St. Stephen's Episcopal School, Austin, Texas
Encyclopedia
St. Stephen's Episcopal School is a private
diocesan Episcopal boarding
and day school
in Austin, Texas
. Enrollment is approximately 665, with roughly 460 in Grades 9–12 and 205 in Grades 6–8. Its campus overlooking Lake Austin
is spread over 370 acres (1.5 km²) of the Texas Hill Country
.
founded St. Stephen's in 1950 with the support of the Episcopal Church. He was once quoted as saying that it was the duty of Christians "to live on the bleeding edge of the human dilemma, and to bear the exquisite penalty of such an exposed position." Cast in the image of these leaders, the school has played a minor part in the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement
as the first co-ed Episcopal school in the United States
and the first integrated
boarding school
in the South.
The early years of the school were marked by internal and external struggles . Although situated today at the western edge of the city of Austin, and surrounded by affluent housing developments, for many years the school was quite isolated from the outside world. A number of the early buildings at the school were constructed by local "cedar choppers," with the assistance of students and staff members, using locally-available materials. This rugged environment led students to nickname themselves "Spartans," which became the school's mascot.
During these early years, external pressures occasionally affected life at the school, with heavy pressure sometimes exerted by racists on Bishop Hines and other school officials to modify the school's position on integration. The school faced down these threats, and in 1968, following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, the school established a scholarship in his name.
St. Stephen's is overseen by a board of trustees, comprising alumni and community leaders. Day to day operations of the school are overseen by a headmaster, who is appointed by the board of trustees with the consent of the Bishop of Texas. The current headmaster is Bob Kirkpatrick. Rules and policies of the school are adopted by the faculty at faculty meetings.
The school is served by an Episcopal Priest, designated as chaplain. The current chaplain is Father Mike Wallens. Apart from conducting chapel services, he also teaches a senior theology class and is the faculty sponsor of St. Stephen's Gay-Straight Alliance
.
students were boarding students
from 5 U.S.
states and 18 foreign countries.
The academic year at St. Stephen's is organized into three terms, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each term is puncuated by a series of breaks, including 'free weekends,' which are extended holidays designed to accommodate boarding students, and fall and spring breaks. Final examinations are held at the end of both the Fall and Spring terms. Classes are currently held five days a week on a rotating schedule ensures that course periods will be held at different times throughout the day, according the day of the schedule. Until the fall of 1973, classes were also held on Saturday mornings.
St. Stephen's eschews traditional marks in favor of a system of letter grades devised by the school, known as HVGPUX. In this system, grades 90 and above are classified as 'honors,' 80-89 as 'very good,' 70-79 as 'good,' 60-69 as 'passing,' 40-59 as 'unsatisfactory,' and anything below 40 as "X", which is failing. Under this system, a grade of 80, or "V," roughly corresponds with an "A," under the standard grading system. Although instructors often use number grades to mark coursework, the only grades reflected on the student's transcript will be a letter grade, which may be accompanied by a "+" or "−" sign to indicate its position within the grade range. However, in some classes, particularly those in the humanities and social sciences, no number grades are ever used. Students are not assigned a grade point average, and it is not common for students to be awarded an "H" or "H+" grade. Additionally, each instructor prepares a written evaluation on the student that is shared with the student, his or her parents and his advisor.
At St. Stephen's, grades of "V−" and above qualify for the honor roll, and grades of "H−" and above for the high honor roll, although a student may sometimes be placed on the honor roll through the practice of allowing an "H−" mark to pull up a "G+" mark, however, if more than one grade of G+ or below is present on the student's report card, honor roll status is denied. Students who remain on the honor or high honor roll during their last two years at school are allowed to graduate with honors, or high honors, respectively.
Two papers on the literary themes of various books of a single author, known as the "author papers," are required of all Seniors. A smaller version of this paper on short stories, rather than entire books, is required of all Juniors and has come to be known as the "Junior author paper." Special projects are also required of 8th graders in order to advance to the Upper School. Additionally, students completing grades 6-12 will be required to take theology at least twice during their academic career: once in 8th grade, and once in 12th grade. Unlike many church-affiliated schools, theology classes at St. Stephen's give equal treatment to the beliefs of other religions.
Additionally, each student is required to participate in some sort of physical activity per term, whether it be a sport or PE, and to take at least two years of fine arts classes (or at least one year of a full-credit Fine Arts class, such as Music Theory or Art History).
A number of prizes and medals are awarded to St. Stephen's students each year. The Bishop's Medal is awarded to the student with the highest level of academic achievement. Numerous other awards are given for achievement in academic and athletic fields.
(Division II, South Zone), the athletic organization for several private high schools in Texas
and Oklahoma
Each year, a certain number of seniors are elected proctors by their peers and the faculty. These students are charged with overseeing the dormitories and conduct other staff functions for the school. Within each dormitory, a certain number of faculty living on campus are designated as house masters. These faculty members periodically check the dormitories and provide guidance and support to the boarding students. Generally, one or two of these faculty members will reside in an apartment adjacent to the dormitory.
Additionally, discipline at the school is the province of the Discipline Committee (DC), a body comprising three students and three faculty members. Students accused of an infraction of school rules go before the committee, which weighs their guilt or innocence and, as warranted, recommends punishment to the headmaster.
For many years, students at St. Stephen's were also assigned tasks known as 'school keeping' and 'table waiting.' Under the table waiting system, underclassmen were responsible for serving and clearing away food to their table. Given the school's namesake was known for serving the multitudes he sought to convert, many considered this tradition instructive. This system was abolished, however, for practical reasons when meals in the dining hall began to be served "cafeteria style," and the practice was later rendered impractical when the lunch period was divided to accommodate the growth of the school.
Examples of school keeping included cleaning class rooms, clerical work in the administration office, conducting attendance and ringing the bell that marked time at the school. Although the school still does not use a central, automatic time system, bell ringing was discontinued because it was often not timely. Late in the school year of 2004–2005 radio-synchronized clocks
were installed in every classroom to aid in keeping everyone on the same schedule. There have been numerous complaints, though, that they do not work and often fall behind schedule.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
diocesan Episcopal boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Enrollment is approximately 665, with roughly 460 in Grades 9–12 and 205 in Grades 6–8. Its campus overlooking Lake Austin
Lake Austin
Lake Austin is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1939 by the construction of Tom Miller Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority....
is spread over 370 acres (1.5 km²) of the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
.
History
Bishop John E. Hines of the Episcopal Diocese of TexasEpiscopal Diocese of Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is one of the largest dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The diocese consists of all ECUSA congregations in the southeastern quartile of Texas, including the cities of Austin, Beaumont, Galveston, Houston and Waco.The 153 congregations...
founded St. Stephen's in 1950 with the support of the Episcopal Church. He was once quoted as saying that it was the duty of Christians "to live on the bleeding edge of the human dilemma, and to bear the exquisite penalty of such an exposed position." Cast in the image of these leaders, the school has played a minor part in the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
as the first co-ed Episcopal school in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the first integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in the South.
The early years of the school were marked by internal and external struggles . Although situated today at the western edge of the city of Austin, and surrounded by affluent housing developments, for many years the school was quite isolated from the outside world. A number of the early buildings at the school were constructed by local "cedar choppers," with the assistance of students and staff members, using locally-available materials. This rugged environment led students to nickname themselves "Spartans," which became the school's mascot.
During these early years, external pressures occasionally affected life at the school, with heavy pressure sometimes exerted by racists on Bishop Hines and other school officials to modify the school's position on integration. The school faced down these threats, and in 1968, following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, the school established a scholarship in his name.
St. Stephen's is overseen by a board of trustees, comprising alumni and community leaders. Day to day operations of the school are overseen by a headmaster, who is appointed by the board of trustees with the consent of the Bishop of Texas. The current headmaster is Bob Kirkpatrick. Rules and policies of the school are adopted by the faculty at faculty meetings.
Religion
Being an Episcopal school, morning chapel services are held most mornings. Chapel features a basic Christian worship service, sometimes featuring guest speakers and announcements. A weekly church service is conducted during the school year on Sunday evenings. Boarding students are required to attend this service. Prayers are also offered after meals and important occasions.The school is served by an Episcopal Priest, designated as chaplain. The current chaplain is Father Mike Wallens. Apart from conducting chapel services, he also teaches a senior theology class and is the faculty sponsor of St. Stephen's Gay-Straight Alliance
Gay-straight alliance
Gay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
.
Demographics
In the 2009-2010 school year, about 152 of the 460 upper schoolUpper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
students were boarding students
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
from 5 U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states and 18 foreign countries.
Academics
Every student at St. Stephen's is assigned a faculty advisor during their time at the school. Additionally, the group of students assigned to a faculty member are known as an "advisory," and often meet jointly with the advisor or to partake in group activities. Morning advisories also serve the purpose of verifying attendance. The advisor approves the student's course schedule and is responsible for ensuring his or her academic progress. In the middle school, the advisory meetings are held once a week on wednesdays, where as in the upper school, advisory meetings are held every day before chapel.The academic year at St. Stephen's is organized into three terms, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each term is puncuated by a series of breaks, including 'free weekends,' which are extended holidays designed to accommodate boarding students, and fall and spring breaks. Final examinations are held at the end of both the Fall and Spring terms. Classes are currently held five days a week on a rotating schedule ensures that course periods will be held at different times throughout the day, according the day of the schedule. Until the fall of 1973, classes were also held on Saturday mornings.
St. Stephen's eschews traditional marks in favor of a system of letter grades devised by the school, known as HVGPUX. In this system, grades 90 and above are classified as 'honors,' 80-89 as 'very good,' 70-79 as 'good,' 60-69 as 'passing,' 40-59 as 'unsatisfactory,' and anything below 40 as "X", which is failing. Under this system, a grade of 80, or "V," roughly corresponds with an "A," under the standard grading system. Although instructors often use number grades to mark coursework, the only grades reflected on the student's transcript will be a letter grade, which may be accompanied by a "+" or "−" sign to indicate its position within the grade range. However, in some classes, particularly those in the humanities and social sciences, no number grades are ever used. Students are not assigned a grade point average, and it is not common for students to be awarded an "H" or "H+" grade. Additionally, each instructor prepares a written evaluation on the student that is shared with the student, his or her parents and his advisor.
At St. Stephen's, grades of "V−" and above qualify for the honor roll, and grades of "H−" and above for the high honor roll, although a student may sometimes be placed on the honor roll through the practice of allowing an "H−" mark to pull up a "G+" mark, however, if more than one grade of G+ or below is present on the student's report card, honor roll status is denied. Students who remain on the honor or high honor roll during their last two years at school are allowed to graduate with honors, or high honors, respectively.
Two papers on the literary themes of various books of a single author, known as the "author papers," are required of all Seniors. A smaller version of this paper on short stories, rather than entire books, is required of all Juniors and has come to be known as the "Junior author paper." Special projects are also required of 8th graders in order to advance to the Upper School. Additionally, students completing grades 6-12 will be required to take theology at least twice during their academic career: once in 8th grade, and once in 12th grade. Unlike many church-affiliated schools, theology classes at St. Stephen's give equal treatment to the beliefs of other religions.
Additionally, each student is required to participate in some sort of physical activity per term, whether it be a sport or PE, and to take at least two years of fine arts classes (or at least one year of a full-credit Fine Arts class, such as Music Theory or Art History).
A number of prizes and medals are awarded to St. Stephen's students each year. The Bishop's Medal is awarded to the student with the highest level of academic achievement. Numerous other awards are given for achievement in academic and athletic fields.
Athletics
St. Stephen's Episcopal School is home to the Chrysalis dance company, which is taught by Deirdre Strand. Also, St. Stephen's is aligned with the Southwest Preparatory ConferenceSouthwest Preparatory Conference
The Southwest Preparatory Conference is an athletic conference for certain private high schools in Texas and Oklahoma. It is composed of the following schools:*All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas*Casady School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
(Division II, South Zone), the athletic organization for several private high schools in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Student government
The overall body for student government is the Student Congress, which is led by a president or co-presidents, who represent the entire student body. Each class elects five representatives (at least one boarding student and at least one one day student) to the congress. The student president represents the students before the faculty and school administration, and in consultation with the student congress, develops proposals for presentation to the faculty.Each year, a certain number of seniors are elected proctors by their peers and the faculty. These students are charged with overseeing the dormitories and conduct other staff functions for the school. Within each dormitory, a certain number of faculty living on campus are designated as house masters. These faculty members periodically check the dormitories and provide guidance and support to the boarding students. Generally, one or two of these faculty members will reside in an apartment adjacent to the dormitory.
Additionally, discipline at the school is the province of the Discipline Committee (DC), a body comprising three students and three faculty members. Students accused of an infraction of school rules go before the committee, which weighs their guilt or innocence and, as warranted, recommends punishment to the headmaster.
For many years, students at St. Stephen's were also assigned tasks known as 'school keeping' and 'table waiting.' Under the table waiting system, underclassmen were responsible for serving and clearing away food to their table. Given the school's namesake was known for serving the multitudes he sought to convert, many considered this tradition instructive. This system was abolished, however, for practical reasons when meals in the dining hall began to be served "cafeteria style," and the practice was later rendered impractical when the lunch period was divided to accommodate the growth of the school.
Examples of school keeping included cleaning class rooms, clerical work in the administration office, conducting attendance and ringing the bell that marked time at the school. Although the school still does not use a central, automatic time system, bell ringing was discontinued because it was often not timely. Late in the school year of 2004–2005 radio-synchronized clocks
Radio clock
A radio clock or radio-controlled clock is a clock that is synchronized by a time code bit stream transmitted by a radio transmitter connected to a time standard such as an atomic clock...
were installed in every classroom to aid in keeping everyone on the same schedule. There have been numerous complaints, though, that they do not work and often fall behind schedule.
Alumni
Notable alumni, in order of the most recent year of attendance (if known), then alphabetically by last name:- 1961 - Terrence MalickTerrence MalickTerrence Frederick Malick is a U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning almost four decades, Malick has directed five feature films....
, American film director - 1966 - Charles C. Campbell (General)
- 1975 - Viola CanalesViola CanalesViola Canales is an American writer originally from McAllen, Texas. She has published a short story collection, Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales , and a novel, The Tequila Worm for which she won the Pura Belpré Award in 2006....
, author - 1975 - Cecile RichardsCecile RichardsCecile Richards a Democratic Party activist and the current president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.-Political involvement:...
, the President of Planned ParenthoodPlanned ParenthoodPlanned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The... - 1975 - Boyd VanceBoyd VanceBoyd Vance was an African American stage actor, director and producer in Austin, Texas. Vance was particularly known for supporting and advancing African-American performing arts in Austin. In 1993 he co-founded ProArts Collective, which he directed until his death following unexpected heart...
, stage actor, director, producer - 1994 - Lukas HaasLukas HaasLukas Daniel Haas is an American actor, known for roles both as a child and as an adult. His career has spanned more than 25 years during which time he has appeared in more than 36 feature films, as well as a number of television shows and theater productions.-Early life and career:Haas was born...
, actor, musician - 1995 - Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS ShoesTOMS ShoesTOMS Shoes is a for-profit company based in Santa Monica, California, that also operates a non-profit subsidiary, Friends of TOMS. The company was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur from Arlington, Texas. The company designs and sells lightweight shoes based on the Argentine...
- 2001 - Ross OhlendorfRoss OhlendorfCurtis Ross Ohlendorf is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is known for his hard-biting sinker. He can hit 97 mph with a two-seam sinking fastball, and he's working to improve his developing changeup, slider, and breaking ball.-High School and College...
, Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
pitcher (2007–present) - Ray LynchRay LynchRaymond "Ray" Lynch is a classically trained guitarist and lutenist. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to a musical and artistic family. His mother was a classical pianist and watercolor artist. At age 6, Lynch began studying the piano until age 12, where he was inspired by the music of Andres...
, composer, musician, writer and mathematician - 2008 - Matt GoldMatt GoldMatthew Gold is an American soccer player who last played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
, professional soccer player for Toronto FCToronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
External links
- St. Stephen's Episcopal School - Official School Web site