Foxcroft Magazine (Fall 2014)

Fall 2014

Into the Future

Entering our Second Century with Optimism and Energy

New Head of School Cathy McGehee and benefactor Ruth Bedford ’32 (right) get the 101st year off to a sensational start.

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Forever Foxcroft

Forever Foxcroft was established in 1999 by the Board of Trustees to recognize individuals who have included Foxcroft in their estate plans. Planned gifts take various forms – bequests, trusts, annuities, pooled income, property interests – and provide for the future needs of the School. They ensure that Foxcroft will retain and attract inspiring teachers, that the faculty will continue to design and implement rigorous and creative educational programs, that financial aid will be available to prospective students, and that the buildings and grounds will be carefully maintained and augmented as needed. They ensure that the School will continue to soar.

Ruth Bedford ’32 Anonymous – 10 Mimi Mills Abel-Smith ’54 Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 Peggy Wickes Alexander ’64 +Elizabeth Stewart Baldwin ’23 +Elizabeth Kemp Beach ’20 +Ruth Bedford ’32 +Harriet Aldrich Bering ’40 Pamela Biddle ’81 +J. Bruce Bredin Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton ’70 +Mr. and Mrs. Leland Brown +Amanda Cadwalader Burton ’44 Caroline Rinehart Cardais ’01 Moira M. Carroll ’83 +Cecile Parker Carver ’42 +Ann Gambrill Casey ’39 Hope Kane Childs ’55 Susan Knott Childs ’58 Candida Streeter Clark ’73 +Mariana Gowen Coleman ’15 +Eleanor Chalfant Cooper ’20 Dolph and Beatty Cramer ’66 Ailsa Moseley Crawford ’53 Joy Crompton ’78 Victoria Bartlett Donaldson ’70 Sally Bartholomay Downey ’78 Molly West Ellsworth ’50

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Nancy Jones Emrich Lisa McGrath Evans ’67 +Katherine Crowninshield Ferguson ’53 +Lucy Sprague Foster ’46 +Anna Lauder Garner ’39 Edmee E. Geis ’82 +Betsy N. Getz Sandra Norris Ghosh ’75 Brooke Meyer Gray ’59 Joy Sheaffer Hall ’57 Elizabeth Millard Hanes ’46 Pamela Hartley ’79 Katherine Cooper Hastings ’78 Sarah Stokes Hatch ’63 Trevania Dudley Henderson ’76 Melanie Lozier Henke ’89 Theodora Winthrop Hooton ’47 Richard and Kimberly Hurst +May Field Jackson ’29 Patricia Toy Bryant Johnson '78 Hope Jones ’82 Hope Haskell Jones ’52 +Amanda Bryan Kane ’22 Nancy Krewson ’73 Suzanne Kuser ’49 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Lane +James F. Lawrence

Louisa Whitridge Leavitt ’60 Mary Louise Leipheimer +Mary Ann Lippitt ’36 +Elizabeth Livingston Barbara Hartley Lord ’41 +Elizabeth Mackubin Lyman ’22 +Jane Lawrence Mali ’55 +Nancy R. Manierre ’41 +Nancy Iselin Marburg ’37 Dorothy Alexander Matz ’81 Mr. and Mrs. C. Thomas May, Jr. Mary Cheston McAdoo ’46 Susan McConnell ’68 Amanda McGuire ’84 +Anne Kane McGuire ’52 Susan Schoellkopf Mele ’80 Melissa Slingluff Morley ’81 Valerie Michel Nelson ’77 +Florence B. Newman Joan Lyman Niles ’51 Abby M. O’Neill ’46 +Linda Moore Post ’46 +Heidi Schmid Powers ’59 Jean Rainey, mother of Ruth Rainey ’82 Pickett D. Randolph ’56 +Charles H.G. Rees Nancy Thomas Rees ’45

+Hope Montgomery Scott ’21 Alexandra Flickinger Secor ’80 +Katherine Snyder Shands ’22 +Seymour St. John +Anne Kinsolving Talbott ’60 Alix Tower Thorne ’67 +Eleanor Schley Todd ’29 Carol Exnicios Tucker ’49 Linda Reading Uihlein ’72 +Grace Sloane Vance ’36 +Julia Armour Walker ’59 +Polly Ordway Wallace ’34 +Wilma Warburg Constance V.R. White ’42 Kendra A. Wilcox-Dillon ’82 +Mary Hotchkiss Williams ’30 Eva Louise Willim +Alice Perkins Winn ’19 +Lunsford and Curgie Winchester Yandell ’24 + Deceased We have published the names of individuals who gave us permission to do so.

If you have included Foxcroft in your longterm fiscal planning and would like your name listed, please write the Development Office at development@foxcroft.org or call 540.687.4510.

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With a new head of school at the helm and an extraordinary bequest from Ruth Bedford ’32, Foxcroft’s future is bright indeed!

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From the Head of School

by Catherine S. McGehee

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RECENTLY HAD DINNER with a group of seniors at the house. We talked about their experiences at Foxcroft. I asked them what they thought was the best part of senior year and what surprised them; what they would change about Foxcroft and what they would keep.

While each girl has a unique experience here, there is an overwhelming sentiment that the relationships our students form at Foxcroft are paramount and that they value most the confidence they have gained as students and leaders.

During dessert, a senior turned to me and asked what has been the most memorable moment for me so far at Foxcroft.

I have already had many wonderful experiences since starting in July: Fox/Hound Choosings, the Installation, Parents’ Weekend, and announcing Ruth Bedford’s gift, to name a few, and I hope you enjoy reading about some of these events and other news from Foxcroft’s 101st year in this magazine.

I answered, however, without hesitation, that the most memorable event for me was the Sunrise Service on the first day of classes. For me, Sunrise Service encapsulates the magic of Foxcroft. It was entirely student-run. Each leader shared a quotation to inspire her classmates and teachers to strive for excellence and to live with integrity. The flagraising that followed was symbolic of responsibility, in this case, our civic duty to something beyond ourselves. The setting provided a view of our beautiful campus. Then, the seniors, hands clasped, some clad in their Fox/Hound hats, led the entire community in a rousing rendition of “Here’s to the School.” Underclassmen, teachers, and staff linked hands and moved in a circle around the seniors in a sign of spirit, unity and support.

The ritual is one of many traditions that connect us not only to Foxcroft students of the past, but that also bind us together on our current journey to live and learn in community as we prepare young women for their futures.

As Foxcroft begins its second century, we have many reasons to be optimistic and excited for our future. We have a talented and dedicated faculty and staff who love their students and are poised to be leaders about educating girls on the global stage. We have parents who, in partnership with the School, give of their time and talent on behalf of their daughters. We have loyal alumnae, whose accomplishments, whether professional, vocational, philanthropic or personal, are testimony to the value of a Foxcroft education, and we have a talented and committed Board of Trustees who work to secure Foxcroft’s future through long-range planning.

And, yes, we have Ruth Bedford’s transformative gift, which exemplifies the enduring values of a Foxcroft education and is an endorsement of what Foxcroft can become.

You will find in this issue news about all of these members of our community. Most of all, you will learn about the girls themselves. Their passion, curiosity and creativity should inspire us to make possible a Foxcroft education that will take our girls to even greater heights; to build upon our natural resources – a historic campus and beautiful natural landscape – in order to create curriculum and learning spaces that reflect how girls learn best; and to provide learning experiences that are engaging and relevant and joyful.

I am honored to lead Foxcroft in this new chapter of our history. I invite you all to be part of the excitement. n Warmly,

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www.foxcroft.org Published by Foxcroft School.

Please address queries to: ­ Cathrine Wolf Editor and Director of Communications P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, Virginia 20118 540.687.4511 cwolf@foxcroft.org Catherine S. McGehee Head of School Sheila C. McKibbin Associate Head of School Marion L. Couzens Director of Institutional Advancement Gina B. Finn Director of Admission and Financial Aid Patrick M. Finn Director of Enrollment

Contents

Fall 2014

4 A Special Speaker Indeed

by Cathrine Wolf Ruth Bedford ’32 leaves Foxcroft a transformative parting gift

8 Meet Mrs. McGehee, or . . .Call Me, Cathy

by Cristina Santiestevan ’96 Getting to know Foxcroft’s new head of school

14 Land of Hopes and Dreams

Centennial wishes for Foxcroft’s future

16 Open Door to Open Court

by Marion L. Couzens A $2 million challenge will help revitalize a beloved campus landmark

18 Of Maps & Apps

by Courtney Ulmer An update from Foxcroft’s New Academic Dean

Development Jennie Wills (Associate Director) Terry Meyer, Lee Clark Breeden ’00, Laura Scharfenberg, Bethany Stotler (Gone Away editor)

Photography: Lucy Brown Armstrong, Gary Cox, Sarah Huntington, Edward Payne, Bethany Stotler, Bob Updegrove, Jennie Wills, Cathrine Wolf, and many other generous students, faculty, and friends.

21 Look, Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! . .

Mission Statement: Foxcroft provides a residential learning experience for girls in which academic ­excellence, leadership, responsibility, and integrity are our highest values.

Foxcroft School is accredited by the ­Virginia ­Association of ­Independent Schools.

Foxcroft School admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin.

It does not ­discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, ­admission, or ­financial aid policies, or in any schoolsponsored ­programs.

19 A New Language

Director of College Counseling Barbara Conner takes a different approach

Four girls build Foxcroft’s first drone

24 Aiming High

by Fred McMane Eventer Chase Shipka ’15 sets her sights on the Olympics

26 Out of Africa

Wintermission trip to Senegal transforms travellers

30 A Day to Remember

Foxcroft installs its first new head of school in 25 years

36 Some Leaders Are Born Women

Meet the ladies guiding the board and Foxcroft associations

2 From the Head of School 39 Whoops & Hallos

43 Gone Away 48 Milestones

This magazine is printed on FSC-certified 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

Cover: Bob Updegrove (McGehee); Courtesy (Bedford) Fall 2014

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A Special Speaker, Indeed

A transformative gift from Ruth Bedford ’32

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OMETHING WAS GOING ON. When Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer announced an all-community meeting in the Currier Library to hear a “special speaker” on Tuesday, October 28, folks around campus were curious. When she followed that with an email saying the library’s main entrance and lobby were “posted for maintenance” and everyone would have to use the side door to get to this special meeting, imaginations soared. This special speaker must be really special.

On Tuesday, the library was stuffed to the gills with students, faculty, staff, and a stunning number of guests – some familiar (e.g. trustees) and some not (reporters).The excitement and anticipation were palpable as Head of School Catherine S. McGehee walked to the podium and made a jaw-dropping announcement: Ruth Bedford ’32 had left the School a gift of more than $40 million.

“Is it Michelle Obama?” asked one faculty member Monday evening. “Who was that fellow who spoke at The Hill School last week? I think he’s coming,” said another.

“Today is a very exciting day to be a member of the Foxcroft community,” said McGehee, as the room erupted with applause, cheers, whistles, and “woo-hoos.” While the story had broken overnight, with a giant spread on the front of the Metro section of the Washington Post, the announcement was still a surprise to many people in the room. Most of the rest were still trying to get their heads around the significance of the news: The gift is the largest ever given to a girls’ school, the largest to an independent school this year, and the largest, by far, that Foxcroft has ever received, bigger than the School’s current endowment.

Many of the girls, meanwhile, were convinced that Beyonce was the headliner. And they were excited, so excited that they weren’t even speculating about the possibility of a Head’s Day being announced, as is often the case that time of year.

But why was the photographer from the Washington Post wandering around campus on Monday?

All thoughts of first ladies and rock stars evaporated as the meeting quickly became a celebration – of Foxcroft and Ruth; of girls’ schools and the power of women in philanthropy; and most especially of the lifelong connection and commitment that Foxcroft inspires in its “girls.” The connection that inspired a woman who graduated 82 years

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ago and spent virtually her entire life many miles away, in Westport, CT, to bestow this transformative gift on Foxcroft was McGehee’s focus.

said. “You can be proud to be part of a school that inspires this kind of loyalty among its alumnae.”

Later, the girls would share that “Girls, sitting next pride and their to you is someone appreciation as the who will be your celebration moved friend, not just into Currier’s for your years “posted” lobby at Foxcroft, but and onto the Currier Library was rocking after McGehee made her astonishing announcement. throughout your front steps, where lifetime,” she began. “This is one of the greatest gifts of a streamers, balloons, refreshments, and bubbles – many, many Foxcroft education – lifelong bonds with other Foxcroft girls floating bubbles – greeted them. They would write personal and with the School itself.” Here was something everyone messages of gratitude and Foxcroft memories on a six-foot connected to Foxcroft understands: the shared memories, the banner that proclaimed “Thank You, Ruth,” and pose for shared values. McGehee wanted the students to comprehend pictures holding it. They would speak eloquently about the the depth and power of that commitment.

School’s good fortune and they would get their Head’s Day Wednesday, to “add to the celebration.”

“Think about that: Foxcroft made a lasting impression and filled this member of the Class of 1932 with memories that “This is an incredible and amazing gift that will genuinely she cherished up until her death in June at the age of 99,” she help everyone involved with Foxcroft in many ways,” one

The Gift This transformative gift of $40 million by Ruth Bedford ’32 accelerates Foxcroft’s progress toward its long-term goals, allowing us to advance our vision for girls and learning as we enter our second century.

The determination of how this remarkable gift is to be used carries with it tremendous responsibility. Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees has spent the last few months carefully reviewing various scenarios to ascertain the way that this gift can have the greatest long-term benefit on our School. The Board has chosen to designate the majority of Ruth’s gift to endowment because that will directly impact every arena of our School in perpetuity. The endowment will double in size, providing a level of security which – along with the continuing support of our community of alumnae, parents, friends and foundations – will sustain Foxcroft into the future and strengthen the School as a leader in girls’ education.

In addition to supporting our endowment, we will honor Ruth’s passions by using some of her bequest to strengthen our performing arts program and to create a scholarship in her name, as accessibility to education was so important to her.

A portion will also be earmarked to support the rebuild and preservation of what was the “new dorm” when she lived in it and is now the oldest, Court.

Foxcroft will not receive this gift in its entirety for several years as Ruth’s estate is settled, and its full impact will not be felt for several more. Once it is fully invested, however, it will have a transformative effect on Foxcroft well into the future.

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senior stated. “Now we know that our daughters will be able to go to this school that we love,” said another.

McGehee, various board members, and others also spoke with radio, TV, and newspaper reporters as the media buzz exploded, expanding Foxcroft’s name recognition and visibility in ways that marketing dollars can’t buy. The photo of the “Thank you, Ruth” banner appeared on the Jumbotron in Times Square, several networks broadcast pieces, and hundreds of newspapers around the country picked up the story. Foxcroft’s website and social media activity increased exponentially, as alumnae, parents, and friends chimed in with delight.

But that would come later. First, McGehee wanted the students in Currier Library to know this generous woman and how Foxcroft had influenced her. She invited former

The Woman Behind the Gift Ruth Bedford was born August 8, 1914, a mere six weeks before Foxcroft opened its doors for the School’s first students. She died June 15, 2014, just shy of her 100th birthday. Her life was one of discovery, sport, and service. She was a skilled sailor, golfer, tennis player, and aviatrix, and, as an adult, could frequently be observed skimming a seaplane along Long Island Sound. Ruth was generous and unpretentious, with a zest for life, a beautiful smile, infectious laugh, and an interest in everybody around her no matter their position in society. She loved Foxcroft, her horses and dogs, and – after 5 pm – a good glass of Scotch!

Ruth was the third of four daughters born to Fred and Lucie Thomas Bedford. Her grandfather, Edward T. Bedford, was a director of Standard Oil, a founder of the Corn Oil Products Refining Company, and a pillar of the Westport, CT, community, in which Ruth grew up. She came to Foxcroft in 1928, following

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head of school Mary Louise Leipheimer to share some personal reminiscences, and she presented a slide show of photos of Ruth, including one of her as a member of the Hound basketball team, and she talked about what an independent, forward-thinking and service-oriented individual Bedford had been.

“Just as our school nurtured Ruth’s leadership abilities and independence, so her gift will, in turn, help solidify Foxcroft as a leader among girls’ schools,” said Cathy McGehee. “Ruth Bedford has allowed us to dream more daring dreams.” n

Scan this code for more on Ruth Bedford and to watch video of McGehee’s announcement or go to www.foxcroft.org/ruthbedford

her sister Helen Bedford McCashin ’27, and was a leader of her class and of the School. She was a member of the School Sub Team, the Sage Team, the Orchard Team, and the Horse Show Committee.

She sang in the choir and served as Dining Hall Monitor. She was also Hound Cheerleader!

Ruth loved Miss Charlotte and that Foxcroft was founded on simple old-fashioned values, hard work, and good play. As a student, she was considered something of a prankster but, as she would say, “All good fun, nothing you could get kicked out for!” Ruth also experienced what she called “the worst day of her life and the best day of her life” while at Foxcroft. It was the day that the original Covert burned down.Watching the fire from Foxcroft’s new dormitory – Court – Ruth feared that Miss Charlotte had burned to death! She was delighted and relieved when, two hours after the fire began, Miss Charlotte appeared to say that she was fine.

At Foxcroft, Ruth honed her character as well as her academic and athletic skills, thriving in a culture that celebrated the value of community service. After she graduated, Ruth continued to serve

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A festive atmosphere filled the library lobby, as students celebrated and wrote thanks and memories on the “Thank you, Ruth” banner/

her School by taking on the role of Class Representative, which she held until 1971. She worked in the social service arena. During World War II, Ruth worked for the Red Cross and volunteered to be stationed in England during the Blitz. Later, she gave her time and talent to Norwalk (CT) Hospital, where she served as a volunteer for 50 years alongside her sister Lucie. Many who knew the sisters remembered that they would compete to see who could clock the most hours at the hospital.

wanted to know about her School – what was going on, what the students were like, what was on the horizon.

She wanted to make sure that it was, in principle, the same school she knew and adored. She wanted to make sure that Foxcroft could still do for others what it had done for her.

Ruth remained an active and engaged member of her community into her nineties, watching young riders almost daily and spending time with friends and with her beloved After the war, Ruth went to Broadway. dogs. She lived most of her life in a She worked behind the scenes, converted garage on the grounds progressing from casting assistant to of her family’s property and drove A fine athlete, Ruth (back row, on the left) played for the assistant stage manager to assistant to an old Oldsmobile station wagon.

Hounds three times: once on Puppy Team and twice on the director on several productions, Two weeks before she died, Mary Big Team. She was a School “sub” and a rider as well. including the long-running Happy Lou and Director of Institutional Birthday, for which the legendary Helen Hayes won one of Advancement Marion Couzens visited Westport and shared the first Tony Awards.

Foxcroft’s Centennial Memory Book with Ruth. She studied the early chapters, looking at the pictures, and then with a twinkle in Ruth loved singing and, in recent years, she would join former her dancing, yet piercing blue eyes, she told stories of the people Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer in a rendition of and events at Foxcroft that had been so important to her. It was “Hard-Hearted Hannah” whenever Mary Lou visited. During a good day – a day to be treasured – for Ruth and for those from those visits and in subsequent phone conversations, Ruth always Foxcroft who were with her.

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Meet Mrs. McGehee, or . . . Call Me, Cathy Getting to know Foxcroft’s new head of school

By Cristina Santiestevan ’96

wo things become obvious when you sit down to talk with Foxcroft’s new head of school, Cathy McGehee: She laughs a lot – especially when poking fun at herself – and she would much rather talk about you than about her.

If you can convince her to share some of her own stories, you will learn that she is an avid fan of Charlotte Brontë, has a passion for education and a soft spot for teenagers, makes a mean mac-and-cheese, and cannot ride a horse (but is willing to learn). You will also discover that she is warm and generous, with a ready smile and a curious mind.

In short, you will discover Cathy McGehee is exactly the sort of woman Foxcroft wants sitting behind Miss Charlotte’s desk in Schoolhouse.

The right school “I’m so excited. I’m so happy.” McGehee speaks about Foxcroft – the place, the people, the community – with unmistakable joy, respect, and enthusiasm. When I ask her about the moment she knew Foxcroft was the place for her, 8

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she is quick with her answer: “After my very first interview. I knew at that point that if I were to be so lucky to be selected, that this was it. This was what I wanted more than anything.”

That first interview was a quiet affair early in the summer of 2013. McGehee was one of several candidates to meet the Search Committee offsite, and then return to campus for a tour of the buildings and grounds. The months that followed brought several more interviews, including eventual meetings with students, alumnae, faculty, staff, and parents.

Then, after McGehee was selected as Foxcroft’s next head of school in October 2013, she continued to visit the campus approximately once a month.

“Foxcroft did a really, really good job with the school transition, which is so unlike the business world,” says McGehee. “It’s odd to be in place for almost nine months before you actually start your job.” During the 2013-2014 school year, McGehee met with department chairs, senior staff and faculty, students, and more. She spoke at a Morning Meeting, watched Fox/Hound Banner Runnings, and mingled with alumnae at the Centennial.

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“What I love most about this place is its authenticity,” says McGehee.

“What Foxcroft says it values is in fact what it actually values. There is an alignment between the stated core values of this place and its traditions.

That’s huge.

“What I love most about this place is its authenticity,” says McGehee. “What Foxcroft says it values is in fact what it actually values. There is an alignment between the stated core values of this place and its traditions. That’s huge.”

“I was not looking to become a school head somewhere,” says McGehee. “I did not say to myself that my goal was to be in a school as head by 2014. I said, ‘The right school will come along, and I will know it’s right.’ I explored other places, but this is the school that sang to my heart. This is the school that felt right.”

On teaching girls As a teenager looking at high schools in Richmond, McGehee was not a fan of girls’ schools. “I would not even consider St. Catherine’s. All girls? Are you kidding me?” Her resistance was partially fueled by her father, an avid supporter of integration and the civil rights movement, and partially influenced by the feminist movement of the time, which tended to label girls’ schools as lesser than co-ed schools.

McGehee’s hesitation about girls’ schools lasted until she returned to Richmond as an adult in search of teaching jobs.

“I applied to teach in a variety of schools, and St. Catherine’s was the school that called me. I have since drunk the Kool-Aid, if you will,” she says, laughing. McGehee has seen the value of all-girls’ education as both a teacher and a parent; both of her daughters attended St. Catherine’s.

“Eliza was somewhat shy and quiet as a child. She would have been fine because she’s smart, but she would have been ignored in a co-ed environment,” says McGehee. “She would have been the nice, quiet, docile student who did everything you asked her to – to perfection – and no one would have pushed her because those teachers would be worried about the classroom management of teenage boys and girls. At a girls’ school, it isn’t okay to just show up. I knew that she’d get called on and she’d be challenged. Both of my daughters benefited from those high expectations.”

Today, McGehee is a passionate believer in the value of girls’ schools. “Girls that go to girls’ schools are three times more likely to pursue a career in engineering and STEM. They rate their confidence higher than girls who go to co-ed schools.

You start looking at women who are CEOs, and many of

Outgoing and energetic, McGehee settled into her new office (opposite) and the community quickly. Soon she was (right, clockwise from top left) entertaining students at Covert, officially becoming a Fox at Choosings, and chatting with members of the Foxcroft family at any and every opportunity.

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Whether taking a “selfie” with students or welcoming alumnae and parents to her home, McGehee is engaged in getting to know Foxcroft.

them are products of girls’ schools or women’s colleges.”

Becoming more intentional For decades, girls schools and educators crafted their programs intuitively because the research simply didn’t exist. This began to change in the 1990s, and McGehee is eager to put the existing and emerging research at the center of Foxcroft’s program. McGehee lists several leaders in the field of same-sex educational research – Linda Sax, Leonard Sax, JoAnn Deak, Michael Gurian – and then picks up her copy of It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd.

McGehee is working with faculty, staff, and others to chart a path forward into Foxcroft’s next 100 years.

Their theme – Second Century Connection – revolves around the idea of forging true connections within and beyond the Foxcroft community . . .

“I kind of grew up observationally and intuitively seeing these things,” says McGehee. “Those of us who have been teaching that way, when we started reading those books, we would say ‘Of course!’ This validates what we were already doing, but it also challenges us to do those things more intentionally.”

What does this mean, to teach girls more ‘intentionally?’

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best. Which brings us back to It’s Complicated and danah boyd. “She did extensive research on how kids are using social media, and debunks a lot of adults’ ideas that it’s all bad,” says McGehee. “They’re doing the same sorts of things teenagers have always done; they just have different tools.”

The book was a summer reading project for Foxcroft’s faculty, and the start of what McGehee hopes will be an on-going’ intentional conversation about how to teach girls in the best possible way. And when the conversation around It’s Complicated is complete? “We’ll go and look for more texts and articles,” says McGehee.

The idea is to continue the conversation. “We’re not being honest if we say we’re just like men, because we’re not,” she says. “The science is bearing this out. There are cognitive as well as physiological studies that show our brains have different chemistries. So the question is, are we going to take advantage of this knowledge so we can help girls, young women, and career women continue to excel and be anything they want to be?”

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For McGehee and the larger Foxcroft community, that question can be answered with just one word: Yes.

First Year. Second Century.

“I’m about listening,” says McGehee when I ask about her goals for her first year at Foxcroft. “What I really want to do and what I aspire to do most of this year, is to just spend time having conversations like this with people.” It’s easy to see this is true. Throughout our conversation – an interview for this article – Cathy McGehee continues to ask me questions: my favorite authors and books, my favorite literary period, my college experience, and so on. When McGehee says she wants to get to know the Foxcroft community, she means it.

But McGehee is not limiting her role to listening during her first year as head. Before the 2014-15 school year even started, she had begun to work with faculty and staff to enhance the School’s resources and infrastructure. She is eager to grow the endowment, invest in energy-efficient improvements for dorms, and incorporate more spaces for group learning and studying throughout campus. Most of all, McGehee intends to encourage Foxcroft to do what it has always done best: teach young women to be strong, independent thinkers.

“We’re doing great things here,” says McGehee. “There’s a tremendously talented faculty here. Our Exceptional Proficiency program is unique. Our boarding program is best practice in boarding. We need to get the word out in the independent school community.”

This school year also marks the beginning of Foxcroft’s second century. McGehee is working with faculty, staff, and others to chart a path forward into Foxcroft’s next 100 years. Their theme – Second Century Connection – revolves around the idea of forging true connections within and beyond the Foxcroft community: “It’s really about making connections with all the major constituencies. It’s more than meeting. If you really connect, it’s more than just meeting people.”

Ask her to expand on the theme, and McGehee can talk quite a while about connection. She sees a spectrum of them, from handshakes and conversations, to plans for more intentional use of technology. Over the summer, Schoolhouse quadrupled its WiFi bandwidth and that positions Foxcroft faculty, staff, and students to take better advantage of technological tools.

“It’s literal connection,” says McGehee. “It’s plugging in, logging on, booting up, and making that connection.”

Get to Know the McGehees Cathy McGehee and her husband, Read, met in high school, dated long-distance through college, and married shortly after graduation. Now, they are the newest residents of Covert, along with their college-age daughters, Eliza and Jane, and two dogs, Millie and Lucy.

Cathy grew up in Richmond,VA, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Vanderbilt and a master’s in English at William and Mary. She taught English at several schools in Minnesota before moving to St. Catherine’s School. Cathy became Director of the Upper School at St. Catherine’s in 2006, and received a master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Richmond in 2011.

Read, who also grew up in Richmond, has a bachelor’s from Yale and an MD from the University of Virginia.After doing his residency, he returned to Richmond, where he is a partner at the Virginia Eye Institute. He splits his time between Richmond and Foxcroft.

The McGehees have two daughters. Eliza, the elder, graduated from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science, and is pursuing a master’s degree in U.S. history at James Madison University. Her thesis will explore the history of girls’ schools in Virginia from 1900-1930.

Jane is a sophomore at Davidson College, majoring in English, with a concentration in visual arts.

Rounding out the McGehee household are the family’s two dogs. Millie is a 12-year-old golden retriever, and Lucy is a 5-year-old chocolate Lab-beagle mix.

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Eliza (left) and Jane.

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Cathy enjoys a good laugh, with Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer, as well as a good read.

This focus on connection through technology is not a goal in itself. As McGehee explains, better technology will help support improved educational opportunities in the classroom.

“Technology is just a tool. It is not the reason. You do not do things for technology; you use technology to reach those other goals. Skype, for example, is a way to bring in the wider world. Even though we are here on this beautiful campus, I’m concerned that we keep our girls connected to the wider world. Skype makes that possible.”

McGehee is taking her own call for more connection to heart. She has launched a blog and a Twitter account (see box opposite page). When I visit, she insists on taking a photo of the two of us so that she can “Tweet it out.” She doesn’t let me leave until we’ve snapped the photo with a cell phone.

Fox/Hound “I think it’s fabulous,” says McGehee, when I ask her about Fox/Hound. “These alumnae – they are so passionate about their teams!”

When we speak, it is still several weeks before Fox/Hound Choosings. I ask McGehee if she hopes to be a Fox or Hound, and she points to the bookshelf behind Miss Charlotte’s desk where a stuffed toy fox sits watching over us. “Tradition is that it alternates heads,” says McGehee, explaining that the fox was a gift from an alum.

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Still, the Hounds may have their own champion in Covert.

“My husband, that was his big question to the Board of Trustees,” says McGehee, laughing. “He said, ‘If she is going to be a Fox, can I be a Hound?’ We are a little competitive, the two of us. So that will be fun. We’ll be a family divided.”

Although a house divided may seem anathema to Foxcroft tradition, the fact is that couples in Covert have on more than one occasion split their loyalties. It was not the case with the Leipheimers because Mary Lou and Bob were chosen as young teachers years before they occupied Covert.

About those horses McGehee laughs loudly when our conversation turns to riding. She pulls a thick book from her shelves, and hands it to me. “I thought this was so funny,” she laughs. “This is what my brother sent me for Christmas. He was like, ‘Congrats, you might need this.’”

The book’s cover is a familiar yellow and black with a bold title: Horseback Riding for Dummies. McGehee, like Mary Lou before her, is not a rider. And although she admits to a bit of trepidation, she also says she is willing to give Foxcroft’s primary sport a try.

“I’m game,” says McGehee. “I have to admit that I’m a little afraid, but I’m game. Read and I both would like to learn how

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to ride, or at least feel comfortable in the stables. They are beautiful animals. Huge respect for them.

But a little fear for them too. I mean, they’re so big!”

Childhood dreams

CONNECT WITH CATHY More than anything, Cathy McGehee is eager to connect with Foxcroft’s extended family – parents and alum, current students, faculty, and others.

She blogs and tweets, and welcomes visits from anyone and everyone.

Follow Cathy at cathymcgehee.wordpress.com and twitter.com/CathyMcGehee.

Or email her at headofschool@foxcroft.org

Ask McGehee about when she decided to become an educator, and she’ll tell you that it was a slow – but probably inevitable – realization. She grew up as a faculty child at the Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, where her father taught and served as a minister.

Her mother has a master’s degree in Christian education, and her older brother was working toward his Ph.D. in education at Vanderbilt while she was an undergraduate there. Her sister is a nurse. But it was Cathy’s stint as a reporter for the Vanderbilt newspaper that ultimately convinced her to pursue her teaching certificate.

“If you asked me in high school, I was going to be a journalist.

Then I tried writing for the Vanderbilt newspaper and realized I didn’t like daily deadlines. Ha! So what did I decide to do?

Be a teacher? As if that doesn’t have daily deadlines!” McGehee admits to being completely hooked – despite those daily deadlines – with her very first student teaching gig. “I loved it.

It’s just what I was meant to do.”

Richmond connections Cathy McGehee grew up in Richmond, and returned as a young adult to teach at St. Catherine’s. Her ties to the city remain strong – her husband’s medical practice is there, and both her parents and her father-in-law continue to live in Virginia’s capital. But she has no qualms about the move.

“It’s real. We sold the house we raised our girls in,” she says.

Read, an opthalmologist and partner at the Virginia Eye Institute, will commute weekly between Richmond and Middleburg. “I think that helped our girls a little bit,” says Fall 2014

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McGehee. “They know they have a place in Richmond. We sold our home, but we’ve got Read’s bachelor pad.”

Chief mama “I make a mean macaroni and cheese,” says McGehee, who hosts students in small, informal groups for suppers at Covert. “I think that’s really important. I’m chief mama in addition to head of school.”

Foxcroft’s parents can be assured McGehee takes this self-declared title of chief mama very seriously.

“I’ve raised two girls. I get it. I’m a fellow struggler as a parent.”

McGehee’s daughters are both young adults, and their high school days are recent memories. She is eager to put those memories to work as she gets to know Foxcroft’s students. “Having younger children myself, knowing what kids like to do, I hope we can really infuse some fun new ideas for life here.”

McGehee laughs before clarifying, “As long as it’s good clean fun.”

Already, McGehee has plans to visit students for study breaks in their dorms, to host small dinners at Covert, and to find other ways to connect with the students during the school day and afterwards.

A life and love for education It’s a delight to speak with Cathy McGehee. She is filled with enthusiasm for Foxcroft, for its traditions, and for the many people who have called this place their home.

Perhaps most delightful is her infectious joy for teaching and education.

“I feel sorry for people who don’t work in schools,” says McGehee. “I really do. We get a new year every year in September. Sure, January starts a new year, but that’s not the real new year. September is the real new year. Every year is another fresh start of possibility.” n 13

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CE

Land of Hopes & Dreams

C

When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality.

– Friedensreich Hundertwasser, artist

FOXCROFT BEGAN AS A HOPE AND A DREAM, first in Charlotte Haxall Noland’s mind and, quickly, in the minds of many affiliated with the School. One hundred years later, it remains a place, no, a community of hopes and dreams – for each and every girl who matriculates; for faculty, staff, and administrators who do the hard and rewarding work of living out its mission; and for the parents, families, and friends who help sustain it with the gift of their girls, as well as their time, talent, and treasure.

Continuing to dream is crucial, irrespective of the success or age of an individual or institution. Untapped possibilities and untold triumphs always lie ahead. “When you stop having dreams and ideals,” said the great singer Marian Anderson, “well, you might as well stop altogether.” Gloria Steinem, author and activist, talked about the need for visioning the future: “Without leaps of imagination, or

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dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

On the final day of last spring’s Centennial Celebration weekend, attendees were invited to help “plan” Foxcroft’s future when they were given index cards and asked: What are your hopes and wishes for Foxcroft’s future?

A sampling of their responses follows, intended as inspiration and impetus for all to contemplate and contribute as we forge deeper into Foxcroft’s Second Century. Join the conversation, as faculty did during opening-day meetings, and other groups will, no doubt, in the months to come.

Share your hopes and dreams for Foxcroft by sending them to Head of School Cathy McGehee at Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118 or emailing them to headofschool@foxcroft.org. n

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CENTENNIAL WISHES FOR FOXCROFT T HE B A SI CS

I hope Foxcroft continues to excel in the next 100 years. n I hope it stays single sex. n Be different. Be fun! n The traditions at Foxcroft are beyond unique and I look forward to seeing them continue. n I hope the School maintains its momentum, excellence, and ability to move with the times. n Look back for ideas as well as forward. n Another 100 years!!

CENTENNIAL WISHES FOR FOXCROFT PRIO R I T I E S Stay focused on turning out strong, independent women. n Continue to find and keep the best teachers. n I wish that traditions stay strong and friendships even stronger. n Help girls find their passions and gifts, and develop the skills to put them to good use. n Listen to the alumnae who have done interesting things and had unusual careers. n I learned the true meaning of sisterhood and being your best self, here. If Foxcroft could continue this tradition above all others, that would be my greatest wish.

CENTENNIAL WISHES FOR FOXCROFT T R U E TO T H E E N D

I hope Foxcroft stays true to its traditions and the importance of community. n Continue to send girls out around the world with open hearts and ready for service to others. n I hope that Foxcroft continues to grow and evolve in a way that preserves its “small-town” feel and tight-knit community. So much of the wonderfulness of this place springs from that.

I also hope Foxcroft remains committed to its financial aid program. n Foxcroft changed my life, and that would not have been possible without a generous financial aid package.

Thank you so much! n To be strong in both academics and athletics while keeping our strongest traditions and staying true to our character. n I wish that Foxcroft continues to inspire young women to live their dreams and follow their hearts.

CENTENNIAL WISHES FOR FOXCROFT O NWA R D A ND U P WA RD . . .

I hope for the academic program to keep growing stronger and attracts more and more diverse candidates. n That Foxcroft grooms heads of state and world leaders. n Give students more opportunities to shadow Foxcroft alumnae/women in the work place so that they may understand what life will be like after college. n A continuation of traditions while advancing technology. n I hope that Foxcroft becomes well known for all its programs, especially for its balance of academics and athletics, which will help many athletes excel in life. n I’d like to see Foxcroft reach out to us all by Facebook or email in class groups so that we can keep in touch better with each other. n I hope and wish that I can find more ways to contribute to the next 100 years of Foxcroft’s story. n Wishing the new head of school a joyous tenure. We’ll all help. n When I get a good job/come into money, I’m going to set up a scholarship for girls like me. Girls who aren’t the smartest or the most poised or the most athletic, but who will get the most out of four years here at Foxcroft. n I want my daughter to experience what I have over the past three years. n A long and prosperous future!!

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OPEN DOOR to OPEN COURT

by Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement

COURT DORMITORY. For many alumnae, these words evoke memories integral to their time at Foxcroft. For Ruth Bedford ’32, Court was the “new dormitory.” For students in the 1950s, Court was their first place of residence at Foxcroft; in more recent years, it was the dorm of sophomores and seniors.

Before the Athletic/Student Center was built, it was not unusual to see Fox and Hound drums in the alcove outside the Court quads. Stepping down into the living room, one might see girls sunbathing on the patio in warm weather or snuggled into the couches watching TV when temperatures dropped. There was a phone booth in Court, a reminder of a time before cell phones when that one phone was the girls’ connection with the outside world and their parents. There was a small chapel . . . and the double front doors. Never in the 18 years that I have been here, have I seen them open and yet, they are the perfect entrance for this beautiful building.

When it became clear two years ago that the integrity of the building was deteriorating, Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees 16

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designated Court as the next project in the School’s residential initiative. Originally, the plan was to restore Court as a dormitory, however, because of its age and because of current building code, the cost of doing so was staggering. With an eye towards fiscal responsibility and a desire to preserve the oldest dorm on campus, the Board chose to repurpose Court into a Welcome Center. Positioned in the heart of campus, it will be the first building that visitors enter at Foxcroft, and will feature a gracious reception center, the school store and mailroom, a conference/seminar room, and office space for Admission, Development, Communications, Security, and the Business Office.

Work began on Court prior to Centennial weekend. The building was gutted, revealing two things: one, that it was indeed time to begin renovating, and two, that with walls removed, the interior space was just as beautiful as the exterior of the building. Suddenly, an array of possibilities for the interior workspaces opened up. Victoria Mars ’74, who sits on the Board of Trustees, noted this and introduced the concept of an open floor plan for the building. Such a plan would not only showcase the architecture of this 1930’s

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building but also enable people working there to share resources and collaborate with each other.

Such a design would challenge the conventional working model of separate offices, which so often create silos. It would encourage working efficiencies in personnel and in time, and – in line with our axiom that, “Everything we do is curriculum,” – it would serve as a model for the application of the 21st century practices that we hope to teach our students.

In keeping with Foxcroft’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the renovated Court will employ sustainabledesign practices. Like Stuart Hall, our Gold LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) dormitory, it will use geothermal heating and cooling as well as energy-efficient windows and doors.

Also like Stuart Hall, there will be a seminar for our students running concurrently with the construction.

Called “Project Rebuild,” this seminar will focus on the renovation and re-purposing of an old building, with a curriculum that embraces the hands-on and collaborative approach of Project Greenbuild, the very successful seminar that provided an educational component to a group of students during the building of Stuart Hall.

Rebuilt, Court will feature a flexible seminar/board room (above) and a bright attractive space to welcome visitors.

To date, we have raised $2.5 million in gifts and pledges towards the renovation of Court, slightly more than one-third of the total needed. If we meet a matching challenge issued recently (see box, below), work can begin in earnest with hopes of occupying the building in January 2016.

And yes, the front door that has remained closed for so long will once again be open and welcoming visitors. n

Court’s $2 million challenge!

The rebuild and repurposing of Court is a $7 million project; $6 million is allocated for construction costs and $1 million is designated to endow the building. As with all projects, the actual rebuild can begin only when 80% or $5.6 million is committed in gifts and pledges. This policy, set by Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees, has stood us in good stead through the building of the maintenance facility, Athletic/Student Center, and Stuart Hall: All three projects are fully funded, endowed, and debt-free.

We are excited that the Board has allocated $2 million of alumnae Ruth Bedford’s bequest for a challenge to get to the 80 % needed to begin rebuilding Court. This one-for-one challenge will match all gifts to Court up to $2 million for a total of $4 million. Together with the $2.5 million we already have in hand, this means we will need just $500,000 more to complete the project.

Please join us now in preserving this beautiful and historical building by taking advantage of this wonderful challenge, which effectively doubles the value of your gift. For more information, please contact Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement, at 540.687.4518 or mcouzens@foxcroft.org.

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Of Maps & Apps

An update from Foxcroft’s Academic Dean, Courtney Ulmer In 1914 when Miss Charlotte founded Foxcroft, she wanted to create a school where the girls would love learning, an experience she did not have as student. As Foxcroft enters its second century, we still strive, day after day, to fulfill Miss Charlotte’s vision. How we do this is an ongoing discussion among the School’s faculty and administration.

new electives and look at the content of existing classes. It will allow for the incorporation of more classes with a focus on topics and texts for and about women. Developing strong role models for our girls, we know, is important in helping them to develop a sense of themselves.

Mapping What We Do Beginning this year, each department will begin to map each class. Department Chairs spent three days in June working to develop a mapping tool that allows us to create a database that includes both skill and content frameworks for each class.

Inquiry-Based Learning When Foxcroft was founded in 1914, the volume of texts and numerous studies on how girls learn that exist today were not available. This research informs our teaching, sometimes reinforcing an approach we were already using; other times spurring us to look at our practice from a different angle.

Based on our conversations, Science Department Chair Maria Eagen, Ph.D., built a tool in Excel for classroom teachers to use. This tool allows for some modification by individual departments, but will enable better comparisons across the curriculum. We will see what skills we teach well and what holes need to be filled in, even as we reinforce of skills. The mapping of our curriculum will also be helpful as we add

We know that inquiry-based learning is one way that girls learn better. This type of instruction gives students information and lets them explore different answers and solutions. Often there is no one “correct” answer, but several different ways to come up with a solution. With inquiry-based learning, the student takes an active role in her learning, using her analytical skills rather than just memorizing answers.

Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer is passionate about single-sex education. No surprise: She attended The Bryn Mawr School, a girls’ day school in Baltimore, for 13 years. After earning a BA at The College of William and Mary and a master’s in American History from Vanderbilt University, Ulmer taught history at co-ed high schools in New Hampshire and Baltimore before returning to the girls’ school world in 2006.

“When I came to Foxcroft for my interview, I realized how much I missed being in a single-sex school,” she recalls.“It allows girls to be individuals, develop lifelong friendships, and excel in the classroom.”

Ulmer taught U.S. History and several electives, chaired the department and, during the 2013-14 school year, served as Interim Academic Dean.This summer, she assumed the role on a permanent basis. Ulmer serves as resident relief in Stuart Hall and as a Senior Class advisor. A charter member of Foxcroft’s faculty book group, Courtney enjoys reading and sailing with her family on the Chesapeake Bay in her spare time.

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Two courses at Foxcroft which have a strong focus on inquirybased learning are World Cultures, the freshman history class, and the new Advanced Placement Physics class. World Cultures uses the Brown University Choices Program, which offers units that present the information in lessons that put the student at the center of the classroom. Whether the lesson plan calls for a debate, document analysis or discussion, the students direct the tenor and tone.

For the 2014-15 school year, we have chosen to offer the new AP Physics I class, which is created largely around the principal of inquiry-based learning. Fully one-quarter of the lessons in this course are labs that are inquiry-based. Students often have to repeat these labs in order to come up with solutions. This teaches both resilience and problem solving.

At the end of the day, each student is an individual learner and, thanks to the Academic Support Director Courtney Schultz, Director of College Counseling Barbara Conner, and others, our girls discover their individual learning styles and how best to study given that style. Making sure that we, as teachers, are employing those techniques that target how girls

learn best as well as our students’ different learning styles will ensure that we are meeting the needs of our population.

Technology As Foxcroft moves into its second century, technology plays a larger and more important role. In education, however, its role is to enhance the instruction in the classroom, not to replace it. In today’s ever-evolving world, teaching students the skills to understand, assess, and utilize emerging new technologies and the tools and resources they offer is our role as educators.

Ensuring that our faculty and students have the knowledge, access, and education required in this Brave New World – while also recognizing the limits of technology – will enable us to strike a balance that will give our girls a strong foundation as they move on. This year, the instructional faculty received laptops and we are using Google Apps for Education, which includes web-based mail, calendars, documents, and forms that promote collaborative learning, enhanced communication, and easy access from a variety of platforms.

Each of the tools will help us enhance our classroom teaching and the opportunities that we give our students. n

A New Language A different approach, advanced by Director of College Counseling Barbara Conner, leads to less stress and better outcomes in the college application process There’s a new language being spoken in Foxcroft’s College Counseling Office these days. Gone is all talk of “reaches” and “safeties,” the categories of colleges that gave form to the application process for decades. Director Barbara Conner doesn’t even use the term “foundation schools.” Instead, she has students identifying “Five First-Choice Colleges” and building their application lists around them. The tactic seems to be resulting in less stress and better outcomes.

Conner changed her language and conceived of this ground-breaking approach because the landscape had changed. Drastically. “Those designations for ranking levels in the college admission process worked when the predictive models used by college admission teams worked,” says Conner. “but a number of factors have broken those models.”

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An increase in the number of schools using online applications and becoming members of the Common Application, together with a rise in the number of students applying to college, Conner says, created a perfect storm that led to increased levels of anxiety among students and parents. Students reacted by applying to more schools, to raise chances of admission but, ironically, they tended to add “reach” schools – which made those schools even harder to get into and also made it more difficult for admission officers to ascertain a student’s actual desire to attend their 19

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school (as opposed to the student’s compulsion to pad the list as a defense against being denied).This wreaked havoc with the predictive models that for years guided admission teams’ decisions.

how we talk about the process and by encouraging our students to follow a course that sets them up for success instead of stress, we would be doing a better job of counseling families.”

“Admission deans knew, through years of data using these models, the specific number of acceptances they had to offer in order to enroll a class that met their goals – and fit into their dorms,” says Conner. “No more.”

Conner’s “Five First-Choice Colleges” approach brings the focus back where it should be: on fit. Colleges that are in a student’s “match” category are likely to be the best fit for that student. So, it follows, those schools should be the focus of this process.

What schools do know these days is that as applications rise, “selectivity” rates become lower and more exclusive. Since that is a key factor for many organizations that rank colleges, that means a climb up the charts. But does the fact that a college can boast that it only admitted 11% of its applicants mean that it is better than a school that admitted 47% of its applicants?

“No,” says Conner emphatically. “Schools are better for students if they meet that particular student’s academic, social and cultural goals for a college, and if the student is excited about the opportunity to attend that school.

“Because we do college counseling at Foxcroft the same way we do everything – one girl at a time,” she continues. “These patterns became evident to me. I realized that by changing

To be one of a girl’s Five FirstChoice Colleges, the student’s academic profile has to be within the college’s typical admitted profile, the social/cultural piece has to be a fit, the student has to have taken at least a passing look at the financial information, and – most of all – the student has to be excited about the school.

“This sounds too simple to work, yet it does,” says Conner.

“With Five First-Choice Colleges, no matter what the spring admission decisions bring, the student will have good, solid choices from which to select. I have used this approach with my students for the past few years, and slowly, I am seeing a shift toward better outcomes, and less stress.”

And that is something that we can all get excited about! n

A graduate of Sweet Briar College (BA) and the University of Virginia (MEd), Director of College Counseling Barbara Conner served as College and Career Specialist at West Potomac High School in Alexandria,VA, before coming to Foxcroft in 2011. She has vast experience helping individuals plan their future and achieve their goals, having also worked as a career development facilitator and life coach.

Conner has served on boards and committees for many organizations, from the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admissions Counseling and Virginia State PTA to the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and Girl Scouts of America. She was recently elected to the vestry at Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville. Conner has two grown children, Margaret and Kit, and lives on campus.

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Look, Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane!

NO!!

IT’S FOXCROFT’S OWN DRONE!

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erhaps it was just a little like what the Wright Brothers felt at Kitty Hawk in 1903. After days of toil and trouble, and a whole lot of last-minute calibrating and double-checking of systems, there remained one key question: Will it fly?

“We’re going to go down in Foxcroft history as the girls who made the drones,” grinned Saylor. That might be a bit hyperbolic but the event does seem destined to leave a lasting legacy. For one thing, the drone has inspired the formation of Foxcroft’s first robotics club.

Standing out on Big Track on a bright and beautiful, if a bit blustery, October afternoon, Gaby Panettiere ’15, Patia Fann ’16, Jasmine McGreen ’16, and Saylor Hart ’18 were ready to find out. Over the previous month, the girls had participated in the Kashmir World Foundation’s Da Vinci Challenge, building their own unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Now, after completing a number of pre-flight tests and making a few adjustments, the girls had been cleared to test their drone.

With a whirring of rotors and motors, and a steady hand on the remote control, Foxcroft’s drone lifted off the ground and headed skyward, easily making the proscribed maneuvers and drawing a hearty round of applause from the assembled parents, faculty, family, and friends. There were students from a number of schools participating in the flight test but it was Foxcroft – the only all-girls team – that was first in the air.

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Before lift-off, Gaby (left) and Patia made sure all systems were “go.”

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“This was just the first stage,” explained Dr. Maria Eagen, Science Department Chair, Da Vinci Challenge advisor, and aerospace engineer. “We can fully automate the drone, program a flight trajectory and let it fly itself.” Filming New Girl Runnings and monitoring Goose Creek or campus wildlife are among the uses the girls plan for their UAV. Head of School Cathy McGehee is excited at the prospect of developing an on-going relationship with the Kashmir World Foundation, which sponsored the workshop. “Like Foxcroft, the Kashmir World Foundation wants to encourage students, especially girls, to get involved in robotics and problem solving,” says McGehee. “We know a lot about how girls learn. We know that girls are more engaged when they work in collaboration and when they work to solve real-world problems. That’s what the KWF Da Vinci Challenge does.”

The workshop was run by Kashmir-Robotics, the tech arm of the KWF, which last year invited scientists, artists, and engineers around the world to develop UAVs optimized for protecting rhinos from poachers in South Africa. Some 139

teams from 30 countries responded to this challenge but, to the dismay of KWF CEO Aliyah Pandolfi, the best ideas and brightest students were not from the United States.

She created the Da Vinci Challenge to inspire American youngsters to explore STEM fields. During the four-session workshop, students built their own Quad-copters or Hexacopters from advanced carbon fiber components, learning everything about remotely-operated UAVs along the way.

The girls were given the materials, the task, and whatever help they asked for, but they mostly had to find solutions on their own. “There was no ‘follow these instructions,’ ” says Eagen.

“It was such a cool way to teach the girls because they did have to figure it out. Students are good at following directions but they don’t necessarily learn from doing that.”

“It was a little overwhelming,” said Jasmine, a junior from Cornwall, NY. “We had no idea what we were going to do.”

What they did was build a marvelous flying machine and develop an enthusiastic appreciation of the journey that got them there.

License to Fly: (from left) Patia, Saylor, Jasmine, and Gaby all received their drone operator’s certificates on Flight Day. 22

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“I learned so much at the workshop,” said Gaby, a senior from Miami, FL, who plans to study computer programming in college. “I learned how to build a drone, of course, but I also learned collaborative skills that I will use later in life by working with people I hadn’t worked with before. I learned that the pursuit of knowledge itself is valuable. I’m very results-oriented but in this workshop we had to use a lot of trial and error, and I learned that failurecan teach you a lot.”

Dr. Eagen, who has a PhD in aerospace engineering, worked with the girls, who took turns flying their UAV on Big Track and, when the wind kicked up, in Leipheimer Gymnasium.

Patia, who attended NASA’s Virginia Space Flight Academy at nearby Wallops Island last summer, added, “Now I’m really excited about computer programming and drones,” the Purcellville, VA, resident said. “It’s so cool!” n

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Aiming High

Chase Shipka ’15 Sets Her Sights on Olympics

By Fred McMane

At an age when many young women have very little idea what they want to do in the future, senior Chase Shipka, a leading rider on the junior equestrian circuit, has set her personal goal higher than a show jumping barrier: She wants to compete in the Three-Day Event at the Olympic Games.

The 18-year-old rider knows that won’t happen for a while but she plans to pursue it with everything she has. She’s even planning to skip the traditional four-year college experience in order to focus on her mission.

“I am planning on doing college online,” says Chase, who considered a similar route in high school before learning of Foxcroft’s unique Exceptional Proficiency Program. “My ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics. I am years away from making the team, not because of the level I’m at, but because getting selected is very hard.”

She has already been selected for some pretty impressive honors. In 2013, she was the U.S. Eventing Association’s Junior Preliminary Rider of the Year and Nutrena Rising Star in Eventing. This fall, Chase was one of just nine riders nationwide selected to the Eventing 18/Advancing Athlete Program, an “athlete pipeline” to the top of the sport.

Established in 2013, Eventing 18/AAP is similar to successful programs in Europe that identify youngsters with talent and drive and give them the tools and resources they need to succeed in the international arena. Chase is the only rider from Virginia and one of only three new faces in the group that will train with U.S. Eventing’s Chef d’Equipe David O’Connor in 2015.

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If Chase does make it to the Olympics, she will not be the first Foxcroft alumna to do so: Nina Fout ’77 won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics as a member of the U.S. Eventing Team and way back in 1976, Juliet Graham ’72 competed for Canada at the Montreal Olympics. Fout and Graham both were inducted into the Foxcroft Sports Hall of Fame last February.

Chase has spent the past three winters training and competing in Aiken, SC, a hub of eventing activity. Last season, she and her horse Palm Crescent won the Junior Open Preliminary division at the Pine Top Spring Advanced Horse Trials in Thomson, GA. This winter, Chase and her trainer, Will Coleman, are moving to Ocala, FL. “It’s partly because of the Eventing 18 program,” says Ron Shipka, Chase’s dad. “And partly because of the weather. It really isn’t that warm in Aiken in January.”

In Ocala, as in Aiken, Chase will avail herself of Foxcroft’s Exceptional Proficiency (EP) Program, which was begun in 1991 so students with special talent and passion could spend time away from campus to work at it. The program, coordinated by Dr. Kathy Farmer, is extremely well-organized.

When she is away, Chase gets assignments online, completes them and sends them back. She works with a tutor, who also proctors tests and other assessments sent by teachers. “I keep up pretty well with school,” she says.

Darcie Shipka, Chase’s mom, says the EP Program has been key to her daughter’s progress. “There is no way Chase

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Chase has had success with several equine partners: At the 2014 Millbrook Horse Trials (above left), she and Palm Crescent placed eighth in the Open Intermediate-B class; at the 2013 Morven Park Horse Trials, she and Ever So Lucky were reserve champions in the Area II preliminary level competition.

could have such a successful horse career without attending Foxcroft and being part of the Exceptional Proficiency Program,” she says. “I believe being able to go to Aiken each winter is what really turned her riding career around. She really started to excel.”

The time away is no vacation. Eventing requires great skill at the three disciplines of dressage, cross country, and show jumping. Chase spends hours working on each and during the show season she might ride three horses at these events, many of which are only one day instead of the usual three or four.

“Riding three horses at an event that lasts only one day is amazingly difficult to do,” Darcie says. “She can sometimes compete nine times in one day.”

Being away from Foxcroft and her friends is also a hardship.

“Chase has missed school activities and opportunities to sign up for trips or apply for leadership positions,” Darcie says.

“But she deals with it. She’s an extremely focused rider and student. Foxcroft has allowed Chase to carve out a unique career in horses while getting a superb education.”

Chase became interested in eventing at a very young age after watching her mother and aunt compete. She knew that she was good pretty quickly. “I was eight or nine,” says Chase.

“When I kept winning, I guess I knew.”

The Shipkas had moved from Chicago to Wyoming when Chase was in kindergarten. As she grew more serious about eventing and more accomplished as a rider, living there became difficult.

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“It’s five hours to anywhere,” Ron says. “Getting to horse shows became a problem. The focus on equestrian sports in Virginia and the surrounding areas drew us east.”

Chase and Darcie were interested in home-schooling, but Ron was adamant about Chase getting a rigorous high school education. Once she was accepted to Foxcroft, for her freshman year, the Shipkas moved to nearby Marshall, VA. As the demands of Chase’s riding career have grown, Foxcroft has worked to create a schedule that allows her to ride and care for her horses. “My daily routine is to wake up at 6:50am and be at school from 8 to 3,” she says. “Then I go back to my house and ride three to five horses. Then it’s shower, dinner, homework. And sometimes I will exercise after homework. I am at Foxcroft almost every day except when I have a show and when I leave for the winter.”

Besides keeping up with her academics, Chase has kept up with the rest of life at Foxcroft. She has made good friends, was a Whip in Reynolds Dormitory, and is a Fox mascot.

“Chase has adored her four years at Foxcroft,” says Ron. “For her to have been exposed to the quality of student and faculty that is at Foxcroft has been tremendous. It’s an amazing place.”

Chase plans to go to more amazing places in pursuit of her goal to participate in the Olympics someday – and her mother has no doubts that she will get there. “Chase’s goal for her horse career is to compete in the Olympics with other eventers from all over the world,” says Darcie. “I know she will do that, and not only once, but many times.” n 25

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Out of Africa Wintermission group returns from Senegal with a Different Take on the World

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ast winter, ten students and two chaperones traveled

to Koussanar, a remote village in the African nation of Senegal, for a cultural exchange and service trip. The journey was a culmination of a yearlong effort by the Foxcroft community to help these distant people by collecting used eyeglasses and raising money. Working with a French non-profit that French teacher and trip director Arnaud Boulestreau had partnered with before, the girls helped optometrists fit and distribute glasses. They also painted, taught children, cooked with village women, and assessed the community’s needs, to which they ultimately allocated funds they had raised before the trip. Here’s Arnaud’s daily report on the trip, paired with reflections from the students.

Day 1 Our flight arrived on time and after breakfast, we got on the road. We drove many hours before arriving at our final destination: Koussanar!

“When I got off the bus for the first time in Koussanar, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of love and acceptance. Never 26

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have I been in such a welcoming and happy community.”

– Lee Muse ’15

Day 2 Where to start? We went to Koussanar to go to church for the Sunday service. Afterwards, some of us visited parts of the village, including the hospital, the water tower and soccer field, while others decided to have some work done on their hair (above) . . . Senegal style, of course.

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francs per day, equal to 4 cents! Three girls painted at another school and then we met to go buy scarves for our visit to the Grande Mosque. At the mosque, the Iman shared the history of the place, principles of Islam, and some connections between the Christian and Muslim worlds. He noted that in Koussanar, Christians and Muslims work and live hand-inhand, and that peace and harmony are possible through a better understanding of each other. A powerful message.

Day 3 A very good day. Some highlights were: • Working with the opticians (above), • Going to a tailor and getting a typical Senegalese tunic, • Visiting classes in the local school, • Visiting more villages, • Going on a live radio show, • Ms. [Math teacher Callie] Hughes doing a geometry problem with Senegalese students, • Preparing for the painting of a wall . . .

“When we worked with the opticians, we saw tears from people’s eyes because they were able to see again, and we felt happy for them. One person I helped asked for a picture. Although I don’t speak French, I could see his appreciation . . . He kept shaking hands and saying “merci.” At that moment, I fully understood why people say that helping others can also please ourselves.”

– Jolina Shen ’15

Afterwards, we visited another village and did what we always do: give a soccer ball to the head of the village. The Chief was so happy that he gave us two live chickens!

“Aside from being able to witness the country’s beauty first-hand, the most significant part of the trip was meeting its people. I was able to see genuine happiness . . . Those are the moments I will never forget.” – Allison Bejar ’14

Day 5 Today, we made a meal for 100 elementary school students.

While some girls were still painting at the day care center, others helped prepare the meatloaf and macaroni and cheese.

Some girls decided to work with the opticians anyway and a few visited the junior high and high school and had a great discussion with the English teachers. We learned that even textbooks and CD players are hard to come by. The largest classes (70 students per class), small library (fewer than 500 books ) and tiny computer lab reminded our girls how fortunate they are. We decided to buy two CD players for the school with our emergency fund.

“The people of Senegal, especially the children, taught us how to have joy and how to be grateful. In America, we get upset if we do not have the newest iPhone or designer handbag. People in Senegal did not care as much about material things. They have joy just being alive and around family.” – Natalie Harris ’16

Day 6 Today, we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the childcare center. Thanks to the girls’ decorating skills, the room looked like a real birthday!

Day 4 The day started with a visit to the local preschool where we saw the parents paying daily tuition for each child – 20 Fall 2014

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“One afternoon after a busy morning of touring the village and holding little hands, a couple of other girls and I sat with 27

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from our emergency fund. We also took the two CD/MP3/ DVD players to the high school teachers. One of them was speechless because he had been asking for one for three years!

Another highlight of the day came when our girls played a soccer game against a team of Koussanar girls. We sang the Foxcroft School song and exchanged jerseys, then had a very competitive and fun match. We had such a great time and, FYI, the Koussanar High School team is going to use the jerseys we gave them for all their games. The day concluded with a typical African party with dances and singing.

the four elderly women who cooked our meals and we talked, laughed, and chopped potatoes for our next meal. As we were breaking down the giant language barrier something occurred to me: these are the moments in life I wish I had more of. Moments without worry, stress, or care. . . embraced by these women who had a happiness unlike anything I have ever experienced – and who barely knew us but became our mothers . . . The beauty of this trip is that every girl had a chance to touch and be touched by a force far stronger than anything we know, and I believe that force was true love and happiness. – Lee Muse ’15

“While I was in Koussanar, there wasn’t one morning that I woke up without a smile on my face and ready to take on our next 110° day.” – DeeDee Querolo ’15 Days 8 & 9 Yesterday, we had to say good-bye to our French friends in Koussanar. It was hard because these volunteers have been like family to us.. The girls were very grateful and appreciative.They understand that it is the work of this French organization over the past 25 years that caused the Senegalese people to trust us and open doors which no tourist usually enters.

After a seven-hour bus ride, we arrived in Dakar and went to the beach to swim. This morning, we went to Goree Island, the center of the slave trade triangle for three centuries. We had a very emotional tour of the slave house. There are no words to describe what we experienced but it was powerful and should leave lasting memories and thoughts for many years to come. Afterwards, we had a tour of Dakar and a special dinner, and headed to the airport for our flight home.

We had a fabulous time! – Arnaud Boulestreau

Day 7 Love has been everywhere since we landed in Senegal a week ago. Today was another example of that. After a visit to the market, we met with Kane, the pre-school teacher who makes tablecloths to sustain a better living, and bought 20 to sell in the U.S. Then the girls thanked the wonderful cooks for the great food they made this week – and told them that we decided to finance the remodeling of the kitchen using $800 28

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I believe the greatest lesson I learned was in understanding how I changed. I thought I was going to see overwhelming poverty and feel sorry for these people, but it was the opposite. The people are happy; they love their life and cherish their culture and I am thankful I was able to live a part of it, even if it was for only nine days. – Brianna Eagen ’14 To learn about Foxcroft’s travel opportunities and read our “Where’s Foxcroft?” blog entries about those adventures, scan the QR code or visit: www.foxcroft.org/co_curriculum

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Holiday Gifts

Unique Foxcroft gifts for the holidays.

Share your School Spirit!

Looking for that special Foxcroft-something as a holiday treat? We have some great gift ideas and stocking stuffers perfect for your Fox or Hound.

CooKBooK $10 A sturdy, 225-page paperback chock full of the best recipes from Foxcroft's past. Its contents include Miss Charlotte originals, Spur and Spoon specialities, and favorites from alumnae and faculty. Published in 1969 and revised in 1989.

These items are offered for sale by the Alumnae Association to benefit the work of the Association. To order any of these items, you may use the QR code below or visit www.foxcroft.org/alumnae/store. emBroiDereD CentenniAl KeY ring $15

men’s neCKtie $75

A classic New England-style, woven ribbon-on-canvas key ring. 4x3 inches.

Foxcroft green on white. Features fox head from the School seal on the flip side.

A handsome, quality silk twill tie featuring a fox and hound pattern. Designed exclusively for the School by renowned artist Jane Gaston, our tie is 100% silk twill and is suitable for husbands, brothers, boyfriends, uncles, granddads, nephews, and friends of Foxes or Hounds!

liCense plAte holDer $25 Sturdy heavyweight metal license plate holder.Why advertise your car dealership when you can “be true to your school?”

ornAment $15 Gold-tone tin ornament featuring the Foxcroft seal. A perfect stocking stuffer!

A must for your Christmas tree ... or hang it from a doorknob, your mirror, or window all year! 2.2 in. diameter with raised center.

To order Alumnae Association gifts, scan this QR code or visit:

www.foxcroft.org/alumnae/store.

Get the Foxcroft Look at the School Store!

Foxcroft’s School Store offers an expansive catalog of Foxcroft clothing for men, women, and children, along with accessories, gift items, and more.Visit the School Store in the PX when you are on campus or place your order online through our website.

We accept: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and personal checks.

To order from the Foxcroft School Store, scan this QR code or visit: www.foxcroft.org/school_store.

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A Day to Remember

For the first time in 25 years, Foxcroft installs a new head of school

Senior Class president Meredith Dietz (inset) led the academic procession and Groves gave the new head her charge, and a Foxcroft ring.

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ON A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY IN SEPTEMBER,

Catherine S. McGehee was installed as the tenth Head of Foxcroft School. The momentous day had the perfect mix of pomp and circumstance – and joy and laughter.

Faculty in their academic garb and underclassmen sporting school skirts joined Trustees, alumnae, family, friends, and the leaders of virtually every independent school in the area to fill Miss Charlotte’s Garden. All told, about 400 people witnessed the School’s first installation in a quarter-century.

Board Chair Reggie Groves ’76 gave McGehee the charge “to uphold the mission and ethos of Foxcroft School and to lead this School forward into its second century with vision, integrity, courage, strength, and purpose.”

McGehee responded with a gracious speech about her new position and the wonderful School she now leads, promising “to serve Foxcroft with a devotion undertaken with passion and conviction on behalf of Foxcroft girls yesterday, today and tomorrow and, yes, to enjoy good hard work and fun.”

Keynote speaker Megan Murphy, the Executive Director of the National Coalition of Girls Schools, touched on

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that same approach in her address. Murphy extolled the value of a single-sex education. She emphasized McGehee’s understanding of the merit of girls’ schools and her dedication to them. Then, noting that, like Miss Charlotte, Foxcroft’s new head is a “woman of insatiable curiosity and unbounded energy,” she closed with a wish for Cathy that came straight from the first head and founder of the School: “Keep up with the times. Don’t be narrow. Have two rules: hard, good work and much fun.”

David Charlton, President of Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia and a longtime mentor of McGehee’s, Rev. Robert Banse, Rector of Trinity Church (Upperville), and Foxcroft Librarian Steve Matthews also spoke at the ceremony. Dr. Meghen Tuttle, the School’s new biology teacher and a professional mezzo-soprano, and the Chorale sang. Senior student leaders Lilly Potter, Gaby Panettiere, Maleia Meadows, and Meredith Dietz also participated.

Afterwards, everyone celebrated – adult guests attended a lovely reception at Covert while students convened behind Schoolhouse for a lively dance party complete with DJ, glow sticks, and lots of good, hard fun. n Foxcroft School

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A legion of local school leaders came to McGehee’s Installation, including (from left) Colley Bell, Head of Middleburg Academy, David Colon (Wakefield School), Hank Berg (Highland School), McGehee, former Foxcroft Head Mary Louise Leipheimer, Hill School Head Emeritus Tom Northrup, and current Head Treavor Lord, Trip Darin (Blue Ridge School). Not pictured: Susan Scarborough, Head of Powhatan School.

Librarian and English Teacher Steve Matthews lent the event historical context and affirmed the community’s alacrity for the journey ahead.

NCGS Executive Director Megan Murphy shared impressive research on the merit of girls’ schools and launched Cathy’s tenure with some familiar words.

I have read that Miss Charlotte was a woman of insatiable curiosity and unbounded energy – characteristics shared by your new head of school. Sensing a kindred spirit in your leadership styles, it seems fitting for my wish to you, Cathy, to be in the words of Miss Charlotte.Written in a letter dated 1929, but not allowed to be opened until her death in 1969, she wrote to us, “Keep up with the times. Don’t be narrow.

Have two rules: hard, good work and much fun.

Remember this moment. You are here on this resplendent September day in the year 2014 to honor tradition and yet to celebrate change and renewal. There is something very new and bold and exciting about what we are doing. We are here to welcome and install our new head . . .This is our freshman year of Foxcroft’s second 100 – our collective Foxcroft 101experience.

Let’s make the most of it.

To watch a video of the Installation ceremony, scan this code or go to: www.foxcroft.org/installation Fall 2014

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The Charge

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Reggie Groves’ 76, the Chair of Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees, officially installed Cathy with this “Charge.”

WELCOMING CATHERINE SMYLIE MCGEHEE as our tenth Head of School is a significant event for Foxcroft and a wonderful opportunity for our community to celebrate a new chapter in the history of the School.

As we acknowledge her installation as Head, it seems an appropriate time to reiterate Foxcroft’s mission as these words provide the foundation for the charge from the Board of Trustees to Cathy.

You stand before us as the new Head of Foxcroft School.

You have an unshakable belief in the value of single-sex, independent education, an articulated vision for our future, and a passionate understanding of the collaborative and connected nature of girls’ learning and how those skills will translate into 21st century success. You are a teacher and educator at heart who embraces our motto – mens sana in corpore sano – a sound mind in a sound body. As a role model for our girls, your authenticity, your appreciation for life and your caring nature will influence their lives in countless ways and unforeseen ways.

You stated in your educational philosophy statement that you, and I quote, “believe a head of school must “Foxcroft School lead optimistically, provides a residential knowledgeably, and learning experience for joyfully. A head must be girls in which academic transformational while excellence, leadership, staying true to the mission responsibility, and and traditions of an integrity are our institution. Galvanizing a highest values.” school around a common vision is arguably the Established in 1914, most important work founder Charlotte Haxall Reggie Groves ’76 (right) and Trustee Sally Bartholomay Downey ’78 co-chaired the Search Committee that brought McGehee to Foxcroft. of a school leader.” Your Noland’s vision was clear: statement, along with your experiences in leading, educating academics; physical, emotional, and spiritual development; and strategic thinking, affirmed the Board’s belief that you high expectations; and life itself would be equal partners. are the person to steer Foxcroft forward at this time.

For a century, Foxcroft girls have successfully juggled the life of the mind and body with the responsibilities of the soul and graduated prepared to lead in an everchanging world.

Foxcroft’s mission is clearly reflected in a broad and demanding academic program, a residential environment and a culture firmly rooted in character. Foxcroft combines the best of tradition with forward-thinking programs, authentic community, and an understanding heart, that when netted together, give girls a chance to find their voice and to prepare for success in college and life.

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Therefore by the authority of the Board of Trustees, I install you as the 10th Head of Foxcroft School and charge you to uphold the mission and ethos of Foxcroft School and to lead this school forward into its second century with vision, integrity, strength, and purpose.

Cathy, it gives me great pleasure to present you with a symbol of our School, a Foxcroft ring, which is recognizable to anyone who has been a part of this fine institution and will connect you forever to a sisterhood that is 3,000 strong. n

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‘Good Hard Work – and Fun’ Remarks by Catherine S. McGehee

for this new stage of our lives. You always inspire me to be my best. To my daughters Eliza and Jane who keep me honest and help me laugh at myself often, you make me so very proud. And to my sister Beth and brother-in-law Ben, and to my father-in-law, Read, the wiser, and Jenny and to my sister-in-law Caroline: thank you for fun times, laughter and unconditional love . . . and to Norah, my niece, we’ve got a spot for you in Foxcroft’s Class of 2025! Start working on your mom and dad!

To my St. Catherine’s friends and colleagues, thank you for making the trip from Richmond. Foxcroft and St. Catherine’s histories were intertwined 100 years ago, as you have heard from Steve, as they are today. So things do come full circle, and I believe our schools can benefit from collaborating on best practices for teaching girls.

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I AM HONORED YOU HAVE GATHERED TO celebrate my installation as the 10th Head of Foxcroft and I am humbled by your kind words, your singing and your gifts. But I am reminded, however, of David McCullough Jr.’s 2012 commencement address telling the graduates of the high school where he teaches English, “You’re not special.” Maybe you read that. Note to self! This celebration isn’t about me; it is about all of us – the body of Foxcroft.

And to David and all my mentors and colleagues, heads of schools and other distinguished guests and most of all to Megan, thank you for being here. Megan, thank you for inspiring us to consider our work at Foxcroft as part of a larger global network benefitting the education of girls everywhere.

You honor me and Foxcroft, and we look forward to further joint ventures between NCGS and Foxcroft.

It seems appropriate to thank all of the administrative team and staff who worked tirelessly to get the campus looking so beautiful, to set up today’s celebration, and to prepare this evening’s reception. So would you please join me in showing your appreciation with applause to that staff.

On a personal level, this is a very special day where family and dear friends have gathered together, and my heart is full of gratitude. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my support team. To my mother, who is in attendance and to my father who for health reasons cannot be with us, I thank you for instilling in me the values of hard work, scholarly pursuits, faith, service to others and social justice.

To my husband Read who is my best teammate ever...thank you for supporting me personally and professionally for 31 years, even if it means commuting on 95, late dinners, or working through weekends. Thank you for your enthusiasm Fall 2014

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Daughters (from left) Eliza and Jane, husband Read, sister-in-law Caroline Pascual and niece Norah Pascual were on hand to celebrate Cathy.

Reggie, Steve, thank you for your remarks, and to the rest of the Search Committee and the Board of Trustees, I am honored that you have placed your faith in me. I knew I wanted to land at Foxcroft from the very first Skype interview with the lawnmower going on in the background – do you remember that? – and we laughed out loud together. At that moment, I knew that Foxcroft would be a 33

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joy-filled place, and it is. Together with an expert and highlydedicated faculty, you help us realize the mission. May we have many more great times together.

But it is you, girls, who sealed the deal. You are the reason I came to Foxcroft. Your warmth, your authenticity, your individualism, your curiosity and your understanding hearts are contagious. You inspire everyone, especially me, and fill us with optimism for our future.

As I said a moment ago, this celebration is about all of us, the body of Foxcroft, but especially about you girls, the students of Foxcroft. As our reading reminds us, no one part is more important than another. When one is honored, all are; when one is suffering, all suffer. We all have a place of honor in this community. Whether you are a new girl in 9th grade from half-way across the country (or the world) or a member of the class of 1964 celebrating a 50th reunion; whether you are faculty or a Trustee; a parent or a member of the maintenance staff, we all are members of the Foxcroft community. This is our School. And all of us have an important role to play.

First, we honor Foxcroft’s traditions that help to create our strong school culture and loyalty, both of which amaze me every time I see them in action. Second, we have talents to bring to support the teaching and learning of our current students in order to prepare them for their futures. This 34

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preparation includes not only preparation for success in college but also preparation for leadership based on integrity, service and an understanding heart. Finally, we all have a duty to envision Foxcroft’s second century and to make sure we have the resources we need to build upon the excellence of the past while looking to an exciting future. Tradition and innovation are not an either/or proposition. Rather, innovation is in the DNA of Foxcroft. As you’ve heard, Miss Charlotte, Mrs. Leipheimer, other leaders and our students and graduates have always challenged the status quo and societal expectations for women to make a difference and change lives. Preparing young women to lead in a rapidly changing world is an awesome responsibility and we have much work to do, but it’s exciting work.

Students and faculty, you’ll remember I said at the Sunrise Service that school is a wonderful privilege, and hard work is good. I recently read on a retirement announcement for another girls’ school head a quotation that stuck with me. It was from 2006 poet laureate Donald Hall. In his autobiography, Life Work, Hall defines work as “devotion undertaken with passion and conviction...an unrelenting quest which cannot be satisfied.”

That is my goal: to serve Foxcroft with a devotion undertaken with passion and conviction on behalf of Foxcroft girls yesterday, today and tomorrow, and, yes, to enjoy good hard work and fun. n

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________________________________________________________________________ Nominated by: ______________________________________ Class: _____ ___________ (First, Maiden and Last)

Your address: ______________________________________________________________ (Street)

________________________________________________________________________ (City, Town, State, Zip)

Preferred Phone: _____________________________________m home m cell m business Email: ___________________________________________________________________

(First, Maiden and Last)

For these achievements:______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Nominated by: ______________________________________ Class: _____ ___________ (First, Maiden and Last)

Your address: ______________________________________________________________ (Street)

________________________________________________________________________ (City, Town, State, Zip)

Preferred Phone: _____________________________________m home m cell m business Email: ___________________________________________________________________ Fall 2014

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F OX C

o

FT SC RO

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Nominee’s Name:_____________________________________ Class: ________ ________

For more information, complete nomination guidelines, and an online submission form, please see our website: www.foxcroft.org/ distinguished_alumnae

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I would like to nominate the following individual for Foxcroft’s Sports Hall of Fame:

Alumnae Association Development Office Foxcroft School 22407 Foxhound Lane P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, VA 20118 540.687.4510 alumnae@foxcroft.org

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Sports Hall of Fame Nomination Form

Please mail the completed form to:

ens san sana in corpore

o

For these achievements and/or contributions:______________________________________

ens san sana in corpore

F OX C

(First, Maiden and Last)

OOL

Nominee’s Name:_____________________________________ Class: ________ ________

H

I would like to nominate the following individual for the Distinguished Alumna Award:

m

Distinguished Alumna Nomination Form

FT SC RO

Please mail the completed form to: Sports Hall of Fame Committee Development Office Foxcroft School 22407 Foxhound Lane P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, VA 20118 540.687.4510 development@foxcroft.org For more information, complete nomination guidelines, and an online submission form, please see our website: www.foxcroft.org/sports_HOF 35

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Some Leaders Are Born Women . . .

Foxcroft steps proudly into her second century with a Board of Trustees full of wise and wonderful leaders. Four talented women (below), whose knowledge and expertise is guiding the School, serve as the Board’s officers. Another four women (at right) joined the Board this summer. We are grateful to all those who share their time and talent for the betterment of the School.

At the Helm Reggie Groves ’76, Chair, is the Vice President and General manager of AF Solutions, a business unit of Medtronic that is focused on treating atrial fibrillation.

She joined Medtronic in 2002 and has served as VP and General Manager, Patient Management, and Vice President, Quality and Regulatory for the Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure Division. Previously, Reggie was with Scient, Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Egleston Children’s Hospital; and McKinsey & Company.

A registered pharmacist, she received her BS in Pharmacy from the University of Florida and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She currently serves on the Commercial Advisory Board of the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center and the Cleveland Clinic. During her tenure on Foxcroft’s Board from 1995-2005, Reggie led the trustees in developing the School’s strategic plan. Reggie, who lives in St. Paul, MN, with her son, Robert, and her mother, Una, enjoys playing golf and entertaining in her spare time.

Anne Michele Lyons Kuhns ’87, Vice Chair, graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BS in Engineering Science and a BS in Mathematics. After spending 15 years in New York working for Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Bear Stearns, she moved with her husband, Paul, to Rehoboth Beach, DE. Anne Michele is involved with the Rehoboth Historical Society, as a board member and as the treasurer. She also serves as a trustee for the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware and has mentored local public school students, ages 15 to 17, since 2006. In her free time, Anne Michele enjoys playing tennis and going to the beach.

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Victoria Mars ’74, Secretary, is Chairman of the Board for Mars, Inc. and also serves on the company’s Remuneration and Benefit Funding, and Investment Oversight committees. Prior to becoming Chairman, she was the Mars Corporate Ombudsman for 16 years.

Victoria graduated from Yale University with a BA in Administrative Sciences and German and French languages, and holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. She was a member of the Board for EcoHealth Alliance for 12 years and currently serves on the Board of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation in Bozeman, MT. She lives in Newtown Square, PA, with her husband, David Spina, and their four cats. Victoria and David have four children, Stephanie, Bernadette ’03, Kimberly, and Andrew; one grandchild named Harrison; and 11 grand-cats. Victoria enjoys the mountains, traveling, skiing, cycling, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Carla Rodil Ciperski ’88, Treasurer, is Program Director for Marketing Strategy in IBM’s software division (SWG). A native of Guatemala, she previously oversaw the Latin America operation – including sales, marketing, services, support, and finances – of Cognos Corporation, which was acquired

by IBM. Carla, who also worked for Merrill Lynch and Chase Manhattan, earned a degree in Business Administration and Finance from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

She and her husband, Adam, live in Miami, FL, and have two children, Theodore and Sofia. Carla joined Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees in 2010 and currently chairs the Finance Committee. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga and going to the beach.

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Welcome Aboard L. Elizabeth F. Hanbidge ’00 owns Hanbidge Law, LLC, a civil litigation practice in Fort Washington, PA. Liz earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and master’s degrees in psychology from Oxford and Harvard before obtaining her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin. In addition to her litigation practice, Liz is pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge, focusing on protective factors for children of high-conflict divorce. She is involved with the Montgomery (PA) Child Advocacy Project, which provides free legal representation to children who are victims of abuse and neglect. Liz is also the awards captain for the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. A long-time rower and lifelong rider, she recently took up triathlon and, when not in court, she is often accompanied by her canine companion, Honey.

Dede Pickering ’71 is a passionate, self-taught photographer who shoots from the heart. She is motivated by her curiosity, sense of adventure, and desire to explore the world. Witnessing and recording the many injustices in the world inspired her to do something beyond photography: She volunteered for CARE and, in 1998, co-founded CARE’s first Women’s Initiative Group in New York. Dede headed the initiative, whose main focus is the education of girls, for seven years and helped open chapters in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Dede also served as a New York trustee for CARE and on the Advisory Committee for its Campaign for Education. A Bay Head, NJ, resident, Dede was also on the Board of Women’s World Banking, a global network of 54 microfinance institutions that provide small loans to people to start their own businesses and rise out of poverty.

Patti Sifton-Munro ’76 graduated from Hollins College in 1983 with an Honors BA in English and History. She then moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she still lives, with her husband, Laurie, and golden retriever. They have two grown children, Erin and David. Patti manages her family’s thoroughbred farm, located in Caledon, Ontario, and is a Trustee of her late father’s estate. In the past, she volunteered at her children’s schools, assisting with admissions and fundraising, and at the Hospital for Sick Kids, where she rocked babies and played with the children waiting for treatment. Patti still rides and enjoys competing in the amateur jumpers in both Wellington, FL, and Toronto. She looks forward to serving on the Board and being able to give back to Foxcroft.

Susan Wilford, mother of Lizzie ’12, is a native of Fredericksburg, VA, and attended Queens College in Charlotte, NC. While her daughter was at Foxcroft, Susan volunteered whenever she could, traveling from her home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where she lives with her husband, Curry, their sons, Jason and Talley, golden retriever, Gatsby, and Himalayan, Oliver. A former stockbroker and bond trader, Susan has also owned a ladies’ clothing store and gourmet food store. She has been an active volunteer for the Art Academy Museum, Historical Society of Talbot County, Christ Church-Easton, Empty Bowls, and the Parents’ Association of the Country School. She serves on the George Washington Foundation’s Board of Regents in Fredericksburg and Secretary of the Board of the Women and Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation in Talbot County, MD. Susan is excited to join Foxcroft’s Board and to help keep the School the vision that Miss Charlotte had a century ago.

Heartfelt Thanks . . . to departing Board members Maria Saffer Cobb ’87, Mia Martin Glickman ’78, and Ron Lindquist P ’00, P ’10 for their passion, wisdom, and support. They have benefited generations of girls.

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Leading Alums

The Foxcroft Alumnae Association Mission: To promote connections among alumnae and with Foxcroft, and to support initiatives and programs aligned with the School’s mission and priorities.

Activities: An annual meeting, open to all alumnae, held during Reunion Weekend to welcome the soon-to-graduate seniors to the alumnae ranks; Distinguished Alumnae Award winners and Reunion gifts; programs that focus on connection, most notably the Class Representatives, who are key communicators between Foxcroft and the members of each class; and other initiatives about connection, including: • Linkedin Networking Initiative (Add Foxcroft to your Linkedin profile!); • New Grad Connections Initiative (connecting with young alumnae at college); • Student Leadership program and Foxcroft Career Fair.

Leadership: The Alumnae Council is the leadership body of the Association and meets at least three times each year via teleconference or campus gatherings.

Connecting Parents Foxcroft Parents’ Association

Mission: To create and foster a sense of community for the parents of Foxcroft students; to build bridges between the parent and the faculty communities; and to improve the Foxcroft student experience in positive, curriculumsupporting ways.

Activities: Regular meetings, an annual fundraiser, and a variety of volunteer opportunities that offer ways for parents, near and far, to connect with each other and with faculty, administrators, and staff. PA members greet new parents during Opening Days, serve as a resource, assist with Admission outreach and open houses, support sports teams through the Parents’ Athletic Association, prepare food for faculty appreciation efforts and student events, host international students at their homes, and more. The Silent Auction, held annually during Parents’ Weekend, is a community-wide endeavor and the PA’s only fundraiser.

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The 2014-15 Alumnae Council Leaders President: Sheldon Gerry Withers ’61 Vice President: Amanda Hartmann Healey ’98 Secretary: Ali Eskridge Hoce ’96 Treasurer: Barkley Boutell Henning ’73 Council members: Karen Lilly ’84, Lisa Hubbard Patterson ’89, Jenn Sgro Orfield ’91, Kate Hartshorn Domanski ’96, Annie Bishop ’98, Alden Denègre Moylan ’05, Jessica Walker ’05, and Adela Griswold ’06

At an Alumnae Council meeting this fall, Head of School Cathy McGehee (center, holding gifts) was welcomed warmly by (left to right) Alden Denègre Moylan ’05, Jessica Walker ’05, Sheldon Gerry Withers ’61, Barkley Boutell Henning ’73, Karen Lilly ’84, and Jenn Sgro Orfield ’91.

The Parents’ Association 2014-15 Leaders President: Marylee Querolo (DeeDee ’15) Vice President: Deb Weber (Tori ’15) Secretary: Debra Bright Harris (Natalie ’16) Treasurer: Collin Steyn (Pipsy ’16) Silent Auction Co-Chairs: Leslie Carpenter (Laurel ’16) and Holly Cunningham (Cortney ’15); Co-Chairs, Parents Athletic Association: Corinne Steyn (Pipsy ’16) and Jennifer Grace (Alex ’16)

Among the Parents’ Association officers on hand to greet parents in August were (left-right) Leslie Carpenter, Holly Cunningham, Marylee Querolo, Deb Weber, and Debra Bright Harris.

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Whoops&Hallos Dombrowski’s footwork. At Morning Meeting earlier in the week, he had talked about playing the challenging instrument and mentioned that he can play four notes at a time with the customized jazz dance shoes he wears.

“Two with my toes and two with my heels,” Dombrowski, said. He has won numerous competitions and performed at cathedrals around the world – but sat down at the Cathedral’s 10,650-pipe organ for the first time less than 48 hours before the recital. “What practice time I had I spent learning what that particular instrument can do and how it works in the space.”

He must be a quick study because the works by Bach, Charles V. Stanfield, and others that he played sounded marvelous!

Dombrowski wowed his students, and colleagues, including (left to right) Victoria Zhao ’16, Esther Sanchez (Foreign Languages Chair), Stephanie Zhang ’15, and Tish Bass ’15, when he played at the National Cathedral.

VIRTUOSO Chorale, piano, and Latin instructor Eric Dombrowski gave a wonderful recital on the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral November 16 – and more than 60 members of the Foxcroft family were on hand to hear it!

Alumnae representing classes from 1947 to 2010, parents, students, faculty, and a very proud Head of School Cathy McGehee also enjoyed a lovely reception beforehand.

“It was amazing,” said junior Victoria Zhao. “We got to sit up in the choir area right next to Mr. Dombrowski and watch him play.” The girls were especially fascinated by Fall 2014

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ALSO PRESENTING . . .

Several other faculty and staff shared their talents at events beyondFoxcroft’s gates in recent months.

• At the Council of Educational Facility Planners International Conference, Business Manager Deborah Anderson (right) co-presented on “Student Engagement: Creating Relevant Learning Opportunities During Design And Construction Projects.”

• At the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) Annual Conference, Director of College Counseling Barbara Conner co-presented a session on College Essay writing. She also co-presented on “Ethics in College Admission Counseling” at the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC) Summer Institute, which she co-chaired.

• At the National Conference on Girls’ Education (NCGE), Director of Institutional Advancement Marion Couzens joined counterparts from Emma Willard, Ethel Walker, 39

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and Westover for a session entitled, “Have Your Cake and Honor It Too: Planning Your School’s Next Aniversary.”

• Also at NCGE, History Department Chair and Academic Technology Coordinator Alex Northrup presented Teaching: 21st Century Tools for Effective Learning.

• At the International Students Preparation Academy, Director of Enrollment Patrick Finn (left) spoke on the American boarding school admissions process.

ALWAYS LEARNING A dozen faculty, staff, and administrators attended the VAIS Annual Conference in November. Others pursued professional development opportunities this summer and fall, including: • Advanced Placement Summer Institutes for U.S. History, Physics I and Biology • Peabody Professional Institute for Beginning Teaching in Independent Schools • Exeter Math Institute for Teachers • VAIS New Teacher Institute • VAIS Instructional Design and Technology Workshop • American Healthcare Institute conference, “Advances in School Nursing;” and “The School Nurse and the Law” • Google Educator Certification

For the second year in a row, Virginia Living named Foxcroft one of the state’s top high schools.

A hands-on approach to engineering earned Foxcroft kudos in the Science, Math, and Technology category.

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NEW FACULTY Biology teacher Meghen Tuttle received her bachelor’s in classical voice with a minor in neuroscience from the University of Southern California. She has worked as a professional classical musician – even while pursuing her Ph.D. in neuroscience at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute, where she wrote a dissertation on how conservatory training changes the brain.

Meghen, who fell in love with teaching at grad school says she believes that, while primary research is vital, communicating the relevancy of that research is absolutely critical, if one hopes to make a difference in society.

Abbey Rowlands, who teaches Spanish I and II, received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from The University of the South: Sewanee, in Tennessee, graduating summa cum laude with departmental honors. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Delta Pi, and the recipient of the A.T. Pickering Award for Excellence in Spanish.

A native of Southern California, Rowlands was pre-med in college, until a summer of assistant teaching unlocked her passion for Spanish and teaching.

School Counselor Kaki Tipler received her BA in Psychology and French Studies from The University of the South: Sewanee, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. During a year of teaching in France, she found joy and meaning in working with students in an academic setting. So Tipler earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. She has counseled students at Penn and Sewanee, has clinical experience working with women who have eating disorders, and is passionate about helping girls achieve and maintain overall wellness.

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NAN’S GIRLS At the dedication of Stuart Hall a year ago, trustee and major donor Nan Stuart ’71 made a surprise offer of a college scholarship to any student who chose to pursue engineering or architecture as a result of her participation in the Project Greenbuild seminar that was Stuart (center) with (l-r) Lydia, Kate and Tessa held during the dorm’s construction. This fall, three members of the Class of 2014 are benefiting from Stuart’s generous offer. Kate Eagen is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia; Lydia Bubniak is enrolled in Georgetown’s 3-2 program in engineering with Columbia University; and Tessa PagetBrown plans to attend Georgia Institute of Technology.

seminar will introduce students to the ins and outs of personal and institutional finance and investments.

KUDOS ALL AROUND A record 25 girls from the classes of 2014 and 2015 were named Advanced Placement Scholars by the College Board for outstanding performances on last May’s AP Exams. It was the second year in a row that more than a third of the class earned recognition and the 11th straight year that the Foxcroft total has been in double digits.

AP Scholars (l-r) Amy Zhang, Meredith Dietz, Arianna Gorman.

Lilly Potter and Phoebe Fei were part of a record-sized group.

IF YOU BUILD IT . . .

Project Greenbuild was a hit on many levels. It was a key factor in Stuart Hall earning Gold LEED Certification, winning two Wintergreen Awards, and becoming a finalist for a U.S. Green Building Council’s Best of Building Award.

Education and awareness about environmental issues are criteria in the complicated certification process.

The program, conducted by Forrester Construction and the Hord Coplan Macht architecture firm, helped inspire other girls to explore STEM courses and careers as well. So, here comes the sequel: A seminar called “Project Rebuild” following the renovation of Court when it begins.

That’s not it, though. Business Manager Deborah Anderson, who was instrumental in bringing the two “build” seminars to life, is offering yet another program featuring a different kindof “green.” Called Fireside Financial, this evening Fall 2014

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Isabella Zimmerman ’17 earned the number 1 ranking in Virginia for her performance on the French Level 2 exam of le Grand Concours (aka the National French Exam) last spring. She was also ranked 80th out of nearly 20,000 students nationwide. Ten of the 14 students who participated earned recognition.

Foxcroft athletics had another banner season this fall! fall Three of the four varsity teams competed in the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Division II State Championships and seven athletes were named All-State.

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in some time, reaching the Delaney Athletic Conference championship game for the first time.

FIELD HOCKEY, led by All-State First Teamers Allison Buffenbarger ’17, Pipsy Steyn ’16, and Lindsay Woods ’17, and second-team selection Laney Malone ’16 reached the “Final Four” of the state tournament for the third year in a row. Even though the team lost in the semifinal, it had more athletes among the All-State honorees than any other team!

TENNIS, with three-time All-Stater Annie Mickum ’16 mostly playing at the number 1 spot, reached the quarterfinals. Co-captain Marina Shallcross ’16, who played number 1 in the state tournament after Annie took sick, also repeated as a First Team All-State.

CROSS COUNTRY finished 13th among 35 teams in the VISAA Division II championship. Alex Grace, who led the field hockey team in scoring a year ago, has earned All-DAC in four sports and All-State in three!

AT THE BARN . . . A young, enthusiastic, and talented Interscholastic Equestrian Association Team got off to a great start, taking team Reserve Champion three times in five meets and placing third in the other two. By early November, the team, captained by junior Marisa Sanders and sophomore Guen Geiersbach, had already qualified for Regional Finals and hosted a successful show at McConnell Stables. Six riders had also qualified as individuals in nine different classes and another seven girls were within five points of earning a spot at the Regional Finals in March.

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PASSING THROUGH A variety of interesting guests have come to campus this fall.

Fashion designer, entrepreneur, and Foxcroft alumna Allegra Brantly ’04 kicked off the Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Arts Lecture Series this year with a twoday visit that included a workshop about putting together outfits for different occasions, a student fashion show, and a presentation during which Allegra shared her creative journey as the designer and creator of A. MOAY, a luxury robe and travel finery brand.

In the first of a series of STEM workshops, Judge Richard M. Hughes of Luzerne County PA, presented forensic evidence from a murder case that he tried as District Attorney. He talked about the vital role science plays in criminal investigation work and showed great examples.

Carrie Lingo, USA Field Hockey 2009 Athlete of the Year and Olympian standout, jumpstarted Foxcroft’s season with a twoday visit in September. She held a clinic, made presentations to athletes and at Morning Meeting, and more. She brought current USA Team goaltender Jackie Kintzer for the clinic.

Online School for Girls’ Brad Rathgeber met with faculty, administrators, and students. He led an outstanding discussion with department chairs about what makes Foxcroft unique and the role technology can play in helping us enhance that.

Novelist and Tennessee Williams scholar Margaret B. Thornton talked about the writing process and Williams and then signed copies of her book Charleston – which Foxcroft parent Nancy Hector had donated for every student and faculty member.

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SAVE-THE-DATE REUNION 2015

Foxcroft class reunions for all classes ending in “0” or “5” April 17 - 19, 2015 Join your classmates for a fun-filled weekend!

Book your accommodations early as rooms in the area fill up quickly!

Friday, April 17 Reunion Registration – All Day Attend Classes with Students – 8:00 am to 3:30 pm Morning Meeting – 8:50 am to 9:30 am Welcome Reception and Dinner – 6:00 pm Hosted by Cathy McGehee, Head of School Saturday, April 18 Breakfast – 8:30 am Registration, Coffee & Tea – All Day Campus Tours – 9:00 to 10:00 am Alumnae Trail Rides – 9:00 am & 10:00 am Special Alumnae Classes – 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Saturday (continued) Student Panel – 11:15 am to 12:00 pm Octets, ADs, and Chorale performances – 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm Class Pictures – 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm Alumnae Association Luncheon – 1:00 pm to 2:15pm Conversation with Head of School Cathy McGehee – 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm Fox/Hound Alumnae Field Hockey – 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm Class Dinners (Scheduled by class) Sunday, April 19 Brunch – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

For more information, please call Lee Clark Breeden ’00 at 540.687.4515 or email lee.breeden@foxcroft.org. lee.breeden@foxcroft.org

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22407 Foxhound Lane P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Dulles, VA. Permit No. 3

Times Square, New York City, October 29, 2014 Foxcroft girls aren’t shy about saying Thank You!

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