Annual Report 2014-2015

Letter from Steve Masters, Chairman, Board of Trustees

St Elizabeth’s School continues to grow in so many ways. The board did as well. In the 2014-2015 school years we added two voting members, Bob Koehler and Susan Shamos, and two new ex officio members Barry Bedrick and Walter McCoy, and lost two wonderful members, Dixie Trimble and Pam Norris. We have reaped benefits from all of them, and while we celebrate our new arrivals, we regret Dixie’s well-earned retirement, and deeply mourn the loss of a dear friend and critical supporter for years in Pam Norris, who died in January of 2015.

Bob Koehler was the board chair at St Anne’s Episcopal School who was responsible for getting Ramsay to Colorado when he hired him as the new head of St Anne’s in 1992. Bob retired from his practice of law several years ago, ranches part time in Crawford, Colorado though is frequently enough in Denver to be considered a local.

Susan Shamos is a Ph.D. Psychologist and the director of the Centus School Counselling program, and has been involved with the emotional well-being of St Elizabeth’s students from our earliest students’ arrival. She is active in many civic and cultural organizations, and brings new depth to our board.

Barry Bedrick is a retired head of a number of schools around the country, including a stint at what was the Aspen Community School, among others around the country. Barry has been great about governance training, fundraising, and a general resource for the board.

Walter McCoy is, of course, our founding head, and as such brings unique perspectives and experience in maintaining the culture of St Elizabeth’s. It is unusual to have a former head on the board of a school, but we are an unusual institution, and our current head was a leading proponent of keeping Walt involved. We continue to benefit from his engagement with the board and school.

Dixie Trimble was on the board for well over half a decade, and head of the Committee on Trustees, a standing committee of the board responsible for governance issues. She has been a terrific leader, devoted worker, stylish dresser and great neighbor. She remains in emeritus status on the board, and we look forward to keeping her involved in our community.

Pam Norris also was on our board from almost the beginning, and it was a huge loss to us when she died in January of 2015. Pam was an ardent supporter of education for many years, including 11 years at St Anne’s Episcopal School, a number of years on the Kent Denver Board and a number of other Colorado charitable entities. She was a devoted parent to her four children and grandchildren. We will miss her cheerful and generous presence.

We ended the year with a clearer vision for the future with a 5 year strategic plan from Suellen White’s Strategic Planning committee, in the black due to many generous friends as well as the hard work of the Development committee headed by Tracey Campbell and our Development Director Susan Bross. And we are clear on the numbers because of the great work by the Finance Committee, chaired by Fred Latala and the great work of our Business Manager, Dorothy Higgs. Bob Koehler is assuming the Chair of the Committee on Trustees. The Parents association continues to grow as an important element of the school, and we are grateful for Andy Lyford’s time on the board, and look forward to James Crowe as the Parent’s Association representative on the board next year.

Letter from Ramsay Stabler, Head of School

The 2014-2015 year started with a big surprise in my life…I once again found myself sitting in a Head of School’s chair! No matter how many times our founding HOS, Walt McCoy, told me that I would succeed him in this post, I just did not believe it. My flexible life as the Development Director at SES over the past seven years was working just perfectly for me.

Then the reality of starting our middle school program was upon us, and as a teacher who started his career as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, the prospect was too attractive to forego. There is some great balance to a career that starts and ends with the same focus, and let’s be honest; just how many of us out there really LOVE middle schoolers and all of their gifts and challenges? I happen to be one of them. I am happy to report that the middle school got off to a wonderful start this year. Mrs. Nichols took the reins of the sixth grade homeroom, and while we really ran this as a stand-alone homeroom (indeed with only one grade in the division, it really was stand alone!), we did work on things to make our first middle school class feel a bit more grown up. It did not take much: new lockers, the choice of where to eat lunch, the first elections for our student council, an overnight trip to Indian Hills, participating in the Global Water Challenge at Colorado Academy, and more. I know that I had fun, and I believe they did, too. The plans for a more departmentalized middle school for grades six and seven are well underway.

In a school with such a distinctive business model- the core of our “intentionally inclusive” mission- the issue of raising money is always at the top of the “to do” list. There were two truly important developments this year that had real impact on the school. The first was our premier Parents' Association evening auction. Not only was a great time had by all, but this event also raised significant funds for digitizing our library collection, growing our professional development funds, and other important school projects. I send kudos and heartfelt thanks to all of the intrepid volunteers who were ready, willing, and brave enough to take on this project. We also received a five-year commitment totaling $1,000,000 to begin building an endowment fund for the future stability of the school. This is a true “coming of age” moment for St. Elizabeth’s School! Having Susan Bross, an experienced development director, join us as a full-time member of the administration was clearly a good decision!

This epistle also provides an important opportunity for me to thank the leadership teams of the school: our talented and hard-working administrative staff, our dedicated and generous trustees, and our involved and ever-present Parents’ Association leaders. Without them, we are simply not here as a growing and thriving school. I also want to thank Walt McCoy, who now serves as a consultant to the school and an ex-officio member of the board of trustees. It is certainly a gift to have him and his wise counsel available to the board and to me.

Finally, I want to thank the families who have entrusted their loved ones to us each and every day. There is no greater vote of confidence or commitment than that. Of course, the reason they do this is that they know that their children will be taught, nurtured, and supported by a truly dedicated and skilled group of teachers. Without their amazing work, we are truly diminished, and I thank them, too! Our children come from all walks of life, and whether I am sitting outside the kindergarten room, visiting a class or the lunchroom, or driving the fifth grade to the soup kitchen, I can report with great confidence and enthusiasm that this is one terrific group of kids. Without these children, this place would be darned quiet and certainly not much fun!!

Thanks to all for a terrific year! Ramsay Stabler

St. Elizabeth's is an intentionally inclusive Episcopal Schoo l w i th a commitment to exce l lence that inspires learning and t rans forms lives.

Highlights

• Our Middle School launched with a great group of 6th grade student leaders! And we got lockers!!

• The Head of School transition was seamless and successful. Current families were thrilled with Mr. Stabler's appointment as Head of School and that Mr. McCoy would remain involved as an ex-officio board member, a supporter of St. Elizabeth's…and our middle school golf coach!

• Our kids continued to benefit from a school day that is balanced with stellar academics, art, music, faith studies, Spanish and physical education.

• Our 6th graders participated in the "Global Water Challenge" where they were assigned a country and designed solutions for its water challenges.

• Our Annual Breakfast at the Denver Art Museum was a wonderful event with friends and supporters of St. Elizabeth's School. We were honored to have Christine Benero, CEO of Mile High United Way, as our keynote speaker. (And a fundraising challenge was issued resulting in Mr. Stabler getting his ear pierced in front of all the kids!)

• Our kids continued to serve our community through meaningful service projects including the Denver Soup Kitchen and Bessie's Hope.

• For the 5th year in a row, many of our families, faculty and staff participated together in the MLK Day Marade.

• Our students continue to benefit from several community partnerships including ACE Scholarships and Centus Counseling.

• Our Parent's Association organized our first Evening of Jazz: Art Show and Silent Auction. This event, along with our Spring Garden Festival, provided amazing community building and fundraising opportunities!

• We continued to strengthen our school's future by securing our first $1,000,000 pledge to begin building an endowment fund to provide a permanent and predictable source of annual revenue for many years to come!

Our Mission

Racial Diversity

Caucasian White52%

Hispanic/Latino7%

Multi-Racial12%

African American/Black29%

Socioeconomic Diversity

$43,369 - $99,99936%

>$100,00024%

<$43,36840%

At St. Elizabeth’s School we believe in the strength of diversity and inclusion. And research shows that integrating schools by race and economic status is one of the most powerful levers available for improving opportunities for kids. According to John King (acting Secretary of Education), “Research shows that one of the best things we can do for all children - black or white, rich or poor - is give them a chance to attend strong, socioeconomically diverse schools.”

Our Community

Math, Grades 3-6

Below Grade Level9%

At or Above Grade Level91%

Reading, Grades 3-6

Below Grade Level9%

At or Above Grade Level91%

We know that our children’s academic performance is a result of our strong academic program supported through small class size and amazing teachers, as well as the incredible benefits of having a diverse and inclusive student body. According to a report from the Century Foundation “the benefits of K-12 school diversity indeed flow in all directions. Researchers have documented that students’ exposure to other students who are different from themselves and the novel ideas and challenges that such exposure brings leads to improved cognitive skills, including critical thinking and problem solving.”

Academic Results

Faculty Rachel Levine - Lead Kindergarten TeacherSarah Cooper -Kindergarten Assistant TeacherGeorgia Grey - First Grade Lead TeacherDan Brown - First Grade Teacher AssistantKim Frantz - Second Grade Lead TeacherAnika Pepper - Second Grade Teacher AssistantStevens McClure - Third Grade Lead TeacherEleanora Archie - Third Grade Teacher AssistantEmily Baker - Fourth Grade Lead TeacherApril Erric0 - Fourth Grade Teacher AssistantTracy Wittmer - Fifth Grade Lead TeacherAlex Schilperoort - Fifth Grade Assistant TeacherKari Nichols - Sixth Grade Lead TeacherElise Landau - Sixth Grade Assistant TeacherJacquelyn Ives - Music and Choir DirectorKaren Kelly - Art Kristen Nachtwey - Physical Education/HealthMeghan Epstein - Spanish The Rev. Susan Greenwood - Chaplain / Faith Studies – Lower School-Sally Thomas - Chapel / Faith Studies – Middle SchoolJane Baker and Hazel Stevens Price - LibrarySue Johanning - Lessons in CharacterPatricia Mulligan - Individualized Literacy Program (ILP)Hammel Monroe - Technology

Faculty and Staff

Administration Ramsay Stabler - Head of SchoolKim Frantz - Principal, K-5Kristen Foster - Dean of StudentsDanice Giles - Administrative AssistantSusan Bross - Developmental DirectorKirsten Barnard - School Counselor Diane Grove - Director of AdmissionsDorothy Higgs - Business ManagerSandra Walton - Business Office Assistant

Steve Marsters, Board Chair

Betty Luce, Board Vice Chair/Secretary

Pam NorrisTracey Campbell, Development Committee Chair

Dixie TrimbleBob Koehler, Committee of Trustees Chair

Ann JesseFred Latala, Finance Committee Chair

Jan MeckJeff ObergGregory A. RobbinsRick SandovalSusan ShamosSharon Smith MartinSuellen S. White, Strategic Planning Committee Chair

Ex-Officio

Barry Bedrick, Retired Head of School

Susan Bross, Director of Development, St. Elizabeth's School

James Crowe, President of Parent Association

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Heischman, Executive Director, National Association of Episcopal Schools

Dorothy Higgs, Business Manager, St. Elizabeth's School

Walter McCoy, Founding Head of School, St. Elizabeth's School

The Rt. Rev. Robert O'Neill, Bishop of Colorado Diocese

Board of Trustees

Below Average

Financial Snapshot

Net Tuition Activity and Other Program FeesDonations

Occupancy CostsPersonnel ExpensesEducation Supplies and ExpensesGeneral & AdministrativeDepreciationBad Debt Provision

Expenses

Occupancy Costs $131,248Personnel Expenses $1,108,037Education Supplies and Expenses $51,206General & Administrative $57,206Depreciation $18,410Bad Dept Provision $46,375

Total Expenses $1,412,526

Revenue

Net Tuition $466,311Activity and Other Program Fees $89,792Interest Income $178Foundation Donations $267,263Individual Donations $1,577,555Corporate Donations $7,515

Total Income $2,408,613

includes $1,000,000 pledged over 5 years

St. Elizabeth’s School Donors Founders’ Circle $25,000 and above

ACE Scholarships - The Anschutz Foundation - Connie Hauver - The HBB Foundation - Sue Johanning and Jeff Oberg - Courtney and Steve Masters - Sharon and Lanny Martin - Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Foundation - Holly and Ramsay Stabler

Leadership Roundtable $10,000 - $24,999

Lyn Albertson - Anonymous - Anschutz Family Foundation - Campbell Foundation Fund - ECA Foundation - Suzanne Hamilton - Kenneth King Foundation - Patrick Mitchell - Miggy and Jay Monroe - Baba and Tom Owen - Reiman Foundation - Walter S. Rosenberry, III Charitable Trust - Don Scott - Margaretta Stabler - Giles Toll - Suellen and Travis White

Angels $5,000 - $9,999

Anonymous - Cross H Foundation - Crowe Howarth LLP - Barbara Frank and Ronni McCaffrey - GHP Howarth, P.C. - Henry R. Schwier Charitable Fund - Hunt Family Foundation - Fred Latala - Meg and Ed Nichols - Sally and Richard Obregon - Shamos Family Foundation - Silicon Valley Community Foundation - Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation - Virginia W. Hill Foundation - Nancy Woodward

Patrons $1000 - $4,999

Shelley and Tony Albrecht - Patricia Alling - Javier Baz - Beanstalk Foundation - Angela Bleier - Trish and Tully Bragg - Phyllis and James Currans - Barry and Sonia Danielson - Brian Dawe - David Dudley - David and Cheryl Dutton - Gina and Jack Eberhardt - Tim Gardner - Valerie Gates - Susan Greenwood - Jackie and Hal Hawkey - Dan Heishman - Laura and Craig Hill - Betsey and Mike Huseby - Kathy and Brad Coors Foundation - The Knapp Fund - Roxanne and Bob Koehler - Duane Landau - Danica Larson - Josi and David Larson - Linda and William Lewis - George and Betty Luce - Magyar Family Fund - Pete Marsters - Walter and Carolyn McCoy - Jan and John Meck - Mile High United Way - John and Sandy Morrison - Amy and Ted Mower - National Association of Episcopal Schools - Kathleen Orozco - Nancy Petry - Greg Robbins - Terri Rolls - William Schwab - Shepard Holton Trust (Episcopal Diocese of CO) - Eaton Smith - Anne and Bob Sneed - St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church - St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church - Mary Talbot - Clara Winter - Richard Wood

Benefactors $500 - $9,999

Lindsay and Doug Andrews - Jane and John Baker - Ginny and Rob Bayless - Madeline Bragg - Brooke Brown - Julie and Paul Brown - Victoria and Marc Carpenter - Patricia Clark - Tim and Jane Davis - Robert Erskine - Cathey and Richard Finlon - Michael Hance - Roscoe Hill - Sue Hogoboom - Betsey and George Hoover - Arthur Jones - Kent Denver School - K Bruce and Sandra Lang - Chester and Debra Luby - Diana and Dick Lyford - Craig Mills - Jane and Skip Netzorg - Lisa Osman - Janet Perlstein - Rich and Carol Rinehart - Susan Shamos - Douglas and Hazel Stevens Price - Betty and Tony Taylor - Emily and Eoin Theobald - Sarah Thomas - Judy and Bob Thompson - Jane and Fritz Trask - Lynne and Ralph Valentine - Mark Williams - YourCause, LLC - Tracy and Tim Zarlengo

Ambassadors $250 - $499

Liz and Bill Armstrong - Bank of the West Matching Gifts - Karen and Thomas Barsch - Arlene Borrow - Marilyn and Dan Bredar - Marsha Breit - Laurie and Andrew Brock - Linda and Wes Brown - Katherine Cattanach - Linda and Clarence Clark - Community First Foundation - Louise Connor - Jill Cowperthwaite - Mary Beth and Neil Dermody - John Dicker - Connie Dines - Chris Ditzengerger - Margaret and Rick Garbe - Linda Giedl - Sarah and Schuyler Grey - Diane and Tim Grove - Melinda Harrington - Helen Hempel - Dorothy and Steve Higgs - Rebecca Holman - Ann and Henry Jesse - Mary Kay Jezzini - Marie and Fred Jonson - John and Louise Kearns - Deb Kelley - Jan Kennaugh - Elisa and Ryan Latreille - Janet and Bob Manning - Ann Monroe - Montessori School of Evergreen - Barbara and Gerald O’Keefe - Stephanie and Matthew Paolucci - Katy Powers - Ruth Redfern-Combs - Charlotte Robinson - The Richardson Agency - Samuel White - Peter Williams - Mary Willis - Linda Zinn

Friends $1 - $249

Ed and Kacy Adams - Community Foundation for Nantucket - Patty Anton - Caroline Applegate - Eleanora Archie - John and Susan Arigoni - Susan and Drew Armburster - Hailu Asmare - Kristen Barnard - Barry and Susan Bedrick - Sheila Bisenius - James and Celestine Blair - Cecilia Bloomer - Alice Louise Bonaker - Virginia Bowman - Brewster and Helen Boyd - Margot and Christopher Brauchli - Fabia Brentlinger - Lora Louise Broady - Laurie and Andrew Brock - Daniel Brown - Janice Burley - Molly Casey - Scott and Diane Cast - Willis Clark - Millie Cline - Dick and Anne Coates Conaway - Amy Coombe - Sarah Cooper - Ann Lyon Crammond - Courtney and Gregory Culligan - Mary Ann Davis - Susan Davis - Janice Day - Barb and John Decker - Sarah and Michael Dougherty - Martin Dumler - Cynthia Eck - Meghan Epstein - Robert Erskine - David Espinosa - Wilt Family - Barbara Fite - Leigh and Kevin Flanagan - Kristen Foster - Kim and Kurt Frantz - Rene Gash - Danice Giles - Kathy Givan - Meagan Gold - Judy and Newell Grant - Mary and William Gravely - Georgia Grey - Mary Groves - Steven Grupe - James Haass - Malcolm Hirsch - Mary Hoagland - Lisa and Zachary Hope - Dina Horsch - Louise Hurlbut - Nancy Hyde - Frank and Mary Isenhart - Jackie Ives - Anne Jacobs - Nancy Johnson - Rebecca Jones - Peter and Barbara Judd - Bridget Juracek - Cynthia Kahn - Robert and Mary Frances Keller - Karen Kelly - John and Cynthia Kendrick - Michael Kent - Lynn and Robert Key - Sandy and Ray Kieft - Scott Kiere - Sue and Roger Kilgore - Elise Landau - Sharon Lavoie - Rachel Levine - Paul and Megan Levit - Wendy Litman - Beth and Andy Lyford - Tupper and Laurie MacDowell - Mary and Sean Maguire - Christina and Brian Maness - Sally N. Martin - Rachel and James McClair - Paul and Joo McClennan - Stevens McClure - Jennifer and Brian McCluskey - Victoria Mcelhone - Sean McGowan - Katie McGuckin - Michael McGuire, Jr. - McKesson Foundation - Alice Middleton - Hammel Monroe - Patricia Mulligan - Mary Murphy - Kristin Nachtwey - Kari and Chad Nichols - The Janus Foundation - Corey Nikoloric - Janey and Leon O’Kelley - Anika Pepper - Ruth and Peter Philpott - Peter Putze - Elizabeth Randall - Linda Rice - Karen Riley - James Rodriguez - Shelley Rule - Joann and Rick Sandoval - Cindy Sawyer - Alex Schilperoot - Elizabeth Scholsser - David and Frances Sebald - Kaye Siemers - Malcolm Smith - Mason Stabler - Alice and Tom Stephens - Missy Stolberg - Mabel Sutton - Susan Swanson - Karen Takamatsu - Jean Talman - Robert Tirawat - Susan Trickett - Dixie Trimble - Ted Vial - Jessica and Tarik Walker - Sandra Walton - Cheryl Ward - Lea Watson - Tiare and Stephen Weak - Radhika and Brian Weathers - Heather and Scott Weldon - Carl and Alice Wells - Grace-Ann Westergren - Mary and Ralph Wheeler - Encana - Tracy Wittmer - William Wolf-Tinsman - Suzanne Wolfe - Joanne and Bert Womack - Amy Wood - Kevin Wytrykusz

In-Kind Donations

Anika Pepper - Berry Bedrick - Doug Cullumber - Hazel Stevens Price - Jane Baker - Rob Woodbine

Assembles a well balanced student body with a mix of children that reflects the socioeconomic diversity of the Denver community—an intentionally inclusive approach distinctive among independent schools. Nurtures the whole person—body mind and spirit –toward a large purpose, toward meaning and commitment beyond ourselves, grounded in the inclusive faith and practices of the Episcopal Church, that honors the wisdom of other religions and humanistic tradition. Offers a challenging and broad academic program that encourages a love of learning and prepares its graduates for success in secondary school and beyond.Boasts an exemplary faculty and staff, dedicated educators who respect the dignity of each child and serve as healthy role models for our children. Sustains rich programs in the arts that expand cultural awareness, enhance traditional academics, and inspire creativity. Provides successful pedagogical strategies for students of differing gifts, abilities, and learning styles. Builds a family-like community of strong moral character, where children become compassionate, respectful, accepting, confident individuals who achieve a deeper sense of self in and through each other’s presence. Encourages healthy living, good nutrition choices, regular physical exercise, and team activities. Champions the ideal that our children must be educated to serve their community and provides opportunities to engage in meaningful service. Fosters a caring learning and social environment that is protective and safe. Expects active parental involvement that helps build a strong school community.

Core Values

St. Elizabeth’s School - 2350 Gaylord, Denver CO 80205 - (303) 322-4210 - www.sesden.org