Garrison Forest 2017 Magazine

G arrison F orest 2017 MAGAZINE

Garrison Forest 2017 MAGAZINE

14 Blue Goes Green 24 GERMinating the Next Generation of STEM Leaders (and Possibly Saving the World While Doing it)

130 From the Archives: Outdoor Education Then and Now

D E PA R T M E N T S

2 Letter from Lila Boyce Lohr ’63,

Interim Head of School

3 Lives of Purpose: Alumna, student and faculty accomplishments

12

Farewell to the Forest

28

Tribute to Dr. Kim Roberts

30

Faculty at the Forest

34

Spirit of Giving

43

Class News

132

ords We Live By: Esse Quam Videri W Guest columnist Beth Ruekberg, history teacher, reflects on the 30 years she spent under the branches of the Garrison Forest “tree.”

>>> MORE ONLINE AT GFS.ORG/MAGAZINE ON THE COVER: “Remembrance: Chinese Poppies”

by B.J. McElderry B.J. McElderry, who retired from the Garrison Forest art department in June, will tell you that her students are her most inspiring subject. For 41 years, she nurtured their talent and passion. The natural world is also a source of inspiration. The cover painting, in gouache, captures this love and connects back to Garrison Forest. In August 2016, Ms. McElderry was visiting friend and former GFS science teacher Winifred McDowell when she spotted the subject for this painting in a garden. “I was attracted to the flowers’ redness and fragility in a Vermont garden,” she explains.

Read more about Ms. McElderry’s artistic legacy at GFS on page 32.

E D I T O R I A L S TA F F

DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Aja Jackson, Editor Director of Communications ajajackson@gfs.org

Mid-Atlantic Custom Media Jeni Mann, Director jmann@midatlanticmedia.com

Sarah Achenbach Contributing Writer

Cortney Geare, Art Director

Jim Audette, Baltimore Business Journal, Paul Galeone Photographers, Mu Yao “Selina” Ma ’20, Sarah Sachs, Bryna Stoute, David Stuck

Garrison Forest Magazine is published annually. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and/or interview subjects. Garrison Forest reserves the right to edit Class News for clarity, length and content.

Class News agents are responsible for the accuracy of their news.

SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Garrison Forest School Alumnae Office 300 Garrison Forest Road • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • gfsalum@gfs.org • 410-559-3136

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

2 L ET T E R FR O M H E A D OF S CH OOL

DEAR GARRISON FOREST COMMUNITY,

“ This is the place where I first found my voice, where I learned to lead and where I discovered the joy of helping others find their voices and leadership abilities.”

Many have asked me what it is like to return to my alma mater as Interim Head of School for the 2017-18 year. The short answer is wonderful. While I have enjoyed a long career in education and, for the past 11 years, as an interim head for independent schools around the country, nothing compares to having this opportunity to return to lead my school.

Return is a somewhat misleading description. I left Garrison Forest when I graduated in 1963, but it never left me. This is the place where I first found my voice, where I learned to lead and where I discovered the joy of helping others find their voices and leadership abilities.

I have often returned for reunions and alumnae events and for meetings when I served on the Board as a Trustee and, later, as President of the Board. While there have been many campus and programmatic updates, the most lasting part of a GFS education remains unchanged. Today, as when I was at Garrison Forest, students form close relationships with each other and their teachers, creating a lasting sense of community that continues across the decades.

I am thrilled and honored to lead the school as Garrison Forest searches for its next Head of School. As the Search Committee works to identify the person who will lead our school beginning in 2018-19 to build on the accomplishments of Kim Roberts, Peter O’Neill and our eight other visionary heads of school, my husband Bobby Ittmann and I are embracing our roles this year. This should not be an interim year for anyone but me. For every student, faculty, staff member, parent and alumna, this is a new year, brimming with possibilities and firmly grounded in doing what the school has done so well for 107 years—helping students realize their potential and lead with passion, purpose and joy.

I hope you enjoy the 2017 Garrison Forest Magazine! Join me as we write the next pages in our school’s rich history.

Fondly,

Lila Boyce Lohr ’63 Head of School, 2017-18

HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH COMMITTEE Co-chairs: Kim Gordon, Parent and Trustee Helen Zinreich Shafer ’93, Parent and Trustee Kimberly Hubbard Cashman ’85, Parent and Trustee Augie Chiasera, Parent and Trustee Stacy Garrett-Ray ’92, Parent and Trustee Tim Hathaway, Parent and Trustee Kit Jackson ’83, President of the GFS Board

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

Nick Burns, Upper School Representative Tung Trinh, Middle School Representative Amy Welling, Preschool and Lower School Representative Search Consulting Firm: Carney Sandoe & Associates Visit gfs.org/search for search details, Lila’s blog and video, a timeline and more.

LIV ES OF PU RPO SE

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The GFS group did a water walk with the women and girls of Oleleshwa to collect water, an eye-opening experience for the students. (Nine cans last a family of seven for three days.)

A few of the GFS participants in WE Day New York.

Garrison Forest Joins the ME to WE Movement This year, Garrison Forest joined schools around the country in the ME to WE movement, a student-focused, grass-roots service movement inspired by we.org. On April 6, 21 students and three faculty members traveled to New York City for WE Day New York, a celebration held in 14 cities across the country to launch the year-long WE Schools program. They heard inspiring remarks and enjoyed performances by singers, performers, Olympians and activists.

The event was free, but each student was charged with taking on one local and one global action through the WE Schools program. This fall, GFS will have a WE club for Upper School students to intertwine with Service League and extend community outreach.

“ We were all struggling to shoulder the 20 liters of river water in the cans. Although the families here are very mindful of their water usage, women and girls still need to carry multiple loads of water each day. What seems like a simple activity really made me reconsider my daily water use.”

­­—Alice Baughman ‘20

Thanks to funding from GFS parents Becky and Ashton Newhall, nine students were selected through a competitive application process to be the inaugural “class” of WE participants on the service learning trip to Kenya and the community of Oleleshwa. From June 16 to June 29, the students and two faculty members lived in dormitory-style tents and immersed themselves in Kenya’s culture and traditions, joys and daily challenges.

With a Maasai guide, they met and worked alongside community members to participate in the water walk. They learned Swahili, toured schools and a health clinic, worked in the community garden and farm, made rungus (traditional talking sticks used in both Kipsigis and Maasai cultures) and rode a lorry on safari through the Mara. Throughout, WE facilitators led reflective leadership discussions about service and the issues facing Kenya, and students learned practical tips to create a plan to put their ideas into an action plan.

KENYA TRIP PARTICIPANTS Alice Baughman ‘20 Kenya Chase-Mercer ‘19 Catherine Diemer ‘18 Carrington George ‘19 Mu Yao “Selina” Ma ‘20 Atallah N’Diaye ‘18 Sara Stewart ‘20 Irene Sul ‘19 Jinghua “Amy” Zhang ‘20 FACULTY ADVISORS Carmen Sund Andrea Vestpoint

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LI VE S OF PURPOSE

Theater group, from left: Reese Talbott ‘22, Amber Carter ‘21, Olivia Arenson ‘22, Annika Collins Maretzki ‘22, Liz Alexander, Middle School Theater teacher, Lauren Blagmond ‘21, Ryan James ‘21, Summer Johnson ‘21, McKinley Nance ‘22 and Shivani Sidh ‘21 (not pictured Carly Baker ‘21).

Dancers and Actors Earn ‘Firsts’ for Garrison Forest

Madison Qualls ’21 (left) and Ryley Young ’17.

Garrison Forest’s thriving performing arts program earned well-deserved national applause for its dance and theater programs this past spring. The school received its first-ever chapters of the prestigious National Dance Honor Society and the Junior Troupe of the International Thespian Society. Dancers London Hicks ’21, Madison Qualls ’21 and Ryley Young ’17 were selected for membership into the National Dance Honor Society, based upon their dance ability and performance, grades (membership requires a minimum 3.5 GPA) and leadership in and out of the dance studio. The charter chapter of the Junior Troupe of the International Thespian Society joins other chapters around the world. For election into the chapter, students must earn 50 points for work onstage and backstage. Brava, GFS performers!

National Recognition for Outstanding Teaching: Dr. Brian Blair Dr. Brian Blair, Upper School science teacher and academic coordinator for the Garrison Forest Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program at Johns Hopkins University, isn’t in teaching for the accolades. But they’re certainly appreciated. “It’s incredibly gratifying as a teacher to hear that I’ve made a lasting and positive impact on my students,” says Dr. Blair, who earned national recognition as an outstanding educator in 2016-17. Sarah Spire ‘16 nominated him for Denison University’s high school teacher award, and he received the 2016 University

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

of Chicago’s Outstanding High School Educator Award, thanks to former advisee Alex Tunkel ’16.

Both Denison and the University of Chicago encourage first-year students to nominate an inspirational high school teacher.

“His mentorship has no limits,” Alex wrote in her nomination. “I have learned so much from him and am incredibly grateful for all of his advice. I know that he has cared and will care about every one of his students.” Read more about Dr. Blair and his new Small World Initiative microbiology class on page 24.

L I V E S OF PURPOSE

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VASI ARGEROPLOS ‘17

Teen Dating App Developer Everyone needs a little nudge now and then, especially

when it comes to building up the courage to talk to someone.

Vasiliki “Vasi” Argeroplos ’17 knows that when it comes to nudging her generation, digital is the way to go.

Last September, she launched Nudge, a hyper-local dating app for teens, available on the App Store and Google Play. Nudge offers users an authentic, face-to-face connection and prevents “catfishing,” an all-too-common online practice of creating a fictional persona to lure another into an online relationship.

“Nudge allows the user to start a conversation online within the same room or at the same event, to break the ice digitally,” says Vasi, who is studying economics with a minor in corporate strategy at Vanderbilt University. “It counteracts the fear of rejection that many young people might feel with an online dating app.” She markets Nudge via social media for college freshman orientations, Greek life socials and other college student life functions.

Vasi developed the app with a group during a summer 2016 incubator for startups at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but handled the launch and subsequent marketing solo. She’s already a pro at running a company. In 2010, she and her brother co-founded the nonprofit Okay to Play (okaytoplay.org) to provide games, toys and other needed items for children in orphanages, foster homes and refugee centers/camps through recycling cellphones and electronics, direct solicitations and event fundraising. To date, Okay to Play has raised $60,000, helped children in New York, Maryland, Ohio, Afghanistan and Greece and kept some 2,000 used electronics out of landfills.

She’s been recognized nationally for her innovative leadership with a 2016 President’s Volunteer Service Award and as a Distinguished Finalist for the 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Maryland. At Vanderbilt, she’s interweaving her passion for nonprofit work, social entrepreneurism, science and app development/technology to improve the lives of others—a goal for which she hardly needs a nudge.

Class of 2017, from left: Riley Blair, Logan Bulls, Amanda Rein, Vasi Argeroplos, Megan Lansman, Emily Shapiro and Marissa Kokinis.

Fill in the Blank with Suzie

Friedrich

Suzie Friedrich, Garrison Forest’s Lower School physical education teacher and Junior Varsity field hockey and lacrosse coach, always brings her best to the game. In 2016, she was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association Assistant Coach of the Year for her eight years as assistant coach for Cornell’s Division I women’s lacrosse team (pictured above receiving her award in December 2016).

When I learned of my nomination, I cried. I was completely taken by surprise.

Cornell had a good year in 2016, winning the Ivy Tournament championship and making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but there were other teams and assistants who were just as (if not more) deserving. So, after I gathered myself, I called my mom.

Having cardiac sarcoidosis has taught me to appreciate every day. In 2014, cardiac sarcoidosis sent me into total heart failure, and I spent nine days in the ICU in Rochester, New York. But thanks to an amazing team of doctors and nurses, I am here today. I’m reminded daily that in the grand scheme of things, I have it pretty darn good. There are plenty of people out there who are suffering with issues far worse than me. I’m incredibly lucky!

Coaching gives me the opportunity to teach life lessons through sports and to have the chance to work with young women and see them gain strength and confidence through their successes and failures. I love what I do, and I try to convey that to my teams, to instill in them that you can work hard and have fun. That balance is incredibly important because after all, it is just a game.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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LI VE S OF PURPOSE

Varsity Badminton IAAM A Champs Garrison Forest ended the three-day IAAM A Conference Badminton Tournament in May with a championship, with three of the eight semifinal slots filled by Grizzlies. In addition to the Varsity win, Serena Shafer ‘19, No. 1 Junior Varsity Singles, earned her way into the finals with a 9-0 season record.

From left: Assistant Coach Carmen Sund, Assistant Coach Rick Wiker, Coach Kim Marlor, Hyejun Bae ’17, Julia Connor ’17, Serena Shafer ’19, Jess Patel ’17, Leigh James ’19, Sarah Peng ’18, Wendy Wen ’18, Sam Richmond ’19 and Emma Nesbitt ’19.

Student members and faculty advisors of the Student Diversity Leadership Committee.

Garrison Forest Hosts 2016 Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference On Nov. 12, 2016, more than 200 students from area independent schools attended the day-long Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Garrison Forest’s student-led Student Diversity Leadership Committee directed and designed the program on race, equity and social justice, which included an inspiring keynote address by GFS parent, author and White House correspondent April Ryan, thought-provoking workshop sessions and an open-mic session.

CRYSTAL LEE ’96,

Top 40 Under 40 The theme of the Baltimore Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” Nov. 3, 2016 celebration was “What’s Your Hashtag?”

Honoree Crystal Lee’s answer was easy: #leadwithlove. Selected from among Baltimore’s young leaders for the “Top 40 Under 40,” Crystal has been leading with love since 1992 when she enrolled in Garrison Forest as a Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.) student, the nonprofit for which she serves as director of advancement.

B.E.S.T. connects Baltimore-area African-American students with financial need to several of the region’s independent schools, offering academic and financial support as well as leadership and character development. Following her B.A. in English

from Loyola College, Crystal returned to GFS, spending 14 years as Director of Alumnae Relations, Director of the Annual Fund, Associate Director of Development, on-campus faculty and Associate Director of Admission before joining B.E.S.T. in 2014.

The inspiration behind Crystal’s hashtag, award and career is her late brother T.J. “You only have one life to live and it’s not promised to you,” says Crystal, who strives to approach everyone with the loving spirit he had. “I hope that my work at B.E.S.T. improves and changes the trajectories of the lives of our students. Attending Garrison Forest was a deeply enriching and significant experience in my life that would not have happened if not for my parents and B.E.S.T. I hope that the B.E.S.T. experience is a gift to the lives of the hundreds of children we serve as it certainly was and continues to be for me.”

Crystal Lee ’96

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

A Few of My Favorite Things:

Rick Harris, Director of Equestrian Programs

A year ago, nationally known competitor and trainer Rick Harris took the reins of Garrison Forest’s equestrian program, invigorating the school’s longstanding program and taking riders to new accomplishments and national shows in the process. Last spring, 10 riders competed at top-rated shows around the country and returned home with plenty of ribbons.

I LOVE the humor and resilience these drawings show. Drew, 4th Grade, created this cartoon for me after a lesson where we worked on her release.

Charley Hayden

I DON’T come from a riding family, but I was horse obsessed from the beginning.

I went to my first horse show in Richmond, Va., when I was 10, then started working in a local barn to pay for lessons. My mom and dad gave me so much support. My dad, who passed a few years ago, announced at horse shows in exchange for my entry fees. My mom is amazing and still wants to know how every GFS show went.

MY PARTNER Ralph and I are huge dog people. Charley is a coonhound, and Hayden (a beagle mix) and Belle (mostly Chihuahua) are rescue dogs. I would have laughed a year ago at the thought of owning a Chihuahua, but I adore her.

I LOVE everything about New Orleans. I was a trainer and ran my own business out of Equest Farm in New Orleans, and before that, I was head trainer at Hunter’s Bluff Farm in Covington, Louisiana.

For Mardi Gras this year, I delivered king cakes and beads across GFS.

ALL MY READING, especially murder mysteries, and tons of horse videos, are on my iPad.

Belle

I’VE HAD this Voltaire saddle for four years and it’s so comfortable.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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LI VE S OF PURPOSE

Ginny Flynn

Ginny Flynn, Middle School Music, Earns Statewide Kudos Ginny Flynn has spent the last four decades teaching music,

including the past nine years as Middle School music teacher. In April, her peers in the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) honored her with the 2017 James and Rosemary Walters Award for Service. Since the 1980s, Mrs. Flynn has shared her wisdom, experience and infectious enthusiasm (just ask any Middle School chorus member) with the MMEA, which is the state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education.

She’s been elected MMEA secretary, member-at-large and president (2011 to 2013), adjudicated statewide performances, presented at conferences and was honored in 2006 with MMEA’s Outstanding Music Teacher Award of Excellence. Her GFS choirs consistently win the annual Music in the Parks competition at Hersheypark, Pa., and last year, her students were selected to perform at Carnegie Hall.

She serves as musical director for the Middle School musical, teaches music classes and directs the audition-only a cappella Blue Belles.

On May 12, 2017, the Middle School Chorus won big (again) at the Music in the Parks at Hersheypark in the Choral Competition, earning a Superior rating and winning First Place Women’s Choir and the Top Overall Choir trophy.

It’s the seventh consecutive first-place win and sixth consecutive top overall choir win for the GFS group.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

“I was graced with a rewarding opportunity when my music colleagues elected me to the various MMEA leadership roles,” says Mrs. Flynn, who began her career teaching at Bells Mills Elementary in Montgomery County.

“I am very appreciative of having a voice in advocating the importance of the music education in our state. I’ve met amazing music educators through the MMEA, who have made a significant impact on my own teaching experiences in my classroom.”

L I V E S OF PURPOSE

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LESSONS LEARNED

from Anna Waters Gavin ’00, Fireline CEO

Anna Waters Gavin ‘00

In college, Anna Waters Gavin ’00 worked part time at Fireline, the fire equipment distribution company her grandfather founded in 1947, but hardly considered it a career path. She was in good company: her uncle and famed filmmaker John Waters, Jr., worked at Fireline for one morning, went to lunch and never returned to the office. Fast forward to 2009 when Anna became CEO. Her passion for strategically growing the family-owned company is garnering national attention. This year, she won the Circle of Excellence Award by SmartCEO magazine and was a 2016 finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award. We asked the GFS Alumnae Board Vice President to share some lessons learned.

It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top.

Even CEOs need advice, but talking about it at work may not be an option. Creating a network of peers is vital when you can’t have one at work.

Never underestimate the power of math.

Whether I am editing an Excel formula, reviewing sales or calculating inventory-day averages, I constantly use basic algebra and accounting skills daily. And this is coming from a woman with a B.A. in Art History [University of Maryland] who swore she would never need to use math after high school!

Get involved in your industry, not just your company. You meet incredibly smart people, learn about trends that affect your business, hear about new opportunities, and most importantly, influence change. This is especially important for women who are often underrepresented in these roles.

To take care of your employees and customers, take care of yourself first.

When I am eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep, I feel like I can conquer the world. When I let my health slip, I can feel it affecting my ability to lead, and my team is the first to notice.

Invest in your people skills. I am constantly working to understand what motivates people, how to work with challenging personalities and to move people into roles where they will thrive. It is not an easy task, but building a strong team creates a strong business.

Anna Winslow ‘12 and Cindy Halle, Polo Coach.

ANNA WINSLOW ‘12,

Polo Training Foundation’s Female Intercollegiate Player of the Year Last September, Anna Winslow ’12 became the sixth GFS alumna to be named Polo Training Foundation’s Female Intercollegiate Player of the Year. A member of GFS’s 2011 National Girls’ Interscholastic Championship team, she led the Cornell women’s polo team to two successive national championship titles, received numerous All-Star awards and earned a B.A. in Economics. Last January, she was selected from a national pool of top polo players to join Team USPA, a United States Polo Association (USPA) program to develop the most talented young polo players in the U.S. In her role, she travels the country and world, and when she’s home in Baltimore, Anna can usually be found working with current GFS players on their penalty shots.

SAMANTHA FIEDLER ’17

Tops 1,000 Career Points for Grizzly Basketball Standout Grizzly athlete-scholar Samantha “Sam” Fielder’17 played basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. This year, she reached a record 1,021 in her four years playing Varsity basketball, a rare milestone in any high school career and achieved only twice in the history of Garrison Forest basketball. Thirty years ago, Maria Korth Chieffalo ‘87 reached 1,000 points. For field hockey, Sam earned Keith Waldman-Optimal Performance Associates/NFHCA High School National Academic Squad Scholar of Distinction status and was selected as one of 44 high school senior lacrosse players in the nation to be named an Under Armour All-American. She won the Lawrence and Linda Hlavacek Athletic Award and plays lacrosse for Loyola University Maryland.

Sam, No. 23, is pictured between the banners.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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LIV ES OF PURPOSE

Monica Vogel ‘19

MONICA VOGEL ‘19

Cyber Security Expert

“Winning a cyber battle is all about deception,” Monica Vogel ‘19 says of the

cybersecurity issue affecting millions, as hackers plant disguised malicious software.

“But how can you deceive or detect someone you don’t know? You have to be able to pinpoint a cyber opponent based on cultural influences.”

She’s one of the good guys working on the cybersecurity battlefield, a passion that began in 5th grade when she learned Korean to speak to a new classmate. “That opened my eyes to different languages and cultures,” she says of the conversations that led her to be the youngest presenter in the 50-year history of the November 2016 Interservice/

Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), the world’s largest modeling, simulation and training conference.

Monica, who joined Garrison Forest as a 10th grade boarder, was accepted as a fully credentialed speaker to present her original research at the 2016 I/ITSEC annual conference in Orlando, Fla. Her presentation, “Incorporating Culture into Training for Increased Effectiveness Against Cyber Threats,” originated from her 2015 research internship at the University of Central Florida studying the effects of cultural differences on cyber threats against the U.S. She uses linguistics and culture to

VARSITY POLO

Wins Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship In April, Varsity polo clinched the 2017 United States Polo Association’s Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship, beating regional rival Maryland Polo Club, 12-11, in overtime. The victory, at the University of Virginia, capped a storied coaching career for Cindy Halle, who retired on June 30 (see page 31). Hannah Reynolds ‘18 earned an All-Star selection, and Emily Wiley ‘18 received the Sportsmanship Award.

From left: Assistant Coach Kaycie Campbell, Olivia Reynolds ’21, Lila Bennett ’19, Hannah Reynolds ’18, Emily Reynolds ’18 and Coach Cindy Halle.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

develop innovative training solutions for cybersecurity specialists to better understand the cultural landscape, skills she’s honing as part of GFS’s national and international boarding community. Her junior year Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) research mentorship in a Johns Hopkins University lab, hopefully working in linguistics and cybersecurity, will help even more.

At the I/ITSEC, she and her CyberPatriot team gave a demonstration of student cyber combat competitions. It’s as nail-biting as it sounds: A team is presented with infected computers and race against the clock to secure the computer. In 2016, her five-person CyberPatriot team won the All-Service Division National Championship, beating 3,000 other high school teams. “In many ways, this is more stressful than playing lacrosse where if someone gets the ball, I can run after them.

In a cybersecurity competition, when your computer turns off, you don’t know which direction to go. It’s a puzzle and solving it is an adrenaline rush.” Monica, a 2016 Under Armour All-American in lacrosse who plays Varsity lacrosse and runs indoor track, is also a member of the United States Naval Sea Cadets Corps, a program similar to the junior ROTC program.

L I V E S O F PURPOSE

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On Pointe : Heather Malone-Wolf, Dance teacher IN 2014, Heather Malone-Wolf hung up her pointe shoes and stepped into the role of Dance teacher. Her expertise— she’s danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Oakland Ballet and the Nashville Ballet, among others—and driving desire for GFS’s dance program to match her students’ ambitions and passions are growing the program in leaps and bounds. Blue Allegro, the Upper School dance company she founded, has performed for two consecutive years at the audition-only Maryland Dance Festival. Last year she added Blue Adage, the Middle School dance company, and Middle School afterschool dance program. And GFS earned a National Dance Honor Society chapter (with three inaugural inductees; see page 4) under her leadership.

I began dancing when I was 12 at a mom-and-pop ballet and tap studio. I wanted to be the first female in Major League Baseball and played Little League. At age 11, the girls in my league had to switch to softball, which I didn’t want to play so my mom put me in dance. As soon as I walked in the studio, it sparked something in me.

I went to the Baltimore School for the Arts [BSA] for dance, then attended Mercyhurst College because they had a professional dance company. BSA trains you to be a professional dancer, so after a year of college, I wanted to leave. My dad, who is a lawyer, wrote up a contract that if I didn’t have a job within a year, I would return to school. I had a job within three months with Dance Theatre of Harlem’s second company.

Dance has a unique way of moving people. We’re telling stories people can relate to. I am big on story telling and bringing the world in. We’re creating great art and people want to see it.

I feel that dance now has its place on campus. For me, it’s amazing to see a girl come into the studio who has never danced before and to see her journey. The first exercise I have her do is walk across the floor. That can turn into a walk to get a diploma, a job, a future. It’s pure confidence. Dance is about not just being okay with who you are, but being proud of who you are.

A highlight of my ballet career was being picked to be the first African-American Clara in the Oakland Ballet’s “Nutcracker.” After my first performance, three generations of women came up to me. The grandmother [of the group] was in tears and told me that she never thought that her granddaughter would see someone in the ballet who looked like her. And I loved dancing at the Kennedy Center because my [Baltimore-area] family could come and see me dance.

Dancing at Garrison Forest is just as rigorous as going to an arts magnet school. We have challenging dance classes and a robust performance schedule, but we also have great academics. I bring in hip-hop choreographers to add to my ballet and modern classes. We are a family. Our advanced dancers mentor the beginner students—we are all teachers.

You can’t just be in the studio learning steps. It’s the performing arts—we need to perform. I wanted our girls to perform beyond the annual dance spring concert.

We’ve danced for several school events and concerts.

Carrie Hammond-Roemer, Oldfields’ dance teacher, and I recently co-founded the Independent Dance Network for independent schools. We hope to host a dance festival in 2018. For the annual GFS dance concert, I instituted a two-round audition for the student-choreographed pieces.

It brings the dance program to a higher level.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

12 FAREWELL TO THE FOREST

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

FA R E W E L L T O T HE F OREST

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“Hold on to that special Garrison Forest Spirit of caring and giving and kindness. Hold onto it for the rest of your lives, no matter what you do, no matter where you go.”

—Nick Burns, 2017 Baccalaureate Speaker, Upper School History teacher 2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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BLUE goes

Green

WHEN “FOREST” IS LITERALLY YOUR MIDDLE NAME, BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS COMES NATURALLY. GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

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Garrison Forest School alumnae, students and faculty are putting a decidedly

Light Blue/Dark Blue tint to all things green. In this issue, we’ve captured a few of the ways that GFS is helping to drive the sustainability conversation in our nation and communities and on our campus.

Sowing the Seeds of Change: EMILY CHAMBERS ’13 EMILY CHAMBERS ’13 has tilled, planted, weeded, watered and harvested every inch of Loyola University Maryland’s organic campus garden.

As student caretaker in 2015-16, she propagated her commitment to sustainability by sowing campus connections to use the garden’s produce.

Flowers decorated tables at a campus sustainability retreat, and with her initiative, Loyola’s dining services began serving some of the garden’s vegetables at campus events. “My passion for sustainability is rooted in education and advocacy about ways one can change habits to minimize the negative effects on the environment, thus limiting the harm done to the most vulnerable people in our world who suffer the most from climate change,” says Emily, who graduates this December.

She’s served as project coordinator in Loyola’s sustainability office and sustainability advisor for student government, among other positions. Her passion for sustainability also inspires her love of materials engineering, particularly metallurgical engineering. Her 2015 selection for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program International program at RWTH Aachen University in Germany enabled her to create thermoplastic polymer fibers in pursuit to the strain on mobile objects such as wind turbine blades. “With a strain-measuring device, the moving object can remain in motion while tracking its strain, thereby saving energy and money by not having to turn off the device,” she explains.

Emily, an alumna of GFS’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, plans to draw on her love of engineering and sustainability by focusing her graduate studies on researching the separation and recovery of metals within metals recycling.

Emily Chambers ’13

“We are only beginning to understand the far-reaching impacts that climate change will have on the world and on our individual daily lives. From an increase in the number and intensity of storm events to sea-level rise and extinction of species, climate change is undoubtedly the most pervasive and urgent crisis facing the world today. Healthy ocean waters are essential to the coastal communities who depend on abundant and healthy resources to support the ocean economy.

Rebuilding fish and marine mammal populations and protecting important habitat areas enhance the ocean’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

Priscilla Brooks ’76, Ph.D. • Vice president and director of Ocean Conservation at Conservation Law Foundation • University of Rhode Island former visiting professor and researcher on seafood marketing and trade and aquaculture economics

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Nurturing Crops and Community: AMY MULLAN ’14

NO STRANGER to nurturing tender shoots, Amy Mullan ’14, director of Elon University’s Campus Kitchen, worked in the family nursery business with sisters Megan Mullan ’00 and Bayley Mullan ’00. As a 2012 Elsie Foster Jenkins ’53 Fellow, she volunteered at a New Delhi girls’ shelter and taught English in Mumbai. Her GFS Independent Senior Project at Baltimore’s Boone Street Farm community garden added to her green-tinged service resume. Today, her expertise and choice of majors —she’s a double major in Public Amy Mullan ’14 Health Studies and Policy Studies with minors in Art History and Environmental and Sustainability Studies—is helping to address food waste and food insecurity around Elon, N.C. Through Campus Kitchen, she helps to manage the growing, harvesting and distributing of 5,000 pounds of organic produce

grown annually on Elon’s Loy Farm and oversees the student volunteers who prepare 250 meals each week for local hunger relief services.

She also oversees campus nutrition lessons and educational programing to bring awareness to food insecurity and sustainability issues, and she interned last year at Benevolence Farm near Elon, which provides opportunities for previously incarcerated women. There, she taught farming workshops and prepared produce for sale at farmers’ markets and in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. “Food production is a complex issue,” Amy explains. “It’s tied to poverty and environmental issues such as water management, deforestation, fossil fuel use, methane gas release from landfills and colony collapse disorder. I focus on sustainable food production while building community investment in our environment.”

Since 2011, SAGE, the company that handles the school’s food services, has been composting food waste in the Alumnae Dining Hall. During the school year, that’s about 2,000 pounds per month or 54 tons over the past seven years.

In April, 62 Garrison Forest volunteers joined the Gunpowder Valley

Conservancy to plant 130 trees and shrubs at Bird River Farm, a conservation easement property in the Bird River watershed in Middle River, Md.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

17 Created by the Five-Day Threes class for the 2017 Earth Week.

“Every summer, I collect data in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca inside Huascaran National Park, one of the country’s oldest protected areas, to help park managers protect a unique alpine landscape with high biological diversity. My research and teaching interests combine physical geography, landscape ecology (the relationships between landscape pattern and ecological processes), tropical mountains and climate change. I am inspired by undergraduate geography and sustainability students who are dedicated to positive change for the planet.”

Molly Polk ‘92, Ph.D • Associate director of Sustainability Studies and lecturer, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin

Growing Greener Grizzlies wooded campus is a vast learning lab. Science classes conduct salinity experiments at the pond, classify birds for Animal Science and more.

Preschoolers collect acorns and leaves on nature walks. The campus is muse for student photographers, painters, poets and filmmakers. Each spring, public art sculptures spring up in trees and walkways, and Shakespearean student actors perform al fresco. The campus has even served as a heat-sensor station for a research project on climate control by WISE students.

GARRISON FOREST’S 110-ACRE,

Several oak trees

from campus, which were originally slated for removal/wood chipper, were repurposed as climbing (and jumping) areas.

BOYS

This past school year, the school created the new, cutting-edge but purposely low-tech outdoor classroom called the Grizzly Den. Completed in November 2016, it has 11 different learning and play stations to inspire creative thinking and engagement with the natural environment and with one another. Nature Explore, a national leader in outdoor education, and Hord Coplan Macht designed the Grizzly Den, and a committee of faculty wrote a comprehensive, ever-evolving curriculum guide for its use, funded by the GFS Shafer Innovation Grants program.

While geared toward younger children, the space has inspired learning, expected and unexpected, from all ages. Preschool and Lower School students learn biology and sustainability in the garden and a meadow and perform music on the drum and xylophone and plays in the wooden stage area. The water play, with its working pump, inclined wooden trough and large reservoir, is perfect for floating pine cones and conducting Well Water Engineering experiments. Twos through 5th grade science classes met in the Grizzly Den regularly this past spring for lessons on the growth cycle, animal habitats and more. The American Literature class discussed Henry David Thoreau’s Walden while seated on the

After researching seed germination and plant

varieties, the 5th Grade planted the inaugural crop— lettuce—in the Grizzly Den.

climbing logs, and Middle School students loved to hang out there after school, which is exactly the purpose of the new space. “The lines between play and learning and between exploration and learning should be blurry,” says Lower School science teacher Tracey Brocato, who led the committee. “From the beginning, we wanted to provide a direct connection to nature that promotes a sense of wonder and an understanding of ecology and environmentalism in our students.” (See page 130 for a fun look at the Grizzly Den’s family tree.)

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

18 Look closely at the countertop to the right of the stove. There’s a dinner-platesized opening to a chute leading directly to the state-of-the-art composting bin in her basement. Once she’s pulling enough electricity from her solar panels to power an electric stove, she will replace the propane stove recycled from her previous home. Recycling bins are to the right of the sink, as is a very small trash bag. Cassandra produces only one small bag of trash (the size of a plastic bag from the grocery store) every two weeks. There’s no microwave or dishwasher. “I haven’t used them in decades,” she laughs.

“I use very little water because of the composting toilet, about 12-14 gallons a day,” she explains. By comparison, the average person in the United States uses an estimated 80-100 gallons a day.

Sustainability Pioneer: Cassandra Stewart Naylor ’54 WITH HER FIRST GREEN HOME IN 1994, a converted horse barn on her family’s property, Cassandra Stewart Naylor ’54 was years ahead of the green movement. Composting, much less a composting toilet, was not widespread in the mid-1990s. When it came time to plan her next move in 2016, it was a given that she’d go green.

This time, Cassandra built her cottage from the ground up, using the lessons learned from living off the grid for 23 years. She views her modern, spacious, two-bedroom home as a learning lab for others to see how easy and affordable simple living can be. “I am not connected to the earth; I am part of it,” says the mother of four (including GFS Trustee Sana Naylor Brooks ’85) with 13 grandchildren.

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Solar panels provide the electricity for her home’s radiant heat, lights and what few appliances she owns. The home’s placement on the 1.4 acres was determined in relation to the sun, allowing the expansive windows to capture as much light as possible. Cassandra doesn’t own a lawn mower and doesn’t need one. The new organic plantings in her yard, native to Maryland, create a meadow.

Her yard includes her favorite trees (river birches, red buds and sycamores) and a 20-foot-by-6-foot cold frame for growing produce. And, yes, that’s a hybrid car.

19 The walls are hearty plank and the floors are wood-look tile to better absorb the passive solar heat. She doesn’t have air conditioning, relying instead on cross-ventilation and a fan. Her furniture is family pieces or from consignment shops. “Re-use, re-use, re-use,” she preaches. There’s no TV, computer, cable or Wi-Fi, just a landline, books, a piano and lots of art, mostly by her son, artist Lat Naylor. “Everyone needs music and art in life,” she says.

Cassandra owns a washing machine but doesn’t use it except for a storage surface. She hand washes and line dries all her clothes.

She’s 100 percent off the grid, thanks to solar energy. Her high-tech, low-impact home includes a salt tank to soften the water and a water storage tank for the sprinkler system—all solar powered. She’s pictured here with her battery tower.

Her composting bin is almost as big as her Prius.

Chutes from the toilet and the kitchen go directly into the slow-composting bin, and any gases are vented directly out of the house. Once a year, the finished compost is removed and put back into her soil.

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A Conservation Conversation with MARTHA COLHOUN WILLIAMS ’85

Every third bite of food eaten by a human is the result of bee pollination. The bee colony collapse crisis is also an economic one, with the monetary loss calculated to be near $14 billion in the U.S. alone. These are facts Amanda Fruman ’18 shared with administrators and students this past semester while leading the charge to bring hives to campus.

Beekeeping plans include donated queens from nearby Irvine Nature Center, hives and tools, cross-curricular connections in sciences and economics and with the Creative Co-op, the school’s maker spaces, and a proposed beekeeping club with student volunteers. And hopefully coming soon to the Dining Hall, homegrown

ON FEB. 1, 2017, Martha Colhoun Williams ’85 became the first woman appointed as director of Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). She left her position as assistant professor of law at the University of Montana to direct the department of more than 700 full-time employees and hundreds of seasonal employees. It’s a big job in a big state—Montana is 147,040 square miles and the fourth-largest state in the U.S.—but Martha has plenty of experience with challenging jobs.

Prior, she was one of the FWP’s environmental lawyers before being tapped as deputy solicitor at the Department of the Interior, where she was lead attorney for the National Park Service. She also was lead attorney for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Born and raised on a Maryland farm, Martha fell in love with the West and conservation on a family cross-country trip during the country’s bicentennial. “It’s a crucial time for our wildlife, fish, parks and other recreational resources,” she says.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR CONSERVATION PHILOSOPHY? A: As a law professor, I focused my classes on

place-based education. For my students to be good lawyers and leaders in their communities, they need to understand place and community. I’d get students into the field to understand the law in that context. For me, that’s the heart of conservation.

Q: WAS BECOMING DIRECTOR OF FWP YOUR DREAM? A: It wasn’t in my plan, but everything I’ve done in

some way contributed to it. When [Montana] Gov. Steve Bullock called me to ask me to do this, my first response was, ‘I can help you find someone.’

Then I thought about how mad I would be at my students if they didn’t take on a challenge. The whole framework of civic society is dismantling. It is going to be up to us to be engaged on the issues.

My priority is for FWP to be as resilient and responsive as possible to the issues.

Martha Colhoun Williams ’85 and daughter

Kate Williams ’19 at the Montana Wildlife Center, a nonprofit close to the heart of her family, especially her late husband Jeff. The center, which is overseen by FWP, cared for the orphaned grizzly cubs that eventually found a permanent home at the Maryland Zoo. The Garrison Forest Grizzlies sponsored the first year of the grizzly cubs’ new exhibit.

Q: WHAT LESSONS FROM GARRISON FOREST DO

YOU BRING INTO THE POSITION?

A: Preparing for my confirmation hearing last April, I thought a lot about going to Garrison Forest and its message of to be and not to seem, to embrace who you are. These are critical messages to give our kids, especially girls. Having a sense of what

honey.

576,000 plastic water bottles have been kept out of

landfills, thanks to Garrison Forest’s three water filling stations installed in August 2015 for reusable water bottles.

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matters to you and having a sense of mooring— GFS is unusual in that. My parents instilled a sense of place, and this was reinforced at Garrison Forest.

Q: WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FOR CONSERVATION TODAY?

A: Relevancy. We need to do a better job explaining why conserving our natural resources matters to everyone and reach a broader audience. The basics are clean air and water.

Conservation is not political. Everyone should care, Democrat or Republican. At my confirmation hearing, I was asked how I could teach climate change. As a professor and now as FWP director, I talk with ranchers and farmers who see changes in the water cycles and the effects of drought.

The people who live off the land are witnessing the impact. I don’t think we can question whether there is climate change. We are dealing with the consequences. Cities, counties and states are already adapting to the impacts of climate change.

We see catastrophic wildfires changing habitats.

Our fish, wildlife and streams have diseases because of climate change. Where it gets political is if it is caused by humans.

For me, conservation also is appreciating being in the natural world. It’s that sense of wonder. Florence Williams [no relation] wrote The Nature Fix, and her research shows that seeing patterns outside is good for our brains. People who get outdoors tend to be happier and have a positive outlook. The natural world is a sense of refuge for so many.

Q: WHAT ISSUES ARE MORE PRESSING

FOR MONTANA?

A: Coal, natural gas, wind, solar energy— all the important issues nationally are important here. I took this job because Montana is looked to as a leader in wildlife management. We’re often described as the last best place. One of the challenges is getting comfortable with complexity.

Many conservation issues aren’t simple. There is no win-lose in conservation. We must look at the long-term gain.

A year ago, two sister grizzly cubs were orphaned in Montana when their mother

was fatally wounded by a hunter. The bears, hungry and with the smaller of the two also shot, were treated and cared for at Montana Wildlife. Due to their young age, the cubs were not good candidates for rehabilitation and release to the wild. The Maryland Zoo jumped at the chance to give the cubs a home. Current GFS parent Beth Fenwick Garner ’91, then director of corporate giving for the Zoo, made the connection with Garrison Forest to sponsor the exhibit, a perfect fit for a school with a grizzly for its mascot.

The cubs, named Nova and Nita, made their Maryland debut on March 1, 2017.

“The Electric Power Research Institute’s research is used by the companies to benefit the public and to reduce companies’ environmental impact. I manage EPRI’s Energy Sustainability Interest Group, the largest global collaborative of electric power companies, and EPRI’s Sustainability Benchmarking for Utilities project. As we strive to build a sustainable economy and ensure a stream of credible research, we must support science education for our children and particularly for girls. Promoting STEM education means getting involved in the classroom as well as respecting and using scientific study as we make hard choices.”

Morgan Scott ‘04 • Senior technical lead, Sustainability, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) • Former sustainability manager, Con-Edison

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“I work on programs that reduce the soft costs of going solar, which includes installation, permitting, interconnection and other non-hardware costs. Right now, those soft costs are about 64 percent of the cost of going solar. I help develop solar-related innovative ideas and spend a lot of time thinking about how to facilitate institutional change. To add more solar to the electrical grid, we need to rethink how we control and market services in the grid. That involves getting a lot of institutions to radically change the way they operate. Most people don’t think about where their electricity is coming from when they turn on a light switch.

But maybe in the future, if everyone has solar panels on their roof, people will care as much about where their electricity comes from as their food.”

Casey Canfield ‘06, Ph.D. • Science and technology policy fellow, U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative.

• Former marine technician, Oceanography Department, University of Washington • Member, inaugural “class” of GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program

Meet Garrison Forest’s newest “boarders”­­—16 chickens. Welcoming them to the GFS community was a true community effort. The Engineering class researched and designed the chicken coop, which students, parents, faculty and staff volunteers built over a May weekend. The final design includes nesting boxes where eggs are laid, perches for sleeping, an enclosed run, storage for feed and unique features to make it easy to clean and collect eggs. On-campus faculty and student volunteers are tending to the daily feeding and egg gathering.

Project Innovate! winners (from left) Carly Baker ‘21, Mya Merritt ‘21, Lily Smokler ‘22, Jane Quartner ‘22, Maddie Hengerer ‘22, Alexis Gilman ‘22, Tess Delisnky ‘22 and Sophia Thompson ‘22.

A faculty committee is creating a curriculum for

PROJECT INNOVATE!, a

new Middle School initiative now in its second year, has seen plenty of green innovators. For four days in April, the 7th grade suspends regular classes to collaborate on issues around the GFS community and campus. Students brainstorm, research and create a budget and presentation for judges in a Shark Tank-like finale. Three of the winning and funded projects focus on campus sustainability. The 2016 winning project expanded campus biodiversity with a fall 2016 Middle School planting day of native species. In 2017, funded projects include building a rain garden to collect water and runoff, dedicated to Carl Wolfson (see page 33); and the “Waste Not, Want Not!” group, which piloted partitioned plates in the Dining Hall to help decrease food waste, will create a public service announcement and signage on the correct use of Dining Hall’s trash, recycling and composting bins.

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students Preschool through 12th to be hands-on with lessons in responsible animal care, sustainable food production and nutrition.

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How to Save the Planet

We asked our alumnae experts and the Class of 2024 (6th grade) environmentalists for their tips on making the world a better, greener place.

“ “ “ “ “ “

Reduce your reliance on fossil fuels by using less electricity (turn the lights off, put up a clothesline, use energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances), installing solar panels, using public transportation and by making the environment a deciding factor on who you vote into public office.” — Priscilla Brooks ‘76 If you have old electronics, then don’t just throw them away, recycle them!” — Katelyn ‘24 Use reusable containers instead of plastic bags and tin foil. Our landfills are overflowing.” — Sophie ‘24

Make sustainable decisions that reduce your environmental footprint, contribute to your community and deliver shared value to society. When deciding what type of fish to buy or determining how you get to work, ask yourself: How does this impact the environment?

How does this impact my community? And how does it deliver value?”

— Morgan Scott ‘04 Once a week, cut out the meat. Skipping meat one day a week is good for you, great for your nation’s health and better for the planet.” — Alicia Carter ‘05 Send letters to Congress to encourage environmental regulations.” — Ruby ‘24

For the past three years, the Upper School Animal

Science elective class has raised trout from eggs to the Fry stage (adolescent) as part of Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom national program to revive trout populations in U.S. waterways.

This past spring, Garrison Forest released 183 trout into the chilly waters of a Gunpowder tributary near campus. This is the largest number yet for GFS’s efforts, and this year’s school of “foster” fish was larger and heartier than ever before. Prior to the release, the trout practiced swimming and foraging for food. In the wild, the fish experience a 96 percent mortality rate during these first three stages of life. Post-release, the mortality rate drops to 11 percent, giving the fish a huge leg up in surviving to adulthood.

On release day, students enjoyed the local ecosystem, studied stream invertebrates, tried fly fishing and cleaned 25 pounds of garbage out of the trout’s new home.

“The burden of human consumption is a huge issue. Climate change, soil depletion, phosphate depletion, nitrogen overuse, biodiversity collapse, water scarcity and more have been caused by overconsumption by the globally affluent while choosing high-intensity food products, travel options and other unsustainable lifestyle choices. Specifically, raising animals for meat uses up disproportionate amounts of water, land and resources, compared to plant foods. It takes five to eight times more water to produce a pound of beef compared to a pound of beans. Producing animals for meat generates 14.5% of all greenhouse gases globally. My work is driven by the concept that public health, diet, food production and the environment are deeply interrelated and that understanding these relationships is crucial in pursuing a livable future with a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system.”

Alicia Carter ‘05 • Operations and event specialist, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School for Public Health • Freelance health coach and plant-based cook • Author, Retrofit Renegades, a plant-forward comic and recipe book for kids (retrofitrenegades.com) • Co-creator, Lacy’s Oasis “Bloom, Grow, Blossom” youth gardening project • Volunteer, Operation Hunger D.C. and Lunch Bag Social • Vegan coach, Open the Cages Alliance Vegan Living Program

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GERMinating the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

(AND POSSIBLY SAVING THE WORLD WHILE DOING IT )

SPOILER ALERT: BACTERIA ARE EVERYWHERE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ON YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOW. MILLIONS MORE ON THE DOOR HANDLE TO YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP. IT’S A FACT OF LIFE.

IT’S

also a fact that every day new species of bacteria are created, with more and more of these new species becoming resistant to antibiotics. Antibioticresistant superbugs are a growing public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that annually some 2 million Americans experience antibiotic-resistant infections, with 23,000 dying each year.

Discovering new species of antibioticproducing bacteria just might save the world.

Last spring semester, eight talented Garrison Forest seniors donned superhero costumes —lab coats, safety goggles and latex gloves

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

—to do their part in solving a worldwide public health crisis.

Throughout the semester-long pilot course, the Biochemistry, Microbiology and Public Health Research (Honors) elective, they collected bacteria-laden soil samples and grew them in petri dishes in the school’s custom-built lab. The young scientists ran each sample through a series of tests to discover new strains of antibiotic-producing bacteria. This fall, the elective moves from pilot into permanent position in the Upper School curriculum as a two-semester, two-section course with 17 Class of 2018 scientist/superheroes anxious to continue to

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test the first batch of samples and collect and test their own.

Crowdsourcing to Solve a Public Health Crisis Garrison Forest’s Biochemistry, Microbiology and Public Health Research (Honors) elective is part of the global efforts of Small World Initiative (SWI), a nonprofit committed to crowdsourcing the discovery of new antibiotics and fueling the pipeline of critically needed STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors and graduates.

Since SWI’s inaugural session at Yale University in 2012, more than 170 colleges and universities worldwide have adopted SWI’s novel vision for engaging students in this critical work.

For the small handful of secondary schools selected by SWI, it’s also high-level lab work, rare at the high school level.

Garrison Forest is one of only six high schools nationwide—and the only high school in the Mid-Atlantic—chosen, thus far, to participate in the SWI program.

“We are re-creating real science the way it actually occurs at research institutions,” says Dr. Brian Blair, Garrison Forest’s SWI teacher. “Our students are doing original, unique research to discover something that could very well save our lives one day.

Unlike most high school lab experiments, we don’t know what the results should be, and the results of their work could have a global impact.”

The goal is to grow new bacteria in hopes of creating antibiotic chemicals.

To fend off competition, many bacteria produce antibiotic chemicals, which are the basis for the drugs used to treat most infections. From 1928, when British bacteriologist Dr. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, until the mid-1980s, researchers discovered numerous new classes of antibiotics, mostly from bacteria themselves. For the past three decades, though, science has had a “dry spell” with no new antibiotics discovered.

For Chloe Keller ’17, the opportunity to discover a new antibiotic was hard to pass up.

“The soil right beneath our feet could save

millions of people, and we’re the ones who have the chance to make that happen,” says Chloe, who is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Maryland.

“This course is a completely unique experience. The entire class is hands-on every day. No sitting in chairs or listening to lectures. We discover new things as we work.”

Growing Bacteria, Growing Researchers Dr. Blair, who has taught at Garrison Forest since 2013, is well-versed in lab research.

Prior to joining the GFS faculty, he spent 12 years conducting breast and ovarian cancer research, most recently as a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “This type of research is usually reserved for upper-level college and graduate student labs,” he explains. “It’s not very different from the molecular biology lab I worked in at Hopkins.”

“ T HIS COURSE IS A COMPLETELY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. NO SITTING IN CHAIRS OR LISTENING TO LECTURES. WE DISCOVER NEW THINGS AS WE WORK.” — CHLOE KELLER ’17 The Garrison Forest students in the SWI program are hardly strangers to the rigor of a university-level lab. Most in the pilot last semester and in the course this academic year participated in Garrison Forest’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program at Johns Hopkins University, where they conducted world-class research as part of a Hopkins lab. And every student has Dr. Blair’s passion for STEM.

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“ O UR STUDENTS ARE DOING ORIGINAL, UNIQUE RESEARCH TO DISCOVER SOMETHING THAT COULD VERY WELL SAVE OUR LIVES ONE DAY.” — DR. BRIAN BLAIR

The bacteria tested comes from soil samples collected around campus and the Baltimore region, with the precise coordinates of each location logged with SWI. “Soil has billions of bacteria in it,” says Dr. Blair, who extracted a sample during his summer 2016 SWI training from a pizza parlor parking lot in Connecticut.

Kayla Boswell ’17, a pre-med major at Bridgewater College, chose to sample soil from a creek near her aunt’s house in Eldersburg, Md. Her initial hypothesis that the darker, richer soil near a water source would be teeming with bacteria turned out to be correct. Her petri dishes were chockful of bacteria. But test after test revealed that the germs did not produce an antibiotic.

Ever the experienced scientist, she knew that The class with its tongue-in-cheek lab coats.

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failure in the lab is to be expected. “With the Small World Initiative program, we are making our own choices and seeing where our research leads,” says Kayla, whose WISE project included making biomimetic 3-D structures that may permit innovations in drug delivery and biopsies. After testing her soil a second time—in Dr. Blair’s lab, lessons in perseverance are as important as learning how to swab a petri dish—she successfully grew an antibiotic producer.

The new Biochemistry, Microbiology and Public Health Research (Honors) elective is part of a broader effort supported

by Garrison Forest’s James Center, in partnership with Johns Hopkins, SWI and others, to introduce students to content and experiences in public health. “Students have a natural passion for public health’s focus on saving lives on a global scale,” notes James

Center director Andrea Perry. “Through opportunities like our Women’s Global Health course, WISE and SWI, they are learning that their ideas and talents are needed and that they can contribute now.”

A New Experiment in High School Science Labs The class meets three to four times a week in a new lab in the F.E. White Building. In addition to standard lab equipment, the lab is outfitted with university-level equipment specialized to analyze and test bacteria, sequence DNA and extract the antibiotic chemicals the students will discover— equipment typically reserved for college-level researchers. “A lab of this caliber is both necessary for and symbolic of the level of research these students are conducting,” notes Dr. Blair. Garrison Forest’s SWI lab is made possible through the generosity of a GFS alumna, an SWI donor and the E.E. Ford Foundation.

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During lab sessions, students run their bacteria through a series of experiments.

They test against pathogens for antibiotic specificity. They isolate interesting drugproducing candidates and extract and analyze found antibiotics. After these tests, they then develop their own investigations to identify, classify and sequence any possible isolated antibiotic-producing bacteria.

Dr. Blair’s experience in a research setting is certainly an asset to the course and to GFS’s WISE program, but it’s his connection with his students that is key to the course’s success. Approachable, whip-smart and with a laid-back charm, Dr. Blair isn’t shy about his passion for scientific discovery, product and process. It’s the only thing that’s contagious in the SWI lab (everyone had to complete a required safety protocol before beginning research).

“The students in our pilot course were very enthused about the whole process,” he says of the pilot semester. “They took complete ownership of their projects, oftentimes emailing me with requests to report back results on days we didn’t meet and coming in during free times and after school to conduct experiments. They also are eager to discuss the projects with anyone who shows even the slightest modicum of interest.”

While each investigator is working on discovering her own antibiotic-producing bacteria species, students collaborate with and support each other to share their knowledge, progress, failures and discoveries.

Margaret Hyde ’17 loves the individual and collective learning the course offers. “This class is much more independent than any I have ever taken. You learn as you go,” says

the Villanova pre-med major who studied nanostructures for use in drug delivery in her WISE work. Margaret also was part of a 60-person-plus team of JHU science practitioners who tackled the Zika crisis in spring 2016 in a universitywide four-day hackathon.

Just like in a real university lab, they have lab meetings, poster presentations and write up their findings. If the students discover a new species, they will publish their findings in the same outlets as university-level academic researchers. And, yes, the students dress the part for lab safety and protocol.

The pilot class also injected a healthy dose of GFS spirit into their lab coats. Using the laser printers in the school’s Creative Co-op maker spaces, they monogrammed the SWI logo on the front of each coat and a little bacterial humor emblazoned on the back with “Microbiology Lab Staph Only.”

Next Steps, New Samples, More Discoveries The results so far are promising. Each student researcher in the pilot class discovered at least one antibiotic-producing bacteria, more than a dozen producers discovered in total. “They have fully conducted microbiological classification of their strains and have sequenced their Ab producing bacteria to ensure that they have discovered something novel and unique,” Dr. Blair explains. This year’s course will continue to test what has been discovered and begin the process again, with each new student extracting her own soil sample, etc.

“I’ve mentored students in labs before, but last spring was the first time I have had

On June 1 to 3, the Biochemistry, Microbiology and Public Health Research class and Dr. Blair attended the 4th annual SWI Symposium in New Orleans, part of the American Society for Microbiology’s annual conference.

He presented a poster on the results of the class’s efforts and gave a talk about bringing this caliber of research to the high-school curriculum. The students attended various sessions and workshops, and met researchers from around the world.

eight students doing independent research in a lab setting like this,” Dr. Blair says. “In addition to discovering new antibiotics, the goals of this program are to change the way lab courses are taught at high school and to nurture a lasting interest in STEM. My students come to this project with exceptional lab experience already. It’s exciting to see the passion they are bringing to the program.”

It’s a passion that just might save the world.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

28 FACULTY

Thank you, Dr. Roberts, for Your Leadership DR. KIM ROBERTS served as Head of School from July 2014, returning to California in June 2017 to become a program manager in Google’s Education and University Relations group.

A firm proponent of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education for girls and in the need to improve the pipeline for women and underrepresented groups in STEM fields, Dr. Roberts is helping create a new, Google-led consortium for small liberal arts colleges that want to enhance their computer science offerings.

Dr. Roberts’ accomplishments at Garrison Forest embraced her passion for girls’ education, her commitment to experiential learning and her love of the GFS campus. During her tenure, the school created the Grizzly Den outdoor classroom, the Lower School Playground and Creative Co-op maker spaces in each division. Her achievements include leading the communitywide initiative to develop the current Strategic Plan, creating the GFS Core Values program, bringing STEAM Week to the Lower School and establishing the Power of Women (POW!) speaker series.

A committed environmentalist, Dr. Roberts encouraged the school to expand its vision for sustainability and how we use the wonderful resource that is our 110-acre wooded campus.

Among her favorite activities as Head were “shadowing” students for the day, which she did on a regular basis over three years, and spending time with our younger students. She frequently read to the Preschool and each holiday season shared a favorite craft from her childhood with the Kindergarten.

Dr. Roberts, who is a dedicated athlete, led “Team GFS” in the annual October Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Thank you, Dr. Roberts, for leading Garrison Forest and for sharing your strategic vision with the school.

“ Dr. Roberts provided us with a strategy and a vision for getting to the heart of the most important question: How do we, as a school and a community, create students ready to embrace their fullest potential as learners, leaders and joyous citizens of the world?

Her intellect and dedication to pushing girls to be their best have served and will continue to serve our school well.”

— Kit Jackson ’83 President, Garrison Forest Board of Trustees

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

A “selfie” with Lindsey Callaway ’17 during Dr. Roberts’ Shadow Day.

With Kindergarten students making one of her favorite childhood crafts: pomanders.

At the 2015 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with (from left) Bella Dowling ’27, History teacher Beth Ruekberg, daughter Charley Roberts-Laine ’22, Molly Brennan and Emily Appelbaum Brennan ’96.

In Chemistry class with (from left) Amanda Rein ’17, Emily Oleisky ’16 and Jamie Glueck ’16.

At the 2016 Power of Women speaker series presentation with (from left) Jina Park ’17 and Dr. Redonda Miller, President, Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Reading to a Preschool class.

With her family in 2015: Ellis and Charley Roberts-Laine and Michael Laine.

With 2016 Jenkins Fellows (from left): Audrey Zheng ’18, Ariana Wall ’18, Julia Wall ’18, Caroline Cohen ’18, Milan Sulibhavi ’18 and Claire McMahon ’17.

At 2015 graduation with Jill Newton ’15 (far right), President of the School, and Allie DiPietro ’15, Vice President of the School (left).

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

30

FAC ULTY

Faculty at the Forest AT THE HEART of all that Garrison Forest School has accomplished over the past 107 years are the

teachers, coaches and staff members, masters of their profession, nurturing mentors to their students and dedicated stewards of the school and its mission and community.

2017 DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD: Elinor Purves McLennan ’56 and Courtney McLennan Myhrum ’79 created the Distinguished Teacher Award in 1980 to honor those faculty members whose teaching represents the highest standards of the profession. The recipient is chosen by a committee of parents, students and faculty.

Rachel Ayers Waller, Theater

Of the many gifts Rachel Ayers Waller brings to Garrison Forest School, the most important and impactful may well be the ways in which she manifests pure joy.

Whether teaching a class on playwriting, directing Upper School productions, guiding Lower School would-be actors in an afterschool drama club or co-leading the Peer Educator program, there is always a smile on her face and a song in her heart.

And with her B.F.A. in musical theatre from Point Park University, you can bet it’s a good one.

Ms. Waller nurtures, nudges, hugs, listens, laughs and supports every student, creating a second home in Garland Theater for all who cross her threshold. She believes in the best people have to offer and gives her best in return. Since arriving at Garrison Forest five years ago, her first priority has been her students’ artistic and personal growth, not the ovation when the curtain falls, though her GFS productions have earned plenty of those. Her choices for the school stage are ambitious, from Stephen Sondheim to this past fall’s The Language Archive, which was the Maryland stage debut of the play and for which the GFS cast won Best Play at the 2017 Baltimore Theatre Awards.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

Rachel Ayers Waller, daughter Gracie and Dr. Roberts.

Her prior career in the New York City theater community prepared her well for her many responsibilities as chair of the school’s vibrant performing arts department, including the Applied Music program, Upper School theater teacher and the wizard at Garland Theater’s sound booth for meetings, assemblies and concerts. An accomplished performer and a former general manager for the Tony Awardwinning Roundabout Theatre Company, Ms. Waller is also the producing artistic director of a local children’s theater company and founder of the Young All-Stars Theatre program.

2017 IRVIN D. MCGREGOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD For 43 years, Irvin D. McGregor shared his talent, kindness and devotion to the Garrison Forest Dining Hall before retiring. In 2008, the school created the Irvin D. McGregor Distinguished Service Award to recognize annually a staff member for his or her exceptional service, tenure and dedication to Garrison Forest School.

Christine Herdson,

Assistant to the Head of School

There are few positions at the school that touch every department and division.

Christine Herdson’s role does, but her impact on Garrison Forest goes well beyond any job description she completes.

FA CULTY

The deeply caring and highly competent way in which she approaches any task has touched the Garrison Forest community, furthering the mission of the school and creating an indelible mark on each person with whom she works. Mrs. Herdson’s uncanny gift for balancing compassion and understanding while maintaining the highest integrity of the school and juggling multiple tasks is legendary. Whether staffing the needs of the Head of School and Board of Trustees, helping to manage schoolwide communications or skillfully handling a thousand other duties weekly, she accomplishes each with finesse and expertise, a genuine smile and a warm heart.

Fiercely dedicated, highly intelligent and extremely organized, she brought 23 years of administrative expertise from her tenure with the Rouse Company in Columbia, Md. to Garrison Forest when she began her position in January 2005. Mrs. Herdson quickly established herself as a trusted ally and kind friend to all—Trustees, faculty, staff, parents and students—and devoted herself to all things GFS. She is the go-to person for any and all questions, often the first (and final) word, the consummate cheerleader. Quite simply, she is True Blue.

2017 Irvin D. McGregor Award winner Christine Herdson and husband John.

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RETIREES

Zibby Andrews, Head of Preschool

Cindy Halle, Polo

Over her 16 years at Garrison Forest, Zibby Andrews can measure her impact in numbers: thousands of smiles offered, books read aloud, crayon-drawings admired and songs sung. Such is the stuff of a dedicated Preschool leader and early childhood expert.

During Mrs. Andrews’ tenure, the Preschool expanded to include a robust Parent-Toddler and Twos drop-off program. Her popular “Letters from Zibby” offered parents and teachers alike the wisdom of a lifetime spent teaching young children. She taught and directed Good Shepherd Preschool before joining Garrison Forest as Head of the Lower Division. In her Upper School Child Psychology class she imparted her love of early learning and was a campus champion of cross-divisional events from bulb planting with the 4th Grade to Upper School Engineering students designing toys for the Preschool Science room. She received degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education from Hollins College and master’s degrees in Reading and in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University and in Early Childhood Education from Towson University.

“Zibby’s attention to the needs of the students, parents and faculty has always been one of her greatest priorities and strengths.

She has a heart of gold, which, along with her classroom experience, made her an excellent advocate for those of us who have chosen teaching as our calling.” — Ginny Berrier, Preschool teacher

2017 Recipient of Garrison Forest’s 20-Year Pin

Renowned nationally for her high standards of play, knowledge of the sport and horsemanship, Cindy Halle is the consummate polo player, umpire and coach. Whether coaxing a new player onto a polo pony with humor or shouting encouragement to the Varsity team in a nail-biter of a match, Ms. Halle excelled at teaching students the game and the more lasting lessons in sportsmanship, persistence and teamwork.

She joined GFS as head polo coach in 1986, leading the Varsity team to five national titles until 1997. After a 10-year break to raise her family, she returned in 2007 and promptly guided GFS to three more national championships including in 2017.

A certified United States Polo Association (USPA) umpire and chosen for the select USPA committee to create the Certified Polo Instructor Program, Ms. Halle lectures, umpires and plays around the world. In 2011, she founded Introduction to Horsemanship and Polo as part of Garrison Forest’s Middle Grades Partnership summer educational and enrichment experience for underserved Baltimore City girls. She earned a B.S in Animal Science at the University of California-Davis while leading her team to four women’s intercollegiate titles.

“Cindy is fiercely competitive, which motivates her players to exceed their fullest potential. I learned so much about polo, being on a team, horse care and life having Cindy as my coach.” — Sara Gompf Orthwein ’95, Parent 2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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FAC ULTY

Jan Havlik, Dean of Students, Latin

Melvin Jackson, Housekeeping

B.J. McElderry, Art

Jan Havlik first joined Garrison Forest in 1974, teaching Latin in the Middle School and Upper School until 1983 when she became a stay-at-home mom to her son and daughter. Before returning to GFS in 1996, Ms. Havlik taught at St. Timothy’s School and in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools System and earned her B.A. in Ancient Studies and M.Ed. with a concentration in English as a Second Language from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In 2007, she became Dean Havlik, lending her sense of fairness, empathetic listening and humor to her role as Dean of Students, while serving as a dedicated member of the on-campus faculty. With sound judgement, she treated students fairly and as individuals, while continuing to teach one class of Latin.

A native of Liverpool, England, her charming accent was what greeted parents on snow-day messages. It was as a GFS faculty member that this daughter of Liverpool received the proud distinction of U.S. citizenship in 1978.

“In her heart, Jan is a teacher. She passes onto her students her love of Latin, and many, because of her superb teaching, became true Latin scholars. She applies her teaching skills to the job of Dean of Students, viewing each interaction as a teachable moment.”

— Lorraine Polvinale, former Head of the Upper School, Head of the Middle School and Spanish teacher

Since 2005. Melvin Jackson has worked behind the scenes, making sure that the campus’s many buildings are cared for and clean. While an essential task at any school, for Garrison Forest’s regional, national and international boarding community, Mr. Jackson’s talent and dedication were important to the life of the school.

He set the standard for every faculty and staff member in understanding that the school was also a “home away from home” for dozens of young women, and the level of his work embodied this. He tackled daily tasks and event preparations with equal aplomb and dedication, embracing the routine and the unexpected. An avid fisherman and devoted member of First Emmanuel Baptist Church in Baltimore, where he has been an usher for 15 years, Mr. Jackson brought a variety of work experience to Garrison Forest as well as a kind smile and kinder words to colleagues and students alike.

“Melvin’s work ethic is second to none.

He often works in the evening or wee hours of the morning to accomplish tasks he cannot do when buildings are occupied. Melvin has total dedication to keeping GFS clean for our community, and he is simply one of the nicest people I have met.” — Scott Dignan, Head of Housekeeping

For 41 years, B.J. McElderry brought her talent as both educator and artist, quiet grace and endless enthusiasm for her students to Garrison Forest. From 1978 until 2015, she served as department chair, teaching studio courses and AP Art History. (She is pictured with her final class, 2016-17 AP Art History.) Mrs. McElderry collaborated across GFS to infuse arts in the sciences, languages and humanities and spoke on interdisciplinary curricula at numerous national conferences. She led educational trips to Europe, Africa and Asia, served on museum advisory committees, won teaching awards including the GFS Distinguished Teacher Award in 1990 and was a regional board member for the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. Her deep passion for Asian art and culture inspired the creation of Garrison Forest’s Confucius Classroom, the first such program in a Maryland independent school. Her greatest accomplishment remains the generations of students who learned to view the world from a different perspective after a class or conversation with Ms. McElderry. A Wesleyan graduate with a Maryland Institute College of Art M.F.A., she is mother of Kate McElderry ’90.

“Preternaturally calm and wise, B.J. takes a genuine interest in the unique way each student saw the world. I carried her confidence in my abilities with me into all of my GFS classes, through college and graduate school, and still do to this day.” — Danielle Saba Donner ’86, Parent

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

FA CULTY

Karen Meyers, Science

Louise Moran, Kindergarten

Carl Wolfson, Facilities

Having taught at almost every level from preschool to adults, Karen Meyers found her home in the Garrison Forest Middle School in 1992. With her B.A. from Indiana University, M.S. from Clemson, background in marine research and years of teaching expertise, Mrs. Meyers wrote her own textbook for 7th Grade Life Science and led her colleagues in developing interdisciplinary programs. Under good-natured leadership, the Middle School addressed the campus’s biodiversity, learned about states of matter through field trips to a glassblowing studio and planted a living wall in the Middle School, among other projects. Mrs. Meyers lent her passion, curious mind and infectious laugh to a variety of causes. She led school trips to the Amazon rainforest, served as a teacher-liaison aboard a Northern Atlantic research vessel and studied climate change in the Arctic Circle as an Earthwatch volunteer. Mrs. Meyers, who is the mother of Katherine Meyers Bissett ’02, volunteered with the GFS Habitat for Humanity building team and spearheaded the Middle School’s efforts to raise money for an all-girls’ school in Afghanistan and other organizations.

“Karen always pushes students to think more critically about our living world.

Whether it is planning field trips or working with local organizations on several environmental projects, her ideals of what students should and could do always set the highest standard.” — Tung Trinh, Head of Middle School

Louise Moran, already a seasoned kindergarten teacher, joined the Garrison Forest faculty in 1988 for family reasons: daughters Mary Moran Compton ’99, Sarah Moran Morris ’99 and Liz Moran Pollock ’03 were already attending the school. (Son John also attended the GFS Preschool.) For 29 years, her students experienced the joy, wonder, kindness and expertise she brought to the curriculum.

Mrs. Moran’s classroom was filled with discovery, laughter and an array of multidisciplinary, project-based programs that created a passion for letters, numbers and learning. As interim Preschool Head for 2000-01, she was instrumental in creating full-day Kindergarten at GFS. One of the school’s original Shafer Innovation Grant awardees, Mrs. Moran also founded the 4th grade Reading Buddy program and was part of the GFS Summer Camp for the threes program for 18 years. Above all, she adored each child for her individuality and uniqueness. Mrs. Moran received the GFS Distinguished Teacher Award in 1999. She holds a B.S. from Madison College in Virginia and an M.Ed. from Western Maryland College and is trained in Orton Gillingham and Project Read.

“Louise is always ready to try new approaches and strategies and implement new and best practices—and always placing the social-emotional well-being and the academic growth at the forefront of all she does.”

— Gail Hutton, Head of Lower School

Few people have walked every inch of the 110-acre Garrison Forest campus. Carl Wolfson has, many times over. Since 1993, Mr. Wolfson’s eye for detail, exceptional knowledge—he has been a licensed Maryland tree expert for over four decades and a master truck technician—and steady leadership have kept the campus and its programs humming. A blizzard dumps 3 feet of snow on campus? Mr. Wolfson led his hard-working Facilities team to clear it.

A garter snake slithers on a walkway ahead of a Preschool class? Before gently returning it to the woods, he shared an impromptu lesson on the creatures who share the campus. He approached every task from the daily workings of school life to the unexpected with equal grace, a clear head, a warm smile and willingness to help others. To celebrate the school’s Centennial in 2010, Mr. Wolfson researched and identified the historic trees on campus. In 2012, his remarkable work ethic and devotion to the school were honored with the Irvin D. McGregor Distinguished Service Award.

“As a day/boarding school, there is a 24/7 reality to the expectations and requirements of running Garrison Forest, and Carl is available and ready to go no matter what happens. He brings a patient, deliberate approach to every task, every event, every work order and every last-minute request.”

— Bill Hodgetts, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations

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2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

34 SPIRIT OF GIVING

GFS GIVING

Thank you to the over 1,500 donors, volunteers and supporters who gave back to GFS in 2016-17. Your support each year is a powerful statement of your belief in our Garrison Forest, our community.

ALUMNAE GIVING BY Spirit Team

ks

r 5 2 % Da

4 8 % L i gh

$1,315,702 raised for The Fund for Garrison Forest.

ts

5% of the operating budget comes from The Fund.

$600,125 raised by alumnae with 25% participation.

81 %

94 %

of faculty supported The Fund.

$2,300

participation for current parents.

raised per student.

Gifts to Garrison Forest support every student and have helped to shape the future of the Class of 2017. The Class of 2017 will be attending the following colleges and universities:

Class of 2017 in their college shirts.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

American University (2)

Elizabethtown College

Arizona State University

Elon University (2)

Belmont University

Emerson College

Bridgewater College

Fordham University

Chapman University

Gordon College

Connecticut College

Hampton University

Denison University

Haverford College

East Carolina University

Hofstra University

S P I R I T OF GIV ING

35

LOVE GFS DAYS February 13-14, 2017 25 faculty members honored 48

$27,637 raised

hours

$12,500 in matching funds from alumnae trustees

Every alumna has her own GFS story and her own reason to give to The Fund each year. Alumnae shared their stories at gfs.org/mygarrisonforest.

REUNION GIVING CUP Won by the Class of 1967, with 66% participation, an increase of 22 points over the prior year.

“My Garrison Forest is where I learned to fly. Before GFS, I was the shy girl who did not want to speak out of turn, but the Forest taught me to speak up for myself and have confidence that my opinions were valued and worth hearing. Garrison Forest taught me to be better than I ever thought possible.”

- BRIANA WILLIAMS ’12

Johns Hopkins University

Swarthmore College

University of South Carolina

Loyola University Maryland (2)

The Catholic University of America

University of Virginia (2)

Miami University, Oxford

Towson University

Vanderbilt University

Michigan State University

Tulane University (3)

Vassar College (2)

New York University

United States Naval Academy

Villanova University

Pennsylvania State University

University of California, Berkeley

Virginia Tech (3)

Pennsylvania State University, Abington

University of Delaware

Wake Forest University

Princeton University

University of Maryland, College Park (6)

Washington College

Salisbury University Sewanee: The University of the South

>

Honors Program (2) University of Pennsylvania (2)

THE 2017-18 FISCAL YEAR BEGAN JULY 1. Please support Garrison Forest this year! Give or pledge online at gfs.org/give. Sign up for monthly installments. A Shriver Society gift of $1,000 over 12 months is about $84/month.

On Sept. 1, go to gfs.org/reportongiving to read the 2016-17 Report on Giving (password: thankyou).

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

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S P IRIT OF GIVING

Endowment 101 THE FINANCES of an independent school are complex, dependent on the revenue triumvirate—tuition, gifts and endowment income—to ensure that its programs, its plant and, most of all, its people can thrive. We checked in with William “Bill” S. Hodgetts, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, as he wound down a 27-year tenure overseeing all things financial for GFS to better understand the endowment. The 2014 Ken White Distinguished Business Officer Award winner, the National Business Officers Association’s (NBOA) highest honor, Bill has balanced budgets, managed $36 million in campus construction, worked closely with the Board of Trustees and much more. One of the NBOA founders, he’s known nationally as “the gentle giant” of independent school finances, but his favorite title is “Garrison Forest Dad” to daughters Catherine Hodgetts ’98, Colleen Hodgetts ’03 and Maura Hodgetts ’05. manages our endowment very well, creating a financial resource that will be a critical part of the long-term financial health of the school.

Q: Any trends in pricing and sustainability?

William “Bill” S. Hodgetts

Q: What is the role of endowment?

A: In addition to solid enrollment, endowment can be one of biggest factors for ensuring the sustainability of an institution.

GFS is fortunate that its endowment has grown to over $40 million, which generates $1.5 million annually in endowment income for the operating budget. Our annual giving is a little over $1.2 million, which is another important revenue variable. Long term, though, it is endowment growth that gives us the flexibility to make key decisions about faculty salaries and financial aid that aren’t completely dependent on tuition. The Investment Committee of the Board GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

A: There are basically two perspectives with this issue, and the same conversation has been occurring in higher education for many years. One argument is that tuitions can’t keep going up and up, while another says that education is about perceived value.

People will pay for something if they see and appreciate the value being offered. For me, the question is how do we get at the value of education and keep pricing at a place where everybody who attends an institution can afford it? Financial aid is a discounting factor that most schools offer in order to keep tuitions affordable for a wider socioeconomic group of parents. We are having these conversations locally, statewide and nationally. Many people think that tuition covers the full cost of attending an independent school. It doesn’t. In 2016-17, tuition covered only 72 percent of the true cost of attending GFS.

Q:

In 1989, your title was Business Manager. How has the role changed at GFS and across your profession?

A: The chief financial officer (CFO) role has changed greatly over my career. Today, it’s much broader in scope, more strategic and requires working closely in partnership with the Head of School. There’s much more legal and regulatory compliance work now, and the operational aspects of running

a school have become increasingly more complex. At GFS, we have students from 2 years old to boarders from across the globe. More than 100 adults and children live on a 110-acre campus, and we have over 200 employees and a riding and polo program with 24-7 demands. It’s not just taking care of chipping paint on buildings.

It’s the safety, security and well-being of everyone who lives and learns here, and it all falls to the Business Office to manage it.

The variety of the role has been one of the major advantages for me in remaining in this job for so long. It’s exciting to always be evolving.

people think that tuition covers the full cost of attending an independent school.

It doesn’t.

Q:

Looking back, what’s been the most rewarding aspect of this for you?

A: Being a GFS parent has really enhanced my role. When you experience the school as a parent and see your daughters thrive here, it completely enriches your professional experience. I have three very different daughters, and I watched each one find her voice here. It’s grounded me in the greater purpose of the school. In my role as CFO, I may not know every student, but when parents talk with me about a situation, I can empathize.

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THE LEGACY OF A LEADER:

Remembering Grant Hathaway

GRANT HATHAWAY, one of Garrison Forest’s greatest champions, died on January 14, 2017 at age 89. His decades of dedicated service and commitment to the school forever shaped its future and inspired many others within and beyond Garrison Forest to follow his stellar example.

A GARRISON FOREST TRUSTEE from 1987 until 1998 and Board President from 1990 to 1994, he was wise, kind and unflappable and led with clear vision.

Grant Hathaway brought exceptional business acumen to the school—he was chairman of Equitable Bank and Maryland National Bank, vice chairman of MNC Financial and president of American Security Bank—but it was his talent in bringing out the best in others that is his truest legacy.

“Grant was my first GFS Board President,” recalls Peter O’Neill, who served as Head of School from 1994 to 2014. “He was a person of incredible graciousness and insight and the voice of accountability. His gentlemanly manner belied what was a very strategic thinker.

If it weren’t for him, the Hathaway Fine and Performing Arts Center would not be a reality. His gift jump started the campaign back in the mid-1990s, and we never looked back.”

His gift honored his partner in philanthropy and life, wife Molly Mundy Hathaway ’61, Trustee, former Board President and retired GFS Director of Development. Together, they were a formidable pair, soliciting gifts individually or as a couple. As leadership annual and capital donors, both named the school in their wills. Grant made a generous bequest to the school, and many friends and family made gifts in his memory.

Grant’s greatest legacy is his family.

Daughter Liza Hathaway Matthews ’83 served as GFS Parent Association President, and daughter Kate Hathaway Bagli ’84 has spoken at alumnae and parent events.

Son Tim Hathaway is a GFS Trustee and Parent, and numerous granddaughters and nieces have attended or are attending

Garrison Forest. In fact, Grant’s devotion to the school follows a family tradition, begun by his older brother Phil Hathaway, a GFS Past Parent, who served on the Board and started the endowment at Garrison Forest.

Grant’s civic leadership of Baltimore was equally impressive from leading several successful United Way campaigns to helping bring a National Football League team back to Baltimore. He was a board member of numerous nonprofits including the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, the Baltimore County Economic Development Commission and the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Whatever his role, he was an advocate for women. Banking executive Anne Franke Porterfield ’75 recalls his backing during meetings in the early 1990s, a time when few women were in the field. “He validated me in front of [male] peers, which sent a strong message of encouragement and set the bar for support,” she says.

Encouragement and unwavering diplomacy are qualities Betsy Searle ’74 will forever remember about Grant and his support while she was President of the Board from 1995 to 2000 and served as Grant’s Vice President from 1990 to 1994. “Grant taught me so much about how to lead and how to listen, resulting in respectful broad-based support,” she says. “He was collaborative long before it was a buzz word, and he always valued others’ ideas and perspective. My experiences at Garrison Forest helped me to discover my voice, which was a major factor in shaping my life.

Grant taught me how to use it to achieve productive outcomes and help make our school a place for best practices and success.”

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2017 Hall of Excellence Inductees GARRISON FOREST IS PROUD to induct the 2017 Hall of Excellence members. Established through

the generosity of Class of 2000 parents and grandparents, the Hall of Excellences recognizes GFS community members who have made outstanding contributions to the school and broader community.

The following will be inducted in September 2017.

Alice “Ally Lou” Hackney Altstatt ’45 After graduating from Vanderbilt Medical School in 1956, Ally Lou did a residency in anesthesiology at the University of California, San Francisco. Accompanying her husband, a career Army physician, she practiced at Schofield Barracks and Tripler Military Hospital in Hawaii, George Washington University in Washington D.C., and Fifth Field Military Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. While in Bangkok, she was travel chairman for the Bangkok National Museum, arranging educational tours throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia. She returned to GWU in 1972 and retired in 1988, when she immediately volunteered for two tours with the International Red Cross at a surgical hospital for the UN’s Khao’Y Dang Cambodian Refugee Camp in Thailand. Before moving to the family farm in Finksburg, Md. in 2004, Ally Lou worked part time at Doctors’ Community Hospital in Lanham. Over the course of her busy career, Ally Lou had 6 children, including two sets of twins, the first of whom were born while she and her husband were still in medical school. Ally Lou has been class editor for both Bryn Mawr College and Garrison Forest School. Her family’s GFS legacy includes sister Carol ’47, infantry alumnus and brother Hap, and daughters Sissy Altstatt ’72, Julia Altstatt Kasdorf ’78 and Robin Altstatt Scarborough ’84.

Sara Bleich ’96 Professor of public health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Sara is recognized internationally for her expertise in obesity prevention and control research and policy. In 2015-16, she was among 16 national leaders selected for the prestigious President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, serving as senior policy adviser in Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to her White House Fellowship, Sara, who received her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and her Ph.D. in Public Health Policy from Harvard, was associate professor of health and policy management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her awards include the Frank Prize in 2015; Most Outstanding Abstract, International Conference on Obesity, 2006, Sydney, Australia; and the Harvard Graduate Prize Fellowship, 2003-2006; and she is published widely, including in The New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, the American Journal of Public Health and The New York Times. A past GFS Trustee, Sara has served as Cum Laude Speaker and Strategic Planning Committee Co-chair. Her sister is Jamie Elizabeth Bleich Pearson ’96.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

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39

Marjorie “Marty” Moss-Coane ’67 For more than three decades, Marty has been host and producer of Radio Times, a daily show she created that is carried by WHYY, a National Public Radio affiliate in Philadelphia.

Radio Times tackles a wide range of local, national and international issues and showcases creative people in the arts and technology.

Marty began her award-winning career in broadcasting by creating and producing a psychology call-in program, Voices in the Family, based on her experiences as a school counselor and a mental health crisis manager in Philadelphia. Her show and her balanced, thought-provoking approach to hosting earned her the 2016 Lucretia Mott Award, several Society of Professional Journalists (Philadelphia Chapter) awards for excellence and a Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association award for Excellence in Public Affairs, as well as recognition in Philadelphia magazine and other publications. Prior to her radio career, Marty, who received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Temple University, worked in sales and school counseling and was part of a popular cooperative vegetarian/macrobiotic restaurant outside of Atlanta that specialized in cooking affordable, tasty meals. In 2016, she served as a GFS Career Day Panelist.

Eve Pell ’54 An award-winning reporter, acclaimed memoirist, journalism teacher, prison reform activist and gold-medalist runner in international senior track and field competitions, Eve has enjoyed numerous professional and personal accomplishments. After earning her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, Eve turned to political activism and reporting, covering the California prison system for several news outlets. She was a staff reporter at the Center for Investigative Reporting, taught journalism at San Francisco State University and has received many awards for her print reporting and television documentaries. Her books include Maximum Security: Letters from Prison, The Big Chill: How the Reagan Administration, Corporate America, and Religious Conservatives are Subverting Free Speech and the Public’s Right to Know and her memoir, We Used to Own the Bronx: Memoirs of a Former Debutante, which chronicles her family’s blueblood history. Her most recent book is Love, Again: The Wisdom of Unexpected Romance. Eve’s many running awards include first place in California’s grueling Dipsea Race, selection in 2000 in the Dipsea Race Hall of Fame and a 2014 Norman Bright Award for excellence in the Dipsea. Her GFS family connections include sisters Evelyn “Jeep” Ledyard Cochran ’53 and Wendy Ledyard Jones Powell ’60.

1994 GFS Field Hockey Team During fall 1994, a mighty group of Grizzlies, led by co-captains Missy Hopkins Smith ’95 and Katie Willett Santarelli ’95 and coached by Micul Ann Morse, won the Association of Independent Schools Field Hockey Championship. This victory ended the team’s six-year championship dry spell and started Garrison Forest on its path to becoming a field hockey powerhouse with several championships over the past 20 years. The spirit of the fans was legendary: Parents made T-shirts and spray-painted the hill behind Hopkins Field with paw prints and “BIG MO,” which stood for “Big Momentum.”

TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDE:

Lauren Klein Beresford ’96 Cortney Foster Boughan ’96 M. Cantey Boyd ’98 Courtney Austin Cober ’96 Lindsey Foster Davis ’95

Patricia Ward Holloway ’96 Margaret Reed Luchini ’95 Katie Reed ’98 Katherine Willett Santarelli ’95 Elizabeth Shaw ’95 Margaret Shoemaker ’96 Missy Hopkins Smith ’95

Amanda Stahl ’95 Jacque Weitzel Stahl ’96 Erin Floyd Weiss ’95 Christina Schroeter Wyatt ’95

For a full list of Hall of Excellence inductees since 2007, criteria for selection and nomination forms, visit gfs.org/alumnae.

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S P IRIT OF GIVING

Leadership at the Forest GARRISON FOREST CONGRATULATES this year’s award winners and new Board of Trustee members.

A special thank you to those who rotated off the Board of Trustees on June 30, 2017: Lila Boyce Lohr ’63, Jeffrey Musgrove, Ashton Newhall, Bill Parrish, Bill Spire, Amy Vorenberg and outgoing Parent Association President Kellie McGowan.

2016 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAE AWARD

Wendy Livermore Wade ‘59 Established in 1981, the Distinguished Alumna Award annually honors an alumna whose leadership and service to the school merits special recognition and appreciation. In her remarks at the 2016 Leadership Recognition Dinner, the 2016 honoree summed up her service to Garrison Forest, and numerous other civic organizations, by quoting her senior page in the 1959 Ragged Robin yearbook: “small but fierce.”

From 1989 to 1997, Wendy served on the Garrison Forest Board of Trustees and has held leadership roles such as Annual Fund Co-Chair. The talented and tenacious leadership solicitor also has chaired the New York City Junior League Ball, was a member of the Legal Aid Society Civil Support divisions and Parents in Action and is the retired senior warden on the vestry at St. James Church. A Marshall-Offutt Circle member and stalwart class reunion volunteer, Wendy was a boarder from Beverly, Mass.—her daughter Barbara Wade ’91 would board decades later—earned her B.S. from Columbia University and founded a successful decorative accessories business before launching a second career at age 66. In 2007, Wendy received her certificate in healing from the Barbara Brennen School of Healing. As a volunteer and paid instructor, she teaches Reiki and provides healing to hospice workers and residents of retirement homes.

Wendy Livermore Wade ’59 with Dr. Kim Roberts at the 2016 Leadership Recognition Dinner.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

From left: Wendy Deady, Pat Deady, Peter Korzenewski and Anne Deady ’01.

2016 H. BRIAN DEADY VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP AWARDEE

Peter J. Korzenewski Kelly ’20, Ava ’22 A partner with Hollman, Maguire, Korzenewski & Luzuriaga, Chtd. and a talented trial attorney, Peter uses his persuasive skills and devotion to Garrison Forest as a longtime volunteer for The Fund for Garrison Forest. He began soliciting gifts for GFS in 2007, serving as Vice Chair in 2014-15 and as Chair in 2015-16. Known for his enthusiasm, humor and willingness to go above and beyond on behalf of the school, Peter has worn turkey hats during Thanksgiving week in GFS carpool and jockey outfits during Preakness Week to thank donors and encourage more support. A Loyola University Maryland graduate, Peter was a middle school English teacher prior to attending the University of Baltimore School of Law. The exceptional commitment Peter brings to his service to Garrison Forest and the greater community was paramount in his selection as the 2016 H. Brian Deady Volunteer Award recipient. It’s a quality of the late Brian Deady, a trial attorney and parent of Anne ’01, exemplified during his bar-raising Parent Fund leadership. Peter was selected to Super Lawyers and to Super Lawyers Rising Stars, which recognizes outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas, and co-chaired the 2015 and 2016 Man Up fundraiser for the House of Ruth, an event encouraging men to take a leading role in ending violence against women.

S P I R I T OF GIV ING

41

NEW TRUSTEES William Bradley “Brad” Bennett Brynn ’19, Blair ‘21 A leader in healthcare services for three decades, Brad founded AimFour Ventures in 2016. Prior, he was CEO Maxim Healthcare Services and CFO of Integrated Health Services. Brad, a summa cum laude graduate of Loyola University Maryland, is past trustee of Loyola University Maryland, McDonogh School, Odyssey School Rollins-Leuktemeyer Foundation and The Family Tree. He is a national trustee of The First Tee, a national nonprofit promoting life skills leadership through golf.

Gretta Gordy Gardner ’86 Elected to the Garrison Forest Hall of Excellence in 2013, Gretta is a national leader in educating about relationship violence and supporting programs and legal systems to help victims. As Deputy Director for Washington’s D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence, she oversees the nonprofit’s legal advocacy efforts. She is co-founder of Ujima, Inc.: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. With a B.A. in Psychology from Vassar, a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and mediation certification, Gretta has been family violence director for Travis County Justice Planning (Austin, Texas), was managing attorney for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and serves on the steering committee for the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African-American Community, among other achievements.

Stacy Garrett-Ray ’92 Dominique ’25 A practicing primary care physician, Stacy serves as president of the University of Maryland Quality Care Network and vice president/medical director for the University of Maryland Medical System’s Population Health Services Organization. Her impressive resume includes serving as deputy director and in other leadership roles at the Veterans Health Administration and as a clinical research and faculty development fellow with the joint program of the University of Maryland Department of Family Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Department of General Pediatrics.

A former GFS Trustee, she earned a B.S. from the University of Richmond, an M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and an M.P.H./M.B.A. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Professional Studies in Business and Education.

Elizabeth “Liz” Kokinis Marissa ’17 and Ella ’23 Liz is a constant on the Garrison Forest campus, volunteering for a Parent Association event—she was President in 2015-16—serving on the Board’s Enrollment and Marketing Committee, developing and overseeing the new GFS Parent Ambassador Program, leading parent tours, cheering on the sidelines and proudly attending. A graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, she is a development officer for the Association of Junior Leagues International and Catholic Relief Services.

Peter Korzenewski (left) also joins the board.

2017-18 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS OF THE BOARD Catherine Y. Jackson ’83, President

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Kimberly W. Gordon

Elizabeth B. Searle ’74

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Emily Gardner Baratta ’88

Molly Mundy Hathaway ’61

William L. Yerman

Frank A. Bonsal, Jr.

Timothy W. Hathaway

Jianguang Zhao

Mathias J. DeVito

W. Bradley Bennett

Carroll Dawbarn ’64,

Cassandra Naylor

Vice President

Helen Zinreich Shafer ’93,

Kimberly Hubbard

Vice President Amabel Boyce James ’70, Treasurer

Brooks ’85 Cashman ’85

August J. Chiasera Diana Warfield Daly ’74 David M. DiPietro

Robert S. Brennen,

Gretta Gordy Gardner ’86

Secretary

Stacy Garrett-Ray ’92

Elisabeth Owen Hayes ’81

Henry H. Hopkins

Sarah LeBrun Ingram ’84

EX-OFFICIO

Douglas A. McGregor

Elizabeth R. Kokinis

Elizabeth Corbin Cole ’98

Elinor Purves McLennan ’56

Peter J. Korzenewski

Deanna L. Gamber ’85

Francis G. Riggs

Peter D. Maller

Lila Boyce Lohr ’63

Clare H. Springs ’62

Robyne O. McCullough ’07

Deborah A. Marshall

Frederick W. Whitridge

Karan H. Powell

Catherine Schroeder

Katherine R. Williams

Frances Russell

Andrea R. Vespoint

Rockwell ’68

O’Neill ’93

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

42

S P IRIT OF GIVING

M O

Marshall-O ffutt Circ le

WE RECOMMEND that you seek professional advice before drawing up your will, and the following is a great option to share with your estate planner: I give and devise to Garrison Forest School, located in Owings Mills, MD., the sum of $_____ (or ___ percent of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal) to be used for its general support (or name the specific support or program, such as endowed scholarships).

The Marshall-Offutt Circle is Garrison Forest’s legacy society for those who have named the school in his or her estate plan.

We deeply appreciate the 222 people who have informed GFS of their planned giving intentions.

If you’ve named the school in your will, retirement plan, trust, etc., and haven’t informed us, please let us know so we include you in the Circle and invite you to donor events and more.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

GET TO KNOW: Carrie

Stickel, Director of Alumnae Leadership

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: Before joining GFS

in February 2017, I spent nearly 12 years in higher education fundraising at Johns Hopkins University and two years at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

EDUCATION: B.A. (English), Westminster

College; M.L.A., Johns Hopkins University FAVORITE GFS TRADITION: Light Blue/Dark

Blue Spirit teams. I have seen students and alumnae go from being easy going to fierce about the competition!

FAVORITE BOOK: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

My grandmother described it as a book about a girl, her brother and the library, so it took me a few years to pick it up. When I did, I loved it

so much that, upon finishing it, I turned back to page one to start again.

SECRET TALENT: Natural curiosity. My

questions typically lead to good stories.

WHAT YOU ADMIRE MOST ABOUT GFS ALUMNAE: Their commitment to the sense of community that Garrison Forest fosters.

The sense of belonging at GFS is palpable, on campus and beyond.

Carrie will be traveling on behalf of Garrison Forest and looks forward to meeting alumnae, getting book recommendations and hearing wonderful stories about the school and its impact.

She may be reached at 410-559-3130 and carriestickel@gfs.org.

Did You Know?

…That the largest gifts

to Garrison Forest are through bequests?

In most instances, bequest gifts are directed to the endowment, thus providing critical, sustaining support for today and for tomorrow.

By including Garrison Forest in your estate plans, you are creating your philanthropic legacy that will exist in perpetuity.

… Nearly 25%

of the current endowment comes from $9 million in realized planned gifts to date?

CLASS NEWS 43

Alumnae Class News The following was compiled through May 2017.

STAY CONNECTED AT

GFS.ORG

Keep in touch with other alumnae through the secure GFS Alumnae Center at gfs.org/alumnae.

THE CLASS NEWS SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ONLINE VERSION.

“Like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/ garrisonforestschool

If you did not receive your 2017 Garrison Forest Magazine, please send your updated address to: Follow us on Twitter @garrisonforest

Alumnae Office Garrison Forest School 300 Garrison Forest Road Owings Mills, MD 21117 gfs_alum@gfs.org

Follow us on Instagram @garrison_forest

You may also email magazine@gfs.org to receive the Class News section as a PDF.

For additional Class News photos, visit gfs.org/alumnaegallery.

Watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/ garrisonforestschool

NOTE: Alumnae names are listed according to Garrison Forest’s records. Due to space limitations and photo-resolution issues we cannot print all images received.

Join the Garrison Forest School Alumnae group on LinkedIn

CLASS OF 2017 COMMENCEMENT AWARD WINNERS

FACULTY AWARD

ALUMNAE AWARD

GEORGE M. SHRIVER AWARD

PHILIP J. JENSEN AWARD

Hanwen Yang

Ali Baratta

Ryley Young

Maggie Baughman 2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

130 FROM THE ARCHIVES

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Outdoor Learning’s Deep Roots at Garrison Forest

By Dante Beretta, Ph.D., School Archivist and Middle School Latin

With this year’s addition of the Grizzly Den, the outdoor classroom adjacent to Manor House, students are enjoying creative learning and play in a natural environment designed specifically with young girls in mind. As with many other spaces on campus, the Grizzly Den’s location has an interesting history tied to outdoor education dating back to the earliest days of the school.

When Garrison Forest moved to its present location in 1912, the $23,500 purchase price included 10 acres and two buildings: Manor House and a stable. Pictured circa 1920 is the newly constructed Moncrieffe (left) for classrooms, offices and a dormitory for boarders. The stable (center) had bovine “boarders” and occupied the exact site of the new Outdoor Classroom.

In

1930, the stable was converted into classroom s and living quarters for Rhoda Penr ose, head of the coed Primary Department. A schoolwid e naming contest provided the moniker “Infantry” for both the building and the division serving the school’s youngest charges.

For two decades

Mrs. Penrose, fondly called “Mrs. Penny,” saw to it that students learned more than basic academic facts and skills. Former headmistress Nancy Offutt wrote in a 1976 tribute that Mrs. Penny instilled many lasting values, among which was a “respect for nature—she was teaching ecology long before the word went forth.”

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

F R O M T H E A RCH IV ES

131

Under Mrs. Penny’s tutelage, students engaged in poetry readings, singing, drawing and plays, often written

by Miss Offutt and performed outdoors near the Infantry.

According to Margie Fisher MacNeille ’42, Mrs. Penny exerted a lasting influence: “We became Greek gods and goddesses, the classroom Mount Olympus. We were Della Robbia bambinos and truly believed in ‘fairies at the bottom of the garden.’” Infantry alumnus George Shriver III recalled being part of a tableau of Pompeii as part of a pageant around 1940. “Two of us held a stretcher with dead ducks that a parent had just shot.

I remember the smell.”

Mrs. Penny cultivated a magnificent Infantry garden and sponsored an annual wildflower contest that inspired fierce competition. The contest involved selecting and identifying the greatest number of wildflowers. Former students recalled that to have one’s name inscribed as a winner on the Wild Flower Cup was the most coveted prize of their Infantry career.

By 1948,

the school’s population was trending toward older students, particularly boarders. Mrs. Penny retired, and the Infantry became home to the Lower School, serving Grades 5 to 8. In 1974, the school once again welcomed younger students when Valley School merged with GFS. With the construction of the buildings around the Upper School courtyard providing new space for the Middle and Upper Schools, the well-worn Infantry was torn down. Upon Mrs. Penny’s death in 1975, friends and former students raised funds to transform the building’s former site into a playground, garden and nature walk in her memory.

Until last fall, the footprint of the Infantry was covered in blacktop and the stone-walled garden remained as a tribute to a remarkable educator.

The new outdoor classroom follows GFS’s tradition of pioneering early childhood education and outdoor education and embodies the spirit of a woman whom Miss Offutt named “truly one of the Builders of this School … who ruled as a kind of benevolent despot over her little kingdom.”

DEEP ROOTS

With enchanting titles such as By Love Unfeigned and The Prince’s Shadow, Miss Offutt penned numerous plays for performance by Infantry students throughout the ’30s and ’40s.

2017 GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

132 WORDS WE LIVE BY: ESSE QUAM VIDERI

Growing Roots, Stretching Branches

By Beth Ruekberg THE ICONIC TREE that graces so much of Garrison Forest imagery is

loaded with many metaphors: knowledge, growth and roots, among others. This symbol represents so much of my time at this remarkable institution. It is easy to assume that the growth that takes place is that of the students only. As I come to the conclusion of my 30th year and my tenure at Garrison Forest, I think about how much I have grown and how much gratitude I have for the place that has been a home for me that entire time.

As a tree’s branches grow in various directions, I have grown in many directions. One of the gifts of being on the faculty is the ability to create new courses and to put one’s own soul into existing courses.

In my first year, I taught a course called Twentieth Century Europe.

It had been created by a predecessor and fit with the values and priorities of the times. Over the years, I have been able to create courses such as The African-American Experience, Ethics and Peace Studies. In our survey courses, we have developed curricula that present a wider range of perspectives and more opportunities to create dialogue about diverse perspectives. Allowing opportunities to explore controversial topics and to teach students how to discuss them with open hearts and minds are central to true educational development. If we want to have civil discourse as adults, we need to teach students the skills to do so.

I have been supported in my efforts to seek professional development to be the best I can be. I have been allowed to make mistakes and to grow from them. I do not take this for granted.

While teaching students to learn from their mistakes is an obvious part of being a teacher, allowing the “professionals” to make mistakes and grow from them is truly a benefit. I believe we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. If we can model that to our students, we are even more effective teachers.

When I came to Garrison Forest in the summer of 1987, one of my personal dreams was to raise a family, in fact, to have a daughter who could benefit from the education that is a Garrison Forest education. Yet, my big concern was that our child would only have my partner and me here and no local family. All of my family lives out of state. Then I remembered those other roots—that Garrison Forest tree.

Without a doubt, the school community has been my local family and has supported me, pushed me and loved me through so many life stages. That was the epiphany I needed. Knowing that I had my GFS community to be there for me, I told my partner that I thought we really could raise a child here. In January 2009, Bella entered our lives. She has been a Garrison Girl since she was 8 months old and entered the Faculty/Staff Daycare. She has grown as a student, as a humanitarian, as a joy-filled child as a result of her experience here. I have grown as a parent as a result of the support of this wonderful community.

GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL 2017

Beth Ruekberg and daughter Bella Dowling ’27.

My family roots are the only thing that would pull me away from “The Forest.” We now have a chance to return to my ancestral roots and to have our daughter live quite close to family. Though we are no longer physically present on this campus, the long branches and deep roots of this institution will always be touching me. I can never fully express my gratitude for all the growth that Garrison Forest has provided me. Live on big tree, live on.

Beth Ruekberg’s Garrison Forest tenure stretches from 1987 until this past June when she, her partner Kate Dowling and their daughter Bella Dowling returned to Beth’s childhood home in upstate New York.

Ms. Ruekberg’s impact on the Garrison Forest curriculum and community is significant. During her 30-year tenure, she taught U.S. History, A.P. U.S. History, A.P. Psychology, Peace Studies and a number of history electives. Educated at Smith College (B.A.), Harvard (Ed.M.) and Johns Hopkins (M.S. in School Guidance and Counseling), Ms. Ruekberg served as chair of the History and Social Sciences Department for 23 years and, while teaching full time, as the first GFS Coordinator of Cultural Awareness from 1992 until 2002. Her legacy is one of kindness and understanding—she co-wrote the GFS Statement of Respect—as well as intellectual rigor, devotion to her students, insatiable curiosity and a memorable wit. A past faculty representative to the Board of Trustees and the 2003 Distinguished Faculty Award recipient, Ms. Ruekberg’s many GFS “hats” have included class, Service League and Model U.N. adviser, Habitat for Humanity team member, Gender Diversity Task Force member, lacrosse and field hockey coach and Faculty Singer. She and Bella are pictured near the Peace Pole, which was donated to Garrison Forest by Sam Weiner ’06.

Gallery

est artists graced the The work of Garrison For ed exhibitions across walls of galleries and juri Congratulations to all r. the region this past yea winners. ard aw and artists

“Sarah” Qinqyuan peng Qingyuan “Sarah” Peng ’18’s painting, Ephemeral Spring, created as a hopeful message of environmental advocacy, won First Place in the annual Congressional Art Competition for Maryland District 3 and was chosen as one of three from the district to hang in the United States Capitol alongside other national winners.

Hanwen Yang

In the fall, the work of 22 students was chosen for Sotheby’s International Realty’s first-ever exhibition of student art in its Roland Park office; a few of the artists are pictured here.

Nia tyson

Seniors Leigh Hardy, Nia Tyson, Hanwen Yang were chosen to exhibit in the annual Young Artist Showcase, which highlights the work of talented artists in Baltimore City and County public, parochial and independent schools.

Hanwen Yang ’17 won First Place for her pastel Embrace in the Drawing/ Graphic Design category, while Leigh Hardy ’17 won Second Place for her watercolor/pencil Baltimore in the Painting/ Mixed Media category.

Linds ey callaway

Leigh Hardy

t Margare C ahon mM

Lindsey Callaway ’17’s (above, left) piece entitled, It’s Not an Excuse, It’s a Reality, received Honorable Mention for Excellence in Visual Arts at the Baltimore’s Youth Art Month County Wide High School Exhibit, hosted by the first lady of Maryland, Yumi Hogan.

Margaret McMahon ’19’s sculpture also selected for the show.

CMYK / selected .eps Last fall, the Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA) Lindsey’s pieces for the annual MAEA Visual Art Student Showcase at the Walters Art Museum.

Follow the Art department on Instagram: @gfs_artscenter.

Garrison Forest School 300 Garrison Forest Road Owings Mills, MD 21117

gfs.org

Dis cover this fall!

Register at gfs.org/visit

• All-Division Open House (Grades K-12) Sunday, November 12 • Upper School Prospective Parent Visiting Day Wednesday, October 18

• Middle School Prospective Parent Visiting Day Wednesday, October 11 • Lower School Prospective Parent Visiting Day Friday, October 13

INTERESTED IN BOARDING? Call 410-559-3111 to plan your customized Garrison Getaway this fall and spend the night in the dorm, attend classes, etc.

NEW PRESCHOOL EXPANDED HOURS AND PROGRAMS! Call 410-559-3221 for details and to schedule a tour.

GIRLS’ DAY, K-12 | COED PRESCHOOL GIRLS’ NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL BOARDING, GRADES 8-12 300 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117

Please remember to recycle.

Garrison Forest School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions and financial-aid policies, employment practices and other school-administered programs.