Dear Parents:
In addition to the “week ahead” items above, please feel free to consult the attached calendar that closes out May. I have tried to include major dates/times to help you in planning. Please remember that Stepping Up is not optional for students, and they will be released for summer vacation after that ceremony concludes.
Congratulations are in order. Grace Hawkins earned 1st place in the Junior Group Exhibit at the State History Day competition two weeks ago, and she will be travelling to the national level of competition this summer. This is a tremendous feat for our new 7th grader and we wish her luck! Also, Kit Rice scored a 1st ranking with his solo performance at KSHSAA State Music Competition last weekend. Congratulations Kit!
Good luck to our Forensics Squad at the State Championship Tournament this weekend!
Please note that next weekend is the all-school production of the American theatre classic, Our Town, under the direction of Doug Weaver. Friday night’s performance will include a dinner that will begin at 6:30 pm (though you can attend the show for free at 7:30 pm). To make reservations for the pre-show dinner, please click on this link: http://www.seaburyacademy.org/parents/rsvp-dinner.cfm. Saturday night’s performance will occur without a preceding dinner and starts at 7:30 pm. Break a Leg to our actors.
Today we held our annual vote for Prefects. As you know, our senior Prefects are elected by the students and faculty to act as ambassadors and caretakers of the school—running morning meeting, leading announcements, helping organize school events, mentoring younger students, consulting with the Head of School, and other functions. This is an honor and a significant responsibility for students. As I told the juniors earlier this week, I believe that the senior class as a whole should be leaders for the school—but those who are chosen as Prefects are selected to play a more structured role. The following students were chosen and announced after school: Raquel Dominquez, Alexa Gaumer, Bryn Graham, Brandon McCaffrey, and Maddie McCaffrey. Congratulations to these students!
At Wednesday’s Variety Show and last night’s Forensics Performance Night, we announced an exciting change that is about to happen at our school. Last year, the President of our Board of Trustees, Mr. Dennis Depenbush, travelled with his son Frank to Joplin last year as first responders following the devastating F5 tornado that killed 160 people, including students who had just graduated from high school. Witnessing this tragedy first-hand, Dennis inquired into funding from FEMA to help provide greater protection for our students and staff against such a catastrophic weather event. With the help of multiple trustees and staff members, we applied for and have been approved for government funding to create a FEMA-approved safe structure that can be outfitted to serve other school needs.
This summer, we will proceed with a strategic, multi-part expansion that answers many of our most glaring facilities needs—namely appropriate parking, proper changing rooms and storage for arts and athletics, cafeteria space, a functioning kitchen, administrative storage, and a faculty work space.
We will build our FEMA safe room on the north side of our gymnasium just behind the stage. It will be outfitted as locker-rooms and dressing rooms for athletics and the arts with a 2nd floor designated as desperately needed storage space. This structure will provide shelter for a population of 250 people.
With these new accommodations, we can tear out the small existing locker rooms that date back to the Alvamar Raquetball & Tennis Club. This will allow us to expand the Commons and provide a cafeteria that will better accommodate our growing population. The Commons will also benefit from an aesthetic overhaul. We also hope to create a functional kitchen (a substantial improvement over our single counter and tiny sink) and create an adjacent faculty work space (which is presently the size of a walk-in closet).
And we will double the size of our parking lot!
To finance these changes, we have in hand most of the funding we need: a FEMA grant and a challenge grant from a private donor that, combined, will cover 70% of our costs, leaving only 30% to be raised by supporters of Seabury. In order to meet FEMA deadlines and accomplish these goals in timing with the school calendar, we need to act quickly and aggressively. In the next two months, we will solicit pledges from donors, foundations, and the community to raise the necessary remaining funds. Our hope is to accomplish the bulk of these changes this summer—and finish the Safe Room structure by mid school year.
On Thursday, May 10th and Monday, May 14th, we will have informational meetings at Seabury to discuss the State of our School, provide details about these facilities changes and the Stepping Up Capital Campaign, and answer any questions you might have. I hope you can attend one of the meetings!
As I noted on Wednesday night, I am always aware that your children are entrusted to me every day, and I am relieved and personally gratified to announce a plan that will help me to look after the health and happiness of our students and staff—and continue to make them proud of our school.
Have a great weekend!
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
