Honoring Academy Grandparents with Special Convocation and Parade

Posted November 11, 2025

San Antonio Academy students welcomed some of their most favorite people into their school lives during the annual Grandparents and Grandfriends Day celebration.

Hosted on campus on Friday, Nov. 21, the day opened with a convocation in the Bondurant Field House and Fine Arts Building. Second graders set the tone with a joyful performance of “We Are Family,” followed by student reflections on the Pillars of an Academy Boy from Vihaan S. on Scholarship, Leonard P. on Leadership, Mac O. on Integrity, and Robert C. on Brotherhood.

“I thank the SAA teachers for teaching us to be honest,” said Mac. “They trust us with big opportunities like leadership projects and special roles. I’m so glad that I go to this school. I don’t know what I would do if I were not at The Academy.”

Young Alumnus Award recipient Jonathon Schneider ’04 also spoke to our grandparents about what it’s like to grow up going to The Academy.

“This school teaches you the art of preparing ahead of time, and to be honest, kind, and the best you can be,” said Jonathon. “It teaches you how to lead and how to follow, how to be authentic, how to treat the world around you with love and respect—the list goes on.” 

Guests also experienced the premiere of a new video showcasing The Academy’s Outdoor Leadership Program, one of the school's great examples of what it means to be “intentionally crafted for boys.” View the Outdoor Leadership Program Video 

The presentation concluded with guests hearing from Academy grandmother Phyllis Browning, who, by having sons and grandsons who have attended the school, has been around The Academy for more than three decades. In addition, Phyllis is the wife of Jamie Browning, who graduated from The Academy in 1957. In all, San Antonio Academy has been part of the Browning family for an incredible 75 years!

Following the convocation, students and grandparents gathered on Frost Field for a parade honoring SAA grandparents, with Nel Belt, of the Board of Trustees and Grandparents Council, serving as the Reviewing Official. 

The celebration continued as boys reunited with their grandparents to visit classrooms, meet teachers, and enjoy refreshments and a photo booth together.

Research affirms what our community has long known: the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is powerful, strengthening both academic success and personal well-being. At San Antonio Academy, that bond is cherished.

SAA looks forward to welcoming our grandparents back to campus for more events coming up, including Grandparents’ Chapels for Elementary and Middle School and a Grandparents Brunch. To learn more, visit www.sa-academy.org/grandparents.

To view more Grandparents Day event photos, visit the Flickr gallery below.