Dear Parents,

Last week was a busy and important one in the life of our school.  At our festive Monday chapel, we continued our 50th anniversary celebration by recognizing several former teachers and administrators.  Our guests included former teacher Joy Simms (and her husband Rex – our athletic field is named in their honor),  former teacher Sandy Cobia, who wrote our school hymn, former Kindergarten curriculum coordinator Beverly Chapman, former Early Childhood and Elementary teacher Alice Ryan and Anne Pate, our former librarian. Also, students from each grade presented their history of SMES’ last 50 years.  Photos of this wonderful service will be in our November newsletter.

Later on Monday, our Southern Association of Independent Schools – Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SAIS-SACS) re-accreditation visiting team arrived for their three-day visit with us.  You may remember we were among the very first in the Southeast to receive dual accreditation five years ago. This visit by our professional peers represented the culmination of more than two years of preparation, including an extensive self-study, parental, student, faculty, trustee and alumni surveys, and compliance with a detailed set of professional standards.  Our visiting team came from independent schools around the Southeast as well as Atlanta, and included two headmasters.  They met with trustees, teachers, administrators, parents and students. 

I’m very pleased to report they have very enthusiastically recommended SMES for re-accreditation!  In presentations to the entire faculty as well as to administrators, the team praised the school for its vibrant life as an excellent, nurturing learning environment and for truly living out its mission every day.  They also encouraged us in our plans to provide well for future generations of students with our facility expansion and renovation.  I want to thank particularly Mary McPherson and Jennie Paulsen for their leadership in guiding us through this complex and lengthy process.

As many of you know, after 22 years of dedicated service to our school, Sue Astley is retiring at the end of the current school year.  Sue has been an integral part of St. Martin’s serving in a number of important capacities, particularly as Elementary School principal and assistant headmaster.  I (and many others) have been the beneficiary of Sue’s counsel, wisdom, experience and support.  I’m grateful for her friendship, professionalism and enthusiastic support of our school.  She will be greatly missed by all of us, and I know you join me in wishing her and Bob the best in the years to come.  The school is undertaking a comprehensive, nationwide search for Sue’s successor and you will be hearing more about this process in the months to come.

For the last 10 years these “Letters from the Headmaster” have come to you the old fashioned way; that is by regular mail.  In the future, these headmasterly musings will arrive by email which I hope will be more environmentally sustainable (no paper) and less costly (no postage)!  As always, please feel free to communicate with me and my colleagues about any questions, thoughts or concerns you may have.  In particular, stay in close touch with your child’s teachers.

Finally, I thank you for your continuing support of our school in so many ways.  Whether by coming and reading in class, working with the PTO, being a team mom or dad, supporting our Annual Fund, capital campaign, and endowment, participating in our back to school nights and parent conferences, or attending our athletic events, your presence and participation help to make this school the wonderful place it is.

Yours sincerely,