middle School faculty. The music ranged from classical, jazz, blue­grass, and show tunes to country, funk,

pop, and good old-fashioned rock and roll.

15 "!,n n;.: lL\"7

April 19 - 21 : Sarah, Plain and Tall (5) . Students from all three divisions were featured in this joseph Robinette play, adapted from the Newbery Award­winning novel by Patricia Maclachlan.

Saturday, April 21 : Trinity Episcopal School Jazz Titans of Tomorrow Festival. The student jazz combo, Chickweed, participated in this annual music event held on the campus of Trinity Episcopal School.

Coming Up ...

May 10: lower School Spring Concert. You won 't want to miss our lower School students and the sounds of spring.

May 11 : lower School Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day Program. The entire lower School performs on stage for th is annual event, which has become a favorite of both participants and attendees.

May 14: Middle and Upper School Spring Band Concert. This concert will feature the Middle School Drum & Recorder Ensemble, the Upper School jazz Band. and the Eclectic Ensemble Concert Band.

May 15: Middle and Upper School Spring Choral Concert . This evening will feature all of our Middle and Upper School choirs in an end-of-the-year performance.

May 24: First-Grade Play. Our talented first -graders will close the year with this performance of What's so Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?

Page 19: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

VISUAL ARTS

Cramer Center Art Gallery Exhibits

This winter and spring:

November 7 - December 21 : Robyn Ryan (1). Watercolor and Water Media

january 3 - january 31: Susan Stuller, Acrylic and Watercolor

February 7 - March 7: Awer Gaberiel Bul, Acrylic and Oil

March 12 - April 5: Guy Crittenden (2), Photography and Oil

Coming up:

April 10 - May 17: lower School Art Show (3) . This colorful, eclectic, and creative show will fea t ure the mixed

media a rtwork of lower School students.

May 23 - june 27: jude Schlotzhauer, Glass . The work of this talented artist-in­

residence, who worked so closely with Steward students, will be featured this

month.

Cosby Hall Gallery

Coming up:

Second Semester: Upper School Art Students: Mixed Media

May 1 - May 31: jing jing Gong ('02): Photography

Community Exhibits

This winter and spring:

November 2006: Richmond Camera. Upper School Photography students

April 2007: lakeside Manor. Upper School Art Students, Mixed Media

Coming up:

The Steward School Annual Sun Trust Art Exhibit: Middle and Upper School Students, Mixed Media. May 7 - 25. Reception: May 16 at 7:00 p.m. Steward's art students have earned a respected place in this art exhibit, with annual participation and a strong showing.

Artist-In-Residence Series

October - january: jude Schlotzhauer, Glass Fusing. jude worked with Middle and Upper School Art students to create a 5- x 10-ft glass mural for the Middle School Dining Commons.

january - April: Ed Trask (4), Muralist. Well-known muralist Trask was back at Steward to work with lower, Middle, and Upper School art students to paint two wall murals for the lower School Dining Commons and the Music Department (in the Cramer Center).

Visiting Artist Series

Awer Bul (5), one of the Lost Boys from the Sudan, came to speak to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools about not only his artwork but also his experience as one of

the Lost Boys and the plight of his people. During his time with our students, he shed light on the struggles of the Sudanese people, including the life that exists in refugee camps. He is raising money, through the sale of his artwork, to return to the Sudan to hold art workshops and provide refugees with art supplies. His ultimate goal is to build a school for children of Sudan.

~pnnlllOO7 16

Page 20: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

JV Boys' Basketball • Season record: 18-4 (14-2 VCe)

• Regular Season (first-ever) and Tournament (first since 1984) VCC Champs

Varsity Boys' Basketball • Season record: 23-3 (16-0 VCe)

• 2nd Place, Rock City Classic, Las Vegas

• 2nd Place, Steward Invitational

• Regular Season and Tournament VCC Champs

• Ranked #3 in VIS Division II State poll (traveled to state tournament)

It's been a spirited and successful few months for the Spartans. Of the 8 championships our school's teams have participated in, Steward has won 6- including all 5 vee championships in which we participated. Below are just a few highlights of the incredible accomplishments of our student athletes and their coaches ...

• All-VCC Players: Hector Ayala, Leandro Diaz, Spencer Robinson

• VCC Honorable Mention: Jake Wauldbauer

• VCC All-Academic: Hector Ayala

• VCC All-Tournament: Hector Ayala

• VCC Tournament MVP: Spencer Robinson

• VCC Co-Coach of the Year: Butch Keller

• VIS All State: Spencer Robinson and Hector Ayala

Varsity Girls' Basketball • Season record: 14-13

• Saber Invitational Champs

• 2nd Place, Steward Invitational

• All- LIS Team: Beth Dixon

MS Boys' Blue Basketball • Season record: 11-3-1 , including

8-game winn ing streak

Page 21: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

rom Coach Butch Keller, Boys' Varsity Basketball Coach

he Varsity Boys' Basketball team played in the Las Vegas Rock Tournament the week after hristmas. Steward played Virgin Valley HS, a public school in Nevada, in game one. teward won 67-54. In the semi-final game, Steward played Lake Mead Christian, a local :hool from Las Vegas. Spencer Robinson's heroics in the last minute forced an overtime ~riod in which Steward outscored Lake Mead 17 to 5 to advance to the finals with an 5-73 victory. The Spartans played North Broward Prep from Florida in the finals (without ector Ayala due to an injury the night before). All good things must come to an end, and Ie Spartans fell 59-49 in the championship game. Leandro Diaz and Spencer Robinson ere named to the All-Tournament Team. The entire trip was a lot of fun-a week when the 'am grew closer and played hard.

'om Coach Bruce Secrest, Boys' Varsity BasebaLL Coach

'e flew out of Richmond on March 11 (Sunday) and returned on March 17 (Saturday). We Id an awesome time, both practicing and just having fun . The weather was great the hole time we were there, and Fort Lauderdale was an awesome city. We practiced each orning at Highlands Christian Academy, which was a beautiful field. One of my friends I ayed with in college coaches there, which is why we were able to work with them. Each IY, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening day doing other things. Monday we Id the putt-putt team championship. Tuesday, we were so excited to be able to go to the BA game between the Miami Heat and the Utah Jazz in Miami. On Wednesday, we were 'le to see professional baseball players in action at a spring training game between the Iltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins, followed by another spring training game between e Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets on Thursday. It was a busy week, but a great perience for us all.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Our Baseball, Lacrosse, Golf. Tennis, and Girls' Soccer teams have all had a great spring season. Here are a few important dates to remember:

Beginning May 7: Varsity Girls' Lacrosse LIS Tournament

Beginning May 8: Varsity Baseball VCC Tournament

May 17 (7:00 p.m.): ]V !Varsity Athletic Awards Banquet, Cramer Center

May 23 (9:00 a.m.): MS Athletic Awards Banquet (Cramer Center)

Check out the team pages, pictures, articles, and a calendar of upcoming events at

www.stewardsports.org

Page 22: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

June 23 will be a

fun day and

will provide a

wonderful

opportunity for

alumni to

re ... connect with

one another.

Connecting ... When you think of your high school days, what comes to mind? Some of us

remember when Michael Jackson re leased "Bad" (when we actually thought it was

good!) and we couldn't stop singing. Others recall the days of perms, scrunchies,

and acid-washed jeans. Then there were the days of the Macarena and other

dance crazes. And, of course, who can forget the stunning moment when we first

heard about the attacks on September 11 , 200 1? There are times when powerful

memories flash back; suddenly you remember where you were and who you were

with. How long has it been since you've seen those friends? What are they doing

now? Are they still a class clown? Still raising their hand first with an answer? Still

flirting? Still excelling at any sport they attempt?

It's hard to keep in touch with old friends today. In our fas t-paced society, it's

not easy to find rhe time to make a phone call to an old friend, let alone write a

personal note. Fortunately, an ambitious group of Steward alumni are taking the

lead and planning reunions to re-connect with their fe llow classmates.

With that in mind, mark your calendars for June 23 , a day for all Steward

alumni and their families to rerum to campus for the Alumni Summer Fest .

The events will include a family day on the Steward campus complete with tours,

a cookout, and games for the kids.

Later tha t night, the C lass of 1987 will have their 20-year reunion, the Class of

1992 will have their l5-year reunion, and the C lass of 199 7 will celebrate their

lO-year reunion. (More information on the reunions will be sent to attendees.)

This will be a fun day and will provide a wonderful opportunity for alumni to

re -connect with one another. We are looking forward to it and hope you will

join us!

Questions regarding your reunion? Please contact the Steward Alumni Office at

804-565-2331.

Thanks, and take care,

Barbara Werderman Alumni Affairs

Page 23: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Page 24: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN . -- . - -.. , .. . ~ -

The Steward

Schoolsoughtto

be different by

providing a

college .. preparatory

education in a

small .. school

environment

where no student

would be

forgotten ...

2 1 !-l'flll l! 2J07

Dear Members of the Steward Conmlunity:

What role docs the stated mission of an independent school rea lly play in the day-m­

day life of the school? At some independent schools. I suspect that their stated

miss ions are seldom remembered and are often viewed by parents and students

primarily as idea li tic or lofty phrases that are largely indistinguishable from the

miss ions of other schools. At The Steward School. however. the Board of Trustees,

the administration, and the facul ty are keenly aware of the school's miss ion. and we

want all members of The Steward School fam ily-including students and parents- to

understand and embrace the mission. Let me try to explain why.

From its inception in 1972. The Steward School sought to be different by providing a

college-preparatory education in a small-school environment where no student would

be forgotten. where differences in learning styles would be accommodated. and where

every student would be given the opportunity to participate and to exce1. For the

first 25 years of its existence. Steward remained very small- not more than 300

students in all three divisions. As a resu lt, our stated mission of, among other

things. championing small classes and limiting the 'ize of the overall student body

so that the School can identify and develop the ta lents of each student. cou ld be

easily demonstrated each day.

In 1997. The Steward School received an unprecedented gift of $ 15 million from an

anonymous donor. ln accepting trus very generous gift. the Board of Trustees also

accepted the conditions tha t were imposed by the donor. including that the school

would remain rrue to its mission of being a "small. co-educational. K-12 schoo1.'·

This gift enabled the school to build the Cramer Center for the Arts and to increase

substantially its very modest endowment. while the additional generosity and hard

work of many other members of The Steward School family permiued the build-out

of the balance of the campus that our students enjoy today. As a result, Steward

became attract ive to more and more families who e children could benefit from a

Steward School educmion. Today. we have over 600 students.

Ah, but the re" the rub. While the number of applica tions for admission increases

each yea r, at some point Stewa rd runs the risk of no longer be considered "small"

and of losing it focus on the mission if the student body grows much larger.

Recognizing the dramatic changes that have taken place over the last several years,

the Board of Trustees adopted a strategic plan this school yea r entitled "Vision

TwentyEleven." which will guide (he School for the next five years. The plan consists

of five initiatives, the first of which relates specifi ca lly to the School's mission :

Page 25: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

Develop and arriculate the cure concepts of the mission: to he a small,

diverse, K-1 2, coeducational college-prepamtory school, guided by the

ethic of care, and committed to recognizing each person's academic,

artistic, athletic, and interpersonal growth .

The rationale for this ini tiative is very simple: to preserve the

founding mis ion of the School and to prevent us from losing our

disrinctive identity ~nd purpose, we must build a consensus and

detailed understanding of the School's mission that speaks ro

exactly what Steward is wi th suffic ient clarity to distinguish

Steward from other schoob .

Under the leadership of Bill Waddell, a trustee, former Steward

parent, and long-ti me supporter of the School, a committee has

been assigned the task of:

• Expressing the mission using concrete language tha t is easily

The future is very bright

for Steward, and I

encourage all families to

continue to support the

school and its very

important mission.

unders tandable, and communicating it regularly and effeClively to all of our constituencies;

• Developing a plan for ensuring rhat the School does nor change in the fnce of increasing pres ures to become larger and more like other chools;

• Setting guidel ines for the overall size of the srudent body in the three divisions and for class izes in the variou types of clas es;

• Developing a plan for regular interac tion among the students and faculry in all three divisions so a to create a greater sense of "one communi ty."

T his commi ttee has he en engaged during the current school year in a careful study of these issues and has already produced

thoughtful essays discussing several of them in depth.

O ne of the most di ffi cult issues, which this committee and the Board hope to address in the coming weeks, is setting

guidelines fo r the size of the school over the next fi ve years. T hese guidelines will :l ffect many decisions that the Boa rd and

the administration must make, from capital improvement to curriculum offerings. Most importantly, though, the size of the

school must reflect the mission of the school- a mission that, nt its core, requires Steward to remain a small school that

provides opportunities for every student to succeed. It is a mission that the Board of Trustees will guard jealow.ly. It is also

a mission that all members of The Steward School communi ty should understand and celebrate.

As I rota te off as chaim1an of the Board of Trus tees at the end of this school year, I wish to express my appreciation to all of

the u ustees and other volun teers who help to make The Steward School such a special place for our children. T he future

is velY bright for Steward, and I encourage all fa milies LO continue to support the school and its very important mission.

Sincerely,

Charlie Menges

SPIII_' 2.,xt7 22

Page 26: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

~-.-;-1 ~. l·- w_.J'l~:-,;;;-.rt,.t-:~;"Tft1l~~~ ... .-~ -;~. -:' .. i. .,oj.. , .:..,.>.> '-:if~· ~;. ':~ -;. : --::.I: .. ... , ~~~;:~:.'A . :~. !:_ ':# ta ,~:c:, '~·;'1.\:,~~~~l~:',i';\t~::~t~-,,-,~ '~--' -,.~-:!- -

'Wel'~9;~,~~1fQJ~t.~ward! ,;;' ' . .. " ................................................. - ...................................................................................................... .

. . . .

the ASSistant Director of Student Life at Christ School in Asheville, George, his wife Clare, an<:! tneir two sons will move back to Richmond in ~une, and George will begin at Steward on July 1.

Page 27: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

•• • • •

Planned Giving be a good steward of your assets

• •• • Bequests • Gift Annuities • Charitable Ren1ainder Trusts · • •

: Charitable Lead Trusts • Gifts of Real Estate and Other Options : •

www.stewardschool.org/development

Page 28: CrossRoads Vol.6 Spring 2007

2006- 2007 ANNUAL G IVING

CAMPAIGN

" FOR STEWARD STUDENTS"

there's stiU time to

GIVE! campaign ends

30

We would like to thank the 69% of those supporting the 2006-2007 Annual Giving Campaign. Gifts to The Steward School from alumni, parents, and friends are appreciated and directly impact

the students by enhancing opportunities for activities, athletics, and much more.

June 30 marks the end of our fiscal year, and we hope you will consider making a gift or paying your pledge to The Steward School. Our students are counting on you!

Make your gift securely online at www.stewardschool.orgldevelopmentlgive

THE STEWARD SCHOOL 11600 Gayton Road · Richmond, VA 23238 (804) 740-3394 • www.stewardschool.org

Nonprofit Organization

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Richmond, VA Perm it No. 895