A Message From the President

Dear Friends of Shady Side Academy, 

I am very pleased to present the 2017-2018 Report of Philanthropy. Thanks to the support and generosity of many parents, alumni, grandparents and friends over the past year, we raised a total of $1,363,038 for our Blue & Gold Fund and more than $6.1 million overall for the Academy last year.

Tuition revenue covers 75 percent of our operating budget, and contributions to the Blue & Gold Fund help to fill the gap between tuition revenue and operating expenses. Additional contributions reflect support for financial aid, faculty compensation and professional development, as well as capital projects, endowment and other initiatives. All of these gifts help to ensure that we are providing the best educational experience for our students, and that we are able to attract and to retain highly qualified and dedicated teachers.

We are thrilled that our Senior School students and teachers are now occupying the McIlroy Center for Science and Innovation and are productively engaged in active learning in that incredible new space. Our student-athletes are utilizing the new turf field and track in Farrell Stadium and soon will be able to work out in a new fitness center in Curry Gym. At the Junior School, we built new Spanish and first-grade classrooms, and at Country Day School, our unique new treehouse classroom is in full use and new instrumental music and after-school programs are in full swing. Looking ahead, renovation work has begun on the former Senior School science spaces in the lower level of Rowe and Memorial Halls in preparation for new technology and design labs that we hope will be ready by next year. All of these projects ensure that we can continue to offer our students the most complete and balanced independent school program in the region for years to come.

We are very grateful for the generosity and support of so many individuals this year. On behalf of everyone here at Shady Side, I thank you for your support and look forward to working with you all over the year to come. 

Sincerely, 
Amy B. Nixon
Interim Academy President