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PREPARED. WELL-ROUNDED.
THE FAY
LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
MORGAN B. SCOVILLE, M.Ed
The 2020-2021 year was incredible. Our entire Fay community worked together to ensure that we could all afford your children the absolute best learning opportunities throughout the whole school year. To put this into a more precise context, we would like to share the below list of our collective accomplishments from the 2020-2021 school year. Some achievements benefited the Fay children during the 2020-2021 school year, while others will bear fruit for them in the future. Some of these accomplishments helped the Fay children directly and some indirectly. The adults drove some, but the most meaningful were driven by the future leaders of the world.
• Opened in-person and online learning programs safely and on time on August 19, 2020.
• Published a future-focused Strategic Plan.
• Retained the highest number of students for the 2021-2022 school year since we began tracking this statistic over a decade ago.
• Established eight new garden beds in the Fay Farm to enhance your child’s outdoor learning.
• Children checked out 9,637 library books, and our Fay Family purchased 915 books in our online book fair.
• Hatched eight chickens, and thanks to the Class of 2023, they are thriving.
• Enhanced our language arts program for Primary children by having four Primary Teachers complete the yearlong Classroom Storytelling program from Rice Literacy Program.
• Hosted Fay’s first Golf Tournament at neighboring Memorial Park.
• Released nearly 200 ladybugs in the Fay Farm as part of the Class of 2025 pollinator project in partnership with the Houston Arboretum.
• Taught around 2,500 specials classes outside and about 500 specials classes online.
• Established Fay’s first-ever mascot, thanks to the Class of 2024. Go Gators!
• Received national recognition for the way we named our first-ever school mascot.
• Enhanced Fay’s efforts to be more environmentally responsible thanks to the Class of 2026 and the Class of 2021.
• Joined other nationally recognized schools as an ISEEN Leadership Circle School.
• Named the different trails throughout the Fay Forest thanks to the Class of 2022.
• Installed the “Coop Cam,” a live-feed video of our chickens.
• Tallied that about 4,200 eggs were laid by The Fay School’s chickens.
• Conducted six new Project-Based Learning Units thanks to our Learning Specialist.
• Hosted 490 recesses in the Fay Forest.
• Increased the amount of Summer FAYcation campers by almost 10%.
• Connected with over 180 new Grandparents and Special Friends.
• Gained 30% more followers/fans on our social media platforms.
• Saved over 20,100 plastic water bottles thanks to our water fountains.
• Increased campus visit requests from other ISAS Administrators to learn about innovation.
• Increased prospective student applications by 59% since the 2019-2020 school year.
• Published nine blogs.
• Established a new tradition, hosting our Graduation Ceremony outside with the Fay House as our backdrop.
• Celebrated our 30th Anniversary and honored the school’s founder, Marie Fay Evnochides.
Last year, Fay children benefited in what seemed like unbelievable ways. We all made sacrifices, stayed flexible, exhibited patience, remained committed, and empathized with the varying perspectives on how best to take steps forward. Every member of the Fay Family played a part in the fantastic experience your children enjoyed during the 20202021 year. Each of us proved that there is no early childhood or elementary school better equipped to deliberately build and educate the next generation of leaders for our world by intentionally working to be a school that “puts children first,” just like Marie Fay Evnochides imagined.
In awe and with immense gratitude,
Morgan B. Scoville, M.Ed.
Strategic Plan: Leading for Tomorrow
Crafting and Cultivating the Distinct Fay Experience
Background and Content:
During the 2019-20 academic year, The Fay School launched a comprehensive strategic planning process. The strategic plan was developed to provide a long-range view of future school priorities created through a highly inclusive and participatory process. A steering committee was formed and focused on research, environmental scans, SWOT analysis, committee exercises, and trends in the independent school and the education sector. To build a base of sound information and guide the planning process, the school enlisted the assistance of a research and planning firm, Ian Symmonds & Associates. The strategic planning steering committee worked collaboratively through a series of exercises designed to establish priorities based upon the research findings.
This process culminated in the late summer of 2020, with the steering committee developing a set of living priorities focused on Fay’s future. As strategic priorities were developed, the steering committee expanded upon them to outline specific initiatives, action plans, and a series of sequenced tactics.
Call
to Action
Our hope for your child is that they emerge as a leader of the future. The Fay School presents this strategic plan as the threshold for that transformation. All children benefit as The Fay School realizes its dreams of becoming a national leader in early childhood and elementary education and leadership development through emotional intelligence and outdoor education. This strategic plan captures Fay’s future and places your child on an accelerated and authentic path to leadership. When Fay is leading the way, so is your child.
The world’s future landscape will not need your child to complete standardized tests, check boxes, or regurgitate memorized information. The world’s future landscape will need leaders with heightened emotional intelligence who innovate through collaboration and implement creative solutions to unforeseen or persistent challenges. Fay Leaders are the leaders that will create and harness that future. Cross the threshold and lead with Fay now so that your child will lead us all tomorrow.
Strategic Priorities
Redefine the Academic Experience by Excelling in Experiential & Outdoor Learning:
Develop and support a fully studentcentered academic and experiential program, highlighting Fay as an inclusive place where a spirit of adventure and freedom is nurtured using the outdoors for overall student enrichment.
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Deepen Leadership Development Through Emotional Intelligence:
Establish The Fay School as the gold standard in leadership development through emotional intelligence by enhancing leadership development with increased empowerment for students, increased faculty coaching, and a whole child mindset.
Reimagine Time, Place, and Assessment:
Reimagine our use of time, place, and modes of assessment by revising our schedule, assessment practices, and other experiential variables to inculcate a future-oriented and holistic problemsolving leadership model for our students.
Investigate Extending
The Fay School’s Curriculum Past Fifth Grade:
Evaluate, study, and assess the feasibility of developing an extension of Fay’s lower school curriculum with an experiential focus.
Create Valuable Community Partnerships:
Investigate and implement strategic community partnerships to enhance curricular and co-curricular initiatives.
Steering Committee:
Alex Cammarota
Learning Specialist
Sabrina Colgin
Board Member, Alumni and Current Parent
Jennifer Cunningham
Board Member and Alumni Parent
Jeff Fountain
Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations
Alicia Gordy
Board Member and Alumni Parent
Jennifer Hayes
Lead Teacher and Current Parent
Ed Maggart
Association of Experiential Education Board Member
K.C. McMordie
Lead Teacher
Kaitlin Necas
Communications Officer
Ross Purdy
Dean of Students and Environmental Responsibility
Omar Samji
Board Chair and Current Parent
Morgan B. Scoville
Head of School
Melissa Sherman
Principal
2020-2021
THE FAY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ruth Calabrese
Sabrina Colgin
Jennifer Cunningham
Kimberly Cutchall
Marie Fay Evnochides
FOUNDING HEAD OF SCHOOL
Tracy Gay
Alicia Gordy
Erin Jones
Matthew Kardesch
Jared Levinthal
Jeff Margolis
Roy Moore
Sarah Pollock
Megan Pond
Omar Samji ’20-’21 BOARD CHAIR
LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF CHAIR
OMAR SAMJI
At the end of 2020-2021, my emotions are of relief, gratitude, and pride. Relief that the year concluded with zero spread of COVID-19 on campus. Gratitude for the incredible work of our teachers and staff to deliver the very best possible education for Fay’s children no matter the obstacles. And pride that our Fay community exemplified throughout the year the values and emotional intelligence that will help our children develop into the leaders of tomorrow. In a year filled with challenges, The Fay School community has managed to thrive.
The 2020-2021 Annual Fund and other fundraising initiatives were met by our families with enthusiasm and generosity, even during a time when we couldn’t gather together. This tremendous support enabled The Fay School to offer both in-person and online learning throughout the entire year and implement numerous measures to ensure safety on campus. This logistical feat was made possible by donations of both resources as well as time and expertise.
Ironically, 2020-2021 was an exemplary year for Fay. Using donations to the Annual Fund and the 30th Celebrations, several initiatives advanced our Strategic Plan. Fay was able to upgrade outdoor classrooms, including tenting the Meadow and purchasing outdoor chairs for each student and teacher. The school was able to ensure that each child thrived in a healthy environment during the pandemic and furthered the second priority of the Strategic Plan: redefine the academic experience by excelling in experiential and outdoor learning. The money raised from our 30th Anniversary Celebrations allowed the school to purchase new furniture in the Primary and Kindergarten classrooms. This aligns with the third priority of the Strategic Plan: to reimagine time, place, and assessment. The Leadership Team’s success advancing the Strategic Plan despite the current landscape has been truly remarkable.
In reflecting on this past year, what stands out to me most is the incredible strength that comes from the togetherness of our community. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank each and every member of the Fay family for your dedication and commitment. You have made it possible for Fay to continue to raise the bar in early childhood and elementary education, and to distinguish itself among independent schools in Houston. Thanks to you, The Fay School is even stronger today than it was a year ago.
Sincerely,
Omar Samji Board Chair
PHILANTHROPY
AT FAY, WE SEE FUNDRAISING AS ONE OF MANY NATURAL OUTCOMES TO DELIVERING ON OUR VISION EACH AND EVERY DAY.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT MONICA BERCKLEY
During the 2020-2021 school year, The Fay School celebrated its 30th Anniversary, honoring our founder, Marie Fay Evnochides, and her vision to create a school where children come first. Despite the pandemic, the school was determined to celebrate and honor this milestone. The Fay School community came together to show our collective leadership in unprecedented ways. We are grateful for your unwavering and genuine support of the mission and vision of The Fay School.
The 2020-2021 Annual Fund Campaign, led by Lisa and Robert Hearn, had a challenging task: raise necessary funding during a time of global uncertainty.
The Fay School relies on fundraising to fully realize our mission – support and generous giving are essential to our ongoing success. In a typical year, the Annual Fund allows the school to explore new and fresh opportunities. During the 2020-2021 school year, the need was more urgent as The Fay School’s faculty and staff rose to the challenges of
the pandemic. Your support allowed the school to continue in educating the next generation of leaders. The Annual Fund Committee did an outstanding job leveraging peer-to-peer relationships to achieve a high level of parent support for the 2020-2021 Annual Fund. During the 2020-2021 school year, this committee supported the school in achieving a 95% participation rate and, at $584,000, the highest giving since 2016.
During the second semester, through innovative and creative event planning, The Fay School community was determined to safely and thoroughly celebrate our 30th Anniversary. This historic milestone was marked by hosting a series of safe events over two months. We are so fortunate to have an active and engaged Parents’ Club, led in 2020-2021 by Jennifer Kane and James Spitz. They oversaw a dedicated team of chairs and volunteers committed to enhancing our school’s programming.
It was essential to ensure every constituent of the Fay Family felt included. From planning the first-ever Fay Golf Tournament, to a Fay Day of Service, mailing our Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ surprise packages filled with Fay fun, to hosting a virtual auction and gala with celebrity guests, the Fay spirit was evident in every facet of the events. The school community showed sincere support in raising over $247,000 in celebration of The Fay School.
Fay’s future is bright, and the 2020-2021 school year allowed us to display our Fay community’s true resilience and strength. We are laying the groundwork for the next thirty years of premier early childhood and elementary education.
Leaning on the vision of our founder to create a place where children come first, we look towards a future where Fay will continue to be recognized on local and national platforms. We are grateful for your unwavering support and partnership. Thank you to the collective Fay Family, who allow us to keep leading the way!
Fay gave me the foundation to take my passion for computers and turn it into a career in virtual reality. The teachers taught me the basics and how to think outside the box to help me see opportunities that others didn’t. My company, VRChat, would not be where it is today without my experience from Fay.
– Graham Gaylor, Fay Alum
With Gator Pride,
Monica Berckley Director of Advancement
The Advancement Team consists of the Director of Advancement, Assistant Director of Advancement (a new position for the 2021-2022 school year), Director of Admissions, and Communications Officer. The goal of this team is to provide innovative and future-focused tactics to promote the mission and strategic plan of the school. The Advancement Team strives to create a culture of philanthropy and engagement amongst the various constituencies. The Advancement Team deliberately creates opportunities to further solidify The Fay School as a Texas and national leader of early childhood and elementary education.
Monica Berckley
Director of Advancement
Ali Lyman Director of Admissions
Kaitlin Necas Communications Officer
Lauren Sposato Assistant Director of Advancement
2021-2022 PRELIMINARY ANNUAL FUND RESULTS
After the 5-week 2021-2022 parent campaign, the Annual Fund triumphantly raised over $541,000 and saw 100% Fay Family participation in support of the mission of Fay. Thank you to the 38 families who supported at the Leadership Circle Level or above. Thank you to our Annual Fund Chairs, Kirsten and David Polyansky, the Annual Fund Committee, and all who supported the fund! We look forward to continuing our campaign as we reach out to our Fay grandparents and alumni families.
If you wish to support the 2021-2022 Annual Fund, please contact the Director of Advancement, Monica Berckley, at mberckley@thefayschool.org. We look forward to celebrating our donors with our 2021-2022 Annual Report to be released in the Fall of 2022.
Save the Date for the 2022 Gala!
Look for more information soon for The Fay School Spring Gala happening April 9, 2022, at The Houstonian. This event will be chaired by Kristina Brar, parent of Sylvie ‘25 and Luke ‘26, and Megan Levy, parent of Alexa ‘27.
*The 2021-2022 Audited Financials will be released upon the completion of our formal audit.
2020-2021
ANNUAL FUND RESULTS
It is essential to take the opportunity every year to present our fundraising results and share the impact on your children. This continued level of support translated to an immediate impact for your children.
The Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between the cost of educating each child and revenue collected from tuition. The Annual Fund also allows the school to explore new and fresh opportunities, including technology upgrades, professional development, updating curricula, and more. In a typical year, the gap is more than $4,000 per student. To ensure our campus was open to in-person and for online learning, it took an estimated additional $1,400 to educate each child at The Fay School. Some of the additional measures Fay took to make sure each child thrived in a healthy learning environment on campus included:
• Upgrading outdoor classrooms, including tenting the Meadow, landscaping the Fay Forest, purchasing outdoor chairs for each student and teacher.
• Updating WiFi capacities to include outdoor areas and additional access points in the buildings to accommodate higher bandwidth for remote learning.
• Providing sufficient PPE for staff, faculty, and students.
• Installing extra sanitation stations around campus and hiring additional staff to clean and sanitize the campus throughout the day.
• Reconfiguring buildings to allow grades to stay in bubbles, including adding additional toilets, sinks, hallway partitions, desk dividers, and more controlled access fobs to classrooms.
• Investing in online program training, including offering an additional June term at no cost to families.
Leadership giving at the top circles of support constituted over 77% of the total funds received in the 20202021 Annual Fund. These monies represent the core of the fund’s ability to support programs at The Fay School. We thank the following leadership donors for their vision and willingness to support Fay.
Founder’s Circle
($25,000 and above)
Danielle and Lawrence Berry
Marie Fay Evnochides and Steve Evnochides
Conrad Goerl
Hsiao Family Foundation
Cheryl and Will Jordan
Chairman’s Circle
($10,000 - $24,999)
Sugene Kim and Bob Basu
Bailey Dalton Binion and Greg Binion
Alicia and Garrett Gordy
Kisha and Jason Itkin
Megan and Andrew Levy
Kallie and Ben Miller
Kristi and Thomas Taylor
Head’s Circle
($7,500 - $9,999)
Melissa Velasquez and Tamir Kayal
Karan Sra and Nishil Patel
Kirsten and David Polyansky
Julie and Karl Sturm
Leadership Circle
($5,000-$7,499)
Philip Ball
Alexandra and Richard Bruskoff
Natasha and Michael Cannon
Tina and Troy Cotton
Dana and Stephen David
Lauren and Brandon Duke
Elizabeth Eason
Joanna Kornfeld and Paul Friedman
Ellisa Kerswell and Nicholas Gole
Sami and Justin Grefé
Lisa and Robert Hearn
Jennifer and Thomas Kane
Aimee Killeen and Chris Mastoris
Cheryl Goudy and David Lavallee
Nazma and Altaf Makanojiya
Don & Colletta McMillian Foundation
Lee Bar-Eli and Clifford Nash
Emma Lewis and Charles Orzech
Mindy and Connor Riseden
Mary Rose
Sonia Scarselli
Katy and Sandy Shurin
Courtney Wulfe
Honor Circle
($2,500 - $4,999)
Anonymous
Katie and Jas Brar
Diane and John Chaney
Andrew Chang
Angela Chang
Lauren Chapman
Sabrina and Paul Colgin
Ann and Phillip Fox
Dolley and Duncan Frearson
Caren and Jeffrey Hayden
Annette and Michael Keuss
Sarjana Momin and Sayeed Khowja
Kristy Godwin and David Martin
Coby and Frank McElroy
Fabiola Bonari and Filippo Meacci
Shilpa Damle-Mogri and Zen Mogri
Andrea Osborne
Nida and Fiyyaz Pirani
Sarah and Beau Pollock
Jenny and James Rogers
Erin and Jake Slosburg
Danielle and Jonathan Stewart
Jessica and Mark Stoner
Jody and Harold Sweed
Sogol Pahlavan and Mike Talabi
Caroline and Gerrit Ten Cate
Gorana Tosic
Amy and Michael Trahan
Jeanette Hagan and Martin Wipf
Lauren and Charles Ziff
“The Annual Fund and fundraising are important to our family because we know every dollar raised goes directly towards the enrichment of our children’s education at The Fay School. What else could be more important or rewarding? This is why we donate—and ask others to donate—because we firmly believe in making The Fay School an exceptional place for our children to learn. – Katie and Jas Brar, Jack ‘27 and Benji ‘28
GENERAL GIVING
The Fay School received 318 gifts to the 2020-2021 Annual Fund representing support from current families, former families, grandparents, foundations, corporations, and friends of the school.
Supporter
($1,000-$2,499)
Heather and Mark Adam
Anoop and Michelle Ahuja
Mina and Seun Alonge
Anastasia and Anthony Amoroso
Ben and Sandra Backor
Nancy and Steve Bostic
Melissa and Phillip Brown
Ruth and Scott Calabrese
Tess and Jack Chaney
Jennifer and Gavin Cunningham
Jamie and Peter Dillon
Shoshana and Jeffrey Dinerstein
Stephanie Martinez Larrea and Rodrigo Dominguez Sotomayor
Mary Dougherty
Katherine and John Dwan
Sandra and A. Lynn Eastham
Lauren and Clark Edlund
Zahra and Kenneth Fenelon
Judy and Tom Feutrill
Tracy and Robert Gay
Lauren and Taryn Gore
Kristin Kott and Steve Granda
Priscila and David Gross
Lesley Davis and Chad Harrison
Kelly and Travis Hedgpeth
Lindsay and Jordan Hirsch
David Hock
Kimberly and Daniel Horowitz
Taylor and Stuart Imel
Samantha and Chris Jacobe
Mojdeh Moshkforoush and Majid Jourabchi
Katherine and Matthew Kardesch
Amy and Justin Keiter
Sabrina and Amir Khan
Amanda Lee and Timur Kuru
Nina and Phong Le
Ann and James Lebeck
April and Benjamin Leibman
Libby and Jesse Libby
Lauren and Russell Libby
Jana and David MacFarlane
Marcy and Jeff Margolis
Megan and Matthew Markland
Stephanie Martinez
Jennie and Edward Miller
Rahila and Arif Momin
Meredith and Andrew Pace
Shalini Edirisinghe and Velan Packianathan
Kavita and Tejas Patel
Marina Tishkova-Roberts and Andrew Roberts
Rabia and Omar Samji
Danielle and Brian Schmulen
Lauren and Morgan Scoville
Amber Kamdar-Sharif and Imran Sharif
Ashley and Ryan Shinkle
Gabriela and Quitman Smith
Leslie and Andrew Snelgrove
Betty and Mike Tapick
Jennifer and Adam Taylor
Stephanie Pullen and Weisun Teh
Steffie and Ross Tomson
Heather and Hernan Vargas
Kate and Timothy Withall
Shelley and Jeff Williams
Dena and Christopher Winkler
Barbara Wulfe
Oxana Beliaeva and Forrest Wylie
Robin and Mike Yaeger
Friend
($1-$999)
Delores Adams
Neha and Mohit Agrawal
Safia Durab and Faraz Ahmad
David and Nilofur Alfi
Alyssa and Eric Allen
Amir Ansari and Lisa Tapick Ansari
Lisseth and Daniel Armstrong
Robert F. Baldwin
Mary Ann Benoche
Monica Berckley
Lauren Berger
Caroline Best
Courtney Black
Alisa and Ryan Black
Michael Blount
Michelle and Renzo Bolivar
Kristina and Kip Brar
Alan Brewer
Lizzie Bright
Jennifer and John Broker
Carol Burns
Kathryn Burrow
Kristine Caldwell
Justin Calvert
Morgan Camacho
Alex Cammarota
Laura Campbell
Tanisha and Paul Cannings
Begoña Chapital
Betty and Stephen Cochran
Jacy and Grant Cooper
Evelyn Crockett
Ellen and James Cummins
Haifa Hamdi and Daly Daly
Barbara Davenport
Serena Dhukka
Ruth Ann Douglass
Barbara Duecker
Margaret Eggleston
Karen Farber
Teri Farrell
Jeff Fountain
Molly Frye
Mike Garcia
Mayra and Yuri Gelfand
Nikkia Giddings
Elizabeth and C.L. Gildroy Malcolm Goldin
Vandana Thapar and Leonel Gomez
Anangela and Rodolfo Gonzalez
Yvonne Grant
Tia Green
John Grube
Melissa Halleran
Arthur Halleran
Sarah Hamilton
Marci and Carlos Hamilton
Laura and Terry Harvey
Kulsoom and Muzzamil Hasan
Jennifer and Tommy Hayes
The Holroyd Family
Megan Hopkins
Dillon Hutyra
Erin Jones
Natasha and Aadel Khan
Leslie King
and Kody Kobza
Erin Kondelis
Suzanne Elmilady and Todd Leffler
Linzi and Justin Leighton
Elisa
K.C. McMordie
Carmen Medina
Susan Mogil
Shumaila
Cindi and Franklin Rose
Annette and Greg Rosenfeld
Rachel
Ryan Sanchez
Margaret Sanchez
Celina and Feisal Shariff
Amy and James Shih
Emily Shores
Stephanie and Christopher Smith
Shelley and Matthew Spector James and Brian Spitz
Lindsay Stewart
and Gary Tabakman
Madalyn Tadrowski
Claudia and Luis Tamara
Salma and Irfan Tejani
Felicia Tew
Maria Torres-Calle
Leanna Tran
Jonathan Turrubiartes
Lindsay Lambert and Mark Valdez
Alicia and Jay Villarreal
Cristina and John Waggoner
Jamie and Jeffrey Weinberg
Emily Wells
Patricia Wilde
Aaron Williams
Sissy Witte
Han Pham and Joon Park
Marlie Wuntch
Meredith and Yuri Xavier
Beatrice and Ingmar Yao
Asraa and Faeez Yousuff
“
The Fay School taught me how to work well on a team to create and problem solve, like working in groups during Friday’s workshops. TFS also taught me confidence in presenting myself and my work at a very early age. Developing and nurturing these skills so young gave me a foundation of interacting with others that I rely on every day, whether with my co-workers or my clients. Now, at 24, I’m in the luxury travel industry and I’m so grateful to TFS for the skills and confidence they helped me develop. Thank you, Fay!
– Isabel Graubart, Fay Alum
Faculty + Staff
The Fay School Staff is a group of dedicated individuals working each day to fulfill the school’s mission. As professionals in their respective fields, they perform to the highest standards in elementary and preschool education. We are proud that these community members have expressed their support of the school’s mission through a gift to the 2020-2021 Annual Fund.
Delores Adams
Mary Ann Benoche
Monica Berckley
Caroline Best
Courtney Black
Michael Blount
Alan Brewer
Lizzie Bright
Carol Burns
Kathryn Burrow
Kristine Caldwell
Morgan Camacho
Alex Cammarota
Laura Campbell
Evelyn Crockett
Barbara Davenport
Serena Dhukka
Ruth Anne Douglass
Barbara Duecker
Peggy Eggleston
Teri Farrell
Jeff Fountain
Molly Frye
Michael Garcia
Nikia Giddings
Yvonne Grant
Tia Green
John Grube
Sarah Hamilton
Jennifer Hayes
David Hock
Megan Hopkins
Dillon Hutyra
Leslie King
Brenda Lockett
Jana Low
Ann Ludeke
Ali Lyman
Christina Magri
K.C. McMordie
Carmen Medina
Leslye Mendez
Kelly Morgan
Kaitlin Necas
Emma Peterson
Stacey Pougatcheva
Katherine Price
Ross Purdy
Cathie Riley
Ilona Rosa
Rachel Rubin
Margaret Sanchez
Ryan Sanchez
Morgan Scoville
Melissa Sherman
Lindsay Stewart
Madalyn Tadrowski
Felicia Tew
Maria Torres-Calle
Jonathan Turrubiartes
Emily Wells
Tish Wilde
Aaron Williams
Sissy Witte
Marlie Wuntch
CORPORATE FRIENDS:
Thank you to our corporate friends for partnering with us through matching gifts, sponsorships and donations.
• Air Liquide
• Albertsons
• Amazon Smile
• Amegy Bank
• Chevron
• EQT Foundation
• Kroger
• Malinkrodt Pharmacy
• Phillips 66
• Shell
• TC Energy
• UBS
GRANDPARENTS
A gift to the next generation
We would like to thank the following grandparents who made gifts to The Fay School in 2020-2021 in honor of their grandchildren.
We are lucky to have such a wonderful group of grandparents who take the extra step and support our school through one of our fundraising opportunities.
Sandra and Ben Backor in honor of Maris Duke
Diane and John Chaney in honor of Johnny and Nora Chaney
Joan and Steve Dinerstein in honor of Leah and Lewis Dinerstein
Mary Dougherty in honor of Lowe Miller
Arthur Halleran in honor of Jack Chipman
Susan Mogil in honor of Owen Mogil
Jane and Jon Pollock in honor of Grahm Pollock
Cindi and Franklin Rose in honor of Holland Gentry
Betty and Mike Tapick in honor of Jordan Ansari
Robin and Mike Yaeger in honor of Caroline and Jillian Shores
Barbara Wulfe in honor of Ky Wulfe
ALUMNI PARENTS
We would like to thank the following alumni parents and friends of Fay who continue to support our mission.
Justin Calvert
Betty and Stephen Cochran
Ellen and James Cummins
Anangela and Rodolfo Gonzalez
Marci and Carlos Hamilton
Susan Little
Judy and Jeff Lyman
Crista and Gary Miller
Paul Nelson
Carol and David Reisman
Roosevelt Tweed
HONORING
IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE HONOR OUR FOUNDER, MARIE FAY EVNOCHIDES, AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO STAND BEHIND HER VISION FOR FAY.
Thirty years ago, The Fay School opened its doors and began a journey that would touch the lives of all who entered. The founding Head of School, Marie Fay Evnochides, envisioned, “a place where children come first.” Today, that vision reverberates in all we do, creating a learning environment unlike any other — a special place made possible due to our unwavering commitment to children and families.
Ten years ago, we were incredibly proud to announce the formation of the Marie Fay Evnochides (MFE) Society. Named for our visionary founder, the MFE Society has been created to permanently recognize Annual Fund supporters who have made The Fay School a philanthropic priority. Members of the MFE Society are those who have made lifetime, cumulative gifts to The Fay School’s Annual Fund of $25,000 or more. They exemplify Marie’s vision and their support ensures that The Fay School continues to impact young lives. Please find the names of the Marie Fay Evnochides Society members to the right.
A LEGACY
INAUGURAL MEMBERS
Melynda and Steve Dunn
Steve and Marie Fay Evnochides
Carolyn Grant Fay
Paige and Tilman Fertitta
Josie and Conrad Goerl
Bella and Gordon Gsell
Terri and John Havens
Carol and Stephen King
Wendy and Chris Mehling
Paula and Hal Mentz
Laura Boyd and Brinkley Morse
Kassandra and Michael Winstone
2011-2012 MEMBERS
Beth Coblentz
Mara and Jorge Troop
2012-2013 MEMBERS
Chad Clay
Tracy and Robin Gay
Elaine Block and Dennis O’Rourke
Joan Neuhaus
2013-2014 MEMBERS
Angie Munoz and Luis Javier Gonzalez
Anastasia and Preston Marshall
2014-2015 MEMBERS
Elva and Truett Akin
Gabriela and Daniel Dror
Linda and Jim Fischer
Susan and Jeff Gray
Lauren and Geoffrey Harrison
Masu and Badar Khan
Karen and Chris Kreidler
Laura and Brannon Robertson
Besse and Michael Ross
2015-2016 MEMBERS
Leslie Goldman and Scott Aitken
Ruth and Scott Calabrese
Sarah Svoboda and Chris Taylor
2016-2017 MEMBERS
Jessica and Jonathan Barrett
Danya and Clint Bogart
Sabrina and Paul Colgin
Caroline and Bruce Hurley
2017-2018 MEMBERS
Danielle and Lawrence Berry
Alicia and Garrett Gordy
Erin Jones
Keith Morris
Kallie and Ben Miller
Julie and Karl Sturm
2018-2019 MEMBERS
Oxana Beliaeva and Forrest Wylie
2019-2020 MEMBERS
Bailey Dalton Binion and Greg Binion
Ali and Rich Bruskoff
Debbey and Glenn Guy
Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo
2020-2021 INDUCTEES
Philip Ball
Sugene Kim and Bob Basu
Ellisa Kerswell and Nicholas Gole
Cheryl and Will Jordan
Marcy and Jeffrey Margolis
Shilpa Damle-Mogri and Zen Mogri
Sonia Scarselli
2020-2021 ANNUAL FUND COMITTEE
The success of the 2020-2021 Annual Fund would not have been possible without this dedicated group of parent volunteers.
Lisa and Robert Hearn Annual Fund Chairs
Katie and Jas Brar
Tanisha and Paul Cannings
Stephanie Martinez Larrea and Rodrigo Dominguez Sotomayor
Ann and Phillip Fox
Cheryl and Will Jordan
Kallie and Ben Miller
Kirsten and David Polyansky
Jenny and James Rogers
Ashley and Ryan Shinkle
Leslie and Andrew Snelgrove
Amy and Michael Trahan
FAY STAFF REPRESENTATIVE
Barbara Duecker Fifth Grade Teacher
The Fay Annual Fund is a priority for our family. We value the school’s focus on academics and emotional intelligence, and The Fay School has instilled confidence, independence, and a love of learning in our children. The Fay Annual Fund allows the school to explore new and fresh opportunities, including technology upgrades and professional development, and supports the school in educating the next generation of leaders.
– Lisa and Robert Hearn, Arabella ‘22 and Matthew ‘20
PARENTS’ CLUB HARD
WORK, PHILANTHROPY, AND COMMUNITY
Many thanks to this devoted team of parent volunteers who helped us navigate an unprecedented school year.
Parents’ Club
Co-Chairs
Jennifer Kane
James Spitz
All Staff Appreciation
Dana David
Jenny Rogers
Emily Shores
Book Fair
Lauren Duke
Jana MacFarlane
Kate Withall
Campus Decorations
Begoña Chapital
Fay Fair
Sabrina Khan
Kavita Patel
Halloween Carnival
Lindsay Lambert
Lyndsie Palmer
Sky Tessari
Grade Level Parent Leads
Jody Sweed
Alyssa Allen
Lindsay Hirsch
Sandy Shurin
1
James Spitz
Fabiola Bonari Dana David
2
Sabrina Colgin
Leah Madof
3
Jennifer Kane
Nancy Bostic
Sabrina Khan
April Liebman
4 5
Nilofur Alfi
30th Anniversary Celebrations!
Thirty years ago, Marie Fay Evnochides had a vision to create a school where children come first. Despite the pandemic, the school was determined to celebrate and honor this milestone through creative event planning in a safe way. The 30th Anniversary was marked by hosting a series of safe events that engaged the entire Fay community, including students, parents, grandparents, friends of Fay, alumni, and staff. The seven-part event series took teamwork, resilience, and creativity. Utilizing the strength of the active and engaged Parents’ Club, led by Jennifer Kane and James Spitz, the volunteer committees celebrated with:
Fay Goes Outdoors for 30
Participants committed to a 30-day fitness challenge from a provided menu (run a mile for 30 days, hula hoop for 30 seconds straight, or find the 30 scavenger hunt items in Buffalo Bayou Park) and gathered pledges to support their participation.
Fay Day of Service with Generation Serve
Members of our community participated in various service projects organized by our parent volunteers and Generation Serve.
Grandparent and Special Friends’ Celebration
Students created special artwork for their Grandparents and Special Friends. The artwork was sent with student pictures and a unique Fay magnet frame to our grandparents and special friends!
Online Auction
A myriad of fantastic auction items were collected and placed on an online platform. Many local businesses and parents gave generously to this component of our 30th Celebration.
Golf Tournament at Memorial Park Golf Course
Over 65 new, occasional, and veteran golfers joined us at Memorial Park Golf Course for Fay’s first-ever Golf Tournament!
Virtual Art Show
Each spring, our campus is transformed by our students’ inspiring artwork. We continued this tradition through a virtual landscape, including each Fay Gator.
The 30th Anniversary Drive-Through Experience and Virtual Celebration
The Fay School campus was decorated and complete with entertainment as guests drove a route to pick up various components to enjoy during the evening’s festivities. The Virtual Celebration included an animated Live Auction, virtual visits from multiple celebrities, a look back at the last 30 years honoring our founder, Marie Fay Evnochides, and a look towards the next 30 years.
Corporate Sponsors
Title Sponsor
Gordy & Sons Outfitters
Made possible by Alicia and Garrett Gordy
Diamond Sponsors
Bayou City Dermatology
Made possible by Karan Sra and Nishil Patel
Hsiao Family Foundation
Made possible by Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo
Gold Sponsor
Basu Aesthetics + Plastic Surgery
Made possible by Sugene Kim and Bob Basu
Silver Sponsor
Big State Home Buyers
Made possible by James and Brian Spitz
Event Sponsors
Gator Dinner Sponsor
Danielle and Lawrence Berry
Lunch Sponsor
Kallie and Ben Miller
Hospitality Sponsor
Jenny and James Rogers
Cart Sponsor
Sami and Justin Grefè
Gator Spirit Sponsors
Professional Janitorial Service
Houston Lightscapes
Made possible by Erica and Michael Akerman
Nichols Brar Weitzner & Thomas, LLP
Made possible by Kristina and Kip Brar
The Fox Family
Hole-in-One Sponsor
Team Gillman Subaru North
Party In A Box Sponsors
The Slosburg and Kramer Families
Underwriters
Event Underwriters
Ernie’s Place Underwriters
Katherine and John Dwan
Elizabeth Eason
Elizabeth and Jesse Libby
Fay Farm Underwriters
Nilofur and David Alfi
Katie and Jas Brar
Lauren and Charles Chapman
Dana and Stephen David
Sandra and Lynn Eastham
Lauren and Clark Edlund
Cheryl and Will Jordan
Jennifer and Tom Kane
Lee H. Bar-Eli and Clifford Nash
Kirsten and David Polyansky
Mindy and Connor Riseden
Mary and Cat Rose
Danielle and Jonathan Stewart
Lauren and Garrison Ziff
Other Supporters
Anonymous
Anastasia and Anthony Amoroso
Kimberly and Michael Cutchall
Katie and John Dwan
Priscila and David Gross
Linzi and Justin Leighton
Shilpa Damle-Mogri and Zen Mogri
Kavita and Tejas Patel
Sarah and Beau Pollock
Rekha Chalasani and Aditya Singh
Sogol Pahlavan and Mike Talabi
Paul Therriault
Shelley and Jeff Williams
2020-2021
CORPORATE
SPONSORS
These generous businesses have committed significant funding to help Fay accomplish its mission on a daily basis. Please consider supporting those who support Fay, our corporate sponsors:
TITLE SPONSOR
Made possible by Alicia and Garrett Gordy
DIAMOND SPONSORS
Made possible by Karan Sra and Nishil Patel
Made possible by Lina Ortega and Joseph Ngo
GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS
Made possible by Sugene Kim and Bob Basu
Made possible by James and Brian Spitz
For more information on becoming a 2022 Corporate Sponsor please contact Director of Advancement, Monica Berckley, at mberckley@thefayschool.org
Images Captured by Gary Blake Photography Annual Report Design by 396 Studios