Dear St. Andrew's Families,

I wasn't planning on sending a note today, but there was just too much to celebrate over the past week. One quiet moment stands out to me amidst the incredible performances, the community service, the Carol Shout, and the joy students share with each other.

Near the end of the Polar Bear jump on Wednesday's 28º morning, I heard Noah Rickolt '14 quietly admit that this was one of the few times he didn't want to jump. It was a surprising admission from the four-year member who serves as one of the club's Papa Bears. Noah was the first one to the pond that morning and spent about 10 minutes clearing the ice chunks from around the dock. He knew exactly how cold the water was and, at this moment, wanted little part of it.

And then he did this:

He cannon-balled away from the dock to the horror of those watching. We collectively gasped and my four-year old was at a loss for words for the first time in his life.

The barbaric yawp! required him to be in the water much longer than necessary, but my guess is that Noah wanted to send a clear message to his frontal lobe. How dare it try to scare him from doing something that makes him feel so alive? It was a moment of inspiration that I won't soon forget.

Here's to feeling alive this holiday season.

Cheers,
Will Robinson ‘97
Communications

Relive the Moments!

You can now watch the Orchestra concert and scenes from The Nutcracker on our livestream channel (make sure you subscribe if you'd like to be notified when we livestream events).

We've also posted photos from The Nutcracker on our flickr page. Special thanks to Hugo Hentoff '15 who captured some beautiful photos during the performance, which you can find here.

VI Form Embraces Holiday Spirit

The VI Form came together on Monday night to wrap presents for two families through Adopt-A-Family, make cards for staff members, play Christmas music at the piano, and sit by a fire in the Main Common Room. Jaryd Jones '17 kicked off the festivities by reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (a special request from his seniors on Fleming).

Alumni Connections

Martin French '13 returned to campus on Saturday night with Purple Haze, Northwestern University's co-ed a cappella group. They ended their high energy set by inviting The Noxontones on stage to perform with them.

Noxontown Home Companion

Wilson Everhart and Dave DeSalvo once again pulled together The Noxontown Home Companion on Tuesday night. It was the 8th year in a row for the radio-style variety show featuring music, stories, poetry, and laughter.

St. Andrew's Moments

The Carol Shout is arguably the greatest tradition of the year with students letting off steam in a way that you have to watch in order to appreciate. It might also explain why your student is still sleeping.

Annual Fund

If you're feeling the holiday spirit and would like to make a gift to the Annual Fund, we would greatly appreciate it. Please visit http://www.standrews-de.org/giving.

The 2014-2015 Calendar is now available by clicking here.

Full School Calendar — Athletics Calendar