Dear. St. Andrew's Families,

A St. Andrew's alum from the 1980s once told me that the world is filled with two types of people: givers and takers. We know that it feels good to give — and even better when there's no expectation of getting something in return — but perhaps, as Wharton professor Adam Grant asserts, giving is the secret to success. If that's the case, then we look forward to watching how far this current crop of students will go.

Ten VI Formers, led by Chaplain Jay Hutchinson, ended last weekend lending a hand to an emergency homeless shelter on Sunday night. Sunday offers students the largest chunk of free time in the whole week, so it was telling that mopping floors, bringing a smile to a kid's face and washing dishes is how these young adults decided to spend it.

St. Andreans received two major community service awards this week, but there are many small moments of giving that weave the finest threads of a culture of service. When a classmate was sick in bed on Wednesday night, Nik Malhotra '17 stepped up to do his job of vacuuming the Hillier common room. He wasn't changing the world. He was just doing what needed to be done. But perhaps 1,000 of these moments will add up, build upon each other, and one day the world will change.

I love the fact that there is no community service requirement here. As Tad often says, we just don't need it. The world is bigger than us and we're certainly not at the center of it. Our job is to do what we can to make it better. As an alum, I'm proud to see so many students and faculty doing just that.

Go Saints,
Will Robinson '97
Communications

GO SAINTS!

Congratulations to Eunice Song '14 for being recognized for her work as a mentor coordinator with a 2014 White House MLK Drum Major for Service Award. The Salvation Army also honored students during School Meeting this week with a citation to thank them for their efforts ringing the red kettle bells on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the holiday season.

In the Classroom

Moriah Richardson '14 defends her paper on Tim O'Brien's In the Lake of the Woods to kick off the oral portion of the senior English exhibition season. Students had to write 8-10 page analytical papers on a chosen book completely own their own before discussing it with members of the department in a 40-minute oral.

Nathan Costa's Choral Scholars have sharpened practices in anticipation of their spring break tour through the southeast. The 11-day tour will take them to Upperville, Va., Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Charleston, and then back up to Wilmington, N.C.

Dr. Sara O'Connor's AS Biology students dissected a pig's heart this week. The class graciously took a queasy member of the communications team through a detailed tour of the organ on Tuesday afternoon.

Students Represent St. Andrew's at Model U.N. Conference

Diahann Johnson led six students to Washington, D.C. last weekend for the 51st Annual North American Invitational Model United Nations. The students were assigned to different committees in the fall and researched and wrote position papers in preparation for the three-day event.

Jay Lee '14 worked with students from around the country to write a new Tunisian constitution in light of the Arab Spring while Zoe Scurletis '14 acted as U.S. Ambassador to Yugoslavia as part of a crisis committee sorting out events in the aftermath of WWII.

Third Formers Finish Second in VEX Robotics Delaware State Championship

John Paris '17 (center below) launched a robotics club this fall with the simple expectation of recruiting some new friends to join him in learning a little bit about engineering. Last weekend, the boys finished second out of eleven teams in Delaware's first VEX Robotics State Championship. Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!

Young Alumni in Boston

The St. Andrew's experience doesn't end at graduation. This group of young alumni met up in Boston over the weekend for a family-style meal.

Our Committed Staff

Ana Ramirez led the School in thanking our incredible staff for their dedication during this unusually hard winter. While most of us are asleep, these men and women are shoveling walks, plowing, and cleaning the building entryways above and beyond their daily work. They set the standard of hard work for us all to follow.

Champions of the World!

Congratulations to the girls JV basketball team for recording a win in their final game of the season on Thursday afternoon. The team has developed a cult following among the students who filled the gym to cheer them on. Special thanks to Emily Pressman for capturing this moment of glory!

Sustainable Saints

Thank you to the forestry and wildlife crews, led by Peter McLean, for spending much of the past two winter seasons dismantling and reinstating our deer fence. The project took an estimated 200 hours and will help ensure the survival of hundreds of planted trees along the Appoquinimink River.

A St. Andrew's Moment

The III Form boys (with corridor parent Avi Gold in the center) can't contain their enthusiasm after Wednesday night study hall. They're pretty energetic...

Sunday Communion

Dr. Harvey Johnson hosts students on Sunday afternoons for Radiolab listening sessions and discussions. The students work on puzzles while listening to episodes from the NYC-based program that blurs the boundaries between science, philosophy, and human experience.

The students chose to listen to a recent episode on the accidental origins of anesthesia and the new scientific dilemma it posed.

February 21 & 22 — Winter Musical
February 21 & 22 — Mock Trial Competition, Wilmington, Del.
February 22 — Curling workshop, Newark, Del.
February 22 — State Wrestling Championships, Cape Henlopen High School
February 25-26 — Boys and Girls Basketball State Tournament, TBD
February 27 — Winter Athletic Assembly
February 28 — Orchestra Concert, Engelhard Hall, 12:45 p.m.
February 28 — Student Art Show, Warner Gallery, 7:00 P.M.
March 1 — Spring Break Begins, 12:00 p.m.
March 6 — Faculty Seminar Series, Will Speers in Boston (RSVP)

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

Full School Calendar — Athletics Calendar