Report
The Ridge
September 2014
Challenging ourselves to build community Welcome to the 2014 – 2015 school year! If you think the years go by quickly, stop for a moment and
shape for the second half of this decade, I’d like for each of us to
realize that when this current school year ends, we will be
take the Forest Ridge Challenge. Let’s challenge ourselves to
halfway through another decade of our lives. And you thought
build community each week:
summer went by quickly! This was the summer of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and social media exploded with images and clips of people taking the challenge and nominating others to do the same. As a former dean of students at an all-boys day and boarding school, I was challenged by a former student, now in his 40s, who obviously had a score to settle with me. I, in turn, called out a few people to step up, take the cold plunge, and pass the challenge along to others. The ALS Challenge took an organization that raised a relatively modest $2.7 million during a month last summer to one that brought in over $94.3 million in that same time period (July 29 to August 26) this summer. And look at all the fun people had in the process! As we continue to plan for the future of Forest Ridge, we are blessed with a mission that transforms the lives of girls into women as global leaders. But it doesn’t just happen—it takes an enormous amount of intentional work from students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, alumnae and friends within our community. So to keep this enterprise in the best possible
• one person at a time
• one possibility at a time
• one promise at a time.
Reach out each week to someone you don’t know well and have a conversation; do something you’ve always wanted to do and have made a thousand excuses to avoid doing; and keep your word to one other person by following through on a commitment, no matter how small. Commit to this, and just imagine the community our girls will enjoy — and we will enjoy too! And, if you ask me, this is worth more than $94 million. Have a wonderful year. I look forward to seeing you along the way to share a laugh, a story or a conversation. All the best, Mark Pierotti Head of School
Attentiveness Clarity AND
Dr. Carola Wittmann Director of the High School
In a recent conversation with a colleague, we each observed that working in education means ongoing reflection and renewal, evaluation of best practices and openness to growth. I tend to think of these ideas and concepts thematically, and during any given year I spend quite a bit of time between mid-June and late August reflecting and wondering what my theme, and focus, for the next academic year might be. In other words, when pulled in many different directions, what is that center to which I return?
For the 2014 – 15 academic year, the terms that best describe my focus are attentiveness and clarity, and two major areas emerged. Overriding all, there is the attentiveness to the values expressed in the Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools because they offer a path to thoughtful and clear discourse and decision-making. At the same time, they invite us to take risks and to dream big and hold ourselves accountable to mission and vision. Second, there is the belief that by virtue of their profession and vocation, faculty and staff members strive to be observant and considerate of student needs. Thus, attentiveness to organizational values and personal needs leads to the clarity and transparency associated with a welcoming community. Regardless of anyone’s faith tradition or belief system, the Goals and Criteria offer a framework and an invitation to belong. Goal I describes an acceptance and, therefore, nurturing of each individual’s personal faith and belief. Goal II expresses the value of lifelong education and learning. Through Goal III we are reminded that each of us comes to this campus with an “invisible backpack,” a belief or an assumption or a burden of being impelled to action that we carry with us as part of who we are. Goal IV invites us into community, locally, nationally and internationally; it encourages a welcome and sense
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of belonging that transcends boundaries and borders. And, finally, Goal V puts it squarely back on us: How attentive are we to our needs and toward the needs of others? Are we practicing insight and clarity in our decision-making? Are we focused on justice and access, on equality of opportunity, on care for one another? In their daily interactions with students, members of our faculty and staff work hard to be attentive to student’s needs. One of the hallmarks of a Forest Ridge experience is the relationship students build with faculty and staff members. That sense of belonging looks different for each girl: coaches, teachers, staff members — all are educators, all have a connection with students. Many years ago I had the privilege of working with an extremely gifted guidance counselor whose annual mantra was, “Every student in this high school needs to have a go-to adult.” Daily interactions and observations show me that this attentiveness is present at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and that it transcends high school boundaries. That sense of belonging and welcome is also present in the community at large. From the Back-to-School Family Picnic to orientation sessions for new families, new students and new staff, there is a consistent desire to invite, to include. Welcome!
Our Sacred Heart Family Welcome! You are joining or returning to a community that fully welcomes you and your daughter. We are all welcomed as we are and called to grow in our expression of The Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools throughout our year together. Middle school is such a wonderful time in the life of a young woman. Wonder, joy, change and excitement are hallmarks of the middle school years. We are a community that celebrates progress toward a goal, acknowledges personal growth, and sees failure as an opportunity to learn. We work to avoid the trap and myth of perfection for girls and adults alike. It is through our emphasis on forming relationships with our students and families that we are able to reach these goals together. Our Sacred Heart family is like every other family; we have times when things are not as smooth as we would like them to be or are even just plain hard. During those times, our values of communication, support, understanding and respect are even more strongly felt. Our hope for each of our middle school families is that you will take the opportunity to engage in the community and participate in the activities and events that fit your interests and passions. We look forward to seeing you at events this year, speaking with you over the phone or in person as your daughter learns and grows, and celebrating with you as she reaches her goals and sets her sights on the future. Please ask questions and stay in conversation with us as your daughter grows across her year.
The Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools rest on our Sacred Heart spirituality as we endeavor to discover and make known the love of God in our world. As adults we know that when our world operates out of transformational love so much is possible for so many people. Each person’s participation and engagement with the sacred gift of our shared mission makes this community an even better place for our girls. On the first day of school, the entire school community gathered at Convocation and heard each person called by name. This ritual reminds us that each of us is a unique member of a mission-based community focused on welcome and acceptance. I encourage you to embrace this community and our shared work together. You won’t be disappointed with the journey ahead!
Julie Thenell Grasseschi Director of Middle School
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Small school, big plans
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More than a year ago, we embarked on a mission to create a campus
Thank you for demonstrating with your commitments the
master plan that directly addresses the ways we expect our students
confidence you have in our girls and our school.
to work and progress. The grand plan is now complete. It includes a proper Middle School building, a new learning resource center
Our next step is to present to you, the Forest Ridge community, our
(otherwise known as a library), expanded art space, and a science
campaign plan. Yes, it is ambitious; yet it is also grounded, specific,
center specifically structured for middle school students yet flexible
manageable, and, we think, compelling. We look forward to
enough to serve high schoolers, too.
presenting the plan to you, both in print and in group and individual meetings, in the near future. Our hope and belief is that
Each piece of our plan enables teachers to engage students with
you’ll share our excitement.
state-of-the-art technology, collaborative learning spaces, and research tools. The space is designed so teachers can creatively use
Your gifts will be transformative and will enable our girls to become
facilities in ways that best partner learning styles with teaching
transformational performers who will, in the words of our Mission
methods. Consistent with our community’s value (Goal III) of
Statement, “lead globally in the pioneering spirit of our foundress”
being good environmental stewards, we have designed buildings to
and “change the world.”
be “net zero-energy,” meaning that the energy impact on the environment will be zero, and they will, in fact, generate energy that will be harnessed for use in other parts of the school. This is a BIG, and I mean BIG, project for our small school. Our big ambitions match our expectations for our students. These tools and spaces will help prepare our girls for the next stages of their education, college-ready and well equipped to meet and exceed the
Regina Mooney, Ph.D. Director of Institutional Advancement
challenges that lie ahead. We have great expectations for ourselves as well: to think hard and critically about what we each can do to help make our ambitious plan a reality. Some of you have already announced your intention to offer your time, expertise and financial contributions. These are exactly what we need to get the job done. How gratifying it is to experience such can-do spirit among our parents and alumnae.
Big plans? High expectations? INDEED! The Ridge Report 5
the world
Our challenge: preparing students for
This summer my hens got broody, my rooster got loose from the coop and visited the neighbor’s garden, my bees rallied around a lazy queen and resurrected their hive, and the seeds I planted yielded small but mighty crops of kale, carrots and sage. Meanwhile, in other places, friends were locked in their homes or bomb shelters for fear of missile attack or skunk water spraying; other friends were on flights from remote places fearful that their seat neighbor’s cough was something fatal; and family members sent emails from South America asking about the riots in Missouri, Kisha X. Palmer Director of Women As Global Leaders
wondering if the United States was actually on the verge of a social crisis. All of these things, small and lovely, huge and scary, that happened this summer got me thinking about our world and our individual and collective responsibilities in it. Specifically, what is my role as the director of Women as Global Leaders, and how can I be present to the multiplicity of realities that exist in this world as I support the growth and development of the leadership capacities of young women? How can I stay focused on the present, recognize the impacts of the past, and convey hope and wonder for a better, unknown future? Four books comfort me this summer as I explore these questions. The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot; The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner; The One World Schoolhouse by Salman Khan; and Staying with Conflict by Bernard Mayer. All four books offer valuable and intriguing insight into the world of education, global issues and relationships across learning communities during times of dramatic and rapid change. To prepare a student for the world outside school is to accept that issues like war and conflict, global health and the ethical stewardship of natural resources and communities are adaptive challenges. Such challenges are not cleanly resolved and can transcend generations. The three existing curricular pillars of Women as Global Leaders, namely Peace and Reconciliation, Resources and Sustainability, and Global Health, will engage students through classes, online conversations, and immersive experiences to prepare them to test their own leadership and creative problem-solving skills. Our annual TEDx Conference later in the year will inspire our community to gather hope and inspiration from individuals around the world working in these three important areas. I will be collaborating with Director of Middle School Julie Thenell Grasseschi and Director of High School Carola Wittmann to support the growth of Women as Global Leaders in the daily life of our school and provide you with updates and news each month. I look forward to our work together this year!
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From the Parent Association:
Share our Pride on the Ridge! Molly McConkey and Roopa Satagopan Parent Association Co-Presidents It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome all parents, new
We are fortunate to welcome some new parents to the board
and returning to the 2014 – 2015 school year. The Forest
this year. Please let us know if you are interested in serving
Ridge Parent Association board is committed to ensuring
on the board or volunteering at any PA events. If you have
our events and communications meet our overall goal of
any questions, please reach out to any of us.
building community.
Co-presidents...................................... Roopa Satagopan,
With this goal in mind, we organized our first Parent
Association event: the Back-to-School Family Picnic held on
Vice President..................................... Laura Noble
Sept. 4. As always, the FRidge provided a delicious dinner.
Secretary.............................................. Julie Shoemaker
We welcomed new families and enjoyed catching up with old
Volunteer Coordinator...................... Melissa Mathewson
friends. This year we added elements to the picnic to make it
High School Coordinator.................. TBA
more interactive for students and more informative for
Middle School Coordinator.............. Jennifer Hotes
parents. The first 100 families who checked in received a FR
Community Coordinator.................. Trista Campbell
car window sticker. A local ice cream truck provided dessert,
Communications Coordinator......... Beth Hom
and students participated in a scavenger hunt and trivia
Technology Coordinator .................. Stephanie Cross
Molly McConkey
game. DECA students offered FR logo items for sale. We think these additions brought our theme for the year, Pride
Parent Association meetings are held the first Thursday of
on the Ridge, to life.
the month from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Ackerley Conference Room in the Sacred Heart Center. Each meeting features two
Watch your email for Ridge Radar. This NEW email
or three speakers from our faculty or staff to provide
newsletter from the FR Parent Association will provide a
information and insight on a variety of projects involving
monthly sneak peek of all events for the school community
our girls. From STEM, to the fine arts, to community service
and for parent clubs in the upcoming month. Event
and civic projects, the girls are doing amazing things. PA
descriptions will include a parent’s perspective on the history
meetings are a great source of information and a venue in
and traditions behind events.
which to share ideas. Please join us!
We look forward to another fabulous school year at Forest Ridge Regards, Molly McConkey frpahspres@forestridge.org
Roopa Satagopan frpamspres@forestridge.org
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