Steward Veteran Catesby Jones Wins Cramer Award

At the annual Board, Faculty, and Staff Dinner on Thursday, February 18, several awards were presented to members of the Steward family. The ninth annual Paul R. Cramer Award, given in memory of the former Steward headmaster to a faculty member who best embraces the characteristics of “balance, perspective, and humor,” was given to Middle School Coordinator, history teacher, and golf coach Catesby Jones.

Mr. Jones joined the Steward faculty in 1982 as a social studies teacher. During his 33 years at Steward, he has taught history in grades 6-11, coached Middle School and JV soccer, won the first JV basketball championship in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference (now the Virginia Colonial Conference), and founded Steward’s golf program. He was present for the beginning of the school’s Honor Code and has served as dean of students for both the middle and upper schools. Additionally, Mr. Jones was the leader of the school’s first exchange program with the Riverston School in England.

“Our honoree loves the kids and puts them first,” said Head of School Dan Frank as he presented Mr. Jones’s award. “Among other things, this means he’s interested in the kids standing up on their own two feet, growing, taking responsibility for their actions, and admitting when they make a mistake. His own moral compass points steadily due north and never falters.”

Mr. Jones said: “I would like to thank everyone, especially those who have been here for 30 or more years, for making this the best place. I believe we are truly the best small school in Richmond.”

Previous Cramer Award honorees include Bonnie Anderson, Carolyn Brandt, Bev Fox, Gardner Mundy, Rugene Paulette, Janet Rice, Louise Robertson, and Chris Tickle, each of whom received a grant to use toward professional development as part of the award.

After Mr. Jones’s award presentation, six additional awards were presented to faculty and staff members to recognize their outstanding contributions to Steward. Each recipient was given an engraved plaque and a check.

The Board of Trustees presented three awards—one to a teacher in each division.

• The Lower School award is named for Debbie Hanger, a trustee and beloved member of our community who served as director of Lower School for a decade. The 2016 Debbie Hanger Outstanding Lower School Teacher Award was presented to fourth-grade teacher Katherine Goodpasture.

• The Middle School award is named for Roger Coulombe, former director of Middle School and head of school who was known for being compassionate, caring, and deeply committed to Steward’s mission and community. The 2016 Roger Coulombe Outstanding Middle School Teacher Award was presented to eighth-grade English teacher Elizabeth Gibson.

• The Upper School award is named for Carolyn Brandt, who spent 32 years at Steward and was—and continues to be—an integral part of Steward’s growth and a champion of the school’s mission. The 2016 Carolyn Brandt Outstanding Upper School Teacher Award was presented to Director of College Counseling Heather Jeter.

The Parents Association presented a staff recognition award named for former Director of the Physical Plant Bob Sanders, who spent two decades supervising the growth of Steward’s campus. The 2016 Robert Sanders, Jr. Outstanding Staff Member Award was presented to Tom Nelms in Plant Operations.

The Spartan Club presented two awards to coaches who have made a significant impact on their teams and at Steward, inspiring our players to be competitive athletes as well as respectful, engaged citizens. This year’s awards were presented to basketball coach Jamiel Allen ’02 and Upper School teacher and cross country coach Todd Serr.