Where Our Future Lies

Schoolhouse and Beyond

Creative Spaces to Learn, Lead, and Connect

By Marion L. Couzens, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

Schoolhouse. One building with so much history. What do you envision when you think of Schoolhouse? The wooden boards that list every graduate since 1914? The black and white tiled hallway on the first floor that students have tread since the building opened in 1951? The front doors that are often the first spot tagged during Fox/ Hound Banner Runnings? Perhaps your memories include being one of the first students in the new science wing built in 1979, leaning out a second-story window to test the laws of physics in an egg drop competition during Pi Day Celebrations, or acting on stage in FoxHound Auditorium for the first time.

As education has evolved, so have the uses for various spaces in Schoolhouse. Not too long ago, the entire first floor was o ces. Now, classrooms also occupy space as we have intentionally put learning front and center. During the pandemic, we reconfigured secondfloor spaces to accommodate physical distancing and larger classes. This work was in keeping with plans for the future, just accelerated to meet the needs of the last two years. But no matter how we juggle space or adjust our class sizes, there is only so much that can be done to this aging building. Thus, it is time. Time to give Schoolhouse the makeover it needs and deserves as the heart of all things academic on our campus. Time to turn our attention to providing the best spaces for music, the arts and sciences, and math. Time to focus on Building for Our Future!

During Reunion Weekend this April, Kate Hastings ’78, Chair of the Board of Trustees, along with Kaye Durham ’81 and Elizabeth Lester Piotraschke ’88, Campaign Co-chairs, announced the public launch of the $65 million Building for Our Future Campaign to renovate Schoolhouse and the Music Building and to construct a performing arts center and STEAM wing (see photos on page 35). Speaking to the crowd gathered at Friday evening’s Welcome Reception, Kate stated, “This is where our future lies. As you look around you, imagine an updated Schoolhouse with rooms and areas that provide the resources, technology, and physical spaces to better reflect our pedagogy and curriculum; a Music Building brought back to its original purpose; a new performing arts center; and a STEAM wing that brings science, technology, engineering, art, and math front and center.”

The vision for our campus is one of growth and progress. Today our curriculum is designed intentionally for how girls learn best: through context, collaboration, relationships, and solving real-world problems. Creating learning spaces that can support these instructional practices for girls is our top priority for this campaign.

The Building for our Future Campaign will advance Foxcroft’s commitment to its mission and allow for investment in the places and the purposes that help to educate, inspire, and empower women leaders. The campaign will span approximately ten years and is organized into four distinct phases.

The new FoxHound Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center.

Phase One: MUSIC BUILDING RESTORATION AND EXTENDED SITE WORK

Now fully restored, the Music Building includes three practice rooms, faculty o ce space, and a recital hall with state-of-the-art technology for optimal sound and studio acoustics. Part of this phase will also include adapting the surrounding site or area for the construction to come by straightening the road and moving the parking lot to make way for the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) wing.

Phase Two: THE STEAM WING AND COMPLETION OF SITE WORK

A new structure, the STEAM wing will bring Foxcroft into the future of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with adaptive workspaces to include the Arts. State-of-the-art laboratory space and equipment will advance our competitive curriculum and help our students to gain skills and confidence with the latest technology and tools — items they will use in later studies or careers. This STEAM focus will help students develop into informed citizens and creative problem-solvers and provide our educators with the spaces and resources necessary for them to deliver a transformative education.

In addition to providing a forwardthinking learning environment, the STEAM wing will be a vital player in the overall infrastructure of this project by housing essential components such as the geothermal and heat pumps and a mechanical room that will serve as the centralized system for the overall complex. By incorporating these pieces into this section of the project, we can achieve modern necessity and sustainability while maintaining harmony with our historic building.

Phase Three: PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Performing Arts Center will house a new FoxHound Auditorium which will provide a larger, more flexible performance space that includes theater support spaces, a black box practice space, a scenery construction shop, and a modern control room for lighting and sound. Additionally, new design and engineering spaces are included, along with gallery space for art exhibits.

Phase Four: SCHOOLHOUSE RENOVATION

For seven decades, Schoolhouse has stood in the center of campus as the heart of learning at Foxcroft. Except for a few minor tweaks, Schoolhouse has remained much the same since it was built in 1951, even as research and technology have advanced and the context for learning has changed over time. This renovation will address future needs by providing the resources, technology, and physical spaces to better reflect our pedagogy of interdisciplinary and experiential learning and by providing girls with the state-of-the-art resources and cutting-edge technology necessary for the transformative education we offer.

The building will house newly created classrooms and support spaces of various sizes that focus on student-centered learning and collaboration and incorporate technology enhancements. Faculty will have workspaces that allow them to design lessons and plan together, and the renovations will include a much-needed elevator to provide access to all levels for community members.

Will Schoolhouse look the same when we are done? From the outside, yes, with perhaps a few adaptations such as dormer windows on the wings. Preserving the historic beauty of the building is of the utmost importance. On the inside, however, the renewal of Schoolhouse will breathe new life into spaces that are fundamental to fulfilling our educational mission and values. It will allow us to continue to graduate well-rounded leaders, address real-world problems, and make a positive impact on the world. It will secure Foxcroft as a leader in educating girls while also ensuring that the fundamental spirit of the shared memories of each Foxcroft student continues for generations to come. •