experience the langley school
Spring 2013
70
Langley Celebrates Years
the langley school
experience The Langley School Experience is published twice a year for friends and families of The Langley School. Head of School Doris E. Cottam Editor & Designer Sharon Ifft, Director of Publications & Marketing
Special thanks to Missy McClelland and Langley’s Archives Office for assisting with historical research for this issue.
On the Cover: Langley held classes in the Laughlin House in the center of McLean from 1948-1955.
table of 1 2 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 27 31 33
Contents
Head of School’s Message The Langley Story The 1940s: Ed Portner ’50 & Stella Hanson The 1950s: Kip Laughlin ’50 & Evelyn Swindler The 1960s: Chris Atkins Godack ’68 & Betty Pirro The 1970s: John Dedrick ’78 & Helene Layman The 1980s: Gayle Shafer Trotter ’85 & Maria Restrepo The 1990s: Anne Laughlin ’96 & Henry Cole The 2000s: Kelly Halpin ’00 & Joseph Lekuton Leading Langley: Former Heads of School Honoring Doris Cottam Class Notes Campaign Update
The Langley School is comprised of students, teachers, parents, and staff who believe that a diverse school community promotes learning and growth, preparing students for responsible and compassionate citizenship in the global community. We administer all programs and policies without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or any other category to the extent protected by applicable laws. The Langley School
1411 Balls Hill Road
McLean,VA 22101
Phone: (703) 356-1920
Fax: (703) 790-9712
www.langleyschool.org
head of school’s Message Dear Langley Friends... Happy Birthday, Langley! In 1942, a group of parents had the idea to launch a small preschool called the McLean Playschool. Though they faced challenges and were forced to move locations several times, the original dream of creating a unique learning environment in which the whole child would be nurtured remained strong. Parents and teachers worked side by side to build the school into a true community that was caring, child-centered, and forward-thinking. Now, as we celebrate our founding 70 years ago, we reflect on the many dedicated members of this community who made Langley what it is today. Whether stoking a coal furnace in one of the school’s early buildings, erecting playground equipment, purchasing a new set of books, adding a grade level, or expanding the facilities, these early Langley pioneers worked hard and dreamed big. From volunteer parents to the school’s former directors, thousands of hands and minds moved the school forward and propelled its growth. On the pages that follow, you will see a sampling of the students, teachers, and leaders who have impacted our 70-year history and who will always be a part of the Langley community. We hope you enjoy looking at the old photos and reading about Langley’s many milestones with each passing decade. Thankfully, Langley’s story isn’t over. As we enter a new decade, our eighth, we will have new dreams to dream and new challenges to face. I will be stepping down as head of school after 13 years this June, and we will welcome Dr. Elinor Scully who will lead the school into the next exciting chapter. As we have seen throughout Langley’s history, the ability to look boldly
Doris Cottam with former heads of school Lucy Daoust (left) and Betty Brown (right).
toward our future while keeping an eye on our past has served the school well. I am confident that Elinor will masterfully blend the wonderful sense of community that our founders instilled with a dynamic 21st century program that will effectively prepare today’s students for the future that awaits. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as head of The Langley School. Together, we have accomplished amazing things. The dedication and vision of the members of this community – both past and present – has touched my heart and made me a better person. I will always consider myself blessed to have played a small role in Langley’s history. And I can’t wait to see what the next 70 years have in store! With deepest gratitude,
the langley school experience
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langley in the
1940s
Students enrolled in the McLean Playschool circa 1945.
The following article appeared in Langley’s newsletter in August 1950.
The Langley Story By Mrs. Robert Burstein
For those of us who have been with Langley from the beginning, it is a nostalgic story. In these days of fastunfolding events, eight years ago seems a very long time. The near-decade of Langley’s history covered the birth and growth of a school that was ministered to by many who are no longer in the community – they are scattered all over the world. But those who have been fortunate enough to remain remember those early days with pleasure and gratitude and no small understanding of the unremitting love and work and devotion of the pioneers. Because I have always been interested in how things begin, I volunteered to write the story of Langley when the Publications Committee was looking around for a likely candidate. I was given a folder filled with bits about Langley and told that this might give me some background. My own first impression of Langley goes back to that amazing old building at Langley – from the outside old and bleak and awful – but when you walked in a real miracle occurred. There was a handsome mural of a boat on the Potomac, titled the Langley Belle… this was all over the downstairs hall wall. It was done by Robert and Margaret Gates and was a riot of color, giving you a feeling that someone must have loved this school very much to have gone to all that trouble. And
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each room was gay and just right for the particular age group occupying it…but somehow I am getting ahead of myself. As I read the folder, I got the impression that the real story began before 1944 when Langley Co-op, as we know it, was formed. And so I began talking with a few old members whose names were on a 1942 list and got what I feel is really the beginning of Langley. I think it is a wonderful story of a group of people who believed that even in the midst of the last Great War, the schooling on a pre-nursery level for their children was of great importance. Let’s go back to a grocery store in McLean during the summer of 1942…three mothers stand in line waiting their turn, holding their rationing books, and waiting to spend their points…running around the store are their children. Right there and then, those mothers decided to try to form a nursery school. Although the war had aggravated the situation, the lack of preschool education in Virginia had been a problem for a long time. Many persons living in isolated homes or farms had wanted a school where children could play and learn together in the best modern tradition.
langley in the The kind of nursery school decided upon was to be of the cooperative type and each of our three ladies was to go home and start phone calling at once to enlist members. And so in September 1942, 11 mothers met in Franklin Sherman School in McLean to organize what was known as the McLean Playschool. They persuaded Franklin Sherman to allow them the use of two rooms. The bathroom had to be done completely over. The sewers leaked and boots had to be worn at all times; and the mothers finally decided that a wooden potty seat would really be the best. In fact, all through these talks the great trials and tribulations seemed to concern the matter of toileting these little children, and from what I could gather, the conditions were pretty rugged. A director, Mrs. Riddle, was present every day, assisted by two mothers. The tuition was $6.25 a month; health certificates and daily health inspection were as important
Mrs. Edith Riddle, Langley’s first director, sole teacher, and advisor, with her husband.
then as now. Each child brought a piece of fruit and this was pooled and served around at rest period. The school functioned very well that first year, but because of the over-crowded condition at Franklin
Sherman it was impossible to return the following year. And so the next step was a split in the group. Distances were far and gas hard to come by, so it was decided that one group would stay in McLean and meet in a home there. The other group, composed of the Langley children, met in the Langley Methodist Church. I couldn’t get many details about that year. But the feeling was that it wasn’t too successful, and so the parents looked around for a large building to house the entire group once again. We now come to the Langley Cooperative School as we know it today. Finding a school building in a housing-short war period was the first big job. This was finally accomplished by miracles of wangling, red-tape cutting, and endless chasing from agency to agency. But a building was found – an abandoned one condemned by the government. By shoring up floors, renewing wiring, installing heat, digging a well, shoveling 125 tons of gravel for a driveway, using gallons of paint, and begging, making, and borrowing furniture, the determined parents had a school ready for their children by September 1944. When school opened in September, there were 60 children, a qualified director, and four qualified preschool teachers; and equally important, there were the parents working together as a unit under an executive board composed of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and a member-at-large. These parents were determined that their children would have the very best that modern progressive education had to offer. From what I can learn, the school remained at Langley for four years.
1940s
Each year the government official in charge was loath to give us another extension because the building had been condemned, and he was afraid there would be some difficulty. Finally, in 1947, we were given the building for that year only, with the stipulation that we would never ask for it again. As so began the problem of finding another building. There was even talk of building our own school, but that was “just talk” because after one of our members who was an architect drew us some wonderful plans, we discovered that schools come very high…something like $40,000. So, again, a miracle happened. We were offered our present building [the Laughlin House which stood on the current site of McLean Hardware in downtown McLean] on a five-year lease at $60 a month, with an opportunity to renew. It was certainly the answer to our prayers. The moving and rehabilitation expenses were heavy – around a thousand dollars. But this figure could easily have been tripled if the parents hadn’t done most of the work. Once again, the school started from scratch. The wiring and lighting were renewed, fire escapes built, the grounds fenced, and during several memorable weekends in August, when the thermometer hit a hundred, with the humidity not far behind, some of the heaviest work was undertaken. Stripped to shorts, the fathers certainly sweated out their children’s education. When the rough work was done, the mothers moved in with buckets, mops, brooms, and brushes. Painting gangs were organized and bright colors – reds, greens, yellows, blues – were chosen for walls and furniture. Our new school was all ready for the children by September 1948.
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langley in the
1940s
1940s Left: Students took part in Langley’s advanced primary puppet show in the 1940s. Below: When Langley opened its doors as The McLean Playschool in 1942, classes were held in the Franklin Sherman School.
A look back... • On September 22, 1942, Langley first opened its doors
in the basement of the Franklin Sherman School in downtown McLean. The school was called the McLean Playschool and enrolled 19 children between the ages of 3 and 6. Half-day classes met five days a week, with mothers serving as volunteer assistants. Tuition was $6.25 per month.
Bylaws were then adopted, the school was incorporated under the laws of Virginia, it became a nonprofit cooerpative association composed of member parents, and its legal name became Langley School, Incorporated.
• Langley added a second-grade class in 1946.
• In 1943, the school split into two groups because of gas ra-
• The Washington Post ran an article about Langley in 1947
• By 1944, the two groups reunited to form one coopera-
• In 1948, Langley relocated to the Laughlin House, a large
tioning during WWII. The Langley group met in what was Langley Methodist Church and the McLean group met at the Lee Charters residence in McLean. tive preschool called the Langley Cooperative School which included nursery, kindergarten, and first grade. Classes were held in the old Rhinehart farmhouse on Georgetown Pike near the intersection of Route 123. A “work and pay” program enabled families to give more time and less money, or vice versa, within the bounds of the overall average required.
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• The school’s first constitution was written in 1945.
the langley school experience
entitled “Country School” which described the school as an “educational laboratory” and hailed it for its community-spirited parents. Victorian home in the center of McLean at the current site of McLean Hardware. That fall, a combination secondthird grade was added and the school had its first waiting list with 14 children seeking entry over the quota.
langley in the
Ed Portner
’50
In 1945, when Ed Portner first entered Langley’s nursery program at age 3, the school was in its fourth year of existence and already known for its strong parent involvement. Classes took place in a drafty, old farmhouse on Georgetown Pike which parents renovated and furnished, even taking responsibility for stoking the coal furnace five or six times per day.
alumni profile: 1940s
1940s
“I very much remember how enthusiastic my parents were about being involved in the school,” says Ed, whose mother served as the school’s president for one year and whose father was on the Building and Grounds Committee and helped build the playground equipment. He attended Langley for five years – through second grade – and still has copies of his report cards for four of those five years. “It was a small school and the teachers really knew us well. When I look at those old report cards which mention my active imagination and my tendency to be the class clown, I can see that my teachers described my personality perfectly!” he laughs.
go to another room to play with blocks when the class read scary nursery rhymes because the stories terrified him – an example of the individualized attention Langley provided its students. With a strong foundation from Langley, Ed went on to earn an electrical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University and both master’s and engineer’s degrees from MIT. He then served in the Army for two years in the 1960s through the ROTC program, using his engineering knowledge on a wide range of electronic devices at New Jersey’s Fort Monmouth and training troops in all branches of the Armed Forces on the ground in Vietnam to use detection sensors.
Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the largest university-based defense contractor in the country. For the first five years, his work centered around sonar system engineering to protect U.S. submarines. He then moved into a new area at APL which involved conducting environmental impact studies of proposed nuclear and coal power plants in Maryland. Ed spent 10 years studying the impacts these power plants could have on the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay, including its people and wildlife, and often testified his findings at federal and local hearings. Prior to his retirement in 2001, he also served as APL’s assistant director for business operations and assistant director for laboratory operations.
In 1969, following his Army service, Ed began his 32-year career at Johns
The Rhinehart farmhouse near the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Route 123 housed The Langley Cooperative School for several years in the mid 1940s.
Ed recalls being moved from kindergarten into first grade in the middle of the year because his teacher felt he was developmentally ready. “That was quite a traumatic event and I didn’t want to leave my class,” he says. “They had to drag me out of there kicking and screaming.” He also remembers being allowed to
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langley in the
1940s
Above & Left: In the 1940s, Langley students enjoyed learning both in the classroom and on the playground.
faculty profile: 1940s
Stella HANSON
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1n 1946, Stella Hanson was just one of five teachers on
future enjoyment,” Mrs. Hanson is
staff at Langley. She taught a combination class made
quoted as saying in Langley’s October
up of kindergartners and first-graders, then transitioned
1946 newsletter.
into the role of the school’s full-time music director. Students enjoyed marching, singing, and dancing as part
Mrs. Hanson came to Virginia in 1946
of their daily music instruction.
from England, where she was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in
“We want our children to want to ‘make music’ and
London. Prior to moving, she had one
although few may aspire to near perfection, in actual
and a half years of special kindergarten training in music and
practice they will be acquiring endless possibilities to
academic subjects at St. Andrews, Sussex.
the langley school experience
1950s
langley in the
1950s
A look back...
• By 1950, Langley enrolled 85 children, ages
3 to 6. New families were selected on the basis of how much time and effort they were willing and able to expend; participation was a key factor in admittance.
• In 1951, the school had five teachers and hired
its first full-time director, Barbara Waterman. All members were required to contribute 20 hours per year to the Building and Grounds Committee or forfeit one dollar per hour missed. Langley also began a separate class for 7- and 8-year-olds which became the school’s first full-day session.
• Langley held its first Spring Fair (the precursor
to today’s Fall Fair) in 1954. Nearly 3,000 tickets were sold, netting a profit of $2,300 for a fund to construct a new school building.
• In 1954, Langley purchased a five-acre tract of land on Balls Hill Road to build its own facility which opened in 1955 and contained five classrooms for nursery through grade 3, a library, a teachers’ room, and two offices.
• Workdays were held every Saturday from 9:00
Top: In 1955, the school built its own building on Balls Hill Road on the site of Langley’s present-day campus. Middle: Science and social studies played important roles in Langley’s curriculum in the 1950s. Below: The 1957 fair, held in the spring, included pony rides, relay races, eating contests, clowns, and game booths.
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. when parents contributed their time toward installing playground equipment and fences, as well as painting and landscaping for the new building. The cooperative nature of the school made private education affordable to those with modest incomes, as parents could “work out” the tuition through repair work or classroom assistance in addition to the mandatory work hours that all parents were required to devote to the school.
• By 1958, 47 new families came to Langley, bringing enrollment to 140 children.
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langley in the
1950s
Above: The advanced primary group presented a health show and program in the early 1950s. Right: In 1948, Langley moved to the Laughlin House in the center of McLean. Classes were held here until 1955.
William “Kip” Laughlin
alumni profile: 1950s
When William “Kip” Laughlin walked through the doors of The Langley School as a 3-year-old in 1949, he felt right at home. Of course the teachers and students were friendly and welcoming, but it was the setting that made him feel comfortable. For in those early years, Langley held its classes in the Laughlin House, a large home in the center of McLean owned by his grandmother, Emma.
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According to Kip, the Laughlin family owned three farmhouses in the McLean area, one of which his grandmother leased to Langley from 1948 to 1955 when the school moved to a new building on Balls Hill Road. “I remember walking from my home in the old blue farmhouse where the PNC Bank now stands over to the Laughlin House for school each day with my nanny,” he says. “Although I was quite young, I do still recall the great times we had playing on the jungle gym in the yard and I remember that my teacher, Evelyn Swindler, was a wonderful person who made learning fun.” Kip only attended Langley for two years, in junior kindergarten and kindergarten, before transferring to a military boarding school in first grade. But he never forgot the impact the school had on his early years, and chose to send his own daughter, Anne, to Langley from preschool to eighth grade in the 1980s and 1990s.
the langley school experience
’50
After graduating from the University of Virginia, Kip joined the McLean-based family real estate business, Laughlin Realtors, which was founded by his grandfather in the 1930s, making it the third oldest real estate company in the Washington area. As owner and principal broker for more than 30 years, he oversaw the company’s growth to include commercial investment properties, two offices, and 75 agents. In 2005, Kip sold the residential portion of the business, but he still focuses on commercial properties on a part-time basis. As a former Langley student, parent, and Board member, and a volunteer for Langley’s current Middle School campaign, Kip has a unique perspective on the school and has seen it grow and change through the decades. “It’s wonderful how the parents and teachers still work together to make a child’s first educational experience a lasting and rewarding one, just as they did when I was a student 60 years ago and then a parent 20 years ago,” he says.
langley in the
1950s
Evelyn SWINDLER An iconic teacher during Langley’s early years, Evelyn Swindler guided the development of countless Langley students for nearly three decades in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Mrs. Swindler taught both preschool and second grade during her tenure, and was known as an eager naturalist who led her students on daily outdoor nature hunts and helped them plant a garden each spring. She is also remembered for frequently taking her students ice skating on nearby Evans Farm Pond during the winter months. “One child had a terrible time learning to read,” Mrs. Swindler once recalled. “Someone asked me how I ever taught him to read, and I said I taught him to ice skate! I just sensed that he would be terrific at ice skating, so I had him write the story about how he liked to skate. It lit a spark and then he was off and running.”
faculty profile: 1950s
Ann McMahon ’54, who attended Langley for three years from age 4 to 6, fondly recalls Mrs. Swindler as one of her favorite teachers and as a very
warm person who constantly gave her students positive encouragement. “She gave me tremendous self-confidence at such a young age and encouraged me to achieve,” Ann says. “She connected with all of her students in such a genuine way so that none of us ever felt neglected.” Ann remembers one winter night when a bad snowstorm prevented her parents from getting to the school to pick her up, and Mrs. Swindler kindly brought Ann to her house to spend the night. She also recalls exciting class field trips to places like the U.S. Mint and the Corcoran Gallery, along with the fun of learning to use a mimeograph machine – all part of Mrs. Swindler’s “learning by doing” philosophy. “She would sit in a chair and read to us at nap time while our class pet, a rabbit, would be hopping around the room,” Ann laughs. During her time in Mrs. Swindler’s class, Ann and her classmates were also part of the school’s very first fair in 1954 and served as pioneers in the nationwide testing of the Salk polio vaccine. Evelyn Swindler passed away in November 2011 at the age of 98.
Mrs. Swindler with her class in the early 1950s.
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langley in the
1960s
1960s Above: Langley began bus service in 1964. Top Right: Students broke ground for construction to add additional buildings to the Balls Hill Road campus in the mid 1960s. Right: Langley parent Colin Greenly designed the swallow sculpture on the outside wall of Langley’s main building in 1964 in honor of Director Barbara Waterman’s retirement. The swallows have consistently been part of Langley’s emblem ever since.
A look back... • With enrollment continuing to climb,
the school began experiencing a shortage of space and added a multipurpose room and two classrooms to the main building on Balls Hill Road in 1961-1962. The additional space allowed for the separation of second and third grades, the addition of two new kindergarten classes, and the limitation of class sizes to no more than 20 students.
• In 1964, Langley began offering bus
service on Dolley Madison Boulevard which had been recently paved as a
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four-lane highway. That same year saw the retirement of Director Barbara Waterman and the hiring of her replacement, Lucy Frank Daoust.
• After conducting careful studies to
determine the impact of expanding the school, the decision was made to add fourth, fifth, and sixth grades over a three-year period from 1965 to 1967.
• In 1966, Langley began the planning and construction of a four-stage master plan that would add four
new buildings to the main classroom building on Balls Hill Road. Phase I of the plan would create a preschool building, phases II and III included an arts and science building and library, and phase IV included an auditorium/ gymnasium.
• The new preschool building and
library were completed in 1966 and the arts and science building opened in 1968.
langley in the
Chris Atkins Godack
alumni profile: 1960s
As a sixth-grader at Langley, Chris Atkins Godack was editor of the school’s newsletter, a yearly publication in which all sixth-grade students had a page. “Langley nurtured my passion to write. That was where it all started for me,” she says. “Throughout my career, writing has clearly been the backbone of all that I do.” For the past 10 years, Chris has worked for Johns Hopkins University’s Graduate School of Education, serving as a speechwriter for the dean, as director of communications, and currently as assistant dean for communications and public affairs. In this role, she is responsible for the school’s marketing efforts, publications, community outreach, student recruitment and communication, speechwriting, and any testimony at the state or federal level. But writing remains her favorite part of the job. After obtaining an undergraduate degree from Goucher College and a master’s degree
1960s
’68
in social strategy from the University of Maryland, Chris began her career at the public relations firm of Ogilvy & Mather. She then transitioned into the world of education and accepted a position at Johns Hopkins as the university’s assistant director for news and information before returning to agency work for the next 15 years. Chris served as a vice president at two Baltimorebased public relations firms where she specialized in media relations and crisis communications for a variety of clients from healthcare to higher education to law firms.
when the school was growing and continuing to add new grade levels. In fact, her class was the school’s very first sixth-grade class with around 13 students. Although Langley had moved to its current location on Balls Hill Road, the campus and surrounding areas were much different than they are today. “I remember in those days that the school was surrounded by fields filled with cows!” she laughs.
Although her work today at Johns Hopkins keeps her busy, Chris still finds the time to offer her communications and marketing expertise to a number of charities. As one of the founders of Baltimore’s Race for the Cure, she launched the group’s marketing efforts. She also assists with communications for Turn Around, an organization that helps women in abusive situations and fights human trafficking.
“I had an ideal time at Langley,” Chris adds, noting that the strong parental involvement and co-op nature made the school unique at the time. “It was a real community where everyone knew each other. I felt like I had lots of parents, with so many teachers and parents who knew me well, cared about me, and nurtured me.” She also recalls the school’s emphasis on reading and writing. The reading program, which required the students to read one book a week, exposed her to a whole new world of literature that she doubts she would have experienced anywhere else.
Chris attended Langley for seven years in the 1960s, from kindergarten through sixth grade, at a time
Now living in Baltimore with her husband, Chris credits Langley with instilling a deep appreciation for an independent school education. “My Langley experience was such a gift, and I wanted to share that with my own two children,” she says. “So I tried to find a school as similar to Langley as I could here in Baltimore for my kids to attend.”
Langley’s new arts & science building was completed in 1968.
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langley in the
1960s
Betty PIRRO
faculty profile: 1960s
“Betty is a natural teacher and a natural administrator. She is sensitive to children, organized, orderly, and most giving of herself.” Former Langley Director Lucy Frank Daoust once shared these words about Betty Pirro, a much loved and respected member of the Langley community from 1965-1979. For nearly 15 years, Mrs. Pirro impacted the lives of Langley’s youngest students, both as a junior kindergarten teacher and as the preschool director. In the classroom, no one was more organized or more well-liked by both the students and the parents. In her book, Langley School: The First Fifty Years, Mary Lou Bohsali writes, “As the nursery children advanced into junior kindergarten, replete with newly learned group skills, they were welcomed by Mrs. Pirro, who, parents laughingly said, ‘civilized them.’ Her soft voice and ever-present respect for her students earned their instant adoration, and no class could surpass hers in walking quietly in line or settling childhood disputes without resorting to small fists.” “Betty had a unique and marvelous way with young children,” recalls Betty Brown, Langley’s former head of school, who taught alongside Mrs. Pirro. “She engaged each student even when she had fairly large classes. She knew and loved the students and they responded with affection for her.”
Mrs. Pirro’s junior kindergarten classroom was filled with many exciting activities and projects to stimulate young minds. But the most memorable inhabitants of her room were the class gerbils which she used to teach her students to care for animals. “When Betty retired, I was told her successor had to come with gerbils!” laughs Mrs. Brown. As director of the preschool, Mrs. Pirro built an outstanding preschool, junior kindergarten, and kindergarten program that helped define Langley as a leader in early childhood education and laid the foundation for today’s Primary School. Her contributions also played a significant role in the school’s overall growth and success, as Langley’s reputation as a top school for very young children propelled the older grades forward as well. Langley’s current Primary School building, which was built in 1966, was dedicated in honor of Mrs. Pirro to recognize her warmth, caring, dedication, and outstanding leadership. She passed away in 1999.
Left & Above: Langley students frequently enjoyed playing “dress-up” in the 1960s.
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the langley school experience
1970s
langley in the
1970s
A look back... • During the early 1970s, there were long waiting lists for
almost every grade which led to talk of further expansion. In 1971, Langley added its first seventh-grade class, followed by a new eighth-grade class in 1972.
• Soon after the addition of grades 7 and 8, the school
formally added a foreign language program, offering French and Spanish, as well as an algebra elective for eighthgraders.
• In the 1970-1971 school year, Langley purchased the
nearby Hall property, which consisted of a small farmhouse and some land. This acquisition significantly enlarged Langley’s total land area to include the administration building, the property manager’s office, the bus loading area, and the parking lot. Affectionately named “The Roost,” the Hall farmhouse became home to Langley’s administrative offices and it still serves that purpose today.
• A pilot music program began in first grade in 1971 which
led to the formation of Langley’s first school band in 1978.
• By 1972, Langley enrolled 296 students in nursery through grade 8.
• In 1976, the school’s new field house was completed which led to the idea of instituting competitive sports at Langley.
• The idea for Langley’s first auction sprouted at the 1975
fair when parent Dick Snowdon discovered leftover food and flea market items that had not been sold. Instead of throwing them out, he began begging for bids for the leftover items and collected several hundred dollars.The tradition continued until 1977 when Langley held its first stand-alone auction in the Field House which raised nearly $5,000.
• In 1978, Lucy Frank Daoust resigned after 14 years as the
school’s director; she was replaced by David Rivers. That same year, Langley purchased the athletic field it had been renting from the American Legion.
Top: Langley purchased this farmhouse in the early 1970s to house the school’s administrative offices. Middle: Students in the 1970s took part in a variety of science activities. Bottom: Students in Betty Brown’s 1977 kindergarten class.
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langley in the
1970s
John Dedrick
alumni profile: 1970s
What does it take to make democracy work as it should? How can citizens make decisions and work together to solve the problems facing their communities and the nation? For nearly 20 years, John Dedrick has been on the forefront of researching these fundamental issues through his work at the Kettering Foundation, an 86-year-old nonprofit research foundation based in Dayton, OH. As vice president and program director at Kettering, John works with the foundation’s program officers and a network of researchers from universities, nonprofit organizations, and community-based associations to frame questions and develop strategies for conducting studies of the pervasive problems that people face in communities everywhere. “It’s been a privilege to be involved in this work,” says John, who began his career with Kettering in 1995 as a program officer. “Through exchanges with citizens’ associations and governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world, we are learning how people can work together to have more control over challenges that face communities everywhere, such as educating young people.”
With bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of William & Mary and a doctoral degree in political science from Rutgers University, John has authored several scholarly articles on the theory and practice of democracy and serves on numerous boards. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Fielding Graduate University’s Institute for Social Innovation, where he leads seminars on topics including deliberation, dialogue, and civic engagement. Although John only attended Langley in fifth and sixth grades, he pinpoints those years as extremely formative ones that helped shape his character and develop his love for learning. “Langley had high expectations for the students and supported us to make sure we could meet those expectations,” he says, noting that Langley was the first school to really challenge him academically. “The teachers created an environment and a culture that truly valued learning.”
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One such teacher was Helene Layman, who John remembers as one of his all-time favorite teachers. “She had a unique command and authority over her fifth-grade class,” he recalls. “Whether it was writing a country report on North Africa, memorizing Tennyson’s ‘Charge of the Light Brigade,’ or performing in ‘H.M.S. Pinafore,’ she showed me that I could take responsibility, gain confidence, and find success in whatever I put my mind to.” John also credits the school’s cooperative philosophy with creating a unique learning environment in which parents were very involved. He remembers his parents taking part in painting projects, cleaning up a school piano, and working at the fair. One particular parent who spoke to John’s fifth-grade class in the 1970s, Hal Saunders, coincidentally is now one of his senior colleagues at the Kettering Foundation – a wonderful reminder that the Langley experience lasts a lifetime.
Langley’s new field house opened in 1976 on the current site of the school’s Sherman Arts Center.
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the langley school experience
langley in the
1970s
Helene LAYMAN If you attended The Langley School from 1966 to 1981, you probably remember Helene Layman, a beloved teacher who educated fifthgraders for 15 years. Now 96 and living at a retirement home in Fairfax, VA, this long-time faculty member has fond memories of her days at Langley and still keeps in touch with many of her former students. “I taught my fifth-graders everything from ancient history to sex education,” she laughs. “There was never a dull moment and I loved it!” Always looking for ways to engage her students in creative projects, Mrs. Layman used her experience as a former opera singer to direct several successful Gilbert and Sullivan theatrical productions, including “The Pirates of Penzance,” despite having to perform in a Lower School meeting room and later in the acoustically inadequate Field House. “Mrs. Layman’s emphasis on the theater was really important to me,” says John Dedrick ’78, who had no stage experience prior to his debut in “H.M.S. Pinafore.” “She coached me on my singing and my lines, and worked closely with me through the whole process. That experience gave me confidence and sparked an interest in music that has continued my whole life.”
faculty profile: 1970s
From diagramming sentences and memorizing poetry to mastering the complex rhymes of Gilbert and Sullivan, Helen Methvin Payne ’79 still vividly recalls her experiences in Mrs. Layman’s class nearly 40 years ago. “I can barely remember many of the teachers I’ve had in my lifetime, but Helene Layman is imprinted in my brain at a molecular level. She stands out in my memory as the single most influential teacher of my life,” Helen says. “For every one of her students, she is remembered as the woman who raised the bar and introduced us to the classics.” Although today Langley students enjoy several overnight field trips during the year, in the 1960s students did not have this opportunity. That is, until Mrs. Layman came along. Wanting to bring a history lesson on religious freedom to life, she organized a much-anticipated overnight trip to an Amish community in Pennsylvania Dutch country where the students could immerse themselves in Amish life. For weeks, students raised money to fund the trip through sales of hot dogs and cupcakes to fellow students.This trip became a fifth-grade tradition, and helped blaze a trail for future Langley teachers to take their students on similar overnight excursions. “To this day, Mrs. Layman remains one of the people who has had the most profound and long-lasting influence on my life,” says Lauren Ostrow Simon ’74. “In her class, I made my stage debut, became immersed in history on my first overnight trip away from home, and learned to love writing.”
Mrs. Layman with her class in 1975-1976.
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langley in the
1980s
1980s Above: Fifth-graders took part in an Egyptian Festival in 1983-1984. Upper Right: Students in Miss Sherrick’s fourth-grade classroom in 1980. Right: Mrs. Vance’s 1983 nursery students carved pumpkins. Lower Right: A Langley school bus in the early 1980s.
A look back... • Betty Brown was appointed director in 1981 after serving as a teacher and administrator at the school since 1967.
• Langley received its first accreditation in 1981 and became a member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.
• A four-classroom wing and new kindergarten/multi-
purpose building were constructed in 1981. In addition to expanded classroom space, the new buildings contained a math lab, computer lab, foreign language rooms, and fine arts wing.
• By 1983, Langley completed its gradual double-sectioning
plan, ensuring each grade from nursery through eighth had two classes.
• Enrollment grew from 317 students in 1981 to 447 in 1984, with 52 faculty by 1984.
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the langley school experience
• As more families had two parents working outside the
home, Langley no longer mandated buildings and grounds work for the parents, but parents were strongly encouraged to stay involved in the life of the school.
• An additional four-classroom wing to accommodate the
Upper School (grades 6-8) was constructed and the arts and science building was expanded in 1986-1987.
langley in the
1980s
Far Left: The school celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1982. Left: The 1980 boys’ JV soccer team with Coach Jim Gleason.
Gayle Shafer Trotter
alumni profile: 1980s
Gayle Shafer Trotter isn’t afraid to make her voice heard. Whether arguing a case in the courtroom, writing an op-ed piece for The Washington Post, debating a community issue as an elected commissioner, or raising her six children (ages 4 to 15), she is an accomplished and confident leader who successfully juggles many roles. While Gayle’s official career is practicing estate planning, small business, and taxation law with her father at Shafer & Trotter PLC, she finds the time to nurture her passions for writing and community service as well. In 2010, she started her own blog on politics and culture and soon became a soughtafter print and online freelance writer. Gayle’s op-ed pieces – which focus on current issues such as gun violence, free enterprise, the estate tax, and the female work/life balance – appear regularly in The Washington Post and The Washington Times. As her thoughtful articles began generating buzz, media outlets such as NPR and CNN began asking her to appear as a guest expert, and she is frequently interviewed on television and radio. Earlier this year, she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing about gun violence which resulted in even more media interviews. Last fall, Gayle ran for political office in the District of Columbia and was elected as a commissioner to her local advisory neighborhood commission. As one of the District’s 300 commissioners, she represents
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about 2,000 constituents on local issues such as zoning. “I was outraged by some of the scandals in the DC government and thought I should try to make a difference rather than just complaining,” she says, noting that her older children helped her with a doorto-door campaign to get elected. Looking back on her childhood, Gayle attributes some of her confidence and ability to handle the public spotlight to her days at Langley in grades 3-8. “I remember doing a lot of writing and a lot of oral presentations, along with performing on stage in the orchestra and in plays, which helped prepare me to get up in front of people,” she adds. Even though she was relatively small for her age, Gayle played basketball under Coach Jim Gleason and recalls feeling encouraged to do her best and find ways to help the team despite her height – a persevering attitude that inspired her to continue playing basketball in high school, college, and currently on a lady lawyers’ league. Although Langley prepared her well academically to succeed at The Madeira School, the University of Virginia, and in her career, the biggest lesson Gayle learned didn’t come from a book. “My mom passed away while I was a student at Langley, and the community was so loving and supportive,” she says. “I’ve taken that with me and tried to be that kind of person in the communities I’ve been a part of.” the langley school experience
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langley in the
1980s
Maria RESTREPO When Maria Restrepo first came to Langley in 1972 as a part-time Spanish teacher, the school’s modern language program consisted of limited French and Spanish offerings twice a week for grades 6-8. Over the course of her 24-year career at Langley, she helped build a comprehensive, integrated curriculum that taught students of all ages not only to learn a new language, but also to develop an appreciation for other cultures.
faculty profile: 1980s
Mrs. Restrepo remembers the early years when she and one French teacher went from classroom to classroom with very limited resources. As the school grew, so did the modern language department with additional teachers, dedicated classroom space, and increased instructional time. When Spanish teacher Libia Villacorta began offering Spanish instruction to kindergartners, parents were so excited about the idea that Head of School Betty Brown decided to introduce Spanish and French across all grade levels from kindergarten through eighth grade.
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“We didn’t have enough language teachers to teach the younger grades at first, so I had to be creative at times,” says Mrs. Restrepo, who taught Spanish and some French to every grade level, except kindergarten, during her career. “At one point, I was teaching the same subject in French to one half of the room and in Spanish to the other half! Langley was truly a pioneer in beginning a foreign language at such a young age, as very few schools at the time offered that option.”
the langley school experience
As foreign language coordinator from 1983 to 1996, Mrs. Restrepo developed an ambitious goal for the department – to prepare Langley’s language students to place in level 2 French or Spanish in high school, a goal she and her colleagues achieved. In her classroom, Mrs. Restrepo brought Spanish language and culture to life by introducing Spanish art, music, literature, and history in addition to basic grammar and pronunciation skills. Her students sang Spanish songs, explored Spanish art at the National Gallery, presented programs in Spanish on Grandparents Day, ate at Spanish restaurants, and wrote research papers about Spanish-speaking regions.
As Jeremiah Norton ’92 recalls, “Mrs. Restrepo was unsurpassed in her ability to get the most out of her students. She was able to appeal to the best in us by setting high expectations. Her demands for excellence, as well as her dedication, kindness, and encouragement, left a lasting impression on me and many others.”
“While my students had to learn the basics of a language in order to speak it and write it, I believed it was very important to tie their study of Spanish or French into other aspects of their lives outside the classroom,” says Mrs. Restrepo. “I wanted them to develop a true interest in other cultures which would spark their desire to learn to communicate.” With the help of her fellow faculty members, Mrs. Restrepo organized Langley’s Modern Language Tournament, a competition she ran each spring for 13 years that drew around 300 students in grades 6-8 from area independent schools. Divided into groups by age and proficiency, students recited poetry or performed short plays in either Spanish or French and were judged on their delivery, pronunciation, and annunciation. In addition to raising Langley’s profile in the DC area, the competition exposed students to another dimension of learning a language and gave them the opportunity to explore French and Spanish literature.
Now 80 years old, Mrs. Restrepo splits her time between her home in McLean and her apartment in Madrid, Spain. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her 21 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
1990s
langley in the
1990s
A look back... • A Strategic Planning Committee was formed in 1990 to develop a policy plan that both affirmed Langley’s rich heritage and moved the school in new directions. The committee also developed a new mission statement for the school.
• In 1991-1992, Langley built a new learning center and
library which boasted 2.5 times the capacity of the former library. The building was named in honor of Pat Bush, the school’s long-time librarian. $1.2 million was raised for the 9,000-square-foot facility containing a state-of-the-art technology lab.
• Langley’s first Jazz Band was started, and the school hosted
the first annual Langley Instrumental Festival in 1992 which created a forum for more than 200 area student musicians to compete with their peers.
• In 1997, Langley opened the Betty Brown Lower School
building. This 26,700-square-foot facility featured numerous classrooms, a multi-purpose assembly room, and a science lab.
• Although parental involvement had been a central part of
the school’s philosophy since its founding, an official parent association – PALS – was not founded until 1999 when two Langley moms decided to create a more structured, inclusive organization that would coordinate all of Langley’s volunteer opportunities.
• After nearly 20 years as head of school, Betty Brown resigned in 1999.
Top: The fourth-grade class of 1995. Above: A seventh-grade field trip in 1991. Right: Kindergarten students in 1991-1992. Far Right: The first-grade class of 1992.
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langley in the
1990s
alumni profile: 1990s
Anne Laughlin A Web-based platform is only as good as its front-end design. The hardware components may be extremely powerful, but if the software design ignores important aspects like navigation, information hierarchy, and human-computer behavior, the product can’t shine. That’s where Anne Laughlin comes in. A user experience design manager with a Silicon Valley startup called Leapset, Anne aims to make the online experience fun and memorable for users. Based outside San Francisco, Leapset builds online commerce tools, such as mobile apps, online ordering platforms, and point-of-sale software. Since joining the company last August, Anne has been leading a team to build software which will help restaurants increase online ordering revenue, manage sales metrics, and connect
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with more online customers via PayPal and other external mobile apps. Next up, Anne hopes to overhaul Leapset’s Web site and refresh the visual design of its mobile apps. She uses her graphic and Web design background to create applications that are both intuitive and easy to use. “My role is a combination of formulating and testing how a user would ideally navigate our product and then making it easy to do so,” Anne says. “I look at various elements of visual design, information architecture, and user behavioral patterns, all in the hopes of building a more intuitive product. The goal is to make it fun and friendly.” A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English, Anne worked at a law firm thinking she would apply to law school. However, she quickly learned she wanted to pursue her creative abilities and enrolled in
a Web/graphic design certificate program run by Boston University. After graduation, she worked as a Web designer at PBS and then at a software company called Keymind. “My Langley education instilled and nurtured a wonderful sense of curiosity and creativity in me. Our teachers encouraged us to stretch beyond our comfort level to explore all ideas, no matter how silly they seemed,” says Anne. “Langley taught me to trust my instincts, learn from my failures, and get back up to try the next idea.” During her 11 years at the school, she made lifelong friends, enjoyed many wonderful field trips, and rarely had a teacher she didn’t love. Anne remembers Jim Gleason as a fabulous, motivating coach who inspired her to continue soccer in high school and then college, and Chuck Schmidt as her advisor and band teacher who helped develop her skills as a clarinet player. “Mr. Cole, our science teacher, made learning incredibly addicting; I couldn’t wait to get to his class every day,” she adds. “Whether we were constructing hot-air balloons from tissue paper, building wooden bird houses to install on a local farm, or dissecting a pregnant shark, we learned by experimenting and solving problems in fun ways – and that’s certainly a skill I still use and trust today.”
Langley’s 1998-1999 Jazz Band with Director Chuck Schmidt.
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the langley school experience
langley in the
1990s
Henry COLE During his 15 years at Langley from 1984 to 1999, Henry Cole transformed the school’s science curriculum into a more hands-on, interactive program that brought the natural world to life for a generation of students. “I felt the best way to learn was by doing rather than by reading a textbook, so I incorporated unique projects, labs, and field trips – and a lot of humor – into my class to make science fun and exciting,” says Mr. Cole, who taught science to grades 1-5 along with several math classes. He recalls the early years when the school only had two science teachers – one for the Middle School (grades 1-5) and one for the Upper School (grades 6-8). Without his own classroom, Mr. Cole rolled his science cart stocked with test tubes and microscopes from class to class until an art room was converted into his science lab.
“Mr. Cole fostered my love of science from a young age because he made learning and exploring so much fun,” adds Sarah Duncan ’99. “I loved dissecting a female shark (I still have one of the babies in a jar of formaldehyde), digging through owl pellets, and feeding the class snake. With his amazing sense of humor, he managed to make even the periodic table of elements interesting.” A talented artist who often used his drawings to explain a science concept, Mr. Cole retired from teaching in 1999 to become a full-time illustrator and now splits his time between Virginia and Florida. Today, he has illustrated approxi-
faculty profile: 1990s
He filled this lab with creatures and specimens his students could see, touch, and even feed. From class favorites Smoothie the Snake and Snappy the Snapping Turtle to countless mice, crayfish, beehives, wasp nests, and baby sharks in jars of formaldehyde, Mr. Cole’s classroom was an exciting place to explore. Creative projects such as building suspension bridges and dissecting a pregnant shark exposed students to real-life science, while countless field trips to go hawk-watching, explore beaver dams, or camp outdoors overnight instilled respect for nature. Many of Mr. Cole’s students remember designing, building, and launching their own hot-air balloons out of tissue paper – an exercise that taught them to think creatively and develop their own ideas about what would fly and what would not. He recalls that one year his students wanted to send a passenger on their balloon flight, so they tried sending two field mice up into orbit which resulted in a very short flight! “I remember Mr. Cole’s science classes as vivacious, challenging, fascinating, hilarious, and inspiring,” says Megan Phillips Drury ’91. “Every student seemed to be captivated by his passion for nature and the material he was teaching. Mr. Cole taught his students to appreciate the tiny natural miracles that occur all around us every day, and now I teach my own children to do the same.”
mately 100 children’s books, many of which focus on animals and nature. His latest work, a wordless picture book about the underground railroad titled Unspoken, was designated by The New York Times as one of the 10 best picture books of 2012. Still a teacher at heart, Mr. Cole visits 40-50 schools around the country each year, sharing his books and inspiring children to use their imaginations. “I love staying in touch with my young readers – it keeps me energized and on my toes!” he says.
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langley in the
2000s
2000s A look back...
• Doris Cottam assumed the role of head of school in 2000. • In 2001, the school built the Solomon Athletic Center, a
23,350-square-foot facility featuring two gyms, a weight room, a cardiovascular room, locker rooms, and meeting rooms. The Langley leopard was chosen as the school mascot.
• In 2003, Langley developed a Community Contract which
reinforced the school’s core values of respect, kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, and citizenship, and helped create a safe learning environment.
• In order to maintain small class sizes and a low student/
teacher ratio, in 2004 Langley began the process of adding new sections so each grade level included three sections.
• A media studio featuring green screen technology and
named in honor of long-time faculty member Ann Potter was dedicated in 2005.
• The school rolled out a new mission statement and the tagline “every child, every day” in 2006.
• Opened in the fall of 2008, the Jeffrey J. Sherman Arts Center featured an auditorium with retractable seating, band, music, and art rooms, and a spacious, light-filled lobby area for students in grades 3-8 to enjoy lunch daily.
• In 2009, Langley installed a new turf athletic field named in honor of Athletic Director Jim Gleason.
• By the end of the decade, more than 480 students were
enrolled and Langley employed nearly 70 faculty members.
Top: The Jeffrey J. Sherman Arts Center opened in 2008. Above: The girls’ varsity soccer team took first-place honors in 2000. Upper Left: Members of the Class of 2010 posed for a graduation photo. Left: Langley opened the Solomon Athletic Center in 2001.
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the langley school experience
langley in the
Kelly Halpin
2000s
’00
Kelly Halpin recently embarked on a new project that combines her love of story-telling, art, and nature – publishing her first children’s book. A freelance illustrator based in Jackson Hole, WY, she wrote and illustrated Albi and the Whitebark Pines, a 14-page book that raises awareness of the importance of white bark pines to the ecosystem of the Northern Rockies and the beetles that are threatening these unique trees. The majority of the proceeds from her book will go to Tree Fight, a local nonprofit that is helping to save the pines.
alumni profile: 2000s
“I wanted to do a children’s book that would inspire kids to spend time outdoors, help the environment, and realize that they can make a difference,” says Kelly, who is self-publishing 300 copies of the book to sell at bookstores in her local area and hopefully in the bookstores of nearby national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. She is also busily scheduling school visits to talk about her book with local students. “I have lots of other stories in my mind – and I love the idea of telling a story through art – so I could see myself writing and illustrating more books in the future,” she adds. While earning a B.F.A. in film from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Kelly used her talent as an artist to “story board” a number of films, a process which involves illustrating a shot-by-shot list of each filmed scene. She found that she enjoyed the independence and freedom of being an artist, and decided to pursue a career as an illustrator rather than enter the film world. Whether designing t-shirts, movie posters, beer labels, magazine comics, or her own pen-and-ink illustrations which she displays at shows, Kelly has made a name for herself in her local art community and was dubbed “best emerging artist” in Jackson each of the last three years. During her 11 years at Langley, Kelly always loved art and still has some of the 3-D models she made in second and third grades. When her mother, Diane, also an accomplished artist, painted the beautiful Castle Room in Langley’s Pat Bush Library in the mid 1990s, she allowed Kelly to help paint one of the mural’s small unicorns and some of the stone border. “I received a lot of inspiration from the many science field trips and outdoor adventures we took at Langley, and I think that helped foster my love of the outdoors and the natural world which is an important part of my art today,” she says. “Langley provided me with countless opportunities to expand my mind.”
Top: Eighth-graders took their annual trip to Williamsburg in 2008. Middle: In 2009, Middle Schoolers performed “Alice in Wonderland.” Above: Students performed during Grandparents & Special Friends Day in 2007.
the langley school experience
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langley in the
2000s
Joseph LEKUTON Born and raised as a member of the Maasai tribe in Kenya, Joseph Lekuton taught countless Langley Middle School students not only the subject of social studies, but also the importance of understanding and respecting other cultures during his 12 years at Langley from 1994-2006.
faculty profile: 2000s
Each summer, Mr. Lekuton arranged a multi-week trip to Africa for his students and their families, giving them the opportunity to experience the life of the Maasai while living in cow dung huts, herding cows for miles through hot, barren land, and relying on nature to survive. For those students who were unable to travel to Africa with him, Mr. Lekuton brought a piece of his homeland to McLean, constructing a mud hut behind Langley’s Middle School building and arranging for Maasai dancers to perform at school assemblies.
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Mr. Lekuton frequently organized student service projects that would benefit the Maasai while teaching his students the value of helping those who are less fortunate. During the 2004-2005 school year, the entire Langley School community participated in the “Cows for Kids” project which raised money to purchase cows for the Maasai. Langley students who traveled to Africa with Mr. Lekuton that summer then presented these precious animals to the children there. “The best lesson Mr. Lekuton ever taught us wasn’t from any of our textbooks, or from his infamous everycountry-and-capital test, but from his examples of the value of hard work,” says Jeremy Kanter ’01. “The stories he shared from his own life were humbling and inspiring, helping to put any of our own challenges in perspective while reminding us what one can accomplish through hard work and dedication. There are plenty of people in this world who are amazing people without
being amazing teachers, but Mr. Lekuton was both. He was charismatic, relatable, and willing to share his story with his students. I can say without a doubt that his willingness to share his life with us, along with the high standards to which he held his students in the classroom, made lasting impressions on me.” After interviewing Mr. Lekuton for the position at Langley in 1994, former Head of School Betty Brown was so impressed that she offered him the job on the spot. “He knew more about U.S. history than I did, and I could sense that he would broaden the world for our students and open up new ways of thinking and doing things.” In 2006, Mr. Lekuton left his teaching position at Langley to pursue his dream of running for elected office in his native Africa and is now serving as a member of Parliament for the Laisamis Constituency in Kenya.
“My students feel free to talk about race, ethnic issues, and their perceptions about different cultures. They are learning to appreciate, respect, and value what’s different in other cultures instead of being afraid of those things,” Mr. Lekuton once said when describing his class. He felt that geography had not been given enough emphasis in American education and incorporated the detailed study of maps and globes into his curriculum. “America is now a country of people from every ethnic origin imaginable, and we need to know more about how the world is connected to truly understand all the people around us,” he said.
the langley school experience
Joseph Lekuton with his 1998-1999 advisory group.
leading Langley Over the course of seven decades, Langley has been fortunate to have had dedicated, visionary leaders who helped build a strong foundation for the school it is today. True to its founding as a cooperative school, Langley was run by a series of volunteer parent directors during the early years. It wasn’t until 1951 that Langley hired a full-time professional director.
Barbara Waterman Director, 1951-1964
When Barbara Waterman took the helm as Langley’s first fulltime director in 1951, the school was based in the Laughlin House in the center of McLean, had just five teachers, and enrolled students from nursery to grade 3. During her 13 years as director, Barbara guided the school through a period of significant growth which included adding French to the curriculum, inaugurating the very first school fair, and adding bus service. Perhaps her greatest legacy, however, was moving the school to its current location on Balls Hill Road in 1955. When it became clear Langley had outgrown the space in the old Laughlin House, the school secured land on the site of its current campus and constructed a new building with five classrooms, a library, a teachers’ room, and two offices. By 1961 – when Langley was bursting at the seams with an enrollment approaching 180 – she oversaw an expansion of the building to include a new wing with a multi-purpose room and two additional classrooms. With the goal of achieving maximum standards at minimum costs, Barbara maintained Langley’s cooperative roots and tradition of parental involvement while navigating changing times as more women began working outside the home. She reduced the number of hours parents were required to help with school maintenance from 20 to six during her tenure to accommodate parents’ increasingly busy schedules, but kept Langley’s unique spirit of involvement and sense of community alive.
Lucy Frank Daoust Director, 1964-1978
Lucy Frank Daoust came to Langley in 1964 at a time when the school enrolled 180 students in nursery through grade 3, with an average tuition of $45 per month. Lucy served as director for 14 years, capably leading the school through a period of change and unparalleled growth. During her administration, she emphasized academic excellence while maintaining the personal attention to each student for which Langley was known. Upon her retirement in 1978, Langley was a far different school, offering classes through eighth grade and enrolling 360 students. During her tenure, Lucy presided over fundraising campaigns and construction projects for three new buildings on campus: the preschool building and library, the arts and science building, and the field house. The school also purchased the current CMAB building to house the director and her administrative staff. Lucy remembers her early years at Langley, then a cooperative school, as a time when parents were responsible for everything from grounds and building maintenance to serving as aides to teachers and staff. Gradually, Langley moved away from the concept of an exclusively parentrun school. “The school had to change to reflect the change in times,” says Lucy. “Despite the school undergoing significant growth, Langley was able to keep a treasured sense of intimacy.”
the langley school experience
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leading
Langley Hugh Riddleberger Interim Head of School, 1999-2000
David Rivers
Director, 1978-1981 Although David Rivers only served as Langley’s director for a short time, he moved the school forward with a number of new fundraising initiatives and physical changes to the campus. In order to provide students with a more suitable place for athletics, he spearheaded the purchase of the school’s first athletic field from the American Legion next door. David recognized a need to ensure financial stability for a growing school, instituting a successful annual campaign, beginning a capital improvement fund, and overseeing the school’s first auction held independent of the annual fair. Under his leadership, Langley also offered a new pension plan for teachers and staff. He began work on his vision to construct three new classroom buildings, an expanded library, and an extension to the arts and science building. Prior to his departure, the first phase of this physical expansion – construction of a twostory preschool building and two four-classroom buildings – was set in motion. David was also instrumental in the decision to begin gradually implementing double sections of each class through grade 8.
As interim head for one year, Hugh Riddleberger helped the school successfully transition from the leadership of Betty Brown to Doris Cottam. Working in partnership with Doris, he oversaw the formation of Langley’s first official parent association (PALS) and began the early stages of a new strategic planning process. A career educator, Hugh served as a teacher and administrator in schools nationwide and as head of Sheridan School before coming to Langley. He is also the founder of LearnServe International, a nonprofit organization that prepares high school students to be global leaders and social entrepreneurs through international service learning opportunities and entrepreneurship training.
Betty Brown
Head of School, 1981-1999 Betty Brown began her long and illustrative career at Langley in 1967 as a kindergarten teacher, and except for a short leave of absence to raise her children, served the school until her retirement 32 years later in June 1999. After 14 years as a teacher and administrator serving the school as director of admissions, head of summer programs, and assistant head, she was appointed by the Board of Directors to become head of Langley, a position she held from 1981 to 1999. While respecting Langley’s roots, she masterfully balanced the school’s cooperative heritage with the changing nature of the parent-membership body to make Langley a professionally run, model school. Betty ushered Langley through a period of significant growth and success. As head of school, she christened three buildings and increased student enrollment from 387 in 1981 to 450 in 1999, making Langley the largest 26
the langley school experience
independent elementary school in the state at that time. The school became recognized for the strength of its academic and creative arts curriculum and for the emphasis on building character. “We always provided an outstanding education to the children and provided them with a great foundation for life as well,” Betty says. “Our early efforts paid off and the school did grow and prosper.” When asked to reflect on her career and accomplishments at Langley, Betty says she is most proud of the kids and the people they have become and the contributions they are making. “Each student is a separate blossom – and each bends toward the sun in a unique way,” she says. “The joy is in watching that process.”
honoring Doris Cottam
Head of School, 2000-2013 During her 13 years as head of school, Doris Cottam has transformed The Langley School financially, strategically, programmatically, and culturally into a professional, sustainable model for the 21st century – all while embracing and maintaining the school’s community-based roots. When she retires in June, this visionary leader will leave behind a remarkable legacy of growth and unprecedented financial stability that will successfully propel Langley into its eighth decade. Among her most significant accomplishments, Doris guided the school through two strategic plans which served as powerful, longrange change agents and positioned Langley for the future. Under her leadership, Langley developed a new mission statement, philosophy of
teaching, and Community Contract; created its first-ever comprehensive, published curriculum with scope and sequence; developed a model assistant teacher training program; expanded the junior kindergarten program; added new offerings to the curriculum such as Chinese and strings; and enhanced the school’s global outreach to include an international eighthgrade trip to Costa Rica. Doris was also instrumental in growing the fledgling Parent Association of The Langley School (PALS); developing a culture of philanthropy that encourages volunteerism and charitable support; reaching a current enrollment of 500 students, the largest in school history; and securing solid financial footing. Under her fiscal leadership, Langley dramatically improved
campus facilities with the opening of the Solomon Athletic Center and the construction of the Jeffrey J. Sherman Arts Center, the Gleason Turf Athletic Field, and the Security & Facilities Gatehouse, as well as the new Middle School building which is currently under construction. Whether reworking hiring processes, looking at new ways to manage the school’s finances, or developing stronger risk management procedures, Doris led the effort to create systems that built upon best practices and ensured a stronger, more sustainable infrastructure. She also guided Langley through two successful 10-year accreditations, the most recent happening this school year in which Langley was touted as a model school. continued on page 28 the langley school experience
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Doris, continued from page 27 In addition to the development of the Community Contract – which reinforces the school’s core values – Doris promoted and supported community, respect, and diversity in all its forms and encouraged the development of service learning opportunities for Langley students both in the community and globally. She fostered a community of lifelong learners and fully supported professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. An educator and administrator at schools around the country for more than 30 years, Doris is a well-respected leader who has impacted education at both regional and national levels. For the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (now named Independent Education), she served as president of the Board of Trustees and treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. She also served as chair of the Accreditation Committee and as secretary of the Board for the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS), and as treasurer of the Elementary School Heads Association’s (ESHA) Executive Committee. As a mentor and friend to colleagues, parents, and students alike, Doris Cottam will perhaps be remembered most not for the buildings she built or the programs she initiated, but for her warmth, openness, and genuine concern for every child. The inclusive, welcoming, and childcentered atmosphere that she fostered is what makes Langley such a special place. And that is her true legacy.
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Thoughts from Doris What accomplishments are you most proud of during your tenure? We have accomplished so much together over the past 13 years, but I think the thing I am most proud of is our Community Contract which we developed in 2003. Creating a safe learning environment where everyone is valued and respected is the first step to any successful program. By instilling those values in every member of our community, we are laying a strong foundation on which to build everything else. I’m also extremely proud of the new facilities we have built, in part because those buildings are symbolic of the community we have here at Langley. Not one of those buildings would exist today without the collective effort of all of us coming together to build for the future – and that to me symbolizes the strength of this community which is the heart and soul of Langley.
What has been your favorite aspect of your time at Langley? That’s an easy question: the people. The administrative team, the teachers, the parents, and the Board chairs with whom I’ve worked have all been incredible. I have been blown away by their dedication and their love for the children. It has been a joy to work with each and every one of them, as well as with our fabulous students who have made me so proud of their accomplishments through the years.
How have you grown personally while serving as head of school? This has truly been an extraordinary experience. I have grown tremendously as a leader, an educator, and a person. I’ve had the opportunity to look broadly at education through various roles with organizations like the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. I’ve seen the genuine goodness inside of people and the value of community. When that sense of community is nurtured and we move forward together, it’s amazing what we can accomplish, and I am so proud to have been a part of that at Langley.
What is the biggest change you have seen during your tenure? Looking broadly over the past 13 years, I think the biggest change would be the shift to a more mature model and the adoption of best practices. Of course we have added a lot of new programs and technologies, and our campus looks much different than it did in 2000, but creating a solid underlying framework allowed us to put all of our focus on meeting the needs of the students.
Why is Dr. Elinor Scully the best choice as Langley’s next leader? When I came to Langley in 2000, the school needed a stronger, more sustainable internal infrastructure, and that’s what we worked toward during my tenure. Now that our infrastructure is functioning smoothly and successfully, we need a leader with the vision to meet the challenges of the next decade. Elinor has an in-depth knowledge of education. Her holistic focus on the student experience, along with
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“You ask what has Doris done at Langley? We have a world-class faculty,
her ability to think creatively, is just what Langley needs as we explore how to best educate and prepare this next generation. I know she is up to the challenge and will be an extremely strong and effective leader. It’s a wonderful feeling to hand over a school I love to someone I trust so completely.
What challenges does Langley face in the years to come? Langley is in a wonderful position as we head into the future. However, there is new work to be done as the world our students will enter continues to change at an incredibly fast pace. Langley will need to explore new ways to connect with students, continue tailoring our program to ensure it is relevant to how children learn, create opportunities to develop leadership skills and global awareness, and increasingly use technology to facilitate learning. We will also need to remain aware of the changing demographics so the school stays competitive, continue making faculty compensation a priority to ensure Langley retains the best teachers, and grow our endowment for financial sustainability. I’m excited about Langley’s future! I think great things are in store for this wonderful place, and I will be following the school’s progress as a Langley grandparent.
to whom Doris has given the resources, opportunity, space, and confidence to excel. We have an integrated and innovative curriculum; sound finances; three new buildings and a thriving campus; a Community Contract reflecting Langley’s values; and the list goes on. With Doris, children always come first. Knowing and feeling that, every child who has passed through Langley has moved forward with more confidence in their walk and more hugs in their heart.” -Jamie Baker, 2012-2013 Chair, Langley Board of Trustees
“To say that Doris is visionary, innovative, and strategic in her thinking only
goes partway when describing her impact; she is also warm, compassionate, and funny. While the former are certainly essential in a leader of a first-class educational institution, one cannot overemphasize the importance of the latter in the midst of the very busy day-to-day operations in a school. Doris has given more to this school than we could possibly enumerate here, but the best thing she has given Langley is herself, and this school will forever be changed for the better because of it.” -Kathleen Smith, Director of Academics
“Doris’ leadership and ability to think strategically have helped Langley
reach great heights over the past decade. At the same time, she has remained steadfast in keeping Langley true to its mission where every child is embraced as an individual. Her commitment to quality education, developmentally appropriate practice, and a strong school community has made working with her a phenomenal experience.” -Leslie Hettinger, Head of Primary School
“Doris took a really good school and made it a nationally recognized one
that never lost its magical ability to make school fun and to make learning something students want to be a lifelong experience. It will be a couple of decades before we can truly appreciate the impact she had on creating 21st century leaders, but based on what I have seen from the first few classes she graduated, I think it is safe to say that the contribution Doris made will be a part of the story.” -Joel Kanter, Trustee Emeritus and Former Langley Parent
“Doris is a visionary leader who thinks about the possibilities for children
and how we can make them happen. She makes us think beyond the status quo and always asks, ‘How can this be better?’ She encourages us to take risks that make us better educators and better people. She will be sorely missed, but her inspiration will live on.” -Peggy Laurent, Head of Lower School
“Doris has always embraced parent involvement at Langley as demon-
strated by her unwavering support of our parent association, PALS. She was instrumental in founding the organization along with several past parents, and has worked very closely with PALS over the years to further the goal of promoting volunteerism and an inclusive school community.”
-Kit Stouffer, 2012-2013 Chair, PALS
“I feel really fortunate that my path crossed with Doris’ at Langley. She has
been a wonderful leader, mentor, and friend. She was always willing to listen to me about issues I brought to her attention – big or small, good or bad – whether she had the time or not. I feel my life and the lives of everyone she has touched at Langley have been enriched thanks to her. Thank you, D.C.!”
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Support the Doris Cottam Endowed Fund To honor the legacy of retiring Head of School Doris Cottam, Langley has established the Doris E. Cottam Endowed Fund, a permanently endowed fund made possible through gifts made in her honor. This new fund will support financial assistance to help students of every background take advantage of Langley’s quality educational experience. It will also fund faculty/ staff professional development, including a faculty sabbatical program. These are all important initiatives that Doris believes will enhance the overall academic program at Langley for years to come.
Challenge Match: The Kanter Family Foundation has established a
Langley’s Leaders: Betty Brown, Elinor Scully, and Doris Cottam.
$150,000 challenge match to encourage members of the Langley community to pledge their financial support for this endowed fund. The objective is to match gifts pledged toward the endowment to achieve a minimum goal of $300,000. Gifts of all sizes are encouraged. Leveraging the challenge match, a $10 gift will add $20 to Ms. Cottam’s Endowed Fund, while a $10,000 gift will add $20,000 to the fund. All contributions will be recognized on a donor wall of honor to be installed in the new Middle School.
Contributions may be sent to the Advancement Office. For further information, call (703) 356-1920, ext. 885 or e-mail advancement@ langleyschool.org.
Dr. Elinor Scully Chosen as Next Head of School In October, Langley’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Elinor Scully as head of school following the retirement of Doris Cottam at the end of this school year. Elinor will begin her tenure as Langley’s next leader on July 1, 2013. Elinor currently serves as associate head of National Cathedral School (NCS), a Washingtonbased independent day school for girls in grades 4-12. In this role, she is the principal deputy to the head of school, is responsible for leading 17 department chairs in the lower, middle, and upper divisions, and oversees the school’s curriculum. Elinor previously served as the Upper School director and assistant head of NCS (2005-2010). At St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School (1991-2005), she served as a family life education teacher, chair of the Family Life Education Department, and associate director of the Upper School. Elinor is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and holds an M.S. and a Ph.D. in education from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also an educational consultant with a national reputation in the field of childhood and adolescent development.
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Elinor is no stranger to Langley. Over the years, she has been a regular speaker at our PALS meetings on topics such as “Letting Kids Be Kids” and “Prioritizing for Busy Families.” She also worked with Langley’s faculty and administration to develop our Community Contract, which was originally drafted in 2003. “I have long respected Langley’s vibrant community which embraces the values of respect, kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, and caring,” says Dr. Scully. “I was instantly drawn to Langley’s commitment to educate ‘every child, every day’ in a way that explicitly links expert teaching with the needs of individual children. It will be a privilege to continue the exceptional work of Doris Cottam and to be part of an educational community that radiates such professionalism, creativity, and warmth.” “Elinor is the right educator to build on Doris Cottam’s legacy and lead Langley into the 21st century,” says Jamie Baker, Board chair and chair of the Head of School Search Committee. “Her credentials are impressive; however, the Board was most impressed by her passion, her vision, and her adaptability as an educator.”
Class Notes To submit your notes and photos for publication, log on to the alumni section of www.langleyschool.org or e-mail sryan@langleyschool.org.
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and her husband reside in Masachapa, Nicaragua, where she continues to write.
Dr. Judith Snyder recently retired from the University of Denver after 33 years as a professor. She thanks Langley for getting her off to a great start!
1979 Helen Methvin Payne is practicing residential architecture in Arlington, VA. Her oldest daughter, Caroline, will be off to college next year and her youngest, Julia, is learning to drive. Helen is looking forward to a summer vacation in California.
1983 Jenny Brown Sheehan visited Langley in December with her mom, Betty Brown, and her two sons, Owen (4) and Andy (2). She lives in Montpelier, VT, with her husband, Sean. They are embracing the Vermont winters by learning to ski! (pictured at left)
1990 Ashleigh Rabbitt Sekoski has recently moved back to McLean with her husband, Josh, and two children, Evan (2) and Theo (9 months). She has retired from opera singing, and is now working with CVS Caremark.
1994 Becky Brych Teeters just released her first book – The Trombone Song. The story takes place in New Orleans and is the first book in the Casandra Hayes series. The book is available in print or electronically through Amazon. Becky graduated from Tulane University in 2002. Currently, she
Kristin Carlucci Weed moved back to the Arlington,VA, area this past summer after four years in Europe with her husband and daughters, Amelia (2.5 years) and Charlotte (5 months). Kristin’s nieces, Marina and Anna, are current Langley students.
1995 Dan Gershwin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in May 2012 and spent last summer studying for the bar. He then took a job as a law clerk for a federal judge in Santa Barbara and is enjoying life in California.
1998 Mike Senkoski serves as staff counsel for the Major League Soccer Players’ Union in Bethesda, MD. He graduated from American University Law School and was married last September to Ashley Veskerna.
2000 Kathleen Jennings teaches second grade at Langley. She graduated from the University of Virginia in December 2011 with an M.Ed. in reading education. Rena Kimura is a graduate violin student at Indiana University. She won the university’s Glazunov Violin Competition last December. Rena’s other violin honors include fifth prize at the 2011 Pancho Vladigerov International Violin Competition in Bulgaria and third prize at the 2008 Beethoven Hradec International Violin Competition in the Czech Republic. She has appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra and the NSO/Kennedy Center Summer Music Institute Orchestra. (pictured at right) the langley school experience
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Everett Case lives in New York’s Greenwich Village and is an associate director at Changing Our World, a consulting firm that works with nonprofit organizations.
Alex Murphy is currently a junior at Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada. She loves it and is working toward the Duke of Edinburgh Award which recognizes students for community service and leadership. She also joined the track team this spring.
2004 Alison Serota earned a bachelor’s degree in business, cum laude, in marketing management from Virginia Tech. Daniel Sternberg is a senior at Virginia Tech pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. From January to July of 2012, he interned with Altec in Roanoke,VA, the leading provider of products and services to the electric utility, telecom, and contractor markets in over 100 countries worldwide.
2005 Annie Case was a member of Stanford University’s women’s soccer team, the Division 2 champions in 2011. She will continue at Stanford to earn her master’s degree in management systems in engineering.
2009 Nicole Johnson has signed to play women’s soccer at the University of Virginia next fall. (pictured at left) Nicole Johnson, Tiffany Seale, Kayla Sharpe, and Jordan Weisberg – now high school seniors – returned to Langley in early February to participate in the SCC Ethics Day.
Nadia Nobrega competed at the United States Association of Independent Gymnastics Clubs (USAIGC) Nationals last June in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She competed in three events in her age division of 11 and up – floor, hoop, and ribbon – and received a gold medal in each event. Nadia’s performance earned her the highest all-around score of the session. (pictured at right)
2011 Hanna Powers was featured in the style section of The Washington Post in October. A sophomore member of The Madeira School’s equestrian team, Hanna was the youth ambassador of the 2012 Washington International Horse Show at the Verizon Center last fall.
2012 Hojun Boo made the varsity tennis team this year as a freshman at Bishop O’Connell High School. Scott Murphy attends Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut where he is enjoying his freshman year and playing football, hockey, and lacrosse.
Former Langley Family Donates Baby Grand Piano Past Langley parents Virginia Canil and Eugene Tadie wanted to thank Langley for developing a love of music in their daughter, Erin-Elizabeth Tadie ’92. So last year, they donated Erin-Elizabeth’s Yamaha Baby Grand G-2 piano to the school’s music program. “Erin-Elizabeth’s love of music and her skills as a concert-level pianist today were born at The Langley School when she was in kindergarten,” says Virginia. “There was an old piano in the kindergarten room which was missing a few keys and terribly out of tune. She would play it for hours in the after-school program. Thus, Langley gets the credit for her musical accomplishments in life! We are so blessed to be able to give Langley something in return for the gift it brought out in our daughter.”
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Campaign Update Langley’s new Middle School will be a three-story building featuring science labs, 15 classrooms, a rooftop “classroom in the sky,” and a student commons area.
Support for the “Building on a Foundation of Excellence” campaign continues to grow. Each week, our enthusiastic parent volunteers reach out to Langley families to encourage their participation in this important fundraising effort to raise the dollars necessary to build a new Middle School and increase our endowment. The results of the time and effort devoted to enhancing the academic experience for Langley students has reaped remarkable rewards so far… and we are not through yet. We want to thank everyone who has pledged their financial support to the campaign. We encourage those who have yet to make a gift to contact the Advancement Office to learn how they can participate. Gifts of all sizes are important and appreciated. Naming recognition opportunities are available at all giving levels for the Middle School building and endowment gifts. Every contribution will be recognized on a donor wall of honor to be installed in the Middle School’s entry vestibule. Additional naming opportunities include marble plaques engraved with family names for pledges of $25,000 or more and Middle School entrance plaza pavers with family names etched in concrete available for pledges of $10,000.
Giving Highlights: • Almost $8.4 million has been
raised in cash and pledges toward the campaign goal of $10 million.
• 240 individual gifts have been
contributed by current and past parents, grandparents, alumni, and Langley’s faculty and staff.
• A new endowment was estab-
lished to honor the legacy of retiring Head of School Doris Cottam. The Doris E. Cottam Endowed Fund will support a faculty sabbatical program and faculty/staff professional development, important initiatives that Doris believes will enhance the overall academic program at Langley for years to come.
• The Sylvie Cachay Memorial
Endowed Fund for the Arts was established in memory of Ms. Cachay, a 1991 graduate of The Langley School. The fund will be used to enhance our fine and performing arts program with the goal of increasing student exposure to the arts.
Construction of Langley’s new Middle School building is under way.
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID McLean, VA 22101 Permit No. 48
The Langley School 1411 Balls Hill Road McLean, VA 22101-3415 www.langleyschool.org (703) 356-1920
Celebrating T H E
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Visit our newly redesigned Web site at www.langleyschool.org!