Ascalon spring 2017

Capital news

Spring 2017

ACADEMIC CENTER REPORT

The newest building on campus is in high gear as the SG community rallies behind it with leadership funding

ASCALON

And then St. George the dragon slayer drew his mighty sword Ascalon…

The Academic Center, one year in By any measure it is a smashing success, a model of progress, a tribute to the faculty who teach there and the students who go there to learn and thrive. Our charge now is to endorse the project and complete its funding

Seven laboratories sit side by side, four of them off a second-floor mezzanine and three more off an airy, two-story atrium on the main floor below. From the open corridor as you approach you don’t see them right away. You may not even know that they are there. They live behind frosted-glass doors and opaque wall panels separated by a series of brick piers that anchor a long commons floating in cathedral-like space. Open one of those doors, walk in, and all of a sudden you are consumed by a room with tables and benches and shiny apparatus, a room utterly devoted to learning and scientific inquiry. Your eyes are drawn east, to a wall of glass, and beyond, to the Atlantic Ocean and a horizon that stretches forever. Time for class.

It happens to scores of St. George’s students every day. It is but one of the incomparable touches they get from the most advanced, most technologically

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astute building on campus. This is what planning and vision and persistence can do at a place like this. It is living proof that in order for an institution to deliver the finest educational experience possible, it must keep pace with the state of the art when it comes to facilities and resources. Once you jump that hurdle, teaching and learning follow.

The Academic Center is a year old this winter. Parts of it have been up and running longer than that, but the formal dedication occurred in February 2016 and that’s when St. George’s officially took the keys, so to speak. It comprises the seven laboratory teaching spaces just mentioned in new construction to the east, joined by way of a great atrium in the center to a completely renovated multipurpose classroom wing in what used to be the circa-1963 duPont Science Building to the west. Taken as a whole, it (Please see “Academic Center” inside)

The Point Notes from the Advancement Office

New faculty chair unveiled, two new chair holders honored The annual St. George’s Faculty Chair Holder dinner and presentation ceremony was held on Tuesday evening, Aug. 30, a week before the opening of school. A mix of faculty, staff, trustees and friends gathered to celebrate a new chair established in 2016 by the Board of Trustees, the chair’s first recipient, and the recipient of an existing chair vacated by a faculty retirement last spring.

Imagination and Possibility. Those are the words that come to mind as I reflect on the stories in this edition of Ascalon.

With our new facilities, innovative programs and talented faculty, the possibilities for our students are increasingly limited only by their imaginations. The breadth and diversity of the curriculum and co-curricular programs give our students the opportunity to explore interests and to develop passions that take them beyond the traditional text and test.

Whether it’s designing and creating a model for the HIV virus for Tom Evans’ microbiology elective on a 3-D printer in the FabLab, garnering a real-world understanding of government policy and decision making through the Rogers Scholars Program, or cultivating an entrepreneurial interest through the new San Francisco Tech and Innovation Program, our students are experiencing a depth of inquiry that fuels their curiosity and ignites their imaginations to the possibilities of learning. As you will read, the Academic Center continues to have a transformative effect on the way our students learn and interact with faculty, and the experiential programs and internships that have been created push back the boundaries of the classroom.

But these opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the shared vision and support of our alums and current families. I am humbled by the generosity of so many and heartened by the incredible educational opportunities created on behalf of our students. It’s an exciting time to be on the Hilltop, and our students are fortunate to have their education constrained only by what they can imagine.

Makes me wish I could be a student again! Enjoy reading, and please come visit campus to see all the excitement for yourself.

Robert Weston Associate Head of School for External Affairs

Clyde Dorsey ’70 (center) with Head of school eric peterson and trustee Chair leslie Bathgate Heaney ’92 in the head of school’s office during the Board’s December meetings

The W. Clyde Dorsey ’70 Chair for Diversity, Inclusion and Leadership was created by the board in honor of Clyde Dorsey ’70 and in recognition of the school’s commitment to welcoming students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds Kim Bullock and experiences. A trustee since 2001, Dorsey’s unwavering dedication to diversity initiatives at St. George’s has been part and parcel of SG’s effort to envision and sustain a truly inclusive place for everyone, teacher and learner alike. The chair was presented to science teacher and Director of Diversity Dr. Kim Bullock, whose own dedication to integrity and acceptance mirrors Dorsey’s and speaks to the essence of the chair.

The Paul T. Christie Teaching Chair was established in 1982 by John T. Dorrance, Jr. ’37, SG trustee from 1966 until 1989, to acknowledge and promote excellence in teaching. Previously held by English teacher Patricia Lothrop who retired in June, the chair was presented to Spanish teacher Amy Dorrien Traisci in recognition of her passion for learning and respect for amy Dorrien the rich diversity of language and culture traisci in the world around her.

New Faculty Profile — Tim Johnson, FabLab Coordinator “There is a certain kind of pattern that we as adults go through, especially in our early years, in trying to represent our thoughts.

And that symbolism is at the basis of ‘making’ in the FabLab” — Tim Johnson, Dec. 6, 2016 A recent addition to the St. George’s community is FabLab Coordinator Tim Johnson, who joined the faculty in the fall and already is hard at work turning the virtual wizard’s lair that is SG’s new FabLab into an open, productive outlet for students keen to push traditional norms of creativity and learning. FabLab — the universally recognized acronym derived from a shortened form of the term “fabrication laboratory” — is up and running in the William H. Drury and Richard Grosvenor Center for the Arts in the space previously occupied by SG’s photographic dark room. Up and running, yes, but until now marginally understood.

“Mr. Tim” understands it. He has a master’s degree from Harvard University in education, specifically in the creative learning process. He has spent considerable time as a volunteer at the local Newport, R.I. FabLab. He knows the tools and equipment that comprise a FabLab, but more significantly he knows the thinking behind it.

“My background is more with ‘making’ than it is with FabLabs,” he said. “I have been an artist and a tinkerer and an inventor and a toy designer most of my life, in different forms. And then, as a profession, I was a teacher, teaching young children. ‘Making’ is such a process, such an impor-

Fablab Coordinator tim Johnson directs mathematics teacher Melanie lewis and members of her geometry class as they morph theory into 3D reality in the sG Fablab

tant part of early education, especially.”

The idea is not to create a three-dimensional item or object per se, but to translate the creative impulse into a physical entity. “The FabLab, with its tools, and the tools that we will be getting, will allow students to fabricate a representation for their thoughts,” he explained. “There is a beautiful connection of humanness to making things.”

ACADEMIC CENTER (continued from the front page) embraces all of the academic disciplines, not just science. It includes collaborative space for student study or special projects, office space for faculty and departmental needs, and common space to provide both students and faculty with the opportunity to engage and interact.

Science was the essential catalyst for the project, of course. Four antiquated labs in a structure more than 50 years old placed huge demands on SG’s science faculty and their students in the run-up to creating a new facility. But the rewards in its completion go beyond, and transcend any single department. Conceived as a building for all students, the structure provides an outlet for the school community at an academic level similar to what the Hamblet Campus Center and the Hill Library provide in social terms — a place as serious in its educational message as it is inspiring in its aesthetic and civic character.

Dean of Academics Christopher Shaw, along with fellow history teacher John Roeser, teaches advanced economics in a duPont classroom. Remarking on how the building came to be recognized universally as the Academic Center, he said, “It speaks to the fact that, while science really does dominate the new lab classrooms on the eastern side, on the western side we’ve got French, we’ve got history, certainly plenty of mathematics, we’ve got economics — and what that feels like is that the building really is housing the heart of the academic experience for many students.”

Still, he is quick to qualify that claim by putting it in the broader context of all the academic venues on campus. Plans to renovate and refurbish Memorial Schoolhouse, for example, are as vibrant as ever, and the pressing need to address that historic structure with an earnest dose of capital renewal remains vital. “I don’t think that the Academic Center will ever displace the Schoolhouse,” he said.

“But I do think that the Schoolhouse has become a place where kids love to see St. George’s past. The Academic Center is clearly its future. And once both buildings are finished — once the Hill Library, and the Drury/Grosvenor Arts Center, and the Schoolhouse and the Academic Center can stand as the four pillars, as it were, with the Schoolhouse and the Chapel in the center, as it was always designed to be — that’s going to feel extraordinary, because the Academic Center has enabled us to do things that we never thought possible.”

To be sure, some of those things are as fundamental as they get. From the

science corner, chemistry teacher Scott Stachelhaus, Ph.D. may have been speaking on behalf of everyone on the faculty who calls the Academic Center home base when he said, “It does not dramatically change what I’ve done, but the new building has made me do what I do better.

The flexibility here is great, and it is one of the strengths of St. George’s in general, from a faculty perspective, to do what you do best. We have the freedom to do that, and now we have a facility that backs that up.”

And students genuinely want to be there. Science teacher Holly Williams asked a group of seniors in her advanced biology DNA lab why they had elected to take the course, and in all honesty they had to admit that beyond the course content, they longed for a class in the new building. Even those without an agenda there flock to the Academic Center routinely. Fourthformer Isabelle Kitchel said, “I think it’s really nice to have the atrium where everyone can study. I come here in my free period, and during study hall a lot of students do too, and you can get work done and see other people in a great space that is respectfully quiet.”

It is a place where, in the words of physics teacher Devon Ducharme, “the possibilities to do new things are boundless.” Those possibilities were built in from the ground up — developed early on in the planning stages, folded into the construction phase, and now realized in practice. Addressing the Alumni Board of Visitors as they gathered in the Academic Center atrium last fall, Director of Operations George Staples proudly dubbed it the crowning achievement of his time at St. George’s. It was done well, and done right.

And now it is time to finish paying for this treasure, so that St. George’s can continue to move forward, to take on other projects vital to the health and functionality of the school’s physical plant. Currently, outstanding debt on the Academic Center is being carried by a combination of private placement bonds and a previously existing line of credit.

At the top of the school’s capital agenda is remunerating that debt.

A handful of generous leadership donors gave substance to this capital enterprise at the outset and others have stepped up since, even as bridge financing has brought the building itself to physical fruition. In these pages we would like to highlight three in particular, whose interest in the project and willingness to underscore that commitment with investment in a naming opportunity will cement their contributions in perpetuity.

DaVe MCelHinny ’71, p’10 tHe staples ConFerenCe rooM Former SG Board member Dave McElhinny ’71, P’10 has donated gifts in kind from his Westbrook, Maine-based glass and architectural metal fabrication company SIGCO in the form of glass packages for three significant campus projects, culminating in the Academic Center.

On naming the facility’s glass “fishbowl” conference room in honor of a friend and colleague, he remarked, “I am the middle member of a three-generation St. George’s family.

My father Wilson graduated in 1949, my daughter Taylor in 2010. It is an honor to give back to a place that has meant so much to our family. My board tenure coincided with significant renovations to the Hill Library and the Brown Center, and then to construction of the new Academic Center. I was privileged to participate in each of these projects. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to name my recent Academic Center gift in honor of my great friend and the school’s talented and committed Director of Operations George Staples.”

aMBrose K. Monell ’72, p’99, ’11 tHe Monell laBoratory Ambrose Monell ’72, P’99, ’11 has been a consistent donor to the St. George’s Fund and a number of capital initiatives on the Hilltop for more than 20 years. He is the father of two former Dragons, Maia Monell ’11 and Nina Monell Morton ’99. His interest in the Academic Center project extends to early planning sessions in 2009, following which he helped fund a science feasibility study before the design phase of the new facility commenced. A trustee emeritus at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., and a sitting trustee at the Wildlife Conservation Society, his dedication to the natural sciences and particularly marine science is genuine and well established. So, too, is his ongoing leadership support of the science program at St. George’s. He is president and director at both the Ambrose K. Monell Foundation and the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation. By way of a gift facilitated through the Monell Foundation he endorsed his support of the Academic Center with a first-floor laboratory dedicated in his family’s name.

ViCtoria anD Julio rios p’16, ’19 tHe rios ConserVatory Current parents Victoria and Julio Rios P’16, ’19 have been loyal donors to St. George’s throughout the course of their two daughters’ time on the Hilltop.

Their enthusiasm for the school is infectious and they have brought that resolve to bear in their participation on the Parents Committee and in their steadfast promotion of the Academic Center and the campaign to fund it. On Feb. 17 in a dedication ceremony attended by fellow parents, faculty and other members of the school community, the facility’s Plant Room was formally designated the Rios Conservatory. “Our gift and naming opportunity will serve, on an ongoing basis, as a source of encouragement to other donors to support the campaign,” they said.

The descriptive plaque reads: “The Rios Conservatory was made possible by the generous donation of Julio and Victoria Rios, parents of Catherine Rios ’16 and Caroline Rios ’19.”

Academic Center naming opportunities are available at many levels.

St. George’s invites you to consider your own participation in funding this vital project with a contribution that will make you forever a part of its enduring legacy.

Perry H. O’Neal ’48 — Planned Giving

Trustee news The St. George’s Board of Trustees welcomed two new members to its ranks in October as the current 2016-17 school year got under way, having said goodbye to five retiring members the previous June.

Joining the board is Fraser L. Hunter Jr. ’84, partner and vice chair in the securities division at WilmerHale, a leading full-service international law firm. Since entering private practice in 1993, Fraser has represented a variety of accounting firms, broker-dealers, hedge funds, investment banks and other financial institutions in a broad range of complex litigation, regulatory and enforcement capacities. He earned his B.A. from Brown University in 1988 and his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1992. He is a long-serving SG class volunteer.

Joining the board along with Fraser is Anthony R. Mayer ’81, founder and president of Captiva Resources, Inc., a Denver, Colo.-based oil and gas exploration and production company, and founder and owner of ARTA Tequila, a premium craft tequila distiller with multi-state distribution. He is a trustee at the JFM Foundation and a trustee as well at the Delisa and Anthony Mayer Foundation, active in the areas of art and education.

Board members who retired in June include five

familiar stalwarts whom we will miss in their roles as trustees and whose service should be recognized by the SG community. Johnathan T. Isham, Jr. ’78 joined the board in 2009. He chaired the Education Committee, served on the Religious Life Committee, and was a frequent and dedicated Dragon Weeks caller. Arthur Lee P’14,’16 joined the board in 2013.

He served on the Student Life Committee, the Religious Life Committee, and the Planning Advisory Committee for the current capital campaign.

Christopher B. Sarofim ’82 joined the board in 2007. He served on the Education, Investment, and Operations committees, and through the years he has been a loyal and generous benefactor — already, in fact, a member of the Diman Society for lifetime giving to St. George’s. Robin Grace Warren P’15 joined the board in 2013. She served on the Advancement and Student Life committees and, along with husband Fred, generously supported the China Immersion Program and the MerckHorton Center. Finally, David A. McElhinny ’71, P’10 joined the board in 2011. He chaired the Operations Committee and served on the Compensation, Executive, Finance and Strategic Planning committees. He also was a member of the capital campaign Planning Advisory Committee and Steering Committee.

Devotion to a cause and thinking pragmatically before life catches up are a win-win when it comes to making the most of one’s giving potential early on. Witness Perry H. O’Neal ’48, who died May 14, 2016.

He was a dedicated class agent, a St. George’s trustee from 1995 until 2002, and a generous donor in his time. Of note, he was a member of SG’s Ogden Nash Society by way of two Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) set up on behalf of the school — one in 1997, the other in 2001.

On the occasion of the first trust, O’Neal said, “A CRT enabled me to transfer low-cost stock to a trustee, who could sell it without a capital gains tax, provide increased income to me for the rest of my life, and ultimately give something more substantial than I thought possible to St. George’s.” In due course St. George’s received $134,189 from the 1997 trust, and $420,780 from the 2001 trust, all of it earmarked for endowment through the Campus Life Project.

Currently the St. George’s Ogden Nash Society includes some 200 members who have made special provisions to support the school in their estate plans.

For more information about planned giving opportunities and bequests, contact the Advancement office at 1-888-ICALLSG (422-5574).

ADVANCEMENT NEWS

Receptions and Events The 2016-17 school year has been a busy one socially for the greater St. George’s community in gatherings far and wide. Our kick-off reception took place at Greenvale Vineyards in nearby Portsmouth, R.I., on Thursday, Sept. 15, hosted by Nancy Parker Wilson ’77. More than 120 guests showed up to enjoy a selection of the vineyards’ own locally produced wines and to hear Head of School Eric Peterson launch the new year.

Two weeks later on Thursday, Sept. 29, the Advancement Office and the Parents Committee with Shelley and Nick Schorsch P’18 welcomed new parents at a reception in Newport’s Audrain Automobile Museum featuring more than 125 guests.

On Monday, Oct. 10, SG Trustee Stanton McLean ’90 hosted two dozen in London, England, at the 5 Hertford Street club. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, fellow SG Trustee David Randall ’82, P’18 and his wife Nancy hosted alums, parents and friends at the Bayou Club in Houston, Texas.

The annual New York City reception hosted by SG Trustee Joe Hoopes ’62 on the evening of Nov. 1 at the New York Yacht Club saw the highest turnout ever for the popular event, with more than 220 guests in attendance.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, Paget Reed Bahr ’86 hosted a reception at the Chicago Racquet Club.

Farther afield, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, Trustee Jennifer Shin P’17, along with Kangki Lee and Yoon Kyung Cho P’18, welcomed the Petersons and a group of St. George’s Korean parents to Seoungbokdong in Seoul, Korea.

Other gatherings have included a reception in Austin, Texas, on Friday, Jan. 20, hosted by St. George’s; a reception at the Mira Winery Tasting

enjoying the Greenvale Vineyards reception with Head of school eric peterson are (left to right) Zulekha and stephen ludwig p’18, and parents Committee chairs Francis and lisa Molinari p’16, ’18

Room in Charleston, S.C., on Thursday, Feb. 2, hosted by Dawn and Bear Dyke ’87; and a reception at the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday, Feb. 28, hosted by Christopher and Binkie McSweeney Orthwein ’94.

upcoming receptions The Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Tuesday, March 14 (St. George’s) The Presidio Social Club, San Francisco, Wednesday, March 15 (St. George’s) The Somerset Club, Boston, Thursday, April 6 (Kathy and George Putnam P’11) The Carlson residence, Washington, D.C., Wednesday, April 12 (Susie ’87 and Tucker Carlson ’87, P’15, ’18 and Ann and Welles Orr ’78, P’18) The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Bermuda, Tuesday, April 18 (Calista and Jamie Todd P’18) The Scully residence, Glen Cove/Locust Valley, N.Y., Thursday, April 27 (David and Lisa Colgate Scully ’81, P’15, ’18, ’19)

supporting the programs and people that have helped st. George’s become one of the leading independent schools in the country. already this school year, more than 1,000 alumni, parents, grandparents and friends have supported the st. GeorGe’s FunD, which directly benefits current and future students. if you would like to participate, visit www.stgeorges.edu/support/gift. the sG Fund closes on June 30, 2017. thank you!

To make a gift using your mobile device, use your QR reader app to photograph this code. If you do not have a QR code reader, visit your app store.

Your dollars help support off-campus March programming Typically St. George’s offers experiential learning opportunities for students beyond the pastoral confines of the Hilltop during the March break, and this year is no exception.

forms — our Rogers Scholars — as they encounter federal lawmakers, policy experts, advisors, pollsters and strategists face to face, and observe the Washington scene at a decidedly historic time in our political history.

Global Studies Senior Seminar in Vietnam

VERSLO in Reykjavik, Iceland

History and English teacher Jake Westermann’s yearlong senior seminar in Global Studies will go truly global when Jake, history teacher Sarah Mongan, and Director of Diversity and science teacher Kim Bullock accompany 16 students to Vietnam March 10-20. The group will split their time between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The itinerary will include day excursions to local villages, and a trip along the Mekong River Delta to visit rural Vietnam. Student research topics may include climate change and adaptation in Vietnam, global trade in Southeast Asia, civil rights in Vietnam, urban development, a domestic economy that embraces both communism and capitalism, and modern-day diplomatic relations with the United States.

Assistant Dean of Students and history teacher Hannah O’Brien and Director of Student Activities Mary O’Connor will accompany nine students on a weeklong trip to Iceland March 11-18 hosted by SG’s partner school VERSLO. The visit will include time in the city of Reykjavik at VERSLO observing the school in session, and a more far-ranging tour of rural Iceland to experience the Land of Fire and Ice firsthand.

Rogers Scholars D.C. For the third time in as many years the William S.R. Rogers Endowment for Public Policy Studies will usher a group of St. George’s history and government students into the heart of Washington, D.C. for a behind-the-scenes tour of U.S. policy making, organized and hosted by lobbyist Jeff Kimbell ’89 and a team of his fellow SG alumni and Washington colleagues. Amid an action-packed four-day itinerary March 12-15, Director of Alumni Relations Bill Douglas and history teacher Jim Connor will accompany 10 students from the fourth, fifth and sixth

Geronimo home this spring, to Quebec City this summer!

SG’s flagship Geronimo with a crew of eight St. George’s students and four paid hands slid into La Phare Bleu Marina in Petite Calivigny Bay at the south end of Grenada on the afternoon of Dec. 9, 2016. In doing so she wound up a 3,031-mile transatlantic passage from the Canary Islands, and completed the final phase of the vessel’s first-ever two-year circumnavigation of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. She spent 13 months traversing the full length of the Med in a series of point-to-point legs enjoyed by a succession of student, faculty and staff participants.

Now Geronimo is in Puerto Rico following a winter cruise from Grenada to the Virgin Islands by way of St. Martin and the Leeward Islands. Up next is a week-long exploration of Puerto Rico and the outlying isles of Cule-

bra and Vieques, to take place March 20-27. The return trip to the U.S. East Coast and Newport is scheduled for April and May. But wait, there’s more! This summer from June 21 to July 20, 2017, Geronimo will be participating in a North American leg of Sail Training International’s annual Tall Ship racing series. The event will feature more than 50 entrants from around the world, including vessels similar to Geronimo in size and design from the U.K., Finland, Belgium, Germany and Latvia. Organized by Sail Training International in association with Le Rendez-Vous Naval de Quebec and the SAIL Boston summer festival, the program will begin in Boston, Mass., and include fleet racing from Boston to Nova Scotia, Canada. Following the race, participants will spend the next three weeks cruising through the Canadian Maritimes en route to Quebec City some 300 nautical miles up the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Tech and Innovation Scholars Program — San Francisco Ten students, accompanied by Director of Signature Programs and French teacher Allison de Horsey and Director of the Merck-Horton Center Dr. Tom Callahan, will travel to San Francisco and Silicon Valley March 11-16 to meet with professionally engaged SG alumni and to visit the Stanford Design School. Participants will learn about tech start-ups, seed money, the role of venture capitalists, and product innovation from conception to launch. Design-process activities are planned at Apple, Turo and Stanford.

Alumni Board of Visitors November recap The SG Alumni Board of Visitors (ABOV) held their fall meeting on Nov. 12, 2016 during Middlesex Weekend, bookended by the Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday evening and an afternoon of athletic competitions across the campus on Saturday afternoon. Fifty-six members of the volunteer alumni group gathered in the Academic Center on Saturday to hear about the state of the school and to connect to the St. George’s community in their roles as ambassadors.

Presided over by moderator and CoChair Jeff Kimbell ’89, along with fellow Co-Chair Stew Strawbridge ’94 and Vice-Chair Susie Carlson ’87, P’15, ’18, the information-rich program included remarks by Head of School Eric Peterson, and presentations by Director of Admission Ryan Mulhern ’91 (enrollment), Director of Operations George Staples (physical plant and facilities update), Trustee Dana Schmaltz ’85, P’17, ’20 (school finances report and an update on the new head of school search), and a panel of faculty and current students who provided an overview of SG’s

signature academic programs.

Attendees came away universally reaffirmed as to the strength of the school and the importance of ongoing alumni involvement and support. They provided feedback by responding to a post-game evaluation and offering heartfelt comments about presentation content. On a scale of 1 to 5, evaluation marks fell solidly in the 4.5-5 range.

Comments shed light on what worked well and what might serve as grist for further discussion at the next ABOV gathering scheduled for May. Top take-aways ran the gamut. Eric Peterson’s remarks on the heels of a difficult year emphasized how the culture of the school has come to reflect the unqualified validation of community standards, personal respect among students and adults, and best practices in the realms of safety and security.

George Staples was heralded for his comprehensive presentation of the challenges facing the physical plant posed by climate and depreciation every year, and the successes we’ve all witnessed recently across the campus

Head of school eric peterson addresses the alumni Board of Visitors in the academic Center atrium as they work through their active november agenda

including construction of the Academic Center itself. Honest, transparent portrayals of the states of the Admission and Finance departments were received with thoughtful appreciation. Finally, attendees could not compliment our students enough on their poise and talent as emissaries for SG’s expanded curriculum.

Seeing how much a dedicated group of volunteers can absorb and digest in a well-structured, four-hour session bodes well for further discussion and perhaps even some drilling down when the Board of Visitors next meets on Thursday, May 18, just prior to the kick-off of Alumni Weekend.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. George’s School

P.O. Box 1910 Newport, Rhode Island 02840 401-847-7565 • stgeorges.edu

Geronimo lies at anchor off Fuerteventura, the second largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, prior to her late-autumn transatlantic passage to the Caribbean and subsequent landfall at Grenada in the Windward Islands

Ascalon is published annually by the St. George’s Advancement Office.

The Editorial Board welcomes your comments.

Upcoming events

ROBERT WESTON, Associate Head of School

Sunday, April 23

for External Affairs robert_weston@stgeorges.edu

st. George’s Day

CINDY MARTIN, Associate Director of Advancement cindy_martin@stgeorges.edu

Monday, April 24

Keep in touCH

QUENTIN WARREN, Advancement Editor

quentin_warren@stgeorges.edu BILL DOUGLAS, Director of Alumni Relations

bill_douglas@stgeorges.edu SUZANNE MCGRADY, Director of

Communications & Marketing suzanne_mcgrady@stgeorges.edu DIANNE REED, Communications Associate dianne_reed@stgeorges.edu

Cover photo: Science teacher Holly Williams (second from left) conducts a hands-on photosynthesis workshop in her Academic Center lab with (left to right) third-formers Lekha Sapers, Alafair Cutler and Aristo Wang

Dragon Dash - 5K Fun run with Color

st. George’s Day of Giving

Join the Friends of the Chapel Repair and restoration of the Chapel’s distinctive teak doors and their wroughtiron hardware and leather ornamentation commenced over the summer. By late fall, Phase One was complete, including the North and South Slype doors, the Architect’s Door and the Altar Door.

Seven more doors in Phase Two await restoration. Thus far, the Friends of the St. George’s Chapel have contributed nearly $84,000 to the $150,000 project.

Funding for repair and restoration throughout the great building continues to be a pressing priority for St. George’s.

Not in the operating budget or fully endowed, Chapel restoration is made possible by the ongoing commitment of the Friends of the Chapel and by individual donations. If you would like to become a Friend and contribute to the door project, or assist the Chapel in any way, please visit www.stgeorges.edu/support.

Thursday, May 18 alumni Board of Visitors meeting Friday, May 19-Sunday, May 21 alumni weekend Monday, May 29 prize Day Thursday, Sept. 7 Convocation Friday, Sept 8 First Day of Classes Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7 Family weekend