Butler Yurt Day

September 10, 2021, was a joyous day—our first ever Butler Yurt Day in honor of Mary French Conway ’46.

A lifelong Laurel girl and force for good everywhere she goes, Mary has been a loyal supporter behind so much of what we have accomplished as a school. Mary and her husband, Bill, were the driving force behind the creation of Laurel School’s Outdoor Pre-Primary program and again their incredible generosity allowed us to move quickly in the face of a global pandemic and build our newest yurts last summer. The yurts are named in honor of their four granddaughters who attended Laurel—Katie Conway ’04, Julia Juster ‘10, Susannah Conway ‘10 and Grace Juster ‘12. Several Primary girls spoke eloquently about learning at Butler and what they enjoy most about Yurt life, followed by a beautiful rendition of “Happy Birthday” from our ukulele orchestra and, of course, birthday sweets! The Conway Family doesn’t just support books and bricks; they support vision and growth. We are deeply grateful for Mary and Bill’s commitment to education and to Laurel School.

I really like how when you look up—when you're in the woods—there are layers of leaves. And at the top—sky. It clears my mind and makes me feel safe and calm.

— Ariya Patel '29

Learning at Butler has made me a better person. Seeing nature has made me see the importance of caring for nature. There are a lot more choices at school this year. Being in a yurt has made us a better community. I can see all of my classmates when we are sitting in our circle.

— Eloise Farmery '30