Foxcroft Magazine Fall 2017

FOXCROFT SCHOOL

FALL /WINTER 2017

Oh, What a

Beautiful Campus Living and learning at Foxcroft

www.foxcroft.org

Seniors Anna Nottage and Cici Jackson savor a September afternoon stroll on their way back from the barn.

Credit: Lauren Ackil

Table of Contents

MAGAZINE | FALL/WINTER 2017

Uncommon

8

Beauty

By Cristina Santiestevan ’96

Foxcroft’s exceptional setting offers a broad bounty of benefits

Special Features 14 Summertime . . . and the riders are busy

19 Here Comes the Sun:

Commencement 2017

The Innovation Lab: From Idea to Reality in Less Than a Year

By Alexander O.

Northrup

16

Mission Statement

24 26 33 34

Passionate About Work Reunion 2017 The Foxcroft Circle Working for the Common Good

In Every Issue 02 03 31 36 40

From the Head of School Notebook Out & About Gone Away Milestones

Foxcroft’s mission is to help every girl explore her unique voice and develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.

This magazine is printed on FSC-certified 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

Catherine S. McGehee Head of School

Produced by The Office of Marketing and Communications:

Marion L. Couzens Director of Institutional Advancement

Shelly Betz Director of Strategic Initiatives & Marketing

Courtney M. Ulmer Academic Dean

Cathrine Wolf Director of Communications

Emily F. Johns Dean of Student Life Karla Vargas Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid

Bethany Stotler Multimedia Communications Associate Design by Raison

Address inquiries to Editor, Cathrine Wolf at cathrine.wolf@foxcroft.org, 540.687.4511, or P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118 On the cover: Senior Anna Nottage enjoys a late afternoon ride on Big Track.

Cover photo by Lauren Ackil Additional photos by Lauren Ackil, Gary W. Cox, Terry Meyer, Bethany Stotler and Bob Updegrove Foxcroft School is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

Foxcroft School admits students of any race, color, religion, national, and ethnic origin. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, or financial aid policies, or in any school-sponsored programs.

Fall/Winter 2017 1

Foxcroft remains an uncommonly “Today, beautiful campus where students and faculty can learn, grow, and thrive...”

From the Head of School Catherine S. McGehee

What’s your favorite view on campus? The mountains from the library courtyard?

Miss Charlotte’s Garden? The cherry blossoms in spring? Or the view of rolling pastures from the observatory? For me, the alley of tall trees behind Covert provides a beautiful frame for the setting sun, the turning of leaves in the fall, and the promise of spring that comes when the daffodils bloom.

Almost every visitor to campus remarks on the rare beauty of Foxcroft, of the land and of our buildings. And indeed, we are blessed to live and study in this setting, a blessing I hope we don’t take for granted. As Miss Charlotte wrote in a 1938 brochure, Foxcroft provides “a country school, situated in a neighborhood particularly suited to a healthy, out-of-door life.”

Today, Foxcroft remains an uncommonly beautiful campus where students and faculty can learn, grow, and thrive, even just by walking between their dorm and Schoolhouse or the library. But a stunning landscape is only part of the value of Foxcroft’s location.

When we launched the strategic planning process in 2014, I asked focus groups, “What are Foxcroft’s natural resources?” Over and over, the first answer was “The land!” We embarked on a plan to utilize our 500 acres and our buildings more intentionally throughout our curriculum, providing more hands-on, real-world learning experiences for our students. Some examples: • A student-led committee to research, design, and budget for a new maker space

• Plein-air painting workshops

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) used in AP Human Geography to map our campus

• Making bamboo flutes to learn the physics of sound

• Water testing and tree planting for the Goose Creek Association • Nature writing in English classes

• Soil sample collections and tree identification

• Beekeeping • Community gardening, with hopes of growing this into a larger scale operation in the future

In this issue and throughout other publications during the year, you will read about some of the outcomes of our work to integrate our uncommonly beautiful campus into our core learning goals. The stories and photos, however, don’t quite do our efforts justice. I hope they will inspire you to come to campus for a visit and enjoy first-hand how our creative faculty and students are enjoying place-based learning at Foxcroft.

2 Foxcroft Magazine

Foxcroft Notebook

Foxcroft Notebook

Keep Moving!

INNOVATION is the theme for the 2017-18 school year at Foxcroft and, just a few months in, that theme is clearly reflected in the School news: The Innovation Lab, our new high-tech makerspace, opened in August bringing a bounty of design and creativity to STEM’s nerve center in the Science Wing (see “TIL@FXC” story, page 16).

In September, Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer introduced the Foxcroft Concentration Program, a new academic option for girls who want to focus on an area of special interest in and outside the classroom. The three-year program includes internships, service learning experiences, and a culminating independent study or capstone project, along with certain course requirements. In its inaugural year (2018-19), there will be three choices — Animal Science, Global Studies, and STEM. Additional concentrations in the arts and other areas are being explored.

A novel partnership with the Virginia Tech’s Middleburg Agricultural and Research Extension (MARE) Center forged this fall has already engaged six girls — three of them working with graduate students on specific research projects and three as service learning volunteers supporting MARE’s 4-H Club chapter. In addition to offering outstanding opportunities for these girls, the partnership also opens the door to internships for future Animal Science and STEM concentrators.

New to the curriculum: Electives in Digital Design and Fabrication (using the new Innovation Lab) and Aerodynamics (taught by our own rocket scientist and STEM Department Chair, Maria Evans, PhD). A new requirement for most juniors: Modern World or AP World History, and Modern World Literature.

Admission Innovator Karla Vargas became Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid (formerly known as the Admission Office), effective July 1. She brings a wealth of admission, financial aid, and marketing expertise acquired by working in such varied educational settings as St. Andrews Episcopal School in Ridgeland, MS, (where she spent the past few years), Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT), and the University of Chicago Law School. A native of Chile who grew up in Ithaca, NY, Karla holds a BA from the State University of New York at Binghamton, an MA from Western New Mexico University, and a certificate in marketing from Cornell University. Boarding school is not new to Karla, either; she began her career in education at Mercersburg (PA) Academy, where she taught Spanish, lived in a dorm, and served as Director of the ESLPlus Summer Language Enrichment Program.

Fall/Winter 2017 3

A Thousand Words If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then Currier Library would be filled to the brim with the byproduct of all the pictures that Gary W. Cox took in the past 18 years.

Art teacher, photographer, ceramicist, advisor, climbing coach, chaperone (Did anyone go to more mixers than Gary?), scuba diving mentor, and more, Gary retired in June.

He leaves behind the permanent student art collection (which he started), a varied and voluminous photographic chronicle of Foxcroft life, and — alas! — the scepter that belongs to the Fox faculty advisor. An enthusiastic Fox from the moment he stepped on campus, Gary became the “Foxy Fellow”

4 Foxcroft Magazine

in 2010 — much to his delight and the joy of many loyal Foxes. At the Athletic Association Banquet in May, he handed the position over to Alex Northrup, History Department Chair, Educational Technology Director, and father of Foxes Harper ’18 and Emma ’21.

We will miss Gary, for many reasons — not the least his bellowing shout of “Go Foxes!” — and we wish him and his wife, Linda, all the best in their new life in Broken Arrow, OK.

Where Our Girls Come From

Trek to the Top (Almost) At 5am on September 1, after six days of strenuous trekking through all manner of terrain and temperatures, ROULA AL-RAWAF ’83 found herself sitting in a cave 17,060 feet above sea level, near the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania. She was debating whether or not to continue on to the summit (19,341 ft.). Ultimately, she decided not to push it. “I believe I had it in me to reach the top, however, that was not my main goal,” says Roula. “The summit was never a must.”

EIGHTEEN

States & Washington, DC

What was a must was taking this fuzzy photo of herself high up on Kilimanjaro with a banner bearing the Foxcroft seal and her classmates’ names that her roommate Kendall Blythe had made for her in Limassol, Cyprus, where Roula lives. “I know the photo is blurry but that it is the best we could get at this altitude and low temperatures,” Roula says.

“Other people had their screens shatter. So we are lucky.”

Roula, whose only previous mountain adventure was skiing in the Alps, took on Kilimanjaro for many reasons; she carried the Foxcroft banner with her for one very clear purpose: “The strong bonds developed at Foxcroft have resisted time and distance,” Roula says. “I lost my brother, sister, and father all in one year, but I am blessed to have had my sisters from Foxcroft with me every step of the way. Many have admired my will to keep on going and I also owe this to Foxcroft, which taught me to be strong and independent.”

CO, CT, FL, KY, MA, MD, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WV, WY + DC

14

Australia, Bahamas, Canada, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam

Across Continents and Cultures CAMILA KIGER ’18 became a bit of a media star this year after Noticias Telemundo, which appears on the second largest Spanish-language network in the U.S., ran a story about the international language and cultural exchange that Kiger created. LEAP (Learn English and Progress), as it is called, connects Foxcroft’s Advanced Placement Spanish students with girls in Medellín, Colombia, through the internet with real time conversations.

While she was working in Medellín in 2016, Camila presented the plan to the city officials and then worked with them to find the right group of students and set up the digital platform. Foxcroft’s World Languages Department Chair, Esther Sánchez, helped Camila identify student volunteers and set things up on the U.S. side. The goal is to help the Colombian girls learn English — and for both groups to improve cultural understanding.

Cultural understanding is something Camila lives and breathes. The Senior Class president has both Colombian and U.S. citizenship, and has lived in Atlanta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, and Boston. “I don’t have any one place I could consider my hometown,” says Camila, who wants to work for a nonprofit when she grows up and live — where else? — abroad.

How Our New Students Found Us

Fifty-Five New

29% Are ITs & Legacies

Girls

30%

Referred by current o​r​ past families

Our best ambassadors are you!

If you know a potential Foxcroft girl, please contact the Admission Office (admission@foxcroft.org; 540.687.4340) Fall/Winter 2017 5

Of Honor . . .

After nearly two years of research, writing, and discussion by Student Council members, Foxcroft instituted an official Honor Code and Honor Pledge this fall with a special assembly at which every student, teacher, and staff members who have academic ties to them signed an Honor Code document that now hangs in Schoolhouse. Beginning with the statement “Foxcroft is a community built on trust,” the Code lays out familiar values and expectations that have guided the Foxcroft community for a century. “While we may be signing a new pledge, Foxcroft has always had a Code of Honor,” said Head of School Cathy McGehee, noting that Charlotte Haxall Noland’s emphasis on character and integrity created an honor system that has been part of this school since 1914.

Even so, taking time to reflect on our shared values and what it means to live in a community of trust is time well spent, especially in today’s world, when the wealth of resources and information available via the internet present new challenges. Leading up to the signing, the Judicial Council hosted “Honor Week” to engage the community in discussions of case studies related to both scholarship and personal behavior, to provide insight into the judicial process, and to emphasize the importance of living and learning with integrity.

“As you come up to sign the Honor Code today, think of what Foxcroft means to you,” Head Prefect Melanie Fann ’18 said at the signing ceremony. “Think of how much power the Honor Code and trust has, and will give us. Live with integrity and raise your standards for yourself. Live with integrity and raise the standards for everyone around you.”

. . . and Honors Senior MELANIE FANN and recent graduates LINDSAY WOODS and ISABELLA ZIMMERMAN all achieved the rare status of National Scholar and led a group of 30 Foxcroft girls that earned 2017 AP Scholar Awards from the College Board for outstanding achievement on Advanced Placement Exams. To earn National Scholar designation, students must earn an average grade of at least 4 (out of 5) on all AP Exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of the tests. Altogether 10 current students and 20 alumnae collected AP Scholar honors, an impressive number for such a small school.

ASHLEIGH DOVE ’14, who discovered foxhunting while she was a Foxcroft student and has been a regular participant with the Middleburg Hunt ever since, received the Theodora Ayer Randolph Sporting Scholarship "under the oaks" at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show in June. The scholarship, which carries a $1,000 cash award, is given annually to a young equestrian who is an active foxhunter with an interest in several horse sports and a desire to improve her knowledge and skills of horses and hunting. Middleburg Hunt Joint Master Penny Denegre — and past Foxcroft parent and trustee — nominated Ashleigh for the honor. In partnership with Middleburg Hunt, the Riding Program continues to introduce girls to the sport. Assistant Director of Riding Allie Truitt reports that about 10 students were expected to ride to the hounds this fall — and 8 of them had never hunted before coming to Foxcroft. And the now-traditional visit by the hounds to a Morning Meeting each fall (direction to photo) is always a big hit!

6 Foxcroft Magazine

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Sports Shorts Three-sport standout MIA MOSELEY ’18 (1) has accepted a lacrosse scholarship to NCAA Division I Delaware State University and planned an official signing in November. The talented defender from Centreville, MD, has been a key component of Foxcroft’s defense since her freshman year, when she helped the squad win its second VISAA Division II state championship. Last year, she led the defense in ground balls and takeaways and was named captain. She has started on both the basketball and volleyball teams since coming to Foxcroft as well. A historically black college, DSU will play in the Southern Conference beginning this spring.

Current college athletes include: ALLISON BUFFENBARGER ’17 (field hockey, Stevens Institute of Technology), BRITTANY HECTOR ’17 (cross country, Dickinson), ALEX GRACE ’16 (lacrosse, Virginia), LILLY MACDONALD ’14 (field hockey, Washington & Lee), and EMMA ROGERS ’15 (lacrosse, Radford).

In June, HALEY BUFFENBARGER ’19 (2) played in the 2017 National Futures Championship (NFC), USA Field Hockey's premier Futures program event and a key step along the sport’s Olympic Development Pipeline for talented players. NFC, held at Snooky Nook, the largest indoor sports complex in North America, near Lancaster, PA, (3) brings together the top 15% players chosen from more than 5,000 across the country. Haley’s “Team Paris” placed 5th among 14 teams, winning four out of five games. More than 80% of current Division I field hockey players participated in the Futures program. At Foxcroft, Haley’s future is here: In September, she broke the school record for most goals in a career when she scored eight goals in one week. The previous record, set by Alex Grace ’16, was 42; through Oct. 1, Haley had 54 goals!

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3

Teatime

The newest addition to Foxcroft's Permanent Student Art Collection is a teapot made by LELAND BURKE ’17 — an apt final choice by longtime art teacher Gary Cox, who took special joy in the presentation because, he said, “Leland loves clay as much as I do.” The teapot was recognized in 2016 by judges in the prestigious Scholastic Arts and Writing Contest, who gave it the highest award — a Gold Key — in the Glass & Ceramics category in the Southeast Regional contest.

Fall/Winter 2017 7

Uncommon Beauty

Foxcroft promises — and delivers — an uncommonly beautiful setting for its students. But the benefits of the School’s 500 acres go far beyond the aesthetic.

By Cristina Santiestevan ’96

Toward the end of Cathy McGehee’s first summer at Foxcroft, the new Head of School ran a brainstorming session to help inform what would, in time, become the School’s updated strategic plan. As part of the process, McGehee asked participants to define Foxcroft’s key natural resources. “It was kind of funny,” she recalls. “I think they all looked at me like I was nuts.”

The answer to McGehee’s question — as anyone who has visited Foxcroft would know — is the land, the 500 acres of rolling fields and forest that the School calls home. McGehee knew the answer to her own question as well, of course. She was looking to start an important conversation that continues to play out across campus today. “I wanted people to see that the land is this great natural resource that is underutilized. We were using the campus for athletics and riding, of course, but there was little intentional placebased learning in the curriculum. What could teachers do right here 8 Foxcroft Magazine

Uncommon Beauty Fall/Winter 2017 9

KISS THE CLOUDS: Whether building a better glider in a Wintermission class (left), taking the popular new Aerodynamics science elective, or flying an unmanned aerial vehicle — aka drone (below), flying holds a special allure for students.

to supplement what was going on in the classroom?”

always the most memorable, especially in terms of learning,” she notes.

The answers to that question are numerous, varied, and increasingly coming to life across Foxcroft’s campus.

STEM teacher Lindsey Bowser also makes frequent use of Foxcroft’s campus. Her environmental studies and geology students observe and compare on-campus ecosystems, learn to identify trees and determine forest types, collect and analyze soil samples, and visit Goose Creek to study real-world stream hydrology. Bowser has additional ideas for a statistics project this year. “I’m hoping to use leaves on trees to practice random sampling and as a way to compare a sample distribution to a population.”

Plein Air Academics

As Foxcroft’s faculty incorporate the School’s surroundings into their curriculum, they essentially transform the campus from simply being a location where learning happens into an active and essential part of the educational process itself — a sort of living learning lab. Students collect and test water samples from Goose Creek, build and fly drones on Big Track, and map whole sections of the campus using Google Maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology.

“The girls love to get outside. They love the opportunity for active learning,” says Foxcroft’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Department Chair, Dr. Maria Evans. Students in Evans’ classes shoot potato cannons, launch trebuchets, and record videos of horses to study and analyze motion. “When I do end-of-year surveys, the days we spent outside are

10 Foxcroft Magazine

Outdoor learning experiences are not limited to the sciences. Through the years, art, photography, and creative writing classes have left Schoolhouse to explore, be inspired, and be challenged by the campus. Advanced Placement Human Geography and Computer Science students have mapped trails on campus, created virtual reality photo tours, and created an app similar to a Pokemon Go game in which players tried to create the ultimate empire by finding agents distributed around the grounds.

This year, Foxcroft’s Director of Educational Technology and History Department Chair, Alex Northrup, has a unique idea to get students outside when they study World War II during his U.S. History class.

“We plan to have the students learn to drill,” says Northrup. Drawing on School tradition, the girls will learn the same military drills that Foxcroft students once were required to practice. “We have footage, and lots of pictures and documents about the students doing drill during that time period. And there’s a local alum who loves drill. She wants to come and teach the girls, so they will learn exactly what previous generations of students did here.”

Northrup expects the reenactments will help his students better understand and retain their lessons. “I think it will be a really meaningful experience for them. They’ll definitely remember it more than if they simply read about World War II.”

Mind and Body

Academics are an essential part of life at Foxcroft — but academic pursuits are only a part of students’ on-campus experience.

As a residential school, it's home to virtually

“One of my favorite places is the courtyard right outside the library,” says Northrup, who lives on campus with his wife, Linda, and daughters, Harper ’18 and Emma ’21, “There’s a sculpture of a book on a bench underneath one of the apple trees. I love seeing that book and thinking about the fact that this courtyard was presented by one friend in honor of another friend, both alums.”

Foxcroft’s campus is filled with such spots — places that inspire an emotional connection to the land, the School, and the community as a whole. Places that allow adolescent girls the necessary space and calm to find their true selves, to sit in solitude or gather with friends, to write or draw or think or doze in the sunlight.

Asked their favorite place on campus last May, a dozen graduating seniors overwhelmingly chose outdoor spaces, citing the gazebo on Big Track, Senior Porch, the ledge overlooking Schoolhouse quad, and Goose Creek — a locale also named by poet Tina Barr ’73.

students and faculty using the trails to reconnect with themselves,” she says.

Part of this peace comes from the campus itself — 500 acres of rolling hills and abundant forest. The location, too, just an hour from the nation’s capital but with an ambiance all its own, plays a part.

“Foxcroft gives its students a safe and beautiful place to learn and develop as individuals,” says Carla Rodil Ciperski ’88, an alumna and a trustee. “It's not just a school; it’s a place where you can grow as a person, explore your interests and the world around you, and learn to be a young woman who cares for herself and others.”

Adds Northrup: “It’s a place where adolescent girls can develop on their own.

In terms of a learning environment, that’s a great opportunity.”

Plant Tending

With 36 buildings, 500 acres, and approximately 250 full- and part-time residents, Foxcroft School is in many ways Foxcroft Village. It has its own water tower and water treatment plant, a half dozen generators backing up the power supply, and a full-time staff of 10 dedicated to caring for the plant.

There is, of course, significant investment — in both dollars and time — required to

maintain the buildings; tend to the grounds, trails, athletic and riding arenas; and keep the School’s many parts and pieces up to date and running smoothly. For example, Business Manager Deborah Anderson just oversaw a project to replace an essential valve in the School’s water tower that she notes carried an expense “in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

That is just one of many items on Foxcroft’s to-do list. “We have upwards of $6 million in deferred maintenance costs,” says Anderson, “And that doesn’t include the costs for new construction and routine maintenance.”

That new valve should last 50 or more years, but some of the pipes it feeds are past their lifespan and much of the water treatment facility is in need of repair or replacement. Those pipes and valves are part of Foxcroft’s essential infrastructure, explains McGehee, and they don’t appeal to most donors. “Repairing old infrastructure is not fun,” she says. “It has nothing to do with English or history or math. But it’s what makes this place work.”

Indeed, the School’s plant — its infrastructure of water pipes and treatment facility, electric lines, ethernet cable, roofs, walls, windows, and so on — is both a challenge and an opportunity. In recent years, that equation had begun to tip increasingly toward “opportunity” as

“My favorite memory is of taking long walks around the property, in the woods, along Goose Creek,” Barr recalled. “I would deliberately get lost and then find my way back to campus . . . Once a group of riders, dressed for a hunt, passed me where I was hiding under the roots of a tree. It felt like a private world of great beauty, because the land, the fields and woods were — are — so stunning.”

“The grounds are so peaceful and restorative,” adds Evans, who especially enjoys her walks along the School’s cross country trail. “I’ve been tracking a flock of about 30 turkeys — several hens and all their little ones. It’s been really fun to watch them grow.” Evans is not alone in her enjoyment of the trails. “I love to see

HOW DOES OUR GARDEN GROW? The small community garden that was built by a Wintermission class several years ago is now used as a hands-on lesson for biology classes — and occasional Dining Hall treats.

Fall/Winter 2017 11

Uncommon Beauty

its entire population of students and faculty.

Boarder or day student, resident faculty or commuter, each member of the Foxcroft community experiences the campus as a place to rest and recharge, to play and exercise, to wander and explore. It is so very much more than a place to go to — or teach — class.

Foxcroft’s faculty and staff collaborate to weave curriculum and learning experiences for students into necessary renovations and new construction projects.

Such curricula have invited students into the planning and construction of Stewart Hall, the LEED-certified (gold!) dormitory that opened in 2013, as well as the recent updates for the existing dormitories and Court. McGehee expects similar opportunities will be made available as Foxcroft progresses with plans to renovate Schoolhouse and the Music Building, and to build a performing arts center.

In some cases, students do more than learn and observe — they lead. For example, it was the Class of 2016’s departing gift to the School that made the new technologyfree zone a reality on the patio behind Schoolhouse. Students also led the process to make Foxcroft’s new Innovation Lab a reality (see page 26). And Bowser’s 2016-17 AP Environmental Science students wrote a proposal to improve campus sustainability as their final project.

“Some parts of their proposal, such as getting dedicated recycling bins in

12 Foxcroft Magazine

every dorm room, have already been implemented,” says Bowser.

With the 2017-18 school year underway, Bowser was looking forward to developing another proposal with interested students — the implementation of a campus-wide composting program. That compost may then eventually go toward the school garden or mini-farm, which may in turn provide produce to the Dining Hall along with myriad hands-on and businessmanagement learning opportunities for students. “There’s a business to planting a garden,” says McGehee. “What is economically viable? What are the costs?

How would we market it? Who would buy our produce?”

And the cycle continues. With each new answer to McGehee’s original question — What could teachers do right here to supplement what is going on in the classroom? — comes new opportunity. That may ultimately be the most uncommonly beautiful thing about Foxcroft’s campus: 500 acres, 46 buildings, and limitless possibility for growth, exploration, and education.

•

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC: English/ Economics teacher and music aficionado Steve McCarty and students enjoy playing around a fire pit at Stuart Hall.

GARDEN PARTY: The gazebo in Miss Charlotte’s Garden continues to attract girls to relax, chat, and — sometimes — have a good laugh.

Uncommon Beauty

Of heartbreak, hope

& Honey Bees

By Terry Meyer, Assistant Director for Stewardship, Office of Institutional Advancement (and Foxcroft’s Beekeeper-in-Chief)

Beeks (as they’re known familiarly) know both the joys and heartbreak of beekeeping.

There’s no question about it, if you keep bees, your heart will be broken when hives fail or bees die. When it goes right, though, standing among the humming, industrious bees in the warm spring air, peering into the hive in search of the queen, or harvesting (and then eating) surplus honey brings a joyful awareness of how important these tiny creatures are to the human experience.

At Foxcroft, beekeeping also inspires students to appreciate a world previously unseen. Foxcroft’s apiary was established in the spring of 2014 after a Wintermission course on beekeeping. Tish Bass ’15, one of the first students to help with the bees, captured this awakening perfectly in a college essay: “This tiny society, painted with a different palette, encompassed more than the world of bees. It spoke to all overlooked phenomena, like other insects that have flown and crawled around me, presenting themselves for my deliberation but never receiving it. Visiting the hive brought a kaleidoscope of inconspicuous details to my attention.”

Now a physics and astronomy major at Mississippi State, Tish says, "Working with the bees at Foxcroft gave me an appreciation for the role of bees in the environment. It made me more interested in science and how the world works in general.”

The apiary’s tough breaks have also taught students that the world doesn’t always run smoothly. The recent scourge on honey bees called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) impacted one of the hives after the first

winter. The hives looked strong the next year, throwing off a swarm or two. Hopes were high as winter approached, but a black bear discovered the apiary (located in a clearing off Cub Lane past the lower athletic fields) and made a mess of it. Sadly, the bees did not survive.

Foxcroft’s amazing maintenance staff constructed an electric bear fence to protect the bees, and we started again, practically from scratch because the bear had destroyed much of the equipment and consumed the wax, pollen, and honey stores. Unfortunately, we had to once again replace the bees this year because the bees starved during a cold snap last winter. These bees — from a supplier that has developed a hardier bee — are going gangbusters with 60–70,000 bees in each hive.

Student interest, too, is thriving.

This fall, for the first time, three “Apiary Apprentices” are participating in a more intentional program to help manage the hives, capture swarms, spin honey, and assist with what we hope will now be an expanding Foxcroft Apiary. They also lead the Beekeeping Club, which will host activities such as honey spinning, equipment building, and maybe some fun with beeswax.

Apprentice Marina Vanoff ’20 is loving every minute of

beetime. “My favorite part is going and just hanging out with the bees,” she says.

“Anything that has me stressed or has been keeping me down is automatically forgotten once we go over to take care of the bees.

It's a pretty relaxing part of my day.”

And educational, too: “I've learned so much from the bees! This is kind of weird, but I learned that hard work pays off, because the second a bee is born it immediately starts working.”

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Summertime .

.

.

& the riders are busy

Residential camp, lessons, and travel to shows keep the barn staff active when school is out

By Shelly Betz, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Marketing

D

uring the school year, Foxcroft riders spend countless hours at McConnell Stables, taking lessons, caring for horses and equipment, and preparing for shows. While the hustle and bustle of dozens of girls taking lessons and doing “generals” ebbs with the end of the school year, the barn doesn't close after Memorial Day.

1

It’s not uncommon to find the riding staff busy tending to horses and welcoming local students and alumnae who come out to help exercise the horses through the summer. This time also provides an opportunity for trainers to ride and work with donation horses that will be used in the program, as well as keeping Foxcroft horses in peak condition.

In recent years, the opportunities for enrolled students who want to continue working on their skills have grown significantly, too, as the staff offers lessons as well as training and travel support to horse shows up and down the East Coast. Foxcroft’s Riding Program is truly a year-round operation with no sign of a slowdown. It is also a model for leveraging the School’s greatest natural resource — its beautiful 500-acre campus — to greater advantage.

“It’s great!” says Cici Jackson ‘18, who lives in nearby Chantilly, VA, and often comes to campus in the summer. “I can stay connected to my trainers, and being able to ride different horses really helps me prepare for IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) shows.”

Director of Riding Kate Worsham says the levels of instruction offered during the school year, combined with the convenience of riding on campus, makes Foxcroft’s program unique and attracts girls from all over the country and various corners of the globe.

“We offer the quality of a rated show barn within the framework of a boarding school,” says Worsham, who took students to six shows this summer. “The dynamic of living together and traveling together to compete year round is very unique compared to what most riders are used to and what many other boarding schools offer.”

Summer opportunities extend that experience, with the families of local riding students generously welcoming boarders into their homes when the dormitories close.

14 Foxcroft Magazine

1. AT UPPERVILLE: Worsham and her staff worked with Foxcroft girls, including Elena Barrick ’20, at horse shows from Vermont to Upperville.

2. HAPPY CAMPERS: Riding camp participants had a variety of experiences, including personalized lessons, group rides, and various aspects of caring for horses

Uncommon Beauty

2

Sharing the Experience In June, the riding staff shared a bit of the Foxcroft riding experience with eight girls who attended a week-long residential riding camp, the first residential riding camp hosted by the School in several years. The camp was created for riders in grades 8-11 who want to improve their skills and technique in the disciplines of hunters, jumpers, equitation, and foxhunting.

The size of the camp allowed Foxcroft trainers to create personalized lessons, which are the hallmark of Foxcroft’s riding instruction during the school year. All of the girls who attended were required to have previous riding experience in order to reap the benefits of the School’s highly qualified trainers and the variety of riding venues on campus.

Lilly R., an eighth grader, knew what she wanted to gain from the experience. After admitting that it usually takes her more than 30 minutes to settle into her rhythm with a horse, she said, “My goal is to get to the point where I’m comfortable from the time I sit on the saddle.”

Each day, campers participated in a number of activities that allowed them to

gain a full perspective of what it’s like to be a Foxcroft rider. They participated in team-building activities while living in the dorm with a chaperone; learned the importance of making good food choices to fuel the mind and body of an athlete; participated in stable clinics on bandaging, body clipping, and braiding; and spent fun time relaxing at the pool on campus.

One of the major benefits of having a small group of campers was that every girl had the opportunity to ride a different horse each day and, sometimes, got to ride twice in one day. For camper Reagan M., the variety of horses at Foxcroft provided many learning opportunities. “I was most surprised by the horses’ personalities and how different they all were. It really forced me to pay attention to each horse and the way I handled it,” she said.

Throughout the week, the campers practiced exercises on the flat, navigated poles, jumped courses of fences, worked on position and balance, and learned techniques for riding in open spaces.

Putting the girls on different horses really helped to build their skills, according to Worsham. “The rider must adapt to the

horse and its needs on a constant basis,” she said. “They learned how to read new horses in terms of their body language and their preferences for how a rider uses her aids. These experiences allowed them to add to their riding tool box.”

The campers also were able to take advantage of Foxcroft’s uncommonly beautiful setting — in the arenas, on the trails, and on Big Track. “Being able to ride in different spaces makes for a wonderful overall experience,” notes Allie Truit, one of two assistant directors of riding. “Not only does it help the horses feel happier and more willing to be mentally engaged, but it does the same for the girls, while building the relationship between horse and rider.”

Building on the excitement created by the camp, plans are already underway for next year’s offering. Assistant Director of Riding Kendall Bear believes this year’s campers had a very positive experience — and so did she.

“When riders begin to understand and appreciate the connectivity and leverage of their own riding positions and techniques, it makes them feel very powerful,” she says. “I love helping guide them to those moments of actualization.”

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Fall/Winter 2017 15

From Idea to 1 1 Reality in Less Than a Year

By Alexander O. Northrup, Director of Educational Technology and History Department Chair

T

he Innovation Lab at Foxcroft School began as a generous gift from an anonymous donor in the fall of 2016. An innovation lab — also called a makerspace or fabrication lab — is a place where students can gather to create, invent, and learn, often using computers and the latest technology such as 3D printers and laser cutters. Our donor hoped that there would be an opportunity for student involvement in the process of creating the lab, just as there was during the construction of Stuart Hall and the renovation of Court (Project Green Build and Project Rebuild, respectively). Thus began the “Space to Innovate” project.

16 Foxcroft Magazine

1. CUTTING EDGE: Kenzie Green ’20 works with the Lab’s laser cutter, which can slice through many materials.

2. TEAM INNOVATE: Northrup (center) convened the group but students, many pictured here, drove the process.

3. MORE POWER TO THEM: Engineering’s carpentry shop has another purpose as part of TIL@FXC.

3 2 As students applied to join the Space to Innovate Project Team, we purposefully encouraged younger students to participate so that we could build a group that would see the project through the long-term. We ended up with 18 students — six freshmen, seven sophomores, and five juniors — who were divided into committees responsible for technology, interior design, budgets, and presentation. The Executive Committee crafted the team’s mission statement: “To develop a makerspace that will inspire the community and allow all members an opportunity to design, create, and learn using hands-on approaches, both in and out of the classroom, while utilizing the newest technology.”

The Space to Innovate Project Team faced several challenges. First, Foxcroft already possessed important pieces of the technology associated with an Innovation Lab, including a 3D printer and wellequipped carpentry shop. How would we incorporate these into our new space?

Second, with a Schoolhouse renovation planned for the future, how much of our resources did we want to spend on constructing new rooms that might be repurposed in the near future? Finally, the

area in Schoolhouse allotted for the new Lab — in the Science Wing — was dark and outdated. How would we turn this into an inviting space that would attract students?

technology they wanted, and where it would go. They created a 3D SketchUp model of their proposal, and presented it to Foxcroft’s Administration Team.

The Team decided that the first step would be to visit other spaces to gather ideas and resources. On our first field trip, we visited Creative Office Environments, the University of Richmond Library’s Innovation Rooms, and the Steward School’s Bryan Innovation Lab. We spent our second field trip at NOVA Labs in Reston, not only touring but actively creating an Arduino computer that could measure moisture to ensure that plants are getting just the right amount of water.

It was after our visit to NOVA Labs that a laser cutter — a machine that can cut and engrave all kinds of materials — moved to the top of the technology priority list.

After receiving feedback from that group, the Project Team revised the proposal and presented it to the Board of Trustees at its meeting last April. Two members of the Space to Innovate Executive Committee, Amara Brooks ’19 and Kenzie Green ’20, discussed the Team’s student-led process and their experience helping to create the makerspace by presenting at the National Coalition of Girls Schools Conference in Washington, DC, in June.

The team also surveyed Foxcroft students and faculty to see what they would like to see in the new space. They met with Erika Lehman, an architect from Hord Coplan & Macht, to brainstorm ideas and deal with the realities of renovation. Working with survey results and internal discussions, Team members drew up an initial design of the new Innovation Lab, detailing how they wanted the space to look, what

Committee members met with Foxcroft Business Manager Deborah Anderson to design the interior of the Innovation Lab, picking out colors, flooring, and new lighting. They suggested glass doors to bring more light into spaces that have no windows. Over the summer, the School's Maintenance crew worked hard installing new flooring, lighting, and wiring, as well as painting every wall to transform the old rooms into a welcoming, well lit, and perhaps even “hip” space. The result: The Innovation Lab at Foxcroft School! Check it out the next time you are on campus!

Fall/Winter 2017 17

What’s in The Innovation Lab? TECHNOLOGY ROOM • Laser Cutter • 3D Printer • Sewing Machine with programmable embroidery • T-Shirt Press • Silk Screen Printing Equipment • Large Format Color Printer • Jewelry Making Station

ENGINEERING ROOM • Double Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw • Circular Saw • 3 Cordless Drills • Palm Sander • Belt Sander • Brad Nailer • Dowel Jig • Power Stapler • Soldering Iron • Access to a Table Saw in Carpentry Shop

DIGITAL DESIGN STUDIO • 4 iMacs with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign • 1 iMac with Final Cut Pro (Video Editing Software) • Video Camera with Microphone and Tripod • 360 degree Camera for Virtual Reality Filmmaking • Microphone/Stand for Podcasting/ Sound Recording

COLLABORATION ROOM • Color Printer for General Use • Supplies/Equipment for Electronics Projects, including: • Arduino/Raspberry Pi • Sewable Electronics • Robotics • General Arts/Crafts Supplies

18 Foxcroft Magazine

Why an Innovation Lab? An Educational Technology Director’s View During a recent visit to the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, I learned the story of Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the erstwhile planet Pluto. Tombaugh was an intern, to whom researchers passed off the most boring, time-consuming jobs. He spent hours at night taking long-exposure photos of remote regions of the solar system.

Then he examined each photo, looking for any anomalies that might indicate a planet. He barely slept for months — but he did find “Planet X” (Pluto).

Our tour guide concluded this story with a surprising statement: Tombaugh was fortunate to be working in 1930 and not 2017. Why? A computer can now do everything that took Tombaugh months of 18-hour days in a matter of minutes. In 1930, Tombaugh’s tremendous industry transformed a farm boy from the midwest into a nationally recognized scientist; today, he would have been superfluous.

Our guide’s take on the Tombaugh story reminded me of the most fundamental question that educators confront every day: What should we teach? If our goal is to create Tombaughs for the 21st century, what should we be developing in our students? Many well-meaning educators avoid that basic question and focus on simply improving what we have always done. If we make the existing system more efficient, with more tests to prove students are “learning,” surely that means our students are poised for success.

The problem, in the words of Google’s Chief Educational Evangelist Jaime Casap, is not that the educational system is broken; the

problem is that the world has changed.

Employers today are not looking for workers who can memorize and regurgitate large amounts of information on command. A strong work ethic, effective communication orally and in writing, and critical thinking skills are essential, but no longer sufficient.

Today, the world requires collaborative and innovative thinkers — people who approach a problem and, working in a team, can find a creative solution that adds value.

How then, as teachers and schools, do we inculcate creativity, collaboration, and a sense of agency within our students? One way is to move students to the center of learning — from passive recipients to active creators of their knowledge. Projectbased learning, particularly where they have ownership of the project ideas, can transform students from consumers to creators.

Places like The Innovation Lab at Foxcroft are terrific for this type of learning because they allow access to many tools used in today’s workplace. Students have the chance to become competent and confident on the latest software, 3D printer, or laser cutter. This comfort with STEM technologies is one of the new essentials for the modern workplace.

Perhaps even more important though, is the sense of “agency” that students who are makers and creators gain in places like The Innovation Lab. These students begin to see themselves as active participants in the creation of the world around them. This “can do” attitude impacts individual character as well as the larger community, and eventually the global world in which we live.

•

2017 Commencement

sun

Here comes the

1 Rain and clouds give way to sun, smiles, and speeches at the 103rd Commencement

By Cathrine Wolf, Director of Communications

A

wonderful thing happened about midway through Foxcroft School’s 103rd Commencement on May 26: The sun came out.

The rain, which had been falling nearly nonstop for a week, began (again!) just before the 10am ceremony got underway. To keep the purpose of the event front and center, Head of School Catherine S. McGehee shuffled the program in the last minutes, putting awarding prizes and diplomas first. The speeches would follow, she said, weather permitting.

2 1. RATTLE THE STARS: Once very shy, Senior Class Speaker Jacina broke out of her shell at Foxcroft.

2. RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY! The ceremony began with umbrellas up as the girls processed into the Garden — and ended with many muddy feet.

Fall/Winter 2017 19

3

3. SUNNY SKIES: In the end, the rain did, in fact, go away, giving way to brilliant sunshine, exuberant hugs, and happy hearts.

4. DWELL IN POSSIBILITY: Anne Burridge urged the graduates to think big.

4

Thankfully it did, and the two featured speakers, Jacina Hollins-Borges and English Department Chair Anne C. Burridge, each got her moment in the sun (literally). It would have been a shame to miss their remarks. Jacina, who lives in Alpharetta, GA, urged the Class of 2017 to be courageous, curious, strong, and determined. “Let’s go rattle the stars,” said Jacina — who would be the first to admit that due to her shy nature, she wouldn’t have rattled a fly when she arrived at Foxcroft at the beginning of her junior year.

“I spent most of my high school years being too scared to talk to more than five people on a regular basis,” said Jacina, an “IT” whose mother, Karen Hollins, graduated in 1980. “It is because of all of your kindness, your encouragement, your persistence, that I have become someone who has the confidence to stand in front of you today. Thank you so much; I don’t know where I would be without you all.”

Independence Day Lindy Davenport CAME FROM: Berryville, Virginia GOING TO: Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences

Q: Why did you choose to come to Foxcroft?

A: When I visited I was really impressed with the campus and with the community.

Everyone seemed so dedicated to being welcoming and making Foxcroft a kind, open place to be. I also liked the schedule and flexibility of the program.

20 Foxcroft Magazine

Q: As a day student, was your experience affected

by Foxcroft being a boarding school?

A: I think the detachment from parents teaches you independence. It’s much more common for kids to handle things on their own or with help from your advisor instead of depending on parents. I’m a much better advocate for myself. Before I went to Foxcroft, I was way too shy to stand up for myself the way I do now.

Q: What surprised you about Foxcroft?

A: The international students. They really impressed me with their independence,

coming so far from home without having visited the school or having family in the area. I felt that I never could have done that. But I feel more prepared for going away now because I saw what they did.

Q: What are you going to study in college?

A: I’m undecided. I wanted a liberal arts education because I think it's important to have a wide base of knowledge. I also wanted a larger environment with many resources across disciplines so there would be opportunities to go into great depth with whatever field I ultimately choose.

Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences offers that — I’m taking Anthropology, Linguistics, French, Linear Algebra, and a seminar on Science and Society this fall!

Who, indeed, were these 35 young women who refused to miss their chance to walk through the Garden, muddy and marshy as it was? An impressive group: They came from five countries, 10 states, and the District of Columbia. They were headed to 29 different colleges in 25 states. They included four National Merit Scholarship Commended Students and 11 AP Scholars, and were offered, collectively, more than

Commencement 2017

Jacina is a dazzling example of the transformative power of the Foxcroft experience — but far from the only. After telling her classmates to think back to their first days on campus and the memories they had made since, she said, “Look at who we are right now. We are not who we were when we came here. We are more confident, we are leaders, we are women who seek adventures, who take challenges and run with them — women who have found enough of themselves to be able to use our time in college to discover the rest.”

$2.1 million in merit scholarships and 141 acceptances to 90 colleges and universities, including Cornell, Emory, Georgetown, St Andrews (Scotland), Tulane, Virginia, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

They were the last class to attend Foxcroft under former Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer, who gave the Invocation. Their first year (2013-14) was also Burridge’s first, a fact not lost on the holder of the H. Laurence Achilles Chair for English.

Like Jacina, Burridge touched on the shared experiences and then turned to the moment, leaving the Class of 2017 with a “final challenge” to live deliberately, "dwell in Possibility," spend rather than bury their talents, and “continue to use all your gifts actively to enrich your life, to serve the people and communities you love, and to foster the highest qualities of character and reason for the benefit of humanity at large.”

That might just rattle the stars!

•

Out of Africa Michelle Arubi CAME FROM: Lagos, Nigeria GOING TO: Florida Institute of Technology

Q: Why did you choose to come to Foxcroft?

A: My sister attended Foxcroft, and she would tell me stories about her and her friends, and the stories would excite me, because it sounded like so much fun.

Q: How was your educational experience at Foxcroft different from Nigeria?

from them. I remember changing the way I spoke and the words I used.

A: At Foxcroft I got to enjoy learning.

In Nigeria, I was required to take 14 classes and most of them had nothing to do with what I wanted to study in college. At Foxcroft, I could take AP Computer Science, which is what I’ll study in college, and I could also take ceramics.

Q: What was the most memorable moment for you at Foxcroft?

Q: What is the biggest challenge for girls coming to Foxcroft from outside the United States?

A: Adjusting to the change of culture, in terms of interaction and communication.

I had to observe how the American girls socialized and then try to learn

A: The 2017 Poetry Festival. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would write a poem so personal to me and be comfortable enough with the audience to read it aloud.

Q: Why is it important that Foxcroft attracts girls from other countries?

A: Foxcroft is a school that allows each and everyone to find her voice through different methods. The traditions, academics, and supportive community give every girl a chance to discover who she is and what she wants to do in the future.

Fall/Winter Fall/Winter 2017 21

Awards & Accolades Students and faculty were honored during the end of year celebrations [Brenda] makes sure that all students feel known and valued.”

1 BRENDA TRUSSELL ACCEPTS LOCKHART SERVICE AWARD Brenda Trussell’s warmth, kindness, calm demeanor, and endless supply of snacks have fortified Foxcroft School students for nearly three decades — and at the annual Awards Assembly in May, her gifts to the community were recognized with the presentation of the 2017 Jane Lockhart Service Award.

A Marshall, VA, resident, Trussell is the sixth recipient of the Award. Previous recipients include nurses Penny Alderman and Yvette McCarty, coach Fred McMane, registrar/dorm parent Patty Boswell, and Lockhart herself. Trussell has managed the mail and the school store since 1990, but she distributes more than letters and Frappucinos.

“For 27 years, this staff member has been an important link between our students and the outside world, driving students to appointments, picking up the mail, and sorting packages,” said McGehee, “It can be so hard living far away from home.

22 Foxcroft Magazine

Another member of the Administrative Team adds, “Brenda lights up everyone’s world. She is so warm and caring . . . and always has time to chat, laugh, and give your day a boost.”

The Lockhart Award was established in 2012 by Foxcroft parents and students in appreciation of the dedication, commitment, and passion of Jane Lockhart, who worked at Foxcroft from 1966-2016.

It honors a staff or faculty member who “exemplifies a personal commitment to and understanding of all of our students,” with an emphasis on all.

2

Since 2007, McCarty has taught History and English courses ranging from American Literature and Creative Writing to Economics and World Cultures. The former U.S. Air Force officer has coached, served on the Judicial Council, and acted as advisor to the Sophomore Class, Chimera (literary magazine), and scores of girls. For the past three years, he worked with Student Council to formalize Foxcroft’s honor code and write an honor pledge.

Most essentially, though, McCarty has helped students find their voices and hone the skills with which they express them. An avid guitar player, his regular jam sessions encourage girls to pick up an instrument and find their musical voices. As host of the poetry slam and open mic night that kicks off the Bergan Poetry Festival, he inspires students to share their thoughts and dreams orally. In his classroom, Chimera, and the writers’ circles he organizes, girls share written expressions of those voices.

Said one former student, “As he teaches, it is not finding a unique story to write about that is most important, but finding a unique voice with which to tell it.”

STEVEN MCCARTY RECEIVES LEIPHEIMER EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD Steven McCarty, whose creativity, integrity, and dedication in and out of the classroom have enriched the lives of Foxcroft students for a decade, received the third annual Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award in May.

AWARD WINNERS: Trussell (1) was congratulated by the woman her award was named for, Jane Lockhart, while McCarty (2) celebrated with wife Yvette. after wife Yvette took home the service award.

Commencement 2017

Student Standouts Valedictorian/ Pillsbury Prize

Elebash Award

ISABELLA ZIMMERMAN ’17

Cum Laude Society Members

Salutatorian

MACKENZIE GREEN ’20

LINDSAY WOODS ’17

Class of 2017

Junior Award for Scholarship

LELAND BURKE

ELISA CHEN ’18

MARY PARK DURHAM

Charlotte Haxall Noland Award

LINDSAY WOODS

LINDSAY WOODS ’17

Class of 2018

Miss Ida Applegate Award

LINDY DAVENPORT EMILY DIETZ

ISABELLA ZIMMERMAN

LELAND BURKE ’17

MELANIE FANN

Dudley Prize

YIMING ZHAO

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4

EMMA CAO

EMILY DIETZ ’17

Josie Betner Mallace Award ELLE LASSITER ’17

Head’s Prize SOFIA TATE ’17

Teresa E. Shook Award ALLISON BUFFENBARGER ’17

Miss Charlotte’s Trophy (Best Rider) CLAUDIA MICHEL ’19

Mildred Greble Davis Award YIMING ZHAO ’18

Becky Award NGOC NGUYEN ’19

3. VALEDICTORIAN Isabella Zimmerman ’17 4. CHARLOTTE HAXALL NOLAND AWARD WINNER AND SALUTATORIAN Lindsay Woods ’17 5. DUDLEY PRIZE WINNER Emily Dietz ’17

5

Alumnae Careers

Passionate About Work The second annual Alumnae Career Panel, which kicked off Reunion Weekend last spring, featured keynote speaker Rasha Elass ’87 and nine other Foxcroft women. As they shared their stories, mostly in small groups, two themes emerged: These women love what they do and often Foxcroft had something to do with getting them where they are. For more about these women, visit the “Meet Our Alumnae” page (www.foxcroft.org/meet_alums) on the Foxcroft website.

When Rasha Elass ’87 (right) first started telling the students, faculty, and alumnae who filled Currier Library last April about her job as a freelance journalist, she made it sound a bit like she was living a carefree life. “My job doesn’t feel much like working at all,” said Rasha. “I get to invent my own job each day. When I wake up in the morning, I decide what to do.”

In the spring of 2013, Rasha decided to do something that was very dangerous.

She went undercover, crossed the border from Lebanon — where she and other international journalists were doing their best to report on the Syrian Civil War — and went in search of the truth. So much for the easy life.

“We received terrible reports on social media describing a horrendous massacre in a village not far from where we were, but we could not independently verify the stories,” Rasha said. “Then the Syrian regime started floating contradictory information. This really upset me. What could be worse than being killed in a massacre and having the whole world wondering if this really happened or not?”

24 Foxcroft Magazine

Rasha realized that she could verify the reports. A dual citizen, she had a Syrian ID, so she embarked on a wild cloak-anddagger adventure that involved a secret rendezvous, dangerous snipers, and — ultimately — getting to the village, talking to a survivor, and verifying those reports.

“Sometimes I can’t believe the risks I took,” Rasha told the fascinated Foxcroft audience.

“But Human Rights Watch [an NGO that conducts research and advocacy on human rights] used information from my report . . . so in the end, it felt like it was worth it.”

That wasn’t the only time Rasha took a risk.

Giving up a successful career in banking was pretty gutsy. And the seeds for a writing career had been planted at Foxcroft.

“One of the main ways in which Foxcroft shaped my interests was through English class,” she says. “I will never forget sitting in English class, day in and day out, and engaging in conversation about the latest book that we had been assigned to read. I loved delving into the plot and characters, and the meaning behind it all. I learned one of the most important things about myself: That I love to write (and to read).”

1 Writing remained a hobby as Rasha earned a bachelor’s in international business at George Washington University and a master’s in finance from American University, but it soon spilled over. “When I found myself working in the banking sector, I naturally veered toward being a market analyst — I researched and wrote market reports for a living. When I felt it was time to change careers, journalism lured me in.”

Rasha earned a master’s in journalism at Columbia University and was soon covering the Iraqi refugee crisis and Arab/ Islamic affairs for Reuters, Forbes Arabia, and The National, among other media outlets. She has also covered the drug wars in South America, helped produce several independent documentaries, and much more. Currently, she lives in Washington, D.C., and is working on an ethnographic memoir which draws from the diaries of her childhood, which was spent partly in Syria, and from her reporter’s notebook.

She is writing — and she loves it.

“I cannot imagine my life without writing at the center of it,” says Rasha. “And I give Foxcroft a good chunk of the credit for teaching me this about myself.”

Alumnae Careers

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MANY THANKS TO OUR PANELISTS: After Rasha (1) spoke to the community, students and panelists — including horse farm operator Sloane Coles ’07 (2), teacher Molly Mosher ’77 (3), and attorney Sydney Harris ’00 (4) — met in small groups. Other panelists were pediatrician Lisa Kelly ’87, communications director Traci Collins ’89, pilot Betsy Boyd ’92, inn owner/operator Alice Lane Lloyd ’97, artist Whitney Knapp Bowditch ’99, and software engineer Jillian Cairns Rosile ’07.

3 Up, Up, and Away

Dream Job

At Foxcroft, Betsy Boyd ’92 tried things she had never seen before — and it became a lifelong habit. “At such a small place, you end up being drawn into things you never thought you might try, and liking them!” says Betsy, who played field hockey and lacrosse, two sports she had never heard of. “The culture of participation in Fox/Hound spills over into all aspects of life. . . . I firmly believe my confidence to explore, and fail, and keep trying came from my time at Foxcroft.”

You might say that Jillian Cairns Rosile ’07 owes her “dream job” — as a software engineer at Google­ — to her Foxcroft French teacher. “When I was a student, my advisor, Madame [Janice] Brown, introduced me to a classmate's father, who was a mathematician and entrepreneur. A few months after our initial chat, he thought of me when there was an opening for an intern at his company.”

“I had no idea what I wanted to pursue as a career,” recalls Betsy, who earned a bachelor’s in history from Yale University. “But one day I went to the airport to see what it would be like to fly a plane.”

That man was Shane Chalke (Jillian ’10, Priscilla ’08). Working for Chalke, Jillian not only learned a lot and made connections that led to other internships, but she says, “The specific technical skills that I learned there landed me my first job out of college — which started me along the path to my current dream job.” Of course, holding a B.S. in math from Massachusetts Institute of Technology probably helped too.

Now Betsy is a commercial pilot for ExpressJet Airlines/Delta Connection — one of the women who make up just 5% of pilots with major and regional airlines. In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognized her by including her in the prestigious FAA Airmen Certification Database, which requires qualifications that are among the highest in the world.

Betsy believes reading had a significant impact upon her.

“Reading books with strong female role models, such as pioneering aviatrix Beryl Markham's memoir West with the Night, provided an early sense of what is possible if only you try."

“I love working at Google because I work on a team of very smart, but also very kind and supportive, people and I get to tackle exciting and challenging problems,” says Jillian.

“There's nothing quite like working on the infrastructure for software that serves millions or billions of people.”

Fall/Winter 2017 25

Reunion 2017

Many alumnae came back early Friday for Morning Meeting to hear Rasha Elass ’87 discuss her experience as a journalist in Syria and abroad.

Reunion got off to an early start this year. On Thursday evening at a special dinner at Covert, the Alumnae Council welcomed the Class of 2017 to the Alumnae Association.

Alumnae Council President, Amanda Hartmann Healy ’98 announced the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award: Alix (Axie) Clark Diana ’60 — who will be honored at a reception on campus this fall — and the Class of 2017’s newly elected class representatives, Reilly Canard and Maddy Gumprecht. Senior Class President Grace Kendall also spoke. Milestone Reunions included the classes of 2012 at its Fifth Reunion, 1992 at its 25th, and 1967 at its 50th Reunion.

1. 2012 classmates (left-right) Charlotte Wright,

Kim Kluwe, Olivia Gotwald, Devon McCarthy and Bea Riggs.

2. Seniors Reilly Canard, Maddy Gumprecht,

and Grace Kendall with Cathy McGehee and Amanda Hartmann Healy ’98.

3. Student Head of School Chloe Xu ’17 visits with Alumnae Career Panel Keynote Speaker Rasha Elass ’87.

4. Sydney Harris ’00, Lisa Stehli Kelly ’87, Traci Collins ’89, Betsy Boyd ’92, Jillian Cairns Rosile ’07, Sloane Coles ’07, Alice Lane Lloyd ’97, and Whitney Knapp Bowditch ’99 were among our Alumnae Career Panel participants.

26 Foxcroft Magazine

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Reunion 2017

Alumnae gathered at Covert on Friday for a cocktail buffet.

6

5. Chemain Broadway

Skinner ’87, Rochelle Smallwood Lambrick ’77 and Molly Mosher ’77 enjoy the conversation at Friday evening’s reception at Covert.

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6. Morgan Manley ’07

with Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 and Barkley Boutell Henning ’73.

Stacey and Barkley attended Foxcroft with Morgan’s mom, Randi Elrick ’72.

7. Lucia Paiz ’87, Laura Rhodes Fortsch ’87, Dawn Dugan Colgan ’87, Courtney Maier Burbela ’85, and Kendall Blythe ’83 were happy to see each other at Covert.

7 On Saturday, reunion attendees gathered for class pictures and brunch in the Engelhard Gymnasium. They also enjoyed informative sessions with current students and Head of School Cathy McGehee. In the afternoon, several attended the Middleburg Races before heading to their class dinners Saturday evening.

8. 2007 Classmates

Sarah Hope de Mayo, Raisa El-Kurdi, Catesby Denison, and Timnah Geller were all smiles.

9. Amanda Hartmann

Healy ’98, President of the Alumnae Association, welcomed alumnae at the Reunion Brunch.

9

10. The Class of

10

2017’s (left-right) Leland Burke, Jacina Hollis-Borges, Maddy Gumprecht, Lindsay Woods, Reilly Canard, and Alex Agyekum gave alumnae an inside view of today's Foxcroft.

Fall/Winter 2017 27

11. Head of School Cathy McGehee shared recent updates in her State of the School presentation.

12. Neither the rain nor the cold deterred Foxcroft race goers from enjoying a wonderful, if damp, tailgate.

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12 13. Tracy Packard Ferrell ’78, Carrie Maynard Nichols ’77, and Alex Wright ’77 enjoy brunch in the Dining Hall on Sunday morning.

14. Nancy Meyer Hovey ’67 and daughter Averill

Hovey ’97 take cover from the rain under Foxcroft’s tailgate tent at the races.

28 Foxcroft Magazine

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Reunion 2017

Class Photos

1957

1967

Top row (left-right): Molly Wise Peeples, Linda Laughlin Hackett, Elise Blagden Lufkin, Annette Engelhard de la Renta, Lalitte Carusi Smith, and Emmy Davis Lewis. Front row: Pat Peabody Davies, Heidi Ames, Anne Emmet, April Olmsted Vehslage, and Jeannette McClintock Atkinson.

Top row (left-right): Lucy Knowles, Anne Casey van den Bergh, Sheila Rauch Kennedy, Becky Williams deKertanguy, Felicity Forbes Hoyt, and Bowie Arnot. Second row: Lisa McGrath Evans, Brooke Chamberlain Cooke, Nini Brooke Gilder, Susan deButts Arnot, Robin Perkins Willis, Terry Starr Carstensen, Chip Carstensen. Front row: Bettina Ruckelshaus, Nancy Meyer Hovey, Alix Tower Thorne, Polly Peabody Wulsin, Chris Holter Reynolds, Joan Swift Redmond, Tory Cowles.

1977

1978

Top row (left-right): Rochelle Smallwood Lambrick, Melissa Button Longosz, Dana Hemmenway, Dana Storm, and Alex Wright.

Front row: Carrie Maynard Nichols, Nancy Merritt, Molly Mosher, Barbara Tanham Stampora, and Sascha Douglass Greenberg.

At the ’78 class dinner, (left-right) Bryan Yorke, Hoda Zangeneh Ballentine, Luci Amberson Gregg, Toy Johnson, Sally Bartholomay Downey, Lisa Bard Knowles, Pam Mars Wright, Tracy Packard Ferrell, and Joy Crompton.

Fall/Winter 2017 29

1987

1992

Top row (left-right): Dawn Dugan Colgan, Laura Rhodes Fortsch, Lindsay Langdon Rovde, and Laura Quirk Niswander. Second row: Chemain Broadway Skinner, Holly Beth Eckhardt Hatcher, Lisa Kelly, and Reeves McCune. Front row: Lucia Paiz, Ann Michele Lyon Kuhns, Maria Saffer Cobb, and Anne Dudley Walker.

Top row, (left-right): Gina Cooke, Joy Titus Young, and Laurie Reese.

Second Row: Amy Aitcheson Cooley, Betsy Boyd, Adriane JohnsonWilliams, and Blair Vinson Morse. Front row: Jessica Rich, Hilary Shockey, and Cristy Crowther.

1997/1998

2007

Classes 1997 & 1998: Top row (left-right) Sarah Otjen Silverman ’97, Alexandra Bergan Chalonec ’97, Amanda Hunter ’97, Amanda Hartmann Healy ’98, and Annie Bishop ’98. Second row: Alice Lane Lloyd ’97, Justine Keough Smith ’97, Laine Reddish Whitaker ’97, Averill Hovey ’97, Christina Warner ’98, Hutchi Hancock ’98, Olivia Stanfield ’97.

Front row: Missy Terenzio Southwood ’98, Caroline Shaffer ’98, Jiamie Pyles ‘97, and Melanie Faltas-Bert ’97, and Vicki Jonkers Williams ‘98.

Top row (left-right): Sarah Smith, Catesby Denison, Jillian Cairns Rosile, Madeleine Rafferty, and Kayoko Hirata Paku. Second row: Morgan Manley, Raisa El Kurdi, Shannon Walker, Cathleen Gruver, Whitney Spreadbury Shaffer, and Laura Block. Front row: Christa Fields Chisholm, Savannah Guernsey, Jodie Diamond Messimer, Tiffany Mazaras, Kaitlin Brooks, and Natalia Macias.

SAVE THE DATE Reunion 2018 | April 19 – 22

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At their Fifth Reunion, left-right: Bea Riggs, Olivia Gotwald, Mackenzie Canard, Alex Carr, Devon McCarthy, Kim Kluwe, and Charlotte Wright.

Foxcroft Magazine

Classes celebrating are: 2013 (5th Reunion) 2002, 2003, & 2004

1993 (25th Reunion) 1982, 1983, & 1984

1968 (50th Reunion) 1962, 1963, & 1964

Out & About

1. West Coasters Jenni

Foxcroft women love getting together — and not just for Reunion Weekend (see page 26). Over the past few months, alumnae have gathered for events that range from a visit to a pub in California to a networking event at the National Coalition of Girls’ School Conference in Washington, D.C. Whether organized by the School and featuring Head of School Cathy McGehee or a local alumnae, these events remind us of the circle of friendship and the shared experience of Foxcroft.

Allen ‘84, Susie Der Garry Haleblian '85, and Meri Danquah '85 had a little get-together at a gastropub in Sherman Oaks, CA, in April.

Out & About

Los Angeles

Chicago 2. In June, Head of School

Cathy McGehee visited with several alumnae in the Chicago area, including Cate Lujan Readling ’88.

2 3

Richmond, VA 3. Dotty Reynolds Brotherton ’70, Meaghan Hogan ’10, Carey Seitz Leahey ’88, Maria Saffer Cobb ’87, Reeves McCune ’87, and Dee Dee Anderson ’82 reconnected in Richmond in June. Thank you to Reeves and Meaghan for organizing the gettogether! (not pictured: Megan Bathon O'Neill ’86)

Would you like to host or organize a Foxcroft event? Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at advancement@foxcroft.org or 540.687.4510.

Fall/Winter 2017 31

Washington, D.C. 4. A wonderful group of Foxcroft faculty

and alumnae gathered at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools NET (Networking & Empowering Together) event in late June. They included (left to right): Head of School Cathy McGehee, Serena Holz ’16, Isabelle Nettere ’14, Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer, Montina Anderson ’87, Victoria Zhao ’16, Lyn Andrews ’77, Carol Der Garry ’79, Lydia Bubniak ’14, Katherine Grayson Wilkins ’73, and Dean of Student Life Emily Johns.

5. Isabelle Nettere ’14 and Cathy McGehee

chatted at the NCGS NET event.

6. Sukie Kuser ’49, who spent a career

at the State Department, and Lydia Bubniak ’14, who was preparing for her fall internship at the State Department, also connected at the event.

7. Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer and Victoria Zhao ’16, in DC to study for the summer, shared a joke at the NCGS event.

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5

4

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8. At a separate event in the Nation’s Capital in May, about a dozen alumnae enjoyed “Cocktails and Conversation” at the Hay Adams. Among them were (left to right): Tess Mackey ’11, Lydia Bubniak ’14, Laura Rhodes Fortsch ’87, Priya Desai Lodico ’02, Carol Der Garry ’79, and Ginny Robbins ’91.

Thanks to Carol, Ginny, and Karen Lilly ’84 of the Alumnae Council’s Social Committee for organizing the evening.

9. An Alumnae Association event at the Willard Hotel last December was well attended and may become an annual event. Michelle Caputy ’04, Airlie Cameron ’04, Isabelle Casteleiro ’04, Jessica Walker Davis ’05, and Priya Desai Lodico ’02 certainly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up.

9 10 32 Foxcroft Magazine

10. Classmates Emily Druckman and Sophie Gotwald, both ’10, reconnected at the Willard gathering.

The Foxcroft Circle

By Marett Carey Rose, Annual Giving Coordinator

As each new school year begins, there is change in the air. We are older, wiser, and excited for all of the new possibilities and experiences coming our way.

Each new year we strive to grow and improve, so it is with great pride that we introduce The Foxcroft Circle.

Previously known as the Annual Fund, The Foxcroft Circle supports 7% of the daily operations of our School. This vital fund significantly impacts each and every aspect of Foxcroft, whether it be classroom materials and technology, professional development opportunities for our stellar faculty, or something as basic as providing light bulbs across our buildings.

Why The Circle? A circle is a powerful symbol — unending, inclusive, and strong. An important reminder of our interconnectedness, locally and globally, it communicates that unique feeling one has of being a part of the Foxcroft community.

Representations of the circle can be seen around campus and throughout the Foxcroft experience. It is the graduation spiral, the stairs in the library, Big Track, the Foxcroft ring, and each girl’s community of friends. The circle represents the continuum of a student’s days at Foxcroft. It will expand and grow ever larger, embracing all alumnae, parents, and friends who join in.

Within the Foxcroft Circle are four areas that reflect Foxcroft School's motto, Mens sana in corpore sano, and support Foxcroft’s daily operations: • Where It’s Needed Most: Our Unrestricted Fund • Mens Sana: Our Healthy Mind Fund

• Corpore Sano: Our Healthy Body Fund • Grounds and Garden: Our Campus Maintenance Fund

Each of these areas are reflective of a fundamental aspect of the Foxcroft experience. Whichever aspect of Foxcroft you choose to support, your gift will have a powerful impact on our ability to help every girl explore her unique voice and develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.

WHERE IT’S NEEDED MOST: OUR UNRESTRICTED FUND This fund undergirds our general operations and will impact all aspects of life at Foxcroft.

A gift to this fund supports our faculty and staff, our students, and many other factors that contribute to the Foxcroft experience.

MENS SANA: OUR HEALTHY MIND FUND As stated in the Foxcroft School motto, a healthy mind is at the core of our mission.

Every girl is afforded the opportunity and resources to pursue unique learning opportunities. Inspiring curriculum, innovative classroom technology, financial literacy, graphic arts, internships, and music; these are key components of the rigorous academic journey Foxcroft offers.

CORPORE SANO: OUR HEALTHY BODY FUND The second part of our motto and the complement to a healthy mind, a healthy body is also critical to academic success.

Physical health and activity improve cognitive development and yield lifelong benefits. Our Wellness curriculum, imparted in class and in dorms, and diverse activities from yoga class and cycling club, to varsity sports and high-level riding competition, are integral to our program.

GROUNDS & GARDEN FUND: OUR CAMPUS MAINTENANCE FUND Our uncommonly beautiful campus has been a source of pride and comfort for more than 100 years. Some 500 acres and 46 buildings form this learning environment where girls can learn, grow, and thrive. It is vital that we care for and improve upon this treasured space that our girls, alumnae, and faculty alike call home.

Fall/Winter 2017 33

Positive Forces

Working for the Common Good The Parents’ Association fosters community in all it does

By Suellen West, Parents’ Association President (Cat ’18)

The Alumnae Council leads the Alumnae Association in building and growing relationships among alumnae in our global network. It honors the spirit, ideals, and traditions of Foxcroft and encourages alumnae to support the mission of the School in any and all ways they can. It: • Acts as liaison between the School and the alumnae • Works to foster a sense of community among alumnae and grow the Foxcroft Legacy • Presents the Distinguished Alumna award

During the 2017-2018 school year, the Council will focus on the following through their committees.

• Social Committee will work with alumnae to organize local, national, and global meetups.

• Reunion Committee will assist the School with Reunion.

Whether it’s greeting new and returning parents during Opening Days, volunteering backstage at the spring production, baking desserts for the Athletic Awards dinners, or organizing its one and only fundraiser — the Silent Auction — the Parents’ Association seeks to foster a sense of community among parents, faculty, and staff while supporting our students and Foxcroft’s mission. There are no dues to join; all parents are members by virtue of their daughter’s attendance at Foxcroft.

One of the goals we have for this year is to find more ways for parents of boarding students to be involved in the work of the Parents’ Association. For instance, we hope to make effective use of technology to open our meetings to faraway parents.

One initiative we are launching this year lends itself to engaging parents further afield. This initiative will pair up returning parents with new parents to serve as a resource for those who are navigating their first year as a Foxcroft parent. Reaching out by phone before School starts, checking in during Parents’ Weekend, and standing by

34 Foxcroft Magazine

to answer questions that come up during the year, these veteran Foxcroft parents can help from anywhere. The Admission Office also uses Parents’ Association volunteers to reach out to parents of prospective students — yet another way for parents in any location to help.

Many local parents help out with the Silent Auction, but even this event has opportunities for parents who are far away and want to be involved. Arriving a day early for Parents’ Weekend to help with set up, or assisting with check out or clean up, or calling a few nearby places to request a donation are all great ways to help from a distance.

Near or far, there are a myriad of ways that parents can be involved. If you are a new parent of a Foxcroft student, don’t wait to dive in. You’ll meet some fascinating people, get to know the families of your daughter’s friends, and make friends yourself that will last a lifetime, all while you work for the common good of Foxcroft.

We hope you’ll let us know how you’d like to help by filling out the online volunteer form at www.foxcroft.org/volunteer.

• Young Alumnae Committee will strengthen the relationship between younger classes and the School.

• Diversity Committee will host the DiversiTea and work with the school to explore opportunities amongst alumnae and students.

Here are the women leading these efforts (and their committee assignments): • AMANDA HARTMANN HEALY '98, President (Social Committee) • LISA HUBBARD PATTERSON '89, Vice President (Young Alumnae) • ALDEN DENÈGRE MOYLAN '05, Secretary (Reunion) • CAROL DER GARRY '79, Treasurer (Social; Diversity) • ANNIE BISHOP '98 (Reunion) • TRACI L. COLLINS '89 (Young Alumnae) • KATE HARTSHORN DOMANSKI '96 (Diversity) • MELANIE LOZIER HENKE ’89 (Young Alumnae) • TARIN HEILMAN HORAN ’93 (Reunion) • KAREN LILLY ´84 (Young Alumnae, Social) • REEVES MCREYNOLDS MCCUNE ’87 (Reunion) • JENN SGRO ORFIELD ´91 (Young Alumnae) • GINNY ROBBINS ’91 (Social) • LAINE REDDISH WHITAKER ´97 (Reunion)

Together We Will Step Boldly into the Future The Centennial Campaign for Foxcroft School

By Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement

If you think back to your time at Foxcroft, what was it that had the most significant impact on who you are today? Was it a teacher, housemother, or other adult on campus? Was it a team you played on, Fox/Hound, or time spent at the barn? Or perhaps it was a science lab, your role in the play, or exploring International Relations.

riding program, the biology lab, our grounds, and much more. Endowment funds have been started by individuals, by classes, by families, and by friends. And while each fund may support a different thing, they are all similar in that they will preserve a part of the School that was important to those who created the fund.

To each of us, there is one unique part of Foxcroft that influenced us in a way that brings a smile to our face and a warm feeling to our heart. That one aspect that speaks to us is something we hope others may also experience. It is something we want to preserve.

As we enter the final phase of our $75 million Centennial Campaign, our focus turns from our Residential Initiative to strengthening the endowment. Currently, our endowment stands at $81 million, the third largest endowment among all-girls’ boarding schools according to NAIS-DASL. Not surprisingly, even with this great news, we — and all girls’ schools — continue to lag behind coed and boys’ schools in size of endowment.

When we talk about raising funds for endowment, we are doing just that — working to preserve what is here and helping to sustain what makes this school special. A strong endowment undergirds the financial foundation of the School. It makes the Foxcroft experience possible while also enabling the School to weather economic fluctuations. It is the investment account which supports Foxcroft’s future.

Over the course of the Centennial Campaign, endowment funds have been created for financial aid and scholarships, for the operation of new buildings, the

A strong endowment is integral to the School’s financial sustainability. As you think about Foxcroft, think about what you hold dear and consider the possibility of creating a permanent fund in which the principal (gift amount) will be invested in perpetuity and the income it produces will be used to support a special part of your School that is important to you.

Or, you might consider an unrestricted endowment gift, the income of which can be used for general support.

Whichever you choose, know that it is only when all of us join together with our support that we have the power to ensure that Foxcroft will step boldly into the future.

Gifts to unrestricted endowment or existing named funds may be any amount. Establishing a new named endowment fund starts at $25,000. To discuss endowment giving opportunities, please contact Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement, at 540.687.4518 or email her at marion.couzens@foxcroft.org.

Fall/Winter 2017 35

Gone Away Send your Gone Away and Milestones news to the Office of Institutional Advancement at Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA, 20118, or email them to alumnae@foxcroft.org.

NOTE: When submitting photos, please send high-resolution (300 dpi or better) digital files or clear, glossy prints.

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‘40 ‘42

LOUISE RUSSELL IRVING: Enjoying life living in Princeton, NJ. Interesting lectures and lots of good bridge!

PADDY VANDERBILT WADE: I’m still working with MITS (Museum Institute for Teaching Sciences). I broke my hip in October. It’s slow but getting better. MITS trains teachers in how to use inquiry-based, hands-on methods to teach science. I now have eight grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

‘43

ROSE JOHNSON RANDALL: Happily retired, living in a lifecare community for 17 years now. I’m enjoying the amenities provided (no cooking!), new friends, and of course my four children (and their spouses), and six grandchildren, one of whom — Robyn — graduated from Foxcroft in 2010.

‘51

HEIDI NITZE: I am still a working artist and this week have a deadline to meet: three small paintings for the Blue Mountain Gallery Small Works Exhibit in July. Painting is so interesting and so much fun that I never tire of it, even during the moments when my design isn’t quite right and needs revisions, or later, when the paint is cranky, not flowing well, or looking weak when I need it to be strong.

It’s a joy to work at something you love to do. Family and friends are another constant. Many live nearby and those across the oceans or over the mountains like writing letters in reply to mine, when they cannot be near in time or place.

‘52

BETSY CHESTON FORSTER: My husband of 59 years, Chris Forster died peacefully in January 2017, after an unexpected recurrence of cancer.

‘54 1. Brooke Ferris ’68 has moved from Venezuela to Vail, Colorado, where she stays busy working as a real estate broker and riding horses.

2. Teddy Aspegren ’70 married Robert Bailey on June 3rd.

36 Foxcroft Magazine

SUSAN MARTIN ELY: If you have ever moved just before your 80th birthday, you may recall your first days/weeks at Foxcroft! As a newly-minted octogenarian, I am adapting, but not to a “facility,” just to a smaller house with my dogs, my dolls, and my dishes! Miss Charlotte is my model for determination and perseverance. What is my answer to what I’ve been up to?

Remembering Foxcroft!

Gone Away notes were submitted between January 10, 2017 and July 25, 2017.

In some cases, minor editing has been done due to space limitations or duplicate content, without significant alteration to the substance or the author’s intent.

TUCKER CATHERWOOD GRESH: Still traveling.

PICKETT RANDOLPH: Four years ago I was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer and went through surgery and chemo (not fun). At my fourth year check up — and on my 79th birthday — my oncologist said “Happy Birthday — no cancer!” The BEST birthday present of all! But you never turn your back on cancer. In addition to being a docent at the National Gallery of Art (24 years) I volunteer with our local village — Little Falls Village — taking residents to doctors' appointments, visiting those who can’t get out and doing special tours at the National Gallery. It’s fun and a great way to meet some fascinating people.

4. Teddy’s daughter, Charlotte Rabbe ’05, and Cooky Donaldson ’70 were among the Foxcroft alums in attendance.

PATRICIA PEABODY DAVIES: We had a wonderful gathering/ reunion in NYC in May — more than half of our Class of ’57 showed up. All looked surprisingly young and “in shape” — so many memories shared.

‘61

LILY CUSHING KUNCZYNSKI: After living 17 years in Mexico my husband, Yan, and I are getting ready to move back to the U.S. Another adventure, but a welcome one.

‘64

CAROL HANNUM DAVIDSON: Met up with Joan Swift Redmond ’67 and husband in Ocala. Much conversation.

They took me to a great birthday dinner. Much more conversation!!

50+ years and all is right up there with the best!! Lucky me.

‘68

BROOKE FERRIS ’68: left her home in Caracas, Venezuela, due to the dictatorship. She now lives in Vail, Colorado, is an active real estate broker, and continues to ride horses. She

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‘57

JOY SHEAFFER HALL: Hi — Heard from PATRICIA PEABODY DAVIES. She was well! I am well, and hope you all are too. One of my step-granddaughters is graduating July 9th from a business school in London. So exciting and some of the family is going. Unfortunately, I am not — having some eye issues.

This too shall pass. However, excited for my grandson to have a trip to England & Scotland. Parker has just finished 10th grade with fabulous marks. Much better than I ever did. My other stepgranddaughter is a nurse and happily married — and my other step-granddaughter’s baby girl is 2 years old. Wow — where does the time go? — My oldest grandson is coming for a visit this week.

This is my life nowadays. My two daughters are happily married and well. Love to all, Joy xx

Gone Away

‘56

3. Cooky Donaldson ’70, Teddy Aspegren ’70, and Dede Pickering ’71 at Teddy’s wedding.

would love to hear from her Foxcroft friends. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement for Brooke’s information.

‘70

COOKY BARTLETT DONALDSON: Officially retired, living in Florida, playing tennis and croquet! See a lot of TEDDY ASPEGREN, PAMELA MURDOCK STEFANOU, DEDE PICKERING ’71, DORA FROST ’69 and CONSUELO HUTTON ’69 down here.

‘72

CINDY FAVILLE TYE: I downsized from a small house to a two-bedroom condo. Talk about purging, donating and getting rid of!! All good. Am still working at Tauck and traveling a lot. Latest trips: Kenya, Tanzania, and Japan, in the last few months. Still have a long bucket list of places to go. Son, Alex, got married last June 2016 and still lives in NYC. Daughter, Lizzie, is a nurse living in New Orleans and just got a job at Oschner Hospital in the cardiac ICU.

‘74

JULIA FRICK KUBICEK: Very grateful to have made the move with my horses to Aiken, SC last year. Horse heaven!

DEBBIE JENNINGS GILLETTE visited and we went trail riding in The Hitchcock Woods.

CAROL CLARKE SMITH: Am keeping busy in Bozeman and having the time of my life: Honorary Member of Special Forces Association Chapter 28 Devil’s Brigade, President of the Bridger Biathlon Club, and board member of Crosscut Mountain Sports Center. We are in the fundraising phase of creating an epic 535-

Fall/Winter 2017 37

5. Together again (left-right): Tonya Butler-Truesdale ’82, Bonita Ellison ’84, Sylvia Ellison ’83, and Yee Yip ’84.

acre, year-round sports center focusing on the rich history of nordic skiing in Bozeman. I also created a scholarship at Montana State University for spouses of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Most importantly I am enjoying my first grandchild, Eleanor Clarke McCosh, and having fun with my sister, BETSY CLARKE ’80, who lives over the mountain from me in Livingston. Feels good — come visit!

6. Gillian Smith Stoettner ’87 and Lucia Paiz ’87 at their 30th Reunion.

7. In April, Cricket Browne Collins ’91 and Titikorn Theerapatvong ’91 got together in Atlanta.

‘78 ‘80

TRACY PACKARD FERRELL: Loved seeing everyone at our 39th reunion.

LOUISE LEFFERTS CASSIUS: Daughter, Annie, is completing her freshman year at NYU and loves NYC. Morgan and Justin are still at home but time is flying. I spend time with DIANA VILLA NOBLE regularly and love that she is living in Florida near me.

‘82

EVIE DAVIS DUTTON: So excited that my daughter, OLIVIA ’20, will be attending Foxcroft in September.

Can’t wait to see old friends and make new ones!

‘87

GILLIAN SMITH STOETTNER: This past April I hosted the Class of 1987 for our 30th reunion dinner at the Goodstone Inn. Our class continues to have a strong showing from all over the world including LUCIA PAIZ — who traveled the longest distance, having arrived from Guatemala! It was her first time back! Our class is exemplary of Foxcroft’s mantra of not only educating young women but building strong, diverse women who live extremely happy lives across many different skill levels. I, myself, am a socalled stay-at-home mom. What I “really” do when I am not tending to my family is volunteer my time as our class representative, as a Board of Advisors member at the University of Lynchburg (AKA Lynchburg College), and raising money for the Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Other classmates are freelance journalists, animal advocates, educators, doctors, yoga

8. Karen Boone Hayden ’93, husband Erik, and sons Dylan (age 6) and Owen (9) spent their summer vacation in Disneyland.

38 Foxcroft Magazine

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‘93

KAREN BOONE HAYDEN: After teaching eighth-grade history for eight years, I am now entering my eighth year of being a stay-at-home mom. I seem to spend most of my time running or at school with my boys (Owen is 9 and Dylan is 6). In the last year, I've run two half-marathons and the Disney World marathon. I am so excited for our 25th reunion in April. Marcia and I are expecting a big turnout!

‘02

ALEXA WEEKS PESSOA: This past year my husband and I welcomed another little girl to our family. Luciana Emilia Pessoa was born December 9, 2016. She joins Cecilia and Sophia.

‘03

LESLIE COX LONG: My husband and I moved to Newport Beach in 2012. We are members at Balboa Yacht Club. We had a daughter, Madeline, born on November 6, 2016. Everyone is doing well.

9. Lauren Peake Murphy ’95 and husband Michael enjoyed a snowy day with their children, Michaela, Katie, Wesley, and Vaughn last winter.

12

10. Caitlin McCormack Dade ’04 welcomed daughter, Ashlyn Rose, into the world on January 3, 2017.

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11. Emma Meyer ’08 and Ryan Mastalerz were married July 2 at Bluemont Vineyard in Virginia.

12. Foxcroft women: Maid of Honor Ellie Meyer ’11, Emma, and Ally Hemler ’08.

13. Catherine York ’08 also celebrated with Emma.

Fall/Winter 2017 39

Gone Away

11

instructors, lawyers, volunteers to anything and everything . . . to name a few. To those classmates that have not been back to school: You would be pleasantly surprised at the welcome you would get if you came. I hope to see you in four years!

Milestones Marriages/Commitments

In Sympathy

TEDDY ASPEGREN ’70 to Robert Bailey

CONSTANCE HAMILTON WALLACE ’46 AND HOPE HILL VAN BEUREN ’52 on the loss of their sister-in-law/sister

EMMA MEYER ’08 to Ryan Mastalarz

BETSY CHESTON FORSTER ’52 on the loss of her husband

Births/Adoptions ASHLEY WHIPPLE ROBINSON ’01 a daughter, Charlotte Jane Robinson CAITLIN MCCORMACK DADE ’04 a daughter, Ashlyn Rose Dade

THELMA CREMER SHERRER ’53 on the loss of her husband JOAN MOORE ’53 AND WESTLEY DUPONT ’80 on the loss of their daughter/sister POLLY PEABODY WULSIN ’67 on the loss of her husband TINA MCKNIGHT KIPPEN ’68 on the loss of her mother LUCIE GUERNSEY KLEINHANS ’73 AND JACKIE KLEINHANS ’05 on the loss of their father/grandfather TRUDY CALDWELL BYRD ’78 on the loss of her father

Faculty/Staff Births/Adoptions

JANET LYNCH ’79 AND KATHARINE LYNCH ’80 on the loss of their father

TIFFANY AND SHAWN NEEL a daughter, Sierra Kay Neel

ELEANOR KAYE DURHAM ’81 AND MARY PARK DURHAM ’17 on the loss of their mother/grandmother AMELIA HALEY PEREZ ’86 on the loss of her father OLIVIA HELLMAN ’05, SARAH HELLMAN ’08, AND ELEANOR HELLMAN ’10 on the loss of their grandmother ELIZABETH PERKINS ’09 on the loss of her father

In Memoriam ROSALIND EVERDELL HAVEMEYER ’35 JUNE HANES MCKNIGHT ’35 ANNE HEARD FLYTHE ’42 ELISABETH PATTERSON SMITH ’44 IRENE EMERY GOODALE ’45 DORRANCE HILL HAMILTON ’46 ABBY MILTON O’NEILL ’46 ZELLA KUNHARDT CRAWFORD ’48 ANTONIE MURRAY MARTIN ’54 ALEXYA SOLOMON ’76 JOANIE DUPONT ROLPH ’78 ABIGAIL ROBINSON BOWERS ’82 HILARY HITCHEN BATEMAN ’85

40 Foxcroft Magazine

LILY WRIGHT ’11 on the loss of her grandfather NINA DU PONT ’12 on the loss of her grandfather MAEVE COUZENS ’12 on the loss of her grandfather

In Sympathy — Faculty/Staff ESTHER SÁNCHEZ on the loss of her father ANN LAWSON on the loss of her daughter

Forever Foxcroft

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1946 — shown here at a Boca Raton gathering in 2011 — have shared a lifelong love of Foxcroft.

Forever Foxcroft was established in 1999 by the Board of Trustees to recognize individuals who have included Foxcroft School in their estate plans. Planned gifts take various forms — bequests, trusts, annuities, pooled income, property interests — and provide for the future needs of the School. They ensure that Foxcroft will retain and attract inspiring teachers, that the faculty will continue to design and implement rigorous and creative educational programs, that financial aid will be available to prospective students, and that the buildings and grounds will be carefully maintained and upgraded as needed. They ensure that the School will continue to soar.

Anonymous – 11 Mimi Mills Abel-Smith ’54 Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 Peggy Wickes Alexander ’64 †Elizabeth Stewart Baldwin ’23 †Elizabeth Kemp Beach ’20 †Ruth Bedford ’32 †Harriet Aldrich Bering ’40 Pamela Biddle ’81 Dorothy Pickering Bossidy ’71 Elizabeth Boyd ’92 †J. Bruce Bredin Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton ’70 †Mr. and Mrs. Leland Brown †Amanda Cadwalader Burton ’44 Caroline Rinehart Cardais ’01 Moira M. Carroll ’83 †Cecile Parker Carver ’42 †Ann Gambrill Casey ’39 Susan Knott Childs ’58 Candida Streeter Clark ’73 †Mariana Gowen Coleman ’15 Barbara Tragakis Conner †Eleanor Chalfant Cooper ’20 Dolph and Beatty Cramer ’66 Ailsa Moseley Crawford ’53 Joy Crompton ’78 Victoria Bartlett Donaldson ’70 Sally Bartholomay Downey ’78 Molly West Ellsworth ’50 Nancy Jones Emrich Lisa McGrath Evans ’67 †Katherine Crowninshield Ferguson ’53 †Lucy Sprague Foster ’46 †Anna Lauder Garner ’39 Edmee E. Geis ’82 †Betsy N. Getz Sandra Norris Ghosh ’75 Brooke Meyer Gray ’59 Chip and Jill Gruver †Dorrance Hill Hamilton '46 †Deceased

Joy Sheaffer Hall ’57 Waddell Hancock ‘71 Elizabeth Millard Hanes ’46 Pamela Hartley ’79 Katherine Cooper Hastings ’78 Sarah Stokes Hatch ’63 Trevania Dudley Henderson ’76 Melanie Lozier Henke ’89 Theodora Winthrop Hooton ’47 Richard and Kimberly Hurst †May Field Jackson ’29 Patricia Toy Bryant Johnson ’78 Hope Jones ’82 Hope Haskell Jones ’52 †Amanda Bryan Kane ’22 Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kaplan Nancy Krewson ’73 Suzanne Kuser ’49 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Lane †James F. Lawrence Louisa Whitridge Leavitt ’60 Mary Louise Leipheimer †Mary Ann Lippitt ’36 †Elizabeth Livingston †Elizabeth Mackubin Lyman ’22 †Jane Lawrence Mali ’55 †Nancy R. Manierre ’41 †Nancy Iselin Marburg ’37 †Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Dorothy Alexander Matz ’81 Mr. and Mrs. C. Thomas May, Jr. Mary Cheston McAdoo ’46 Susan McConnell ’68 Amanda McGuire ’84 †Anne Kane McGuire ’52 Susan Schoelkopf Mele ’80 Melissa Slingluff Morley ’81 Valerie Michel Nelson ’77 Wendy Nelson '83 †Florence B. Newman Joan Lyman Niles ’51

†Abby M. O’Neill ’46 †Linda Moore Post ’46 †Heidi Schmid Powers ’59 Jean Rainey, mother of Ruth Rainey ’82 Pickett D. Randolph ’56 †Charles H. G. Rees Nancy Thomas Rees ’45 †Hope Montgomery Scott ’21 Alexandra Flickinger Secor ’80 †Katherine Snyder Shands ’22 †Helen Putnam Sokopp ’49 Jordan Moore Sraeel ’01 †Seymour St. John †Anne Kinsolving Talbott ’60 Alix Tower Thorne ’67 †Eleanor Schley Todd ’29 Frances Cheston Train ’44 Carol Exnicios Tucker ’49 Linda Reading Uihlein ’72 †Grace Sloane Vance ’36 †Julia Armour Walker ’59 †Polly Ordway Wallace ’34 †Wilma Warburg Constance V. R. White ’42 Kendra A. Wilcox-Dillon ’82 †Mary Hotchkiss Williams ’30 Eva Louise Willim †Alice Perkins Winn ’19 †Lunsford and Curgie Winchester Yandell ’24

We have published the names of individuals who have given us permission to do so. If you have included Foxcroft in your long-term financial planning, please share that information with us by contacting the Office of Institutional Advancement at advancement@foxcroft.org or calling 540.687.4510.

Fall/Winter 2017 41

22407 Foxhound Lane P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, VA 20118

UPCOMING EVENTS DO YOU KNOW A FOXCROFT GIRL?

ADMISSION OPEN HOUSES DECEMBER 1 • JANUARY 12 • APRIL 27 www.foxcroft.org/admission/openhouse

NOVEMBER 17-18 • Fox/Hound Field Hockey & Hunt Breakfast DECEMBER 3 • Christmas Pageant DECEMBER 8 & 12 • Winter Theater and Musical Performances JANUARY 13 • Think Pink Basketball Tournament FEBRUARY 2 • Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival

Congratulations to the Class of 2017!