ENSIGHTS I N S E ARC H OF T RU T H
SUMMER 2017
EXCELLENCE IN ACTION
TYR A G ITTENS ’ 17 The most decorated high school female track athlete in Tennessee history!
EXCELLENCE Excellence in Teaching “Excellence Begins with E” Campaign
Excellence in Arts: Artist in Residence Program
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2017-2018 President Toby S. (T.J.) Wilt, Jr. Vice President A. Bruce Moore, Jr. Secretary Christi Turner Treasurer Phil Hertik Legal Counsel John Jacobson Edie McBride Bass* Kathryn C. Brown Laura F. Chadwick Amy Christiansen Sandy Cochran Beth Courtney Bruce Crosby Jonathan N. Dyke Persephone Felder-Fentress Jennifer Frist Trish C. Frist* Craig Goguen Sam Hazen Phyllis Hildreth Alice I. Hooker* Philip D. Krebs Will Morrow Josephine Smithwick Jamee Thompson
In Search of Truth ENSWORTH Mission Statement Ensworth is a kindergarten through twelfth grade, coeducational independent school. The School promotes academic excellence and inspires students to be intellectually curious, to use their talents to the fullest, to be people of integrity, and to be contributors to society.
Administrative Team David Braemer Head of School Dr. Sarah Buchanan Associate Head and Director of Enrollment Management David Morgan Associate Head and Head of High School Ricky Bowers Associate Head and Director of Athletics Bruce Libonn Head of Lower School Chan Gammill Head of Middle School
Head of School David Braemer, ex officio
Darrell Wells Director of Finance and Operations
President Ensworth Parent Association Elena Rollins, ex officio
Jenny Hannon Director of Institutional Advancement
President-Elect Ensworth Parent Association Britt Horn, ex officio
Bobby Mirzaie Director of Curriculum and Instruction
President Ensworth Alumni Board Lee Oakley, ex officio *Indicates Permanent Trustee
Jason Hiett Director of Technology
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Contents ACADEMICS 7 New Makerspace 8 College Counseling 14 Capstone Scholars 20 Service Scholars 28 For the Record
COMMUNITY
ARTS
3 The Campaign for Excellence
38 Tarzan: High School Musical
18 Graduation Speeches
41 Visual Art Awards & Guest Artist
28 Parent Association 32 Events Photos
42 USA: Middle School Play 44 Artist in Residence for Encore 45 Searchers: High School Spring Play 46 Artist in Residence: Laurie Brooks
ATHLETICS 48 Middle School Athletics 50 High School Athletics 54 Excellence in Athletics 58 Excellence in Athletic Facilities FACULTY 59 Faculty News 60 Excellence in Teaching: Professional Development 62 Retirements 64 Remembering Robin Smith 66 Book Awards / Bookshelf ALUMNI 68 Alumni Notes 72 Alumni: Profiles in Excellence
Above Class of 2017 Graduation Inside Pages: Cascades Rolland 100 Enviro Satin 70# Text; Cover: 80# Anthem Plus Matte Cover (Made in the USA)
Above We remember beloved teacher Robin Smith, pg. 64 Copyrighted 2017 by Ensworth School. Ensworth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin in its admissions or its hiring policies. Ensworth is a member of NAIS, CASE, SACS, SAIS, and the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools. ENSIGHTS is a bi-annual publication of Ensworth’s Office of Institutional Advancement. EDITORIAL STAFF Hannah Cooper, Mary Byrne Dailey, Jenny Hannon, Alli Hicks, Leigh Ivey Hicks, Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift, Cindy Rose, Anne Stringham, Sally Taylor, Tiffany Townsend CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Braemer, Alli Hicks, Leigh Ivey Hicks, Adrienne Parker, Cindy Rose, Tiffany Townsend PHOTOGRAPHY Travis Commeau, Hannah Cooper, Mary Byrne Dailey, Tim Jones, Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift, Adrienne Parker, Nancy Parrish, John Picklesimer, Mike Strasinger, Daniel White
2017 SUMMER | 1
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Excellence One of the activities that I enjoy each summer is the
hand, is far more nuanced, as the pursuit of excellence does
opportunity to take road trips. While I have no desire to
not lead to perfection, but instead to a fuller realization of
emulate Clark Griswold from the movie National Lampoon’s
one’s potential. In the case of excellence, the journey itself
Vacation (although my family might beg to differ), I find
is the reward and the possibilities are limitless.
large segments of uninterrupted time behind the wheel to be both therapeutic and productive. Despite having a clear
This edition of Ensights explores the concept of excellence
destination, it is easy for me to get lost in my own thoughts,
at Ensworth and how it manifests itself through the efforts
and because I have to stay focused on the road in front of me,
of our students, faculty, and alumni, as well as in our plans
these thoughts invariably drift toward the
for the future. From celebrating our 10th
possibilities that lie ahead.
High School Graduation, to developing a new professional development program,
While I spend a lot of time during these
to launching our Excellence Begins with E
drives simply daydreaming about the
Campaign, Ensworth continues to pursue
future, I also find myself focusing on
excellence in meaningful ways. What’s
Ensworth in a way that is often hard to do
more, our students continue to represent
while navigating the everyday demands of
who we aspire to be as a school through
school life. More specifically, my attention
their accomplishments both on campus
is drawn to how we can continue to pursue
and in the broader community.
excellence in all that we do as a school. Excellence is, in many ways, the horizon
I am proud to be part of a school community
toward which we are always driving, providing unlimited
that is not afraid to strive for excellence or to articulate our
challenge and opportunity as we endeavor to realize the
aspirational goals as an institution. This approach will
goals of our Mission.
ensure that we continue to improve as a school and that we are always in the best possible position to meet the needs of
The concept of excellence can be daunting to some, as there
our students, now and in the future. It will also ensure that
are those who shy away from it out of fear of failure. In these
I will have plenty to think about on my road trips, and that
cases, excellence is mistakenly equated with perfection.
these long drives will continue to have value, regardless of
Perfection is absolute, and to seek perfection is to engage in
whether Walley World is actually open when I get there.
a quest for the unattainable. This is the issue that plagues Clark Griswold, as his goal of creating the perfect family vacation is doomed from the start. Excellence, on the other
David Braemer HEAD OF SCHOOL 2 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Continuing the Tradition of Excellence By Leigh Ivey Hicks ’01
2017 SUMMER | 3
COMMUNITY
In the summer of 1961,
just three short years after Ensworth first opened its doors, the school was bursting at its seams. The 1959 renovation and expansion that converted the original Red Gables home into a space suitable for learning and built six classrooms still left students and teachers scrambling for space. Physical expansion was imperative. The School’s Board of Trustees began the arduous task of raising the necessary funds to expand the school by nine classrooms and a gymnasium-auditorium. The President of the Board of Trustees, John S. Bransford, wrote to fellow parents asking for their financial support, stating, “I feel that it is a privilege to ask for your assistance in protecting both the existence of Ensworth and the standard of excellence for which it strives.” Ensworth’s community of parents and friends not only pledged their financial support to the School, but also served as advocates in the greater Nashville community; 60 Ensworth parents appeared before the Board of Zoning Appeals—twice—to show their support for the young school’s physical expansion and to convince 4 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
neighbors of its necessity. The Ensworth community answered the call, and from that, came the culture of giving that is so integral to the School’s spirit and identity today. The timeline of the 1961 capital campaign from inception to completion: eight months; the price tag: $260,000. Throughout Ensworth’s history, the growth of the School has been thoughtful and
The Ensworth community answered the call, and from that, came the culture of giving that is so integral to the School’s spirit and identity today.
intentional, with its mission and programs driving the evolution of the facilities. The classrooms that the 1960s-era Ensworth parents so lovingly built for their students featured cinderblock construction and high, vaulted ceilings with long bays of large windows. At that time, these features were both beautiful and state-of-the-art. These spacious classrooms allowed teachers who had formerly operated out of a residence-turned-academic facility seemingly limitless opportunities to develop their own curriculum and to execute Mr. Comfort’s vision of Ensworth as, “a caring, child-centered, studentcentered experience that is not in any way mechanical, mechanized, or for the glory of an institution, but strictly to meet the needs of kids, one at a time.” The classrooms our students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 occupy today are the same classrooms the capital campaign of 1961 provided for the School. Our Grade 1 students and their teachers learn together in classrooms dating back to the original, six-classroom expansion in 1959. Grade 2 occupies classrooms from 1992, when Ensworth served a population of 500 students and 67 faculty and staff members. As elementary education has evolved tremendously since the 1960s, so have the space and configuration requirements
COMMUNITY of classrooms. Head of the Lower School Bruce Libonn explains, “when we talk about the Harkness Tables in the high school classrooms, we say, ‘there’s no back of the room’ and that every student and faculty member is involved in the class discussion through the physical reality of the table. In elementary education in the twentyfirst century, there is no front of the room either. That is, the classroom is no longer static, with students sitting in rows and teachers standing in the front. Everyone is moving, to a much greater extent than was the case when the current rooms were built. In every subject, students are now working in pairs or in teams, or up and moving on projects and presentations. The teacher is moving to individuals, pairs and small groups. Room is needed for the use of technology and for the development of presentations. The small rooms currently in use compress the space for dynamic learning as it is practiced in elementary schools now. Students spill out into the hallways or teachers constrain lesson plans because the room will not support the experience they would like to provide.” In a book authored on the first 25 years of the School, past faculty member and Trustee Ann Harwell Wells wrote, “they (the Ensworth founders) envisioned classrooms in which teachers and
students could interact most effectively, so that superior academic standards might be achieved.” Staying true to these founding principles, Head of School David Braemer and the Board of Trustees have undertaken an ambitious and exciting capital campaign with four primary areas of focus: 1) a new loop road establishing a secure perimeter around the Lower/ Middle School Campus, creating a more efficient hookup process and increased parking; 2) a complete renovation of the Robinson Hall dining and kitchen facilities,
The classrooms our students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 occupy today are the same classrooms the capital campaign of 1961 provided for the School.
including an enlarged kitchen and servery, and increased capacity for students and faculty members enjoying meals; 3) a new Lower School building with collaborative grade-level pods, larger classrooms, and new science labs, while simultaneously allowing for the remodeling of existing classroom spaces to serve as dedicated world language classrooms and space for afterschool activities; 4) and efforts to further strengthen the endowment. The timeline of the current capital campaign from public launch to completion: two years; the price tag: $40 million. Visitors to the Lower/Middle School Campus over the summer may notice that building projects are already underway. The loop road was largely completed in the spring of 2017 and work on the dining hall renovation began in May. The funds necessary to break ground on and complete these projects were secured in the campaign’s “silent phase,” spanning the 2016-17 academic year with gifts totaling approximately $18 million from over 60 individual donors. Like the capital campaigns in the 1960s and 1990s, the Ensworth community will be called upon again to protect and promote the standard of excellence for which Ensworth strives. Progress toward raising the remaining $22 million will dictate the construction
2017 SUMMER | 5
COMMUNITY
schedule for the Lower School Building, but the goal is to open its doors in time for the 2019 academic year. Grade 2 faculty member and past Ensworth parent Amy Rich has taught students in the same classroom for 21 years. When asked about the evolution of Grade 2 education in her two decades at Ensworth, she explains the emergent research on the importance of individualized learning. “Children learn in many different ways. A successful teacher knows that children learn by hearing, seeing, touching, and discovering, and all at their own pace.” For example, “The Singapore Math method demonstrates how important it is for children to know there are more ways to solve a problem than just one way. Obviously, technology has changed the way that teachers teach and the way children learn; but even more importantly to me is that there are so many ways to teach children. We are not just limited to a textbook! Personally, I love to combine projects with literature often involving some type of art. I dream about a classroom that would be large enough to have lots of different activities going on and the room still feel calm and organized, allowing freedom of movement for all.” 6 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
While class sizes will not expand, the new Lower School building will feature classrooms approximately 40 percent larger than those currently occupied by our K-5 students, and configured as gradelevel pods with interactive Makerspaces between them. Existing classrooms that currently house Grades 3 and 4 will be
“I dream about a classroom that would be large enough to have lots of different activities going on and the room still feel calm and organized, allowing freedom of movement for all.”
reconfigured as both World Language classrooms, eliminating the cart-toclassroom model in use today, and spaces for after school enrichment activities. The classroom spaces occupied by Middle and High School students were built within the past 10 to 15 years, and a renovation of the Lower School facilities ensures that all Ensworth students and faculty members will occupy state-of-the-art educational spaces for the entirety of their Ensworth experience. Additionally, strengthening the Ensworth endowment will provide support for all Ensworth programs and every member of our community, so that our commitment to excellence can be sustained.
To learn more about the campaign, to view renderings and interactive videos, and to pledge your support, visit www.ensworthcampaign.com. Please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement with questions or for additional information.
ACADEMICS
Exc e l l e nc e b y De s i g n:
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The Benefits of Makerspace
ast summer, the Media room in the Lower/Middle School library was transformed into a Makerspace, available for any K-8 teacher to use for projects involving Design Thinking. Since opening in September, the space has hosted a variety of enrichment activities over a range of grades and subjects, including the Grade 8 Coding elective, Grade 2 timeline building project, Grade 6 Latin Trojan Horse design project, Chinese game/ presentation creation, History Viking ship-building, and various after-school STEM classes.
Technology integration specialists work with teachers and students to use the Makerspace and Design Thinking to enhance the current curriculum. The Ma kerspace feat ures active learning centers, two 3D printers, a brainstorming/planning wall, a green screen, and light construction supplies for hands-on learning. Students and teachers who want to use the Makerspace are introduced to the concept of Design Thinking, which encourages the maker to consider the purpose and planning of the project, develop a prototype, test it or receive feedback, and return to a redesign
Middle School Latin teacher Trey House notes “the addition of the Makerspace allowed me to create a new project for our sixth grade curriculum this past school year. This project was invaluable to students as a new avenue to express themselves creatively, collaborate Chinese teacher Caitlin Harris used constructively with partners toward a the Makerspace in a variety of classes. common goal, and actualize their visions. “In fifth grade, the students worked As a teacher, I was most impressed with in groups to create lesson plans that how students took ownership of their would introduce the Chinese words for work throughout the duration of the numbers to our kindergarten students. project. I cannot wait to get back into the The students had to collaborate and Makerspace this fall.” create using Makerspace materials and/ or technology while keeping the audience skill level and interest in mind. They had T h e Ma ke rs p a ce very creative ideas and were able to apply p rov i d e s a uniq u e their lesson plans in the classroom. The e nv i ronm e nt o n Makerspace provides an opportunity for the students to collaborate and explore c a m p us for s t u d ents ways to use their Chinese independently, a nd te a c h e rs to d elve while moving toward a shared goal. In i nto d e e per, the Makerspace, the students are highly a c t ive l e a r ning. engaged and enjoy the opportunity to take ownership of a project. Because the students’ investment in the success of the end product is high, their ability Tiffany Townsend to use the target sentence patterns and Director of Marketing & Communications vocabulary increases.” if needed. Students will often journal and self-reflect as they go through the Design Thinking process. The Makerspace provides a unique environment for students and teachers to delve into deeper, active learning.
2017 SUMMER | 7
ACADEMICS
ENSWORTH STUDENTS SHARE HOW THE COLLEGE COUNSELING OFFICE HELPED THEM FIND
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ACADEMICS
CALEB UPKINS
HANNAH SMALLEY
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton
aleb Upkins came to Ensworth in the seventh grade with a focus on academics and an interest in athletics. He jumped into Ensworth life, excelling academically and also participating in football, basketball and track. During his sophomore year, Caleb says, “I was introduced to music production, which really made an impact on my life. Making music started as a hobby, which later turned into a passion.” His passion for music inspired him to participate in the Capstone program and create new songs through his online music production company called Frozen Beatz. While Caleb used his Capstone to explore his passion for music, he also learned about entrepreneurship and decided to pursue business and entrepreneurship for the next four years at the collegiate level.
n her 13-year journey at Ensworth, Hannah Sm a l le y w a s h i g h ly involved in the A r ts. In high school, while playing in the chamber orchestra, participating in technical theater, and taking many s t ud io a r t cl a s se s , she wa s of ten fou nd i n t he A r ts building. W hile her extracurriculars were often focused on individual growth, collaboration in the classroom was always an important element of her school experience.
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College counseling helped him pick the right classes, select schools to research and visit, and made sure all deadlines were met. During the college search process, Caleb’s biggest help came while finishing his college essay. When he turned in his first draft, Mr. Anthony asked him, “do you like it?” This seemingly simple question helped Caleb find his voice and communicate it in his college applications. After examining every option with the help of his family and Mr. Anthony, Caleb decided on the University of Pennsylvania because of its rigorous business school and the active, inclusive and social community. While he is excited to experience the unique community UPenn has to offer, he is most excited “to be a sponge and soak up the information presented to me, and then execute my goals.”
“I started the college counseling process without any specific schools in mind, so my college counselor was an essential resource for helping me figure out what I wanted out of the college experience and which schools would be the best fit for my goals.”
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It was her hope to find a college equally focused on the collaborative-style learning that she loved so much at Ensworth. “I started the college counseling process without any specific schools in mind, so my college counselor was an essential resource for helping me figure out what I wanted out of the college experience and which schools would be the best fit for my goals,” Hannah explains. Hannah’s college counseling process began with customizing her course load to fit her interests as well as finding summer programs to further develop her varying passions. After shaping her schedule to appeal to potential colleges of interest, the College Counseling Office “provided a lot of moral support during application season.” As the applications were submitted and admissions decisions came back, Hannah continued to have the support of her college counselor, Mrs. Laura Stewart. “She helped me talk through the pros and cons of each of my options until I finally made my decision.” “Princeton is a good fit for me because it emphasizes discussion-based learning and independent research while promoting strong connections between students and professors.” Hannah is excited to spend the next four years on a diverse campus in a part of the country that is brand new to her. “I’m really excited to meet new people, discover new things about myself, and take challenging classes in subjects I have never learned about before.”
HANNAH SMALLEY 2017 SUMMER | 9
ACADEMICS
BRENNAN BAILEY
CONNOR PHILLIPS
Providence College
Vanderbilt
hen Brennan Bailey came to Ensworth his freshman year, he surprised himself with the variety of activities he was drawn to. Not only did he play several sports, including football, basketball, and track, but he also found interests in the Arts. Brennan participated in Rock Band, took several Arts classes, and was involved with his first play during his senior year.
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Upon his arrival in ninth grade, Brennan began to meet with college counseling. “Mr. Anthony was my college counselor, and he was incredibly helpful in answering all of my questions and guiding me through the process. He did an exceptional job of not trying to force any preconceived notions of where he thought I should go to school without knowing me; instead, he listened to what I wanted in a school and helped guide me there.” Brennan also utilized the many events college counseling held to learn more about his options. Brennan says that Ensworth made him view education in a different way, which made him look at colleges differently. “After being exposed to a teaching style that encouraged students to question things and not just memorize and recite facts, I was encouraged to enjoy learning not so much for the sake of making grades or answering tests, but really understanding the concepts at hand. This played a major role in my college decision.” “Providence retains Ensworth’s rigorous curriculum, diverse opportunities, dedication to its students, and, just like Ensworth, Providence feels like a family.” A lthough Brennan will be venturing to a brand new place far from home, “Ensworth has prepared me to go into virtually any situation and feel like I am in a position to succeed, so I am most excited to be in this new and different area of the country with a great chance at success.”
s Connor Phillips would say, “I had a unique experience, since my dad is a college counselor.” After coming to Ensworth in the third grade, Connor spent the majority of his 10 years actively participating in music—playing in the High School’s Jazz and Rock Bands along with the drum line, jazz club, and pep band. While music played a huge role in Connor’s Ensworth experience, he also discovered an interest in engineering along the way. With the help of the College Counseling Office, Connor shaped his school schedule to explore his two interests. He decided to focus on colleges that provided him with avenues to continue exploring his passions: music and engineering.
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Connor’s dad, Mr. Paul Phillips, and college counselor Mrs. Laura Stewart both “helped me identify the schools I should visit based on my interests. They also helped me narrow down a list of schools based on school size and location.” After many college tours, meetings with college counseling and “a lot of family discussion,” Connor decided to attend The School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt was a great fit for Connor because he will “not only be a part of an excellent Engineering program, but I will also have the opportunity to audition for ensembles and take classes in The Blair School of Music.” Connor is ready to hit the ground running at Vanderbilt, as he laughs and says, “I am super excited to study what I love, meet new people, and experience the emotional rollercoaster of being a Vandy fan!”
“Ensworth has prepared me to go into virtually any situation and feel like I am in a position to succeed, so I am most excited to be in this new and different area of the country with a great chance at success.” BRENNAN BAILEY
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ACADEMICS
M O R G A N Z AG E R M A N
I S A B E L L A K E N DA L L
Stanford
Parsons
organ Zagerman came to Ensworth when her family moved from Philadelphia her sophomore year. While moving during high school can be hard, she didn’t miss a beat and immersed herself in the Ensworth Dance Company and theatre program.
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Very much like her entrance to Ensworth, Morgan was confident in her next steps outside of the High School quad gates. “I went to college counseling knowing that Stanford was one of my top choices.” With this in mind, the College Counseling Office made sure she was in the right place, step by step along the way to make sure she would get where she wanted to be. “Mrs. Stewart was brutally honest at times, more honest than my parents would have been, about areas of my application that needed improvement.” This feedback pushed Morgan to re-examine her application, so that when it was time to apply, Morgan says, “I felt confident that [my applications] were the best representation of myself and my strengths.” Although Stanford was always a top choice, Morgan started with an extensive list of schools that have strong academic and arts programs. “I worked with my parents to condense the list and decide which schools I wanted to visit. After each visit I would stop by Mrs. Stewart’s office to tell her what I thought, and she would make new suggestions. Eventually, we narrowed down the list to about seven schools, each of which I could see myself at and was very excited about.” Morgan stuck with her gut and chose Stanford because, “not only does Stanford embrace a collaborative attitude, but I got a sense when I visited campus that there was an overwhelming spirit of love and welcoming from the student body.” She also loved the focus on interdisciplinary learning, which will allow her to pursue her love of dance and filmmaking as well as her interests in math and economics. Morgan also plans to explore other uncharted disciplines along the way, exclaiming that she “cannot wait to dive into all of the many course and subject areas that I haven’t explored before.”
sabella Kendall began her college counseling process early on. Upon her arrival to Ensworth in the seventh grade, Isabella and her parents met with college counseling to discuss how she could design a class schedule for her four years of high school that not only contributed to her interests, but also allowed Isabella to have time for a Capstone her senior year. She spent all four years in high school heavily involved in the Arts, excelling in classes such as poetry, World Religions, Reel History, and Photography.
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“From the start, I knew that I wanted to attend an art school for college,” Isabella explains. With encouragement from the college counselors, Isabella spent summers attending pre-college summer programs “to not only build my artistic skills, but also expose me to art schools early on to ensure that was what I really wanted out of a college.” These summer programs reinforced her desire to attend an art school and the counselors were there, ready to go “above and beyond” when it came time to begin the application process. “My counselors not only helped me choose a handful of colleges to consider applying to, but they also advised me on my essays, and helped me decide which teachers should write my letters of recommendation.” Attending Parsons has always been a dream of Isabella’s, and she is glad to achieve her goal this fall. One of her favorite things about Parsons is the teaching staff. “The teachers at Parsons are fully active members in the art and design world, so I will be learning from professionals with the most up-to-date skills and information in the industry’s current demands.” While she is eager to learn from highly qualified teachers, she is also thrilled to learn from and collaborate with her classmates. “While it’s hard to choose, I would say the most exciting part about attending Parsons next year will be connecting with other creative personalities. I look forward to collaborating with students from the photography program as well as all other artistic areas of study.” 2017 SUMMER | 11
ACADEMICS
Stanford U. Santa Clara U.
U. of Southern CA Loyola Marymount
Oklahoma St.
Chapman U.
Texas A&M
ENSWORTH
Coll ege Mat r i cula t i o n CLASS OF 2017
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ACADEMICS
Amherst College Berklee College of Music
Bard College
Providence College Rhode Island School of Design
Parsons: The New School Princeton
U. of the Cumberlands
TN Tech. Clemson AL A&M Emory Georgia St. Birmingham Southern
2017 SUMMER | 13
ACADEMICS
Excellence in Academics:
S CH OLARS The Capstone Program offers students in Grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to engage in an extensive exploration of an academic passion that lies above and beyond courses normally offered at the High School. To participate, a student investigates, proposes and gains approval for a specific Capstone project in Grade 11, and then pursues that project through Grade 12 with the support of a faculty sponsor.
Shayna Rosenbloom
Measuring the Environmental Impact of Ensworth on the Little Harpeth River
be getting.” Putting her biology and aquatic ecology knowledge to the test has been very worthwhile, as she has enjoyed her Capstone project and will be sharing her results with the Harpeth River Watershed Association.
Danielle Chari
Women Just Don’t Play Golf
Shayna Rosenbloom, an aspiring marine biologist, used her Capstone Danielle Chari, an aspiring project to study the environmental international studies and political impact that Ensworth has on the science major, did her Capstone Little Harpeth River. To measure Ensworth’s impact on the river, project on “Women in Power” in Shayna measured chemical levels at different sections of the river, Nashville, TN. During the summer collecting water samples from the river and creek before they hit of 2016, she interviewed a variety of the Ensworth campus, after they interacted with the Ensworth women in high-powered positions. campus, and again when the creek merged into the LHR. In all, For the rest of the school year, she she collected water samples from five different places in the body of water once a month for several months in the fall and summer. transcribed those interviews and completed a report on her findings. With this data, she tested the ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, e-coli, and dissolved-oxygen levels, which offer a good view of “My report has four chapters: discrimination, defining power, how healthy a river is. She found an inverse relationship between defining success, and inspiration,” Danielle explains. “For each the dissolved oxygen levels and the other chemical levels, with chapter, I wrote a paragraph about how the women related to dissolved-oxygen levels being high and the chemical levels low, that topic overall. For the rest of the chapter, I pulled quotes indicating that the river is healthy and clean. Since her tests from each woman that pertain to the chapter. For example, in showed good water quality before and after the river runs through the ‘defining success’ chapter, I explain the themes surrounding Ensworth’s campus, she concluded that Ensworth is successful success in paragraph form and then gather quotes from the in keeping pollutants out of the river – even with a construction women talking about success and how they define it.” zone on campus. Throughout this process, Danielle learned a new way to organize “I really enjoyed going out to the river, collecting samples, and not her thoughts and be more aware of her strengths and weaknesses. knowing how the labs would turn out,” Shayna explains. “Being able to test the samples, see the results, and track them for a “Many of the women interviewed explained that men think more few months has been really fun. It is very different from labs (in linearly, while women think more globally. One woman explained the classroom) where you can anticipate what results you will this idea in terms of our ancestors. The women played the 14 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ACADEMICS ‘gatherer’ role, where they had to gather nutrients from a variety of sources. Meanwhile, men played the ‘hunter’ role, where they hunted meat from one source. Since the summer (interviewing the women), I have examined how people around me think, and found women thinking more globally and men thinking more linearly. To get the best of both worlds, I learned a new way to organize my thoughts. A tool I now use is categorizing my todo list into buckets. This way, I can think both broadly, with a variety of things in my bucket, and linearly, by looking at the bucket as a whole.”
Patricia Hammet
Memories in Music (13 Strings of Poetry)
After taking a poetry elective the first semester of her junior year, Patricia Hammet fell in love with poetry, and decided to pursue it as a Capstone project. Initially, she thought her Capstone would be a collection of poems about music. Patricia explains, “I wanted to write poems about music, because I feel that songs can transport you to a memory. Whenever I hear a song, I have very distinct memories that are instantly brought to life.” After writing a few poems about songs that were meaningful to her, Patricia realized the poems were getting repetitive since the songs followed the same themes of love or loss. To add variety to her collection, Patricia decided to write poems based on the elements (earth, wind, fire, and water) while also incorporating some poems about songs. In the end, she created about 20 poems, each with its own drawing or doodle.
After earning an Academic Enrichment Grant from Ensworth to study creative writing and Art History in Paris, France, Sarah was inspired to write a story set in Paris that involves art. In her novella, Sarah creates a world where a young woman sets out on a quest to save art from destruction. Sarah’s novella includes a group of people who have marked art to be destroyed—her take on modern terrorism as a threat to individualism. “Through the Harkness table, I learned to connect writing to the world at large. This experience helped me express a world-wide problem, terrorism, through a story about art,” Sarah explains. While her book is not ready to hit the shelves yet, once her novella has been finished, edited, and polished, she will self-publish it.
Caleb Upkins
Frozen Beatz
For his music-focused Capstone project, Caleb Upkins composed and produced four tracks while also creating a vlog (video blog) that captured moments of him in the studio. After taking a music production class his sophomore year, Caleb has been producing his own beats. This year, he turned his passion, music production, and composition into a Capstone project. With the help of his Capstone advisor, Mr. Aveni, and other mentors like Grammy-award winning producers Shannon Sanderson and Keith Thomas, Caleb built on his music production knowledge and continued to learn the ins-and-outs of music composition and production.
While Mr. Aveni and Shannon Sanderson helped Caleb with composition, talking about what elements to add and take away, Keith Thomas helped with the technical mixing and mastering of the tracks. Having strong mentors to help Marked: guide and inform him was a great experience, “it was hard to manage all of the different A Novella Through the Harkness but schedules and obligations,” Caleb explains. “It was tough because I needed to be taught, Sarah Hooton, an table, I learned to especially the technical side of things, so it aspiring lawyer and writer, finished her connect writing to the was not a passive role that [the advisors] were first novella as part taking. I learned so much, though, and it was a world at large. This of her year-long great experience—everyone was very easy to Capstone program. experience helped me work with and eager to help me.” In the future, During the first Caleb hopes to continue pursuing music while quarter of the year, express a world-wide also delving into entrepreneurship. she drew upon all of the styles and authors she problem, terrorism, had read at Ensworth and jumped into the world of literature, exploring different writing styles through a story about and genres. She then wrote for an hour per day SARAH HOOTON for quarters two and three. For the final quarter, art. she polished and edited her novella, so that she ended the school year with a rough draft.
Sarah Hooton
2017 SUMMER | 15
ACADEMICS
Excellence in Academics:
Scholars Isabella Kendall
Never Before: A Study of Contemporary Fashion Photography
After taking all available photography courses by Grade 11, Isabella Kendall knew that she wanted to design a Capstone project that focused on photography—specifically, fashion photography. Her Capstone project consisted of five editorial fashion shoots that were inspired by different fashion campaigns and concepts and an exhibition of the final prints. “My favorite part about the project was the freedom to come up with my own concepts for the photoshoots,” Isabella states. From the beginning, Isabella knew that she wanted to have an exhibition off-campus so that she would better understand all of the work that goes into producing an art show. “Most venues book their spaces at least a year in advance. Since that is the case, I used the showroom in my Mom’s office and modified it to fit my needs,” Isabella explains.
isolating DNA was really incredible. It is very time consuming and precise, and something that most high school students do not have the opportunity to do. CAMERON BRYANT
Cameron Bryant
Using C Elegans as a Neurological Model for Human Disease
“The most important thing I took away from my Capstone was Cameron Bryant, an aspiring the growth of confidence in my own work. Each body of work for surgeon, worked with the my Capstone exceeded my expectations in my own capability Neuroscience department at Fisk for editorial fashion photographs. I also learned how to use my University for his Capstone. For the resources to stage the photos and make them a more professionalpast year, Cam studied C Elegans, quality work. At least half of the photos in each of my college small worms that provide us with portfolios were from my first few Capstone photoshoots,” Isabella a simpler neuron-system than explains, “and I ended up getting into all of my colleges with major humans, to examine two genes that deal with ion channeling. In scholarships at each.” humans, these genes are linked to high blood pressure. Beyond the classroom, Isabella was able to connect with teachers, advisors, and the Ensworth Board of Trustees about her project. Cam built on his studies in AP Biology and AP Chemistry while “My Capstone presented me with the opportunity to speak in front doing graduate-level work in a university laboratory setting. “I of Ensworth’s Board of Trustees about how Ensworth helped felt very prepared,” Cam explains. “With AP Biology and AP me work toward my particular area of interest. It also led me to Chemistry under my belt, I knew the essentials. These labs [at become closer to many of my teachers through discussions of Fisk] were a lot like labs we did in class, just more in-depth.” In my process and their advice. Not only did I work closely with Ms. describing his favorite elements of the process, Cam says that Deal-McEver during my time in Photo 2 & 3, but many of my other “isolating DNA was really incredible. It is very time consuming teachers supported my work through writing recommendation and precise, and something that most high school students don’t letters for my photography summer programs internationally, as have the opportunity to do.” Cam enjoyed conducting research well as teaching me how to balance my work and pace myself to at the graduate level and looks forward to pursuing research opportunities in college. meet the deadlines for each project.” 16 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ACADEMICS
Bailee Mason
A Conversation: A Blend of Fashion and Dance Bailee Mason incorporated a unique blend of fashion and dance into her Capstone project this year. Bailee designed costumes for three dancers and choreographed an original dance for her final project. After dancing for years at Ensworth, this was her first time both choreographing a dance and designing dance costumes.
“My favorite part of this process was having my friends to work with,” Bailee exclaims. “I was part of Sophie’s [Scott, class of 2016] Capstone project last year, and it was fun to be able to share something that is so personal with your dance family.” Bailee designed the costumes based on the dancers’ personalities and how they move. “For Sarah, I wanted something that would move with her because she tends to bend a lot,” Bailee laughs. “Morgan is a little more conservative, so I gave her a leotard with a high collar, lace sleeves, and a big black and maroon tutu. On Macie, I put fun spandex shorts and a costume that plays off of Sarah’s; their costumes are kind of opposites.” After making the costumes in the summer, Bailee focused on choreography during the school year. “The choreography was definitely the most difficult part,” Bailee explains. “It’s a challenge when you forget things or think of better things for the piece, but you also have to solidify the choreography and stop working on it, which is hard for someone who is creative.” Everything came together in the end, though, and Bailee presented a thoughtfully choreographed dance with beautifully designed costumes.
Stoll Speer
Neuroscience Meets Computer Science: A Survey of the Optical Code Language to Count Dendritic Spines on Nerve Cells Stoll Speer designed a neuroscience and computer science fusion Capstone project. During this project, his goal was to find the programming language that worked best for counting dendritic spines. “I wanted to explore how computer science could be integrated with neuroscience, and this is the way I found to do it,” Stoll explains. “My favorite part [of this project] was working in a neuroscience lab at Vanderbilt [University] over the summer.” Initially, his Capstone was focused on going to Vanderbilt fairly often, but due to scheduling difficulties, his focus shifted to an
online programming class. “I ended up taking an online class from Harvard, which proved to be quite difficult,” Stoll says. He still felt prepared, though, as he also remarks that “Ensworth equipped me with a great Capstone advisor, Dr. Miller, as well as skills that I needed from various science classes that I have taken while at Ensworth.” During this process, Stoll says his biggest take-away was “important time management skills” while he learned college-level information about both the brain and computer science on top of his other Ensworth courses and extra-curriculars.
Nathaniel Taylor
Remedy: A Birdsong
Nathaniel Taylor wanted to combine two of his strongest interests, poetry and graphic-novels, for his Capstone project. Nathaniel’s project primarily focused on poetry, but had an added element of graphic-novel-inspired visuals to complement and work with the text. “My favorite part of the process was the writing phase, because it was the part that drives the heart of the project,” Nathaniel explains. “I went the deepest into self-exploration and working beyond what is offered by curriculum classes. I learned a lot about deadlines, pushing through creative blocks, and taking advantage of those times where inspiration and free moments lined up. There were also a lot of deeper self-reflective moments involved in this process, many of which were extremely cathartic, or even therapeutic.” “In many ways, this project was exactly what I needed as I prepared to leave the safe gates of Ensworth and security of childhood. It was a deep learning process through which I gained valuable self-understanding and outwardly applicable insight into what it means to love, grieve and rejoice. It started as a pretty vague idea with no chosen subject direction and I discovered that the work as a whole found me more than I found it.”
I went the deepest into self-exploration and working beyond what is offered by curriculum classes. I learned a lot about deadlines, pushing through creative blocks, and taking advantage of those times where inspiration and free moments lined up. NATHANIEL TAYLOR
2017 SUMMER | 17
COMMUNITY
Graduation Speech Excerpts Since the f irst cla ss of se niors tossed their caps into the air in 2008 , s peake rs at En s wor th’s G radu ation have bee n the people who k now the school best— its stu d e nts . Select se niors shared their thou ghts at G radu ation for the Cla ss of 2017, and the y prese nted dif fe re nt pe rs pectives on their En s wor th ex pe r ie nces while pre par ing to move for ward in the next stages of their lives . Exce r pts f rom these s peeches are shared .
Want to hear more? watch the Graduation Speeches at ensworth.com and visit the media gallery
18 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Peyton Terry Student Government President, Tennessee Tech University
My speech today is really about people. I led you through all those topics just to arrive at something as simple as people. But let me tell you, all those things that I mentioned, all those things that are so incredible, they cannot happen without the real reason why Ensworth is so special: the people making up the student body, the faculty, and the staff. The campus would not be as beautiful without amazing people: the people who work hours on end to make sure the grass is just right, to make sure everything is green to have the perfect backdrop for a day like today. Not only the people who make it gorgeous, but the people who share the beauty with you- the friends who sit on the quad and laugh and play games and enjoy the setting [… ] So, to answer your question of why is Ensworth so special, look to the left, the right, the front, and the back, and you will see someone who makes this place the caring, loving impactful place it is today.
Hannah Doochin
Elected Class Speaker, University of North Carolina
We are not a class of individuals that is simply going to sit back and let the next chapter of our lives unfold. I promise you that we are the kind of people who are going to speak our opinions, take advantage of every opportunity, go after what we want, and enjoy ourselves while doing so. We are the kind of people who are going to put a whole lot of love and joy and commitment and sacrifice into the world in the next 80 or so years, and I am confident in that. I think some of the most prominent attributes of this class are our ability to see hope in unexpected and negative circumstances and our desire to stand behind ideas we believe in. I’m going to miss constantly being surrounded by this group of people that has those amazing qualities.
COMMUNITY
Keith Smith
Senior Class Speaker, University of Miami
“Search on, fellow graduates; only a tiny fraction of our own ocean has been explored. Search on, fellow graduates; there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and our grasp of the universe is potentially infinite. The same goes for your potential to achieve.” KEITH SMITH CLASS OF 2017
So take advantage of these next years to create something that no one will be able to miss. Don’t let anyone belittle your ideas or tell you what is or is not possible, because that’s up to you. Time and time again throughout history, we’ve seen the impossible become a part of everyday life. Keep in mind that your dream is only one dimension away from reality. You might not have some big dream just yet, but the next four years will be prime time to decide what you want it to be. Once you find your dream, your truth, understand that your path will only be as solid as your faith in it. It didn’t come up as often as I wish it did, but the idea of “a” truth is extremely invalid. It varies from person to person and from one moment to the next. There’s a reason that our school motto excludes the word “the” and that’s because, though today marks the end of our high school education, each and every one of us will be in search of our own truth until the day we die. Search on, fellow graduates; only a tiny fraction of our own ocean has been explored. Search on, fellow graduates; there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and our grasp of the universe is potentially infinite. The same goes for your potential to achieve. Know that though your search may not be easy, it will be significant.
Ellie Kudelko Elected Class Speaker, University of Notre Dame
On this day where we are supposed to acknowledge what we have learned from the examples of others, I would like to point out that perhaps others can learn from us, the Ensworth Class of 2017. We are a diverse group: many different cultures, skin colors, backgrounds, study habits (or lack thereof). But we stand here today as one student body wanting only the very best for each other. We are friends, united by our challenges, struggles and triumphs. We are well trained in the Harkness Method, which scared us at first (you want me to voice my opinion?? In front of the whole class??) While this was no problem for Maggie Jackson and Nathaniel Taylor, it took the rest of us some time. But, now we ALL well know the drill: make your point, listen to what others have to say, be open minded, engage in healthy debate. This is how we will impact the future.
2017 SUMMER | 19
ACADEMICS
Excellence in Ser vice SENIOR SCHOL A R S SH A R E THEIR EX PER IENCES The Service Scholar program, established in 2015, is an extension of the Senior Service Learning project. To become a Service Scholar, students must complete a minimum of 20 additional service learning hours, compose an academic paper providing insight into the issue relevant to the project, and a give a 500-word reflection analyzing their experiences. This year, Ensworth recognized nine Service Scholars for their work with various organizations. A few share their reflections and takeaways from their experiences here. S AVA N NA H A L L EN My Life Speaks ometimes, the best way you can help someone or a group of people is by being their friend. It’s one thing to go do a project that helps benefit someone, but working alongside the person you are trying to help and building a relationship with them makes all the difference. It shows that what you are doing isn’t simply an act of charity, but something you are doing because you truly care about them and their life. I spent at least four years trying to learn Spanish and could hardly speak it, but within a few weeks in Haiti, I somehow managed to learn enough Creole to have conversations with my new friends. Once I did this, I was able to learn the most important thing of all. I learned that these people were filled with more joy than I ever imagined and were people I had so much in common with. Having the privilege of talking to some of the children and becoming their friend taught me that deep down they are just like me. They need attention, want to feel loved, and need someone they can rely on. When someone lives a life that is much different than your own, it seems like you have nothing in common, but I learned that this is just a stereotype and it’s worth stepping outside of your comfort zone.”
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20 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
CA ROL I N E COW L E S Heifer International y senior service project taught me how blessed I am to live in a country that has an abundance of food and water. While at Heifer, I did not have access to that, and it really opened my eyes. I loved going to Heifer Ranch and learning more about what Heifer does in the third world countries and participating in service activities on the ranch. I can honestly say, this experience taught me a lot. I learned I never need to waste food or water because there are communities out there that would do anything to get a little more to eat or a fresh drink of water. It was a very beneficial experience, and I encourage all that are thinking of doing a service scholar project to participate in this one! My Ensworth experience has taught me that no matter who you are, you should always give back in any way possible.”
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M AGGI E JACK SON Nashville Dolphins ne of the root issues that I was addressing was the learning difference between children with disabilities and children without disabilities. Although there are a lot of programs that help children with these disabilities, I believe that we could do more as a community. I learned how
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to interact with them and how they developed along with how they learn with their specific disability. I learned how to communicate with each specific child and how each child is different when it comes to how they understand. My biggest take away from my senior service project is the relationships and social skills I gained. Being an Ensworth student, you are taught to give back to society, and that is what I felt like I did through my service project. By teaching children with disabilities, I felt like I was contributing to that certain child by helping them gain new skills.”
T R ICI A BROW N Heifer International uring training at Heifer we pa r ticipated in ga mes a nd teambuilding activities that at first seemed to be pointless. However, we soon realized that all of the problems we were tasked with overcoming were representative of a real life challenge Heifer workers face in projects. For example, our guides set up four hulahoops in opposite corners of the room and a pile of beanie babies and other toys in the middle of the room to represent resources. We were split into four groups for each hoop, and the director told us that each group’s objective was to get all the resources in their own circle. After
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ACADEMICS
a minute or two of everyone frantically running around, we soon realized that the only way to accomplish the task was to stack each hoop on top of each other’s to encircle the pile of toys, with the moral being that sharing and cooperation are more efficient than selfishly keeping for oneself. My service scholar project let me glimpse just a fraction of the struggles that families experience while living in poverty conditions. It helped me realize the real impact that volunteers can have and how important service is.”
how much more knowledgeable and experienced I would become in this subject. My discoveries on how beneficial horseback riding is for these children proved to me how curiosity is a large part of research.”
COR I N N E PA R R ISH Musicians on Call ecause there were so many hours to fill, I found myself spending much more time than usual in the hospitals around Nashville with my guitar. Visiting hundreds of hospital EL L I E CL A R K rooms and seeing hundreds of different Saddle Up! people throughout my hours, I have fter working at Saddle Up!, I admittedly forgotten almost every face, le a r n e d t h a t t e mp e r a n c e , but I have never forgotten the feelings perseverance, and knowledge were they gave me. No two rooms are the same. all important characteristics that Each and every person and child has contributed to a child’s success no left an impact on me I will never forget. matter their disability. It was amazing There’s a feeling in the air whenever you to see the confidence and pride displayed bring something to someone who really by the children after they had proved to needs it. For me, my goal was to bring joy themselves what they were capable of into a seemingly dark and sterile place. accomplishing. I found that the core But what the patients don’t know is that values I was introduced to at Ensworth they have given me so much more in greatly impacted my experience as well. return. They have given me the chance I was challenged, curious, passionate, to find out what I want to do with my life. communicative, and a contributor to They have given me the chance to grow society. As I started working at Saddle in my music and grow as a person. And Up!, I began questioning the ways in finally, they have given me the chance which horses helped these children. I to give back. This is one of the most began searching for the mental, social, amazing things I have ever done in my and physical aspects and patterns that life and I never thought I would have contributed to the success of therapeutic been given such an amazing opportunity. riding. I observed, questioned, and tried I have loved every single second of it and to be as involved as I could in the program I know I will carry it with me for the rest to answer my questions and experience of my life.” the truth. Going into this, I had no idea
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2017 SERVICE SCHOLARS
Savannah Allen My Life Speaks Tricia Brown Heifer International Ellie Clark Saddle Up! Caroline Cowles Heifer International Anne Grace Cox Daystar Ministries Maggie Jackson Nashville Dolphins Taylor McSpadden Peru & Bellevue Middle School Corinne Parrish Musicians On Call Anna Thompson Nations Ministry
2017 SUMMER | 21
ACADEMICS
FOR T H E R E C OR D National Merit Scholarship Program The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes those students who have scored highest on the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, given each fall. With a Selection Index Score of 209 or above, these high performers have shown outstanding potential. Of some 1.5 million entrants, each of the following students is among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants who will be recognized in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program in the fall of their senior year.
2016-2017 Student Government President: Peyton Terry Vice President: Caleb Upkins Secretary: Cameron Bryant Event Coordinator: Lauren Pitts
Grade 12 Senators: Keith Smith (Class Speaker), Cameron Bryant, Ellie Clark, Hannah Doochin, James Sterchi Grade 11 Senators: Sarah Crosby (Class Speaker), Grace Hall, Lauren Pitts, Derek Rios, Jack Smith Grade 10 Senators: Fletcher Renken (Class Speaker), Thomas Awad, Elijah Brooks, Marianna Staff, Sam Walker Grade 9 Senators: Ella Dillard (Class Speaker), Malcolm Bryan, Kaitlyn Crosby, Mary Hayes Greer, Charlie Mahanes
The following students earned such recognition: Tricia Brown, Sam Hood, Evan Nagareda, Shayna Rosenbloom, Hannah Smalley, Lucy Sohr, James Sterchi, Morgan Zagerman In September of their senior year, approximately two-thirds of the 50,000 high scorers receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. This year, the following seniors earned such recognition: National Merit Finalists Hannah Smalley and Sam Hood National Merit Scholarship Corporation Recipient Award Sam Hood
2017–2018 Student Government Leaders Elected
Congratulations to Sarah Crosby and Jackson Jeansonne, elected as High School Student Government President and Vice President for the 2017-2018 school year. Congratulations to the following class speakers: Grace Hall (Grade 12), Lucy Eubanks (Grade 11), and Ryan Crants (Grade 10). 22 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Peyton Terry passes the gavel to newly elected president Sarah Crosby. The passing of the Student Government President gavel has become a new tradition at the end-of-year Awards Ceremony.
ACADEMICS
Book Awards Each year colleges and college alumni groups recognize outstanding students throughout the country with book awards. This year Ensworth juniors were honored for their excellence in various fields of endeavor by thirteen colleges and universities. The Harvard Prize Book: Caroline Seitz
Sewanee Award for Excellence in Writing: Jeffrey Tang
Presented annually in more than 2,000 high schools around the world to recognize outstanding students in the next-to-graduating class who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and achievement in other nonacademic areas.
Selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership, demonstrated excellence in writing and for notable potential for future success as a writer. Also taken into consideration are interests, activities, and achievements in the school and community.
The Hollins Book Award: Lucie Clayton Johnston
The St. Lawrence University Book Award: Grace Hall
Recognizes an outstanding junior who has demonstrated sustained academic excellence and possesses a special interest in English and creative writing.
Recognizes an outstanding high school junior who has displayed a significant commitment to community service.
The Kenyon Review: Eric Williams
Presented by the President of Kenyon College to a junior in recognition of intellectual engagement, creativity, and commitment to community.
Presented by the University of Virginia Club of Nashville to a junior whom the high school considers to best represent the Jeffersonian ideals of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.
The Princeton Book Award: Frances Lavey
The Vanderbilt University Book Award: Iain Zwiebel
Recognizes a junior who displays excellence in the areas of academics, extracurricular activities, and community service, as well as a strong desire either through words or actions, to change the world for the better.
Presented in the form of a silver bowl inscribed with the name of the Ensworth junior who has showcased outstanding academic achievement, demonstrated leadership skills, and has excelled in English literature.
The Randolph College Book Award: Josephine Bass
The Washington & Lee University Book Award: William Wallace
Recognizes an outstanding high school junior who displays excellence in academics and leadership.
The Rensselaer Medal: Donny Lawrence
Established in 1916 with two purposes: to recognize the superlative academic achievement of young men and women, and to motivate students toward careers in science, engineering, and technology. The Rensselaer Medal recognizes an outstanding junior who has distinguished themselves in mathematics and science.
The Jefferson Book Award, UVA: Sarah Crosby
Presented by the Nashville Chapter of the Washington and Lee University Alumni Association to a student in his or her junior year who exhibits the qualities cherished and exemplified by George Washington, a generous benefactor of the University, and Robert E. Lee, its president from 1865 to 1870. These qualities are personal integrity, academic excellence, leadership, and significant campus involvement.
The Yale Book Award: Lauren Pitts
Awarded to the student at Ensworth who shows the greatest intellectual promise, as evidenced by actual achievements and demonstrated potential; who, by activities at school and in the community, has demonstrated a The Rhodes College Book Award: Liza Sweeting Awarded to a junior student who has demonstrated exemplary communi- broad range of interests and accomplishments; and who is of outstanding personal character. ty service coupled with a commitment to leadership and helping others.
2017 SUMMER | 23
ACADEMICS
FOR T H E R E C OR D Bar Pins This distinction is awarded to those students who earn Optime Merens* for both semesters of a school year. Students who do so for one year earn one-bar pins; those who do so for two years earn two-bar pins, and so on. Students who graduate from Ensworth’s High School having earned Optime Merens for every semester all four years earn four-bar pins.
Four Bar Pins Grade 12 Tricia Brown Anne Grace Cox Hannah Doochin James Gaither Isabel Grant Sam Hood Isabelle Laffer Taylor McSpadden Evan Nagareda Shona O’Bryant Connor Phillips Jenna Rolfe Shayna Rosenbloom Rachel Ryman Hannah Smalley James Sterchi Three Bar Pins Grade 12 Sam Alcott Grace Ann Altenbern Emily Boone Caleb Upkins Morgan Zagerman Maggie Zerfoss Grade 11 Laura Cheek Sarah Crosby Caroline Duke Ellie Faber
Lucie Clayton Johnston Frances Lavey Donny Lawrence Caroline Seitz William Wallace Eric Williams Two Bar Pins Grade 12 Ellie Clark Isabella Kendall Benjamin Liggett Natalie Overby Meggie Richter Lucy Sohr Grade 11 Ben Ambrose Josephine Bass Frances Garrard Carson Lovell Lauren Pitts Jack Smith Xavia Williams Iain Zwiebel Grade 10 Thomas Awad Chazzy Bailey Hailey Braemer Lily Brandes Mary Caroline Carney Julia Chang
Liam Ferris Ben Firestone Rowan Freiberg Caroline Frist Corrina Gill Allison Halloran Serena Howard Marie Kaiser Shoshana Kelner James Kent Scottie Koehner Luke Lapre’ Elizabeth Perrone John Smalley Patrick Vanderbergh One Bar Pin Grade 12 Savannah Allen Rachel Birdsong Danielle Chari Caroline Cowles Bailey Cunningham Courtney Daddario Margaret Jackson Chandler Schultz Grade 11 David Allen Rachel Barnes Ali Cartee Margaret Johnson Luana Lima
Austin Morris James Seabury Grade 10 Lindsey Armistead Jackson Buschmann Rose Civitts Melanie Comoglio Nash Crook Richard Ferrara Jake Finlay Andy Garside Lauren Hall Cole Kennon Macallister Mason Jakob Schaefer William Seitz Blaine Spitzer Marianna Staff Grade 9 Charlotte Anne Alarcon Anisa Bhatt Briggs Blevins Bry’Nhyia Brazier Drew Byers Jessica Calloway Bella Chancey Nyro Child Carrie Cohen Ryan Crants Kaitlyn Crosby Nabeeh Daouk
Carrie Elcan Tommy Gaither Caty Howard Lila Hunt Sara Kirkham My-Lan Le Charles Mahanes Genevieve Mahoney Max Moeller Anne Elizabeth Morgan Colin Murray John Noonan Rylie O’Neil Paul Park Sara Pickrell Dante Rodriquez Jane Anna Vickery Madeline Wall Mae Mae Wallace Alden Wildman Jordan Williams Dominic Wynn Jordan Yi Destiny McAllister Teagan McEver Elizabeth Perrone Audrey Pulliam John Smalley Patrick Vandenbergh McLean Whitson
*Students who earn a GPA of at least 90 in all their academic courses in a semester and who have no individual academic semester grade below 75
“Foreign Language” to “World Languages” Language instruction at Ensworth not only provides our students with a growing understanding of different languages and cultures, but opportunities for the development of creative thinking, tolerance, resilience, and global-mindedness that provide a foundation for future engagement in our interconnected world. As we move into the new school year, the name of the Foreign Language department is changing to World Languages, which better reflects an understanding of, and respect for, the interconnectedness of our global society. 24 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ENSWORTH
2017 IMPORTANT DATES Visit ensworth.com to confirm dates and for more information
August 16 First Day of Class (see calendar for orientation schedule) August 18 Tiger Tailgate (prior to first home football game) September 29 High School Grandparents Day October 12–13 Fall Break October 20–21 Homecoming Weekend & Alumni Reunion October 23 Robert Inman Golf Classic November 17 Pancake Breakfast November 21 Lower/Middle School Grandparents Day November 22–24 Thanksgiving Break December 21 Winter Break Begins (through January 2, 2018)
House of Vitality Wins the Devon Cup
From Homecoming Week to Spirit Week, our Tiger Houses have competed in various activities throughout the year. House points were awarded for competitions including Dress Days, Powder Puff Football, House Dodgeball, Mr. Morgan Says, and Dining Hall Clean-up. Designed to promote school spirit and build connections among the grade levels, each of our four Tiger Houses are led by two senior captains who were selected by the members of their house at the beginning of the school year.
1 st PLACE House of Vitality Jada Dotson and Jack Davidson 2 nd PLACE House of Truth Rachel Byarlay and Thomas Estes 3 rd PLACE House of Integrity Hannah Doochin and Ben Wallace 4 th PLACE House of Morality Taylor McSpadden and Rodney Owens
National Language Awards
All students in Language classes regularly participate in the annual National Foreign Language Examinations. Students who achieved the highest level in each language are: Spanish 1 Briggs Blevins Spanish 2 Amari King Dante Rodriquez Spanish 3 John Smalley (9th in State) Cooper Qualls (14th in State) Rose Civitts (16th in State) ‘
Spanish 4 Caroline Seitz (4th in State) French 1 Carter Pankow Latin 2 Liam Ferris
Students Honored for Service
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year award was awarded to Malcolm Bryan ’20 on Thursday, March 2, 2017. Together, Malcolm and Trent Sanchez ’20, raised a total of $28,250 for blood cancer research through a combination of fundraising events, social media blasts, and direct mail solicitations.
House Captains Elected for 2017-2018 House of Integrity Laura Cheek Christian Dixon
House of Truth Frances Garrard Ian MacDonald
House of Morality Sarah Allen Brennan Robinson
House of Vitality Lowery Nickels James Bright 2017 SUMMER | 25
ACADEMICS
C U M L AU D E - HIGH SCHOOL Students who earn a GPA of at least 95 in a department for the year are granted Cum Laude awards. Arts: Tricia Brown Isabelle Laffer Shona O’Bryant Connor Phillips Morgan Zagerman English: Thomas Awad Jackson Buschmann Nyro Child Anne Grace Cox Carrie Elcan Liam Ferris Ben Firestone Rowan Freiberg Marie Kaiser My-Lan Le Taylor McSpadden Max Moeller John Noonan Sara Pickrell Lauren Pitts Dante Rodriquez Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley John Smalley Madeline Wall Jordan Williams Morgan Zagerman History: Charlotte Anne Alarcon Thomas Awad Chazzy Bailey Emily Boone Hailey Braemer
Bry’Nhyia Brazier Tricia Brown Jackson Buschmann Drew Byers Jessica Calloway Nyro Child Carrie Cohen Anne Grace Cox Ryan Crants Kaitlyn Crosby Sarah Crosby Carrie Elcan Liam Ferris Rowan Freiberg James Gaither Andy Garside Marie Kaiser Shoshana Kelner James Kent Sara Kirkham Frances Lavey My-Lan Le Luana Lima Colin Murray Evan Nagareda John Noonan Paul Park Connor Phillips Sara Pickrell Lauren Pitts Maggie Richter Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley John Smalley Marianna Staff Patrick Vandenbergh Mae Mae Wallace
William Wallace Eric Williams Jordan Williams Dominic Wynn Morgan Zagerman Language: Thomas Awad Rachel Barnes Hailey Braemer Lily Brandes Jackson Buschmann Drew Byers Ryan Crants Kaitlyn Crosby Sarah Crosby Carrie Elcan Liam Ferris Caroline Frist Allison Halloran Caty Howard Serena Howard Lila Hunt Margaret Johnson Shoshana Kelner Jaylon King Frances Lavey Donny Lawrence My-Lan Le Charlie Mahanes Genevieve Mahoney Luke Mayer Colin Murray John Noonan Carter Pankow Paul Park Elizabeth Perrone
Boys’ & Girls’ State
Sara Pickrell Lauren Pitts Dante Rodriquez James Seabury Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Jane Anna Vickery Madeline Wall Mae Mae Wallace William Wallace Aiden Wildman Eric Williams Jordan Williams Dominic Wynn Jordan Yi Math: Thomas Awad Hailey Braemer Drew Byers Bella Chancey Melanie Comoglio Ryan Crants Carrie Elcan Ellie Faber Ben Firestone Isabel Grant Sam Hood Lila Hunt Luke Lapre Benjamin Liggett Colin Murray Jack Pagach Paul Park Elizabeth Perrone Connor Phillips Sara Pickrell
Lauren Pitts Dante Rodriquez James Seabury Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley John Smalley James Sterchi Jane Anna Vickery Tay Waggoner Mae Mae Wallace William Wallace Jordan Yi Morgan Zagerman Science: David Allen David Brooks Drew Byers Jessica Calloway Anne Grace Cox Ryan Crants Carrie Elcan Sam Hood Donny Lawrence My-Lan Le Charlie Mahanes Taylor McSpadden Bella Moses John Noonan Sara Pickrell Lauren Pitts Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Mae Mae Wallace Dominic Wynn Jordan Yi Morgan Zagerman
Each year, students are selected from high schools in Tennessee to attend Boys’ State and Girls’ State, which are week-long conferences focusing on state government. Ensworth’s Boys’ State representative was Paxton Smith. Girls’ State representatives were Sarah Crosby and Lauren Pitts. 26 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ACADEMICS
FOR T H E R E C OR D
Orange & Black Teams 8th Grade Captains Cole Allen, Lucy Butler, Orin Bass and Annabel Frist each spoke about their Ensworth experience and the team competition at the Middle School final assembly. The Black Team was the winner of 2017 Field Day, but the Orange Team won the overall cup.
Grade 8 Gift Each year the Eighth Grade Class works together with their parents and teachers to host the Pancake Breakfast, an Ensworth tradition that has grown into a major event for the school community. After serving well over 1,000 people at the breakfast, members of the class determined that the proceeds of their Pancake Breakfast will be directed toward new scoreboards for the track and fields at the Lower/Middle School Campus. This enhancement will complement the recent improvements made to the track area as part of the Excellence Begins with E Campaign.
Head of School Award
The Head of School’s Award, given to students who have earned a place on the Head of School list in all four marking periods of their 8th grade year, was presented to: Meghan Bailey Dax Braemer Kylianne Broughton Claire Chidsey Allie Duke Alexis Elcan Vanessa Frigon Annabel Frist
Jacqueline Frist Liam Frumkin Caroline Gracey Claire Haley Megan Hannon Nell Harris Hayden Horn Anna Lapre
Chloe Rollins Elizabeth Saltsman Avery Smith Kelile Southwell Sachi Srivastava Andrew Yu
James N. Brown Award
The James N. Brown Award, given to students who have earned all A’s in Effort and Consideration throughout their sixth, seventh, and eighth grade years, was presented to: Kylianne Broughton, Sloan Chestler, Claire Chidsey, Allie Duke, Vanessa Frigon, Annabel Frist, Liam Frumkin, Caroline Gracey, Claire Haley, Megan Hannon, Nell Harris, Anna Lapre, Noah Lucy, Chloe Rollins, Elizabeth Saltsman, Avery Smith, Sachi Srivastava, Patrick Winecoff, and Andrew Yu.
Spelling Bee Champ Eight rounds of competition and the winning word octave coincidentally landed Whit Uden the win in this year’s 4th Grade Spelling Bee, with Drew Bradley placing runner-up. 2017 SUMMER | 27
COMMUNITY
Excellence in Building Community Want to get involved at Ensworth but don’t know how? Here are two examples of events sponsored by the Parent Association:
PARENT GATHERINGS Each semester, there are several opportunities for parents with
President’s Corner ‘Volunteer’, ‘Attend’, ‘Donate’, ‘Sponsor’, ‘We Need You to Get Involved!’ You will hear these words often throughout the upcoming school year. We need everyone in our Ensworth community to participate and volunteer. Parents’ involvement in the school makes us a better school and a better community. We get to know our children’s teachers and other parents while having a positive impact on our school community. The Parent Association Mission to build our community, support our school, and educate our parents is fulfilled when we all get involved. ‘Building Our Community’ is building and enhancing your community; ‘Supporting our School’ is supporting your children; ‘Educating Our Parents’ is elevating our collective strength as parents. With the Ensworth community comprising families from 69 different zip codes, we are able to bring families together from all over Middle Tennessee. We encourage you to sign up and ask how you can get involved with the Parent Association; you might be surprised how much fun you will have while making a difference at Ensworth. And when you do, in big ways and
children in the same grade to gather, get to know one another, and strengthen relationships. This year, each grade will offer two events, one in the fall and one in the spring, to build our community.
SUPER SATURDAY Every spring, the Parent Association hosts the ultimate kids’ carnival for our Lower/Middle School students—Super Saturday! Together, over 200 volunteers run the event—staffing the cakewalk, the carnival games, the inflatables, the grill and more. We collectively provide an opportunity for our younger kids to have fun and enjoy the benefits of parents and older students working together for a common cause! This event is a ton of fun and not to be missed.
Broadening Our Community
Community building always takes place within our Ensworth
community, but this past year our Parent Association extended this endeavor to other independent schools in the area whose Heads of School already meet on a regular basis. Parent Association Presidents and President-Elects from Ensworth, Harding Academy, Harpeth Hall, Oak Hill, MBA, and USN met at Ensworth in January to begin discussions on how to build and strengthen current relationships, and possibly initiate collaborative efforts related to parent education and community service projects in the future. Candy Bass led this effort with Elena Rollins, and they report the inaugural meeting was well
small ways—that is excellent.
received by all in attendance with hopes that future discussions
Elena Rollins
will continue to contribute to the betterment of our schools and
2017-18 Parent Association President
our Nashville community.
PARENT ASSOCIATION’S GIFT TO THE SCHOOL We support our school in more ways than one, and the culmination of those efforts resulted in a donation of approximately $180,000 to Ensworth this year. A significant portion of that donation will go toward a $500,000 pledge the Parent Association has made to the Excellence Begins with E Capital Campaign. Accompanying the new Lower School Building will be the new Parent Association Playground, in recognition of our continued commitment to Ensworth.
28 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY
Excellence in ‘Supporting Our School E-VENT AUCTION The E-vent Auction is the primary fundraising effort of the Parent Association. It funds all PA events and programs and provides a significant contribution to the school each year. The E-vent requires many volunteers contributing in small and big ways to make it a success - whether you’re arranging flowers on the day of the event, soliciting donations, or helping to deliver donated items, there are many ways to lend a hand.
25 OTHER WAYS TO VOLUNTEER AT ENSWORTH: • Organize costumes for student productions • Staff concessions for home athletic events • Bake sweets for Faculty/Staff Appreciation • Chaperone a field trip • Cook pancakes for the Pancake Breakfast • Scan tickets for the High School musical • Decorate tables at the E-vent Auction • Wash costumes • Host a Parent Gathering • Help those in need with the Sunshine Committee • Attend Book Club • Provide a cake for Super Saturday’s cakewalk • Coordinate speakers for a Parent Education Event • Work a time clock at an Ice Hockey game • Pick up items for the E-vent auction • Staff a Used Uniform Swap/Sale • Assist with the Used Book Returns • Be a Room Parent or Grade Coordinator • Volunteer for Super Saturday • Donate to the E-vent Auction • Shelve books in the library • Direct guests on Grandparents’ Day • Assist with Middle School Closing Exercises • Assemble students for yearbook photos …and so many more!
Contact At-Large Representatives to learn more: Jim Boosalis james.boosalis@thermofisher.com Dipti Patel diptinashville@yahoo.com Barbara Smith barbarahsmith1@gmail.com
Excellence in Educating Parents LEARN MORE THROUGH PARENT EDUCATION EFFORTS Parent Reading Series, Supporting Emotional and Mental Wellness, Freedom from Chemical Dependency, Coffees with School Leaders, Blake McMeans presentation, Patchwork Author events, Ensworth Parent Book Club—all of these are initiatives of the Parent Education Committee. The varied and informative content discussed and shared at these events provides additional ways to support our children, learn new parenting skills, and strengthen our community. It’s also a great opportunity to volunteer and get involved with a dynamic group of Ensworth parents.
OUR MISSION IN ACTION: PA VOLUNTEER, LORI GLENN After being approached by the PA’s Former Parent Education Chair, Dr. Lauren Lunsford, Lori Glenn was ready to turn her passion for reading into a Parent Reading Series, an extension of the Parent Education Committee. Lori will have three daughters at Ensworth this fall, in rising kindergarten, second, and fourth grades. As an attorney, reading has been a critical part of her life for many years. Through the Parent Reading Series, she turned her love for reading into a book club that motivates, encourages, and uplifts readers to challenge the ways they think about parenting. “People are going through the same things, and reading together gives us a sense of community,” Lori shared, “and the Parenting Reading Series focuses on reading books that encourage parents with children in grades K-12 and beyond.” “Books help us to grow, and it’s important for me, as a parent, to learn more, become better, and know that parents from all walks of life can find commonality in the issues we face while parenting.” Lori’s willingness to volunteer transformed a personal passion into a platform that serves our entire community. She embodies the mission of the Parent Association to build our community, support our school, and educate our parents. We can’t wait to reveal the 2017-2018 Parent Reading Series Lori has in store for us all. If you would like to get a head start, the first series will discuss companion books Masterminds & Wingmen and Queenbees & Wannabes, both by Rosalind Wiseman.
2017-2018 PARENT ASSOCIATION
Board Members President Elena Rollins President-Elect Britt Horn Rebecca Larson Secretary Dallas Wilt Treasurer Coco Kyriopoulos Treasurer-Elect Heather MacDonald Communications Chair Tiffany Armistead Communications Chair-Elect Mike Haney Fundraising Chair Karlen Garrard Parent Education Chair Elizabeth Gerken Parent Education Chair-Elect Candy Bass Immediate Past President (ex officio) Laura Easter High School Representative
Lucy Duvall High School Representative-Elect Trista Goguen Middle School Representative Libby Sheer Middle School Representative-Elect Sarah Bryant Lower School Representative Delia Darst Lower School Representative-Elect Melissa Mahanes Arts Council Representative Sue Spissu Arts Council Representative-Elect Katie Benson, Patti Mangum Parents of Alumni Representatives Jim Boosalis, Dipti Patel, Barbara Smith At-Large Representatives
Save the Dates! February 10, 2018: The Ensworth Auction May 5, 2018: Super Saturday 2017 SUMMER | 29
COMMUNITY
Ensworth Auction
FEBRUARY 11, 2017 - LOVELESS BARN
CHAIRS Libby Sheer, Lise Morrow, Bet Bruns 30 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY
Super Saturday
MAY 6, 2017 - HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS
CHAIRS Jennifer Frist, Delia Darst, Barbara Smith
2017 SUMMER | 31
COMMUNITY
Ensworth Events 2017 GRADUATION CEREMONY - MAY 27, 2017
32 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY
Ensworth Events 8TH GRADE CLOSING EXERCISES - MAY 23, 2017
2017 SUMMER | 33
COMMUNITY a
b
Ensworth Events LOWER/MIDDLE SCHOOL c
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COMMUNITY
d
e
g
a & b Field Day c Grade 2 Pioneer Day d Grade 2 Authors’ Reception e Grade 4 Play f Grade 8 Trip to D.C. g Kindergarten Valentine’s Day h Kindergarten Penny Parade i Grade 4 Biography Fair j Middle School
f
h i
j
Plaster Faces
2017 SUMMER | 35
COMMUNITY a
b
Ensworth Events HIGH SCHOOL c
d
e
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f
COMMUNITY g
i
h
j
a Dance Concert b & c Spirit Week d, e, & f Spring Fun Day g, h, & i Spirit Week - Mr. Morgan Says j Spring Orchestral Concert
2017 SUMMER | 37
ARTS
ENS WO RTH p res e n ts
Tarzan T H E
M U S I C A L
Ba s ed on the D i sn e y Fi lm
HIGH SCHOOL SPRING MUSICAL MARCH 9–11, 2017 38 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
Tarzan, the Broadway musical based on Walt Disney’s Tarzan, tells the story of the upper-class English orphan, raised by apes in West Africa, who must discover his identity under highly adverse and inexplicable circumstances. Torn between “two worlds,” Tarzan must decide for himself where he belongs, framing Disney’s lessons within the mellifluous score generations have come to love. Through the music, we face the question: Is one’s family defined by blood or by home? I can’t remember taking on a more challenging project than Tarzan. My team of faculty, students, and parent volunteers embraced these challenges and I marveled at how hard our cast and crew worked. As we were transported into the African jungle, we faced the question: what makes a family? Tarzan, which shows us the monumental power of family, offers one solution:
I know we’re different but, deep inside us we’re not that different at all. You’ll be in my heart.
Donnie Bryan
Director & Designer; Visual & Performing Arts Department Chair 2017 SUMMER | 39
ARTS
Tarzan
NASHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL “SPOTLIGHT AWARDS” Ensworth’s production of Disney ’s Tarzan was named to the top ten featured on the TPAC stage at the awards ceremony Ensworth’s Tarzan was reviewed by judges for the annual Nashville High School Musical Awards. Chloe Abram & Jack Davidson performed the beautiful ballade “For the First Time” from Act 2 of Tarzan the Disney Musical on stage at TPAC. Below are Ensworth’s nominations and awards for Tarzan .
NOMINATED FOR:
WON:
Best Best Best Best Best
Best Hair and Makeup Design
Ensemble Choreography Orchestra Female Vocals - Chloe Abram Dramatic Actress - Corinne Parrish
Nominated for All Star Cast: Bailee Mason Briggs Blevins Cameron Bryant Caroline Seitz Corinna Gill Jack Davidson Morgan Zagerman Rachel Byarlay Ryan Crants
CHLOE ABRAM 40 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
All Star Cast: Chloe Abram & Corinne Parrish All Star Crew: Donny Lawrence & Iain Zwiebel
Donny Lawrence & Iain Zwiebel’s hard work behind the scenes didn’t go unnoticed. Congrats, Donny and Iain on winning All Star Crew!
CHLOE ABRAM & JACK DAVIDSON
CORINNE PARRISH
ARTS
2016–2017
VISUAL ART AWARDS MIDDLE TENNESSEE STUDENT ART COMPETITION AT BELMONT UNIVERSIT Y Accepted students had their work exhibited at Belmont Jamen Rollins, Claire Cato, Shoshana Kelner, Mariana Staff, Iain Zwiebel, Isabella Kendall, Carson Lovell Best of Photography: “Filtered Reality” by Isabella Kendall
SCHOL ASTIC ART COMPETITION Accepted students had their work exhibited at Cheekwood
Gold Key Award: “Deconstruction of a Nintendo DS” by Shona O’Br yant Silver Key Awards: Sam Slipkovich (two awards), Shona O’Br yant (three awards) Honorable Mention: Reilly Metz
Claire McBride Bass Fund Guest Artist: CLAUDIA OVERSTREET I have created art my entire life, and I received my Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Art from Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film in Nashville, TN. I gained even more experience while working at Mid-South Ceramics Supply Warehouse. Much of my time has been spent working with artists of all ages and skill-levels, at various summer camps, weekend workshops, and for three years, at BrightStone in Franklin, TN, where I taught ceramics to adults with special needs. Assisting the students at Ensworth is a great fit for me, as I primarily roll out slabs to create my own work. Watching them has been an enlightening experience, and it is so fun to see the different ideas they come up with, whether it be geometric or organic designs, their college mascot, or something as unexpected as a bowl of noodles. Each tile is as unique as these students. I admire their individuality and love learning what they feel most represents them, as they make something that will be part of the entire Senior Class of 2017 group and displayed for the future. I tell them, “This is your legacy. This is how you will be remembered here. Represent yourself well.” Most of them have no trouble branching out from there. I make sure they know it is completely theirs, and I merely help with the construction. They are all such talented students, and Mrs. DealMcEver and Ms. Blitz have done such a great job with empowering their already creative minds. I am honored to be part of this tradition, and to be part of such a great school. I have just moved into a new studio space, and I am ready to begin the work for a show in the Ensworth Gallery in the fall. I’ll be expanding on the wall installation that I have worked in previously, all slab built and smoke-fired. There will be no glaze like what will be on these students’ tiles, and the work will have designs on the surface, either my own carving or naturally from the firing process. I have been exploring creating functional vessels but look forward to getting back to the more sculptural work that I will be displaying in the fall. The Claire McBride Bass Endowment Fund has been established by family and friends of Ensworth alumna, Claire McBride Bass ’71, to honor her memory and cherish her love for the arts. This fund supports an arts speaker series or visiting artist at Ensworth.
ARTS
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING PLAY FEBRUARY 25, 2017 42 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
Based on the trilogy of books by John dos Passos, USA is a series of vignettes about noteworthy Americans who lived during the first third of the 20th century. Our students artfully portrayed Madame CJ Walker, Teddy Roosevelt, suffragettes, and sailors to name a few. This play was a departure from the plays for young audiences that the Middle School Drama Club has undertaken in the past, but it felt good to tackle authentically tricky language, as much of the script utilized direct quotes of the real-life characters portrayed. We gained in-depth knowledge about Americans of the last century who, in some cases, have slipped out of our everyday consciousness.
Hope Moeller
Middle School Drama Director & Second Grade Teacher
2017 SUMMER | 43
ART I S T I N R E S I DE NC E
Encore
This year, Ensworth’s Artist in Residence program allowed our a cappella group, Encore, to work closely with leading professionals in the a cappella industry. Encore received six custom a cappella arrangements written by Jon Smith (of the five-time Grammy®-winning group, The Swingle Singers) and by YouTube star, professional arranger, and producer, Johnny DelToro. The ensemble also worked closely with producer Jill Clark to record a 6-song EP that was mixed, mastered, and distributed in the spring. One of the songs will also be released as a single to online distributors such as iTunes and Spotify. The audio for Encore’s spring concert in May
was professionally produced by some of The Vocal Company’s best live sound engineers. All of these phases allowed the students to experience what it was like to work with industry professionals in a variety of settings from creating arrangements, to spending time in the recording studio, to executing a professional performance. The Artist in Residence program is invaluable, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to provide such amazing resources and experiences to our students! ELIAS SALAZAR Director of Choral & Orchestral Music
The Artist in Residence program was established through the generosity of an endowed gift. The program brings in experts in various artistic fields for a series of sessions within current classes, exposing students to new and innovative ideas and introducing them to influential leaders of the Nashville arts community. For more information on endowed gifts or other charitable giving opportunities, contact Bedell James at 615.250.8919 or jamesb@ensworth.com.
44 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
9
ART I S T I N R E S I DE NC E
E n s wor t h p r e s e nt s t h e p r e mi er of
SEARCHERS by L au r i e B r o o k s HIGH SCHOOL SPRING PLAY APRIL 27–29, 2017
2017 SUMMER | 45
ARTS
EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS
P L AY W R I G H T - I N - R E S I D E N C E L A U R I E B R O O K S A N D T H E 2 0 1 7 S P R I N G P L AY : S E A R C H E R S
David Berry Director of High School Theatre; English Faculty
46 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
THIS YEAR’S SPRING PLAY REPRESENTED A FIRST FOR THE ENSWORTH THEATRE PROGRAM. IN RECENT YEARS, A GENEROUS GIFT TO THE SCHOOL SUPPORTING A VISITING ARTISTIN-RESIDENCE SERIES HAS EMPOWERED OUR VARIOUS VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS TO OFFER UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STUDENTS. THIS RESIDENCY ROTATED TO THE THEATRE PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, AND IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THIS YEAR’S PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE, LAURIE BROOKS, TO THE ENSWORTH COMMUNITY.
L
aurie and I first worked together nearly 15 years ago at the Nashville Children’s Theatre with her hit play, The Wrestling Season. Laurie’s work has since been commissioned and produced by leading theatres across America, including the Kennedy Center, as well as abroad. She was the first artist I reached out to about this opportunity, and I was thrilled when she agreed to come onboard to create a brand new, original play with our students. Dozens of Ensworth students worked with Laurie in a series of workshops going back to last September to conceive of and refine the central themes and questions that were to be explored in this new play, as well as its plot and various characters. Many of those students were represented in the cast that finally brought that work to the stage this spring. The play, Searchers, explores questions of personal identity and relationships between teenagers and their peers and parents. We all know that truth can be stranger than fiction, yet we often criticize the stories that we consume on page or screen for being somehow unbelievable or “incredible.” If I have learned anything from living within this remarkable community of young people over the past 11 years, it is that their stories can be every bit as shocking, dramatic, breathtaking and beautiful as those we encounter in the news and entertainment media. The truth
is that, ultimately, there is no “bubble” that protects our loved ones from the pains and hardships of this world. We say, all too often, that “teenagers have it easy.” That “some day” they will learn the burden of real responsibility and stress. After 11 years teaching at Ensworth, I now know better. I have watched teenagers struggle courageously under potentially overwhelming burdens, some remarkably similar to those featured in this play, and some more challenging still. I have witnessed acts of discipline, devotion, compassion and sheer will that have left me humbled. And I have witnessed acts of love that have instructed me in how to live more fully into my own ideals. One of the unique features of a Laurie Brooks written play is the interactive forum that follows the action of the story and that puts characters and audience members into conversation with one another. Witnessing the earnest and open conversations between students and their peers and parents that followed the three performances of Searchers affirmed the belief that led me to reach out to Laurie over a year ago: that ours is a
community capable of having difficult conversations in a way that is both truthful and loving—even when those conversations have to do with some of the most sensitive issues touching our community. It also affirmed a belief upon which we built our theatre program at the foundation of the high school: that a good theatre program, like a good school, is a safe place to talk about dangerous things. Working alongside a playwright of the caliber of Laurie Brooks not only allows our students the opportunity to receive the innumerable benefits of partnering with a celebrated professional artist, it also affords them the opportunity to share their own work and talent with theatre artists and audiences beyond Ensworth. The play that Ensworth students created— from concept to performance—will now have the opportunity to be published as the latest offering from one of the most produced playwrights in the field of theatre for young audiences. As professional and school theatres around the country begin to produce their own productions of Searchers, by Laurie Brooks, they will also read that the play was devised by Ensworth students. Those students’ names, along with the names of the actors in this original cast, will be published in every copy of Searchers for as long as the play remains in print. Far more important, however, is this: the questions and convictions that engendered the story of Searchers will now have the opportunity to fuel conversations in communities across the country. This play—this work—will have an afterlife.
2017 SUMMER | 47
ATHLETICS
2016 | 2017
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS
hvac team championShips BOYS GOLF, GIRLS GOLF, GIRLS TENNIS, GIRLS SWIMMING, BOYS SWIMMING, GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
Congrats, Tigers!
48 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
2016 | 2017
MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS FOOTBALL
Eli Sutton: most valuable lineman Cole Allen: most valuable on defense Bryce Edmondson: most valuable on offense
VOLLEYBALL
All-HVAC: Kaiya Wynn, Sarah Herbert and Jacqueline Frist
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
HVAC Individual Medalists: Gray Fleetwood – 3rd, Harper Dale – 4th
GOLF
Boys HVAC Team Champions: Clark Akers, Edward Hull, Bo Maradik, Toby Wilt Toby Wilt – HVAC individual champion Girls HVAC Team Champions – Vaughn Banks, Katherine Dagley, Marshall Wilt
GIRLS TENNIS
Undefeated HVAC regular season HVAC tourney champions #2 Singles Champion – Avery Smith #1 Doubles Champions – Anna Brock and Lucy Butler, #2 Doubles Champions – Elizabeth Saltsman and Sophie Sundock
SOCCER
Girls HVAC “AA” Runner-Up All HVAC Girls: Anna Chambers, Sloane Chestler and Avery Smith
WRESTLING
BASEBALL
SWIMMING
SOFTBALL
Girls HVAC Champions Emily Harris: 200 free Champion Brooke Hughes: 100 breast Champion
LACROSSE
Andrew Yu: 1st place, 130 lb Brookes Langston: 2nd place, 175 lb
Combined (girls and boys) HVAC Champions – First in school history
Boys HVAC Champions & Boys STATE Champions Clark Akers: 1 meter diving Aaron Shackell: 200 free Champion Evan Petty: 200 IM Champion Rob McCall: 100 fly Champion Rob McCall : 100 back Champion Evan Petty: 100 breast Champion 200 Medley Relay Champions: Oliver Pilkinton, Evan Petty, Rob McCall, Noah Lucy 200 Free Relay: Noah Lucy, Oliver Pilkinton, Aaron Shackell, Ben Smitherman 400 Free Relay: Evan Petty, Rob McCall, Aaron Shackell, Will Materazzi
BASKETBALL
All-HVAC Boys: Eli Sutton, Cole Allen, Bryce Edmondson All-HVAC Girls: Sarah Herbert, Lucy Butler and Allyson Smith
All-HVAC: Eli Sutton, Ben Ivey, Dax Braemer and Andrew Yu
2017 Softball All-HVAC Caroline Gracey, Jacqueline Frist and Katherine Dagley
Boys Lacrosse All-MTSLA: Jim Dismukes and Cole Hooper Girls Lacrosse All-TGLA: Lucy Butler and Megan Hannon
TRACK AND FIELD
Girls: HVAC Team Champions Girls Champions: Girls 4x100m Relay: Kaiya Wynn, Claire Haley, Annabel Frist and Lucy Butler Girls 4x800m Relay: Gray Fleetwood, Harper Dale, Claire McGehee and Genevieve Schaefer Jacqueline Frist: Pole Vault Kaiya Wynn: 100m Dash, 200m Dash, Long Jump Annabel Frist: Discus Boys: HVAC Runner-Up Boys Champions: Grant Speer: Pole Vault Sam Banks: Long Jump , 110m Hurdles Eli Sutton: Shot Put & Discus
Boys HVAC “A” Runner-Up All HVAC Boys: Cole Allen and Toby Wilt 2017 SUMMER | 49
ATHLETICS
2016 | 2017
HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS
2017 TSSA A DII-A A GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
TYRA GITTENS ‘17: 17-TIME 2017 TSSA A DII-A A TRACK & FIELD CHAMPION 50 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
2016 | 2017
HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS FOOTBALL
TSSAA DII-AA East-Middle All Region Team: Rodney Owens, Jaylon King, Jarquis Hendricks, Peyton Terry, Nicky Clifton, and Tanner Antonutti TSWA All-Midstate Team: Rodney Owens (First Team Offense), Tanner Antonutti (Second Team Defense), and Jaylon King (Third Team Offense) TSWA All State Team: Tanner Antonutti, Rodney Owens, and Peyton Terry
GOLF
Girls team won the TSSAA DII-AA Region Championship and were TSSAA DII-AA State Runner-Up Champions! Caroline Frist finished tied for third place, Annabel Frist tied for sixth place, and Corinne Parrish finished in 10th place. Caroline Frist was named to the TSSAA DII-AA East-Middle All-Region and TSWA All-State Teams.
GIRLS SOCCER
TSSAA State Runner-Up Champions Jenna Rolfe: TSSAA DII-AA East-Middle AllRegion Team, TSWA All-Midstate, and TSWA All-State Soccer team Gracie Munson: TSSAA DII-AA East-Middle All-Region team Hailey Braemer: TSWA All-State team
VOLLEYBALL
SWIMMING & DIVING
Finished 10th overall combined in the State Meet Zac Gammons: 2nd team all region Jenna Rolfe: Region Champion in the 1m Springboard, Region Diver of the Year Other swimmers who finished in the top 16: Austin Morris, Michael Glasson, Will McCall, Michael Demere: 6th place, 200 Medley Relay Zac Gammons: 14th place, 100 backstroke Michael Glasson: 15th place, 100 breaststroke Zac Gammons, Iain Zwiebel, Will McCall, Michael Demere: 10th place, 200 freestyle relay Zac Gammons, Michael Demere, Austin Morris, Iain Zwiebel: 12th place, 400 freestyle relay Wyatt Mullowney: 11th place, 50 freestyle & 12th place, 100 freestyle Jenna Rolfe: 7th place, 1-meter diving JC Robbins: 9th place, 1-meter diving Wyatt Mullowney, Margaret Johnson, Sarah Francis Morris, Rita Johnson: 12th place, 200 freestyle relay Wyatt Mullowney, Margaret Johnson, Rita Johnson, JC Robbins: 13th place, 400 freestyle relay Will McCall: finalist for The Tennessean’s I am Sport award
WRESTLING
Connor Galvez: 3rd place at the Wrestling State Championship
Tricia Brown: TSSAA DII-AA East-Middle All Region Team, TSWA All-Midstate Team, TSWA All-State Team
ICE HOCKEY
GIRLS BASKETBALL
BASEBALL
TSSAA DII-AA State Champions Jordyn Cambridge: TSSAA East/Middle All-Region Team, TSWA All-Midstate Team, TSWA All-State Team, and a finalist for Ms. Basketball. Dontavia Waggoner: TSSAA East/Middle All-Region Team
BOYS BASKETBALL
Imani Starling: TSWA All state team James Wiseman: TSSAA East/Middle AllRegion Team, TSWA 2nd team All-Midstate, TSWA All-State Team, and a finalist for Mr. Basketball. Outside of Ensworth, he was a member of the USA Basketball 16-and-under National Team.
Ben Liggett: GNASH all-star Hockey team selection
Christian Dixon and Rudy Maxwell were selected to the TSSAA East/Middle All Region team.
BOYS LACROSSE
TSLA All-Region Team: Sam Walker & Worth Scott 1st team attack Ethan Sanchez 2nd team attack Jackson Wright 2nd team midfield James Sterchi 1st team defense Viraj Tiwari & Henry Byrd 2nd team defense James Seabury Goalie TSLA All-State Team: James Sterchi: 1st Team All- State Defense, American Academic Team James Seabury: 2nd Team All-State Goalie Sam Walker: 2nd Team All-State Attack
GIRLS LACROSSE
TGLA All Region Team: Claire Cato, Ellie Clark, Anne Grace Cox, Lola Duff, Lanier Mason, and Lowery Nickels TGLA All State Team: 1st team Lanier Mason, Anne Grace Cox, Claire Cato, 2nd team Ellie Clark and Lowery Nickels Anne Grace Cox: The Tennessean’s Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year, TGLA Academic All-American Claire Cato: Finalist for The Tennessean’s Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year
TENNIS
Maggie Cannata: TSSAA East/Middle All region team, TSWA all mid-state team, TSWA all-state team, and was a finalist for all midstate player of the year and The Tennessean’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year.
TRACK & FIELD
Girls TSSAA DII-AA State Runner-Up Champions Tyra Gittens won the region and state pentathlon and broke the state pentathlon record with 4,153 points. She finished her Ensworth career with 17 State Championships including: 2017- pentathlon, 100m hurdles, 200m, long jump, and high jump 2016- pentathlon, long jump, high jump, 100m hurdles, 200m 2015- pentathlon, long jump, high jump, 100m hurdles, 200m 2014- pentathlon, high jump Other State Track Meet finishes: Tanner Antonutti: 1st place discus and winner of the Brian Ralls Throwing Award Tim Covington: 1st place shot put (first boys shot put champ in school history) Jude Maloy: 5th place 400m and 4th place in decathlon Kaiya Wynn, Abbie Berry, Ellie Berry, and JaTorria Lee: 1st place 4x200m relay Abbie Berry, Akiya Harris, Jada Dotson, and Tiaira White: 2nd place 4x100m relay Abbie Berry, Ellie Berry, Kaiya Wynn and JaTorria Lee: 4th place 4x400m relay Jenna Rolfe: 6th in pentathlon Kaiya Wynn (8th grader) 6th in the 200m Tiara White: 8th in the 100m JaTorria Lee: 3rd in the 400m Akiya Harris: 6th in the shot put Jada Dotson: 3rd in the shot put Caroline Cowles: 7th in the discus Lily Martin: 5th in the triple jump Mykah Sheffield: 8th in the triple jump 2017 SUMMER | 51
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52 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
MCCABE FAMILY ATHLETIC AWARD for Males HENDRIX FOUNDATION ATHLETIC AWARD for Females To qualify for these awards, the student-athletes must participate in all 12 athletic seasons over four years of high school, be recognized as an all-region or all-state team member in at least two different sports, and finish their senior year with a cumulative unweighted GPA of 87 or higher. These two students have shown excellence in team participation, athletic achievement, and academic rigor. In addition to receiving a certificate, the recipient’s names will be added to the plaques in the Elcan Athletics Center lobby.
Congratulations to:
James Sterchi & Jenna Rolfe
ROBERT INMAN AWARD for Athletic Participation
Robert Inman, a coach and teacher at Ensworth for 33 years, instituted the ideals of Ensworth participation. Mr. Inman coached four athletic seasons for over 30 consecutive years and positively influenced the lives of thousands of students. The following seniors participated in at least 11 athletic seasons and received the Robert Inman Award for Participation: Hannah Doochin
Isabelle Laffer
Rodney Owens
Akiya Harris
Jenna Rolfe
Connor Galvez
James Sterchi
The following juniors participated in at least eight athletic seasons and received the Robert Inman Award for Participation: Miller McAllister
Lanier Mason
Pryce Wade
Jordyn Cambridge
Jaylon King
Lucas Rodriguez
Delia Martinez
Dilan Patel
Wylie McDougall
L.C. Johnston
Brennan Robinson
James Seabury
Jackson Jeansonne
COLLEGE SIGNING CEREMONY May 10, 2017
Tricia Brown: Washington University in St Louis, Volleyball
Corinne Parrish: Sewanee: University of the South, Golf
Jada Dotson: University of Arkansas, Softball
Katy Rippetoe: Oklahoma State, Equestrian
Tyra Gittens: Texas A&M, Track and Field
Chandler Schultz: Belmont University, Baseball
Isabel Grant: University of Massachusetts, Rowing
Taylor Smith: Rhodes College, Football
Jarquis Hendricks: University of the Cumberlands, Football
Nathaniel Taylor: Rhodes College, Football
Natalie Overby: Denison University, Tennis
Jaylan Theus: Howard University, Football
Rodney Owens: University of Louisville, Football 2017 SUMMER | 53
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54 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
EXCELLENCE IN
ATHLETICS PEOPLE ARE NOT BORN WITH EXCELLENCE ; T H E Y C U LT I VAT E IT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THROUGH HARD WORK. IT EMERGES FROM CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PAST BY MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS, LOOKING AFTER THE SMALLEST DETAILS, H AV I N G S M A R T WORK ETHIC, AND GOING THE EXTRA MILE. THIS IS THE E N S W O R T H WAY.
olin Powell said, “If you are going to year of high school athletic competition in achieve excellence in big things, you 2004-05, Ensworth has earned 25 state develop the habit in little matters. team championships and 47 individual Excellence is not an exception; it is a state championships. prevailing attitude.” Excellence is about being the best, striving to be better, and Associate Head Football Coach Paul going far beyond what is expected of you Wade knows what it takes to make a to deliver a quality product. People are student-athlete successful, having led 10 not born with excellence; they cultivate state championship teams in his 26 years it over a period of time through hard work. of coaching. “We tell players that they It emerges from continuous improvement will be coached hard, that a lot will be over the past by maintaining high expected from them, and that they will do standards, looking after the smallest things they didn’t think they would ever details, having a smart work ethic, and be able to do. We stress that they are here going the extra mile. This is the Ensworth for academics, and athletics will help way. play a major role in their development as young adults. The coaches expect Athletic Director Ricky Bowers states, them to give of themselves. Our goal is “Ensworth desires to be countercultural. for each player to have fun, enjoy their We want to build a tradition of competition teammates, and establish memories they where success is not measured by will have forever”. The Ensworth Varsity comparison to others but by the standard Football Teams have advanced to the of excellence we expect of ourselves.” Our TSSAA DII-AA playoffs every year since coaches encourage students to work hard. 2007 and won four back-to-back state They put players in a position to develop championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, and their talents through proper teaching and 2013. nurturing. Ensworth coaches are taught to “build up” not “tear down.” The Ensworth Girls Basketball team won four state titles in 2008, 2010, 2013 and This combination of passion a nd 2017. Head Varsity Coach Mary Cowles performance has paid off. Since the first believes, “great success comes from a very
C
2017 SUMMER | 55
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simple recipe. Hard work, commitment, my senior year in Football and Basketball. and passion are the basic ingredients for Football was a very special one, as it was success in any task that we attempt to our first football championship in school accomplish. These ingredients go hand history. The impressive part about that in hand with each other. One must be team is that we started the year 0-2 and willing to work hard at all times, commit then reeled off 10 straight wins. The last to doing what they have to when no one two wins, we were down 16-0 and 21-7. else is watching, and be passionate about We never gave up. It was a special group of what they are doing by having a love and guys. As for the basketball championship, a desire that are truly genuine. I feel it was a different story. We didn’t lose a that passion solves and simplifies all game in the state of Tennessee and only the other needed ingredients.” The Girls lost three all year. We had more depth Varsity Basketball Team has advanced than any team I can remember. It was to the TSSAA DII-AA playoffs every year so much fun to compete every day in practice and games with that group all since 2006. season. I was lucky enough to be a part of When we think of champions, we think such great championship teams.” of those who win titles—either as a team or through individual efforts. It Alexandra Farnsworth, Class of 2014, is not easy to become a champion; it was both an individual and team state takes determination, practice, exercise, champion in golf. discipline and a commitment to never give up, give in, quit or walk away. “Being a part of an individual and a team Ensworth student-athletes understand state championship is an experience what it takes to excel and have used their that I will never forget. A major aspect that made this experience so special was skills to build a winning tradition. having the opportunity to stop Baylor David Dingess, Class of 2011, remembers from winning the state championship his playing days. “I was fortunate enough 16 times in a row and setting a national to play on two championship teams in my record for the most consecutive number time at Ensworth. Both happened to be of state championships won in any 56 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
sport. Throughout a weekend of adverse conditions with more rain than we had seen in months, we stayed patient and focused and took advantage of the adversity as a major opportunity for us as a team. Baylor had always been a rival for us, which made this win even more special. Sharing this experience with Maddie Wi l lia ms a nd Lindsey Mi l ler is something we will never forget. All of the hard work and mental toughness that we persevered throughout the entire season led to making the weekend even more meaningful.”
Cindy Rose Director of Alumni & Special Events
ATHLETICS
EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
STATE CHAMPIONS 2005
Track - 100m Dash
Chela Green ‘08
2012
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2005
Track - 200m Dash
Chela Green ‘08
2013
GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2006
Track - 4 x 100m Women’s Relay
2013
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2006
Track - 100m Dash
Chela Green ‘08
2013
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2007
Track - 800m
Shelby Smith ‘10
2014
Diving-1M Springboard Charlie Clifton ‘16
2008
Swimming - 200m Free Jackson Wilcox ‘08
2014
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2008
Swimming - 500m Free Jackson Wilcox ‘08
2014
Track - Pentathlon
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2008
GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2014
Track - High Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2008
Track - Long Jump
2014
Track - Triple Jump
Donovan Sheffield ‘15
2008
Track - 4 x 800m Men’s Relay
2014
Cross Country
Emma Sloan ‘15
2008
Track - 4 x 800m Women’s Relay
2014
Boys Golf
Brock Ochsenreiter ‘16
2009
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2015
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD STATE CHAMPIONS
2009
GIRLS LACROSSE STATE CHAMPIONS
2015
Track – 100M Dash
Darius Morehead ‘16
2009
Track - 1600m
2015
Track – 200M Dash
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2009
Track 4 x 800m Men’s Relay
2015
Track – Long Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2010
Bowling
2015
Track – High Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2010
GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2015
Track – 100M Hurdles
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2010
Track - Discus
Sam Cooper ‘10
2015
Track – Pentathlon
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2010
Track - Shot Put
ReJean Rouse ‘12
2015
Track - Shot Put
Jada Dotson ‘17
2010
Track - 4 x 800m Men’s Relay
2015
Boys Golf Individual
Brock Ochsenreiter ‘16
2010
VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2016
Diving – 1M Springboard Charlie Clifton ‘16
2010
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2016
Track – 2 x 100m Women’s Relay
2011
Bowling
2016
Track - Pentathlon
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2016
Track - 200m Dash
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
Swimming - 200m IM
Hannah Runyon-Hass ‘11
2016
Track – Long Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
Track - Shot Put
ReJean Rouse ‘12
2016
Track – High Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
Track - High Jump
Nikki Gittens ‘12
2016
Track - 100m Hurdles
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
Track - Triple Jump
Rodney Edmiston ‘12
2017
GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2011
VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2017
Track Pentathlon
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
GIRLS GOLF STATE CHAMPIONS
2017
Track 200m Dash
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
Girls Golf
2017
Track – Long Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2011
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2017
Track – High Jump
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2012
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
2017
Track - 100m Hurdles
Tyra Gittens ‘17
2012
Track - Shot Put
ReJean Rouse ‘12
2017
Track – 4 x 200m Women’s Relay
2012
Track - High Jump
Nikki Gittens ‘12
2017
Track - Discus
Tanner Antonutti ‘18
2012
Track - Triple Jump
Rodney Edmiston ‘12
2017
Track - Shot Put
Tim Covington ‘17
Anna Bowers ‘08
Sarah B. DeLozier ‘11
Miranda Mott ‘12
Miranda Mott ‘12
Alexandra Farnsworth ‘14
2017 SUMMER | 57
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N E W E R FA C I L I T I E S T H AT S U P P O R T
E X C E L L E N C E I N AT H L E T I C S THE ENSWORTH TENNIS CENTER Featuring six indoor courts, eight outdoor courts, a conference room, and digital scoreboards syncing with a large master scoreboard, the new Tennis Center provides an environment for exceptional tennis match and tournament play. The new building also offers covered, double-deck viewing for lacrosse, soccer and track, a press box complete with a sound system, and covered parking for matches and other school events. The indoor courts recently allowed Ensworth to host nine schools in the TSSAA Individual Regional Tennis State Qualification Tournament and two Universal Tennis Tournaments, which attracted top players across multiple states. Ensworth will also host USTA and UTR tournaments throughout the year. Most important, the new facility offers our student-athletes the advantage to excel at a new level of play. This spring, sophomore Maggie Cannata qualified for the Girls Individual State Tournament and was a finalist for Tennis Player of the Year. At the state tournament, the Ensworth Girls and Boys Varsity Tennis Teams captured solid wins over historic tennis powerhouses Baylor, McCallie, MBA, GPS and Harpeth Hall. THE ENSWORTH NATATORUIM The Ensworth Natatorium opened in 2014 and features a 50-Meter competition pool, ten 50-Meter lanes, a heated instructional pool and diving spring boards. The Natatorium hosts swim lessons for children of all ages, provides practice space for the Nashville Dolphins, and accommodates fitness classes and Masters Swimming for adults. Through the fitness program, students are able to take full advantage of all the Natatorium offers. Depending on the student’s individualized fitness program, students may participate in one aquatic workout per week, ranging from a lap swim to paddle boarding to a water polo match. Upon entering the Ensworth fitness program, every student is assessed to determine whether or not they are water safe. If a student is not water safe, that student will participate in individual swim lessons once a week during their regularly scheduled fitness class until it is deemed they are water safe. The facility allows for the Ensworth Aquatics program to take different approaches to teaching and training, and their new approach to instruction is already making improvements in the growth and success of the Ensworth Swimming & Diving teams. In 2013, Ensworth Swimming & Diving finished in 27th place at the State Championship. This past season, Ensworth finished in the top 10, taking home the 10th place trophy for men’s and women’s combined. Not only did Ensworth finish in the top 10, but it did so with depth: five Relays scored in the top 16 while five athletes scored individually in the top 16. In 2013, only two athletes scored individually with zero relays earning points. The Ensworth’s men’s team placed 17th at the 2013 Region Championship while the women placed 8th and the teams combined for a 13th place finish. Fast forward to 2017 and Ensworth’s men placed 2nd, the women placed 6th, and Ensworth combined for a 2nd place overall finish. 58 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
FACULTY
FAC U LTY & S TAF F N E WS
WEDDINGS Leigh Ivey to Jack Hicks March 25, 2017
BIRTHS Kristen Walker (RJ): Emerson Camille Walker, January 7, 2017 Dina Marks (Joshua): Penny Lane Marks, March 29, 2017 Kelly Gould (Robert) : William “Barrett” Gould, March 31, 2017 Hayley Brantley (Tyler): William Robert “Beau” Brantley, April 15, 2017 Dillon Seigenthaler (Laura): Caleb James Seigenthaler, April 26, 2017 Chris Tuley (Aubrey): Beckett Grayton Tuley, May 16, 2017 Jamie Heard (Daniel): Annie Grace Heard, June 2, 2017 Matt Kaminsky (Jenny): James Wilder Kaminsky, July 5, 2017
RETIREMENTS Bev Roberts Grade 4 - Served 34 Years Nancy Scoville Middle School Latin - Served 26Years Robin Smith Grade 2 - Served 24 Years
IN MEMORY Margaret Ann Robinson Board of Trustees September 14, 1924–April 4, 2017 Frances Reynolds Edwards Music August 9, 1928–April 21, 2017 Robin Smith Grade 2 November 21, 1959– June 22, 2017
FACULTY NEWS In addition to his role as Director of Choral and Orchestral Music at the High School, Elias Salazar was recently named the director of the Trevecca Symphony Orchestra at Trevecca Nazarene University.
Jason Maxwell was recently named the field coordinator for the 2017 14U
National Team Development Program (NTDP). The program, which will take place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, includes skill development sessions, off-field education seminars and intrasquad Stars vs. Stripes games to assist in the development of the athletes. 18 of the 40 players invited to the camp will be selected to the 2017 15U National Team Trials roster.
Remembering MARGARET ANN ROBINSON by Anne Stringham
The Ensworth community was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Margaret Ann Robinson on April 4, 2017. Margaret Ann, together with her husband, the late Walter M. Robinson, Jr., worked tirelessly to establish Ensworth as an environment where children were offered firstrate academics along with a caring, nurturing community. Working with five other couples, the Robinsons brought their vision to life in 1958. Margaret Ann served as the first registrar, helped recruit the first Headmaster, and was an enthusiastic parent supporter as her four children attended Ensworth. She continued to play a critical role in the development of the school, serving as a Permanent Trustee until her death. Always interested in learning opportunities for her community, Margaret Ann earned recognition for her work and support for numerous charitable organizations in Nashville.
She was especially appreciated for her efforts and leadership in the development of Nashville’s public library system, recently lauded as the most outstanding system in the nation. She served as chair of the Metro Nashville Public Library Board and was instrumental in the building of the downtown public library. Ensworth honors Margaret Ann’s remarkable lifelong support with the name of the dining hall where students and faculty of the Lower and Middle Schools gather daily: Robinson Hall. She will be remembered for her warmth, enthusiasm, wit, vision, and decades-long love for Ensworth. She is survived by her children, Ann Robinson Kelly (E’65), Libby Robinson Page (E’68), Emmie Robinson Rick (E‘68), Dr. Walter M. Robinson III (E‘74), grandchildren Sinclair Kelly (E’94), MacLaren Kelly (E’99), Wade Rick (E‘94) Neil Rick (E‘00), Florence Page Brown (E’03) and two great-grandchildren. 2017 SUMMER | 59
ACADEMICS FACULTY
Excellence in Teaching
Professional Development at Ensworth The mission of our school
“. . .to inspire students to be intellec tua lly cur ious , to use their
ta lents to the f ullest , to be people of integ r it y, a nd to be contr ibutors to societ y ” is a communit y-
w ide culture ev ident notably in the profes siona l development oppor tunities of fered to a nd pursued by our fa cult y a nd sta f f. W hen the a dults on ca mpus demonstrate that there is a lways more to lea r n , they emulate our ef for ts to inspire students to be life-long lea r ners a nd contr ibute to the depth a nd brea dth of k nowledge collec tively sha red in our cla s srooms a nd beyond . The profes siona l development prog ra m under went rev iew dur ing the 2016 -2017 school yea r a nd is being modif ied to include indiv idua lized pla ns for fa cult y a nd sta f f under the direc tion of Direc tor of Cur r iculum a nd Instr uc tion , Bobby Mirza ie. R ather tha n using a gener ic proces s for a ll , the new approa ch employs a n immersive g row th pla n that includes a c tive, ongoing, a nd customized suppor t w ith resources , development of a c tion steps , a nd ref lec tion for f uture g row th a nd lea r ning. A robust profes siona l development prog ra m suppor ts excellence a nd benef its our communit y in a va r iet y of ways , a s demonstrated by the exper iences of fa cult y who have recently ta ken a dva nta ge of oppor tunities to pursue f ur ther study in a f ield of interest .
W HO: LEIGH BYBEE, Middle School Math Teacher W H AT: The Educators’ Cooperative, hosted by the University School of Nashville W HEN: Summer 2016
M
iddle School Math teacher Leigh Bybee participated in the inaugural Educators’ Cooperative hosted by the University School of Nashville in Summer 2016. The co-op was composed of 20 educators from the public and independent sectors, who came together with the unified intention to serve, support, and strengthen one another’s impact in the classroom. By the end of the week-long intensive course, the seeds of a strong professional community had been planted, and it didn’t end there. They continued to support one another through monthly get-togethers, sharing classroom setbacks and “ It’s g reat; a ny time I have a successes while also providing instructional feedback for one another. If a question arose in question , I have 19 people I between the meetings, they quickly connected online. “It’s great; anytime I have a question, ca n f ind .” I have 19 people I can find,” reflects Mrs. Bybee. Inspired by the depth of these discussions, EdCo recently created a page on their website (http://educatorscooperative.com) where participants can contribute best practices, update one another on their successes, and broaden the conversation to the larger educational community. Mrs. Bybee was invited onto the leadership team that spearheaded the shared online forum and also influenced the development of the 2017 lesson plans. Their group expanded to include an additional 10 educators from the charter school sector for this summer, with Cohort Two now consisting of 30 educators across the spectrum of K-12 education (10 public, 10 independent, 10 charter). Mrs. Bybee envisions an Ensworth voice at every EdCo table in years to come, and gladly passes the participation torch to Matt Kaminski, an English teacher on the High School Campus who joined Cohort Two this summer. 60 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
FACULTY
W HO: CHELSY HOOPER, Middle School Technology Specialist W H AT: International Society for Technology Education, “Twitter in the Classroom, #amazing” W HEN: Summer 2014 (and many conferences after that)
J
ust as Mrs. Bybee’s professional development was exponentially impactful at the cross-section of community and technology, Chelsy Hooper was on a similar quest to connect educators online when she submitted her professional development proposal, “Twitter in the Classroom, #amazing” to the International Society for Technology Education in Summer 2014. In front of an audience at the largest educational technology conference in the world, Mrs. Hooper passionately communicated the need for educators to cultivate their own Personal Learning Networks (PLN) and highlighted Twitter’s platform as an optimal forum for idea sharing and . . . Mrs . Hooper broug ht ba ck professional communication. Since then, Mrs. Hooper has been invited to present at to Enswor th the concept of a number of educational conferences across the country (Tennessee Association of ma kerspa ce- a n indestr uc tible Independent Schools Innovation and Technology Conference, the Future of Education Technology Conference, and more) where she plays the dual role of presenter and communit y spa ce that consists of attendee, expanding her PLN while contributing to others along the way. Because of this, technolog y, tools , a nd mater ia ls she is continuously discovering technological advances to implement within our school. where students ca n apply Inspired at a conference by Stanford’s concept of Design Thinking, a framework that creativ it y a nd cr itica l thin k ing to relies heavily on critical thinking, collaboration, and integration of technology into all collaborative projec ts . facets of academic curriculums, Mrs. Hooper brought back to Ensworth the concept of Makerspace—an indestructible community space that consists of technology, tools, and materials where students can apply creativity and critical thinking to collaborative projects. Mrs. Hooper now presents on Makerspace while attending educational conferences, promoting our advances while also scanning the horizon for the next one. Currently, there is a Makerspace classroom in Ingram Library on the Lower/Middle School Campus and a comparable space on the High School Campus. Additionally, there is extensive incorporation of makerspace into the plans for the new Lower School Building component of “The Excellence Begins with E” campaign.
W HO: CAITLIN HARRIS, Lower School Chinese Teacher W H AT: Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for Global Competence W HEN: Summer 2016
R
eview the catalog of projects that Lower School Chinese Teacher Caitlin Harris incorporated into her curriculum over the past school year, and you would be hard pressed to find a project where she didn’t use Makerspace. Equally impressive is her student’s depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for Chinese culture, an integral component to her Fall 2016 professional development. Through the Teacher’s College of Columbia University and in conjunction with Asia Society and World Savvy, Mrs. Harris enrolled in a course called “Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for Global Competence.” Her motivation was clear, “I know that language learning is one way to cultivate an interest in the cultures and experiences around the world while developing critical thinking skills. I wanted to dig deeper into that topic to see how teachers integrate global competence into their “ I wa nted to dig deeper existing (language) curriculum.” During the course of the class, teachers were able to incorpointo that topic to see rate their learnings into their current lesson plans, coupling existing course-specific goals with how tea chers integ rate newfound components of global competency education. Mrs. Harris did this by allowing her g loba l competence into Grades K-5 students more time to delve deeper into cultural topics and providing more backtheir existing ( la ng ua ge) ground, emphasizing the importance of making comparisons to their own cultures and expericur r iculum .” ences. She was also particularly successful in implementing creative projects. One fifth grade project entailed students creating “admissions videos” for an intended audience of Chinese students moving to the US for education. Students were asked to use their existing Chinese vocabulary to effectively communicate what they loved about Ensworth through the lens of a student from China. They worked in groups and created green screen videos in the makerspace. Makerspace videos were the unofficial modus operandi of Mrs. Harris, incorporating collaboration, creativity, technology and Chinese into every facet of her students’ learning experience, and she’s far from finished with her own. In the future, she intends to further explore the etymology of the Chinese language. She has already identified future professional development opportunities to pursue, and has big plans for her very own Lower School Chinese classroom, another component of the ongoing capital campaign. Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift ’03 Communications Coordinator
FACULTY
BEV ROBERTS, NANCY SCOVILLE, & ROBIN SMITH
Retire After
84
Combined Years
AT
E NSWORTH At the end of the 2017 school year, three beloved long-term faculty members retired after a combined 84 years of service to Ensworth. From inspiring a love for knitting, to establishing a tradition of service with Harris Hillman, to bringing a “dead language” to life, each of these women leaves behind a legacy of compassion, discipline, humor, and love.
Join us for a Retirement Celebration: AUGUST 31, 20 17 5:00–6:30 p m - INGRAM LIBRARY - LOWER /MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS
62 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
FACULTY
Bev Roberts 1983- 2017, Grade 4
Shower the people you love with love
I am one of the fortunate Ensworth graduates who had the privilege of being in Mrs. Roberts’ 4th grade homeroom class. I cannot say enough great things about such a wonderful, caring teacher. Thank you for cherishing each and every one of your students, for supporting us with more energy and enthusiasm than should be physically possible, and for modeling kindness and respect. ELLIOT PINSLY,
Class of 1997
Nancy Scoville 1991 – 2017, Latin Salvete, omnes!
Thank you for being a great teacher. From French to Latin—you instilled a love of learning and the importance of being kind to others. I always try to be well prepared and read as much as possible before work- which reminds me of the phrase that you taught us: “Scientia potentia est.” KITTY GANIER CONRAD,
Class of 1997
In Memory
Robin Smith
Served 24 Years Robin Smith, Grade 2, passed away shortly after retiring. She is remembered on pages 64–65. 2017 SUMMER | 63
FACULTY
R E M E M BE R I NG ROBI N S M I T H A SECOND GRADER PERSPECTIVE: HOW to Remember Robin Smith? WHO Could Forget Her? Our second grade classroom motto was
“You Can’t Say You Can’t Play.” In 1997, Ms. Smith’s classroom was home to a pet—a hedgehog named Pocatello. He lived in an empty aquarium with a box for him to hide in. For recess, we had big leather gloves to lift him from his cage into a basket to go outside with us. Pokey liked the sunshine. We had fun, too, writing imaginary stories about what Pokey might do when alone in our classroom. Woo Hoo! Stephen Kellogg came to our classroom when he visited for Patchwork at Ensworth. So did Ashley Bryan, Jack Gantos, and Patricia Polacco. Getting to meet real authors of real books was amazing. Thank you, Mr. Bryan, for coming. I loved your idea about singing a poem or writing a book for your mom’s birthday. We loved the signed illustrations that Mr. Kellogg left for our school. ROBIN SMITH:: It’s hard to overestimate the impact that meeting an author can have on a reader. Reading a story and discussing it with the author is a powerful experience.
The best thing about our Second Grade Author’s Reception was reading my book to my friend’s mom. I know why a ‘dedication’ page is important. I loved getting to illustrate my non-fiction story! Pioneer Days were special because we did things the way children did very long ago. We learned to make candles by dipping strings, to braid fabric scraps into bookmarks, and to write with quills and berry ink. We dressed up in bonnets and long dresses or coon skin caps and overalls. Wearing our costumes into the lunchroom felt like an old-fashioned parade. Our Puppet Show was lots of fun because we wrote it ourselves. We began with the fairy tale Heckedy Peg and added enough characters 64 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
so everyone would have a speaking part. To practice, we would read it aloud over and over and rehearse projecting our voices and moving quietly behind the puppet screen. To make it more modern, we added a Target store which made our audience laugh! In 2008, Ensworth’s summer read was one of three reading level versions of “Three Cups of Tea.” That fall, we visited with the author Susan Roth who showed us the real cut-paper illustrations used in her book. She gave these to Ensworth and you can see them in the Lower Library! We learned making books from scratch with YourSecretAdmiral. Using recycled papers helps keep stuff out of landfills. You can make accordion books, rubber band books and star books! Summer camps with Ms. Smith and Mr. Schneider were super. You could go to Writing Camp in the morning and Sewing Camp in the afternoon. I learned to sew on a machine. In Writer’s Camp, I learned to write an ‘I Hear’ list poem. Mr. Schneider read us a poem by Walt Whitman, then we walked around school very quietly so we could listen carefully. One person wrote, ‘I heard Ms. Smith using a ball winder. It was very squeaky.’ I remember that Ms. Smith used sports page box scores from the Vanderbilt women’s basketball games to make math problems for us. Since she also knew the team members, Ms. Smith’s math was fun to do. At the end of every day, Ms. Smith would read aloud to us. A chapter book meant you could knit while you were listening, but a picture book meant you had to be ready to look at all of the illustrations. Sometimes, Ms. Smith read new books to us that hadn’t been published yet. She would ask what we liked and what we didn’t like.
FACULTY ROBIN SMITH: For the past 20 years, I’ve
worked with second graders. I have a list of books that demand to be shared every year. With them, I usually read about two hundred picture books, a novel every two or three weeks. My job is to teach very new readers to love books. I read with children because I enjoy it. I read because they enjoy it. As much as it’s unfashionable to say, I love books that make me pause, sigh, and, on occasion, weep. In our classroom, we had jobs to do. Shelving books was important so that all of us could find a book when we need it. ROBIN SMITH: Every time a book is added to our classroom library, I introduce it and create a waiting list on the board for those interested. A waiting list makes a book seem desirable. Sharing books is very important. When someone finishes a book and is especially enthusiastic, I ask, “Who do you think would like to read this next?”
Writing in my journal almost every day got easier and easier. I could write about whatever I wanted and Ms. Smith would write me back! If I misspelled a word, she would use that same word again but she would spell it right.
began making time to teach anyone from 7:20 till 8 am who really wanted to learn. In 2001 Ms. Smith’s class knit: 84 caps for preemies, 26 hats, 19 wallet pouches, 11 pocket pals, 9 scarves, 5 socks, 4 purses, 4 sweaters, 2 pair of slippers, 1 Beanie Baby outfit. ROBIN SMITH: In 2003 our class finished 102 hats for preemies. We learn about their development when a doctor visits to talk. Knitting is a challenge but a manageable one. It’s a way to be good with your hands after children have outgrown playing with Lego-type toys.
We learned to knit very small caps for premature babies at two hospitals. Some babies have heads as small as lemons. That’s why the caps we make for them are so many different sizes. ROBIN SMITH: You know, second graders don’t really talk much with each other but with knitting needles in hand and dropped stitches needing repair, chatter just happens and it’s great!
One of my classmates knitted a scarf SO LONG it wrapped around every one in our classroom! Ms. Smith was surprised and pleased!
Learning to write ‘cursive’ with shaving cream ROBIN SMITH: The tongue-in-cheek article, on my desk was awesome! You can practice “Unlucky Arithmetic: Thirteen Ways to Raise over and over and just wipe it away to begin a Non-Reader,” was a big hit at The Horn Book again! I like the swirls of cursive. Magazine. Many reprints of this poster were ROBIN SMITH: I didn’t set out to teach kids to
knit. I began by bringing my knitting so I could knit a little during recess. I could always knit without looking at the project, so it wasn’t distracting. Some children wanted to learn so I taught them with my projects. Some began wanting projects of their own, so we began on small things. Soon, it became a craze and I
requested. The poster was a frequent baby present gift (along with a book) for new parents or grandparents.
By Former Colleague Adrienne Parker
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Caldecott Award Selection Committee Coretta Scott King Book Award Jury Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Selection Committee Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Committee Outstanding International Books Committee Book Reviewer: Kirkus Reviews; The Horn Book Magazine; BookPage Writer: The Horn Book Magazine, BookLinks Magazine, School Library Journal Speaker: Children’s Literature New England Conference and various regional conferences
Robin Smith 1959–2017 Served 24 Years at Ensworth: 1993–2017
FACULTY 2 016 -2 017
FA C U LT Y & S TA F F B O O K AWA R D S The Book Awards recognize faculty and staff members for their years of service to Ensworth. Together with the Ensworth Parent Association, the school presents library books to those individuals completing 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years of service to Ensworth each year. The books, donated to the libraries at both campuses, honor these teachers, and reflect their individual interests.
10 Y E A R S Monica Armstrong
Katy Breithaupt
Rob Early
Michelle Little
High School Kitchen
College Counseling; Registrar
Facilities
Middle School Science
Tish Picklesimer
Walter Schultz
Connor Schutzman
Lower/Middle School PE
High School Math
Grounds Manager
15 Y E A R S Ruby Cortner
Middle School History
David Morgan
Head of High School
Ricky Bowers
Director of Athletics - High School
66 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Camy 2 0 YSanchez EARS Kindergarten
Camy Sanchez Kindergarten
Debbie Sandwith
Lower/Middle School Librarian
40 YEARS Rose Pickel
Lower/Middle School Art
25 Y E A R S Michelle Chang Grade 5
FACULTY
FAC U LTY B O OK S H E LF What did the Ensworth faculty read this summer?
JEAN BRUCE
JIM MILLER
High School Librarian
High School English
The Son
The Sympathizer
“This summer, I will be reading The Son by Philipp Meyer, a 2014 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in fiction. It is a multi-generational novel that traces three generations of a Texas family in the American West. The story follows the family through captive life with the Comanches to oil-boom wealth and explores the challenges that each generation faced. I started watching this American Western drama mini-series on television this spring and enjoyed it, but did not want to wait for the next movie installment in
“A lot of my summer is spent reading new books that could potentially fit into my English electives. Right now, I’m reading The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a 2015 novel about a North Vietnamese sleeper agent hiding in The United States. The longer he remains in America, the more complicated his allegiances become. The author, himself an immigrant from Vietnam, won the Pulitzer Prize for this, his first novel.”
Author: Philipp Meyer
Author: Viet Tha nh Ng uyen
the Spring of 2018.”
DEAN SCHNEIDER
DEBBIE SANDWITH
Middle School English
Lower/Middle School Librarian
Falling
The Tilted World
Author: Elisha Cooper “A book I’ll be starting right away is Falling by Elisha Cooper. He’s primarily a picture book illustrator, but this is one of his books for adults. When his daughter was five years old, he took her to a Cubs game, and when she was sitting on his lap, he noticed a lump on her stomach. It turned out to be cancer, and the book is about a young father dealing with a sick daughter, radiation treatments, and the meaning of life. It’s a short, poetically written true story (and his daughter survives).”
Authors: Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly
“I’ve just started reading a book that women in my church have been reading as a group. It’s titled The Tilted World by Tom Franklin, an acclaimed author, and his wife, award-winning poet Beth Ann Fennelly. The book takes place in rural Mississippi in 1927 at the time of a historic flooding of the Mississippi River. It is a mystery and a love story. I’m excited to read it because one review says ‘ The Tilted World is that rarest of creations, a story of seemingly ordinary people who find hope and deliverance where they least expect it—in each other.’ What a nice way to start the summer!”
FACULTY SUMMER READING Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt This summer, Ensworth Faculty had a choice of three books, each of which is tied to a different aspect of identity. During in-service in August, faculty will discuss these books and their implications related to education & community. 2016 SUMMER | 67
ALUMNI
Ensworth Alumni
WEDDINGS Helen Beckner ’10 married Jack McDaniel on March 4, 2017.
C LAS S NOT E S
Keaton Rye ’09 married Kendle Crider on March 18, 2017. Leigh Ivey ’01 married Jack Hicks on March 25, 2017. Allison Trickett ’10 married Wes Gallagher ’09 on May 13, 2017. Katie Goldstein ’01 married Ben Jarrett on May 13, 2017. Jennie Stumpf ’03 married Alexander Chan on May 20, 2017. Kat McCabe ’08 married Blanton Winship on May 20, 2017. Katie Rush ’09 married Artyom Postupaka on May 20, 2017. Lucius Carroll III ’80 married Revell Michael on May 24, 2017. Morgan Fabel ’11 married Josh Holland on June 3, 2017. Kathleen Geer ’03 married Chris Petro on June 17, 2017. Grace Clayton ’97 married Marie Young on June 24, 2017.
BIRTHS Clark Rose Bivens ’94 (Brian) Charlotte Rose Bivens, April 12, 2016 Grace Rich French ’00 (Bradley) Robert Arthur French, June 26, 2016 Curtis Lane ’01 (Katie) Connor Cross Lane, September 10, 2016 Corinne Barfield Kidd ’88 (Harrison) David Bayne McCray Kidd, November 3, 2016 Pierce Sandwith ’01 (Maggie) Louise Christine Sandwith, March 7, 2017 Patrick Warfield ’98 (Catherine) Helen Martha Warfield, April 5, 2017 Billy Billington ’02 (Ceci) Grace Gadsby Billington, May 4, 2017 Katie Tompkins Dick ’99 (Hagan) David Hagan Dick II (Davis), May 8, 2017
IN MEMORY Geoffrey DeZevallos ’92 October 16, 1977–February 17, 2017 Norton M. Edwards (Bub) ’73 May 16, 1959–March 7, 2017
68 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
1960 Misty Hyde ’62 earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Vanderbilt University. She is now working in photography. Deb Dicker Weiss ’69 is
working full time in investments for not-for-profit organizations. This year she is traveling to Cuba, Greece, and Sicily.
1980 Laurie Overfield Vido ’81
returned to teaching last year. She is currently a fourth grade teacher in Plainfield, Illinois.
Tom Harwell ’83 of Eakin
Partners was named to the 20172018 Leadership Nashville Class.
Gantt Bumstead ’83 is a partner at JHS Packaging.
Rashed Fakhruddin ’83 was
Lissa Smith ’87 is now the Associate for Pastoral Care and Cathedral Life at Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville. Fran Bailey Linley ’88 is
the Middle School Learning Specialist at Harpeth Hall.
1990 Ramsey Stringham Raybeck ’92 joined the staff at Saddle Up!, a therapeutic riding center in Franklin, Tennessee.
Carrie Gauchat ’93 is teaching science at the American International School in Salzburg, Austria.
Marion Granbery Floyd ’99 is the Alumni Relations
Coordinator at Harpeth Hall.
2000 Stephanie Compton ’00
a 2016 Southerner of the Year Honoree by Southern Living Magazine, which honored 50 people from 17 states. He was also one of the 4 honorees for Community Nashville’s Human Relations Award. Both nominations stem from Rashed’s work in ending domestic violence and building bridges in the community.
lives in Brevard, NC and serves as the WNC Program Director for Muddy Sneakers, an environmental education non-profit that partners with public schools to teach science curriculum experientially during the regular school day. In April, she completed her first 50k run by traversing the entire Art Loeb trail in one day.
Karen Schwartz Sutton ’86, Harpeth Hall’s Athletic
Charlie Nelson ’00 of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery was named to the 2017-2018 Leadership Nashville Class.
Director, was recognized by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) as its distinguished service honoree as an administrator.
Mary Ellen Smith ’00 is
working at Corporate Citizenship, a sustainability and corporate responsibility consulting firm in New York City.
ALUMNI Jeremy Pinsly ’01 is currently headlining at venues across the United States as part of his comedy tour called “Definitely Not Kosher.” Visit his website for tour dates near you at www. jeremypinsly.com.
for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property and The Who’s Who Award. He is now practicing patent law with the Finnegan Law Firm in Atlanta.
Anna Niedermeyer ’03
Lucy Johnson ’10 earned
and business partner, Emma Richman, recently launched a handbag collection named Opia at the Saks Fifth Avenue Collective.
Bentley Hammet Palmer ’08 is in interior design school
at O’More College of Design.
2010 her master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education at Auburn University in December, 2016. Lucy is currently teaching in Auburn City Schools in a preschool special education classroom.
Ellyse Murphy ’10 graduated
Austin Fabel ’08 was named
from University of Pennsylvania with a Master of City Planning.
Carell Brown ’09 is now a
graduated from UCLA and was drafted to play football for the New England Patriots.
one of Nashville Lifestyle’s Top 30 Under 30 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
teaching fellow at the Hunn School of Princeton in New Jersey.
Jana Wolskij ’09 graduated from the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center with a master’s degree in Education of the Deaf. She is planning on staying in Nashville and teaching as a certified teacher of the deaf. Nathan North ’09 graduated with a Doctor of Law and TIGER Program Certificate in Intellectual Property with High Honors from Emory University School of Law. He is Editorin-Chief of Emory Law Journal and Order of the Coif. He was awarded the ABA/BNA Award
Conor McDermott ’11
Thomas Doochin ’12
graduated from the University of North Carolina and is the cofounder of Daymaker. He recently rebranded his nonprofit company, formerly named Communigift, to Daymaker. Visit his site at www.daymaker.com.
Ford Garrard ’12 graduated
from University of North Carolina in 2016 with a degree in Jazz Performance, Bass and Business Entrepreneurship. He is now on tour with local band, Boy Named Banjo. The band recently signed with William Morris Agency.
Chandler Altenbern ’13 is in remission for Burkitts Lymphoma.
Finance and Real Estate. He is now working for Cushman and Wakefield in Dallas, Texas.
Abbey Bounds ’13 graduated from the University of Mississippi Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications.
graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications. She is currently doing mission work in Chile, South America.
Andrew Bowers ’13
Corn Elder ’13 graduated
graduated from Wheaton College and is currently traveling the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Athens, North East Turkey, and Rome. Upon return, he will move to Knoxville, Tennessee where he will join the Knoxville Fellows living in the square, working for Pilot, and studying servant leadership.
Amber Carlton ’13
graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Relations. She is now working at First Steps Nashville.
John Clifton ’13 graduated
Dougie Dingess ’13
from the University of Miami and was drafted to play football for the Carolina Panthers.
Luke Hazen ’13 graduated from SMU with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He is now working in Nashville for VMG Health as a Business Valuation Analyst. Alec Holcomb ’13 graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music with a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance in Guitar. In the fall, he will begin a Masters in Music program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the studio of Judicaël Perroy.
from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. He moved to Baltimore, Maryland to begin a job as a clinical research assistant at Johns Hopkins Medical in the behavioral pharmacology department.
Kobie Jarmon ’13 is the
Rob DeCamp ’13 graduated
graduated in May from Auburn University in Pre-Vet/Animal Science. She has been
from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in
captain of the University of Louisville Ladybirds dance team. The Ladybirds finished their season as the NCAA National Champions with double titles for the second year in a row.
Caroline Johnson ’13
Saturday, October 21 Reunion Parties for class years ending in ’2 & ’7
Friday, October 20
Homecoming Football Game Homecoming Tailgate at 5:30pm Jim ‘N Nicks Catering - Free for the Ensworth Community Football Game - Ensworth vs. JPII at 7:00pm
Monday, October 23 Robert Inman Tiger Classic Golf Tournament Contact Alli Hicks at hicksa@ensworth.com 2 0 1 6 Sfor U Mdetails. MER | 69
ALUMNI
Ensworth Alumni accepted as a member of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 2021.
Claire Kirchoff ’13 graduated
from Roanoke College in May with honor cords in Psychology and French, and a stole recognizing her commitment to Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority. She will attend the University of Virginia in the fall of 2017 to complete her Master’s in Education in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science, and will be working in a SocialDevelopmental research lab under Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman. In November, she will present her research project titled “Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Peers with Chronic Health Conditions” at the Society for Study on Emerging Adulthood conference in Washington, D.C., which she completed with her advisor Dr. Darcey Powell at Roanoke College.
Doni Lehman ’13 graduated
with honors from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. She is now working in Washington D.C. as an Associate for Quadrant Strategies.
Talia Mayden ’13 graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan
Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design. She recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and film. She is currently freelancing as a director and editor.
Katelyn McEvoy ’13
graduated from Harvard University, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude with high honors in History and a minor in Economics. She rowed for four years with the Varsity Lightweight Crew Team. She is now working for Boston Consulting Group in Washington D.C.
Chandler Overton ’13 broke the Union College softball record for most steals in a season this year. She is the first player to get conference player of the year twice and made first team all-conference. Chandler was also selected to the AllConference defensive team. Lily Parrish ’13 graduated
from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in Business from the Marshall School of Business and a double minor in Spanish and Film. She is moving to Copenhagen, Denmark in August for four months before beginning a full time job in Los Angeles.
C LAS S NOT E S Hall Pittman ’13 graduated from the Brock School of Business at Samford University with a degree in Entrepreneurship. Neal Rice ’13 opened a
Contemporary Art Gallery in his home during his senior year at College of Charleston. Beresford Studios opened earlier this year and received significant recognition. Visit the website at www. beresfordstudios.com.
Quint Robinson ’13
graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Next year he will attend Lipscomb University to receive an MBA in Management. He plans to use his last year of athletic eligibility to play baseball at Lipscomb.
Theater Festival in New York City.
Caroline Shaub ’13
graduated from Texas Christian University in May. She majored in Energy and Finance and will be working at Credit Suisse in Houston in investment banking in oil and gas.
Jack Sheridan ’13 graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He has accepted a job in Washington, D.C. as a business development associate for Vorsight, LLC.
Tyler Sinks ’13 graduated from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication. He is working in Dallas, Texas for GIA & Associates, Inc.
Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia, and will be attending graduate school at Vanderbilt this fall to pursue a degree as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She is working this summer at Camp Greystone in North Carolina.
Katie Slattery ’13 graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She is now studying to get a Master of Science in Teacher Education with a focus on Elementary Education and plans to get her certification in teaching English as a second language.
Sally Seitz ’13 graduated from Middlebury College with a joint major in Theater and English. She has spent the summer working for the Women in
graduated with honors in December of 2016 from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in
Abby Scanlan ’13 graduated
Graham Stessel ’13
Continuing the Ensworth Tradition
SENIORS WITH ALUMNI PARENTS 70 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
CLOSE Claire Hooper Drowota ’59 Helen Drowota Close ’82, Clay ‘17
DOOCHIN Larry Doochin ’76 Hannah ’17
ESTES Kathleen Jackson Estes ’78 Thomas ’17
ALUMNI
Business Administration. After graduation, he attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in London and traveled throughout Europe. He is now working for Amazon in Fall River, Massachusetts as an Operations and Logistics Manager.
a
b
c
Caroline Waters ’13
graduated from the Raymond J. Harbert School of Business at Auburn.
d
e
f
Shomari White ’13
graduated from Centre College with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology. He is now a tight ends coach at Centre.
Savannah WilliamsRadecic ’13 graduated from
g
a Allison Trickett ’10 & Wes Gallagher ’09 b Anna Niedermeyer ’03 launched a
Emerson College with a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts Production.
handbag collection named Opia at the Saks Fifth Avenue Collective c & d Alumni Black & Orange Picnic e Helen Martha, daughter of Patrick Warfield ’98 f Louise Christine, daughter of Pierce Sandwith ’01 g Neal Rice ’13 opened Beresford Studios in Charleston
Blair Wilson ’14 served
as President of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta during her junior year at Columbia University.
S E N D U S YOU R N E WS ! Keep in touch with your classmates and let them keep up with you. Send your latest news, moves and photos to Alli Hicks at alumni @ ensworth.com.
JACKSON Edward Jackson ’73 Maggie ’17
PARRISH Nate Parrish ’75 Corinne ’17
SINKS Leigh Pinson Sinks ’84 Andrew ’17
ZERFOSS Tee Zerfoss ’67 Maggie ’17
ALUMNI
PROFILES IN
EXCELLENCE Ensworth Alumni Focus
Ashley Brown Howell
E
Class of 1990
arlier this year, Ensworth alumna Ashley Brown Howell ’90 was named the Executive Director of the Tennessee State Museum. With a new museum under construction at the Bicentennial Mall, Ashley has had an integral role in both the development and growth of the new space while maintaining the current Tennessee State Museum.
Early in her childhood, Ashley recalls that her interest in museums was piqued through family vacations and Ensworth field trips with Mrs. Pickel and Mr. Arthur. Rose Pickel, 40-year veteran art instructor on the Lower School Campus reflects, “Over the years, I have been fortunate to have students who are truly dedicated to discovering their creative ability and being adventurous in their work. Ashley was one of those students. Her love of Art History was certainly special for one so young.” Beginning with her parents and the Ensworth arts program, Ashley reflects that she is lucky to have found “a series of key individuals who guided me through my career by hiring, mentoring, and supporting me. Their guidance is a great reminder for me to pay it forward.” Ashley feels that museums embody lifelong learning and discovery, and is inspired by how museums connect and engage with the community. She is ready to connect the Tennessee State Museum with the greater Nashville community, and has a track-record that proves just that. Before this role, Ashley was the Director of Development and, most recently, the Deputy Director for the Frist Center for the Visual Arts here in Nashville, TN. According to the Tennessean, Commission Chairman Tom Smith said, “Her background in all aspects of museum management will serve us well, and her ties to Tennessee make her an ideal choice as we prepare for the new museum’s opening late next year.” Ashley’s love for the community, museums, and lifelong learning will enable her success in this next chapter.
Alli Hicks ’09
Alumni Relations Manager 72 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Hannah Cooper ’12 Office of Communications
Conor McDermott Class of 2011
T
Corn Elder
Class of 2013
SELECTED TO 2017 NFL DRAFT
his year, Ensworth celebrates the success of Conor McDermott ’11 and Corn Elder ’13 on their selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. This year, Conor will be donning red, white, and blue to play for the New England Patriots and Corn will be playing a little closer to home in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Carolina Panthers. After Ensworth, Conor and Corn both had successful college careers and stayed in touch throughout the years, even playing on the same team for the Senior Bowl. Corn says, “Ensworth inspired me to continually strive for excellence and always give it my all.” While Conor and Corn are the first Ensworth alumni to be selected in the NFL Draft, they join the ranks of fellow alumni Orleans Darkwa ’10 and KP McDermott ’09 currently playing in the NFL for the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings, respectively. Leland Taylor ’08, a member of the first High School graduating class, works in the Player Personnel department of the National Football League. One of his department’s primary responsibilities is to administer the NFL Draft each spring. The 2017 draft was special for Leland, as he had a front row seat to watch Conor and Corn as they were selected. The sense of community that Ensworth instills in students made Leland think to grab a photo of Conor and Corn’s draft cards. Leland reflects, “athletics were always an important part of bringing the community together both as participants and fans at Ensworth.” The community support in others’ pursuit of excellence makes Ensworth a unique and powerful community to be part of. Leland observes, “Ensworth ingrained a sense of curiosity, hard work, and humility. What is great about Ensworth is your opportunity to pursue many different passions. Whether it is sports, music, arts, or student government, there is a culture of diversification. Trying new things and being persistent through inevitable challenges helped prepare me for life after Ensworth.”
Robinson Hall: Today & Tomorrow Robinson Hall was originally constructed in 1992 and has served as a dining hall, event space, and auditorium for puppet shows and plays for the past 25 years. Thanks to the generosity of donors who have already made commitments to the “Excellence Begins with E� Campaign, construction on the renovation and expansion of the space began in May 2017 and is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2018.
To view additional renderings of the project and to learn more about supporting continued excellence at Ensworth, visit:
W W W . E N S W O R T H C A M PA I G N . C O M
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Nashville, TN Permit No. 2630
Ensworth School 211 ENSWORTH PLACE NASHVILLE, TN 37205-1997
C ONG R AT U L AT IONS ,
Ensworth Class of 2017! ensworth.com