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February 3, 2017 August 2017 Dear Friends, Greetings from Chatham HallOne of the intellectual highlights of my summer was a visit to Stanford University’s Design School. laboratory, part think tank, school is a the place where creativity is valued, IPart hope this correspondence findsthe you well. It’s midpoint in our school year collaboration and what a glorious required, experimentation applauded,and andathletic where successes sticky notes seebeen moreplentiful. use thanWe’ve a marathoner’s few months we have had. Academic have seen students sneakers. Theon school screams innovation. Here my fellow board of theTurtles Enrollment perform well national exams and in robotics competitions. In members fact, the Tutu Robotics Management Association I were variousleadership aspects ofaward. empathic Team won their Decemberand meet and introduced took home to a special We design. have also seen students recognized by colleges with early decision offers of admission. While the destinations of Empathic is abeprocess in which problems solved active listening, questioning, and our seniorsdesign will not solidified until spring, we are off to athrough terrific start. engagement. The roles of problem experiencer and problem solver are turned upside down. In Iempathic continuedesign to be in of the experiencer creative talents of our students. In the theofcommunity wassolver treated theawe problem is considered the expert; thefallrole the problem is incredible performances. October dancebiases, recital and was to eerily members to put herselflive in the shoes of theThe other, to abandon viewbeautiful the taskasataudience hand from the proceeded house of movement performance. Interestingly, our fall lens of the through individuala sophisticated presenting thehaunted experience. play also evoked ghosts, but was far more humorous in nature. Blithe Spirit was a smashing success. Aligned spirit, the and Christmas Season wasthis filled with joyful traditions.gave In addition to the many To help with my colleagues me to understand further, our facilitator us the following activities campus, St. Mary’s Choirfrom members sharedDesign their beautiful voices on the to courthouse example. on A team of problem solvers Stanford’s School was contacted design low stepsincubators as part of the celebrationbabies of Christmas in The the town. cost for premature in Nepal. mortality rate of preemie babies in this region was extremely high. It was purported that if hospitals had access to lower cost incubators more lives We also student with to theNepal community at large.the Being a good neighbor not just could besee saved. The strengths team was shared dispatched to understand issues at hand and toisbegin the something that is nice to do, it is a responsibility. In empowering girls to better the world, we must design process. also empower them to make a difference locally. Each week we offer activities where students can support have included citizens,interviewing. hosting a blood with To makeothers. a long These story short, the team visiting engagedsenior in empathic Theydrive, spokeworking with hospital children, environmental cleanThey up, preparing boxes for centers, everything staff as well as with families. sought to food understand the crisis experience ofand those who hadin-between. preemie Recently Chatham Hall was named “Mentor of the Month” by the Chatham chapter of the babies. They met with parents who accessed medical services as well as many, many who didBoys not.and Girlsfindings Club. were outstanding. The team soon discovered that babies were not dying as a result of The limited access to incubators in hospitals. In fact, hospitals had plenty of incubators. The team Making learned a difference was the theme of Leader in the Residence keynote address to our instead that preemies were dying due to inabilityReshma to get toSaujani’s hospitals from rural locales. community. Saujani, founder of the grassroots organization Girls Who Code, spoke to her experiencethorough of identifying a problem,discussions the small number women in couldn’t the technology and programing Through and thoughtful with theof people who access support, the industries. Sheto shared her the process in solving this was by establishing opportunities to learn for team was able redefine problem. The goal no longer to develop lowfor costgirls incubators coding and to teach their skills to others. Saujani’s message was one of salience for our students. hospitals, it was to design a solution for families who couldn’t travel to hospitals and who did notShe reinforced “you can’t be the whatteam youbuilt can’tasee” advocating for has the since importance of have accessthe to concept electricity. Ultimately, prototype for, and disseminated, cultivatingofrole models. Saujani illustrated andinfant. how opportunity emerges even in of failure. hundreds snuggle suits designed to wrapresilience around the These snuggle suits consist a Her message was exhilarating. blanket warmed by insertable heat packs (these hold heat for numerous hours after placement in boiling water). The preemie babies are now getting the warmth they need to enhance their rate of
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survival. While data is still being collected, preliminary results indicate the snuggle suit program has been extremely successful in saving lives. How different a problem looks when viewed through an alternative lens. How efficacious the solution when the problem is clearly defined. I share this example of empathic design to illustrate our work at Chatham Hall. As we empower girls to better the world, we teach them to ask questions, to put themselves in the shoes of the other, to honor experiences that may feel unfamiliar, and to challenge assumptions. We teach them to approach challenge from the purview of many a perspective. We provide rich opportunities to engage with others and to learn from differing experiences. The skillsets, practices, and core beliefs we hold dear (including those of honor and respect of others) arm our girls with the tools to design solutions to problems and to positively impact their environments. The 2017-2018 school year promises to be outstanding. We open Chatham Hall with 155 students, the largest enrollment in 32 years. I remain grateful for the efforts of the Admission Team and to the students, faculty and staff, our parents, alumnae, and friends, who all play an instrumental role in this collective success. New girls will join us from a multitude of states and countries. We will welcome girls from places ranging from Nigeria to Austria, New Hampshire to California. Talent and character abounds! Another area of success is the school’s annual fund. For the year ended June 30, 2017, the school raised $1,021,125 in unrestricted donations, the most in any year yet. Annual giving is an indicator of the school’s strength and the loyalty of her constituents. Thank you for your investment in the future of Chatham Hall. Thank you for your support. If you come on campus, you’ll note that Pruden Hall is more alive than ever. Thanks to the generosity of a donor, new lighting and paint make the transverse hallways and the Well almost as bright as our girls. You’ll also notice enhanced internet connectivity and new high technology screens in many classrooms. This is a time of innovation at Chatham Hall. You might remember that our strategic plan is rooted in innovation and sustainability. Our goals are threefold: to enrich and enhance the student experience, to empower our students as global learners and entrepreneurs, and to ensure Chatham Hall’s competitive position and long-term sustainability. I am delighted to share that we have made advancements in all areas. While a detailed account of strategic plan progress will soon be found on our website, a few highlights include: the creation of an academic support program, enhancements to our health care center, development of a physical fitness and life wellness program, the hiring of a Dean of Innovation, expansion of summer programs, creation of new marketing materials and web/social media presence, lowering the endowment draw, and commissioning of audits and assessments to best maintain our physical plant and space assets. I am exceedingly proud of the advancements of Chatham Hall.
I am also proud that Chatham Hall will have the honor of welcoming to campus Sallie Krawcheck, this year’s Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence. As you may know, Sallie Krawcheck is the CEO and Co-founder of Ellevest, a new digital investment platform for women, and Chair of the Ellevate Network, the global professional women’s network. She is a leader in supporting women in business as Chair of the Pax Ellevate Global Woman’s Index Fund, which invests in the top-rated companies in the world for advancing women. She is author of the book, Own It: The Power of Women at Work. Ms. Krawcheck was the CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, of Smith Barney, and of Sanford Bernstein. She has worked to turn around troubled businesses and to resolve Wall Street conflicts of interest. An advocate of a truly client-centered business model, she has been called “The Last Honest Analyst” by Forbes Magazine, her voice being one of research quality and integrity. Chatham Hall is fortunate to welcome Ms. Krawcheck to campus. As our school moves forward with new strategic plan initiatives in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation, Ms. Krawcheck’s engagement with Chatham Hall is particularly salient. Join us for Sallie Krawcheck’s keynote address at 7:00 PM on October 23. Please contact the Advancement Office to reserve a ticket. Will you be in Winston-Salem on the evening of September 21? If so, please celebrate with us. Chatham Hall archival material will be on display as part of the Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern exhibit at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art. An exclusive tour of this world renowned exhibition will be followed by a reception honoring Chatham Hall and our most iconic alumna. Numerous alumnae and friends attended a similar event held at the Brooklyn Museum in May. The art and carefully curated images of Georgia O’Keeffe are not to be missed. Not available? Join us on the North Shore of Boston on March 8 when we host an additional celebration at the Peabody Essex Museum. Please contact the Advancement Office to obtain details regarding or to RSVP to either of these events. Welcome to a new school year! May meaningful beauty, respect, relationships, inquiry, and empathy be central to all of your year’s adventures. Thank you for your unique experiences and for being you. I’m thrilled you are a part of Chatham Hall. Esto Perpetua,
Suzanne Walker Buck Rector
survival. While data is still being collected, preliminary results indicate the snuggle suit program has been extremely successful in saving lives. How different a problem looks when viewed through an alternative lens. How efficacious the solution when the problem is clearly defined. I share this example of empathic design to illustrate our work at Chatham Hall. As we empower girls to better the world, we teach them to ask questions, to put themselves in the shoes of the other, to honor experiences that may feel unfamiliar, and to challenge assumptions. We teach them to approach challenge from the purview of many a perspective. We provide rich opportunities to engage with others and to learn from differing experiences. The skillsets, practices, and core beliefs we hold dear (including those of honor and respect of others) arm our girls with the tools to design solutions to problems and to positively impact their environments. The 2017-2018 school year promises to be outstanding. We open Chatham Hall with 155 students, the largest enrollment in 32 years. I remain grateful for the efforts of the Admission Team and to the students, faculty and staff, our parents, alumnae, and friends, who all play an instrumental role in this collective success. New girls will join us from a multitude of states and countries. We will welcome girls from places ranging from Nigeria to Austria, New Hampshire to California. Talent and character abounds! Another area of success is the school’s annual fund. For the year ended June 30, 2017, the school raised $1,021,125 in unrestricted donations, the most in any year yet. Annual giving is an indicator of the school’s strength and the loyalty of her constituents. Thank you for your investment in the future of Chatham Hall. Thank you for your support. If you come on campus, you’ll note that Pruden Hall is more alive than ever. Thanks to the generosity of a donor, new lighting and paint make the transverse hallways and the Well almost as bright as our girls. You’ll also notice enhanced internet connectivity and new high technology screens in many classrooms. This is a time of innovation at Chatham Hall. You might remember that our strategic plan is rooted in innovation and sustainability. Our goals are threefold: to enrich and enhance the student experience, to empower our students as global learners and entrepreneurs, and to ensure Chatham Hall’s competitive position and long-term sustainability. I am delighted to share that we have made advancements in all areas. While a detailed account of strategic plan progress will soon be found on our website, a few highlights include: the creation of an academic support program, enhancements to our health care center, development of a physical fitness and life wellness program, the hiring of a Dean of Innovation, expansion of summer programs, creation of new marketing materials and web/social media presence, lowering the endowment draw, and commissioning of audits and assessments to best maintain our physical plant and space assets. I am exceedingly proud of the advancements of Chatham Hall.
I am also proud that Chatham Hall will have the honor of welcoming to campus Sallie Krawcheck, this year’s Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence. As you may know, Sallie Krawcheck is the CEO and Co-founder of Ellevest, a new digital investment platform for women, and Chair of the Ellevate Network, the global professional women’s network. She is a leader in supporting women in business as Chair of the Pax Ellevate Global Woman’s Index Fund, which invests in the top-rated companies in the world for advancing women. She is author of the book, Own It: The Power of Women at Work. Ms. Krawcheck was the CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, of Smith Barney, and of Sanford Bernstein. She has worked to turn around troubled businesses and to resolve Wall Street conflicts of interest. An advocate of a truly client-centered business model, she has been called “The Last Honest Analyst” by Forbes Magazine, her voice being one of research quality and integrity. Chatham Hall is fortunate to welcome Ms. Krawcheck to campus. As our school moves forward with new strategic plan initiatives in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation, Ms. Krawcheck’s engagement with Chatham Hall is particularly salient. Join us for Sallie Krawcheck’s keynote address at 7:00 PM on October 23. Please contact the Advancement Office to reserve a ticket. Will you be in Winston-Salem on the evening of September 21? If so, please celebrate with us. Chatham Hall archival material will be on display as part of the Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern exhibit at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art. An exclusive tour of this world renowned exhibition will be followed by a reception honoring Chatham Hall and our most iconic alumna. Numerous alumnae and friends attended a similar event held at the Brooklyn Museum in May. The art and carefully curated images of Georgia O’Keeffe are not to be missed. Not available? Join us on the North Shore of Boston on March 8 when we host an additional celebration at the Peabody Essex Museum. Please contact the Advancement Office to obtain details regarding or to RSVP to either of these events. Welcome to a new school year! May meaningful beauty, respect, relationships, inquiry, and empathy be central to all of your year’s adventures. Thank you for your unique experiences and for being you. I’m thrilled you are a part of Chatham Hall. Esto Perpetua,
Suzanne Walker Buck Rector