Views Fall 2022

Childhood

We value a “beautiful view” of childhood and its extraordinary capacity for wonder, learning, and discovery. We inspire a sense of possibility in every interaction and experience at Beauvoir.

Creativity

We value creativity in learning, action, and problem solving and empower our community of faculty, staff, parents, and students to explore, develop, and celebrate creative abilities.

Collaboration

We value working together as an authentic and inclusive community to imagine, to create, to solve problems, and to support each other in all that we do.

Curiosity

Courage

We value the courageous spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, challenge, and confusion. We empower learners to engage in the world with brave resilience.

We value curiosity as an essential component of inspired learning. We model and encourage curiosity for all in our community.

C O N TE N T S

ON CAMPUS AT BEAUVOIR 11 THE GREAT OUTDOORS

NEW GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS 41

For the 2019-2020 Annual Report, please email Geoff Johnson at Geoff.Johnson@cathedral.org. Look for our 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 reports in our upcoming Fall/Winter Issue of Views.

Correction: In the article “Beauvoir’s Gallery Acquires Original Portrait for Permanent Collection” by Joan Fergerson (Views, Special Edition, 2018-2019, p. 17), there was an error in the byline. The article should have been attributed to Catherine Chieco, Beauvoir Past Parent. We apologize for the error.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn

EDITORS

Katherine Randolph

Lisa Gilcrest

Ashley Ball Simpson

Helen Macsherry

CONTRIBUTORS

Sara Alipanah

Louis Berman

Ursula Costin

Sherilyn Cummings

Allyson Eno

Tricia Fort

Chéleah Googe

Emma Hatton

Maryann Heim

Jaclyn Jeffery

Emily Katz

Nicole Maaia

Anne Mackay

Meredith McAbee

Neil McClay

Erin Riley

Laura Voelker

PHOTOGRAPHY

Andrea Joseph

A Letter from the Head of School

When I was a young girl, my two siblings and I would spend most of our summers on my grandparents’ farm in North Carolina, where the hard, red clay stained my tender, bare feet by the time August rolled around. After two months in the deep country, it was time to hop in the family station wagon and head back to Massachusetts to begin a new school year. The hardest part of the drive home wasn’t the 13hour car ride or sharing the back seat with my sister, brother, and dog, Chester. The worst part of leaving North Carolina was actually leaving North Carolina. I was devastated to leave both sets of grandparents, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members after nearly two months of family reunions, delicious Southern cuisine, milking cows, outdoor play that never ended, and Sunday School lessons with my siblings in the basement of the small, white church in which my mother was raised.

As the time drew closer for us to return home to Massachusetts, I remember curling up in my grandmother’s arms as she reminded me that when life felt unfair, I should think of silver linings. My grandmother always advised, “Don’t borrow worry or upset. It’s never worth it. Look for the silver linings. We both know that you had a great summer with family and now it’s time for you to return home to your friends. You will be back next summer though, and you can create new memories. Focus on the silver linings, and I promise it will make you feel better.” It took me a while to understand what silver linings had to do with well-being, but it eventually clicked with me as an adult. I then began to put her recommendations into practice.

Four decades later, I never imagined that I would be taking these same lessons from my grandmother to heart amidst a global pandemic. Beauvoir community members spent the past two years seeking these silver linings during one of the most challenging periods in our school’s history. Admittedly, we were faced with obstacles that had the potential to significantly disrupt our lives, yet we were able to unite as a community of caregivers, tending to needs, celebrating our successes, discovering new ways to fellowship, and, most importantly, continuing our commitment to childhood by safely reopening our doors. On behalf of our faculty and staff, thank you for your commitment to Beauvoir and allowing us the unique privilege of educating and meeting the needs of our youngest children.

This issue of Views is not only a look back on those past two remarkable years, but also an optimistic wink and nod to the future as we continue to forge ahead with our newly-launched, strategic plan and our mission of building “an enduring foundation for a lifelong spirit of inquiry and joy in learning.” I extend my deepest appreciation to the many individuals who contributed to this publication. I hope you enjoy the Views of our many silver linings.

With gratitude,

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn Head of School

EUNICE WRIGHT, MRS. GIBBS-WILBORN'S LATE GRANDMOTHER

When I first started at Beauvoir 33 years ago, I walked into a kindergarten classroom and Elanor greeted me with a big, beautiful smile. ‘Welcome,’ she said, ‘You’re going to really love it here at Beauvoir.’

MARY ANN BLISS, DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY

Remembering Elanor Cato A Friend to All

By Ashley Ball Simpson '58, Beauvoir Librarian

Elanor Cato’s many years of teaching at Beauvoir, 44 to be exact, might well be tribute enough to define her extraordinary contribution to this school. However, time alone does not account for the legacy she left. Her generous personality; her calm, skillful, and steady teaching; the welcome sparks of humor; and her love of students and the work of teaching them remain vivid in the minds of those who knew her. Her legacy is very much a part of the everyday process of teaching, inspiring, and caring for individual students. These were skills that Elanor had in abundance.

Elanor was a quiet sage who brought extraordinary leadership to her many roles at Beauvoir. She was a quintessential teacher, mentor to many younger educators, and an administrator when called upon to fill that role. Anne Marie Desaulniers, one of the many teachers for whom Elanor was a mentor, remembers entering Elanor’s classroom and searching for her. Her eyes lighted upon Elanor settled on the floor in the block corner placing a few blocks as the beginning of a structure and inviting her young students to continue the process of building. All the while she would observe and note, gaining insight about her small charges. Elanor’s gentle, intentional engagement infused all parts of the learning day. She embarked on exploring a pattern by setting out a few

colored tiles and seeing what the pattern would become as children began to explore on their own. Mess was not a problem to Elanor. She reveled in her students’ use of easels, paints, Play-Doh, blocks, manipulatives, and even cooking. She led the cooking project, but each student had a chance to do the work of mixing and measuring, experiencing the fun and complexity of bringing a recipe to life.

Teachers newer to the profession who worked with Elanor would learn by watching her actions, watching her teach, as well as learning from Elanor’s direct instruction. One such colleague, Mary Ann Bliss, remembers Elanor’s impact. Her reflections are powerful and give insight as to what it was like to teach with Elanor. “When I first started at Beauvoir 33 years ago, I walked into a kindergarten classroom and Elanor greeted me with a big, beautiful smile. ‘Welcome,’ she said, ‘You’re going to really love it here at Beauvoir.’ I was a first-year teacher, and Elanor took me under her wing. She provided me with a variety of teaching tools, the opportunity to collaborate on lessons, and advice on how to gain a deep understanding of each student as an individual. One of the most important aspects of Elanor’s teaching was her love for math. She opened my eyes to how math could be incorporated into any part

of the kindergarten curriculum. ‘Math is all around us,’ she said. ‘You just need to know how to find it.’ I developed a love for math that I never had before because Elanor helped me see how ‘everyday’ math leads to student success.”

When children were in the room, Elanor was always among them, sitting next to them, interacting with them, quietly moving from group to group. Her presence was calming, reassuring, and gave structure and security to the school day. Elanor’s close observation of each student gave her insight as to how each child learned and

what support, encouragement, or guidance each child needed. This is perhaps why so many of her former students remember her so vividly and with such affection in adulthood and why they would come back to visit years after leaving Beauvoir. Elanor was always intent on each child and what they needed as growing learners.

Families also remember Elanor with affection and appreciation. Anne and Drew Mackay reflect on the time their son spent with Elanor: “When our youngest son was in Mrs. Cato’s Pre-Kindergarten classroom, her calm, steady presence brought us such

joy and ease when we left our child in her hands every day. Her warm, bright smile coupled with a jovial and loving welcome always made for a positive start to his day. He loved Mrs. Cato and we did, too.”

Missy and Don Campbell also felt a strong connection with Elanor when she taught their son. “Elanor Cato was such a lovely person and had a lasting impact on our family. At exactly the right time, Mrs. Cato provided guidance, love, wisdom, care, and a deeply nurturing spirit. The strong, positive influence she had was immediately apparent and lasting, and has continued on in the ensuing years. We remember her so fondly and still talk about her at home with admiration and appreciation. We greatly appreciated her deeply grounded faith, and have felt dear Elanor’s spirit with us on more than one occasion. We will always be appreciative of the love and nurturing she brought to Beauvoir and hold her in the highest esteem as the best example of what a true teacher can be."

Elanor was a voracious reader, and her love of literature was well represented in her classroom. She would visit the library often and return to her classroom with a new armful of books to share with her students. Reading was important, and Elanor seamlessly wove that into each school day.

Elanor’s impact was felt not just in the classroom. She went where she was most needed. She taught Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, briefly led the early childhood division as director, served as the faculty representative on Beauvoir’s Governing Board, participated in strategic planning, and participated in head of school searches. She worked at open houses and served on curriculum committees. Elanor and her close friend, Maura Burke, were the first faculty representatives on the Outreach Committee, which eventually evolved into the current Mosaic Professional Development Committee. Her institutional memory and years of experience combined with her knowledge, teaching skills, and insight made her a valuable member of each team. She represented Beauvoir well and her love for the School was an integral part of all she did.

Part of her love for the School was centered in her love of the Cathedral Close. She felt a deep appreciation for the Close and for being a member of the Close community. Elanor experienced the Close not just as a teacher but as a parent as well. Her two sons attended Beauvoir and then went on to attend St. Albans School. She was extraordinarily happy that they, too, had the Cathedral Close as a part of

Elanor’s close observation of each student gave her insight as to how each child learned and what support, encouragement, or guidance each child needed.

their lives. Her faith as an Episcopalian greatly influenced how she lived. Although active and committed to her role in her parish church, her deep faith became a part of her life at Beauvoir and within the Cathedral community.

Elanor was a dear friend to so many Beauvoir colleagues, past and present. She valued the friendships she formed and demonstrated her affection in so many small but significant ways. Her ready smile or quiet glance signaled her ability to immediately celebrate or commiserate with the mood of a colleague. At times she would just place her hand on that of a colleague or friend in quiet recognition

of shared thoughts and experiences. During faculty retreats she was an exuberant participant in group activities but equally happy taking a quiet walk with a colleague. She kept friendships alive even when a colleague moved on to another school or new area of work. Elanor remained devoted to her circle of friends, supporting and caring and enjoying time spent with those she knew.

She is missed, but her presence is still felt at Beauvoir. We appreciate her many contributions to Beauvoir's traditions and will continue to value her lasting legacy and its impact on Beauvoir’s exciting view for the future.

Elanor was a dear friend to so many Beauvoir colleagues, past and present. She valued the friendships she formed and demonstrated her affection in so many small but significant ways.

Elanor Cato Celebration of Life

On a sun-dappled fall day in October 2020, students, colleagues, friends, and family members gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Elanor Cato. Her kindergarten classroom was dedicated as the “Mrs. Elanor Cato Classroom,” and a buddy bench, complete with a beautifully embroidered pillow by friend and former Beauvoir teacher Laurie Bloch, was also named in Elanor’s honor. Her two sons, Paul '00 and Charles '03 joined us for the ceremony and dedications.

Scan here to view the funeral service for Elanor Cato Washington National Cathedral on November 15, 2019.

Scan here to view the blessing and dedication of the Elanor Cato Classroom and Buddy Bench on October 9, 2020.

Elanor Cato Fund

The following donors made contributions in memory of Elanor Cato during the fiscal year 2019-2020. These gifts in memory of Mrs. Cato are used to fund initiatives for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Beauvoir.

Miss Renee Anderson '02

Mrs. Cornelia Atkins

Mrs. Elizabeth Ebert Benveniste

Mrs. Laurie Bloch

Mrs. Susan W. Brobeck '52

Mrs. Edith I. Ching and Mr. Wallace K. Ching

Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Clark

Ms. Anne-Marie Cordingly

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Crocker

Ms. Diana M. Daniels

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Deutsch

Mrs. Charis Menschel Drant

Mr. Michael Eanes

Mrs. Ida H. Early

Ms. Christine Edwards

Ms. Sally Kleberg

Mrs. Joan R. Fergerson

Ms. Anne Field

Mr. Gregory Garre and Ms. Lorane Hebert

Mr. Joel Gemmell and Ms. Carol Resch

Ms. Jessica Gibson

Mr. Adam Golodner and Ms. Eileen McMahon

Mr. Jonathan P. Graham and Mrs. Elizabeth B. Ulmer

Mrs. Gloria B. Green

Mrs. Jane S. Haake

Ms. Colleen Hackett

Mr. Ahmad Hajj and Ms. Sogand Zamani

Ms. Claudia W. HamiltonHlafter '90

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin A. Hassett

Ms. Caroline E. Healey '92

Mrs. Amanda Heitz

Ms. Amy K. Dunbar

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Himmelman

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Houston

Mrs. Jean Iker

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin I. Johns

Dr. Richard K. Jung and Dr. Janice K. Anderson

Ms. Emily Katz

Mr. John Kitchings

Mr. and Mrs. Trent Lehman

Mr. David Lipson and Ms. Ellen M. Jakovic

Ms. Sharon Litts

Mrs. Patricia Austin Luce

Miss Catherine J. Lynn '16

Miss Vanessa J. Lynn '18

Mr. Miles E. MacIntyre and Ms. Karen J. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Martin '96 and Jessica MacIntyre '96

Mr. Carlton T. Marshall and Ms. Carol A. Paige

Mrs. Kristine McBrady

Ms. Karen McCleary Metz

Mr. Erik Metzroth and Ms. Amanda Leader

Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Ellen Mitchell

Mrs. Jonese Monahan

Mrs. Mary T. Moreland

Ms. Katherine Nassor

Mr. Elvin C. Nichols and Dr. Linda C. J. Nichols

Ms. Mary Lee Nickel

Mr. and Mrs. Laurance J. Ochs

Ms. Adyline Waafas Ofosu-Amaah

Mrs. Hilary O'Hollaren

Dr. and Mrs. Will Palframan

Ms. Denise A. Peery

Ms. Mary Jane Perraut

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Lloyd Pitt

Mr. Jeffrey M. Prescott and Ms. Susan J. Jakes

Mr. David Perlin and Ms. Skye Raiser

Mrs. Nichole Francis Reynolds and Mr. Fred Reynolds

The Honorable Susan E. Rice '73 and Mr. Ian Cameron

Mrs. Nancy M. Carr

Ms. Joan Robinson

Ms. Rosemarie Sanford

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sears

Ms. Janice Skipper

Mrs. Jill Smalley

Ms. Linda K. Smith

Ms. Lisa E. Smith and Ms. Shaundrae L. Williams

Mr. and Mrs. John Stiner

Mr. William C. Stockton '04

Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Swagart

Ms. Brooke Larson Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. Joel H. Trotter

Miss Caroline Kent Van Allen '04

Mrs. Amy Vorenberg

Ms. Anne Sullivan

Mr. and Mrs. Hack Wiegmann

Mrs. Kim Wilson

ROBOT STUDIES

On Campus at Beauvoir

Our students enjoyed a full year of on-campus learning from September 2021 to June 2022! Beauvoir was overjoyed to return to meaningful traditions in-person such as chapels in the National Cathedral, the Book Fair, and the Scholarship Benefit. Here are just a few of this year's highlights.

BOOK FAIR

SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT

FAMILY FRIDAYS

MUSEUM MORNINGS

THIRD GRADE PLAY

CLOSING CHAPEL

100TH DAY OF SCHOOL

Helping Hands Service Learning Shines at Beauvoir

One day, The Rev. Dr. Lisa Barrowclough, Beauvoir Chaplain, hopes that she won’t lead her weekly Thankful Thursday lessons in classrooms across the School. She dreams of stepping back from the podium not because she wants to abdicate responsibility but because she wants to see Thankful Thursdays steered by Beauvoir’s very own students.

“The goal is, increasingly, for students and classrooms to take on the leadership of this initiative and be the real inspiration,” said Rev. Barrowclough. “I would love to not be the only voice in a Thankful Thursday video, but rather have students stand up and teach the rest of the school.”

Rev. Barrowclough’s Thankful Thursday lessons, which began as videos streamed into homes, then classes, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have become a weekly fixture at Beauvoir and represent one of the School’s core approaches: developmentally appropriate, childcentered service learning that engages students and encourages them to take the helm.

In alignment with Beauvoir’s Life Rules— Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, and Honesty—students are introduced to service learning in pre-kindergarten, and follow an evolving curriculum through third grade. Service learning provides

opportunities for students to build relationships with their community, make connections between their school and the outside world, and engage in direct action alongside theory learning in the classroom. Research indicates students who participate in service learning are more engaged in their community, more likely to attend college, and better equipped with vital problem-solving skills that they carry with them for years to come.

One hallmark of Episcopal education is the belief that children can and should contribute meaningfully to their community, and Rev. Barrowclough believes there is no better time to start than the earliest years of learning.

“Episcopal education values each individual as a whole person,” she said.

“Beauvoir is the ideal spot to live out that component of Episcopal identity that says everybody is a child of God, and they will be honored and respected and celebrated for everything that’s in them, whoever they are, and whoever they will be.”

In past years, service learning has taken the form of second grade students playing bingo games with senior citizens at St. Alban's, an annual walk-a-thon to benefit a local nonprofit, and Thanksgiving pies in hand-decorated boxes for neighbors in need. When COVID-19 arrived, however, many of Beauvoir’s previous

service-learning programs needed to be adapted quickly to meet the demands of a pandemic world.

Rather than view the situation as a crisis for the service-learning program, Rev. Barrowclough saw an opportunity. “At best, service is relational,” she said. “Six months into my first year, relational wasn’t an option. We were home learning. It was a new journey.”

As students learned virtually and positive case numbers rose, Rev. Barrowclough and other Beauvoir educators were inspired by the words of Fred Rogers on his classic PBS program Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Rev. Barrowclough noted, “We know from research that gratitude is a really important practice. We know that practices become habits if you want them to be lifelong and meaningful and as enriching as possible. If you want habits and practices to become passions and legacies, then you start them in early childhood.” Rev. Barrowclough said, “You wash your hands, you brush your teeth, you reach out to others, you give thanks.” Thus, Thankful Thursdays were born.

Episcopal education values each individual as a whole person. Beauvoir is the ideal spot to live out that component of Episcopal identity that says everybody is a child of God, and they will be honored and respected and celebrated for everything that’s in them, whoever they are, and whoever they will be.

REV. BARROWCLOUGH, CHAPLAIN

Every week, Rev. Barrowclough recorded and posted a new video for students Pre-K through third grade focusing on a different aspect of gratitude. Students received gratitude journals to document their experiences as they “exercised their attitudes of gratitude.” They learned about what gratitude looks like across different faith practices and cultures. They discussed people and privileges they were thankful for in their own lives. They found the helpers in their own communities, and they discovered ways to show their thanks for them.

This meant thanking doctors, nurses, and other essential workers as the pandemic raged around the world. Families received worksheets for Thanksgiving “Chow Chats,” which included questions to start a conversation about gratitude at the table. After the January 6, 2021 events at the Capitol left the building in need of cleaning and repair, students participated in a nationwide effort to write thank you cards to employees who were working hard to restore the building. Further, classrooms reflected on their gratitude for important figures in history whose dreams made life today possible. In one Thankful Thursday lesson, students discussed the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and in another, they considered all of the hard workers who make our traditions of democracy possible.

We know from research that gratitude is a really important practice. We all know that practices become habits if you want them to be lifelong and meaningful and as enriching as possible. If you want habits and practices to become passions and legacies, then you start them in early childhood.

REV. BARROWCLOUGH, CHAPLAIN

As students practiced gratitude in the classroom and onscreen, Rev. Barrowclough began to notice a gradual change in their approach to service learning. Children were identifying needs in the community on their own, and looking for ways to solve those problems together.

“The ultimate goal of this service learning for me and other grownups is to be able to take a backseat to the children in driving this initiative,” Rev. Barrowclough said.

“Children will be most passionate and most committed, and the effort most meaningful if our projects are inspired by them.”

In the spring of 2021, students in the Arctic Foxes kindergarten class had been paying close attention to how the ongoing pandemic was affecting those around them. One student pointed out that as people lost their jobs, they might struggle to purchase groceries. They wondered how Beauvoir could help and, ultimately, came up with a plan: a food drive for neighbors in need. The Arctic Foxes pitched the idea to their teacher, and joined Rev. Barrowclough to share the project with the School in a special Thankful Thursday video in May.

The ultimate goal of this service learning for me and other grownups is to be able to take a backseat to the children in driving this initiative.

REV. BARROWCLOUGH

“Sometimes people have little or no money to buy food because the businesses they worked for closed. This is what happened to many people in America when we had to quarantine because of the coronavirus,” Arctic Fox student Liam said.

“Things are getting better all the time because people are doing things to make a difference, and they still are today,” said Lila, another Arctic Fox.

William, another classmate, finished their message with a call to action: “Join us in collecting canned food, nonperishable items, or gift cards to donate to feed hungry families!”

Beauvoir partnered with the Washington National Cathedral and United Planning Organization (UPO), which fights poverty in DC and across the country, and collected more than 20 big boxes of food for neighbors in need. Donations came from students across all grade levels, and were distributed to families throughout the region.

This was a sign of success to Rev. Barrowclough. Students were stepping up to guide what service learning looked like at Beauvoir. “So often children inspire us and bring us back to what is most basic and most important in our crazy adult world where we could lose sight of some of the needs,” she said. “It’s important in any household or any family, where there’s so much going on, for the child to be the voice that says, ‘People are hungry in our neighborhood.’”

Things are getting better all the time because people are doing things to make a difference, and they still are today.

ARCTIC FOX STUDENT

DREW MACKAY, DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY PROGRAMS

To offer children more agency in the service-learning process and encourage child-driven engagement, Rev. Barrowclough works with students to write notes to their grownups about their own hopes and dreams for service projects. When refugees arrived from Afghanistan in the fall of 2021, Beauvoir students wrote welcome notes and sent children teddy bears to welcome them to the United States. In addition, students went home with notes in their backpacks detailing their hopes for a drive to support refugees with basic needs as they settled into their new homes in winter. Children presented their families with ideas about what items were most important to donate and brought in bags and boxes of warm clothing for their new neighbors.

Led by students, service learning at Beauvoir has also expanded far beyond Thankful Thursdays. Students in Beauvoir’s Bear Den after-school enrichment program have stepped forward to help their community. When students noticed that the lost-and-found area at school was overflowing, they volunteered to take over managing the collection to make items easier to find.

“Their ritual every Friday afternoon is to go out to the playground, pick up all the items that have been left for the week, and then come in and organize the storage closet,” said Drew Mackay, Director of Auxiliary Programs. “Kids’ capacity to understand the world around them grows every year as they get older. It builds that foundation of looking out for not only yourself but also your friend and your neighbors.”

Beauvoir recognizes that every child has unique talents that they bring with them. “Some models of learning and development see the child as on the way to being a contributor to the betterment of the world,” said Rev. Barrowclough. “We believe at Beauvoir and in Episcopal education that they’re already making a valid contribution to making this world a better place, and it is our honor and our delight to be able to be a part of that.”

Rev. Barrowclough is not quite ready for students to take over Thankful Thursdays yet. She still has many more gratitude challenges, outreach collections, care packages, and thank you cards to organize, but the evidence is clear: at Beauvoir, students are on their way to becoming leaders in service and beyond. ✿

Kids’ capacity to understand the world around them grows every year as they get older. It builds that foundation of looking out for not only yourself but also your friend and your neighbors.

COVID-19 Drove Learning Online

Beauvoir Turned to the Great Outdoors

When Beauvoir returned to in-person learning in fall 2020, teacher Joseph Baggett and librarian Tony Hurst were eager to take on a new challenge: piloting an Outdoor Education class at Beauvoir.

The idea for an Outdoor Education program was born out of Beauvoir’s hybrid-learning model during the pandemic as an opportunity for students learning virtually to safely interact with classmates and teachers in person. Students Pre-K through third grade explored nearly 60 acres of the Cathedral Close once a week. According to Mr. Hurst and Mr. Baggett, the program was a welcome opportunity to expand students’ comfort zones as well as their classrooms.

“Outdoor Education provides a safe place where children can take individual risks, set individual goals, experiment, and build their brave, confident growth mindset,” shared Mr. Hurst and Mr. Baggett. “It helps them experience risk taking and exploration in ways that push them one step further than kids might have thought to go.”

Research shows that spending time in nature has physical and social-emotional benefits for young children. A 2013 study by the American Chemical Society found that looking at nature scenes can lower

heart rates and reduce stress. In 2020, researchers found that incorporating green space into a child’s daily play space can increase pro-social behaviors. In the midst of a global pandemic, when many children spent more time indoors and isolated from their peers, Outdoor Education offered both opportunities for exploration and forging connections.

“I think it helps children see that they are part of something bigger by being outside in nature. We also know that just breathing outside is something that helps us find our center,” said Dr. Holly Joyner, Beauvoir’s Director of Guidance.

The new Outdoor Education curriculum followed a rich tradition of experiential learning at Beauvoir, where students spend time outdoors at least twice per day. From Cathedral Close spaces like Olmsted Woods and Bishop’s Garden

Outdoor Education provides a safe place where children can take individual risks, set individual goals, experiment, and build their brave, confident growth mindset.

TONY HURST AND JOSEPH BAGGETT, OUTDOOR EDUCATION TEACHERS

to Beauvoir’s own playground and Children’s Garden, young children learn through imaginative play and safe, joyful exploration. When asked about their favorite moments in Outdoor Education, Beauvoir students were particularly enthusiastic about their newfound skills in reading and creating maps, identifying birds that frequent our Cathedral Close, and polishing rocks.

Mr. Hurst and Mr. Baggett cite watching students take the lead in their own learning as one of their own highlights of weekly Outdoor Education classes. They recalled a particular rainy day on which students were racing leaves downstream in Bear Creek as part of an outdoor physics activity. Each leaf needed to be flat, light, and completely intact in order to flow downstream as fast as possible.

One student approached the activity with particular curiosity. “After the first attempt, this student kept trying and trying. She observed how each leaf moved down the stream according to its structure and learned instinctively which leaf would meet the criteria,” said Mr. Baggett. “Through play, she understood what it would take to keep the leaf freely moving down the stream. Much to her delight, her leaf managed to ‘win’ in her pod as the fastest downstream.”

Dr. Joyner noted that the new learning experiences offered by Outdoor Education were an opportunity for students to discover their own talents. “What I think is fascinating is to see the kids who really love and lead when they are outside, and [Outdoor Education] can be a place where they really shine.”

It is more fun when you touch the bugs, pick apart rotting stumps, and always look for treasures.

TONY HURST AND JOSEPH BAGGETT, OUTDOOR EDUCATION TEACHERS

One area where students were able to expand their horizons (as well as their taste palates) is the Beauvoir Children’s Garden. With the guidance of their teachers, students tried several vegetables straight from the vine. “Kids found out that they were huge fans of fennel with its sweet, black licorice taste. While many may not want to eat their salad at home, it is exciting when you can eat the spinach, arugula, and kale that you planted

yourself,” Mr. Hurst noted. “We had some picky eaters willing to pick and taste oregano right off the plant. Strong smells and peppery tastes are exciting when it is a discovery instead of a requirement at dinner.”

Mr. Hurst and Mr. Baggett believe that students will take this brave attitude with them and apply that spirit of adventure to other disciplines. They both agree, “It is good to venture off. It is okay to get lost together. It is more fun when you touch the bugs, pick apart rotting stumps, and always look for treasures. It is good to know a few edible plants that are safe, and it is always good to taste vegetables in the garden!” ✿

a

Linings SILVER

Beauvoir Educators

Look for the Silver Linings

A SILVER LININGS ACROSTIC POEM

By Neil McClay and Nicole Maaia, Partner Teachers, First Grade

S ure it’s been a challenge, but we rise to those you know

I t wasn’t always easy, it’s been high and it’s been low

L et’s be thankful we’re back in the building and not alone in our own room

V ery different classroom setup, but at least it’s not on Zoom!

E nthusiastic children, all eager to see their friends

R eassuring teachers ready to hand sanitize and cleanse

L earning has continued, even though we wear a mask

I nquiring minds still growing, they have risen to the task

N ew tips and tricks from colleagues, to help you through your day

I nventive problem solving has become the Beauvoir way

N avigating new landscapes to make learning safe for all

G rateful for this community, who answered the rallying call

S hout out to all of Beauvoir, amazing is what you are

JOYFUL CONNECTIONS CONTINUE IN THE ELC

By Emma Hatton, Partner Teacher, Early Learning Center

I have found that I have a deepened gratitude and appreciation for the importance of our in-person relationships. So much of the learning in the ELC is rooted in social-emotional learning, especially navigating our earliest relationships with peers. The importance of this work reverberates throughout our entire lives. The flow of an in-person

classroom is not something that can be re-created virtually; the delight of spontaneous connection is something that exists most in person. We saw it firsthand recently during arrival. One child was having difficulty separating from her parent and another child dropped everything, ran across the room, and said, “I am so happy you are here! I love you!” This warm welcome from one child to another, unprompted by an adult, is just one moment in a day full of joyful connections in the ELC and it is something I hope to never take for granted again!

Teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged me as an educator to reassess much of my teaching practice; the challenges have been a catalyst for creativity. Rather than seeing protocols as limitations, I try to see them as opportunities for deepening my thinking. This includes thinking about how to form family relationships when parents cannot come into the building, how to strengthen connections to a broader community when we are limited in moving throughout the building, and how to find resources when not immediately visible. These challenges are an opportunity to connect to what matters most.

Rather than seeing protocols as limitations, I try to see them as opportunities for deepening my thinking.

FROM

"ANTHEM" (1992)

BY CANADIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER, LEONARD COHEN (1934-2016)

CUBS FIND NEW INDEPENDENCE

By Ursula Costin, Partner Teacher, Early Learning Center

Pandemic health protocols everywhere impact us all. A huge change for our three-year-old students was that their parents could not enter the classroom. Each child rose to this challenge, developing a strong, joyful sense of their capability. They enjoyed their independence, arriving at the classroom door and marching inside proudly. They follow the morning routine, taking care of things that a well-intentioned parent might have done for them previously.

Personally and professionally, the pandemic and its related challenges—mental and physical upheaval, unpredictable schedules, isolation, fear, loneliness—have become lovely invitations to practice mindfulness, patience, and presence. I have developed a more persistent, courageous outlook and have found that happiness really is running down the streets to find me. Time alone has become a precious opportunity to reflect, read, write, and learn new things. It has made moments with others even more valuable.

I have almost mastered responding rather than reacting and have developed a habit of focusing joyfully on the present moment. I am conscious of and grateful for the many blessings in my life, inspired to look for ways to be of use to others. My hope and dream can be summed up by the words of The Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith: to use the broken, hurt parts of myself as tools to bless others.

Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.

VIRTUAL LEARNING LEADS TO EVOLUTION IN TEACHING

By Maryann Heim, Learning Resources Specialist

The “Covid experience” has been interesting for all of us, particularly educators. Thankfully, throughout this time, we have discovered some silver linings and they have helped keep us focused on the important task of educating young children. When this all began, teachers needed to learn to teach in a totally new way— through Zoom—almost overnight. After teaching for 20-plus years, I felt like a teacher fresh out of college where everything was new. At first this seemed overwhelming, but as more time went by, I began to appreciate having a chance to think creatively and to problem solve. As a result of this experience, I was able to add considerably to my collection of materials that I use in supporting students in their learning. Many of the activities I used while teaching virtually have become wonderful additions to my teaching in person. In fact, they have become some of my students’ favorites. The most important thing I believe we have all learned from this is how valuable our time is together.

EVO LUT ION

Many of the activities I used while teaching virtually have become wonderful additions to my teaching in person.

PENGUINS BUILD LASTING FRIENDSHIPS

By Louis Berman, Partner Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten

Teaching in the Penguins class is always a joy but has certainly been different during the pandemic. One of the difficult safety measures has been for children to be restricted to playing and learning solely with their own class. However, a silver lining has been that the connections between classroom teachers, students, and their peers have become deeper and stronger. I very much feel that way in the Penguins class this year. Last year in my pod, I knew my 11 students thoroughly,

but even with a larger group this year, I still know my students’ interests, habits, and feelings. It has been nice as our restrictions have gradually dimmed to see the Penguins blossom in terms of connections to the larger Beauvoir community. Thank you to our parents for all your hard work and support during this time! Our children are so very lucky to have such a joyful and loving environment in which to grow.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY IS BORN AS LEARNING GOES ONLINE

By Jaclyn Jeffery, Partner Teacher, First Grade

A definite silver lining for me has been the everincreasing online information geared towards children. Virtual visits, virtual field trips, and even just videos that places around the world are creating allow people to still come and “see” them during this time. It’s helped me gain more information for our lessons and learn more about our world with content that I do not think would have been available if there was not a need to go virtual. We can now use some of this content and push it right out to students on their iPads, so they can research on their own and determine the important information. My favorite is obviously all of the work that the Cathedral has done in allowing us to visit and learn virtually. I get docent tours and visits right from my home!

PERFORMING ARTS SHINE, DESPITE THE CLOUDS

By Erin Riley, Performing Arts Instructor

Was I deceived? or did a sable cloud

Turn forth her silver lining on the night?

I did not err, there does a sable cloud, Turn out her silver lining on the night And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.

FROM “COMUS” (1634)

BY ENGLISH POET JOHN MILTON (1608-1674)

In this poem, which inspired the phrase “silver linings,” the silver lining in question comes from the outline of a dark cloud. This outline is created by the light of the moon shining brightly behind it. When you consider this image, it implies that a “silver lining” is something that has been there all along, only to be truly appreciated when it is blotted out by the dark clouds of life. Similarly, the performing arts have been here all along, shining despite the darkness of COVID.

While it is easy to bemoan the fact that so many elements of arts instruction were deemed “unsafe," I found that being temporarily limited in our expressions of

singing and dancing led to a more creative inclusion of the arts. For example, performing a student play without singing led to more interesting and creative uses of dance. Being unable to sing during chapels and community meetings led us to create an entirely new list of beloved chants and community dances. Relocating the annual Holiday Sing outdoors, onto the field, led us to realize how enjoyable community meetings are outside. Although the arts were different, they were still there—just beyond the clouds. Beauvoir continued to find ways to sing outdoors, dance in socially distanced ways, and find community through artistic expression.

Now that restrictions are slowly lifting, there is nothing sweeter than the look of excitement on students’ faces when they realize that after two years, we are about to sing a favorite, familiar song… indoors! Like the moon, the arts have always been here, and it is delightful to incorporate them once again into our lives, fully and without restriction. Whether it is as a participant or an observer, I hope the arts continue to be a bright spot in your life as well.

MAKING THE MOST OF SMALL MOMENTS

By Emily Katz, Learning Resources Specialist

During the 2021-2022 school year, a silver lining has been being able to be involved throughout school life again! I took for granted the collaboration with teammates and colleagues, morning conversation over coffee in the faculty room, and dropping by classrooms to hear student authors' celebration. As we move closer to “normal,” I hold fast to these opportunities and try to make the most of these small moments.

TEAMMATES RISE TO THE OCCASION

By Sherilyn Cummings, Partner Teacher, Second Grade

Working with the Second Grade team has been a highlight of my year at Beauvoir. Our team is committed, hardworking, and enthusiastic about our students and learning. We bring our unique talents and skills to our team. At any point throughout the day, you might find teachers collaborating on upcoming lessons, sharing resources, connecting with students in other classes, or sharing a joke or funny anecdote. Also notably, we love to display the amazing work our students are doing in various content areas throughout our hallways. Take a walk down the second grade hallway and view the exciting things happening in our classrooms! This team is truly extraordinary and I’m very lucky to work with such talented individuals each day.

Take a walk down the second grade hallway and view the exciting things happening in our classrooms!

WARM WELCOMES PERSEVERE

By Sara Alipanah, Performing Arts Instructor

Here at Beauvoir, performing arts classes center around the idea that we sing, say, move, play, and create during each class. However, that all changed with COVID, especially once most of the students returned to their classrooms after participating completely virtually for several months. There were studies stating it wasn’t safe for our students to sing together, to join hands in a folk dance, or be in close proximity. So I had to rethink

a lot of my ideas of what I was going to do with our youngest students. Traditionally, I like to start my class with a "hello" chant. I have several hello songs in my back pocket that I like to rotate depending on my mood or the mood of the class. How was I going to continue to welcome my students? One evening, I was sitting with my husband and I said, "If if we can’t sing a hello song, what if we chant it?" I know students thrive on

repetition, so I could start each line of the hello chant with similar words. I want students to feel welcomed and know what to anticipate when they come to my class. And I really wanted it to rhyme. Out of that conversation with my husband came my hello chant. The students helped me make it more engaging. At first, we just said it while we were seated. Then, once the students knew the chant, they moved to the parts that repeated.

Then the students created their own movements for the parts that repeated. Lo and behold, even though the students were not able to sing, they were still able to say, move, and create!

For those wondering, the chant I created for my class is below. It has since been shared with music teachers throughout the United States. To my knowledge, it is now in use in more than six states across the country!

Hello Chant ❊ ❊

Welcome Friends, I’m so glad you’re here today

Welcome Friends, let’s get ready to play

Welcome Friends, we’ll have so much fun

Welcome Friends, and now we’ve begun!

Heads of School Reminisce on their “Beautiful View” of Education and the Wonders of Childhood

In 2021, Head of School Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn scheduled a special Zoom date with Paula Carreiro, Beauvoir’s Head of School from 1992 to 2013 and one of Cindi’s own personal mentors. Today, Ms. Carreiro is a dedicated consultant, community volunteer, grandmother, and thought leader on early childhood education. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn: Paula, it’s been my dream since I arrived to bring the two of us together for a conversation and really honor you as a head of school who has left such a lasting legacy at Beauvoir. Anyone in the field of education knows that two decades devoted to a school is often the exception these days—unless, of course, you work at Beauvoir. What would you say are the aspects of your Beauvoir journey that led to such a long commitment?

Paula Carreiro: Not only is it a remarkable school for its students, but it also provides a growth culture for the adults who work there. Colleagues nurture and inspire one another to continually enhance the learning environment. I think the other thing that led me to stay is that there’s always something new happening, and no matter what’s on your calendar for the day, it doesn’t matter, because a million other things are going to happen. I always found, too, that I was challenged by different perspectives. And I really loved

R E M I N I S C E

the supportive families and just the sense of coming home. Home was Beauvoir, and like you, I’m sure, I spent more hours there than at my other home.

CGW: I’ve always viewed you as one of my most influential mentors who certainly shaped my journey as a head of school. Who would you say are your mentors?

PC: I love the notion of mentorship because I think it’s a critical component, particularly for women, not only in the field of education, but across the board. When I began teaching, there were very few women in leadership positions. I enrolled in graduate school to remedy that scenario. I found for the first time in my life, great mentors in my professors; just what I needed at that point in time. But after some graduate degrees under my belt, I demanded mentorship from every supervisor I encountered: “You will be my mentor.” I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t say that my husband, Peter Branch, who was also a head of school, remains my best and most supportive mentor. I can’t imagine doing this job without incredible support all around and, boy, he did a great job of that.

CGW: I fondly remember receiving a little whisper from you wondering whether I’d be interested in one day pursuing a headship in independent schools. It started off as a whisper, then it became a little nudge. I really wasn’t sure. I remember initially saying, “There’s no way I would ever even contemplate taking all of that on my plate.” It wasn’t until you started pushing me into various aspects of leadership, whether it was advancement or admissions or the

NAIS conference or other institutes, that I realized that headship was a keen interest of mine. I can’t thank you enough for being my most important mentor. Do you have any special or fond memories of our relationship from the years that we spent together at Beauvoir? I have many!

PC: I remember one particular day, you were able to encourage a shy child (I can still see her face), support an exhausted colleague, and assure an anxious parent. And that was all before noon. I just marveled at that. I also appreciated that you were—and are— highly intellectual. You can apply theory to practice because you have such a keen understanding of child development. That just came through in everything you did. I am so, so grateful for getting to observe that, Cindi.

CGW: When you think back on some of your Beauvoir years, what are some of your fondest memories of the many faculty and staff who worked alongside you? I know the ones who remember you could list many!

PC: Well, the not-so-secret ingredients of Beauvoir’s success are the faculty and staff. I wish I could name all the remarkable individuals that create the spirit of Beauvoir, but that would take an entire publication in itself. When I remember my colleagues, I can see their playfulness at community

The not-so-secret ingredients of Beauvoir’s success are the faculty and staff.

PAULA CARREIRO

meetings, pajama days, Halloween parades, and Global Studies events. I remember the care that my colleagues took in the food they prepared for students’ lunches, and the pride with which they cleaned and prepared our facility for learning. The thing I remember most is that every action this amazing group of people took was based on what we believed to be the best thing for students. Decisions weren’t made for faculty or parents or other schools, they were made for our kids. And that’s why I think our students thrive.

CGW: How would you define the portrait of a Beauvoir graduate? And what would you say are the hallmarks of a Beauvoir education?

PC: I think if there’s one overarching fact, it is that not only are our students good academicians, they’re good people. I can remember when our students would go on a field trip, the docent would say, “Where are you all from? Not only are these students smart, they’re kind to each other. And they’re respectful of the person leading the discussion.” When they apply to other schools, those qualities are what

other schools comment on. They’re going to have different skill sets up and down the board forever the rest of their lives, but they are going to be the kinds of people that we hoped they would be.

CGW: If you could return to Beauvoir (and you are welcome—those doors are always open!) and take part in a special hallmark tradition or experience that you remember with fondness, what would that be?

PC: I will say one that’s so obvious. It is Closing Chapel. When you stand there at the very front of the Cathedral at the Nave and you watch your students walking down the aisle, and you watch your colleagues walking down the aisle with your students, I never failed to get emotional about that. It’s certainly the grandeur of the place, the importance of the ceremony, but it’s really seeing everybody that makes that wonderful school together in one place. That’s a ceremony I love.

CGW: You were able to accomplish oodles and oodles of things in your tenure at Beauvoir, Paula. What are some of your accomplishments that you hold the most pride in?

PC: I don’t say this lightly, but the ground and the environment of Beauvoir was so fertile for ideas. I don’t think I ever worked at a place where people were so eager and ready to take things to the next level. I say that only to say that my accomplishments weren’t really mine. They were really everyone’s. Most of the best ideas and practices that we followed came from faculty.

I guess though, if I were to think about the thing that I’m so proud of all of us for creating, that is a school culture. I think it’s everything to create a culture where colleagues nurture and support each other, where families feel safe, where children feel safe, and where most of us as adults couldn’t wait to get there most days. I was fortunate enough to work with people who thought that was important, too.

CGW: My final question sort of wraps up two questions in one. You have always been such a wise source of counsel and advice

and guidance for so many. If you were asked today to give a word of advice to parents or caregivers, as well as the faculty and staff, what would those words be?

PC: You are going to know this because we sing from the same song book, and that is to let the children be children. That is sometimes the hardest message of all, it seems, isn’t it? I also think that there’s a very special way of encouraging children. I’m going to recommend a book that I’ve recommended forever. It’s been around a decade now. It is a book called Mindset. We read it as a faculty when I was there, Cindi, but I suspect there are faculty now who haven’t read it. But it really says everything there is to say about helping your children and/or your students be the successful and happy people that we want them to be. Developing that growth mindset, rather than the fixed mindset is the key to success for them, and ultimate satisfaction and happiness. ✿

Building a Culturally Relevant Bookshelf

By Chéleah Googe, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author.

DR. RUDINE SIMS BISHOP

The power of literature and the responsibility we have at Beauvoir to curate relevant and responsible bookshelves for our students are integral to our mission to ensure that the unique experience of each child is valued in their learning environment. Making space for each student in our community to feel seen, in all aspects of our school life, significantly contributes to their sense of belonging and subsequent success. We value taking the time at the beginning of each year to assess both the main library and classroom libraries leaning

on the scholarship of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the well-known children's literature researcher, and what she describes in her 1990 essay entitled, "Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors": Windows are opportunities for students to use literature as a peek into an experience different from their own. Mirrors are opportunities for students to see themselves, and their lived experiences, reflected in the literature. Sliding glass doors invite students to use their imaginations to step into other worlds through literature.

Last year, Beauvoir’s Social, Emotional, Academic, and Spiritual (SEAS) Team had the amazing opportunity to lead parents and caregivers in a workshop during the annual book fair hosted by the Parents Association. In this workshop, “Building a Culturally Relevant Bookshelf at Home,” parents and caregivers in our community learned how to use this same intentional curation practice for their home libraries. We began by discussing the definition of literacy and how it should be defined beyond just

I M A GI N A T I O N

the ability to “read the word” and into the ability to “read the world.” Our students are learning about themselves, and the world around them, through what they see and what they read.

Each year, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) collects data on children’s books published by major publishing companies. In 2018, the CCBC reported that 50 percent of published children’s books depicted white characters and 27 percent of children’s books depicted animal or other characters, leaving 23 percent of children’s books to depict characters from Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, and African/African American communities. What this tells us is that without the intentional curation of our libraries, it is likely that many students in the Beauvoir community will not see themselves reflected within the literature they are engaging.

During the workshop, we also discussed the importance of positive and affirming representation in children’s literature. When intentionally adding diverse books to bookshelves, another important factor to consider is the way that diverse characters are represented. During the curation process, it is essential to consider stereotypes, tokenism, character roles, language, and more. Ultimately, this workshop created a brave space for parents and caregivers to learn, self-reflect, hear best practices, share knowledge, and build community with one another. As we continue our journey to make Beauvoir a place where all of our students and community members experience a sense of belonging, we are grateful for the full community’s commitment to making this a reality. ✿

When children cannot find themselves reflected in books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part. Our classrooms [and our homes] need to be places where all the children from all the cultures that make up the salad bowl of American society can find their mirrors.

DR. RUDINE SIMS BISHOP

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE RESOURCES

Here Wee Read: The 2022 Ultimate List of Diverse Books blog by Charnaie Gordon (hereweeread.com)

Indigenous Reads by Indigenous Authors by digital publisher Medium (medium.com)

Top 150 Recommended AA Children’s Books by the African American Literature Book Club (aalbc.com)

Books for Littles by Raising Luminaries (booksforlittles.com)

Lee & Low’s Diversity Gap blog by Lee & Low Books (blog.leeandlow.com)

American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) blog by Dr. Debbie Reese, AICL (americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com)

Note: Data on books by and about Black, Indigenous and People of Color published for children and teens compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Young Alumni Make a Splash

On a warm September night in 2019, teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg received the 2019 Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International in Washington, DC. Ms. Thunberg rose to fame after organizing Fridays for Future school strikes in her home country of Sweden. As she accepted the honor, Ms. Thunberg said, “This is for all the fearless youth fighting for their future.”

Two of those fearless youths in the audience that day were Beauvoir alumnae Helena Barrett '21 and Thea Raiser '21. Though they were only second graders at the time, Helena and Thea already had the future on their minds. Inspired by activists like Ms. Thunberg and their own parents, the pair had become particularly concerned with water pollution.

“We were interested because we didn’t want the water to be polluted, and we don’t want plastic to kill the fish,” said Thea.

A pivotal moment in Helena and Thea’s quest for sustainability came in second grade, when they spent the year exploring rivers and water in social studies lessons. As part of her Global Studies exploration of India, Helena created an interactive exhibit on water pollution. “Anyone who passed by got to put a little bit of sand or other kinds of water pollution in it,” she recalled. “It was really fun to make.”

As they wrap up their fourth grade year at their new schools, Thea and Helena shared some of their favorite memories of Beauvoir and what advice they would give to other students.

What would you tell other kids who want to fight climate change?

HB: Kids and young people have a big voice. Send a letter to someone important who has the same ideas as you and get other people to know about it. That way it can become a bigger and more important movement.

TR: Try to use less plastic and choose more natural products.

What was your favorite memory of Beauvoir?

HB: Probably Flower Mart because it was just so much fun and I got to hang out with my friends and do fun things. And I like carnival rides, so it was double the fun.

TR: First grade Christmas Chapel. I was an angel!

What was your favorite project at Beauvoir?

HB: Second grade Museum Night!

TR: I would probably say second grade Museum Night. Mr. Thorner brought in

We were interested because we didn’t want the water to be polluted, and we don’t want plastic to kill the fish.

THEA RAISER '21

bamboo for my setup. We were studying India, and it was really fun because I got to write about tigers.

Favorite Beauvoir lunch:

HB: Pizza Fridays are the best days because it’s the end of the week and there’s pizza at school!

TR: Probably the pizza.

Most memorable teacher at Beauvoir:

HB: Mr. Mackay, my third grade teacher. I think being a teacher during COVID was hard, and we split our class into two groups, so it was one teacher for ten kids. He made me feel really good about going to a new school.

TR: Mr. Thorner and Ms. Sesh because they were really funny and encouraging. Mr. Thorner used to prank Ms. Sesh. He put a plastic spider in her purse and when she opened it, she screamed. And Mr. Thorner is afraid of snakes, so she put pictures of snakes all over the classroom.

What is something you learned at Beauvoir that has helped you at your new school?

HB: How to make friends and be a good friend. When you’re starting at a new school, you always want to feel included, and to have someone to tell a secret to and be there for you when you need them.

TR: Multiplication—I’m really good at sevens. I used to be bad at them, but one of my friends helped me a lot.

What is your favorite book?

HB: Charlie Thorne by Stuart Gibbs. It’s about a girl named Charlie Thorne who is really smart and in the CIA.

TR: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

HB: I have never been to Hawaii. I love to surf and I love warm weather and coconuts.

TR: England. I just want to go to London and see how it’s different than America.

Who is someone you admire?

HB: I admire a lot of athletes for how hard they work and how much they love their sport, especially Serena Williams because I really love tennis.

TR: Probably artists like Michelangelo. I just like their art.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

HB: I love sports, so maybe an athlete. But I also love animals, so maybe a vet.

TR: A veterinary surgeon.

What advice would you give a third grader at Beauvoir?

HB: If they have any really cool hopes and dreams, keep on going with them and make sure you try to accomplish them. Always feel good about your choices and never give up.

TR: Try your hardest. Always. ✿

W E L C O M E

New Beauvoir Governing Board Members

FOR THE 2020-2021 AND 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEARS

2020-2021

Lindsay Ellenbogen is a proud alumna of Mount Holyoke College and The George Washington University. She and her spouse, Henry, have two children: third grader Elijah and pre-kindergartner Judah '27.

Catherine Hunt Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School. She and her spouse, Jason, have a preschool-aged daughter, Madeleine, and two sons: Thomas '22 and Robert '23.

2021-2022

Manan Mahadevia earned an MBA from the Indian School of Business. He and his wife, Vandana Puri, have a son, Arjun '21, and a daughter, Maya '23.

Dace Martinez grew up in Oklahoma and received her undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State University, summa cum laude, and law degree at the University of Oklahoma, graduating first in her class. Dace and her husband, Roman Martinez, have two children: Rommy '22 and Cobi '24.

Lindsay Ellenbogen Catherine Hunt Ryan Manan Mahadevia Dace Martinez

Jeremiah Norton is a graduate of St. Albans School and earned an AB in economics from Duke University and a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center. He and his wife, Katie Hayes Norton (Beauvoir '87 and NCS '96), have two sons at Beauvoir: PJ '24 and Teddy '26.

Ari Redbord received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center and his AB from Duke University. He and Kelley have two sons: Stefan '23 and George '20.

Sharee McKenzie Taylor attended the University of Toronto where she earned her B.A. with honors in Political Science and Economics before earning her JD at Boston College Law School. Sharee lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons, Joshua '20 and Nathaniel '22.

Chanelle Peters is excited to return to Beauvoir for a seventh year of teaching. She was born in London, England and raised in the New England area. Chanelle received her bachelor’s degree in English and Communications, from Simmons University (formerly Simmons College), and a master’s in early childhood education, from the University of Hartford.

Jeremiah Norton Ari Redbord Sharee McKenzie Taylor Chanelle Peters

Dr. Courteney Coyne Simchak

Assumes New Role as Assistant Head of School for Student and Academic Affairs

After eight years as a first grade Partner Teacher at Beauvoir, Dr. Courteney Coyne Simchak is looking forward to stepping into a new role: Assistant Head of School for Student and Academic Affairs.

Dr. Simchak’s appointment was announced in February after a monthslong international search. Her new role began on July 1, 2022.

At Beauvoir, Dr. Simchak has been an integral member of the first grade team since her arrival in 2014. In 2019, she traveled to Peru on a Global Studies grant and brought back a deeper understanding of South American culture and history to share with her students. She spent four years chairing the School's professional development committee, where she helped mentor faculty new and old throughout their journeys at Beauvoir. In addition, Dr. Simchak has served as the faculty representative to Beauvoir’s Board of Governors, and was an integral part of the Strategic Planning Task Force. She looks forward to bringing the Strategic Plan 2025 to life in the years to come.

To celebrate her appointment, Dr. Simchak shared a few of her thoughts about her new role at Beauvoir.

Congratulations on this exciting new position! What do you think you’re most excited about as you step into this new role at Beauvoir?

I am most excited about being able to serve a broader community, beginning with our youngest learners in the ELC all the way through third grade, their families, our faculty and staff, and the Board of Governors. In the past, as a classroom teacher, I have gotten to know one group of children very well over the course of their school year and been able to stay in touch with them throughout their time at Beauvoir and beyond. I’m very excited about the opportunity to know more families, more students, and be able to support our faculty and staff in the important work they do every day.

What was it that led you to pursue an administrative role after so many years teaching?

It was important for me to stay at Beauvoir to continue to give back to a community that has invested in me over the past eight years. I want to have a personal hand in ensuring that Beauvoir remains a leader in early childhood education now and in the future and continue to advance our

FUN FACTS ABOUT DR. SIMCHAK

Favorite Beauvoir Tradition: Christmas Chapel with the first graders.

Favorite Beauvoir Lunch: Butter Chicken.

What’s one thing you should know about her?

Dr. Simchak is bilingual and enjoys speaking to members of the Beauvoir community in both English and Spanish.

mission to instill a lifelong love of learning in our students and broader community. I aspire to support our excellent faculty and staff throughout their careers and believe my greatest potential for contribution is as a member of Beauvoir’s administrative team. I have had an opportunity to work with members of our administration, as a Team Leader, as chair of the professional development committee, as the faculty representative to the governing board, and have been encouraged and inspired by their efforts. I hope to positively contribute to the team in the coming years.

As you step out of the classroom and into this new space, are there any things you think you might miss about being in the classroom, or anything that you hadn’t done before that you’re excited to do now?

I will miss sharing the entirety of the school year with one class of students, but I will continue to seek out opportunities to be involved with children in the little moments of their days. I think some of the most beautiful moments that happen for a classroom teacher are in the quiet comings and goings of children and hearing about

their worlds and all that’s going on. I’m excited to continue to form relationships with children, maybe as a classroom buddy, and during arrival and dismissal.

One of the things that I am most excited about is being able to observe more of the teaching and learning happening in our classroom spaces, being able to observe more children learning as I visit classrooms across the school, and being inspired by the wonderful teaching I know is ongoing. As a classroom teacher, I have always loved to step into another person’s classroom, to be able to see what and how they are teaching. I’m thrilled to be able to do more of that in classrooms across the School.

What are your hopes and dreams for Beauvoir’s curriculum over the next five years?

It is my dearest hope that over the next five years, we can strengthen Beauvoir’s curricular identity, that we are able to best understand what and how we teach every child in our school. I would like to affirm that the curricula that we are using are the best for the children in front of us right now and to complete curriculum reviews in the areas

of math and literacy to make sure that we are reaching every learner. I want to ensure Beauvoir’s curriculum and instructional practices are responsive to the needs of our students and aligned with Beauvoir’s mission, strategic-vision goals, and ongoing innovation; and to ensure a cohesive, relevant, and intentional curriculum scope and sequence across the school. I hope to empower educators to implement effective, differentiated instructional practices and experience feelings of efficacy; to integrate principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging into our curriculum; and to continue to ensure that our students are prepared for life after Beauvoir.

What are your other big priorities as Assistant Head of School?

Of course, one priority is to support students and their families throughout their time at Beauvoir. I’m excited to usher in our Strategic Plan 2025 and think about the ways that we bring those priorities into the everyday life of the school and make the plan’s priorities accessible to multiple constituent groups. I hope to continue to empower educators and support faculty

and staff at every stage of their careers. I am eager to welcome faculty and staff new to Beauvoir, further develop our induction and mentoring program, and strive to support and retain the highest quality faculty and staff. I relish the opportunity to support our veteran faculty and staff through goal setting, observation, and feedback practices. I am also excited to reimagine professional development at Beauvoir to enhance teaching and learning, student learning outcomes, and educator efficacy school wide. I intend to continue to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that have been started over the past several years. I’m eager to continue to collaborate with curriculum chairs, with team leaders, and with members of our administration to ensure that Beauvoir continues to be a place of extraordinary teaching and learning for decades to come.

What do you see about Beauvoir that is unique in our approach to educating young children and how do you see this role as Assistant Head of School for Student and Academic Affairs fitting into that philosophy?

The most unique thing about Beauvoir is that we are a community solely focused on providing an extraordinary early childhood education to every student. Working with children from the ELC to third grade allows us to be fully invested in their beginnings and the most important part of the work. In my role as Assistant Head of School, I hope to share our beautiful view of childhood and to support the foundation for a lifelong love of learning in every student. ✿

Beauvoir Welcomes Dr. Courteney Coyne Simchak

I’m very excited about the opportunity to know more families, more students, and be able to support our faculty and staff in the important work they do every day.

DR. COURTENEY COYNE SIMCHAK, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENT AND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

The most unique thing about Beauvoir is that we are a community solely focused on providing an extraordinary early childhood education to every student.

DR. COURTENEY COYNE SIMCHAK, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENT AND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

L I F E L O N G

Professional Development at Beauvoir

MICHAEL THOMPSON & ROB EVANS ON HOPES & FEARS

By Meredith McAbee, Partner Teacher, Second Grade

Starting this school year on September 8, 2021 with Michael Thompson and Rob Evans’ professional development was so helpful. Coming from teaching in public schools previously, it was so informative to hear from not only educated psychologists and authors but also graduates of independent schools themselves. My biggest takeaway was understanding the most common fears of both parents and teachers and how to build a bridge to mutual understanding. I loved the practical application exercises encouraging teachers to actively listen, ask intentional questions; let parents know how deeply you know their child; and to be honest, concise, and straight forward. My partner teacher and I have already applied these communication tips as we work with families to achieve the common goal of helping their students thrive! I am grateful for the opportunity Beauvoir provided us with to benefit from their expertise and will carry what I’ve learned into future relationships with my students and families at Beauvoir.

Note: Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D, and Robert Evans, Ed.D, are co-authors of Hopes and Fears: Working with Today’s Independent School Parents (NAIS, 2021). During a two-day visit to Beauvoir, they held four workshops for the administration, faculty and staff, trustees, and parents.

My biggest takeaway was understanding the most common fears of both parents and teachers and how to build a bridge to mutual understanding.

L E A R N E R S

GENDER SPECTRUM WORKSHOP ENCOURAGES GENDERAFFIRMING CLASSROOMS

By Chéleah Googe, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Beauvoir’s faculty and staff engaged in two professional development workshops with Carla Peña from Gender Spectrum on the importance of creating gender-inclusive and gender-affirming schools. Gender-inclusive school communities are committed to exploring portrayals of gender in our daily experiences. In this workshop, faculty and staff discussed the impact of gender on students and thought intentionally about ways that we as early childhood experts can support the identity development of all of our students. We brainstormed ways to create a more genderinclusive and affirming community rooted in compassion for one another and it led to our first Mosaic Meetup of the year, “Curating Children’s Literature Through the Lens of Gender”.

GENDER

Gender Inclusive schools ask, 'How are we accounting for the unique gender of every student?'

SPECTRUM

SMITHSONIAN OFFERS NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR BEAUVOIR SCIENTISTS

By Laura Voelker and Tricia Fort, Science Teachers

As Beauvoir’s science teachers, we attended a training course entitled “Science: A Work in Progress” offered through the Smithsonian Science Education Center over the summer. Although the understanding that science is a process that can take many pathways has been part of the science standards in the past, the rigid steps of the scientific method have persisted in science teaching at all levels. This course revisited the idea of consistently using a linear “scientific method” approach as a systematic step of procedures to conduct science experiments with students. By revising this linear process,

it encouraged science teachers to create more authentic experiences for students through the application of an interconnected set of practices being used in multiple ways. The resulting picture of scientific reasoning is richer, more complex, and more diverse than the image of a linear and unitary scientific method would suggest.

We hope to instill this idea within even our youngest scientists by teaching the scientific skills needed to conduct experiments while allowing our students the opportunity to be flexible with their process to discovery.

LITERACY COACHES CONTINUE THEIR LEARNING WITH LETRS

By Anne Mackay and Allyson Eno, Literacy Coaches

This year, the literacy coaches have been completing coursework in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). This ongoing course incorporates reading research conducted in neuroscience, cognitive development, and linguistics, and provides teachers with solid, evidence-based instructional practices to benefit all students. Using Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope model as the backbone, LETRS guides teachers to use structured literacy practices to teach skills in the areas of word recognition

and language comprehension, resulting in reading comprehension. This course is a blended model with online content, textbook research, progress checks, and practicum. We have enjoyed diving deep into the science of reading and are excited to be trained as LETRS facilitators after the course is completed. LETRS has been transformative to our teaching practices and has both helped inform our work with Beauvoir teachers and refine the work we do with their students.

Note: Dr. Holis Scarborough, an American psychologist and literary expert, created her Reading Rope concept in the early 1990s to help parents understand the skills needed for children to become proficient readers.

In the last year alone, our faculty and staff have participated in dozens of professional development opportunities, furthering Beauvoir’s goal of curating lifelong learners. Below are just a few of the educational experiences our colleagues enjoyed this year!

Enhancing Your Work as a DEI Leader, Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW)

Emerging Leaders Institute, AISGW

Fall Women’s Leadership Seminar, The Heads Network

My Students Don’t Look Like Me: Cultural Relevant P.E., P.E. Central

People of Color Conference, National Association of Independent Schools

Engagement Alleviating Bias in the Admissions Process, Association of Independent School Admission Professionals

Reimagining Admissions: Important Lessons from the Pandemic, Association of Independent School Admission Professionals

Centering Queer Voices, Network for Good

Teaching Kindergarten Conference, Bank Street College of Education

National Presbyterian School’s 5th Annual Diversity Institute, National Presbyterian School

Science: A Work in Progress, Smithsonian Science Education Center

Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS)

Milestones

In 2021 and 2022, more than thirty of Beauvoir’s Faculty and Staff celebrated milestones of 5 years or more of collective service. Beauvoir’s entire community is grateful to have spent so many years working alongside these amazing colleagues, and we can’t wait to see what they will do in the years to come!

40 Years

Margaret Hartigan, 2022

30 Years

Ashley Ball Simpson '58, 2022

25 Years

Holly Joyner, 2021

20 Years

Jose Hernandez, 2022

Debra Suzich, 2022

15 Years

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn, 2020

Dawne Miner, 2021

Lisette Osorio-Bladuell, 2021

Daniel Thorner, 2021

10 Years

Melissa Campbell, 2021

Rosaleen Doerfler-King, 2021

Brian Roche, 2021

Carolyn Hammonds, 2021

Kaitlyn Hay, 2022

Twanda Johnson, 2022

5 Years

Louis Berman, 2021

Catie Bliss, 2021

Allyson Eno, 2021

Maddie Fromell, 2021

Chanelle Peters, 2021

Sandy Revelo, 2021

Sara Alipanah, 2022

Kate Davis, 2022

Tamira Guevara, 2022

Anne Mackay, 2022

Drew Mackay, 2022

Neil McClay, 2022

Amalia Mendoza, 2022

Mary Scott Rawlins, 2022

Margot Roux, 2022

Angela Sapp, 2022

Rachel Tanner, 2022

Victoria Thomas, 2022

Master’s Degrees

Two members of Beauvoir’s faculty graduated with master’s degrees in 2021. Congratulations to these colleagues on continuing their education and modeling Beauvoir’s spirit of lifelong learning!

Catie Bliss , M.S. in Educational Studies with a concentration in mind, brain and teaching and educational leadership for independent schools from Johns Hopkins University.

Marcus Sesin , Master’s in Administration and Supervision, The University of Virginia School of Education.

Adjusting the UV ligature

Beauvoir, The National Cathedral Elementary School

Adjusting the UV ligature and type

STRATEGIC PLAN 2025

The National Cathedral

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

Over the past 87 years, Beauvoir has led the way in early childhood education through its rich and researchbacked programs taught by committed experts in the field. Our countless successes have been fueled by the compassionate efforts of community members over the decades, as well as the bold and fearless actions of mission-driven community members, past and present.

If we consider the words of former President John F. Kennedy, we know that dedicated action and determination alone will not lead to success. It also requires thoughtful purpose and guided direction. This newly published, strategic-planning document speaks to the specific purpose and direction that Beauvoir plans to take as we head into a new year replete with opportunity and promise. One of the hallmarks of Beauvoir is our ability to rely on members of the community during both seasons of celebration and moments of challenge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beauvoir community was a shining example of perseverance and innovation as we came together to lift up our teachers, students, staff, administrators, and families.

There have been many Beauvoir leaders and representatives working together on the school's next key project: Beauvoir's Strategic Plan 2025. The former Strategic Plan (2016-2020) was coming to an end, Beauvoir had recently completed a Head of School transition, teachers and staff were preparing to wind down another solid year, and then the world shifted abruptly. We were forced to imagine not what schools "could be," but what they needed to be in order to sustain learning for children at any given point or place in time. What environmental spaces were best suited for young children? What made Beauvoir unique from other schools? How might we continue to attract and retain the top echelon of educators in the competitive world of independent schools? What is Beauvoir's vision for the future?

This strategic-planning document was born out of those important conversations, which began upon my arrival in 2018. I will be eternally grateful for the many people who lent their time, energies, ideas, and suggestions as we sought to determine where we are headed next. May our mission statement, our core values, and this guide remain our North Star as we sail onward with new priorities. I am ardently committed to the journey ahead!

With deepest gratitude,

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn, Head of School

Beauvoir...

MISSION

At Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School, we provide an extraordinary early childhood education in a diverse community that values every individual. Beauvoir's program encourages creative, courageous learners and builds an enduring foundation for a lifelong spirit of inquiry and joy in learning.

VISION

We hold a “beautiful view” of childhood. We embrace learning as a lifelong endeavor and are committed to building a community where every child grows, explores, questions, creates, and achieves–individually and together. We align our practices, decisions, and investments with our goal to be a child-centered, safe, and deeply engaging learning community.

LIFE RULES

Core Values

CHILDHOOD

We value a “beautiful view” of childhood and its extraordinary capacity for wonder, learning, and discovery. We inspire a sense of possibility in every interaction and experience at Beauvoir.

COLLABORATION

We value working together as an authentic and inclusive community to imagine, to create, to solve problems, and to support each other in all that we do.

CREATIVITY

We value creativity in learning, action, and problem solving and empower our community of faculty, staff, parents, and students to explore, develop, and celebrate creative abilities.

CURIOSITY

We value curiosity as an essential component of inspired learning. We model and encourage curiosity for all in our community.

COURAGE

We value the courageous spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, challenge, and confusion. We empower learners to engage in the world with brave resilience.

Our Diverse & Inclusive Community

As a community of learners and educators who value and are committed to diversity and inclusion, Beauvoir celebrates and welcomes families, faculty, and staff of all faiths; family structures; and racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In the 1950s, Beauvoir was the first school affiliated with the Cathedral to racially integrate, and it continues to be a place where authentic relationships are formed and nurtured. We value the range of experiences that form our community and believe that our diversity fosters a strong, inclusive community. We welcome and invite everyone to come as they are so that we may learn from one another.

Our Four Strategic Priorities

REDEFINE | REVIEW | REEXAMINE | REIMAGINE

PRIORITY 1

Beauvoir will REDEFINE, through both our messages and actions, the positive benefits and outcomes of growing as teachers, learners, and community members within a diverse, Episcopal-school setting.

PRIORITY 2

Beauvoir will REVIEW and reexamine the alignment of our curricular cornerstones from the Early Learning Center (ELC) to the Third Grade to ensure that our students continue to be well-prepared for life after Beauvoir and highly valued as confident thinkers and compassionate leaders as they matriculate to receiving schools, both at the Cathedral and beyond. In tandem with this, clearly articulate the evolution of professional goals and expectations for faculty and staff during their Beauvoir journey to achieve and maintain Beauvoir's trademark excellence.

PRIORITY 3

Beauvoir will REEXAMINE, reimagine and/or maximize our early childhood spaces and school environment to support the evolving needs that children in their formative years require in order to be both solution seekers and good stewards, well equipped for the future cognitively, socially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

PRIORITY 4

Beauvoir will REIMAGINE a school where we extend our reach to greater depths, through marketing and admissions, endowment growth, donor relationships, auxiliary programs, parent

Priority 1

Beauvoir will REDEFINE, through both our messages and actions, the positive benefits and outcomes of growing as teachers, learners, and community members within a diverse, Episcopal-school setting.

Community is the heart of a Beauvoir education.

❉ We embrace and cherish our Episcopal identity, which is rooted in God’s love for all.

❉ We are a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse community where every member is welcome and enriches our learning environment.

❉ We teach in a collaborative style that promotes teamwork and establishes a foundation for building effective relationships and greater success.

❉ We are grounded in our Life Rules—Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, and Honesty.

NEXT STEPS

1. Clearly describe the benefits of belonging to an Episcopal School and define Beauvoir’s Episcopal identity.

2. Design and implement a new communications and marketing plan that speaks to the Beauvoir experience; spreads this experience to prospective families; strengthens this experience among community members, including alumni; and engages partnerships with organizations in the DMV and beyond.

3. Create various paths for all community members to continue to cultivate inclusivity and cultural competency schoolwide.

Priority 2

Beauvoir will REVIEW and reexamine the alignment of our curricular cornerstones from the Early Learning Center (ELC) to the Third Grade to ensure that our students continue to be well-prepared for life after Beauvoir and highly valued as confident thinkers and compassionate leaders as they matriculate to receiving schools, both at the Cathedral and beyond. In tandem with this, Beauvoir will clearly articulate the evolution of professional goals and expectations for faculty and staff during their Beauvoir journey to achieve and maintain Beauvoir's trademark excellence.

Beauvoir's comprehensive program is the foundation for educating the whole child, with the goal of helping students to become the best version of themselves.

❉ We offer a research-based teaching program that balances academic rigor with essential social and emotional development.

❉ Our collaborative teaching model teaches our students to build vital relationships and problem-solving skills.

❉ Our students are curious, creative, and courageous in their learning.

❉ Beauvoir’s Life Rules are integrated into all aspects of school life, leading to fundamental and ingrained characteristics that promote greater empathy to effect positive change, resolve disputes, and build lasting relationships.

❉ We engage and retain strong early childhood faculty, who embrace lifelong learning and continuously strive to advance professionally.

❉ We incorporate age-appropriate, service-learning programs that genuinely improve the lives of others, while instilling the important message of loving our neighbors and contributing to the broader community.

NEXT STEPS

1. Review, assess, and realign our programmatic curriculum, ELC–Third Grade.

2. Design a clear path of goal setting and review for faculty, staff, and administrators.

3. Reevaluate the ELC program as an integral component of the Beauvoir earlychildhood experience and consider opportunities to market it across the DMV.

4. Ensure the integration of cultural competency in the curriculum, ELC–Third Grade.

Priority 3

Beauvoir will REEXAMINE, reimagine and/ or maximize our early childhood spaces and school environment to support the evolving needs that children in their formative years require in order to be both solution seekers and good stewards, well equipped for the future cognitively, socially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Beauvoir's learning environments provide students with positive and engaging settings that inspire a passion for learning, including:

❉ An environmentally sensitive building;

❉ Areas promoting STEAM equipped with related technology and resources;

❉ Large, light-filled spaces; and

❉ Educational venues ranging from museums and science labs to the Cathedral Close and the Beauvoir Outdoors playground.

NEXT STEPS

1. Assess the feasibility of reimagining space on the Cathedral Close for programmatic use.

2. Work with a school environmental consultant to align Beauvoir’s space and design with current needs, and envision future opportunities (science; technology; engineering; culinary, visual arts, and performing arts; and math).

3. Audit and realign the duties and responsibilities throughout the administrative departments.

Priority 4

Beauvoir will REIMAGINE a school where we extend our reach to greater depths, through marketing and admissions, endowment growth, donor relationships, auxiliary programs, parent resources, and curricular offerings, both virtual and in-person.

The role of sustainability at Beauvoir is to evolve and to grow right alongside our students.

❉ We strive to grow Beauvoir’s endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school.

❉ We ensure access to a wider segment of our community by managing tuition growth and ensuring sufficient financial aid.

❉ We continue to attract and retain the best and brightest educators in early education.

NEXT STEPS

1. Create a five-year financial plan in support of endowment growth, finding opportunities to fund long-term priorities including competitive salaries, professional development, financial aid, and recruiting a diverse faculty and staff.

2. Create a comprehensive fundraising plan which clearly articulates to donors the philanthropic priorities including the Beauvoir Fund (annual giving), the Scholarship Benefit, capital, and endowment fundraising.

3. Consider new ways to attract and retain the best and brightest educators, including by providing new and innovative professional development opportunities.

We Are Grateful For You

With thanks to the many dedicated Beauvoir champions who gave life to this document:

Faculty and Staff members, who devote 100 percent to their students and families with unwavering selflessness. The work they supported around this strategic plan was invaluable and their heroic roles are essential to Beauvoir's success;

Former Governing Board Chair Billy Kappaz, whose steadfast and generous commitment to Beauvoir and visionary aptitude led the way, moving this strategic plan from its launching point to the finish line;

The 2020-2021 Governing Board members, which came together regularly throughout the year to consider new directions, meet with consultants, analyze our strengths and areas for growth, and serve as incredible stewards of Beauvoir's resources;

The extraordinary Strategic Planning Committee, which volunteered many hours over Zoom to help lay the foundation for this document. A strong sampling of community members— parents, faculty, staff, and board representatives— allowed for various perspectives to be heard and priorities outlined; and

Finally, the many parents and caregivers, past and present, who truly understand the unique benefits of a Beauvoir education and the importance placed on growth and development in the early years. Beauvoir exists thanks to this ongoing partnership and shared trust.

TASK FORCE LEADERS

Billy Kappaz, Board Chair and Parent

Cindi Gibbs-Wilborn, Head of School

TASK FORCE

Thank You!

Louis Berman, Partner Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Mary Ann Bliss, Director of Academic Technology and Computer Science Teacher

Maura Burke, Learning Resources Specialist

Anna Carello, Associate Head of School (through June 30, 2021)

Ursula Costin, Early Learning Center Teacher

Courteney Coyne, Partner Teacher, First Grade

Anne Marie Desaulniers, Director of Learning Resources

Elizabeth Eastwick, Partner Teacher, Third Grade; AIMS Self-Study Co-Chair; Parent

Lindsay Ellenbogen, Board Member, Advancement Committee, Parent

Lisa Gilcrest, Director of Communications and Marketing

Chéleah Googe, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Margaret Hartigan, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Kaitlyn Hay, Visual Art Teacher

Maryann Heim, Math Specialist

Scott Jaeckel, Board Secretary, Finance Chair, Parent

Geoff Johnson, Director of Institutional Advancement

Holly Joyner, Director of Guidance, Interim Associate Head of School, Parent

Emily Katz, Math Specialist

Meghan Latcovich, Current and Alumni Parent

Alice Leiter '89, Board Vice Chair, Advancement Chair, Parent

Caroline Maffry, Director of Auxiliary Programs, AIMS Self-Study Co-Chair

Dace Martinez, Board Member-elect, Parent

Melinda McDonald, Parents Association Vice President, Parent

Honesty

3500 Woodley Road, NW Washington, DC 20016

202.537.6485 beauvoirschool.org

Parents: If this issue is addressed to a child who no longer maintains an address at your home, please send the correct address to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Beauvoir, 3500 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20016 or email Geoff Johnson at geoff.johnson@cathedral.org.

The National Cathedral Elementary School