Echoes
The Magazine for Alumnae, Students, Families and Friends of The Baldwin School
WINTER 2018
DIVERSITY and EQUITY GIVING BALDWIN GIRLS A VOICE
COMPASSION RESPECT
RESPONSIBILITY HONESTY LEARNING
CONTENTS | WINTER 2018 COVER STORY DIVERSITY AND EQUITY: GIVING BALDWIN GIRLS A VOICE
14 DEPARTMENTS
6 ACADEMICS
12 HOMECOMING
13 WHY I GIVE
Please send correspondence to: Lisa A. Algeo, Editor, Echoes The Baldwin School 701 Montgomery Ave. Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 lalgeo@baldwinschool.org
20 CLASS NOTES
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Photo Credits: Katie Brogan Ozeck, Adrian Kinloch, Jordan Hayman Photography, Jay Gorodetzer, Legacy Photography
We welcome letters regarding the contents of the magazine and/ or issues pertaining to the school. Letters must be signed. The editor retains the right to edit at her discretion.
18 FACULTY FOOTNOTES
Design: Veronica Utz
All photographs are identified left to right unless otherwise noted.
8 ARTS
Assistant Editor: Kristin Thorkelson ’07
5 ALUMNA NEWSMAKER
10 ATHLETICS
Editor: Lisa A. Algeo
4 BOOKSHELF
Contributing Alumnae Writers: Liz Yusem Fuerst ’65, Monica Moran ’92 and Kathy Taylor ’70
1 UPFRONT
As thoughts turned to the 2017-18 school year, Baldwin’s faculty and staff took a critical look at the journey that has shaped the diversity and equity work across its campus. In an effort to include voices from every aspect of our community and build on the existing foundation, a committee approach was implemented with a focus on holistic, broad-spectrum diversity initiatives to support the School’s core values of Learning, Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion.
For general alumnae requests or information, please contact the Office of Advancement and Alumnae Engagement: Wendy Waltman, Director of Alumnae Engagement and Reunion Planning wwaltman@baldwinschool.org or 610-525-2700, ext. 268
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UPFRONT
O
ver half way into the 2017-18 school year, I am so proud to share new stories of the amazing accomplishments and sheer joy our faculty, staff and students bring Baldwin each and every day. As I write this, our Kindergarten students are learning the fundamentals of coding by programming robot bumblebees, while fourth graders are starting an anatomy class in which they will dissect worms, frogs and snakes. Our Middle School students recently impressed us all with their teamwork and creative thinking during our third annual interdisciplinary experiential learning project (see page 7 for details). Even as one of our Upper School English seminars participated in a college class at Haverford College, with Cornel West, and our seniors are busy preparing for their spring externships. Those are just a few highlights, though I hope you’ll read the pages ahead for more updates about Baldwin students thriving in class, on stage, on the field and beyond. Our students discover their love of learning from our devoted faculty. That is why I’m equally inspired by the professional development work that our teachers undertake, throughout the year, to ensure Baldwin’s programs stay ahead of the curve. Most recently, our Computer Science Department hosted a two-day training session where our faculty learned to build 3D printers – so they can help our girls build them, too. Faculty from our computer science, math and art departments are excited to take our STEAM program to the next level, using advanced 3D print techniques and other new concepts with students in Baldwin’s DREAM Labs®. I am also proud of the impactful work underway by Baldwin’s Diversity and Equity Committee. Launched this fall, the group is helping bring a more holistic, school-wide perspective to programs that stimulate respectful engagement, open dialogue and thoughtful programming around diversity and equity, and to promote initiatives focused on Baldwin’s Core Values of Compassion, Responsibility, Learning, Honesty and Respect, for all our students, from Pre-Kindergarten to senior year. Please read more about this work to unite our community with a bold vision on pages 14-17. As you enjoy this latest edition of Echoes, I hope you are excited to see all the innovative ways that today’s Baldwin helps prepare our girls for the world that awaits them. As always, I thank you for your ongoing support of our extraordinary students, our inspiring faculty and our impactful School. Together, we are making a lasting difference on today’s Baldwin and tomorrow’s world. Marisa Porges ’96, PhD Head of School mporges@baldwinschool.org facebook.com/marisaporges Instagram: @MarisaPorges Twitter: @MarisaPorges WINTER 2018 ECHOES
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UPFRONT DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL ERIC BENKE TO RETIRE
After 45 years of teaching – and 12 impactful years at Baldwin – Eric Benke, our Director of the Upper School, will retire at the end of this academic year. During his tenure at Baldwin, Eric has left an indelible mark on our students and families, on our curriculum and programming and on every member of the Baldwin community. In Eric’s own words, “Baldwin has been the best experience of my career. I will miss the families and the colleagues who have been an integral part of my life here. I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished together.” Under Eric’s guidance, we introduced an innovative new daily schedule and led the way among area independent schools in transitioning from an AP curriculum to our more enriched elective offerings. He brought improvements to Baldwin’s co-curricular experiences through new clubs, class trips and other programs, and he continues to enhance our approach to student advising. His steadfast support for and mentorship of all our teachers has had a lasting impact, making the Baldwin experience better for our students and our faculty.
Baldwin Benefit for the Arts Our inaugural Benefit for the Arts was held in December and was an exciting evening of music, live performances and fine arts, including performances by alumnae Michaela Shuchman ’12 (left) and Julia Tyminski ’13 (right). All proceeds from this event directly benefit the Arts at Baldwin.
NBA Fall Leadership Meeting The National Board of Advisors met for their fall meeting on October 1314. Alumnae leaders traveled from all over the country to work on the NBA’s initiatives that include ways to continue to engage alumnae with Baldwin and each other. In addition to committee meetings, weekend activities included updates from Baldwin’s leadership team, Homecoming festivities, presentations from Baldwin Scholars and a discussion with Head of School Marisa Porges ’96, PhD.
After a thorough and successful search, Dr. Anne Longley will join Baldwin as our Director of Upper School, effective July 1. As an alumna of an all-women’s college and administrator at The NightingaleBamford School, another leading all-girls school, Anne understands our mission intimately and is committed to helping our girls find their voice and uncover their passion. For over 20 years, Anne has held various faculty and administrative roles at prominent independent schools and higher-ed institutions.
Welcome Wendy Waltman
Wendy Waltman has recently joined the Office of Advancement and Alumnae Engagement as Director of Alumnae Engagement and Reunion Planning. Wendy joins us from Swarthmore College where she served as Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement. She has a strong background in alumni/ae relations, event coordination and volunteer engagement and is looking
MARISA PORGES ’96, PhD NAMED FPRI SENIOR FELLOW
The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) recently announced that Marisa Porges ‘96, PhD, has been named as a Senior Fellow and member of FPRI’s Board of Advisors. FPRI is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the foreign policy and national security challenges facing the United States. It seeks to educate the public, teach teachers, train students and offer ideas to advance U.S. national interests. 2
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forward to meeting many alumnae at regional events and upcoming reunions.
UPFRONT
2017-2018 Board of Trustees
Baldwin’s 2017-2018 Board of Trustee member are: Row 1 (front): Amy Sobel ‘86 (Secretary), Blair Stambaugh (Honorary Trustee), Rachel Stern ’83, Marisa Porges ‘96, PhD (Head of School), Mary Osirim, Sejita Page, Megan Maguire Nicoletti, Martha Ortiz (Co-Vice Chair and Treasurer); Row 2: Rachael Goldfarb ’95 (President, National Board of Advisors), Elissa Getto ‘65, Chris Marr; Row 3: Brian Halak, Pat Weiser, Lisa Ameisen ’76 (President, Alumnae Association Executive Board); Row 4: A. Steffen Wright Crowther ‘68 (Senior Trustee), Phil Rosenzweig, Carolyn Simpson Scott ’74, Warren Thaler; Row 5: Peter Leone (Co-Vice Chair), Terry Steelman (Chair), Sandy Ross (President, Baldwin School Parents’ Association), Anne-Mette Hansell (Faculty Trustee), Raphaelina Loke (Faculty Trustee). Not pictured: Patricia Dietrich, Adam Grant, Tracey Ivey, Stephanie Romeika La Nasa ‘96, Mary Dockray-Miller ’83, V. Paige Pratter ‘94, Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer ‘85, Sam Scott (Senior Trustee) and Rachel Funk Jenkins ’44 (Honorary Trustee).
NEW BOARD MEMBERS THIS YEAR
BALDWIN HOSTS RESHMA SAUJANI FOR WOMEN ON THE RISE SPEAKER SERIES
Supported in part by a fund established by Baldwin alumna Ruth Hochberger ’68, the 2017-2018 Women on the Rise series kicked off on December 5 with Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, which is a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. She spoke about the importance of teaching girls to be confident and fearless and encouraging women and girls to learn to code and aspire to STEM-related fields. Special thanks to our student leaders Pranshu Suri ‘18, Sara Syed ‘18 and Neelam Pandya ‘18 for moderating the Q & A section of our program. Please join us on March 19 for
Rachael Goldfarb ’95 (President, National Board of Advisors) is a writer who resides in Washington D.C. with our next speaker: Amanda Steinberg ’95, CEO of DailyWorth, a her husband. She recently served as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Chief of Staff to the Consumer company dedicated to helping women earn more, save more and Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a government agency created under the Dodd-Frank Act. Rachael was the spend smarter. Learn more about our speaker series at Bureau’s 19th hire and she worked under Sen. Elizabeth Warren in overseeing the Bureau’s growth to more than www.baldwinschool.org/womenontherise. 2,000 civil servants. She was responsible for designing, recruiting and hiring the CFPB’s Technology Division, as well as developing technology and social media policies for the Bureau. Prior to her work at CFPB, Rachael was a political appointee in the Obama Administration as Senior Advisor to Rajiv Shah, the Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics at the U.S. BALDWIN Department of Agriculture. Before her appointment, she served as Special Assistant and Traveling Chief of Staff to the President of the Global Health RECEIVES Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, WA. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with Honors, Rachael served $1 MILLION in the Clinton White House, first as Assistant to the Policy Staff at the National Economic Council and then as Assistant to John D. Podesta, the Chief of GIFT FROM Staff to the President of the United States. She received her Juris Doctor from Penn State University, and she clerked at the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith (current Chief) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. ALUMNA Anne-Mette Hansell (Faculty Trustee) teaches 5th grade language arts and social studies. She is a member of the Lower School Admissions committee, the Professional Development committee, The Baldwin Fund committee and plans the weekly Lower School assemblies. In addition, Anne-Mette has facilitated and planned the Upper School music and cultural exchanges with Ordrup Gymnasium in Denmark. She has served on the Multicultural Resource Center (MCRC) Board for several years and has twice served and co-chaired on Baldwin’s Council. During Baldwin’s most recent PAPAS recertification process, Anne-Mette co-chaired the Global and Multiculturalism committee. Before teaching at Baldwin, Anne-Mette taught English and History at Skanseskolen in suburban Copenhagen, Denmark, and she has taught English as a Second Language at Delaware County Community College. Anne-Mette was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, and became a U.S. citizen in 2003. She received her teaching degree from N. Zahles Seminarium, specializing in English, History and Special Education. Anne-Mette received her Master’s Degree from Eastern University specializing in Education with a minor in English as a Second Language. Anne-Mette holds five Pennsylvania teaching certifications. She is the parent of Laura Hansell ’03. Sandra (Sandy) Rhee Ross (President, Baldwin School Parents’ Association) joined DecisionOne Corp. in 2011 and is responsible for all legal matters for the company. In addition to DecisionOne, she serves as General Counsel for Maintech, Inc. and Corporate Counsel for H&M International Transportation, Inc. and Oak Lane Partners, LLC. Prior to joining DecisionOne, Sandy served as Acting General Counsel for VTech Communications, Inc./ Advanced American Telephones in Parsippany, NJ, then relocated to its headquarters in Beaverton, OR. During her seven years with VTech, she focused on transactional law, patent infringement and product liability issues, and advised the multi-national corporation on legal strategy, settlement opportunities and related matters. Before her role at VTech, Sandy served as Corporate Secretary of Fletcher Asset Management, Inc. and The Fletcher Foundation, which she joined in 1995. Prior to that role, she worked as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Lee H. Elkins of the Kings County Family Court in New York. Sandy holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Studio Art from Gettysburg College and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Sandy is the parent of Zoe Ross ’23.
Baldwin’s endowment continues to grow thanks to the generous support of an anonymous alumna donor who made a $1 million gift to the School this year. Our endowment sustains the school and gives us the flexibility to meet the evolving needs of our students, faculty, staff and facilities. This gift, and all support of the endowment, ensures the School’s financial health now and into the future.
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BOOKSHELF Essays on the Essay Film Nora Alter ’80 and Timothy Corrigan The essay — with its emphasis on the provisional and explorative rather than on definitive statements — has evolved from its literary beginnings and is now found in all mediums, including film. This anthology of fundamental statements on the essay film offers a range of crucial historical and philosophical perspectives. It provides early critical articulations of the essay film as it evolved through the 1950s and 1960s, key contemporary scholarly essays and a selection of writings by essay filmmakers.
Just Give Me Meaningful Work: Leave Your Exhausting Job and Start Making a Difference Julie Boyer ’92 Afraid you might let yet another year go by in a job that is sucking the life out of you? What if you had a clear vision for work that would tap your strengths, allow you to relax and just be yourself, while making a positive impact in the world? And what if you had the clarity to be able to act on this vision and make it real? This book will help you escape the anger-loop of unfulfilling work so you can start living your true potential.
The Pisces (May 2018) Melissa Broder ’97 Lucy has been writing her dissertation on Sappho for nine years when she and her boyfriend break up in a dramatic flameout. After she bottoms out in Phoenix, her sister in Los Angeles insists
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Lucy dog-sit for the summer. Annika’s home is a gorgeous glass cube on Venice Beach, but Lucy can find little relief from her anxiety — not in the Greek chorus of women in her love addiction therapy group, not in her frequent Tinder excursions, not even in Dominic the foxhound’s easy affection. Everything changes when Lucy becomes entranced by an eerily attractive swimmer while sitting alone on the beach rocks one night. But when Lucy learns the truth about his identity, their relationship and Lucy’s understanding of what love should look like, things take an unexpected turn.
When You Lose Someone You Love Joanne Fink ’77 This book offers a healing connection with all who are dealing with one of life’s most challenging times. Readers will understand that they are not alone, that there will be days when you feel overwhelmed, nights when you can’t sleep and times when waves of sadness wash over you unexpectedly. Affirming and cathartic, this book will help bring healing without sugarcoating the challenges of losing a loved one.
Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France Crystal Fleming ’00 How can politicians and ordinary citizens face the racial past in a country that frames itself as colorblind?
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Crystal shows how people make sense of slavery in a nation where talking about race, colonialism and slavery remains taboo. Noting how struggles over the meaning of racial history are informed by contemporary politics of race, she asks: What kinds of group identities are at stake today for activists and French people with ties to overseas territories where slavery took place? Crystal investigates the connections and disconnections that are made between racism, slavery and colonialism in France.
Public Medievalists, Racism, and Suffrage in the American Women’s College Mary Dockray-Miller ’83 This study, part of a growing interest in nineteenth-century medievalism and AngloSaxonism, closely examines the intersections of race, class and gender in the teaching of Anglo-Saxon in the American women’s colleges before World War I, interrogating the ways that the positioning of Anglo-Saxon as the historical core of the collegiate English curriculum also silently perpetuated mythologies about Manifest Destiny, male superiority and the primacy of northern European ancestry in
United States culture at large. Analysis of college curricula and biographies of female professors demonstrates the ways that women used Anglo-Saxon as a means to professional opportunity and political expression, especially in the suffrage movement, even as that legitimacy and respectability was freighted with largely unarticulated assumptions of racist and sexist privilege. The study concludes by connecting this historical analysis with current charged discussions about the intersections of race, class and gender on college campuses and throughout U.S. culture.
Mindfulness Matters: A Guide to Mastering Your Life (Spring/ Summer 2018) Pax Tandon ’96 Get the insider’s scoop on how to attain a fully flourishing life. Encompassing deep dives into mind, body and spirit, you will be introduced to the science of positive psychology, engage with the practice of mindfulness, learn how to build an optimally efficient body and commit to an elevation of your spirit. This is flourishing in action! Whether struggling with anxiety or depression, searching to fill a missing void or just interested in everyday self-care, you will learn to identify opportunities for growth and seamlessly integrate lifechanging practices into daily habits. Replete with powerful affirmations and practice exercises throughout, you will be able to build the framework that fuels and furthers your evolutionary journey for years to come and changes the trajectory of your life forever.
ALUMNANEWSMAKER
Enhancing Livability and Quality of Life in the Intermountain West Surrounded by the rugged, glacier-swept peaks of the Bitterroot and Selkirk mountain ranges, Sandpoint, Idaho isn’t exactly on the radar for most of us, but it is an important crossroads of the Intermountain West. When state transportation officials wanted to reroute and widen the nearby interstate highway to ease congestion and improve traffic flow, Sandpoint residents had varying reactions. Some were outspokenly in favor of “The Curve,” while others expressed fear it would limit access between the city’s historic downtown and local neighborhoods. Both sides needed to find some serious common ground. Enter the LOR Foundation, headed by Amy Wyss ’89, to broker a dialogue among locals, the city and the state. With advice from national traffic experts hired and paid for by LOR, which stands for livability, opportunity and responsibility, Sandpoint was able to come to a compromise on “The Curve” that stopped the squabbling and allowed the small city to maintain its walkability and quality of life. This and dozens of other projects taking place in small, sometimes forgotten rural communities of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming are how Wyss and the Jackson, Wyomingbased LOR Foundation spread their unique, communitydriven philanthropy. Since 2007, LOR has been helping people and places to revitalize main streets, create more access to the outdoors and recreation, protect clean water supplies, preserve agricultural land and open space and invest in economic resilience. “There’s so much change in the West now,” Wyss said. “What happened in 40 years in the East is happening in 10 years out here.” Perhaps more so than in larger cities, change in rural towns can often bring about conflict, she explained. Part of LOR’s mission is to try to fund projects that get to the heart of those conflicts and find ways to bring about consensus. “Another is to find solutions that take the least amount of money but where
Amy Wyss ’89
it that you may not get into the college of your dreams. If you mess up in your 20s and 30s, it’s okay. You should take your time to see what type of career you want to be successful in.”
By Liz Yusem Fuerst ’65
Amy Wyss ’89 with husband Ed Jaramillo. the outcome affects the greatest number of people,” Wyss added. A foundation veteran, Wyss knows how easily large, powerful foundations, socalled “big philanthropy,” can reshape the relationship of rural towns to the land. Rather than shower money, she champions that the best results come from maintaining dialogue, promoting cooperation and arranging partnerships with agencies both public and private. Nudging people to practice the art of compromise is central to the Wyss philosophy. “When I first began living in the West, I saw a lot of people making decisions without hearing local voices,” Wyss recalled. These local voices, she said, tend to get raised “when you believe your rights are being taken away.” Some of her ideas came from her education at Baldwin, which she entered in the eighth grade. Others sprang from her work with the Wyss Foundation, which she started with her father, Hansjörg Wyss, in 1998 to help ensure that the Western landscapes that inspired them are protected. Wyss and her husband, Ed Jaramillo, run LOR from a central office in Jackson, where they are raising their two sons. Although Wyss grew up in Devon, PA, the West has fascinated her since Baldwin. At 16, she took her
first trip to Colorado with the wilderness education program National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Later, she would travel frequently to a Colorado Springs factory owned by her father’s company, Synthes, a medical device manufacturer based in West Chester, PA. After graduating from Skidmore College, she did everything from bartending to factory floor work to being a tour guide and an emergency medical technician. Ultimately, she joined Synthes, where she worked her way up in sales, and as the boss’s daughter found she had to “work twice as hard.” Moving to Taos in Northern New Mexico after Synthes was sold to Johnson & Johnson, Wyss established a retail business and began laying the groundwork for what would eventually become LOR. “LOR is an accumulation of my experiences,” noted Wyss. “Actually, it was my Baldwin education that taught me how to start something you know nothing about. I remember sitting in Mr. Moltz’s and Mr. Pethick’s classes, and they would ask you these questions where you’d have to find the answers. Baldwin walked you down a path to think critically.” What advice would she give current Baldwin students? “I would tell them they should be ambitious,” Wyss offered. “But they should also learn to take a deep breath when they get out of school. Don’t sweat
Wyss’s involvement at Baldwin in the art program (you can still see one of her sculptures in the garden outside the Art Wing), crew and video yearbook all helped inform her life experiences later on. She skis, hikes and mountain climbs. The summer of 1987 she spent with NOLS in Wyoming’s Wind River Range as the only girl in a cohort of young men ages 18 to 27 gave her the power to hold her own in a medical device business that was overwhelmingly male. In her desire to give back to the program, Wyss sat on the NOLS board from 2008 to 2014 and helped NOLS raise its scholarship endowment to $20 million. Today, she concentrates her efforts on connecting with LOR’s grantees. Next up is a giveaway of $100,000 each to 15 rural Western communities to study economic development. Among the lucky towns on the grant (more than 100 applied) are Thompson Falls, MT; Buena Vista, CO; and Lander, WY, places most of us have never heard of. That is where Amy Wyss sees the most opportunity for change—in rural communities. LOR becomes embedded in each community they serve, working alongside their townspeople, city officials and community leaders who interact with them to collaborate and enact on their vision for each project. More than funding, LOR brings a new approach and process to philanthropy and she’s darn proud of it. Ten years in, LOR has just begun to scratch the surface on their approach to philanthropy and its impact on communities. “We know we can’t be everything to everybody,” she stated, “but we can be something to someone.” Liz Yusem Fuerst ’65 is a former newspaper reporter and editor who now teaches journalism at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She owes it all to Baldwin’s formidable English Department and writing for The Hourglass.
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ACADEMICS RACE CAR DRIVERS VISIT GRADE 5
Grade 6 Creates Positive Messages Baldwin’s Middle School students are discovering and developing their passions and their voice. There are many amazing artists in Grade 6, so to encourage their passion,
Charly Landow ’25 gets ready to race.
Race car drivers Varsovia Fernandez and Maureen McVail visited our Grade 5 students in the DREAM Lab® to introduce them to race car driving and to discuss their work at Drexel University with the Vision 2020 program, which is a national coalition working to achieve economic, political and social equality for women. During the clinic, the students were introduced to the mechanics of the car as well as the construction of the fireproof driver’s suit and helmet.
students have the opportunity to showcase their artwork through their reading journals in English class. In addition, students are expressing themselves outside the classroom in a variety of ways. Throughout the year, each advisory group has the opportunity to create positive messages, add inspiring quotations and display their artwork on the chalkboard in the Middle School.
Eight Baldwin Seniors Honored by National Merit Program Baldwin is proud to announce that eight students from its senior class have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Cara Guernsey, Hilary Liu and Pranshu Suri were named Semifinalists and Melia Hagino, Olivia Isenberg-Landes, Sabrina
THE BALDWIN REVIEW VOL. 2 NOW AVAILABLE Baldwin is proud to announce it has published Volume 2 of The Baldwin Review, a collection of individual research papers produced by Upper School students. The project was initiated by Eliza Thaler ’18, and its purpose is to provide a tangible platform for students to display their projects and papers that are independent from class assignments. Because a Baldwin girl’s intellectual curiosity is limitless, the journal is inclusive of a wide variety of different topics in different fields and includes 12 research papers. Access the entire journal online at issuu.com/thebaldwinschool. 6
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Rustgi, Sara Syed and Emily Thompson were named Commended Students. The students were recognized for their outstanding performance on the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
Top Row: Emily Thompson, Cara Guernsey, Hilary Liu, Sabrina Rustgi and Melia Hagino; Bottom Row: Sara Syed, Pranshu Suri and Olivia Isenberg-Landes.
ACADEMICS Baldwin’s 2017-18 Scholars
This year’s Baldwin Scholars are hard at work in a concentrated and self-directed course conducting scholarly research within a field of their own interest. Pictured left to right above: Julia Maenza is studying “At the Point When You Decide to Punish: Genocide Intervention, Prosecution and Prevention.” Audrey Senior’s research is titled “The Art of Making Art: An Examination of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George.”
MIDDLE SCHOOL “BALDWIN BANDIT” CHALLENGE In December, Middle School students participated in the “Baldwin Bandit Challenge”, which was a handson, interdisciplinary experiential learning project. Teams of 6th, 7th and 8th graders developed their strategic thinking, communication and collaborative skills by completing a set of eight activities over a two-day period, including: • solving a complex puzzle box, • translating and interpreting coded maps, • conducting forensic examination of an actual skeleton, • sifting through buried artifacts for clues, • modeling investigative techniques using online resources, • constructing surveillance robots, • solving problems through computer coding and • expressing their artistic skills as sketch artists. As they completed each activity, teams assembled clues that together revealed the identity of the mysterious figure known only as the Baldwin Bandit.
Oona Maloney is researching contemporary race relations and issues: “I Don’t See Color: An Examination of Overt and Covert Racism in Institutions and Political Ideologies in the Post-Civil Rights Era.” Hilary Liu is researching how compounds derived from alternative medicines may be effective treatments for certain maladies — specifically prostate cancer. Her research is titled “Deriving Pterostilbene, an Analog of Resveratrol, to Enhance ARV7 Degradation in Prostate Cancer Cells.” Sara Syed is researching assistive technologies for children on the autism spectrum.
Opera Philadelphia Visits Kindergarten
MS LINKS CLASSROOM PROJECTS TO SERVICE INITIATIVE
This year during our annual holiday drive for Rift Valley Children’s Village through The Tanzanian Children’s Fund, our Middle School DREAM Lab® classes created laser-cut animal figurines and Middle School Art classes created coloring books with images specific to the Tanzania region, which were printed, bound and sent along with colored pencils. These two classroom projects, linked to our service initiative, went above and beyond donating holiday presents to those in need. Our Kindergarten enjoyed a fun and interactive visit by Opera Philadelphia this fall, coordinated by Kirsty Dickerson ’90 (P ’30). Through the organization’s “Opera in a Trunk,” the girls learned about the different parts that make up an opera and created their own operatic production with costumes, props, sets and song! WINTER 2018 ECHOES
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ARTS ART EXHIBITION WITH CHARLOTTE HUMENUK
All-School Autumn Art Exhibition The All-School Art Exhibition was on display this fall in
the Fackenthal-Pethick Art Gallery, featuring work from all three divisions of the School and all five studios of the Upper School. The Art Department was proud to share the work of our Baldwin student artists.
Dr. Porges ’96 poses with Charlotte Humenuk during her art exhibition’s opening reception.
An exhibition titled Drawn from Nature from invited artist Charlotte Humenuk, who was The Baldwin School’s Upper School Director from 1986-1996, was on display in the newly refurbished Fackenthal-Pethick Gallery in November and December.
GRADE 2 CREATES CLAY COIL MUGS
Maskers Perform Much Ado About Nothing
Upper School Maskers produced the whimsical and romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing this fall. The play had a colorful musical score of old standards and original pieces, costumes that span the centuries and a jazzy devil-may-care exploration of communication’s confusing social mores. The production combined a physical storytelling to the verbal acuity of the Bard’s poetic language, giving audience
Saudia Jones ’28 and Charlee Rishforth ’28 watch as their pots and mugs are loaded into the kiln by Lower School Art Teacher Andre Teixeira.
Grade 2 students finished building coil pots and mugs, which were fired in the newly installed kiln that was integrated into Lower School’s art program this year. The Lower School kiln was fully funded by last year’s Gala, giving our students the opportunity to work with clay and glazing as early as grade school. 8
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members a ring side seat to the imagination, comedy and intrigue of this enduring romantic Melia Hagino ’18 and Audrey Senior ’18 delight the audience.
comedy.
ARTS Grade 1 Performs School Days A Collection of Poetry
MS ART STUDENTS CREATE PAPER LANTERNS
Bella Gormley ’23 works on her lantern.
The first play of the year was presented by first grade and aptly named School Days. The girls recited the poems Open a Book, Recess, Time Chant, Colors, Lunch, Coins, My Promise and the familiar Hug-o-War by Shel Silverstein. There was even a studentteacher on stage. Colorful scenery and props complemented the cheerful songs.
Becky Lewis Exhibits Nature Up Close
Students in the Middle School year-long elective art class constructed sculptural paper lanterns based on the public art installation Fireflies by Cai Guo Qiang, which took place this fall in Philadelphia on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The public could ride up and down the Parkway in pedicabs that Cai Guo Qiang adorned with illuminated lanterns depicting objects and symbols from his childhood memories. Students studied Cai Guo Qiang’s work and then prototyped designs out of paper before starting to create their own lanterns out of metal wire and rice paper. Collaborating with the DREAM Lab®, students wired their lanterns with LED lights and displayed them throughout the School.
Lower School Science Teacher Becky Lewis exhibited her photography Nature Up Close this fall in the Fackenthal-Pethick Art Gallery. This was Becky’s first show at Baldwin and showcased how a faculty member outside the art department was channeling a creative voice and highlighting the connection between art and science, her passion and pedagogy.
Cate Roth ‘24 admires Ms. Lewis’ work. WINTER 2018 ECHOES
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ATHLETICS SPORTS SYMPOSIUM FOCUSES ON SPORTS NUTRITION
Soccer, Tennis Each Finish Second in Inter-Ac Varsity Soccer finished the season with a 13-5-2 overall record and 8-3-1 Inter-Ac League record. The program finished second in the league standings for the first time in school history. The team amassed 48 goals and allowed 22 goals with six shutouts. Four players earned AllLeague honors, a school record. Varsity Tennis finished the season with an 8-3 overall record and 5-1 league record, good for second place. The team won eight medals at the Inter-Ac League championships. Four players earned AllLeague recognition.
Andrea Irvine, Sports Dietitian for Drexel University Athletics, was the featured speaker at the fall Blue Gray Symposium titled “Nutrition and Athletic Performance.” The presentation focused on evidenced-based nutritional education and counseling for teams and individuals looking to enhance optimal sports performance.
Ten Fall Athletes Earn All-Inter-Ac League Honors Congratulations to our fall athletes who have earned All-Inter-Ac honors: SOCCER: TENNIS: VOLLEYBALL: Carly McIntosh ’18 and Gia Vicari ’19 (1st Team); Celia Page ’19 and Natalie Sgro ’19 (2nd Team)
Presley Daggett ’21, Alexa Diecidue ’19, Teagan Krane ’19 and Grace Lavin ’19 (1st Team)
Haley Tavares ’18 (1st Team) and Laura Pellicano ’19 (2nd Team)
2017 GOLF AND TENNIS OUTING
The 2017 Blue Gray Golf and Tennis Outing was held on October 2, led by our co-chairs Veenita Bleznak (P ‘19, ‘21) and Betsy Joyce (P ‘19). It was an outstanding day for friend-raising, competitive tennis and golf, bingo, fun and fundraising.
Director of Athletics Deb Surgi, Co-Chairs Veenita Bleznak and Betsy Joyce and Blue Gray President Sejita Page (P ’19, ’22) celebrate the outing’s success.
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Natalie Sgro, Celia Page, Gia Vicari, Carly McIntosh, Alexa Diecidue, Grace Lavin, Teagan Krane and Haley Tavares (Not pictured: Presley Daggett and Laura Pellicano).
Glascott Birch Named Certified Athletic Administrator Meg Glascott Birch, Baldwin’s Assistant Athletic Director for Middle School, has been recognized by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) as a Certified Athletic Administrator. She is one of an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism.
ATHLETICS Barnett Twins Sign National Letters of Intent
MADELINE PERRY NAMED DIRECTOR OF SQUASH
Baldwin’s talented twin sisters Hailey and Myla Barnett ‘18 received many heartfelt accolades from the more than 100 people in attendance at their National Letter of Intent signing ceremony. Both Hailey and Myla are headed to the University of Virginia – Hailey for rowing and Myla for lacrosse.
Squash coach Madeline Perry has been named Baldwin’s Director of Squash. During her short time as Interim Director, she has made changes to the Baldwin Squash Academy and began planning for the School’s squash programs. “I hope to guide the teams and players to even greater things this year,” Coach Perry stated. “My intentions are that the Baldwin squash environment is one of fun but also one of hard work and personal development.”
Middle School Hosts Inaugural Soccer Tournament
Baldwin, Delco Christian and The Philadelphia School gather for a friendly group photo at the conclusion of the tournament.
The Middle School “A” soccer team won the first Polar Bear Invitational held on Lower Field September 23. The Bears defeated both Delco Christian and The Philadelphia School by 3-0 scores to win the inaugural cup.
VOLLEYBALL RAISES MONEY AT DIG PINK GAME
The Upper School Volleyball program raised more than $2,000 at their October Dig Pink game for the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation. Senior co-captains Gabby Alston ’18 and Haley Tavares ’18 presented their check to foundation representative Donna Duncan during a recent assembly. The volleyball program had one of its most successful seasons in recent history, with Varsity winning eight games and JV winning nine games. WINTER 2018 ECHOES
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HOMECOMING2017
The Upper School Athletic Association hosted a two-day Homecoming celebration that began with an All-School Pep Rally and fall team barbecue. Saturday was a funfilled and action-packed day, with the Blue Gray Pancake Breakfast kicking things off. The students and clubs organized creative activities for the entire community, and the junior class put together a hearty BBQ. Baldwin’s Upper School teams competed and worked hard together against league opponent Agnes Irwin School.
Clockwise from top left: Head of School Dr. Marisa Porges ’96 is all smiles on the dunk tank. | Field Hockey co-captain Sophia Nicoletti ’18 dribbles past an AIS defender. | Volleyball co-captain Haley Tavares ’18 rises to block an AIS shot. | Blue Gray parents work hard to provide a delicious Pancake Breakfast | Upper School students Anisha Devas ’19 and Celia Rubien ’18 sell lemonade and cookies at the Club Activities Fair. | Soccer goalkeeper Simi Bleznak ’19 dives to save a shot in the Bears 3-0 shutout against the Owls. | Lower School 1st graders Romy Kountz-Bonnamour, Kacey Kendrick, Gillian Gattuso and Dotty Slawe make a purchase at the Activities Fair on Middle Field. | Middle School students Allie Weiser ’24 (standing), Kaya Weiser ’22, Isabel Steckman ’22, Clara Page ’22 and Thea Rosenzweig ’22 gather at breakfast. 12
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Why I Give
Tatjana van der Horst Schwendinger ’65 By Kathryn Taylor ’70
It was not yet 6:30 a.m. on Graduation Day 1965. Although the June sun was already rising, the Residence still felt cloaked in sleep as senior Tanja van der Horst quietly descended the stairs into the Main Hall. She walked through the Assembly Room, up and over the stage to the back and knocked at the French doors of Miss Cross’ apartment. “I WANTED TO SAY ‘THANK YOU’ TO MISS CROSS,” Tanja van der Horst Schwendinger ‘65 relates, “because she had been so important to me.” After Tanja had spoken, Miss Cross placed her hands firmly on Tanja’s shoulders, gave her that weathered New England smile, and said, “Tanja, you’re one of the best investments I have ever made.” “Well!” exclaims Tanja, “when someone has that kind of faith in you, it is life-changing!” Tanja’s path to that moment was an uncommon one. Born in Holland, she was the first of four children for Sonja and Hans van der Horst. Sonja, a Polish Jew, had survived the Holocaust. She and Hans met after Victory in Europe Day while he was working for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in a displaced persons camp and she was a displaced person in the camp. They married in 1945. In 1952, when Tanja was five, they emigrated from Holland to Olean, NY, where they became active members of the community and worked as advocates for religious freedom, civil rights and education.
(daughter Kristen and son Derek) and her many local volunteer commitments to both civic and educational institutions in St. Louis, Tanja always made room for Baldwin. A regular contributor to The Baldwin Fund and a long-time Class Agent, she wrote the Class Notes for more than 30 years. When the Class of 1965 celebrated its 50th Reunion, she was there with a group of classmates. Tanja van der Horst Schwendinger ‘65 and husband Robert.
It was her parents’ belief in the power of a superior education that led them to start planning for Tanja’s secondary school education when Tanja was in 6th grade. Two of her parents’ best friends in Olean had gone to Baldwin as boarders. Impressed by what they heard from their friends, Tanja’s parents began the research process. And in 1961, Tanja enrolled at Baldwin as a 9th grade boarder. “Baldwin was a good fit,” Tanja says. “That’s not to say that it was easy. I had never worked so hard in school before. And I never worked so hard in school afterward. I knew from the start that I was gaining a huge academic advantage by being at Baldwin. But it was more than that. Baldwin launched us, gave us our sense of what we could do. Anything was possible. Miss Cross was an ‘equal opportunity’ person, and the School she led executed her vision.” Tanja took up the banner of “equal opportunity” with fervor. After four years at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in French and history, she went on to study law at Washington University, graduating in 1972. As she remembers, “There weren’t many jobs for women when my class
came out of law school. There were almost no federal clerkships.” So she went to work for a federal agency instead — as a staff attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in St. Louis. By 1976 she was married to Robert Schwendinger, also a graduate of Washington University School of Law, and they had started their family. She put her full-time career on hold for six years, recalling ruefully that there was no family or medical leave then. In 1983, she was back in full force, this time with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in St. Louis. She started at the EEOC as an Administrative Judge and in 1995 became the Supervisory Administrative Judge, overseeing four other administrative judges and hearing complaints of workplace discrimination in five states. In a 2010 Washington University Law Magazine profile, Tanja shared that she liked being a judge: “For me it was another good fit. If you work, you’re affected by national antidiscrimination laws, and I had the opportunity to make a difference for some people.” Even with her career, her husband, her children
Now retired, she is back on Baldwin’s National Board of Advisors after having served an earlier term when her children were young and her schedule not as flexible for travel to Bryn Mawr. She also notes that she has “already made significant philanthropic contributions to other academic institutions close to home, and it is time to turn to Baldwin.” “Baldwin invested in me, not only with its faith but also with its funds. I was on scholarship for my four years and I want to pay it forward. I can’t imagine having done what I did without the academic foundation I got at Baldwin. We now need to be there for the young women who come after us, to invest in Baldwin, to provide the School with a firm financial foundation so that Baldwin can continue to provide the strong academic foundation for future generations of students. I am ready to help, and I hope others will join me in helping Baldwin meet this challenge.” Kathryn Taylor ‘70, a former chair of Baldwin’s Board of Trustees, recently retired as a director for Princeton University’s Alumni Affairs Office to focus on her writing. Her essays and profiles have appeared in a number of print and online publications.
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BALDWIN’S DIVERSITY & EQUITY COMMITTEE
GIVING BALDWIN
GIRLS A VOICE BY MONICA MORAN ’92 As thoughts turned to the 2017-18 school year, Baldwin’s faculty and staff took a critical look at the journey that has shaped the diversity and equity work across its campus. In an effort to include voices from every aspect of our community and build on the existing foundation, a committee approach was implemented with three different participation levels. This differentiated approach allows committee members to participate at whatever stage they are in on their personal learning journey. The Diversity and Equity Committee Co-Chairs represent faculty and staff from each of the divisions. This group of six provides the leadership for discussion, experiences and professional development, shaped by input from students, faculty, staff and parents. Other School members may choose to engage at the programming level or participate in the monthly Diversity and Equity Committee meetings. 14
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he work of the overall committee is focused on holistic, broad-spectrum diversity initiatives to support the School’s core values of Learning, Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion and is guided by the committee’s mission statement: The Baldwin community embraces each person as a unique individual, recognizing and celebrating our differences and commonalities. We commit to fostering and modeling respectful engagement, open dialogue and thoughtful programming around diversity and equity. The Diversity and Equity Committee is open to the larger Baldwin community, meeting monthly to promote respectful engagement and inspire dialogue and thoughtful exploration around issues of
learni
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THE BALDWIN COMMUNITY EMBRACES EACH PERSON
as a unique individual, recognizing and
CELEBRATING our DIFFERENCES and COMMONALITIES. We commit to fostering and modeling
RESPECTFUL ENGAGEMENT, OPEN DIALOGUE and thoughtful programming around DIVERSITY AND EQUITY.
diversity and equity. The Committee seeks to weave together the various programs and academic curriculum to create a seamless fabric of inclusion that stretches from PreK learners all the way to graduating seniors. Alumnae may remember affinity groups such as the Black Student Union and the Asian Students Association from their Upper School experience, but today’s Baldwin girls are also active in extracurricular clubs
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such as the Diversity Club, the Hispanic Students Association, the Jewish Cultural Alliance and Spectrum - a group for LGBTQ+ students and their allies. These vibrant groups are now part of Baldwin’s Upper School and in some cases the Middle School experience and are emblematic of Baldwin’s continued commitment to inclusivity. While the breadth of opportunities through affinity groups is impressive,
diversity and equity work is most effective when socially conscious thinkers of all ages are encouraged to consider different perspectives, participate in diverse groups, respect and embrace cultural differences and effectively communicate with others. When this happens, students are able to grasp how diversity can create positive change in their environments. The Lower School Social Studies curriculum incorporates Global Learning strategies and explores different cultures, traditions, religions and customs. Parents are invited to give first person presentations about their own cultural or religious experiences, and students explore similarities and differences via personal interactions and research. CoChair Committee member and Lower School Grade 1 teacher Megan Rohricht is enthusiastic about these moments. “These experiences help build learners who are aware and tuned-in to issues of diversity. You can really see the ripple effects of academic and intellectual globalism – it broadens their horizons and
Baldwin’s Diversity and Equity Committee Co-Chairs: Director of Middle School Cindy Lapinski, Grade 1 Teacher Megan Rohricht, Upper School Spanish Teacher Miryam Harvey, Middle School Administrative Assistant Tracy Stevens, Middle School Spanish Teacher and Dean of Grade 7 Gabbie Álvarez-Spychalski and Coordinator of Global Initiatives and Service Learning Shelley Evans.
respect
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y responsibilit lets them see outside of themselves.” “Lower School students also actively participate in service projects that promote this idea of diversity and equity,” adds Shelley Evans, Coordinator of Global While in San Antonio, “abuelita” Gloria (far right) welcomed Baldwin’s Middle School Initiatives and Service students into her “casa” and fed them her delicious homemade tamales. With full Learning PreK-12 and bellies, students learned how to make tamales with step-by-step instructions from the Co-Chair Committee “abuelitas” during this authentic Mexican cooking lesson. member. Shelley helped to support The Educate a Girl fundraiser, which raises money and awareness The LOWER SCHOOL Social Studies in support of girls’ education curriculum incorporates GLOBAL around the world. “This Pre-K through 5th grade month-long LEARNING STRATEGIES project asks that girls do chores for friends and family to earn and EXPLORES DIFFERENT money. The proceeds are sent to CULTURES, TRADITIONS, the Malala Fund, which helps educate girls all around the RELIGIONS AND CUSTOMS. world. The girls really connect with a larger sisterhood across the globe.” This year, Baldwin girls raised almost $10,000. Knowing that diversity takes packaging meals or unloading on many forms, community trucks at SHARE, and create In Middle School, Baldwin service in the Middle and Upper items for the Empty Bowls students build upon their School is shaped by grade level fundraising dinner, they build service and academic themes. Grade 7’s theme is a sense of empathy, as well as experiences in the Lower School Food Access and Hunger Relief. a sense of ownership of their and work to build a school Gabbie Álvarez-Spychalski, personal contributions.” community where everyone Middle School Spanish Teacher, Last year, Gabbie led the 7th feels safe and supported. As Dean of the 7th grade and and 8th grade Spanish Language students solidify a sense of Committee Co-Chair, explains students on a trip to San belonging in the Middle School that “as part of the curriculum Antonio, TX. Students worked experience, they are also pushed and during service activities, at Casa Raices, an organization to move beyond their comfort the students study hunger that provides temporary zones and engage in new ways. from several points of view, housing and assistance to Cindy Lapinski, Director analyze facets of food insecurity asylum-seeking mothers, of the Middle School and and participate in a roleplay/ children and unaccompanied Committee Co-Chair, believes simulation session involving minors and refugees. “While at that “Service learning in these meal-planning and budgeting the house, we packed lunches formative grades cultivates to understand how food stamps and backpacks with essential an understanding of different and public assistance works – or supplies for families that were communities and diverse doesn’t work – for struggling recently released from family perspectives, enhances civic families.” Students then move detention and dropped off engagement and develops an from these intellectual exercises at a bus station. We then increased awareness of into measurable action: “As delivered the backpacks to the social issues.” students spend service days unsuspecting families. As we
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left the station, we saw a new bus full of families being dropped off from family detention, which was a heartbreaking but impactful experience. The girls saw first-hand that while we had helped one group of people, the work was far from done. When we returned home, the girls held a Backpack Supply Drive where they sent
Compas sion five large boxes full of supplies to Casa Raices.” By creating a sense of empathy, engaging in face-to-face interactions and serving others in need, students confront head-on the wide gaps in equity that might otherwise be overlooked. In the Upper School, students possess the maturity, commitment and drive to take diversity conversations and action to the next level. Tracy Stevens, Middle School Administrative Assistant and Committee CoChair, explains how the exciting Brown Bag lunch program operates. “These voluntary lunches are student-led and moderated by Shelley Evans and Miryam Harvey, and students have a chance to discuss and express their points of view in a safe environment. The program’s guidelines are specific and constructive; students speak from their own experiences, maintain respect and confidentiality and learn to listen, lean into discomfort and share silence together as a group.” “Last year was our first year having Brown Bag lunches,” Tracy continues. “The three topics were: Black Lives
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In MIDDLE
SCHOOL, Baldwin students build upon their SERVICE AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES in the Lower School and WORK TO BUILD A SCHOOL COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE AND SUPPORTED.
Matter, The Women’s March and Immigration. The 201718 school year has not shied away from difficult terrain. So far topics have included Charlottesville and the history of historical monuments, #takeaknee, affirmative action and the college process, and sexual harassment and consent.” Miryam Harvey, Upper School Spanish Teacher and Committee Co-Chair, illuminates another ground-breaking diversity event experienced by Upper School students. “At this year’s second annual Building Bridges event on Community Day, the Upper School students will again commit to develop the communication skills necessary to have difficult conversations. Last year’s program theme, My Story, was introspective and sparked selfexamination. This year’s theme is My Action and will push students toward service-oriented outreach.” The Building Bridges day is a normal school day, and participants are divided into small and large group meetings where students, faculty and staff work toward exploring identity and action together. “The majority of the students felt that last year’s event
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created a safe space to share thoughts, feelings and allowed them to explore different parts of their identity. The energy generated last spring was crucial to the planning of Building Bridges this year: so far we have 35 volunteers and 25 facilitators already planning for the event in March.” The leading question for Building Bridges this year is “How can I be a facilitator in my life?” Gabbie and Miryam also have been active in the conference experience for Upper School students. Recently, Gabbie escorted Baldwin students
to The Mid-Atlantic Region Diversity Conference. Now in its sixth year, the student-led regional conference serves more than 250 students from 20 different schools each year. The day-long conference includes affinity groups, student-led discussions and a keynote address from noted activist and speaker, Rodney Glasgow. Miryam joined Baldwin students at Friends’ Central School (FCS) for their third annual Different Voices, Same Vision Conference. This year’s theme was Truth, Fables and The Way Forward in the Story of America. The conference included student-led discussions and facilitated activities, teacher-led workshops and a keynote address from FCS Coordinator of Equity and
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honesty
Justice Education, Dwight Dunston. “Students who attend these conferences come back inspired and ready to share their experiences with the School community,” says Miryam. The Diversity and Equity Committee has a bold vision. The group recognizes that both diversity and equity are terms that embrace race, nationality, religion, immigration status, economic disparity, gender expression and sexuality. The committee provides fearless support for Baldwin students to have a safe and nurturing place to work through complicated, layered and difficult issues, and builds a community of learners who will be ready to engage with our complex world after graduation. Baldwin provides the tools for students to engage
...UPPER SCHOOL students will again commit to DEVELOP THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS NECESSARY TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
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in discourse with intelligence, respect, empathy and their own true and grounded voices. Perhaps most importantly, the Baldwin experience develops young women who are advocates and facilitators for diversity in their lives beyond Baldwin.
A group of students attended The Mid-Atlantic Region Diversity Conference, a regional studentled diversity experience serving more than 250 students from 20 different schools each year. Students who attended were Anna Rosenthal ’20, Sophia Hairston ’20, Natalia Schafer ’18, Juliana Charles ‘20, Alyssa Chatman ’19, Celia Page ’19, Sydney Parmet ’19, Lexi Phelan ’19, McKenna Matus ’19 (not pictured: Maya Hairston ’18).
Monica Moran ’92 is an author and freelance writer. She previously worked for Spring Garden Pictures as a film producer and marketing director.
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Faculty Footnotes Each year faculty and staff are invited to apply for grants that provide opportunities to explore new areas of their discipline or to recharge after a busy school year. The following grants were awarded in 2017 Reed Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching: Named in honor of Marjorie Lindsay Reed ’39, this award provides funds to further enhance a faculty member’s role in the classroom. Language Department Chair Josiane Mariette was the 2016 recipient. She will use the funds to attend a one-week seminar at the Sorbonne University in Paris on the role of women in French History and is also attending The Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in New York City. The 2017 recipient was Art Teacher Kenny Delio. He plans on purchasing some sculptural equipment and tools for his classroom and attending some workshops in the tri-state area. The Agnes and Sophie Dallas Irwin Fund: This fund aims to enrich a teacher’s life and was awarded to both Third Grade Teacher Peter Greenhalgh, who traveled to Muir Woods and the Redwoods of California, and Learning Facilitator Cecily Selling, who took a once-in-alifetime trip to Indonesia with her husband. 18
Anne C. Shoemaker Fund: This fund includes two grants to be used for personal enrichment or refreshment of self and spirit. This year’s award went to Drama Teacher Aileen McCulloch (Little Shoe) and Assistant to the Director of Lower School Caryn Sucharski (Big Shoe). Aileen used the funds to visit New York City to study with the Broadway Teachers Workshop where she danced with the Dance Captain of the hit Broadway show Hamilton, saw six Broadway and Off Broadway shows while meeting stage managers, directors and actors from the productions. Caryn is planning a big family trip and looking forward to spending quality time with them. Baldwin Benefits Fund: Established in 1991 by the Parents’ Association, these awards are given for curriculum development or enhancements. Awardees included Art Teacher Kristin Brown, History Teacher Bridget Doherty,
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Science Teacher Rebecca Lewis and Spanish Teacher and Grade 7 Dean Gabbie ÁlvarezSpychalski. The William H. Simon, MD Faculty Enrichment Award in Science and the Humanities: This award allows a teacher to explore a subject that combines a topic in science with one in the humanities. It was awarded to Computer Science Teaching Fellow Katie Burke, who attended Constructing Modern Knowledge in Manchester, NH, which was a week of group maker space learning. She worked with fellow educators to create virtual rain animations using the Microsoft Kinect and Processing. The Blair D. Stambaugh Award for Student and Faculty Enrichment: Established in 1999 in honor of Blair D. Stambaugh’s 20th anniversary at Baldwin, this award recognizes cooperation, ingenuity and enrichment. It was presented to English Department Chair Diane Senior, who traveled with members of Baldwin’s student publication leadership to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association summer workshop last June. Trustee Recognition Award: This award recognizes the contribution of a member of the faculty, staff or administration who has gone above and beyond his/her job
description for the benefit of the Baldwin community. Both Food Service Employee Jabbar Toori and Second Grade Teacher Emelie Wilkes were presented with this award. The Lois Pressman Sabbatical Fund: This fund was created in 2015 to honor Lois Pressman, teacher and administrator at Baldwin from 1976-2014, allowing a faculty member to pursue new knowledge in a way that will be personally enriching and will have a direct, beneficial impact on students. This year’s recipient was Director of Libraries and Information Services Lisa Lopez-Carickhoff, who is using the funds to pursue a five-course Post-Master’s Certificate in Teacher Leadership at Villanova University. Rosamond Cross Endowed Teaching Chair: Established in 1988 in honor of the fourth Head of School, this award is given every two years to a fulltime faculty member who made an outstanding contribution to his or her work, the Baldwin community or the broader field of education. Math Department Chair Jane Farella was the 2016-2017 recipient.
BALDWIN CONNECT.ORG Alumnae networking, evolved. BaldwinConnect.org is a new web-based networking platform dedicated to helping Baldwin Alumnae:
CONNECT
MENTOR
NETWORK
Some of the Benefits You’ll Experience Include: ROBUST DIRECTORY - Find old friends and make new connections — personal or professional — via the searchable directory. KNOWLEDGE SHARING - Volunteer to be a mentor to other alumnae or search for alumnae who can help you with career advice and information. EVENTS & NEWS - Find out about upcoming Baldwin events and stay up-to-date on School news. MESSAGING - Receive and send messages to other alumnae through the platform.
ACTIVATE YOUR PROFILE TODAY AT
BaldwinConnect.org
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HONESTY, COMPASSION, RESPONSIBILITY, LEARNING and RESPECT At the All-School Assembly to officially begin the 2017-2018 school year, our senior student leaders were asked to choose one of The Baldwin School’s five core values—HONESTY, COMPASSION, RESPONSIBILITY, LEARNING and RESPECT — and explain what that value means to them.
Below is an excerpt from Senior Class President Natalia Schafer ‘18 who spoke about respect.
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what someone else has to say. Not only listening, but understanding their perspective. Understanding where they are coming from and why they believe what they believe. We are privileged enough to go to a school like Baldwin. A school that supports us, encourages us and pushes us. From a young age we are taught to stand up for ourselves, for what we believe in. This means we all have opinions, strong opinions, and sometimes we don’t agree. Respect is acknowledging those differences, tolerating those disagreements and still coming together and being kind to one another.
THE BALDWIN FUND SUPPORTING BALDWIN'S CORE VALUES From academics and athletics to arts and altruism, our girls have the character, drive and confidence to make an impact on their world. A gift to The Baldwin Fund will allow Baldwin to continue making strides in offerings for our girls across the board. It is your support that allows us to provide an environment for students to receive an outstanding education, while also learning and living our core values of honesty, compassion, responsibility, respect and learning. Every girl who passes through our gates has access to tools that can help her make a difference in our world. Your gift to The Baldwin Fund puts more of those tools directly into the hands of our future world leaders, artists, Olympians, businesswomen, scientists, entrepreneurs, authors, doctors, teachers and so much more. Make an investment in Baldwin’s future today with a gift to The Baldwin Fund by visiting www.baldwinschool.org/gift.
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Celebrating
Classes of
GOLD
Highlights of the weekend include: • Classes of Gold Cocktail and Dinner Celebration • Alumnae Awards • Residence Tours • Career Day and Networking • Class Photos • Boarders’ Breakfast • Alex Wake ‘05 Memorial Run & 1 Mile Walk • And so much more! For additional information about reunion weekend and general alumnae inquiries, please contact The Office of Advancement and Alumnae Engagement at alumnae@baldwinschool.org or 610.525.2700, ext. 231.
Save the Date
Baldwin Reunion Weekend May 4-5, 2018
Also, be sure to follow us on our various social media channels: Baldwin Alumnae Facebook Baldwin School Alumnae on LinkedIn The.Baldwin.School on Instagram @BaldwinSchool on Twitter