The Time is Now to Build for Our Future

The time is now to

Build for Our Future

A sneak peek at the plans to renovate Schoolhouse and the Music Building and to construct a Performing Arts Center and STEAM Wing.

By Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement

Open the door of the World Cultures class on the first floor of Schoolhouse and you will see girls gathered in a circle working collaboratively as they problem-solve a recent assignment. Walk down the black and white floor past the portrait of our School’s founder, Miss Charlotte, and into FoxHound Auditorium where the notes of a piano concerto greet you and invite you to listen in the open room hung with green velvet curtains and adorned with boards where sermons and hymn numbers were posted in yesteryear. Today, a music lesson occupies this well-loved space. Tomorrow, a dramatic reading or lines from the upcoming play may ring out from its wooden stage. Climb the stairway to the second floor and run your hands over the carved boards with the names of every graduate since the research and technology have advanced and the context for learning has changed over time, with the exception of a few minor renovations, Schoolhouse has remained much the same as when it was built in 1951. Through the incredible support of generous donors over the last decade, we have constructed or renovated almost every other building on campus as was called for in the 2003 Campus Master Plan. Now, as directed by the Board and the updated 2016 Campus Master Plan, it is time to address the building at the core of

School’s founding in 1914. Descend the well-worn stairs, where the middle of the tread dips from the footsteps of previous generations, and stroll along the cream concrete corridors where brightly colored artwork depicting a dog’s nervous system or a seahorse’s internal anatomy is painted on the walls. This is Schoolhouse, Foxcroft’s hub of learning. This is where academic challenges and learning opportunities meet creativity and exploration. This is where young minds are stretched and skills are developed that empower each student to reach her personal best. It is within these walls that young leaders develop the confidence and courage to impact their future and the world. It is where we live out our mission and our promises.

For seven decades, Schoolhouse has stood in the center of campus as the heart of learning at Foxcroft. Even as

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1 Existing Schoolhouse 2 Performing Arts Center 3 STEAM Wing 4 Music Building 4

our mission. Now it is time to turn our attention and philanthropic resources to Schoolhouse and its adjacent buildings.

Foxcroft is a leader in innovative educational programming for girls. The Building for Our Future campaign, also affectionately referred to as the Schoolhouse project, includes the renovation of our academic building and the Music Building and calls for the construction of a Performing Arts Center and STEAM Wing, and will address future needs by providing the

3 Planning Today for Foxcroft's Tomorrows

resources, technology, and physical spaces to better reflect our pedagogy of holistic learning as well as the latest tools so that our teachers can continue to deliver a transformative education to our students. Essentially, this initiative will enhance the Foxcroft experience by creating both learning and community environments that better reflect our adaptive, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and hands-on programming. It will create flexible spaces that will support teaching and learning for today and in the future, and it will enable us to continue to attract qualified students and talented faculty and give them the resources they need to excel.

The first phase of the four-phase Schoolhouse project is already underway with the renovation of the Music Building that began in April 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for larger, flexible spaces became apparent as we sought to be in-person during the 20202021 academic year.

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Continued from page 21. To meet this need and with initial gifts received in support of this project, work on the Music Building was accelerated to create more adaptable community spaces for classes and to accommodate larger groups of students.

The Schoolhouse Project will breathe new life into spaces that are fundamental to the fulfillment of our mission and values. It will allow us to continue to graduate well-rounded, highly educated members of a global community with the skills necessary to fill leadership roles, address realworld problems, and make a positive impact on the world now and in the future. It will ensure that the spirit of the shared memories of every Foxcroft alumnae, whose voices filled those halls and classrooms as they went

To find out more about this project, share your thoughts and Schoolhouse stories, or make a gift in support of the Music Building, please email campaign@foxcroft.org or call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 540.687.4510.

Scan this QR code to hear some beautiful performances from within the newly renovated space and for more information on the Music Building project.

about their academic day, will continue for generations to come. It will secure Foxcroft as a leader in educating girls.

Stay tuned for further information on this project and how you can participate in making this vision become a reality. It will take all of us, working as a community, to bring this much-needed renovation and construction to fruition. •

Morgan Myers

Voice Instructor and Music Coordinator

Meet some new faces

Hometown: Rogersville, TN Education: B.M., Middle Tennessee State University; M.M. and D.M.A. in Voice Performance, Shenandoah Conservatory Greatest hope for students: That they grow as musicians and performers, apply the skills they develop through lessons and ensemble participation to whatever paths they take in their futures. What excites me about the future of Foxcroft: Our students' willingness to explore, jump into new opportunities, and continuously adapt. With this approach, the possibilities for them and the growth of Foxcroft are limitless.

Special skill I share with students: That I have been in their shoes and there are many advantages to creating and sharing through musical expression.