1996 ushered in my new beginnings: A new job, a new town, a new adventure. That was the year I came to Lexington to be the Middle School Head at TLS. I was young and single with only my golden retriever, O’Malley, in tow. I met my husband, Reid ’74, through TLS and raised our children in these halls. Our youngest, George ’19, is starting college this fall. So many important parts of my life began right here and were shared with our community. In this edition we celebrate other TLSers’ beginnings – the part of the story that started at 1050 Lane Allen Road. And even while, in this edition of Pinpoints, we look behind us to tell that story, the teachers, staff, and I spend our days creating new beginnings for our current students, tomorrow’s alumni. As I look out on the preschool playground from where my office sits, I love watching some of these beginnings unfold every day.
I’d love to hear your beginning story. Stop by campus or send me an email umaccarthy@ thelexingtonschool.org or tag us on your social media telling the story. What did TLS begin for you?
Una MacCarthy Head
of School
Hamza Iqbal ’23 smiles with his father, Dr. Ibraiz Iqbal; his sister Hina Iqbal ’11; Ms. MacCarthy; his mother, Dr. Shazia Iqbal; and his sister Maha Iqbal ’15
Eighth graders go hand-in-hand toward the future.
Editor
Lucy J. McKinstry ’66
Copy Editor
Ann Eames
Design
Steve Parker Design
Photography
David Coyle
Caitlin Hall
John Stephen Hockensmith
Morgan Hornsby for The New York Times
Keeneland Association
Keeneland Library
Meadors Collection
Greg Robinson
Cover photo: Beginnings! TLS adventurers hike through a tunnel of the Navaho Loop rock formations during a trek at Bryce Canyon on this year’s Southwest trip. Photo by Chris Johnson ’89.
The Class of 2023
Row 1: Abby Delaplane, Stormy Farish, Sadie Florence, Kate Boardman, Cate Phillips, Grace Woody, Sydney Leslie, Stella Rintoul, Ava Fallon, Sarah Bays, Noura Lovelace, Olivia Mattingly, Ameera Hettiarachchi, Lilly Corser Row 2: Crosby Love, Auveen Shah, Molly Johnson, Vidya Sethuraman, Lauren Counts, Ciara Lacey, Jade Baugh, Ainsley Metze, Cora Crawford, Peyton Beatty Row 3: Robbie Farhadi, Graham Leslie, EJ Beatty, Kate Robbins, Emma Miller, Brooke Barntsen, Ann Reid Chapman, Grace Gustafson, Gigi DeRossett, Poppy Karthikeyan, Grady LaMonica, Arif Softic Row 4: Quin Harris, Noah Borland, Armaan Rayapati, Paul Miller, Hamza Iqbal, Benton Dyer, Dillon Jenkins, Chance Anderson, Cohen Carter, Cade Howell, Noah Hubert, Joshua Begley Row 5: Gable Hart, Chris Escobar, Tazewell Schnabel, Paul Coppedge, Collin Smithwick, Max de Castro, Chase Kronenberg, Field Costich, John Gaines, Woods Nahra, Harrison Phillips, Noah Staley, Gage Pennington, Jud Masters
“
Let’s Talk About That Confidence ”
62 GRADS IN 62ND
On the lawn of storied Scarlet Gate, gathered with family and friends on Commencement Day, Sam Perez ’14 gave solid advice to the Class of 2023. Ms. Perez knows the power of talking and the power of confidence. The originator of “Start Talking” tee shirts, she is a TV news reporter and author of Deviate from Denial. She proclaimed, “My time here shaped who I am today; it guided my character and provided me lifelong friends. TLS, and the wonderful teachers who helped raise you, gave you a firm foundation – they did that through giving you a safe place to fail … and the confidence to try again.”
From the stage, Una MacCarthy, Head of School, gave a final report card to the graduates. It was a definite A+ in the area of Believe in Yourself – Be Confident. She affirmed, “You are here. You are sitting on this stage and fully ready for what is coming your way.”
King Offutt, president of the Board of Trustees, gave strong encouragement, too, urging students to, “Start conversations with a smile, and life will be easier.” With her signature gusto, Miss Cowling, in her video tribute to the graduates, pronounced: “Go forth and conquer!”
COMMENCEMENT
Students Take the Podium
Olivia Mattingly, class president, welcomed the group and said, “We are grateful for the days we have spent in these ’halls of learning’….” She explained “This I Believe” essays, a new eighth grade project, “speeches about a small value they believe in that connects to a larger belief.”
Paul Coppedge shared his essay saying, “I believe in always answering the knock on your window.” He described the importance of lacrosse – and a variety of sports – in his everyday life. “Coach Conley’s knock on my window has rerouted my life and has also brought so much joy to it.”
Stella Rintoul expressed her gratitude by sharing, “We couldn’t possibly thank every teacher and faculty member here who helped shape our lives, because every student here had their own special person. But faculty, we are grateful to you all.”
Dillon Jenkins, in his “This I Believe” essay, said, “A week ago I cleaned out my junk drawer. When things get hard, my junk drawer and the qualities that make it like no other, remind me to embrace my many qualities and be myself. It whispers in my ear, telling me to add qualities of my own to a drawer labeled ’Dillon Jenkins.’”
Arif Softic relayed favorite TLS memories after having sent out a survey to each of his classmates. He reported, “We have had funny moments, difficult moments, and times of growth.” Highlights included jumping in the Scarlet Gate creek; Mr. Schwartz’s adding hailstones to Gatorade powder, naming it Zion Dippin’ Dots; and being in Ms. Lounsbury’s crew during COVID and having great times.
9 Legacy Students
Ann Reid Chapman
Lauren Counts
Ava Fallon
John Gaines
Grady LaMonica
Noura Lovelace; mother and grandmother
Paul Miller
Woods Nahra
Collin Smithwick
Above: Commencement speaker Sam Perez ’14 reconnects with her former teachers, Joni Calkins, Lori Hancock, Laura Bowling, Janette Moloney, David Cooper, Laurie Nawor, and Tom Novitsky. Inset: King Offutt; Board of Trustees president addresses the Class of 2023
Then and Now
Anthany Beatty, one proud grandfather with wife, Eunice, of EJ Beatty ’23 and Peyton Beatty ’23
EJ Beatty ’23 with his great-grandmother Helen Beatty
Back Row: Hank Mazyck, John Boardman Middle Row: Adam Boardman; Hart Boardman; Kate Boardman ’23, Henry Boardman, rising seventh grader; Ann Wesley Boardman, Kitty Mazyck Front Row: Briggs Boardman and Price Boardman
John Gaines ’23 with his parents, Kim and Thomas Gaines ’83; sister, Olivia Gaines ’20; and grandmother Joan Gaines
On the cover of Fall 2011 Pinpoints, Grace Woody ’23, then in The Lexington School’s first Acorns class, watered an oak sapling at Scarlet Gate to illustrate the article, “From Good to Great: Why Endowments Matter.” Shortly before graduation, Grace’s reenactment
Mrs. Tracy Hetman traveled from Florida to see her former students at graduation. 2014: in Kindergarten; John Gaines, Mrs. Hetman, Woods Nahra 2023: John Gaines ’23, Mrs. Hetman, Woods Nahra ’23
Taking the Podium
CLASS LEADERS
Olivia Mattingly
Paul Coppedge
Stella Rintoul
Dillon Jenkins
Arif Softic
CONTINUING TO WALK POWERFULLY IN THEIR PURPOSE
With Stormy’s graduation, the Farish family “children” – Ande ’07, Sammy ’09, Lulu ’10, Will ’12, Daisy ’15, Robert ’17, Coco ’20, and Stormy ’23 – are now all alumni of The Lexington School. This is the first time since the morning of Thursday, August 28, 1997, when Ande walked into the prekindergarten classroom of Mrs. Mary Beers, that Kelley and Bill Farish have not had to plan parts of their days around their one-family carpool. Driving a carload of kiddos to and from TLS has been de rigueur for them for 26 years.
A current Board of Trustees member since 2020, Mr. Farish served the Board, too, from 1999 through 2005, as Steering Committee Chair for most of that time. Mrs. Farish has spent countless hours volunteering her creative talents every step of the way for each of their eight children.
As an active alumna, Sammy Farish has already taken a lead on the Alumni Council, which she joined in 2022. As Events Chair, she and her team helped plan and host the grandly successful 2022 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, with Friday evening S’mores by the Campfire Reunion and Saturday’s largest-ever Tailgate when the UK Wildcats beat the Northern Illinois Huskies.
The de Castros – Leo ’10, Clara ’12, Luke ’15, Noah ’17, and Max ’23 – are all Lexington School alumni now. Max in June, 2023, finished what Leo started in August, 1999. It has been many full and happy years in between Leo’s joining TLS’s inaugural KinderKlasse of Mrs. Marie Culpert and Mrs. Dominique Metze and Max’s graduation-day handshake with Ms. MacCarthy. Anne and Fernando de Castro can’t even count how many academic presentations, arts wing performances, competitions, parent meetings, and just plain fun times they’ve had – both on campus and off – throughout their 24 years as current parents.
At the same time Leo began his adventures on the preschool hallway, Mrs. de Castro began her own school adventures, shelving books in the library a half-hour or so, usually three mornings a week, with Clara along too. As Mrs. de Castro’s TLS devotion grew, her library commitment also grew. Decades later, she said, “I’m usually here three mornings and two afternoons a week, after and before carline. Sometimes I come twice a day.” She has enjoyed being a room representative many times over, and she and Dr. de Castro both have served the school on the Board of Trustees.
Luke ’15 and Max ’23 compare their diplomata, received on the same day, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The Lexington School.
Stormy ’23 and her dad, Bill Farish, share a special hug at graduation.
HIGH SCHOOL MATRICULATIONS
FOR THE CLASS OF 2023
Chance Anderson .................................................................. Sayre School
Brooke Barntsen Sayre School
Jade Baugh Lafayette High School – SCAPA Program
Sarah Bays ............................................. George Rogers Clark High School
EJ Beatty Lafayette High School – SCAPA Program
Peyton Beatty Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Joshua Begley ............................................... Lexington Christian Academy
Kate Boardman Sayre School
Noah Borland Sayre School
Cohen Carter .............................................. Lexington Catholic High School
Ann Reid Chapman Lexington Catholic High School
Paul Coppedge Sayre School
Lilly Corser .......................................................................... Chatham Hall
Field Costich Lexington Catholic High School
Lauren Counts Lexington Catholic High School
Cora Crawford ................................................. Mercer County High School
Max de Castro Henry Clay High School – Liberal Arts Academy
Abby Delaplane Lexington Catholic High School
Gigi DeRossett ...................................................................... Sayre School
Benton Dyer Lexington Catholic High School
Chris Escobar Sayre School
Ava Fallon............................................................................. Sayre School
Robbie Farhadi Sayre School
Stormy Farish Episcopal High School
Sadie Florence ........... Lexington Catholic High School – Business Pathways
John Gaines Sayre School
Grace Gustafson Lexington Catholic High School – Fine Arts Exemplar Program
Quin Harris .............................................. Baylor School – Carrter Scholars
Gable Hart Tates Creek High School – IB Programme
Ameera Hettiarachchi Interlochen Arts Academy – Merit Scholarship
Cade Howell Currey Ingram Academy
Noah Hubert Lexington Catholic High School
Hamza Iqbal Sayre School
Dillon Jenkins ................... Lafayette High School – Pre-Engineering Program SCAPA Program
Molly Johnson Lexington Catholic High School
Poppy Karthikeyan ................................................................ Sayre School
Chase Kronenberg Lexington Catholic High School
Ciara Lacey Lexington Catholic High School – Fine Arts Exemplar Program
Grady LaMonica .......................................... Lexington Catholic High School
Graham Leslie Lexington Catholic High School
Sydney Leslie Lexington Catholic High School – MST Exemplar Program
Crosby Love................................................ Lexington Catholic High School
Noura Lovelace Woodford County High School
Jud Masters Sayre School
Olivia Mattingly ........................................... Lexington Catholic High School
Ainsley Metze Lafayette High School – Pre-Engineering Program
Emma Miller Lexington Catholic High School – Fine Arts Exemplar Program
Paul Miller ............................................................................ Sayre School
Woods Nahra Sayre School
Gage Pennington Sayre School
Cate Phillips ......................................................................... Sayre School
Harrison Phillips Sayre School
Armaan Rayapati Sayre School
Stella Rintoul ................ West Jessamine High School – Biomedical Science Pathway Program
Kate Robbins St. Andrew’s School
Tazewell Schnabel ................................................Virginia Episcopal School
Vidya Sethuraman Paul Laurence Dunbar High School – MSTC Program
Auveen Shah Sayre School
Collin Smithwick ................................................................... Sayre School
Arif Softi Sayre School
Noah Staley Sayre School
Grace Woody West Jessamine High School – Biomedical Science Pathway Program
Every new
comes from some other beginning’s end.
rite of passage: noun
A ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change.
“What kinds of stories will you have to tell when you retire?”
Frank Hardesty, TLS science teacher from 1985 to 2006, posed this question a while back to a colleague. He could also have asked a similar question to hundreds of ninth and eighth graders who accompanied him on trips to the Southwest: “What kinds of stories will you have to tell when you graduate from The Lexington School?”
Students – and chaperones – fortunate to be part of Southwest trips through the decades have duffel bags stuffed with stories to tell. Frank Hardesty, Una MacCarthy, Laura Bonzo, and other TLS faculty and staff were there at the beginning. Mr. Hardesty had offered Spring Break travel for two years before the school determined it would be the culminating-year trip. He says, simply, “I looked for an opportunity to take kids out West because I’d been there and knew its glory.”
It’s anything but simple. It has been life-enhancing for almost all; life-changing for many.
The Class of 2023 marked the 25th TLS SW trip, because of COVID’s disruption in 2020 and 2021.This now-iconic Southwest trip began in 1996, with Ms. MacCarthy as new Head of Upper School. She had led trips at her former school, and knew their goodness and importance. She states with emphasis, “I love this trip.” She elaborates, “There’s something about geographically getting out of your region that also gets you out of your comfort level. The activities are intended to push students out of that comfort level even more, and to give them success. Somewhere inside is a piece of ‘I was scared. I didn’t think I could do it. And look how well I did.’ That is what we want them to take when they go to their next spot.”
Throughout the years, the trip has varied in length and in placement on the school calendar. Ten days seems to be ideal – “They’re still loving it, but not exhausted,” says Ms. Mac. “The best time is after exams and before graduation. We’ve finished school, but haven’t had graduation yet, and there’s real magic in that space. Kids this age are open to a lot of things. They can look back on their time in school with their friends and teachers, and they’re able to look forward to what’s coming.”
Chris Johnson ’89, an enthusiastic student participant on Mr. Hardesty’s early trips, followed as middle school science teacher after Mr. Hardesty retired. When Mr. Johnson additionally assumed the Dean of Students role, he became the organizer of the SW trip and all other middle school trips. As Ms. MacCarthy says, “To know Chris Johnson is to know that anything he does is going to be beautifully done. Because he thinks through every possible logistic, whenever Chris runs a program, everything flows perfectly.”
Building on Mr. Hardesty’s initial idea, The Lexington School continues to make transformative opportunities available to its students. The trip includes hiking; rock climbing; mountain or road biking; canyoneering; whitewater rafting; adventuring with Jonathan Zambella, Zion outfitter of practically every one of TLS’s trips; and much more. Each year is different, has its own personality, just as the class itself has.
With deep thanks to the original vision of Mr. Hardesty and to the dedication of those many adults who continue his vision, students indeed have boundless stories to tell when they graduate from The Lexington School.
Classrooms
RETIRING CLASS A+CTS
Vickie Russo – 29 Years
In 1994, Vickie Russo’s first day as a prekindergarten teacher in Mary Beers’s room was inauspicious. She was sure she would be fired. The morning had gone well, then before naptime Mrs. Beers stepped out for her break after mentioning the sweet little girl who would hardly ever sleep. Mrs. Russo relays, “There was a big rocking chair across the room, and Mary said to rock her if she couldn’t fall asleep.” Mrs. Russo took her instruction all too well. When Mrs. Beers returned, she found both student and teacher fast asleep.
In 1997, Mrs. Russo, mother of Kaitlyn Russo ’06 and Matthew Russo ’16, moved into second grade, where, she says, “It’s my love. It’s my favorite age. The children are still innocent, but they’re independent. They can tie their shoes. They made me laugh every day. My kids are my joy; I’ll miss them the most.” Her second-grade team has changed over the years of course, and she emphasizes, “Everybody I’ve taught with has made me a better teacher. I value their professionalism and their friendship immensely. I treasure my TLS years.”
Lee Cowden ’06 reminisces, “Mrs. Russo nurtured my love of learning. Her classroom encouraged and inspired curiosity, creativity, and participation. She instilled attentiveness, kindness, and patience. I remember our holiday parties, learning how to write in cursive, and our competitive ’holy card’ races. Most importantly, I remember how much fun learning can and should be. On behalf of the Class of 2006, I want to express my sincerest gratitude for all of Mrs. Russo’s contributions to her students and to The Lexington School.”
Sallye Staley – 16 Years
Sparkling Sallye Staley, middle school art teacher and eighth-grade advisor since 2007, has graduated with her grandson, Noah Staley ’23. After emphasizing how much she treasures her TLS community, Mrs. Staley says, “I am most proud of beginning the Eighth Grade Art Show, which incorporates a wide variety of art forms. I always want to highlight my eighth graders; it’s a retrospective of their middle school experience.” The accompanying art sale teaches lessons in salesmanship, knowing one’s audience, price-setting, and giving back to the community, as ten percent of sales are donated to charity. Madison Montgomery Denning ’11 says, “Sallye Staley (or ’Mother Staley’ as her 2011 eighth grade advisory group still fondly calls her) is the ultimate testament to what it means to be a TLS teacher. When I was a quiet Middle Schooler, she gave me a safe space to create and get loud with my creativity, which undoubtedly set the strong foundation for a love of art that will span my entire lifetime. Her support is unwavering; her heart is generous; and of course, her sense of humor is unmatched. Her ability to connect with her students and willingness to nurture them in their formative years is nothing short of a gift. For me, Sallye Staley has been a teacher, a mentor, and now, a friend. I know her giving heart has allowed her to be so many important things for countless students throughout her teaching. The legacy she leaves from her time at TLS is a beautiful one, and the impact she has had on my life made me the woman I am today.”
Second grader Mary Carter works on her Memory Book by choosing photographs and writing captions or short writing pieces about cherished moments throughout the year.
At the Eighth Grade Art Show, Mrs. Staley celebrates with rising eighth graders Sydney and Aubrey.
FIELDS DREAMS TO FROM
It’s no surprise that in the land of equine pedigrees and generational sequences, there are practically countless descendants of Mr. Hal Price Headley Sr. – grandchildren, grand nieces and nephews, greatgrandchildren, great-grand nieces and nephews – who form a very substantial part of The Lexington School family. Through his generosity, part of the original family farm became the site of The Lexington School.
Bluegrass roots go deep.
Reach back to February, 1876, when the Hagyard veterinary practice was founded in Kentucky by Dr. Edward Thomas Hagyard, son of Dr. Thomas C. Hagyard, British member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Delving into a bit of history, it’s interesting to learn that Dr. E. T Hagyard was born in Yorkshire, England. He earned his degree at Edinburgh, Scotland’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, among the oldest veterinary schools in the world, founded by William Dick in 1823, now celebrating its bicentenary.
Following the family tree, one of Dr. E. T. Hagyard’s sons Dr. Edward Weddell Hagyard, also a veterinarian, was the father of Esther Hagyard, who married Harold Fallon.
Ava Fallon ’23, 147 years after her forebears came to the Lexington area, has now received her diploma at Scarlet Gate, TLS land her ancestors have been born, raised, or educated on for four generations. Ava’s greatgrandparents Harold and Esther Hagyard Fallon lived on the corner of Fallon Road and Athenia Road, 600 yards west of The Lexington School. Mr. Fallon was the farm manager, bloodstock advisor, and personal attaché to Mr. Hal Price Headley Sr., owner of Beaumont Farm.
Left: Mr. Harold Fallon (Keeneland Association)
Right: Mr. Hal Price Headley Sr. (Keeneland Library Meadors Collection)
The Lexington School is built upon land Mr. Headley provided. In 1927, when Mr. and Mrs. Fallon were married, Mr. Headley built the house for the bride and groom, whose family grew to include their son, Ava’s grandfather, Dr. Edward Hagyard Fallon, fourth generation veterinarian. His older sister was Louise Fallon Bryans, mother with husband Dr. Jack Bryans, of Lucy Bryans VanMeter ’76 and Louise Bryans Lorton ’77.
Ava is the youngest of seven grandchildren of Dr. and Mrs. Edward Hagyard Fallon, whose four children – Lillian Fallon ’74, Esther Fallon Breeding ’77, Alma Fallon Ferrier ’78, and Luke Fallon ’85 – are TLS lifers. Ava joins her brothers, Liam Fallon ’18 and Ben Fallon ’21, and her first cousins, Strohmann Breeding ’12, Elliott Ferrier ’08, Emma Ferrier ’10, and Audra Ferrier ’15, in the rank of alumni.
When the Fallon house was built, it was just the second house on the TLS side of Lane Allen Road, the other being Scarlet Gate. Dr. Fallon enjoyed, in his words, “an idyllic childhood,” riding his pony over the hillsides and rolling fields of Beaumont Farm. In 2011, he recalled, “Between The Lexington School and our house, in the midst of about a one-hundredacre field was a three-quarter-mile training track with a training barn in the center field. There was a chute with a starting gate, and the track was measured with quarter, eighth, and sixteenth poles. Many world-class horses were raised in the field bordering the Fallon house on three sides.”
Mr. Headley, the leading founder of Keeneland Association in 1936 and its first president, until 1951, was a Bluegrass farmer, a proud lover and preserver of the land. Farm workers, Percheron horses, mules, and equipment from Beaumont formed a solid core of those who built the area of Keeneland Race Course from the dirt up. The thick, heavy pieces of slate originally on the Fallons’ roof were extra slate from the construction of Keeneland’s clubhouse roof.
In its heyday, Beaumont Farm encompassed 2,400 contiguous acres, raised the largest burley tobacco crop in the Commonwealth, and ran 1,000 HerefordShorthorn-mix steers.
Along Fallon Road, as well as other areas of the Beaumont neighborhood, are Mr. Headley’s trademark walnut trees, planted while he walked the fields and pressed walnuts into the ground with his boot. In addition to Fallon Road, a number of other nearby roads take their names from Mr. Headley’s wide-ranging interests – Athenia Drive, Georgian Way, Old Nassau Road, and Pine Bloom Drive. Parents driving to and from TLS on Parker’s Mill Road through the decades may well remember the long stretch of concrete fence that Mr. Headley constructed. Though the fence no longer stands, still scattered here and there throughout the former Beaumont fields are Mr. Headley’s famed concrete corner fence posts. They weigh 800 pounds and are nine feet long, “half in the ground, half out of ground,” Dr. Fallon emphasized.
As with Where’s Waldo?, the eagle-eyed observer can spot one of these posts at the corner of Lane Allen Road and Georgian Way. Though unnoticed and unrecognized by most passersby, every person who has ever visited The Lexington School has driven – or walked – by the straight and tall stanchion from the past at the corner of the property. Stop and notice it. Appreciate its history next time you are in the vicinity. It seems poignantly fitting that Mr. Headley died, in 1962, at Keeneland in front of the stall of one of his fillies, most appropriately named “Last of All.” The deep background is part of the warmly intertwined history of the Hagyard-Fallon family, the Hal Price Headley family, and The Lexington School. James Lane Allen, Kentucky’s most famed poet, grew up on the eponymous road, at Oakwood, now Scarlet Gate. His book The Choir Invisible takes its title from the first lines of George Eliot’s poem, recited on the dedication page: “Oh may I join the choir invisible of those immortal dead who live again in minds made better by their presence.”
A favorite quotation of Dr. Edward Hagyard Fallon from the epilogue of The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “And even if we are occupied with important things, even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune – still let us remember how good it was once here, when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling, which made us better, perhaps, than we are.”
From pillar to post, Mr. Headley’s famed concrete fencepost at the corner of Lane Allen Road and Georgian Way connects The Lexington School with its beginnings.
Clockwise, Top Left: Hal Price Headley Sr., trackside, 1950; Ava Fallon ’23 with her grandmother Priscilla Fallon; Mr. Headley with Pellicle, 1946; the Ed Fallon Family, Seated, Esther Fallon Breeding ’77, Audra Ferrier ’15, Emma Ferrier ’10, Alma Fallon Ferrier ’78, Priscilla Roberts Fallon, Ava Fallon ’23, Nancy Jones Fallon, Ben Fallon ’21, Standing, Bruce Breeding, Strohmann Breeding ’12, Elliott Ferrier ’08, Walter Ferrier, Lillian Fallon ’74, Edward Hagyard Fallon, Liam Fallon ’18, Luke Fallon ’85; Mr. Headley, Spring 1957; Dr. and Mrs. Edward Fallon; Beaumont Farm homeplace.
the collective
The New England School of English (NESE) in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has its beginnings at The Lexington School in 1971. NESE, a globally respected private language school, provides outstanding English language instruction and comprehensive support services to students from around the world. Its founder and president, Anna Shine ’73, credits her eighth-and-ninth-grade TLS French teacher, Madame Lesley Koster, as planting the seed for her eventual career. Teacher and students spoke only French, and, as Ms. Shine remembers, “walking into her classroom was hardly different from walking into a classroom in France.”
In Ms. Shine’s very first classroom, as she earned her Master in Education Degree at Harvard, she set out to recreate Madame Koster’s Lexington School classroom. To this day, Ms. Shine judges all language teachers, including those she employs at NESE, by what her remarkable TLS teacher created inside the classroom. She feels that without Madame Koster, she would never have achieved what she has today.
[WE] are Ambitious
Anna Shine was 32 in 1990 when she founded NESE, named multiple times among the top five schools of English in the world. She had no money. Her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Ian Shine, mortgaged their house to help her. She had no business background. She faced huge competition. She had many “experts” tell her it was an untenable idea. A college president told her she was not smart enough; other ESL schools existed, so her idea was not unique. Ms. Shine had her own ideas, her own vision. She states emphatically, “I knew I could teach. I never, EVER gave up.”
Early TLS families remember Mrs. Deborah Shine, who, in 1968, opened The Owl and the Pussycat, on South Ashland Avenue, Lexington’s first bookstore for children. Dr. Ian Shine is held in high regard for his extensive research at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in what was then the emerging field of genetics. The Shines, now in their 90s, both work full time, try to beat each other at ping-pong, and still ride their tandem bicycle. They live in Massachusetts, not far from NESE.
Ms. Shine has furthered global understanding through her New England School of English.
One of the greatest contributors to professional success in non-English-speaking countries is the ability to speak English. Ms. Shine emphasizes, “It was my intention when I founded NESE to create an English language program of the highest quality and to foster an atmosphere in which students readily learned more than just English. I deliberately sought to create an environment of kindness, tolerance, and compassion towards all. Throughout NESE’s history, I have worked hard to ensure that NESE’s mission is never compromised.” She was even named one of the top 100 businesswomen in Massachusetts.
Ms. Shine and former students stand, appropriately, in front of a world map.
Poignantly so, her “environment of kindness, tolerance, and compassion towards all” has its beginning at The Lexington School. Ms. Shine speaks openly and with much emotion about being bullied mercilessly before she and her siblings – Cathy Shine ’75, Cookie Shine ’77, and Thomas Shine ’79 – came to The Lexington School. The Shine family had moved to the United States from England, and Ms. Shine’s classmates in another school teased her about her British accent.
“The Lexington School was the first school where I belonged. It gave me a chance to believe in myself for the first time. That’s a huge thing that a school can do. It’s as big as it gets, you know. Learning algebra is one thing, but having belief in yourself is priceless. That’s what happened to me at The Lexington School.” It was a solid beginning for 12-year-old Anna Shine.
Ms. Shine says, “It’s a new beginning. It’s starting a business all over again. I had to teach. I was the receptionist. Everything I had to do 33 years ago when I founded NESE, I had to do again. You have to have it deep within you to fight for a second beginning. We’re getting there. To close is dramatic. To go down to 11 students is dramatic. Students come for the experience to study in the United States. It wasn’t as if I could just move everything online. They didn’t want to be online. They went home and wanted to wait until we opened again. It was extremely challenging.”
Ms. Shine admits, “I’m really proud that the school has a top reputation for teaching English, but I am prouder of what we do in terms of kindness and compassion. Students often graduate from the
[WE] are Relentless
The New England School of English closed for 17 months during COVID. It was a literal slamming of the door. But it was not the end. The school that had an enrollment of 528 during a peak summer, an average of 300 to 400 students every month, had to begin all over again. They moved the lessons to Zoom as best they could during the shutdown, and then began again in person with only 11 in-person students. With determination in her every word,
school crying because, although they look forward to seeing their family and friends again, they don’t want to leave their new ’family’ and friends. They often return either to study again or just to visit, and it’s not because of English; it’s because of the power of kindness and compassion. Grown men come back, 50 or 60 years old, with their old ID, and they start tearing up when they see the school. We can make a difference by teaching English, but we can make a bigger difference by recognizing that we are all part of one human race.”
The Lexington School is a big part of Ms. Shine’s belief in the power of kindness and compassion.
[WE] are Everywhere
For many years, students had asked Ms. Shine to begin an online program. As she is a firm believer that “the best teaching environments allow for in-person connections between the student and the teacher,” she had therefore resisted starting such a program. However, with repeated pleadings from a group of Brazilian professionals who said there is nothing like NESE in their country, she did copious research and developed a program: NESE On-Line. NESE On-Line features Ms. Shine and her top teachers in over 100 hours of video and more than 600 supporting exercises, quizzes, and explanations. With an extraordinary
percentage of the world’s population unable to afford quality education, Ms. Shine wants her classes to be widely available to those who will never have the opportunity to come to Harvard Square to learn English. They therefore charge only $9 a month. She says with enthusiasm, “The idea is we can change the world. If you can speak English, you have a real advantage, everywhere in the world.”
“I had such a challenge,” Ms. Shine says of NESEOnline. How do I create the same environment? The truth is, I can’t create the same environment, but I can
connect with people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. That’s a new beginning. A new school, a new online school. I knew nothing about online teaching. This reaches so many, many more people than those who are able to come to Boston for in-person classes. They have the same teachers.” She goes on to relay meeting a woman who had just begun taking the $9-a-month program. “She said, ’Anna Shine, I have to tell you,’ and she started crying. Then she said, ’It’s changing my life. I’m starting from the beginning. I’ve only done 9 videos so far, but it makes me emotional because it is so wonderful.’”
“Remember the old commercial, ’I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’?” Ms. Shine asks. “Well, I’d love to teach the world to speak English.”
Anna Shine began doing that a long time ago.
Left to right: This 15-foot bulletin board is the prominent and visual translation of Ms. Shine’s ethos for NESE: “I deliberately sought to create an environment of kindness, tolerance, and compassion towards all.” In her days as a commercial pilot, Ms. Shine was a flight instructor in New York. Ms. Shine, daughter Emily, husband Vilson, and son Alexandre relax at home in Brazil.
are planted
“This is where I am supposed to be.” It sounds simple; it’s anything but. The most recent beginning for Martha Prewitt ’03 has come full circle. Ms. Prewitt credits her 1991 beginning at The Lexington School as fundamental for her life’s journey.
A Montessori three-year-old through ninth grader, she says, “It’s not like TLS gave me hands-on tools I would use for farming later on, but The Lexington School gave me a moral and ethical and intellectual foundation that continues to serve me, especially now. Many qualities that make possible this life I now have were encouraged and grown at TLS.”
Ms. Prewitt speaks tenderly of her school years, impressively recalling detailed memories of the beginnings of following her heart. She recalls three distinct directions that beckoned her; her former teachers will recognize them. “Music was a seed planted at school, beginning with Mrs. Anderson, learning how to read music in her class, getting a joy and a love for both singing and performing that continued.” Her love of the French language, too, began at TLS, in third grade, fueled even more by the opportunity to visit Paris with a TLS group the summer before ninth grade. “A third route I could
be her focus for college, but she listened when her high school choir director said, “You know you’re passionate about something when you’re willing to lose sleep over it.” As she recounts, “It made me realize I was staying up late listening to classical music, researching classical composers. I was losing sleep, not over French books and French homework, but over music.” She was the Student Choir Conductor, and loved it, so she decided to become a choir teacher, combining music and teaching.
At the University of Kentucky, Ms. Prewitt was a double major in vocal performance and music
I’ve always known I wanted eventually to move back to Kentucky, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. I wanted to see how it would be to work on the farm.
—Martha Prewitt ’03
have taken, that I saw develop at school, is teaching. When I was in eighth and ninth grade, I tutored younger students in English assignments. I also gave private lessons in flute and clarinet.”
There was music; there was French; there was instruction/teaching/mentorship. After TLS, she developed those three interests further. She’d thought international relations and French would
education. She exclaims, “I loved the performing! I loved my voice lessons and the feeling of singing with an orchestra, developing a character. I loved the vocal performance side.” With her master’s in vocal performance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she affiliated with the Knoxville Opera Studio, performed roles, and was in the chorus of a professional company, gaining invaluable experience.
Credit for non-family photos: Morgan Hornsby for The New York Times
Post UT, Ms. Prewitt taught private voice and music appreciation lessons at a Knoxville community college Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Hearing the siren song of performance and of becoming a professional opera singer, Tuesday and Thursday, she traveled to New York City for opera auditions. Sunday, she had a Knoxville church job. Even for the energetic, devoted, open-for-new-experiences Ms. Prewitt, this was an unsustainable schedule. It led, though, to a new beginning, a job at Virginia Opera, in Richmond, with their education and outreach department, working in opera administration. The pandemic caused a pivot to popular outdoor events, which stopped as the weather turned cold. After leaving the opera company, Ms. Prewitt felt, “It was the universe saying, ’Go back home. There’s nothing else for you here.’”
A New Aria in the Area
“I was already beginning to feel the pull back to Kentucky,” Ms. Prewitt says from Highland Place, her Woodford County family farm that goes back six generations, to the 1780s. “I’ve always known I wanted eventually to move back to Kentucky, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. I wanted to see how it would be to work on the farm. I was at a pivotal place considering what to do with my life, questioning what makes me happy. I took personality tests to see what I might be suited for, wondering what kinds of jobs would work for me. Farming, of course, was never any of the suggestions.”
Inset: Early on, Martha’s dad, Graddy Prewitt ’71, helps cultivate her love of the family farmland.
“I feel I have good instincts working with cattle, how to move with them, how to direct them in a gentle way, and how to listen to them.”
—Martha Prewitt ’03
During the summer of 2020, Ms. Prewitt was able to be home for family during a difficult time. It was a turning point. She explains, “Whenever something happened on the farm, I would drop what I was doing and help. I started helping with the cattle. There was a cow that got out – it occurred a couple of times that cattle got out – so I threw my boots on and ran out there and helped. It was great! I loved the excuse to get outside. I was curious about the cattle. I was curious about farming itself. That led to asking what else is going on today? What else can I help with? I ended up really loving it. And I began to realize I had good instincts for it. Our farm manager encouraged me. At one point, he said, ’So when are you going to be my boss? When are you going to take this over?’ What? I hadn’t thought about it!” Her good instincts come naturally, and generationally. Her parents, Jackie and Graddy Prewitt ’71, had lived on the family farm since they were married. Ms. Prewitt and her sister, Anna Coleman Prewitt Simon ’98, grew up in the 1865 house, where Ms. Prewitt now lives. She gives credit to her parents for always encouraging both their daughters to “find what we loved and to follow our particular calling.” Inborn inclinations manifest themselves when the time is right.
“I feel I have good instincts working with cattle, how to move with them, how to direct them in a gentle way, and how to listen to them.” She gives another illustration, about a broken piece of equipment, “When I saw it, I told another farm employee, a friend, that it’d be fine, all it needed was to be welded back together. I had no previous experience with that, so I don’t know how I knew it, but that’s just what I figured. When our farm manager saw it, he said, ’Oh, it’s fine. You just have to weld that back together.’ My friend just looked at me and said, ’That’s what you just said. How did you know that?’”
Ms. Prewitt might not have all the answers, but, as she says, “I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be.”
By Sam Perez ’14
LIGHTS PASSION CAMERA
I give a quick nod, rolling my shoulders back. My chin juts out, and I begin, letting out a breath before launching into an explanation of the day’s story. The seed of my career was planted at The Lexington School and took root instantly, sprouting and blossoming throughout my time at the University of Georgia, where I studied journalism, Spanish, and New Media – all with the goal of starting my career as a TV news reporter.
My life as a television news reporter in Columbia, South Carolina is unpredictable. It’s thrilling at times, heartbreaking at others, and fulfilling above all. From finding unique stories to highlight the good in my community, to holding people accountable, to amplifying voices, my job allows me to make an impact each and every day.
Right now, I’m truly living my dream. I am beginning a career that I’ve set out to do since Middle School. It’s
not easy, but it is absolutely worth it, and I could not be more grateful for all I’ve seen and learned in the past year. To think it’s only been a year makes me catch my breath. I feel like I’ve been doing this for a lifetime, but not in the burnt-out, days-drag-by way, rather, in a way that makes me wonder how I ever did anything else. So much of what I’ve done up to this point in my life has been to get me where I am currently. Now that it’s here, it just feels right.
I discovered what I wanted to do – and TLS didn’t ask me to say this! – when I began speech team in sixth grade, competing in the “radio broadcasting category.” Along with teaching from Dr. Laura Bowling and support from my incredible parents, I learned how to report with diction and confidence.
Not only did I love performing in competitions against other students from schools across the state, but I found out I had a knack for it. I also loved any chance to be creative when it came to photography and videography. When my parents first mentioned to me that these two passions could combine into a television news job, I was sold.
In May 2022, I graduated from UGA and made my way to the Palmetto State, right in the heart of the “famously hot” state capital. I began to explore my new home – both on and off the clock – finding my way through each person I’ve met and story I’ve learned.
The station I work for has given me incredible opportunities. For six weeks, I covered the Alex Murdaugh double-murder trial in Walterboro, South Carolina. I flew to Dallas to watch the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team battle it out against Iowa. I highlighted intense battles between lawmakers in the South Carolina State House
as the session ended. I’ve covered businesses and people and tragedies and celebrations. Each story I get to tell is a privilege, and every conversation I have and message I relay shapes who I am, my understanding of the world, and my perspective.
I’m so fortunate to have a job that I not only love, but that also challenges me. Every day, I’m exposed to different ideas, attitudes, and experiences. I’m constantly reminded that the world is so much bigger than I am.
In 2022, Ms. Perez wrote and published her first Deviate from Denial: Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Motivated by her family’s restaurant, DV8 Kitchen, a second-chance employer that hires people in recovery, Ms. Perez looks forward to sharing some of those stories as a TV news reporter.
“ I discovered what I wanted to do – and TLS didn’t ask me to say this! – when I began speech team in sixth grade, competing in the “radio broadcasting category.” Along with teaching from Dr. Laura Bowling and support from my incredible parents, I learned how to report with diction and confidence. ”
—Sam Perez ’14
“This is what
Giving Voice
In his rich and booming baritone, Dr. Michael Preacely, Founder and Artistic Director of Uniting Voices Lexington and Lecturer of Voice at the University of Kentucky, proclaims the beginnings of his life-changing dream. His has been a recurring dream, an inspiration, honestly, which began when he was a Chicago eleventh grader. Encouraged by a friend, as he relays, who “kept going to these rehearsals, I finally asked, ’What are you doing?’” The succinct, life-altering reply: “I’m going to Chicago Children’s Choir (now Uniting Voices). You should come with me.” Young Michael did, and quickly “got hooked.” The rest is history, and now – thanks to the dream that never went away – history in the making.
new beginnings are all about, about moving forward and exploring new possibilities.”
to Opportunity
The former TLS fifth grade and lower school music teacher credits The Lexington School and other life experiences as the springboard for bringing Uniting Voices Lexington to the Bluegrass, the first site, after decades of requests, outside Chicago. His choral music education program is based on the vast experiences he had through the former Chicago Children’s Choir. It will showcase young people as ambassadors of the community and leaders on the global stage. Dr. Preacely explains, “As we start this exciting endeavor, we begin something fresh and new here in Lexington. My hope is that families will latch onto the concept of what a new beginning this is, and what could be the future for our schools, for our city, for our Commonwealth, for our country. Oh, my goodness!”
The alum of the former Chicago Children’s Choir says with firm yet tender resolve, “Every environment I’ve been a part of, it’s always something that’s been fruitful and multidimensional. My time with the organization was transformational. It was about a shared experience with people from the other side of town whose backgrounds and passions were different from mine. It was about traveling the world and learning how to make my voice heard. But more than anything, it helped me discover that by celebrating the light inside others, my light only got stronger. It got brighter.”
Dr. Preacely wants to bring that light to Lexington. In fact, he already has.
In January 2023, 36 members of Uniting Voices Chicago spent part of Martin Luther King Weekend
and the next day in a tightly packed schedule that connected them with Lexington youth and showcased their talent and enthusiasm, more than abundant measures of both. Their last stop was the all-school assembly at TLS, where the entire gymnasium rang out – and echoed – with highpowered staccato numbers that begged to be joined by the interactive, foot-stomping, hometown impromptu chorus of all ages, faculty and staff not to be denied their time of making music either. After a thunderous standing ovation and as the Chicago teenagers departed for their bus, Dr. Preacely gave his own reprise: “The potential of our young people
is boundless. They hold the power to shape the future. They deserve a platform to share their joy with each other, to share their joy with the world. And we’re going to do just that.”
His vocal ensemble will begin “small” at first, with 50 to 60 singers. Chicago has approximately 4,000 singers, who represent almost every zip code in that city. Naturally, his goal as Founder and Artistic Director is to represent every Fayette County zip code. Not to miss a beat, he makes it clear, “I would love as many kids as possible across the city and the wider Bluegrass region to come out and audition. My hope is to take everyone who auditions.”
Conversation is in progress to determine a centralized, bricks-and-mortar location, accessible to everyone. Being downtown, in the heart of Lexington, speaks to the organization’s intent. Uniting Voices Lexington makes transformative arts
learning and performance experiences available to all, regardless of financial circumstances. After-school programs are tuition-based on a sliding scale based on family income. With perfect pitch, Dr. Preacely states, “That’s what we need to make the type of impact we’re working to make. I believe it’s more than possible.”
Uniting Voices Lexington will serve a broad range of youth, with older singers mentoring younger students, for all ages to learn from each other. Dr. Preacely emphasizes, “This is not just music. This is new and fresh, and it’s relevant to our youth. It’s creating global citizens who can make a significant impact in our world. The possibilities are endless.”
Dr. Preacely knows from whence he speaks. During his two years with the Chicago-based organization, he participated in three global tours –China; Montreal and Toronto, where he drank milk out of a bag, “a freaky experience,” as he remembers; and South Africa, far and away his high point of twelfth grade. They traveled to iconic Kruger National Park, the largest game preserve in that region. The South African Consulate-General had invited the singers to the home of President Nelson Mandela, where they gave a concert in the eclectic
living room. Eighteen-year-old Michael Preacely, just beginning then to hone his now-internationallyacclaimed baritone, was selected to sing part of the chorus as a solo: “Deep river, my home is over Jordan. Oh, deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.”
When a friend asked if Uniting Voices Lexington hopes to travel internationally, as he did with Chicago, the reply was immediate and undebatable, “I don’t hope; that’s what’s going to happen.”
Dr. Preacely leaves us with a final refrain: “This is what new beginnings are all about, about moving forward and exploring new possibilities. It takes a village. It takes all of us to make this beautiful idea happen, to make it work to its fullest. The more we are willing to put ’what we think’ aside and ’what could be’ ahead, the more deeply significant our impact will be. If we do this as a community – wow! The wow factor will be great.”
In 1996, in the South African home of President Nelson Mandela, back row, Michael Preacely sits in front of his Chicago Children’s Choir group after singing the solo chorus of “Deep River, My Home Is Over Jordan.”
Stray
NOT ABOUT TO FROM INSPIRATION
Beginnings often occur in the middle: Sometimes suddenly with a startled start; sometimes they tiptoe like cats’ paws, quietly and surely.
Jawanna Herd, admired and adored teacher of science from 1984 to 2004 and energetic and popular field trip leader post-retirement, has taught two generations of TLSers, from Middle Schoolers to Montessorians, biology, introduction to chemistry, and environmental studies. She isn’t about to stop there. Mrs. Herd, mother of Sarah Ford ’91 and Erin Ford ’93 and ever the teacher, now shares knowledge within the wider world, outside The Lexington School environs with her first book.
Beach Cats has its beginning, many years ago, in deep friendships within The Lexington School community. It started, as she explains, “at the beginning of my
teaching at TLS, with a 1985 Winter Break invitation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina from Betty Cox [math teacher from 1978 to 1994, and chairman of the department for much of that time]. It was also my beginning of in-person ocean study, as my family did not travel to the beach when I was young. This was my beginning of collecting algae, fungus, coral, whelk egg cases, and various creatures that I brought back to the classroom for specimens. In class, we would divide shells into their genus, so we could identify them. Students, then, began to come back from their own family trips to the beach with various treasures to study, providing teaching tools for biology.”
Mrs. Herd was hooked. Word spread in the faculty lounge, the group grew, and a TLS tradition began. The book is warmly dedicated to Mrs. Cox, who died in 2020, with an accompanying list of each TLS teacher and friend who joined the group throughout the years.
Herding Cats Takes on New Meaning
Written primarily for third through sixth graders, the story is taken from real life on the Outer Banks, where there are a great number of “community cats.” Ebony, a small, domesticated cat, is lost from her family vacationing and must learn to get along on her own. Her mentor cat, Cheeks, helps educate Ebony.
Mrs. Herd has gained grand inspiration from Feline Hope, the volunteer organization in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, that fosters kittens and finds local homes for them. The kittens are so lovable that a number of families who vacation on OBX leave for home with a new furry member. Feline Hope also provides spay, neuter, and medical assistance to community cats. Mrs. Herd has stated that a third of the profits from Beach Cats goes to this important group.
History lessons of the former Outer Banks U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations and of the entire area weave through the pages. Students of Mrs. Herd won’t be surprised to see science instruction on flora and fauna, throughout. Some facts they will remember from her TLS classroom, or her larger, outdoor, North Carolina classroom. A well-organized, userfriendly field guide at the end of the book and an engaging treasure hunt make readers feel at home and
Above: Mrs. Herd enjoys teaching from the classroom of the great outdoors as she often did at TLS.
knowledgeable about the world of Ebony and Cheeks. Readers learn that a beach trip can include seeing what lives in the water, discovering a new environment, and confirming which animals and plants live there, why they are there, and how they fit into the ecosystem.
Ebony has difficulty navigating the various cat clans since larger, more aggressive cats are dominant and eat first. She and the smaller scavengers, the “outcats,” as Mrs. Herd calls them, are left with only morsels. With kindness and wisdom, Cheeks teaches Ebony how to survive on the beach as a feral cat. Ebony, in turn, teaches Cheeks that the kind and the color of a cat make no difference. Together, they help the other cats through a dangerous crisis where they have to learn to trust each other – and humans – in order to survive.
Mrs. Herd says, “These wonderful trips with my TLS friends built deep camaraderie in another setting. We were then able to support each other in more important ways than before. With that enhanced bond, we understood other endeavors that our friends and colleagues were working on. We benefitted and our students benefitted from the beginnings of a new avenue of friendship.” Just like Ebony and Cheeks.
PUTTING HER SELF IN
THE WRITE PLACE
—Jawanna Herd on Writing
I usually write in the early morning. If it’s relatively warm, I’m outside in my screen house. When it’s cold, I’m in the den, on my loveseat with a folding table. I don’t like composing at a desk. I write in longhand. My father was dyslexic, and several of us siblings have some type of directional disorder. When I first learned to type, I typed almost all two-, three-, or four-letter words backwards. For longer words, I typed either the first, last, or middle part, or some combination of these, backwards. In the last few years, that behavior has returned. Now, after I write, I read my words out loud to Siri in an email to myself and copy and paste into a Word document. I then edit and correct words that Siri misunderstood.
The Coming of Age writing group, of which I am a part, is supported with a grant from The Kentucky Foundation for Women, written and secured by our two leaders, Dr. Libby Falk Jones and Dr. Jules Unsel, retired professors. We have workshops on writing techniques every month, and open mics every week. As I wrote Beach Cats, I read a chapter or so each week to the group and received feedback from the other writers, many of whom are also retired teachers. They encouraged me to publish the book.
Our group compiled an anthology, Coming of Age, Writing and Art by Kentucky Women over 60, published in 2021 by Red Lick Valley Press. Coming of Age Book 2 will be released September 2023, with even more diversity in genre and women.
Mrs.
emphasizes language usage, expressions, and idioms that her feline friends use in conversation, because, “Children often hear but might not know the exact meaning. I purposefully don’t give definitions, but encourage readers to talk to family members, teachers, friends, or to look it up on their own. I explain how long and where people have used these words and phrases, some for thousands of years, and some throughout the world.”
In Beach Cats,
Herd
KNITTING, NEEDL
It’s all woven together. Marijo Foster (H’16), favorite of multiple generations of TLSers, is still teaching her Lexington School followers. She’s still learning, too, which is one of her hallmarks.
There are beginnings in continuations of course, and Mrs. Foster – former math teacher, Math Chair, Middle School Head, Professional Development Director, Lower School Head, and current Board of Trustees member – knows that. In a whipstitch, with her extra-elective knitting class, offered in addition to an already robust roster of electives, she gave the gift of beginnings to four boys and five girls, sixth graders all. By happy serendipity, sixth grade has always been one of her favorite classes.
It began with a phone call from Tim Alford, Middle School Head. Mrs. Foster had to ponder, perhaps 30 seconds, before she was ready to begin her new class.
“From day one, I was so impressed with these children. I did teach them all to knit. Some got to be better knitters than I am, probably. Some started ahead of me and continued to grow.”
This wasn’t Mrs. Foster’s first TLS knitting class; she had taught for years, during breaks or recesses, always to anyone who wanted to join, yet it was a beginning for her. She explains, “This was my first experience in not having a goal to be met, a curriculum to be taught. I could just let myself go. As a teacher, I had never experienced that, because I always had a lesson to teach. This time, it at was our own pace.”
Mrs. Foster knows, “Knitting, that little, simple act of something to keep your hands busy, is a positive activity
&
ES, KNOWLEDGE
for those – of any age – with attention issues. It keeps you focused, keeps your hands moving.”
Mrs. Foster’s favorite part of the class was how open and communicative the students were. She recalls, “They enjoyed having a class that didn’t have homework. I didn’t say, ’You have to do this at home.’ They enjoyed the peace, the quiet, the opportunity to talk with their friends, which I encouraged. I talked too; I told them secrets about myself.” She speaks of a favorite day, “when someone said, ’Mrs. Foster, our break is next. May we stay here and knit during break?’ And some did that each time. I think they enjoyed having someone who was listening, who was not evaluating in any way, who was encouraging.”
Lessons were learned every stitch of the way. One boy showed his square – a big square – to his mom and pointed out, “This is where I was beginning. Here’s where Mrs. Foster had to help me out of trouble, and then look how much better it got.” Mrs. Foster is proud to say, “This amazing young man was able to analyze his piece as to the success of his learning, which I thought was incredible. He quietly did his thing, learned to knit, and self-evaluated along the way. I love that story, that he saw his development. He had a physical piece of material there and he could see his progress. Where else could you do that, besides knitting class?”
Mrs. Foster shares a tender conversation: “A lovely girl was doing really well, and I wanted her perhaps to take the next step. She had the knitting stitch down; maybe it was time to purl. When I asked if she wanted to learn to purl, she said, ’You know, I just really like this. It’s a stress reliever, and I don’t want to have the stress of learning a new stitch, if that’s all right with you.’ Of course, it was more than all right with me.”
Mrs. Foster adds, “The fact that she knew it was helping her learn to manage stress was the best. These are sixth graders. Sixth graders are not usually involved in that kind of self-assessment.
“Another girl was very quiet for the first couple of meetings, and she was struggling with the knitting. One day, she took it home, and when she came back, her knitting was perfect. She said, ’I just caught on. I just caught on.’ From that point on, she wouldn’t stop talking. She was one who wanted to stay during break.”
Still another girl, an accomplished knitter, continues to knit, which, as Mrs. Foster says, “makes me smile, because I got the feeling most of them had their experience and would be finished with it.”
From the beginning, Mrs. Foster says, “It was so much fun for me. It was just wonderful. I appreciated being asked. I appreciated the opportunity.”
Mrs. Foster and her sixth graders knit goodness and memories together in their extra-elective class.
VERNIGHT SUCCESS! AN
Two inaugural lower school trips have given fourth and fifth graders first-time opportunities for learning, for independence, and for fun.
The new fourth grade, two-night trip to Pine Mountain Settlement School, founded in 1913 in Harlan County, is an old and favorite TLS trip. Alumni from the ’80s still smile over long hikes in the woods, bunking in the rustic dormitory, and being “far” from home. This spring, through outdoor, feet-on-the-ground education, students learned about natural resources and how to be thoughtful, knowledgeable stewards of the land. With a Kentucky-pioneer-type homestead focus, the group learned of native plants and materials to make bug spray and lip balm and identified which plants were edible and which were poisonous. Stream ecology was popular too, with students searching and splashing for varieties of freshwater creatures.
Left to right: A second generation of TLSers enjoys Pine Mountain Settlement School in Eastern Kentucky. Fifth graders continue to explore high points of North Carolina’s Green River Preserve.
The evenings included traditional folk dancing and party games, activities our ancestors enjoyed before the invention of technological distractions. Those who work at Pine Mountain proudly and rightly say they are “developing the next generation of conservationists.” The Lexington School applauds that.
Good and important things don’t happen without vision, without dedicated, detailed, precise planning. Becky Johnson, Lower School Division Head, and Shama Hinard, The Learning Center Division Head, partners in all things first-through-fifth-grade, were the duo driving force to bring these trips to the fourth and fifth grades.
Mrs. Johnson says, “Ms. Hinard’s participation and leadership were key. We both tremendously appreciate our capable and caring teams, who know the significance of building the structure of increased experiences and locations as students rise to Middle School.”
The students jumped in with great enthusiasm. As Mrs. Johnson explains, “These programs connected with and enhanced our social studies curriculum this year, since we study Kentucky and the formation of our state. It tied in as well with Mrs. Conley’s science class that studies biology. Our fourth-grade team saw the goodness in this trip and worked hard to make it so.”
Fifth graders, beginning their new tradition this year, journeyed to longtime sixth-grade favorite,
Green River Preserve, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, outside Asheville, North Carolina. The three-night stay upped their game with the opportunity for out-of-state travel, and with hikes, climbing, and waterfalls that provided engaging lessons in the outdoor classroom. Green River’s School of Environmental Education (SEE) has “Inspiring Environmental Stewards” as one of its mottos. The school takes it seriously, as do TLS students.
Mrs. Johnson says, “From teaching in Middle School for so long, I know how impactful these trips are. The more kids get out with their teachers, the stronger the bonds are within the community of our school. Their experience becomes solidified in what TLS is all about.”
By taking smaller steps first, the away-fromhome adventures give solid preparation when sixth graders have a multi-night camping trip at Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest, and seventh graders head to Barrier Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. The culmination, of course, is the iconic, ten-day, eighth-grade Southwest trip. Mrs. Johnson emphasizes, “We want them to be thoroughly prepared and to have had many experiences away from home. We want them to know they can do it.”
It all starts with beginnings.
ONE-HORSE RACE
trip to the
Turn the calendar back to 2006 – Friday, May 5, to be exact. Mr. Herrington, currently World Language faculty member and Co-Curricular Director, was about to wrap up his first year as a middle school Spanish teacher and PE instructor at The Lexington School. It had been a fabulous beginning: he felt he’d connected strongly with his students; he’d made great friends among his colleagues; he was looking forward to many more dynamic years at TLS.
He was NOT looking for a fiancée or a wife!
Other folks had other ideas.
Shelly Rogers, prekindergarten teacher, has a sister – (spoiler alert!) – Kelly Bussell. Mrs. Rogers and several of her compadres from Pre-K wanted to make an introduction, but, as Mr. Herrington tells it, “At first, I said ’No, I’m okay.’ Then they showed me a picture, and I said, ’Sure, I’d like to meet her.’” So,
Ms. Bussell attended her first Little Kentucky Derby, and there they met.
Years later, Mr. Herrington expounds, “Every time Little Kentucky Derby would roll around, we’d tell the boys, this is where Mommy and Daddy met.”
This year’s LKD was another beginning. As providence would have it – on Friday, May 5 all over again – Mr. Herrington and Ms. Bussell’s twins, Lincoln Herrington ’32 and Silas Herrington ’32, Prekindergartners now themselves, competed in their first Little Kentucky Derby. Wallace, their one-yearold brother, was an enthusiastic spectator.
Mr. Herrington is one Spanish teacher who knows there’s something special about Cinco de Mayo. As he says, “Little Kentucky Derby has always been a reminder of the goodness that began here at The Lexington School.”
A
(Little Kentucky) Derby takes on enhanced meaning for Jonathan Herrington and Kelly Bussell.
A Winner’s Circle all their own: Kelly Bussell and Jonathan Herrington, with their children, Lincoln, Silas, and Wallace, celebrate meeting at Little Kentucky Derby 17 years ago.
60TH REUNION: CLASSES OF 1963, 1964, 1965
HOMECOMING AND
50TH REUNION: CLASS OF 1973
Left: Una MacCarthy, W. L. Wilson. Right: Front Row: Jimmy Jones, Ann Miller Richmond, Lina Jean Trosper Armstrong, Margaret Cowling. Middle Row: Todd Trimble Graddy, Billy Cox, John Willmott. Back Row: Reid Thompson, Berry Potter, Dave Fishback, Charlie Lisle, W. L. Wilson.
Left: Anna Shine, Finn Green, Zip Robertson, Ashley Addison, Rod Bussey, Jennie Leavell. Right: Ashley Addison, Finn Green, Anna Shine.
40TH REUNION: CLASS OF 1983
Thomas Gaines, Christopher Smith.
REUNION WEEKEND!
30TH REUNION, CLASS OF 1993
Left: Front Row: Ben Reynolds, Robert Karem, Ryan Conboy. Middle Row: Sybil Dawahare Montero, McKayla Lawson Cairns, Emmy Hartley, Erica Cohen Mash, Amera Hussain Sergie. Back Row: Anne Shropshire Shoemaker, Garrett Graddy-Lovelace, Taylor Baker Tricarico, Virginia Lacefield, Catherine Humphries Brown. Right: Emmy Hartley, Anne Shropshire Shoemaker, Robert Karem, Garrett Graddy-Lovelace.
20TH REUNION: CLASS OF 2003
HOMECOMING AND
10TH REUNION: CLASS OF 2013
Left: Brooke Baker, Daniel Archer. Right: Front Row: Heidi Simons, Brooke Baker. Back Row: Daniel Archer, Meg Grossman Sutton, Martha Prewitt, Sarah Brown, Courtney Damm.
Left: Front Row: McEwen Baker, Hannah Williams, Madeline O’Brien, Mackenzie Rogers, Delia Kessinger, Ashton Woody. Back Row: Julia Harris, Lauren White, Kennedy Sabharwal. Right: With their Time Capsule; Delia Kessinger, Kennedy Sabharwal, McEwen Baker, Julia Harris.
TAILGATE:
REUNION WEEKEND!
TAILGATE:
Ande Farish Day ’07, Walter Day (enjoying his first Tailgate), Sammy Farish ’09
Jessica Brown Zoller ’01, former teacher Kelly (Eichhorn) Waterbury, Katherine Ruch ’01.
Front Row: First graders Raj and Arjun. Back Row: Anupa and John Trumbo.
Woods Rouse ’14, Andrew Beck ’13, Coach Joe Conley, Kennedy Sabharwal ’13, Cleve Merritt ’14
ALUMNI NEWS
Beginning a New Decade!
by Laura Murphy Kehrt ’78
In November 2022, I came up with an exciting idea to celebrate my 60th birthday. I shared my plan with TLS friends Hampton Adams ’78, Nicho Nelson ’78, and Barry Stilz ’78, who immediately embraced the concept of a joint 60th birthday celebration. Planning commenced, and invitations were promptly sent out. My brother, Joe Murphy ’84, graciously offered his hangar over in Georgetown for the event site.
After months of preparation, the highly anticipated party finally took place on April 15, 2023. Over 60 attendees, including other TLS former students, gathered
to commemorate this milestone. Notably, many graduates from our Class of 1978 were present – Hampton Adams, Gina DeAngelis, Alma Fallon Ferrier, me [Laura Murphy Kehrt], Wyn Morris, Julie Ireland Myers, Nicho Nelson, Steve Schindler, Barry Stilz, and Julie Burnett Walker Sheila Plumlee Ferguson was unable to attend since her daughter went into labor, leading her to prioritize the birth of her granddaughter over our Big 6-0 celebration. During our memorable gathering, we took a moment to honor and remember our classmates who are no longer with us, Jeff Darsie ’78 and Jon Wellinghurst ’78. Their absence was keenly felt as we reminisced about our shared TLS experiences.
In addition to the heartfelt remembrances, festivities also included a delightful highlight – a special TLS cocktail created by Nicho Nelson. This unique concoction, crafted with care and creativity, added an extra touch of celebration to the event, giving us all a taste of nostalgia, mixed with the joy of the present moment.
The evening was filled with laughter, cherished stories, and the warmth of reconnecting with old friends. It was truly a remarkable time that allowed us to celebrate our milestone birthdays while treasuring the memories of the past and embracing the present with open hearts. It was a wonderful evening and felt like no time had gone by from our days back at TLS. Putting this party together was a real labor of love.
Classmates Barry Stilz, Hampton Adams, Julie Burnett Walker, Steve Schindler, Julie Ireland Myers, Laura Murphy Kehrt, Nicho Nelson, and Wyn Morris gather at Joe Murphy’s hangar to celebrate their shared Big 6-0.
Beginning to Learn about Mom’s Alma Mater
In March, when Amera Hussain Sergie ’93 brought daughter, Selma, ten years old, and son, Raffi, seven, to visit The Lexington School, it was the first time she had returned since graduation, noting, “I have fond memories of my time at TLS.”
When Virginia McDaniel, Assistant Director of Admission, gave them a tour, she immediately saw that Selma was wearing her mom’s ninth grade TLS sweatshirt. Seems Mrs. Nahida Hussain, Ms. Sergie’s mother, saved many TLS treasures over the decades, including Ms. Sergie’s recorder from Mrs. Anderson’s music class and homework papers from Miss Cowling’s classes, along with a bright green TLS tote bag that is at the ready today.
Selma and Raffi, who go to White Rock Montessori in Dallas, “really loved visiting TLS, and they still talk about it,” says Ms. Sergie. She continues, “I love being a mom; it’s my favorite. Also, I graduated with my master’s in clinical and counseling psychology from Southern
Methodist University. I’ve been a practicing counselor for over fifteen years and have been in my private practice, The Source Counseling, for over nine years. Recently, I became licensed to practice in Kentucky as well, so I’ve begun offering virtual therapy for Kentucky folks. Dallas has been home for twenty years.”
In Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on June 17, 2023, John Stewart ’04 married Suzette Coors from Memphis, Tennessee. David Fogg ’04 and Hampton Frazier ’04 served as best men, and Magda Stewart ’02, sister of the groom, was a bridesmaid. John and Suzette live in Charleston, South Carolina. John has been a Manufacturing Engineer at Cummins and is now a Project Engineer at Boeing. Suzette is a founding mother and award-winning teacher for seventh grade English Language Arts at Philip Simmons Middle School, where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2019 and District Teacher of the Year semi-finalist in 2020.
Before
the ceremony, John Stewart speaks to David Fogg, with Hampton Frazier on John’s immediate other side.
On June 24, 2023, family and friends joyfully gathered for the wedding of Julia Fryman ’08 and Mark MacNeill, who were married at his family’s home on Nantucket. With the Kentucky bourbon buried a month before and dug up in the early afternoon of the wedding, the skies cleared right on schedule, and guests from Kentucky, Nashville, Boston, California, and even Australia gathered to celebrate, overlooking the water. As the bride and groom said their vows, a giant osprey appeared and
hovered above, making the day even more magical. Julia’s sisters, Elizabeth Fryman Patton ’04 and Annie Fryman ’06, were bridesmaids, along with Kelly Ball Broadbent ’08. TLS family friends Linda Ball and D.R. Ball ’06 made the trip as well. Julia and Mark live in Nashville with their big dog, Monk, who was unable to attend the nuptials. Julia is the Marketing Manager for Joseph Media Group, and Mark is a Master Data Manager for Gathr Outdoors, headquartered in Nashville.
From Emily Deller Dockery ’09:
I began TLS as a four-year-old in Prekindergarten with Mrs. Beers and Mrs. Rogers. Since I wasn’t much of a napper, they would let me sleep next to the dollhouse so I could play with it – very quietly.
In Lower School, Ms. Zimmerman’s fourth-grade science class was great because she had so many hands-on activities that helped us learn the skills.
Middle School was exciting because we were more independent. There were great art projects with Mrs. Staley; math was fun with Mrs. Bell; and we made Learning Tools for Ms. Lounsbury’s science class.
Ellee English ’09 was my best friend all through Middle School. We were pretty much inseparable! All the trips we took in Middle School I loved, and the Southwest Trip was definitely my favorite.
TLS was formative in developing my work ethic and my ability to study. As I went on to high school and college, these skills helped me to be successful and to perform at my best.
After graduating from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Architectural Design, I married Andrew Dockery, my college sweetheart. We live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Andrew is a meteorologist for WMBFTV, and I work remotely for Freeland Harris Consulting Engineers, located in Lexington. On November 4, 2022, our sweet boy, Brooks Cole Dockery, was born.
Matt Patton; Elizabeth Fryman Patton; Ryan Patton; Mark MacNeill; Julia Fryman MacNeill; Isabelle Fryman Patton; Lisa Fryman, Mother of the Bride; Annie Fryman. Credit: Zofia & Co. Photography
Lauren Stigers ’10 and Trey Yeager were married on April 22, 2023, at Idle Hour Country Club, with Caroline Boone ’11 and Carter Brewer ’10 as bridesmaids.
From Lauren:
Our class’s song was “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, and when the band played it at the reception, we all huddled together in a circle and danced. It was unforgettable.
Last fall, Caroline Boone and I brought our significant others to TLS’s Reunion and toured the new Lower School. The guys couldn’t believe we were so excited to attend a middle school event and keep in touch with lots of friends from back then. They were convinced we were part of a cult when we all recited the same definition of homeostasis, word for word. Thank you, Ms. Lounsbury!
Trey is an assistant coach for the TLS Pioneers football team under Coach Conley. I went to one of the games at TLS and enjoyed reminiscing and talking to students.
In 2022, I graduated from UK College of Pharmacy with a PharmD and am a pharmacy resident at UK Hospital. I will complete my first year of general hospital/acute care practice and begin the next year as a hematology/oncology resident. After training, I hope to work as a Clinical Oncology Pharmacist at an academic medical center in a mix of inpatient and outpatient settings in the hospital and in oncology clinics.
In Nashville, Tennessee, on May 20, 2023, Madison Montgomery ’11 and Travis Denning were married at The Estate at Cherokee Dock. Joe Conley, middle school Spanish teacher, officiated. Madison says, “I was in his very first class on his very first day at TLS. ’Conley,’ as we fondly still call him, is joyful and charismatic. I am grateful to have kept in touch with him, and many of my former TLS teachers. When it came time to choose an officiant, Joe Conley was a no-brainer. Travis and I are both lighthearted, and we wanted to be sure our officiant could match that energy while still bringing a sentimental element to the day.”
Madison continues, “Our wedding day was filled with full-circle moments. Seeing the smiling faces of former classmates and teachers who have known me most of my life was incredibly special. Icing on the cake was having Ella Wadams, rising TLS sixth grader, as a Junior Bridesmaid. I’ve known her since she was barely four, and it’s a joy to relive fond TLS memories through her. From walking TLS’s hallowed halls to walking down the aisle, my TLS ’family’ has always shown up for me. I am blessed to have these lifelong friendships, and I will cherish my TLS memories always.”
Madison is a Social Media Specialist at LTK and Travis is a Country Music artist.
TLS was well represented by Talley Hodges ’11, Margaret Cashman ’11, Ciera Proctor ’11, Walker Montgomery ’13, Madison Montgomery Denning ’11, Clark Dupree ’11, Sallye Staley, Joe Conley. Not in the photo, Ella Wadams, rising sixth grader, was a Junior Bridesmaid.
MARIAN BEAN ’63
Marian Bean ’63, sister of Richard Bean, Kenneth Bean ’67, and Roger Bean ’67, died May 3, 2023. A sixth-grade student on the first day the school opened in 1959, Ms. Bean was salutatorian of The Lexington School’s first graduating class. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kentucky and earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. from UCLA. Inspired in large part by Hillyer Rudisill III, TLS teacher of Latin, English, and history, Ms. Bean taught English and linguistics for 25 years at the University of Wisconsin. All who knew Ms. Bean knew her lifelong love of animals and her deep devotion to the rescue of hundreds of cats and dogs, most of whom were aged or infirm and had no other options.
Classmate Hendy Davis Seelbach ’63 says, “I so remember my first day at TLS. Marian let me know right off the bat that she was in charge of the girls, and I was to sit where she told me. After that shaky first day, Marian and I became best friends. She was my defender and confidante. She and I were ’in love’ with Mr. Pritchett and made up funny songs professing our love. We talked about him for hours on the phone at night. We stayed fast friends through high school, but college days took over. Marian was such a special person and certainly made my years at TLS memorable.”
Front Row: Mitchell Plummer, Jane Stilz, Charlotte Jane Plummer, Billy Stilz, William Plummer.
Back Row: Kash Stilz and Ellen Stilz Plummer. Easter, 2021.
BILLY STILZ ’67
Billy Stilz ’67, husband of Jane Stilz; father of Kash Stilz ’91 and Ellen Stilz Plummer ’94; and grandfather of Mitchell Plummer, William Plummer, and Charlotte Jane Plummer, died December 27, 2022. Brother of Al Stilz, Robbie Stilz ’65, Tobey Stilz Sturgill ’69, and Barry Stilz ’78, Mr. Stilz and his siblings and parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stilz, were a vibrant, early TLS family. Mr. Stilz always kept his certificate, signed by Norton G. Pritchett Jr. (H’81), for Latin Honors in Alexander MacGregor Gilchrist’s class.
Mr. Stilz’s boyhood friend and classmate John Irvin ’67, remembers, “I often asked Billy if he wanted a basketball rematch with Bryan Station. As seventh grade guards, our plans to watch the game from the bench were spoiled when Coach Vernon Hatton told us to get in there in the first half. Unable to staunch the bleeding or to get the ball past half-court against future Red and Met Gold Glove winner Doug Flynn and future Philadelphia Eagle and Pro Bowler Frank LeMaster, Coach promptly called us back to the bench where we could do no more harm. At halftime, Coach, with a firm grasp of the obvious, said we looked scared out there. Regarding a rematch, Billy invariably and promptly answered my question, ’Not today.’”
Front Row: Ray Ball, Harrison Albright, Hallie Albright, Linda Ball, Cates Albright.
Back Row: Field Broadbent, Kelly Ball Broadbent, D.R. Ball, Rachel Ball Albright, Justin Albright. Thanksgiving, 2022.
RAY BALL ’71
Ray Ball ’71, who died April 13, 2023, was a leader throughout the Bluegrass-area community. There was never a doubt that all three of his and wife, Linda’s, children, Rachel Ball Albright ’01, D.R. Ball ’06, and Kelly Ball Broadbent ’08, would attend The Lexington School. Linda Ball, former TLS trustee, says, “Since Ray attended TLS in the early years, he wanted the children to have that same strong educational experience. We often talked about what a wonderful foundation the school, with its outstanding teachers and excellent curriculum, provided for each of them. All three went to excellent colleges, have graduate degrees, and have been successful in their endeavors.”
Those who knew him well agree that Mr. Ball was a truly remarkable, yet understated man, who loved his family, his friends, and his community passionately. More than anything else in his life, Ray’s family was the source of his greatest pride. Mr. Ball fought a courageous battle against a horrific disease and did so with dignity and without complaint.
Donations in memory of Mr. Ball continue to assist patients of the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center as well as focus on the future University of Kentucky Cancer Treatment Center. The Ball family is working toward the establishment of a PanCAN Chapter in Lexington to focus on research for pancreatic cancer and will continue to work with UK Markey on awareness and need issues for pancreatic cancer patients.
LEE ANDRE CARTER ’95
by Chester Grundy, father with wife, Ann Grundy, of Tulani Grundy Meadows ’92 and Saida Grundy ’97
For the Grundy family, the loss of our beloved Lee Carter ’95 (July 26, 1980 - May 12, 2023) is both profound and devastating. To us, he was a son, a brother, and a lifelong family friend. We offer these reflections in tribute to his magnificent life and his untimely passing.
Charismatic, Dynamic, Unforgettable!
These are qualities that describe Lee Carter, alumnus of The Lexington School and founder/ CEO of the central Kentucky media platform, LEE G NEWS. Lee Carter was known and deeply, deeply loved for his captivating style, brilliance, and infectious energy in his coverage of community events, sports, and pop culture throughout the Commonwealth.
Whether conducting interviews with athletes and coaches or doing live coverage of pop music concerts, Lee was THE MAN in exciting cutting-edge journalism, always identifiable from his classic show opening quip, “Welcome to Lee G. News! Coverage at an All-time High!” Always a community builder, he was relentless in his pursuit of ways to connect people-to-people and people-to-opportunities. It can be said without fear of exaggeration that Lee Carter knew EVERYBODY, and everybody knew Lee Carter! He will be forever remembered for his quick wit, his relentless work ethic, and a deep, abiding commitment to rigor and excellence in every cause to which he committed himself.
Above all, Lee Carter was a Champion of the People, a Truth Seeker and someone who loved and cherished the ideals of family, community, and human uplift. His was a life truly guided by the principle of Love, as he always sought ways to help us become the best, most compassionate versions of ourselves. He is irreplaceable.
IN MEMORIUM
HILLYER RUDISILL III
The one-and-only, the inimitable Hillyer Rudisill III died March 3, 2023. Unforgettable Latin, English, and history teacher from 1960 to 1964, throughout the rest of his life Mr. Rudisill held a great love for The Lexington School and the students he taught. A self-proclaimed polymath, the distinguished Mr. Rudisill, with pince-nez and Panama hat, cut quite the swath. Tremendously proud of his Charleston, South Carolina roots, he and wife, Martha, had children, Mary Rudisill and Susan Rudisill Myers, 11th maternal-generation Charlestonians. Mr. Rudisill relished attending TLS’s 50th Reunion Weekend in 2009, sporting black tie, of course, as well as the 50th Reunion of the Classes of 1963 and 1964 at Scarlet Gate in 2013. Until recently, he taught several college philosophy courses each semester and hosted his popular recorder group, with 35 members. Philip Howard ’63 remembers him well: “Hillyer Rudisill was a like a character in a play, not a regular human. Pencil-thin, three-piece pinstripe suit, nose in the air, placed by divine accident to teach Latin to a motley group of 13-year-olds who wondered vaguely how this subject could possibly be of any use in central Kentucky. But Mr. Rudisill had a way to hold our attention: He threw erasers at anyone suspected of daydreaming. How did he invent himself? He was from South Carolina, a hot and humid place that breeds eccentrics. Maybe Latin was his native tongue. Who knows? But even then, he was wonderful fun, taking us for rides in his pre-war Packard. We knew it was an act, enjoyed it, and smile every time we think of him.”
Amanda Hale, Lee Carter, and Una MacCarthy catch the smiles at TLS Reunion, October 15, 2021. At Scarlet Gate on October 5, 2013, Mr. Rudisill and Philip Howard discuss books Mr. Howard has authored.
follow to GRATEFUL
Thank you, Lexington School family, for your support of our students and teachers this year!
A good
school teaches
children to
grow
academically. A great school Inspires them to be curious. Empowers them to be courageous. Teaches them to thrive.
1050 Lane Allen Road
Lexington, KY 40504-2018
859-278-0501
www.thelexingtonschool.org
The Lexington School admits students of any race, religion, color, sex, national, or ethnic origin.
| HISTORICALLY SPEAKING |
Reaching a grand lookout on their Southwest trip, members of the Class of 2019 take a break during their mountain biking journey to enjoy the vista.
Don’t miss learning more about 25 years of TLS Southwest trips on pages 10 through 13.
