2015 Fall Magazine

Fall 2015

OPENING DAYS Students share a laugh as Student Body President Katherine Pew ’16 speaks at the All-School Assembly in September. Middle School Student Council President Katherine Glaser ’20 and Cici Curran ’24 also spoke.

Photo by Karen Mosimann Lifestyle Photography

Fall 2015

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| FEATURES |

Cultivating Hope Living Legend Comes to Campus Renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall shares her life’s story with the school community, charging everyone with making a difference in the world around them.

BY AMANDA MAHNKE

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This We Believe

Contents

| DEPARTMENTS | 5 6 9 16 18 22 24 26 28 42 47 48

What’s Online Big Picture Digest Inquiry l Faculty Focus

Limelight l Student Profiles Visual & Performing Arts Athletics CAG Timeline Class Notes Milestones From the Archives

Lower School Ponders Screen Time Is learning to read on a tablet the same as learning to read in a book?

Faculty and administrators develop a philosophy about technology use by our youngest students.

BY WANDA ODOM

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Junk Rethunk Students Explore Sustainability and the Arts Fifth graders visit the Philadelphia Zoo to sketch animals, learn about conservation and take in a series of art installations created from recycled materials.

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BY AMANDA MAHNKE

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Global Impact Agnes Irwin Students Venture to Study Abroad Learn about the experiences of Upper School students Cordelia Hare and Kiley Mahoney, who studied in Italy and Morocco, respectively.

BY WANDA ODOM

FALL 2015

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WADING IN THE WATER AP Environmental Science students conducted a stream study of Ithan Creek in late October. They spent the afternoon collecting and identifying critters — including leeches and crayfish — and conducting chemical tests to determine the health of the creek.

Photo by Amanda Mahnke

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From the Head of School

Community of Learners EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wanda Motley Odom Director of Marketing and Communications

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amanda Mahnke Social Media & Media Relations Manager

CONTRIBUTORS Alison Brant CAG Program Coordinator

Corin Breña Webmaster & Digital Communications Manager

Bridget Carlin Assistant Athletics Director

Brooke N. Norrett ’95 Director of Alumnae Relations

Sarah Bourne Rafferty Upper School Photography

STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Dallara ’17 Annie McConnon ’17 LAYOUT Sandra Ulikowski Brand & Creative Design Manager

PHOTOGRAPHY Douglas Benedict, Academic Images; Jared Castaldi; Amanda Mahnke; Annie McConnon; Donna Meyer; Karen Mosimann Lifestyle Photography; Sarah Bourne Rafferty; Jim Roese Photography; Joyce Smith

JARED CASTALDI

THE AGNES IRWIN SCHOOL Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010-1042 Grades PreK–4 Tel: 610-525-7600 Grades 5–12 Tel: 610-525-8400 Fax: 610-525-8908 FRONT COVER Dr. Jane Goodall speaks to students, parents and faculty at The Agnes Irwin School on Sept. 15. Photo by Douglas Benedict, Academic Images

Each new academic year is exciting of its own accord, but the start of the 2015-2016 school year was especially memorable, as we welcomed renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall to our campus.

To make the most of her visit, all of us at Agnes Irwin — students, faculty and staff — read a book about Dr. Goodall over the summer. Whether it was Me, Jane; My Life with the Chimpanzees; or In the Shadow of Man, we all engaged as a community of learners to reflect on Dr. Goodall’s work.

We have been such a community since 1869, when Miss Agnes Irwin, our founder, held the first class at her school with just 30 students present. In the early days of the school, Miss Irwin took attendance at the end of the day. Besides asking if the student was present, she also asked each girl to rate, on a scale from 1-10, her performance that day. The rating was to reflect not just how she performed academically, but how she behaved in general. This distinctive practice persisted for the first 60 years of the school — for Miss Irwin’s tenure, and the tenures of the next three Heads of School.

At this year’s opening assembly, I shared Miss Irwin’s attendance practice and told the students I would like us to bring back this tradition — not formally, but informally. I encouraged students to ask themselves, at the end of the day: How did you do today? How were you as a member of our community of learners? Did you make a difference? I connected these questions to one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Goodall: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

In this Fall 2015 issue, you will find various ways that our students and faculty are working to discover the world around them and create positive change — from a first-person narrative by students who traveled to Costa Rica to study biodiversity this summer, to profiles on students engaged in community service and a conversation with teachers spearheading our new Roots & Shoots initiative.

Inspired by Dr. Goodall, our school-wide theme this year is “Hope for Humankind.” In the coming months, let us all reflect and act to make a difference — both at Agnes Irwin and in our larger community.

Wendy L. Hill, Ph.D.

FALL 2015

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About This Issue

Snapshot:

Environmental Stewardship at AIS ACTION PLAN

Sowing Our Own Seeds of Hope Unbridled enthusiasm would be an apt way to describe the delight that spread through the auditorium at the end-of-the-year faculty and staff meeting last June, when Dr. Wendy Hill revealed that one of the world’s most renowned scientists would visit campus to speak to the school community.

When Dr. Jane Goodall accepted our invitation to visit Agnes Irwin, little did we know that it would be the kickoff for her annual North American speaking tour in 2015. The renowned primatologist, who lives in Britain, travels more than 300 days each year advocating for greater care of the planet and its inhabitants.

This Fall 2015 issue captures the excitement of her visit, and the many ways in which her seminal scientific work with chimpanzees has inspired students and faculty alike to celebrate nature and consider the ways in which we can individually and collectively have a positive impact on the environment.

Lower Schoolers created vivid murals to adorn the Owl Lobby for their morning assembly, art teacher Terri Frock designed outdoor wire chimpanzee topiaries that will have a growing presence on campus, Lower School teachers Veronika Paluch and Julie Haines have begun to collaborate on establishing an AIS chapter of the Jane Goodall Institute initiative called Roots & Shoots, Middle School students used the power of “field trip observation” to conduct their own study of animals through art, and a group of Upper School students traveled to Costa Rica during the summer to study biodiversity. We chronicle those activities and much more in the stories that follow. —Wanda Motley Odom

Call of the Wild Kingdom

During her assembly with Lower School students, Dr. Jane Goodall demonstrated how chimpanzees speak, mimicking the hoots, grunts and other vocalizations that they use to communicate with each other.

Goodall asked for a volunteer to help her perform hand motions, and second grader Annabel deForest Keys eagerly answered the call.

Photo by Douglas Benedict, Academic Images

Four-Season Landscaping The campus boasts a variety of plant life, creating a landscape both aesthetically dynamic and ecologically supportive of wildlife. From spring bulbs and flowering dogwoods to pollen-laden summer blooms and fruit-bearing evergreens, the plant life nourishes birds, bees, deer, rabbits and squirrels.

Green Building The school’s new physical structures conserve and recycle water, reduce the need for conventional energy sources through solar panels, day-lighting, sunscreens and deep roof overhangs, and utilize natural gas to minimize the school’s carbon footprint. In addition, much of the new Athletic Center sits below grade and benefits from the constant 55° F temperature of the earth below the frost line.

Stormwater Management Beneath campus, an extensive water retention system captures and releases runoff from hard surfaces in the surrounding neighborhoods, mitigating the velocity and volume of water flow into nearby Darby Creek. Our green roof, rain garden and pervious paving reduce runoff to Kirk’s Run, a first-order stream on campus.

Composting The Upper School Environmental Board led efforts to institute an all-school composting program in partnership with Philly Compost in March 2014. The school now collects all organic waste in its food service operations.

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FALL 2015

What’s Online Wondering what we’re up to on social media? You can follow our most recent posts — without leaving the AIS website — on the Owl Nest, our social media mashup page. There you’ll find a stream of activity on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo and Flickr, in addition to a few featured images from Pinterest.

Find it at agnesirwin.org/mashup

VIDEO STORIES Forensics SSP: In June, our sophomores and juniors embarked on a series of Special Studies Programs. In this video focusing on the Forensics SSP, hear first-hand from a student about the experiences of visiting a Forensic Detective Unit and investigating a staged “murder.”

Be the Line: This summer, the school published Be the Line: Thoughts on Parenting an Adolescent Girl, the first book by Middle School Director Lynne Myavec. The book is a compilation of weekly letters to parents that Myavec has written during her time at Agnes Irwin. Learn more in this video.

Jane Goodall Visits Agnes Irwin: During Dr. Jane Goodall’s visit to the school in September, two of our students shared what the visit meant to them.

Hear about their experience, and a little from Dr. Goodall herself, in this video.

AIS BLOG: “Imagine tucking your one-and-a-half-year-old into bed, only to discover that she had brought a handful of earthworms with her as sleeping companions, dirt and all. How would you respond?” asks Head of School Wendy Hill in a recent blog post on Girls in the World: Perspectives on Life and Leadership. In her post, Hill reflects on Dr. Jane Goodall’s relationship with her mother, gender roles and the importance of parents in encouraging their children to excel. Read more at blog.agnesirwin.org

TOP SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

Throwback Thursday (121 likes, 2 shares): Look familiar? This is the Sorrel Horse Tavern in 1895 — once an inn where George Washington stayed during the Revolutionary War, and now part of our Lower School! Thanks to Radnor Historical Society for letting us share this photo.

Wild Africa (7 retweets, 17 favorites): We live-tweeted Dr. Jane Goodall’s visit to the school with the hashtag #JaneAtAIS. Goodall shared that when she went to Africa it was:

First Day Fun (123 likes): Our newest PreK students, the Class of 2029, enjoy their first snack at Agnes Irwin on the first day of school!

AMANDA MAHNKE

“wild, untouched Africa... Rhinos were not endangered then; so much has changed.”

FALL 2015

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Big Picture

MURAL ARTS

Ecosystems on Display Lower School students crafted three murals in advance of Dr. Jane Goodall’s Sept. 15 visit, each focusing on a different ecosystem. To inspire her classes, art teacher Trish Siembora shared with students two Goodall quotes, as well as a quote by environmentalist Baba Dioum: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.”

JIM ROESE PHOTOGRAPHY

For more info visit AGNESIRWIN.ORG

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FALL 2015

FALL 2015

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The Agnes Irwin School • Radnor Township School District PTOs/PTSA • The Haverford School unite in a public/private partnership to bring illuminating conversation to their communities

UNGUARDED a conversation with CHRIS HERREN about addiction and recovery TUESDAY, JANUARY 12 The Agnes Irwin School, Gymnasium

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7 p.m.

JOIN PARENTS and community members from

Agnes Irwin, the Radnor Township School District and Haverford to hear the riveting story of former Boston Celtics guard Chris Herren’s battle with substance abuse.

CHRIS HERREN was a high school and college basketball phenomenon who realized his dream of playing in the NBA only to quickly lose it all to addiction.

Having fought his way back to sobriety, Herren is one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers on this issue.

His gripping story was told in the Emmy-nominated ESPN documentary Unguarded, based on his memoir, Basketball Junkie. Sober since 2008, Herren makes it his mission to keep others from going down the same path, one person at a time.

SPACE IS LIMITED. RSVPs recommended at: agnesirwin.org/RadnorSpeakerSeries For more information, contact RadnorSpeakerSeries@gmail.com

Sponsored by: Also supported by:

Fall 2015

Digest LOWER SCHOOL

| MIDDLE SCHOOL

| UPPER SCHOOL

SERVICE LEARNING

Riverbend Makes a Splash “ Even young kids can understand the importance of protecting nature.”

AMANDA MAHNKE

This fall, the Lower School partnered with Riverbend Environmental Education Center to teach our youngest students about water conservation, our campus’s stream and how to care for the environment and its inhabitants.

In preparation for Dr. Jane Goodall’s visit, Riverbend educators visited campus on a rainy Thursday morning in September. While the original plan for the day involved students exploring the creek that runs through campus in a hands-on stream study, the threat of thunderstorms kept everyone indoors.

Nevertheless, Lower Schoolers enjoyed the chance to learn more about our local ecosystem through several activities led by Riverbend’s team.

Students in kindergarten through fourth grade rotated through four interactive units, including a watershed table that showed how pollution spreads through a stream system, a water cycle simulation and an indoor stream study that demonstrated how wildlife can reveal the health of a body of water.

Students also met and handled several animals that live in or near streams, including a toad and a tortoise, and learned about their habitats.

“Even young kids can understand the importance of protecting nature,” said David Lowe, an environmental educator at Riverbend. “We feel that if you start very young, they will become stewards as they grow older — they will care more about the environment and realize why we want to protect it, keep our water clean, keep it safe for the animals and for our drinking water.”

— Amanda Mahnke

FALL 2015

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Digest | LOWER SCHOOL

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FACULTY SABBATICAL

On Aug. 31, the Board of Trustees signed a closing agreement for the purchase of a 6.3-acre property and architecturally historic mansion at 672 Conestoga Road, located about three-tenths of a mile from campus. The board and school administration are considering several possibilities for use of the building, including relocation of various administrative offices to recapture classroom space. There are also 41 parking spaces available at the property.

The mansion was designed by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, known for creating palatial residences during the Gilded Age.

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Cataloging a Treasure Trove of History Second grade teacher Joe Flood has been awarded a sabbatical this coming spring to research, write and publish a parent’s guide to exploring the Delaware Valley with children. This guidebook will serve as a companion to the second grade Delaware Valley textbook Flood authored in 2013, allowing parents to easily supplement classroom learning with hands-on explorations of historically and culturally significant sites. The guidebook will include well-known sites such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, as well as lesser-known destinations. “Nothing excites classroom discussions and conversations more than when a student says ‘I’ve been there’ or ‘I’ve done that,’” Flood said. “Exploring these sites with family also helps to form emotional connections that trigger learning.”

AGNES IRWIN MAGAZINE

FIELD TRIP

Art Up Close First graders got an up-close look at famous art when they visited the Barnes Foundation in October. On the portrait-specific tour, students viewed works by Modigliani, Van Gogh, Picasso and Renoir to inspire them in their own upcoming self-portrait project with art teacher Trish Siembora. Afterward, students sketched ideas over lunch.

LEFT: COUNTRY LIFE (USA), MAY 1926 TOP: AMANDA MAHNKE / BOTTOM: TRISH SIEMBORA

School Acquires Historic Property

FALL 2015

LOWER SCHOOL | Digest

Maker Space

HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Studying Erosion

At the end of last school year, the Lower School introduced a “maker space” in the library.

During open library time — held certain days of the week during recess — students can play mind-stimulating games and tinker with objects like wooden blocks, card-making materials and snap circuit kits.

Plans are afoot to expand this space by creating a STEM classroom.

Fourth graders spent the month of October exploring the effects of weathering, erosion and deposition through several hands-on experiments. To show how sand can erode a rock, students constructed “sandblasters” from shoe boxes, plastic wrap and a straw.

Blowing into the straw swirled the sand around in the box, and students could observe their “rock” (a minisand castle and sugar cubes) as it eroded. Students also “weathered” sugar cubes with colored water to represent how a rock might be affected by water and also froze containers of water to show how ice can crack a rock.

MUSIC CLASS

A Song of Hope Inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall’s visit and message, this year’s Lower School Winter Concert (to be held Dec. 16) will incorporate the school-wide theme of “Hope for Humankind.” The performance will open with a 10-minute “mini-play,” including various lines surrounding the ideas of hope, faith and peace, narrated by students in each grade. In music class, students at each grade level are contributing ideas about plot and themes, as well as their thoughts about what “hope” means to them. “I’m very excited about this project,” said music teacher Murray Savar. “It is a living work-in-progress. The students are already contributing their constructive ideas about the plot during music class discussions about this play.”

TOP: AMANDA MAHNKE BOTTOM: JULIE HAINES

We the People On Oct. 16, fourth grade classes had a hands-on look at history during a field trip to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Students viewed “We the People,” a main exhibit featuring rare artifacts and interactive displays, and “met” the signers of the Constitution in Signers Hall, which is filled with 42 life-size bronze statues of the founding fathers. Students also took a look at the special exhibit “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” which demonstrates how world events, innovation, government regulations, research and economics have shaped what we eat and why.

FALL 2015

Students can play games and tinker with objects like wooden blocks.

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Digest | MIDDLE SCHOOL

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STUDENT LIFE

Diversity Alliance

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

New York City, Past and Present

In early October, eighth graders spent three days in New York City on a class trip to study immigration through the lens of history and English. Before the trip, the girls were divided into groups and asked to role-play as immigrant family groups of a particular nationality and religion. In history class, students researched life in their home countries, as well as when and why they would be motivated to immigrate to America. They also identified an actual immigrant who came through Ellis Island from their home country and based the identity of their family group members around that person. In NYC, students toured Ellis Island to learn about the immigrant experience there, then traveled to the Lower East Side, following the path of many immigrant families. They also visited the Tenement Museum and Eldridge Street Synagogue.

Students take a rubbing from a building built in the year their role-play family immigrant group came to the United States.

A group plans their route for the scavenger hunt before leaving the hotel.

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FALL 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUISA MYGATT

This year, our Middle School has created a Diversity Alliance, an expansion of an affinity group established two years ago to provide an intentional space for students of AfricanAmerican, biracial and multiracial heritage to connect with peers who share this identity.

According to Director of Equity and Inclusion Charesse Ford, in the alliance, students will have the opportunity to nurture and establish friendships, develop a strong sense of self, and feel comfortable sharing their experiences, concerns and successes as girls of color at Agnes Irwin. Led by Ford and Lower School counselor Kim Beamon-Morton, students will engage in activities and discussions related to equity and inclusion, confidence and strong intergroup support. All Middle School students are invited to attend.

MIDDLE SCHOOL | Digest

PUBLISHED

BE THE LINE Be the Line: Thoughts on Parenting an

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Supporting Cancer Research In September, Agnes Irwin students, teachers and families gathered for two events benefiting pediatric cancer research. Organized by seventh grade students, Movie Under the Stars brought friends together on Sept. 18 on Carter Field to watch Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The movie night, a fundraiser for The Naya Foundation, was held in memory of Naya Summy ’21 and to honor Logan Short ’21, who is battling cancer. The following day, dozens joined Team Naya at the Four Seasons Parkway Walk/Run, a fundraiser for the cancer center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Adolescent Girl is the first book by Middle School Director Lynne Myavec, published this summer by The Agnes Irwin School. The work is a compilation of Myavec’s weekly letters to parents penned during her time as Middle School director at Agnes Irwin. The book also provides useful information on child and adolescent development as explanatory notes to

LEFT: BOOK DESIGN BY MELODEE STEPHENS / TOP: BROOKE RECORD

the sincere and heartfelt advice that Myavec shares as an educator, mother and friend.

FACULTY PURSUITS

History Buff on Camera Middle and Upper School history teacher Andrew Connally, who spends his summers working as a park guide at Independence National Historical Park in Center City, was featured in August on a 6ABC piece highlighting Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia.

The pontiff spoke at Independence Hall on Sept. 26 and held Mass for a larger crowd the following day. In advance of the visit, 6ABC asked Connally about the significance of the pontiff’s site visit. “For me, this is ground zero of U.S. history,” he told the newscaster, noting that Pope Francis would join a long and illustri-

ous list of speakers at the historic spot, including its first famous visitor, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe spoke at Independence Hall while on his way to Washington, D.C. to be sworn in as president in 1861, Connally said.

FALL 2015

LEED Certified This summer, Agnes Irwin was awarded LEED Silver certification for its commitment to green building practices.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building practices, serving as a “report card” for school buildings.

Agnes Irwin sought this certification following its campus expansion in 2013, which introduced 85,000 square feet of new space dedicated to academics, athletics and student life.

Among the categories considered in the LEED certification process are energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.

By promoting the construction of green schools, “we can make a tremendous impact on student health and performance, teacher retention, school operational costs and the environment,” according to the USGBC.

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Digest | UPPER SCHOOL

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

National Merit Recognitions

Award-winning researcher, author and pediatrician Dr. Ken Ginsburg returned to Agnes Irwin on Oct. 20 to speak with Middle and Upper School students in assembly and deliver a parent presentation about his latest book, Raising Kids to Thrive: Balancing Love with Expectations and Protection with Trust. Coauthored with his teenage daughters, the parenting advice guide is the third in a series and discusses how parents can best balance expectations with unconditional love while shepherding their children through life’s successes and challenges.

Ginsburg specializes in Adolescent Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His visit was sponsored by the Clower Family Speakers’ Fund and the Class of 1957 Speakers’ Series Endowed Fund.

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STUDENT LIFE

Making Honor Code Stick Teagan Aguirre ’16, who serves on the Honor Board, and Arden Berlinger ’16, head of the Character Mentorship Program, recently designed a new Honor Code sticker that was given to ninth graders upon their signing of the Honor Code. The sticker features the honor kilt and lists the tenets of the Honor Code: community, integrity and honesty. The Honor Board is responsible for implementing the freshman honor code signing, which takes place following the annual Ninth Grade Retreat. The honor kilt is the symbol of the duty each Agnes Irwin girl has to act with integrity every time she wears the Agnes Irwin uniform.

AGNES IRWIN MAGAZINE

FALL 2015

Thirteen Agnes Irwin seniors have been recognized by the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program for academic achievement, representing 18 percent of the Class of 2016. Five students were named National Merit Semifinalists, and eight girls were recognized at the Commended level. This year’s National Merit Semifinalists are Sophie Fisher, Sophie Gaddes, Anna Kramer, Anisha Mittal and Morgan Smith. Recognized at the Commended level are Arden Berlinger, Annalise Bowen (not pictured), Anika Jagasia, Lydia Kao, Sophia Lindner, Caroline Mosimann, Hunter Sessa and Camille Smukler.

SPECIAL STUDIES

INTERNSHIP AT THE INQUIRER Senior Sophie Gaddes interned with the Philadelphia Inquirer during her SSP this past spring and wrote two articles that were published over the summer on Philly.com. During her internship with the Inquirer, Sophie had the opportunity to meet with the managing editor and sit in on a production meeting, where she learned how articles are chosen for publication and how the Inquirer is designed.

Her first published article, the opinion piece “Putting a New Face on Beauty,” encourages women to “confront the mirror fearlessly, with your chin lifted high.” Her second article, “Manager Shows Sexism Is Alive and Well in Soccer,” discusses the discrepancy in pay and treatment between professional men and women soccer players, in spite of the fact that the U.S. women’s team triumphed in the World Cup this past summer.

TOP: AMANDA MAHNKE ILLUSTRATION BY TEAGAN AGUIRRE ’16

Adolescent Health Expert Lectures on Balance

UPPER SCHOOL | Digest

RAISING AWARENESS

FACULTY PURSUITS

Students Think Pink

Summer at Klingenstein

In honor of National Lee Denim Day and in support of Dean of Students Jennifer Fiorini ’97 , the community donned pink shirts on Oct. 2 for breast cancer awareness. Photography teacher Sarah Bourne Rafferty climbed a 16-foot ladder to capture the sea of pink shirts. Middle and Upper School students were asked to make a donation, raising $807 for breast cancer research.

TOP: SARAH BOURNE RAFFERTY

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Last school year marked an exceptional high point for AIS athletes, with 47 students being named All Main Line Athletes and 47 students being named All Delaware County Athletes.

Those figures represent a 62 percent increase and a 213 percent increase, respectively, since 2011-2012.

Thirty-seven girls were named All Inter-Ac Athletes for their sports.

Five students received US Lacrosse All Academic Honors and four players garnered US Lacrosse All America Honors last school year.

PARTNERSHIP

RESEARCHING BRAIN TUMORS The Science Department is expanding independent science research opportunities for students by partnering with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on the study of childhood brain tumors this summer. Since 2010, Dr. James Wilson’s Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has opened its laboratory to two of our students for eight weeks each summer to conduct research in gene therapy.

In 2013, AIS started a partnership with Ursinus College, where AIS students have investigated carbon nanotubes and studied the influence of social media on the 2016 presidential election in a computer science lab.

FALL 2015

In June, biology teacher Ethan Ake attended The Klingenstein Summer Institute, a two-week summer program for new independentschool teachers held at The Lawrenceville School and hosted by the Teachers College of Columbia University.

The annual program selects 75 teachers from around the world (from an applicant pool of nearly 1,000) to participate in intensive all-day workshops and seminars on curriculum, diversity and leadership training. The institute is designed to train “teacher leaders,” or teachers who have leadership skills, to manage challenges both in and out of the classroom. “The program was an exhilarating experience both academically and socially,” said Ake, who presented to the Upper School faculty in September on his experience. “It really made me consider how what I do in the classroom is only one part of the education of our students. I feel invigorated and excited to use the skills I have gained in the program to advocate for best practices in teaching and larger school policy.”

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Inquiry

|

Faculty Focus

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Questions with Veronika Paluch and Julie Haines

Walk into the Lower School science classroom any weekday and you will find students configuring circuit kits to light a model “dream house,” illustrating rock cycles with Starbursts, or observing the animal behaviors of the classroom’s pet rats. Interactive learning is a major focus for both Lower School science teacher Veronika Paluch and fourth grade teacher Julie Haines, who began teaching second grade science this fall. Last school year, Paluch and Haines launched a Lower School robotics club; this year, the pair has teamed up to establish Agnes Irwin’s branch of Roots & Shoots, an initiative of the Jane Goodall Institute.

— Amanda Mahnke

Q: What sparked your interest in teaching science?

Paluch: Science runs in my family. My father worked as a biochemist for a pharmaceuti-

cal company. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, with a yard full of fruit trees and gardens. Most of my time was spent outside with my dad, helping to plant seedlings or harvest apples. We also had lots of pets, from a chinchilla to turtles. My parents encouraged experimentation with cooking (like testing the effects of varying the quantities of butter and flour in chocolate chip cookies), took us foraging for mushrooms, and gave us wood scraps and nails for building houses for our guinea pigs. They taught me the science in everyday activities, and I try to take this same approach with my students.

Haines: I have loved science since I was a little girl. I particularly loved to experiment and explore. In the summers, just after I graduated from college with a degree in elementary education, I worked for SmithKline Beecham in its Science in the Summer program, traveling and teaching in many different public libraries. A few years later, I received my master’s degree in science education. I have continued to view myself as a scientist who loves to experiment, learn and explore.

Q: What is your favorite part of teaching?

Paluch: I like that each year is an opportunity to approach material

in a new and interesting way. In terms of the Lower School science curriculum, I really enjoy teaching circuitry. There is something so exciting about the girls making a bulb light for the first time. We use what we’ve learned to create several fun projects, like a metal detector, a built-fromscratch flashlight and a device for communicating in Morse code.

Haines: My favorite part of teaching has always been watching students learn something new for the first time. You can almost see the “light bulb” go on when you look into their eyes the moment a new lesson begins to make sense. Being a part of that “aha moment” is a privilege.

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FALL 2015

Q: Tell us about your experience establishing the fourth grade robotics club.

P&H: The girls showed a lot of interest in building and

engineering projects in science class, and robotics is an extension of these skills. Most of the girls had little to no experience with K’nex, and they really enjoyed designing projects and using motors to add an active component to their vehicles. As part of their first robotics competition, the girls were challenged to create a robot that could move a ping pong ball across a table. Five groups of AIS fourth graders participated, and we loved seeing how each group created its own unique solution for the challenge. The girls learned a lot about robotics and had a great time doing so — and so did we!

Q: Why did you decide to collaborate with each other on Roots & Shoots?

P&H: We enjoyed working together as robotics advisors

and have a shared interested in elementary science. Our teaching styles and philosophies are very similar, particularly in our approach to student-led learning and handson investigations. Agnes Irwin encourages collaboration among students and teachers, and this was an opportunity for us to work together on a topic we are both passionate about: STEM.

Q: How will Roots & Shoots impact the Agnes Irwin community?

P&H: We started this year with the “learning” part of the service-learning project, with visits from Riverbend Environmental Education Center and a state park ranger who discussed native plants along our stream. Our students will engage in several stream health studies, meet with experts and study watersheds. We are hoping to give the girls an opportunity to see themselves as change-makers and as stewards of environmental responsibility in the Agnes Irwin community and in our community at large.

“WE ARE HOPING TO GIVE THE GIRLS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEMSELVES AS CHANGE-MAKERS AND AS STEWARDS...”

Q: What do you envision for the science curriculum in the Lower School?

P&H: We hope to create a program

in which the girls learn to formulate questions about what they learn, collect and analyze data from investigations and work collaboratively with their peers — in addition to seeing the science in the world around them. We hope that the girls learn to love science as much as we do.

DYNAMIC DUO Julie Haines (left) and Veronika Paluch pose with one of two pet rats that live in the Lower School science room.

JOYCE SMITH

Photo by Joyce Smith

Limelight

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Student Profiles

Cici Curran LOWER SCHOOL

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JOYCE SMITH

I

magine you are 10 years old, and Head of School Dr. Wendy Hill has just invited you to stand in front of more than 800 people and welcome them back to school.

Your teachers, school administrators, your parents, and the entire student body, seated on bleachers in the Upper School gymnasium, are staring back at you, waiting to hear what you have to say.

Fourth grader Cici Curran had that experience in September at the school year’s opening assembly. Standing on a footstool so she could reach the microphone, Cici spoke to the audience with poise and confidence.

“To make this year great,” she told those gathered, “my advice would be to work hard, always try your best, believe in yourself, show kindness to others by respecting their ideas, include everyone and always wear a smile.”

She stepped down to applause, striding surely back to her seat. But — that’s not the whole story, Cici says.

“My legs were shaking the whole time I was up there,” she later admitted with a giggle.

Cici, who has attended Agnes Irwin since kindergarten, models the advice she gave her fellow students in the opening assembly, according to her fourth grade teacher, Julie Haines. “She is dedicated, interested, sweet and kind.”

Cici’s favorite subject is art, and so far, fourth grade is treating her pretty well.

As fourth graders, Lower Schoolers take on a variety of new responsibilities, including serving as PreK helpers, teaching others how to recycle in the lunchroom, and raising the American and school flags.

“The teachers are way different (in fourth grade). We get a lot more homework, and it’s a little hard — but I can handle it,” she said good-naturedly.

An avid sports fan, Cici plays soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, squash and tennis in her free time. She particularly loves playing goalie on her township soccer team. “They make me feel like I’m family,” she said.

That same closeness is true of her relationships at Agnes Irwin. “Everyone here feels like my sisters, and we treat each other like sisters,” Cici said. “My friends and I feel really loved.”

— Amanda Mahnke

Jeanette Breck MIDDLE SCHOOL

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JOYCE SMITH

ighth grader Jeanette Breck learned how to knit six years ago, here at Agnes Irwin. She didn’t know it at the time, but the skills she learned in the Lower School Knitting Club would help inspire a family service project that has provided more than 800 homemade items to families at area hospitals.

The 13-year-old — who loves tennis, horseback riding, crafts and softball — helped launch Butterfly Blessings with her mom, Sarah, two years ago. Looking for a way to show their gratitude for the care Jeanette’s younger sister Katherine has received over the years, the family decided to assemble a team of volunteers to create homemade gifts for children facing physical or developmental challenges in hospitals.

The gifts that the family takes to five area hospitals include knitted, crocheted or knotted fleece blankets, sweaters, hats, booties, and even handmade stuffed animals. Jeanette has helped out by knitting baby hats for families in NICU, encouraging Butterfly Blessings to become a service ministry at her family’s church, organizing and tagging items, and collecting donations from members of the AIS community, who are a huge boon to the project. Some AIS volunteers have even organized their own set of designated knitters, Jeanette said.

That enthusiasm is one of the things that makes AIS so special, according to Jeanette. “It’s a real community. I know all the people in my grade; people smile at each other when walking down the hall; teachers ask how you’re doing — my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Hagin, always told us that this is like my second family.”

That dynamic especially emerges on overnight trips, like eighth grade’s recent excursion to New York City. “If someone is feeling homesick, everybody comes over to cheer you up — even if you’re not best friends with her. That’s one really great thing about our grade.”

Little acts of kindness like these are one way of helping others. Jeanette shared how every Christmas season, her family puts out an Advent calendar, with a new, small act of service to complete each day: saying hi to someone you don’t know, paying a toll for the person behind you, spending an hour listening to someone who needs an ear.

“Little things can make a big difference,” she said.

— Amanda Mahnke

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Jaakirah Reid UPPER SCHOOL

S

JOYCE SMITH

enior Jaakirah Reid’s Agnes Irwin story began when, as a seventh grader at Young Scholars Charter School, she attended The Real Deal, a week-long Center for the Advancement of Girls summer program for middle school girls interested in leadership. During a scavenger hunt the first day, as she was running down the hallway with her new friends, she remembers looking around and thinking, “I definitely want to come here! I belong here!” She describes it as an immediate sense of home. She applied to AIS during her eighth grade year and enrolled in ninth grade.

Jaakirah started giving school tours for the Admission Office her freshman year, and this year she was selected by the office to serve as co-head of the tour guide program. From her very first tour, she loved walking around and sharing her Agnes Irwin pride with visitors.

So far, Jaakirah said, “the coolest part of this year was giving Jane Goodall the tour. After reading the story of her life and learning about how she overcame such incredible obstacles to do the work that she did, it was a huge inspiration to meet her! She made me more of an activist and leader. Dr. Goodall made me want to advocate for what I love even more because she went against the odds and still fights for (the environment) through her Roots & Shoots program.”

From being a founding member of the Acceptance and Awareness of Diversity Conference to leading the student tour guides and spending her free time volunteering for a mentoring program she established at her previous middle school, Jaakirah exemplifies quiet, behind-the-scenes leadership in service to others. She says her philosophy is: “If it helps me grow, then maybe it can help others — and it is fun to give back.”

“The thing about Jaakirah that is so amazing is that she has an enduring commitment to the causes she believes in,” said Assistant Head of School and CAG Director Mariandl Hufford. “She sticks with it and has a quiet way of doing it. I have known her for five years, and what she does is not about getting brownie points. She truly embodies and represents living a legacy.”

— Corin Breña

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Student Council MIDDLE SCHOOL

Community Service Representative Cheney Williams said the council “gives girls the chance to try something new.

For example, my position gives girls a chance to help out people in need. Many girls most likely wouldn’t have visited the Upper Darby Food Pantry without becoming involved at AIS.” “My position as Equity and Justice representative is to let everyone know it is okay to be different,” said Taylor Carter, adding that her responsibility is to help create and promote opportunities for students to talk freely about their differences.

Five other positions round out the council: Vice President (Alex Conway), Arts Representative (Lia Della Porta), Athletics Representative (Natalie Pancini), Environmental Representative (Parker King) and Correspondent (Fiona Moser).

Middle School Deans Cathy Lynch and Katie Cooper have helped better define the depth and scope of the Student Council, expanding its elected representation and rooting its efforts in stewardship of the Middle School Values

Statement. There is even a handbook that outlines member responsibilities, provides exercises for training and reflection and teaches essential leadership skills such as teamwork, goal setting and communication.

The girls affirm that they are learning a great deal about leadership, being open to all ideas, being helpful, confident and respectful, taking the time to listen and setting a good example.

“Listening is very important in understanding everyone’s ideas,” said Natalie, adding that she is also learning the art of compromise. “Everything is not always going to go your way, and compromise is important to finding a good outcome.”

— Wanda Odom Shown from left: Taylor Carter, Parker King, Alex Conway, Katherine Glaser, Cheney Williams, Lia Della Porta, Natalie Pancini. Not pictured: Fiona Moser

JOYCE SMITH

M

iddle school years might be known for mood swings and rebellion, impulsivity and touchiness, but that seems far from reality with the girls of Middle School Student Council.

Confident, composed and clear about their purpose, they take seriously their roles as the student leadership of their division — and these young leaders have no shortage of ideas about the positive impact they can have on Middle School life.

“A key role that Student Council plays … is encouraging and inspiring everyone to be innovative and to work to take steps into a positive future,” said Council President Katherine Glaser. “I think the Student Council must always aspire to be the essence of Agnes Irwin and its values, and be the role models for those around us.”

To give students a voice, create a sense of community, support service, ensure equity — these were a few of the thoughts that the girls expressed when they were asked what they hoped to accomplish.

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Visual & Performing Arts

MUSIC

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Working In Harmony Teachers Collaborate to Compose Fall Musical

| THEATER | STUDIO

For more info visit AGNESIRWIN.ORG

new sister act on Sing Your Song, hosted by local celebrity Kip Kiley. After weeks of searching, the three final singing sister acts are to appear on the finals of this contest, sponsored by Huckleberry Foods, to be broadcast nationally.

by Amanda Mahnke Three sets of sisters — the Wright Sisters (Catherine de When the time has come to choose a fall musical for the Upper Lacoste-Azizi, Naomi Paradis, Gigi Gardner) from Chicago, the School to produce, what’s an Agnes Irwin director to do when he O’Donnell Sisters (Abby Rubin, Ellie Damstra, Connie Thompcan’t find an enticing story with strong female leads? son) from Philadelphia, and the Moore Sisters (Dejah Bradshaw, Well, write one, of course.

Sanaiyah Watt, Acacia Pressley) from Detroit — are to compete.

That’s the story behind In Harmony, this year’s fall musical, to The musical follows the finals of the search for the new sister act: be performed November 19, 20 and 21. With an original script the rehearsal week in the first act and the live broadcast in and music written by longtime collaborators Bill Esher, Visual the second. and Performing Arts Department The play calls for a few musical Chair, and music teacher Jerry Kapral, numbers with a medley of songs from UPPER SCHOOL In Harmony tells the story of a telethe time period — including “Do You vised 1962 competition between three Love Me?” and “Mashed Potato” — as VISUAL & PREFORMING ARTS sister singing groups. well as about nine original songs, writ~ PRESENTS ~ “Beginning in the 1940s and conten by Kapral. tinuing through the 1960s, sister singThe script was such a hit that stuing groups were incredibly popular,” dents opted to nominate In Harmony Esher explained. After watching a for this year’s Cappie Awards, a studocumentary on the craze, he came up dent-led program in which area with an idea: What if these sister acts theater students review productions became the basis for an Upper School and vote on accolades, Academy production?

Awards style. Each school can nomiEsher approached Kapral in July nate only one production; usually, about working with him on the fall Agnes Irwin students nominate the musical. Having worked together on spring play. more than 30 productions in the past “It’s exciting because we’re the orig— including one full-length musical — inal cast,” said Abby Rubin ‘16, who they saw the partnership as a plays Mary Kathleen O’Donnell, the no-brainer. oldest of the O’Donnell sisters. “We all “We have the same kind of vision in love the script: the plot is great — it’s what and how we write,” Kapral said. witty and charming, and the musical “At this point, it’s become one of numbers are going to be really fun.”

NOVEMBER 19-21, 2015 those collaborations where you can “It made me laugh out loud when finish sentences or help complete a reading it,” said Connie Thompson ‘16, thought,” Esher added. “When one of who plays Abby’s younger sister, Mary us is stuck, we’re able to say, ‘This is the thought I had’ and the Frances O’Donnell. other person is able to step in, help think it through and develop Thompson said that because In Harmony is an original piece, it. It becomes an easy partnership.” the actors don’t need to guess about their characters’ motivation.

The pair set to work outlining the show in early July, develop“Mr. Esher knows these roles by heart, and is able to give great ing the shape of the narrative and researching songs from the critiques and tips for portraying our parts,” she said. Plus, Esher early 1960s. July and August were spent writing the script and and Kapral can add, deduct, modify and finesse songs and diathe music, and auditions were held in early September. logue as they see fit. “That’s part of the beauty of having control The story goes like this: It is 1962 in Cincinnati, OH, and of the show itself,” Esher said. “We can make decisions in the WKRC-TV, an ABC affiliate, is hosting a contest to find the next editing process as we want to.”

In Harmony

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by Sarah Bourne Rafferty

SARAH BOURNE RAFFERTY

This summer, Agnes Irwin awarded me a professional growth grant to attend Maine Media Workshops and College in Rockport, ME. MMW is a worldrenowned institution that provides degree and certificate programs, workshops and cooperative labs geared to artists pursuing creative work in fine arts and mediarelated professions. They have endless course offerings — from digital and analog photography workshops to videography, alternative process photography and book arts. I took “The Art and Craft of the Fine Art Digital Print” with Jim Nickelson, an accomplished fine art photographer and custom digital printer, because of my increased interest in understanding the software-to-print relationship.

The course focused on the differences between various kinds of paper used for creating prints and how they affect a final product. We learned about printers, printer profiles and paper profiles — all critical components of the printing process — and reasons why prints can come out of a printer looking different from your computer screen. In one exercise, we printed the same photograph on several types of paper, and the differences in tonality, saturation and clarity were astounding.

My course had five other participants, all of whom were amateur photographers trying to better their skills. Nickelson, whose work is driven by an interest in science and nature and who has exhibited widely in museums and galleries, shared a wealth of knowledge. He showed us his studio and some of his personal work. It was a fun and informative visit!

We also took a few local field trips together as a class, where we were able to photograph some of the beauty of the Maine coast.

My course at MMW taught me so much that I was excited to bring back to my classroom. I have already shown my Photo II and AP Photo classes a few techniques that I learned while in Maine and cannot wait to show them more as we begin printing images.

Teacher Performs in Faust Middle School music teacher Dr. Cara Latham spent the summer preparing for her lead role in Faust, presented by Berks Opera Company in August. This particular production was set in modern-day Reading, and Latham played Marguerite.

JOHN PANKRATZ

Exploring the Art and Craft of Printing

BRIEFS

Bella Italia This summer, eighth grader Lia Della Porta and eight other Philadelphia area girls were selected by the International Opera Theater of Philadelphia to perform a cantata of the music of Hildegard von Bingen in the medieval town of Citta Della Pieve, Umbria, Italy. Dr. Latham helped Lia prepare for the event.

COURTESY KIM COVELLO

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sunflower Studies Third graders spent some of fall learning about Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings in preparation for creating sunflower plates.

Students cut clay with a circular mold, hand-cut sunflower petals and glazed their works after they were fired.

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Athletics FLIGHT PATH

Alumnae Return to Coach Next Generation at AIS

by Amanda Mahnke When Cindy Hooper Bell ’79 was a student at Agnes Irwin, athletics was her niche. “It was everything — it was where I found my closest friends, where I learned how to cooperate, how to compromise, where I learned leadership, where I had my most fun, and really, where I was able to shine,” she recalled.

After playing field hockey and tennis in college and spending 10 years as the tennis coach at Bryn Mawr College, she made her way back to Agnes Irwin, first serving on the Alumnae Board, then on the Board of Trustees — and eventually, as a coach for softball and tennis.

“It always felt like home here,” she explained.

Bell is not the only alumna who found her way back to Agnes Irwin: More than 15 members of the staff and faculty are Agnes Irwin graduates, including seven of this year’s Middle and Upper School sports coaches.

Former Owls include Middle School tennis coach Kelly McBride ’83, Junior Varsity tennis coach

“The team aspect of it — being part of a group that was all invested in the same goal — was a huge part of my Agnes Irwin experience.”

— JANET BARTHOLDSON

Cindy Hooper Bell ’79, Middle School Varsity soccer coach Molly Scudder ’02, assistant swim coach Anastasia Dorrance Grillo ’03, assistant Varsity cross country coach Joanna Johnston Stott ’03, and Varsity assistant crew coaches Janet Bartholdson ’06 and Josselyn Rimel Delussey ’97.

“We are very fortunate to have seven alums coaching our girls this year,” said Athletic Director Sheila Pauley. “Aside from bringing an understanding of the Agnes Irwin culture to their coaching, alumnae coaches can help prepare our current student-athletes for life after they leave Agnes Irwin — and they serve as great role models for our girls.

It’s exciting to see that these women are so passionate about athletics at Agnes Irwin.”

A diverse set of factors drew these women back to Agnes Irwin, but school pride and a desire to give back are common threads.

“I was looking for other ways to get more involved at AIS and give back to my school through volunteering or coaching,” explained Stott. “I live close by,

Photo by Amanda Mahnke

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TK CREDIT HERE

ALUMNAE This year, Agnes Irwin has seven alumnae coaching its teams. Pictured from left are Joanna Johnston Stott ’03, Kelly McBride ’83, Cindy Hooper Bell ’79, Molly Scudder ’02 and Anastasia Dorrance Grillo ’03.

so I literally walked by our athletic fields every day.”

When the opportunity arose this year to coach cross country at her alma mater, she jumped at the chance.

“It’s rewarding to be able to share my love of running with the girls here,” Stott said. “Running teaches discipline and focus. Cross country is a team sport, but you’re running by yourself and have to have a lot of self-motivation to keep pushing yourself. That carries over into all aspects of your life: in college, working after that. It’s a lifelong sport you can always participate in.”

Bartholdson, who served as a member of the crew team each of her four years in Upper School, and is now a Middle School history teacher at AIS, agreed.

“The team aspect of it — being part of a group that was all invested in the same goal — was a huge part of my Agnes Irwin experience,” she said.

Now, as a coach, “It’s still a ton of fun. Seeing the girls improve — grow and mature, work harder than they thought was possible and seeing them succeed because of it — it’s incredibly rewarding.”

For the former Owls, even though the opposing players may have changed, old rivalries die hard.

Being out on the field “takes me right back to my competitive days,” Stott said. “Being an alum makes the wins all that more meaningful. When we’re playing the Inter-Ac schools, I get just as fired up as I used to.”

Lacrosse Team Bursts Onto National Scene character and being a team. I am so happy to be able to share this with these girls.”

That teamwork mentality bodes well for Agnes Irwin as the program continues to improve. With a 2-18 record just three years ago, the team has transformed into a powerhouse in its own right, boasting a 58-12 record since 2012, including a 45-3 record in the past two years. Unselfish play seems to set the group apart, given how well the players work together. Many of the girls have been playing together for two or three years now, a testament to their dedication and hard work.

“I am so excited for our girls. This was an amazing season. We have learned so much from each other on this journey,” said Head Coach Jenny Duckenfield. “The kids earned this and truly, I could not be more proud of them.”

— Bridget Carlin

BOTTOM: WANDA ODOM / RIGHT: AMANDA MAHNKE

The 2015 Agnes Irwin lacrosse season will go down as one to remember. The Owls captured their first-ever PAISAA championship title; and for the first time since 1994, the team won the Inter-Ac title outright, after sharing the honor in 2014 and 2006.

The season highlighted some memorable experiences for the players, including big wins over nationally ranked teams such as Garnet Valley (PA) and Moorestown (NJ) and a spring break trip to St. Petersburg, FL, to participate in the AMLAX Challenge, an elite invitational tournament run by American Lacrosse. The team came away 3-0 after playing some tough competition, including another nationally ranked opponent, Vero Beach High School.

“This was the most fun lacrosse game I have ever played,” Emily Fryer ’16 said about Vero Beach. “It was about more than lacrosse; it was about heart and

BRIEFS Hannah Keating ’16

Meet Harvard commit Hannah Keating ’16, a perfect combination of tenacity and finesse, who does what it takes to get results and makes big plays while inspiring others to be better. A two-sport Delco Daily Times Player of the Year, Keating excels at soccer and lacrosse. In May, she led AIS to the most lacrosse wins ever and its first Inter-Ac League title since 1994. The team also won its first PAISAA title. Honors: Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Mid-Atlantic High School Girls’ Lacrosse Player of the Year, US Lacrosse AllAmerican and Academic All-American.

Camille Smukler ’16

Senior Camille Smukler won first place singles at the Inter-Ac Tennis Tournament in October.

Smukler, committed to Amherst, went undefeated at first singles for the season, and did not lose a set all year!

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CAG

RESEARCH

| PARTNERSHIPS | PROGRAMS

CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF GIRLS

Exploring Biodiversity Abroad

Students Live as Field Scientists in Costa Rica

by Elizabeth Dallara ’17 and Annie McConnon ’17

Landscape in Guayabo, Costa Rica

W

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Local store in Sierpe, Costa Rica

tists. We traveled for three weeks and visited five regions along the west coast: San José, Corcovado, Isla Chira, Guayabo and Monteverde. This unique learning experience provided us with the opportunity to open our eyes to things we could have never seen in a classroom. From studying the habitats of tarantulas and crocodiles to testing the waters of ecotourism by snorkeling and river tubing, we were able to immerse ourselves in the ecosystems of Costa Rica, studying and analyzing the aspects that make it one of the most environmentally-friendly countries on the planet.

One of the most meaningful and distinctive parts of our journey was on Isla Chira, where we focused on women in conservation and the crucial role that they play in Chira’s society. We listened to the Damas de Chira as they explained how difficult it was to overcome gender inequity when forming their organization, La Amistad, which is dedicated to rural tourism. After hearing the inspiring words of these women and visiting the Artisans Core, we learned that it is women who run the island. Being students at Agnes Irwin, this was the part of the trip that had the biggest impact on us as a whole. The women of Chira are people whom we as

ANNIE MCCONNON

e were both very intrigued when we discovered that Agnes Irwin was offering a summer trip to Costa Rica to study biodiversity, sustainability and conservation. Neither of us really had any experience traveling out of the country before and thought it would be a great experience to try something new and exciting. We were hoping to expand upon what we learned about biodiversity in the classroom and immerse ourselves in the culture of a country so different from our own.

The two of us, as well as junior Maya Brown-Hunt and seniors Teagan Aguirre and Jaakirah Reid, were accompanied by physical education teacher Abbey Kelley, and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

Our trip was sponsored by a high school study abroad program, Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE. This program is a nonprofit organization that promotes international education and exchange among different groups of people. We traveled with four other all-girls’ schools from different parts of the United States, giving us the opportunity to make new friends from across the country.

Costa Rica, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, was the perfect place to live as field scien-

a community should model ourselves after: strong, dedicated women who go after what they want and allow nothing to stand in their way.

As a whole, our journey to Costa Rica has opened our eyes to the world, and the people and creatures who inhabit it. One of the most important things we learned from studying biodiversity, conservation and sustainability is that every action plays a role, no matter how big or small, and is crucial for the ecosystem to function properly. We, as humans, play a huge part in the destruction — or preservation — of these ecosystems; it is up to us to make a positive difference.

Local boy in the Anexión del Partido de Nicoya Parade in Liberia, Costa Rica

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

How Do You See Your Selfie?

Real Girls. Real Voices. Real Impact. These words perfectly embody the Center for the Advancement of Girls’ (CAG) newest leadership initiative. On Saturday, Oct. 24, CAG welcomed 50 fifth and sixth grade girls from around the area to the first of two leadership workshops to be offered this year. How Do You See Your Selfie? was an opportunity for emerging girl leaders that incorporated fun, interactive and reflective activities designed to encourage girls to think about who they are and what they stand for.

One of CAG’s central tenets is the belief that all girls have the ability to lead.

Keeping this idea at the core, the Center’s staff collaborated with Middle School class deans Katie Cooper and Cathy Lynch to develop a program that thoughtfully engaged fifth and sixth grade girls about their potential as leaders. History and theater teacher Ann Ramsey, English teacher Leslie Hahne and science teacher Jennifer White, all from the Middle School, served as workshop coordinators.

In small groups, girls were encouraged to hone in on their voice and identity by distinguishing between how they are perceived by others and how they perceive themselves, as well as identifying what is most important to them. They learned that while values may differ, it is important to both appreciate those variances and hold onto what you believe. Each girl constructed a “selfie” that captured characteristics that make them unique and reflected some of the lessons learned from the day’s activities. The workshop wrapped up with a lively discussion about what students learned about themselves as leaders.

CAG’s next Middle School leadership workshop, What Do You Want on Your Pizza?, will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Agnes Irwin School. All fifth and sixth grade girls are invited to attend.

— Alison Brant

ANNIE MCCONNON

BRIEFS Reinvisioning Curriculum In April, faculty who teach math came together for a lively after-school discussion of the growth mindset and its implications for instruction in mathematics across all divisions.

Assistant Head of School and CAG Director Mariandl Hufford facilitated the retreat and led the group in the creation of a vision statement for the school’s math program.

Research Studies This year, both Middle and Upper School students will be part of national research studies. Eighth graders will continue to participate in a National Science Foundationfunded survey of attitudes toward STEM. On Oct. 28, Upper Schoolers completed a survey about their school experiences conducted by author Rachel Simmons and Dr. Michele Tugade of Vassar College.

Day of the Girl Assembly On Oct. 2, leadership from the Council for the Advancement of Girls presented an assembly for the Lower School to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.

The representatives shared stories about different girls around the world from the United Nations’ website, and then asked the Lower Schoolers to shout out words to describe a girl; “awesome” was a favorite.

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Timeline ON CAMPUS

Living Art Inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall and her scientific work, art teacher Terri Frock designed and built three chimpanzee topiaries that were installed on campus in September. “My motivation was to find something that had the possibility of activating the community to participate and have a positive impact on the environment,” said the sculptor, who is devoted to tending to her own chunk of green space in Philadelphia.

When, at the end of last school year, Arts Department Chair Bill Esher asked the visual arts faculty to add a component to the curriculum that would get students excited about Dr. Goodall’s Sept. 15 visit, “topiary sculptures … seemed like an opportunity to create an installation that could become a pollinator wonderland,” Frock said.

— Amanda Mahnke

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JUNE

MARCH Visual arts staff were asked to brainstorm student projects inspiring “Hope for Humankind,” Agnes Irwin’s theme for the next school year.

Frock initially considered creating a sculpture from recycled materials, but decided that topiaries — which could serve as the centerpiece in a pollinator-friendly garden — better fit with her interpretation of Dr. Goodall’s message of “Sowing the Seeds of Hope.”

APRIL After spring break, Middle School students from Kathy Halton, Keri Farrow and Frock’s classes examined the work of sculptor Antony Gormley.

His project Field was a collaborative experiment that focused on creating art from the earth, through clay. Students sculpted, then painted, chimpanzees; they also discussed the fact that everyone is responsible for the health of the earth and the environment. The chimpanzee sculptures were later included in the topiary display.

Frock conducted a good deal of research regarding the anatomy of chimpanzees, drawing from trips to the zoo, the library, the Academy of Natural Sciences and Internet research. She also relied heavily on the faculty’s summer reading assignment, Goodall’s autobiography In the Shadow of Man — which had great photo references. “I was most touched by how she described the chimps,” Frock said, citing a passage where Goodall describes how the chimps would sit in the rain, hunched over.

For more info visit AGNESIRWIN.ORG

SEPTEMBER 15 Frock had the opportunity to show the topiaries to Dr. Jane Goodall during a tour of campus. “We talked about how important pollinator gardens are to cultivate,” Frock said. “She felt we could never have enough places for wildflowers to grow.”

JUNE TO SEPTEMBER

AUGUST Frock transported the chimpanzee sculptures to the school and with groundskeeper Patricia Mangine began the process of stuffing the chimps with sphagnum moss, commonly used for topiaries. The process took about eight days and utilized 100 pounds of moss.

Pieces of sedum from the school’s green roof, as well as ivy, were also added.

SEPTEMBER 10 Facilities staff helped to move the topiaries to a prominent place in the Hamilton Family Courtyard and Dining Terrace for Dr. Goodall’s visit. Frock added pots of flowers and students’ chimpanzee sculptures. “Ideally, my hope is that they could be installed somewhere a bit more intimate than where they are now, sitting in the midst of a super-pollinator garden somewhere on campus,” she said. “I am beginning to work with facilities and the science department on some ideas to make that happen.”

PHOTOS BY AMANDA MAHNKE & TERRI FROCK

Frock used chicken wire leftover from her home renovation and a few new rolls from Home Depot to create the topiary armature. “I approached them like a normal work day, dividing the time between research and building through trial and error,” Frock said. “I learned a good bit about anatomy and how to build something that would be able to support the weight of a material dry and wet.”

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Cultivating

HOPE

Dr. Jane Goodall Shares Her Life with Nature

by Amanda Mahnke

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DOUGLAS BENEDICT, ACADEMIC IMAGES

A

dorned in khaki and outfitted with binoculars and stuffed chimpanzees, fifth graders Noelle Birdsall, Nina Kirkpatrick and Lily Halpert all spent one day last January living the life of world-renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Reciting the researcher’s life accomplishments in the Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion during the fourth grade’s annual Women in Wax Museum, they had no idea that 10 months later, in the very same room, they would be meeting their hero in the flesh.

Describing the girls as “excited” when they found out would be a gigantic understatement.

“I wanted to shout it from the rooftops!” exclaimed Noelle.

Goodall, universally known for her landmark study on the behavior of wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania 55 years ago, brought her message of hope and environmental stewardship to The Agnes Irwin School on Sept. 15, charging students and families with making a difference in the world around them.

A United Nations Messenger of Peace, Goodall began her research in 1960 at the age of 26, a remarkable and daring endeavor for a young woman during those times. Considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, she is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a global nonprofit that seeks to contribute to the understanding and preservation of great apes and their habitats through conservation, research and education.

Head of School Dr. Wendy Hill met Goodall several years ago when the researcher visited Lafayette College, where Dr. Hill served as provost. “Her way of inspiring young people to follow their dreams is so powerful,” Dr. Hill said. “We wanted to bring that energy here to Agnes Irwin and give our girls an especially strong example of how to lead — despite any obstacles that may stand in their way.”

The 81-year-old travels more than 300 days a year, sharing her message of environmentalism with audiences across the world. Agnes Irwin marked the first stop on her Fall 2015 United States lecture tour.

On Sept. 15, Goodall met with Lower and Middle School students in morning assemblies, sharing stories about her life living among chimpanzees and speaking to students about the Jane Goodall Insti-

“Her way of inspiring young people to follow their dreams is so powerful.

We wanted to bring that energy here to Agnes Irwin and give our girls an especially strong example of how to lead — despite any obstacles that may stand in their way.”

DR. WENDY L. HILL

AMANDA MAHNKE

Below: Lower School students created several murals in advance of Goodall’s visit. Right: “How many of you love animals?” Goodall asked Lower School students in a morning presentation on Sept. 15.

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LEFT: AMANDA MAHNKE / RIGHT: DOUGLAS BENEDICT, ACADEMIC IMAGES

Left: Head Tour Guide Riley Powers ’17 chats with Goodall during a tour of campus she led with Jaakirah Reid ’16. Below: Fifth graders Lily Halpert, Nina Kirkpatrick and Noelle Birdsall greet Goodall before escorting her to the Middle School assembly.

tute’s youth-led community action program Roots & Shoots. In the evening, she spoke to Upper School students, faculty and staff, AIS families and guests in a lecture entitled Sowing the Seeds of Hope.

The school began preparing for Goodall’s visit long in advance of Sept. 15. In the spring, faculty members were asked to think about how they might incorporate messages of conservation and environmental care into their curriculum the coming year. Over the summer, staff and Upper School students read Goodall’s memoir In the Shadow of Man; Middle School read My Life Among the Chimpanzees; and Lower School read the picture book Me, Jane.

Art projects were begun in earnest, including art teacher Terri Frock’s set of three topiary chimpanzees, which were prominently displayed in the courtyard during Goodall’s visit. Lower School students and art teacher Trish Siembora created a series of vibrant

“Everything we do, everything we teach in the Lower School happens through the lens of leadership. Dr. Goodall’s story and her time with our girls brought that truth to life for our Lower Schoolers.”

DONNA LINDNER

murals — of chimpanzees swinging among the trees, colorful fish swimming in the ocean, and farm animals in pasture, studded with several quotes on conservation — that were displayed prominently in the Owl Lobby.

Arriving just after the start of the school day on Sept. 15, Goodall was greeted outside the Lower School by Dr. Hill. As she entered the mural-adorned Owl Lobby, carrying her world-traveling stuffed monkey Mr. H, fourth graders Dakota and Sydney Puriefoy welcomed her with the stuffed chimpanzees of fourth grade teacher Pedie Hill.

All three entered the Buck Pavilion to the sounds of the entire Lower School singing the whimsical “Walking in the Air” by Howard Blake, one of Goodall’s favorite songs.

Goodall began her presentation to Lower School students by imitating a chimpanzee’s “good morning” call, then calling up second grader Annabel deForest Keys to help her demonstrate other ways a chimpanzee communicates. She also shared with students several stories from her time overseas, and the advice her mother gave her when the young Jane decided she wanted to go to Africa and live among the animals: “If you really want to do something, you must work very hard and never give up.”

The visit brought to life many of the lessons girls are taught in the Lower School, said Donna Lindner, Lower School Director. “Everything we do, everything we teach in the Lower School happens through the lens of leadership,” she said. “Our students learn that even as young girls, they have the capacity to lead by staying true to their independent-minded, resilient, problem-solving selves. Dr. Goodall’s story and her time with our girls brought that truth to life for our Lower Schoolers. The words were no longer words: They were personified in the woman standing in front of them.”

In both the Lower School and Middle School assemblies, the researcher encouraged students to remember their own effects on the surrounding environment.

“Everybody in this room has an impact. Will you make the world a better place? How will you treat animals? Other humans? The envi-

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DR. JANE GOODALL

Top: Kaylah Artis ’19 was among a dozen students who lined up for the question-and-answer portion of the lecture.

Middle: Kate McNulty ’21 and her brother stayed for the postlecture book signing. Bottom: Student Body President Katherine Pew presents Goodall with a book of student art inspired by the primatologist’s life work.

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TOP AND BOTTOM: DOUGLAS BENEDICT, ACADEMIC IMAGES CENTER: AMANDA MAHNKE

“My greatest hope is in … young people who see the problems in the world and are inspired to take action.”

ronment?” Goodall asked Middle School students. “Don’t forget that you matter.”

A significant portion of the Middle School assembly, held in the West-Wike Theatre, was devoted to a question-and-answer session.

Students posed a variety of insightful questions, including how Goodall balanced caring for animals and caring for humans, especially at times when those desires appear to conflict.

“Unless we help people to improve their lives in environmentally sustainable ways, we can’t help the chimpanzees,” Goodall answered.

Head tour guides Jaakirah Reid ’16 and Riley Powers ’17 led Goodall on a tour of campus after her talk with the Middle School, in what both agreed was one of the highlights of their high school career.

“It was a surreal experience to meet Dr. Goodall,” Riley said. “After learning and hearing so much about her, it was amazing to be able to host her on our own campus. She is a woman who found her passion and pursued it. She was not held back or intimidated by the fact that nobody had done what she was trying to do before — she paved the way for it all.”

Goodall shared more about her life work at an evening lecture in the school’s main gymnasium, where more than a thousand members of the Agnes Irwin community, including Upper School students and Agnes Irwin families, gathered to hear her presentation.

For the past three decades, Goodall has spent more time on the lecture circuit than studying chimpanzees on the plains of Africa — and that’s an intentional choice, she told those seated in the packed gymnasium. The switch came following a conference she attended in 1986 where she learned about widespread deforestation, the animal trade and other practices rapidly destroying the environment.

“It was shocking,” she recalled. “I went to the conference as a scientist and left an activist. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to do something.”

Through the Jane Goodall Institute and her outreach efforts as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, the researcher hopes to inspire others to consider their own impact and what efforts they can take to help protect the world for future generations.

Referencing climate change, deforestation and violence, Goodall told students, “We have compromised your future. But is it true that it’s too late to change things? I don’t think so.”

Goodall shared and expounded upon her reasons for hope in the face of a world filled with bad news, trusting in the power of the human brain, resiliency of nature, power of social media, the indomitable human spirit and the determination of young people.

“My greatest hope is in … young people who see the problems in the world and are inspired to take action,” Goodall said.

That message of conservation and care for living creatures has also inspired Agnes Irwin’s yearlong theme of “Hope for Humankind.”

Through academic and co-curricular activities, the school hopes to reflect on the mission and essence of Dr. Goodall’s decades-long work as a conservationist and humanitarian.

The threads of that theme are woven throughout the fabric of the

“It was a surreal experience to meet Dr. Goodall ...

It was amazing to be able to host her on our own campus. She is a woman who found her passion and pursued it.”

TOP: DOUGLAS BENEDICT, ACADEMIC IMAGES CENTER AND BOTTOM: AMANDA MAHNKE

RILEY POWERS ’17

school year, throughout divisions and disciplines. Jenny Hoffman’s AP Environmental Science class, for example, will study biodiversity in November, showing the film Virunga about the impact of resource extraction on mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mary Higgins’s international relations class will be undertaking a unit on climate change, including a simulation in which students will roleplay various stakeholders and enter mock discussions to negotiate a new international treaty. Dr. Sarah Eckert’s Global Health class will use Jane Goodall’s work as a case study in a unit on interventions.

Middle School students have taken part in writing assignments and an interactive bulletin board, asking them to post what kinds of differences they want to make in the world and the steps they can take toward accomplishing those goals. In Lower School music class, students are contributing ideas about hope and peace that will be incorporated into this year’s winter concert. The Upper School Service Board and Environmental Board also plan to organize a number of service opportunities this year that are centered on environmental awareness and sustainability, including a roadside cleanup and several projects to redesign outdoor space on campus.

This year, Agnes Irwin has also established its own Roots & Shoots community action program, headed by Lower School science teacher Veronika Paluch and fourth grade teacher Julie Haines. A main component of the new project will be caring for the health of Kirk’s Run, the stream that runs through campus. Lower School students began preparing for this project with a September visit from Riverbend Environmental Education Center, as well as with a visit from state park ranger Jessica Satler, from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, who talked to third and fourth graders about native plants along the stream. Fourth graders will also put their new knowledge of water management in ecosystems and erosion’s effects on watersheds to use by working with AP Environmental Science students to conduct a stream study of Kirk’s Run. Upper School students will then work with fourth graders to make recommendations for how to care for our campus waterway.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of the people who were able to be a part of Dr. Goodall’s visit,” Assistant Head of School and CAG Director Mariandl Hufford said. “This groundbreaking woman urged us to recommit to what we’re passionate about. After hearing her speak, it would be difficult not to feel inspired.”

Top: Upper School students sneak a peek at the program before Goodall’s lecture. Middle: Goodall and fourth grader Dakota Puriefoy share a laugh as Goodall jokingly “meets” a stuffed chimpanzee. The researcher’s own stuffed monkey, Mr. H, always accompanies her on her lecture circuit.

Bottom: Goodall greets a star-struck set of Lower School teachers at a special reception for faculty and staff.

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This We Believe Lower School Develops Technology Philosophy for the Future

BY WANDA ODOM

S

urvey the literature on educational technology and there is no shortage of promotion and information about software, apps and devices to help students learn or learn better — their ABCs, phonetic sounds or how to solve quadratic equations.

What is less clear, according to Director of Academic Technology Julie Diana, is how best to integrate all the gizmos, bells and whistles that the digital age offers into the classroom and the curriculum, particularly in the early years.

Last summer, a group of eight Lower School teachers and administrators tried to tackle the question: What are the best practices in

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technology education for elementary students?

“When I look to the research literature for information about how to teach with technology in early education, I don’t find a whole lot.

I want to be sure we are making decisions about technology based on what’s best for our youngest students — not based on a perception that we need to keep up with the latest innovations,” said Diana, pointing out the issue of screen time. She noted that often, young students watch a portable video player on the way to school or on the way home, or while dinner is being prepared. Educators must take into account a student’s engagement with technology when they are not in the classroom when determining what’s an appropri-

ate approach. “A lot of schools have flashy things, like one-to-one iPads or MacBooks,” Diana said. “I come from a place of, ‘How much screen time do we want nine-year-olds to have in a day?’ That’s an important question to ask, and I think Lower School teachers would agree with that.”

“The teachers want to know if screen time interferes with fine motor development, and whether learning how to read on a tablet is the same thing as learning how to read in a book,” she said.

In addition, early childhood educators have to balance the question of timing when it comes to technology and classroom practice.

Technology curriculums have a sequence — just like math, literacy and other core subjects. Teachers of kindergarten through second grade must consider the best age to introduce skills like keyboarding, mouse and touchpad use, and computer commands, in order to build skills so that students are ready for their first computer-based projects in third grade.

“What teachers were finding was that even with the curriculum, even with the scope and sequence, they were struggling to make sure the children were understanding that technology is a useful tool, and, at the same time, using it developmentally in a way that didn’t

take over the classroom,” said Lower School Director Donna Lindner.

The outcome of the group’s summer work is a seven-point technology philosophy statement (below) that broadly addresses key issues the Lower School — and really, all schools — will have to grapple with as an active participant in the tech-driven world of the 21st century. Questions such as what is working well, what should be changed, and what is the best timing for introducing and/or building on technology skills are themes addressed in this work.

Both Diana and Lindner are excited about the guiding principles that the group drafted, and view the statement as a crucial first step in making good choices about new hardware and software as technological advances continue to grow.

Lindner praised the undertaking as a great example of what the school’s professional growth grant can be at its best. “It’s a project that allows teachers to come together; they get to learn and stretch and challenge themselves; and the product then has the potential to impact their peers and bring us all up to a greater level of craft in our work.”

TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY • We believe that technology is a tool that is used to enhance a wide range of educational practices.

• We believe that technology should support learning and should be intentionally integrated into all disciplines.

• We believe that technology should improve and enhance research practices, cognitive processes and communication and collaboration skills.

• We believe that technology will help us meet the diverse needs of individual learners.

• We believe that because our students live in an evolving technological world, digital citizenship instruction must be a critical part of our curriculum.

• We believe in the importance of judicious use of technology in the classroom. Recognizing the research and recommendations of leading experts in child health and development on the suggested amount of screen time, we will thoughtfully use technology in ways that are interactive and instructional.

• We believe that teachers are learners too. When we demonILLUSTRATIONS COURTEST OF FREEPIK.COM

strate resilience and flexibility in using technology, we model lifelong learning for our students.

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Exploring Sustainability and the Arts

BY AMANDA MAHNKE

When a light is cast on this 220-pound pile of recycled electronic parts, a shadow of Rodin’s “The Thinker,” contemplating a gorilla skull, is cast on the wall.

This is one sculpture in the series “Junk Rethunk,” which fifth graders viewed at the Philadelphia Zoo in September.

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hether in art, science, psychology or anthropology, observation is key to understanding the world around us.

Dr. Jane Goodall utilized her observational skills in the journals she kept on primate behaviors in Tanzania — a practice Middle School students learned about in their summer reading. Now, in their own way, fifth graders are practicing some of those same skills through the arts.

In early October, fifth grade students took a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, with sketchbooks in tow, to study everything from giant snakes to kangaroo rats and gorillas. Organized by art teacher Keri Farrow, the trip’s purpose was threefold: to observe animals with their own eyes and sketch them, to learn about conservation from zoo staff, and to take in “Second Nature: Junk Rethunk,” a series of art installations created from recycled materials.

Through materials as varied as spark plugs, plastic bottles and metal serving plates, the artists behind Second Nature creatively tell the stories of endangered animals. The installation includes a larger-than-life gorilla built from blue car doors, an intricate root system crafted from plastic bottles, and — a piece that was the favorite of many students — an eight-foot crocodile made entirely of chewing gum.

In preparation for the trip, students were asked to choose three of the artists behind the installation, investigate their work and write three questions they might have — an exercise that is one of the students’ first forays into independent research, a thread that runs throughout the AIS Middle School years.

In addition to training their brains, students also equipped themselves for the trip by training their eyes to look carefully at nature and their surroundings. In Farrow’s art class, students began the year with a unit on flowers. Armed with iPod touches, fifth graders ventured outdoors, choosing flowers, shrubbery and other natural details that interested them to photograph. Over the course of a few more classes, they drew the flowers based on those photos — and then created a “painting” using tissue paper applique.

AMANDA MAHNKE

“To understand something is to observe it and deeply know it from different perspectives,” Farrow explained. “We all know what a flower looks like, but to photograph it, then draw it, then create a painting of it — each step invites us to look at the flower in a new light.”

After completion of their flower paintings, students will begin work on their own “Junk Rethunk” project — a further way of rethinking their perspective. Students will choose from Farrow’s bags of recyclables and salvaged metal pieces — water bottles, newspaper, door handles and metal serving plates — to craft their own mythical creatures.

The sculptures will be inherently imperfect — and that’s okay, says Middle School Director Lynne Myavec; it’s preferable, even.

Fifth graders studied the artists behind these sculptures, all of which are made from recycled materials, before viewing them in person at The Philadelphia Zoo. The polar bear was crafted from spark plugs, and the 13-foot high, 900-pound gorilla is made of old car doors.

Students created their own “junk rethunk” projects this fall.

“Perfectionism among girls is something we’re challenged with all the time,” Myavec said. “Our program provides lots of opportunities for them to take some risks, play around with materials and ideas, be creative, and try things. Working from recycled materials forces them to drop the expectation that their project must be flawless — a great exercise for middle schoolers.”

It’s also a lesson the girls are learning — sometimes the hard way — in the final phase of their current art project, “painting” with tissue paper applique. “You can control a sketch, but you can’t always control tissue paper,” Farrow said. “A lot of the time, it bleeds out.

The shape you cut it may not lay out perfectly — it’s not always going to be a perfect match.”

Activities like this, and the Junk Rethunk project, inspire the girls to take liberties, Farrow said. “Even nature has its mutations, flaws and unique qualities; every animal and human has its own differences,” Farrow said. “There are so many different variations among us, and nature reflects that as well.”

A trip to the zoo is always fun — but connecting that fun to science, the arts, research and sustainability makes it meaningful learning, too.

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Impacto Global

Impact Mondial

Global Impact Agnes Irwin Students Venture to Study Abroad

BY WANDA ODOM

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unior Cordelia Hare always knew she wanted to study abroad during high school because of her interest in foreign languages and other cultures, and she credits her years in Agnes Irwin’s Middle and Upper School with preparing her to tackle such a pursuit after ninth grade.

“I was ready to experience a completely new and different place with an open mind, hoping to gain new perspective along with a life-changing experience,” said Hare, who returned to campus this fall after spending a year at St. Stephen’s International School in Rome.

In recent years, at least five Upper School students have spent part or all of a school year studying in Japan, Thailand, Switzerland and Rwanda, or spent a portion of the summer in educational programs abroad.

Upper School Director Joanne Hoffman said such experiences naturally result in growth and transformation for students, giving them a more expansive worldview that they can bring back to campus. Hoffman sees these opportunities as “a living embodiment of the curriculum” and an example of the school’s mission to empower girls to live a legacy.

After conducting extensive research on school in Europe, and making a connection with a former Agnes Irwin educator living abroad, Hare applied to the boarding school’s nine-month program for 10th grade.

“My education at Agnes Irwin over the years brought me up to be very independent and strong-willed,” said Hare. “The friends I have made and all the support I have received over the years are what led me to have the confidence to find and welcome the opportunity to study abroad for a year.”

Hare expected to immerse herself in the culture and customs of Italy and have a defining educational experience. Her time at St. Stephen’s did not disappoint her. “I’m much more interested in international relations and maybe going to college abroad. It taught me that there are so many places you can go to college abroad, and so many things you can do — you don’t have to stick to the status quo,” she said.

Similarly, senior Kiley Mahoney spent six weeks in Morocco the summer before her senior year, participating in an Arabic language

immersion program and community service through a highly competitive program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Mahoney traveled to Rabat, the Moroccan capital and the country’s seventh largest city center with nearly 600,000 people, after being selected to receive a merit-based scholarship for the summer program under the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The program enables eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year overseas immersion programs.

“As long as I can remember, I have had a passion for languages. I study French at Agnes Irwin and have loved every second of it, but was looking for something more,” said Mahoney, who has traveled to France, Spain and Italy. Last spring, for her independent two-week Special Studies Program, she interned in the firm Reed Smith’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices.

She received 20 hours a week of Arabic instruction and spent the rest of her time participating in cultural enhancement and community service activities with a dozen other NSLI-Y students in the afternoons and weekends. She lived with a family in Rabat to be fully immersed in the culture and language.

Mahoney spent the summer between her sophomore and junior years taking an Arabic language course at Georgetown University, which provided a good foundation in the language. When she arrived in Morocco, she placed in the highest of three levels on an Arabic language proficiency test.

NSLI-Y gave her the opportunity to speak both Arabic and French on a daily basis with her host family as well as others, and introduced her to Muslim culture. She made a trip to the Sahara Desert by camel and slept in a traditional Bedouin tent, the shelter of nomadic desert tribes in the Middle East.

While in Morocco, she celebrated Eid, marking the end of the sacred month of Ramadan, a period of prayer, reflection and fasting for Muslims worldwide. “I could not have been luckier with the timing of my stay so as to immerse myself in the culture during a time as extraordinary as Ramadan,” she said.

AMANDA MAHNKE

“.. there are so many places you can go to college abroad, and so many things you can do — you don’t have to stick to the status quo.”

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Alumnae CLASS NOTES

Suzanne Foote Smith ’48 with her husband, Frank

1940-49 Jean Bradley Anderson ’42 writes, “I have sad

news for our class.

Barbara Gibbon Rowland ’42 died during the winter at her home in Halifax, VA. I have so enjoyed seeing some of you from time to time over the years. Love to everyone in our class who has made it to 90!”

Suzanne Foote Smith ’48

writes, “Frank and I, with our son Drake, have been planting food plots for wild animals, bear, deer and small animals at our cottage in Westfield, PA. We’ve also been clearing trails through our mountains.

I have recently joined the flying club at the Williamsport Airport and I am busy painting portraits of family members.”

Barbara Penrose Tarbell ’49 sends greetings

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from Portsmouth, NH, where she is busy walking her rescue hound dog, sketching children, dogs and horses, and reading all the time. “I can heartily recommend Walden [written by Thoreau] (“Simplify, simplify!”).

I see family often and thankfully remain healthy, active and well.

I volunteer in a church thrift shop and attend art classes. Wishing everyone the best!”

bles championship at the Philadelphia Racquet Club when I was a member. Now I am a member of the Barnes Foundation. I am one of their oldest members who finished their three year courses: art under Violette de Mazia and gardening under many known gardeners. I am also a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames. I do one job a year including raising money for the George Mason House in Virginia plus our four historical homes in North Carolina and being secretary for our regional committee.

Also, I do commissioned portraits of ages 5–55 years old in oil and soft pastels. I’ve enjoyed growing orchids for over 35 years. I also have a 35 x 18 old English flower garden along the street, which is much

| MILESTONES

admired by the neighbors and walkers.

I walk my three little shih tzu dogs, read books and enjoy life.

Being an old lady isn’t so bad!”

Pauline Carrigan Charles ’54 says, “Dick and I

love our new home at Cornwall Manor, a wonderful retirement community in Cornwall, PA, not far from Annville, where we had lived for 26 years. I am very involved as a volunteer for various parts of the community including heading up their annual spring bazaar.

Unfortunately, it is the first weekend in May so I will not be at Reunion for the next two years.

I am still quilting and now teach at several local quilt shops. Dick says it keeps me out of trouble. Best wishes to all my AIS friends!”

1950-59

Josephine Chapman Borthwick ’54 is playing

lots of golf and is consistently winning prizes in her flight. She not only paints and sells her pictures, but she also teaches art in her local elementary school every spring to third through fifth graders.

She writes, “Previously, I won second place in the court tennis dou-

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Fall 2015

Josephine Chapman Borthwick ’54 and her daughter Pamela Bass in Beach Haven, Long Beach Island

| ARCHIVES

1960-69

Alice Dayton ’62 remem-

bers that her class was the first to graduate from the current campus (not nearly as developed). “Also, I do remember AIS taking us in to see the first computer (ENIAC) at the University of Pennsylvania. We must have been sophomores or juniors; the bunch of girls in blue and yellow — running around inside a cold, high-ceilinged, dark room with little things whirling around behind huge glass doors — got curious glances from the three or four men minding the shop.

Of course, we had no idea what it was!”

Margaretta Markle Lovell ’62 writes, “To

help undergraduates hone their public speaking skills, their knowledge of the history of UC Berkeley’s campus and their understanding of architecture, this spring I taught a new course focused on the campus that culminated in a well-attended public symposium and walking tour. Away from campus I gave papers, chaired sessions, attended board meetings and contributed to administrative decisions at the National Portrait Gallery, University of Pennsylvania,

CLASS NOTES | Alumnae

Linda Golden ’66 writes,

“My boutique continues to be the major work in my life. This summer we did some improvements to the store and we are ready for fall. I travel to Paris twice a year and New York City all the time. My man, Richard, has retired so he will have more free time and, hopefully, we will find a little more time to travel for fun. I look forward to our big Reunion and getting together with everyone.”

1.

Lois Bateman Grieshober ’67 sends

greetings from Stone Harbor, NJ, with her granddaughter Molly, 4; her grandson James, 11 months; and her great niece, Cate, 4.

1970-79 2.

Caroline Lutton Nunez ’70 says, “My

3.

1. Debbie Aikens Laverell ’67, her daughter Brooke Laverell Gilbert ’96 and two grandchildren, Juddy and Katherine Hayes, in Ocean City, MD. 2. Ginger Damon Craft ’68 proudly celebrating in June 2015 at UCLA, where her daughter Emily D. Craft earned an MS as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Celebrating along with Emily is brother Joshua Craft, who recently completed his first year at Columbia School of Physicians and Surgeons. 3. Susan Knorr Gale ’71 officiating the University of Maryland vs.

University of Massachusetts NCAA lacrosse playoff game in Spring 2015

Pennsylvania State University, the College of William & Mary and Harvard. For the College Art Association I continued on the nominating committee (selecting board members) and the Distinguished Teaching of Art History Award jury. I also served on several fellowship and prize award committees, editorial boards of professional journals and as a consultant for

the Haas-Lilienthal House (San Francisco).

On campus, I served on three faculty Senate committees, the committee to select a university librarian and the program boards for American studies and folklore. In December I was particularly pleased to receive the Berkeley Faculty Service Award, recognizing a member of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate

whose activities as a faculty member have significantly enhanced the quality of the campus as an educational institution and community of scholars.

My eldest daughter and her three small children now live with me, so home life is rollicking.”

Lynn Taylor Biddle ’63

is living in Swampscott, MA, and would love to see old classmates.

younger grandson, Declan, turned 10 in August. The oldest, Cadel, 15, is huge (because his father is 6'4"!). We are seeing lots of them this month.

Domingo and I are still working, but hoping to retire in about three years. Our daughter, Anita, is taking a break from work, and enjoying her boys. I loved seeing everyone at Reunion! It was so fun, and meant so much to me.”

Susan Knorr Gale ’71

is still working full-time at Family Services, Inc., a non-profit in Charleston, SC, as the representative payee director with 1,200 clients. She also has

FALL 2015

continued officiating women’s college lacrosse this year and obtained her National 4 rating at age 62! She says, “I had the opportunity to officiate the University of Maryland vs. University of Massachusetts NCAA playoff game this past spring — overall loving the South and all its opportunities.”

Elizabeth Moran Legnini ’76 is living in Malvern

and still hanging out with the dogs and cats from Main Line Animal Rescue. Betsy lives vicariously through her children, Jennifer Legnini ’02, who is living in Brunswick, ME, farming, cooking and loving life; and Allyson Legnini ’04, is living in Washington DC, working at the League of Women Voters. She became a grandmother in October to her son Sean’s baby girl, Sylvia, with his wife Michele. She writes, “Since Sean is a Shipley grad and Michelle is a Notre Dame grad, it will be a real tug of war!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our 40th Reunion!”

1980-89 Sarah Keeley Innes ’81

got together for dinner with classmates Laura Vastine Lynch and Virginia Groves Nambiar and enjoyed lots of reminiscing at the end of May in Richmond, VA, when Laura was traveling down for her son’s graduation from Elon University. Fun times!

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Alumnae | CLASS NOTES

Amanda Sheronas Spencer ’89 and her

husband, Charlie, welcomed a son, Samuel Gabriel, on April 27, 2015. “He is just as amazing as his sister and we are enjoy-

ing him to the hilt! Abby loves being a big sister and is looking forward to the day her brother can play with her. She also loves being Mommy’s helper when it comes to taking care

of her brother. It’s just wonderful to see! He’ll be 4 months old next week, and is close to weighing in at 20 lbs.!”

1990-99 Eleanor Riley ’97 says,

“I was lucky enough to have an owl-filled weekend on Nantucket Island in August. I ran into Lauren Staple Zinns ’97 and her charming husband on the ferry. I heard all about the wonderful work she is doing at CHOP in emergency medicine and that her parents are still crushing it. Friday night there was an owl’s nest at Cru. I walked in to find Lizzy Sall ’00, Marla Mullen Sanford ’96, Amy Williams Guidi ’96,

Liz Coulson Libre ’98, Jenny Platow ’00, Shannon Casey Zimolong ’00 and many more. I got to catch up more with Marla and Amy and their handsome husbands the following night. I heard all about the cool things they’ve been up to professionally and, more importantly, their gorgeous daughters Sailor and Eva! Such fun to see so many alumnae in one weekend on one island. I’ll be in Philadelphia more for business in the coming months and I hope to glimpse more schoolmates!”

Courtney Fretz Obregon ’98 moved to Zurich,

Switzerland, for work at

the end of the summer.

She has started a new role as European Sales Director for Dow Chemical’s Adhesives business. She and her husband, Jose, are looking forward to exploring and welcoming visitors!

Elizabeth Wasley Reese ’99, her husband,

Mike (Haverford ’98), and daughter, Elsa, were delighted to welcome Michael Jacques “Jake” Reese to the family on August 25, 2014 at 9:20 a.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 7 oz. and measured 19.5 inches long. Jake and Elsa are already best friends and mom and dad are overjoyed that both children are happy and healthy.

2000-09 Eliza Slate Bakken ’00

1.

2.

1. 1981 classmates get together for dinner. From left to right: Laura Vastine Lynch, Sarah Keeley Innes, Virginia Groves Nambiar 2. Samuel Gabriel, son of Amanda Sheronas Spencer ’89

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Paige Laverell Goll ’00 with her new best friend, Noah

is an academic general pediatrician at San Francisco General Hospital. After graduating from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, she and her husband moved west to the San Francisco Bay Area where they fell in love with the Northern California lifestyle. They have two boys, Henry, 3, and Liam, 1, who keep them very busy. Professionally, Eliza is excited to be fulfilling her dreams as the associate medical director in a clinic with a 100% publicly insured population.

Academically, she’s a University of California San Francisco faculty member and enjoys teaching medical students and residents about general pediatrics. She’s also using all

CLASS NOTES | Alumnae

the Spanish she learned at Agnes Irwin (about 70% of the patients and their families speak Spanish as a first language).

Paige Laverell Goll ’00

is a volunteer at Freedom Ride in Orlando, FL. Freedom Ride is dedicated to enriching the lives and experiences of children and adults with disabilities in the Central Florida area through therapeutic horseback riding and related activities. Paige is working toward becoming a certified PATH international instructor/therapist.

1.

2.

Elizabeth Stewart Morton ’01 had her third

child, Julian Stewart Morton, on February 6, 2015. He is doted on by big sisters Penelope, 4, and Olive, 2. A few weeks later, the family moved to Oak Park, IL. This was their sixth move in four years, one of which was to Strasbourg, France, which made Elle grateful for her eight years of French at AIS. They are now expected to be in the Chicago area for the long haul.

Elle is a stay-at-home mom and volunteers with Breastfeeding USA and the Real Diaper Association.

Meaghan Malter Serbin ’03 and her husband,

Brian, had their first child, Michael Thomas, on March 19, 2015. They live in Exton, PA, and Meaghan is a teacher at St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia.

3.

4.

6.

5.

7.

1. Penny, Olive and Julian — children of Elizabeth Stewart Morton ’01 2. AIS alumnae at the Radnor Races. From left to right: J.D. Hall (Haverford ‘08), Maddie Winter ’08, Alison Moser ’06, Alice Van Horne ’06 3. Emily Murphy Troncoso ’03 with husband, Stephen, and their baby, Alexander Ward 4. 2005 alumnae reconnect every year with an annual trip. This September, they played tourists in Philadelphia. From left to right: Libby O’Toole, Charlotte Hamilton, Carley Razzi Mack, Natalie Jones, Kate Morsbach, Katie Best, Sara MacIntyre, Olivia Romeo 5. Sarah Calvert ‘03 celebrates her bachelorette party in Wolfeboro, NH in June. From left to right: Abbe Wright ’03, Laurie Hugill ’03, Ali GonzalezMartinez ’03, Winnie Schulz ’03, Sarah Calvert ’03, Amanda Earl ’03, Emily Calvert Goodling ’92, Amanda Calvert Feeks ’89 6. Laura Wagoner ‘09 (center) and former Hewlett Packer CEO/Presidential Hopeful Carly Fiorina (right) at a Republican Leadership Conference in Philadelphia 7. Class of 2009 reunites. From left to right: Laura Henry, Katie Barnes, Julia Pierce, Laura Wagoner, Marisa D’Orsogna, Lexi Tocci

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Alumnae | CLASS NOTES

Emily Murphy Troncoso ’03 says,

“I’m happy to report for class note purposes the birth of my first child, Alexander Ward Troncoso, on May 21, 2015 in Washington, DC. My husband, Stephen Troncoso, and I are thrilled to have him!”

Charlotte Hamilton ’05

recently moved from New York City to Utah in March and bought a house in August in Salt Lake City. She is currently interning at Sundance Institute in the events department.

Elizabeth Kovich ’05

married Jeffrey David Bilsky in October 2014 at Overbrook Golf Club in Villanova. The bridal party members included alumnae Danielle Kays Garcia ’05 and Lisa Mays ‘06.

Unbeknownst to them until they met in 2009, Jeff and Liz grew up only a few blocks away from one another! Jeff is a 2002 graduate of Radnor High School and received a BA and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. They currently live in Wayne.

Liz works in art conservation at The Barnes Foundation and Jeff is employed as a portfolio analyst at Chartwell Investment Partners.

Mary McCarty ’05 is

planning the 5-Year Anniversary Celebration for Generation Citizen (GC), a national nonprofit that promotes action civics education in schools across the United States. Mary serves as GC’s senior

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manager of external affairs at the organization’s headquarters in New York City. She was thrilled to return to AIS and participate in her class’s 10-Year Reunion this past spring.

Alison Moser ’06 lives in

the East Village of New York City and works in business development for the advertising agency Bartle Bogart Hegarty (BBH), where she welcomed a troop of SSP-ers this spring.

Very fun!

Kate Wiber ’06 gradu-

especially in order to enhance police capacity. This past April, Meredith organized a conference in Arusha, Tanzania, that focused on building trust and discussing sensitive issues between police, political parties and civil society in anticipation of the potential violence during the Tanzanian Constitutional Referendum in November.

2010-

Skylar Frederick ’11

graduated from Rutgers University in May and is

now working at the University of Virginia as a social media associate for the office of University Communications.

Mackenzie Murphy ’11

will be graduating from Dartmouth College in December with honors in engineering.

Throughout college, she has served as president of the Dartmouth Outing Club, an academic policy advocate as a student representative on the Committee on Instruction and as chair of the Student Assembly’s Academic Affairs

Committee. She has also been published for her research applying mathematical modeling to environmental issues.

She has traveled to Norway to work at a hiking cabin in the mountains, been a freelance writer for Backpacker magazine and interned in both the public and private sector. After graduation, she will be working as an investment associate for Bridgewater Associates, a hedge fund in Connecticut.

ated in June, earning her MBA from Yale School of Management, and is going to work in the biotechnology industry as a product manager.

Meredith Shea ’09

graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and moved to Washington, D.C., where she began work as a program assistant for the United States Institute of Peace.

Her current portfolio includes two country projects within the Rule of Law Center: Tanzania and Iraq. Both projects focus on judicial and security sector reform and capacity building.

Some examples of issues addressed include: identifying security challenges for vulnerable groups (especially women) in conflict zones, building relationships across sectors to prevent election violence and recommending national law amendments to address legal gaps —

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2014 alumnae in Washington, DC. From left to right: Katie Wenger, Larissa Wietlisbach, Autumn Wedderburn, Clarissa Kuo

Send Us Your Class Notes!

Have you recently achieved a major career milestone? Did you receive an award?

Did you enjoy an impromptu reunion with a fellow AIS alumna? Please share your news with us and we will share it in the Spring 2016 Agnes Irwin Magazine! To submit your news, comments or photos, please contact Brooke N. Norrett ’95 at 610.526.1675, bnorrett@agnesirwin.org or online at agnesirwin.org/classnotes. Submissions must be made by March 1, 2016.

MILESTONES | Alumnae

MILESTONES

APRIL 29–30, 2016

Reunion Weekend

BIRTHS

1989

1999

2003

1996

2001

2003

To Charlie and Amanda Sheronas Spencer, a boy, Samuel Gabriel April 27, 2015

To Brad and Amy Williams Guidi, a girl, Eva Ann May 10, 2015

To Mike and Elizabeth Wasley Reese, a boy, Michael Jacques, “Jake” August 25, 2014

To Joshua and Elizabeth Stewart Morton, a boy, Julian Stewart February 6, 2015

To Brian and Meaghan Malter Serbin, a boy, Michael Thomas March 19, 2015

To Stephen and Emily Murphy Troncoso, a boy, Alexander Ward May 21, 2015

MARRIAGES

2004

2004

2004

to John Capasso July 4, 2015

to Terrance Sullivan August 29, 2015

to David Ernst May 2, 2015

Sarah Bardsley

Hadley Schroll

Keri Zug

IN MEMORIAM

1930

1945

1938

1945

Josephine Greer Laub April 8, 2015

Virginia Sharp Lott August 12, 2015

1941

Mary Pauline McLeod Loomis March 3, 2015

1942

Barbara Gibbon Rowland March 9, 2015

Martha Snader Funk February 15, 2015

Ann Judson Nielsen July 30, 2015

1946

Joyce Cochrane Lewis July 16, 2015

1959

Judith Carrigan Sykes December 9, 2014

1960

Leslie Lockhart Ducharme December 2, 2014

1961

Sheila MacFarland Connor January 21, 2015

1975

Amelia Erskine Hunter June 11, 2015

Remember your years at Agnes Irwin!

Don’t miss the opportunity to reconnect with former classmates, rekindle friendships, relive old memories and make new ones! Be on the lookout for a more detailed program of the weekend’s events closer to the date. We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions?

Contact Brooke Norrett ’95, Director of Alumnae Relations, at bnorrett@agnesirwin.org or 610.526.1675.

Stay connected to Agnes Irwin using these social media apps!

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AGNESIRWIN.ORG

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From the Archives ARTIFACT

Dipping Into Past Customs

AMANDA MAHNKE

Dip pens and inkwells like this one were used at Agnes Irwin for writing sums and penning letters from the founding of the school in 1869 into the mid-20th century. This inkwell belonged to Sophia Dallas Irwin, younger sister of Agnes Irwin and the second headmistress of The Agnes Irwin School. It was gifted to Bertha M. Laws, the fourth headmistress, who served from 1928 to 1944 and who later donated the inkstand to the school. This inkstand “belonged to Miss Sophy and always stood on her desk,” Laws said. “When she died, it was given to me and now I am passing

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it on to you for the Alumnae Room, where she, I know, would be happy to have it stay.”

—A manda Mahnke, based on “From Miss Sophy’s Inkwell: A Collection of Agnes Irwin Memories,” by Elise Artelt ’60 and Martha Rowland Goppelt ’50 (May 2008)

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 1043 Conshohocken, PA

Ithan Avenue & Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010 agnesirwin.org

FSC Logo FPO

GOLDEN Sunny skies and autumnal hues offer an idyllic backdrop for third graders practicing their field hockey skills during a Physical Education class on the Lower School green in October. Lower School students participate in PE classes four days a week and wellness activities one day a week. PE provides the physical activity and skillbased instruction that growing bodies need.

Photo by Amanda Mahnke