Foxcroft Magazine (Fall 2011)

Fall 2011

Educating for the 21st Century

Thank You! We are whole-heartedly overwhelmed by your steadfast loyalty and thoughtful support of the 2010-11 Annual Fund.

Thanks to your generosity, the Fund has exceeded goal and surpassed $1million in gifts for the fifth consecutive year.

We are deeply grateful that you continue to make Foxcroft your philanthropic priority, as your gifts, both large and small, truly transform the lives of our girls.

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www.foxcroft.org

Creating a 21st Century CURRICULUM

by Alexander O. Northrup

Foxcroft Magazine is published annually

by Foxcroft School.

Teaching the TEACHERS

by Cristina Santiestevan ’96

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Mary Louise Leipheimer Head of School

COMMENCEMENT Through the Garden, Into the World

Sheila C. McKibbin Assistant Head of School

Gina B. Finn Director of Admission and Financial Aid Patrick M. Finn Director of Enrollment Management

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AROUND THE WORLD Spain: 50 Hugs

by Avery Finkel ’13 Peru: Tropical Attractions Olivia Brown ’11

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SPECIAL VISITORS Project Common Bond Comes to Campus

Photography: Jim Kirby, Gary Cox, Bethany Lowe. Also: Archer Davis, Maria Eagen, Deb Hogan, Alex Northrup, Jennie Wills, Cathrine Wolf, and many helpful friends.

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A Space for FRIENDSHIP Master Plan Projects Move Ahead

by Marion L. Couzens

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 school-sponsored programs.

We make every effort to include all photos and “Gone Away” class notes submitted via email, U.S. mail, or the Foxcroft website.

This edition includes submissions received through August 15, 2011.

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A DEDICATED PAIR Becky Gilmore and Nelly Sheehan Honored

by Marit Hughes ’94 & Sheila C. McKibbin

Development Office Deborah K. Hogan (Associate Director) Jennie Wills (Assistant Director) Laura Booze (Gifts Administrator) Terry Meyer (Development Coordinator) Bethany Lowe (Advancement Assistant) Design: Studio B, Leesburg, VA

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Please address queries to Cathrine Wolf, Director of Communications 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 540.687.4511 cwolf@foxcroft.org

Marion L. Couzens Director of Institutional Advancement

Fall 2011

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Message from the Head of School Whoops & Hallos Centennial Celebration Reunion Gone Away Foxcroft on the Move

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

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

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From the Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer schools. Will anyone know what I can do? Will anyone see what gift I hold in my hands?

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“AHA!” Yes, I actually articulated the excitement of discovery yesterday. Sheila McKibbin, Assistant Head of School, and I were discussing my ongoing references to an essay written by Paula Lawrence Wehmiller: A Gathering of Gifts. Suddenly, I saw the connections between that essay, this teacher/ observer, and the School itself. To begin to explain, here are excerpts of that essay.

Will Anybody Know Who I Am? The kindergarten child arriving at school; the middle school child looking for a seat in the basement cafeteria the first day; the high school freshman loading the bus for preseason soccer camp; the college freshman a thousand miles from home stepping off the train onto a strange campus; the newly hired art teacher landing in an ominously empty room or, worse yet, with someone else’s junk still in it; the college student hired to coach coed junior high track standing in the middle of the field armed with only a stop watch, a tape measure, and a clip board; the new associate dean for minority affairs opening the door to a bare office with only a desk and chair, file cabinet and wastebasket with no liner; the new college president walking down the hall to her office being stared down by a gallery of stuffy dark oil portraits of former presidents in their academic regalia.

There is a shyness, a wondering, a fear in each one of us who stands there at the door of our

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Each one of us comes with the gifts that are in us, gifts we can give at school. But first we must recognize them in ourselves — discover them, know them, accept them, honor them in ourselves.

When we know the gifts in ourselves, when we recognize the store of feeling that is who we are, when we feel that urgency and passion about something we can do, something we can give, then comes the courage and even responsibility to give it. Children seem to have the courage when we make sure the way stays open for them, when we are willing to receive their gifts. But somewhere along the way to being adults, our experiences may warn us to reign it in, to hold back our strengths. It is harder to risk soaring, to dare to walk into school and be completely ourselves with our inheritances and experiences and stories and feelings, our spirits, our gifts…

It takes courage to accept the gift in ourselves.

Who is there at the door of our schools and what gifts are they holding in their hands?

The gathering is a great and colorful one. It is a gathering of inheritances, temperaments, stories, treasures, experiences, passions, grace. It is a GATHERING OF GIFTS. “Yes, they will know who I am. Yes. We know who we are. And this place is ours for the GATHERING OF OUR GIFTS.”

loved working with adolescents, dared to follow her dream, she was determined to found “a school that would be different.”

When I arrived in 1967, I could feel that difference, but I could not put the feelings into words. Nonetheless, the culture, the essence became both my vocation and my avocation. When I became the Head of School in 1989, I was asked for the profile of a Foxcroft student, and without missing a beat, I replied “Foxcroft girls are non-cookie cutters.” After reading as much of our founder Miss Charlotte’s writing as I can, I know that she saw a value — “a gift” — in each girl and helped each to use that talent to the fullest. Indeed, she “gathered gifts,” and the whole became far greater than the sum of its parts.

My “aha” moment created a clear vision.

Charlotte Haxall Noland intuitively understood “multiple intelligences” long before John Gardner, and the value-added of “EQ” (emotional intelligence) long before Daniel Goleman, and the power of creativity long before Daniel Pink. Each of these authors has captured the core of the educational community — I among them — and rightly so. Charlotte Noland captured the spirit of the message from day one!

From that same day, she relied on “human capital,” on her teachers to keep the “difference” a reality. Teachers then and now nurture culture as well as share an academic discipline. Teachers create a future. Enjoy the profiles of Foxcroft women who carry the teaching torch and the Foxcroft message. Q

Ninety-eight years ago when a visionary young woman, who hated school and Foxcroft School

Whoops&Hallos Anne Kane McGuire Award, in 2008 – and her accomplishments and contributions on the state and national independent school scene are equally impressive. She helped to found the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools and TABS and has served in board and other lead positions of the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls, Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) Board, and Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

Mary Lou, pictured here with TABS Executive Director Pete Upham, added the prestigious Compass Award to her collection of honors.

A PRESTIGIOUS HONOR Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer became only the third individual to receive the prestigious Ruzicka Compass Premier Leadership Award last December when Rob Hershey, Board Chair of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) and Head of Episcopal High School, presented the honor to her at the TABS Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD. The Ruzicka Compass, established in 2009, recognizes extraordinary contributions to the excellence, advancement and success of boarding schools.

“Mary Lou has served the cause of boarding schools for four decades always characterized by wisdom, directness, humility, humor and grace,” said Hershey, in presenting the award. “In addition to leading Foxcroft to the forefront of girls’ boarding education, always with a strong eye towards the future, she has been recognized for her insight and ability to lead by serving on the many national boards and has been a strong voice in virtually every organization and conversation shaping our work and lives in boarding schools.”

Looking out at the 700-plus boarding school educators at the luncheon, Hershey added, “Very few of us in this room know as much and understand as much about schools as Mary Lou.” Bravo!

Leipheimer’s incredible talent, vision, and leadership skills are well known at Foxcroft – she received the School’s highest honor, the

To keep up with all the latest Foxcroft news, go to www.foxcroft.org

TWO ODYSSEYS In the School’s first year of Odyssey of the Mind competition, two Foxcroft teams went to the Virginia State Championships, and came home with bronze medals! Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Last April, an all-freshman team (top left) competed in the Classics Division, entitled “Le Tour Guide” this year, and a team of upperclassmen (bottom left) participated in the Unhinged Structures Division, held at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. “I’m very proud of our girls for their great results in the first year of competition,” said Dr. Maria Eagen, the Science Department Chair who was advisor. “They worked really hard and it paid off!”

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Whoops&Hallos STUDENT STARS

Q M argaret Brown ’11 was named a finalist in the 2011 National

Q A record-setting 23 Foxcroft girls – including five members of

the Class of 2011 and one-third of the Class of 2010 – earned AP Scholar designation from the College Board last year for exceptional achievement on the Advanced Placement Program Exams. It was the seventh year in a row that the number of AP Scholars reached double digits, and the first in which it passed the 20-student threshold.

Q An impressive 19 Foxcroft athletes in eight sports were voted

All-Conference by the Delaney Athletic Conference coaches in 2010-2011. Of special note were Claire Andrews ’11 (see page 25), Markesha Burnett ’11, who stepped into the lacrosse goal for the first time in her life mid-season and earned Honorable Mention, and Caroline Harris ’12, the only Foxcroft athlete named in two sports with a First Team selection in softball and Honorable mention in volleyball.

Merit Scholarship Program, the School’s first in four years. Her selection from more than 1.55 million eligible students who took the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test puts Margaret among the top 1% of high school students in the country.

Q Competing in the first Pan American Youth Sport Climbing

Championships last November, Faith Sullivan ’12 came home with a bronze medal in bouldering, placed around her neck by the President of Ecuador, Raffael Correa – whose daughter was one of the climbers Faith beat! Faith placed fifth overall at the weeklong championships. She also was 10th in the Female Youth A Speed Competition at the 2010 World Youth Sport Climbing Championships.

Caroline Harris ’12

Markesha Burnett ’11

Margaret Brown ’11 Faith Sullivan ’12

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ANOTHER WHOOP! Three Foxcroft chairs were awarded at the Annual Awards Assembly in May. Two went to Anne Kane McGuire Distinguished Service Award winners Becky Gilmore and Nelly Sheehan (see “A Dedicated Pair,� page 29). The third went to someone of similar vintage, as far as service to Foxcroft is concerned, but whom we look forward to having with us for many more years. Ann Lawson, a member of Foxcroft’s dedicated Housekeeping staff since 1986, was recognized

by Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer for her hard work and good cheer through the years.

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Number of trees on campus lost to the powerful rainstorm that swept through Middleburg on June 12

Percent of those trees that were completely uprooted and damaged property. The rest were damaged so severely they had to be removed for safety.

Minutes (nine weeks) it took to clean up after the 20-minute storm!

Magnitude on the Richter Scale of an earthquake centered in Virginia that took place August 23 Ann Lawson tries out her new Foxcroft chair, surrounded by colleagues (left to right) Mary Washington, Mary Cross, Sandy Centano and Jane Calenzo, and Ann’s husband, Bill.

GOT IT!

Fall 2011

Damage to buildings or injuries to people from either event (Thank God!)

8LMW TLSXSKVETL IEVRIH NYRMSV 3PMZME .ERI .SLRWSR E WTSX MR E &IWX SJ 4LSXSKVETL] ERXLSPSK] TYFPMWLIH F] &SYPIZEVH SJ 4LSXSKVETLIVW 3 . LEW EPWS FIIR EGGITXIH XS ER %HZERGIH 4LSXSKVETL] ;SVOWLST MR 1SRKSPME PIH F] 6YWXMG 4EXL[E]W ERH scheduled for next summer.

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Whoops&Hallos 2); *%')7 SR 'EQTYW Barbara Conner became Director of College Counseling in January, having served as College and Career Specialist at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, VA. A graduate of Sweet Briar College (BA) and the University of Virginia (MEd), Barbara has also helped individuals plan their futures as a career development facilitator, life coach, and general manager for personnel, administration, and training. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, focusing on trends in college counseling, effective test preparation, time management and organizational strategies for the workplace. Barbara is a Hound.

Gina Finn, Director of Admission and Financial Aid since July 1, spent nine years as Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admission at St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, MD, where she also taught Economics, coached and served as the advisor to one of school’s spirit teams. She is a graduate of Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE, and the University of Virginia, and began her career as a financial accountant before becoming an admission officer at the Canterbury School, in Milford, CT. Patrick Finn partners with Gina in life (as her spouse) and in Admissions, as the Director of Enrollment Management. In 2009, Patrick founded School Connections, LLC, a business that conducts workshops for educators and educational consultants. Previously, he served as Assistant Head of School and Director of Admission at St. Timothy’s, where

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he also taught Ethics and coached lacrosse. From 1986 to 2002, he was Director of Admission at Canterbury. Patrick holds a BA in History from the University of Virginia and an MS from Pennsylvania State University. He and Gina are Foxes.

ERH 3R XLI &SEVH Mercedes Rudkin Gotwald ’72 is married to Steve Gotwald and has two daughters.

Sophie ’10 attends the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and Olivia ’12 is a senior at Foxcroft this year. Mercedes attended Bennett College after Foxcroft and then matriculated at Arizona State University. She has been involved with theater and riding most of her life. The first, as an artistic director and now director emeritus of “Leatherstocking Theater” in Cooperstown, NY, and as a former artistic director of the Company Players in Chicago. She is also a competitive rider. Mercedes and her family divide their time between Coopertown, NY, and West Palm Beach, FL. Ronald N. Lindquist is President/CEO of Dynamic Products, Inc. in Houston, TX. Dynamic Products is a worldwide leader in the custom manufacturing of large diameter piping products for the petrochemical, refinery, power, and pipeline industries. Ron started Dynamic Products more than 40 years ago in Portland, OR, moved the plant to Houston in 1970 and has built Dynamic Products into one of the largest custom manufacturers in the world. He and his wife Nancy live in Kemah, TX and have two daughters who attended Foxcroft, Kylie Drennon ’00 and Kristina Lindquist ’10.

Foxcroft School

Michele Velchik is the Director of Financial Aid and Lower School Admission, at Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA. Prior to that, she worked in the Development OfďŹ ce at Flint Hill. Michele lives in Oakton with her husband Michael, a radiologist, and has two children. Her daughter Alison ’11 graduated from Foxcroft in May and her son Michael will graduate from Harvard University this year. A native Australian, she received her Bachelor of Science degree from Sydney College.

When she is not busy with prospective students and school affairs, Michele enjoys playing tennis and working with Habitat for Humanity.

1ER] XLEROW ERH KSSH [MWLIW . . . to those departing the Board of Trustees this year, Moira Carroll ’83, Liza Edgerton, Jeanine Primm Jones ’81, and Michael Massie. They have and will beneďŹ t generations of girls with their passion, wisdom and support.

-2*361%8-32 ')286%0 The Audrey Bruce Currier Library isn’t just about books – or Morning Meeting! This marvelous resource, under the direction of Librarian Steve Matthews, seeks to meet the Foxcroft community’s ever-expanding information needs by providing:

Databases (i.e. JSTOR, Global Road Warrior, Access Science) Print magazine subscriptions Items in the “Foxcroft Collection� – items by alumnae and teachers and about the School

Rare and special volumes including the four-volume Audubon Elephant Folio (AE ed.) and a ďŹ rst edition of D.H. Lawrence’s The Plumed Serpent.

CDs, DVDs, videos, playaways, and Kindle books Ebooks through three electronic sources (Gale, CredoReference, and Ebrary)

Print volumes in our circulation and reference collections Documents searchable with a Gale Power Search Hours of access per week during the school year Seats on two oors for study, reading, relaxing, web-surďŹ ng, and contemplating information, ideas, and the meaning of life.

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Whoops&Hallos *3<'63*8´7 3;2 6-(-2+ 86-40)# In her – and Foxcroft’s – first appearance at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) National Championships, Mckenzie Canard ’12 earned third place in the Varsity Open on the flat and fifth place in the invitation-only Equine Journal Varsity Open Championship. The IEA Nationals, held April 28-May 1 in Upper Marlboro, MD, showcased riders who had survived local, regional, and zone qualifying events to participate in the largest high school equestrian competiton in the U.S. Mckenzie, a Philomont, VA, resident, also ended the year as the Individual Varsity Open Reserve Champion High Point Rider for Zone 3. Watch for more from Mckenzie and her teammates as Foxcroft riders adapt to IEA competition under the guidance of our new riding director, Kate Worsham.

Blair Waterman Wyatt ’97 rode Merriefield Farm’s Bon Caddo, to victory in the 86th running of the Virginia Gold Cup race at

Great Meadows in The Plains, VA, last May, becoming one of just a handful of women to win the $75,000 race. The 1997 Tally-Ho! predicted that Blair would become a horse veterinarian (student poll) or the first Foxcroft alumna to win the Triple Crown (faculty poll).

In fact, she is one of the top amateur riders in timber races, mother of two and the wife of trainer Todd Wyatt — whose Raven’s Choice won the maiden hurdle the day of the Gold Cup. One person watching Blair’s success with special interest is Mary Motion ’13 of Upperville, VA, who was featured in the July 27 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse. Mary was undefeated in 11 North American Point-to-Point Association (NAPPA) junior field masters chases and when she became eligible to participate in “open” races earlier this year, she promptly won a couple of those! Mary is taking advantage of Foxcroft’s Exceptional Proficiency program to pursue her dream of becoming a professional jockey. And yes, her uncle Graham Motion did train 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.

Riders (left to right) Mary Motion ’13, Blair Wyatt ’97, and Mckenzie Canard ’12 all put on impressive performances this spring.

DOUGLAS LEES

,367) 8%0)7 Compiled by Kate Worsham, Director of Riding

8640 Total square footage of horse stall space in McConnell Stables 45 Number of horses, school and private, enjoying that space. That’s about 2,700 tons of horses!

27 The number of school horses. Ironically for a girls’ school, we have 25 geldings and only 2 mares in the school horse family.

6 The age of the youngest horse at Foxcroft 26 Age of the oldest, The Chauffeur (aka Sherman), who has been a Foxcroft horse for 12 years!

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Foxcroft School

%0912%) )<4)687 Special thanks to . . . Alison Firestone Robitaille ’95 (top, right) and Nina Fout ’77, who both held riding clinics at Foxcroft last Fall. Nina, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics Games with her legendary mount Three Magic Beans, focused on cross-country with the students, while Alison, an alternate on the 2004 Olympic Team, spent two days working on equitation and show jumping. . . . And also to Nikia Bergan ’93, Laura Block ’07, Kathryn Grant ’05, and TempeWeinbach ’03, who shared life and career stories with the student body at an Alumnae/Careers Panel during Interim in March.

These young alums, each with a very different story, had wonderful insights and advice for students pondering their future.

,%-0 %2( *%6);)00 The Foxcroft community recently lost three former members of the Board of Trustees.

Arthur W. “Nick” Arundel Nick Arundel, trustee from 1983-1986 and father of Sally Arundel DeWees ’77 and Wendy A. Arundel ’80, died in February at his home in The Plains, VA. He was 83. Nick’s love for horses and land preservation was evident.

He created easement programs in northern Piedmont and turned 800 acres earmarked for development into the Great Meadows Field Events Center, where he later raced Virginia-bred Sugar Bee to victory in the Gold Cup. A Harvard graduate, Nick was also passionate about print journalism; his company, ARCOM, published as many as 18 local newspapers, including, the Loudoun Times-Mirror and Fauquier Times-Democrat.

Fall 2011

Jean Ellen du Pont Shehan Jean Shehan, 88, passed away in August in Greenville, DE. Jean was a trustee from 1997-2001, and the mother of Susan McConnell ’68, and grandmother of Stephanie Rinehart Keen ’98 and Caroline Rinehart ’01. An accomplished equestrian, Master of Foxhounds, and business woman, Jean saw an opportunity for growth in Foxcroft’s riding program, and built Jean du Pont McConnell Stables, completed in 1968. Her vision has enabled students to pursue their passion for riding in a beautiful, well-equipped facility. In 2001, Jean received the Anne Kane McGuire Distinguished Service Award, Foxcroft’s highest honor. She supported a number of organizations, including the National Audubon Society, to which she donated land for a wildlife sanctuary.

David Reynolds David Reynolds, a trustee from 19651971 and father to alumnae Margaret Reynolds Mackell ’63, Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton ’70, and Julia Reynolds Swords ’66, died in Richmond in August. He was 96.

David was the son of Reynolds Metal’s founder Richard S. Reynolds, and served as chairman at the company, which he helped grow into a Fortune 100 company. David helped introduce aluminum foil and other everyday uses for the metal. His environmental efforts later earned the company the Phoenix Award and him the Keep America Beautiful Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished horseman, David bred and raced many well-known horses, including Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Tabasco Cat.

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FOXCROFT EXPLORES THE WHY? WHAT? AND HOW? OF CURRICULUM WITH INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AND BROAD DISCUSSION, SUPPORTED BY GENEROUS GRANTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING LEADERSHIP

RAPID CHANGE, OFTEN DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY, seems to be the only constant of life in the 21st century. If we accept that one of the primary functions of school is to prepare students for successful adult lives, how do we, as educators, do this when we do not have a real understanding of what the future holds? How do we prepare our students for jobs and ways of living that do not yet exist?

This fear about the future has manifested itself in the debate about education. There is a real sense that the United States is falling behind its competitors, particularly in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (“STEM”).

At the national level, the reaction has been to create an academic culture built around standardized testing. While the goals of these initiatives — to raise standards and increase accountability — are laudable, the unfortunate outcome has been to instill in students a mindset that is completely contrary to the one they will need to succeed in the 21st century. Students become hoop-jumpers and routine thinkers, and schools become not so much places of learning as they are places for memorization and regurgitation.

Complex, open-ended tasks create anxiety; “Just tell me what I need to know for the test!” is an often repeated refrain.

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So, exactly what are the skills that will be necessary for the 21st century? There is some consensus in business and academic circles about what they are. A number of them sound very familiar and have been, in fact, the cornerstones of a Foxcroft education since its founding almost a century ago: The ability to think critically and analyze information, and to communicate effectively in writing and speech will remain essential. Creativity, curiosity, and the willingness to take risks will continue to be valued. Finally, emotional intelligence, the ability to interact with and lead other people, always important, will be even more so as the world shrinks.

Other skills and habits of mind key to the future have not been so emphasized in the past. Students must become “digitally literate” — feel comfortable working with technology, and accessing and communicating information through digital means. Work will be increasingly done in collaborative teams, instead of at the individual level.

Awareness of cultural differences and a global perspective will be an essential component of emotional intelligence. Finally, and perhaps most fundamentally antithetical to the exam culture predominant today, students will need to be able to manage complex, interdisciplinary, and ambiguous tasks.

Foxcroft School

THE CURRICULUM TRIANGLE The question, of course, is how schools should teach these skills and habits of mind. At Foxcroft, we strive to build upon the wonderful history and traditions of the School as we look forward to a very different world, and we ask: What does a 21st century Foxcroft curriculum look like?

As we think about the answer, it is helpful to think about curriculum as a triangle with three essential questions that are forever in dialogue.

First, Why? What is school for?

What should graduates of Foxcroft School be like?

Why

Second, What? What How What fundamental knowledge, skills, and habits of mind should every Foxcroft girl possess when she graduates?

Third, How? What pedagogy do we use? And on what basis will our students be assessed?

At Foxcroft, these three questions are always bubbling at or just beneath the surface of everything we do. However, we began wrestling with these questions in a formal, structured manner last year. Thanks to the very generous support of the Hillsdale Fund, the Science and Math Departments held a two-week “STEM Summit” during the summer of 2010.

To answer the “Why?” and “What?” questions, we met with recent Foxcroft alumnae who were majoring in STEM disciplines in college and talked to alumnae and others who work

in STEM fields. Responses to the “How?” question quickly became evident and we decided to begin the process of integrating the science and math curriculums so that the concepts are supported globally and tie together across departments. We also decided to move toward more inquiry-based, hands-on teaching and learning, in part to demonstrate the real-world applications of the concepts students study.

Implementation of the “How?” for science and math began in the 2010-2011 academic year, as every student in the core science courses completed a cross-disciplinary math/science project each semester. The projects involved real-world problems, both individual and collaborative work, and the use of technology.

For example, a biology project began with a description of a young boy’s medical symptoms. Individually, students researched possible causes for these blood sugar related symptoms. In groups, they developed testing strategies to determine blood sugar changes for healthy students. They performed blood sugar testing with various diets, recorded their test data, identified the dependent and independent variable, and plotted the data both by hand and using Microsoft Excel. Using their math skills and some technology, they found a better model to represent their data.

A course that debuted last spring, Explorations in Engineering, offers a broad introduction to various engineering disciplines including civil, aerospace, biomedical, computer, and electrical engineering, and is entirely

Hands-on, collaborative learning and becoming comfortable using technology for a variety of tasks are vital aspects of a modern education.

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project-based with many hands-on lab activities. For 20112012, this course has expanded to a full year and joined the “Engineering Projects in Community Service-Learning” (EPICS) program sponsored by Purdue University (see “An EPICS Undertaking,” opposite).

A TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFT The work begun by the 2010 STEM team inspired a gift that will be transformational for the School and ensure that Foxcroft is at the cutting edge of blended math and science initiatives going forward. In June, the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation announced a $750,000 grant in support of Foxcroft’s STEM initiative. This generous gift not only provides the materials so that our girls can work with the latest technology in every STEM course, but it also endows the program, ensuring that we will be able to keep current as the technology of the future evolves.

the installation of temperature and humidity control in the science wing of Schoolhouse to extend the lifetime of sensitive electronic equipment and preserve the integrity of biological supplies.

Our goal is to graduate students that are comfortable using technology to help analyze and present information. (continued on page 14)

A significant use of the Kleberg Foundation grant will be to provide the technological hardware and software necessary to prepare our students for the future. Every class will use technology, ranging from familiar programs such as Microsoft Excel to state-of-the-art tools like LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench), Mathematica, and SAS (Statistical Analysis Software) programming. The grant will also underwrite

Engineering students learn about real-world issues with a tour of the National Air and Space Museum’s UdvarHazy Center.

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Foxcroft School

An EPICS Undertaking The Mosby Heritage Area Association would like interactive exhibits or a working model of the Aldie Mill to help visitors understand how the mill works. Foxcroft is considering converting the security kiosk at the front gate to solar power. A local therapeutic riding program could use a better device for getting disabled children onto their horses. These are the kinds of challenges that students in the Explorations in Engineering class might tackle through the EPICS High program introduced this fall.

Engineering made its debut in the curriculum last spring with a bridge-building challenge.

EPICS — Engineering Projects in Community Service — is a designbased, service learning program that gets teams of students to provide engineering solutions for non-profit organizations in the local community. Founded at Purdue University in 1995 and expanded to secondary schools in 2006, EPICS programs have been established at 20 universities and 50 high schools.

At Foxcroft, girls can pursue their personal passion for “Giving Back” while they learn and implement the engineering design process from start to finish. Presentation skills, creative problem solving, teamwork, perseverance, and responsiveness will be needed along the way.

“This is not just for girls interested in engineering,” says Dr. Maria Eagen, Science Department Chair, who has

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16 girls in the fall class. “The EPICS High curriculum is designed for students of all interests and abilities, including those with strong writing or interpersonal skills as well as those with analytical, math, science, and mechanical aptitude. At Purdue, the EPICS class is offered in all majors, not just engineering.”

Once projects are selected and teams formed, each Foxcroft group will work directly with its non-profit partners to establish a project charter, timelines, and deliverables. Dr. Eagen expects students to interact the way professionals do when dealing with customers, including providing weekly progress memos, developing and testing prototypes, participating in design reviews, and providing User’s Manuals. The relationships established with local non-profits or

School departments will be long-term, with future students maintaining and upgrading projects as needed.

Dr. Eagen, who joined the Foxcroft faculty in 2010, is an aerospace engineer who has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research. She has designed satellite constellation orbits and launch techniques as well as launched rockets from the Cape Canaveral mission control room that was used for the Gemini and Apollo space missions. As much as she loves engineering, Eagen says, teaching is even better.

“I’m really excited about this program,” she says, with a big smile, “and so are the students.” Q — Cathrine Wolf

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MOVING FORWARD The intentional discussion of the “curriculum triangle” questions this year expanded to the wider community.

Thanks to the generous support of the Margaret Hall Foundation and Foxcroft Parents’ Association, in August, key leaders from across the curriculum met to ask the questions: Why? What? and How? This “Curriculum Summit 2011” kicked off a year in which the Foxcroft community collectively will explore those questions. We will be seeking input from students, parents, and alumnae, and will welcome outside speakers as well. In the tradition of Foxcroft’s “Everything we do is curriculum” mantra, we plan to think more broadly about curriculum, including not just the traditional academic disciplines, but also service learning, leadership, character education, and financial literacy.

At Foxcroft, we are fortunate to have the resources and traditions that allow us to be deliberate and thoughtful about how we move forward. While we certainly feel anxiety about an uncertain future, we are also excited about this opportunity to ensure that our programs are the model for girls’ education in the 21st century. Q

Advanced Placement Biology students experience the thrill of WGMIRXM½G HMWGSZIV]

References: Bassett, Pat. “Strategy and Design for Schools of the Future.”

Presentation, July 2011.

Pope, Denise. Doing School. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Pope, Denise. “Student Engagement in the 21st Century.”

Presentation, June 2011.

Twenty-First Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn. Ballanca, James, and Brandt, Ron, ed. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press, 2010.

Wagner, Tony. The Global Achievement Gap. New York: Basic Books, 2010.

Zhao, Yong. Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization, Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2009.

THE DISCUSSION BROADE NS While the ultimate outcome of this year of discussion is not yet clear, there are some common threads that will characterize Foxcroft’s 21st century curriculum: -X [MPP FI *S\GVSJX WTIGM½G We are nearing the culmination of a 100-year history of a successful educational institution, and we will build on the strengths of the School.

-X [MPP FI KMVP GIRXIVIH The mission of the School is to teach girls, and we will continue to implement the latest research to ensure we are at the forefront of girls’ education.

-X [MPP FI VMKSVSYW ERH VIEP [SVPH FEWIH We know that students learn best when they are faced with an authentic task that provides a real challenge to overcome.

-X [MPP FI EGXMZI Foxcroft girls will “do” real things in and out of the classroom. They will then go on to do more things in the 21st century — to create, to build, and to lead the future.

14

Foxcroft School

Teaching Teachers the

By Cristina Santiestevan â&#x20AC;&#x2122;96

Foxcroft alumnae discuss their time in the classroom, as students at Foxcroft and educators around the country.

Girls who attend Foxcroft today will eventually leave to pursue careers and dreams elsewhere.

Some, though, will return to school â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as educators. We talked with several Foxcroft alumnae about their careers in education, their time as students, and their reasons for doing what they do.

Fall 2011

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How does this help you, as a teacher?

It’s huge. I know very early on the academic potential of the girls, and also their personalities. The balance of knowing where they are in their learning and where they are personally in their development, in their character, allows me to reach them in different ways. For example, with an Advanced Placement class I am far more demanding. But, within that class, I know which students I can look in the eye and say, “Hey, listen, this is drivel. Don’t write this at three in the morning,” and, which ones I have to say, “Well, maybe you were pressed for time.” That’s knowing your kids.

As a teacher, what do you hope your students take away from their time with you?

We want these young women to be prepared for rigorous colleges. I teach juniors and seniors, and my goal is to make their college freshman English class easy. I expect them to be the best writers in their freshman class, no matter what college they go to.

Stewart Chapman Herbert, ’77 BA in English, Denison University, 1980

A few years after Stewart Herbert graduated from Foxcroft, she returned and taught English for four years. After a 15-year hiatus, she returned to again teach English. Stewart served as Department Chair for nine years and holds the H. Laurence Achilles Chair for English, one of three endowed chairs. Her daughter, Tommie, graduated from Foxcroft in 2005.

Has Foxcroft changed since you were a student?

The campus has changed. I think it’s more intimate than it used to be, and I think that’s such an important part of what we do well. We know our students better and more personally. It’s a family intimacy.

It’s beyond community. It’s knowing someone’s secrets, their goals, their desires. I think Foxcroft has nurtured that.

I also think the experience now, academically, is far richer and more rigorous. I firmly believe that Foxcroft has been true to its belief in educating students of all different abilities. Our job is to get each one of those girls to work to their potential.

You refer to community, which is something that several other alumnae have mentioned.

Yes. I think that’s one of the things that makes Foxcroft special. Every teacher knowing each student well enough to know when you can push and when you can’t. And that’s the beauty of it: Pushing each girl to her potential, if she accepts the challenge.

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You taught at Foxcroft immediately after college, and then left for more than a dozen years. What brought you back?

I had quit my job. I was very successful at it, but I didn’t like it. And, I thought, “Well, I’m going to be a stay-at-home mom.” That lasted about four months before I was climbing the walls. Then I got a phone call from [Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer], asking if I would finish the school year. I just couldn’t believe it, because I had been thinking about getting back into teaching. I lived an hour away, so I started out thinking, “It’ll be good for me to get into this while I apply for jobs closer to home.” And, of course, you just walk back on the campus, and it’s a pull. I never applied anywhere else.

“I teach juniors and seniors, and my goal is to make their college m freshman English class easy.”

Are there any especially influential teachers from your time as a Foxcroft student?

Mary Lou, who was my advisor and my favorite teacher. I had her for Freshman English. I just read and read and read. I remember her taking the time — it wasn’t just inviting me over to her house, but we would talk about books. Not books that we read in class; books that we read outside the classroom. When I went to Foxcroft, in 1973, talking about the race issue was difficult because the School Foxcroft School

was newly integrated. Mary Lou recommended a book to me — Five Smooth Stones, by Ann Fairbairn. I remember reading it and thinking “Wow, okay. I see the issue and the complexities of the issue.” She took the time to recommend a book to me, one she knew I would like, one that made a big difference in my life.

Several alumnae have mentioned similar stories about their teachers guiding their development as people as well as students.

Does this come into your classroom?

Absolutely. I expect my students to be independent thinkers. I would hope that they leave Foxcroft able to think about literature in terms of themselves and the bigger world, their place in the world. For example, they are going to be voting. When we do the Literature of War class, after reading Elie Wiesel’s Night, what do they have to say about themselves? If they were German, would they have participated in the death camps? Would they have protested? These kinds of questions are important in terms of who we think we are as people.

Several years ago, we had a senior who was a phenomenal English student, but absolutely dedicated to the sciences. When she won the top English prize, I told her that one day she would be a wonderful doctor — not because of her understanding of the medicine, but because of her understanding of human nature and character, and what engages people and how to engage a patient. You get that from literature. You learn about human nature and you learn about courage through reading and experience. T

“There is nothing more satisfying tthan helping students grow not only with their ideas but with their verbal and visual presentations. And the best is when they get a job that I could only dream of!”

— Veronica Whitlock ’79, Interim Associate Dean, New York School of Interior Design

Fall 2011

Natalie James Wiltshire ’95 BA in Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, 1998 MA in Organizational Psychology, Columbia University, 2005

As the Chief Operating Officer for KIPP Philadelphia Schools (KPS), Natalie handles strategic operations and long-term planning for four public charter schools. KPS is part of the Knowledge is Power Program, which manages approximately 100 charter schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

What does the Chief Operating Officer for a charter school management company do every day?

I don’t ever go into work thinking that the things I have on my checklist are the things that are going to get done. My job is to put out fires.

If something goes wrong, I have to drop everything and deal with it.

I also work very closely with our CEO. For example, handling our growth strategy: How are we going to get to 10 schools by 2016?

We’re building a new school right now. A new building. I negotiated the deal. So, I do real estate. I oversee all of the non-teaching staff.

We have a regional office. We have four schools. We have a regional back office support team. I oversee that. If you think about the things that a school needs and might go to the school district for, well, my office is the district. And I run that office. It’s pretty intense, but it’s awesome work.

How did you find yourself doing this?

I really fell into it. I was in graduate school, and I had a friend and mentor who said to me, “I know where you need to work after you graduate. You have to work for this [charter school] organization called Achievement First.” And, I thought, no. No. It never occurred 17

to me that I would end up going into the nonprofit or education world. But she told me, “Look, this is the job for you.”

What convinced you?

I went to visit one of the their schools. When I saw what was happening, I thought, “Wow, this is amazing.” The school catered to students that were typically underserved. Students coming from high levels of poverty, coming in at levels much lower than their grade level. They were far behind. And, I saw amazing things happening in the classroom.

They had an opening for Director of Operations. When I realized I could be involved in this, but in my way, on the business side of things, it appealed to me.

So, this was all a happy accident?

I had no intentions of going into education. My mom always wanted me to be a teacher. I thought I could never be a teacher. Being a teacher is really, really hard work. It’s important work. It takes a very specific skill set, which I thought I did not have.

What are some of the best things about your job?

Our mission, our goal, is to serve. That means so much to me because I feel like every kid deserves to have options. In many places, schools are segregated by race, by class, by socioeconomic status — and they’re not equal. I feel like what I’m doing every day is providing a great public option. Everyone deserves a good public, free option.

Do you ever think back to your time at Foxcroft, and apply that experience to your job today?

Of course. For example, I think about when [Assistant Head of School Sheila McKibbin] was coming on board. The students were really involved in that process. I remember being on the panel; we interviewed her and spent half the day with her before she was hired. I thought it was really brilliant how we were made a part of the process.

So, it didn’t feel like something was just happening to us. I think about that when I think about how to get buy-in from my staff.

“Being a teacher is really, rreally hard work.”

Any great Foxcroft role models?

Absolutely. Jane Lockhart. [laughs] Jane was a role model because it felt like she was doing what she loved. She just had a way of telling it like it is. I appreciated that.

Also, Mrs. Leipheimer. She taught me something very important about leadership and stepping up. Going into my senior year, I was going to run for Vice Head of School. She pulled me aside and asked me, “Why are you running for Vice Head?” I said, “Well, so-and-so is running for Head, so I figured I’d run for Vice Head.” And Mrs. Leipheimer said, “Okay, that’s fine that she’s running. But that doesn’t mean you can’t run for Head of School too.” I never even thought

Inspirational Educators ;LEX *S\GVSJX JEGYPX] MR¾YIRGIH ]SY# 1] XIEGLIVW EX *S\GVSJX [IVI EPP MR¾YIRXMEP FIGEYWI XLI] [IVI EQE^MRK IHYGEXSVW ERH EPP LEH WYGL PSZI JSV XLIMV WYFNIGX QEXXIV [LMGL XLI] TEWWIH SRXS YW 3RGI - FIGEQI E XIEGLIV - XVMIH XS MQMXEXI E PSX SJ [LEX - VIQIQFIVIH Q] *S\GVSJX XIEGLIVW HSMRK ¯ Patricia Mora ’95, Director of Education, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (a Southern California tribe) 1V 1EXXLI[W XEYKLX YW XS PSZI FSSOW ,I HMH WYGL E KVIEX NSF XLEX XLI %YHVI] &VYGI 'YVVMIV 0MFVEV] TVEGXMGEPP] FIGEQI Q] WIGSRH LSQI HYVMRK Q] JSYV ]IEVW EX *S\GVSJX ¯ Meg Lamond Zehmer ’84, Crestview Elementary School, Henrico Co.,Virginia 4EVX SJ XLI VIEWSR - HIGMHIH XS KS MRXS XIEGLMRK [EW FIGEYWI SJ XLI I\TIVMIRGIW - LEH [MXL %WXVMHE 0EQFIVXW ERH 0EVV] %GLMPPIW [LS FSXL MRWTMVIH ERH IRGSYVEKIH QI EPSRK XLI [E] -- Caroline “Traxie² Killefer Thayer ’68, elementary and high school

teacher, retired

- VIQIQFIV Q] JVIWLQER ]IEV 1V &IVKER [EW OMRH SJ ETTEPPIH XLEX - HMH RSX ORS[ LS[ XS [VMXI E ½ZI TEVEKVETL IWWE] 7S LI WEX HS[R [MXL QI ERH [IRX XLVSYKL LS[ XS HS MX ;I WEX XLIVI JSV ER LSYV ERH - QIX [MXL LMQ TIVMSHMGEPP] HYVMRK XLEX ½VWX WIQIWXIV XS XV] XS REMP XLI IWWE] %W E XIEGLIV RS[ - YRHIVWXERH LS[ QYGL XMQI XLEX VIUYMVIW =SY HSR´X LEZI XS HS XLEX &YX MJ ]SY GEVI ]SY HS -- Averill Hovey ’97 To read more about memorable teachers, including Ms. Bryan, Mr. English, Mrs. Herbert, Mrs. Keller, Mrs. Leipheimer, Mr. McBride, Mrs. Moredock, and Miss Stevens, or to add your own, check out Foxcroft’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FoxcroftSchool.

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Foxcroft School

about it. I just figured, if she wants that, she can have it. I’ll just take second. But, Mrs. Leipheimer said, “No. If you want it, you should do it.” I did it, and, I won. It really made me think about taking a risk and not just doing the easy thing.

Most everyone else I’ve spoken with has spoken about teachers at Foxcroft. But, you are speaking about the administrators.

That’s so interesting. [laughs] Don’t get me wrong, I had some awesome teachers too. But, yeah, I feel like I did identify more with the administrators. All along, that’s what I had my eye on. T

there, and she was still in top form. But, by this time, she had realized that a lot of the girls wanted to go to college and that the School had to have a college preparatory program. So, she hired Miss Wellington, who became Mrs. Hoppin. Today, you would call her the academic dean. She was a wonderful school person. Miss Charlotte provided the enthusiasm and Miss Wellington — Mrs. Hoppin — kept the academic end up.

Foxcroft changed from a school that gave you a chance to ride and hunt and play basketball and maybe do a little studying on the side, to a real college preparatory school.

How did you get started with teaching?

If you spend three years at Oxford, you get pretty academically acclimatized. I did have another job offer, which I didn’t pursue — a research job at Princeton. But I’d just done three years of research, and I’d never done any teaching. So, I thought I’d rather do some teaching than continue with research. My mother thought I was crazy. “How could you go to a girls’ school [Smith], and not go to Princeton?”

Any regrets on the choice?

Oh, of course not. [laughs] Not at all. It ended up being a wonderful job. I loved it.

“A lot of Foxcroft rubbed off on SSt. Paul’s School for Girls.”

Mary Frances Penney Wagley ’44 BS in Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1947 DPhil in Physical Chemistry, Oxford University, 1950

Three years after graduating from Foxcroft, Mary Frances was one of only 12 women in her graduating class at MIT. After earning her doctorate at Oxford University, she taught at Smith College, Goucher College, and Johns Hopkins University before serving as headmistress at Baltimore’s St. Paul’s School for Girls from 1966-78. Mary Frances was the first woman to be named to the MIT Corporation, and in 1984 became the first female president of the MIT Alumni Association.

You were at Foxcroft during Miss Charlotte’s tenure. What was that like?

I think I was there the best possible years. Miss Charlotte was still Fall 2011

After teaching, you took some time off to raise your three children. How did you get back into education?

It was by happenstance. I went to a 50th birthday party, and sat next to a man I knew, but didn’t know well. He was the president of the board of trustees for St. Paul’s School for Girls, and, he moaned all night because the founding headmistress was retiring. So, I told my husband the next day, “I think I could run a school.” [laughs] Did you take any of your lessons or experiences from Foxcroft with you to SPSG? I think a lot of Foxcroft rubbed off on St. Paul’s School for Girls.

Maybe it wasn’t conscious. But, I loved Foxcroft. It was just a wonderful school for me. Somebody once said that heads come as two types. They’re either students who loved their schools, and so are glad to go back as adults. Or, they’re students who hated their schools, and are determined to make it better for the next generation of students. I was one of those heads who loved my school.

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During your time as a teacher and headmistress, did you experience any changes in the field of education?

We went through a lot of changes. Most for the better. A lot of people, such as Jean Piaget [the Swiss developmental psychologist], started studying how children learn. The Harvard graduate school of education was doing a lot of studies of how children learn. There also was — from Ted Sizer, who was headmaster of Andover — the emphasis on affective education, the idea that there’s more to education than just headwork; that one has to educate the whole person.

Mens sana in corpore sano is a wonderful school motto. A sound mind in a sound body. Miss Charlotte was way ahead of her time. T

What changed?

Middlebury College has a summer language school and its master’s program is really popular with teachers, especially independent school teachers. I landed there and met all these prep school teachers. Soon I was thinking “Oh! Wow! It never occurred to me but your profession and way of life are perfect for me because you use a variety of skills.”

That’s how I started thinking about teaching. It was not a deliberate choice, but it ended up being a good one.

What about the boarding school lifestyle appealed to you?

If you’re the kind of person who likes to wear many hats, this is a really satisfying place to work. All of your skills, all of your interests, they’re needed. They’re necessary. They’re valued in what you do, because you spend 24/7 with your kids. It’s teaching. It’s parenting. It’s coaching. It’s mentoring. It’s all of that. I’ve taught the past subjunctive in French but I’ve also arranged prom flowers.

“All of your skills, all of your interests, they’re needed. They’re necessary.

They’re valued. . . I teach the past subjunctive in French, but I also arrange prom flowers.”

Anna Kjellson ’89 BA in Political Science, Middlebury College, 1993 MA in French, Middlebury College, 1999 Anna Kjellson taught French for 11 years before assuming the position of webmaster and Associate Director of Technology at The Gunnery, a 9-12 coed boarding school in Washington, CT. Anna has worked and lived for 14 years at the school, where she serves as an advisor, dorm parent, and coach in addition to her administrative duties.

Did you always want to be a teacher?

It’s funny. I remember very clearly people asking me when I was in high school “What do you want to do?” And I would say, “I don’t know. I have all these ideas. I just know I don’t want to be a teacher.”

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Do you think there’s something special that the boarding school experience offers students?

You’re swept up in school life. When I was at Foxcroft, there was no such thing as down time. There was always something going on. At first you’re showing up because everyone is showing up. Maybe it’s almost peer pressure. But before you know it, you’re not just showing up. You’re doing something. By the time you’re a senior, people are counting on you to organize the whole thing. That’s something that I encourage students here to do. It gives them an opportunity to be a stand-out in a new area or to learn something new about themselves.

As with many of Foxcroft’s faculty, you live on campus. How does that affect your interactions with students?

That’s part of the privilege of being a boarding school teacher. We all do dorm duty and live in the dorms and coach and help with clubs.

It’s crazy sometimes. But it does mean you get to know your students and they get to know you in many different contexts. That can be really powerful. As soon as I start coaching a kid, the relationship in the classroom — the whole dynamic — changes.

Foxcroft School

You’ve been at The Gunnery for 14 years. Has this experience changed your impressions of your time at Foxcroft?

I didn’t really think about my Foxcroft experience a lot until I became a teacher. It was interesting to see it from the other side, and to understand what it takes to provide that to the students. I want to go back and do a bunch of retroactive thank-yous. It’s not easy to do what we do. Not by any means.

Are there things you understand about Foxcroft now, that maybe you didn’t as a student?

What Foxcroft has that’s pretty unique are these unvarying traditions. They’re not just there for the sake of having traditions. When I look at it as an educator — Fox/Hound, having the two school teams, organizing competitions, get-togethers, SingSings — it’s a roundabout and creative way of pushing kids into leadership roles.

That’s something that, at least for me, was an amazing experience: Taking someone who wasn’t seeking the spotlight, and giving her the opportunity to do that without realizing it. “You’re the Hound manager now. Figure it out.” People are counting on you. How you do things — and your energy and your attitude — are going to impact not just you, but lots and lots of other people.

When I went to college, it didn’t occur to me that being confident in the classroom was a big deal. I think there’s something about the Foxcroft experience that makes you fearless. You realize, “I have an opinion, I have a thought, and I’m going to share it.” That’s something we struggle to do here at my school. It’s challenging!

Any particular Foxcroft teachers or administrators who really made an impression on you?

I doubt you’ll be surprised by this answer. The Bergans. I had Paul Bergan for English, and Celeste for Advanced Placement Biology.

They were so passionate about what they were teaching. They had this tireless belief that every day is going to be the best day because I love what I’m doing. That’s really infectious. That’s something I aspire to. T

“ have loved every minute of the “I tteaching experience. Teaching the gifted gave me such joy, because I was able to teach anything I wanted and I was able to work with bright, enthusiastic, curious little minds.”

Averill Hovey ’97 BA in Communications, University of Denver, 2001 MA in Educational Psychology, University of Colorado, 2006 MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, Naropa University, Class of 2013 As an elementary school teacher at Jefferson County Open School, a PreK-12 public school in Lakewood, CO, Averill worked with students whose rough home lives often impacted their learning experiences in the classroom. She is currently studying Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, with a concentration in Art Therapy, and plans to return to being a school teacher or counselor when she completes her degree.

You’ve taught elementary students who are dealing with really tough situations. What is that like? As a teacher, how do you help?

At the Jefferson County Open School, there’s a lot of socioeconomic diversity, and I noticed how impacted kids are by their economic status. It’s not that I didn’t know that before, but I was smacked in the face with it when I was teaching there. I was teaching first and second grade, and I had 11 social services calls in one year. To me, that was just outrageous.

As a teacher, you’re held to all of these standards to try and get your students to a certain level in reading, math, and so on. If you’re not following those regulations, you’re supposedly not doing your job correctly. But it’s impossible to get children to where they need to be when they are constantly living in anxiety because they don’t know what’s going to come next. They don’t know if their mom’s going to hit them, or even be home. These situations are more important to their survival than learning to read.

— Caroline “Traxie” Killefer Thayer ’68, elementary and high school teacher, retired Fall 2011

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Is this why you returned to graduate school?

I’m very passionate about teaching, but I felt I didn’t know enough. I didn’t know what to do in situations where I needed to be a therapist, and a teacher, and a support system, and the only stable figure in my students’ lives. I know I was a good teacher, but I felt I needed to know more.

“Foxcroft was my first exposure to a whole group of good teachers. . .

This sounds really cheesy, but I honestly was so moved by my teachers at Foxcroft.”

What did you feel you needed to know more about?

Understanding the psychology of primary age students is so crucial.

A lot of teacher training programs do that, but it’s a brief overview.

There are theories that are so essential to understanding children; that help teachers understand their students better. For example, maybe this is a learning disability. Who knows? Maybe it’s not. Maybe this child is just struggling with anxiety because at home they never know what to expect.

Your graduate program focuses on art therapy. How will this help students?

It’s hard for primary age children to articulate through speech because they have such a limited vocabulary. Art is an amazing way for them to communicate their feelings. I found that in my classroom. Doing art with my students was a really informative way of finding where they were in their personal lives.

What pulled you toward teaching in the first place?

When I was at Foxcroft, I wanted to be a teacher. This sounds really cheesy, but I honestly was so moved by my teachers at Foxcroft.

They cared about my learning. They cared about my success. They motivated me to want to learn more.

For example, I hated math. I was awful at math. But Ms. Bryan was one of the first teachers who actually took the time to say “Okay, I get that you don’t understand this. We are going to get this. I am going to help you.” That was great. I felt supported, and that’s just one example.

Foxcroft was my first exposure to a whole group of good teachers. That’s what made Foxcroft special to me. The teachers were committed to you and your success. Not just as a learner, but also as a person. It felt as though they gave you a little more faith in yourself. I wanted to be able to provide that for other high school students, but I ended up loving elementary education, and the rest is history. Q

Moments to Remember What are some of the best moments for you as an educator?

8LIVI MW RSXLMRK QSVI WEXMWJ]MRK XLER LIPTMRK WXYHIRXW KVS[ RSX SRP] [MXL XLIMV MHIEW FYX [MXL XLIMV ZIVFEP ERH ZMWYEP TVIWIRXEXMSRW %RH XLI FIWX MW [LIR XLI] KIX E NSF XLEX - GSYPH SRP] HVIEQ SJ ¯ Veronica Whitlock ’79, Interim Associate Dean, New York School of Interior Design

-R PIGXYVMRK [LIR ]SY ½REPP] WII XLEX XLI] KIX MX. – Dr. Suzanne Townsend Purrington ’56 - LEZI PSZIH IZIV] QMRYXI SJ XLI XIEGLMRK I\TIVMIRGI 8IEGLMRK XLI KMJXIH KEZI QI WYGL NS] FIGEYWI - [EW EFPI XS XIEGL ER]XLMRK - [ERXIH ERH XS [SVO [MXL FVMKLX IRXLYWMEWXMG GYVMSYW PMXXPI QMRHW. ¯ Caroline “Traxie² Killefer Thayer ’68, elementary and high school teacher, retired

- EQ ER MRHITIRHIRX WIIH FIEH EVXMWX ERH XIEGL GPEWWIW MR Q] WXYHMS EX FIEH WLSTW ERH IPWI[LIVI ;LIR - LIPT STIR HSSV[E]W XS XLI NS] SJ XLI GVIEXMZI TVSGIWW - XSS EQ ½PPIH [MXL MRRIV NS] ERH WEXMWJEGXMSR 8SYGLMRK ERSXLIV TIVWSR EX XLI WSYP PIZIP MW EP[E]W MRWTMVMRK ¯ ;IRH] Neel Ellsworth ’66, bead artist and instructor - PSZI XLEX QSQIRX [LIR XLI] ½RH XLIMV S[R WYGGIWW ;LIR E WXYHIRX WIIW MR LMQ SV LIVWIPJ [LEX - WII WIIW XLI potential 8LEX´W [LEX VIGLEVKIW QI XS KS ELIEH ERH HS MX EKEMR ¯ Anna Kjellson ´

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Foxcroft School

Distinguished!

One Foxcroft-bred teacher, Suzy Purrington ’56, receives a special honor “I had some people dying to get into my class, and some who would avoid me because I made them go through the motions,” says Purrington. “They had to learn what they were doing. . . .

Among the good students, I was great, and among the mediocre, I was avoided. But I don’t think that’s a bad reputation.’’

O

VER THE YEARS, Foxcroft has produced numerous noteworthy educators, scientists, community service volunteers, wives, and mothers. Last April, the School honored a woman who stands out in all those roles — and more.

Dr. Suzanne Townsend Purrington ’56, better known as Suzy, received Foxcroft’s 2011 Distinguished Alumna Award from Alumnae Council President Sheldon Gerry Withers ’61 at the Senior Luncheon during Reunion Weekend.

Pickett Randolph ’56, Purrington’s classmate at both Foxcroft and Wheaton College, sang Suzy’s praises for her contributions to Wheaton alumni affairs and her devotion to family, but it is the unassuming academician’s accomplishments as a scientist and teacher, especially the latter, that put her in a class of her own.

A professor emeritus of Chemistry at North Carolina State University, Purrington retired in 2001 having received the North Carolina State Outstanding Teacher Award. While at NC State, she designed an innovative Chemistry curriculum that integrates the use of literature, and earned praise and respect from colleagues and students alike. According to one fellow teacher, Purrington had a remarkable ability to combine a love of research with a talent for teaching to convey difficult subject matter to science and non-science students alike. According to students, she was tough but fair.

Fall 2011

After Foxcroft, Purrington earned degrees at Wheaton, Radcliffe, and Harvard, where she was one of just eight women in a 60-student department. She did post-doctoral work and taught at Duke University for a year before combining teaching stints at Shaw University, the New York Institute of Technology, and Peace College with marriage, children, and various civic and service endeavors. In 1976, she started at NC State. “I liked the academic lifestyle,” she says.

Purrington’s number one goal was “to teach them to think” and her number one tool was logic. “What the typical student wants to do with Organic Chemistry is memorize it,” she explains. “That does not work. You just have about four or five very small things that you have to memorize, and then you apply that to everything else.

Anyone who tries to memorize it will not succeed. They may get through, but they won’t understand it.

“That’s one of the reasons I think Organic is a pre-med requirement,” she adds. “Certainly doctors have to know some of the basic carbon, oxygen, nitrogen stuff. But, the logical thinking is useful in medical school and in the medical process. If they forget some of the little things that one learns along the way, that doesn’t make any difference. I just hoped that they learned how to think.” Q Foxcroft’s Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes graduates who have been pioneers and/or made outstanding contributions in their fields; received local or national recognition of achievement; demonstrated dedication and interest in civic affairs and been a role model. Previous recipients include the late Ambassador to St. James Court Anne Legendre Armstrong ’45, anthropologist Dr. Anna C. Roosevelt ’64, and photographer Diana Hardin Walker ’59.

To nominate someone for the Distinguished Alumnae Award, please contact the Development Office (540.687.4510; alumnae@foxcroft.org).

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commencement

2011

THROUGH THE GARDEN, INTO THE WORLD

93=)( &= % &3928= 3* 7%+) %(:-') from a woman who had walked in their shoes 30 years earlier, 46 members of the Class of 2011 made the triumphant walk through Miss Charlotte’s Garden on May 20 when Foxcroft celebrated its 97th commencement.

B

Jeanine Primm Jones ’81 had become a familiar, friendly presence during the previous four years as a mentor to Foxcroft girls on life issues, as a trustee, and as a fanatic Fox supporter. As the Class of 2011 prepared to move on, she urged the graduates to take charge of their lives and to help their friends take charge of theirs.

“Make it happen for yourself,” said Jones, a social worker who has given several seminars on self-esteem, decision making, and abuse prevention at Foxcroft. “Just like I told you how to handle life at Foxcroft when many of you were freshmen . . . . opportunity may be there for the taking, but you have to take it.”

Among the opportunities Jones encouraged the girls to seize were: to live and love passionately; to create an “old girl” network of trusted friends to call on for help and advice along the way; to embrace diversity of thought and culture; to work hard in order to gain self-respect; and to expect respect from others.

“You were given this opportunity by parents and guardians who invested their time, hope, money, and love in you,” she concluded. “Partnered with your willingness to work hard, focus on the positive, and your commitment to make good decisions, opportunity has truly met preparation at this moment. Ladies, be excited about the next adventure of your life!”

Featured speaker Jeanine Primm Jones ’81 and classmate Jae-Yeon Ham spoke eloquently to the Class of 2011.

To watch Jones’s speech and that of Senior Class Speaker Jae-Yeon Ham, go to the Media Gallery on www.foxcroft.org and click on Commencement 2011 Speeches.

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Foxcroft School

Another Double

7GLSPEV )\XVESVHMREMVI From the moment Lixuan “Erica” Zhou arrived at Foxcroft on a cold January night in 2009, the Shanghai native embraced the experience. She enlisted her housemother and dormmates to help her improve her English quickly. She tried everything from lacrosse and jack’o’lantern carving to being a dorm whip and helping one of Foxcroft’s Odyssey of the Mind teams win third place at the Virginia state competition.

With a wonderful smile and a generosity of spirit, Erica earned the respect of teachers and students alike, becoming head of the Foxcroft Christian Fellowship, the Chinese Language and Culture Club, and the Middleburg Humane Foundation Club, as well as a Dean’s Prefect her senior year. At Commencement, she took home the Pillsbury Prize as the Class’ outstanding scholar.

Erica, whose family has moved to Katy, TX, matriculated at Georgetown University this fall.

commencement

On the basketball court last winter, Claire Andrews of Pacific, MO, collected an unprecedented five “double-doubles” for scoring 10 or more in points and rebounds in a single game. In May, she scored an dandy double, receiving the coveted Charlotte Haxall Noland Award at Commencement, just a day after she received the Teresa E. Shook Sports Award, Foxcroft’s top athletic prize recognizing skill, spirit, and sportsmanship.

Claire, who played varsity volleyball, basketball, and softball, is an outstanding leader and scholar, as well as a terrific athlete. She was one of ten students inducted into the Cum Laude Society and her classmates voted her the Parents’ Association Award for contributions to the class — for the third year. A dorm prefect, two-year member of the Judicial Council, head of Chimera (the literary magazine), and the Anime Club, as well as Hound captain, Claire is attending the University of Missouri this fall.

Cum Laude faculty members Alex Northrup and Susan Erba lead the induction ceremony for the academic honor society.

Fall 2011

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awards galore 26

Charlotte Haxall Noland Award.............Claire Andrews ’11 Miss Ida Applegate Award ............................... Eva Moss ’11 Mildred Greble Davis Award .............Elizabeth Wilford ’12 Dudley Prize .................................................. Ellie Meyer ’11 Becky Award ...............................................Abigail Bauer ’13 Elebash Award ...........................................Katelin Eagen ’14 Josie Betner Mallace Award .............. Markesha Burnett ’11 Jiyoon (Michelle) Lee ’11 Valedictorian/Pillsbury Prize ........ Lixuan (Erica) Zhou ’11 Salutatorian ....................................................Sohee Kim ’11 English Prize ............................................Teresa Mackey ’11 Eva Moss ’11 Eustis Prize ...........................................Margaret Brown ’11 Eleanor Schley Todd Prize for Government and Foreign Affairs............ Eda Paulsen ’11 Charlotte Tate ’11 L. Richard Weinbach History Prize ........ Hannah Cline ’11 French Award ........................................... Hannah Cline ’11 Latin Award ..................................Charlotte MacDonald ’12 Spanish Prize ..........................................Arabella Myers ’11 Mathematics Award ................................ Jae-Yeon Ham ’11 Sohee Kim ’11 Haythe Science Award ..........................Amanda Bogart ’11 Lixuan (Erica) Zhou ’11 Penn Book Award .................................Kimberly Kluwe ’12 Smith Book Award ...............................Charlotte Wright ’12 Wellesley Book Award............................Maeve Couzens ’12 Bausch and Lomb Award.............. SuWon (Chloe) Jung ’12 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award .............................. Ruijing (Hazel) Yan ’12 William & Mary Leadership Award...........................Samantha Nelson ’12 Library Prize ............................................. Hannah Cline ’11 Jordan Cline ’11 Starr Prize ....................................................Anne Yeager ’11 Studio Art Award .....................Sou Hyun (Joanna) Park ’11 Hilary Somers Deely Drama Award ............................. Clancey Yovanovich ’11 Chorale Member of the Year ..................Acey Hotchkiss ’12 Music Award..................................Jiyoon (Michelle) Lee ’11 CAP Award (Campus Tour Guides) ..........Olivia Brown ’11 Claire Knepshield ’11 Community Service Award.......................... Rhian Falke ’11 Sarah Gilmore ’11, Yeung (Amy) Ho ’11 Alison Velchik ’11, Dongni (Charlotte) Zhang ’11

Junior Award for Scholarship ..........SuWo (Chloe) Jung ’12 Parents’ Association Awards (elected by their classmates) 9th Grade ................................Paula Castro Pastrana ’14 10th Grade ...................................Catherine Reynolds ’13 11th Grade .................................................Alexis Hall ’12 12th Grade ..........................................Claire Andrews ’11 Athletic Awards Best Older Girl.........................................Alexandra Carr ’12 Best Younger Girl .......................................Katelin Eagen ’14 Lillian MacDonald ’14 Peabody Tennis Trophy .......................... Alison Velchik ’11 Teresa E. Shook Award ...........................Claire Andrews ’11 Riding Awards Miss Charlotte’s Trophy (Best Rider) ...... Allegra Aiuto ’11 Best Younger Girl .............................Mckenzie Canard ’12 Allyn Dietz ’12 Most Improved (Miss Nelly) .............Amy Edgemond ’14 Most Improved (Miss Laurie) .. Isabel Bengoa Guerrero ’12 Good Hands .......................................Olivia Gotwald ’12

Cum Laude Society Class of 2011 Claire Andrews Margaret Brown Jae-Yeon Ham Yeung (Amy) Ho Sohee Kim Teresa Mackey Dongni (Charlotte) Zhang Shuning (Isabel ) Zhang Lixuan (Erica) Zhou Class of 2012 SuWon (Chloe) Jung Kimberly Kluwe Charlotte Wright National Merit Scholarship Program National Merit Finalist Margaret Brown

Foxcroft School

The 46 members of Foxcroft School’s graduating Class of 2011 have been offered more than 178 acceptances and $928,000 in merit scholarship by 121 colleges and universities around the United States.

American University The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Barry University Bentley University Berry College Boston College (4) Boston University (4) Brandeis University Bryn Mawr College University of California, Berkeley (2) University of California, Los Angeles (3) University of California, San Diego Carnegie Mellon University The Catholic University of America Champlain College College of Charleston Christopher Newport University Clark University Coastal Carolina University (2) Colgate University Colorado State University Cornell University University of Dayton DePauw University Drew University Drexel University (3) Duke University Eckerd College Elizabethtown College Elon University Emory University (3) Florida Southern College Franklin & Marshall College Franklin Pierce University (2) Furman University (2) George Mason University (3) The George Washington University (3) Georgetown University University of Georgia Gettysburg College Goucher College Fall 2011

Green Mountain College Guilford College University of Hartford High Point University (2) College of the Holy Cross University of Illinois at Chicago Indiana University, Bloomington (2) Jacksonville University James Madison University University of Kentucky Lake Forest College Lasell College Lehigh University Longwood University Loyola University New Orleans (3) Lynchburg College Manhattanville College Mary Baldwin College (2) University of Mary Washington (4) Marymount Manhattan College (2) Marymount University University of Massachusetts, Boston McDaniel College Miami University (Ohio) University of Michigan (3) University of Mississippi University of Missouri The University of Montana (2) Moravian College Mount Holyoke College New England College New York University (3) Nichols College University of North Carolina at Asheville Northwestern University Ohio Wesleyan University (3) Pennsylvania State University University of Pennsylvania Pepperdine University Point Park University Purdue University (2)

Regis University University of Richmond Ripon College Roanoke College (5) University of Rochester Roger Williams University Rollins College (3) Saint Francis University Saint Mary’s College Saint Michaels College (2) Sewanee: The University of the South (3) Shepherd University Smith College University of Southern California (2) Southwestern University St. John’s College St. John’s University St. Lawrence University Stevenson University Susquehanna University Sweet Briar College Syracuse University The University of Texas at Austin Tufts University University of Vermont Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (5) Virginia Union University Virginia Wesleyan College University of Virginia (3) University of Virginia’s College at Wise Wake Forest University (2) Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Wheaton College (Massachusetts) College of William & Mary (3) Wittenberg University Wofford College The College of Wooster University of Wyoming

colleges

Here We Come, Colleges!

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Miss Charlotte and Rokeby Miss Charlotte Haxall Noland, founder of Foxcroft School, fox hunting sidesaddle on Rokeby

Unique Holiday Gifts The Foxcroft Alumnae Association offers a limited edition Foxcroft scarf and tie, designed exclusively for the school by renowned artist Jane Gaston. The scarf is 100% silk with handrolled edges and the tie is 100% silk twill.Our gold-tone ornament is 2-1/4” in diameter and features the School seal. Proceeds from these sales directly benefit our students, through such activities as the leadership weekend and senior dinner.

An original bronze commissioned in 2007 by the Class of 1957 as a 50th Reunion gift.

Quantity ________ Scarf X $100.00 = ________ Tie X $75.00 = ________ Ornament X $15.00 = Total Amount Due

Total $___________ $___________ $___________ $___________ (includes U.S. postage)

P I have enclosed a check made payable to Foxcroft School Alumnae Assoc.

P I would like to charge the amount due to my: P Visa P MasterCard

34"W x 10"D x approx.14"H

Renowned sculpture artist Barbara Nelson of Aiken, SC, is offering limited-edition casts to Foxcroft alumnae at a special reduced rate through 2011.

All inquiries should be directed to the artist at 803.642.6368 or www.bnelson111.me.com.

Please note that purchase does not benefit Foxcroft financially; proceeds flow in their entirety to the artist.

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Card Number: ________________________________________________ Exp. Date: ___________________ CW Number: ____________________ (3-digit security code)

Signature: __________________________________________________________ Name on Card: _____________________________________________________ (Please Print)

Ordered by: ________________________________________________________ (First, Maiden and Last)

Daytime Phone: _________________ Email: ______________________________ Shipping Address: ___________________________________________________ (Street)

__________________________________________________________________ (City, Town, State, Zip)

Please mail form to: Alumnae Association, c/o Development Office, Foxcroft School 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118 Fax: 540.687.8836 Email: alumnae@foxcroft.org Questions? Call the Development Office at 540.687.4510.

Foxcroft School

A Dedicated Pair Becky Gilmore and Nelly Sheehan receive award for distinguished service as they move on

Stuart D. Thayer, Chair of Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees and Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer presented the awards to Becky (left) and Nelly (right).

Foxcroft bid farewell to two very special people this summer as Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Becky Gilmore and Director of Riding Nelly Sheehan — both of whom had served the school for more than 20 years with enthusiasm, expertise, energy, and excellence — moved on. In April, the Board of Trustees recognized their extraordinary contributions to the School with its highest honor, the Anne Kane McGuire Distinguished Service Award. Here, we present a paltry attempt to further acknowledge what these two dedicated individuals have meant to Foxcroft and the hundreds of girls whose lives they touched.

“Service without ego, caring with no agenda, team play with enthusiasm, injury with ‘I’ll be back,’ heart with an even playing field as its guide — all are retrospective images of a long and honorable tenure. The warm and welcoming smile, the oft pink in the cheek, the shy demeanor are the first external impressions of a resilient, creative, hard-working, energetic, compassionate, and faithful woman, a woman who has served Foxcroft School for twenty-two years as the Director of Riding, as a school person par excellence, and as an ear to students and colleagues alike. . . . Here, there, and everywhere our blushing yet stately lady has put others first.

— From Nelly’s Anne Kane McGuire Award citation Fall 2011

“For twenty-four years Becky has served Foxcroft with distinction, first as an Assistant Director of Admission/Development, then as the Director of Admission, and finally as the Assistant Head of School for External Affairs. More importantly, she has served as a ‘school person’ in the classic sense of that description. Never bound by job titles, never above ‘getting her hands dirty, never too busy to answer a call for help either professional or personal, always an approachable and attending ear, always creative and talented, never arrogant, always ready to risk the new and to push others to follow suit, Becky’s being — her fiber — has made Foxcroft’s tapestry even stronger.

“Combining the philosophy that everything a school does is curriculum with her own intuitive understanding of the effects of the global on the specific and vice versa, she is a very rare school person, an exceptional administrator, and an invaluable member of a leadership team.”

— From Becky’s Anne Kane McGuire Award citation 29

A Wise Woman “Slip Rein and Grab Mane. “This is may be the best lesson Miss Nelly ever taught me. She has given this same admonition to many a girl over the last 20-plus years.

Generally uttered when a girl is looking at her first cross-country fence or before her first fox hunt, it is a clear set of instructions: When the going gets rough, let the reins slip through your hands so that the horse can have his head and balance, and grab the mane with your hands so that you can stay on for the ride regardless of what is going on under you.

One of Nelly’s great contributions to the Riding Program was the foxhunting trip to Ireland, where riders faced invigorating challenges (top). Marit Hughes ’94, our author (above, at the McGuire Award PYRGLISR [EW SR XLI ½VWX XVMT ERH E HIGEHI PEXIV Nelly and Merrilyn Blue, Director of Technology, were still taking girls (bottom right).

The Stable staff, family, and friends came out in force [LIR 2IPP] VIGIMZIH LIV LSRSV FIPS[ 7LI MW ¾EROIH by former Stables Operations Director Norman King and her sister Mary.

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As time goes on, I’ve learned that Miss Nelly’s advice applies to the greater world as well. Taken in a broader sense, it means that you need to let others take responsibility for their own actions, not hinder them when they are trying to do the right thing, and make sure that you keep yourself upright in the face of challenges.

Not long after Miss Nelly joined Foxcroft in 1989, I arrived as a freshman. For the next four years, she was my riding instructor. I went with her on the inaugural Hunting in Ireland trip in 1993. I can assure you that each of us slipped rein and grabbed mane often as we cleared Irish stone walls that we could barely see

over and ditches that were big enough to swallow us whole. Miss Nelly let us find our own way through the small Irish village where we stayed, while making sure that we knew our responsibilities both as riders and as representatives of Foxcroft School.

Miss Nelly’s duties didn’t stop at the barn or the edge of Big Track. She was a valuable member of Judicial Council, taking the responsibility to heart. She applied the help but don’t hinder philosophy when presenting the Council’s recommendations for action to the Head of School. She also served on the Curriculum Committee where she helped bring former Academic Dean Ann Leibrick’s “Everything we do is curriculum” to fruition.

After graduation, I returned to Foxcroft to visit often and, in 2002, I became a part-time riding coach. Now I was Nelly’s colleague instead of Miss Nelly’s student.

That didn’t stop her from teaching me both on and off the horse. I learned how to give my personal time to a girl who wanted more individual help. I learned how to deal with the drama that accompanies life with teenage girls. And I learned to teach “Slip Rein and Grab Mane.”

— Marit Hughes ’94

Foxcroft School

A Community Builder Teacher, Mentor, Coach, Wife, Colleague, Mom, Parent, and Ambassador are all words that resonate to the many hats that Becky Gilmore wore during her time at Foxcroft. More than the number of hats she wore effortlessly, and juggled with grace, though, was the way that she wore them. You could always count on Becky to be upbeat, resourceful, and perceptive.

A team player, she could and would always make you feel a part of the bigger picture.

She always did what was right for you and the School, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable path to take.

During her many years at Foxcroft, Becky and I grew to become trusted friends. I was in awe of her ability to focus on the most important issues that faced the School from a strategic perspective. She wanted Foxcroft to be cutting edge and, at the same time, to retain its personalized community. Her belief in the importance and value of the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] Program and her successful grant-writing skills allowed many faculty members to focus on

and create a program that will dramatically affect student focus and the opportunity for our girls to pursue avenues that merge technology, math, and science. This is just one of many significant legacies Becky leaves Foxcroft.

Becky’s greatest gift is her striking ability to touch lives and the entire community.

Whether writing grant proposals, reaching out to prospective students, fundraising and friend-raising for Advancement, making a special effort with international families here and abroad, cheering on our sports teams, providing time and resources for the Cooking Club, or simply being there for a student or a colleague, Becky remained current, connected, and in touch with parents, students, faculty, and family.

She built authentic community at Foxcroft and will, no doubt, continue to grow authentic community at Augusta Preparatory School [in Georgia, when she became Head of School in July]. She will continue to inspire students and faculty to be and become the best they can be. Becky is an amazing role model to us all.

— Sheila C. McKibbin, Assistant Head of School

Becky recruited hundreds of girls as Director of Admission (top, circa 1995), and she loved being involved with them. Chloe Liu ’13 of Shanghai, Emma Cha ’13 of Seoul, and Becky had fun preparing holiday snacks.

Becky, our author Sheila McKibbin, and Mary Lou (above) made a mighty team.

After the surprise award presentation, Becky beamed as she posed with (left to right) daughter Sarah ’11, husband Roger, her brother Bill and his wife, and her mother, Phyllis Bemisderfer.

Fall 2011

31

50 Hugs

by Avery Finkel ’13

I

’m not sure I can write any words that will do our experience in Madrid justice.

The city, the people, the food (and boy, was there food!) were new and incredible experiences for all of us that we will never forget.

Avery was all smiles during her awesome adventure.

Students made lifelong friends during Foxcroft’s inaugural exchange program with a school in Spain.

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Upon arrival in Madrid, we were bombarded with hugs and kisses from our host families.

They were all very open and friendly towards us scared American girls, and I think that their immediate openness was a big part of what made the trip such a success. I settled in at my family’s home and then took a walk in El Retiro Park with my exchange partner, Cova, and her two older siblings. It was beautiful. Then we had a huge dinner, preceding a huge amount of sleep.

On Monday, we went to class at Jesús María de Juan Bravo. I don’t think we expected it to go as well as it did — I certainly didn’t — and by the end of that first day I knew that I would have been completely okay with going to school for the entire visit. The kids we met were so interested to hear about our homes in the United States and all wanted to talk to us, either in Spanish or English. They also were surprisingly interested in our opinions of Justin Bieber!

Our Spanish classes and sightseeing began Tuesday. The things we saw that week were truly incredible: Madrid de Las Austrias and the Palace of Madrid; Picasso’s “Guernica” at La Reina Sofia museum; Velazquez’ “Las Meninas” at El Museo del Prado. On Friday, we went out for tapas with our exchange partners. It was a great time, sitting at a little outdoor café surrounded by cobblestones, accordion players, and good-looking European couples in love. By then we were

all settled in and our conversations took place in Spanish, something I take pride in, because when I arrived in Madrid I had to have Cova translate everything.

We spent the weekend with our families.

Mine took me shopping and bought me gifts — yet another reminder of their kindness and generosity. We rode the elevator to the terrace of a building from which we could see all of Madrid and posed for pictures while Cova’s parents gushed about how I had to come to their beach house over the summer.

On Sunday, a group from my class at Juan Bravo went to El Parque de Atracciones, an amusement park. The memory of that day is my favorite and makes me smile and cry in equal measure. I didn’t go on the exchange expecting to make many friends and definitely did not expect to have 11 of them come along and convince me to go on water rides and roller coasters that went upside down!

The last week in Spain went by too fast.

On Monday, we went to Segovia, the most breathtakingly beautiful city I have ever visited. We climbed to the highest tower of the Alcazar, upon which the Disney logo is based. We went to Aranjuez Tuesday and visited the spring palace of the kings and queens of Spain. Wednesday we stayed at school all day because the weather was rainy and cold. I took that day for granted and didn’t realize how much I enjoyed going to Juan Bravo until we were in an airplane leaving the country.

On Thursday, we went shopping and Friday we went to the Museo Sorolla, my favorite museum of the whole trip. Afterwards, we went to classes at Juan Bravo. The fact that Foxcroft School

Whether they were visiting Segovia (above), touring Cordoba (right), or having a cooking lesson with Juan Bravo’s head chef, the girls had a great time!

it was our last day didn’t sink in until the last bell rang. When I walked out of the classroom, I saw my friend Juan standing there with his arms open and I burst into tears.

Out of the corner of my watery eyes, I saw Cat Reynolds ’13 sobbing on the shoulder of our friend Jaime, who also had tears in his eyes. Crazy tears, I know, but how could we possibly leave people we’d known for two weeks that were already closer to our hearts than people back home that we had known for years?

That was not goodbye, though. Our classmates threw a surprise party for us, complete with music, dancing, and Spanish flags that everyone secretly signed to remind us to never forget them — which was unecessary, because I couldn’t forget any of them if I tried. When I was given my flag, covered Fall 2011

with “I love yous” and “I will miss yous,” I burst into tears again. That flag hangs in my room now and I love it as much as I love that memory. Whenever I look at it, I get tears in my eyes.

Those tears don’t compare, though, to the waterworks on Saturday, when we left. I kissed Cova and her parents, thanked them for letting me stay with them, and promptly burst into tears when her mother called me “mi hija” (my daughter). I cried until we got through Security, and then again, when I saw Cova waving and blowing kisses to me from the distance.

As I said at the beginning, I can’t describe the experience I had on the trip. I made lifelong friends, found a Spanish “sister,” and got to explore a city that will always hold a special

place in my heart. Cova, our friend Borja, and I had counted our hugs from the beginning of the trip to the end, and we ended up hugging 41 times, a number unprecedented for me and half of my friends in the U.S. We hope to make it 50 hugs someday.

The city, my friends, and my exchange family made such an impact on me that I only want one thing for my sixteenth birthday: a plane ticket. Q Editor’s Note: Avery didn’t turn 16 until September but she got that plane ticket and spent 12 days with her host family — in Madrid and at their beach house in Asturias this summer. “I met more great people and had an AMAZING time,” reports Avery.

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Tropical Attractions Intrepid travelers fall in love with Peru during the 2011 Interim trip

by Olivia Brown ’11

±,)003 ):)6=32) - %1 -2 03:) ;-8, 8,) %1%>32 ² That’s what I wrote on the “Where in the World is Foxcroft?” blog on March 5, midway through the amazing Interim trip that 12 of us Foxcroft girls and two chaperones took last winter. Even now, months later, I have to say that it really was an incredible trip and one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Here are some of the highlights.

The trip to Peru was a long one, with an early morning wake-up, a long layover, and a flight delay, but once we landed in Iquitos, in the upper Amazon basin of northern Peru, we were overcome with excitement.

As soon as we met our tour guides, Percy and Ricardo, we knew we were going to have a fantastic trip because they were just as excited to begin the trip as we were! We drove through Iquitos, jumped into a boat, and headed to our first lodge. Boats were our main form of transportation throughout the trip — the other was walking. We loved the 34

boat rides because it was a great time to nap and provided an escape from the humidity.

The Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) was the first lodge we stayed in, and the most rustic. There was no electricity or windows but we had kerosene lamps and mosquito nets. What I loved about staying in the jungle were the sounds; we heard everything from monkeys and parrots in the morning to cicadas and grasshoppers at night. We had a great time at ACTS mainly because of the Canopy Walk trail, which is suspended 112 feet in the air and gave us the most incredible view of the jungle.

Up there, we saw monkeys, toucans, macaws, and tons of other birds. We met a group of students from Widener University studying insects and plants, and learned how they collect data from the forest. We did a night hike and saw scorpions, red rump tarantulas, and a bullet ant. In the middle of the hike, Percy and Ricardo told us to turn off our flashlights. We were a little apprehensive, but

we did as they told us and looked up to the sky then down to the forest floor. The whole floor was glowing from the bioluminescent fungus growing on leaves.

One day, we got to visit a shaman in the ReNu Peru Botanical Garden. The garden was beautiful and we learned about the different medicinal plants that grow in the rainforest. It was interesting to see how one plant could treat so many different illnesses. We got our faces painted with achiote or paprika, and got temporary tattoos that the shaman drew on us with ink from the huito plant.

My favorite day in Peru was our Service Project Day, which we spent in Centro Unido, one of many villages by the Amazon.

When our boat pulled up, we were greeted by 20 children and a band. They gave us fruit that tasted like ice cream; it was fantastic.

They took us into the school and all the kids were sitting at their desks — until the band came in and everybody started dancing!

Then we got straight to work. We helped put a roof on a hut, paint houses, plant flowers Foxcroft School

Olivia (left, with a simian friend) and her fellow travelers had fun with the Centro Unido villagers (top), at the Yagua culture fair (right), and reading to children at the local library.

around the school, and put spokes around the trees to keep the plants from getting trampled by the cattle.

For lunch, the women in the village prepared lots of different fish for us to try. It was delicious, especially the piranha. We played soccer with the women and then the band started playing and all the kids grabbed us and started dancing around a decorated palm tree that had fruit hanging on the top.

We lucked out and got to celebrate Carnival with them. While we were dancing around the palm tree, the locals threw water on us and smeared paint and achiote on our faces.

When the tree finally got cut down, the biggest food fight erupted. It was madness in the village — all the kids were throwing bananas, mangos, and achiote. We had so much fun playing with the kids, running around in the craziness. We were sad to leave but we gave Fall 2011

them silly bands and they were very excited.

We all had the biggest smiles on our faces on our boat ride back; we were all really satisfied with the work we had done. It was a day we won’t ever forget.

The next few days were filled with cultural activities. We had a craft fair with the Yagua tribe and learned how to shoot blowguns, weave thatching for a roof, and make baskets.

We learned about sugar cane and the different styles of dancing. What I found most interesting was how the Yagua used the local plants, berries, and barks to make different inks to color bags and clothes. We also got to do what we do best when we went to the Yagua village: shop. We bought a lot of the things that we had seen being made the day before. The next day, we went to visit the local library and clinic and we had a great time reading to children in Spanish.

On our last day in Peru, we went to Monkey Island and had a fantastic time. When we arrived, a very friendly spider monkey greeted us. There were monkeys all over the island: spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, titi monkeys, howler monkeys, and tamarin monkeys. In the afternoon we went to Iquitos to explore the Belen market, where we saw all the local fish and vegetables being sold, along with many of the medicinal plants we saw growing in the jungle.

When we arrived at the airport we were all holding back tears — none of us wanted to leave. The people we met, the friends we made, and the wonderful things we saw and did have a huge impact on each of our lives.

And that’s nothing to cry about! Q See photos, videos and more stories from the Peru Trip at foxcroft.wordpress.com 35

VerySpecialVisitors Foxcroft hosts Project Common Bond For eight days last summer, the Foxcroft campus was transformed into a veritable United Nations of young global ambassadors.

Brought together by the tragedy of each having lost a family member to an act of terrorism, the 77 young adults from nine countries radiated not melancholy but hope, energy, and a strong sense of caring for each other and for the future.

The group was Project Common Bond, organized by Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit dedicated to serving the needs of families affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Foxcroft not only had the privilege of hosting this extraordinary group but a number of administrators, faculty, and students contributed to the experience. As the keynote speaker, Assistant Head of School Sheila C. McKibbin welcomed the group by drawing parallels between PCB and our School.

“Foxcroft is a magical place that helps people to find their voice and to become known,” she said, noting that Foxcroft, too, brings people from around the world together and seeks to make each feel valued.

“It is essential in today’s world that we get to know one another to

embrace our differences, share our humanity, and celebrate the joy that comes from forging common bonds to and with and between people.”

Faculty members Karin Thorndike, Jennie Wills, Michelle Woodruff, and Kathy Gonzalez, as well as McKibbin, led sessions during the week, teaching music and dance, supervising sports and games, and leading community-building activities. Foxcroft girls welcomed the group with signs, personal letters, goodie bagss and campus tours, and shared the School’s Thanksgiving Banquet open mic tradition at PCB’s closing banquet. Also Foxcroft underwrote the participation of one student, giving Jessica Wisniewski of New Jersey a scholarship to the camp (see story, right).

Project Common Bond was one of a half-dozen different programs hosted at Foxcroft this summer, but it stands apart. Hosting it made Foxcroft a part of something larger – and not just because scores of reporters and cameramen descended on the campus one day. “It was an honor and a privilege to host Project Common Bond,” said McKibbin. Indeed it was. Q

Shelia McKibbin (above) and some of the PCB participants (right) became media stars, as TV networks and news outlets covered the program.

36

Foxcroft School

Development’s Jennie Wills taught dance and movement to an enthusiastic group.

Jess (center) enjoyed making friends from around the world.

% +MVP 2SX 9RPMOI ±3YV +MVPW²

PCB students made two “peace totems,” one of which they gave to Foxcroft.

by Bethany Lowe, Advancement Assistant Jessica Wisniewski was excited about Project Common Bond’s trip to Washington, D.C. “We visited the State Department, the Department of Peace, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Capitol,” said the 11th grader from New Jersey, who received Foxcroft’s PCB scholarship. As she talked about the group’s tour of the city, Jess’s bright personality and smile reminded me of the girls who attend our School.

An 11th grader, Jess takes Precalculus, Spanish IV, AP American History, and the like at her school, but her real interest lies in the applied sciences, where theories are tested through hands-on experiments. She also plays lacrosse and basketball, runs track, and enjoys spending time outdoors.

Below, Ellie Meyer ’11, Xanna Garner ’10, Jordan Cline ’11, Alex MacMahon ’14, and Campbell Hartley ’14 enjoyed dinner with two PCB participants.

Bottom, Samantha Nelson ’12 and Ellie Meyers ’11 at work in the Art Room.

As a boarding school student herself, Jess really appreciated the sense of community at Foxcroft, especially in the dorms.

She loves meeting and getting to know new people, which made Project Common Bond a highlight of her summer. The program, she said, has increased her ability to communicate and given her a growing network of international connections.

Someday, Jess hopes to work in international communications as a diplomat or at the United Nations, career goals that will no doubt draw from her PCB experiences.

Asked what she would like to tell the Foxcroft community, she said, “First, I would tell them their campus is beautiful!” Then she thanked me and the School for hosting her and Project Common Bond. A sweet gesture from a kind girl not unlike “our girls.”

Fall 2011

37

A Space for Friendship

Plans move forward on the residential phase of Foxcroft’s Campus Master Plan

Our dormitories reflect our core value – that each girl is known and valued. They provide the environment for girls to learn to get along with others and to appreciate their different gifts. . . . The dorms are where we build intentional, authentic community. That’s where it all begins.

– Sheila C. McKibbin, Assistant Head of School

Peals of laughter echo down the hallway, a movie plays in the common room, girls gather around their housemother to share details of the day. Walk into any one of Foxcroft’s five dorms at any given time and you will see community in action.

Community is at the heart of Foxcroft’s residential program.

Community is at the core of every decision that is made. Our girls share a special feeling of “being known and valued.” This is a direct result of connections made with faculty both in and out of the classroom. Community is why about 80% of our faculty and administrators live on campus. It is the philosophy behind the role of our housemothers, whose primary responsibility is to care for the girls after the academic day. Community fosters relationships and it is through these relationships that girls at Foxcroft develop self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of purpose.

Community is integral to Foxcroft’s mission.

Dorm life is a fundamental component in building community at Foxcroft. As Assistant Head of School Sheila McKibbin states, “They [the dorms] provide an environment for girls to learn to get along with others and to appreciate their different gifts. They learn to be responsible for themselves and to be leaders and honorable members of a community. The dorms are where we build intentional authentic community. That’s where it all begins.”

It is not surprising therefore, that the Board of Trustees determined that the residential component of the Campus Master Plan should be the School’s next

38

Foxcroft School

priority. This project calls for construction of a 50-student dormitory as well as the renovation of all existing dorms. The new dorm will anchor the west end of the campus, tying Reynolds to the other four existing dorms and creating a more obvious residential zone.

It will house three faculty families, provide generous common areas, allow for flexible student accommodations, and include sleeping porches.

Once built, this dorm will facilitate the other essential component of the residential plan — the renovation of existing dormitories, most of which were built before 1950 — by housing students while these buildings, one by one, are upgraded and right-sized. Reconfiguring space in Court, Orchard, Applegate, Dillon, and Reynolds will enhance faculty and staff housing in each dorm as well, so

that our talented teachers and their families can more comfortably live on campus as they contribute to the 24/7 life of the community.

With the residential project, Foxcroft will preserve and further its commitment to a residential school for students and faculty. The strategic plan calls for a student body of 185 girls plus faculty children and the Board of Trustees is committed to a residential school of this size. The Board is equally committed to having 80% of the funds raised before construction can begin on each building, and to including, in the overall funds raised for that building, an endowment that will maintain it in perpetuity. Current construction estimates for the new dormitory plus endowment are coming in at $10 million. To date, $3.8 million has been raised; $8 million is needed to begin construction.

In a school where “Everything we do is curriculum,” Foxcroft’s dormitories can be considered living classrooms for emotional, psychological, and educational growth.

In these spaces, girls are able to learn the all-important sense of community. In these spaces, girls can take risks that may develop into leadership opportunities. Research strongly indicates that girls learn best through relationships and affiliations, and through opportunities for collaborative, connected learning. Foxcroft’s residential program provides the stage for this learning to take place.

To hear more about our residential project and the funding opportunities available, please call or email Marion Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement at 540.687.4518 or mcouzens@foxcroft.org.

The new dormitory will be located between Reynolds and Dillon, creating a more cohesive residential zone.

Fall 2011

39

Step 1 of the Residential Project:

First Floor

VIEW FROM DILLON DORMITORY

The residential nature of Foxcroft allows school to happen all day long. If a teacher wants to go out and show his astronomy students the stars and the planets in the night sky, he can do that. If she wants to schedule a review session for the evening, she can do that without worrying about whether the student can get there; they are here. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Susan Erba, Mathematics Department Chair

40

Foxcroft School

A New Dormitory

Second Floor

VIEW FROM THE STABLES

What’s your favorite dormitory memory?

Students and alumnae often talk about life in the dorms as a key part of their Foxcroft experience and — as current student learn each year — grads returning for Reunions often make a point of visiting a room they lived in once upon a time. Do you have a favorite room, event, or fond memory of someone or something from your Foxcroft dormitory experience? If so, please share it with us. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Please send your memories to the Development Office, Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118.

You may also email your thoughts to development@foxcroft.org. We will share answers online and in a future publication. Thank you.

Fall 2011

41

one hundred years

+Counting…Planning for Foxcroft’

By Marion Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement

1914 In September, Foxcroft School opened with 24 boarders and five day students, including one boy who only lasted a year! There were three buildings: Brick House, Porch House, and Pink House and four faculty members. The catalogue for the School read in part: “The best of the present with the best of the past…”

(Excerpted from the book Charlotte Haxall Noland 1883-1969)

2011 Ninety-eight years later, Foxcroft opens with more than five times as many students, a great many more buildings (47 to be precise) and approximately 25 teaching faculty with three doctorates and 16 master’s degrees among them. The School catalog reads in part: “Tested by time, validated by success.”

Today, almost 100 years after it first opened its doors, Foxcroft continues to combine “the best of the present with the best of the past.”

-R *S\GVSJX [MPP GIPIFVEXI MXW GIRXIRRMEP ERRMZIVWEV] %W [I RIEV XLMW QENSV QMPIWXSRI MR XLI 7GLSSP´W LMWXSV] [I EVI GLEPPIRKIH XS HI½RI XLMW GIPIFVEXMSR MR E [E] XLEX [MPP LSRSV EPP XLEX *S\GVSJX MW ERH LEW FIIR JSV XLI ½VWX ]IEVW ERH EPP XLEX [I IRZMWMSR MX [MPP FI EW [I PEYRGL XLI WIGSRH GIRXYV] Timeline for the 100th September 2011

Fall 2011 – Spring 2012 Co-Chairs selected Committees determined Committee Heads appointed Staffing of committees underway

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Summer 2012 – Spring 2013 Planning for Centennial Year in full swing

Fall 2013 – Spring 2014 Centennial Year activities take place

April 2014 Centennial Gala Weekend

Foxcroft School

Thoughtful planning for this momentous celebration has already begun. Last spring and summer, brainstorming sessions were held on campus to determine how we, as a school, could honor our past, celebrate our present, and embrace our future.

Students, faculty, and alumnae each met independently to discuss how to celebrate their Foxcroft. The brainstorming sessions were inspiring, thought-provoking, and energizing. In synthesizing the ideas and suggestions that came out of these meetings, the framework for our celebration began to emerge.

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we know: s 4 HE MISSION IS TO CELEBRATE THE lRST YEARS AND TO LAUNCH THE NEXT YEARS s 4 HE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL TO CONNECT AND RE CONNECT WITH THEIR 3CHOOL s 7E WILL HAVE A YEAR LONG CELEBRATION BEGINNING WITH THE OPENING OF SCHOOL IN 3EPTEMBER AND CULMINATING WITH A Gala Weekend at Foxcroft in April 2014. s #ENTENNIAL EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE GLOBE

Axie Clark Diana â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60, Beatty Page Cramer â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66, and Mia Martin Glickman â&#x20AC;&#x2122;78 have graciously agreed to co-chair our centennial activities. They need your help in making this celebration your celebration!

Share . . .

your thoughts by ďŹ lling out the centennial survey at http://tinyurl.com/foxcroft100th or emailing us at centennial@foxcroft.org. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a computer, we are happy to send you a hard copy of the survey; please call 540.687.4510 to request one.

Volunteer . . . Fill out the insert card in this magazine and let us know your areas of interest or email us at centennial@foxcroft.org

Celebrate . . . Plan on returning to campus for the Gala Weekend in April 2014.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

What sight, smell and/or image from your time at Foxcroft is most meaningful to you? t of the The sigh arriving Marines y on Frida to afternoon of us drill all ill on the dr field!

Fall 2011

Going to Mis s Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s h ouse in the evenin gs.

Enjoying coff ee after studyhall.

ellThe w ou ness. Y d e d n u ro er, e a rid b d l u co , boyathlete yone . Ever r e s a h c place. had a

centennial celebration

ftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100th has begun in earnest â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and WE NEED YOU!

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Reunion Weekend April 15-17, 2011

More than 140 alumnae from 12 classes spanning six decades returned to campus last April for a springtime Reunion Weekend that celebrated lifelong friendships, cherished traditions and memories, and a shared Foxcroft experience!

44

Alumnae were welcomed at Covert by Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer Friday, and joined by Trustees and faculty for an evening of lively conversation and southern hospitality.

Foxcroft School

Welcome Back, Welcome Home Saturday and Sunday provided many options and venues for reconnecting and reminiscing: the annual Alumnae Association meeting, a Student Panel, the first-ever Alumnae March-In, the Alumnae Luncheon which welcomed the Class of 2011 and featured the presentation of a Distinguished Alumnae Award to Suzy Townsend Purrington ’56, (see “Distinguished” page 23) the alumnaestudent Fox/Hound Basketball Game (complete with Sing-Sing), intimate Class Dinners, trail rides, and more!

To the Council members who assisted throughout the weekend: Your hard work and gracious spirit contributed greatly to this memorable event!

Fall 2011

45

True Friends

46 46

FoxcroftSchool School Foxcroft

Through to the End

Fall 2011

47

Reunion Giving Celebrating 50 years

Through the years, many classes have celebrated their reunions with a special gift to the School. Such gifts have taken many forms â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from increased annual giving during a reunion year to restricted funds for a speciďŹ c area of need. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classes were no exception, with many supporting the annual fund, endowment, and priority capital initiatives. We are deeply grateful for all these thoughtful and generous gifts.

Understanding that a current Reunion giving focus is faculty housing renovation, Foxcroftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th Reunion Class â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Class of 1961â&#x20AC;&#x201D; stepped forward to address this designated priority. In honor of its 50th Reunion, in recognition of extraordinary faculty past and present, and with concern for the preservation of existing structures, the Class has raised more than $17,400 towards the interior renovation of historic Quarters.

Bravo and thank you to the Class of 1961 and to all the other Reunion classes whose gifts truly do make a difference!

Graduation Giving At last Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Awards Assembly, on the eve of their walk through Miss Charlotteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden, the members of the Class of 2011 announced a trio of generous gifts to Foxcroft. The ďŹ rst gift was $500 to the Senior Lounge, a place they spent countless nights together and hope future seniors will also enjoy. Next, the Class gave $500 in honor of Bob Leisher, Mary Louise Leipheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very special brother who, Class President Clancey Yovanovich called, â&#x20AC;&#x153;our friend and classmate.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although nature has taken his body away from us,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;his spirit will always live on in the hearts of every senior.â&#x20AC;?

The Classâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third gift was $500 to a project that many of their families had been working on for the entire schoolyear: the Class of 2011 Family and Friends Scholarship. Including the seniorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; $500, the fund â&#x20AC;&#x201D; established to keep Foxcroft accessible to girls who demonstrate the talent and ambition to succeed â&#x20AC;&#x201D; had grown to $22,600 by June 30. Many thanks to Terry Meyer and Michele Velchik, parents of recent graduates Ellie and Alison, respectively, for leading this intiative as 2011 Family & Friends Scholarship fund co-chairs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and to the Class of 2011 for afďŹ rming its worth!

48

Save the Date *S\GVSJX 'PEWW 6IYRMSRW JSV EPP GPEWWIW IRHMRK MR 2 and 7 Plan now XS GIPIFVEXI ]SYV VIYRMSR RI\X WTVMRK *SV QSVI MRJSVQEXMSR please call Deb Hogan at

SV IQEMP dhogan@foxcroft.org www.foxcroft.org/alumnae/welcome

April 13 -15, 2012 Foxcroft School

CLASS OF 1990

CLASS OF 1992

Susan Young McCaskey ’90 travelled to Houston, TX, with her daughter Caitlin Porter to visit classmate Betsy Ball Eason ’90 and her little girl Lilly Marie.

Michelle Edmonds Renton ’92 and her family in Bimini

CLASS OF 1991

Cricket Brown Collins ’91 and husband Sean welcomed a baby boy, Sean Clement Henry Collins, on May 30.

Pilar Piedra Colleran ’91’s daughter, Gigi, is in a beachbaby sandwich between her brother, Harry (left), and Cricket Brown Collin’s son, Henry (right), on Block Island this past August.

Adrian Kleberg Sabom ’91 and her family — husband Robert, daughter Mia, and son Teel

CLASS OF 1996

Cricket Brown Collins ’91 and Pilar Piedra Colleran had a family gettogether! In this picture: (left-right) Sean, Cricket and Henry Collins and Gigi, Harry, Pilar and Dutch Colleran

CLASS OF 1997 Alexandria Bergan Chalonec ’97 with her Class of 1997 wedding guests (left-right) Ryane LeCesne, Averill Hovey, Alice Lane Lloyd, Amanda Hunter, and Laine Reddish Whitaker.

54

Emilia Engelberg Mello ’96 was the Associate Producer of the movie “Waste Land,” winner SJ E[EVHW EX MRXIVREXMSREP ½PQ JIWXMZEPW EVSYRH the world and nominated for an Oscar in the Best Feature Documentary category. Emilia is pictured here at the Oscars with her editor.

Foxcroft School

CLASS OF 1998

CLASS OF 2002

Class of 2002 members Katie Dunmore, Meredith Parrish, Kristin Anderson Krahmer, Ashley Matthews, and Amy Marino met up in Washington, DC, for a small reunion.

CLASS OF 2004

At top, Hutchi Hancock ’98 with her new hubby. In attendance at Hutchi’s wedding were (left-right) Averill Hovey ’97, Vicki Jonkers ’98, Amanda Hartmann ’98, Christina Warner ’98, Annie Bishop ’98, Diana Holguin ’98, Chandler Strange ’98, Caroline Shaffer ’98, Virginia Patterson ’98, Melissa Southwood ’98, Leigh Edgerton ’99, Emilia Engelberg Mello ’96.

Newly-engaged Victoria Speidel ’04 and Adam Sorensen

Newly-married Sherry Nelson ’04 and Gideon Young on their wedding day — May 23, 2011 — in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. In attendance at the wedding were her mother, Valery Michel Nelson ’77, and her sister, Sarah Nelson ’09.

CLASS OF 2010 CLASS OF 2011

Meaghan Hogan ’10 came to see friend Sarah Gilmore ’11 graduate in May.

Fall 2011

A family of alumnae: Rachel Cline ’10 welcomed her twin sisters Jordan ’11 and Hannah ’11 into the sisterhood of Foxcroft alumnae.

Alison Reinhardt ’11 and Rhian Falke ’11 at Rhian’s graduation

55

Foxcroft on the Move Three gatherings were held in Florida in March: Wellington, hosted by DD Alexander Matz ’81; West Palm Beach, at the home of Steve and Mercedes Rudkin Gotwald ’72; and Boca Grande hosted by Dodo Hill Hamilton ’46. In May, Mary Lou met with locals at the Middleburg home of Marcy and Jimmy Harris (parents of Meredith Harris ’10).

(%00%7

Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer traveled to Charlottesville last September to discuss Foxcroft’s Master Plan at a gathering hosted by Liza Todd Edgerton ’71 and her husband Bill. In October, she headed south to Dallas for a reception at the home of Jennifer Krumsick Skliris ’91.

November took her to New York’s River Club hosted by Mia Martin Glickman ’78 and her husband Donald.

Kate Hancock ’01, Missy Terenzio Southwood ’98, Virginia Barnett ’96 and Nilani Trent ’97. Above right, host Mia Martin Glickman ’78, and her niece Jacqueline Kent Cooke

&3'% +6%2()

(left-right) Thomas Taylor (father of Lauren ’11) and his wife Dane, Bruce Hallett (father of Grace ’14), Tom and Eleanor May (parents of Laura ’81), Catherine Hallett (mother of Grace ’14), Jodi Donnally ’98, Carl Yeckel (father of Anne ’96, Betsy ’89, and Susannah ’95), Mary Lou, Laura May ’86 (sitting), Eleanor Kaye Durham Dunnam ’81, host Jennifer Skliris ’91, Becky Gilmore (former Assistant Head for External Affairs), and Shannon Doenges Collins ’85.

NEW YORK

(left-right) Patsy Pulitzer Preston ’46, Teddy Fly Carney ’46, Louise Crowninshield Reimer ’46, Kiku Millard Hanes ’46, Abby Milton O’Neill ’46, Boo Winchester Penniman ’46, Connie Hamilton Wallace ’46, and host Dodo Hill Hamilton ’46

1-((0)&96+

Maria Donaldson ’07, Victoria “Cooky” Bartlett Donaldson ’70, Caroline Coleman ’72, and Alix Howard ’66

Erin Drake Gray ’66, Anne van den Bergh ’67, and Hope Scott Rogers ’71

Colette de Jounge (mother of Emily Longley ’14) and hosts Jimmy and Marcy Harris

Thank you to all our hosts for so warmly welcoming our trustees, alumnae, parents, and friends.

If you would like to hear more about Foxcroft and the Master Plan, please contact the Development Office at 540.687.4510 or development@foxcroft.org.

56

Foxcroft School

Forever Foxcroft

SASKIA PAULUSSEN

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 insure that Foxcroft will retain and attract inspiring teachers, that the faculty will continue to design and to 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 insure that the school will continue to soar. . . . Forever Foxcroft.

Anonymous – 9 Mimi Mills Abel-Smith ’54 Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 Peggy Wickes Alexander ’64 +Elizabeth Stewart Baldwin ’23 +Elizabeth Kemp Beach ’20 Ruth Bedford ’32 Pamela Biddle ’81 +J Bruce Bredin Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton ’70 +Mr. and Mrs. Leland Brown +Amanda Cadwalader Burton ’44 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

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 Katherine Cooper Hastings ’78 Sarah Stokes Hatch ’63 Trevania Dudley Henderson ’76 Theodora Winthrop Hooton ’47 Richard and Kimberly Hurst +May Field Jackson ’29 Hope Jones ’82 Hope Haskell Jones ’52 +Amanda Bryan Kane ’22 Kristin Anderson Kramer ’02 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 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 +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 +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 long-term fiscal planning and would like your name listed, please write the Development Office at development @foxcroft.org or call 540.687.4510.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 201 Dulles, VA 20101

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

SavetheDate We hope to see you on campus at any — or all — of these events!

October 28-30 November 18-19 December 4 January 13-15 March 2-3 April 13-15 April 27-28 May 25

Parents’ Weekend Fox/Hound Field Hockey & Hunt Christmas Pageant Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival Fox/Hound Basketball Reunion Weekend (for classes ending in 2 or 7) Fox/Hound Riding Junior Parents’ College Weekend Commencement for the Class of 2012!