Thank you, Ruby Gala Committee Members, for a wonderful celebration!

Brianna Crowley of the Pennsylvania School Board Association and our Ruby Gala committee chair
Heather Bennett of the Pennsylvania School Board Association
Mela Chaverri of the SEIU Training and Education Fund
Rhoda Joseph of Penn State University and school board member
Ellen Konkle, an alumna of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School’s and development coordinator extraordinaire
Betsy Snyder of Orrstown Bank
Nichole Walters of McNees Wallace and Nurick and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Board Member
Reverend Shanyna Watson of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral and the school’s equity director and assistant chaplain

Photography by Yoko Furukawa of New Chapters Photography

Ellen Hartman - Head of School - Opening Remarks

The very first time I came to St. Stephen’s was as a parent. My husband and I were looking for the perfect school, not just for our daughter, but for our family. Ruth Graffius gave us a tour of the school and we both knew there was no where else we wanted to be. The second time I came to St. Stephen’s was as a candidate for the position of St. Stephen’s 5th Head of School. I sat with Ruth in her office to learn about the position and I also had the opportunity to sit with Mrs. Cameron in her home for some tea and conversation. Again, I knew there was no where else I wanted to be.

This June, I will have completed my 2nd full year as Head of School, and already, I have learned so much through my continued visits with Mrs. Cameron and from my very own experiences. Tonight, I’d like to share with you some of what I learned.

I learned that the integrated school model is the BEST model. Mrs. Cameron had a vision over 40 years ago that a school should represent the community in which it is situated. Her vision was, well, visionary! Hurricane Agnes wiped out most of the city, leaving it desolate, and the climate around race in the 1970s was tense. This morning, when I spoke with Mrs. Cameron, she stated “If you only knew how many people said that the school could not and would not survive and so many who didn’t want it to survive. However, there were people who, from the very beginning, loved the school so much that they never gave up. The school was meant to be and so it was.” Mrs. Cameron was so committed to a school with regional, socio-economic, and racial diversity that she ignored those who opposed her vision and even held off opening the school for an entire year until the student population reflected the Greater Harrisburg Area.

40 years later, I have no doubt in my mind this integrated school was meant to be. We are all here because we love the school and will never give up. Our students represent over 16 different school districts, come from varying socio-economic backgrounds, and look like what our region looks like. They all receive a solid and quality education regardless of their zip code, their family’s income, and the hue of their skin.

I learned that St. Stephen’s nurtures and cares for each, individual child. Mrs. Cameron often tells me about the families who walked through and out of the doors of the school. I am amazed as she is able to recall their interests, their struggles and successes in school, and even where they are currently as adults. Mrs. Cameron told me that she is incredibly proud of our alumni as they leave and contribute to the life of their community.

One of the most powerful memories from my first year at St. Stephen’s was when an alumnus came to visit. His mother was sitting in the parking lot after taking him out for a birthday lunch. He begged her to stop by St. Stephen’s so that he could say “hello”. I watched from my office as he spoke to Emily Hand, Denise Paran, and Bernadette Kaiser in excitement. “Remember that time when I fell apart toward the end of 8th grade?” he asked them. He and the office staff members relived the time this student had an anxiety attack, lying on the floor of the lobby. Ms. Hand laid down next to him while Ms. Paran and Mrs. Kaiser talked him through his emotions. “I wouldn’t have made it without you” he told them through tears. “Now look at me. I’m at Bishop McDevitt and I’m doing so well.” Then, they were all in tears with him. Emily, Denise, and Bee - You may not know this, but I watched from my office and was overcome with emotions as you wished him a happy birthday and sent him out of our doors and back into the world.

At St. Stephen’s we nurture and care for each and every child. You can see it in the halls as my staff greet students by their names and bend down to tie the shoes of our little ones. You will see it in the breakfast or lunch room as a teacher sits down with a student to ask how their day is going. You can see it every day in the classroom as our students are thriving academically, socially, and emotionally. And you will see when they leave our school and continue to thrive in their communities.

We are now moving into the live auction portion of our evening. When I asked Mrs. Cameron what she would bid on, she said, without hesitation, “Pastor Fox’s bike, of course!” Know that your contributions during this live auction will keep Mrs. Cameron’s vision alive for another 40 years. So please big high and generously, and feel free to exclaim “40 more years” as you do so!

Thank you to our event sponsors for making our 40th Ruby Anniversary Celebration a success!

Ruby Level - $2,000

Acknowledgement of sponsorship on formal invitation to event (distribution to 450 via email, additional 150 via mailing); include logo (optional, tagline) for advertisement
Reserved table and seating for 8 people (tickets included)
Public acknowledgment at the event
Recognition on the school’s website and social media platforms
VIP early access for a toast and tribute to Mrs. Cameron by Heads of School

Crystal Level - $1,000

4 tickets to event
Public acknowledgment from the podium at the event
Recognition on the school’s website and social media; include logo (optional, tagline) for advertisement
VIP early access for a toast and tribute to Mrs. Cameron by Heads of School

Friends of St. Stephen’s - $250

2 tickets to event
Recognition on the school’s website and social media
VIP early access for a toast and tribute to Mrs. Cameron by Heads of School
Individual Donors
Shawn and holly leppo
Helen and Noel Delano
Carol Lopus
David Messner
Margaret Messner
Anne Yellott
Michael and Stephanie Pasenelli
Linda Shorey and John Decker
Imogene Schofield
Jan Hodges and Ben Francavilla
Anne Leisure
Janet and Donald Konkle
Nichole Walters
Richard Koch
Toni Koch
Karen Love
Betsy Snyder
Brienne Spangler and Shannon Keene
John Corey
Rhoda Joseph
Betty and Bill McLaughlin
Scott Cooper
Gretchen Vreeland and David O’Leary
James Robertson and Dean Ennis
Ian Kanski and Bob Welsh
Sarah Bullock
Churchill Pinder and Sally Gambill
Sia and David GutEkunst
Saima and Mubashir Mumtaz

Thank you for being our Beverage Partner!

Thank you for being our Catering Partner!

Ruby Project Sponsorship

We are still accepting project sponsorships. Consider supporting a program for our students!

Ruby Project Sponsorships - Click Here to Donate!

Thank you to our project sponsors!

Anne Van Dyke
Anne Yellot
Juanita Grant
Jan and Don Konkle
Stephanie and Michael Pasenelli
Ralph Gillette
Cindy Harbert
M&T Bank
Roderick Lee
Bill Murphey
Rhoda Joseph
Jamia Wright
L.B. Smith
Barbara Gutekunst
Catherine and Rob Jones
MaryBeth Lehtimaki (Civic Club)
Laura Beltzner
Lauren and David Miller

HUMANITIES - Goal: $8,000

Gamut Theatre Group Residency Program for 60 students
State Street Academy of Music Instruction for 50 students

STEM - Goal: $13,000

Sylvan Edge STEM Program, a semester program for 130 students to learn coding and robotics
Bus Transportation to AgWorks, a cutting-edge Harrisburg aquaponics lab where students interact directly with fish and plants in a symbiotic system

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Goal: $5,000

WonderKids Yoga Program for 150 students twice a month
YMCA Gym Rental providing a space for the physical education program

ST. STEPHEN’S ANGELS

Pizza Angel: Feed entire student body one pizza lunch (once a marking period) $350
Soccer Angel: Sponsor a child to participate in weekly Soccer Shots program $100
Bus Angel: Sponsor an entire class of students to attend a field trip $100