Dominican Academy
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A Message from the President Dear Parents, Guardians, Alumnae, and Friends, As I stand in my office and reflect community has grown in numbers on the exciting future of Dominican and our curriculum has expanded to Academy, my eyes rest upon the stained include all honors and A.P. classes, glass windows across from the Library. 25 extra-curricular activities, 8 sports More than 50 years ago, I gazed in teams, and a flourishing arts program. concentration at those windows, as I While this has led to so much positive studied in the Library. Each day, I would progression and growth, it has put a bustle past them, arms wrapped around strain on our home. The cafeteria can a stack of books. In History class with no longer accommodate a full class year, Miss Walsh, I discovered their origins our classrooms are filled to capacity, in the Middle Ages. storage is at a premium, Today, a bank of and lockers and filing computers sits cabinets crowd into Our community will underneath those hallways. It is obvious that be strengthened and same windows. our curriculum cannot we will re-enliven D.A.’s Modern D.A. girls continue to grow or thrive beautiful home to pass by with tablets continue welcoming future without additional and in their backpacks, purpose built spaces. generations. the legacy of those Beginning June 5, windows just one 2017, we will begin renovations on click away on our website. the mansion we call home. We are So much has changed in the way excited to partner with Brooklyn-based we interact, communicate, teach, architectural firm CWB Architects in this and learn since I walked through project. Their plans to add adaptable, the door of 44 East 68th Street as a flexible instructional spaces conducive to student so many years ago. And yet, learning, and their solutions to improve our physical space remains relatively circulation and storage have been met untouched. Throughout the years, our with enthusiastic support by our faculty Building our Tradition
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and staff. Over the next two summers, we will create two full-size classrooms, two conference rooms, a newlyrenovated library commons, dedicated spaces for lockers and storage, new offices for faculty and staff, an enlarged dining area for students and faculty, improved gathering spaces for group meetings and studying, and an improved technology infrastructure throughout the building. We will also improve the resources and spaces available to our faculty by providing them with appropriate instructional spaces, as well as departmental offices for individual work and group meetings. All project plans have been developed with and reviewed by our Board, faculty, and staff to ensure that the outcome will maintain the friendly, welcoming, and unique spirit of Dominican Academy. As an alumna, I treasure what has been, and I am committed to maintaining the tradition of the Dominican spirit through our pillars of Study, Community, Just Actions, and Prayer for generations to come. The intellect of the faculty and the bonds
of sisterhood created in these halls are enduring and transformative. In today’s world, the call for a school like ours – one rooted in Catholic values and dedicated to the academic and personal success of every D.A. girl – must be answered. This project calls upon each of us to prayerfully consider how we can dedicate our resources and energy so that we can provide the strongest foundation to shape smart girls into intelligent leaders. I look forward to communicating important updates and timelines as the renovations draw near. Rest assured, we have our community’s best interest at heart and will do everything to ensure a smooth and seamless process. May God bless you and our beloved school,
Sr. Margaret Ormond, O.P., ‘60
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A Word from the Board Chair, Kathleen Walsh Murnion, ‘61 Dear Friends, What D.A. alumna does not have fond memories of our red-carpeted front staircase? For years, the red stairs have been not only a point of pride, but a signal of grace and elegance to all who enter. Maintaining D.A.’s iconic aura while adapting the physical structure of the building to meet today’s educational needs has been the challenge and joy of this renovation project. As Chair of the Board of Trustees, I have been fortunate to participate in this project from its inception. With the guidance, of our Board, Faculty, and Staff we have assembled the best possible team to make our vision a reality. CWB Architects, our architectural firm, has a depth of experience in preservation work that will maintain the exquisite aesthetic that has always defined D.A. while adapting the space to modern needs. Most importantly, our architects are good listeners. They have worked tirelessly with us to create a plan that reflects the expressed needs of our students, faculty, and administration. The Building and Grounds Committee, which has worked closely with the architects, includes faculty and Trustees.
All have experience in both academia and building renovation, a rich resource as our plans begin to take shape. The key to guarantee any project’s success must be a clear vision. In this, D.A. is indeed richly blessed. For no one articulates that vision more clearly than our President, Sister Margaret Ormond, O.P., ‘60. Sister Margaret inspires us to raise our horizons, to look beyond today, and to anticipate tomorrow’s opportunities. We are not just talking about bricks and mortar. Instead, we are making concrete a reality where our D.A. students will continue to be nurtured and challenged to reach their individual potential and to claim their place in a competitive, global environment. It is a privilege to work on this project that will help ensure ongoing vitality and excellence in education for future D.A. grads.
Kathleen Walsh Murnion, ‘61
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New Architectural features Over the next two summers, D.A. will renovate and improve flow throughout the building from the Basement to the 5th floor. These improvements will allow for:
11 14 classrooms
2 new
Conference Rooms A reconfigured Library Commons
Improved technology infrastructure throughout the building
from 9,000 sq ft 12,000 sq ft gained usable space
16 21 dedicated faculty/ staff desk spaces Dedicated spaces for lockers and storage Dominican Academy 3
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Project overview
Phase I of the project begins on June 5, 2017 and will be complete before the beginning of school in September 2017. This Phase encompasses the Basement, First, and Fifth Floors. Improvements will include a new
Phase II
cafeteria space for the student body which will hold more than seventy-five students, two new instructional spaces on the Fifth floor replacing current offices, four new offices, and better circulation on the First Floor.
of the project will begin in June of 2018 and will allow for improvements to the Second, Third, and Fourth Floors, including a dedicated Chapel, reconfigured Library Commons, additional faculty offices, meeting rooms, additional locker spaces, and newly-furnished classrooms.
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Our promise We promise to uphold the traditions and elements that make Dominican Academy such an extraordinary school and place. This includes our commitment to the pillars of Study, Prayer, Just Actions, and Community, as well as our pledge to preserve the architectural elements of the mansion we all cherish. CWB Architects specialize in neoclassical renovation and preservation work. Their remit includes a mandate to retain and integrate all of the following: • Red staircase •N eoclassical architectural details and moldings •P reserved Chapel space •E xisting artwork, including Lady Wellesley remaining at home in the auditorium
•F ireplaces •C handeliers •R ooftop terrace •S tained glass windows in the Chapel and outside the Library All project plans will be developed with and reviewed by our Board, Faculty, and Staff to ensure the outcome will maintain the friendly, welcoming, and unique spirit of Dominican Academy.
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Floor plans — phase 1
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1st Floor
Cellar
Below are the architectural plans for Phase I of construction beginning in June 2017. Plans for summer 2018 are still being finalized and will be distributed upon completion.
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Q& A with CWB Architects What is CWB’s Mission? CWB Architects is a Brooklyn-based architectural firm that specializes in the renovation and restoration of 19th and early 20th century masonry buildings. We are particularly experienced with the rowhouse building type, and determining the best ways to adapt them for modern uses. We are also very good at looking at the spaces our clients have, listening to their institutional needs and amalgamating those things into coherent, well organized, and elegant spaces.
with an eye toward maintaining its sense of history, elegance, and proportion. In the process, we also hope to create spaces where students can both move easily from one class to another, as well as meet and talk, allowing for conversations about learning to exist outside of the classroom. We want the students to love their sweet little building and feel comfortable allowing their minds to expand into the larger world.
How does this project differ from ones you have worked on in the past? What is your role at CWB? I Brendan Coburn What have you found am a partner at the firm and AIA, founding partner most interesting? I work as a designer on all It has been a pleasure our institutional and to work with Sister Margaret and the rowhouse projects. faculty and staff to try understand Why is CWB uniquely qualified their myriad needs and concerns, and for this project? We are adept at then try to find and make spaces and working on historic masonry structures, define circulation that will serve the particularly residential buildings (as this educational goals of the institution. We once was), and have experience with want to make sure that the building’s primary and secondary school projects. own architecture and story continues We are in an excellent position to make to be seen, felt, and appreciated. As the most of the Academy’s amazing architects, we try to take the building building. Personally, having attended we’re given and make it work for the and taught at a Brooklyn private school function required in a non-destructive housed in a former athletic club, I way. Fortunately, in the case of am sensitive to - and aware of - the Dominican Academy, the Friedsam potential for these types of buildings to Mansion is an exceptionally welltranslate into compelling educational designed and well-built building, and spaces. its underlying architecture lends itself What underlying idea was at the heart to being a serene and elegant of the initial design for D.A.? educational institution. To simplify the building’s circulation, Building our Tradition
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Interview with Claire Sarrazin Rennell, ‘76, Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board
Who is on the Building Committee? • Kim Cases, ‘00 •S r. Patricia Connick, O.P. School Liaison •T ricia Elms, ‘04 •T omasz Frankowski, P’14 Consultant • Reverend Philip Judge, S.J. •K athleen Walsh Murnion, ‘61 Board of Trustees Chair •S uzanne Musho, ‘86 •G eorge Pauliny, P’90 •C laire Rennell, ‘76 Building and Grounds Committee Chair What was your involvement with D.A. on this project? We initially established the committee to discuss the potential for renovation. After determining that this was a real possibility, we asked for
bids from several architectural firms before ultimately choosing CWB. We also solicited feedback from various D.A. constituencies including faculty, students, parents, and alumnae. We have been in consultation with every board of trustee committee (Strategic Planning, Finance, Advancement, Education) as each have specific input to be included and play a key role in the future of the school. What is the best part of working on this project? Seeing the potential of where our beloved D.A. is headed! CWB Architects have been a pleasure to work with and very receptive to our input throughout every phase of planning. I am so looking forward to seeing and experiencing the end results! Dominican Academy 9
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Faculty Insights but after this experience, I realize more deeply just how special it is! It was magnificently built and appointed almost one hundred years ago and has stood the test of time. Now, it is time for an update that will bring the school into the 21st century while preserving its original architectural beauty and charm. Interview with Sr. Pat Connick, O.P., Science Department and Faculty Liaison to the Building & Grounds Committee Briefly describe your role at D.A. to date. When I first came to D.A. in 2009, I was the Assistant Principal. Since 2013, I have been a faculty member in the STEM department at D.A. What was your involvement with this project? Could you describe your role? At the beginning, I gave feedback on our greatest needs here at D.A. and then on the initial ideas proposed by the architects. Since last fall, I have been a member of the Building Committee. It has been my pleasure to discuss our developing plans with others — faculty, staff, and administration here in the building. It has been my responsibility and privilege to bring to the architects our further requirements and insights. What is the best part of working on this project? I thought I already appreciated the beauty of our school,
What are you most looking forward to with the new design? In general, I’m looking forward to the opening of spaces so that we will have two new classrooms as well as more an open-concept on the upper floors. I’m also looking forward to being able to circulate around each of the floors without running into a wall! This will make getting to classrooms and offices significantly easier for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. What steps are being taken to ensure that learning and teaching remain the top priority? Having two additional classrooms will help us to reserve the Library as a space where students can come to do research or study. In addition, changes within classrooms will allow for easier collaboration with our girls. Our upgrades in technology will help us to sharpen the girls’ judicious use of it as an essential tool for the 21st century. I know our students will enjoy the expanded cafeteria as a place to connect and unwind. For any of us, taking a pause to change the routine during the day can help sharpen our focus!
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Ms. Jennifer Reardon-Muller, ‘98 History Department
What was your involvement with this project? Could you briefly describe your role? Lauren Serpagli, Sr. Pat, and I were asked by Sr. Margaret to be faculty representatives on a committee to investigate the possibility of a building renovation. We met with the Board of Directors and the Building Committee, as well as the architects, to assess the current needs of the school, make suggestions, and evaluate early plans for renovations. Ms. Serpagli and I were involved during the last quarter of the 2015-2016 school year. How will the renovations improve the learning experience? Additional classrooms will provide opportunities to teach in spaces that are geared for collaboration and learning with technology. This additional space will also prevent use of student spaces such as the cafeteria, library, and chapel for classes. These adaptations will breathe new life into our dedicated student spaces and provide the structure and technological capability needed for cutting edge classes.
Ms. Lauren Serpagli, Science Department Chair What was your involvement with this project? Could you briefly describe your role? During the first phase of the project, Jennifer Reardon-Muller, Sr. Pat, and I were asked to serve as faculty advisement. When various ideas were proposed, we served as the voice that recognized the needs, wants, and restrictions of the space. Ms. Reardon and I served at the end of the 2016 school year. What are you most looking forward to with the new design? My hope is that our students feel that they have more space to learn, interact, and relax. We are limited by the size of our facility, so reconfiguring it to allow for more classrooms is a necessary way to ensure we meet the needs of the students and our expanding size. Dominican Academy 11
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Frequently Asked Questions
The experience of the students is our top priority throughout this project.
What is being done to minimize the disruption of student life? The experience of the students is our top priority throughout this project. We have timed these improvements to start in June and be completed by September to minimize the impact it will have on the students and their studies. The outcome of this project will allow for improved flow throughout the building and additional classroom space to accommodate our growing course curriculum. Where will students take their final exams? We have adjusted the 2016 – 2017 school calendar so that school
ends on June 2, 2017. Students will take all exams at D.A. prior to this date. How will the project be funded? This project will be funded primarily through donations from alumnae, parents and friends of Dominican Academy. Will the project have an impact on tuition over the next few years? The renovation project will have no impact on the tuition rate; however, be mindful that the tuition must increase marginally each year in order for any school to operate smoothly. What if the project is not completed on time? CWB Architects have
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experience in projects timed for educational institutions. They have sourced contractors who are capable of executing the project in a timely manner. While we anticipate that the project will be completed on time, unforeseen circumstances may arise resulting in calendar changes for the academic year. Such changes would be communicated in advance to ensure minimal disruption. How will I receive updates about what is happening? We will communicate progress, updates, and any necessary changes periodically via email. Please ensure that we have your most up-to-
date contact information on file so that you can remain informed as the project unfolds. How will this project improve the overall experience at D.A.? The renovation will preserve the tradition and elegance that characterizes Dominican Academy, while providing a space more suited to the needs of modern day students. Increased circulation, additional classrooms, enlarged dedicated student spaces, and purposeful storage and organization will revitalize the student experience both in and out of the classroom.
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Acknowledgments The realization of this project would not be possible without the support of the D.A. community, and the experts of outside professionals and organizations. Thank you to all those who are helping make this dream a reality. Special thanks to our Building & Grounds Committee and the Board of Trustees for their leadership and guidance throughout this project. A Special Thank You to the Board of Trustees John D. Cagney Daphné Crespo-Helm, ‘89 Keith Cruise Brendan Doyle Dorothy Filoramo, ‘59 Fr. Philip Judge, S.J. Sr. Ann Kilbride, O.P. Joan Landers Mahoney, ‘78 Kathleen Walsh Murnion, ‘61
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Mary Ann O’Toole Long, ‘82 John P. O’Toole, Claire Sarrazin Rennell, ‘76 Robert Robotti Sr. Valerie Shaul, O.P. Mary T. Sullivan, P’13 Tracy Torre, ‘99
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