Chat Spring 2021

chat the magazine of chatham hall

spring 2021

chat

spring 2021

the magazine of chatham hall

COVER This year, weekend activities took place on campus and our Turtles enjoyed a variety of new ways to team up and challenge themselves including archery tag, Knockerball, and rock wall climbing.

CHAT SPRING 2021 Beth Stefanik, Editor Susan Johnston Taylor, Contributing Writer Laura Benjamin Chappell P ’22, Designer Rachel Balsley, Erin McHugh, Mary Semerling ’21, Photographers Printing by Collinsville Printing Company, Martinsville, Va.

ADMINISTRATION Rachel Avery Connell, Rector Beth Barksdale, Chaplain Schaeffer Barnhardt ’06, Dean of Enrollment Laura Clay, Dean of Athletics Deborah Glymph, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Martha Griswold, Dean of Academics Jennifer Hiltwine, Chief Financial Officer Christine Cutright Knight P ’19, Chief Advancement Officer Dr. Erin McHugh, Dean of College Counseling Marin Miller, Dean of Students Beth Stefanik, Chief Communications Officer

1 chat

2 LETTER FROM THE RECTOR 4 800 CHATHAM HALL CIRCLE: CAMPUS NEWS 10 OUT AND ABOUT: ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHTS 13 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD 16 A LONG TIME COMING: FACULTY-DESIGNED ADVANCED COURSES AT CHATHAM HALL 20 STUDENTS MAKE CENTS OF MONEY 22 A WORLD WITHIN A WORLD: CAMPUS SPACES 24 GETTING SOCIAL 28 CLASS NOTES 34 IN MEMORIAM 36 FROM THE ARCHIVES

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sarah Monarchi Longpré ’84, Chair Alison Carter-Cady ’91, Vice Chair Jennifer Gammill McKay ’84, P’20, Secretary Sarah Collie ’85, Treasurer Nina Johnson Botsford ’72 Katharine Bulkley ’77 Donie Martin Carlson ’87, P’18 Judy M. Carter ’63 Olga Faison P’21 Jane M. Garnett ’73 Melanie Kirk Holton ’87 Mary Kay Karzas ’71 Andrew C. Lee P’20 Mary Reynolds ’84 John Runnells P’19 James Secor, III

Robin Peake Stuart ’69 Michelle Thomas Supko ’02 Laurie Trexler P’17, ’20 Hunt Whitehead P’22 ex-officio member The Rt. Rev. Susan B. Haynes, Bishop, Diocese of Southern Virginia

The Chat is published semiannually by Chatham Hall.

For comments, suggestions, or to request a copy please email communications@chathamhall.org.

Chatham Hall complies with applicable federal and local laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, sex, disability, religion, national origin, or any other legally protected category.

trustees emeriti Robin Tieken Hadley ’57 Penelope Perkins Wilson ’41, P’67 designated representatives Jennifer Hinson Bamigboye ’03 Alumnae Council President Jennifer Denny P’21, Parents Advisory Committee President

800 Chatham Hall Circle Chatham, VA 24531 434-432-2941 www.chathamhall.org © 2021 Chatham Hall

2

2 chat

chat

Dear Friends, To say this year has been an uphill climb (see cover photo of Vanessa R. ’21!) may be something of an understatement. From COVID-19 to a contentious election season, historic storms to history-in-the-making, it seemed that each week of this school year brought something new with which to challenge ourselves.

Yet challenging oneself, pushing outside of one’s comfort zone to try new things, hit dead ends and high walls, and to keep going, is essential to growth. While we as a community, society, and even world may never have chosen to undertake so many challenges all at once, there is no doubt that this year we did not watch passively as events unfolded but rather we were active participants in our own lives, truly living in the moment.

We took risks this year. We reimagined our athletics seasons, our drama performances, our robotics meets, our weekend activities. We re-envisioned how our beautiful campus could support these new realities, and re-imagined what was possible for us individually and as a Chatham Hall community. We opened ourselves to possibilities, and in doing so expanded both who we are and what we believe. We did not put our lives on hold, but rather pushed ahead in bold initiatives like refining our Living Well philosophy, creating a new academic and daily schedule, overhauling our advanced courses curriculum, and even renovating our campus houses. We started the real work of building inclusion in our community, and are grateful for the words and actions of our faculty, students, and alumnae who have come together to help ensure Chatham Hall is a school in which all can truly see places for themselves. While it would be easy to look at the world and even our lives as having stopped over the course of the past year, nothing could be further from the truth. In the pages ahead, you will see just a glimpse of all that went on at Chatham Hall in the past few months and the foundation on which our work will continue next year and into the future.

This was a year that may be looked on in the future as a heavy time, a sad time, a slow time, but for me it has been a year in which light emerged as together we navigated new realities, appreciated the journey, and illuminated the way for others when perhaps they could not do so for themselves. It was a year in which we may have felt as though all we had to offer was what seemed like the worst of ourselves, but in reality we were privileged to find the best in ourselves and in each other.

It is truly astounding what we have been able to accomplish together, whether we are on campus or off, students or alumnae, faculty and staff or parents and families. With the love, support, and commitment of all we have made strides that would be tremendous in any school year and are phenomenal in this one. Though to anyone who knows us, this should not be a surprise - I for one would expect nothing less of a community as exceptional as Chatham Hall.

Esto Perpetua,

Rachel A. Connell Rector

Pictured opposite is Rector Rachel Connell sitting with students in front of the newly installed art wall in the Large Drawing Room. The art collection was a gift of Robin Peake Stuart ’69. A full story on this collection will be forthcoming.

chat

letter from the rector

3

chat

4

800 CHATHAM HALL CIRCLE campus news Peace Pole Dedicated Chaplain Beth Barksdale officially dedicated a peace garden as part of the Chapel, and memorialized the event with the campus’ new Peace Pole. Twenty-three students participated in the service and flags from seven different countries were displayed.

“We hope today’s service will remind all who pass by to stop, if only for a moment, and consider what is required for the world to be at peace,” Chaplain Barksdale said.

Located in the Hilltop Garden across from Pruden lawn, the Peace Pole is a guidepost for those who might like to think about, reflect on, and pray for peace. It is also a new addition to the campus Touchstones, outside contemplative locations that invite meditation and reflection.

Intramural Sports This year, Chatham Hall’s athletics schedules looked a little different than normal. Rather than home and away games against Blue Ridge Conference (BRC) rivals, the sports teams’ schedules were all home games, and all against fellow Turtles with the exception of a basketball game against Virginia Episcopal School.

“We committed to keeping the same standards that we would if we were playing interscholastic games,” said Laura Clay, dean of athletics. “We asked our coaches to train our teams with the same intensity and prepare as if we were competing with other schools. We wanted to develop skills so that each individual athlete wouldn’t lose anything this season in terms of speed, strength, or understanding.”

The Athletics Department put in place a variety of precautions for student-athletes, including daily uniform cleanings, daily equipment sanitizing, personal water bottles, and more.

“It’s turned out to be a fulfilling alternative,” said Clay. “I can’t image this being a program that we or any school would implement regularly, but for now it is a safe and reasonable alternative.”

New January Term Beginning In 2022 In her winter letter, Rector Rachel Connell announced the addition of a January Term beginning in 2022.

This new, required term will allow students to explore courses that are not currently part of semester curricula, as well as offer ample opportunity for co-curriculars, to meet graduation requirements, and/or to undertake courses for personal growth.

More details on this program will be forthcoming, and Rector Connell is excited about the possibilities a January Term brings to Chatham Hall.

“Among other things, in the years ahead I see January Term as a time in which studentalumnae connections are able to expand via guest experts, shadow opportunities, and internships,” she wrote. “I see every student graduating from Chatham Hall with a command of personal finance that will lay the groundwork for supporting their hopes and plans, and I see students able to better control their time as they explore their interests and passions.”

Riding On Feb. 27, Chatham Hall’s Riding Program hosted the Interscholastic Equestrian Associations (IEA) Region 9 Regional Finals with both School and IEA COVID-19 protocols firmly in place. Five high school and three middle school teams participated, as well as numerous individual competitors.

Throughout the day Chatham Hall riders competed in both teamdesignated classes and as individuals.

Individual riders moving on to Zone 3 Finals included Vance Luster ’23, Kensington Nelson ’22, and Annabele Whitehead ’22. At the end of the day, Chatham Hall’s team also topped the leaderboard and emerged as champions. Riding for the team at Zone Finals will be Sophie Croker Poole ’23, Vance Luster ’23, Caroline Hall ’21, Kensington Nelson ’22, Zoey Horn ’22, and Annabele Whitehead ’22. Zone Finals will be held in Spotsylvania, Va. on March 27 and 28.

The Chatham Hall Riding Program has also been able to safely compete at some open hunter/jumper shows as well. Five riders traveled to the Virginia Horse Center for the Spring Welcome “A” Show, and the team hosted a Southwest Virginia Hunter Jumper Association show on campus in April. The Riding Program is committed to educating student riders to be good horsewomen, and with that in mind will host a clinic with USHJA President Mary Knowlton on May 8-9.

chat

6

International Students Remain Turtle Strong When Virginia school campuses closed last spring, it was the first of many unique challenges for Chatham Hall’s international student community.

“Last year I was planning to spend Spring Break in Miami and then do some college visits,” said Vanessa RenHan ’21, of Beijing, China. “When that wasn’t possible, I thought I would stay on campus.

But then Virginia mandated that all schools shut down. My roommate invited me to stay with her for as long as I wanted to. It was a great time with her family. I spent the summer with them because I knew that if I went home to China then I wouldn’t have the chance to come back. I am a senior, I wanted to complete my college applications in the States because of the network here and work with Dr. McHugh. I also wanted to finish my entire high school career here, I wanted to have the entire high school experience.”

For Gloria Guo ’22, returning to campus this year was not an option.

Instead, she took advantage of the School’s remote classes.

“I really didn’t want to transfer to another international school in Shanghai as a junior or former overseas student,” she said, when asked about her decision to go remote. “And I did not want to waste my opportunity to be a part of this amazing community.”

Sunny Xu ’23, also of Beijing, China, was able to return to campus only after a two-week quarantine in a third country. With two other Turtles, she quarantined in Dubai, United Arab Emirates before returning to Chatham and quarantining at Gilmore House.

“SINCE CHATHAM HALL HAD A PLAN AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP US SAFE Unlike RenHan, Guo, and Xu, WE WERE ABLE TO Lou Riedel ’22 was not returning to Chatham Hall this year but DO A LOT OF THINGS, rather arriving as a new ASSIST Scholar, brought to the School from SPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, Berlin, Germany, by the U.S.-based nonprofit organization that matches THAT REALLY HELPED academically talented, multilingual international students with ME FIND FRIEND American independent secondary schools for a one-year stay.

GROUPS. CHATHAM “I wanted to spend a year abroad not only to improve my language HALL MANAGED TO skills but also to learn about the culture,” she explained. “Obviously ENABLE US TO DO A LOT this was a pretty crazy year to do this, but I’m still glad I did it. It OF ACTIVITIES DESPITE was definitely a tough decision, especially because COVID was a lot THE VIRUS.” -LOU RIEDEL ’22 “I didn’t want to have classes via Zoom,” she noted. “Being on campus meant that not only could I be with my friends but I could also absorb knowledge in the classroom from my teachers.”

worse in the U.S. than in Germany.

But I think what reassured my parents was that Chatham is a small community, the School doesn’t have that many students, and that the School had a very clear plan for how they were going to handle it.”

In the 2020-2021 school year, Chatham Hall enrolled students from 10 countries including Bermuda, Cayman Islands, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and the United States.

Throughout the year faculty members welcomed into their classrooms remote learners from across the globe. The dedication of these students to attending classes and remaining involved has allowed the School to maintain a global community, ensuring a rich diversity from which all community members benefit.

DEI Update An update of Chatham Hall’s 2020-2021 diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan is now available at www.chathamhall.org/dei.

Stella Liu ’21, Anna Song ’21, and Jessy Lu ’21 flew to China in November 2020 in full PPE for safety during their travels.

In December 2020, Velda Asare ’22 and five other Chatham Hall students attended the virtual National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The conference is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school student leaders from across the world.

According to the conference website, “SDLC focuses on selfreflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participating students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.” Here, Asare reflects on her experience.

Before attending the conference, I knew I would have the opportunity to gain a great deal of information to bring back to my community, Chatham Hall. While this is undeniably true, little did I know how much of an impact this experience would have on my emotional well-being.

Upon attending this conference I met some of the coolest people.

While I saw several faces through a screen and we were not all physically present with one another, I felt that the connection I experienced with the community was profoundly memorable.

Attending this event is something I will simply never forget. I have gotten to meet amazing people, some I am still in contact with.

SDLC was an experience that opened my eyes and deepened my knowledge.

Over the course of the four days, we unpacked several topics about racism, classism, privilege, pain, identity and numerous others. One of the first topics that was discussed was identity. Everyone created their “molecule” which depicted portions of who they were, such as their gender, race, family structure, and more. Identity played a huge role in this conference. At the beginning, these aspects of who we were were rated, meaning that we were supposed to write if we felt positively or negatively about each of them. By the end of the

conference they wanted to know if we felt the same about each aspect or if our rating had changed which happens frequently.

Identity is something that may be a struggle, a burden, a privilege, or a blessing to various people.

We talked about how these things affected everyone in society and how they made our feelings change.

I even learned how to use better language when addressing people, and my mind was exposed to more issues and topics.

“I LEARNED SO MUCH AND MET PEOPLE WITH WHOM I CONNECTED DEEPLY. PEOPLE WHO WERE FUNNY, SMART, STRONG, AND WERE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE.” One portion I fell in love with in this conference was my affinity group. I got the opportunity to see so many beautiful and successful Black people in one place. We shared experiences, struggles, obstacles, and I had never gotten to relate to so many people before. With so many intellectual individuals, we were able to discover ways on how to bring back change to our own communities.

We talked about some of the most common issues such as performative activism, being stereotyped, discriminated against, and disrespected. We came up with ways we could instill change such as getting people uncomfortable, keeping people accountable, calling people out, making changes in the overall curriculum, and more. I got to hear the ideas and contributions from a vast number of people. We even talked about ways we could make our own communities better by discussing colorism and by talking about how some Black people feel excluded. Diane Nichols, one of the leaders of the affinity group stated, “rewrite the narrative of Blackness to include all of us.”

This meant that at the end of the day, we are all facing the same

problems and the only way to overcome them is as one body. One unit.

Attending SDLC 2020 was an experience I will never forget. I am so glad I got to participate in the event. I learned so much and met people that I connected deeply with.

People who were funny, smart, strong, and were all concerned about making a difference. A difference that benefits everyone.

This conference took me through the experiences of others. This meeting not only initiates change, but it creates a home-like feeling.

Everyone is accepted and loved.

Throughout this meeting I heard powerful and influential words from great individuals. The experience was memorable and encouraging.

7 campus news

Asare ’22 Reflects on Student Diversity Leadership Conference

Faculty Housing Renovations

chat

8

“THIS PROJECT SPEAKS TO THE IDEA OF ENHANCING AND FORTIFYING OUR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY AND ATTENDING TO NOT JUST OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO OUR FACULTY.”

By Susan Johnston Taylor

Faculty members are an integral part of Chatham Hall. As a boarding school community, it is important for the School’s faculty members to live within the campus grounds, enabling them to forge meaningful relationships with students as teachers, coaches, and mentors. Within a recent strategic planning process, the School identified the need to improve its living spaces. Shortly thereafter, a facility assessment study conducted by the Stone House Group, commissioned in 2017, validated this need.

“This project speaks to the idea of enhancing and fortifying our residential community and attending to not just our students, but also our faculty,” said Chief Advancement Officer Christine Cutright Knight, P ’19. Now, a multi-year renovation project will address the needs in 25 facilities on campus, including apartments, duplexes, and single-family residences. In all, 30 faculty members live in these homes and ultimately the School would like to be able to house more of its faculty on campus.

Improving faculty housing will not only help with retention but will aid in recruiting top-tier faculty in the future. “Part of our competitive position is the talent that we have,” Knight said. “It is important to be able to attract talent and retain them for that quality of school and educational experience that we want to provide at Chatham Hall.”

The current initiative will attend to the individual residences throughout campus.

The School’s recently hired director of facilities will work with selected contractor, Blair Construction, and oversee the project.

Managing around COVID-19 has required additional flexibility. Renovations were recently completed on the stable apartment and Brush House renovations got underway in the winter.

Because the faculty housing is so varied—the original part of one home dates back to 1777, while two garden apartments were added to Holt academic building in 2004—the scope of the renovations on each will vary. “Every home has its own story,” Knight said. Some spaces require foundation work and upgrades to the plumbing and electrical systems. In addition to addressing deferred maintenance needs, the renovations will also include cosmetic improvements such as updating kitchens and bathrooms.

The project’s lead donor is anonymous. “[She] really understands and appreciates the need to not only protect her investment, but to ensure that the School has resources available for ongoing care and maintenance,” Knight said.

“So, ten percent of her gift and every gift for this effort will go towards an endowment fund to ensure that we are generating funds for ongoing care and maintenance.”

Tutu Turtles

GIRLS’ Day 2021 Chinese medicine. Jiu jitsu. Mardi Gras. Saving the oceans. GIRLS’ Day 2021 had it all.

A day devoted to students becoming the teachers, GIRLS’ Day is a unique opportunity for Chatham Hall community members to learn more about each other’s passions.

“We ask students to fill out a proposal about what they might like to share, how they might like to share it, why it’s meaningful to them, and what they think the community will get out of it.

It always starts with the girls,” said coordinator Kirsten Blaesing.

In total, students offered 10 workshops and this year an alumna even joined the line-up with Imani Brooks ’16 speaking to the School on her involvement with Girl Up, a movement to advance girls’ skills, rights, and opportunities to be leaders, and founding the Chatham Hall Girl Up club. She also discussed the stepping stones of her life that have brought her to where she is now, and graciously answered questions from students, faculty, and staff.

Maggie Gilluly ’23, a first-time GIRLS’ Day presenter, co-hosted “Beads and Bling: It’s a Mardi Gras Thing” allowing the community to learn about and experience a little of the Mardi Gras season.

“I think GIRLS’ Day is so cool. I love having a chance to switch things up again so that students get to teach something, and faculty and staff get to learn something new. It’s a great thing the School offers,” she said. “I’m definitely learning presentation skills, including how to engage a crowd and how to get everyone excited and motivated for what I’m presenting.

It’s super fun.”

The team was divided into two sub-teams, the Bumble Botz and the Fireflies. This meant building two robots and having twice as many positions available to students. In this year’s “Ultimate Goal” game, robots were expected to move around the playing surface, collect rings, and be able to shoot them into goals of various heights. In order to complete all of these tasks, each team needed a programmer, a driver for the wheels of the robot, an operator for the shooting mechanism of the robot, a human player, a coach, and a scout.

“This year we are not able to compete in person with other teams, but we had the opportunity to compete against each other,” explained Fireflies captain and four-year team member Quiana Rodriguez ’21. “It’s really interesting because we don’t feel rushed, so we’re able to guide the younger girls into learning about different positions on the team and get to know what they are passionate about. It’s really nice to be able to take this time to focus more on their individual skill sets.”

While the Fireflies eventually won the Feb. 20 competition with a final record of 3-1-1, all members of the Tutu Turtles came away as winners. The team trophy acknowledged this year’s two intramural teams, but also the overarching Chatham Hall team.

Mission: Valentine After hearing about Chaplain Barksdale’s mother’s tradition of making and delivering Valentine’s Day cards to her local community, members of the Spiritual Life League decided to put together their own project for the town of Chatham.

“We wanted the Chatham community to feel special this Valentine’s Day during these troubling times,” said Caroline Keating ’24. “We know some people have not been able to see each other, and to get out very much. We wanted to make Valentine’s cards to deliver to them to make sure they felt loved.”

More than 150 cards were made by the Chatham Hall community for Mission: Valentine. On Feb. 14, morning and afternoon groups of School volunteers spread out across town to hand-deliver Valentine’s Day cards to front doors. While students were unable to present the cards directly to local residents, knowing that they had delivered well wishes was enough.

9 campus news

When members of the Tutu Turtles, Chatham Hall’s FIRST® Tech Challenge robotics team, learned that they would be competing in a purely intramural season this year, it would have been easy for them to feel discouraged. Instead, they opted to look at the valuable opportunities that had just become available.

chat

10

OUT & ABOUT alumnae profiles Throughout this year we highlighted a few of our alumnae contributing to a variety of communities, causes, and careers. Here are the stories of how just a few of them took their Chatham Hall education and used it as a firm foundation for personal success. Full stories can be found at www.chathamhall.org/alumnae.

S.Y. Mason-Watson ’76 Having earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology, a master’s degree in public affairs, and a juris doctor degree, it is safe to say that S.Y. “Sharyl” Mason-Watson ’76 is a woman of varied interests.

With a career that has included resident advising, healthcare consulting, Senate staffing, presidential campaigning, and of course the law it seems there is nothing Mason-Watson can’t do.

Talmadge Ragan ’69 Always an avid reader, Talmadge Ragan ’69 moved from stage and screen to the audiobook scene in 2010 with the narration of her first audiobook, The Sign of the Salamander by Eugenia Miller, and won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. Since then, she has gone on to record more than 80 books and even has a professional recording studio in her home.

“There is no typical day,” she says. “My schedule is my own depending on everything else I’m doing. People are intrigued with audiobooks and I enjoy doing them as an avid reader myself although there is a lot of work involved that people don’t realize. Besides reading the book and making character “Appreciate the school notes, I need to occasionally and every moment you mark up the script to prep for the recording. That being have at Chatham! The said, getting a chance to read girls you know now will be for fun before I go to sleep is a women who will always be your friends, care about delight I do nightly!”

Ragan credits Chatham Hall you, and be there for you. with having a major influence There is a special bond, an understanding of each on her life and work.

other that comes from sharing such formative years together. Treasure that. I always do.”

“Relish the time that you So how much of this came have to discover yourself, from her time at Chatham what you enjoy, what you Hall? want to build upon, what “Are you kidding? you want to take with you Notwithstanding all that was already instilled in out into the world,” she advised. “Don’t be afraid me by my parents and to speak up, cultivate your family - I had a strong curiosities, find your voice sense of self, even at thirteen - how could I have and let it be heard. Take it accomplished all of the with you when you leave above without Chatham and spread it out into the Hall’s influence? Strength, world.” courage, perseverance, self-awareness, selfconfidence, etcetera. My feminist flag was already flying high when I got to Chatham, but it flew even more resolutely after my experience at Chatham Hall.”

When Mia Vega Tovar ’06 arrived at Chatham Hall it was one of her first times away from her family’s home in Texas.

“There were many faculty members who supported and influenced me at Chatham Hall,” Tovar says. “My sister, Lorena, and I were far away from home for the first time ever and so many people helped us make Chatham Hall home.

“Chatham Hall gave me

D’Metriss Bannerman Holmes ’95 Since graduating from Chatham Hall in 1995, D’Metriss Bannerman Holmes has been busy. Very busy.

“After Chatham, I matriculated to Babson College, the number one entrepreneurial college in America for twenty-five consecutive years where I graduated with honors with a dual major in entrepreneurial studies and marketing alongside an “Harness the power and independent study minor in pride of attending an allAfrican American studies,” said girls school and allow it to Bannerman Holmes.

propel you to be a woman who contributes to the world.”

“Upon my graduation from Babson, I worked in event marketing for several years at an Omnicom subsidiary company, GMR Marketing, which counted Microsoft, Mercedes Benz, and Miller Brewing company as clients. Upon the Internet bubble burst, I shifted careers and became a New York City Public Schools teacher. I have now been teaching for more than seventeen years, primarily math for first through eighth grade. I earned my first master’s in elementary education from Mercy College and earned my second master’s in school building leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. In my time off, I often freelance using my writing, marketing, and event planning skills.”

“Mrs. Muradi was the skills to be a strong always there with woman,” she says. “It anything we needed. I remember going to her taught me that I was house and learning how capable of more and that all I needed to do was take to cook. Ms. Jackson helped us bridge home charge. It provided me to Chatham Hall with a safe space to be who I Spanish classes, and wanted to be and explore even created a Spanish more possibilities. It gave literature class so that me the confidence that I we could have a more could do what I set myself advanced option. Dean to do.

Being at Chatham Hughes was my advisor Hall really helped me senior year and he believe in myself.” definitely supported me in making a college choice. He challenged me and guided me with thoughtful questions that made me really think about what I wanted to do after Chatham Hall.”

out & about

Mia Vega Tovar ’06

11

12 chat

Maddy Hicks Wiles ’10 When Maddy Hicks Wiles ’10 graduated from Chatham Hall, she indulged her love of travel with a gap year in the United Kingdom.

Upon returning home, she turned to her other love, engineering, to create a path forward. She earned an associate degree in “Chatham Hall was such a engineering from Danville great learning experience Community College followed for me. It really instilled by a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia a sense of self-worth Tech. Following her studies, and confidence that I she accepted a position as a don’t think I would’ve hybrid calibration specialist had otherwise. I felt more with General Motors (GM) in prepared for the world Michigan.

after graduation. I also still maintain contact with “My current project at GM is working on the propulsion many of my classmates system for the Hummer and have lifelong EV,” Wiles said. “My job is to friendships with them for calibrate the software that which I am so thankful.” controls the electric motor and battery pack.”

Taylor Nyberg Taliaferro ’06 “Chatham Hall made me the person I am today.”

For Taylor Taliaferro ’06, this statement encompasses much: a degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), a career in sales and marketing, years spent in medical school culminating in May 2021 with a dual MD/ “La was my Advisor MBA degree from Dell Medical School and boy did we have and McCombs the best advisee group School of Business lunches and dinners! She at UT Austin, not to always made our time mention marriage together memorable and and the birth of special, even helping me her son, Walker. celebrate my birthday Underlying all of these achievements in the summer with a and milestones is the Funfetti birthday cake in the mail,” she said. “La firm foundation of Chatham Hall. ensured that I always

felt supported and loved “I married my and, of course, reminded husband, Tim, in me to call home every 2014 with seven of my closest Chatham once in a while. She Hall girls next to embodies what I love so me,” said Taliaferro. much about Chatham: “Chatham gave me acceptance and lifelong friendships unconditional love.” that I cherish every day. It taught me to not be afraid to speak up against injustice and to seek higher purpose in my life.

I learned how to be confident and pursue my dreams.”

distinguished alumna award The Chatham Hall Distinguished Alumna Award was established in 2010 to recognize distinguished graduates representing diverse professions and interests. The Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes Chatham Hall graduates who embody the characteristics and values of Chatham Hall, such as honor, respect, and integrity.

Keels ’75 Named 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award Winner Dr. Martha Ann Keels ’75, a pediatric dentist currently serving on the American Dental Association (ADA) Council of Scientific Affairs and the Science Committee of the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry (IAPD), was named the 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award recipient.

“Martha Ann’s contributions to pediatric dentistry are numerous, and her service to the pediatric dental community vast,” said Rector Rachel Connell. “I congratulate Martha Ann on her myriad professional accomplishments, and am thrilled to honor her as one of our alumnae truly contributing to her various communities.”

After graduating from Chatham Hall, Keels completed her undergraduate education at Duke University majoring in chemistry. She received her dental degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC) and was the recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dentist-Scientist Award, which funded specialty training in pediatric dentistry and Ph.D. training in epidemiology at UNC. Subsequently, Keels established the pediatric dental program at Duke University and served as the division chief of pediatric dentistry at Duke Children’s Hospital for 25 years.

She is board certified in pediatric dentistry and has served on the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Examination Committee. She is founder and owner of Duke Street Pediatric Dentistry in Durham.

“After getting over the shock of being honored with this award, I immediately thought of how grateful I was for my four years at Chatham Hall and all my wonderful classmates and teachers,” said Keels. “Living through this pandemic has required incredible resiliency. I credit the Chatham Hall experience for laying the foundation that Chatham Hall girls are survivors and leaders especially during times of stress.”

Keels holds fellowships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. As a dental student, she was elected to membership in OKU Honor Dental Fraternity. She has served as president of the North Carolina Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; on the editorial board of Pediatric Dentistry; and on the Council for Clinical Affairs and the Council of Scientific Affairs for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Keels was chair of the Section on Oral Health within the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In 2021 she received the Distinguished Service Award from the AAP. Keels has received NIH funding for an epidemiological study of fluoridation and is currently funded by the NIH assessing dental care risk factors in children and undiagnosed genetic diseases. She continues to study dental acid erosion and dental care for children with special health care needs.

She is married to Dr. Dennis Clements, an infectious disease pediatrician and interim director of the Global Health Institute at Duke University. She has three stepdaughters, all living in San Francisco, and seven grandchildren. Her sister, Cameron Austin, graduated from Chatham Hall in 1978. Keels is excited that her niece, Sarah Austin, will be attending dental school this fall.

13

chat

14

2020 D ou b le t h e Fu n j V I r t ual Reu n ion!

2021 Reunion Weekend A P R I L 3 0 - M AY 2 , 2 0 2 1

DOUBLE THE FUN VIRTUAL ALUMNAE REUNION! Chatham Hall alumnae from classes ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6 are invited to join us April 30 - May 2 at events including: Silent Auction Chatham Hall History with Dr. Black Virtual 5K Race Student-Led Campus Tour Open Mic Coffee House Journaling Workshop Celebration Gala with Purple & Gold Toast You can “Choose your own virtual journey” through all of these opportunities and more throughout the weekend to reconnect with your old friends, meet new ones, and engage with current students.

RSVP to Amy Blair (ablair@chathamhall.org) and stay tuned for more details!

For more information visit chathamhall.org/reunions

15 out & about

Support the Annual Fund today!

We are endlessly grateful for your commitment to Chatham Hall.

For questions or more information, please reach out to our Director of Annual Giving Tell Fritzler at 434.432.5518 or wfritzler@chathamhall.org

Intellectu A LONG TIME COMING: FACULTY-DESIGNED ADVANCED COURSES AT CHATHAM HALL “Living Well at Chatham Hall isn’t a stand-alone program,” noted Connell. “It is the underlying philosophy of all that we want to do here and will begin to inform every decision we make. We have identified nine dimensions of wellness – intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, environmental, financial, inclusive – and will rely on all nine as we develop exciting opportunities in curricula and academic programs, afternoon activities, Advisory chats, and themes for our grade-level programming. Living Well at Chatham Hall will always be evolving and have certainly become the foundation of our decisionmaking.”

Adhering to the AP Program

In her February 2021 Winter Letter, Rector Rachel Connell announced to the Chatham Hall community that beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year the School would no longer offer the College Board’s Advanced Placement® (AP) courses.

Instead, advanced courses would be created by faculty members and crafted specifically for Chatham Hall students.

“The world today is not the world of 20th century education, and the processes and trends that have governed American education for decades no longer best serve our students and society,” she wrote.

Living Well at Chatham Hall

The current Chatham Hall Strategic Plan holds as one of its core goals enhancing and fortifying the student experience.

In order to meet this goal, the School committed to reimagining the deployment of time in the

academic calendar, academic schedule, and daily schedule.

With the guiding principles of focusing on wellbeing, supporting students in appropriate academic and activity commitments, and allowing creativity and flexibility in course meetings, Dean of Academics Martha Griswold led a multi-year investigation into the School schedule. Concurrently, Dean of College Counseling Dr. Erin McHugh led an effort to analyze the Chatham Hall AP program in the overall curriculum.

Both investigations took into account achieving a balance between academic requirements, extracurricular and cocurricular activities and “down time” for both students and faculty and staff, and an ultimate goal of determining what is right for Chatham Hall.

These are also the tenets of the School’s Living Well philosophy.

For decades, AP courses were a go-to avenue for motivated students in an effort to ensure a challenging high school course of study while at the same time potentially gaining college credit for their work. They have flourished in schools across the country that may have similar profiles to Chatham Hall and appear almost identical to colleges and universities.

“As a college admissions counselor, it can be really hard to differentiate between students. APs can be one nice way to do that,” noted McHugh.

“There are many, many schools in this country that often look very similar. Chatham Hall does not look similar to all those schools. Period.

Colleges know that we are different, that we are a boarding school, that we focus on girls’ education, and that we have a fantastic profile built by a strong faculty and student body and that profile also explains all the things that we really care about. We are not in this group of schools that are really all lumped together and have to struggle to

living well

differentiate themselves. We don’t need AP courses for that.”

For any school that offers an AP program, there are some challenges as well as these main benefits.

“A huge downside is that, essentially, a main governing board decides what our students must learn,” said McHugh. “We pride ourselves on what we’re able to do here and how great our faculty is, and we have our own schedule that is slightly different from other schools. “So as we’ve been making this move towards the Living Well philosophy we realized we do have to evaluate time and content and see if it is really working for our students. We often try to squeeze as much content in as possible, which doesn’t always give them the chance to go deeper into subjects or choose something that they would like to explore. Their time is limited in an AP curriculum; they really always have to move on to the next thing. Not to mention that if we offer more AP classes, some students view this as a need to then take more AP classes. It’s added pressure on students, and not ideal for their success.”

Making the Decision

As both Griswold and McHugh continued their investigations, it became clear that AP classes offer far less flexibility and substance than those created by Chatham Hall faculty members. This was never more apparent than in spring 2020 when the campus was forced to close due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

“It was quite eye-opening last year with the pandemic,” said McHugh.

“We all had to switch quickly to distance learning, and we realized that it’s harder for the classes that must follow an AP curriculum. Our

ENSURING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE “When we talk about academic ‘rigor’ at Chatham, Hall, we’re talking about critical thinking,” said Dean of Academics Martha Griswold. “We’re talking about twentyfirst century skills in which students are synthesizing, analyzing, problem-solving, communicating, collaborating, being creative – you really get to know yourself and others better when you are having conversations and talking about things. You can get to know why a person thinks the way they do, and understand it, whether you agree with it or not. Those are things that happen when you are asking kids to think.

“Students are going to gain a lot of skill building, and a lot of practicing skills they have already begun developing in foundational courses. I would expect, and the teachers are excited about, different projects that they’ll do, papers that they’ll write, the depth of thought and exploration that is going to go into building these courses but also what the kids will take away from and find when they are in those courses.”

17 chat

ual

DIMENSION

chat

18

teachers weren’t able to shift and pivot as much as they might have liked because they really had to focus on what this other governing board was saying they should do. That’s certainly not the main reason we’re making the switch, but it did shine a light on some different things.

“Really, we’re constantly evaluating the curriculum and making sure it’s the right thing for our students.

We were doing this before the pandemic, and we will do it after. At different times things will change, and for years – even longer than I’ve been here – we’ve been keeping an eye on the Advanced Placement program and thinking about if it is still right for our girls. When we made the switch to APs it was the right choice for that time. It really helped us build up our profile. But things change, and now we have a fully established profile.”

Working with Colleges

Chatham Hall’s established profile gave the School a key reason to feel confident in moving away from AP classes: colleges and universities familiar with the School understand that faculty-developed advanced classes will provide at least the same challenge and rigor as AP classes. For those institutions less familiar with the School, the School Profile and individualized counseling letters from Dr. McHugh, which accompany all students’ college applications, put every student’s course of study in context.

“In our conversations with college admissions offices, including those in the Ivy League and those most popular with students and alumnae, we have been assured that Chatham Hall’s stellar academic reputation will ensure that our current students’ college applications will not be impacted by this move, and indeed that colleges today are interested in seeing substantive, relevant coursework that prepares students with 21st century skills rather than simply AP courses listed on transcripts,” Connell noted.

Creating New Courses

The move away from AP courses and towards advanced courses has been under discussion for many years at Chatham Hall. Throughout that time, faculty members have consistently expressed enthusiasm for such a change.

A Measured, Thoughtful Approach “Teachers have been waiting to do this for a long time,” said Griswold.

“They are very excited about getting away from standardized tests that ask students, really, to do a lot of memorization. We know that when you ask students to just memorize things those are the things that are most quickly forgotten. That when you’re not allowed to do a deep dive into a subject matter then you’re really just teaching for a test. That’s unfortunately what we have found with the APs. “We also know that our teachers are absolutely capable of providing the rigor that the students need and that the students want. Not to mention that students have been asking for this. They’ve been asking for the deep dives and topics that are relevant to them and relevant to the world now. This always comes up in conversation; students love teachers who can push them.”

In the move away from the prescribed curricula of the College Board, the School will be able to offer new courses allowing faculty and students much greater input and flexibility in the breadth and depth of their studies. The move will also offer greater independence to undertake research on topics that may not be covered or covered in depth as determined by the College Board.

Examples of new, advanced courses expected to debut in the 2021-2022 academic year include A History of Western Civilization: Conflict and Accommodation, a study of artistic and intellectual movements, religious reforms, revolutions, and colonial independence struggles to examine historical tensions between individual or group power and state power; Hispanic Heritage in the United States, in which students will learn about the vast culture differences of the Hispanic population in the United States while also continuing to build their language skills; and Explorations in Advanced Math, a survey of multivariable calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra which will streamline two years of AP calculus courses into one class with topics typically reserved for a collegiate setting.

“For those of us teaching World Languages, moving away from AP classes gives us a chance to teach what we really should be teaching

at advanced levels - literature and history,” noted World Languages Department Chair Kim Jackson.

“I was a university professor for nine years, so I have first-hand experience with what is taught at the collegiate level. I know that the AP curriculum is not what is taught at universities. In fact, students who do receive college credit for an AP language course are typically only awarded a one hundred- or two hundredlevel class credit which is a basic language class equivalent. Students really need to move beyond the basics into literature and history to move forward in their language learning. And for language faculty, teaching literature and history is a tremendously rewarding experience!”

“Teachers will be happier and students will be happier” agreed English Department Chair Dr. Mary Edmonds. “There will be less stress and more joy in the classroom. I think it’s going to make for a better learning atmosphere, and if someone really wants to get into a topic they’re going to be able to do it. And if someone really wants to be able to study an author, that is going to be possible. The kids are going to really benefit.”

“There are several reasons why I am excited about the move that Chatham Hall is making regarding AP courses. The first is that we’re not the first school to do this. Other schools have been moving away for several years and they are seeing their graduates excel in college admissions without the pressure of a standardized test. Better yet, they’re seeing students dig into the advanced courses they’re taking with deep commitment and passion - not with the fear of underperforming on a test. This is an area where I would not want Chatham Hall to be ‘first,’ and I think that their careful observation of what other schools are doing about advanced curriculum options shows a measured, thoughtful approach to this change.

“It is also my opinion that there is pressure with AP classes to ‘teach to the test.’ This is not the kind of focus I want for my daughters when they are taking an advanced class. I’m looking for time for reflection and to dig deep into areas of study that have real meaning. I am also looking for how they are able to take what they’ve learned and use it to talk about issues or suggest solutions to problems real 21st century learning objectives - that I do not believe can be measured by a standardized test.

“Finally, I am most excited because I know the passion and dedication of the Chatham Hall faculty. They will offer courses that will challenge our girls and give them the tools to think critically and problem solve. I can’t wait to see what courses will be available to my rising senior and rising sophomore daughter.

“I believe this move will only serve to strengthen Chatham Hall’s academic program and will enrich our daughters’ experience.”

Kimber Keating P’20, ’22, ’24, former PAC president and assistant head of Grymes Memorial School

Financial STUDENTS MAKE CENTS OF MONEY BY SUSAN JOHNSTON TAYLOR As Chatham Hall students prepare for college and eventual adulthood, understanding concepts like borrowing money, budgeting, and saving for the future is crucial to making smart financial decisions - especially for women. But like many schools across the U.S., Chatham Hall didn’t have a course devoted to personal finance until recently.

During the spring 2021 semester, math teacher Lisa Collis has been teaching an elective on personal finance literacy to a group of 12 Chatham Hall students, mostly seniors who spent the fall semester in a senior-level math class. Collis says that when they surveyed students about what they wanted to learn, the majority of them were interested in personal finance but there wasn’t a course devoted to this topic.

Unfortunately, many American students who will soon need to borrow money for college, rent an apartment, or learn to live on a budget have a knowledge gap when it comes to money.

According to the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a study of 15-year-old students’ performance in reading, mathematics, and science literacy conducted every three years, U.S. teens scored below teens in Canada and several European countries.

Nearly a quarter of the U.S. teens tested did not reach the baseline level of proficiency in financial literacy.

“We recognize that that was an area that was lacking in the curriculum,” says Mathematics Department Chair Nathan Witkowski, who helped Collis create the course. “We saw that need and we wanted to fill it.”

The Personal Finance Literacy course covers topics including financial independence and establishing financial boundaries, goal setting and financial values,

budgeting, credit scores, saving for retirement, planning for emergencies, and more.

One of the earliest topics covered was paying for college, a timely subject, particularly for seniors.

“We looked at financial aid, scholarships, and just affording college,” said Julia Brown ’21.

“We’ve already learned a lot of really good lessons that will be helpful. That’s absolutely something I’ll have gotten out of this course.”

Brown added, “I’m the first person in my family to take a personal finance course in high school.

Everyone else had to figure it out on their own. I think that learning in a structured environment is very, very helpful.”

Hannah Faison ’21 agreed. “As a senior, I’m already thinking about college and what comes after college, and before taking the class I didn’t really feel comfortable with personal finance. The class has made me a lot more comfortable with things like budgeting and my financial goals.”

The course also covers credit scores and borrowing money. “I’m excited that we’ll be talking about borrowing money and paying back loans,” Brown said. “That’s not something I’ve ever been taught before and it’s really useful.”

Collis believes those lessons are already resonating with her students. “I just had lunch with a colleague and she was saying that the students came into her classroom talking about credit cards. That’s good news. I’m glad they’re talking.”

Students each kept journals throughout the semester so Collis was able to see their thoughts and ideas about money evolve. The class also did group simulations on real-world situations like buying a car, choosing a cellphone plan, and planning for college. “They had to apply the concepts of smart spending to all of these things,” Collis said.

Looking at bills offers another realworld money lesson. “Ms. Collis would show us an example of a

l

DIMENSION

21

bill and explain everything on the bill,” Faison explained. “We’d talk about when to pay it, what happens if you are late paying it, just a lot of good things to keep in mind for the future.” She thinks everyone should take the course because of its practical nature.

To make budgeting tangible to students, each created an identity and researched jobs and apartments for that identity. “They had to have a job, they had to find a place to live that they could afford on whatever job it is that they wanted,” Collis said. “They figured out the starting salary for that job.

That was an eye opener. When they started looking for apartments in certain cities, some of them moved quite a few times before settling down.”

Faison liked that planning activity.

“I think it’s really helpful that we’re basically visualizing life after college and getting the chance to organize it in our minds,” she said.

“It’s really making us think about not just what we’ll have to pay for, but how we’ll pay for them.”

That’s exactly what Collis and Witkowski had in mind. “I want them to realize that this isn’t a math class, they’re not learning these things so that they can take a test

chat

living well

and then forget,” Collis explained.

“I want it to be real.”

Later in the semester, students learned about planning for emergencies, such as when a car breaks down, and discussed how to decide if they wanted to rent or own a house as they got older. They also learned how to write a check, read a bank statement, and learn to save early. “We want to make sure that the students have the skills to be able to take their finances and have confidence that they can manage different situations,” Witkowski said. “It’s a really crucial skill.”

Students like Brown are already gaining confidence in their ability to make sound money decisions as they approach adulthood. “I think that everything I’m learning is really going to help me further down the line,” she said.

While the Personal Finance Literacy course is currently offered as an elective with mostly seniors, in the future Witkowski anticipates offering it during the new January Term, primarily for sophomores and juniors to ensure that the majority of students have access to the material. “I’m excited about the evolution of the course as we continue to work together,” he said.

“I

am delighted that Chatham Hall understands the value of personal finance literacy as part of overall wellness, especially for young women. Studies have shown that women lag behind men in financial literacy and have less confidence in financial matters.

Developing personal finance literacy is a journey that should begin in high school. It is critical for young women to understand the importance of managing the financial aspects of their lives, not only for the short term, but from now through retirement. With this course offering, students can begin the process of developing that literacy and confidently continue to grow their financial knowledge based on their own personal, career, and life goals.”

Laura Brown Cronin ’72 Retired; former CFO, Fidelity Investments and Distinguished Alumna Award winner 2019

Environm A WORLD WITHIN A WORLD: CAMPUS SPACES For more than 125 years, Chatham Hall’s location has been described as many things — picturesque, remote, bucolic, rural.

Unfortunately, such descriptions fail to take into account all that happens on the nearly 400 acres comprising the School’s campus.

Dorm life, classroom experiences, afternoon activities, athletics and riding events, performances, experiments, friendships, and the list goes on. For the students, faculty, and staff of the Chatham Hall community, life on campus is rich and full.

Time and Space

Chatham Hall’s unique location offers two key benefits: time and space. Both are required for students, and faculty and staff, to make intentional decisions, form bonds, and dive deeply into experiences that encourage selfreflection. All are essential for community members to learn more about themselves and their passions. Each day, the Chatham Hall community has the time and space to create opportunities to appreciate being present with each other and to create thoughtful and

joyful experiences in which teens can be teens and individuals are valued for their authentic selves.

Campus Possibilities

The global coronavirus pandemic has brought countless changes to everyday life. For students and teachers across the country, this has meant a complete disruption to school life. At Chatham Hall, the ability to create a community “bubble” has meant that not only could in person instruction continue but so too could extracurricular experiences. In fall 2020, this meant offering the Fall Play outside to take precautions against COVID-19 and take advantage of the campus’ many unique spaces.

“I’ve always thought we have such an interesting campus that it can really be activated with performance,” said Cameron Ayres, Theatre Department director and English and creative writing teacher. “I have an interest in site specificity in performance anyway, and what we did in the fall was not exactly site specific but I knew we would be generally stable in terms

of weather and I thought this might be a way for us to be able to have live performances. We could do it without the actors being masked, and the plays that I was looking at could be fairly distantly blocked.”

All in the Timing, a series of three one-act plays, took place on the Holt patio, in front of Willis Hall, and behind the Rectory.

“I was very proud of the girls,” said Ayres. “We had so many obstacles to figure out how to get around and I thought they were just very clever about it. Frequently they would come up with something that I was not thinking of. I think one of the challenging things about working outside is being big enough. I think very realistic theater is more like cinematic acting, it’s very internal.

In the Black Box, for example, it kind of picks that up. But if you’re behind the Rectory and someone is back by one of the trees then it doesn’t really get picked up. The girls were marvelous about a sense of scale with normal interactions that would be big enough to read to the audience.”

In addition to scale, the performances also had to take into account outdoor challenges such as bugs, birds, and even cars driving by. But despite these factors, the show did indeed go on.

“Something I told the girls is that you are always living through history, but generally you are not aware of it.” said Ayres.

“But we’re in a very interesting moment because we are totally aware of living through history.

This is something you’ll tell your grandkids about, how this year was totally bizarre and you’ll appreciate it differently when we’re out of it.”

Opportunities to Explore

A program unique to Chatham Hall, GIRLS’ Day is a once-a-year opportunity for the students to become the teachers and offer workshops on their personal passions. In 2021, GIRLS’ Day

included workshops on Mardi Gras, jiu jitsu, Chinese medicine, saving the oceans, and more. Each year, each workshop and each facilitator have different requirements for success and the Chatham Hall campus offers spaces for each.

“In the planning process, students have to fill out a form about the space they would like,” said GIRLS’ Day coordinator, biology teacher, and associate director of residential life for student initiatives Kirsten Blaesing.

out. Students who are leading discussions usually want the cozy feeling of the Harkness table. Last year we had students who wanted to do a baking workshop. The student kitchen wasn’t big enough and we couldn’t use the dining hall, but Mrs. Morrison’s Latin classroom had a kitchen that was perfect. There really is a space available for everyone to feel comfortable and everyone to have a good fit for their workshop and what they intend to do.”

“I ask them, for example, if they would like a Harkness table or a desk or a lot of space. Essentially, we’re asking them what they need for their workshops to go how they would like. One of the questions is literally ‘if you could have any space on campus, what would that space be and why?’ Most of the time, logistics work themselves

Each day, Chatham Hall offers opportunities for all community members to hone the skills needed for success. From yoga classes to rock wall climbing, building robots to building a personal finance budget, students, faculty, and staff try new things, take risks, fail forward, and find new ways to

Backdrop for Success

living well

meet their goals. The Chatham Hall campus is like no other. A dynamic world within a world, the life of the School takes advantage of every unique space to foster the interests and passions of each unique individual.

23 chat

mental

DIMENSION

Social

DIMENSION living well

GETTING SOCIAL BY SUSAN JOHNSTON TAYLOR

When teens post on social media like TikTok or Snapchat, many don’t realize that a seemingly harmless video or comment could hurt other people or even haunt their online presence for years to come when colleges or potential employers Google them.

As part of Chatham Hall’s Living Well initiative, the School has partnered with The Social Institute to offer short lessons to each Advisory. The Social Institute offers a gamified online platform for social emotional learning and positive technology use so students learn how to be responsible online.

“When you’re fifteen- or sixteenyears-old, what you post will stay online in some capacity forever,” said Dean of Students Marin Miller, co-chair of the Living Well initiative.

“We decided that it was time to put a program in place to start educating our girls so that they could better navigate the digital world.”

Laura Tierney, founder and CEO of The Social Institute, said, “every day, students are affected by amplified social pressures on social media and technology, and it’s impacting their social-emotional health and future success. We’re proud to lock arms with the Chatham Hall community to examine and break down everyday experiences and opportunities to help students navigate social media and technology to prepare for college, internships, and future careers.”

Every other week during the Advisories’ Wednesday morning Cookie Breaks, students engage in a 15- to 25-minute lesson and conversation about an aspect of their digital lives as it relates to social emotional wellness.

A winter 2021 lesson focused on screen time asked students to estimate their average daily screen time and how many times they pick

25 chat

up their phones. All of the students in Miller’s Advisory dramatically underestimated their phone use, some by as much as 50%. “[After checking their screen time] they were all like, ‘maybe I need to be a little more conscious of how many times I’m picking up my phone or how long I’m spending online during the day,’” she said.

“It’s something small, but it’s an awareness that they’re taking away from the lessons.”

Another lesson showed students how social media can act as a reinforcing loop, only showing similar content and not introducing them to different ideas and perspectives. “That’s something that not all of our students really fully realized,” Miller said. “They think of social media like Instagram or TikTok as things to just kind of scroll through as they’re passing the time, not really realizing that it’s tracking their every like, their every comment, and then through their algorithm trying to give them all of that same stuff over and over again.”

In January, a lesson centered on the presidential inauguration and how students could have productive conversations with others, even if they disagree. “It was really nice that it was focused on what’s actually happening in the world right now versus some random social emotional topic that you could touch on anytime,” said Kirsten Blaesing, associate director of residential life for student initiatives.

The timeliness of The Social Institute’s lessons was one of the reasons Chatham Hall chose its curriculum. Another reason: lessons are created with real teens to ensure relevance and avoid talking down to students. “That was really important to us to make sure that we are covering real issues that they’re dealing with,” Miller said.

The Social Institute also created an online toolkit for parents.

“They have these playbooks that summarize what apps their kids might be using, what they might be using them for, and how other people use them,” Miller said. “It also gives them tips about how to build trust with their kids and stay ahead of things.”

Blaesing said. “Before this, we didn’t really have a space or a time to really kind of open up and have these conversations. It’s giving them room to flesh out how they feel about different things.” She added that The Social Institute lessons gives students a chance to feel heard by each other and their advisors.

These discussions have already prompted Raifah Alam ’22 to think more critically about what she posts online. “We talk about how to be smart and responsible on social media, and who might be looking at you there, like colleges you’re applying to,” she said. “We talk about what the line is between appropriate and inappropriate, and it helps you have a good social media personality. It makes you think about how you represent yourself and how you represent your school and the people you stand for and your teams – everything.”

Eva Melendrez ’23, agreed, saying the lessons “really give us an opportunity to connect with other students and our advisors. We can talk about issues that maybe we wouldn’t talk about in class.

For example, I really liked the conversation we had about how to talk to people with different viewpoints.”

Since starting The Social Institute’s curriculum last fall, social media incidents at Chatham Hall have decreased, according to Miller. She says that improvement is especially notable at a time when “nationally, a lot of students are virtual and basically only engaging through the digital world.”

Beyond reducing negative interactions on social media, the curriculum is also sparking deeper discussions between students and advisors. “I think it has allowed our students a space to kind of have difficult conversations,”

Ellery Blurton ’24, said, “my favorite thing about Social Institute is that it brings more of a positive spin to social media and teaches us that we can use social media for good and to spread awareness of important issues.”

As Chatham Hall students advance to college and beyond, they will have less and less guidance and oversight of their online activities, so Miller hopes that these lessons will give them the tools they need to engage responsibly and set healthy boundaries around technology. “I truly hope that this will help them become better digital citizens,” she said.

Visit the online bookstore!

chat

26

Chatham Hall retro baseball tee

Turtle Strong tee

Nalgene water bottle in three colors

Baseball Cap

Pennant hoodie

Purple and Gold pom pom beanie

Jogger sweatpants

Turtle socks

Under Armour half zip

Purple and Gold reuseable straw set

Greeting from Chatham Hall postcard

Visit the bookstore on our website to purchase these items and more! www.chathamhall.org/shop

Summer Camp at

GIRLS MAKE IT HAPPEN: JULY 18-23 • Identify your unique leadership style • Build in our MakerSpace • Develop your own TED Talk • Learn how to create a business model

SCIENCE INVESTIGATORS: JULY 25-30

• Learn the behind the scenes of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) • Experiment with 3D printing, laser engraving/cutting, screen printing, and casting • Build and program your own robot • No experience necessary - only the thirst for knowledge and creativity

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT CHATHAMHALL.ORG/SUMMER

ADVANCED PRACTICES IN EQUITATION: JULY 11-16

• Intense week-long focus on effective equitation • Work in private and group lessons • Equine and stable management classes

SUMMER RIDING

• Two one-week sessions • Active residential program • Two lessons every day with full time instructors in the equine industry • Fun and educational equine activities

Session 1: July 18-23 Session 2: July 25-30

chat

28

class notes If you’re interested in reconnecting with alumnae, set up a profile on chathamhallconnect.com or email alumnae@chathamhall.org to get started.

1940 Eugenia Lovett West I published two books last year, Firewall and Sarah’s War, and I’m still writing.

1945 Kathryn Reed Smith I have three great-grandchildren.

1946 Alison Erskine Farrar I’m still upright and surviving COVID-19 in my Hanover condo.

Only half of the Dartmouth students are here this fall and the colors were great, not many tourists! Miss my beloved husband and second son. Miss my sheep. Miss my dog.

Hate my computer. Hate my cell phone. Love my kids, grandkids, great-grandkids. Love my large group of stepkids that make the total about forty. Love old friends. I am pretty gimpy, pretty lazy. Thank God for four years at Chatham!

Love to all ’46ers.

1947 Esther Coke Carol Babcock Davenport ’47 has done a good job of keeping the Class in touch.

1948 Margaret Ryburn Topping Didn’t have our planned reunion celebration for my 90th because of COVID-19 but had so wanted all 50+ that were coming to know one another.

1950 Kathleen Herty Brown I had a lovely phone chat with Cynnie Murray Henriques ’50.

We were laughing over Chatham memories: constant knitting, and having to leave our handiwork outside Chapel, draped over bushes, while we were inside singing the daily service. Here in Lewes, DE I’m waiting for my vaccine and listening to hundreds of snow geese argue overhead as they change feeding grounds. I’m staying masked, distanced and mourning the lack of choir (St.

Peter’s Episcopal Church), the chorus (Elder Moments) I lead at Lifelong Learning, my small group (Mixed Blessings) who meet on Monday nights in my back room, my piano player (Joe Holt) with whom I perform and most of all, the loss of my Texas niece, Susan Doyle who died from COVID-19 in December.

My prayer list gets longer every day.

I’m always thankful for my time at Chatham Hall!

1950 Elizabeth Barker Frank I’m doing okay and I don’t go out much at all, especially in winter. I’m still living in my home of many years. My son Halsey Frank is stepping down, with the administration change, after three years as Maine’s top ranking federal prosecutor. Halsey lives in Portland, ME and there was a very complimentary article about him in Portland Press Herald.

1950 Nancy Gwathmey Harris Everything is perfect, I can’t complain at all.

1950 Cynthia Murray Henriques I’m chugging along as we all are.

Have a 15 year old Jack Russell terrier who keeps me company and bosses me around some! I’m glad to be in a retirement community especially in the winter, they do a good job plowing and shoveling!

I keep in touch with my family, I have six great-granddaughters, the oldest turns nine this month! My son Michael is retiring as head of Proctor Academy in June after 16 years as head of school.

1950 Mary Griswold Horrigan I’m in an assisted living facility and I Zoom with members of my family.

So glad I got my second COVID shot.

1950 Ellen Childs Lovejoy My family and friends managed to get me on a sled for a ride down a hill at our farm! It was a project, but it was great fun. I spend as much time on the farm as I can.

1950 Ellen MacVeagh Rublee I am keeping up with my family and my garden. I wish I had a secretary and a cook (don’t we all!).

I’m enjoying living in a retirement community in Peterborough, NH. 1953 Judith Ruffin Anderson I’m living in a new home near family, and I had a successful bout with bronchitis. My travel plans and two happy family weddings were put on hold last year. I read about a million books and keep jigsaws going 24/7. Overall, I am fine, just tired of all the mess the pandemic is causing and sad to see the general mess in D.C. 1953 Lucy McClellan Barrett Hi everyone, hope all is going well during these difficult times.

It appears that as a group, we are weathering the pandemic pretty well. I find that the weeks and months tend to blend together and now it is amazing to realize that more than a year has passed since the beginning of the lockdown. I can’t boast about cleaning out every closet, but I have enjoyed lots of reading of all kinds and walking and also taking online courses in art and history. Our daughter and I decided to tackle reading the Bible in a year. We completed the project in January and are moving on to Anna Karenina for 2021! Since two of our three children and all of our grandchildren now live on the West Coast, it has been a long time since our last family reunion. My best to all.

1953 Linda Lovelace Brownrigg I live in Los Altos Hills, CA and spent the past four decades sharing life with Oxford legal scholar, Philip Lewis, both in California and in the UK. We moved to the Cotswolds in 2008 and Philip died there in 2019.

I spent many years organizing Oxford conferences with scholars studying medieval book production and published three collections of papers in volumes under the Anderson-Lovelace imprint. My children, Sylvia and Michael, both live in the Bay Area. My six grandchildren are in California, although two of them work on the East Coast and one began college

Carlotta Hellier Parsons ’55 and Clark Brink

this year at Bowdoin. My gratitude for a Chatham Hall education and the positive and permanent influence it had on my life.

1953 Olivia Hutchins Dunn I have a bachelor son on each coast.

No grandchildren but a very special and beloved granddog who is kind, gentle, considerate and is my new and VERY good friend.

1953 Cecily Allen Mermann Life is good. I am healthy and enjoying life in Norfolk, CT. I have family nearby and my grandchildren visit frequently. The education I received at Chatham Hall at a formative time in my life was excellent.

1953 Jane Clark Reeder My husband John and I live in Providence, RI where he served on the faculty of Brown University, and is now retired. We have a daughter in San Francisco and a son in Washington, D.C. and four grandchildren. Like all of us, I am frustrated by the pandemic, but I have managed to fill the time with lots of reading. I am eager to get to the Big Apple once travel is possible again. I have much gratitude for my Chatham Hall education.

1953 Anne Bourne Rose I moved from Washington D.C. to Maine with husband, Jim, some years ago to an assisted living place.

Sadly, Jim passed away last year.

Class of ’60 Margot Steenland Cater’s six year old granddaughter “Edie” Cater on our front porch

1953 Doris Silliman Stockly My husband, Holmes, passed away after 94 wonderful years of life and 63 happy years of marriage. I have five grandchildren and two of the families live a mere 10 minutes away - lucky lady! Holmes and I often ran into other Chathamites in many places which delighted us both. Most recently it was Mary Hooker Crary ’45 in Florida.

1953 Barbara Billings Supplee I moved to an assisted living facility near Gladwyn, PA about three years ago. The grounds are lovely, and it is a perfect fit for me. My three daughters live in Aspen, Seattle, and Charlottesville.

1954 Jane De Hart After a year of sequestering in place during which my husband retired, we finally secured our COVID-19 shots. Following my full knee replacement in February and the months required for full recovery, we hope to be able to travel again when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, Knopf is doing a new printing of my Ruth Bader Ginsburg biography. It was also published in Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand and there is even a Chinese translation in the works.

1955 Carlotta Hellier Parsons 2020 has not been a kind year, and I have suffered a great loss.

In 2019 I fell in love again, and had a joyous year and a half with Clark Brink, who lost his wife to ALS five days after my husband John died. We took amazing trips to Tanzania, Kenya, Thailand and India, and planned on marrying.

Then COVID-19 struck. Clark died of COVID-19 on October 19, and I am devastated, but grateful for the time we had together. The rest of my family are doing well, and I now have three great-grandchildren.

I live at Glenridge, a wonderful continuing care community in Sarasota, and am glad I am here among wonderful supportive friends.

1958 Wissie Thompson What a treat to have been able to visit Chatham in November 2019 when the remarkable Doris Kearns Goodwin was at the School. It seems especially wonderful considering the world of endless uncertainty into which we have all been plunged then. To my class of 1958 and to all of my Chatham friends, I wish you the very best. Please stay safe and well.

1960 Margot Steenland Cater Although we are still mostly hunkered down, my husband and I are feeling a bit liberated having now had the second of our Moderna shots! (Bonus of age!) I have spent lots of time on Zoom, during this pandemic, playing duplicate bridge and in Bible studies. Who would have thought we would all get to know Zoom so well! We will spend our 19th summer once again in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Linville, NC where our two adult children come to visit with their families.

Love to you all and stay well.

29 class notes

1954 Caroline Ramsay Merriam Living in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. and worked to elect Joe Biden.

chat

30

Email image for virtual book discussion hosted by Toinette Tucker ’60.

Carol Harkey Garner ’60 and husband being “locked down.”

minute. I did physical therapy to strengthen my legs beforehand and admit to using a mounting block, but I had few aches and pains.

The area is beautiful, and it was wonderful to have the whole family together in such a casual setting.

1960 Adelaide McKenzie Moss Guess all I can say is that number one: I got both vaccines and feel much freer to be doing anything outside home. But I do feel like I’ve become a homebody with a big dependence on Netflix, public radio, and good books. Doing some art but it’s so easy to say I’ll do that later!

Still with two projects coming up I will paint more! Spending time with my sons on Zoom - so glad that exists... imagine life in 1918!

1960 Toinette Tucker Held a virtual book discussion in February for the alumnae community on my book Zen Dog.

Margaret Lloyd Keuler ’60 and family at a dude ranch in the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho the summer of 2019.

1960 Margaret Lloyd Keuler As a birthday present to myself, I took my family for a week at a dude ranch in the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho the summer of 2019. There were eight adults and seven children - ages 22 months to 15 years old. The siblings/cousins had such fun together and were mostly free ranging (within a safe area). There was riding twice a day and one all-day ride, and I went on every one and enjoyed every

1967 Margaret Perkins Sise Bright spots in the pandemic: Outdoor dining with Mary Dykema McDonald ‘69 and fall foliage hike with Laurie Nussdorfer ’68.

I am quite good at talking from a distance. Nothing stops me! I also find laughing with my sister Kate Perkins Hartsfield ’65 over the old fashioned phone is very cheerful.

Hope you all have people who lift your spirits. Love to all!

1968 Muffy Dent Stuart All is well and busy in Lexington, KY - Class Zooms have been terrific and fun!

Camille Agricola Bowman ’71 and Anne Burnett ’71

1969 Paget Humphreys My husband Joel Dackman accompanied me to my 50th Reunion. He was already ill with blood cancer but he enjoyed himself immensely as did I. Joel passed away in July.

1969 Talmadge Ragan I’m so excited about the release of my latest audiobook: The Tigran Chronicles by Meg Welch Dendler.

It’s a fascinating story as well as a different kind of novel with halftiger/half human beings and their ongoing conscience and evolution into political realms. Hope you’ll check it out on Audible! This is something different and certainly resonated with me!

1971 Camille Agricola Bowman In September, I thoroughly enjoyed a socially distanced mini-reunion in New Hampshire with Anne Burnett ’71, Anne Blodgett Holberton ’69 and Ginger Maurer ’69. What fun to reminisce with these Chatham ladies ... for some, it’s been 50 years!

1972 Anne Bowman Gowing We’ve been living in the Pacific Northwest for nigh on 33 years, having moved from Pennsylvania in 1988 with a baby and a golden retriever in tow. Alain is a Classics professor at the University of Washington. I have worked at a veterinary clinic for almost 23 years and love it, although retiring in June of this year is a definite possibility! During the pandemic, Alain continued to teach and lecture via Zoom, and as an essential worker I was able to continue

31 class notes

Jane Garnett ’73 and Ardon Brown Armstrong ’73 in Boca Grande, FL during a December 2020 visit.

Kristine Velasco Pincock ‘99 and Katherine Velasco Rutherford ‘00 and families.

Julia Morris Kashkashian ’75, Sarah Martin Finn ’74, and Elizabeth Kirk Unger ’73.

Hunter Estes Barrat ’78, Grace Houghton ’78, Audrey Sawtelle Delafield ’60, Janet Sawtelle Houghton ’54, and Christina Sawtelle Teale ’51.

working as well. Before COVID-19 I was involved at our church as deacon, in the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and singing in the choir. I sure do miss singing! Our son Ben works (interrupted by COVID-19) at the Seattle Aquarium. Alain and I share the home with our almost 18 year old Jack Russell, Kitt. Don’t know who of the Class of 1972 is out this way, but it would be nice to know so we could email or give a virtual wave. Hope all are doing well and staying healthy.

1974 Sarah Martin Finn Julia Morris Kashkashian ’75, Elizabeth Kirk Unger ’73 and I had a lovely lunch here in Denver on January 4, outside as we are dealing with a pandemic. We had a wonderful time catching up after many years!

1978 Grace Houghton Hunter Estes Barrat ’78 visited me in South Portland, Maine last August. Pre-testing, distancing, and masking were observed, and luckily we were able to be outside a lot. We also had a brief, masked visit with three other Chatham alums - the three Sawtelle sisters, aka my mother Janet and two aunts.

We had a summer evening cocktail in my mother’s yard in Cape Elizabeth, ME and it was the first time I’ve seen my aunts in almost a year. We had a rousing rendition of the Chatham Hall alma mater, performed behind our masks!

1980 Elizabeth Agee All is well in the Brooklyn compound. My older son Indigo will graduate this spring from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in Business Administration.

Orion (pronounced OR-EE-ON) is in seventh grade, a budding artist

and trumpet player. I am well and still out there in our community working with high risk young people. Love and peace to the Chatham Hall community.

1980 Allison Sutton Fuqua Randy and I are new grandparents.

Our oldest daughter Caroline and Joe Owens living in Mount Pleasant, SC had a sweet little girl named Sarah Sutton Owens. Randy and I are very blessed.

1999 Kristine Velasco Pincock My family has been healthy this season of COVID-19 and I am thankful for that. There are many projects we’ve enjoyed with the kids from cooking donuts to creating coloring books, board games, and taking local trips. I’m excited for what 2021 holds in store!

chat

32

Coretta (Cora) Abigail Moradeyo Bamigboye, daughter to Jennifer HInson Bamigboye ’03.

2003 Jennifer Hinson Bamigboye My husband Tunde and I welcomed our daughter, Coretta (Cora) Abigail Moradeyo Bamigboye on October 13, 2020. Cora’s birth was a bright spot of joy in an otherwise difficult year, and we look forward to introducing her to her many Chatham Hall aunties as soon as it’s safe. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2021!

2006 Jessica Hills Jessica Hills ‘06 was married to William Calkins on October 3, 2020 at her parents’ home. They had a small “COVID” wedding and the bride was attended only by her niece and nephews and the groom’s nieces. Their siblings, including Jennifer Hills ‘04, and families were also present. Jessica and Will currently reside in Sumter, SC but will be moving to Tokyo, Japan in the summer of 2021. Jessica is an archivist and Will is an engineering officer for the United States Air Force.

2009 Ridgely Knight Miss Y’all! So thankful for the wonderful years and memories.

Jessica Hills ’06 married William Calkins on October 3, 2020 at her parents’ home.

2013 Mary Collins Atkinson Since January 2019, I have served as press assistant for U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO). On January 19, I began my new job as deputy press secretary for U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), where I will continue my career in political communications on Capitol Hill.

2013 Lois Anne Daughtridge Continuing to follow my equestrian passion and working in Lexington, KY at Finally Home Farm and loving it!

Mary Collins Atkinson ’13 with former boss, U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO).

“Chatham Hall was such a positive turning point in my life.

I will always be thankful for the devoted teachers, coaches, and staff at Chatham who gave me self-confidence, an interest in learning, and a commitment to community. They truly shaped my life, as have the life long friends I made while at Chatham Hall. I want to ensure that other girls will benefit from these life-changing relationships through my giving today AND my planned gift to Chatham.”

Kate Johnson Nielsen ’72

What is the Esto Perpetua Society?

Chatham Hall welcomes into the Esto Perpetua Society individuals who have included the School in their estate plans. If you have designated Chatham Hall as a beneficiary of your estate, retirement plan, life insurance, or other assets, you are a member, just let us know!

For information, please contact Major Gifts Officer Danielle Ducré at 434.432.5615 or at dducre@chathamhall.org.

For online resources on a range of estate planning topics, visit chathamhall.org/plannedgiving.

Penelope Perkins Wilson ’41

P

1923-2021

enelope “Penny” Perkins Wilson arrived at Chatham Hall in the late 1930s. Born in the Bronx, New York City in 1923, Penny was the daughter of George W. Perkins and Linn Merck Perkins. Her father was the first ambassador to NATO. She was raised on the family’s farm in Cold Spring, New York.

During her time at Chatham Hall, Penny was involved in the Riding Club and creating the School’s yearbook.

Following graduation, Penny studied at Bennington College in Vermont where she became interested in architecture and particularly in restoring historic buildings. This passion was evident during her time serving on the Chatham Hall Board of Trustees, during which she was the chair of the Buildings and Ground Committee for many years. Penny served on the Board for a total of 26 years, under four heads of school. She was named a Trustee Emeritus in 2015.

Penny’s support of Chatham Hall touched many areas of the campus. In fact, she is the Penny after which our beloved Penny Lane is named! Penny was an avid investor in the unglamorous aspects of facilities boilers and facility infrastructure and the like. Over the years, she invested in dorm improvements, the creation of the Shaw Science Building, our kitchen and dining room renovation, the restoration of St. Mary’s Chapel, and a new facility dedicated especially for our maintenance team. She was a persistent voice in focusing School attention towards addressing deferred maintenance projects and a strong proponent of developing a Provision for Physical Plant Replacement,

Repairs, and Special Maintenance fund and endowed funds for ongoing operations and maintenance. Penny knew that if these things were not attended to it would drain resources needed for students and faculty support.

Penny was mother to five daughters, including Wendy Wilson O’Brien ’67, grandmother to 14, and greatgrandmother to 17. She had strong family connections to Chatham Hall including through her sister Anne Perkins Cabot ’47, cousins Serena Merck Hatch ’45 and the late Polly Wheeler Guth ’44, and Polly’s daughter Olga “Holly” Davidson ’70. Penny was also the godmother of Muffy Dent Stuart ’68. Throughout her lifetime she supported a variety of conservation and restoration projects, donated generously to both Chatham Hall and Bennington College, and was known as a philanthropic leader in myriad settings. Her generosity and achievements were honored with many awards throughout her life, including Chatham Hall’s Boyce Lineberger Award in 1992, Mildred Harrison Dent Award in 1999, and the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2010.

Penny’s legacy is truly vast. Chatham Hall has been indelibly changed by her devotion to it, and her memory will live on in all that she has made possible for the School. Chatham Hall sends its deepest condolences to the family of this amazing woman, and thanks Penny for all that she has given us.

35

The Chatham Hall community extends its deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the following alumnae and friends of the School who have recently passed away.

Dear Chatham Hall friends, Penny Wilson was my shining example of an older, experienced Board member who says little in Board meetings, but knows a great deal. My technique of arriving a day early for Board meetings so I could walk the campus (it is a looong trip from New Mexico), resulted in me finding Penny also walking the campus. My questions shone a bright light on Dr. Lee’s original vision of the campus, the storage of all the full height stage backgrounds that we used when the Lee Library was our theater and, together, we found the Black Box Theater! No, it did not look like much, but when all the lumber and odd parts were cleared out, presto! Just as Penny said, there it was.

— Povy La Farge Bigbee ’51, G’03, ’09, ’10, ’11 Elizabeth Zabriskie van Sand ’37 passed away on October 12, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter Alexandra Kristensen-Caruso ’64.

Penelope Perkins Wilson ’41 passed away on February 10, 2021.

She is survived by her daughter, Wendy Wilson O’Brien ’67, her sister Anne Perkins Cabot ’47, and her cousins Serena Merck Hatch ’45 and Olga Davidson ’70. She was predeceased by her cousin Polly Wheeler Guth ’44.

Jean Burch Falls ’42 passed away on March 29, 2020.

Mary Tiedeman Hoagland ’42 passed away on October 31, 2020.

Elaine Cruikshank Luckey ’44 passed away on January 12, 2021.

Lea Cumings Parson ’44 passed away on November 18, 2020. She is survived by her daughter Katharine Reynolds Chandler ’68 and her

great niece Jane Francis ’13. She was predeceased by her sister Joan Cumings Francis ’50 and her daughter Susan Reynolds Walker ’65.

Marilyn Morss MacLeod ’45 passed away on December 14, 2020. She is survived by her cousin Marian Morris Aikman ’48, and she was predeceased by her sister Sylvia Morss Page ’44.

Helen Dempwolf Goodhue ’46 passed away on January 6, 2021.

Ann Thoron Hale ’46 passed away on November 25, 2020. She is survived by her cousin Ellen MacVeagh Rublee ’50.

Annette Shelden Dykema ’47 passed away on December 22, 2019.

She was predeceased by her sisterin-law Mary Dykema McGuire ’37.

Louise Erdman Larsen ’47 passed away on October 25, 2020.

She was predeceased by her cousin Joan Chickering Volberg ’51.

Katharine Kidde ’48 passed away on November 12, 2020.

Elizabeth Barney Fooks ’50 passed away on December 5, 2020.

Margaret Gammage Nicol ’50 passed away on November 21, 2020.

Phoebe Barnes Caner ’51 passed away on September 27, 2020.

Anne Allbright Smith ’51 passed away on November 7, 2020.

Joan Cass Adams ’53 passed away on November 18, 2020.

Elisabeth Mackay Lee Johnsrud ’53 passed away on October 16, 2020.

Martha Moffitt Carlstrom ’57 passed away on November 21, 2020.

She is survived by her sister Anne Moffitt ’60.

Nancy Heyward ’62 passed away on June 9, 2020. She was predeceased by her sister Candace Heyward ’68.

Rebecca Brown Hutcheson ’70 passed away on October 5, 2020.

She is survived by her mother Susan Judd Brown ’46, her sister Ardon Brown Armstrong ’73, her cousins Elizabeth Blanton McHargue ’55, Frances Wallace Robertson ’73, and Anna Wallace ’08. She was predeceased by her cousin Sally Brittingham Wallace ’44.

Lyell Flagg LeBron ’86 passed away on November 5, 2020. She is survived by her sister Virginia Gray Flagg ’89.

Amanda Birdwell Hodges ’02 passed away on February 6, 2021.

Joel Dackman passed away on July 6th, 2020.

He is survived by his wife Paget Humphreys Dackman ’69.

Joan Gillings passed away on February 18, 2021. She is survived by her daughter Susan Gillings Gross ’98 and her granddaughter Erin Casey Gwyn ’06.

Capt. Vasiliki “Bessie” Marinakos passed away in January 2021.

She is survived by her daughter Margaret-Sophia Perdersen ’18.

Dr. Frances Milam Stoneburner passed away on March 6, 2021. She is survived by her daughter Sara Stoneburner ’76.

Dr. John Moore Stoneburner passed away on October 27, 2020.

He is survived by his daughter Sara Stoneburner ’76.

class notes

in memoriam

chat

36

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Virginia “Ginna” Farr ’36 (pictured far left) was among a small group of women who flew for Great Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II. She will be among the pilots featured in Becky Aikman’s SPITFIRES to be published by Bloomsbury Publishing in spring 2024. Said Aikman, “They were all bold, brave women who performed dangerous jobs and were ahead of their time in many ways.” Be sure to put SPITFIRES on your must-read list!

37 chat Photograph printed with permission from Getty Images.

NON-PROFIT U.S.POSTAGE PAID CPC

800 Chatham Hall Circle Chatham, Virginia 24531-3085 www.chathamhall.org

Empowering Girls Grades 9-12 to Better the World Learn more at www.chathamhall.org