54 OUR STS COMMUNITY
ADVANCEMENT IN TIMES OF CRISIS IT BOILS DOWN TO RELATIONSHIPS BY CAROLINE BANADAR, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
When a global crisis changed our lives dramatically this school year, so many of us acknowledged that one of the most important ingredients to sustain our emotional and mental health is the relationships we have with family and friends. Connecting with each other, near and far, over Zoom or two meters apart, has been a critical factor in helping us navigate unique circumstances. I am often asked what ‘advancement’ means, and ultimately, it boils down to relationships. It is about building genuine connections among parents, alumni, employees and friends of STS to advance the mission and vision of the School by raising funds to enrich the school experience. A community that cares deeply about each other believes they can contribute to the collective good – and that is why the STS family generously supports the exceptional educational experience of our students. It is a trademark of our community, to take care of each other. And that compassion shone brightly during the pandemic this difficult year. This magazine shares stories of generosity, leadership, and of the STS community caring in so many ways for those in and outside of our school. Many of these heart-felt actions happen every year and were not set aside even when the world was in crisis. It was nothing short of incredible, and is such a testament to what we are about. Building and sustaining authentic relationships with our parents, alumni, and employees is the ethos of STS and has kept our community working together and remaining strong in good times and bad. What matters most is our sense of community, and caring for one another with a laser focus on providing our students the best education while looking after their overall well-being.
We all have a stake to play in sustaining these relationships if we believe in the mission and vision of the School. We owe it to our community to stay engaged by whatever means possible whether it be to share advice, volunteer or to provide a service or skill set to support peers and students. In a sense, we are all part of Advancement if we want our community to thrive and provide the best opportunities to our students – now and in the future. When the call went out in May to STS community members to raise emergency financial aid, many of you stepped up to ensure students whose families were impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn were able to continue their education at STS. Leaving STS would have been heartbreaking for many of these students. As one of our parents who supported the financial aid relief fund said, “We have always believed that education is a right and we realize that our kids are very privileged to be able to attend a school like STS. Life is full of surprises and twists and turns and together we are always stronger.” Yes, indeed, together we are stronger. It is the strength of our relationships that inspire parents and students of each graduating class to establish class bursary funds to help fellow students with financial aid and pay it forward for future talented students. Since the inception of the class bursary funds in 2006, the graduating class students have raised funds for need-based financial assistance. Through the genuine connections we have with our alumni, our Advancement team actively reached out to our elderly founding schools’ alumni and alumni in global COVID-19 hot spots to see how they were doing and tell them we were thinking about them during these uncertain times. We do not forget nor take our responsibility of
