"Forming one’s identity takes reflection, exploration, and commitment. The connections and exposure from the program give our students experiences that are necessary for them to better understand themselves.”
THE IMPACT OF YOUR PHILANTHROPY
Impact: Philanthropy in Action 2020-21
When I was first getting to know St. Anne’s-Belfield, everyone I met spoke so highly of the power of this community. There is a true sense of commitment here, and a belief that everyone has a part to play in the life and betterment of our School.
One of my favorite examples of this came from last year’s Day of Impact by Walker ’31, who was in second grade at the time. On this day of philanthropy, Walker came in proudly bearing her gift of $4.59 of her own money to make our School an even better place.
I think of her gift often, and indeed of all the donors like you who gave to St. Anne’s-Belfield during our incredible year last year. I think of your generosity in moments when I ponder the enormity of the issues facing the world today. When my mind struggles to comprehend the devastation that COVID-19 has wrought to global citizens, including millions of students worldwide who have not had consistent access to education since spring of 2020. On days that I feel the heavy mantle of leadership and the complex logistics of keeping our students learning — safely, and in person — I think of Walker’s gift. I think of your gift. And I remember that the power of this community is that no one has to do it alone. Every person has an important role to contribute. Every gift is personally meaningful, every gift matters, and every gift creates an impact. Thank you.
This Impact: Philanthropy Report 2020-21 includes some of the ways your gift to The Fund for St. Anne’s-Belfield has provided flexible dollars to support our mission. Your generosity enables everything from financial aid to students, to professional development for teachers, to assisting with COVID expenses outside of our budget such as disinfection techs, upgraded air filtration systems, individually packaged lunches, and iPads and microphones for remote learning.
I am incredibly thankful for you, for this community, and for your commitment to this special place of learning.
Go Saints!
Dr. Autumn A. Graves, P ’33, ’35
Head of School
STORIES OF IMPACT
“I’m very proud of the team effort of our students this year. A lot of students shared that they valued the ‘struggle’ of a traditional stage production, but it was rewarding to see the patience, relationship-building, and perseverance during this time of change.”
“With the mask mandates and the physical distancing guidelines, we wanted to make sure that students still had ample opportunities to get out of their rooms and participate in social activities. By having our students join one outdoor activity each weekend, we were able to have some really memorable experiences through activities like kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, and overnight camping.”
“While taking this course, my class and I traveled to over four different watersheds in our community to perform river ecology tests to examine the health of the water and perform field studies on the critically endangered James River spinymussel. I continue to research and contribute to studying the endangered James River spinymussel even out of highschool and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to take this class.”
“We’ve been able to expand outdoor learning programming into our summer camps and we’d love to bring more families in to experience this unique environment. Play is critically important to our students’ development and we’re so fortunate to continue working with Wildrock to be an innovator and leader in outdoor education. We’ve only just begun this exciting model for early childhood education and are looking forward to the future in this field.”
"I didn't really know that we had food poverty in Charlottesville and that 50% of Charlottesville City Public School students get free and reduced lunch. It's very easy to think of an idea, but figuring out how it's actually supposed to work is hard. It's so much more complicated when you look at funding and logistics."
BY THE NUMBERS
WORDS OF GRATITUDE
Sophia Hunt '15
"The act of giving reflects a larger appreciation of and care for the well-being of our alma mater. More importantly, when we as alumni each pitch in, our collective effort has the multiplicative power to uplift and further the vision of St. Anne’s Belfield."
Kevin Zeithaml '11
"I give to St. Anne's-Belfield because of the countless hours the faculty and staff poured into my growth and future success. Their work and the lessons they taught me continue to inspire and challenge me. My gift is how I ensure future generations can benefit from world-class educators as I did."
Caitlin Thomson, Parent '36
5th Grade Faculty
"We know firsthand that St. Anne's-Belfield supports their teachers, and we see how the students directly benefit from this. We feel so fortunate that our family is a part of this teaching and learning community.”
Maria and Ryan Gall, Parents '31 '34, '36
"We volunteer and give to the School because we believe in the people. The staff, faculty, and administrators make St. Anne’s-Belfield such a remarkable community and we want to do whatever we can to support them.”
East He '12
“My gift to the community speaks to my gratitude, and also my hope that our school grows into an exemplary institution, where every student can be a part of it.”
Myron Ripley '86
"A planned gift is one way in which I have the opportunity to define that legacy and help the next “Myron” experience a world class education in a loving environment."