HB Magazine - Fall/Winter 2022

Leading WITH Heart

19600 North Park Boulevard

Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122 216.932.4214

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Special thanks to Ken Furlich, father of Brady ’15 and Gwynn ’19, for his wonderful sports photography! For 11 years, Ken has helped capture the action on our fields and courts. In just the fall of 2022, he took more than 3000 photos of Blazer athletes. Hathaway Brown is immensely grateful to Ken’s dedication and support!

EDITORIAL TEAM:

Suzanne Taigen

Editor

Director of Communications

Kendra Davis, APR

Associate Editor

Director of Marketing

Ryan Harris

Photographer and Videographer

D.J. Reichel

Art Director/Designer

Visuals and Publications Manager

ALUMNAE RELATIONS TEAM:

Missy Iredell Gebhardt ’96

Director of Alumnae Engagement

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM:

Fran Bisselle

Head of School

Sheri Homany

Associate Head of School

Interim Director of Upper School

Sharon Baker

Director of Middle School

Lauren Gibson ’01

Chief Financial Officer

Clarke Wilson Leslie ’80

Director of Advancement

LaShawna Adams Mitchell

Director of Infant & Toddler Center

Darrah Parsons

Director of Early Childhood

Elizabeth Pinkerton

Director of Enrollment Management

Kelly Stepnowsky

Director of Primary School

O p e n H e a r t s

I recently had the opportunity to hear presidential historian Jon Meacham speak to a group of independent school leaders. A former executive editor at Random House and former editor of Newsweek , Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of several best-sellers, including American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and The Soul of America.

Meacham told a story about what he called the most extraordinary piece of writing in any presidential library. It was a letter that President George H.W. Bush wrote to his parents in 1958, four years after his daughter Robin’s death from leukemia. Meacham was hired to write Bush’s presidential biography and, as part of the process to get to know Bush and his life, he asked the former president to read the letter aloud.

“There is about our house a need. We need some soft blonde hair to offset those crew cuts. We need a doll house to stand firm against our forts and racquets and thousand baseball cards. We need someone who’s afraid of frogs. We need a little one who can kiss without leaving egg or jam or gum. We need a girl…..We had one once — she’d fight and cry and play and make her way, just like the rest. But there was about her a certain softness. She was patient. Her hugs were a just little less wiggly…..But she is still with us. We need her and yet we have her. We can’t touch her and yet we can feel her. We hope she’ll stay in our house for a long, long time. Love, Pop.”

After reading the letter, the 90-year-old Bush broke down in tears. A Bush aide jumped in and asked Meacham why he had the President read the letter. Meacham said, “If you want to know someone’s heart…” and then Bush finished Meacham’s sentence. “You have to know what breaks it.”

Hathaway Brown’s distinguished academics empower girls to apply knowledge in action. We are confident our students will create solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and we want every one of them to be ferociously successful. And yet to be truly successful, their education must touch not only their minds, but their hearts. They, like the adults who serve as their role models, must know their own humanity and honor the humanity of every person with whom they come in contact. They must have soft skills like empathy, authentic listening, and instinctual kindness, and they must care for their whole selves.

Hathaway Brown’s board of trustees is finalizing our strategic plan which will guide our school over the next five years. Central to the plan is a continued commitment to enhancing the development of the whole child by integrating character building, leadership training, mental well-being, and social-emotional learning. It also means attracting and retaining a diverse group of world-class educators, cultivating a celebrated community with a deep sense of belonging and empathy, and building the future by inspiring a culture of philanthropy to enhance our distinguished academics and support mission-centered opportunities.

History has taught us that we will be defined by how we love and how we use our hearts when we lead, and this guides our mission of learning not just for school, but for life. I am deeply proud that HB women are among today’s leaders and future HB leaders will be empowered to lead with open hearts in tomorrow’s multicultural and globalized society.

Fondly, Dr. Fran Bisselle Head of School

Index

Alumnae featured in this issue

News from North Park, pg. 8

Virginia Osborne Charman ’41*

Amanda Leisy Corlett 1889*

Ann Corlett Ford 1916*

Katie Greppin ’22

Margaret (Molly) Paine ’17 Avery Simon ’22

Susan Kettering Williamson ’55*

Breaking Codes and Swimming with Sharks, pg. 18

Harriet Mullin Barry ’32*

Martha Barry Horsburgh ’65*

Building the Future in Early Childhood and the Primary School, pg. 22

Erica Bruno Byrnes ’05

Viki Newton Byrnes ’72

Sally Newton Sparks ’31

Adelaide Cobb Ward ’51*

Danielle Horvitz Weiner ’00

* Deceased

Honoring America’s Service Members

The eighth-grade class honored U.S. veterans and members of the armed forces by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during their class trip to Washington, D.C.

Building Empathy: Author Jamil Zaki Visits HB

In September, the HB community had a wonderful opportunity to “Learn for Life” when Dr. Jamil Zaki presented to parents, faculty and staff, and Upper School students. Dr. Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. Using tools from psychology and neuroscience, he and his colleagues examine how empathy works and how people can learn to empathize more effectively. Dr. Zaki shared cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. Dr. Zaki is author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World which was the summer read for our community.

#1 Again!

For the fourth consecutive year, HB was ranked #1 best all-girls high school in Ohio and #1 best college prep private high school in Ohio. The rankings were announced by Niche, an online platform that tracks education institutions and provides research findings for public and private schools across the country.

18 Seniors Earn National Merit Recognition

Eighteen Hathaway Brown seniors were recognized in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program for their academic talent, as indicated by the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Additionally, National Merit Commended Students placed among 50,000 top scorers of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT. Six members of the Class of 2023 are Commended Scholars:

• Christina Bencin

• Maddy Bryan

• Anna Buchner

• Sahar Maleki

• Zoë Nelson

• Emma Ramon

Students Recognized Nationally by The College Board

The College Board, which administers the PSAT and SAT, named Upper School students as National African American and National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars. The designation is based on their academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT and/or AP exams.

Nationwide, 16,000 seniors were named Semifinalists. These seniors have the opportunity to advance as finalists and compete for more than 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million. Hathaway Brown’s Class of 2023 National Merit Semifinalists:

• Hua Fang

• Shubhee Gandhi • Alison Gunzler

• Katie Harbaugh • Alice Lin • Saija Shah

• Marianna Steele

• Meredith Stewart

• Eesha Talasila • Emily Wilson • Maisie Yan • Cindy Yu

National African American Recognition Program Scholars

• Zoe Bennett

• Layah Carpenter

• Sydnee Dykes

• Chloe Echols

• Abby Gemechu

• Jermani Jones

• Kandace Kellon

• Hannah Rowland-Seymour

• Olivia Thornton

National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar

• Elena Winter

2022 Endowed Faculty Chairs

Hathaway Brown’s Endowed Faculty Chairs are the highest academic award bestowed on faculty to honor excellence and distinguished teaching in various areas. Some of the 14 endowed chairs are on a rotating basis of 1-5 years, while others are for longer durations.

H. William Christ Chair for Vision and Innovation

Barry Kallmeyer , Chief Information Officer

H. William Christ, Head of School from 1987-2016, distinguished himself at Hathaway Brown as a creative and visionary leader. This chair was established upon his retirement to recognize a faculty member who demonstrates vision and innovation in the field of education.

The Anne Cutter Coburn Chair for Excellence in Teaching

Mary Margaret Robinson , Primary School Performing Arts Teacher

The Anne Cutter Coburn Chair for Excellence in Teaching was established in 1984 to recognize teaching excellence at Hathaway Brown School.

Ann Corlett Ford Chair in History

Janine Yearms , Middle School History Department Chair and Humanities Teacher

Established in 1990, this endowed chair is intended to stimulate and enrich history teaching at Hathaway Brown School. Funded by the grandchildren of Amanda Leisy Corlett 1889 and the grandchildren of Ann Corlett Ford 1916, the endowment recognizes a history faculty member who is especially skillful in stimulating historical curiosity, exploration, and study.

Kettering Fund Chair for Student Research

Dr. Andrew Clifford , Director of Fellowships in Science Research and Engineering

This endowment was established in 2004 with generous grants from The Kettering Fund of Dayton, Ohio, with the support of Susan Kettering Williamson ’55. Income from this endowment supports the salary of the director of Fellowships in Science Research and Engineering at Hathaway Brown School.

William McKinley & Jessie M. Osborne Chair for the Writing Center

Beth Armstrong , Director of Osborne Fellowships in Writing and English Teacher.

Virginia Osborne Charman ’41 created this chair in 2001 because she believed that the written word is and always has been a signature element of a Hathaway Brown education. This endowment supports the Chair, establishing an atmosphere where student writing can originate and evolve.

The Paine Family Leadership in Coaching Award

Mike Maurer , Volleyball Coach

In 2018, this award was created by Amy and Andrew (Randy) J. Paine III, parents of Margaret (Molly) Paine ’17 to recognize the significant impact a coach can have on the HB community and the individual development of student-athletes for life.

The Sue Sadler Award for Promise in Education

Caitlin

Cahill , Upper School Mathematics Department Chair and Teacher

The Hathaway Brown School Award for Promise in Education honors Sue Sadler for her many contributions to the HB community including classroom teaching and school administration spanning more than two decades. This award is given annually to an early career educator who demonstrates a deep commitment to excellence in education, possesses a sincere desire to reach every student, and through his or her work, has a powerfully positive impact on the HB community.

Emily Wilson ’23 Selected as a Coolidge Senator

Senior Emily Wilson was recently selected as a Coolidge Senator as part of the distinct program from the Coolidge Scholarship that recognizes one hundred top scholarship applicants who demonstrate exceptional academic accomplishments and show a special interest in Calvin Coolidge. In addition to being named a Coolidge Senator, Emily will receive a scholarship, and an all-expense-paid trip to D.C. for the Coolidge Senator Summit, where she will hear from prominent speakers, tour important sites and meet other Coolidge Senators.

HB Students Compete at Regeneron

ISEF

Over the summer, two recent HB graduates and two current juniors competed in the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest pre-college science fair in the world. Hathaway Brown has been honored to award spots to ISEF each year based on the quantity and excellence of the science and engineering research being performed in partnership with Cleveland institutions like Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, NASA Glenn Research Center, and the Natural History Museum.

• Katie Greppin ‘22: Epidemiology of Pineoblastoma in the United States, 2000-2017 (Barnholtz-Sloan Lab)

• Neha Sangani ‘24 won third place in the Biomedical Engineering category for her project Procoagulant Synthetic Platelets to Restore Hemostatic Clot Quality in Platelet Dysfunction Settings (Sen Gupta Lab)

• Avery Simon ‘22: Creating an Autonomous Path Navigator to Generate Interest in Machine Learning Among Children (Schilling Lab)

• Julia Zhu ‘24 won fourth place in the Biomedical and Health Science category for her project C19orf12 Ablation Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Ferroptosis in MPAN. (Zhang Lab)

In Memoriam

Hathaway Brown remembers Peg Madden, HB’s head of school from 1978-1986, who passed away in July. Peg was passionate about lifelong learning throughout her impactful career in education. Her son, William Osborne, said, “Our mother’s years as head of school were so meaningful for her, and we all are proud of her intelligent, compassionate, and, yes, fun contributions to secondary education.”

Locker Room Blazer Nation

As fall sports come to an end, three seniors reflect on the importance of athletics in their HB experience.

ELENA WINTER Cross Country

“When I moved to Cleveland before eigth grade, practices with the cross country team were my first introduction to the HB community. It was my first welcome into the next five years of my life, and it provided me with confidence that I was going to be ok. I love how supportive we are of one another. Particularly in cross country where everyone is in competition, it’s remarkable to see how strong of a connection we have with one another. We really are a family.”

MOLLY ROBERTS

Soccer

“Soccer has taught me resilience. As a goalie, I’ve learned to keep my focus during games, even if things aren’t going well, and not to dwell too much on a goal that I didn’t save. My teammates push each other to be better while also remembering to laugh and have fun, too. HB athletics bring a great sense of school spirit to the HB community. When I was younger, I looked up to the older students for guidance, and now I want to be that person for the younger players.”

KANDACE KELLON

Golf and Track

“Middle School sports really pave the way for Upper School because students can experiment with what they love while finding their strengths. Being involved with golf and track allowed me to unwind and focus on doing something I love. What I’ll remember most is the feeling of community and playing with my friends.”

Protecting the Joy of Teaching J o y

T eaching

Laura Owsiany knew what she was looking for when she was introduced to HB. Amidst a broader culture that is draining talent from the teaching profession, Owsiany began a search for a way to deepen her understanding of innovation in schools. She was seeking opportunities to build a reflective teaching practice at a school that takes teaching seriously. A graduate of Georgetown University who had been working as a program manager at Writopia Lab, a nonprofit that teaches writing workshops to youth ages eight to 18, she developed a sense for the ways social-emotional learning and care for the whole student integrate with a person’s intellectual development.

“At Hathaway Brown, I believe I can become the kind of teacher I want to be,” she explained as she joined us in fall 2021 to teach Upper School English.

In 2019, Hathaway Brown was selected for a groundbreaking collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and approximately 20 leading independent schools around the country with the goal of identifying and

nurturing new teachers like Owsiany. Through a unique two-year fellowship modeled after medical residencies for aspiring doctors, HB hosts candidates who are pursuing a Master of Science in Education from Penn’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), the nation’s topranked education school. The Penn Fellows program partners emerging teachers with established leaders and mentors at HB. Thus far, HB has hosted five fellows in the English, Math, and Computer Science departments.

Owsiany is partnered with Marty Frazier, a talented teacher who is also the Upper School English Department Chair and Dean of Faculty. She is the second fellow Frazier has elected to mentor. Frazier brings unique strengths in course design and extensive teaching experience to his work at HB. He believes that collaboration with emerging teachers sparks ongoing positive, productive conversation and says there is no doubt that having fresh eyes on the English curriculum has helped to reshape courses with new texts and new approaches.

Owsiany’s passion and expertise in English is matched with a desire to design innovative and creative assessments and projects that stoke an authentic, intrinsic love of literature and writing. She is currently working on an extensive project to examine how discussion in class can lead students to a more profound and collaborative understanding of literature. As part of the faculty, she has sparked countless energizing conversations among colleagues. Those involved with

By Koyen Parikh Shah, Program Director of HB’s University of Pennsylvania Fellowship

“I want to be in the midst of conversations about how to make education more engaging, more relevant, and more equitable.”

Laura Owsiany

As a Penn Fellow at Hathaway Brown, Laura Owsiany teaches Upper School classes such as Critical Reading and Writing, as well as American Literature.

HB’s teacher residencies use the words refreshing, invigorating, supportive, valuable, and fun to describe their experiences.

This teacher residency has influenced our search and implementation of new strategies to encourage reflection and goal setting by teachers. Frazier has been instrumental

conducted in May 2022 of 830 teachers shows that more than three quarters considered leaving their profession during that academic year. Research from the field suggests that morale, mental health, and exhaustion will affect the talent pipeline. Finding targeted solutions to the shortages flagged by recent headlines will require examination of localized data. The current teacher shortage is a nuanced and complex issue that calls for multiple solutions. HB is committed to nurturing a culture of teaching that effectively responds to these environmental pressures.

A long held priority at the school centers efforts to attract and nurture creative, diverse teaching talent at HB. This program through the University of Pennsylvania creates

in bringing Folio Collaborative to our teams. Folio is a tool that helps teachers set and align goals with broader strategic initiatives and also encourages teachers to share insights and best practices with one another. Several schools in the UPenn consortium use the same platform.

These teacher partnerships undergird a culture that makes reflection and innovation possible. As it turns out, teacher residencies at HB are creating a hub for examination of thoughtful, creative, and effective teaching and learning practices. Penn GSE offers resources that fuel ongoing exploration.

Right now, we are fielding a national conversation about why teachers are leaving the profession and what can be done to help students and teachers thrive. Some would argue that the complexities of teaching work have always been undervalued, and yet new challenges are emerging.

A March 2022, Education Week article shares that between the 2008-09 and the 2018-19 academic years, the number of people completing a teacher-education program declined by almost a third, and the pandemic likely accelerated the trend. A nationwide survey

new pathways for teachers to share practices that are effective, relevant, and dynamic. We are looking for unconventional solutions to invite diverse, creative talent to the profession, and the partnership with the University of Pennsylvania is an intentional step that supports and celebrates what teachers do every single day.

This initiative with the University of Pennsylvania GSE helps make HB a place where excellence in teaching is studied and intentionally fueled. “HB has exceeded my expectations of an environment that nurtures teachers. As I start the second year of this teaching fellowship, I do see myself becoming the kind of teacher I want to be,” Owsiany said.

A Day in the Life of HB’s Celebrated Community

Extraordinary faculty and staff keep things running!

THE SCHOOL DAY BEGINS

Terry Churchill, director of plant operations, has been on call 24/7 for 38 years. In the early hours of the school day, he and his team check all HVAC equipment, turn on lights, and remove snow and ice during the winter months. “Every day is a new experience,” Terry says. “I have watched students grow up here, graduate, and come back as colleagues. To me, it’s not like having a job, it’s my second home. The HB community is truly like family to me.”

PREPARING FOOD WITH LOVE

“This is my 24th school year and I absolutely love it!” says Felicia “Fe-Fe” Philpot who works in dining services. A mother of six herself, Fe-Fe loves to prepare delicious food and watch the children enjoy eating and trying new things. “The people here are my family away from family!”

STORYTIME!

8 am

MENTOR TIME

Upper School Mathematics Teacher

Preschool students in Claire Wilson and Alexandra Hochee’s classroom enjoy a new favorite book together. “We encourage children to become active learners throughout the day, tapping into their creativity, reasoning, and problem-solving,” Alexandra shares. “We especially love taking them outdoors. Seeing them interact with each other in imaginative play, become daring acrobats or little scientists observing nature makes our hearts dance!

CONNECTING IN THE MIDDLE

Seventh Grade Dean and Social Studies Teacher Jared Berg loves seeing his students make connections between themselves and the places and times they are studying. As a fifth-year teacher at HB, he also enjoys the fact that no two days are the same. “The HB community is empowering,” he says. “The support for each student’s interests and well-being is unparalleled and our teachers see students holistically.”

5 am 11 am 10 am

PREPARING LIFELONG LEARNERS

After a career in the banking industry, Lisa Hamilton made a career change to education. She has taught for the past seven years, and this is her first year at Hathaway Brown! “There is nothing more exciting than being in an engaged community of learners and watching the learning process happen in real time,” she says. “HB is a community of lifelong learners committed to inspiring, equipping, and empowering girls to use their talents and their voice for good.”

BUILDING THE FUTURE

A HUMMING BUSINESS OFFICE

Karin Redmond just started her 32nd year in the business office where a busy team manages everything from finances to school-wide logistics like first impressions at the front desk. “We are a well-run department and I’m proud to be part of it,” she shares. “This community is my extended family and year after year, we continue to make strides and offer fabulous opportunities for our students.”

Dr. Bisselle checks in with the AMHigley construction team renovating the Early Childhood and Primary School. “We are so excited to be modernizing these areas for our youngest learners,” she says. “I am grateful to our board of trustees for setting forth a vision to thoughtfully construct new spaces and align current spaces with HB’s long-standing pedagogical values, our distinguished academics, and our amazing celebrated community.”

MAGIC IN MUSIC

Mary Margaret Robinson says she loves teaching music at HB because it’s the closest she can get to real magic. “These are the experiences and feelings that not only connect students to one another, but to themselves. It’s a magic that transcends and endures all through their lives,” she shares. “HB is a special place because we truly educate the whole child. No matter the subject, teachers, and students work together to make connections in both academic and social-emotional learning.”

THE CLOSE OF THE DAY

Affectionately called “Box,” Peron Box has worked at HB for six years as part of the plant operations team. He makes sure things on campus are in order and safely secured at the end of day. “It’s great to be at HB,” he says. “It’s a friendly place to work with great co-workers.”

AFTER SCHOOL SPORTS

Middle School Humanities Teacher Janine Yearms wraps up the school day and then heads outside to coach the Middle School Cross Country team. “I enjoy coaching the girls because running allows me to teach the girls about life,” she says. “I wholeheartedly believe that in both life and running, you get out of it what you put into it. My heart is full when I hear them echoing my words and encouraging each other — and students from other teams — to be their best.”

A SAFE DISMISSAL

Melanie Lozier escorts bus riders at the end of the day. She oversees safety, security, and transportation as director of auxiliary services. “Safety is of the utmost importance and fundamental to the work we do every day,” she shares. “I’m thankful for our school community which is brimming with people who always go the extra mile.”

TEAM MEETING

Middle School faculty check in regularly together and cover topics from curriculum and professional development to discussing how new students are getting acclimated or how individual students might need extra support.

BR A IN CøDeS e K G

Travel Experiences Enhance Classroom Teaching

Famed cryptographer Alan Turing led efforts to break Nazi codes during World War II, helping the Allies win the war in Europe. How can HB students learn from the codebreakers and apply similar skills to their coding and math studies? Or how might students learn from whale sharks, an endemic species in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico, and apply knowledge in action to computer science and robotics projects?

Through opportunities made possible by the Harriet Mullin Barry 1932 Fund for International Travel, two Hathaway Brown faculty embarked on international travel experiences in the summer of 2022. They expanded their learning, were inspired by unique encounters, and brought new ideas to classrooms.

Caitlin Cahill, Upper School Mathematics teacher and department chair, traveled to Iceland and the United Kingdom to study STEM instruction in other schools and to explore cultures, history, and natural elements. She visited three UK schools in Cambridge, Essex, and Jersey.

“The school environments were very similar to HB with academicallymotivated students who value their education and who are exploring their passions,” said Caitlin.

She learned about the UK educational system from teachers and administrators, observed Math, Physics, and Computer Science courses, and interacted with students during their school days. “My biggest take away was that students are students no matter the location,” she said!

AND SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

Caitlin

Caitlin was able to explore Bletchley Park, home to Britain’s World War II codebreakers, where Alan Turing and other agents decoded secret messages from Germany’s code encryption machines, Enigma. She learned how UK educators integrate the historical accomplishments in coding and mathematics into their curriculum, and she hopes to incorporate what she learned into her own Algebra 2 Honors classroom. In Iceland, she embraced many of the breathtaking natural elements the country had to offer. She explored the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, geothermal energy,

In Iceland, Caitlin Cahill embraced many of the breathtaking natural elements the country had to offer.

the Strokkur Geyser, and the wildlife population. “I can’t wait to integrate more real-life Calculus and Physics into the Calculus 1 curriculum!”

Val Yarmesch, Computer Science teacher and department chair, joined a group of 16 educators at the Vermilion Sea Institute in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico. They immersed themselves in the natural environment, learned about endemic species, conducted science research,

Cahill was able to explore Bletchley Park, home to Britain’s World War II codebreakers, where Alan Turing and other agents decoded secret messages from Germany’s Enigma machines like this one.

While in the United Kingdom, Caitlin Cahill visited schools similar to HB like the Felsted School in Essex where she learned about their STEM instruction.

and made new discoveries to share with their classrooms back home.

“It was an amazing opportunity to explore conservation and science components that we can apply to our work with computer science, especially with coding and robotics,” Val explains.

Some of Val’s favorite days were those spent on the water in the Sea of Cortez where they observed amazing wildlife including sea turtles, blue footed boobies, and the beloved whale sharks.

“Life in Bahia revolves around respect and protection of this beautiful gentle giant,” Val explained. “It was thrilling to help with local community efforts to identify the sharks around the coastline.”

The educators also explored geological formations unique to Baja, including the San Andreas Fault, and three

active stratovolcanoes that supply geothermal energy to the surrounding towns. They learned about the regional cirio trees, many of which were more than 300 years old, and explored 10,000 year old cave paintings created by indigenous people that are still vibrant in their colors.

“The experience reminded us of the importance of maintaining our connection to our past,” Val shared. “My time in Bahia was life changing and I’ll share what I learned through a Storyline project with our Primary School students.”

Thomas C. Barry and Martha Barry Horsburgh ’65 established The Harriet Mullin Barry 1932 Fellowship in 2008 to honor their mother and provide international travel and research to develop informed, thoughtful, and compassionate leaders. Over the

years, more than 25 faculty have participated in the fellowship.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Barry family for establishing this legacy program,” said Mike Ciuni, director of the Fellowship in Global Citizenship. “These opportunities bring creativity and inspiration to our teachers and our classrooms, better equipping us to deliver distinguished academics to our students.”

In Mexico, Val Yarmesch joined other educators to explore 10,000-year-old cave paintings (still with vibrant colors) created by indigenous people.

Val Yarmesch studied whale sharks, an endemic species in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico and plans to apply that learning to the curriculum.

At the Vermilion Sea Institute in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico, Val Yarmesch and colleagues from across the country immersed themselves in the natural environment, including sleeping outside!

By Middle School Director Sharon Baker and Learning Services Department Chair Alexandra Franceschini

TikTok, Reels, Snap Streaks, likes, shares, trends, and ratios.

The vocabulary of a girl’s social life might seem very different now than in a pre-pandemic society. The last three years have underlined and emphasized many essential questions on the minds of Hathaway Brown faculty and staff, but one stands above the rest: how does our work with social-emotional learning (SEL) guide the hearts and minds of students as we navigate a postpandemic educational landscape?

The excitement of returning for the perceived new normalcy of the 2022-2023 school year was palpable as we had been missing the sense of community in the halls of Hathaway Brown. On the first day of school, there were sounds of squeaking sneakers and squeals of delight ringing through the marble and glass atrium as students embraced each other for the first time in a long time, bringing broad smiles to the faces of everyone within earshot. While much has shifted, some standards have remained the same. Social-emotional connection begins each day and is the foundation on which we build everything else.

❤

Guiding Hearts

Measuring SEL in Gen Z

Recognizing the generational shift among us is critical to our success. Born between 1996 and 2015, Gen Z is more equipped than any previous generation to have hard conversations about SEL. Integrated into all aspects of their daily life, messages about identity, self-worth, beauty, and popularity are abundant on social media. The data is rich around how likes and shares on posts (or lack thereof) connect directly to a girl’s self-worth. Often, girls will take a post down within an hour if it does not generate the positive attention they hope to see, or, more significantly, if it does not generate as much attention as a peer’s post. Now, though, after courses in media literacy, workshops on body image, and advisory programming on identity and belonging, we see students taking a more proactive role in identifying their needs, seeking support, and trying to find solutions.

He a rts ♥

Adolescents love little more than giving their opinion on the world around them. Through self-surveys with Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and The Social Institute, HB captures how these adolescents identify their strengths, challenges, stress, joy, and resiliency — all characteristics of emotional intelligence — at several intervals during the school year. We have learned that our students are highly critical and aware of the stakes. The data shows high compassion and understanding for others while giving less credit to their own work internally. We also notice a strong correlation between a student’s SEL and academic performance, and while this is not new, now we can measure it and pinpoint places to start conversations, and identify ways to target instruction to harness students’ strengths and mitigate their challenges.

HB Students Gain Support through Social-Emotional Learning

& Minds

There’s a long history between supporting learning and managing social-emotional wellbeing, yet only recently have the tools existed to quantify specifically where students are on the spectrum of emotional needs as a whole when compared against their peers. Hathaway Brown’s Middle School, in partnership with ERB, relies on RethinkEd’s SEL Toolkit to assess students twice a year on their individual social-emotional wellness. Using a five-point scale, students are asked to rate themselves, given questions like, “I know what to do when I feel stressed or nervous at school” and, “I am confident I can deal with problems in my life.” These responses are then compared to a norm-referenced group and scored, providing HB’s faculty with individual SEL competencies for students as well as the grade level group as a whole.

Putting the Data to Work

To design instruction around specific skills that allow students to observe, practice, and reflect, the faculty use SEL data based on areas in need of significant support. Social awareness, relationship skills, and self-awareness tend to be the areas in which HB students more proficiently problem solve. Conversely, our middle schoolers rate themselves less favorably than their peers nationwide in the areas of self-management and responsible decision-making. This tracks with what we are used to seeing from early adolescent girls: a tendency to have lots to say about others but difficulty finding the words

to speak directly about themselves. Interestingly, the higher the emotional intelligence scores, the harsher they are on themselves. Part of the work with SEL involves helping students recognize all the things they do in a day that are emotionally competent as well as using mindfulness strategies to manage negative self-talk and temper unreasonable expectations.

but to those in education it is clear that something has shifted in the way these young people react to each other and the world around them. Historically, students pushed back against being labeled; today, they want nothing more than to label themselves. The Social Institute lessons begin with a check-in—a simple question–“how are you

Presented with the challenge of students reporting they need support with responsible decision making, HB, with generous philanthropic support from the DePetro family — parents of current Middle and Primary School girls — recently began using The Social Institute’s #WinAtSocial program to provide highly engaging, researchbased lessons that give students the framework to make healthy, positive choices around social media and technology. An adolescent’s daily life, often consisting of TikTok challenges and group text threads, requires them to navigate complex social hierarchies online and without the human interaction necessary to understand the nuances of conversations.

Studies on the implications of social media on adolescent brain development will take decades to yield statistically significant results,

feeling right now?” That check-in yields answers in the form of a range of grinning to sobbing emojis and provides us with a snapshot of who we have in the room that day. Individual data blends with school and national results to give a picture over time of how our students are feeling. The lessons focus on current issues in the social lives of students: how to balance technology and schoolwork, how to respond when faced with online bullying, how to hold your own values in the face of peer pressure.

While our students and faculty learn and lead together on all that is new and daunting in the world around us, we know, too, that the essential question is the right one: how are we doing today? Listening to the answer to that question will help our students confidently engage the world for the better.

B ILDING F T RE T H E

U U U

IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Hathaway Brown continues to build the future! The recent Classic Building renovation, now formally named the Adelaide Cobb Ward 1951 Academic Center, provides a historically modern learning environment that empowers students and faculty to perform their best, and to be inspired! Now, the focus shifts to modernizing spaces for the youngest learners in the Early Childhood (EC) program and Primary School.

Built in 1926, Raymond Hall was HB’s dormitory until 1972 when it became the Primary School. It has served generations of young girls who developed the foundation of their education and fostered a love of learning. The building holds special memories for many, and efforts are being made to preserve its unique qualities while also modernizing it to meet the needs of the next generation of students.

Courtland Entrance

South Facade on Addition

GUND Partnership, the same architects who have helped update the Classic Building and created many of HB’s spaces over the last 30 years, including the four-story Rosenthal Atrium, the Jewett-Brown Academic Center and the Carol and John Butler Aquatic Center, have created a design that truly embodies the HB mission. Renovations will align facilities with HB’s distinguished academics — providing the best learning and social-emotional opportunities for students.

These important improvements are made possible through HB’s Lighting the Way campaign and generous donors. Those interested in learning more, can contact Hannah Ruddock at 216-320-8766 or email hruddock@hb.edu.

Jeschelnig Family Library Multipurpose & Muscle Room

Classroom

EC & Primary School Lobby

SPECIAL

MOMENTS

to their girls in their younger years.

“We read to them all the time,” Rich remembers. “Every night, even when we got home late. It made a real difference in developing their curiosity.”

Today, the Jeschelnigs are supporting the new library in EC and Prime which will be named in the family’s honor. “We think the library is extremely important,” Michelle says. “We’re excited that it’s moving to the ground floor where it will be central in the school community.”

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Michelle and Rich Jeschelnig

Like many parents, Michelle and Rich Jeschelnig balance the demands of busy careers and commitments while raising their daughters, Lindsey ’22 and Elyse ’27. Both parents are executives in industrial-engineering and Michelle serves in pivotal leadership roles at Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

They know the importance of having balance and holding on to special moments like when they would read

Rich, a board member and chair of the building and grounds committee, helped develop the renovation and construction plans for EC and Prime, as well as the Classic Building, turf field and tennis courts. “It’s an exciting time for HB,” he explains. “We are updating our infrastructure, improving technology and preparing the entire campus for the next era of educating girls.”

Special moments reading books together are behind them and new adventures are ahead. Lindsey completed her time as a lifer at HB and is now part of the freshman class at New York University.

Michelle shares, “Graduation was a really happy time, and we are excited that Elyse continues her HB experience with all the new wonderful improvements on campus.”

Michael and Danielle Horvitz Weiner ’00

For Danielle Horvitz Weiner ‘00, Hathaway Brown’s Primary School was a magical experience. Lifelong friendships began and precious memories were made, including amazing Halloween parties and a Madagascar hissing cockroach as a class pet. “My love of learning began in Prime,” Danielle shares. “The warm, caring community nurtured my curiosity and my classmates and teachers were my extended family. It was magical.”

As Danielle and her husband, Michael, began raising their own family, the decision to send their daughter, Arabella ’31, to HB was easy. “We are big believers in the benefits of an all-girls education,” says Michael. “Danielle had such a great experience as a lifer at HB and we continue to be impressed by the academics and commitment to preparing girls for life.”

Michael and Danielle are both passionate about the importance of the preschool through fourth grade years and this inspired them to support the Early Childhood and Primary School renovations. “We wanted to have an impact on these foundational years in an area of the school that needed some attention,” Danielle says. “I am so excited about the planned changes, including more windows that add natural light and warm and inviting learning spaces that will still have the cozy nooks and crannies I remember as a Prime student.”

As Arabella grows up in HB’s celebrated community, both Danielle and Michael look forward to watching her experience the magic of Prime. “Our hope for Arabella is that she develops a love of learning,” says Michael. “We look forward to watching her grow up as a strong, confident young woman of character.”

COMMITTED GRANDPARENTS

represented in their family, including daughter-in-law Erica Bruno Byrnes ’05 and Viki’s aunt, Sally Newton Sparks ’31. The Byrnes are demonstrating their commitment to Hathaway Brown by supporting the EC and Primary School renovations. By making a blended gift through current support and their estate plans, they were able to increase the size of their gift and the impact it will have on HB. “We are ardent supporters of HB and we’re thrilled to support these efforts which our grandchildren will benefit from now and in the future,” says Marc. A reading room adjacent to the new Prime library will be named in the family’s honor.

Marc and Viki Newton Byrnes ’72

Viki Newton Byrnes ’72 is happily enjoying the role as grandparent, along with her husband, Marc, who had a successful career overseeing one of the nation’s largest independent insurance brokerage and risk management firms. Two of their six grandchildren, Blaire ’33 and Lila ’34, attend Hathaway Brown’s Primary School and Marc can often be found in the pick-up line at the end of the school day excitedly waiting to hear about the girls’ days.

“Once I get them in the car, they start rolling,” Marc laughs. “I’m so impressed with all they are learning and how they are making great friends.”

For Viki, it is special to see a new generation experience Hathaway Brown. “HB taught me independence, free thinking and self confidence, and we’re already seeing these traits develop in our granddaughters,” she shares. Generations of HB women are

“We are incredibly proud of our own three boys and now we love watching their families grow,” Marc says. “Our grandchildren are incredibly special and we can’t wait to watch them grow up as caring and kind people. HB is a partner in instilling important values, providing excellent academics and building the future.”