Gifts Fund Technology and Innovation 6 Endowments Nurture the Arts 10
M A G A Z I N E
FA L L 2 0 1 9
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Celebrating 50 Years on Campus: Philanthropy Built Our Legacy of Innovation
REPORT ON GIVING 2019
CONTENTS INSIGHTS
Respecting Tradition, Forging Paths R
AV E N S C R O F T H AS A long history of respecting the traditions of those who came before while forging a new path forward, including our thoughtful stewardship of the spaces where we teach and learn. The small church school founded in downtown Raleigh continues to thrive in north Raleigh today as a large, bustling PreK-12 school, thanks in large part to the generosity of the many dedicated trustees, parents, alumni and friends who helped create the vision for our campus. In this issue of Ravenscroft Magazine, our annual Report on Giving, we’re proud to explore the four major capital campaigns that made our North Raleigh campus — now celebrating its 50th anniversary — what it is today.
Ravenscroft continues to balance the traditions that have made us who we are with innovative thinking and planning that will shape what Ravenscroft becomes. One key component of our success is recognizing that the educational landscape is constantly evolving, being mindful of the changing needs of students and taking action to stay in the forefront of educational best practices. Ravenscroft continues to stand on the shoulders of giants — key members of the community who understand what is required to move a school forward. And it is through these partnerships that we will build on the momentum of recent renovations and updates that include the Keim Center for Innovation and Research, the PreK Learning Center, the Lower School Fine Arts Center and more, all in an effort to respect our traditions while forging a new path into the future. R — COLLEEN RAMSDEN, ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE
FEATURE
ETHOS
12 A VISION GREW AND GREW Supporters Turn Determination and Philanthropy into a Legacy of Innovation for the 21st Century Ravenscroft’s campus stands today as a testament to the vision and dedication of supporters including trustees, parents and alumni. Trace the four major capital campaigns that shaped the school’s current footprint and discover the strategic (and often creative) ways school leaders use these spaces to meet the needs of Ravens today. Explore additional school history and memories about our campus — including alumni recollections about their favorite spots, in Ravens Reply — in the digital version of the magazine:
www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019 ON THE COVER: Aerial photography provides a view of Ravenscroft’s campus in 1996, before the additions of Murphy Hall Upper School, the Library and Technology Center, Jones Health Center and Winston Library in 2001 and improvements to the football stadium, track and other athletic facilities in 2004. AT LEFT: Aerial photography from the summer of 2019 shows the current campus footprint, including the evolution of campus athletics facilities and fields. Photo by Chris Farrow
ENJOY EXTENDED STORYTELLING, PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
CONTENTS
M A G A Z I N E
R E P O R T O N G I V I N G | FA L L 2 0 1 9
HIGHLIGHTS
EXPRESSIONS 26 9 TO WATCH Catch up with alumni on the 2018-19 Board of Trustees
DEPARTMENTS 2
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FIT: SPORTS AND WELLNESS
Athlete wellness takes center stage in renovated weight room
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MAKERS: INNOVATION AND CREATION
NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC
28 IN APPRECIATION Thank you to our 2018-19 supporters!
Gifts fund technology and classroom innovation Ravenscroft Magazine is printed three times a year. Please direct comments or suggestions to Karen Lewis Taylor, Marketing & Communications, at 919-847-0900, ext. 2812, or karen.taylor@ravenscroft.org. If a name or gift has been omitted or listed incorrectly, or if you need to update your mailing address or contact preferences, please notify Shelly Micyus, advancement services and database manager, at smicyus@ravenscroft.org.
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ONE WORLD: GLOBAL PROGRAMS AND PERSPECTIVES
McKnight Endowment honors a father’s legacy in world languages
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FRAME: ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Fine arts endowments nurture potential and sustain programs
Design by M Creative | Photography by Mary Kornegay, Karen Lewis Taylor, Chris Farrow, Laura Bradford Photography, Bob Handelman Photography, Juli Leonard/The News & Observer and Simon Capell Photography Archival content appears courtesy of Ravenscroft unless otherwise noted.
Printed on paper that is FSC certified, 30% recycled, chlorine free and recyclable.
3 THINGS YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS ISSUE: #1
How teachers can transport students through space and time using VR (p. 6)
#2
Why Ravenscroft’s football stadium used to be referred to as “The Bowl” (p. 22)
#3
Which three classes had the most parent donors to the Fund For Ravenscroft (p. 28)
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC
Lead From Here
Alumni, Families Honor Coach Kevin Billerman
Advancement Team Announces New Members
2019 Lead From Here Survey Shows Impact Continues
L O N G T I M E B OY S varsity basketball coach Kevin Billerman was celebrated by former players, colleagues and friends at an Aug. 4, 2019, reception recognizing the naming of the A.E. Finley Activity Center’s Main Arena court in his honor. The dedication of Billerman Court was the result of an alumni-focused giving campaign spearheaded by Head of School Doreen Kelly in recognition of Billerman’s nearly 20-year (and counting) career at Ravenscroft and the impact he has made on the many students he has coached and mentored. Funds raised in the effort are earmarked for athletics upgrades, including the new Finley Center weight room (see story on p. 6). In her remarks, Kelly noted that it is “the Board of Trustees, through the Advancement Committee, who sets the criteria and the opportunities [for naming facilities] around such a beautiful campus as ours. The building we are in today has been here for nearly 50 years. This arena and, in particular, this floor have never been named. So, to put it mildly, today is a big day — indeed, historic.” A community-wide dedication event is planned for basketball season.
RAVENSCROFT’S Office of Institutional Advancement has welcomed new staff. Brooke McDaniel has assumed the role of advancement coordinator and events. McDaniel, a Ravenscroft parent, has previously worked as a design consultant and an office manager. Her responsibilities include administrative support and managing logistics for the advancement office. Sarah Macey is the new donor engagement officer. She has been director of development and volunteerism at the A.E. Finley YMCA and human resource specialist at Camp Kanata. Her focus is building relationships in support of our mission, including growing the Fund For Ravenscroft. DAN RESSNER ’99, who has served as Ravenscroft’s auxiliary services and summer programs coordinator since 2010, is now the alumni engagement officer. He continues the work of alumni affairs, including events and philanthropic efforts. Ressner also coaches boys soccer and lacrosse. Shelly Micyus, who has been at Ravenscroft for 15 years and is the parent of an alumna, has moved from her role as business office manager to advancement services and database manager, where she will oversee management of donor data and compliance.
A RECENT SURVEY OF students, parents and faculty suggests Lead From Here continues to make a positive impact on school culture at Ravenscroft. The citizen leader framework, introduced in 2013, provides a comprehensive curriculum for developing competencies, such as collaboration and resilience, identified as essential for 21st-century leadership. The results suggest students are gaining a deeper understanding of those skills over time. Students also reported using the competencies more, seeing more use in classmates and observing their teachers employ facilitation skills — which foster a more student-centered classroom — to a greater degree. “The most important takeaway is that students are seeing the impact of Lead From Here in themselves, their peers and their teachers, and more feel this way than when they were asked two years ago,” Colleen Ramsden, associate head of school for academics and student life, said. Lead From Here was one of four key priorities identified in the five-year, $15M Embrace Possibility campaign, which ended in 2018. Funding has been used in part to support facilitation training for all faculty and staff, in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership.
(above, clockwise from top left) McDaniel, Macey, MESSNER ’99 and Micyus join the Advancement Office.
A 2019 survey indicated Lead From Here continues to make a positive impact on school culture.
(above) Kevin Billerman addresses alumni donors and other guests at the Aug. 4, 2019, dedication of Billerman Court.
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NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC
“Midsummer Night” Visiting Artists to Work With Students, Exhibit in Pugh Gala Set for Lobby Gallery February 2020 THE MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S Dream gala and live auction will take place Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, at the Pavilion at Angus Barn in Raleigh. One of the Parents’ Association’s signature events, this year’s gala is designed to be a community-wide celebration of all things Ravenscroft. Thoughtfully planned as a “stand-up social” with community tables and lounges, the gala offers attendees many opportunities for fun and fellowship — both traditional gala fare and some exciting new touches. Guests will enjoy the legendary hospitality and sumptuous cuisine of the Angus Barn, along with the excitement of a live auction, a dance floor and a photo booth. “The Pavilion is the perfect venue to celebrate all that our community represents,” said event chair Sally Schmalz. “We’ll have an incredible auctioneer to showcase our unique live auction items, a DJ to spin fabulous dance tunes and the delicious food you’ve come to expect from the Angus Barn. We also have some surprises planned to showcase our students and our community.” Additional details and ticket ordering, including for the pre-gala Progressive Dinner on Feb. 8, may be found at www.ravenscroft.org/gala.
(above) The 2020 gala will be held at the Pavilion at Angus Barn, renowned for its gracious hospitality and sumptuous cuisine.
TWO NORTH CAROLINA-BASED artists will share their work with Ravenscroft this year as part of the Visiting Artist Portfolio Series. Silkscreen printer Dominick Rapone is conducting a workshop with Upper School students in October and again during the winter. He spent 20 years as the manager of the Printshop at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he also taught silkscreen, lithography, woodcut, letterpress, bookbinding, etching and monoprint. He has also taught at Marymount Manhattan College, Gowanus Print Lab and Manhattan Graphics Center and is currently an instructor at the NC State Crafts Center in Raleigh and the Super G Print Lab in Durham. As a master printer, he works with other artists and institutions through his company, Beastly Prints. Rapone has exhibited his work in national and international galleries. Prints of his work, which were on display in the Pugh Lobby gallery throughout October, enriched students’ understanding of the silkscreen process and delighted all who took time to explore his imaginative creations. In February, Kiki Farish will collaborate with students on an original drawing and text, which will become part of the school’s permanent collection. Her work will be on display Feb 1-29, 2020.
Farish is known for her emotive pencil paintings, often of flowers and other organics. A graduate of Meredith College, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from East Carolina University. She currently serves as adjunct professor at Meredith and has a public studio at Artspace in Raleigh. Farish has been recognized with several arts residencies and in 2014-15 received the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship. Her work has been exhibited at the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in WinstonSalem and GreenHill in Greensboro and is represented in the permanent collection of the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, among others. The Visiting Artist Portfolio Series, sponsored by the VICTOR E. BELL III ’74 Endowment Fund, brings artists and educators to Ravenscroft each year. The exhibitions are free and open to the community weekdays 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Pugh Family Lobby of the Fine Arts Center. Access the full schedule of exhibitions for 201920 at www.ravenscroft.org/fine-arts/ galleries. R (above) Work by North Carolina-based artists Dominick Rapone (left) and Kiki Farish is being displayed in Pugh Lobby as part of the Visiting Artist Portfolio Series. REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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FIT
BY STACY CALFO
1. OPEN SPACES: The new rack system enables more workout options within a smaller footprint. Open spaces will allow more students to use the facility at one time. “We want our students to work out here with their teammates because that builds camaraderie and a team mind-set,” Gonet said.
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FOR TODAY’S STUDENT-ATHLETE
Athlete Wellness Takes Center Stage in Renovated Weight Room “If we get kids in here, our strength and T
HE QUESTION WAS SIMPLE: What do our student-athletes need for
conditioning coach can provide more guidance about their fitness regimen. This program can be a key differentiator for us.” — NED GONET, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
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safe and successful fitness training? The answer led Ravenscroft’s Athletics Department to reevaluate the existing weight room, located in the A.E. Finley Activity Center, and take decisive action to meet the current needs of the physical education curriculum and athletic team training. “The space was remodeled over 12 years ago,” Athletic Director Ned Gonet explained. “Through the years it was well used, but it was time to update and modernize for today’s student-athlete.” The plan to focus on improved safety, additional equipment and more open space resonated with many Ravenscroft parents, and RAC (Ravens Athletic Club) kicked off a comprehensive renovation with a $50,000 lead gift. “The new space provides a setup where we can oversee many stations at the same time,” Jim Gibbons, assistant athletic director, said. “I am excited to teach our Upper School Fitness Education elective in the new room.” R
ENJOY PHOTOS FROM THE WEIGHT ROOM’S SEPT. 19, 2019, RIBBON-CUTTING EVENT AND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
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2. COMFORT AND SAFETY: With new slip-resistant flooring and the addition of air conditioning, the weight room is now safer for all student-athletes. “My number one priority when working on the redesign was how to improve their performance and decrease their chance of injuries,” Bo May, Ravenscroft’s strength and conditioning coach, said. “Safety had to come first.”
4 4. UPDATED AMENITIES: An upgraded sound and TV system and enhanced lighting make workouts more enjoyable, increasing the likelihood that student-athletes will choose to work out here. “Kids are into modern gym setups,” Gonet noted. “If we get them in here, our strength and conditioning coach can provide more guidance about their fitness regimen. This program can be a key differentiator for us.”
3. MORE OPTIONS: According to May, today’s studentathlete needs to focus on more comprehensive muscle development to prevent injuries. The versatile new rack system allows for a broader range of options, including benching, squatting and deadlifts, and comes with a set of dumbbells.
5 5. INCLUSIVENESS: A wider variety of dumbbell sizes and the addition of smaller barbells means more athletes will feel comfortable in the new space. “We will now have dumbbells from eight to 100 pounds,” May said. “Plus, we have included training barbells for younger athletes and smaller-diameter bars suitable for female athletes’ hands.”
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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MAKERS
BY DAVID KLEIN
THE BEST INVESTMENT TODAY
Gifts Fund Technology and Classroom Innovation A
S TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM teaching and learning
across campus, two Ravenscroft families have given generously to support and advance its use among students of all ages. “As we educate students in a rapidly changing world, these sorts of gifts are incredibly important,” Sarah Loyola, director of educational technology, said. “These forward-thinking families are helping us prepare our students for careers that may not yet even exist.”
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3 1. Sarah Loyola, director of educational technology, works with Upper School English teacher Joel Karpowitz on use of the Mirage Solo virtual reality headsets. 2. As this screenshot from a tour of the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse shows, VR can transport users to new places and experiences. 3. Sphero robots, which are easily customized to suit the experience of student users, respond to programming with light, sound and movement. 4. Technology camp participants, led by Upper School computer science teacher Anna Lawrence and several students, engage the Sphero robots in a game of soccer.
READ MORE ABOUT THE USE OF VR IN UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES AND ENJOY A VIDEO OF SPHERO ROBOTS IN USE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
LIKE R&D FOR SCHOOLS Otto Kumbar and Sue Whitehouse established a tradition of technologyfocused giving when their children, KATIE ’11 and ALEX ’12, were students here. Their latest gift includes a class set of Mirage Solo virtual reality headsets and funding that enables faculty to explore how to incorporate the technology into their lesson plans. “We fell in love with the school when we used to get handwritten teacher notes about where our kids were succeeding and where they needed a boost,” Kumbar said. “It made us realize that teachers were the key and giving them better classroom tools can make a world of difference for the kids.” The gift also helps Ravenscroft continue to lead the way in innovative approaches to curriculum development. “This is like R&D for schools,” Phil Higginson, associate head of school for philanthropy, said. “The Kumbars’ fund enables teachers to independently study the use of VR technology in the classroom across all subjects and ages.” Many teachers are ready to jump in. Joel Karpowitz, Upper School English Department chair, has developed VR lessons for his senior Shakespeare elective, including a tour of the American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia, a replica of one of the Bard’s legendary venues. “Through VR, students get a sense of what that space was like for an actor in Shakespeare’s time. It’s very different from our stage today,” he said. “Being able to experience it more directly will help students understand why we continue to think of Shakespeare as such a giant in the world of theater, even 400plus years later.” AN ACCESSIBLE AND ENGAGING PATHWAY A gift from Michael and Amelia Warner, parents of EMME ’23 and ELLE ’25, also aims to sustain Ravenscroft’s commitment to innovation through technology.
“We are excited that Ravenscroft continues to lead the state of North Carolina with both the number and quality of our technology offerings, and we want to do more,” Amelia Warner said. “Technology is continuing to evolve rapidly, and the more advanced our students’ understanding of how to apply advanced technology is will improve their competitive advantage for college, graduate school and the business world.” The Warners’ gift provides ongoing funding for computers, computerassisted design software and other high-tech items. The Warner Family Innovation Hub, the larger of the two computer science classrooms in the Keim Center for Innovation and Research, will serve as a dedicated space for students to explore cutting-edge computer technology and take their shot at shaping the future. These funds were recently used to purchase a Sphero Bolt Power Pack featuring 15 programmable robots, which, as Upper School computer science teacher Anna Lawrence said, “create an accessible and engaging pathway to explore computer science that spans all grade levels. “The technology has an app that is supported across multiple platforms, is project driven and can be adjusted to meet students at their current level of mastery,” she added. “In Computer Science Principles this past spring, we explored algorithms and infrared sensors by creating a synchronized dance with a team of two to three Spheros.” Such exploration helps students hone their critical thinking and problemsolving skills, which are essential for success today. “The world is becoming better at an increasing rate, and it’s becoming more complex at the same time,” concluded Kumbar, a self-proclaimed futurist who has made presentations on the topic to Ravenscroft’s Innovation Task Force. “Innovating in education may be the best investment anyone can make today.” R
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“As we educate students in a rapidly changing world, these sorts of gifts are incredibly important.” —SARAH LOYOLA, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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ONE WORLD
BY DAVID KLEIN
A BORN TEACHER
McKnight Endowment Honors a Father’s Legacy in World Languages W
HEN NORVA BOUNDS LEARNED that her father was planning to
retire from teaching, she was determined to ensure that his legacy of scholarship would be remembered. Bounds, a longtime Spanish teacher in Ravenscroft’s Upper School, decided to dedicate her full Ravenscroft salary that year toward the creation of an endowment in his name.
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“It delighted my father to no end,” she said of her decision to create the fund. “He was a very humble and modest person, but when he found out I had created the fund, he was absolutely beside himself, making the rounds and soliciting all his friends and colleagues for contributions to the fund.” In the 40 years since its founding, the William A. McKnight Endowment Fund has bolstered the World Languages Department at Ravenscroft, nurturing its programs and providing opportunities for students to explore their love of language and culture — just as its namesake did. A BORN TEACHER In the course of his 42-year career in the Department of Romance Languages at UNC-Chapel Hill, William McKnight earned honors and the admiration of his peers and students as a professor of Spanish language and literature. McKnight, who served as a translator and decoder during World War II, was inspiring in the classroom, with a knack for making “Don Quixote” and 19th-century Spanish drama come alive for his students. “He was a born teacher,” Bounds said. “Growing up with him, whether it was table manners or a walk through the woods, a lesson about nature or getting up at 4 a.m. to take me fly fishing or teach me how to row a skiff — every moment was a teachable moment.” Bounds’ reverence for her father’s work stems in part from her own lifelong fascination with the culture, history, architecture and people of Spain, beginning with a pivotal stay there with her family. After completing her degree at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1966, she married Michael Bounds, a third-year veterinary student. She taught Spanish in Oklahoma, where Michael was completing his studies, before the couple returned to the Triangle.
ADVENTURES AND LIFE LESSONS Bounds arrived at Ravenscroft in 1974, when she was hired by then-Headmaster Verne Hawes as a part-time Spanish teacher in the Upper School. Her 22-year tenure included serving as chair of the World Languages Department and leading several student excursions abroad. “Taking my Spanish students to Spain and Mexico was both a pleasure and a challenge which required much planning. It was important to me that they have the cultural background to really appreciate what they would experience abroad,” Bounds said. “They returned from these trips not only with increased language skills but with adventures and life lessons that I’m sure most of them still remember. And it was nice for all of us to get to know each other better in a less formal environment.” Now retired, Bounds and her husband share a home on the White Oak River between Swansboro and Emerald Isle. They and their daughter, WENDY ’89, continue to contribute to the endowment, which in recent years has been used to pay for world language classroom and teaching materials, including the latest edition of the “Ecce Romani III” textbooks used in Ravenscroft’s intermediate-level Latin courses. Upper School Latin and Greek teacher Jonathan Avery noted that the updated texts offer a “broader selection of readings that includes both prose authors, such as Cicero and Julius Caesar, and eminent Classical poets, including Vergil, Horace and Ovid.” At its heart, the fund supports students’ experiences of the very things McKnight and Bounds both cherished about their subject. “World language instruction has a broad impact on students,” Avery said. “It not only increases their proficiency in another language but also provides them with insight into other cultures, increasing awareness of their own through comparison and inspiring them to leave the comfort of their own community and to travel and experience the greater world.” R
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“World language instruction has a broad impact on students.” —JONATHAN AVERY, UPPER SCHOOL LATIN AND GREEK TEACHER
1. McKnight, shown here in his office at UNC-Chapel Hill in the 1960s, enjoyed a 42-year career as a professor of Spanish language and literature. 2. McKnight, an avid fisherman, shows off what Bounds called “a prize striper.” 3. McKnight congratulates Bounds after she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Education in 1966. 4. Bounds — “my dad’s daughter,” as she says — shows off a big flounder she caught. 5. Bounds, shown here at the El Morro Fort, a World Heritage Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, continues to embrace her passion for world cultures.
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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FRAME
BY STACY CALFO
COMMUNITIES OF CREATIVES
Fine Arts Endowments Nurture Potential and Sustain Programs "T
HE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING” is a phrase that could have
been coined to describe a well-rounded education — and also the generosity of donors who make that possible for so many students at Ravenscroft. When it comes to endowments dedicated to the fine arts at Ravenscroft, donors who support these funds can be assured their generosity has a lifelong impact on students with a passion for the arts.
2 1. ERICA ARCUDI ’10 works on a portrait in her studio in Florence, Italy. 2. EMILY SIKKEL ’15 works on her final senior collection for NC State’s Art2Wear in the spring of 2019 (photo courtesy of Juli Leonard/The News & Observer). 3 AND 4. ERICA ARCUDI ’10’s artwork includes this work in progress, a self-portrait in charcoal, and an oil painting on wooden panel.
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ENJOY MORE WORK FROM THESE VISUAL ARTISTS AND A SLIDESHOW OF OUR STUDENTS’ FINE ART EXPERIENCES ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
FUNDS RUN THE GAMUT “Endowments run the gamut for us,” David McChesney, Ravenscroft’s director of fine arts, said. “They can be used for broad arts funding across disciplines or can be very specific, even for a certain instrument. “Not only do these funds as a whole help take the pressure off of operating budgets, they also differentiate Ravenscroft from other schools by providing scholarship funds,” he added. The Hunter Family Scholarship, for example, provides Upper School fine arts students with up to $2,000 in tuition each year, with the opportunity to apply for an additional one-time gift to offset the cost of attending a fine arts enrichment opportunity. Rising freshmen who apply for the scholarship go through a rigorous audition and application process, which includes preparing two contrasting works or a visual arts portfolio and answering questions about the impact of arts in their lives. The fund was established in 2001 by R. Merrill and Marilyn Hunter and their children, KATIE ’98, CHRIS ’01, MATT ’04 and ANNA ’08. PASSIONATE ABOUT ART EMILY SIKKEL ’15 received the Hunter Scholarship as a freshman and credits it with giving her the confidence to pursue art and design as a career. “The Hunter Scholarship allowed me to attend Interlochen Arts Camp the summer after my freshman year at Ravenscroft,” she said. “That summer I experienced what it was like to be surrounded by creative people who were passionate about art and design. Since then, I knew that I wanted to be involved in communities of creatives.” Sikkel went on to earn a degree in art and design with a concentration in fashion and fibers from NC State. Today, Sikkel continues her creative journey as a design intern with the women’s wovens team at Madewell, J. Crew’s sister company, in New York. There, she said, she finds inspiration every day.
SEEING POTENTIAL IN ME Another Hunter recipient, ERICA ARCUDI ’10, said the scholarship was the first validation of her artistic abilities, motivating her to continue developing as an artist. Through the scholarship, she attended Spoleto Study Abroad, an arts and humanities summer immersion program in Italy, to study visual art. As an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, Arcudi double majored in classical archaeology and studio art. She then enrolled at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy to study traditional methods of drawing and oil painting. Arcudi continues to live in Florence, where she has a studio and teaches at the academy. “My passion for visual arts developed with the support of the Ravenscroft faculty, who encouraged me to apply for the Hunter Scholarship,” explained Arcudi. “I thank the faculty and the Hunter family for seeing potential in me.” These recipients and many others know firsthand the impact of gifts in support of fine arts endowments. “Financial sustainability is vital to our programs, and endowments make it happen,” McChesney said. “The arts are an opportunity for students to be creative, which impacts all aspects of their lives and possible future paths. They represent an investment into what our students are capable of and what the future holds for them.” R
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“Not only do these funds as a whole help take the pressure off of operating budgets, they also differentiate Ravenscroft from other schools by providing scholarship funds.” —DAVID MCCHESNEY, DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS
For a complete list of endowment funds and the many aspects of faculty, staff and student experience they support, see p. 50.
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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ETHOS
BY KAREN LEWIS TAYLOR
A VISION GREW AND GREW
Supporters Turn Determination and Philanthropy into a Legacy of Innovation for the 21st Century
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N 1967, FOLLOWING A SERIES OF DECISIONS that would set a small downtown Raleigh
church school on the path to becoming one of the Triangle’s top independent schools, Ravenscroft board members recognized that the best way to achieve their vision for the school was to relocate it. Over the next few years, dedicated supporters — including brothers Robert Holding Jr., Frank Holding and Lewis “Snow” Holding, Fran and WATSON PUGH ’38, Mary Ann Broughton, Jack Carter and Victor Bell Jr. — worked tirelessly to make that possible.
1. Christ Church in downtown Raleigh was home to Ravenscroft from 1937-1969. 2. Aerial photography from the earliest years of campus development shows open fields, tree-covered hills and rows of temporary trailers. 3. The Murphy Family Bell Tower and Arboretum, a gift from alumni parents Pete and Lynn Murphy, was dedicated on May 31, 1996, and has since become one of the most iconic structures on campus. 4. An early vision of the campus included dormitories and faculty residences.
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READ ABOUT ADDITIONAL GIFTS THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR CAMPUS, ENJOY THEN-AND-NOW PHOTOS AND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
1969
“I remember the day the Holding brothers came to the house to talk to us,” Fran Pugh, who has served on the board of trustees since 1969, recalled. “A vision grew and grew, and we had the right folks in place to make it happen.” Two years later, when students and faculty arrived on the new campus, situated on 115 shaded acres in north Raleigh at what was then the end of the city’s water and sewer lines, they held class in temporary trailers placed amidst the pines. They likely could not have imagined how quickly the determination of those early leaders would translate into brick and mortar, desks and chalkboards, sidewalks and athletic fields. “The school transitioned very rapidly to a fullfledged campus,” former trustee BILL MOSS ’74, who was among the first class of eighth-graders, said. “Every year I was there, a new building opened.” In the 50 years since, the campus has become home to more than 312,000 square feet of instructional facilities, including 15 science and 10 STEM+ innovation labs, an outdoor learning center, a comprehensive fine arts center and 16-plus acres of athletic fields. Four major fundraising and building campaigns, made possible by the foresight, tenacity and generosity of Ravenscroft’s many supporters, gave this campus its current footprint. Honoring that legacy, school leaders of today continue to make strategic (and often creative) use of these spaces to meet the needs of Ravens now and in the years to come.
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“A vision grew and grew, and we had the right folks in place to make it happen.” — FRAN PUGH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER SINCE 1969
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50 YEARS OF VISIONARY PHILANTHROPY The four major capital campaigns that established the current footprint of our North Raleigh campus — plus “Phase I” of the latest master plan
1969-1974
2009-2011
$6.5M CAPITAL CAMPAIGN paved the way for the school’s first permanent structures.
$1.5M “PHASE I” CAMPAIGN, while not facilities-driven, was the first phase of a new campus vision and included funding for fencing and landscaping upgrades at the Bell Entrance on Falls of Neuse Road and creation of the Sloan Family Traffic Circle as well as the Winston Entrance on Newton Road. As with more recent updates and improvements (see p. 24), the projects represent a strategic approach to meeting our current and future students’ needs while honoring the legacy of Ravenscroft’s earliest supporters.
1991-93 $5.07M “BEYOND Z” grew the endowment and funded a standalone fine arts facility.
1998-2002 $12.5M “BOLD INITIATIVES” funded four new buildings.
2002-2004 $3M “CHARGE TO VICTORY” funded improvements to athletics facilities and grounds.
REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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ETHOS
AN AMBITIOUS VISION It was in large part at the direction of the Holding brothers — who were confident enough that Raleigh could support a major college preparatory school that they put forth a 30-day, $750,000 challenge grant to the rest of the board — that an ambitious vision for the north Raleigh campus took shape. The plan called for a rigorous, innovative curriculum for K-8 students, with an Upper School to come; state-of-the-art academic, arts and athletic facilities; and enrollment of 1,000 students within five years. As efficiently as the board had answered the Holdings’ matching challenge, they set to meeting those goals.
A $6.5M capital campaign paved the way for construction of the school’s first permanent structures, with groundbreaking for the Middle School (now Richards Hall, dedicated in 1980 in honor of longtime trustee and benefactor E.N. Richards) taking place on March 24, 1970. Determined to make the event more exciting, the board replaced the ceremonial dirt-shovelling with a blast of dynamite. By Sept. 9, the first of the now-iconic campus buildings was ready. Each year, another new building followed. Members of the Class of 1974, who were then, as ninth-graders, the oldest original students on campus, took part in a “steel-raising” ceremony heralding the start of the Upper School (now the Middle School) on Dec. 17, 1970. By March 14, 1972, the Lower School project — eventually dedicated, at Snow Holding’s request, in honor of the brothers’ parents — was underway, its open floor plan providing flexible space for up to 400 students.
70s
1
1971
1970
Upper School (now Middle School) Middle School (now Richards Hall)
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ETHOS
The final project began on Aug. 16, 1972. Completed in just eight months, the A.E. Finley Activity Center boasted a 1,500-seat main gym, an indoor swimming pool, a wrestling room, a dance studio and a student lounge. It was dedicated in 1974 in honor of the philanthropist and soon-to-be Ravenscroft trustee, who would eventually direct a portion of his estate, through the A.E. Finley Foundation, to provide for the building’s upkeep in perpetuity. Aggressive fundraising by the school’s original champions would continue well into the 1980s. (As Fran Pugh remembered, it took until 1984 to pay off the school’s initial mortgage.) But the early flurry of building — which, as the Holdings had hoped, soon accommodated 1,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade — would serve the school well for another decade.
$6.5M 1. The original Middle School and gym, shown here in 1972, was dedicated in honor of E.N. Richards in 1980. 2. Members of the Class of 1974 participate in a “steel-raising” ceremony kicking off construction of the Upper School in December 1970. 3. The 1972 Corvus yearbook highlights the wide hallways that remain the hallmark of the original Upper School, now the Middle School. 4. The final project in the initial phase of campus building, the A.E. Finley Activity Center included an indoor swimming pool.
Holding Hall Lower School
1972
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3
1973
A.E. Finley Activity Center
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ETHOS
“The existing buildings had served the school’s needs exceedingly well, but no new building had taken place since 1974.” — MARY MOSS, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 1990-2001
REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE As the north Raleigh campus approached its 20th anniversary, school leaders embarked on a five-year strategic plan. As Mary Moss, who served as Ravenscroft’s director of development from 1990 to 2001, noted, “The existing buildings had served the school’s needs exceedingly well, but no new building had taken place since 1974.” The $5.07M “Beyond Z” capital campaign — chaired by trustee Courtney Mauzy and his wife, Bo, with support from fellow parents James and Connie Maynard and alumni DEAN SHAVLIK ’80 and MICHAEL ’77 and TAL HINNANT MANGUM ’77 — sought to grow the school’s endowment and fund a stand-alone fine arts facility. Fundraising for the new building got a significant boost when the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, whose benefactor had donated $10,000 for fine arts programs in 1974, issued a $750,000 challenge gift.
90s 1
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1993
The Fine Arts Center
ETHOS
When the Fine Arts Center opened on Nov. 4, 1993, it ushered in a new era in the school’s long-standing commitment to arts education. From the large, sunlit classrooms for band, strings, chorus and visual art to the dedicated studios for private lessons (a much-beloved program since the Tucker Street era) and the 458-seat auditorium and lobby gallery in which students’ artistic endeavors were showcased, the center bolstered the school’s reputation for excellence in both its programs and its facilities.
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beyond Z 1. This aerial photo shows the initial campus buildings and remaining trailers, before the addition of the Fine Arts Center more than a decade later. 2. Alumni join the choir in singing “White Christmas” in the new Fine Arts Center just one month after its dedication in November 1993. 3. The Fine Arts Center was the first new building on campus in nearly 20 years; it was expanded in 2005 with the seamless addition of the young peoples’ theatre. 4. Middle School students pose together after performing their Honors Recital in the new center in April 1994.
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ETHOS
INVESTED IN THE SCHOOL’S SUCCESS As that strategic plan came to a close in 1993, trustees moved quickly to build on those successes and target new areas of growth and improvement. The $12.5M “Bold Initiatives” capital campaign, developed in response to a 25-year campus master plan approved by the board in 1998, aimed to modernize the campus. Separate challenge grants from Jan and Munther Qubain ($1M) and Lynn and Pete Murphy ($1.5M on a 1:2 basis) energized donors. The four-year campaign made possible the construction of four elegant buildings in 2001. The new Upper School, named in honor of the Murphy family, included science and language labs, faculty office suites and a sunny café space. The Lower School library, dedicated to Charles and Florence Winston, and the Library and
Technology Center (LTC) provided additional space for educational programming. The Jones Health Center, a gift of the Seby B. Jones family, provided a bright new space for the school nurse, who was still working out of the last of the 21 trailers brought in as temporary facilities in 1969. “Campaign co-chairs Merrill and Marilyn Hunter lived and breathed the success of that campaign for the benefit of our students and teachers,” Mary Moss said of Bold Initiatives. “All of us were invested in the school’s success and wanted Ravenscroft to continue to be a leader in education.”
Jones Health Center
Winston Library
00s 1
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Murphy Hall Upper School
2001 Library and Technology Center (now Keim Center for Innovation and Research)
bold initiatives ETHOS
2 3
1. Students pose with the new Library and Technology Center behind them in this photo from the 2001 Annual Report. 2. Trustees, project partners and campaign supporters kick off Bold Initiatives with a formal ground breaking ceremony on Dec. 8, 1999. 3. The Class of 2004 takes a snowy senior photo in front of the new Upper School, which was dedicated to the Murphy family in 2002.
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ETHOS
1
FIRST-CLASS FACILITIES Throughout the school’s growth, athletics was another point of pride for Ravenscroft. Starting with early success in both girls and boys soccer under Coach Bill Holleman in the 1970s, the school had also become a dominant force in tennis, swimming, basketball and football. Ravenscroft’s football field, informally known as “The Bowl” for its scooped-out playing field, was the envy of area schools. However, by the close of Bold Initiatives, the need to update some of the school’s playing fields — largely unchanged since a series of upgrades in 1985 — was looming. “There was a deep need to do something for our
athletic facilities,” Athletic Director Ned Gonet explained. “Conversations in the early 2000s about expanding our track led to a plan to fill in The Bowl and greatly improve stadium amenities.” In 2003, the $3M “Charge to Victory” campaign got underway, with trustee Mike Condrey as chair. Managing new construction, renovations and field upgrades across all three athletic seasons required significant logistical agility — including playing the 2003 Homecoming football game on the soccer field — but resulted, in the end, in major improvements to facilities and grounds for nearly every outdoor sport and several upgrades in the Finley Activity Center, including the creation of the Hall of Fame Room and the installation of ADA-compliant bleacher seating in the Main Arena. “We want to give our students first-class facilities,” Gonet said. “Charge to Victory revitalized our facilities on a large scale and helped make our athletic program what it is today.”
2004
charge to victory 2
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ETHOS
3 1 AND 2. Charge to Victory funded improvements to many outdoor athletic facilities, including the tennis courts and baseball field. 3. Aerial photography captures the additions of buildings funded by Bold Initiatives and the athletic upgrades made possible by Charge to Victory. 4. A collage from the 2004 Corvus highlights the many sports Ravens enjoyed. 5. Upgrades to the football stadium included a stately new entrance — dedicated in honor of Athletic Director Ned Gonet in 2006 — with ticketing and concessions areas.
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ETHOS
HIGHLY INTENTIONAL AND STRATEGIC Philanthropic Support Funds Recent Campus Updates
A
S 21ST-CENTURY INNOVATIONS continue to transform the classroom, school leaders
draw on the same energy and ingenuity that first distinguished Ravenscroft in the early 1970s, adapting and expanding existing campus spaces to meet the needs of students today. As with previous building campaigns, the generosity of donors — whether through directed gifts, endowed funds or contributions to the Fund for Ravenscroft — has made it possible to create dynamic learning environments where Ravens can explore, collaborate, produce and thrive.
Flexible Seating & Collaborative Learning
Technology & Principles of Design Thinking
2015
1 1. ASHER SONNTAG ’24, SOFIA PEDRETTI ’24 and AUDREY STOCK ’24 make use of flexible hallway seating as they collaborate in the Middle School. 2. GRACE GIBNEY ’26 and NEIL AWASTHI ’26 work on a Lego Robotics project in the Keim Center.
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TO DAY ’S ST U D E N T-C ENT ER ED learning environments require greater flexibility as students move through various modes of instruction and exploration. The Middle School’s Node seating, introduced in 2015, provides comfortable, easyto-maneuver desks that support students whether they’re working independently, conferring with a partner or joining their classmates in a circle for debriefing. Outside the classrooms, upholstered benches and chairs provide students with comfortable areas in which to study, socialize and share their ideas and interests. A new seminar room provides a dedicated place for student, teacher and parent groups to meet, give presentations and share work. As Head of Middle School Denise Colpitts noted, “We have been highly intentional and strategic about using this space to meet the needs of our students and bring it into the 21st century. We’ve worked to maximize space and create flexible, collaborative classrooms.”
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T HE INT EGR AT ION OF T EC HN O LO GY and the principles of design thinking into the curriculum has also brought about a shift in teachers’ approach to instruction. Setting up spaces where students can imagine, design, prototype, test and refine — whether they’re using PVC pipe and Styrofoam or laptops and fist-sized robots — has transformed existing facilities into engineering and robotics labs and makerspaces. The Keim Center for Innovation and Research, which opened in September 2018 in the former Library and Technology Center, houses classrooms, an innovations lab, cutting-edge manufacturing equipment and collaboration space. “Because of the rapid advancements we see coming down the pike, continued investment in technology is very important for our future,” Jason Ramsden, chief information officer, said. “The design of the Keim Center gives us the flexibility to meet the needs of today’s learners while keeping an eye on the future.”
READ ABOUT A RECENT ATHLETICS UPGRADE — THE RENOVATION OF
ETHOS
THE WEIGHT ROOM IN THE A.E. FINLEY ACTIVITY CENTER — IN FIT, P. 4.
3
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5
2019
Early Childhood Emphasis & Fine Arts Collaboration & Program Continuity Familiarity and Comfort
Campus Safety and Security & Student Social Spaces
W I T H T H E G R O W I N G B O DY O F R E S E A R C H on the importance of early childhood education — and the growing body of four-year-olds enrolled in Ravenscroft’s PreKindergarten program — Lower School leaders envisioned a space dedicated to the unique needs of the school’s youngest students. The PreK Learning Center, which opened this year in an extensively renovated pod along the back of Holding Hall, offers three classrooms and a light-filled common area where students can explore centers, enjoy lunch and feel at home in a space thoughtfully designed just for them. The new “storefront” entrance off the Lot E carpool lane eases daily transitions from the car to the classroom. “The entire space was created with PreK in mind, including its proximity to the Butterfly Garden and Holding Garden,” Head of Lower School Nicole Girvan said. “The feel and the familiarity of the space are crucial to a young child’s ability to learn, grow and dream.”
AS S EV E R A L LOW E R SC H O O L fine arts classrooms and private-lesson studios were being relocated to make way for the PreK Center, the same outside-thebox thinking that has energized campus buildings and grounds for decades led to another thoughtful renovation. The new Lower School Fine Arts Center unites all Lower School fine arts faculty in the Richards Hall annex, originally built as a sixth-grade center. It’s an inspired move that honors Ravenscroft’s oldest initiative — private lessons — while providing art, music, choir and strings classes within a single, shared facility that’s just steps away from Holding Hall. A central commons provides a convenient place for rehearsals and performances. “The Lower School Fine Arts Center provides us an opportunity to have collaboration across all of the fine arts,” David McChesney, director of fine arts, said. “Every child in the Lower School will enjoy fine arts classes there. It’s another differentiator for Ravenscroft.”
3. SOFIA RODRIGUEZ explores the PreK Learning Center’s play kitchen with teacher Betsy Barnett.
4. Katie O’Neill’s first-grade music students enjoy her classroom in the new Lower School Fine Arts Center.
AS SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE SEEK to maintain safety while providing students with spaces to relax and socialize, a recent project in the Upper School offered a solution that accomplishes both. Following the 2018 implementation of a key-card access control system in the Upper School (as well as the Middle School and the Keim Center), school leaders in 2019 moved the administrative offices to the outside corner of Murphy Hall to create a welcoming main entrance with staff supervision. The corresponding relocation of the Upper School Café has yielded upgraded seating and the addition of a large patio on the Campus Green. Supplementing such in-demand social spaces as the student lounge and the Keim Center café, these updates address an important need. “Research showing that adolescents need unstructured time for optimal social-emotional development drove the creation of our current daily schedule, which includes study halls and community time,” Aaron Sundstrom, interim head of Upper School, said. “Providing social spaces for our students supports their healthy development.” R 5. Upper School students (clockwise from front left) CHRISTOPHER GLENN ’22, ANDREW MILLER ’22, KATIE LOTURCO ’22, DRAKE HAMLIN ’22, ANYA JACOBSON ’22 and CLAIRE DOUGLAS ’22 enjoy the new patio.
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9 TO WATCH T
BYSHANNON SHANNONT.T.ZARB ZARB BY
HE 2018-19 BOARD OF TRUSTEES included eight Ravenscroft alumni spanning 37 class years, plus one
dedicated parent and grandparent whose decades of service to the school earned her a place in the honorary Class of 1862. We asked them to reflect on their experiences in leadership and service to their alma mater.
KEVIN T. ANDERSON ’82, Board Chair YEARS ON BOARD: 2014-present COMMITTEES: Executive OCCUPATION: Executive Director in financial services industry
“Ravenscroft nurtured a curiosity that has endured a lifetime. I fell in love with reading in Lower School and was probably never more than arm’s length from extracurricular books throughout my time at Ravenscroft.”
KELLY POWELL GOULD ’90
LAURA HELTON KALORIN ’92
YEARS ON BOARD: 2014-present
YEARS ON BOARD: 2016-present
COMMITTEES: Committee on Trustees, Educational Stewardship, Buildings & Grounds
COMMITTEES: Educational Stewardship Chair, Advancement, Executive
OCCUPATION: Proud parent of ANDREW ’21 and GARLAND ’24
OCCUPATION: Assistant Director of Student Health, NCSU
“Ravenscroft taught me the importance of leadership and service. I learned a strong work ethic, a drive to achieve goals and the need to give back — and, most importantly, the value of being kind to others, offering a helping hand where it is needed and achieving my highest potential in every task.”
PENNY ABRAHAMS ROGERS ’93 YEARS ON BOARD: 2018-present COMMITTEES: Audit, Institutional Advancement OCCUPATION: Independent School Management Consultant
“Ravenscroft’s faculty and staff encouraged me to take risks in a safe environment and not be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve often thought about what my life might have been like if I hadn’t attended Ravenscroft, and it’s hard to imagine.”
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“I recognize that I left Ravenscroft with a strong sense of stewardship. This is especially true at the trustees meetings, as we are committing resources and making decisions that may affect our grandchildren. Being a good steward is about accountability and giving of yourself, not out of obligation but out of a true sense of service.”
NELLE MOSELEY SCHANTZ ’83 YEARS ON BOARD: 2017-present COMMITTEES: Institutional Advancement, Educational Stewardship OCCUPATION: Vice President of Marketing, Fidelity Charitable
“Collaboration and community are two values I learned at Ravenscroft that have served me well. You’re better when you’re part of something. You shine more when you help others shine. And the journey’s a lot more fun along the way.”
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EASTER A. MAYNARD ’89, Vice Chair YEARS ON BOARD: 2012-19 COMMITTEES: Educational Stewardship, Executive, Advancement OCCUPATION: Executive Director of the ChildTrust Foundation and Director of Charitable Giving for IMC
JOHN E. PARHAM JR. ’84
JOYCE L. POPE ’04
YEARS ON BOARD: 2013-present
YEARS ON BOARD: 2015-present
COMMITTEES: Investment Chair, Executive, Finance
COMMITTEES: Finance, Educational Stewardship
OCCUPATION: Senior Vice President/Regional ManagerFinancial Consultant with South State Investment Services
OCCUPATION: Vice President, John William Pope Foundation
“The values I received from Ravenscroft include: trust and empower the people you work with, open your mind to new ideas, share the credit and own the problem, sell hot dogs and pizza at the concession stand for football games, and invest in your passions in the nonprofit world.”
“The deeply ingrained focus on excellence at Ravenscroft has encouraged me to work hard and grow. Lead from Here continues that legacy and is sure to help students develop their potential and learn how their lives can be of service to the world.”
“When I think of my time at Ravenscroft, I remember the feeling of being able to walk down the hall or into a study room and knowing everyone. There were no strangers at Ravenscroft.”
Fifty Years of Steady Leadership: Frances P. Pugh, Class of 1862
I
N HER 50 YEARS on the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees, 1969-2019, Frances Pugh has served as vice chair and on the Finance, Executive, Buildings & Grounds and Institutional Advancement committees. Her husband, V. Watson Pugh, is a Tucker Street alumnus, and their four children and six of their grandchildren attended Ravenscroft as well. When asked which of Ravenscroft’s accomplishments makes her most proud, she said, “I have always pushed
for keeping a vision alive. What we do today is the result of the past and reflects on our future. Lead From Here and having such a dedicated Head of School and staff has been such a blessing.” Mrs. Pugh’s guidance and generosity have been instrumental in shaping Ravenscroft’s campus over the years. Read about the four major phases of campus development — and the visionary leadership that made them possible — in Ethos, p. 12. R
KNOW A RAVENSCROFT GRAD WE SHOULD HAVE ON OUR WATCH LIST? SEND US THE DETAILS VIA “SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE” AT www.ravenscroft.org/alumni REPORT ON GIVING | FALL 2019
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IN APPRECIATION
Members in Every Raven Society
94 8
individuals family foundations
Corporate Partners
Value of endowments dedicated to financial aid
20 $4.1M
PHILANTHROPY BY THE NUMBERS TIME, TALENT & TREASURE
Senior class giving to Fund For Ravenscroft
$987 Anthony Peay ’19 presents Phil Higginson, associate head of school for philanthropy, with a gift from senior members of campus affinity groups My Brother’s Keeper and Nubian Queens.
2019-20 ALUMNI COUNCIL
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Mr. Eddie O’Herron ’99 Mr. Steven Peden ’89
Age of youngest donor
Classes with most parent donors to Fund For Ravenscroft
2019-20 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mr. Jeremy Bull ’00 Mr. Alex Floyd ’04 Mr. Joe Grew ’06 Ms. Christi Jones ’90
#2
2022 #3
2020 Mr. John T. Jenkins II Dr. Laura Helton Kalorin ’92
Mr. Jeremy Ray ’05
Mr. Kevin T. Anderson ’82, Chair
Mr. Michael Norona
Mr. Thomas Sigmon ’13
Mrs. Frances P. Pugh, Vice Chair
Mrs. Donna P. Preiss
Mr. Carr Walker ’13
Mr. Santo J. Costa, Vice Chair
Mrs. Kristin G. Replogle
Mr. Watts Winston ’10
Mr. John E. Parham Jr. ’84, Vice Chair
Mr. Bobby Rice
Ms. Allie Withers ’11
Mr. Kelvin Jones, Treasurer
Ms. Hilary Waldenberg Lamb ’88
Ms. Joyce Pope ’04, Secretary
Mr. Stahler McKinney ’08
Mrs. Amy M. Batten
Ms. Anne Lehman Mehr ’89
Mrs. Kelly Powell Gould ’90
Mr. John Moss ’04
Mrs. Pamela J. Jamison
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2021
Dr. Kevin L. Keim
Ms. Amanda Raxlin Powell ’09 Mrs. Anna Claire Murnick Price ’03, President
#1
Ms. Penny Abrahams Rogers ’93 Mrs. Nelle Moseley Schantz ’83 Ms. Melisse F. Shaban Mr. Peter A. Tannenbaum Mr. James P. Ziperski Mrs. Doreen Kelly, ex officio
PHILANTHROPY BY THE NUMBERS
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124
Upper School students attending conferences, travel, cocurricular and other experiences made possible by endowments, grants or other giving Endowments supporting global programs help offset the cost of students’ educational travel to places including Belize.
300
Parents of college-age alumni gather in the fall to prepare care
College care packages sent to alumni
packages for them.
100+ 80+ RAC volunteers supporting Ravenscroft Athletics in hosting 2019 NCISAA State Basketball Tournament, attended by 200 players and coaches and 1,400 spectators GoPlaySave books sold in support of Parents’ Association
1,007
Attendees at Lead From Here parent education sessions
“Beauty and the Beast” costume parts managed by Fine Arts Association volunteers
Countries and cultures represented in Global Parent Ambassadors
800+ Fine Arts Association volunteers kept track of the 800+ costume pieces for the school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.”
Read more about Ravenscroft’s volunteer leadership groups and the many ways they support our community on our website: www.ravenscroft.org/fallmagazine2019
2019-20 TRUSTEE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Ann Denlinger
Mr. R. Donavon Munford Jr.
Mrs. Virginia A. Watters
Mr. Albert E. Finley III ’76
Mr. Kennedy C. O’Herron
Mr. S. Edward White
Mrs. Janet M. Floyd
Mr. Lacy M. Presnell III
Mr. Charles M. Winston Jr. ’78
Dr. Kevin L. Keim, Chair
Mrs. Sarah Wesley Fox ’73
Dr. William I. Procter ’50
Mr. Charles M. Winston Sr. ’47
Mr. James M. Adams Sr.
Dr. Francesco Gozzo
Mrs. Janet A. Qubain
Mrs. Mary Brent Wright
Mrs. Candy Beal
Mrs. Jennie J. Hayman
Mr. Michael C. Rhaney
Mr. Victor E. Bell III ’74
Mrs. Barbara S. Helton
Mr. Alan B. Salisbury
Mrs. Katherine H. Bratton
Mrs. Larry Hines
Mrs. Florence Salisbury
Mrs. Hope H. Bryant
Mrs. Noel Lichtin
Mr. Michael G. Sandman
Mrs. Frances A. Buckley
Mrs.Talmadge Hinnant Mangum ’77
Mr. Charles Stiefel
Mrs. Jean G. Carter
Mrs. Caryn C. McNeill
Dr. Gerald W. Upton
Mr. R.M. Condrey
Mr. Bill Moss ’74
Dr. Christopher R. Watters
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Celebrating 50 Years of Growth and Success — Thanks to Supporters Like You! As we continue to build on Ravenscroft’s proud legacy of excellence in teaching and learning, we know much of our success is made possible by the philanthropic support — through generous gifts of time, talent and treasure — invested in us by our community’s parents, grandparents, alumni and their families, current and former faculty and staff, and other committed friends. From all of us here today, on this vibrant campus now celebrating 50 years of growth and success: thank you for everything you do to help us fulfill our mission of nurturing individual potential and preparing students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world. — DOREEN C. KELLY, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID Raleigh, NC Permit No. 9
7409 Falls of Neuse Road Raleigh, NC 27615 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
OUR MISSION The Ravenscroft community, guided by our legacy of excellence, nurtures individual potential and prepares students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world.
Lead From Here A Lead From Here Moment Strategic: Tries to understand how decisions and actions impact the community. Uses understanding of relationships to move self and others forward; actions are planned rather than random; acts more than reacts. COLE STIEFEL ’21 tells RWorld attendees about his team’s fundraising on behalf of A Crucial Catch, including sales of Homecoming luminaria and Thanksgiving bundt cakes. The student-led team, Ravens Fighting Against Cancer, raises thousands of dollars each year in support of the partnership between the National Football League and the American Cancer Society, which funds cancer screenings, treatment and research.