This letter marks the end of our first year in operation! Our students returned home this past weekend and are enjoying reunions with their families. In the meantime the faculty has been hard at work cleaning, packing, and planning for next year…with a few moments here and there for raising a glass in celebration of the successful founding and first year of St. Martin’s Academy. Farm work continues of course, as does our effort to build a strong school through prudent planning, building, and development. These are uncharted waters and we’re grateful to all those who are supporting us materially and spiritually. As an independent Catholic boarding school for boys that is rooted in an ancient liturgy, hard manual labor on a farm, and a poetic mode of education — there is simply not a contemporary model for us to emulate. We are dependent on the grace of God, the generosity of our benefactors and community, and the remarkable families who were bold and committed enough to join us in what must have seemed like a Quixotic adventure.
Duc in Altum,
Daniel Kerr, President
Patrick Whalen, Headmaster
Faculty Hail and Farewell
Several of our staff are moving on this year and though we’re sorry to see them go we’re grateful for their service and look forward to working with their replacements. House Fathers Joseph Free, Simon Webster, and Christopher DeCleene are all heading to various other educational institutions and our Residential Dean Travis Dziad and his family are off to Wyoming Catholic College. Fair winds and following seas!
We will be joined this fall by Ryan Bauer and his fiance Danielle Fuchs (who will be Mr. and Mrs. Bauer by the fall!) Hailing from St. Louis, Ryan will be teaching math and science and will serve as our head soccer coach while Danielle will serve as our very first secretary. We will also be joined by Giorgio Navarini from California who will serve as House Father, Schola Director, and coach. With their combination of intensity and know-how joining our team, we’ve decided to open an astronaut training program…just kidding. But they are going to be a wonderful addition to our community. Stay tuned as for a few more details about them in next month’s newsletter.
Construction Update
Our Mason, Nick Magee, has done beautiful work on the hearth that features in the great dining room in Theotokos Hall. We’re sprinting toward completion as we finalize the plans for our sprinkler system and are preparing to install kitchen appliances, hardwood floors, and trim. The next two months will involve a dramatic transformation of our first and largest building.
Summer Work Plans
In case you were wondering what a summer at St. Martin’s looks like, here is a rundown of tasks we’re working on for the fall:
-Building bookshelves, trestle tables, and cabinets for Theotokos Hall
-Coordinating final logistics for the Junior class trimester abroad
-Fence management for mob-grazing cattle
-Finalizing enrollment for the fall
-Growing our herd of Jersey milk cows
-Finalizing staffing for the fall
-Policy research and revision
-Furnishing Theotokos Hall
-Pushups
-Curriculum development
-Fundraising
-More pushups
Admissions Update
I’m pleased to say that we have nearly reached our enrollment capacity of 30 students for fall 2019! We’ll be joined by a cadre of Freshmen hailing from around the country — their first experience at St. Martin’s will involve a formative (perhaps to some, formidable) expedition to Moab, Utah where they will be canyoneering, canoeing, and climbing together while developing deep friendships rooted in a common love for Christ.
Don Quixote
The Sophomore Class concluded the year by reading Cervantes’ masterpiece Don Quixote and adapting it to the stage for a year-end performance. Many parents and members of the local parish and community attended the play. In this scene Don Quixote (Israel Meyers) stands vigil while Sancho (Mateo Lipic) indulges in a cacophonous round of snoring. Below are a few more pictures from the evening…and if you haven’t read it recently, you’ll find Don Quixote a delight well worth your time.
