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Update From
John
Webster,
Head of
School
On
November 11 ISAS, the Independent Schools Association of
the Southwest, re-accredited San
Antonio Academy for the
next ten years.
In its letter of
re-accreditation ISAS congratulates The Academy for
“pursuing its mission with integrity and
purpose.” The sixty-nine page Report of the
Visiting Committee states, “It is apparent that San
Antonio Academy is doing an excellent job of preparing
students academically, socially and physically, and its
focus on honor, excellence and integrity is providing an
outstanding program of building character and service in
its students.”
I thank the more than 140
parents, grandparents, alumni, trustees, faculty and
staff who worked so hard to produce SAA’s Self-Study and
Documentation of Adherence to Standards. The
school’s Self-Study, Report of the Visiting Committee
and new Strategic Plan provide a blueprint that will
help us all work together to carry San Antonio Academy
to an even higher level of excellence. While our
school is strong, I believe that SAA’s best days
lie ahead. I ask you to join us as we work together
to help The Academy be the best it can
be.
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Fall
Family Fair 2008 Recap:
The
2008 Fall Family Fair, "Camo-lot: A Noble
Night," was a royal success! Guests enjoyed
old favorites such as the obstacle course,
karaoke, sea dragon, fajitas, pizza and gorditas.
Turkey
legs were added for an extra medieval
ambiance. In addition to the great food from The
Academy kitchen and the SAA “Grill Kings,”
DoubleDave’s PizzaWorks, Lisa’s Mexican
Restaurant, Sweet Designs, Freddy’s
Frozen Custard, Silver Eagle Distributors and
Paloma Blanca contributed to the feast that was
fit for kings and queens.
In
preparation for the fair and inspired by the
"Camo-lot" theme, Academy boys were each
assigned a chivalrous character trait:
Kindness, Honesty, Excellence, Courage,
Loyalty, Determination, Diligence,
Self-discipline, Humility, and
Service. Afterwards, they created
shields with written examples of how
they could demonstrate their selected traits.
The sheilds were then posted in Ellison
Hall.
Also
prior to the Fair, "The Guild of the
Knights" visited chapel in September
to talk about chivalry, character, and
medieval combat. The Knights returned to
campus during the event and brought with them
the tallest horse in the world, Thor. Guests
climbed a ladder to sit on top of Thor to have
their picture taken.
Lead
by co-chairs Shannon and Craig
Wingrove and Steph and Wayne
Wagner, the Fall Family Fair committee
included over 60 parent leaders and committee
members. Over 200 in-kind donors gave auction
items, materials and supplies and the
contributions of 52 underwriters helped off-set
the cost of the event. Over
100 parents worked one-hour shifts in the booths
and many others invested their time over the last
nine months in planning each aspect of the Fair,
which was attended by over 1,100 Academy family
members, friends and neighbors. Congratulations to
everyone on a job very
well done!
Planning
for the 24th Annual Fall Family Fair,
chaired by Steph and Wayne Wagner, will begin
soon! If you would like to donate an auction item,
event supplies or cash underwriting, or would like
to be involved in the planning of Fall Family Fair
or Spring Thing, contact Mary Shrader, Special
Events Coordinator, at mshrader@sa-academy.org. |
Counselors
Corner
Life
Is Not Fair...And that's OK
by Theresa Moore LCSW,
LPC
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of
life.
It turns what we have into enough,
and more. It turns denial into
acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion
to clarity. It can turn a meal into a
feast, a house into a home, a
stranger
into a friend. Gratitude makes
sense
of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for
tomorrow.
-
Melody
Beattie |
Resilience is sited in much of the recent
research as the most important characteristic in
predicting success in adulthood. When a child is
resilient he/she is able to be flexible, patient,
persevere and solve problems in a variety of ways. These
are “people skills” that most adults assume a child
develops through out their life experience. However,
many children and young adults are not exhibiting these
skills. Instead they are anxious, irritable, easily
frustrated and discouraged.
In the past 30 years our culture has become a
community who values independence, quick results,
immediate gratification and throw-away relationships.
These are characteristics of entitlement. Jim Fay and
Dawn Billings have written “From Innocence to
Entitlement: A Love and Logic Cure for the Tragedy of
Entitlement”. They stress that entitlement is when
a person believes they have been given the right to
demand and to receive. This results in the belief that
the world owes us something, but the payment is never
enough. Mr. Fay and Ms. Billings state: “Individuals
believe life is not fair and they don’t have all they
should.”
When we are busy trying to get our “just
reward” it is almost impossible to see all we have that
is valuable, such as life, family, safety, laughter, joy
and love. Entitlement is the result of an attitude of
disrespect and an ungrateful heart. When we believe
there is never enough, we will not be grateful for much.
If we believe life is unfair, we will always be in
competition and conflict with others.
In our efforts to give our children what
they want, to “protect” them and make life as easy as
possible for them, we have inadvertently given them the
permission to demand their way and to disrespect those
who are holding them accountable for something they do
not believe is fair. Where is the struggle to persevere
until you understand the new concept; where is the
patience to practice over and over again until you have
achieved the goal; where is the flexibility to allow
another student to do the part on a project you wanted
to do; where is the ability to see things from more than
one perspective – self?
 Manners are the foundation of respect. They are
important to use with our elders as well as our peers.
Children need to do the same. They need to learn to use
their manners with their friends as well as the adults
in their lives. “Good old-fashioned manners –
thoughtfulness, kindness, courtesy, politeness,
consideration, graciousness, and basic etiquette – all
culminate in a respectful and appreciative way of
relating to the world and the people in it.
Showing and sharing our manners causes us to loosen the
death grip on our narcissism long enough to realize that
there are others in the world, and recognize the
contributions they are making on our
behalf.”
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Fall Wildcat
Sports
Wildcat Soccer
Team Champs! The A-Team (Small School
Division) came home with the gold medal as ISAL
1st Place Champions; and the A-Team (Large
School) took home silver, placing second in their
ISAL Division. The Large School Division is made
up of six schools, while the Small is made up of
nine.
Cross
Country Recap: Over six meets,
the Wildcat Cross Country team had a
successful season winning their meet
at SACS, while placing 2nd at both the
Feast and the League Championship. Outstanding
runners included Zack Rodriguez, Eshan Halekote,
Robert Guerra, Josh King, Austen Tealer and
Wallace Schmuck. |
Student
News
Fourth
grader, Tom
Bugg, was chosen from over 9,000 entries and is
one of four finalists in Storyworks
magazine’s ‘Create a Character Contest.’ Hosted by
Scholastic, students were asked to create a
character that
is human and share his hobbies, challenges and future
goals. Tom wrote about Onnessimus Oscar Ogleby, a
rare coin collector who stumbled across an unusual coin,
which he discovered was stolen from a museum. Tom
researched where the coin originated and how to return
it. The character grew in the story by returning the
coin and not keeping it for himself.
As part of the contest, famous
children’s author Roland Smith was selected to choose
the best idea and develop a short story based on the
student’s character. The winning story will be featured
in the May edition of Storyworks.
Regardless of outcome, Tom’s story idea will be included
in the magazine along with his picture and his school's
name.
 In November Academy seventh grade
students, Ethan Ausburn, Jeremy Heath
and Muneeb Rasheed joined several other
volunteers for "The Good Neighbor Initiative," a
comunity service project (sponsored by the city of San
Antonio and the Spurs Sports and Entertainment)
to offer assitance in sprucing up east
side homes. Unknowningly, the boys were assigned to
none other than Mr. William Everett, a Tuskegee Airman!
Eighty-eight year old Everett shared his
congressional medal of honor received from the
President, while the boys spent the afternoon
painting wrought iron trim around his home and
carport. The Academy boys felt honored to be a part of
this important service where their efforts
were making a tangible
difference.
In October eighth grader, Anthony
Kayruz, was a guest speaker at St. Mary's
University where he read his Humanitarian essay, A Survivor’s
Story, to the students,
staff, and faculty in the campus’ luminary-adorned Bell
Tower. Each luminary represented a family member or
friend in the St. Mary's community that has either
died from or is currently afflicted by breast
cancer. In past years, during October's
Breast Cancer Awareness month, the University
traditionally highlights breast cancer
survivors, but moved by Anthony's essay,
invited him to speak.
Fourth grader, Michael
Kelleher, is a part of the North East Colts
Youth Football Organization where as a first-year
football player, has “emerged as a defensive starter,
and is the fastest player on his team,” according to his
coach, Luke T. Daum. “Michael is quite, courteous and
presumably unassuming, but is a leader and has earned
the respect and admiration of the entire team,” he
continues. Michael’s team won the state championship
game at the Alamo Bowl on December 7, and finished
the regular season with 7-1 overall record. They were
seeded #7 in the playoffs, defeated the #1 seeded Judson
Junior Rockets in round two, and have won throughout the
playoffs.
Sixth
graders,
Caleb Snow and Ben
Rindler, were in Washington, D.C. last October
attending the Junior National Young Leaders Conference
(JrNYLC) where they learned to develop and sharpen their
leadership skills by examining the leaders of the past
and empowering them to make a positive social impact in
their community and the world. Activities included
exploring our country's legislative branch on Capitol
Hill to learn about the history of the news and the role
it plays in our society, engage in a First Amendment
simulation and employ their new-found communication
skills by debating and negotiating
with their fellow scholars, citing
relevant support for their side. They also traveled to
Harper’s Ferry, now considered a national park, where
they examined famous abolitionist, John Brown, and
discussed his leadership characteristics.
Third grader, Campbell Erwin (pictured 2nd from r),
represented San Antonio as the #1
B10 on a team of 20 boys & girls who won the state
title for the first time ever with over 200 boys &
girls participating state-wide. Campbell's team
played the four largest cities in Texas beating Abilene (best small town last
year), Austin, Dallas (2nd place) &
Houston (3rd
place). All matches were first to 8-games, no-ad,
pro sets. Campbell won 30 of a
possible 32 games. Against Austin, he was down 3-7
in games, but held off six match points against his
opponent and won. Against Houston, he was down
1-6 games before winning the remaining 7
games.
Development
Highlights
Grandparent
Events
Grandparents
& Grandfriends Day: On November 21, Mr.
& Mrs. Richard C. Traylor hosted a luncheon for over
100 of our grandparents and trustees at Club Giraud.
Later in the afternoon, approximately 500 grandparents,
grandfriends and parents attended Grandparents’ &
Grandfriends’ Day on campus. Our Academy family enjoyed
a choral performance by the primary school and a formal
parade by the upper school boys. Adding to the
festivities was the shooting of the cannon, by
eighth grader Landes Rangel. Grandparents and
grandsons enjoyed a beautiful afternoon to tour the
campus, meet with teachers and enjoy refreshments.
 Grandparent-Grandson
Lunches: Tables were filled this fall
semester during the Grandparent–Grandson grade
level lunches. Prior to their special time at the
lunch table, granparents also observed learning-in-
action when they visited their grandsons'
classrooms.
Upcoming
lunches:
January
21 First
grade
11:15 - 11:50 a.m.
Second
grade 12:00 - 12:40
p.m.
March
25
Prekindergarten 11:15 - 11:50
a.m.
Kindergarten
12:00
- 12:40 p.m.
 Heartfelt writing
assignment: Click
here to read two sample poems from a
fourth grade writing assignment dedicated to
Grandparents.
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Enrichment Snapshot:
Academy
parent, Paulina Martinez,
reads to the
2nd Grade Spanish class about Día
de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a three-day
Mexican
Holiday. |
Mission
Statement:
San Antonio Academy of Texas offers
prekindergarten through eighth grade boys an exceptional
academic program that features small classes, a
family-like atmosphere, the development of a positive
self-image and a foundation for life based upon love of
God and country, integrity and respect for each
other.
This email and
any files transmitted with it may contain CONFIDENTIAL
information and may be read or used only by the intended
recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of
the email or any of its attachments, please be advised
that you have received this email in error and that any
use, dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing,
or copying of this email or any attached files is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this
email in error, please immediately purge it and all
attachments and notify the sender by reply email or
contact the sender at the number listed.
If you have any questions regarding the content
of this email, please contact bshimek@sa-academy.org
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IN THIS
ISSUE:
Glimpses into the
classroom 
Campus-wide Recycle Program
Underway:
In an effort to pitch in and do our part to help
the environment, SAA is making a campus-wide push to
recycle the paper produced in classrooms, workrooms, and
administrative offices. As a result, since August, we have
collected approximately 3,500 pounds of paper waste! This
saves:
- 29 trees
- 7,000 KWH of
energy
- 12, 250 gallons of
water
- 5.5 cubic yards of
landfill
- 105 pounds of air pollution
that is created when making paper from wood
pulp.
Special thanks to fourth grade
science teacher, Cathy Baumgardner, who
spearheaded and coordinates this important program.
Enjoy Dinner with
Mozart:
Families of San Antonio
Academy
students are invited to spend an evening with Mozart—or
Bach—or any of the other composers studied in music classes
this school year.
In an effort to expand music learning
beyond the classroom, the music department and the library
have joined forces to compile a CD collection of great
classical music. Third through eighth grade students are
eligible to check out the cd’s, while Primary boys listen to
them in their classrooms during special times. Listening to
music of the Masters on a regular basis is a proven way to
increase standardized testing scores and can be a great source
of relaxation and enjoyment. We encourage boys to take
advantage of these new offerings—and who knows, your son might
even be the next
Mozart!
Eighth Graders Election
Exercise:
Eighth
graders manned the polls in the AV room of the library during
“election day” at SAA. Upper
School
students experienced what it was like to vote from start to
finish; including entering their voter I.D. cards, signing
their name, and then casting their presidential preference
vote. The voter process was complete when participants were
handed an “I voted” sticker. Votes were then tabulated
for each class section at the end of each class period and
totaled at the end of the day.
The
exercise gave the eighth graders some sense of responsibility
and a sense of the complexity in conducting an election, and
it allowed the younger students—because of the voter I.D.
requirement—to take the right and civic obligation of voting
more seriously. It also gave all upper school students a
feeling of participation and a way to tie in previous class
discussions about what adult voters were doing
nationally.
Fourth Graders Experiment
on Paper Towels:
Fourth grade boys in science
explored the scientific method through “Paper Towel Testing,” a series of
activities in which the students designed and conducted
scientific tests to compare the qualities of several brands of
paper towels. Students utilized the general methods common to
all scientific investigations as they designed and conducted
controlled experiments, measured physical characteristics,
recorded results, and drew conclusions. They also applied
mathematics as they compared factors such as wet strength,
absorbency, and the unit cost of different brands. The boys
created unique experiments to test for durability,
reusability, and value.
Middle East
Artwork:
During their study of
the Middle East, seventh graders explored principles of
the Islamic faith through art. By incorporating designs
researched on the Internet – and a little Powerpoint
inspiration provided by Linda
Gielen, students created their own piece of
art using two of the four forms of Islamic art previously
studied: geometric (repetition and variation),
arabesque and floral, medallion (central image is more
important than other elements), and calligraphy (means
“beautiful writing”). The boys enjoyed
applying their knowledge of Islam while utilizing their
creative abilities, which resulted in colorful, exotic
works.
Forces
of Nature:
Mrs. Bolner’s first grade scientists
brought the classroom outdoors to study the process of weathering
and erosion. The boys became engaged in various activities
correlating with these conditions including using a force of
nature (water) to demonstrate how it weathers and erodes the
land (sand and gravel). The students further challenged their
thinking by holding the pan at an incline to simulate a
landslide. Each group member played an important part
during the experiments, and together, they successfully
demonstrated both
conditions.
Alumni News
Alumni Day
– Distinguished Alumni
Award:
On Friday
October 24, the San Antonio Academy Alumni Council
honored Tom C. Frost '41 and
Jessie H. Oppenheimer '31, as
recipients of its inaugural San Antonio Academy Distinguished
Alumnus Award. Tom Frost and Jessie Oppenheimer have led lives
of distinguished service, setting a powerful example and
influencing thousands of people. Both men exemplify the
highest values and ideals of our school.
Over 40 alumni attended this special
event. When the muster was called, each alumnus present
received an alumni medal from Colonel Bondurant.
After
chapel, a parade was held in honor of the Distinguished Alumni
and guests.
'Shoot Some Hoops' Most Successful
to-date!
The annual Alumni vs. Eighth grade
"Shoot Some Hoops" Basketball Game was great fun
with a full roster of alumni suiting up to take on the
eighth grade basketball team, while other fellow classmates
chose to take in the entertainment from the sidelines. It was
a close game throughout each quarter with the
Alumni pulling out the win 83-62. A big kudos to all
of the alumni (both young and not-so-young) who took time out
of their afternoon to join
us!
Check out the slide show to
relive the
fun.
Save
the Date: January 27 - Col.
W.T. Bondurant, Sr. Distinguished Humanitarian Award Dinner
Honoring Sam Barshop '43.
Distinguished Speaker
Leadership Series: 
Academy alumnus, James
Bitter Steves '95, gave a high-energy
presentation to the upper school boys complete with a
(rock-n-roll) slide show about his experience in the Naval
Academy. Graduating at the top of his class, James also
incorporated his experience to encourage the boys to
always lead by example and strive to be the best they can be.
His Naval accomplishments include: Awarded the Navy and Marine
Corps Achievement Medal for exceptional leadership during an
'Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination' in 2006; and in
2008 he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps
Commendation Medal for demonstrating noteworthy leadership and
tactical acumen while serving as a primary 'Officer of the
Deck' during missions vital to national
security.
The fifth
through eighth graders were privileged to hear Peter
Alier, a Sudanese immigrant, tell about his
experiences as a “Lost Boy” there. Peter said his
journey started at the age of six when he saw his father
killed and was separated from his mother and sister. Peter
explained about the Civil War between the Muslims and the
Christians in Sudan, which forced
him to wander as a lost boy. His journey took him on a
three-month walk to Ethiopia and then returning to
Sudan after four
years at the age of 11. Peter then made the difficult travel
to Kenya where he
survived on one meal a day, after standing in line for four
hours. When asked what the United States can do at this
time to help Sudan, Peter said
that the children there are in need of an education which is
likely to be the key to their success. Any help Americans can
give towards building schools, obtaining school supplies and
educating the children in Sudan would be a gift. Peter
resides in San
Antonio where he is studying to become
a nurse. We are grateful to Rev. John
Barrett, an Academy dad, who brought Peter to SAA to
tell his compelling story.
American Hero,
Captain Scott O'Grady, visited chapel in
November to share his story that intrigued a nation. In June
of 1995, U.S. Air Force Captain O'Grady was helping enforce
the NATO no-fly zone in skies over Bosnia when a
Soviet-made anti-aircraft missile slammed into his
F-16. During his presentation, O'Grady spoke about how he
managed to live through the missile impact, the techniques he
used to survive in a barren and hostile landscape for six
days, and the real story behind the daring rescue mission
carried out by the U.S. Marines. Special thanks to Academy
grandparents, Col. & Mrs. Robert E. Kelso,
for bringing this inspiring hero to
SAA.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
December 18
- Holiday Concerts, 1:00-1:30 pm Primary / 2:15-2:45
pm Upper
December 19
-January 2: Winter Break
January 5
- Classes Resume
January 9
- Deadline for Tex Hill Scholarship
Applications
January 16
- Admissions Open House; 9:00 am Ellison
Hall
January 19 - School
Holiday; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 27
- Colonel W.T. Bondurant, Sr. Humanitarian Award
Dinner honoring Sam Barshop '43; 6:00 pm
January 30 - Cowboy Breakfast;
7:00-8:00 am
February 2
- Reenrollment contracts mailed
February 16 - School Holiday:
Presidents Day
February 18
- Grandparents Chapel;
7:30 am
February 20 - Reenrollment contracts
due
Classroom
Snapshot: PK and Kinder enjoyed "a
classoom on wheels," as the Via Metropolitan
Transit visited to showcase a
specially-designed bus, which gave the students a
hands-on experience to learn about he benefits of public
transportation and bus safety. |
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