Horizon Dec 2023 - Flipbook - Page 4
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Suzanne Stell, M.Ed., CALT
Thank you to our wonderful
families, staff, board members and
alumni who do so much to support
Shelton’s mission and student
experience. Our mission has never
wavered. Shelton is the largest
independent school worldwide for
intelligent students with learning
differences. No other school holds
such expertise, experience, service
and reputation under one roof. At
Shelton, we want our students to
know that to be diagnosed with a
learning difference, you have to be
intelligent. Our 285 teachers and
staff embrace and understand our students’ learning differences
in a way that helps them feel seen and accepted. As a result, our
students are accomplishing incredible things.
We started the 2022-2023 school year with 1,060 students and
ended with 1,088. Of those, 187 were new students. Our Shelton
Parents’ Association is like no other. We are grateful to the
2022-2023 Shelton Parents’ Association, led by Co-Presidents
JoAnna Sudbeck and Gina Rangel Pena. They presented a
check for $620,000 to our school at the SPA End of the Year
Luncheon in May. Thanks, too, to the leadership of Stampede
Auction Co-Chairs Kari Grzych and Heather Shell. JoAnna and
Gina are continuing as co-presidents in 2023-2024, and the
SPA president elects for 2024-2025 are Kimberly Kahn and
Leigh Erin Lund. We are grateful to our wonderful parents.
Thank you to those of you who contributed to the Shelton
2022-2023 Annual Fund. We surpassed our Annual Fund goal
of $1 million and raised $1.1 million. We appreciate Annual
Fund Chairs Michelle Rivera and Chuck Marlett and Director
of Development Theresa Bruno as well as the leadership of
Chief Advancement Officer Christi Contreras and Development
Officer Julie Griffith.
Student Accomplishments
Students are overcoming the odds and accomplishing great
things at Shelton! The 92 members of the Class of 2023
received 376 acceptances to 162 different colleges and
universities and earned $9.6 million in merit scholarships.
Thanks to the leadership and support of Director of College and
Career Advising Debbie Knox, they are attending 50 different
colleges, across 21 states.
• Valedictorian Callie Wakefield scored a perfect score of 36
on the ACT Reading and Science sections and attends the
University of South Florida, where she is majoring in Marine
Biology and running as a member of the Division I Track and
Cross Country teams.
• Salutatorian Kendall Bernbaum attends Macalester College in
Saint Paul, Minn., where she is considering majoring in Health
Sciences and playing basketball.
• Ten of our seniors scored 30 or higher on ACT Composite,
and 23 scored 30 or higher on the ACT Reading.
• Nine members of the Class of 2023 committed to play sports
in college in five sports:
– Tucker Bauer, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Baseball
– Kendall Bernbaum, Macalester College, Basketball
2
DECEMBER 2023
THE HORIZON
SHELTON SCHOOL
–
–
–
–
–
–
Clay Brandenburg, Hendrix College, Baseball and Football
Hank Davis, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Baseball
Spencer Orth, Southwestern University, Track & Field
Charles Reeg, Emerson College, Cross Country
Zac Robison, University of Puget Sound, Football
Callie Wakefield, University of South Florida,
Cross Country, Track & Field
– Grant Young, Colorado State University at Pueblo,
Track & Field
• Maisie Doerr completed a year-long audition process that led
to an acceptance into the prestigious Musical Theatre BFA
program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
• Charles Reeg attends Emerson College to study film and
media arts, which is one of the top programs in the country.
In addition, our seniors contributed more than 3,997 hours of
community service.
Fine Arts
Thanks to the leadership of Director of Fine Arts Anné Hughes
and her team of talented teachers and staff, we had an
incredible Lower School Spectacular and Week of the Arts with
45 choir students performing and 140 students participating in
the spring band and drumline concert. Ninety Upper School art
and photography students presented their work in the reception
in the Gampper Art Gallery and 31 student films were screened
at the Shelton Film Festival. Seventy-two students participated
in the cast and crew in February’s “The Sound of Music.” In
addition, 68 students participated in the ISAS Fine Arts Festival.
Athletics
Under the leadership of Athletic Director Alan Burt and
Assistant Athletic Director Michelle Rivera, our Athletic
Program had a successful year thanks to our team of coaches
and support staff. Here are some of the highlights:
• We had 232 Upper School students and 215 Middle School
students participate in at least one sport in 2022-23.
• Our cheerleaders won State for the second year in a row.
• The Golf team went to State for the third year in a row.
• The girls’ Swim team, six Track & Field athletes and a Tennis
athlete all competed at State.
• The Varsity Baseball team earned a playoff spot for the third
straight year.
• The Middle School Baseball team won the TAPS
Championship for the first time in school history.
• The Middle School D2 Volleyball team made the TAPS finals
for the first time in Shelton’s history.
• Middle School D2 Track won the TAPS Championship.
• Middle School D2 Boys and D2 Girls made the basketball
TAPS semifinals.
Innovative programs
• Esports: Shelton’s new esports team played Rocket League
against other TAPPS schools. Our Shelton teams made the
playoffs. The coaches are Corey Smith and Kyle Belz. Thanks
to our Shelton Parents’ Association for making the esports
team possible.
• Words & Music Program: Seventh graders completed the
2023 Words & Music Program, which was created and
facilitated by the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville,
Tenn. Seventh-grade English teachers taught this curriculum,