PFA April Falcon Wings

FWCD’s Parent Faculty Association awarded Andi Aguayo, Director of Orchestras; Siouxsie Easter, Director of Upper School Theatre; and Leni Settle, Director of Bands, with the April Falcon Wings honor. Falcon Wings recognize PFA volunteers, FWCD teachers or staff who soar above and beyond the call of duty to enhance PFA programs or events or have improved the greater FWCD community through their dedication and enthusiasm. Books were donated to the library in their honor.

Carrie Naylor McPadden, PFA Falcon Wings Chair, shared the following words about the honorees at the April 14 PFA meeting.

How many of you have been to Disney World? Assuming most of you went with family? Friends? How many of you took 17 high schoolers to Disney? Here’s the tale of three remarkable women who did. 

A unique part of the arts program is the yearly trip. The students look forward to it each year and even get to vote on the destination. Last year, it was a ski trip. This year, they tackled Disney. Can you imagine navigating the airport with 17? Waiting to ride the rides with 17? Disney is overwhelming for a family: imagine 17! This Disney Dream Team, led by Andi Aguayo, Siouxsie Easter, and Leni Settle, did it all – with smiles on their faces the entire time.

Ms. Aguayo has seamlessly balanced her role as the head of both Middle School and Upper School orchestras this year. The Upper School orchestra has an incredibly unique bond. They call themselves a “family,” and they treat one another with respect. This group is truly FWCD’s 3A’s in action. As one dad said, “I challenge you to find another orchestra in the United States with this level of talent – on stage and on the field.” The President of the orchestra is also the Captain of the football and baseball teams. The winningest wrestler in Country Day history plays the bass. Let’s not forget that a Slaughter Family Arts Award winner, a Scott Theater star, the President of the Student Council, among many other decorated athletes and artists are also part of the ensemble. The pride and excitement that these kids put into their performances is the same that they have for their various other extracurricular activities. When Ms. Aguayo took on this role [Director of Orchestras] this past year, she immediately recognized their passion and incorporated their enthusiasm into her teaching. She pushed them to be better musicians and allowed them to select the music, which is incredibly important to students. At the spring concert, Chappell Carter ’25 thanked Ms. Aguayo for helping them achieve their SEVEN-year goal of playing “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. Seven Years! And she made it happen in one year! 

Also at the spring concert, she thanked the students for allowing her to walk into the beautiful community that they built and to be a part of their family. She thanked the seniors for their exceptional leadership of the orchestra over the years and emphasized how much the other students look up to them. Just when you thought the thank yous were over, the STUDENTS turned around and thanked her for respecting them and embracing the incredible bond of the orchestra family. 

Siouxsie Easter is an absolutely outstanding teacher and deserves to be on the Wall of Fame. Her dedication to her students is exceptional. She directed large ensemble casts in two productions that many were saying rivaled the Broadway productions they had seen: Six High School Edition and The One-Act Play that Goes Wrong.

She is creative and innovative in her classroom, integrating many elements of real-world theatre into her class, covering everything from the history of radio plays to how to improvise on stage. After a full day in the classroom, she is ready to work tirelessly with her students until well into the evening on rehearsals after school. In addition, she gives back to the Fort Worth arts scene, even teaching an improv class at Stage West and consulting with local playwrights to help them bring their stories to the stage. 

Leni Settle is compassionate and genuinely interested in the students’ learning of band, music and concert behavior. She makes class fun and jokes with the kids to get their attention. She apparently said something like, “Let’s just wad up all of our music sheets and throw balls at each other” one day to get the kids to focus. She has handled her additional responsibility of the Upper School band with efficiency and pride. She takes her added responsibilities seriously and often stays late to make sure things are in order. Most importantly, she loves the kids, and they love her! She is the best, and we are so lucky to have her! 

She goes above and beyond for her percussion students. She has five sweet boys who take drums through the FWCD Music Conservatory every week. The third grade boys decided to play the drums for the Lower School Talent Show. Ms. Settle took time out of her afternoon to stay and help teach the boys a drum routine for their talent show. This is outside of normal class time. You could see the excitement in her face as she taught the boys and encouraged them for their show. 

The sixth-grade parents comment repeatedly on how happy she is to conduct. She spreads happiness. 

Thank you, Disney Dream Team, for creating lifelong memories for the students during the trip and for making every day a joy on campus!