Saint Mary’s Hall Teacher Is SA’s Only Finalist for Presidential Awards for Excellence
Saint Mary’s Hall chemistry teacher Carol Brown has been named a finalist in the 2015 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). She is one of only five Texas secondary science schoolteachers chosen, as well as the only private school finalist and the only San Antonio finalist. The PAEMST award is the highest recognition a mathematics or science teacher may receive for exemplary teaching in the United States. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Brown has been teaching at Saint Mary’s Hall since 1988 and has more than 40 years of teaching experience. She has a Bachelor of Arts in religion from Trinity University, a master’s in Christian education from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminar and a Master of Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Brown is widely regarded locally and at the state and national levels as one of the top experts in high school chemistry. She frequently speaks at conferences and has been the director of the Advanced Placement Summer Institute hosted on the Saint Mary’s Hall campus for 19 years. More than 300 Advanced Placement teachers converge on the campus every year to attend this institute.
She will now compete with four other Texas finalists to be named the state’s science teacher of the year, who will then compete for the national award.
Saint Mary’s Hall Seniors Honored With Blue Tie Ceremony Tradition
Saint Mary’s Hall community kicked off the school year with its annual Blue Tie Parade, Convocation and Blue Tie Ceremony. This treasured tradition, dating back to 1940, awards seniors with a blue tie, an important symbol of the culmination of their Saint Mary’s Hall experience. By accepting their blue ties, seniors accept the responsibility of providing leadership for the school year ahead as they end their journey at Saint Mary’s Hall. As part of the tradition, family members who are SMH graduates have the privilege of presenting this special blue tie to their loved one.
The Saint Mary’s Hall Class of 2016 is made up of 100 members, including 29 “lifers,” who have attended the school for 12 or more years.
St. David’s Episcopal Church and School Dedicates New Building
St. David’s Episcopal Church and School dedicated its new building, Lillibridge Hall, in September. The dedication festivities began with a worship service followed by a ribbon-cutting and open house with food from Teka Molina and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and music by singer/songwriter Luke Olson.
The new building is named in honor of the Rt. Rev. Gary R. Lillibridge, who served as rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church and School prior to his election as the ninth Bishop of West Texas. The building includes state-of-the art classrooms, an atrium church and school entrance, gathering spaces, enlarged offices and a new parking lot.
Lillibridge Hall will honor both Catherine’s and Gary’s ministry at St. David’s and their love and support of Episcopal schools throughout the diocese.
St. Luke’s Episcopal School Second-Graders Raise $1,044 for SA Humane Society
St. Luke’s Episcopal School second-graders took their school’s mission of service to new heights by organizing a bake sale to benefit the San Antonio Humane Society. The service initiative was conceived during a math unit on place value.
With the school’s annual Blessing of the Pets event approaching, the students decided to organize a bake sale to sell homemade human and pet treats and donate the profits to a worthy local organization. The children’s excitement spread like wildfire, inspiring St. Luke’s parents to offer their support. With the help of parent volunteers, bake sale tables were constructed in the school’s new MakerSpace lab, a community classroom stocked with tools, technology and various materials for manufacturing student products. A representative from the Humane Society visited the classroom to inform the students about costs to shelter, treat and rehabilitate more than 4,000 animals.
The students’ highly successful bake sale raised $1,044 in total for the San Antonio Humane Society.
