St. Mary's Episcopal School

Introducing a treat you won’t want to miss: the chance to bake with Foster Grace!

Foster Smith ’29 has been whipping up something special—a series of summer baking camps with a dash of STEM and a sprinkle of fun.

In Foster’s pop-up camp series, Edible Experiments: The Science of Baking Cookies, campers will form hypotheses and study how different measurements and ingredients affect the outcome of a baked treat.

When Foster was just 12, she competed in the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship. Following her debut, she was selected as one of four contestants to make an encore appearance in the Kids Baking Championship Sweets-Giving show.

As a passionate baker and recipe developer, Foster is bringing her experience and joy to boys and girls this summer through her original camp series. In Edible Experiments, children will see real-world applications of STEM concepts and discover that even baking a cookie is packed with science.

Of course, camp won’t be complete without decorating and enjoying each delicious experiment (the cookies)!

To register for Edible Experiments, click the link below. If you can’t join us this week, stay tuned for more opportunities to bake with Foster Grace! This camp will pop up again on June 18 and July 24.

Register via UlltraCamp:
https://www.ultracamp.com/clientlogin.aspx?idCamp=597&campcode=mes&lang=en-Us

Calling all alums: it’s time to nominate for the Young Alumna Award!

If you know a young alumna (graduating classes 2011-2026) who deserves recognition for her achievements in a professional or volunteer capacity, help St. Mary’s honor her by nominating her for the Young Alumna Award.

The Young Alumna Award was established to honor the Sisters of St. Mary, young women who served St. Mary’s and the city of Memphis selflessly throughout the Yellow Fever epidemic and beyond. Last year, we honored Anna Peeler ‘13 for her commitment to service and dedication toward health equity.

The deadline to submit a nomination is Monday, June 22. The 2026 Young Alumna Award recipient will be recognized at Founders’ Day on Tuesday, September 16, 9:30 a.m. in Chapel.

Click the link below to learn more about the award and nominate an honoree!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpR12tojpWxgGzP4HbI7zwSem34ymtGTRch3y8KZVvHGld-A/viewform

Our current obsession? Vivian Gray ’18!

If you’ve seen the viral hit “Obsession” on the big screen this summer, you’ve seen the genius of a St. Mary’s alum. As Production Designer, Vivian Gray ’18 brought the film’s striking atmosphere to life.

Scoring 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing $224.7 million worldwide, the film has captivated audiences with its fresh storyline and setting. “Obsession” follows Bear, a shy music store employee who makes one wish: that his coworker, Nikki, fall in love with him. Bear casts his hopes onto a novelty toy, the “One Wish Willow,” to win Nikki’s heart. However, he ends up living his own cautionary tale when Nikki grows obsessed.

Vivian designed the One Wish Willow, along with many of the set’s distinctive features. Blending her love of art and film, Vivian drew on experiences from various projects to bring the world of “Obsession” to life.

While at St. Mary’s, Vivian’s love for film developed. She served as the editor of Bella Vista (student film publication), co-founded the Film Club, and received the Spirit of St. Mary’s Award. She became a multi-award-winning director at Indie Memphis Youth Film Festival and served as stage manager for multiple St. Mary’s theater productions.

After graduating from St. Mary’s in 2018, Vivian attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematorgraphy and Film/Video Production.

If “Obsession” is any indication, Vivian’s best work is still ahead, and we can’t wait to watch.

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it! We’ll keep wishing for our alums to shine. Congratulations, Vivian!

A year for the books, all because of you! 

We are proud to say that this year has been one of breaking records and reaching new heights, and we look forward to a future brighter than ever. 

More than the numbers, your support has helped us achieve our St. Mary’s mission: providing an unparalleled educational experience, challenging and supporting each student, and helping her discover her unique purpose and individual potential. 

And 2026 was only the beginning. Help us turn the page to even greater opportunities. 

Years like these happen because of your gifts to the St. Mary’s Fund. Our fiscal year ends June 30, and we’ve reached 70% of our St. Mary’s Fund goal. Closing the gap helps ensure the next chapter is just as remarkable. 

Finishing this year strong ensures the next one is just as extraordinary for every girl who walks through our doors. 

Help us write what comes next. Give your gift to the St. Mary’s Fund today via the link in our bio!

Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2026 who have been selected for honors colleges, scholars programs, and specialized academic opportunities at colleges and universities across the country!

Honors colleges and scholars programs offer students a more personalized academic experience within a larger university. While every program is different, many provide access to internships, study abroad and leadership experiences, living-learning communities, undergraduate research, and a cohort of peers with similar interests and ambitions.

This year, 18 St. Mary’s seniors will start college with these opportunities waiting for them:

• Maddie Barden—The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor’s Honors College and Global Fellows Program
• Ava Cohen—Indiana University, Kelley School of Business Hoosier Scholars Program
• Cat Coryat—Rollins College, Rollins Honors Degree Program
• Sadie Dattel—The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Business Honors Discovery Experience
• Day Galbreath—Indiana University, Kelley School of Business Hoosier Scholars Program
• Allan Golden—The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor’s Honors Program and Tocqueville Scholars Program
• Megan Gulla—North Carolina State University, University Honors Program
• Charlotte Hernández—University of Mary Washington, UMW Honors Program
• Addie Hook—University of Mississippi, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
• Lillie Ireland—Mississippi State University, Shackouls Honors College
• Sophie Patterson—Elon University, Communication Fellows Program
• Baylus Schaffler—DePaul University, DePaul University Honors Program
• Audrey Stifter—University of South Carolina, Capstone Scholars Program
• Maggie Taylor—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Honors Carolina
• Emma Thompson—University of Georgia, Jere W. Morehead Honors College
• Marin Thompson—Northeastern University, John Martinson Honors Program
• Katherine Williams—Tulane University, First-Year Honors Scholars
• Sophia Wilson—Louisiana State University, Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

We are so proud of these girls for their hard work, curiosity, and ambition. Here’s to the next chapter!

IN: Summer at St. Mary’s!

With over 100 unique camps, we’re busting summer boredom and making amazing memories at Summer at St. Mary’s.

Led by St. Mary’s educators and community professionals, our camps offer the perfect fit for every child‘s interest.

Every week, campers have the chance to learn new skills, like ballet or backpacking, while developing exciting hobbies such as creative journaling or pottery.

In the classroom, academic review and test prep camps set students up for the year ahead. On the field, sports camps keep athletes sharp—or help them find a new favorite activity.

Specialty camps like Super Mario Galaxy Camp, Barbie: Beauty is Being You, and Harry Potter give children the chance to dive into worlds they know and love through enriching activities.

We’re here for summer easy wins and experiences worth getting excited for. Click the link in our bio to browse our full list of camps and register today!

At graduation, we were proud to celebrate nine members of the Class of 2026 for their academic achievement, character, and spirit.

Our educational philosophy has always been about more than academics. Nurturing the whole girl, mind, body, and soul, means creating space for every student to pursue her passions and reach her individual potential. As our graduates turn the page to their next chapter, we celebrate not only their achievements but also who they have become.

Valedictorian — Lucy Roberts ’26

Salutatorian — Eleanor Chandler ’26

Honor Student — Molly Kirshbaum ’26

Cathedral Award — Lilly Coggin ’26
The Cathedral Award recognizes a senior who has served others and her school with selflessness, and without expectation of reward or recognition. The recipient has beared the responsibilities of others, leading by good example. 

Tabor Novak Award — Lillie Ireland ’26
Established in honor of Katharine Aiken Phillips, this honor is given to a senior who possesses Christian courtesy, upholding the values of a St. Mary’s girl. 

Spirit of St. Mary’s Award — Quinn Ferebee ’26
Presented by the St. Mary’s Parents Association, this award is given to a senior who best displays the St. Mary’s spirit through sincerity, personality, individuality reverence, intelligence, and truth. 

Mary M. Davis Loyalty Award — Meagan Miller ’26
Like Mary M. Davis, the recipient of this award has demonstrated her love for St. Mary’s to an inspirational degree and has made an outstanding contribution to the life of the school by her personal example, dependability, and loyalty. 

Ellen Feild Todd Award — Mary Quay Wilson ’26
Presented by a member of Ellen Feild Todd’s family, this award honors a senior who gives outstanding an unselfish service to St. Mary’s. 

Hazlehurst Gold Cross Award — Leighton Visinsky ’26
Given in memory of Charlotte Hazelhurst, Class of 1907, the Gold Cross Award is presented to a senior who has been outstanding in her scholarship, loyalty, service, and integrity. 

Help us congratulate this wonderful group!

Summer Spotlight: Big World, Little Hands!

We’re officially diving into Summer at St. Mary’s, and with 100+ unique camps being offered, we can’t wait to show you a few of our favorites!

Join us June 8-12 for our global learning camp, Big World Little Hands. Led by Mr. Ben Graunke, St. Mary’s teacher and member of our global education team, this experience is sure to make a lasting impact for little learners.

Big World, Little Hands uses reflections, lessons, games, and activities to explore global citizenship and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Through exciting and thoughtfully curated learning, campers will investigate both their community and the international world beyond.

When the week is through, campers will carry with them our global education program’s values: helping children investigate the world, recognize perspectives, build empathy, communicate ideas, and take action.

Earlier this year, St. Mary’s was just one of 11 schools worldwide to earn the Institute for Global Learning’s Global Education Standards Endorsement. This recognition reinforces our commitment to enriching educational experiences like Big World, Little Hands.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about Summer at St. Mary’s and register for this camp!

Class Days!

This month, we’ve celebrated our 1st-5th graders at Class Days, showcases of fine arts, academics, and character.

Class Days invite our students to express what they’ve learned through a variety of creative mediums, building confidence and imagination.

After a year of cross-subject studies, our 1st–3rd graders reflect on what moved them most. From there, they create a theme for their Class Day programs. This year, creative direction included allusions to night, movement, and animals in flight.

Each grade choreographs original dances, stepping into leadership and collaborative roles to bring their concepts to life. Following their dance performances, the girls sing a collection of songs in tune with their vision.

4th-grade Class Day hits a different note. After a rendition of “Fifty Nifty United States,” the girls present the 50 U.S. states in wax museum style. They step into character as iconic landmarks, celebrities, animals, or items from each state, providing details they researched in library class. To help pitch their state to family and friends, the girls even created their own website.

For our 5th graders, Class Day is a reflective final Chapel that acknowledges the transition from Lower to Middle School—and from one campus to another.

SMS 5th-graders are leaders on our North Campus. As the oldest girls on their side of the street, they are aspirational, motivating, and kind role models for our littlest Turkeys to look up to.

At their Class Day, the Class of 2033 participates in a service just for them. They sing hymns, say prayers, and celebrate one another with unique awards for their class.

We are extremely grateful to the teachers, families, and staff members who make Class Days so inspiring. Thank you to Lower School Art Teacher Kelly Cook, Creative Movement Teacher Mary Elizabeth Washburn, Music Teacher Terri Theil, and Technical Director Leigh Ann Evans for their vision, direction, and planning.

Congratulations, Lower—and new Middle—Schoolers!

Jesse Osias is the type of teacher who makes everything exciting. 

In each of her lessons for our 5th-graders, she models curiosity, wonder, and creativity. For her dedication to global education, Ms. Osias has been recognized by the Institute for Global Learning. 

This spring, Ms. Osias received the 2026 Solomon Faculty Curriculum Design Prize from the Institute for Global Learning. This distinction is awarded to only three educators worldwide for powerful examples of intercultural growth, global engagement, and thoughtful curriculum design. 

Ms. Osias earned this honor for her literature lesson on the novel “Fish in a Tree” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Through the reading, Ms. Osias and her students explore dyslexia, identity, and empathy by investigating the world, recognizing perspectives, and communicating ideas. The students write reflections from the protagonists’ perspectives, analyze the author’s intent, and engage in conversations with a guest speaker with lived experience of dyslexia. 

This curriculum embodies what our global education program stands for: helping girls investigate the world, recognize perspectives, build empathy, communicate ideas, and take action for themselves, their community, and the world. 

Earlier this year, St. Mary’s earned the Global Education Standards Endorsement from the Institute for Global Learning. We became one of just 11 schools worldwide, the only all-girls school in the U.S., and the only school in Memphis to receive this honor.  

Global education at St. Mary’s thrives because of teachers like Ms. Osias. We are grateful to her and our community of teachers for fostering global learning in unique and remarkable ways. 

Help us congratulate Ms. Osias for this distinction!