C l a s s
C l a s s
N e w s
In Honor of Jan Scott
The “Octagon Room,” as we fondly refer to this uniquely shaped room, is one of the special architectural features in the George S. Nevens, Jr. Library. It is positioned in the heart of the library, with a beautiful vaulted ceiling surrounded by windows and topped by a cupola. Due to the physical structure of this room, the library receives striking rays of light throughout the day. The interior walls display the architectural renderings from October of 1999 for the new science and library Rodney addition. This room presently houses a beautiful large, round table that easily seats thirteen. It is an ideal space for class seminars, small study groups or meetings. It has a permanent white board and there is usually a movable TV/DVD/CD cart stored in this room which allows teachers to show various films in a distractionfree, relatively soundproof environment. The School would like to name this room, which is at the center of learning in the Nevens Library, for Jan Scott, former teacher, coach, dorm parent, director of development, and assistant head of school at Oldfields in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Although she was
46
Winter 2011
primarily an administrator at the end of her career, she never lost sight of the importance of what happened in the classroom. She was a voracious reader and clearly understood the value of an Oldfields education and the commitment to each girl’s success. Jan had a long and productive career at Oldfields. Like many school people, she wore several hats. Initially, she came to Oldfields in 1979 as a French and English teacher, dorm parent, advisor, and coach. Very quickly, she was recognized as an excellent organizer and a great communicator. As a result, she was appointed director of alumnae affairs in 1980 and, upon Jim Richardson’s departure, the director of development in 1981. As the director of development, Jan helped the School build development infrastructure and started Oldfields’ focus on the growth of endowment. She left in 1986 to work with The Sheridan Group and with Leo Otterbein, a local educational consultant. In 1988, Jan returned to Oldfields as the director of admission, becoming the assistant head for external affairs in 1991. As such, she supervised both admissions and development. In 1996, she left Oldfields to study at Columbia through a Klingenstein Fellowship. After completing her fellowship, Jan became the executive director of the Ohio Association of Independent Schools in 1998. In 1999, she married John Lavicka, a childhood friend and the love of her life. She started work on her
doctorate at Case Western that fall while becoming president of The Peninsula Group, a consulting firm assisting non-profit independent schools with strategic planning, marketing, fund-raising, organizational change, and management searches. In February of 2000, Jan was diagnosed with liver cancer and fought bravely, seeking treatment at The Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and The Farber Cancer Institute. In June of 2001, Jan returned to Oldfields to deliver the baccalaureate address. Despite her valiant fight, she succumbed to the disease on December 29, 2002. According to a colleague, Kim Loughlin, “Jan was considered an expert and a consummate professional in the school world.” She served on the boards and advisory committees of The Association of Boarding Schools, The Independent Educational Consultants Foundation, The National Coalition of Girls Schools, SSATB, The Living Classroom Foundation, The Federation of American and International Schools, Old Trail School, Crested Butte Academy, and Music from The Western Reserve. We would like to share a few comments from Head of School Emeritus, Hawley Rogers, who hired Jan as the director of development: As I look back on Jan’s service to Oldfields, it occurs to me that she modeled so well a leadership style that is worthy of emulation by the present Oldfields girls who aspire to be “Women Who Dare.” She was passionate about everything she did. She was particularly passionate about the mission of Oldfields and had a significant role in its refinement over the years. She examined
the operations and behaviors of her department members in light of the philosophy and refused to compromise those standards whether it was in the area of development or admissions. She insisted on integrity, yet she was a compassionate advocate and mentor. The results of her work and the respect she enjoyed throughout the independent school world is well known. What I remember most fondly about Jan was her joie de vivre. She took joy in every day and in the people with whom she worked on every level. She loved working with volunteers and particularly with trustees with whom she enjoyed an unusually close rapport. That rapport was the outgrowth of her genuine affection for them. Towards the end of her tenure at Oldfields, her teaching proved to be one of her greatest sources of satisfaction. Her love of literature, articulated with the intelligence and enthusiasm for which she was known, made her a respected and popular teacher. When I think of the theme for this past school year at Oldfields, “Women Who Dare,” I cannot help but think of one of the great leaders of Oldfields, Jan Scott. The School presently has been given a seed gift of over $100,000 dollars to name the Octagon Room in honor of Jan Scott. The School has set a value of $350,000 necessary to name this room. If more than $350,000 is raised, that money will be placed in The Jan Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund. The hope is to have pledges received before Alumnae Weekend 2011 so that the plaque may be unveiled at that time.
N e w s
“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson
Save the date for Alumnae Weekend April 15-17, 2011 Come and make new memories with our past faculty and staff. If you know you are returning to Oldfields for Alumnae Weekend, please contact Joan Carter Jermakian ’81 P ’15 at JermakianJ@OldfieldsSchool.org or 443.662.1018. See you in April! Hawley Rogers P’82 Wendy Rogers P’82 Dotty Hordubay Joe Hordubay Mary McPherson Kathy Barron Mitchell Claudia Fedarko John Grant Mary Hassett Miles Jane Dyer Marg Nevens Pulliam Sandy Nevens Benjamin Lynch Nell Richardson Ann Davis Barbara Weber Carol Russell Pauline Combe-Clark ’73 Anne Swayze Ron Romanowicz P’87, ’89 Anne Fletcher Cameron Teal Lynch Jane Spencer Deedee Helfrich Anderson Betsy Reardon Williams Harry Williams Martha Valentine Beth McCulloch Grace Mullen P’95, ’95 Bud Ruf
Anne “Tangie” Tarbell Abercombie Laura Wood Lisa Wood Wright ’84 Eileen Williams “Deetzie” Dance Walker ’71, P’98, ’02 Lynn Herrick Snyder Donna Sieverts Jennifer Sherman Marina Scalia Terri Savage Carol Samuels Andrea Martin O’Hearn Sue Louis Judy Hickey P’85, ’88 Mark Herilihy Jane Hammann Sarah Greenhalgh ’83 Chuck Jewitt Cathy Jewitt Sven Jensen P’00, ’05 Beth Franks P’11 Dawn Foster Sue Ellen Filar Andy Fields P’00, ’03 Kathy Fernandez Joan Donaldson Cheryl Parker Carol Winant Kenneth “Richard” Morrison
Oldfields Magazine
47