Our Defining Decade Case Statement

In the history of every great school, there are times when vision, leadership, community, and generosity come together to transform an institution. This is Lovett’s time.

In 2005, more than 140 members of The Lovett School community came together to launch a strategic plan to refine our vision for a school defined by its commitment to learning, character, and community.

The goals we set for ourselves were bold, but we’ve made great progress.

We’ve grown as a community of teachers and learners, made transformative improvements to our campus, and strengthened the spirit of public purpose that makes Lovett unique among independent schools.

As of March 31, 2014, dedicated Lovett families, alumni, foundations, and friends have invested more than $84 million in our school, allowing us to support our faculty, build the Portman Family Middle School, create athletic fields, improve and expand our fine arts facilities, and advance innovative programs.

Yet our work is not complete. That’s why we’re proud to announce Our Defining Decade: A Campaign for Lovett, 2005–2015.

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Through Our Defining Decade, we’re investing in the people, programs, and places that make us who we are.

• We’re making our greatest investment ever in the students, teachers, and staff who live our mission every day.

• We’re creating educational and athletic facilities that work—whose true beauty and value is in their function, not just their look.

• And we’re strengthening the financial foundation that will enable us to carry our noble mission far into the future.

Only together can we achieve this vision. Our goal is to raise $90 million by June 30, 2015— completing a decade of extraordinary progress.

We’re already more than 90 percent of the way to our goal, and with the support of the entire Lovett community, we will succeed.

Through Our Defining Decade, we have already made a highly visible impact on The Lovett School campus with the Portman Family Middle School and many other capital projects. Yet among all the investments we make in this campaign, none will have a more lasting impact than the resources we add to Lovett’s endowment.

The institutions that set the standards of quality, push the frontiers of innovation, and sustain greatness over generations are, almost without exception, those with the strongest endowments.

At Lovett, we’ve built an extraordinary school through the talent and commitment of visionary leaders, gifted educators, and dedicated families since 1926. Thus far, our endowment has played only a modest role in our success. While schools everywhere strive to draw 10 percent of their annual operating budgets from endowed funds, our endowment provides only half that every year.

building endowmen

OUR ent.

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Imagine what we could do if we had a considerably stronger endowment.

A stronger endowment will enable Lovett to: • Attract, develop, and retain the strongest faculty in an increasingly competitive environment.

• Keep Lovett accessible by controlling tuition growth and funding more financial aid, including aid for the families of our faculty and staff.

• Maintain and enhance our campus without relying as heavily on tuition or campaigns.

• Invest in innovative program ideas, take measured risks, and continue pursuing new ways to enhance an already-great educational experience for students.

• Maintain fiscal strength during fluctuations in the economy.

• And, most importantly, ensure that Lovett can survive and thrive for future generations of students and families.

For these reasons, increasing our endowment is critical to the success of Our Defining Decade.

“How much fun learning can be when you are among people who are curious, passionate, and committed!

It’s why I chose to be an educator at The Lovett School.”

—Kevin Randolph, Upper School Teacher

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SUPPORTING OUR FACULTY.

Our mission asks a great deal of our teachers.

Imparting knowledge and building skills are only part of the challenge. Ultimately, we seek teachers who model the habits of mind, sense of character, and spirit of compassion that we want our children to develop.

In the years ahead, many of our most beloved and experienced teachers will retire.

At the same time, the market for teacher recruitment in Atlanta is growing far more competitive.

Through Our Defining Decade, we will invest in endowed funds that strengthen our ability to attract, develop, and retain the teachers who are ready to honor our mission and leave their mark on the next generation of Lovett students.

New endowed resources—such as Distinguished Teaching Fellowships, Awards for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty Enrichment Funds, and others—will not only support our educators, but also highlight and recognize excellence within our faculty and staff.

Since its creation in 1926, The Lovett School has prided itself on its faculty—educators who make a difference in the lives of the children they teach. Louise Ray, below, a Lovett alumna who passed away in 2008, was one of those teachers. Her legacy lives on in her students, and through the Louise Ray Faculty Enrichment Endowment Fund.

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NOW IS OUR TIME. To believe in the ones who have

always believed in us

“Our teachers want us to learn, not just to score high on tests,” says Elizabeth Bogue, a member of Lovett’s Class of 2013. She goes on to recall favorite teachers from her 13 years at Lovett, such as the late Louise Ray.

“When I was in third grade, my sisters left for college. It was a really hard time, because they had practically raised me,” says Elizabeth. “But Ms. Ray, she saved me. She believed in me. She knew what I needed, and how to meet me where I was.”

“It’s teachers like that at Lovett, who help you get to where they know you can be—even if you don’t know yourself.”

“For me, attending Lovett was made possible only through the generosity of financial aid. In taking full advantage of all that Lovett had to offer, I was able to thrive at Princeton University, graduate cum laude, and be prepared for my career. I am so grateful for my Lovett years, and I look forward to giving back to students like myself, for whom Lovett was a rare opportunity that made a big difference.”

—Lauren Hooten, Class of ’03

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OUR Investment in Financial Aid.

Our students don’t just learn from their teachers—they learn from each other. For generations, the strength of our community has been essential to our success as a school.

Financial aid is our most important tool for building the strongest student body and school community. Endowed financial aid enables Lovett to: • Attract, admit, and support a student body defined by its talents and strengths above all other factors.

• Keep tuition accessible to as broad a range of families as possible.

• Create a classroom environment that reflects the diverse world in which our students will live, study, and work for the rest of their lives.

Thus, in Our Defining Decade, we seek to invest significantly in new endowed support for financial aid—in the form of endowed tuition assistance, as well as endowed funds to enable students to participate in special school activities and experiences.

Ultimately, by strengthening our endowed base of financial aid, we’re not only helping deserving students and families, but preserving the character and quality of our school community.

For more than 20 years, Siempre Verde, Lovett’s cloudforest preserve in Ecuador, has been a tool for teaching our students. And to some, like Lovett alumna Liza McLain ’11, a visit to the preserve can be life-changing. “Going to Siempre Verde was more than just a trip to a cloudforest for me. It was an experience that healed my heart and soul.”

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NOW IS OUR TIME. To open a window to the world

The Lovett School encourages students to participate in international studies and travel programs to experience life beyond our campus. Our goal: to prepare graduates for success in a world where they will live and work as global citizens. Through Lovett’s endowment, scholarship funds are available to students who need financial support to extend their education outside the walls of the traditional classroom.

Angela Mitchell, one of Lovett’s Upper School Spanish faculty members, teaches Spanish immersion classes at Siempre Verde, Lovett’s cloudforest preserve in Ecuador. Señora Mitchell also leads student trips to her native Colombia—sometimes even taking students to visit with her 100-yearold mother.

“In the classroom, you can only get a sense of where I’m coming from,” says Mitchell. “But if I take you there, you can see it and experience it from a completely different side.”

“My goal is to expand my students’ vision. Once you develop a passion for another language and another culture, you have opened up a window to the world. But then you must step outside the window, to actually study and travel abroad. It will help you in your career—and in anything you want to do in life.”

“Lovett means so much to us, and to our children—and maybe one day to our grandchildren. So it was an easy decision to include Lovett in our estate plans, and an easy process, as well. We know that participation counts, and each legacy gift matters to Lovett.”

—Debbie (Roach) ’71 and Tom Avery ’71

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Impacting OUR Future.

Every generation of Lovett families, teachers, and students has given their talents and resources to make our school stronger. Their generosity benefits our children every day.

By making a legacy gift, or planned gift, to the school endowment, our donors have the ability to impact Lovett beyond their lifetimes. And it also allows donors to make larger gifts than might otherwise be possible. The Lovett School Legacy Society is Lovett’s group of loyal donors who have included Lovett in their wills or other estate plans, providing essential support for the school’s future.

Our Defining Decade is our calling to carry forward the legacy of giving that built The Lovett School—for our own children and those who will follow. Together, we can build an endowment worthy of our reputation, people, and aspirations.

When she founded our school, Eva Edwards Lovett envisioned a place where children learn by doing. She believed that how one studied was of greater importance than how much one studied, and that a love of reading was more important than the number of books read. In the decades hence, these values set forth by our founder have stayed true.

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NOW IS OUR TIME. To give back to the place that gave us so much

Susan Calahan ’87 represents Lovett as an alumna, parent, volunteer, and, in her newest role, as a charter member of The Lovett School Legacy Society.

“I attended Lovett for 14 years.

When you are somewhere for that long, it becomes more than a place where you go to school—it becomes a home,” explains Susan.

“The people I met while at Lovett became, and continue to be, my family. My Lovett experience shaped me into the person that I am today, and I want that same experience for my children.”

“That hope for my children is one reason the Lovett endowment is so important to me. I want Lovett to be as great for them as it was for me. Making a legacy gift to Lovett is easy, and it makes sense. What could be more important that ensuring the future of my alma mater and my children’s?”

Whether building healthy habits through physical education or pursuing the joys and lessons of competitive sports, every Lovett student benefits from an education that strengthens the body, as well as the mind and spirit.

We could scarcely have imagined the growth that has taken place in Lovett athletics. There are more girls competing than ever, and lacrosse—one of our most popular sports—did not even exist on our campus until just over a decade ago. Today, with participation rates at alltime highs, our teams are more than just extracurricular pursuits—they’re a hub of activity at The Lovett School.

The growth of our athletic teams and programs has outpaced the capacity of the Wallace Gym and Hite Wellness Center, rendering us unable to fully support the all-season, round-theclock activity of our teams. And, after many years of service, these facilities are now far below the standards set by our quality athletic programs.

Through Our Defining Decade, we can offer our students and athletes a facility that inspires and empowers their athletic pursuits for decades to come.

building new athl center.

• Provide a world-class home to our physical education program, benefiting all of our students throughout their years at Lovett.

• Offer additional space and support for all of our teams.

• Enable more suitable practice times for our busy students and families.

• Provide more accommodating and secure locker rooms for our students and visiting teams.

• Incorporate a fitness and wellness center for our students, faculty, and staff to stay active and healthy.

OUR hletic

In addition to the Athletic Center, initial renovations will be made to Kilpatrick Stadium and a pedestrian plaza and traffic turnaround will be created, resulting in an improved spectator experience and a safe and festive gathering area.

In order to make the Athletic Center a reality, we must raise $17.4 million.

This transformative investment in athletics and physical education will complement the suite of facility improvements we’ve already made in recent years, including the Portman Family Middle School, the Rogers & Westmoreland Activity Center, a music recording studio, applied lessons rooms, and several other fine arts spaces.

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With 40,000 square feet of space across three floors, the new Athletic Center will:

The third floor of the new Athletic Center will be named for Coach Glasser (left), thanks to gifts from his former student athletes and their families.

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NOW IS OUR TIME. To create a facility that empowers

Knox Culpepper, a member of Lovett’s Class of 1981, was an allstate linebacker in high school, and went on to be a record-breaking player at the University of Georgia for the Bulldogs. Now, as a Lovett father, Knox recalls the importance of his athletic involvement at Lovett—and the lasting impact it can have beyond the immediate wellness aspects.

“I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by a number of great coaches in my life: Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Vince Dooley, Johnny Majors. All of them were inspiring, but the one individual who had more of an impact on my life than anybody was Coach Jim Glasser at Lovett.

And that’s a heck of a statement.”

“My fondest memories of Lovett are centered around the Riverbank and wrestling in the gym with Coach Glasser,” Knox continues. “The lessons I learned from him have always stayed with me. I attribute the success I have today to his influence. Having the opportunity to be around people and programs like that is an example of how this place makes a difference.”

Every Lovett family, alumnus, and friend has a vital role to play in this campaign. Whether giving today or making a legacy commitment, every gift will have a permanent impact on our school and our students.

And now, it is our time and our turn to make a difference.

There is no more noble mission than to teach, no more vital pursuit than to learn, and no more powerful gift we can give than one that ensures The Lovett School remains vibrant for the future. Our Defining Decade will forever strengthen our school, for the benefit of today’s students and for generations to come.

This is lovett’s time. this is our defining decade.

For more information, please contact: Andy Spencer Chief Advancement Officer (404) 262-3032, ext. 1255 andy.spencer@lovett.org Brian Scales Director of Development (404) 262-3032, ext. 1249 brian.scales@lovett.org Taylor Butkus Advancement Manager for Leadership Giving (404) 262-3032, ext. 1354 taylor.butkus@lovett.org

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The Lovett School 4075 Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, GA 30327-3009 www.lovett.org/ourdefiningdecade