Winter 2015 rectors letter

January 27, 2015

Dear Friends and Families, Happy New Year!

I hope the holidays were a time of joy for you and your family. Over the break the Bucks greatly enjoyed the company of our loved ones. And while weather did not permit us to partake in our typical winter sport activities, we bonded in front of the glowing fires in our hearth and intricate wooden puzzles on our table.

Conversation and collaboration took form as we explored how pieces fit together to become an image of meaning. A similar process could define my first six months at Chatham Hall. How I have loved spending time with our students, faculty and staff, parents, alumnae, and friends. Every one a valuable resource in serving my goal of understanding the many interconnecting components that form the whole of Chatham Hall. While a letter cannot truly convey all that I have experienced and observed, I attempt to keep you abreast of that which currently transpires and that which will aid your knowledge of the school I have come to love.

At the core of any school are students and the teachers who facilitate their learning. At Chatham Hall our students display the highest levels of intellectual curiosity. Our girls crave knowledge and the opportunity to apply their understanding. They are dedicated to their studies and to mastering material. While years ago the role of teacher was to disseminate information, today’s professional educator at Chatham Hall is tasked with the responsibility of facilitator. Our teachers encourage analysis, application, and action. Technology serves as an essential tool for completing these tasks. To deepen our commitment to educational technology and enhance skill sets, our faculty recently engaged in a daylong professional development workshop led by digital strategy consultant Hans Mundahl of Hans Mundahl and Associates. In this workshop they learned more about utilizing various applications for the iPad in the classroom, and found alternative means for assessing their students. In service to our students, it was a day of innovation and invigoration. I wish to be clear: technology should not and will not replace good teaching. It is best used as an assistive tool for challenging curiosity, facilitating learning, and fostering understanding.

Outside of the classroom, our girls have applied their talents to athletics, the arts, and club activities. We are rehearsing for the Winter Musical, Ruthless. The cast and crew are very excited about the production. Many of our dancers are participating in a dance piece to be performed in Greensboro. The girls are working hard and finding invigorating challenge with the choreography. Our winter sports teams are amidst their seasons

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and the IEA riding team has excelled bringing home many first place ribbons and qualifying for Regional Finals. Spirits are high. Perhaps the most exhilarating extra-curricular news to report, our Robotics team, The Tutu Turtles, and the robot they designed, Gameron, performed exceptionally well in the Shenandoah Valley Regional FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at UVA. Our team won the prestigious INSPIRE Award recognizing the excellent caliber of their engineering notes, performance in competition, and collaboration. As a result of their superior performance and winning the INSPIRE Award, our team has secured a position at the State Championship in February. Go Tutu Turtles!

I am happy to share that every senior has submitted her college applications. Hooray! We recognize that sitting for standardized tests and completing essay prompts is a necessity in this day and age, but admittedly, it’s not fun. We are proud of our girls for their diligent efforts to complete the process. While it is soon for notification, as most schools announce non-early action admission decisions in the spring, two thirds of the graduating class has already received an offer for acceptance. This is noteworthy, as is the number of merit scholarships offered to our girls. Our Director of College Counseling, Sharon Williams, is pleased with the results thus far and looks forward to sharing even more positive news as the year progresses.

Spirituality continues to be an essential element of our girls’ Chatham Hall experience. We continue to gather in St. Mary’s three times a week. Senior Chapel Talks are a much anticipated part of the week. How wonderful it is to see the girls reflect, share their faith, and convene as a community. In addition to our formal services, our girls also participate in student led Link Groups in which they converse about topics tied to morality and faith. In November, Chaplain Dr. Ned Edwards and Dean of Students Emily Johns presented aspects of this unique program at the National Association of Episcopal Schools Conference in California.

In two weeks we will enjoy a dedicated day to celebrating our GIRLS (Growth, Independence, Relationships, Leadership, and Spirituality) Program. The theme of the day is “courage.” Our students will screen a documentary film entitled The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things. Lively conversation is certain to ensue. We will also conduct workshops where girls will be encouraged to try new activities. One such opportunity will challenge girls to be brave and bold on stage. Cometry, a comedic improvisational poetry and theater troupe will coach girls to go beyond their comfort zones by performing for others. This combined with the array of workshops designed to foster skills of emotional and physical empowerment, promises to make for an inspiring day.

Renovations to the Small Drawing Room of Pruden will soon be under way. A committee of Trustees has worked diligently with an interior designer, contractor, and members of the administration to develop plans. Designed to enhance the aesthetics of this room as well as the comfort of admission guests who are welcomed in the space, modifications to the room should begin in the next month or so, with completion targeted this spring.

The Office of Enrollment is cooking with gas! We have an unprecedented number of registered attendees for our Admission Open House on January 19th and application numbers are currently more than triple than that of last year at this time. Success is attributed to a finely honed plan of recruitment and marketing strategy, with special focus on key domestic markets and diversifying our international population. Individual

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meetings with feeder school placement directors, educational consultants, and families go far in fostering relationships and understanding of Chatham Hall. While publications and our website are important tools for informing others about the school, there is no replacement for positive word of mouth. Spread the good Chatham Hall word and know that we are always excited to meet girls of promise and character. Please contact the Office of Enrollment to introduce us to girls you care about.

Just as numbers in the Office of Enrollment continue to climb, so do those reported by the Office of Advancement. We’ve enjoyed exceptional response to receptions across the country and are thrilled to partake in the experience of re-engaging alumnae with their school. While attendance is one means of measuring engagement, fund raising statistics are also of critical importance. At the time of this writing, the Office of Advancement reports that we have 50 more donors than we had last year at this time. We have also seen increased dollar amounts of giving. In addition, we have benefitted greatly from estate gifts and bequests. Planned giving is a phenomenal tool for honoring an institution and securing its future.

In December we received the physical check for one such bequest of $2 million. Last January when first notified of the funds to come, the Board of Trustees elected to place the money in specific endowment funds to offset institutional operational expense. This gift will go far in serving the school for many years to come.

Planned giving, annual fund contributions, and donations toward capital expense all support the school.

While women are often reluctant to discuss matters of money, I unapologetically iterate the importance of resources to the future of Chatham Hall. Financial support allows us to operate in the day-to-day and ensures that we will continue to serve girls who will follow in our footsteps. If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to join those who enjoy the return of investing in Chatham Hall.

I look forward to spending time with you in this new year. Whether in person or via electronic means, I eagerly await the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialog. I thank you for your support of Chatham Hall.

I close with wishes of happiness and fulfillment for your loved ones and you. May each of 2015’s puzzles present a challenge met and completed with wonderment and joy.

Esto Perpetua,

Suzanne

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