St. Francis Day School
SAES - SFEDS Union
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School and
Saint Francis Episcopal Day School Announce Union
Statement from the
Rector and Wardens
Over the
course of the past several months, discussions have been held between the
leadership of the Day School and that of St Andrew’s Episcopal School in
Potomac. Those discussions, undertaken with our encouragement, have yielded the
exciting prospect of a union of the two schools. By concurrent action of our
Vestry and the Board of Trustees of St Andrew’s, that union will become
official on July 1, 2008.
The
school community has been informed of this development by means of a letter
authored by David Heywood, Chair of the Day School board, and Pat Talbert
Smith, Head of the Day School. It would be redundant to cover the same ground
in this letter, so we have provided copies in the lobby outside the Kincaid Library,
and we will post the letter on our website.
At the
same time, there are a few points we wish to add. First, it is the considered
judgment of the Vestry, including the Rector, Wardens, and four present or past
Chairs of the school board, that this union is in the best interests of the
school and of the parish. For reasons ranging from educational opportunities to
fiscal stability, this move strengthens the Day School as it likewise
strengthens St Andrew’s. Second, this union advances the witness and mission of
the Diocese of Washington, and of our parish, as it expands the educational
mission of our diocese and its members. The comprehensive range of grades of
preschool through high school graduation will be the first in Montgomery County
for an Episcopal school, and we are proud of that. Yet even while this union is
a new development, it is the fruit of a decision based on the experiences of
decades of academic excellence formed by dedicated teachers and supportive
families at St Francis and at St Andrew’s. Such a rich history bodes well for
the future of this fine school.
We
congratulate those who have had the vision to see this opportunity, and we
thank those who have worked with prudence, equanimity, and concern for the
human side of this transaction. While this is, of course, a business matter, it
is foremost a plan that involves human resources – the fine men and women who
are the personnel of both schools, the families and alumni of both
institutions, and the students who will be the beneficiaries of the dedication
and commitment represented in the new St Andrew’s Episcopal School. The grace
of God is abundantly clear in so many ways.
The Rev. William M. Shand, III; Prentiss Feagles, Senior Warden; Ellen Tozer, Junior Warden
Letter from the SFEDS Board Chair and Head of School
February 28, 2008
Dear Parents and Friends of St. Francis,
It is with great happiness and excitement that we share with you today a wonderful development in the life of St. Francis Episcopal Day School. St. Francis has reached an agreement in principle with
St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland to form a union bringing our two schools together as one. As a result, St. Andrew's will become the first Preschool through Grade 12 Episcopal day school in Montgomery County.
St. Andrew's and St. Francis have enjoyed a long, friendly relationship, with many St. Francis students and their families becoming active members of the St. Andrew's community, including as members of its board of trustees. For many years, the Headmaster or Upper School Head of St. Andrew's has served on the St. Francis School Board. Both schools are within the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and share membership in many local, regional and national associations, including the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) and the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW).
It is an honor to St. Francis and a testament to the wonderful teachers and families in our community that St. Andrew's approached us in November of 2007 with the idea of a union. They know us, know our curriculum and educational philosophy and know what a warm community we enjoy. Similarly, we know them and feel that their approach to learning and their culture are an excellent match and a good next step for our students beyond third grade. This union also is a logical measure, designed to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the combined school. We are confident that it is the right step for us and one that will help us to maintain what is so special about St. Francis while at the same time offering our families, faculty, and staff the resources of a larger institution.
Effective July 1, 2008, our school will be known as the Lower School of St. Andrew's Episcopal School, with Pat as the Head. The school will continue to operate under Pat's leadership in our current location, substantially as it does today. We will continue to use the same facilities, under the designation St. Andrew's Episcopal School "Potomac Village Campus."
St. Andrew's operates under the fine leadership of Robert Kosasky, who has successfully strengthened its enrollment, program and visibility. We are pleased that Robert will serve as Headmaster of the combined institution. The St. Andrew's campus occupies a beautiful 19 acres at 8804 Postoak Road in Potomac. This campus, which currently serves 455 students in grades six through twelve, will be known as the St. Andrew's Episcopal School "Postoak Campus." Following the union, the Potomac Village Campus (our existing campus) will house Preschool I through third grade as it currently does. The Postoak campus will house fourth through twelfth grades. Pending zoning approval, the first fourth grade class is scheduled for September 2009 and a new fifth grade class will be added in September 2010. We are excited that our young children will stay in their current home in Potomac Village but also have access to the excellent facilities and other resources of the larger St. Andrew's campus even during their lower school years. The two campuses are only 3.5 miles from each other and so will be easily accessible for families traveling between the two.
We know that you will have questions about this news, and we look forward to hearing from you. Many details are to be finalized, and we will keep you informed of developments. We hope that you share in our excitement and invite you to an informational meeting with senior members of the St. Francis and St. Andrew's communities on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:30 PM in St. Francis Hall at the Day School. This will be an opportunity for you to hear more and to ask questions about the union. Please call the St. Francis school office by noon on Tuesday if you will need childcare during Wednesday evening's meeting. In the meantime, please visit the new web page, www.saes.org/union, devoted entirely to the union of the two schools. This web page will give up-to-date information on the particulars of the combined school as they are finalized. As St. Andrew's celebrates its thirtieth anniversary and the Day School celebrates its twentieth, we can think of no better way to approach the future than by joining our two excellent schools in order to prepare our students from the earliest age through adolescence for the world that awaits them. Through the work of members of the faculty and staff of both schools, we anticipate a seamless transition for you and your children.
Sincerely,
David A. Heywood Pat Talbert Smith
Chair, School Board Head of School
[News release]
Potomac, MD, February 28, 2008 —
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School and Saint Francis Episcopal Day School have announced that they plan to join to create the only preschool through 12th grade Episcopal school in the Washington DC-Montgomery County area.
"For thirty years St. Andrew's has had the unique and powerful mission of challenging each student in a diverse and inclusive environment,” observed St. Andrew’s headmaster, Robert Kosasky. “That mission depends on knowing our students deeply, so that we can help them develop their fullpotential. I am thrilled by our union with St. Francis, because of the promise it holds for our students now and in the future."
Currently St. Andrew’s enrolls students in grades six through twelve. St. Francis enrolls students from preschool through 3rd grade. Plans are to keep preschool through 3rd grade at the current St. Francis location in Potomac Village. Over the next several years, pending approvals, St. Andrew’s plans to add a 4th and 5th grade to its Postoak Road campus, while staying within its enrollment cap of 495 students for the Postoak Campus. The effective date of this union is July 1, 2008.
The combined school will be known as St. Andrew’s
Episcopal School. The headmaster will be Robert
Kosasky, current headmaster of St. Andrew’s. The
head of St. Francis, Pat Talbert Smith, will become an assistant head of St. Andrew’s and head of preschool through 3rd grade, which will be called the Lower School of St. Andrews, Potomac Village Campus.
Pat Talbert Smith added, “Many St. Francis graduates have found academic success in the welcoming community at St. Andrew's over the years. The union of the two schools promises a natural transition that will benefit all of our students. This is an exciting time for both schools as we become one.”
For additional information about the union of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and St. Francis Episcopal Day School, contact Katherine Stevens at (301) 983-5200, extension 264; or Spring Swinehart at (301) 365-2642; or visit the St. Andrew’s web site at www.saes.org/union.