The Laurel
San Marcos Academy: Excellence in Christian Education Since 1907

Coping with COVID

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January of 2020 saw a small wave of momentum that was building toward the highest enrollment seen at San Marcos Academy in recent years. There were inquiries in admissions on an almost daily basis. There were new ideas for course offerings and programs to be introduced in the next school year. In the background there…
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Problem Solving: Find my Car!

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Editor’s Note: In his college admissions essay, Yirong “Lukas” Chen, relates how he used problem solving skills to develop an app finding a parked car. More important than the app’s success, Lukas says, was the development of persistence and the clarification of career goals. Lukas plans to attend either the University of California at Irvine…
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College Essay: Swimming to Success

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Editor’s Note: The following college admissions essay was written by Bonnie Dai, a member of the Class of 2021. She shares about her love for swimming and how it has shaped her life and helped her become a confident leader. Bonnie at the state meet in February 2021 I used to have mixed feelings about…
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Centenarian: Lower School Honors 102-Year-Old

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When the Lower School celebrated the 100th day of school on January 28, kindergarten teacher Diana Lucas set out to identify a local centenarian who would be willing to connect with SMA students. After checking with three different nursing homes, Mrs. Lucas finally located a resident who was 100+ years old. Plans were made for…
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Deputy Sitsler Is New SRO

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During his career in the military and law enforcement, Deputy Nathaniel Sitsler has protected numerous high-profile individuals within the United States government and various foreign dignitaries.  Sitsler is now bringing his years of experience and desire to protect others to San Marcos Academy, where he was recently named the new School Resource Officer (SRO). Sitsler…
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Open Letter to SMA Fans

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One of the missions of San Marcos Academy extra-curricular activities is to serve as an extension of the classroom, with particular emphasis on teaching the values of a strong work ethic and high standards of integrity, teamwork and sportsmanship. According to Webster’s Dictionary a sportsman is “a person who can take loss or defeat without…
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Lessons from the Mountain Laurel

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By Dr. Chad Chaddick, Pastor of FBC, San Marcos Many members of First Baptist Church know that I dabble in gardening. I’m no expert, by any account, but I enjoy cultivating a few flowers and a few vegetables throughout the year. One of the plants I have come to really enjoy and appreciate is the…
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Lower School Embraces Early Act Program

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Character, leadership, and service are the key components of a program incorporated into the San Marcos Academy Lower School this year. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Marcos (which meets weekly at SMA), Early Act is a service program for elementary students from ages 5 to 13.  The mission of Early Act is to…
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Overcoming Uniformity with Diversity, Part 2

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In this continuation of our series (see Part 1), Senior Vice President Bob Wiegand tackles some additional questions from students about diversity and racism in our society. The question were submitted following a chapel presentation by Mr. Wiegand and Constable David Peterson (Hays County, Precinct 1) in September. Check back for additional blogs in the…
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Overcoming Uniformity with Diversity, Part 1

folder_openOvercoming Uniformity with Diversity
Mr. Bob Wiegand, Mr. Ed Salinas, Constable David Peterson, and Coach Les Davis rekindle old friendships after chapel Sept. 28. Constable David Peterson (Hays County, Precinct 1) and Mr. Bob Wiegand, Senior Vice President at SMA, appeared together during two chapel services on the last week of September to discuss the issue of racism and…
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