On September 30, the World Languages and Cultures Department held their honor society induction ceremony to welcome new members from the spring and fall of 2021 into the Société Honoraire de Français, the National Latin Honor Society, and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. A huge thank you to our student presenters Camille Serot ‘22, Sofia Mauri ’22, Anish Beeram ‘23, Anna Albrecht ‘23, Ally Gibbs ‘23, Lauren Vegas ‘22, Lance Berryman ‘22, and Juliana Cavazos ‘22 for helping to induct our students and to our Upper School World Languages and Cultures sponsors and teachers for their hard work putting this together!

Société Honoraire de Français:

• Alex Dentchev ‘24
• Bella Mauri ‘24
• Sophia Riojas ‘24
• Ana Testas ‘24
• Ines Wallisch ‘24
• Rachel Weissmann ‘24
• Cici Yang ‘24

National Latin Honor Society:

• Brian Berman ‘24
• Emma Carter ‘24
• Will Carter ‘24
• Simar Chandi ‘23
• Leo Cheong ‘23
• Ephraim Cho ‘24
• Sofija Dudhia ‘24
• Mollie Duphorne ‘22
• Micah Guice ‘24
• Leonora Leykum ‘24
• Laurel Miller ‘23
• Ferzine Sanjana ‘23
• Aarya Shah ‘24
• Parker Thill ‘23
• Jay Vasan ‘24  

Upper School Science Teacher Kristen Polito's Zoology classes visited the San Antonio Aquarium on September 22. Their mission was to explore the classification of organisms based on observable traits and their evolutionary implications.  Students observed the wide breadth of organisms and analyzed their place in the animal kingdom.  They had a fabulous time applying their classroom competencies, concepts, and conversations in an experiential capacity. 

In Form 6 English Teacher Deborah McInerney’s class, students completed their first process writing assignment. Each student wrote a descriptive essay about a place, a pet, or an object that was important to them. Using published mentor text essays to guide their writing, they went through the full writing process from brainstorming, to drafting, to revising to publishing.  

One of the final activities they enjoyed was an editing process called Clocking where students gave feedback on a particular part of the essay. At the completion of their essay, students wrote a reflection identifying what they learned from this writing assignment, what they enjoyed, and what they plan to do differently for their next writing assignment. 

Last week, Middle School students in leadership councils spent two days learning about what it means to be a leader and to plan each council’s activities for the year. Our first day at Joshua Creek Ranch began with a talk by Assistant Head of Middle School Mike Mayberry about what servant leadership means and what it looks like in the school setting.  Students realized that in order to lead, they must first practice active listening to understand the needs of the group.  They must consider the opinions of others, seek feedback, and always be willing to serve. With those thoughts in mind, students began brainstorming ideas and themes for activities that will serve the Saint Mary’s Hall community and the San Antonio community in general.  They considered things that will be fun, will build school spirit, and will bring them closer together as a Middle School.  At the end of the day, each council presented a summary of their ideas.

Our second day was spent building team unity and cohesiveness. We headed to Don Strange Ranch to participate in a high ropes course.  Ropes courses involve a lot of sitting and waiting for your turn, so why do this, and why does it play a role in team building?  Form 8 National Junior Honor Society officers explained it well in this reflection:  “When I am the observer at a ropes course, I can see all the possibilities in the path the climbers can take.  I can guide them so they know if it is safe or not. I can help them go the best route so they can achieve their goal of reaching the top, and I can encourage them when they are scared. I can also learn from the climbers’ successes and struggles so I can do well when it is my turn. When I am the climber, I have to decide if I should make all the decisions on my own, or if I should listen to my peers as they guide me.  I know that listening is a good idea because they can see my surroundings better than I can, but I also need to decide if that is the best path for my strength and my ability. Climbing a ropes course can be fun, and that is a great motivator, but it is also challenging.  You must overcome your fear and trust the harness, trust your guide, and trust your mental and physical strength.”  Many students chose a challenging route to the top, others were happy to make it to the first stages of the tower.  In the end, they were all thrilled to have done it and felt a sense of accomplishment and pride when they reached the ground. All of us learned that it is wise to listen to others because they may see things you cannot see, and that their encouragement, their support, and their example can help you achieve your own goals.  We also learned that when you push yourself and confront your fears, you can accomplish things you did not know you could. We can all apply the life lessons learned in the high ropes courses to our everyday lives.

Stay tuned to read about the exciting and fun activities our leadership council members have planned for this school year.

Students in Form 5 Science Teacher Claire Damarodas’ class learned about properties of matter. 

They gained confidence using the triple beam balance to find mass.  Special care was used to determine the scale on graduated cylinders, allowing students to find the volume of liquid they contain.  They learned about physical properties of matter (color, odor, texture, ability to conduct electricity) and chemical properties (how a material changes which combined with other materials.)  “The students are on the way to thinking of themselves as scientists!” Ms. Damarodas said.

The Barons football team came off a bye on September 17 with a Thursday night game against the defending state champion, Texas School for the Deaf. 

After a slow first-half start, the Barons bounced back strong in the second half.  The Barons fought hard but still came up short with a final score of 54-80. 

Head Varsity Football Coach Lee Ortiz said, “The second-half comeback showed the heart and never-give-up determination of our Barons.  We are proud of their effort and all the support from our Barons families and community.” 

The Lower School Night game was capped off with a halftime performance from Lower School Cheerleaders who attended the cheerleading camp. The current and future Barons Cheerleaders put on a great show, supporting all Barons Athletics.