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Notebook
Foxcroft Notebook
Wintermission Pivots to WeekendMission
A weeklong departure from their normal class schedule, Wintermission offers students an opportunity to enjoy an immersive experience exploring new topics and developing new skills outside of the classroom. With the academic schedule adjustments and distance learning periods in place during COVID, we were charged with reimagining Wintermission to give students the same opportunities for experiential learning — and so WeekendMission came to be. Our “mission” remained the same, but the ways we achieved it were a bit different.
WEEKENDMISSION Using innovative teaching practices and taking advantage of the uniquely beautiful setting of Foxcroft and our regional resources, WeekendMission provided students with the opportunity for choice, exploration, and the development of real-world skills.
Each weekend, members of the faculty offered classes, workshops, or experiences from one of seven areas of focus: Wellness, Service, Civil Discourse, Environmental Stewardship, STEAM, Life Skills, and Stretching Your Comfort Zone.
Students earned badges for eight accrued hours — or certificates of accomplishment for 18 accrued hours — to a given area of exploration, acknowledging their work toward gaining skills in one or more of these seven non-academic fields. Both recognitions were intended to encourage students to engage with on-campus activities and to tie together the School’s vision, WinterMission, and our goals for community engagement. EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT Environmental Stewardship was a popular WeekendMission topic with activities that got girls outside and into the fresh air while prompting exploration of our spectacular campus by hiking, mapping our trails, identifying wildlife habitats, and gardening.
TRAINING VOICES FOR GOOD Civil Discourse opportunities ranged from participating in the Empowering Female Voices program (see article on page 16 of this issue) and Model UN debates, learning what it was like for faculty members to live under a dictatorship abroad, or even challenging the idea of social norms after watching and discussing an episode of “The Twilight Zone” to develop the skills required for exchanging ideas respectfully.
STRETCHING YOUR COMFORT ZONE Some of the classes provided crossover benefits by satisfying requirements for more than one area of focus. Girls who participated in the basic car maintenance class not only learned those valuable life skills, they might have also stretched their comfort zone when they successfully changed a flat tire or been enlightened about the inherent STEAM aspects involved in anything automotive.
AND SO MUCH MORE ... Our girls enjoyed a wide range of fun, engaging, and enlightening experiences that expanded their horizons. Whether they attended yoga, hooping, juggling, and walking the tightrope classes, or workshopped the art of storytelling, artistic expression of rap and graffiti, or photo editing skills in Adobe Lightroom, all in all, it was a terrific way to reimagine experiential learning.
Sports Shorts
Concluding a successful fall season, rider VIRGINIA BONNIE ’22 and her horse, Efodea, had an excellent showing in October at The National Horse Show in Kentucky where they placed 4th out of 24 competitors in the $25,000 SJHF Jr/AO Grand Prix. Well done, Virginia!
Two members of the Class of 2021 recently participated in an on-campus signing event.
A talented goalie who racked up five saves in the quarterfinal game in 2019 to ensure Foxcroft’s entry into the “final four” of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division II Lacrosse state tournament for the first time in three years, JULIA GARRISON ’21 confirmed her commitment to play lacrosse at The College of Wooster.
ELSIE ROSE ’21, a tough and hard-working defender, confirmed her commitment to play field hockey at
Gettysburg College. An integral member of
Foxcroft's field hockey team,
Elsie was also a part of the
USA Field Hockey Futures program from 2018 to 2020.
Congratulations Julia and Elsie!
Foxcroft Campus Declared a National Wildlife Federation Habitat
Last fall, students worked with faculty members Beth O’Quinn and Dr. Meghen Tuttle to have Foxcroft’s campus designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Using a checklist provided by the NWF, students hiked through the fields and woods down to Goose Creek identifying all of the elements necessary to certify the campus: sources of food, water, and shelter, and places for animals to raise young, as well as confirming the use of sustainable practices on campus. Students who participated also earned Environmental Stewardship WeekendMission credit.
“Not surprisingly, this stunning property that is home to many of us for much of the year is also home to an abundance of native wildlife,” commented Claire Healy ’21. “It was easy to see that everything these creatures need to survive and thrive exists here at Foxcroft.”
The findings were submitted to the NWF and the certification request was approved. The School now proudly displays two beautiful new signs (one is by the front door of Court and the other is back by the vegetable garden) telling all who visit that Foxcroft has been officially approved by the NWF as a Certified Wildlife Habitat!
Performing Arts in the Time of COVID: Foxcroft Inducts First Class of International Thespian Society Members
Clockwise from the back: Seniors Teagan Skinner, Hays Turner, Harriet Brown, Jennifer Cramer, Julia Garrison, Gracie Schriner, and (not pictured) Bianca McNeely are the inaugural inductees to Foxcroft’s official troupe of the International Thespian Society. In a year of adaptation and innovation, what better field than the arts to employ creative thinking and perseverance. The Fall Revue was reimagined for a socially distanced outdoor venue and Theater Production students perfected the art of their monologues for a virtual performance of “Talking With…”
This year Foxcroft also became an official member of the International Thespian Society (ITS), the only theater honor society for middle and high school students. The School's troupe inducted its first seven members. The inductees are all seniors who have shown excellence in either on-stage performance (Jennifer Cramer and Teagan Skinner), highly-acclaimed involvement in the technical crew (Hays Turner, Bianca McNeely, and Gracie Schriner), or both (Julia Garrison and Harriet Brown). All performed at least 100 hours of community service each in the theater during their time at Foxcroft.
Founded in 1929, the International Thespian Society was created to honor excellence in performance arts and celebrate young thespians. The honor society recognizes the importance of participation in theater by actors and backstage participants.
Using One Project to Enhance Another: Claire Healy ’21 Studies Microplastics in Local Waterways
“It was an incredible opportunity to explore the stunning melting pot of nature available at our fingertips,” declared CLAIRE HEALY ’21 after working on the project to have Foxcroft's campus designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. I’m studying the amount of plastic pollution, specifically microplastics, in our local waterways. I was able to collect four water samples down at Goose Creek which I analyzed with the help of [STEM teachers] Dr. Tuttle and Ms. Bowser!”
Seniors DAMI OGUNMOLA and ELIKEM KALITSI, junior MARLOW BUCKNER, and sophomore JOHANNA BERRY participated in the NAIS Online Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) this past December. Held annually in conjunction with the NAIS People of Color Conference, SDLC is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of student leaders in grades 9-12 from across the United States and abroad. This year’s theme was entitled: “Keeping it Real in Independent Schools.”
Focusing on self-reflection, forming allies, and building community, students worked to develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.
“In discussions around difficult topics like racial discrimination, I had the chance to open up and share my own experiences,” reflected Dami, who went on to say, “Through listening to the differing experiences and ideas of my peers, I was able to learn about the diversity within each community as well as how to be a better ally to other communities. Though at times it was difficult to be vulnerable with people I had just met, through sharing my experiences and hearing others’ experiences, I ultimately learned a lot and had an enriching experience. I truly enjoyed the discussions as they encouraged me to assess issues from a different lens, and thus allowed me to learn more.”
Foxcroft’s Director of Access and Inclusion and Senior Associate Director of Enrollment Lauren Lewis served as the School’s liaison between our students and SDLC.
DAMI OGUNMOLA ELIKEM KALITSI MARLOW BUCKNER JOHANNA BERRY
A Thousand Words
A Small Commencement and a Mighty Gift
Commencement for the Class of 2020 was delayed from the traditional May ceremony to a more COVID-19 compliant one this past August, and though it was smaller than usual, for those in attendance the joy of being together in Miss Charlotte's Garden was unmistakable. The vision and thoughtfulness shown in their Class Gift — funding for a diversity education program to help their peers to become strong, understanding, and empathetic leaders — raised spirits amid this challenging pandemic. Their gift was used this past December when Thyannda Mack, founder of Inclusive Resolutions, LLC, held a workshop with students aimed at understanding their own experiences, beliefs, biases, and how they may affect interactions with others.
Speak to Me
Foxcroft virtually hosted several guest speakers last fall with two — Thyannda Mack and Dr. Marcia Chatelain — talking to our community more than once! Mack offered a series of identity workshops to students, as well as faculty and staff, while Dr. Chatelain used vignettes in history to discuss opportunities and strategies for community change and growth in her Goodyear presentation to the entire Foxcroft community, and in multiple workshops with students, employees, and alumnae.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Marcia Chatelain, PhD
Professor of History & African American Studies 2020 Alison Harrison Goodyear ’29 Fellow
SEPTEMBER 2020
Deborah Lee James
Author & 23rd Secretary of the Air Force 2020 Alison Harrison Goodyear ’29 Fellow
OCTOBER 2020
Teresa “Tess” Mackey ’11
Program Manager Sargasso Sea Commission Marine Biology Club Speaker
DECEMBER 2020
Thyannda Mack
Founder of Inclusive Resolutions, LLC Presented identity workshop for students
APRIL 2021
Sarah Kay
Spoken Word Poet Paul K. Bergan Poetry Festival Visiting Poet
APRIL 2021
Rachel Means ’08
Mixed Media Artist Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Arts Lecture Series Artist
APRIL 2021
Andrea Ewing Reid ’80
Physician and Teacher at Harvard Medical School Alumnae Career Day Keynote
…and Honors
For the third academic year in a row, Foxcroft has received an AP Female Diversity Award. This time, as one of two schools in Virginia and 56 in the world to earn the prestigious College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award in both AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) courses.
Senior SCARLETT DONG (below left) and Class of 2020 graduate KENZIE GREEN both achieved the rare status of National AP Scholar and led a group of 25 Foxcroft girls that earned 2020 AP Scholar Awards from the College Board for outstanding achievement on Advanced Placement exams. To earn National Scholar designation, students must earn an average grade of at least 4 (out of 5) on all AP exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of the tests. Altogether 14 current students and 11 alumnae collected AP Scholar honors, marking the 17th consecutive year that Foxcroft has reached double-digits and the fifth consecutive year that Foxcroft has had National Scholars.
JENNIFER CRAMER ’21 (above right) was recognized last fall as a National Merit Commended Scholar. Of the 1.5 million students throughout the nation who took the 2019 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, roughly 34,000 were recognized as Commended Students for their exceptional academic promise.
Art to Inspire
DAMI OGUNMOLA ’21 received a 2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards National Silver Medal for her mixed media piece "Don't Touch My Hair." Her portfolio, "Metamorphosis," which won a Silver Key in the regional competition, was also featured on the Scholastic Region-at-Large blog.
Foxcroft had a strong showing in this year’s Scholastic competition, with four of our students’ 18 regionally recognized submissions receiving Gold Keys and advancing to the national competition. Those Gold Key winners included Dami’s “Don’t Touch My Hair,” along with “Defiant” by senior ELLEN BURKE (sculpture), “The Best of Both Worlds” by junior NATALIE CHIAO (digital art), and “Tree Teapot” by junior JORDAN MICHLOWITZ (ceramics).
Dami also collected two of Foxcroft’s seven regional Silver Keys, one each for her art portfolio and mixed media submissions. Silver Keys also went to Jordan and fellow junior CLARE THOMAS (ceramics), as well as sophomore HELEN VENTIKOS and freshman CLAIRE MUNOZ (photography). Writer TAMI FAMEWO ’21 received a Silver Key for her flash fiction.
Honorable Mentions were earned by writers AVERY HAZARD ’23 (poetry collection) and AMELIA FORTSCH ’22 (personal essay), as well as artists NIA DOWLING ’22 and EMMA NORTHRUP ’21 (photography) and ELSIE ROSE ’21 (mixed media). Dami earned an Honorable Mention for printmaking in addition to her Gold and Silver Keys.
Among the artistic luminaries who have served as judges are Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Nikki Giovanni, and Roz Chast. The list of past winners is equally impressive with Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Sylvia Plath, and filmmaker Ken Burns — as well as Foxcroft Fine Arts teacher Karin Thorndike.
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1. “Don’t Touch My Hair” Mixed Media National Silver Medal and Regional Gold Key, by Dami Ogunmola ’21.
2. “Defiant” Sculpture Regional Gold Key, by Ellen Burke ’21.
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3. “The Best of Both Worlds” Digital Art Regional Gold Key, by Natalie Chiao ’22.
4. “Tree Teapot” Ceramics Regional Gold Key, by Jordan Michlowitz ’22.
