Ensights — Winter 2019

ENSIGHTS I N S E ARC H OF T RU T H

WINTER 2019

EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN A Look Back: Founding the High School A Look Ahead: Lower School An Elevated Lunch Experience Artwork by Lucy Atwood ’28

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-2019 President Toby S. (T.J.) Wilt, Jr. Vice President A. Bruce Moore, Jr. Secretary Christi Turner Treasurer Philip D. Krebs Legal Counsel John Jacobson Edie McBride Bass* Kathryn C. Brown Amy Christiansen Beth Courtney

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.

Bruce Crosby Persephone Felder-Fentress Ben Freeland Jennifer Frist Trish C. Frist* Craig Goguen Chad Greer Sam Hazen Phil Hertik Phyllis Hildreth Will Morrow Josephine Smithwick

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

Jamee Thompson

Bruce Libonn Head of Lower School

Head of School David Braemer, ex officio

Chan Gammill Head of Middle School

President Ensworth Parent Association Britt Horn, ex officio

Whitney Johnson Director of Finance and Operations

President-Elect Ensworth Parent Association Barbara Smith, ex officio President Ensworth Alumni Board Jonathan Gluck, ex officio *Indicates Permanent Trustee

Jenny Hannon Director of Institutional Advancement Bobby Mirzaie Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jason Hiett Director of Technology

August 2004: Grade 9 students (Class of 2008) arrive for the first day of school on the High School Campus

3 3 | A Look Back: Founding the High School

8 8 | A Look Ahead: Lower School Building

Contents EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN 3 A Look Back: Founding the High School 8 A Look Ahead: The New Lower School Building 14 The New Robinson Hall

ACADEMICS

FACULTY

ARTS

12 People & Program

20 Artist in Residence

36 Faculty Focus - LS/MS

16 For the Record

22 Hairspray: Middle School Fall Play

38 Faculty Focus - HS

COMMUNITY 30 Lower School/Middle School Events 32 High School Events 34 Parent Association

24 Metamorphoses: High School Fall Play ATHLETICS

39 Bookshelf 40 Faculty News ALUMNI

26 Middle School Athletics

42 Featured Alumni

28 High School Athletics

44 Class Notes 48 Robert Inman Tiger Classic

12 14 12 | People & Program: Evolving Classrooms

Inside Pages: Cascades Rolland 100 Enviro Satin 70# Text; Cover: 80# Anthem Plus Matte Cover (Made in the USA)

14 | The Elevated Lunch Experience in Robinson Hall

40 40 | Faculty News

Copyrighted 2019 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 Paul Downey, Jenny Hannon, Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift, Anne Stringham, Tiffany Townsend. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Braemer, Paul Downey, Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift, Anne Stringham, Tiffany Townsend. PHOTOGRAPHY Travis Commeau, Mary Byrne Dailey, Paul Downey, Tim Jones, Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift, Adrienne Parker, John Picklesimer, Mike Strasinger GRAPHIC DESIGN Mary Byrne Dailey

2019 WINTER | 1

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Campaign

I

have never been a collector in the traditional sense,

The opportunity that accompanies all of this preparation

such as accumulating objects like coins or baseball

is obvious. It involves all of us in different capacities.

cards. At the same time, I have always enjoyed

For a faculty committed to nurturing the growth of

collecting quotations. The clear, concise articulation

their students, the chance to explore best practices and

of an idea that truly resonates can be a powerful guide,

to consider new, innovative learning environments is

and I maintain a mental collection that I regularly draw

empowering. It also serves as a catalyst to their own

upon to help me navigate various situations. A favorite

professional development. At the same time, these types

of mine, attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca,

of projects create an opportunity for the community

expresses a sentiment that has been integral to the

to come together to support these endeavors through

development of Ensworth

individual philanthropy and

over the years. According

the willingness to encourage

to Seneca , “ Luck is what

others to be involved in this

happens when preparation

effort. Doing so is not only a

meets opportunity.” There

necessity to completing these

is no question that we have

initiatives, it also ensures that

enjoyed a great deal of luck as

there is a shared claim of the

an institution over the years.

ultimate success.

While Ensworth has been the

Seneca had it right in his

beneficiary of tremendous

assertion that luck does not

good fortune, this luck would

happen by accident. It is only

not have taken root if not for the vision and planning that

through focused planning and an environment conducive

had already taken place. This issue of Ensights explores the

to good fortune that luck can f lourish. Ensworth has

preparation and intentionality that has been at the heart

been blessed with good luck through the years. That will

of Ensworth’s development. Whether with the creation of

continue to be the case with the commitment of this

our High School program fifteen years ago or the design of

community to ensuring that preparation and opportunity

the newly renovated Robinson Hall on the Lower/Middle

are never far apart.

School Campus which opened this past fall, it has always been through an incredibly thoughtful process that success was ensured. This issue also looks at the work being done to reimagine the future for the Lower School experience with a new building on the horizon to foster the continued development of our overall program.

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David Braemer HEAD OF SCHOOL

A Look Back: THE FOUNDING OF THE HIGH SCHOOL

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

2003: Grade 8 students tour the High School Campus under construction

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h a t i f…t hose words have often led to important discoveries, amazing inventions, creative ideas in art and literature, and much more. As well, these words can lead to leaps into the unknown with high hopes but high degrees of uncertainty as to how it will all turn out.

Ens wor th’s histor y is the stor y o f s om e rem ar k ab l e “ w h a t if s” expressed by pioneering spirits seeking new f ront iers i n educat ion i n t he Nashville community and creating new landmarks along the way. The school’s founders, a group that included the late Margaret Ann and Walter Robinson, Jr., began asking in the late 1950s what if we could create an elementary school with small classes, focused on excellent academics and devoted to helping boys and girls develop their individual talents to the fullest? The group tackled the challenges—finding a location, raising funds, finding the right Headmaster, hiring teachers, enrolling students— with a can-do spirit. Mrs. Robinson 4 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

often spoke of running down a secondhand desk and typewriter to help her serve as the school’s first registrar. The developing school community pitched in, with parents serving lunch and donating books for the non-existent library, and board members and administrators converting garages and carriage houses into classrooms and dealing with water supply issues since Red Gables was not connected to city utilities at the time.

A s A n n H a r wel l Wel l s rep or t s i n Ensworth—The First Twenty-Five Years, “On Wednesday, September 10, 1958, Ensworth School opened for classes…

The 152 students that year represented 125 families.” From this small beginning, Ensworth grew steadily for the next decades, expanding numbers of faculty and students, creating new facilities, and adding programs and activities across the spectrum of academics, arts, P.E and athletics, service learning, and more.

When the Board of Trustees engaged in an in-depth study of the future needs and vision for the school in 1999-2001, a long-range plan was adopted, calling

for specific goals that would further enhance the established programs at the Red Gables Campus. A feasibility study indicated support for those goals, but along the way another theme began to emerge: What if…Ensworth had a high school?

Echoing the early days of Ensworth’s fou nd i n g , s cho ol le a der s b e c a me intrigued with what they were hearing and instigated an extensive study to explore the important questions.

• Is there a need for an additional independent school choice in the Nashville area—a coeducationa l school with excellent academics and a wide range of athletic and extracurricular programs?

• If there is a va lid need, shou ld Ensworth expand its programs to include grades 9–12?

• Could the school actua lly do it: fa c u lt y, pro g r a m de velopment , facilities, enrollment, finances?

EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

2003: Will Moseley & Ricky Bowers

2003: Myra McLarey, David Chanaca, & David Morgan

Following a rigorous analysis of reasons why and why not, the Board voted on April 16, 2002 to do what they set out to do initially—enhance the K–8 school —and embark upon a course to create Ensworth High School. The plan called for the 9–12 program to open in 2004 with Grade 9, adding a grade each year until enrollment reached 4 40–460 students in 2007-2008.

That’s where the part about leaping into the unknown with high hopes comes in.

Planning began for a capital campaign titled “Honor the Past…Embrace the Future” with the ambitious goals of raising $15 million for the Red Gables Campus—new middle school building, new library, art and science facilities, and endowment—and $45 million for the design, construction, equipping and staffing for Grades 9–12—a total of $60 million, or approximately 15 times the amount raised in any previous Ensworth capital campaign.

Margaret Ann Robinson wrote, “The parallels between our beginnings in

2004: The first day of school for the Class of 2008, the first high school class

1958 with the newly announced plans are astounding! A new vision, a new sit e … a nd enou g h ent hu si a sm a nd energy to spare—it’s a flag-waving day for Ensworth!”

Leadership was key, as Trustees Townes Duncan and Bruce Moore agreed to chair the campaign, aided by dozens of volunteers. Trustees learned from other schools across the country that had added a high school that early planning and the addition of key staff well in advance of opening were essential, and the process began right away. Head of School Will Moseley contacted former colleague David Morgan, an educator whose recent experience included an in-depth study of best practices in high schools across the nation, and convinced him to become head of the new high school.

Mr. Morgan’s to-do list included creating an entirely new academic curriculum t h a t wou ld e x t end t he E n s wor t h experience while preparing students to succeed in a wide variety of colleges,

a long with f inding the faculty who could inspire students to learn and to develop their talents to the fullest. In an innovative move, the chairs of the academic departments were hired a year in advance of the school’s opening and were challenged to work collaboratively to develop t he cu r r icu lu m . T hese teachers spent their time together at the Red Gables Campus, working on

The Board voted on April 16, 2002 to do what they set out to do initially— enhance the K–8 school—and embark upon a course to create Ensworth High School.

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN their areas of expertise, getting to know each other, and getting to know the mission and culture of Ensworth by teaching some Middle School classes.

One department chair explained the excitement of their opportunity by stating, “No one is going to be saying we’ve always done it this way!”

What emerged was a new approach for education in the Nashville area.

Working with Head of School Will Moseley, Athletic Director Ricky Bowers, and others, the planners proposed to offer students not only challenging academics but also a new approach to teaching and learning and a schedule of classes, athletics and activities that was designed to provide a balance between school and non-school life. Most classes would be taught using the Harkness method that called for students and t ea cher s t o en ga ge i n d i scu s sion around large oval tables, encouraging individual participation and ensuring there was no "back of the classroom.”

With the development of the program came the unparalleled opportunity t o creat e fa ci l it ie s t h at a c t u a l ly

implemented the program, not just housed it. The curriculum was built upon core skills including collaboration, communication, observation, curiosity, speculation and hypothesizing, evaluation and application of knowledge. To the new high school’s leadership, this meant that the new spaces should include classrooms that worked with the large Ha rkness tables, gathering spaces outside faculty offices that encouraged student-faculty interaction, fitness and athletic spaces to implement those activities, and studios for visual and performing arts. Community spaces like the dining room, outdoor quad, and library were all part of the educational design. Growth would be built in: a state-of-the-a r t theater beca me a rea lit y later, a long w ith a modern natatorium and tennis center.

While the plan sounded amazing, it was essential to tell Ensworth’s story and convince students and parents that the 127-acre plot of trees and fields currently being populated with bulldozers and assorted wildlife was, in fact, going to be the place to spend one’s high school years. Deer, skunks,

geese, and turkey vultures were early occupants!

The message ref lected the chance to create virtually everything from the ground up. The first “Charter” classes had the oppor t un it y to create the student government, develop a student newspaper, a yearbook, and literary magazine; they would be part of the first athletic teams, the first performers in theatrical productions; they would build the traditions and culture that would inf luence the Ensworth High School experience for the students who would follow them.

Enthusiastic admission staff, supported by committed parents, introduced prospective families to this vision

What emerged was a new approach for education in the Nashville area.

2018–2019: The high school is thriving with over 460 students in Grades 9–12.

6 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

through the fall, winter, and early spring of 2003–2004, often serving hot chocolate out of a construction trailer in the muddy fields while steel structures rose around them. Admission tour participants were welcomed with fact sheets and hard hats.

In the many gatherings and information sessions, a very important tradition was begun: the E-cookie!

As the campus began to come together in preparation for opening day—August 2 4 , 2004 —teachers, pa rents, sta f f, a nd constr uction crews a ll worked h a r d t o ge t her t o m a ke it h a pp en .

Tr ustees wa shed w indows, helped stock classrooms with supplies, and did whatever was needed. On opening day, Ensworth welcomed 82 members of the first class with the ceremonial signing of the Charter Book, a tradition that continues each year to include each name in the ongoing story of the school.

The all-hands-on-deck attitudes didn’t stop there. Former Trustee Christy Ivey, parent of a member of the first class, recalls, “Parents were delighted to be asked to help and to be a part of their children’s experiences at the high school. We rounded up used equipment t o prov ide conce s sion s for ga me s and hauled coolers everywhere. The kids played multiple sports, running from tennis to lacrosse, etc. the same afternoon.” Duke DeLoache ’08, first student body president, wrote, “I came to EHS for the opportunity to start

something new and become a leader. I’ve learned so much more than just math, history, and science.”

presented the Lewis and Clark Award at the first graduation in 2008 to all the members of the Class of 2008.

Watching the “what ifs” become a reality required energy on every front. The ambitious financial goals for the school were not only reached but exceeded as the Campaign for Ensworth took shape over the next few years. In the campaign report published in 2010, Chair Bruce Moore’s message celebrated the community effort: $112 million raised in an eight-year period with donations from more than 1,000 families. “What you’ll see on paper… are gifts given sacrificially at all levels.

What you may not see from the numbers on paper is the amazing commitment to a first-class educational experience and the dedication to helping Ensworth School fulf ill its mission to each of our students.” What if we had a high school? Can we? “Because our parents, parents of former students, a lumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends made an investment of their time and their resources, the answer is positively yes!” he continued, adding “The journey is not over. Ensworth will continue to utilize our resources wisely and plan strategically for continued progress in the coming years.”

To recognize the pioneering spirit that characterized the community who made Ensworth’s remarkable transformation happen, High School Head David Morgan

“ The Enswor th H igh School Lew is and Clark Award commemorates the pioneering and collaborative spirit exemplified by this early adventurer and his fellow-explorer William Clark and is given to students who have expanded the frontiers of The Ensworth School by championing innovative ideas and new directions that benefit the school community and its environs.”

The Ensworth community continues to ask, “ W hat if…” in ma ny diverse areas. What if the entire community came together to build four homes for Habitat for Humanity to celebrate the school’s 50th birthday in 2008? What if parents and students pitched in to move equipment and dry out the gym and to help school families after Nashville’s disastrous flood in 2010? And now, what if we reimagined the Lower School ex per ience? T he a n s wers seem to ref lect the courage and commitment of Ensworth’s founders in 1958 and of members of the community ever since.

Anne Stringham Former Ensworth Director of Communications 2019 WINTER | 7

EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

A Look Ahead: THE NEW LOWER SCHOOL BUILDING

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

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hile the question “what if ” is often t he impet us beh ind new idea s and developments, a counterpar t question that tends to sw irl a round a mbitious projects is “but why?”

As we consider the new Lower School building, some might observe that our K-5 students are happily and effectively learning and developing in their current classrooms, so is a new Lower School building truly necessary? Others might look with fondness at the cozy classrooms and feel nostalgia for the years of education that have occurred within those walls. Most would concede that a new building for K-5 would be nice to have, but is it a need to have? And why is it imperative for it to happen now? In essence, “but why?”

When asked this question, Head of Lower School Bruce Libonn responds, “Teachers are making do with a space that already doesn’t support the forward-looking direction of elementary education in top independent schools.

Maintaining excellence can best be done in a physical environment that suppor ts a nd encoura ges it. Right now, the excellence of the prog ra m is ma inta ined in spite of the facilities’ limitations, which comes at a cost in teachers’ p l a n n i n g a n d t h e c h i l d r e n ’s experience. The longer we wait, the harder it will be for teachers to make do with the space as it is.

We have to ask the question—even if what we have is adequate, does it support best practices in education?”

W hen teachers ca n faci litate multiple lea rning activities that offer students different experiences and perspectives on a subject, each child is able to figure out the pathway to learning that makes the most sense to them. Under this model, students maximize their potential at their own pace and have ownership in the learning process. Bruce Libonn states, “Just as the High School has no ‘back of the classroom’ with the Harkness tables, a 21st-century elementary classroom has no ‘front of the room.’ Teachers are moving about the room working with different groups doing a variety of activities at the same time, and students have a hands-on role in the process of learning.”

This approach is explored in an article in Independent School Magazine: “A philosophy for teaching that provides different students different ways of learning, or differentiated instruction, has proven to be one of the most effective and powerful instructional methods to use in harnessing student strengths.[…] With a deeper emphasis on leveraging learner strengths, students are able to more quickly identify what they can do, which encourages them to keep challenging themselves and ultimately helps to bring out the best version of themselves as learners. Students now want to understand their own learning profiles, and they’re more willing to tackle their challenges as well as help others do the same.”1

...even if what we have is adequate, does it support best practices in education?

Lower School science teacher Andrew Bond speaks to challenges of his current basement classroom and the benefits that a new space would offer, “As the Lower School science lab moves toward project-based learning, a larger classroom space will allow students to learn about and research a topic in one area of the classroom and build their creations in a makerspace area in another part of the same classroom. In my current classroom, there isn't enough space for the students to have two separate areas to learn and create.”

In a series of community meetings last spring, Head of School David Braemer and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bobby Mirzaie talked about the new Lower School building and how it will bolster Ensworth’s four pillars of curriculum: immersive learning, personalized support, real-world relevance, and collaboration with peers. “We are working to develop cultural competency in our students a nd to give them skills that a re applicable in multiple contexts,” says Bobby. “Our goal is that our students learn to communicate in diverse ways and to diverse audiences, to apply knowledge to new situations, to develop a level of adaptability, and to become independent learners.”

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

To accompl ish t hese goa ls, school leadersh ip recog nized that the Lower School wou ld need updated spaces comparable to the newer Middle and High School spaces, allowing programs to drive the design of the facility and providing better continuity of experience across Grades K-12. The design for the Lower School building was informed by a facility needs assessment performed by Blanchard Group, an architectural firm that specializes in master planning for independent schools. Administrators also traveled to other independent schools across the country to observe the synergy of their facilities and programs.

Finally, faculty user groups offered their feedback and suggestions based on their own experiences.

The resulting blueprint includes collaborative gradelevel classroom pods, 40% larger classrooms with maker areas, new modern science labs with outdoor access, immersive world language classrooms, a teaching kitchen, expanded aftercare space, a new playground inside the secure perimeter of campus, and the completion of the loop road. This campus master plan offers dynamic and f lexible spaces designed to augment the implementation of our curriculum, inspire collaboration, and enrich the community.

T h e p l a n f or t h e n e w L o w e r S c h o ol h a s implications and effects that stretch far beyond Grades K-5. Bruce Libonn explains, “We know that the strong and solid foundation of a K-12 school is the Lower School. The programs and possibilities available for older children depend on a strong Lower School enrollment and program.” With a skillsbased curriculum and a spiraling concept of learning, students are ultimately learning the same concepts throughout their education but at deeper levels of sophistication, which makes it imperative to have a solid foundation upon which to build.

A new Lower School building will bolster ENSWORTH’S FOU R PILL A R S of C U R R IC U LU M:

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IM M ER SI V E L E A R N ING

PER S ONA L IZ ED SU PPORT

R E A L -WOR L D C OL L A BOR ATION R EL E VA NCE W IT H PEER S

EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

A recent Forbes.com article projects, “Education underscoring soft skills remains critical. The shelf life of hard skills will become shorter as technology advances more rapidly, and inputs become more automated.

Soft skills, or power skills, including collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and the ability to make quick decisions from a set of information will remain essential for all employees and will also be increasingly sought out by hiring managers.”2 Providing students with a curriculum that focuses on the development of core skills will ensure that they are well-prepared to face future challenges and succeed in a rapidly changing world. And the development of these skills begins in the Lower School.

To answer the question, “but why?” one only needs to stand in the main lobby during morning drop-off and watch as the young students file in. Their broad grins and bright eyes reveal their excitement for the day ahead, and the littlest students trot happily toward their classrooms with Tiger Bags bouncing on their arms. It is our responsibility to steward this joy of learning and to ensure that we continue to provide an environment that engages and inspires our students and challenges them to become their best.

The philanthropic report on the campaign for the High School stated, “A good education and a good school are dynamic, living, breathing collaborations among parents, teachers, administrators, children, alumni, grandparents, and parents of former students—ever changing, ever improving, and ever dependent upon the teamwork and energy of each component of the equation.” Similar to the vision that established the High School, the plans for the new Lower School building reflect Ensworth’s commitment to providing the best resources for students and faculty to maximize their potential while ensuring the school remains at the forefront in setting new standards for K-12 education. To be successful, we need to harness the same community spirit that has brought Ensworth to where we are today and keep building upon our strong foundation.

1 McMullen, A. (2018, Summer) “Strength Training” Independent School Magazine, 75-78.

2 Agarwhal, A. “Three Education Trends that will Revolutionize the Workplace,” 2 January, 2019. Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/anantagarwal/2019/01/02/threeeducation-trends-that-will-revolutionize-the-workplace-in-2019

Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing & Communications

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ACADEMICS

How the new Lower School building will enhance learning

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rom the perspective of Lower School teachers, the opportunities that will arise with the construction of the new Lower School building are clear. Education is consistently shifting toward a more st udent-dr iven cur r icu lum; sma l lg roup exercises ca n i nd iv idua l i ze learning and enrich social-emotional de velopment a lon g side a c a dem ic material, and shared spaces beyond the classroom exponentially increase this capacity. Our teachers are already rising to the occasion to incorporate these components into their curriculum; the new building will quite simply and profoundly help them reach the fullest expression of those effor ts. Rather than viewing it as an out with the old, in with the new approach, it’s more of an opportunity to transcend and include— build upon what is already exemplary in the Ensworth educational experience and elevate it further.

12 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Second-grade teacher Amy Rich came to Ensworth in 1996 and has been in Room 210 for twenty-two years. That’s 22 puppet shows, 22 Pioneer Days, 22 Aut hor ’s Receptions, a nd so much more. An alumnus could pop into her classroom at any point and feel the wave of nostalgia greet them at the door, but subtle shifts have been occurring across Ms. Rich’s tenure. “ The most exciting aspect has been watching the ways we involve students in their own learning,” she says. Her colleague Jamie Heard agrees, “With the f lexibility in our curriculum, I am able to have a lot of activities be student-driven. One year, I had a class that was really interested in coming up with inventions and businesses during indoor recess. I took that excitement and created a research project on inventions where each child had the opportunity to present to the class.”

The adaptability of classroom projects i s not l i m it ed to cont ent but a l so conf iguration. Teachers across the board recognize the value of small-group setup. Whether it’s a partner exercise or a team of three to four students, learning to approach classroom material in a collaborative way is integral.

Lower School Reading Assistant Liz Atwood sees this from two perspectives, remarking, “I have only been on campus as a teacher for two years, but as a parent, I feel as if the classroom environment is evolv ing. I see that my chi ldren have more access to group learning opportunities which help them expand their social-emotional skills. Developing capabilities like resiliency, adaptability, and collaboration will better equip them for the demands of the adult world.”

Collaboration doesn’t only happen at the desk, nor does all individual work need to be confined to a traditional table and

ACADEMICS

chair. Grade 4 teacher Whitney Earhart touches on this, observing, “Fourth graders love the chance to spread out, work on the f loor and read on pillows.

We can't wait to have even more room to meet i n sm a l l g roups a nd of fer students choices in where and how they'd like to work.”

Do a quick scroll through our online photo database, Vidigami, and you’ll find numerous examples of students at their desks, on the f loor, and, just as Ms. Earhart states, often curled up with a book and a cozy pillow beneath their heads.

Click through Vidigami a few years from now and you’ll find the same gleeful smiles on a new set of students reading at their desks, working with partners on the floor, and curled up with pillows—but they’ll be in 40% larger classrooms with quite a few more choices of where to land.

You’ll also find puppet show and play practices occurring in grade-level pods, first-grade students huddled around visitors from the Nashville Zoo, and fifth-grade students constructing their egg drop containers. All of this could be happening at the same time in different sections of t he new L ower School building. So, too, will you find the same group of teachers that remain on the leading edge of education, adjusting t hei r cu r r icu lu m s a nd cl a s sroom configurations to best meet the needs of their students in an environment that finally gives them space to reach their fullest expression of those efforts.

Whether it’s a partner exercise or a team of three to four students, learning to approach classroom material in a collaborative way is integral.

Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift '03 Alumni Relations & Communications Coordinator

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

Robinson Hall

Elevating the Lunch Experience

... the new space has made this an intentional union of our students, faculty, and the meal.

Chan Gammill

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hile the first phase of the Excellence Begins With E Campaign i ncluded t he i n f ra str uct u re for t he L oop R oad a nd enhancements to the track and field facilities, the second phase

called for a major overhaul of the Ensworth lunch experience. Robinson Hall was originally built in 1992 thanks to the generosity of the Robinson family, one of the founding families of Ensworth School.

With a renovation plan that included the addition of a full kitchen, servery, and expanded dining area, the construction crew deftly kept both their own work and the lunch line moving in the 2017-2018 year. The workers paused their more disruptive work during the midday hours and used the summer months to accelerate progress.

Because of space constraints, the food service was previously run on the “heat and serve” model with very little made from scratch on-site. The dramatically improved kitchen elevated the standards of the culinary experience, increasing the availability of nutritious and delicious meals made with fresh ingredients. After careful consideration, the administration decided to partner with SAGE Dining Services, which provides food services to a number of local independent schools.

In alignment with the campaign’s belief that new buildings are nothing without the people in them, the administration worked with SAGE to retain our Ensworth dining hall staff through the transition. The SAGE staff who cook the food, including Food Service Director Joe Petriello, have decades of experience in gourmet restaurants at home and abroad.

Food Service Director Joe Petriello or “Chef Joe” as he is affectionately known, has been well-prepared for working in a frenetic environment. “I started working as a cook in a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant when I was 16,” Joe recalls. “The chef was from Italy and would often scream and curse at me in Italian the entire night.

It was intense!”

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EXCELLENCE CAMPAIGN

Head of Lower School Bruce Libonn has also worked with the staff to ensure the Lower School’s two lunch periods run smoothly.

“Just as everyone worked tremendously hard to join what existed in Robinson Hall with terrific new space,” Bruce observes, “we've had a wonderful blending of our beloved kitchen staff with great new staff from SAGE, taking us into a whole new level of preparation and food that wasn't possible before.”

Head of Middle School Chan Gammill recognizes the value of the new lunch experience. “Food is a wonderful way to bring people together,” he observes. “Instead of lunch being something necessary in our days, the new space has made this an intentional union of our students, faculty, and the meal. Our students are trying different things, broadening their palates, and learning to make healthy decisions based upon the expanded menus.”

SAGE provides a website and television displays that list each day’s menu, with clear icons for allergens and special diets, plus color-coding to designate which foods students should feel free to eat or consume with moderation. The website also lists the full ingredients for every menu item.

Apart from the popular new food service, the expanded space has reaped additional benefits for teachers and students alike.

Second-grade puppet shows and third-grade plays formerly had a small, tight stage for their productions. The new stage has been moved to the center of the dining hall, allowing for more flexibility for the actors, a wider viewing area for audiences, and a backstage area. The addition of a private dining room provides a flexible space for lunch conferences and other activities not accommodated by current classroom or communal space.

Despite the wide variety of delicious and nutritious food, sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact. As a special treat before the holidays, Chef Joe set up a soft pretzel bar and offered cake with cream cheese icing. Chef Joe recalls, “A teacher came and told me she overheard two kids talking about the food saying, ‘this is like paradise.’” In ways both big and small, this second phase of the Excellence Begins With E Campaign has transformed the experience of each and every faculty, staff, and student who share a meal in Robinson Hall.

Paul Downey '92 Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications

2019 WINTER | 15

ACADEMICS

FOR T H E R E C OR D

Sweet Acknowledgement at State Fair E-Honey takes fourth place at the TN State Fair!

Congratulations to our High School Beekeeping Club for competing against local honey harvesters and reaching fourth place with their product that is not only delicious but generous. All money raised from E-Honey sales is donated to Hands On Nashville.

Model UN Honorable Mentions Five high school students came away from September’s Model UN Conference with honorable mentions: John Smalley '19 for best position paper and best delegate, Anna Lapre '21 for best position paper, Presleigh Murray '19 for best delegate, and John Gibson Lewis '19 for best delegate for a committee.

Mathcounts After competing in two rounds of qualifications, the following students were selected to represent Ensworth at the Mathcounts Regional Competition on Saturday, February 9: Lily Bowen '25, William Chung '24, Peter Darst '24, Sophia Frist '23, Sephine Gilbert '24, Katherine Groomes '23, Quintin Miles '24, Julia Moore '24, Katie Perry '23, and Helen Thompson '23. Special congratulations also to Will Polkowski '25 and Tripp Johnson '23 who qualified to compete but were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts with the state robotics tournament.

2018–2019 Student Government Seniors: Andy Garside, James Kent, Ashley Settles, Marianna Staff Juniors: My-Lan Le, Charlie Mahanes, Neely Moorer, Elliston Paavola Sophomores: Jacqueline Frist, Hayden Horn, Kelile Southwell, Patrick Winecoff Freshmen: Bo Maradik, Bella Chadwick, Karim Daouk, Genevieve Schaefer, Nhi-ha Le

16 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ACADEMICS

Fresh Lungs, Strong Voice Andrew McCloud '22 was selected out of hundreds of auditionees to be a part of the prestigious Middle Tennessee Vocal Association’s Freshman Honor Choir in November.

Lighting up the Dance Floor Our Middle School Team placed first in the Junior High Jazz division while our Junior Team also placed first in the Elementary Hip Hop Division of the NDA regional competition on November 17.

Our High School Dance Company also delivered a fantastic performance in November, finishing as Runner-Up in the TSSAA State Dance Championship for the Small Varsity Jazz division.

Mark your calendars for the Ensworth Dance Concert on April 12-13 to see all of these talented dancers perform!

Nashville Interscholastic League Congratulations to Colin Murray '20, who placed fourth at the Nashville Interscholastic League math competition on December 6, and also to our Quiz Bowl team, who placed first and will continue to progress to the next level of the competition.

#1 in TMTA Precalculus Colin Murray '20 (pictured above) placed #1 in the state on the Tennessee Math Teachers' Association Precalculus test during the 2017–2018 school year and was honored at their annual banquet in September.

2019 WINTER | 17

ACADEMICS

FOR T H E R E C OR D

Stars on the Rise Encore, Ensworth's a cappella group, received a standing ovation from an audience of over 6,000 when they performed at the NAIS People of Color Conference on Friday, November 30 (see right for more information on the conference). Earlier in the same week, they were privileged to perform alongside Amy Grant '74 during Lipscomb University’s annual Lighting of the Green. Soon after all of the performance excitement, their song “I Have Questions” was chosen out of hundreds of submissions to be on the BOHSA 2019 album (Best of High School A Cappella).

Orange & Black Captains Lower and Middle School students cast their votes and chose Katie Barrier and Henry Cato as Orange Team Captains, and Vaughan Banks and Cole Hooper as Black Team Captains for the 2018-2019 school year.

Mayor’s Youth Council

Lucy Eubanks '19 represented the Mayor’s Youth Council and spoke alongside Mayor David Briley at an event held at Oasis Center in honor of National Voter Registration Day on September 25.

Geo Bee Victory It went from hundreds, to ten, to one. Congratulations to Jack Bruns '23 for his victory in this year’s National Geographic Geography Bee on Thursday, January 17.

National Merit Semi-Finalists Congratulations to our two National Merit SemiFinalists Thomas Awad ‘19 and John Smalley ‘19.

18 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ACADEMICS

People of Color Conference

2018 NAIS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE

Bobby Mirzaie served as co-director of the 31st Annual NAIS People of Color Conference in conjunction with the 25th annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference hosted in Nashville in November 2018. The conference, themed “Equitable Schools and Inclusive Communities: Harmony, Discord and the Notes In-Between,” attracted a record attendance of 6,400 faculty and students from schools across the nation.

Ensworth sent fourteen faculty and six students, who contributed their insights and talents to the experience. Encore, Ensworth's a capella group, was also in attendance and performed for the crowd during one of the general assemblies and received a standing ovation for their a cappella renditions of "Titans" and "Freedom."

In addition to his co-director responsibilities, Bobby Mirzaie presented a session at the conference titled "Reel Identities: Exploring Diversity and Identity Through the Lens of Documentary Filmmaking," about Ensworth’s Grades 11-12 documentary filmmaking elective.

Jason Hiett, Jason Robinson, and Jenny Krzystowczyk provided support and learning opportunities for conference attendees in the NAIS Makerspace Lab at the conference. David Whitfield hosted a group of 15 educators who visited the High School Campus and gave a presentation that explored Ensworth’s efforts in engaging with the community in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as Time to Rise, Kids Academy, and Tearing Down the Walls Student Leadership Conference.

2019 WINTER | 19

ARTS

ART I S T I N R E S I DE NC E

EXPLORING A NEW REALITY

Photographer Armon Means and High School Students Merge Art and Technology through the Artist in Residence Program

PHOTOGRAPHER ARMON MEANS has been exploring the world of virtual reality with our high school students as Artist in Residence. Established through the generosity of an endowed gift, the Artist in Residence program brings experts in various fields to campus for a series of sessions within current art classes.

This year, the Artist in Residence program rotated to Photography and Studio Art Teacher J.C. Johnson. Now in her second year at Ensworth, Johnson studied under Means in graduate school at Belmont University. In collaboration with Johnson and her colleagues, Means constructed a unique concept for the residency program; by employing the use of technology, students have not only created but also experienced art in three-dimensions.

Means became acquainted with Ensworth last year as a High School assembly speaker who shared his work documenting African American motorcycle culture. His show, entitled “Black Bikers: The End of Danny Lyons and Cultural Refuge,” was also displayed in the Ingram Arts Center gallery.

Means received his B.F.A. in Photography from The Cleveland Institute of Art, an M.F.A. in Photography from Cranbrook Art Academy, and has studied overseas in France and Hungary. He has been an exhibiting fine art photographer and educator since 2003, teaching at various colleges and universities in the United States. He has also exhibited his work internationally in Thailand, France, and Hungary.

Means took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about art, virtual reality, and teaching at the high school level.

What made you want to get involved in the teaching artist program at Ensworth? After visiting Ensworth as an exhibiting artist last year, I was really impressed by the students’ ability to engage in conversation about artwork, but more so by their enthusiasm toward art as a tool of communication.

This enthusiasm extended into the larger Ensworth community as so many faculty, staff, and administrators stopped to talk about art and life. It seemed that as a school community, a positive culture of engagement is fostered, and that's an exciting thing to be part of.

20 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Is working in virtual reality something new to you? What made you decide to pursue it? Virtual reality is a new process for me. I've done some single image exploration, creating stand alone images for viewing in a virtual reality digital environment, and began working this into classroom material. What I came to find is that students were really looking to find new ways to communicate their message.

In an age of 3D printing, digital environments, and access to technology, this virtual reality exploration made perfect sense to integrate into a curriculum.

As photographers, we are always seeking to make images that engage and connect with a viewer, but have traditionally been separated by the physical constraints of the photograph itself, which is printed on paper or behind glass.

How have you seen the students grow by working with you and virtual reality? The students have definitely begun thinking differently about the art experience. People, in general, understand art as something that exists on a wall and solely in a physical space, often in a very traditional sense. Working with virtual reality has allowed students to see a more playful and interactive method of creation that relates more to the way they engage with many other parts of their contemporary life. The perceived stuffiness or pretentiousness that people often associate with the arts isn't necessarily the case. They have, of course, also come to understand the digital, virtual space as a realm in which art can exist. While it still can be captured and printed out to be hung on a wall, it can

ARTS also be something that is more digitally transient, opening new possibilities for a viewer. Though I think it's the interactive physical engagement that they seem to like the most.

about combining the virtual reality work and technology of fine art with dance and theater, but also through the support of Jim Aveni as an active and vocal chair pushing for the department as a whole.

How have you grown as an artist from teaching the high school students? One of the ways I've grown is how I connect with a younger generation of the artinterested. While I have taught high school, it was a fine arts magnet program where students were already dialed into their craft or artistic direction. The students I've worked with here, I referred to as "art-interested" because some may end up as either artists, consumers of art, or contributors in other ways. I mention a younger generation because I come from a specific place of traditional fine arts making and training.

Being the teaching artist, you feel as if you're part of the art family, and that in itself makes all the difference. The active yearly use of this Artist in Residence program demonstrates the commitment of the art department to think outside the box of their current curriculum offerings.

They seem to use this as a way to introduce students to new ideas and processes, but also and maybe more importantly, new ways to think about being creative problem solvers.

These types of digital environments and technology are part of the everyday life of this generation. While some ideas and methods took me some effort to pick up, many of them take to them effortlessly as they already have an inherent sense of this interaction, as it’s so commonplace and intuitive to them. They've taught me little tricks of the trade.

More importantly, they have shown me the new ideas and issues that are important to them. We can connect over these and use art as a way to bridge a gap. All of this has really taught me that with the expanding platforms offered to us today, art-making at the higher level can be for anyone. There has long been a sense of "I can't draw� or “I can't paint" so I alienate myself from art. Working with virtual reality has definitely broadened the definition of artmaking for me.

What do you think about the arts program at Ensworth? The arts program at Ensworth is incredible. The arts faculty members are all focused on student success. They come together and think about how art functions across media and disciplines. This was clear to me immediately as we had conversations

On a personal note, one of the great things for me is that I come from a very different background than many of these students.

Private school would never have been an option for me growing up, nor would access to some of the facilities and technology around them. This program creates a space for a more broad sense of cultural connection. With consistent exposure to people with new ways of thinking and from different backgrounds, the students are able to learn to broaden their sense of community and cultural understanding, dismantling many of the stereotypes and stigmas that society has fostered. In many ways, these ideas serve the larger goal of art more than any other.

Working with virtual reality has allowed students to see a more playful and interactive method of creation that relates more to the way they engage with many other parts of their contemporary life.

Armon Means

Paul Downey '92 Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

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.

2019 WINTER | 21

ARTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL FALL PLAY NOVEMBER 10, 2018 Last year, I happened to catch Sterling K.

they are. I want to be sure that, whenever

play that are most ostracized from their

Brown’s acceptance speech when he won

possible, any Ensworth student watching

communities—Tracy, Seaweed, and Inez—

a Golden Globe for Best Male Actor in a

or participating in one of our plays gets to

are the ones who create positive change

Series for his role in This Is Us. During

see themselves in the stories we tell.

in their community and for each other—

his speech, he thanked Dan Fogelman,

eagerly paving the way for each other’s

the creator of This Is Us, for writing a role

Hairspray is based on the 1988 film of the

success, knowing that a more accepting

for a black man—not just a role that could

same name, directed by John Waters. The

and tolerant world benefits everyone.

be played by a black man. He said, “What

story of the integration of the fictional

I appreciate about this thing is that I am

"The Corny Collins Show" is based on the

The kids who participated in our production

being seen for who I am and appreciated

real-life "The Buddy Deane Show," and

of Hairspray, Jr. were an absolute pleasure

for who I am.”

the music in Hairspray is inspired by both

to spend time with. They were passionate

1960s dance music and the rhythm and

about the work we were doing, whether

That thought stuck with me. As a second

blues in the African-American community

it was painting sets, dancing, or telling

grade teacher, I work diligently to meet my

at the time.

this story as clearly as we could. It was

students where they are, to differentiate

uncomfortable at first (for me, at least)

my teaching to suit the varied needs and

Aside from the wonderfully radical truth

to put ourselves in a racially segregated

skill sets of my students, and to see my

that the Hairspray characters are diverse

world and to speak so openly about the

students and appreciate them for who

in color and in size, the characters in the

appearance of others. For the majority

22 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ARTS

of the plot, the cast is racially separate,

Swords coaches our techies as they build

from Sterling K. Brown, and I feel that

and it felt very strange for each group of

and create sets and props while Brad

blessing every day. “What an honor it is

our ensemble to practice these scenes

Wilkerson teaches them to design lights

to be recognized by your peers for a job

and to remember that it wasn’t so long

and sound; Barbara Royse handles all of

well done.” Lastly, I am so proud of the

ago that the world looked a lot more

our administrative needs, from programs

performances all of our cast members put

monochromatic for some. Maybe this

to t-shirts, to organizing parent volunteers;

forward, and so glad that their own peers

discomfort and vulnerability are what led

Rose Pickel deftly manages our budget as

have received and honored them so well for

to such a supportive and loving community

arts chair, and Barb Daugherty runs lines,

their many talents, of course, and for their

among our young cast and crew. We

cues music, helps with homework, and

hard work, but also for putting themselves

genuinely enjoyed our time together.

keeps all our little ducks in a proverbial

on a stage to be seen and appreciated for

row. They do all these things after a full

who they are.

I am very fortunate to work on these

day of teaching, and with a stack of lesson

musicals with a truly talented and inspired

plans waiting to be written. They are also

team of faculty. Aaron Velthouse and Heidi

as passionate about our plays as the kids

Wolter are our musical directors and

and I are, and I know how lucky I am to

create beautiful harmonies for our cast in

work alongside them.

a very short amount of time. Emily Parrelli adeptly makes, finds, and repurposes

“What a blessing it is to do what you

costumes for our large cast; Kathryn

love for a living.” That’s another quote

HOPE MOELLER

Drama Club Director, Grade 2 Teacher 2019 WINTER | 23

ARTS

HIGH SCHOOL FALL PLAY NOVEMBER 15-17, 2018

24 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ARTS

The Judeo-Christian tradition is not

way, a holy animal. I think that that is why

On a personal note, I will say this: it matters

alone in suggesting that the world

I love the theatre: it is a place where we

to me whom I tell stories with—and whom I

began with the Word. As late as the 20th

celebrate that essential human quality—a

tell stories to. It matters to me who I listen

century, J.R.R. Tolkien imagines a Middle

place where life is spoken into being.

to stories with. Telling stories is a public art

Earth that is sung into being by a chorus

form, and at times it can become a public

of gods. The Greeks seized upon the idea

The stories told through Metamorphoses

ritual. It is something that is important to do

in the character of Orpheus, a musician

are some of the oldest that we as a human

together. It is how we create and maintain

of such force and ability that all of nature

culture have handed down. It is a humbling

community. And it is how we remain human.

is subject to the creative power of his

thought—but a comforting one as well. As

There is no one I would rather tell these

voice—he has the power to speak his

a director, I find it comforting to tell stories

stories with than these students—and no

world into being.

that are smarter than you are. As all of our

one I would rather tell them to than this

best stories are, these stories are about

community.

But don’t we all? Our stories. Our songs.

love and loss, death and rebirth. They are

Our jokes. Our oaths and promises. Our lies

about the temptation to give in to despair

and pardons. We speak our world into being

and the refusal to give up hope. They are

every day. Of all of the wonders of creation,

about the consequences of our actions—

humans are the only species in existence

and they are about what it means when

that has mastered language. Perhaps that

we are given much more than we have any

is part of the reason why most of us agree

right to expect.

that human beings are, in some meaningful

DAVID BERRY

High School English and Arts Faculty 2019 WINTER | 25

ATHLETICS

2018

MIDDLE SCHOOL

ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

hvac team championShips BOYS' GOLF

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GIRLS' GOLF

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GIRLS' SOCCER

Congrats, Tigers!

26 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ATHLETICS 2018

MIDDLE SCHOOL FA L L H I G H L I G H T S

BOYS' CROSS COUNTRY

BOYS’ GOLF

Led by Tripp Johnson ’23 and Jackson Rehm ’23, the Middle School Boys’ Cross Country team steadily improved throughout the course of the season. In addition to the eighth grade leaders Andrew Shackell ’25, Grant Rehm ’25, A.J. Dale ’24 and Owen Jackoboice ’24 consistently ran well, finishing at the top for the team in almost every meet and in the HVAC-AA Championship Meet.

HVAC CHAMPIONS The Boys’ Golf team finished the season as HVAC Champions in addition to individual honors: Ethon Stanford ’23 was an Individual Champion, Hudson Wilt ’24 and Sam Johnson ’23 were Top 5 Medal Winners, and Ellis Hiett ’23 rounded out the championship team.

GIRLS' CROSS COUNTRY The Middle School Girls’ Cross Country team enjoyed an exciting season. With encouraging and nurturing leadership provided by eighth grade leaders Katherine Sales ’23, Stella Green ’23, and Parker Stack ’23, the team ran competitively in each of their regular season meets, finishing either first or second as a team in five out of seven of those meets. The team ended the season with a strong showing in the HVAC-AA Championship Meet, with almost every girl running a personal best. Alex Shackell ’25 placed second overall and Lily Bowen ’25 placed third overall, both earning All-HVAC honors.

FOOTBALL The Grades 7/8 Football team had a very solid season with an overall record of 6-1 with the only loss coming in overtime to an undefeated team. The highlight of the season happened when the Tigers traveled to Mount Juliet for a night game; down by six points late in the fourth quarter, Mark Smith ’23 broke off a long touchdown run and Cole Hooper ’23 converted a rare extra point for middle school football.

With only 22 players, this team fought as hard as they could every game and had a very successful year. Team MVP- Cole Hooper ’23, Offense MVP- Mark Smith ’23, Defense MVPRussell Jankowski ’23.

GIRLS’ GOLF HVAC CHAMPIONS The Girls’ Golf team also secured the HVAC Championship, with Savannah Cherry ’24 placing as Overall Champion and Vaughan Banks ’23 and Josie Wilt ’25 as Top 5 Medal Winners.

GIRLS’ SOCCER HVAC CHAMPIONS The Middle School Varsity Girls’ Soccer team had a fun and successful season that ended with a thrilling victory in the HVAC Championship game over Lipscomb in a penalty kick shoot-out. The team was led by three eighth grade students, forward Sofia Al-Kurdi ’23, goalie Olivia Bentley ’23, and defender Gabby Mchaourab ’23, who all also earned All-HVAC honors.

VARSITY TENNIS Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis teams finished as HVAC Team Runners-up overall out of 15 schools. Girls #1 Doubles Champions were Alara Weitkamp ’24 and Vaughan Banks ’23.

Girls #2 Doubles Champions were Mimi Bowen ’25 and Grace Hasselbeck ’24.

VOLLEYBALL BOYS’ SOCCER The Middle School Boys’ Varsity Soccer team fell 0-1 in the HVAC Gold Division SemiFinals to finish their season with a record of 6-4.

The team earned its way to the semi-finals by going on the road and defeating Valor 3-1 in a dominating quarterfinals match. Cole Hooper ’23 and Reed Whitman ’23 were named All-HVAC. Reed led the team in scoring with twelve goals and seven assists, while Cole led the team in assists with nine, along with three goals scored.

Hunter Dagg ’23 and Tyler Elcan ’23 split time in goal backing up a defense that recorded three shutouts during the season.

The Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team had a very successful season with an overall record of 9-4, advancing to the semi-finals of the HVAC Tournament.

Although they did not win the tournament, this team was one of the hardest working, most encouraging, and passionate group of girls that has participated in this program.

Leading the team were Katie Barrier ’23, Olivia Bentley ’23, and Aden Barrett ’23, who all earned All-HVAC honors, as well as Lucy Bond ’23, Carleigh Hanbury ’23, and Morgan Bailey ’23.

2019 WINTER | 27

ATHLETICS 2018

HIGH SCHOOL

ATHLETICS BOYS' GOLF

GIRLS' GOLF

State Runner-Up & Virgil Herring - Coach of the Year

State Runner-Up

COLLEGIATE SIGNINGS

Congratulations to the following students who have signed letters of athletic intent at the collegiate level:

November 14th

Garrett Schultz Xavier University - Baseball

December 19th

Hailey Braemer Davidson College - Soccer

Patrick Vandenbergh Lafayette College - Baseball

Wesley Walker Georgia Tech - Football

Elijah Brooks Tennessee Tech - Baseball

Gage Young Centre College - Baseball

Danté Wynn US Air Force Academy - Football

JaTorria Lee Samford University - Track

McLean Whitson Furman University - Lacrosse

28 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ATHLETICS

2018

H I G H S C H O O L FA L L H I G H L I G H T S BOYS' CROSS COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

A highlight of the season for the Boys' Varsity Cross Country team was the Mustang Stampede in Greenville, KY, where every member finished with a new personal record.

The top runner of the season was freshman Sam Horn '22, and the team improved their overall average finish time at the State Meet compared to last year.

The Tigers finished with a 7-5 record and a DIIAAA State Playoff Quarter Finals appearance.

Keshawn Lawrence '20 led the Tigers’ rushing offense with 766 yards and Cole Kennon '19 led the Tigers in passing yardage with 1022 yards.

Toleo Malone '21 led the team in touchdowns with seven. Defensively, the leading tacklers were Andre Turrentine '21 (59), Jude Maloy '20 (48), Dominic Wynn '20 with 46.5 tackles.

GIRLS' CROSS COUNTRY This year's team was young but talented.

Freshmen Harper Dale '22 and Gray Fleetwood '22 led the team throughout the season, and Bella Chadwick '22, Claire McGehee '22, and Sara Daugherty '21 helped ensure that the team equaled last year's performance at the TSSAA State Cross Country Meet. Juniors Lizza Hubbard '20 and Barrett McFerrin '20 also finished the season on a strong note, and their leadership will be a valuable asset as this young team moves into the 2019 season.

BOYS' GOLF The boys' team finished State Runner-Up for the D2-AA. The highlight of the year was Julian Maxwell's '20 amazing eagle, birdie, birdie finish at the TSSAA State Championship. Not only did his spectacular finish procure second place for Ensworth as a team, but also secured him second place as an individual. Julian was named to the 2018 Tennessean All-Midstate Boys’ Golf Team.

Coach Virgil Herring was named the 2018 Tennessean All-Midstate Boys’ Golf Coach of the year.

GIRLS' GOLF The girls' team finished State Runner-Up for the D2-AA. Caroline Frist '19 shot a spectacular career low round of 67 (-5 par) to win the Father Ryan Invitational at Champions Run. She eagled the first hole and made seven other birdies as she dominated the field to capture the Individual Title.

TENNESSEE ALL USA TEAM 1st Team Selection- Keshawn Lawrence '20 -DB TSWA ALL- STATE DIVISION II- AAA Keshawn Lawrence '20-DB Wesley Walker '19- DB TENNESSEAN ALL- MIDSTATE FOOTBALL TEAM 2nd Team Selection- Wesley Walker '19- DB DIVISION II- AAA MIDDLE- EAST -ALL- REGION Keshawn Lawrence '20-RB David Reynolds '19-DL Wesley Walker '19- DB Andre Turrentine '21-DB Dominic Wynn '20- LB DIVISION II- AAA MIDDLE- EAST HONORABLE MENTION ALL REGION Cal Archdeacon '20, Elijah Brooks '19, Josh Howard '19, Fred Jackson '19, Jude Maloy '20 and Danté Wynn '19

MOUNTAIN BIKING 2018 witnessed the birth of Interscholastic Mountain Bike racing at Ensworth. Under the direction and encouragement of Head Coach Brad Knopp and Assistant Coach Chris Thompson, and with the support of Ensworth staff, school families, area bicycle shops, and enthusiasts throughout Davidson and Williamson counties, five students, only one of whom had previously raced on a mountain bike, turned themselves into race-ready competitors over the course of 16 weeks of training and competitions. A race season that began in September on the mud-rutted singletrack of

Chickasaw Trace ended on November 11, 2018, with the State Championships at St. Andrews Sewanee.

As a team, the Tigers competed in only three of the four races in the TN-NICA series, but finished strong enough in all their races to defeat rival MBA by 55 points at season’s end.

In addition, one of our beginner riders, Sara Daugherty ’21, captured Third Place Overall in the Sophomore Girls Division.

SOCCER A young 2018 Varsity Girls' soccer team had a very respectable season this past fall, finishing with a record of 8-8-1. An extremely strong start in August included a division championship at the prestigious Smoky Mountain Cup in Gatlinburg, which included a victory over defending D2-A state champion St. George's School. Soon after, the Tigers recorded a firstever victory 3-1 over nationally-ranked and defending D2-AA state champion Baylor, ending a 25-game unbeaten streak held by the Raiders.

The region schedule posed a stiff challenge in September and early October, but the Tigers won their final home game of the season 1-0 over USN. Unfortunately, the season came to an end with a 2-0 loss at Baylor in the sub-state round of the state tournament. Postseason awards went to senior Hailey Braemer '19 (D2-AA East-Middle Region Player of the Year, Tennessee High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State team, Tennessean AllMidstate team, THSSCA Senior All-Star game selection), senior Allison Halloran '19 (D2-AA East-Middle All-Region team), and senior Mary Chandler McGuffin '19 (D2-AA East-Middle AllRegion honorable mention).

VOLLEYBALL Lily Martin '20 and Isabella Nunez '19 were named to the 2018 East-Middle All-Region Team.

Stat Leaders were Ace: Ellis Hardie '20 (38), Kills: Lily Martin '20 (200), Blocks: Emilija Vanagunas '20 (34), Assists: Ellis Hardie '20 (391), and Digs: Isabella Nunez '19 (359).

2019 WINTER | 29

COMMUNITY

a

Ensworth Events LOWER/MIDDLE SCHOOL

b

d

c 30 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

a & b Grade 8 Pumpkin Races c & d Grade 1 Pet Show f, g, h, & i Grandparents Day j &k 37th Annual Pancake Breakfast l & m Spirit Assemblies

COMMUNITY

f

g

h

j

i

k

l

m 2019 WINTER | 31

COMMUNITY a

c

b

Ensworth Events HIGH SCHOOL d

e

f

32 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

g

h

COMMUNITY i

l

j

k

m

a, b, c Special Olympics Day at the High School d, e, f, g Grandparents Day h New Student Book Signing Tradition i Rock Band Concert j & k Jazz Band & Orchestral Concert l & m Encore & Choral Concert

2019 WINTER | 33

COMMUNITY

BUILD OUR COMMUNIT Y

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EDUCATE OUR PARENTS

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SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL

New playground & green space a gift from the:

Candy Bass, David Braemer, and Elena Rollins at the 2017 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, where the playground donation was announced.

T

he upcoming E-vent Auction: Havana Nights is a wonderful demonstration of the collective impact of the Parent Association—of which a ll parents are members. W hen we come together and contribute our time, service, and support, the culmination of our efforts extends far beyond an entertaining evening. Funds raised through this event will contribute to the PA’s yearly donation to the school’s operationa l budget , educationa l p r o g r a m m i n g , a n d o t h e r PA - l e d initiatives that support the entirety of our mission. The money raised will also be a significant component of our multi-year pledge to the Excellence Begins with E Campaign. The ongoing campaign is a “campaign for the heart of Ensworth,” and at the heart of the new Lower School building is where we chose to place our generosity. Our gift has been designated for the construction of a new and innovative playground, safely ensconced within the secure perimeter of the campus that will serve 34 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

as a communal gathering place for all Lower and Middle School students.

“Being able to designate our funds to this great and needed playground is a wonderful opportunity for the Parent A s soci at ion ,” ref lec t s Ca ndy B a s s , Ensworth PA President from 2016-2017.

“We recognize that the playground is the center of campus and a highly visible and unifying area, one that is the best fit for the PA to contribute to,” Candy shares.

“On a daily basis within the center of the Lower/Middle School Campus, the Ensworth community will be able to observe the hard work of our committed Pa rent A ssociation .” Elena Rol lins, Ensworth Parent Association President from 2017-2018 adds, “Choosing this space allowed the PA the opportunity to essentially pay it forward. For years to come, our students will have the benefit of enjoying time together in a space that is both safe and secure, not to mention beautiful and state-of-the-art.”

Working alongside one another is the heartbeat of the Ensworth Parent Association. Symbolically, the new playground provides a gathering place for all of our students to use their hands, cooperate, and create side by side, fulfilling our mission to “build our community” one joyful recess at a time.

How can you contribute to the PA Playground? Through your continued involvement with and commitment to the Parent Association. Volunteer opportunities abound across our two campuses: attend a Parent Ed event, help prepare a delicious meal for our faculty/staff appreciation lunches, get in on the action-packed Super Saturday efforts, and of course… join us for the E-vent Auction: Havana Nights on March 30!

Nancy Keen Palmer-Gift '03 Alumni Relations & Communications Coordinator

COMMUNITY

2018-2019 PARENT ASSOCIATION

Board Members Britt Horn President Barbara Smith President-Elect Lauren Lunsford Secretary Coco Kyriopoulos Treasurer The 2018–2019 Parent Association Board

A Multitude of Meaningful Ways to Get Involved!

At Ensworth, every parent is a valued and necessary member of the Ensworth Parent Association, and with over 30 parent-led committees, it goes without saying that there is a great deal of volunteering going on across our two campuses. The Parent Association’s mission is to provide volunteers to Build our Community, Educate our Parents, and Support our School. Each and every day of the school year, in some form or capacity, Parent Association volunteers generously give of their time and talents for the benefit of the school.

Our parent volunteers assist in the library, welcome new families, spread “sunshine” to members of the Ensworth student body and faculty and staff, run uniform swap and sales, assist with admissions and the Annual Fund, create introspective and inspiring Parent Education programming, help with the Pancake Breakfast, plan and coordinate Super Saturday and our E-vent Auction, staff the box office for high school arts performances, sponsor Parent Gatherings, and so much more. At Ensworth, there is something for every parent to find interest in and commit to as a volunteer.

For PA volunteer opportunities, contact Kristen Smith at smithk@ensworth.com.

Denise Boosalis Treasurer-Elect Tiffany Armistead Communications Chair Jennifer Rasmussen-Sagan Communications Chair-Elect Mike Haney Fundraising Chair Elizabeth Gerken Parent Education Chair Sharon Pensinger Parent Education Chair-Elect Elena Rollins Immediate Past President (ex officio) Lucy Duvall High School Representative Libba Vickery High School Representative-Elect Libby Sheer Middle School Representative Delia Darst Middle School Representative-Elect Katie Porterfield Lower School Representative Irene Head Lower School Representative-Elect Sue Spissu Arts Council Representative Anna Talerico Arts Council Representative-Elect Jim Boosalis Charmine Ravanpay Carrie McLaren At-Large Representatives

2019 WINTER | 35

FACULTY

Faculty Q & A Session With Edimary Morales & Michelle Little What inspired you to become a teacher?

Edimary Morales: From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children i n some way. W hen I wa s l it t le, I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician. I also always admired my grandma; she has been a teacher in the Dominican Republic her whole life. When I moved to the United States, I had an amazing ESL teacher, Mrs. Landsberg. Mrs. Landsberg paired me with another Dominican student who only spoke English to me, which helped me when I was learning the language. From this point on, I knew I wanted to become a language teacher and transmit my passion for my language and culture.

Michelle Little: Growing up in the cou ntr y gave me a wonder a nd a n appreciation for animals and how and why things worked in nature. As I grew older, I realized I loved to share what I learned with my friends and eventually,

with my nieces and nephews. When the time came to decide on a career, it seemed like a perfect fit to teach science to middle a nd high school students. A lso, my favorite teacher was my seventh grade science teacher. I have seen her since becoming a science teacher myself and shared with her what I do and the inf luence she had on my life. Hopefully, I can be that for someone else someday.

What drew you to Ensworth?

Edimar y Morales: I had no idea I would move to Nashville until I came to t he 2017 A mer ica n Cou nci l on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) convention. I wa s liv ing in New Jersey but decided I wanted to move somewhere new and more affordable. I did my research about Metro Nashville schools and realized they didn’t have what I wa nted as a l a n g u a ge t e a cher. W h at I re a d about Ensworth inspired me to apply.

Ensworth seemed like a school where I cou ld g row a nd teach t he way a language teacher should be teaching.

Mic hel l e L it tl e: Honestly, it wa s Mel issa Foga ros. She a nd I taught together at another school and remained friends, even when we both moved on to other schools. She had made her way to Ensworth and talked about how she loved the school, students, and community so much that I was sold. Then, a middle school science position opened up here.

As soon as she told me, I sent in my resumé and here I am, thirteen years later. So, not only am I friends with Mrs. Fogaros, I am indebted to her for life for leading me here!

What makes the world language program at Ensworth unique?

Edimar y Morales: What stands out to me is the joy in lea rning—that ’s something I am really experiencing here. I am having fun with my students, and I don’t have to follow a specif ic book or traditional curriculum based on assessments. The goal of a language teacher is to help students speak in t he l a n g u a ge s t ud ie d a nd ga i n a n understanding of the cultural traditions and products. I love seeing my students engaged in speaking activities and being able to provide them with necessary tools for them to confidently use the language outside of the classroom.

I’m working on my thesis for graduate school, “Reflections of World Language Learners on their Authentic Cultural Lessons," a n d I a m e x c i t e d a b o u t incorporating more culturally focused lessons into my units. For example, I am working on a unit about the celebration of Carnival in the Dominican Republic with fifth grade students. The goal is to see if these cultural lessons encourage 36 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

FACULTY students to wa nt to converse more in the language and visit a Spanish speaking country.

What makes the science program at Ensworth unique?

Michelle Little: Our science program is unique because of my creative and for w a rd-t h i n k i n g c ol lea g ue s a nd the experiences that we provide for the students in our program. Before com ing to Enswor th, I taught at a couple of different schools in the area, and they were fine schools with good middle school science programs, but Enswor t h’s prog ra m wa s doi n g so much more than I had ever dreamed.

When I joined the faculty, I was excited by all the ideas my colleagues were collaborating on and how much they enjoyed what they were teaching. As a science teacher, I was encouraged to dream big and implement labs and provide my students with opportunities that I never thought I’d be able to do before. Now, years later, the program is still progressing. From the STEM activities to the number of hands-on experiences that we offer the students, Ensworth’s science program is rigorous but engaging.

How will a new Lower School building benefit the world language program?

E d i m a r y M o r a l e s : This new bui ldi ng w i l l benef it t he st udents a nd t he t ea cher s i n a si g n i f ic a nt w ay. A s a l a n g u a ge t e a c h er, I do my best to prov ide my students with comprehensible input, to help students understand meaning even if the comprehension of words a nd sentence structure are not yet fully grasped, which is accomplished by using gestures and visuals. It would be wonderful to have a room where I can display useful words that students need in the language as well as create a cultural environment. In a dedicated classroom, I could have posters and v isua l a ids; the students wou ld be surrounded by the language and feel that they are part of the culture.

How will a new Lower School building benefit the science program at Ensworth?

Michelle Little: I am most excited about the content-specific discovery labs that open up to the cour tyard, a llowing students to make outdoor ob s er v at ion s a nd c ol le c t d at a a s part of their research. This will add yet a nother way our students w i l l experience ha nds-on lea rning a nd make science more relatable for them.

What is a memorable moment you have had at Ensworth?

Edimary Morales: As a new teacher at Enswor t h , somet h i ng t hat is memorable to me is feeling welcome— not only from staff but from students, too. For students to tell me they enjoyed or loved a lesson, or when younger students come and hug me or tell me they were singing the songs we sing in class all weekend—that is memorable for me, and it motivates me every day.

Michelle Lit tle: One of the most memorable moments for me happened with a group of our students in Belize.

We were snorkeling along the Barrier Reef when a pair of giant eagle rays

came swimming toward us. They were so majestic that we were frozen in the water, just staring at them. Within seconds, they were gone. The student swimming with me at the time and I immediately popped up to the surface and started screaming at each other at the same time, “Did you see that?! Oh my gosh! That was unbelievable! I can’t believe they came so close!”

What is your favorite Ensworth tradition?

Michelle Little: This is an easy one and probably not ver y origina l, but Field Day is the best! I’m a sports fan so I love everything about it. Watching the students get so excited about it makes me happy. The joy on their faces when the big day finally arrives is priceless.

It’s over the top and amazing.

Edimar y Morales: I love all of the community-building traditions and how everyone gathers together. I love the treats faculty provide for birthdays and the ways we celebrate each other.

MICHELLE LITTLE

Middle School Science

Interesting Facts about Michelle Little: • She loves Duke men’s basketball and Coach K.

EDIMARY MORALES

Lower School Spanish

Interesting Facts about Edimary Morales:

• She loves dissecting and does not think cutting things open is gross.

• She is Dominican/Puerto Rican.

• Her favorite food is Thai food but she likes trying foods from all different cultures.

• She loves traveling, cooking and looking at vegetarian recipes.

• She can salsa dance.

• Her name is a combination of her grandmothers’ names: Edita and Maria.

2019 WINTER | 37

FACULTY

A History Lesson With David Chanaca When high school history teacher David Chanaca came to Ensworth, he never anticipated staying for more than a few years. Yet, he is now in his 31st year of teaching at the school.

After growing up in his home state of Pennsylvania, Mr. Chanaca bounced around teaching at high schools throughout New York, Connecticut, and Ohio.

“I do what I do, try to do it as well as I can, and then move onto something else,” Chanaca remembers about his earlier career. “Seven years is a long time for me. To have come to Ensworth and have been here for 31 years is the ultimate compliment to Ensworth.”

When Chanaca started in the fall of 1988, he taught history and shared a Grade 5 homeroom with a fellow new teacher, Barb Daugherty. During his time on the Lower/Middle School Campus, he was Head of the History Department, teaching Grades 5, 6, and 8, and also coached wrestling.

He quickly became a popular teacher both inside and outside the classroom with his Watergate unit and after-school “Chanaca Baseball” board game.

“One of the beauties of Ensworth is that I’ve always felt that the Board and Administration put the teachers and students first,” Chanaca observes.

“Through 30 years of different

38 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

headmasters and presidents of the board, to have that much change and still have that focus is impressive.

Teacher freedom is the key element in making a school successful.”

Mr. Chanaca already had fifteen years under his belt when the board and administration recommended building a High School Campus.

Ensworth did not make this decision in a vacuum. “The Board asked the faculty, ‘Do you agree with this?’”

Chanaca recalls. “The fact that they asked the faculty their opinion was phenomenal.”

Chanaca moved to the High School Campus in the fall of 2004 as the first Head of the History Department. He continues his track record of creating memorable experiences, particularly with World War II oral history projects, field trips, and overseas alumni trips.

The veteran has never forgotten the lessons he learned in the earlier grades, particularly regarding big decisions surrounding capital campaigns and the development of the school.

“One of the deciding factors for me to say ‘I’m on board with this,’” Chanaca remembers about the decision to build the High School, “was that they had decided to build a new Middle School while they were building a whole new High School. That’s why this (Excellence Begins With E) campaign is so important. I don’t think that everyone understands that the High School wouldn’t be what it is without the Middle School and the Lower School.”

“I came into a building 31 years ago that felt ancient then,” he explains. “Barb and I both started in that room. And it still exists. It’s time for Barb and the other Lower School teachers to be rewarded with spaces and technology comparable to what I have at the high school.” Barb Daugherty faithfully teaches in Room 223 to this day.

Although the quality of the education that Lower School students receive hasn’t diminished, Mr. Chanaca sees the great need for a new space.

“Environment does matter. It’s not just space,” he says. “If you’re going to make children the center of the learning experience, you can’t just have a teacher up front and chairs. You need room to move. You need teachers to be able to create smaller groupings.

That means bigger rooms.”

A fan of John Dewey, Chanaca shares, “We’ve got to think innovatively about the future, in a real-world setting.

Dewey believed in apprenticeship.

He believed in doing. We should be intentional about how we are incorporating hands-on lessons and experiential learning into the Ensworth experience.”

Paul Downey'92 Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications

FACULTY

FAC U LTY B O OK S H E LF What did the Ensworth faculty read this winter?

Visit the Ensworth Blog at ensworth.com/bookshelf for more faculty book recommendations.

EMILY PARRELLI Middle School English Educated

Author: Ta ra Westover “Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover, a woman who was raised by survivalist parents and who had never stepped foot in a classroom before earning a place at BYU. As she discovers the world beyond her family's mountain, she comes to grapple with her past, including abuse at the hands of a violent brother. Her journey takes her to Cambridge and Harvard as she struggles to find her way back home.”

DOUG MAGEE

Associate Head of High School How Music Works

Author: Dav id By rne

Creative Quest

Author: Questlove “Recently I read these two books in concert. Both authors explore the ways in which creativity is a discipline much more than an innate characteristic.

Following decades of successful creative endeavors, Byrne and Questlove reflect on the collaborative relationships and daily practices that are the source of their inspiration. From dingy New York basement clubs to the creative work of international sushi chefs, both books provide ways to cultivate creative moments in our daily lives.”

CHRISTINE DOZA High School Math

The Animators

Author: Kayla R ae W hit ta ker

MARY CATHERINE BRADSHAW High School History & English Restart

Author: Gordon Korma n “My sixth-grade nephew told me that I would like the book that he had recently read, so I borrowed the book from him. Restart is a work of fiction about a boy who fell off of his roof in the summer and got amnesia. He remembers how to talk, walk, read and play football, but he can't play football because of his injury, and he does not remember who he was before the fall. As the novel unfolds, he has to figure out who he once was and who he will be and why some people are afraid of him.

My sixth-grade nephew is correct...it is a fun read.”

JIM MANN

Middle School Math & Science

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Author: Nei l deGra sse T yson

“A quick and illuminating trip through some of the universe’s most fascinating secrets. Neil deGrasse Tyson finds a way to package highly complex material in a way that is accessible and mind-blowing for everyone.

A wonderful read for those who seek knowledge of things both unimaginably big and unbelievably small.”

“This novel tells the story of two young women who meet in art school, immediately develop a friendship, and go on to be creative partners and best friends. They make animated films ‘for the thinking person,’ using their personal and past experiences as material (both grew up rough in the South).

When they win a prestigious award and embark on a serious new project, the limits of their friendship are tested. I loved the exploration of deep friendship and creative partnership between women in this book, which is filled with smart, determined and ambitious women of all sorts.”

BRAD KNOPP

High School English Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War

Author: Ma r y Roach

“Years ago, a friend gifted with me with Stiff, Roach’s 2003 exploration into the scientific uses of human cadavers. In spite of that book’s gruesome subject matter, I couldn’t help but admire Roach’s deft balance of wit, scientific learning, and stylistic flair. She does not disappoint with Grunt , either. What military science has looked into will make you proud, intrigued, or thoroughly disgusted, depending on your worldview. Trigger Alert: if even the idea of such things as prosthetics, diarrhea, or chickens hurled at airplane canopies at over 400 m.p.h. upsets you, this is not the book for you.”

2019 WINTER | 39

FACULTY

FAC U LTY & S TAF F N E WS

Remi Kaplan Sylvia Call

Luke Bybee

Grant Sherland attends his first Pancake Breakfast

Evie Coates' Nashville puzzle

Kate Brantley

FACULTY BIRTHS Coach Maxwell interviewed by Baseball Coaches Association

Adam Sherland (Ricki) John “Grant” Sherland, August 21, 2018 Stephanie Kaplan (Zach) Charlotte Remington “Remi” Kaplan, October 12, 2018 Leigh Bybee (Kris) Luke Stephen Bybee, October 27, 2018 Krysten Call (Jonathan) Sylvia Charlotte Call, November 27, 2018 Hayley Brantley (Tyler) Kathryn “Kate” Evans Brantley, January 25, 2019 40 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Mary Catherine Bradshaw and Greg Eubanks attended and presented at the CSEE Social Issues Event in Baltimore, MD. The presentation, titled "Executing a Successful Social Issues Conference," shared success stories of students and faculty connecting with non-profits through Ensworth’s annual Social Issues Conference.

Lower/Middle School art teacher Evie Coates has illustrated a 500-piece Nashville puzzle. It can be purchased online at http://www. truesouthpuzzlecompany.com/

or in stores at the Beveled Edge or Parnassus.

Ross Lyons completed his Education Specialist (EdS) in Instructional Leadership and Accountability from Trevecca Nazarene University in December 2018.

Doug Magee was invited to be a member of Tennessee's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Success Board of Advisors, the first of its kind in the nation to receive a government statute and funding.

FACULTY

USA Baseball named 15U Manager Jason Maxwell the Developmental Coach of the Year after the team won its first-ever world championship at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup. They were also named the 15U National Team's Team of the Year.

Bobby Mirzaie co-directed the National Association of Independent School's People of Color Conference hosted here in Nashville, TN. Megan Mitchell was selected for the 2019 Gatorade Secondary School Athletic Trainer Award. The award, presented to only 10 secondary school athletic trainers each year, recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions in furthering their school’s athletic care program, while

also advancing the overall profession of secondary school athletic training.

Tish Picklesimer and Ellen Reynolds presented at the ERB Conference in October 2018 on “Invitation to Calm the Mind and Relax the Body: Teaching Compassion, Empathy, and Kindness.” Jim Mann arranged a “Bluebird in the Round” for the attendees and performed for the conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Elias Salazar, along with his adult vocal ensemble, Portara Ensemble, performed with Carrie Underwood for the 52nd Annual CMA Awards and also with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith for the 2018 CMA Country Christmas. In addition, Elias conducted the Murfreesboro

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on their Christmas program, "Christmas at the Movies."

Teresa Todd hosted a session at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association Workshop in Franklin, TN in November 2018. Her presentation, “Bringing the World to Our Students: Using Google TourBuilder with Virtual and Augmented Reality in the World Language Classroom” explored applications of TourBuilder, Quivervision, Google Cardboard, HP Reveal, and Google Expeditions.

David Whitfield presented at the National Race Amity Conference in Boston, MA, on “Tearing Down the Walls,” a race and leadership conference he helped establish for independent school students in the Southeast.

FACULTY TRANSITIONS

After 42 years of teaching at Ensworth, Rose Pickel announced that she will retire at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year. Throughout her tenure, Rose has inspired countless students to find joy in creating art through a variety of media, from painting to pinch pots, from wire sculptures to batiks.

A retirement celebration for Rose has been set for Monday, May 13 from 5-7 p.m. in the Ingram Library at the Lower/Middle School Campus; all are invited to attend.

David Morgan announced that he will be stepping down from his position as Head of High School and Associate Head of School at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year. David was a member of the founding leadership and faculty of the High School, and he has played an integral role in developing the curriculum, programs, and traditions for Grades 9-12.

A reception will be held in the spring to honor David and his many contributions to Ensworth; date TBA. 2019 WINTER | 41

ALUMNI

Featured Alumni: Clark Akers ’71 & Julie Dretler ’85 Completing the vision of the Excellence Begins With E Campaign requires collective motivation to bring it to fruition. Motivation can come from a variety of perspectives, and we sat down with a few alumni from our community to ask about the inspiration behind their decision to step up as leaders in supporting the capital campaign. These alumni call upon their own experiences as compelling reasons to pay it forward for future Ensworth students.

As parents of current students and as Ensworth alums yourselves, you have a unique perspective on the Ensworth experience of today. What do you see around you that remains the same from when you were a student walking these halls?

Julie Dretler ’85: Before I jump into what I see, every time I walk into school, the smell immediately brings me back to my days walking the halls.

It’s amazing! Looking around, I’m also reminded of the warmth and caring nature of the faculty. While the names have changed since I was a student, the culture remains the same as a collaborative, caring, and supportive environment.

Clark Akers ’71: The relationship between the teachers and the students feels very similar to my Ensworth experience. Watching the children walk in the building every morning, hold the doors for each other and speak to the teachers who are posted in the crosswalk and the front hall reminds me of my Ensworth days. Although the school was a lot smaller then, the family feeling that we enjoyed is still very prevalent today.

42 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Have your children had classes in any of your old classrooms? If so, please elaborate.

Julie Dretler ’85: The first-grade hallway and classrooms are the same for our daughter Ryan as they were for me. The memories come flooding back whenever I’m able to walk her in!

Clark Akers ’71: My children had classes in many of my old classrooms.

In the long, front entrance hall, they had classes in the rooms where Mrs. Witherspoon and Mrs. Maddox’s rooms were. In the back hallway, they had classes in Mrs. Fowlkes, Mrs. Hogue, Mr. Coggins, Mr. Sawyer, and Mrs. Friersons’ old rooms. The windows and ceilings are the same. Both of my children knew that one winter morning when I was in the first grade, I brought a beautiful Mallard (some unappreciatively called it a dead duck) to Show and Tell. When I was through with my presentation, I was very disappointed that Mrs. Witherspoon wouldn’t let me keep it in my desk but rather made me put it outside on the windowsill. When my children were in that classroom, they loved seeing the unchanged windowsill where my duck spent the day.

What inspired you to contribute to the capital campaign?

Julie Dretler ’85: The vision of the school and the positive impact that Ensworth has on so many children were the main inspirations behind us wanting to give. Thousands of children will have the opportunity to grow and learn at Ensworth. Helping the school become a leader not only in Nashville but around the country will help push other schools to become better, as well.

This butterfly effect is amazing to think about.

Clark Akers ’71: Our family has been a part of Ensworth since it was founded.

My brother’s wife, Cissy Caldwell, began the fifth grade in 1958, the year the school was co-founded by her best friend’s parents. My brother, sisters and I were there in the ’60s and the ’70s.

Our collective children (10, including two cousins) were there in the ’90s, the 2000s, and the 2010s, and my son is a current student at the high school.

In our family, for more than 60 years, Ensworth has been a wonderful launch pad for scholastics, friendships, sports and close relationships with special teachers that remain strong to this day.

ALUMNI will provide an environment that will showcase best practices and engage our students in leading-edge teaching and learning methods. This building will prove foundational and inspirational in the development of our newest students.

What might inspire others to embrace the vision for the Lower School as you have?

What will be the biggest benefit of students when the new Lower School is complete?

Julie Dretler ’85: I believe learning through experiences, rather than just facts and data, is a more powerful and effective way to create excitement around education. The interactive learning that will result from these amazing new facilities will be so transformative to the Ensworth learning experience.

Clark Akers ’71: As teaching and learning evolve, change, and blend, the physical space that encourages both disciplines must evolve and change as well. The new Lower School building

Julie Dretler ’85: When my husband and I saw the vision of the school, it was hard to not get emotional. For children to have the opportunity to learn in such a forward-thinking environment is something that will inspire other educational institutions to do the same. I think families will be inspired if they can think about the impact this will have, not only around their children and Nashville, but the Southeast and country at-large.

Ensworth has the chance to be a leader in the field of education, and as parents, to have the chance to help not only our own children’s education experience but countless others—this is a very powerful motivator.

none of us could imagine—or provide on our own. Ensworth’s educational foundation and trajectory toward an even brighter future should inspire new families to support and surpass what many, many Nashville families have been building together since 1958.

Do you have a favorite academic tradition that your child has experienced or something that stands out in the curriculum?

Julie Dretler ’85: Popcorn words!

They have taken over our home and act as wallpaper in most rooms. It’s so much fun to give impromptu quizzes when they are in the bath, eating dinner, or watching the Predators! To think that this simple academic activity is helping to build their foundation for reading is truly amazing.

Clark Akers ’71: Ensworth has always been a place where students can explore, learn, fail, succeed and soar, in short, a place where students can figure out who they are.

That process, intentional by design, Clark Akers ’71: Sixty years of develops self-esteem, leadership, and educational excellence and remarkable confidence. My daughter experienced long-term results—well-rounded, all of that before she graduated and contributing adults in every field my son, a sophomore, is experiencing imaginable—have set the stage for it now. I look forward to every student Ensworth to embrace the best new ideas experiencing the growth, the selfand practices that will take our children discovery, and the happiness that are and grandchildren to levels and places that hallmarks of an Ensworth education.

Frank Gordon ’77: "As an Ensworth alum and parent to current Ensworth students, it has been fascinating to watch the school evolve, yet stay true to its roots and the things that make the school special. The feeling in the halls is the same as it was many years ago, and that’s a good thing. Our children have had a fantastic experience that mirrors mine in many ways but reflects the best of current trends in education. These lessons have been taught in many of the same classrooms I experienced during my days at Ensworth.

While these spaces have certainly well met the needs of students for generations, I was excited to hear about the plans for the reimagined lower school. When Ensworth moves forward with a project, it is always well considered and purposeful, and this particular project was no exception. The new spaces are inspiring and provide a flexible, modern platform that will help the school continue to deliver the best possible educational experience for the Lower School students. Our family is truly gratified to play a role in helping this project come to fruition, and we know it will help ensure the Ensworth experience for generations to come."

2019 WINTER | 43

ALUMNI

ALUMNI BIRTHS Sally Jackson Ryan ’97 (Patrick) Evelyn Margaret Ryan on April 4, 2018 Elise Howorth Bobrowski ’98 (Matt) Marion Harper Bobrowski on November 16, 2018 Molly Biter Keeley ’98 (Jeff ) Caroline Anne Keeley on September 20, 2018 Louisa Stowers Baldock ’99 (Nick) Rose Elizabeth Baldock on November 11, 2018 Jonathan Gluck ’00 (Dina) Noah James Gluck on November 30, 2018 Ellen Green Hoffman ’00 (Brian) Thomas Garnett Hoffman on July 4, 2018

Ensworth Alumni

C LAS S NOT E S ALUMNI WEDDINGS Anna Haas ’99 married Douglas Gross on October 6, 2018 David Berk ’00 married Christina Bancroft on August 18, 2018 Elizabeth Bradbury ’00 married Ben McAlpin on December 1, 2018 Gabby Gioia ’03 married Travis Leonard on September 22, 2018 Andrew Colton ’09 married Lauren Hogan on October 13, 2018 Spencer Foote ’09 married Caitlin Byrd on September 29, 2018

Charlie Morgan ’00 (Amy) Charles “Houston” Morgan Jr. on November 26, 2018

Maggie King ’09 married Kyle Rynd on August 25, 2018

Lee Noel ’00 (Caroline) Brooke Bagwell Noel on October 1, 2018

Madeline Graham ’10 married Sean McAuliffe on November 3, 2018

Kelsey Bairnsfather ’10 married Seth Collie on October 6, 2018

Erik Landman ’01 (Lindsay) Simon James Landman on November 16, 2018 Jay Pilkerton ’01 (Katheryn) Marilyn Hadley Pilkerton on November 6, 2018 Gretchen Wilson Altenburger ’03 (Steven) Elizabeth Ann “Ellie” Altenburger on June 19 2018 Mollie Sloan Fields ’03 (Cole) Mary Way Fields on November 30, 2018 Austin Grae Fabel ’08 (Kathryn) Scarlett Reese Fabel on December 13, 2018 Kevin Patrick McDermott II ’08 (Lauren) Campbell Marie McDermott on December 28, 2018 Samantha Lale Broughton ’10 (Jay) Charles “Charlie” Maxwell Broughton on December 14, 2018 Daniel McFadden ’10 (Tiffany Ryle) Harper Marie McFadden on June 6, 2018 Katherine Beaman Tashie ’10 (Tyler) Sawyer Lee Tashie on October 31, 2018 Kirby Wiley ’10 (Sessions Cox) Emma Joan Cox on November 27, 2018 David Robinson ’02 (Hayley) John “Jack” Phipps Robinson on January 17, 2019 Jeff Snyder ’00 (AnneClarke) Anne Blair Snyder on January 23, 2019

44 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ALUMNI BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT The fourth annual Alumni Basketball Tournament was held Tuesday, November 20 in the Elcan Athletics Center performance gym. It was a great night to catch up with alumni and enjoy a little competition.

Congratulations to our winners!

Tournament Winner: C 5 Tavarres Jefferson '09, Tate Lanford '09, Gary Pope '09 Best Team Name: O NE AND D O NE S Christopher Coode '09, Blake Crozier '08, Rashed Fakhruddin '83 Gotcha Contest Winner: David Dingess '11

ALUMNI

Vadis Turner '91

Sawyer Lee Tashie

Class of 1976: Sheila Lambos Reuther, Betsy Wallace Taylor, Cathy Sherrill Lale, George Hetzel, Martha Brothers Duff

Kelsey Bairnsfather '10

Grayson Jones '08

Ellie Altenburger

Spencer Foote '09

Emma Joan Cox

Toby Graves '09

Christina Chintanaphol '09

Evelyn Margaret Ryan

Scarlett Reese Fabel 2019 WINTER | 45

ALUMNI

Ensworth Alumni

C LAS S NOT E S

2018-2019 Alumni Board

ALUMNI NEWS 1970 Betsy Wallace Taylor ’76

Quint Robinson '13

Brooke Bagwell Noel

and her husband Dave own and operate Cedar Valley Canine, a dog training program for dogs of all breeds and ages, in addition to breeding/ training German Shepherds for both home protection and family pets. Her daughter, Edie Caldwell ’13 is back in Nashville after graduating from the University of Alabama in 2018 and is working to complete her residential real estate license.

Martha Brothers Duff ’76 has been the Director of Class of 2013: Kobie Jarmon, Mati Anderson, Alexandria White, Courtney Schmidt

Woodmont Christian Preschool for the past five years after returning to Nashville with her family from Connecticut in 2015, a family that continues to grow!

Martha will welcome her fourth grandchild this year. Martha’s youngest daughter, Lola ’18 is a fellow alum of Ensworth and is a freshman at Centre College on the women’s lacrosse team.

Sheila Lambos Reuther ’76 has been in residential

Noah James Gluck 46 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Harper Marie McFadden

real estate in Nashville for the past 30 years and is a current Realtor through Neal Clayton Realtors. Her son, Miller Reuther ’10 is also

in Nashville and has been a financial analyst at Community Health Systems since 2015.

1990 The ever-creative masterpieces of Vadis Turner ’91 were once again on display in Nashville with her exhibition of Bedfellows at Zeitgeist this past December.

Kit Wilkinson Thomson ’95 Kit was recently recognized for 15 years of federal service, having been with the Defense Intelligence Agency since 2003.

Her current role is a Senior Analyst in the Asia Pacific Regional Center.

2000

Gretchen Wilson Altenburger ’03 has worked

for the US Department of the Treasury, IRS Office of Chief Counsel (small business/self employed) since February, 2016, based in Denver, CO. She represents the government in United States Tax Court litigation involving individuals, corporations with less than $10M, estates, trusts, and partnerships in CO, WY, MT,

ALUMNI

Ensworth Alumni UT, NM, AZ, NV. Her current specialty areas include Section 1041, innocent spouse litigation, abusive tax promoter investigations, and non-TEFRA partnerships.

Grayson Jones ’08 joined

the Music Row Law Office of Russell A. Jones Jr. as an Associate Attorney in November 2018 , where she will focus on entertainment and intellectual property law.

Grayson graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism in 2012 where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society and also minored in Music Industry studies through the Thornton School of Music. Between undergraduate and law school, she worked for three years in creative licensing and strategic marketing at Columbia Records Creative Agency in Los Angeles, focusing on creative collaborations between artists and brands, film, television, and video game licensing, and content integrations. She went on to graduate from Belmont University College of Law and is a member of the Tennessee and the Nashville Bar Associations.

Christina Chintanaphol ’09 earned her PharmD in May

2018 from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and is now working as a Clinical Specialist at Medtronic in the Spinal & Biologics division based in Nashville.

In 2015, Toby Graves ’09 and his father were ahead of the curve when they decided to invest in a new concept, nutrient-dense fast food.

They have since opened two Grabbagreen restaurants in Nashville, one in Coolsprings and the other in Midtown on 17th Avenue. Grabbagreen provides fresh, locally sourced and gluten-free options such as rice bowls, quinoa bowls, salads, smoothies, juices, acai

and more. Stay tuned from more to come from the Graves and Grabbagreen!

2010 Honey Bennett ’10 is

currently pursuing her Masters in Education in Curriculum and Teaching at Boston University.

Olivia Carmichael ’10

takes on a full time position at Ensworth as the Capital Campaign Coordinator. She had previously been assisting in communications and alumni relations.

Megan Crants ’10 was

recently published in The ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine for her contribution to the chapter, “The Treatment of Drug Addiction: An Overview” that she worked on as a clinical assistant and medical editor before attending medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, NY. Tim McGraw has partnered with Snap Fitness to develop a custom line of boutique fitness clubs, TRUMAV Fitness.

The flagship club owned by fitness entrepreneur Wirth Campbell ’11 opened in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood in January 2019. With two signature workout options, TRUFIT or TRUPOWER, both deliver full-body results while being monitored through heart rate wearable technology.

C LAS S NOT E S After three years of playing baseball at the University of Tennessee, and two summers of living in Los Angeles playing summer ball in the California Collegiate Summer League, Quint Robinson ’13 transferred to Cal State University- Northridge to play his final year of baseball for the 2018 season. He has since returned to Knoxville and is now enrolled as a graduate student in the University of Tennessee Full-Time MBA Program.

PJ Settles ’15 was one of

Alexandria White ’13

recently selected to sit on the National Junior Angus Board of Directors at the 2018 National Junior Angus Show this past July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she will represent the state of Kentucky for a two-year term.

graduated from Texas Christian University and is now back in Nashville enrolled in business school at Belmont University.

Alexandra Farnsworth ’14 graduated in May from

Vanderbilt, and moved to Houston to work with PricewaterhousCoopers in their Transfer Pricing division as a consultant in early 2019.

Mary Claire Smalley ’14

graduated with Honors in May from the University of Evansville and moved to Denver to work with the Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids as a choreographer and stage manager. She is also substitute teaching and tutoring math in the Metro Denver Area.

20 players nominated for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy as an exemplary scholar and athlete at Rhodes.

As a junior at University of Tennessee, Jordan Bone ’16 was nominated as one of twenty players in the running for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of The Year Award, which recognizes the top point guards in Division I basketball.

Caroline Cowles ’17 was

Rita Johnson ’18 was one of

nine athletes in her age group who qualified to represent Team USA in the 2018 ITU World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia in September. In addition, she already placed third in Nationals for her age group in the 2018 trials and will represent Team USA once more at the 2019 World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland in the 20-24 age group.

Lauren Cummings ’11 joined the Ensworth faculty/staff in November as the new nurse at the High School Campus.

Kaitlyn Jackson ’12 recently completed her Masters in Social Work at TSU and is currently a Medical Case Manager at Nashville CARES. She also enjoys working the Nashville Nightmare haunted house during the Halloween season, and will soon prepare to obtain her LMSW.

Alumni Hockey Tournament

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 alumni @ ensworth.com.

2019 WINTER | 47

ALUMNI

The 13th Annual Robert Inman Tiger Classic was held Monday, October 29 at The Golf Club of Tennessee. Since 2006, the tournament has raised close to $300,000 for the endowment fund, which provides financial aid for eligible students. The Robert Inman Endowed Financial Aid Fund was established by the Ensworth Alumni Council in honor of Robert Inman, a beloved teacher and coach at Ensworth for 33 years. Mr. Inman coached four athletic seasons for over 30 years and served as a mentor and inspiration to his students, encouraging them to develop their talents and discover their individual strengths.

Congratulations to the Winners!

1 ST P L AC E TE A M

CLO S E S T TO T HE HO LE

LO NG E ST D RIV E

P UTTING C O NTES T

Chase Myers, Adrian Adams, Kynadie Adams, and Jay Turner with 48

Hole #4, Charley Poe Hole #10, Rob Simmons

Men, Nathaniel Beaver Women, Kynadie Adams

Hal Gill

1st Place Team

48 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

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