18 minute read
Around the Quad
Becca Davis’ legacy: a changed Haverford and a grateful faculty
by Austin Zhuang ’22
On Sept. 5, 2021, Dean of Faculty and English teacher Rebecca Davis, better known as Becca to her colleagues, passed away after a battle with cancer. In her wake lies the people she touched, the School she changed, and the educators she mentored.
Librarian Cinnie Slack was one of Davis’ closest friends. They first met as colleagues at the Kent School in Connecticut more than 30 years ago. In addition to their shared passion for teaching, they had a familial bond as they socialized, lived together, and even shared parental duties.
“We used to have to teach on Saturday mornings, and that was always a challenge,” Slack said. “We’d wait to see who had a free period, and whoever of the four of us [Slack, Davis, and their husbands] had a free period would get stuck taking all the kids to soccer.”
They eventually parted ways when Slack and her family moved to Haverford, while the Davises went to Virginia. But a few years later, Mr. Slack, then Chair of the English department, persuaded Davis to join Haverford, reuniting the two friends. For Mrs. Slack, the best thing about working with Davis at Haverford was the conversations they had.
“She would come in [the library] pretty much every day [last spring] to have lunch,” Slack said. “And we’d have lunch and talk, and it’s a wonderful thing.” The topics of their talks had no bounds. Smartphones were Davis’ Achilles’ heel, so Slack was always there to help sort out any issues. Davis also discussed her work, asking if something sounded good or if Slack had any thoughts.
“She was a great collaborator with everybody, with her students, with her colleagues,” Slack said. “She was a great connector of people, to all kinds of things, different ideas to people to people.”
Davis served as a steward of the faculty evaluation program. Every three years or so, a team consisting of the Head of Upper School, the appropriate department chair, and a peer evaluates a teaching faculty member. The program gives teachers a better picture of their classes.
As Dean of Faculty, Davis constantly looked for ways for the faculty to be the best versions of themselves.
“She was on the front line of making sure the faculty were reflecting on their craft and making sure there was a constant improvement in their instruction,” Head of Upper School Mark Fifer said. “And she was also really on the front line of providing support to faculty members for various professional development opportunities.”
One way Davis helped was through the SIGHTS program, which helped faculty find summer professional development opportunities.
Aside from her contributions to the institution, Davis spent much of her time building relationships with other teachers. From the start, English teacher Taylor Smith-Kan felt welcomed by Davis.
“When I first started working here, she told me where I should go to church in the community,” Smith-Kan said. “She saw me as a human being who also had needs outside of the School, and she wanted to make sure I was in the community of Haverford and Havertown.”
Davis always offered support to faculty and helped whenever possible. For Smith-Kan, weekly chats were the norm last year.
“She would just give me a call, and we’d talk about ‘Hamlet’ for like five minutes because we were both teaching ‘Hamlet,’” Smith-Kan said. “And then we would just talk about her kids and what they were doing, and she would ask about my pregnancy, and we would just talk about our lives.”
Her commitment to helping others was a large part of who she was as a person, positivity being another big piece of Davis’ personality.
“She had such a positive outlook,” Slack said. “She was one of the great optimists. She could find great things anywhere, anytime, and I loved being able to see the world through her eyes sometimes.”
Davis was a great mentor, friend, and colleague. Her job was her calling. “She loved teaching,” Slack said. “She saw it as her vocation, and she couldn’t stop.”
CAMPUS CELEBRATIONS
Prior to and during the varsity football game on Oct. 22, the School celebrated two special events. Before kickoff, the 1970 and 1971 football teams gathered as honorary captains for the game to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their perfect seasons. During halftime of the game, a special ceremony was held to dedicate M & J Spencer Stadium.
1970 and 1971 football teams
Both the 1970 and 1971 football teams, coached by the late Mike Mayock, finished with a combined 16-0 overall and 10-0 in league games during those two seasons. The Fords were led by star running back John Haldeman ’72, the 1970 and 1971 Inter-Ac MVP. Joining Haldeman on the All-Inter-Ac First Team in 1970 were offensive lineman John Berringer ’72, quarterback Bill Osborne ’74, defensive linemen Jim Nesbitt ’73 and Randy McCabe ’71, linebacker Peter Lindquist ’73, and defensive back Frank McCann ’72. Joining Haldeman on the 1971 All-Inter-Ac First Team were offensive linemen Tom Hipple ’72, John Berringer ’72, and Bob McCafferty ’72, tight end Jim Nesbitt ’73, quarterback Bill Osborne ’74, and running backs Peter Lindquist ’73 and Russ Allen ’72. In the two undefeated seasons, the Fords outscored their opponents a combined 364-63.
Dedication of M & J Spencer Stadium
During halftime of the game against Malvern Prep, the athletic department hosted a special ceremony at midfield to dedicate M & J Spencer Stadium. Craig and BJ Spencer P’14 ’20 were recognized for their support of the School. M & J Spencer Stadium is named for Craig and BJ’s sons Max ’14 and Jake ’20, who were both student-athletes at Haverford. Max attended the University of Florida, while Jake attends and plays football for Pennsylvania State University.
Head of School Tyler Casertano and Director of Athletics Mike Murphy thanked the Spencer family during the halftime ceremony for their generosity and recognized their impact on the School. Prior to the game, Craig and BJ Spencer fired the cannon, a game day tradition that marks the Fords’ entrance to the stadium.
Celebrating Diwali
Lower School students focus on the School’s core virtues
On Nov.1, Third Former Unnav Sharma joined Manisha Varma P’27 ’25, First Former Ayush Varma, and Third Former Milan Varma, in leading the Middle School’s Diwali celebrations. By the end of the presentation, the entire Middle School was on their feet participating in a Bhangra dance, originating from the Varma family’s native Punjab region of India.
During the presentation, Manisha Varma explained Diwali’s cultural significance, saying, “Being able to share our own identities in a safe and inclusive way is an important aspect of nurturing our sense of identity and inclusivity in our communities and in our understanding. It makes us better global citizens and it helps us live in the diverse world that we inhabit together. Embracing diversity helps create an environment where everyone is valued and it helps you be better prepared to work in a global world.”
The Middle School explores topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion every week during Community Time. In the weeks surrounding Diwali, Middle School boys learned about and celebrated Indian and Nepali culture through multiple art projects and presentations, including worksheets on rangolis, elephants, and the Hindu God Lord Ganesha.
Every month the Lower School meets during Community Time to discuss and reflect on the Virtue of the Month. Under the guidance of Maureen Finlan, Lower School Director of Student Life, the boys participate in special activities and community-building exercises focused on that particular month’s virtue.
Selflessness served as the Virtue of the Month for October. Finlan and Rhonda Brown, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, worked with the boys on understanding what selflessness means. Following this discussion, the boys listened to a reading of The Giving Tree by Shel Siverstein and shared examples of how they have been selfless in their lives. As a community building exercise, the boys helped create their own Giving Tree in the Lower School lobby, where the leaves displayed ways in which the boys planned to be selfless during the month.
“The tree not only added flair to the lobby during the fall, but was a daily reminder to the boys of the goal they set for themselves this month with regard to completing a selfless act,” explained Head of Lower School Dr. Pam Greenblatt.
School examines areas of growth with A Roadmap to Excellence: Character, Culture, and Community
The Haverford School delivered A Roadmap to Excellence: Character, Culture, and Community, designed to examine areas of growth for the School and its community. The document, which was delivered digitally via email and on haverford.org, was the result of conversations between faculty, staff, families, alumni, students, and friends of the School.
The roadmap uses the School’s long-standing guiding documents, including the 24 Core Virtues, Principles of Community, and the Essential Qualities of a Haverford School Graduate as its foundation.
The document is a joint project between the School and the the Character, Culture, and Community Task Force, a group created by the School’s Board of Trustees and chaired by Ravi Reddy ’90 and Randall Drain ’01. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rhonda Brown steered the work, which was kicked off during the 2020-21 school year by her predecessor, Brendon Jobs.
“A Roadmap to Excellence is a viable, living document that we can make adjustments to as we learn more and continue on this journey at Haverford,” said Brown. “The goal is for diversity, equity, and inclusion work to be embedded in the fabric of our community. The roadmap reaches all aspects of our School — from things like our admissions practices and the resources our libraries offer, to the way we teach our boys in our classrooms, studios, and athletics facilities.”
The intention is for School administrators, faculty, and staff, and families to consider the ways the School can ensure each member of the community can present as themselves authentically. A Roadmap to Excellence will be updated periodically.
TAKE THE JOURNEY
You can see more of our roadmap by visiting haverford.org/aroadmaptoexcellence
Several Haverford School students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program, including nine who were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.
The semifinalists include Adamya Aggarwal, Fisher Bond, Caleb Cavazos, Elijah Lee, Ruidong Li, Mitav Nayak, Haroon Naz, Jeffrey Yang, and Austin Zhuang. They have moved onto the next round of the competition and are in the running to receive scholarships this spring.
The Haverford School boys are among 16,000 candidates to be placed on the semifinalist list, whittled down from more than one million nationwide applicants. The boys represent some of the highest Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Selection Index scores in Pennsylvania.
“We are so pleased to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment by so many of our Upper School students,” said Mark Fifer, Head of Upper School. “The boys recognized have contributed greatly to our School, so it is fitting that their intellectual agility and vibrancy is acknowledged by the National Merit Scholarship Program.”
To be considered for the scholarship, students must complete an application, write an essay, and receive strong scores on their PSAT/NMSQT. Students will be notified if they become a finalist in early 2022, with scholarship winners announced in the spring.
ONE EXHIBIT, MULTIPLE LESSONS
Guatemalan textile exhibit in Centennial Hall gallery
The global studies program and the world languages department partnered with the Friends of the Ixchel Museum to bring a Guatemalan textile exhibit to Haverford this fall. The exhibit, which featured rich tapestries and works of art, was on display in Centennial Hall’s gallery. In mid-September, boys also got to observe a live weaving demonstration.
The exhibit was facilitated by Upper School Spanish teacher and Director of Global Studies Andrew Poolman. Classes from each division of the School attended the gallery showing, finding ways to link the authentic artwork with various lessons and units.
Those learning from the exhibit included students across divisions and disciplines. Pre-kindergarten boys examined patterns and colors at the exhibit, while Middle School boys explored personal stories and questions of identity through textiles and weaving. Upper School art students learned weaving techniques using looms, while blending cultural symbolism and photography principles. Spanish classes spent time using vocabulary to describe clothing and its cultural implications.
“The exhibit had a broad and deep impact on many in our community. The interdisciplinary connections were boundless and our faculty demonstrated to the boys how their learning should be integrated across classrooms and disciplines,” said Poolman. “Students were learning about the history, language, clothing, food, daily routine, and culture of the Guatemalan people in various classes this fall, ultimately making the lessons more enduring and powerful.”
Photos (left to right): First graders created intricate patterns out of paper and craft materials after learning about the artwork at the Guatemalan Textile Exhibit; Sixth graders in Kerry Kettering-Goens’ Spanish class observed a Guatemalan weaver outside Centennial Hall; Upper School boys in Kristin Brown’s Art Portfolio class used the exhibit as inspiration for their spray painting project. Their creations were hung in Severinghaus Library.
From magic in movies to the math of memories:
In recent Upper School projects and presentations, the practical application of course concepts involved mixing film studies with physics and considering psychology alongside mathematics. At The Haverford School, boys learn beyond the bounds of the specified discipline, moving abstract concepts to concrete applications.
REEL PHYSICS
Third Form physics students have advice for Hollywood’s film producers: Follow the physics. In their “Reel Physics” project, students subjected their favorite film scenes to the laws that govern our physical reality, only to find the impressive acts are impossible in many iconic scenes. Fulton’s slapshot in The Mighty Ducks never would have broken the ice rink’s glass. James Bond’s opening leap in Casino Royale leaves the bounds of reality. The umbrella-propelled nanny in Mary Poppins would have fallen, not floated. “It would have been a much shorter movie,” explained III Former Alexander Rhodes.
The students mapped scenes according to acceleration, velocity, and time. Unlike Hollywood’s film producers, they measured the scenes against the facts of our reality, such as the existence of gravity and the limits of the human form. As Chair of the science department and Upper School teacher Dr. Daniel Goduti encouraged them, “We don’t want to produce films that are inaccurate.”
The projects delivered as Upper School science teacher Jonathan Bacon advertised: “Student groups have been pulling apart movie clips that have stretched beyond the laws of physics”—listing Indiana Jones running from the rolling boulder, Luke’s slow-motion fall after battling Darth Vader, and Sonic the Hedgehog’s sonic boom. Students offered “their suggestions on how to recreate these scenes to fit within our physical reality.” In the end, the “Reel Physics” student projects provided reasonable expectations for youth hockey teams, international spies, and nannies alike. MATH AND MEMORY
Across the hall, visiting lecturer Dr. Michael Kahana P’24 ’26 ’31, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, applied mathematical modeling techniques to the study of human memory with Upper School math teacher Stephen Patrylak’s Math Modeling to Solve Social Challenges class. He reviewed “the basic facts of the universe”—water’s three “memories” and nature’s four forces—and shared the story of his life’s pursuit.
“How did it come to be that I dedicated my life to the study of human memory?” Kahana mused, “It was a path formed by many small decisions, often influenced by a teacher.” He emphasized the importance of a quality education, learning from the “creators of knowledge” themselves. “When you get old, the most important wisdom you have, the wisdom you won’t share in your books, is the knowledge of your failures,” Kahana said.
Kahana described the mathematical mapping of memories in the brain, the subject of his research and his recent paper published in the Annual Review of Psychology, “Computational Models of Memory Search.” He encouraged the boys, complimenting their questions and drawing connections to pop culture, film, and medicine. As he explained, “A key part of teaching is passing the torch to the next generation. One of you, someday, might create an important piece of new knowledge in the field I’m researching.”
He concluded, “The greatest satisfaction from teaching is when your students exceed you. I hope you discover ways to use your love for mathematics to help the human condition.”
Flying pumpkins
Pumpkin candies flying across the turf of Memorial Field herald the nearing Thanksgiving holiday on Haverford’s campus. Marion Jacob’s sixth grade science class participates in monthly STEM challenges. For November, the boys built catapults and competed for the furthest of the flying pumpkins. This is a favorite challenge among the boys and, in 2021, marked a return to collaborative group work after the annual competition was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Third Form students volunteer at local church’s food bank
During the fall months, members of the Third Form volunteered at Memorial Church of God in Christ food pantry, located in Haverford. The Form III Called to Serve Project took place most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during study hall. The boys walked a few blocks to the church to pack boxes, bag vegetables, and deliver cases of water and soda to the church members’ cars.
“The Form III Called to Serve Project achieves a number of goals,” explained Third Form Dean Steve Cloran. “Our newest members of our Upper School, the Class of 2025, get to bond on the walk to and from the church and while working together in the food pantry.”
The church, located at 747 Buck Lane, is less than a mile from The Haverford School campus. This unique service opportunity allowed the Third Form students to get to know one another outside of the usual classroom setting, while assisting in the community at the same time. Breakfast sandwiches, fresh vegetables, bread, and other items were organized and distributed to community members in the area.
“Ms. Alice, Mr. Larry, and Pastor Daren, the leaders of the Memorial Church of God in Christ, welcome us warmly and teach us about how their church serves the community right in our School’s backyard,” said Cloran. “The boys get out of the classroom, take a walk together, and grow emotionally in an environment of experiential learning.”
The church’s food pantry was designated an essential community service and has remained open during the pandemic for its members. This project has allowed the boys to experience giving back in their community while building friendships along the way.
Brotherhood Project focuses on connection with Lower School students
Upper School boys involved in the Brotherhood Project are reading to their Lower School counterparts via video link. The project was borne out of the students not being able to connect in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Each Upper School boy selected a book that either addressed a Haverford School core virtue or work related to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the School. The boys recorded themselves reading their books, which were then made available to Lower School boys on iPads during library time, indoor recess, or other moments throughout the school day. The books are available in the Tabas Library in the Lower School.
On Nov. 4, parents and guardians gathered in Centennial Hall for Nichole Pugliese and Mike McLeod’s Best for Boys Speaker Series presentation “Executive Functioning: Boys’ Development and 21st Century Learning.”
Pugliese, Director of the Enrichment and Learning Center at The Haverford School, and McLeod, an executive function expert and founder of GrowNOW Therapy Services, suggested ways parents and guardians could support the development of their students’ executive functioning skills. These are the skills that help students manage tasks like scheduling study time before tests, successfully preparing for upcoming events or activities, regulating challenging emotions, and more.
Executive functions are the brain-based cognitive skills that need to be developed in order to successfully negotiate the demands of childhood and adolescence. They are the skills that become more critical as young adults venture into a world with decreasing parental supervision and guidance. Pugliese offered advice to parents and guardians on ways to build resilience in young minds, emphasizing the importance of practice and independence. Her “golden rule of executive functioning,” as she explained, is “if they aren’t doing it, they aren’t building it.”
McLeod recommended promoting independent thought processes in developing brains through declarative language like “I noticed you aren’t wearing shoes” instead of directive language like “go get your shoes.” These comments model visual imagery and self-talk so that boys can eventually recreate these effective thought processes on their own, building independence and resilience.
Learning specialists at Haverford’s Enrichment and Learning Center guide the development of the network between boys’ nonverbal working memory and their verbal working memory to build internal language skills. Pugliese and her colleagues Stephen Cloran and Karen Suter will often ask boys to share their thought processes ahead of their everyday tasks. With their learning specialists’ guidance, the boys learn to visualize themselves performing the steps necessary to succeed and then talk themselves through those steps. As Pugliese and McLeod showed, brains that can inhibit, visualize, and self-coach can perform tasks with resilience and independence.
The presentation explained adolescent behaviors through the science of brain development. The brain develops from back to front, or from knowledge to performance, explaining performance challenges like forgotten assignments and messy bedrooms. Pugliese summarized research findings from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, saying, “We are all born with the potential to develop these skills. The brain has the blueprint, but it is through human interaction and experiential learning that we build these skills.” WANT TO LEARN MORE? Watch the entire Best for Boys presentation by scanning the QR code, or by visiting haverford.org/bestforboys.
