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DANA HALL EARNS GRANT FROM LEADING EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Dana Hall has been awarded a grant by the Edward E. Ford Foundation to create a Data Science Program, beginning with a course combining Social Studies, Statistics and Computer Science to initially be offered to 11th and 12th grade students during the 2023-24 school year.
In the grant proposal, faculty members from the Computer Science, Math and Social Studies departments outlined the following goals for teaching Data Science to Dana Hall students: • Preparing students for college, where nearly every major is now expected to take a Data Science course; • preparing students for citizenship in the modern world as potential future professional consumers of vast quantities of data and aware and responsible owners of their own personal data; • bridging the gap between different disciplines using the language of Data Science; • teaching students to recognize and differentiate among various types of data all around us – quantitative, textual, spatial, visual, among other types; • and teaching students to be better empirical thinkers who answer research questions rigorously, with evidence.
“In the 21st century, data rules. We use it to describe the world, predict trends, and make inferences from samples to populations. Our own personal data is continually collected, stored and analyzed by companies and governments, making it very important to become educated data consumers and producers,” said Math department faculty member Alla Baranovsky, who will be one of the three teachers leading the development of the new course. “Dana Hall students learn to ask great empirical questions in many disciplines. In this class, they will also learn to answer them using rigorous modern methods. Students will be taught to find data, clean and prepare it for analysis, visualize and explore it, and build models. Students will produce an application at the end of the year showcasing their data analysis project.”
The program will also showcase interdisciplinary collaboration amongst members of the Dana Hall faculty. “I am hopeful that this course will not only provide new and rich learning opportunities for students but also for our faculty as we have the opportunity to build integrated, interdisciplinary learning opportunities from the ground up,” said Social Studies department faculty member Brian Cook, the second member of the team of teachers who will develop the course. “Integration will be in the DNA of this course, and the work we’re
–– Alla Baranovsky
Math department faculty member
doing will hopefully help us build models of collaboration that can facilitate further and future collaboration across the curriculum.”
Engineering and Computer Science Department Head Pat Townsend, the third member of the interdisciplinary team, noted that the new course is directly linked to the objectives of Dana Hall’s Vision 2025 strategic plan. “Our goal is to encourage more girls to immerse themselves in STEAM courses by creating various opportunities for accelerating and advancing development,” she said. “I am excited to be part of this new adventure at Dana Hall because this course will take us one step closer to preparing our students for the challenging STEAM courses they will face in college.”
The E.E. Ford Foundation, which seeks to improve secondary education by supporting U.S. independent schools and encouraging promising practices, will provide a $75,000 grant, to be matched 1:1 by the School to develop the Data Science Program. Funds will cover salaries for the development and initial offering of the course, provide professional development for the faculty teaching the course, purchase specialized laptops for students and faculty, and cover the costs to present the course to other schools and to expand the discipline within Dana Hall. If you are interested in supporting this grant with matching funds or learning more about the opportunity, please contact Chief Advancement Officer Christie Baskett at (781) 489-1371.
ACCOLADES FOR AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A
For the fourth consecutive year, Dana Hall earned the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science A (CSA). During the challenging 2020-21 school year, five of the six students who took the AP CSA exam scored a 5 — the highest score. “Dana Hall’s Engineering and Computer Science Department, with the support of the Administrative Team, continues to create policies that promote diversity in the AP Computer Science A course and do not create barriers that discourage underrepresented groups from participating,” said Pat Townsend, Engineering and Computer Science Department Head.
A DANA HALL LEGEND SAYS GOODBYE
On March 4, 1971, a 17-year-old Doug Corrigan P07 started a new job at Dana Hall. In the intervening 51 years, he made the School’s campus his home, raised a family and built a career. Thousands of students and employees have their own memories of Corrigan, whether he was dropping off a warm treat, taking time to chat, throwing a ball to a campus kid, or playing in the faculty/staff jug band. As he prepared for his retirement, Corrigan was almost at a loss for words when asked to recount his favorite memories. Of course, once he got rolling, the memories flowed freely. “The best part was meeting the families of the students, who came from all walks of life,” he said, as he shared stories of shaking hands with former New York City Mayor John Lindsay P71, P73 and showing his vintage blue Ford Mustang to American automobile executive Lee Iacocca G06, 09. He also recalls the School’s centennial celebration in 1981, which was at the time the biggest event to happen on campus, and he can recollect seeing several children of on-campus faculty grow from babies to young adults.
Corrigan claims he won’t miss the daily grind that most people heading into retirement are so ready to cast off. “My feet will be very happy; in fact, they’ve been applauding a lot lately,” he admitted. “I’m not fearful, and I am looking forward to the next challenge.” His immediate plans include renovating his kitchen in his house on Cape Cod, and he wants to do some writing. “In particular, I have been working on a play based on my family growing up—Irish, seven kids, no dad, led by mom, and the humor was hilarious. She was crazy funny,” he explained.
Corrigan will still be a fixture on the Dana Hall campus, and he’s looking forward to having more time to attend student musical performances, as he often had to work when they were scheduled. He will continue to stock the Snack Shack in the Shipley Center, a volunteer role he has taken on since the facility opened in 2005.
Corrigan was publicly honored during Reunion and Commencement. In addition, a plaque will be installed in the Shipley Center, to honor his volunteer commitment to the building’s Snack Shack. It reads:
With appreciation to Doug Corrigan P07, who generously donated his time to the operations of the “Snack Shack” since its opening in 2005. We thank him for his 51 years of service to Dana Hall School.
Above: Dean of Residential Life Donna Corrigan P07, Kelsey Corrigan ’07, Dining Hall Chef Doug Corrigan P07, former Head of School Blair Jenkins in October 2006 Right: Doug Corrigan P07 at Homecoming, 1998
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. Dana Hall students stood out from thousands of entries, and received awards and honorable mentions in painting, drawing and illustration, photography, mixed media, digital art, and architecture and industrial design as well as critical essay, science fiction and fantasy, flash fiction, short story, personal essay and memoir, and poetry.
ART AWARDS Gold Key
• Ella Jang ’23, Painting, “Broken” • Chaeeun Lee ’22, Drawing & Illustration,
“Mangrove Therapy” • Seohyun Oh ’24, Painting, “Surreal” • Chloe Santilli ’23, Photography, “Sepia
Mushrooms”
WRITING AWARDS Gold Key
• Sydney Jiang ’23, Critical Essay, “It’s 2021—Why
Do So Few Women Make It to the Top?” • Talia Loevy-Reyes ’23, Science Fiction &
Fantasy, “Eden” • Loevy-Reyes, Flash Fiction, “Bishops”
Right: Gold Key-winning painting “Broken” by Ella Jang ’23
SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS:
HONORS FOR LATIN LEARNERS
Dana Hall students joined 100,000 others from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 21 other countries in taking the 2022 National Latin Exam in March.
SUMMA CUM LAUDE (GOLD MEDAL)
Flora Gu ’23 (Latin V H)
MAXIMA CUM LAUDE (SILVER MEDAL)
Ella Lindstrom ’25 (Latin II) Amy Meuse ’24 (Latin III)
MAGNA CUM LAUDE
Natalie Drago ’25 (Latin II) Ivy Wellington ’24 (Latin III) Annie Stewart ’23 (Latin IV H)
CUM LAUDE
B O’Donnell ’25 (Latin II) Yudi Wang ’25 (Latin II) Mary Haferd ’23 (Latin III) Miranda Meuse ’24 (Latin III) Jordan Weller ’24 (Latin III) Ashley Booth ’23 (Latin IV H) Margy Eno ’23 (Latin IV H) Coco Zhang ’22 (Latin IV H) Molly O’Leary ’22 (Latin V H)
RECOVERY THROUGH CREATIVITY
On March 2, Upper School and Middle School students participated in Ship Day 2022, a day outside of the regular class schedule dedicated to exploring health and wellness issues. This year’s theme was “Recovery through Creativity: Progress, Not Perfection.” Keynote speaker Tania DeBarros ’07 shared her mental health journey and how creativity — specifically her songwriting and singing — has helped her on her path to healing. At breakout sessions throughout the day, students explored ways that creative outlets can be used to help manage stress, overcome challenges and express themselves. Many Upper and Middle School students led these activities with help from adults and young alums Isabella Daou ’14, Nina Langan ’16 and Sofia Vegas ’15.
Above: Nina Langan ’16 led “Beading & Blooming” Below: Ella Moss ’22, Tania DeBarros ’07 and Genesis Funes ’22 On May 3, seventeen students from the Classes of 2022 and 2023 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society. The organization honors scholastic achievement at the secondary level, and Dana Hall inducts its new members annually each spring. CLASS OF 2022 CLASS OF 2023
Emma Beardsley ’22 Sarah Cole ’22 Julia Freedman ’22 Eva Happel ’22 Evelynn Mak ’22 Elizabeth Nilson ’22 Emma Scharf ’22 Emma Shaich ’22 Sophia Bililies ’23 Elizabeth Dorsey ’23 Huije (Jessica) Du ’23 Sydney Jiang ’23 Sophia Sahni ’23 Hanqi (Sunny) Shi ’23 Anne Stewart ’23 Ilyssa Yan ’23 Jingwen (Sura) Zhang ’23
SENIOR PROJECTS
The Senior Projects program offers 12th graders the opportunity to pursue a project of their choosing during the last weeks of the school year. The Class of 2022 chose projects that ranged from working with library archivists and animal shelter managers to formerly incarcerated women, and presented their findings at Senior Projects Presentations the day before graduation.
Emma Shaich ’22 Sofia Cabral ’22
MOVING UP FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
On Thursday, June 2, the Class of 2026 became the newest members of the Upper School as they participated in the Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony in Waldo Auditorium. Many members of the class read a reflection about their year, and Director of the Middle School Lauren Goldberg presented the Director’s Bowl to Sarah Gallagher ’26.
HONORING EXPLORATION AND ENTHUSIASM
A reflection from Rinehart Chair recipient Victor D’Ambrosio
Sixth grade teacher Victor D’Ambrosio is this year’s recipient of the Rinehart Chair. Established in 1998 with a $1 million bequest, the School’s first endowed faculty chair was set up by James R. Rinehart and Molly Ford Rinehart ’50 to recognize outstanding teachers of the Humanities. On the occasion of this honor, “Mr. D.” shared the following reflection.
Our students at Dana Hall are committed to learning, and they plunge into every project with enthusiasm. They’re independent thinkers who enjoy exploring different points of view. They encourage each other, and they always respect the work that shows imagination and depth.
It’s also a wonderful pleasure to work with my colleagues, a group of educators who are dedicated and creative. They inspire me and keep me energized to face whatever challenges come along. There’s a strong spirit of collaboration at Dana Hall, and that means someone is always there to exchange ideas and offer encouragement.
I’m also grateful for the creative and intellectual experience of teaching at Dana Hall. Within the main focus of our courses, we’re free to design projects and curriculum that flow from our own curiosity and inspiration. I’ve become a better teacher at Dana Hall, because I’ve grown as a learner, pushed myself to explore fresh ideas, and developed new and unsuspected interests.
Receiving this Rinehart Chair is a very great honor. It’s important because it means I was able to contribute something helpful to this community. I’m grateful for the kindness and generosity I’ve received here over the years, and I’m glad my colleagues felt some of the same spirit coming from me.
Victor D’Ambrosio, center, with colleagues Laura Adams, Lindsey Hendricks, Pat Townsend, Michele Gerdes, Angela Brown and Nicole Wellington P21, 24
RECENT WORKS FROM ALUMNAE AUTHORS
Alumnae authors: Do you have a recently published book? Maybe an older title we haven’t heard of but should have in our Alumnae Authors Collection? The Helen Temple Cooke Library would love to add your title to its shelves. Contact Archivist Dorothy DeSimone P06, 10 at dorothy.desimone@danahall.org or (781) 489-1382, or visit https://danahall.libguides.com/alumnaeauthors to see the many works we currently own.
The following titles were recently acquired by the library:
“At the Narrow Waist of the World: A Memoir” by Marlena Maduro Baraf ’63; “The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise” by Julie Gianelloni Connor ’69; “Language Duel: Poems = Duela de lenguaje: Poemas” by Rosario Ferré ’56; “Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis” by Tamsen Evans George ’58; “From Abraham to Jesus: A Story of Conversion” by Ellery Sonking Mauceri ’63; “The Difficult Girl: A Memoir” by Helen Morse ’72; “In a New York Minute” by Kate Spencer ’97; “One Shot for Gold: Developing a Modern Mine in Northern California” by Eleanor Herz Swent ’41
RETURN OF IN-PERSON CAREER DAY
On April 21, the Class of 2026 participated in the annual 8th Grade Career Day, which took place at three different sites: Harvard Medical School, Northeastern University Law School or Solid Biosciences. Students who visited Harvard Medical School took part in a hands-on laboratory clinic. The group at Northeastern University School of Law met faculty, including Professor Stevie Leahy P25, 26, and law students in an interactive panel discussion. A third group went to Solid Biosciences in Cambridge to learn about research into genetic diseases; they met with Annie Ganot P26, the firm’s co-founder and head of Patient Advocacy. A highlight of their trip was extracting DNA from strawberries.
Kaili Poirier ’26 and Brimmer Mather ’26 extract DNA from a strawberry.
APPRECIATION FOR ALEXANDRA SIEMON
Alexandra Siemon, 2006
Social Studies Faculty Member Alexandra Siemon retired at the end of the school year, completing 34 years at Dana Hall School. Legendary among students and alumnae for her commitment to intellectual inquiry, high standards, breadth of knowledge and dedication to sharing that knowledge with her students, she is also known for her devotion to ensuring that her students succeed. When asked to share memories of Siemon, many of her former students were quick to respond. Alena Englund Lauritsen ’94 remembers Siemon as the first teacher who took her seriously. “She expected serious work from us. It was definitely the hardest class I had in high school, but also the most mind-opening. She challenged us to learn how to think, but not just think for ourselves: She wanted us to learn how other people think and to truly value different perspectives. The way she taught and also cared about each of us empowered us to meet her very high expectations. Mrs. Siemon was kind, interesting and inspiring. Somehow, even 25 years later, a teacher who saw me, genuinely cared and shared her passion for the world continues to have an impact that is impossible to capture with words.” If you ask Christa Waegemann ’04, her career path is all thanks to Siemon. At Dana Hall, Waegemann took her Middle Eastern Studies class and got “totally obsessed,” she said. “Before that class, I was kind of a big art student. I’d planned to go down the art route, but by the time I got to university, I took no art classes and took all Middle Eastern studies.” Siemon was one of the Dana Hall teachers whose impact Courtney Caruso ’05 identifies clearly. Caruso credits her with instilling in her a passion for discovering history and the people who came before us, and for seeking to learn about the world through travel. She is grateful for her lessons and says it was in her classroom that she developed the concrete writing, analysis and thinking skills that have empowered her throughout her life and career. “Years later, I continue to carry with me the lessons from Mrs. Siemon’s classroom, as do so many of her former students,” she said. “I am tremendously grateful to her and wish her the very best in retirement!” “Mrs. Siemon was my advisor, and she was a wonderful teacher,” said Rachel Lawrence ’17. “She always asked how we were, and made sure she could support us whenever we needed it. She was a wonderful support system, a fabulous teacher, and I know Dana Hall will miss her greatly.” “As an international student, I expected a narrow understanding of my nation’s political unrest and the kind of norm that prevails in its society,” recalled Shadan Khalid ’21. “Therefore, during my time at Dana Hall, I often had difficulty expressing my personal struggles. Mrs. Siemon’s universalism made her the great empath she is. To listen and understand, to empathize with one’s struggle is one thing, but to actually provide help from a place of experience is another. That’s what Mrs. Siemon is like: turning an intimidating and unfamiliar place into one’s second home. I am sure her other former advisees would agree that she, in many ways, gave us a home — even if it were a brief 15-minute morning advisory meeting.” In addition to her commitment to the classroom, Siemon knew that learning must happen in a far broader context; her vision led to the creation of Dana Hall’s Global Scholars Certificate program. “Alexandra had the creativity and collaborative skills to envision a multi-year, multi-faceted program and to bring others along with her in the creation and execution of this program,” said Head of School Katherine Bradley. “Students, past, present and future, who graduate with this certificate have her to thank for their experience.” In May, Siemon was honored with the 2022 Palandjian Inspiration Award, which recognizes a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated excellence in his/her work with students.
Alexandra Siemon, 1992
VARSITY ATHLETICS
WINTER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Varsity Swimming finished in 2nd place overall at the New England Championships. Keira McGrath ’22 broke the Dana Hall School record and the EIL record for the 100 breast stroke this season. Varsity Squash came in 6th place out of 16 teams at Nationals in Philadelphia. Varsity Fencing teammates Elaine Lu ’25 and Sophia Bililies ’23 competed at the USA Fencing Junior Olympics in February. Lu came in 73rd out of 188 fencers in Junior (under 20 years old) Women’s Sabre and 47th out of 153 fencers in Cadet (under 17 years old) Women’s Sabre. Bililies came in 134th in Junior (under 20 years old) Women’s Sabre. Varsity Fencing Head Coach Jane Carter won both the VET 50 (ages 50-59) Women’s Foil event and the VET Open (ages 40 and up) event at the USA Fencing North American Cup in March. She also re-earned her “A” classification (A’22) and earned points in the qualification for the Veterans World Fencing Championships in Croatia in October. Elaine Lu also competed and earned a bronze medal in Y14 (14 and under) Women’s Sabre. She came in 3rd out of 131 fencers.
Keira McGrath ’22 Ria Sharma ’23 Evelyn Mak ’22
SPRING SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The IEA Equestrian Team placed 8th at Nationals in May. Individual highlights include Millie Essex ’23 taking 2nd in Varsity Open Over Fences, Madison Kastner ’23 taking 3rd in JV Beginner Flat, Lila Bednarski ’24 being named the National Champion in Individual JV Novice Flat rider, and Avery Loughborough ’27 earning 4th place in Future Novice Flat. The AEL Equestrian Team earned Reserve Champion (2nd place) at their National Finals. Individual honors went to Loughborough for her national champion win and Ruby Deluca Lowell ’22 for her 3rd place finish. Varsity Tennis finished 2nd in the Eastern Independent League.
The IEA Equestrian Team placed 8th at Nationals. The AEL Equestrian Team earned Reserve Champion (2nd place) at Nationals. Sophia Cook ’22
SCOREBOARD
AWARDS AND HONORS
Eastern Independent League (EIL) All-League
Basketball (BB): Anelly Mad-toingué ’24 Squash (SQ): Joya Wang ’26 and Kaili Poirier ’26 Swimming (SW): • 200 Medley Relay - Mahika Chopra ’25, Charlotte Friedmann ’26, Keira
McGrath ’22, Joyln Zheng ’25 • 200 Free - Norah Simmons ’27 • 200 IM - Keira McGrath ’22 • 50 Free - Joyln Zheng ’25 • 1M Diving - Natalie Drago ’25 • 100 Free - Joyln Zheng ’25 • 200 Free Relay - Charlotte Friedmann ’26, Keira McGrath ’22, Christine
Wee ’23, Joyln Zheng ’25 • 100 Back - Mahika Chopra ’25 • 100 Breast - Keira McGrath ’22 Lacrosse (LAX): Stephanie Copeland ’23 and Avery Mather ’24 Softball (SB): Ava Clay ’22 and Layla Anderson ’23 Tennis (TN): Zoe Sun ’23, Sophia Cook ’22 and Avery Williamson ’24
EIL Girls Swimming and Diving Swimmer of the Year
• Keira McGrath ’22
EIL Coach of the Year
• Jen Dutton, Varsity Swimming Head Coach
EIL Champions
• Swimming and Diving
EIL Honorable Mention
• BB: Daisy deHollan ’24 • LAX: Iva Jacoby ’23 • SB: Chloe Santilli ’23 • TN: Doubles partners Isabella Bert ’22 and Ashleigh Burns ’23
All-NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Award
• BB: Anelly Mad-toingué ’24
NEPSAC Honorable Mention
• LAX: Avery Mather ’24
The Dragon Award recognizes the individual on her team who promotes the values of sportsmanship, ethical play in competition and commitment to her team. • Fencing (FN): Angel Fu ’24 • SQ: Ria Sharma ’23 • Equestrian (EQ): Madison Kastner ’23 • LAX: Anna Fattaey ’22 • TN: Mia Housman ’22
The Unsung Hero Award goes to the team member who did not necessarily receive recognition during the season, but whose performance and work ethic is deserving of praise. • BB: Daisy deHollan ’24 • Ice Hockey (IH): Ellie Delorey ’24 • EQ: Caitlin Klosek ’24 • LAX: Nicola Shafer ’24 • SB: Madison Kastner ’23
Ava Clay ’22
Anna Fattaey ’22
VARSITY ATHLETICS SCOREBOARD
The Most Improved Player Award goes to the team member who was diligent in her performance and her work ethic and had made significant improvement in her sport skills, game strategies, and overall knowledge of her sport. • BB: Kate Adams ’23 • FN: Miranda Wang ’23 • IH: B O’Donnell ’25 • SQ: Noelle Bardorf ’25 • EQ: Elizabeth Bergstrom ’24 • LAX: Ariella Kaye ’24 • SB: Martina Walsh ’24 • TN: Ashleigh Burns ’23
The Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the athlete who is respectful, dedicated and committed; displays confidence and exercises self-control; and is considerate, trustworthy and enthusiastic about her team and sport. • IH: Jenna London ’22 • EQ: Millie Essex ’23 • SB: Genesis Funes ’22
Most Valuable Player/Outstanding Player Award • SQ: Joya Wang ’26 and Kaili Poirier ’26 • BB: Anelly Mad-toingué ’24 • FN: Elaine Lu ’25 • EQ: Ruby Deluca Lowell ’22 • SB: Ava Clay ’22
Best All-Around Player • LAX: Stephanie Copeland ’23
Horsemanship Award • EQ: Zoe Cole ’25
Leadership Award • BB: Stephanie Copeland ’23
Anchor Award • TN: Zoe Sun ’23
Spirit Award • TN: Sophia Cook ’22
Rookie of the Year • FN: Madison Ravenell ’24
Elsie Stanton ’22
Jenna London ’22
NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE TRUSTEES
Heidi Vanni P28, 30 Jennifer Visco P27 Chrissy Brown P26, 29
In May, the Board of Trustees said goodbye to Jennifer Adams Knebel ’78 who stepped down after 13 years on the Board and five years as President of the Corporation. The following new trustees were elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation.
Heidi Vanni P28, 30 is Managing Director at Boston Trust Walden, an independent, employee-owned firm providing investment management services to institutional investors and private wealth clients. Vanni is the firm’s Director of Institutional Strategies, with overall responsibility for client relationship management, business development, marketing, and communications. Heidi is a member of the Boston Trust Walden Board of Directors and serves on the Investment, Audit & Risk, and ESG Research & Engagement Committees. She previously served as a Portfolio Manager on the firm’s Small and SMID Cap strategies. Vanni began her career working for MFS Investment Management Company. She earned a B.S. from Boston University and an MBA from Boston College. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society Boston and the CFA Institute. She and her husband Alex have daughters in the Class of 2028 and the Class of 2030.
Jennifer Visco P27 is Vice President of Finance and Business Operations at Expansion Therapeutics, Inc. She joined Expansion in 2020, bringing more than 25 years of accounting and finance experience. Prior to joining Expansion, Visco was the Finance Director of MEDScience, a program of Harvard Medical School. Previously, she was Partner and CCO at Martingale Asset Management. She started her career as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Visco holds advisory and executive board positions with several educational, sporting and non-profit organizations. She received her B.S. in Accounting and Business Management from Babson College and is a Certified Public Accountant. She and her husband Davide have a daughter in the Class of 2027 as well as three other children at independent schools.
In addition, Chrissy Brown is the new Chair of the Parents’ Association and will serve on the Board of Trustees during her term.
Chrissy Brown P26, 29 has been a member of the Parents’ Association Leadership Council for four years, serving as a class representative and a member of the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Committee. She has served on the NICU Family Advisory Council at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for 11 years and has coached and acted as an age group coordinator for Wellesley United Soccer Club for years. A former Division I athlete, Brown graduated from Cornell University and worked for 10 years in hospitality operations and consulting. She and her husband Jesse have daughters in the Class of 2026 and 2029.
Q&A
CATCHING UP WITH COMMUNITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DIRECTOR RACHEL NAGLER
WHAT WERE YOUR AREAS OF FOCUS DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR AT DANA HALL?
My first area of focus was to get to know and understand Dana Hall as best as I possibly could. Learning about the ins and outs of our day and boarding program, our athletics and arts, our classrooms, our curriculum, our Board of Trustees, parents, employees, but first and foremost our amazing students. Next, I really worked on addressing existing documents—the Anti-Racist Action Plan, the Diversity Directions recommendations—again with the lens of addressing student needs and having the highest priorities focused on student support and outcomes.
HOW ARE YOU SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES?
I have prioritized carrying out and piloting systems and programs to better support equity and inclusion for students. This means more detailed data-gathering and robust programming outside of the classroom as well as professional development support for our educators to create a community-minded, equitable and inclusive classroom experience that considers everything from classroom culture and expectations to how teachers administer assessments.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR?
Seeing students return one year stronger and further removed from the virtual school experience. I am so excited to offer many of the programs they requested, from heritage month acknowledgements, to affinity and alliance spaces, to outside speakers, to partnerships with external organizations. These programs provide both leadership opportunities as well as the chance to really leverage the extraordinarily diverse community of students at Dana, including linguistic, religious, neurological and racial diversity. Our community has so much rich dynamism and what brings me great satisfaction is to see it utilized and celebrated. I am also eager to partner with our CEI Board committee, families and alums to increase our capacity to guide and affirm our wonderful students.
NEW FACES ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Amy Kumpel joined Dana Hall on July 1 as the new Director of the Upper School. She oversees all aspects of the Upper School program.
Kumpel previously served as the Science Department Head at Concord Academy in Concord, Mass., where she had been a member of the faculty and on-campus community since 2008. Prior to her time at Concord, she held teaching positions at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Ga., and Gann Academy in Waltham, Mass.
“As a woman in science, I have long been interested in working at a girls’ school because of the gender gap and stereotype threat in STEM, and I appreciate that Dana Hall places emphasis on exploring real-world problems involving critical thinking and analysis throughout the academic curriculum,” Kumpel said. “This allows girls to engage in academic risk-taking, to be challenged and to find the joy in life-long learning and intellectual curiosity. After spending time immersed in the community during the interview process, it is evident to me that Dana Hall is a very special place. The School’s stated values clearly align with the program and practices and the lived experience of the students and faculty. Everyone at Dana Hall is pulling in the same direction — what’s best for the students — and is dedicated to making the School the best place it can be.”
Kumpel holds a B.S. from Tufts University in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in English and a M.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, and earned a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Mike White became Dana Hall’s new Director of Athletics, Health and Wellness on July 1. He oversees all aspects of the School’s Athletics, Health and Wellness program.
Well-known and respected by the Dana Hall community, White has been a member of the Middle School faculty and an athletic trainer since 2010. In addition, he served as Interim Assistant Director of the Middle School during the 2020-21 school year. Prior to his time at Dana Hall, White was the head athletic trainer, a class dean and residential director at Salisbury School, and has additional experience working with athletes at every level from youth sports to Major League Baseball.
“From the day I arrived, Dana Hall has always been such a warm and welcoming community to my family and me,” White said. “I value the caring connections I have made with the students, their families and my colleagues over the years, and I am eager to build upon this foundation in my new role. I hope I can bring this sense of community pride and spirit to my role as Director of Athletics, Health and Wellness.”
White holds a B.S. in Athletic Training & Physiology from Ithaca College and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from UMass — Lowell.
– Amy Kumpel
Maddie McGill ’25 and Jerry Austen of Belmont Hill
Above: Maddie McGill ’25 and Jerry Austen of Belmont Hill Jordan Weller ’24, Ashleigh Chiwaya ’22, Syd Weller ’22
Annika Svedlund ’22, Tori Eysie ’22, TJ Cannistraro (Belmont Hill)
Jackie McCormick ’22
BACK IN BARDWELL
The Upper School spring musical, “Into the Woods,” debuted May 13 & 14 and featured guest actors from Belmont Hill School.
“Frozen Jr.,” the Middle School spring musical, transported us to Arendelle March 10 & 11.
Avery Miller ’27 Ceci Bogan ’27 Ilyssa Cedeno ’27 and Lucia Torrebiarte ’28 Kat Morris ’27 and Penny Keenan ’27
The annual dance concert, “Nexus,” hit the Bardwell Auditorium stage on March 3 & 4 and included works in modern, musical theater dance, contemporary, ballet, African diasporic dance, jazz, hip hop, and tap.
Evie Happel ’22, Nyla Sharif ’24, Ilyssa Yan ’23, Lily Brinkman ’22, Miranda Meuse ’24 Aimée Coleman ’22, Ava Morvillo ’23 Ilyssa Yan ’23
Kiki Nartey ’22, Kaylie Quach ’23
On May 19, students in instrumental and choral music from both the Upper and Middle Schools showed off their talents in the All-School Spring Concert.
7th and 8th Grade Chorus Penny Keenan ’27 Chamber Singers BACK IN BARDWELL
Eloise Crissman ’27, viola
More than 15 students recognized by their teachers for extraordinary skill and dedication to music study performed at the School of Music Honors Recital in Beveridge Hall on April 28.
Coco Zhang ’22, flute
Bolin Miao ’25, piano Martina Forrest ’29, ukulele/voice Puckni Bhengsri ’24, guitar/voice
