Dear Parents and Friends,
​
On Wednesday, January 11, we held a school assembly to honor the memory of Maralynn Viersen Sant. Maralynn, who was known as Granny Wonderful to her twelve grandchildren, was a huge supporter of education. She was born in Okmulgee on September 12, 1923. At the age of 15 she left Okmulgee to attend the Hockaday School for Girls in Dallas, and later attended the University of Texas in Austin. Through these personal experiences, Maralynn understood the difference a good education can make in a person’s life. She, along with the Viersen Foundation (which she led for the last 22 years), were and continue to be an important benefactor of Stonebridge. In honor of Maralynn, the Viersen Foundation recently established the Maralynn Viersen Sant Endowment Fund at Stonebridge Academy with a $250,000 donation. This fund will continue to make an impact on the lives of Okmulgee youth for generations to come. In honor of her generosity and in celebration of her life, the faculty and staff at Stonebridge wrote letters of thanks, and attached them with helium balloons to the fence on the school’s playground. Maralynn exemplified the schools motto which challenges its students to “Be Kind, Work Hard, and Get Smart.” She will be missed.

Kind regards,

Wren

​January 5, 2017
 
Dear Parents and Friends,
 
I hope that everyone had time over the holiday break to visit with friends and family, to rest and rejuvenate, and to reflect on the things for which we can be grateful. As we begin the new year, I want to update you on a few things:

• We have received our Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) results. On this nationally normed test, our students on average performed at the 61st percentile. 
• I was impressed with the work of the Parent Association in creating a wonderful Stonebridge Express float for the Christmas Parade. We won two trophies – Best Use of Music and Best Use of Theme. The next Parent Association meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 9th at 6pm.
• On Wednesday, January 11, at 9am we will have a school-wide gathering to honor the legacy of Maralynn Viersen Sant. Maralynn was a leading force behind the creation of Stonebridge, and more recently an endowment fund was created in her honor.
• On Friday, January 13, at 8am during our weekly Showcase Meeting we will have a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. There will be a dramatic performance as well as a musical tribute by our students.
• We will be closed on Monday, January 16 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Our Science Fair is scheduled for February 10. Sign-up forms, which were sent out this week, must be completed by January 20. You can find more information on our website at www.sbridgeacademy.org.
• If you haven’t already done so, make sure to sign up on our parent portal. We are entering a time in which we may have weather related closings, and the portal is our main way to sent out text notifications. If you need another email sent to you with the invitation to join the portal, please email me at whawthorne@sbridgeacademy.org.
• On a personal note, I am officially ABD (all but dissertation)! I have found it is important to celebrate the steps along the path in completing my doctorate, and am excited to have made it to this point. The next phase in this journey is the dissertation.
• Thank you for helping make Stonebridge such a great place to work! I truly am blessed every day by getting to be a part of your student’s life.

 
Warm Regards,
 
Wren Hawthorne
My blog: http://www.sbridgeacademy.org/mr-hawthornes-blog
Head of School
Stonebridge Academy
Be Kind, Work Hard, Get Smart