ENSIGHTS IN SEARCH OF TRUTH
WINTER 2022
T HR EA DS Project Talk The New Lower School Building Community Engagement & Inclusion
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021-2022 President Will Morrow Vice President Jennifer Frist Treasurer Bruce Crosby Secretary Jim Bowen Legal Counsel John Jacobson Special Advisor Bruce Moore Kathryn Brown Stuart Brunson
In Search of Truth ENSWORTH Mission Statement Ensworth is a kindergarten through twelfth grade, coeducational independent school. The School promotes academic excellence and inspires students to be intellectually curious, to use their talents to the fullest, to be people of integrity, and to be contributors to society.
Gerard Bullock Daphne Butler Raja Clark Beth Courtney Amanda Farnsworth Ben Freeland Craig Goguen Chad Greer Brock Kidd Emily Kurtz Deb McDermott Neal Patel Yvonne Ralsky Jamee Thompson Stephaine Walker Head of School David Braemer, ex officio Co-President Ensworth Parent Association Elizabeth Gerken, ex officio Co-President Ensworth Parent Association Barbara Smith, ex officio President-Elect Ensworth Parent Association Amanda Graff, ex officio President Ensworth Alumni Board Anna Russell (Kelly) Friedman ’97, ex officio National Advisory Council Lauren Elcan ‘13
Administrative Team David Braemer Head of School Ricky Bowers Associate Head and Director of Athletics Heather Caponi Head of Lower School Rebekah Capps Director of Enrollment Management Nowell Hesse Head of High School
Kindergarten students visit the Frist Campus on Halloween
Jason Hiett Director of Technology Bedell James Director of Advancement Whitney Johnson Director of Finance and Operations
ENSWORTH Vision Statement We envision a school community dedicated to following the highest principles with the greatest love, as characterized by moral integrity, intellectual vitality, discipline, compassion, humor, and joy.
Darwin Mason Head of Middle School Bobby Mirzaie Director of Curriculum and Instruction Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing and Communications David Whitfield Director of Community Engagement & Inclusion
Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In order to realize the goals of our Mission and Vision, Ensworth must actively strive to be a diverse and inclusive community of learners that engages collectively In Search of Truth. The presence of different perspectives and life experiences plays a vital role in the development of our students, enhancing classroom and extracurricular experiences in meaningful ways. As a school, we are committed to cultivating an environment in which all members of the Ensworth community experience a true sense of belonging and are empowered to be active participants in the life of the school. These efforts are essential if we are to foster the growth of all students in line with their potential, and to equip them for lives of purpose that extend far beyond their time at Ensworth.
8
11
8 | Project Talk - High School Students meet with Middle School Students
11 | Community Engagement & Inclusion (Celebrating Hispanic Heritage)
Contents THREADS 3
The New Lower School Building
6
Veterans Day
8
Project Talk
ARTS
COMMUNITY
22 Middle School Play: Frozen, Jr.
16 For the Record 18 RG Events
24 High School Play: A Christmas Carol
20 HS Events
11 Community Engagement & Inclusion 14 Foot in the Door Program
26 High School StudentDirected One Act Plays
52 Robert Inman Tiger Classic 53 Parent Association 56 Newly Named Spaces on the Frist Campus
27 Cross Campus Collaboration in the Arts: Seussical, Jr. ATHLETICS
FACULTY 34 Faculty Profiles 37 Faculty Bookshelf 38 Celebrating David Braemer 40 Introducing Prentice Stabler 42 Faculty News
ALUMNI
30 Middle School Athletics
44 Alumni Class Notes
32 High School Athletics
49 Alumni Profiles
Copyrighted 2022 by Ensworth School. Ensworth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin in its admissions or its hiring policies. Ensworth is a member of NAIS, CASE, SACS, SAIS, and the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools. ENSIGHTS is a bi-annual publication of Ensworth’s Office of Institutional Advancement. EDITOR Tiffany Townsend EDITORIAL STAFF
Michelle Andrade, Paul Downey
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Michelle Andrade, David Braemer, Paul Downey, Olivia Fitts, Tiffany Townsend Mary Byrne Dailey
PHOTOGRAPHY Michelle Andrade, Mary Byrne Dailey, Paul Downey, Mike Strasinger GRAPHIC DESIGN
2022 WINTER | 1
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Threads that Connect
W
hen I arrived at Ensworth almost 10 years ago, one of the first things I did was to meet with every member of the faculty and staff in small groups. Whether it was the Second Grade Team, the Middle School History Department, or the High School Facilities Crew, these meetings were extremely helpful to me as I began the process of get ting to know my colleagues, learning what they valued most about Ensworth, and hearing about their aspirations for the school. Not surprisingly, many of the insights that I gained through this crash course in Ensworth culture stick with me today. Out of these conversations, certain themes quickly emerged. First and foremost was the deep, genuine care that these individuals expressed for their students and for each other. The fact that Ensworth is, at its heart, about people came through loud and clear. This truth continues to be a defining strength of our school, and the foundation upon which excellence in all areas of school life is built. The challenge, however, is ensuring that this strong sense of community transcends a school that has grown rapidly across two distinct campuses separated by seven miles of speed trap infested road. This concern was expressed during these meetings as well, and the desire to feel more like one school represented another major theme. For some, it was about working towards more intentional curricular alignment. For others, it was the desire for programmatic needs to drive facility development on each campus. For all, it was a desire to feel connected. It is not easy for a large, multi-campus, K-12 school with the breadth of programs that we offer to function cohesively and to engender a strong sense of community and continuity. To that end, there are many wellregarded independent schools nationally that have
struggled with this challenge for far longer than there has been an Ensworth. However, it is our relative youth as an institution and our spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that drive our development, allowing us to make greater strides in this regard than many of our peers. A recent example is last month’s opening of the new Lower School building. This is the culmination of a multi-phased building project that has brought facilities on the Red Gables Campus more in line with those on the Frist Campus. Additionally, we have made tremendous progress in acting upon the goals that we established as part of our most recent accreditation with the Southern Association of Independent Schools. These cross-divisiona l a nd cross-depa r tmenta l initiatives focus on the development of core academic skills, the health and wellness of our students, and the desire to be a more inclusive community. Recognizing that such significant progress has continued to take place during the throes of the COVID pandemic makes this work even more impressive and reflects our genuine desire to be a truly unified school. In looking ahead, there is still a great deal to be done to further strengthen the ties that connect our people, programs, and campuses. Fortunately, Ensworth can approach these opportunities from a position of strength. There is tremendous positive momentum on both of our campuses that is based upon the desire to best meet the needs of our students now and in the future. It is also rooted in the recognition that Ensworth has always been, and must always be, a school that puts people first.
David Braemer HEAD OF SCHOOL
2 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
THREADS
I N S E ARC H OF T RU T H
OPENING OF NEW LOWER SCHOOL BUILDING Weaving a Continuous Experience from Grades K-12
Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing & Communications 2022 WINTER | 3
THREADS
O
n the Red Gables Campus, the first day of the spring semester began with a lot of clapping. Students in Grades K–2 lined the ha llways, cheering and applauding as their friends in Grades 3–5 carried their belongings from their old classrooms and processed through the crowd to their space in the new Lower School building. The celebrating continued in the new classrooms, as students walked around wide-eyed, clasping their hands together in delight as they explored the bright, colorful spaces that were now their new home. The two-story addition holds classrooms that are 40% larger than the old classrooms, expansive math and science labs, a tech lab/makerspace, and multiple collaborative meeting rooms for students and teachers alike. The design of the building was developed from input and ideas of a team of invested experts: the faculty who would be using the spaces daily. “All of the teachers and the various committees were able to share their opinions and their thoughts on what would promote a successful classroom environment,” shares Grade 3 teacher Virginia Voigt. “So, really, you can look at different areas of each room and know that a teacher thought that through, and it was all with purpose.” The dynamic and flexible spaces are designed to augment the implementation of a progressive curriculum, inspire collaboration, and enrich the community as a whole. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bobby Mirzaie explains the 4 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
significance of the new building in contributing to better curricular continuity across Grades K–12. “In the Middle School and High School, teachers can design classroom environments that best serve the learning goals for each lesson,” he says. “For the times when students need to engage in active discourse and share different ideas, we have spaces with large Harkness tables. When students need to engage in long-term, hands-on science projects, there are lab stations with ample space for equipment, experiment setup, and active exploration. When teachers want to design activities that foster collaboration, our classrooms have the space for students to work together in small groups. In contrast, the teacher can move and support each student’s individual questions and needs. Now, with the new Lower School building, Lower School teachers can further build activities for the types of collaborative, interactive learning that students will encounter in Middle School, High School, and beyond.” Grade 3 teacher Jennifer McGee is excited about the opportunities that the new spaces provide. ”This new space will enhance the way that I approach lessons and that I work with students in that we have many of the same materials we had before, but we have new ways to use them, “she shares. “For example, we have new equipment and iPads, and we now have spaces to go and record and do projects so that multiple things can be happening in the room at the same time. Children can feel free to explore in a very natural way or to
THREADS
work independently, a nd I can more easily work around the room and meet with different groups.” Even though classes have only convened in the new building for a few weeks, Grade 5 teacher Kelly Goorevich sees the impact the new space has had on her students. “Already, we’ve observed that the light and the space have given kids the freedom to feel like they can move. Children are turning their cha irs a round, a nd they a re finding ways to position their bodies and relocate their desks so that they’re maximizing how their brains work,” she says. “In the old classroom, the children were confined by the configurations of the desks that I arranged. Now, with the kidney tables, the reading nooks, the spaces in the hallway with the benches, and the clean, soft, big carpeted spaces, kids have places where they will be able to join together and share ideas. I’m going to get to see more of who they are because the space is going to help them reveal those things.”
The new spaces are outfitted with modular and easily moveable furniture that provides f lexibility of form and function. A walk through the hallways reveals that each classroom has a unique setup, which may change as needed from day to day. Mirzaie notes that this flexibility is one of the most critical aspects of the new building. “Supporting the learning for each student will drive what each classroom space will look like,” he says. “Classrooms can be rearranged to simultaneously support collaborative work for when the learning needs to be together as well as personalized, one-on-one work when students need individual attention. This will enable our students to progress on the path of academic excellence in shared learning environments that build community and collaboration.”
“Now, with the new Lower School building, Lower School teachers can further build activities for the types of collaborative, interactive learning that students will encounter in Middle School, High School, and beyond.”
When Grades 3-5 moved into the new building, construction immediately began on their old classrooms to create an expanded science lab for Grades K-2, dedicated World Language classrooms for all Lower School students, and a new larger space for the AfterCare program. These renovations are projected for completion later this spring.
The larger math and science classrooms a lso enable en ha ncement s to t he current curriculum and allow students Bobby Mirzaie, to dive deeper into concepts with more Together, these campus enhancements Director of Curriculum & Instruction comprehensive experiments. “We have so ensure an environment where students much more we can do now with our space, can cultivate both a depth and breadth especially with our science labs,” shares Grade 4 teacher Sydne of knowledge and experience, setting a solid foundation for Richardson. “Chris Champion and I are really excited to dive in, growth and learning throughout their K-12 journey. As we and we’ve already had conversations about what we are going to celebrate the doors opening on this new building, we look do next with our science labs, because with the new space and forward to the doors that will open to new possibilities for all materials, we can go even further and deeper to create awesome of our students and faculty. experiments and projects that will engage and excite students.” 2022 WINTER | 5
THREADS
LEAD THROUGH EXPERIENCE
Celebrating Veterans Day on Both Campuses “Having close personal contact with these selfless men and women helps history come alive for many Ensworth students and has engaged a group of High School seniors to lead the charge for some new traditions.”
V
eterans Day is celebrated on November 11 each year nationwide. The holiday observes the formal ending of WWI, which ended on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. At Ensworth, it has been a commemorative event for many years. K–12 students have been invited to honorary Veterans Day assemblies and tributes, but in the last ten years, this holiday has become more of an access point to experiential learning. Talented faculty orchestrate projects and initiatives as their passions drive the forward progression of the school’s Mission. Still, it is not as self-motivated as it may seem. The faculty and staff at Ensworth have a drive toward experiential learning with the hope that students will become life-long learners, historians, mathematicians, scientists, writers, dreamers, and doers.
Students from both campuses have taken significant leadership roles in creating events to share with their peers and community. This year’s celebration at Red Gables consisted of research and performances by Grade 6 and Grade 8 students. Supported by Ruby Cortner, Tim Wallace, and Jenny Lenz, students conducted an informative panel discussing the history of Veterans Day and explained the different branches of the US Military. Their presentation concluded with a compelling enactment of America’s White Table by Margot Theis Raven. On the Frist Campus, the opportunity to work directly with veterans has led to a generation of students conducting more than just one event per year. Past students learned about veterans by visiting the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, writing to and talking with WWII vets, and visiting and interviewing veterans at local assisted living facilities. This year, the Veterans Day Service Club hosted a compelling Veterans Day Assembly, panel discussion, and lunch with beloved veterans from their community. With the support of David Chanaca, Tim Love, and the History Department, students compiled videos showcasing appreciation and stories from students, remembering times gone by with cherished veterans, and honoring the lives of those who serve this country.
6 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
THREADS
Having close personal contact with these selfless men and women helps history come alive for many Ensworth students and has engaged a group of High School seniors to lead the charge for some new traditions. In planning this year’s Veterans Day Assembly, Nora Wheliss, Gracie Pulliam, Lara Rogers, Maddie Bradley, and Krsna Garr wanted to honor traditions at the school, introduce new practices, and inspire the student body. They invited the entire K–12 community to send in videos introducing veterans who mea n t he most to t hem . Just like students learn by doing research, interviews, and other activities, these upperclassmen are learning to lead through experience, and it has not ended with this year’s Veterans Day Assembly. In February, the Veterans Day Service Club plans to meet with a group of veterans that gather at the Brentwood Costco every Friday, but before they go, the seniors have another lesson to share. Prior to this excursion, they will teach freshmen, sophomore, and junior Veterans Day Service Club members how to interview. They will teach listening skills and review etiquette for dialogues such as these. These seniors are leading across grades and threads between divisions of the school, truly expanding our K–12 connection in the realm of experiential learning. As one teacher shares, “I became irrelevant.” Experience and passion lead students to find projects that they can initiate to expand their engagement and foster their own skills to be life-long learners.
Michelle Andrade Communications Specialist 2022 WINTER | 7
THREADS
The Expansion of
harkness photo goes here
A
s reported in the last issue of Ensights on the topic of civil discourse, Project TALK (Thinking, Action, Learning, Kindness) made a vigorous comeback in the fall of 2020 at the High School after the social and political upheaval of the year. “With the climate in the country and on campus, we said, ‘We’re gonna have to have a conversation about this,’” recalls Dr. Crystal Miller, Student Activities Coordinator. “And the vehicle was already there. We went right back to Project TALK.” David Whitfield, Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion, has been involved with Project TALK from the beginning and feels that the reboot is appropriate for his office’s mission. “We’re still understanding that democracy affords people to be on opposite ends of the spectrum where there’s still a place for you no matter where you stand ideologically,” he observes. For each Project TALK meeting, all students at the High School gather in small groups around a Harkness table to discuss difficult or controversial topics. Although students are not expected to agree on the topic, the discussion fosters mutual 8 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
respect and introduces new perspectives. Since adults are not allowed in the rooms during the sessions, students can speak more freely and directly about the issues that concern them as teenagers. Topics may involve such issues as social media, race, or substance abuse. The initiative was founded in 2009 by Ensworth’s High School students and Dr. Rich Milner, an Ensworth friend and the current Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt Peabody College. The program continues to mature and expand throughout Ensworth’s two campuses with adult leadership, but being student-led was a key part of Project TALK from the beginning. Dr. Milner explains, “I really had to push in some ways that it be student-led and student-driven, but also that adults wouldn’t be in the room as students were grappling with these difficult issues.” His trust that the students could handle this type of endeavor also carries over into the topics. “The issues emerge based on what’s happening in the world,” he points out.
THREADS
With the High School’s reboot, particular emphasis was placed on forming student facilitators to help focus the discussions around each Project TALK Harkness table. Although the facilitators may feel strongly about particular topics, their formation urges them to see all sides of an issue and be attentive to when the discussion gets heated or anyone begins to feel alienated. Many times, they may be the only one bringing the unpopular view to the table for discussion, even if they don’t agree with that view.
When the Project TALK team came to the Middle School to show the students how a typical meeting goes, the younger students displayed the same passion for engaging in civil discourse with their peers.
Maurice Hopkins, history teacher and the Community En ga gement a nd I nclu sion O f f ic e’s M idd le S chool representative, noticed the Middle School students’ growing curiosity after the events of summer 2020. “Students came back more aware of the world that they lived in,” he remembers. Ensworth’s Harkness method, with its emphasis on the “And they became more inquisitive in their humanities classes collaborative and inclusive discourse around oval tables, about differences of people, whether it be socioeconomic, racial, created the perfect environment for a program like this to or religious.” thrive. The Harkness method encourages the participation of the whole class so there is no visible leader and everyone’s When Mr. Hopkins reached out to Mr. Whitfield about seeing opinions are heard and valued. Although Project TALK his students’ increased thirst for tackling complex social issues, is campus-wide at the High School, the discussions still they both agreed that a pared-down version of Project TALK happen in these intimate settings where students already feel was the best fit for the Middle School. The two teamed up comfortable expressing their opinions. with Dr. Milner, Dr. Miller and Dr. Ellen Reynolds, Director of Counseling and Learning Services at the Red Gables Campus, Even though facilitators must fill out an application and to bring Project TALK to the Middle School for a special express a genuine desire to discuss difficult topics, Dr. Miller assembly. Although they let the High School demonstrate and Dr. Milner still manage to accept about 75 students every Project TALK to the younger students, the adults played it safe year from the senior and junior classes. Dr. Miller explains, with adult presence in the room. Maurice says that this was “There’s usually some sort of passion for wanting to discuss merely to “monitor the mood and emotional temperament” of the topics that we kind of push aside because they’re too hard the first assembly. to talk about. I’ll have some students that say, ‘This is really important. It doesn’t ever get said, and when we’re around the For his part, Mr. Hopkins has long been teaching about difficult adults, we have to say it the right way.’ They definitely need to issues through the lens of history and geography through have a conversation, and they feel like it makes the school a units on the genocide in Rwanda, Apartheid in South Africa, better place.” and the Lost Boys of Sudan. But he has also been fascinated by how his colleagues in other subjects show students how to 2022 WINTER | 9
THREADS
Project Talk Facilitators
HS Students bring Project Talk to the Middle School
see things from different perspectives. Mr. Anthony Stewart, who teaches English to Grades 7 and 8, leads discussions about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Mr. Hopkins explains that Mr. Stewart’s students are “learning how Frankenstein was treated, based upon who people perceived him to be, and how Frankenstein behaved, based upon how society kind of encouraged him to be.” The Life program, of which Dr. Reynolds is Chair, gradually lets students in K–8 work up to more difficult topics of discussion. In one recent Grade 8 Life class, students participated in a stand up-sit down activity where students stood up or sat down based upon questions they were asked. In this session, students were asked seemingly innocuous questions like, “Do you tie your left shoe first?” The discussion helped the eighth graders understand that we can be accepting of differences. For the spring semester at the Middle School, the High School students will visit and conduct Project TALK much like they do at the Frist Campus. More than 30 High School students will visit each advisory in the Middle School. “A lofty goal is that, for the second one,” Mr. Hopkins explains, “we will have trained a handful of eighth-graders to potentially lead a Project TALK with sixth and seventh graders.” Although Project TALK may fill some students with trepidation, Ensworth’s curriculum and dedicated students and faculty work tirelessly to ensure that the program unifies and greatly benefits the school and its diverse community. 10 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
“I really had to push in some ways that it be studentled and studentdriven but also that adults wouldn’t be in the room as students were grappling with these difficult issues.” Dr. Rich Milner
Paul Downey ‘92 Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications
THREADS
A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR EVERYONE The Office of Community Engagement & Inclusion
CEI Office & Parent Diversity Council at the Celebration of Diversity event
T
hreads of tradition woven w it h c ord s of i n nov at ion knit together the tapestr y of belonging at Ensworth. Ensworth has offered a progressive educational ex perience since the 1950s a nd continues to be on the cutting edge of academic practices and technological innovation. Growing as a community also entails expansion beyond social nor ms, especia l ly i n t he world of independent schools. Ensworth strives to be at the forefront when it comes to diversity, inclusion, and belonging, which resulted in the formalization and expansion of the Office of Community Engagement and Inclusion in 2020. David Whitfield, a fifteen-year veteran Enswor th teacher a nd community leader, is at the helm as its Director and has been doing this work at Ensworth and in the surrounding community for decades. Whitfield shares that “for
Dr. Terrence McNeil educates the HS Students about Kwanzaa
Ensworth to reach its fullest potential, we have to develop the best practices and systems in relation to diversity and inclusion.” Best practices and systems stem from the threads of listening, being informed, engaging community members in conversations, and empowering said members to carry the reins.
of these conversations. With dialogue, voices were heard and plans were made, but the mobilization of such efforts and desires was complicated. Considering COVID restrictions, communication challenges due to virtual connections, two campuses, and three divisions of the school, supporting the families, faculty, and community members in this way proved to require more than a single person or even one idea.
David Whitfield’s work at Ensworth has focused on education, mentorship, and engagement from the start. Although At the conclusion of the 2020-2021 Mr. Whitfield was initially hesitant to school yea r, t he ex pa nsion of t he have an official title, he knew that to Office of Community Engagement and grow the work, formalization was key. Inclusion grew to include Hope Moeller During the 2020-2021 school year, a (Grade 2 Teacher) as the Lower School group of faculty and staff members met representative, Maur ice Hopk ins as a part of the Inclusion Committee (History Teacher, Service Learning to have conversations on race, as well Coordinator, and Coach) as the Middle a s to discuss the nature of things School representative, and the Parent happening in the world, their effects on Diversity Council. With David acting the Ensworth community, and how to as the rep for the High School and the respond. Parents were a part of many Office’s leader, all of the community had 2022 WINTER | 11
THREADS
Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly at the Red Gables Campus
Native American Indian Heritage Month Assemblies
representation and voice. The students are the thread that entwines the entire mission.
“We want to build bridges, foster awareness, and develop the infrastructure that enables students and parents to grow in their avenues of understanding.” David Whitfield
12 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
By offering academics and programs that encourage knowledge and awareness, the Ensworth community is hopefully drawn toward curiosity, which will encourage them to use their talents in support of the greatest good. The ultimate desire is to build unity. David says, “[we] want to build bridges, foster awareness, and develop the infrastructure that enables students and parents to grow in their avenues of understanding.” Ensworth builds people of integrity by continuing to offer students a safe space to process things happening in the world around them, as well as making programmatic shif ts that suppor t their g row th in engaging with their community as a whole. Knowledge and encouragement fuse action and power, thus fostering the growth of the Ensworth experience and broadening the Ensworth community. Hope Moeller shares, “Our elementary classrooms naturally discuss and learn about who we are and how we treat each other in a community, and I can see that student demand is creating extensions to those conversations throughout the Middle School and High School.” She also believes, “There is a softness to what
we are right now. [We are not trying] to put anything on people. Instead, we are trying to be open to what is needed.” Part of belonging is getting to know the school community and learning more about the communal Ensworth experience. “What do families in our community feel is needed and how can we respond to that?” she ref lects. This work begins with listening to our diverse community and, in turn, informing the larger population. We all learn from one another. Maurice Hopkins says, “I want to directly engage the community where I am from with the community where I am.” He takes pride in merging the past with the present, demonstrating his mad history skills, and enticing students to engage with the knowledge they are obtaining. His excitement to engage students on a global level and to inspire them through storytelling comes through a culturally enriching curriculum. Maurice is also eager to bring such a global perspective to professional development opportunities for the entire K-12 staff that are geared towards this work. Building and mobilizing such efforts requires more than just faculty and staff. Thus, a vision was conceived to create an advisory committee composed of parents to support the internal efforts
THREADS of the school. The Parent Diversity Council was established to weigh in, offer feedback, and come up with strategies for this Office to execute. Parents from both campuses would help to create an agenda, identify challenges facing the school, figure out ways to address these challenges, and offer insight into parental concerns. “We needed parental buy-in to help leverage human resources, build traditions, and overcome unfortunate legacies,” Whitfield shares. This Council is made up of fourteen parents from various backgrounds. The group is diverse by design, considering temperament, professional background, family structure, racial affiliation, geography, and personal politics, and each person has a unique perspective to bring. Eve Bowers shares that, “Diversity to me is having representation from across racial and cultural spectrums reflected in the staff, student body, curriculum, recreation, and more so that our kids, bot h t hose f rom t he major it y a nd minority, are best prepared for the world at large.” When asked what she hopes to bring to the table, she states, “My perspective as a person of color, and in particular, someone who has completed all of my schooling in predominantly White institutions, can be a source of insight. I understand some of the potential impacts the current status quo may have on students. I hope that we shift the culture within Ensworth to more readily celebrate diversity and invest in increasing our diversity.” Another parent member of the Council D a p h n e B u t l e r s a y s , “A s i n a n y organization on the planet trying to meet the needs of a diverse population, two of the greatest challenges are 1) ensuring that ever y voice is hea rd a nd 2) promoting a n env ironment that engenders a sense of belonging and safety for a ll parties.” She a lso states that Ensworth’s people are its greatest assets. “Ensworth’s faculty,
a d m i n i s t r at ion , a nd fa m i l ie s a re populated with empathetic, supportive and optimistic people.” T he overa rch i n g goa l to empower movement a nd action by hav i n g a representative from each of the three divisions on the two campuses and varied parenta l representation is a strong move toward the goals of the Office of Community Engagement and Inclusion, as well as Ensworth School as a whole. Ensworth is gifted with powerful leaders with experience in their field. The Office of Community Engagement and Inclusion alongside many faculty and staff members who have a deep passion to continue the expansion of diversity, inclusion, and belonging at Ensworth are teamed up to expand and grow as a community, supporting students and families all along the way. But how do we complete such lof ty goa ls when it seem s we ca n of ten have competing priorities? Educate. C e l e b r a t e . A c t i v a t e . It b e g i n s with listening, being informed, and learning from the community even when it brings cha llenges. As Hope shares, “stepping into the conversation and being proactive about learning what [we] don’t know is worth that risk.” It continues with celebration a nd acknowledgment of the people both in our communit y a nd in the world. The initiation of such learning binds the mind to the heart, cultivating compassion and care for people. Finally, the hope is that this unity of heart and mind is activated to movement - both in continued appreciation as well as active participation creating a culture and space where there is a sense of belonging for everyone.
Michelle Andrade Communications Specialist
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & INCLUSION EVENTS SEPTEMBER • Rosh Hashanah • Celebration of Diversity event, an event to welcome families of color OCTOBER • Hispanic Heritage Month • All Community Trunk-E-Treat • Diwali NOVEMBER • Native American Indian Heritage Month - Ensworth parent Charles Robinson visits both campuses for interactive assemblies DECEMBER • Dr. Terrence McNeil speaks on Kwanzaa JANUARY • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day FEBRUARY • Black History Month • Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger • Diversity Community Panel • VISIBLE: A Celebration of Visual Arts • “Trinity in Unity” Exhibit • “By Design: The Shaping of Nashville’s Public Schools” • “When the Cheering Stops” • Henry Hicks CEO National Museum of African American Music • Celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities COMING UP: SPRING/SUMMER 2022 • Women’s History Month • Cultural Festival • Tearing Down the Walls Conference
2022 WINTER | 13
THREADS
Ensworth’s
FOOT IN THE DOOR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM “It’s a great experience, and the fact that Ensworth is able to use this community to leverage benefits for their students is wonderful. Don’t overlook this opportunity.” William Vreeland ’21
M
any agree that one’s first job is often a function of opportunity born through personal connections. Numerous studies suggest that access to entry on a career path is often an intersection between hard work and knowing the right person. However, access to information and opportunity can be limited for many high school and college students. The Foot in the Door Internship Program was established to help open these doors for students at one of the most critical times in their lives. Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion David Whitfield modeled the program after other successful internship programs at independent schools across the country. He partnered with student leader Lucy Butler ’21 to implement the program during the 2020-2021 school year, undeterred by the challenges presented by COVID.
“We want to give Ensworth students practical experience in career training and a sense of how to be in a workplace,” David explains. “It gives them a chance to expand their knowledge and experience and use time in the summer more constructively. Although some opportunities last year were limited because of COVID, I think it actually helped us begin thoughtfully and build carefully with companies that are closely connected to Ensworth.” To be considered for the program, students must submit an application and obtain two recommendations from teachers. They must also commit to attending educational sessions, performing the necessary research that precedes practical experience, writing periodic reflection pieces during the course of the internship, and keeping a running log of hours of their service. Selected students are then paired with an outside entity based upon grade level, interest, and suitability.
Companies interested in participating in the Foot in the Door Internship program are encouraged to reach out to David Whitfield at whitfieldd@ ensworth.com for more information.
14 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
In its inaugural year, the program matched 10 Ensworth students with different summer internships throughout the Nashville area. Zion Wynn ’21 was part of this initial group, and he was paired with Tractor Supply, which he notes was a company that would not have been on his radar otherwise. He worked alongside five other interns, and while he started performing basic duties, Zion quickly became involved in more significant initiatives. He organized Tractor Supply events and helped plan and pilot their mentor circles program. He also assisted in brokering partnerships with foundations, helping the company find impactful ways to give back to the community.
THREADS
“The experience really helped me grow in being open to meeting new people. I was interacting with employees at all different levels: store and district managers, directors, etc.,” says Zion. “And everyone seemed very interested in learning more about me and my story; they were truly invested in me and my success.” William Vreeland ’21 also participated in the program, interning with Thompson Machinery last summer. He didn’t have any previous experience in the machinery industry, but he quickly picked up a general sense of the business. Working closely with the sales and marketing team, William assisted with various projects, including promotions for the NASCAR race at the Nashville Superspeedway. “During my time with Thompson Machinery, I was able to meet with department heads and learn about all facets of the company: human resources, development, etc. And I felt like I gained true insight into sales and marketing; it’s something you can’t truly understand until you’ve done it. It’s practical, not just conceptual, and it requires creativity and problem-solving skills,” shares William. When asked if he would recommend the program to other students, he offers an enthusiastic endorsement, “Do it! It’s a great experience, and the fact that Ensworth is able to use this community to leverage benefits for their students is wonderful. Don’t overlook this opportunity.” After her internship experience last summer, Bella Chadwick ’22 decided to take on a more prominent role with the program, promoting the opportunity to fellow students and facilitating the connections with local businesses in setting up this summer’s internships. “It’s such a valuable program because you get to work with extremely hard-working people and learn from them,” says Bella. “It helped me gain a new sense of independence while also making me understand the importance of pure teamwork. It gives you real-life experience in a work environment and can give you insight on what you want to do.” Whitfield is working with both Chadwick and Catherine Duvall ’22 this year to grow the program. “Our goal is to add five students per year over the next five years, so our hope is to place 15 students this year,” he says. “Right now, we have ten companies that have signed up to partner with us in the summer of 2022, although we are always looking for additional opportunities. We want it to be a practical benefit for both the student and the organization they are working with.”
Zion Wynn ’21
William Vreeland ’21
“It gives you real-life experience in a work environment and can give you insight on what you want to do.” Bella Chadwick ’22
Bella Chadwick ’22
Catherine Duvall ’22
Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing & Communications 2022 WINTER | 15
COMMUNITY
FO R T H E R E C O R D National Merit Semi-Finalists
Academic Honors
Four members of the Class of 2022 have been named National Merit Semifinalists for their performance on the PSAT and through the recommendation of their teachers. Congratulations to Trent Conley, Karim Daouk, Genevieve Schaefer, and Owen Shaffer for being included on this list of top students in the country.
Two seniors have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs based on their remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT and/or AP Exams. Indie Charles was named a College Board National African American Recognition Program Scholar and Scout Halligan was named a College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar.
Nashville Interscholastic Math League Thomas Armstrong ’25 placed 2nd in Statistics and Harry Phillips ’24 placed 3rd in Statistics at the Nashville Interscholastic Math League.
Chess Team Honors
Orange & Black Captains The Grade 8 class continued the decades-old Ensworth tradition of nominating Black and Orange captains. The candidates, representing two girls and two boys from each team, then gave speeches before an election by their Grades 4–8 peers. Congratulations to Gabi Bullock and Hobs Atwood for being elected Orange Captains and Cate Barfield and Nelson Butler for being elected Black Captains! 16 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
The Elementary (K-6 Division) Ensworth Chess Team, represented by 4th graders Jack Talbott and Naiya Patel, won 3rd place at the Halloween Chess Tournament at Isaac Litton Middle School.
Fencing Honors Grade 4 student Lex Moore is now ranked #8 nationally for his age group in Men’s Epee Fencing. He fences out of Nashville Academy of Fencing along with fellow Ensworth student, Zoe Eveland.
COMMUNITY
ENSWORTH
2022 IMPORTANT DATES Visit ensworth.com to confirm dates and for more information
March 3–5 High School Musical: Freaky Friday March 11–20 Spring Break April 9 Prom April 15 April Break - No Classes April 22–23 Dance Concerts May 7 Super Saturday May 16–20 Exam Week May 24 Middle School Closing Exercises May 26 High School Awards Day May 28 Class of 2022 Graduation
Student Government Elected Congratulations to the following students on their election to the Student Government: Genevieve Schaefer President Karim Daouk Vice President Class of 2022: Lanie Dyke, Class Speaker Claiborne Sifford Anna Brock Marshall Wilt Morgan Humbert
Class of 2024: Dean Ralsky, Class Speaker Landon Jones A.J. Dale Will Garner Alex Crews
Class of 2023: Katherine Sales, Class Speaker Caleb Park Helen Thompson Lucy Wallace Erin Crosby
Class of 2025: Miles Whitfield, Class Speaker Elli Baker Grace Thompson Grace Prentice Claire Kurtz
Math Counts The students listed below earned one of the top 25 scores in the school. The students whose names are starred had the 10 highest scores, qualifying them for the next round—the regional competition—in February. Grade 8: Hobs Atwood*, Lee Atwood*, Mason Brunson*, Peter Bryant*, David Choma, Rhys Dyer, Zoe Eveland, Alex Glenn, James Heinrichs*, Cameron Herring, Julia Grace Linn*, Coco McGehee, Elliott Parker*, Lily Sonnenschein Grade 7: Drew Bass, Caroline Cox*, Elle Hutcheson, Tully Johnson, Aidan Kilgore*, Sutton Korn, Henry Oeser*, Soren Sugalski Grade 6: Jasmine Hollowell, Eli Salter, Sofia Shah
Dance Company The High School Dance Company appeared on the Nashville Holiday Music Special for the month of December. From the Emmy Award-winning producers of the Nashville Christmas Parade, the Nashville Holiday Music Special helped to ring in the holidays on News 2. It also aired nationwide through Timeless Syndication throughout the season.
Robotics Ensworth’s Red Gables Campus hosted 20 teams and more than 400 visitors for the Music City First Lego League Robotics Tournament. The major awards that Ensworth’s teams won are: 2nd place in Robot Performance, runner up for the overall Champion’s Award, and 3rd in Robot Design. They will be advancing to the East Tennessee FFL Championship in Cookeville in February.
2022 WINTER | 17
COMMUNITY
a
b
c
ENSWORTH
Grades K–8 Events Fall Semester 2021
a, b, c Grade 1 Pet Show d, e Pancake Breakfast f, g, h, i, j, k Grandparents Day l, m Spirit Assemblies
e
d 18 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY g
f k
h
i
j m
l 2022 WINTER | 19
COMMUNITY
a
ENSWORTH
Grades 9–12 Events Fall Semester 2021
b
a, b, c d, e Winter Music Concerts f, g Creative Coffee Shop h, i Service Learning j, k, l Spirit Week Activities
c
d
e 20 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY f
h
gi
i
l
j
i
k
2022 WINTER | 21
ARTS
ENSWORTH
Middle School Fall Play Disney’s “Frozen, Jr.” November 13, 2021
22 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
2022 WINTER | 23
ARTS
ENSWORTH
High School Fall Play “A Christmas Carol” November 18–20, 2021
24 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
2022 WINTER | 25
ARTS
ENSWORTH
High School Student-Directed One Act Plays September 25, 2021
26 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ARTS
CROSS-CAMPUS COLLABORATION IN THE ARTS A Q&A with four High School students who helped with the Lower School production of “Seussical”
F
or many High School artists, the threads of their passion and interests in the arts trace back to Lower and Middle School experiences. This past summer, some of Ensworth’s High School students followed their ties back to the arts programs at Red Gables as they returned to help with the Ensworth Children’s Theater production of Seussical, the Musical, Jr. Ella Hartman ‘22, Braxton Gunn ‘25, Julia Moore ‘24, and Owen Jackoboice ‘24 share insights about the connections between their experiences with the arts at the Middle School and High School, and how those threads came together in working with the younger students in Seussical .
Braxton Gunn ‘25
Ella Hartman ‘22
Owen Jackoboice ‘24
Julia Moore ‘24
2022 WINTER | 27
ARTS
How did you hear about the opportunity to help out with the Seussical production? Julia: I found Seussical through Mrs. Wolter because I was deeply involved in theater in Middle School; I was in every single show. I wanted to be a counselor for it, not only because I love theater, but because I think being a camp counselor is so much fun! If I can find a camp that I think I would’ve had fun doing as a kid, like Seussical, I can easily make camp fun for the kids there. Seussical was my fifth camp counseling gig that summer. Ella: I heard about the opportunity of helping out with Seussical by working with previous productions. I volunteered at the Middle School, helping with several productions, such as Into the Woods, Jr., and Hairspray, Jr. Additionally, I worked at the same camp when the kids did Aladdin, Jr. I was excited for an opportunity to continue my work with kids in theater. Working with the production was so fun because I could utilize my interest in music.
Did working for the production align with your passions or studies at the High School? Braxton: Working on the show helped me figure out that I wanted to do theater production in High School. While helping with Seussical, I met the head of the theater production, Mr. Allen, and he said that I would do well in theater tech. Ella: My training in music played a big role in this job. I have been in Rock Band, Chamber Singers, and Encore in High School. I also have taken AP Music Theory. When I first started teaching the kids music, I was a little hesitant in my abilities. However, training with teachers such as Jim Aveni at the High School made me feel prepared to tackle the challenge. Julia: Doing Seussical gave me more 28 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
compassion and patience for those I was working with in theater at the High School. When I see a new actor getting overwhelmed, I’m able to have more patience with them due to my experience. I try to make sure fourth graders can have fun at camp rather than worrying about getting everything perfect. Still, I know that it is unreasonably difficult to keep kids on task, which gives me so much compassion for our directors and teachers who are just trying to get us to do our jobs.
Was it good being back on the Red Gables Campus and working with those students and teachers? Owen: The show definitely gave me more insight as to what happens behind the scenes when I’m performing. It was good to be back to help kids foster their musical development in their formative years. The teachers and staff were helpful and treated the interns very well. Julia: I liked going back to Red Gables, especially because the kids I was working with were my brother’s age, so I got to connect with the kids he hangs out with at school. Working with Mrs. Wolter was especially interesting because I was a student of hers when I was younger. The games and songs that I saw as just fun when I was little, I now saw as expert classroom management tactics. Braxton: Being back at Red Gables felt awesome; working with the teachers brought back many memories of when I first met them and how we had bonded as student and teacher. I didn’t necessarily work with the kids, but when I did get to do things with them, it was always fun and joy-filled.
Do you have any fond memories of productions you were involved in at Red Gables? Ella: When I was in Middle School, my favorite production was Thoroughly
Modern Millie. The style of the show was new to me, so it was very challenging. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and, as a result, it caused great growth to my voice and my knowledge of music. Braxton: The fondest memory I have of a show I was involved in at Red Gables was Into the Woods, where I was the Big Bad Wolf because that was my best performance at Red Gables. Everyone loved my wolf howl, and I loved the songs I sang. It was also the last production I was ever in at Red Gables due to COVID, so it’s also special due to that reason. Julia: One fond memory I have of being in a Red Gables production was in seventh grade when I played Tracy in Hairspray. I wasn’t expecting to get the lead role, so it showed me for the first time that I could handle that much responsibility in a show. Plus, singing and dancing with my friends was delightful, and I met one of my current best friends in that show.
Do you plan to pursue arts/ theater/production in college or beyond? Braxton: In college, I do hope to be able to work in theater production and pursue some arts. Right now, I’m taking a photography class, and that is very fun. I’m learning all about cameras and how to take the best pictures, and I feel like that might be a good thing to hold onto for later in life. Owen: Yes, I am planning to pursue a career in music. Ella: I plan to major in music business in college with a minor in songwriting. I am also excited to be a part of ensembles. Julia: Even though I’m not planning to pursue theater professionally, the ability to speak in front of others and adapt quickly to change are tools that will serve me very well in the professional world.
ARTS
ENSWORTH
Ensworth Children’s Theater “Seussical, The Musical, Jr.” Summer 2021
2022 WINTER | 29
ATHLETICS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ATHLETICS FA L L H I G H L I G H T S
30 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
M I D D L E S C H O O L FA L L H I G H L I G H T S Grades 5–6 Football • Undefeated regular season and earned the #1 seed heading into the playoffs • Led by a veteran group of sixth graders Ethan Starling, Clyde Vaughan, Brooks Bearden, Johnny Corn, Emerson Keith, and Isaiah Hasselbeck. Gage Bullock, Thomas McGugin, Kendall Rucker, and Griffin Hooper are fifth graders who significantly contributed.
Boys’ Soccer • Varsity standouts: Rhys Dyer, Stefano Boschi Asbun, Eli Wilt, Captain Cameron Herring • JV standouts: Bishop Starling, Captain Foster James, and Captain Lee Atwood led their team to a winning season. • The Grade 6 Team made it to semi-finals of the Junior HVAC tournament
Grades 7–8 Football
Girls’ Soccer
• Led by eighth graders Blake Surratt, Bishop Starling, Caleb Ingram, Isaiah Batten, Nelson Butler, Akeem Batey, Justin Hopkins, Rico Edwards, Cameron Obee, Hobs Atwood, Lee Atwood, William Gerken, and Eli Wilt
• Season record of 6-2-2 • Eighth grader Charlotte Garza led the team in scoring with 16 goals and 3 assists • Seventh grader Elle Hutcheson led the team in helpers with 9 assists to go along with 3 goals of her own • Goalies Jordan Scott and Gabi Bullock each made 18 saves on the season while combining for 6 shutouts • Eighth graders Coco McGeehee and Lilly Sites led the way for the defense
Girls’ Cross Country • Runner-Up as a team in the AA HVAC Finals • Maggie Baker: HVAC Champion, All HVAC Honors • Emily McWilliams: All HVAC Honors • Top six runners: Maggie Baker, Zoey Rushing, Emily McWilliams, Julia Grace Linn, Hollis Jacobs, and Eleanor Denbo
Boys’ Cross Country • Runner-Up as a team in the A HVAC Finals • Top seven: Sebastian Eveland, David Choma, Mateo Scala, Tully Johnson, Charlie Sewell, Connor Krause, and Anders Damp • Sebastian Eveland: All HVAC Honors, Finished 4th individually in the HVAC Finals
Girls’ Tennis • Overall record of 7-2 state wide • Finished 2nd in the HVAC tournament • #1 singles player Avery Franklin won the HVAC tournament •#2 singles player MollyKate Orr finished 2nd in the HVAC tournament •#3 singles player Evelyn Barrett finished 3rd in the HVAC tournament •#1 doubles team of Elsa Staelin/Ella Blankenship finished 2nd in the HVAC Tournament •#2 doubles team of Caroline Sifford/Katherine Fones finished 2nd in their flight in the HVAC Tournament
Volleyball • Finished with a winning overall season record • Earned a spot in the upper HVAC Bracket • Led by eighth graders Cate Barfield, Gabi Bullock, Evie Denbo, Paige Fogaros, Charlotte Garza, Mary Nell Pettigrew, Jordan Scott, and Lilly Sites
Boys’ Tennis • MS Boys’ Varsity Tennis: 2nd in the HVAC Tournament (actually tied, but lost in tie-break criteria) • #1 Singles player Edward Coppeans won the HVAC tournament • #2 singles player Mason Brunson won his flight in the HVAC tournament • #3 singles Jack Tompkins, #1 doubles Jack Sites/Harrison Hampton, and #2 doubles Jet O’Rear/Grant Kinnett all finished runner-up in their flights in the HVAC tournament.
Wrestling • Eighth grade leaders were Akeem Batey (4th place HVAC 145 lbs), Thatcher Borden (2nd place HVAC 135 lbs), William Gerken, and Henry Tuberfield • Seventh graders were Drew Bass, Daniel McGugin, and Tanner Tapp (3rd place HVAC 180 lbs) • Sixth grade wrestlers were Thornton Deleot (2nd place HVAC 80 lbs) and Dash Priestley
2022 WINTER | 31
ATHLETICS
HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETICS FA L L H I G H L I G H T S
32 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
ATHLETICS
H I G H S C H O O L FA L L H I G H L I G H T S BOYS’ GOLF
BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY • Top Team Finishes at Invitational: 4th Place (Metro Nashville Championship); 4th Place (Dickson Invitational); 3rd Place (Saturday Light Fever Silver Race) • State Meet: 10th Place • Individual Medalists: Sam Horn (20th @ Dickson Invitational) Lucas Rehm (12th @ Metro Championship) Grant Rehm (14th @ Metro Championship)
FOOTBALL
• Finished the year 78-2 • Won regionals for the 3rd year in a row and finished 2nd at State with the 9th lowest score in TSSAA history. • Toby Wilt finished in 3rd place at State with an amazing -6 par. • The boys end the year ranked #3 in the nation.
GIRLS’ SOCCER • 45 Goals Scored • All Region: Breahn Fisher, Claire McGehee, GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY Genevieve Schaefer, Aliyah Batten, Addie • State Meet: Team finished 10th place (Selin Weitkamp, Elli Baker, Lizzie McWilliams, Gracie DeCoster Corn, Helen Thompson, Grace Thompson, Alara • Honorable Mention: Brenna Hanbury • All State: Breahn Fisher Weitkamp) • Metro City Championship: Varsity team finished 4th place. Individual medalists: Selin Weitkamp VOLLEYBALL finished 12th. The JV team finished 3rd place. • Finished 4th in the state tournament Individual medalists: Elli Baker finished 6th place. 7-1 in region play and second in the region tournament • Katie Barrier: All Region Team, All Tournament Team, MaxPreps Top 50 HS All-American Team GIRLS’ GOLF • Hannah Scott: All Region Team, All Tournament • Won Regionals and finished 3rd at State Team, Tennessean All Mid-State High School • Savannah Cherry led the way for the Tigers as Volleyball Second Team, TSWA All-State DII AA she finished t-3 at State. Volleyball Team
Nov. 10 Ceremony
• Ensworth Football Finished Season 7-4 • Share of the D2-AAA West Regional Champs • D2-AAA West All Region: Levi Moore, Tyrone Ford, Mason Curtis, Shamar Porter, Jacob Page, Mark Smith, Charles Ingram • D2-AAA West Honorable Mention: Phillip Gray III, Bralynn Morris, Martez Cooksey, and Roland McGhee • 615 Preps All Area 1st Team: Jacob Page • 615 Preps All Area 2nd Team: Phillip Gray III and Charles Ingram V • 615 Preps All Area 3rd Team: Levi Moore and Tyrone Ford • Tennessean All Mid-State 2nd Team: Phillip Gray III • Tennessean All Mid-State 3rd Team: Jacob Page • TNFCA D2-AAA All State: Levi Moore, Tyrone Ford, and Jacob Page • Red Zone All State D2-AAA 1st Team: Phillip Gray III • Red Zone All State D2-AAA 2nd Team: Jacob Page, Charles Ingram • Red Zone All State D2-AAA: Honorable Mention: Levi Moore, Ethan Utley, and Mason Curtis • TSWA Division II-AAA All-State Football Team: Jacob Page
Dec. 15 Ceremony
COLLEGIATE SIGNINGS
Congratulations to the following students who have signed letters of athletic intent at the collegiate level: Kamil Collier Lipscomb University Basketball
Phillip Gray III University of Richmond Football
Charles Ingram V Furman University Football
Jake Mason Arizona State University Swimming
Riley Collins Appalachian State U. Tennis
Hannah Guy University of Virginia Rowing
Anna Jackson Bryant University Swimming
Roland McGhee Jr. The University of Toledo Football
Malik Dia Vanderbilt University Basketball
Emily Harris Southern Methodist U. Swimming
Bo Maradik Georgetown University Golf
FACULTY
FA C U LT Y P R O F I L E S
Liz Atwood Reading Specialist
What inspired you to become a teacher?
Teaching is a second career for me. After having my own children, my love of reading and watching my children learn to read inspired me to learn more about a child’s literacy journey. I was also fortunate enough to share my first classroom with a teacher who was an expert in children’s literature. I learned so much about how to use children’s books to teach reading skills. I love my job! I get to combine two passions: working with children and reading!
What drew you to Ensworth?
My husband went to Ensworth, and I first heard about Red Gables before we had children. I remember being struck by his fondness for the school, the traditions, and all of his teachers. When we applied for our children, I felt the same way.
What is your favorite part of the day?
I absolutely love my time in first-grade classrooms. We are finishing up a play unit, and it’s so rewarding to see the first graders apply their reading skills in such a fun and expressive way.
What is one of your best Ensworth memories?
The holiday sing-along is my favorite day of the year. I love the energy and excitement surrounding the holiday shows, through the holiday dress, festive music, and the “all in” 34 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
attitudes of the faculty and students. Who knew Mr. Braemer had such an impressive selection of Christmas sweaters?!?!?
The theme of this edition of Ensights is Threads. What do you think are the threads that hold Ensworth together? I think the faculty’s ongoing mission to provide joy in learning is a common thread. The faculty’s collective effort to model lifelong learning is evident in my interactions with colleagues in the Lower School as well as within my children’s classroom experiences.
Share 3-5 facts about yourself that others might not know.
• Our family loves the West and we visit twice a year. • My husband taught me to fly fish when we were in college. • I grew up in New Orleans and love to cook cajun food; gumbo and jambalaya are my favorites. • My favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I have read it three times.
FACULTY
Maurice Hopkins
Middle School History Teacher; Service Learning Coordinator; Coach What inspired you to become a teacher?
I’d have to say, my mother. Although the field of education was by no means my first choice growing up, I saw the impact that she was able to make as a classroom teacher turned school principal. About two years after college graduation, I decided to give teaching a try, and I’ve been teaching ever since.
What drew you to Ensworth?
I grew up in Nashville and have been well aware of the distinguished history of Ensworth. Since 2004, I have been the Program Director for the non-profit, Time to Rise, Inc. We have had a phenomenal partnership with Ensworth for well over twenty years, and I’ve enjoyed working with and getting to know numerous students, faculty, and staff. Once I was notified (in 2012) that there was a position available, I immediately applied.
What is your favorite part of the day?
Advisory time. During this time of the day, you get to really connect with a small group of students and have meaningful conversations. We also get to simply enjoy each other’s company, tell jokes, and swap stories. For the past two years, because of Covid protocols, we’ve spent more time together with our advisees due to having lunch together each day. Though the increased time can sometimes feel a bit “too much,” it has truly been great. We’ve started a movie club, an emerging chess club, and some very valuable study groups.
sixth-grade team in a particular class. In football, we have a play called “BEACH,” which means to say nothing and do nothing, essentially to just sit still. Well, as I was attempting to get the class settled and quiet, the football team members helped me out and just said, “BEACH, BEACH, BEACH.” From that moment, I knew it would be a great year. The team was undefeated and won the league title in grand fashion, only to have several of the same young men win a title in basketball that year, as well.
The theme of this edition of Ensights is Threads. What do you think are the threads that hold Ensworth together? Community, Tradition, Student-Centered
Share 3-5 facts about yourself that others might not know.
• I was originally born and raised in west Tennessee. Humboldt, TN to be exact. • I never played high school athletics.
• The larger part of my formal education has all taken place in Nashville; 2nd–12th Grade (MNPS), Undergraduate (Fisk University), postgraduate (Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University).
What is one of your best Ensworth memories?
It is really hard to just give one, but I’ll try. In the fall of 2019, I walked into my sixth-grade classroom for the first day and noticed that I had a nice number of football players from the 2022 WINTER | 35
FACULTY
Tom Jackoboice High School History Teacher
What inspired you to become a teacher?
My mother taught French at the Montessori school that I attended. She had a playful approach to teaching that stuck with me. Later, when I was in college, I switched from a focus on physics and engineering to a concentration in history and education because I was inspired by professor Reginald Archambault, whose philosophy of education classes included questions like, “How is jazz music a metaphor for education?”
What drew you to Ensworth?
Thirteen years ago, my wife, LeAnn Jackoboice, who also teaches at Ensworth, encouraged me to go to an Ensworth High School Open House. I was impressed with David Chanaca’s sample lesson and saw how he and other community members put the school’s unique Vision Statement into practice. At that time, I was working at Hunters Lane High School as their International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Coordinator. I had wonderful colleagues and students there, and I knew that I would only apply to teach at Ensworth if it lived up to its reputation. It did.
What is your favorite part of the day?
I love early mornings, as long as there is coffee. And I am not opposed to making an apple fritter from Donut Den part of my “complete breakfast.” Doing so motivates me to go for a long run.
What is one of your best Ensworth memories?
I was pleased that we branded a celestial event as the “E-clipse.” Administrators hit pause on classes for that event and allowed everyone the time and space to observe something that was truly phenomenal.
The theme of this edition of Ensights is Threads. What do you think are the threads that hold Ensworth together?
At the High School, it’s the kindness and humor that I witness every day: interactions in my commons between students and Mr. Miller and Ms. Hubert, check-ins with Ms. Angela in the 36 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
lunch line, and encouragement and “rallying of the pep” from Ms. Pylkas keep the school humming along.
Share 3-5 facts about yourself that others might not know. • When I was in college, I saw a live performance of the entire Beatles White Album, and that was just the second of three sets of that concert. • A few years ago, I created an upper level elective called “Back to the Futurists” in which juniors or seniors study the backgrounds of and evaluate predictions made by people who were experts in a wide variety of fields. In the second half of the course, students complete a “Fifty Years From Now Project” in which they play the role of futurists. Students gain exposure to epistemology, research using the school’s subscription databases, and, whenever possible, conduct interviews with current experts. • I had a horrible first year of teaching (1998-1999) as an eighth grade math and history teacher and considered switching to a career as a journalist. My brief stints of student teaching had not prepared me for most of the challenges that I would face as a classroom teacher, and I had been overconfident in my abilities. I was very fortunate to get a second chance as an educator when John D’Auria, the principal of Wellesley Middle School, hired me as a sixth grade teacher. It was there that I started honing my skills as an educator. • Although I am a history teacher, I am TERRIBLE at remembering people’s names. Nothing makes my heart race faster than when I run into someone I have met three or four times and they aren’t wearing a name tag. If I ever call you the wrong name, please don’t take it personally. This flaw is one of many reasons why I will never run for political office. If I still haven’t learned all of my students’ names after the second week of classes, I bring them donuts (which may or not include apple fritters from the Donut Den).
FACULTY
FA C U LT Y B O O K S H E L F
What did the Ensworth faculty read this winter?
RICKY BOWERS
KEVIN BROWN
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs
By Anthony Doerr
Associate Head of School; Director of Athletics
By Philip G raham Ryken
From the publisher: “In the Song of Songs, we encounter a love story that is part of the greatest love story ever told. Philip Ryken walks through this biblical love poem verse by verse, reflecting on what the Bible says about God’s design for love, intimacy, and sexuality and offering insights into not only human relationships but also our relationship to God himself—learning more about the One who has loved us with an everlasting love.”
High School English Teacher Cloud Cuckoo Land
“Doerr’s previous novel All the Light We Cannot See followed two narrators whose lives intersected; in his latest novel, he raises the stakes, giving the reader five stories to follow, all of which do ultimately connect in some way. Through those individual stories and the way that they talk to each other, he asks readers to consider the power of story and its importance in our lives. He conveys the idea that story is not only part of what makes us human, but perhaps the core of our humanity, reminding us that stories propel us into acting for the good of others.”
HEATHER CAPONI Head of Lower School
The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in a World of Distraction By Meghan Cox G urdon
“Parents with children of all ages should not miss this valuable book, which explains how reading aloud turbocharges a child’s brain development, builds focusing skills and rich vocabulary acquisition, and primes the mind to become intellectually curious. Gurdon offers practical strategies for establishing a daily read-aloud culture in your home and shares stories of how the melding of books and voice enhances the emotional well-being of both children and adults. This is a must-read for families fighting the takeover of technology in their homes.”
THE PARENT ASSOCIATION Fiction with Friends Novel
The Rose Code
MEGAN FLORENTINE Kindergarten Teacher
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune
By Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell , Jr.
“We all know about the Carnegies, the Rockefellers, and the Vanderbilts, but has anyone ever heard of W.A. Clark? This legendary industrialist of the gilded age amassed one of the greatest American fortunes as well as a dazzling real estate portfolio befitting a tycoon of his stature, including a 121-room mansion in New York City. His youngest child lived into the early 2000s and was so reclusive, barely anyone knew she was still alive. She elected to live in a hospital for the last 20 years of her life, though in good health. Meanwhile, her mansions sat empty, several requiring more than $30,000 per month to keep running, though she had not visited them in more than 50 years. This fascinating book dives into the unique and mysterious life of Huguette Clark, who valued privacy over all the possessions her money could buy.”
By Kate Q uinn
From the publisher: The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
Visit the Ensworth Blog at ensworth.com/bookshelf for more faculty book recommendations.
2022 WINTER | 37
FACULTY
Celebrating David Braemer At this spring’s graduation ceremony, the Class of 2022 won’t be the only ones crossing the Ensworth stage for the last time. Head of School David Braemer will also be tossing his cap after a successful ten-year tenure at Ensworth.
D
avid Braemer, along with his wife Timiny and children Hailey ‘19, Dax ‘21, and Wynne ‘25, joined the Ensworth community in the summer of 2012, coming to Nashville from Dallas, TX, where David had served as the Head of Upper School for Greenhill School for nine years. He brought Ensworth a depth and breadth of experience in independent schools, having worked as a teacher, coach, and advisor at Culver Academies, Blair Academy, and Durham Academy before moving into administrative roles. When David began his first year as the seventh Head of School, Ensworth was still finding its identity as a K-12 school, having recently established the High School program. One of his first initiatives was to transition Ensworth from a structure of two perceptively different schools to a unified culture of “one school, two campuses.” David worked with leadership to align the administrative structure, enrollment management, and branding across both campuses. He also hired a Director of Curriculum and Instruction to establish curricular continuity across Grades K-12. In concert with these efforts, David partnered with administrators to bolster the nascent high school program, strengthening the academic profile through expanded offerings of honors and upper-level courses and enhanced technology integration. He oversaw the development of Ensworth’s four-year college counseling program, the first of its kind in Nashville. Additionally, at the Lower and Middle School levels, the implementation of new STEM initiatives and after-school enrichment programs provided students with supplemental opportunities for experiential learning. Since 2012, Ensworth has experienced an increase in enrollment from 1,058 to 1,189 in Grades K-12. David worked with the admissions team to ensure a focus on thoughtful 38 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
growth, building balanced classes and a diverse community that would enrich the experience for all Ensworth students. During this time, Ensworth increased the percentage of students of color by more than 30% and faculty of color by more than 40%. In 2018, David spearheaded the establishment of a school-wide statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to guide Ensworth’s DEI efforts and appointed the school’s first Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion. The expansion of Ensworth’s programs and community under David’s leadership contributed to a growth in facilities, as well. In the past ten years, Ensworth completed over $80 million of donor-supported capital projects across both campuses, including academic and athletic facilities. The opening of the natatorium, tennis center, and golf facility and the creation of the college counseling suite enhanced offerings at the Frist Campus. At the same time, the renovation of Robinson Hall and the construction of the new Lower School building at the Red Gables Campus provided new and improved spaces for Lower and Middle School students. Recently, David has led the school through one of its most challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He facilitated the planning and execution of strategies that enabled the school to implement remote learning when necessary and to safely and successfully transition back to daily, in-person instruction for all students throughout the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. Not only did the school persevere through these difficulties, but it also thrived, experiencing record enrollment and record annual fund support in the process. President-Elect of the Ensworth Parent Association Amanda Graff observes, “In the past ten years, Nashville has seen unprecedented growth. Our city has evolved, and I think David has kept Ensworth ahead of the curve. He’s navigated our community through probably one of the hardest times in
FACULTY history, and he’s done it with a steady hand and a full heart. I think generations to come will be the beneficiaries of the indelible mark that he’s left, not only on Ensworth, but on the city of Nashville.” Although the school has experienced tremendous growth in people, place, and program under David’s leadership, one of his most significant legacies might be the care and support he has demonstrated for Ensworth’s faculty, staff, and their families. Recognizing that faculty are the backbone of a truly outstanding school, David has championed efforts to attract and retain the best employees, enhancing the professional development program, advocating for competitive compensation, and expanding extended care programming for faculty families. Through these initiatives, he has worked to ensure that Ensworth provides its people with the resources and opportunities to help them succeed and grow, along with the love and support to promote their happiness and well-being.
“David Braemer expects us to enter the arena fully and bring as much as we can to the table, only because he expects that of himself,” shares Grade 2 teacher Hope Moeller. “He tells us all the time to put our families first and to take the time we need to take care of our families, and he reminds himself to do that. But I think what’s sort of unique about David is that he doesn’t really have an agenda. He’s there to give his best self to whatever the faculty, the parents, or the students need to move Ensworth forward and to be better.” To honor David Braemer, Ensworth is establishing The Braemer Family Endowed Fund, which will provide financial aid for faculty/staff families. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Bedell James at jamesb@ensworth.com.
5 Questions with David Braemer What do you think are the most significant accomplishments/areas of growth Ensworth has experienced over the past ten years?
I am proud of the fact that we function far more as a unified K-12 school today than when I first arrived. While there is still plenty of room for continued growth in this area, we have made great strides toward this goal. I am also pleased with the work we have done to allow students to pursue excellence in the context of a balanced experience. For example, an increase in the number of honors classes that we offer and a more personalized 4-year college counseling program have helped us serve our students even more effectively. Of course, there is also the growth and development of our physical spaces. Finishing construction of the Natatorium, building the Tennis Center, and significantly enhancing Founders Hall are just a few of the campus improvements at the High School. In addition, we have dramatically improved the infrastructure on the Red Gables Campus while completely reimagining the kitchen, servery, and dining hall and building a new Lower School building.
What is a memory from your time at Ensworth that stands out to you?
My best memories come from community events that pulled together the entire school. Whether it is the annual homecoming tailgate or the Pancake Breakfast, the spirit of Ensworth is particularly strong at these events.
On an even more personal level, it has been a privilege to share the Ensworth experience with my children. Seeing them engaged in school life and watching them grow through the years has been very special to me, and I am grateful for all that Ensworth has done for them. That is something that I will never forget.
What are key lessons you’ve learned through your Ensworth experience that you will carry with you into your new role?
That concepts like love and joy are not antithetical to the development of robust, successful programs and, in fact, are central to helping students use their talents to the fullest and be the best version of themselves.
What is your favorite Ensworth tradition, and why?
Probably Field Day. I love the school spirit, and I appreciate how it gives our students the opportunity to compete. At its best, Field Day teaches students how to win with dignity, lose with grace, and appreciate what it means to give your best effort in pursuit of a collective goal.
If you were to come back and visit Ensworth in ten years, what would you hope to see?
While I do not doubt that our programs and facilities will continue to evolve, I would hope to still see happy students who want to come to school each day because they are nurtured and challenged by faculty and staff who are truly invested in their development and well-being. That is classic Ensworth, and I hope that it never changes. 2022 WINTER | 39
FACULTY
Introducing Prentice Stabler Ensworth’s Eighth Head of School
Last fall, after an extensive search that drew over 170 candidates for consideration, Ensworth announced the appointment of Prentice Stabler as our eighth Head of School, beginning Summer 2022.
P
rentice’s career as an educator began at his alma mater McCa llie, where he worked under the leadership of Kirk Walker, a former Head of School at Ensworth. In his five years at McCallie, Prentice held a variety of roles, including History Teacher, Varsity Head Crew Coach, Boarding Advisor and Dorm Parent, and Assistant Director of Boarding Admission. He received the Pelham Grant for faculty professional development to study in Iceland and Norway, and he directed student trips in Bolivia, China, and Peru.
and Director of Advancement on a successful $26 million capital campaign and worked with school leadership and architects to design a new campus master plan. Prentice was also responsible for developing FRA’s hybrid learning system that allowed the school to facilitate both in-person and remote instruction over the past two years. A graduate of Princeton University, Prentice received his A.B. in History with a certificate in Teacher Preparation and was honored with the New Jersey Distinguished Student Teacher Award. Prentice received the K lingenstein L e a der s h ip Mer it S c hol a r s h ip t o continue his studies at the Teachers College of Columbia University, where he earned his M.A. in Private School Leadership. During his time at Columbia, he also served as a Klingenstein Graduate S t udent C on s u lt a nt w it h H a rlem Academy in New York. In 2020, Prentice earned his M.B.A. with Honors from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.
In 2013, Prentice was appointed the Head of Upper School at Franklin Road Academy. Under his leadership, the upper school ex per ienced enrollment growth of approximately 30% over a five-year period. He was a lso responsible for creating a nd implementing the FRA Faculty Fellows program to recruit and retain talented faculty members. Other new initiatives Prentice directed include the creation of an upper school academic advisory council, a comprehensive redesign of faculty assessment and observation, and the Will Morrow, President of Ensworth’s Board of Trustees, states, launch of a new grading scale and transcript to ensure student “During the search process, it became more and more clear achievements received appropriate recognition from colleges. He with each meeting and interview that Prentice was the leader also oversaw the design and construction of FRA’s Innovation we were looking for to take Ensworth forward. We quickly Lab, which benefits both FRA and Metro Nashville students reached a unanimous decision that he should be Ensworth’s through a Summer Innovation Institute. next Head of School. His strong educational background, broad set of capabilities, and variety of experiences will be critical to Prentice was named Associate Head of School at FRA in 2019, leading Ensworth as we head into the next decade. Prentice will overseeing the upper, middle, and lower school divisions, the be a great partner to our faculty, an exceptional leader for our office of diversity, community, and inclusion, and the office of families and community, and a true inspiration to our students.” spiritual life. In this role, he collaborated with the Head of School 40 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
FACULTY
“I am incredibly excited and honored to be chosen as Ensworth’s next Head of School. I was drawn to this opportunity both as an educator and as a parent, as I believe that Ensworth weaves together the threads that make a truly great school.” Prentice Stabler
“I am incredibly excited and honored to be chosen as Ensworth’s next Head of School,” shares Stabler. “I was drawn to this opportunity both as an educator and as a parent, as I believe that Ensworth weaves together the threads that make a truly great school. I am impressed by Ensworth’s pursuit of academic excellence through forward-facing pedagogy, its commitment to the education of the whole child, and its desire to prepare students for an outsized impact in both the city, the region, and throughout the country. I look forward to joining such an esteemed faculty and working with the Ensworth community to build upon the school’s foundation of excellence.” Ensworth is excited to welcome Prentice, along with his wife Rhymes and three children, Pace (7), Ramsay (5), and Bennett (2). Throughout this spring and summer, we will be offering opportunities for members of our community to meet Prentice and his family; more information will be shared through email in the coming months.
On September 30, 2021 Prentice Stabler was introduced to the Ensworth Faculty & Staff by President of the Board Will Morrow and current Head of School David Breamer
2022 WINTER | 41
FACULTY
FAC U LTY & S TAF F N E WS FACULTY BIRTHS Paolo Guazzini (Jessica) Louie Amedeo Guazzini October 2, 2021 Logan O’Connor (Kitty Ganier ‘97) Emerson Wiley O’Connor August 2, 2021
Baby O’Connor
Baby Guazzini
Gloria Maas
Olivia Fitts ’10 (Miller) Charlotte Morris Fitts January 8, 2022
FACULTY WEDDINGS Gloria Kemp Maas Facility & Risk Analyst Married Kyle Maas on Oct. 30, 2021
HS Field of the Year
Olivia & Baby Fitts
FACULTY RETIREMENTS Amy Rich Grade 2 Teacher 26 years at Ensworth
JC Johnson’s Not a Legend
IN MEMORY Shirley Jenkins Assistant to the Head of School At Ensworth from 1992-2012 Dec. 11, 1935–Sept. 2, 2021 Quentin Quigley Fleet Manager At Ensworth from 2007-2010 Aug. 29, 1950–Sept. 21, 2021 42 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Former Faculty Bill Arthur’s Art Show
Former Art Teacher Bill Arthur recently had his prints on display at the Vanderbilt Clinic at the 100 Oaks Mall and The Green Hills Library.
FACULTY
FAC U LTY & S TAF F N E WS
to the work she already does for RC as a Consulting Teacher/Presenter.
Ensworth’s Head of Lower School Heather Caponi was awarded the “Lifetime of Distinguished Service Award” Jenny Krzystowczyk and Trey House presented at the TAIS at Brookfield Academy. Mrs. Caponi Conference on November 8. In served at Brookfield for 25 years before their presentation “Innovating into coming to Ensworth. She arrived at Minecraft,” they discussed how they Brookfield Academy in 1996 and made brought Minecraft to middle schoolers a wonderful first impression on their during the pandemic and how they community, first as a teacher and later have continued to integrate it into the as an administrator. Brookfield Academy curriculum. calls her “the difference-maker.” Greg Chambers was selected by Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association as the 2020-2021 Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year.
Ensworth’s High School Latin Teacher and Capstone Director, Jennifer Ishee, tied for fourth place in the Nashville Chess Open in August.
Evie Coates just finished illustrating Mayor Cooper’s holiday card. She was commissioned by his wife, Laura, who saw her work on the puzzles Evie has also illustrated.
JC Johnson, Director of Photography & Digital Art at the Frist Campus, had two pieces of art chosen for exhibits at Belmont University and the Frist Art Museum: Among the Beyond, an alumni exhibition through February 25, 2022 in Leu Art Gallery at Belmont, and Nashville Art Teachers: Beyond the Classroom, March 4 through August 28, 2022 in Conte Community Arts Gallery at Frist Art Museum.
Evie Coates, Leslea Gaines, Heidi Wolter, and Caitlin Harris presented at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS) Conference. Their session titled, “Mosaic: From Cross-Curricular Collaboration to Cultural Celebration,” focused on tradition (music, art, and literature) as a way to develop cultural competence alongside language learning. In the session, they detailed Ensworth’s 3rd grade “Mosaic” professional development, learning goals, and evening program. Kindergarten Teaching Fellow, Caroline Corley, is currently working towards a Master of Education in Reading Education at Vanderbilt. She is in her second year and successfully completed and passed her final Capstone Project. The project required her to analyze and connect her learning to the seven International Reading Specialist Standards as well as to her Philosophy of Literacy Education. She will graduate in May 2022. Megan Florentine has been invited by Responsive Classroom (RC) to become a member of the team that evaluates applicants to their Responsive Classroom Educator program. She will help Responsive Classroom evaluate applications for this innovative, nationwide program. This is in addition
Whitney Johnson won the Petco Love Stories Contest. Her adoption story tied for 3rd place and won $25,000 for Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Read her and Dash’s story at petcolove.org/ love-story/dashduncan. Associate Head of High School, Doug Magee, was reappointed as a member of the HBCU Success Advisory Board. The advisory board for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Success provides recommendations and guidance to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in multiple areas, while also serving as ambassadors for HBCU Success. Edimary Morales, Lower School Spanish Teacher, presented at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) Convention November 19-21. She spoke on Comprehensible Input Activities that Get Students Up and Speaking. Angela Pursley (and Dan) became grandparents for the first time on October 14, 2021 with the birth of Manning Archer Pursley. In August, Ensworth’s High School
Director of Choral and Orchestral Music Elias Salazar accepted a position as the new Music Director & Conductor of the Belmont University Opera. He will continue in his roles at Ensworth and as Artistic Director & Conductor of the Trevecca Symphony. Coach DuJuan Sharp became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through National Strength and Conditioning Association. The NSCA is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world. This honor is considered the gold standard for strength and conditioning and sports performance training. Amy Skillicorn is giving a talk at the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) in March. The talk will be on her Special Topics Paper she completed in her Ph.D. coursework and focuses on Paul’s language in 1 Corinthians resurrection theology and how it is interpreted by Latin Christian theologians during the formation of Christian doctrine. She completed the Cornell Women in Leadership Certificate Program in December. Fitness Faculty Abner Smith completed the USA Weightlifting training course and received his Level 1 Coach certification. Dr. Teresa Todd, High School French and Spanish Teacher, presented at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association Conference. She taught about the visual content platform Genial. ly and how to use it to create interactive and interesting content for students. Her presentation displayed how teachers can create video presentations, interactive infographics, interactive presentations, fun games, and escape rooms to keep students engaged. The Tennessee Turfgrass Association awarded the Ensworth School Baseball Field this year’s High School Field of the Year Award. Kudos to Doug Wilson, Milton Valencia, John Clintsman, Aaron Regan, and Parker Bell, Grounds Crew at Ensworth, for their dedication and hard work on all the grounds at Ensworth. 2022 WINTER | 43
ALUMNI
Ensworth Alumni
C LAS S NOT E S ALUMNI BIRTHS Ronald and Caroline Hart Cubillo ’09 Gabriel “Gabe” Hart Cubillo on July 23, 2021
Miller and Olivia Carmichael Fitts ’10 Charlotte Morris Fitts on January 8, 2022
William and Emma Williams Decker ’10 William Shannon Decker V “Finn” on July 22, 2021
Jordan and Richard Bowers ’09 welcomed James “Barrett” Bowers on January 13, 2022
Elliott and Molly Nesbitt Warren ’08 Anne Hamilton Warren on July 26, 2021
ALUMNI WEDDINGS
Gray and Bentley Hammet Palmer ’08 Cecilia “Rainer” Palmer on July 27, 2021
Arun Gokhale ’09 married Hannah Bielski on November 28, 2020
Logan and Kitty Ganier O’Connor ’97 Emerson Wiley O’Connor on August 2, 2021
Audrey Nelson ’09 married Lawrence Smith on July 23, 2021
Aaron and Meghan Stallworth Schneider ’10 Elizabeth “Bee” Parker Schneider on August 6, 2021
John Roland Burch ’03 married Tracy Hodgson on May 29, 2021 Kelsey Thomas ’10 married Gunnar Kohl on August 7, 2021 Charlie Geny ’11 married Julie Clayton on August 14, 2021
Kyle and Maggie King Rynd ’09 Robert “Davis” Rynd on August 8, 2021
Charlie Cooke ’11 married Molly Henderson on September 4, 2021
Jennifer and Daley Hill ’10 Amelia James Hill on October 6, 2021
Watson Sweat ’09 married Kristen Katich on September 10, 2021
Mike and Nina Gokhale Squitieri ’10 Riya Parker Squitieri on October 6, 2021
Diana Wallace ’02 married Brandon Perdue on September 19, 2021
Grace and Matt Reed ’09 Thomas Michael Reed on October 28, 2021
Whitney Haley ’01 married Zach Kalb on September 25, 2021
Coleman and Katherine McDonald Breland ’09 Coleman “Raines” Breland on November 1, 2021
Caroline Deaton ’12 married Nick Sabourin on October 2, 2021
Christopher and Anna Russell Kelly Friedman ’97 William Kelly Friedman “Will” on November 2, 2021 Trey and Margaret McDonald Talley ’09 Patrick Albert Talley IV, “Ivey” on November 11, 2021 Wirth ’11 and Kat Braswell Campbell ’08 welcomed Chandler Keith Campbell on November 19, 2021 TJ and Morgan Whitson Dixon ’16 Tyler James Dixon on November 22, 2021
Lee Srebnick ’11 married Allison Gordon on September 4, 2021 Curtiss Telfer ’11 and Kylie Chase on September 18, 2021 Cosley Pulliam ’09 married Christopher Graham on September 19, 2021 Morgan Francy ’10 married Max Rockwell on October 2, 2021 Sarah Enoch ’11 married Austin Bolen on October 2, 2021 Faith Sanford ’08 married Rodrequez Watson on October 9, 2021 Chandler Hotchkiss ’09 married Jessica Paul on October 23, 2021 Callie Estes ’12 married Reed Cook on October 30, 2021 Avery Graham ’02 married Jim Browne on November 13, 2021 Cooper Powell ’13 married Dawson Ogletree on November 13, 2021 Molly Vaughn ’10 married Thomas Norwood on December 11, 2021
IN MEMORY
Leigh and Miles Karro ’11 Grace Yvonne Karro on December 13, 2021
William “Darr” Hall ’68
Ben and Millie Chapman Long ’08 Penelope Willow Long on January 3, 2022
Drew Alexander ’84
44 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
September 22, 1954-July 1, 2021 September 21, 1969-December 31, 2021
ALUMNI
Ensworth Alumni
C LAS S NOT E S Reuben “Robby” Bueno ’82 is serving as Associate Dean for Clinical Education, Professor of Surgery, and a founding faculty member for the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University. Rashed Fakhruddin ’83 co-chaired the American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink last year and had 60 men wear pink every day in October to raise awareness and funds to fight off breast cancer through research, education and survivors support. He collectively helped raise
Jeff Jackson ’85
around $150,000. Rashed has also put together an annual Fitness Crawl to Fight Breast Cancer by partnering with 17 different studios of varying workout styles. Jeff Jackson ’85 wrote the critically-acclaimed Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked their Lives to Defy the Nazis in 2020 which is now out in paperback by Algonquin Books. The book was longlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonFiction, named as an Honor Book for the Stonewall
Book Awards-Israel Picklesimer Home Inspections Fishman Non-Fiction Award LLC. He serves the entire by the American Library middle Tennessee area and, Association, accolated by in addition to residential Booklist as an Editor’s inspections, he offers radon Choice “Best of the Best” testing and termite/pest for biography and memoir, inspections. You can learn listed as one of the Best more about his company at Books of 2020 by The Art www.picklesimer Newspaper, included as homeinspections.com. one of the Best Biographies of 2020 by The Archive, and Elliot Pinsly ’97, Behavioral recognized as one of the Health Foundation President five Best Books on Art and & CEO, received the Culture in Occupied Paris prestigious national Mental by the Wall Street Journal. Health America 2021 George Goodman Brudney and Ruth Bryan Picklesimer ’95 P. Brudney Social Work Award, has started his own home which recognizes significant inspection company called contributions made to improve
Preston Johnson ’15 with his band, 87 Roots
Ann Hamilton Warren
William Kelly Friedman
Evan Petty ’21
Faith Sanford ’08
Watson Sweat ’09
Michael Dunn ’09
Caroline Hart Cubillo ’09 with Gabriel Hart Cubillo 2022 WINTER | 45
ALUMNI
Ensworth Alumni
C LAS S NOT E S the care and treatment of people with lived mental health experience by practicing professionals in the field of social work. In 2020, Elliot founded the Behavioral Health Foundation, a nonprofit policy center in Nashville dedicated to creating meaningful systems and policy changes that make it easier for people to access mental health and addiction care when and where they need it. Brittany Mitchell ’00 and mother, Rita Mitchell’s, art was featured at
Cheekwood’s inaugural African American cultural family celebration in August. Spoken Art was a oneof-a-kind memoir of art and poetry created by the dynamic mother-daughter duo. Through this book, Rita and Britt share the connectivity between life and art with 3 Spoken Art poems, 30 affirmations, and 20 years of art. This unique exhibit inspires the viewer to seek out the words, phrases, images, and art that affirm who you are as a person. Eliza Morgan Coode ’09 graduated with a Healthcare
MBA degree from Belmont University. Michael Dunn ’09 was selected to the USA mens national flag football team. This was the “World Cup” of flag football hosted by IFAF (International Federation of American Football) in Jerusalem, Israel as the first run of putting Flag Football into the 2028 Olympics. Michael’s USA team went 7-0 and won the tournament beating France, Chile, Spain, India, Germany, Panama, and Mexico in the finals where Michael had the game winning touchdown.
Michael remarks that the tournament was “without a doubt the most amazing football experience of my lifetime.” Birmingham hosts the IFAF’s 2022 World Games which includes flag football. Jonas Hill ’09 has started a new adventure travel company Blue Sky Trekking and Travel offering multiday hiking trips for adults, families, and couples in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring places. Jonas and his fiancee Mimi have been working in the adventure travel business
Molly Vaughn ‘10
Callie Estes ‘12
Brittany Mitchell ‘00 46 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Audrey Nelson ‘09
Ford Garrard ‘12 with his band, Boy Named Banjo
Cosley Pulliam ‘09
Elizabeth Parker Schneider
Grace Yvonne Karro
Amelia James Hill
ALUMNI
since graduating from Sewanee. “After a combined 13 years of guiding for Moondance Adventures,” he shares, “we are excited to start our own travel company! We have been planning for the past year and can not wait to host our first season of trips.” The summer 2022 trips include Mont Blanc in France, the Pyrenees mountain range on the border of France/ Spain, and the Picos de Europa in Spain.
Kelsey Bairnsfather Collie, CPA ’10 started a new position as Operations Finance Manager at Bojangles Restaurants, Inc. Alyssa Patel ’10 is getting her MBA at Vanderbilt University-Owen Graduate School of Management as a Forte Foundation Fellow. Kirby Wiley ’10 started a new position with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security as Deputy Director of Communications.
Laura Barrier Slaughter, CPA ’09 was promoted to Vice President of Finance at Emily Vaughan ‘09 Esther AnnMarie Glotta PhyNet Dermatology LLC.
Riya Parker Squitiari
William Shannon Decker IV
Ford Garrard ’12 is a vocalist and bassist member of a five-piece country band, Boy Named Banjo. He was a member of both the jazz and rock band during his time at Ensworth. Last year, his band signed their first major record deal with Mercury Records Nashville. They wrapped up their first headlining tour, The Where The Night Goes Tour in Nashville on December 23. Jack Alcott ’15 stars as Harrison Morgan in the Dexter revival, Dexter: New Blood. He joins the Dexter universe as Harrison
Morgan, the son Dexter abandoned in the 2013 series finale. In this series, Harrison is looking for his dad. The series is about their relationship. Click here for more information on the series Preston Johnson ’15 is a guitarist in the band, 87 Roots. All the band members are alumni of College of Charleston and formed their band out of the mutual love of music. Their most popular song, “ I Ain’t Your Man,” has accrued over 500,000 plays on Spotify.
Jenna Rolfe ‘17 joined UT’s women’s soccer team
Robert Davis Rynd
Sarah Enoch ‘11
Jonas Hill ‘09
Tyler James Dixon
Chandler Hotchkiss ‘09
Cecilia Rainer Palmer
Whitney Haley ‘01
Emerson Wiley O’Connor 2022 WINTER | 47
ALUMNI Lauren Lewis ’16 is a Yale School of Nursing Orientation Leader for the 2021-2022 school year. Coleman Goodwin ’16 graduated with his Master of Accountancy in August. He has completed all of the CPA exam and began working for Ernst & Young in September out of the Indianapolis, Indiana office. Andrew Halloran ’16 accepted a job with a company under Technicolor doing visual effects in Montreal, Canada. He’s currently working on several movies with the specialty of Lighting and Rendering film.
Brock Ochsenreiter ’16, a 2-time golf state champion while at Ensworth, finished his collegiate golf career at Indiana University with the 5th lowest scoring average in school history. Brock graduated in May and now works full-time in a cybersecurity role in Orlando. Hannah Smalley ’17 graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in May 2021 and was the recipient of the Spanish Department’s award for best overall academic excellence by a graduating senior. She majored in Spanish with minors in Latin American Studies and Computer Science. She is currently
working in Nashville at Worker’s Dignity (Dignidad Obrera) as a language justice fellow and community organizer. Jake Finlay ’19 is studying Pre Med at Belmont University. Jake was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in August having volunteered over 160 hours in hospitals in Louisville and Nashville. This summer, Jake is planning to spend several weeks volunteering at Cambodia’s Chenia Children’s Hospital which provides free service to the children of poor Cambodian families.
Evan Petty ’21 was one of fewer than 100 USA Swimming high school student athletes in the country to achieve all 4 high school years on USA Swimming’s Scholastic AllAmerican list of athletes. To achieve this honor, a high school student must not only swim a Junior National qualifying time but also maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA for the academic year. Evan is currently swimming for the University of California, Berkeley where he is studying engineering.
S E N D U S YOU R N E WS ! Keep in touch with your classmates and let them keep up with you. Send your latest news, moves and photos to alumni @ ensworth.com.
Thomas Michael Reed
Charlie Cooke ‘11 48 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
Lee Srebnick ‘11
Kelsey Thomas ‘10
Charlie Geny ‘11
Charlotte Morris Fitts
Coleman Raines Breland
Chandler Keith Campbell
Cooper Powell ‘13
John Roland Burch ‘03
Penelope Willow Long
ALUMNI
Ensworth
ALU M N I PROF I LE S Three Ensworth Alumni share their experiences of working for non-profits
Elizabeth Parrish ’15
Washington Nationals Philanthropies Give us an over view of your journey since Ensworth. After leaving Ensworth, I went to Sewa nee where I studied Psychology, Education, and Business. While at Sewanee, I continued to participate in community service both in Nashville and also in the local Sewanee area. After leaving Sewanee, I joined the Washington Nationals in their front office, truly learning what it means to be mission-driven for the community with the work being done by Nationals Philanthropies. Tell us about your current role and what it entails. I am currently on the Marketing team for Washington Nationals Philanthropies. Our department oversees all the philanthropic efforts of the team throughout the DC region. I work with all special events, communications, development, donor relations, and marketing for our department. Our
roles as the team foundation staff were especially busy and important during the pandemic as the team worked to help the community in every way it could. It’s been a great experience to be involved in so many areas of an MLB front office and to see how some of the team players become passionate voices for philanthropic work. I would be remiss if I did not mention winning the World Series in 2019 was just incredible. How did your Ensworth experience help inspire or cultivate an interest in service/non-profits? I was a part of the “13 Year Club” at Ensworth so service work was always important, whether it was second grade and Ms. Rich’s class was collecting travel size toothpaste and lotion to donate to Children’s Hospital families, or bigger service days later on where we went in orange busses all over town doing projects on Service Learning Days. I was the president of the Service Club at the High School my senior year and that taught me how to not only give back to others but how to lead and inspire others while doing it. I have always felt so much love from some of the Ensworth faculty members I’ve stayed in contact with, particularly Coach Jason Maxwell and Dr. Reynolds. I definitely think Ensworth’s commitment to service helped shape my professional direction thus far.
2022 WINTER | 49
ALUMNI
A LU M N I PROF I L ES Three Ensworth Alumni share their experiences of working for non-profits
Rashed Fakhruddin ’83
Real Men Wear Pink
Give us an overview of your journey since Ensworth. Upon graduating from Ensworth, during the summer of 1983, I decided to choose electrical engineering as my career (thanks to Mr. Kautzman). I had gone from a C+/B average Math student to suddenly a straight-A student in Math. My elder cousin told me if I was good in Math, I should consider electrical engineering because it had been a great field the previous 30 years and would remain that way for the next 30 years. I attended Vanderbilt University for undergrad and Georgia Tech for graduate studies, where I was a teaching assistant and also co-oped at IBM. In 1995, NES called me to see if I was interested in a job opening that fit my specialization in power. I ended up making my way back to Nashville, and that was THE BEST decision of my life! Through NES, I have been serving as a business partner with the Nashville Chamber’s Academies of Nashville Engineering Partnership Council since 2009. Our council helped launch the annual Career Exploration Fair for all the Freshmen in Metro Nashville Public Schools. I also have the opportunity to speak to the majority of freshmen in our district on professional and life skills, preparing students for success in high school, college, the workplace, and life. I gave the same presentation to the freshmen at Ensworth several years ago and hope to again. I got married shortly after moving back to Nashville and now have three kids: Maryam, a trauma therapist, Yusuf, a senior at Belmont, and Imran, a junior at Valor Collegiate. I decided to get more involved with the community and started off with my mosque, the Islamic Center of Nashville. Over the last 25 years, my major role has been focused on the area of community partnerships. I have been working towards 50 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
building bridges with the community and educating people about Islam and Muslims, helping break down the stereotypes and misconceptions that exist regarding our faith. Ensworth’s 7th graders have engaged with and visited our center every year since the early 2000s. In 2000, I was invited to serve on Nashville Public Television’s Community Advisory Board. Around the same time, I got involved with PENCIL (which links community resources with schools) by becoming a reading partner at an underserved school which was adopted by NES. From that time, my community involvement took a huge turn. I have been serving on the board of You Have The Power since 2014. Founded by Andrea Conte, the former first lady to Governor/Mayor Phil Bredeson, its mission is to empower those victimized by crime (e.g. via domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, etc.) through education, advocacy, and understanding. I have also been serving on the board of the YWCA whose mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. I am an ambassador of the YWCA’s AMEND Together initiative which is a primary prevention initiative dedicated to ending violence toward women and girls by engaging men and boys to help change the culture that supports it. I am currently an honorary co-chair of PENCIL’s endowment initiative while I co-chaired their annual Back to School Breakfast in 2020. Tell us about your current role and what it entails. I was invited to serve as a Real Men Wear Pink candidate by the American Cancer Society’s Tennessee chapter in 2019. I took on this task because my elder cousin, whom I deem as an older sister/mentor, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I saw her personally have to fight via chemo and radiation and felt like I needed to get engaged for her. Three years into this campaign, my cousin’s fight and all the other survivors keep my passion kindled to continue engaging in Real Men Wear Pink. The fact that over a quarter-million women detect breast cancer in the US every year and over 40,000 die from it is a reminder of the early stages of COVID, when we would hear such similar daunting
ALUMNI
Margaret Johnson ’18 Nashville Dolphins
statistics and freak out. But this happens to women every day, every year, and needs the same sense of urgency as was present during COVID! Last year, I was asked to co-chair Real Men Wear Pink with NFL Hall of Fame candidate and Titans all-time leading receiver in yards Derrick Mason, who is also a parent of Ensworth alumni. I helped reach out to many friends to bring in more candidates. Police Chief John Drake, NBA great and Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball head coach Jerry Stackhouse and even former Ensworth football coach Ben Zoeller were among the 60 plus candidates. Together, the Nashville campaign raised over $175,000 through 48 candidates, finishing 13th out of 130 ACS chapters. In 2020, as part of my Real Men Wear Pink campaign, I put together a Fitness Crawl to Fight Breast Cancer, and during the 2nd year of the crawl, we engaged 17 fitness studios with 34 pink events. The intent was not only to help bring awareness and funds towards the fight against breast cancer, but also to get people to stay physically and emotionally healthy via exercise and, at the same time, help support the fitness studios which had challenges as small businesses due to COVID. The crawl created an opportunity to try out different types of workouts and possibly discover a workout that suits one’s interests to stay healthy, as a healthy lifestyle is a big part of cancer prevention. Barre3 Brentwood, co-owned by Ensworth alumni Francie Fisher, was among the studios that participated. I have always had a passion for fitness and sports. In 7th grade, I broke the Physical Fitness record at Ensworth (to only have it broken by Mr. Inman’s son Matt the following year). How did your Ensworth experience help inspire or cultivate an interest in service/ non-profits? What has helped me in my journey to engage with the community are some of the foundations that I can attribute to my time at Ensworth. Ensworth was like a mini-college with lots of pressure when I first arrived in fifth grade. My four rigorous years, balancing academics and sports (I played football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and track), really set the stage for being able to balance an incredibly busy lifestyle including family life and my profession and non-profit/service work. I have also been able to stay in touch with many friends from Ensworth who are engaged in the community, as well. It all feeds off each other.
Give us an overview of your journey since Ensworth. Upon graduating from Ensworth, I went on to sw im for R hodes College. There I became involved with Rhodes’ Little Lynx Running Club, a program founded as a local chapter for Step Ahead that creates new relationships between Rhodes College studentathletes and children with an autism spectrum disorder. When COVID-19 caused classes to be moved remote, I chose to take a leave of absence from my studies at Rhodes College and began an internship with the Nashville Dolphins. The Nashville Dolphins is a nonprofit organization that provides adaptive aquatic lessons ranging from water safety and survival through competitive swim team programming for participants at no cost. I will be returning to Rhodes College for the Spring 2022 semester to finish my B.A. in Business and my M.S. in Accounting. Tell us about your current role and what it entails. I have had the incredible opportunity to intern with the Nashville Dolphins over the past year. Working mainly with the Executive Director and the Director of Office Administrations, I help complete the everyday tasks required to run the organization. I assist with managing the database, running reports, compiling and organizing information, and communicating with donors, board members, vendors, and participants. I have been able to develop a keen understanding of the aspects necessary to run a small nonprofit organization. How did your Ensworth experience help inspire or cultivate an interest in service/non-profits? Between thoughtfully organized service-learning days and the opportunity to become a service scholar, Ensworth works to instill a love and understanding of service work and nonprofits. In 8th grade, I became a volunteer coach for the Nashville Dolphins and was able to increase my involvement throughout my years at Ensworth High School and beyond. I have traveled with the Nashville Dolphins to Raleigh, NC to coach at the Special Olympics swim meet, gotten certified as an adaptive swim instructor, and have been able to work behind the scenes in the office to help make it all work. Ensworth generously donates their pool space, which made it doable for me to volunteer in high school after my own swim practice at the Ensworth Natatorium. This in-kind donation also plays an important role in making it possible for these programs to exist. Currently, all of the swim team practices are held at the Ensworth Natatorium as well as several learn-to-swim classes. Many students, alumni, and parents represent Ensworth both on the pool deck as volunteers and on the Associate and Executive Boards. My love for nonprofits was cultivated throughout my time at Ensworth and continues to thrive as I further my studies in college. I hope to one day hold a leadership role in a Nashville nonprofit. 2022 WINTER | 51
COMMUNITY
The 16th Annual Robert Inman Tiger Classic was held Monday, September 13, at The Golf Club of Tennessee. Since 2006, the tournament has raised close to $300,000 for the endowment fund, which provides financial aid for eligible students. The Robert Inman Endowed Financial Aid Fund was established by the Ensworth Alumni Board in honor of Robert Inman, a beloved teacher and coach at Ensworth for 33 years. Mr. Inman coached four athletic seasons for over 30 years and served as a mentor and inspiration to his students, encouraging them to develop their talents and discover their individual strengths.
Congratulations to the Winners! 1 ST FL I G H T, 1 ST P L AC E TE A M
Greg Lanford Brian O'Shaughnessy Cam Simmons Kyle Simmons
1st Place Team
52 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
CLO S E S T TO THE P IN
LO NG E ST D RIV E
P UTTING C O NTES T
Hole #4, Phil Krebs Hole #10, Travis Hollett
Cam Simmons
Men,
Gar Bo Wong
Women,
Mary Alden Brett
COMMUNITY 2021–2022 PARENT ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS
BUILD OUR COMMUNITY
|
EDUCATE OUR PARENTS
|
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL
THE ENSWORTH PARENT CONNECTION One of the most special things about being an Ensworth parent is being part of a wonderfully diverse and involved community. This fall, we set out to find new and different ways to bring our community together. So, in addition to our 13 parent gatherings, four book club get-togethers, and Parent Education events, the Parent Association:
• Hosted the Tiger Trek family gathering at Red Gables • Joined forces with our fabulous football parents to hold festive tailgates before High School home games in our new Tiger Town Tailgate Zone
• Held multiple breakfasts, happy hours, and an exclusive zoo experience, for our newest families
But here’s the best part: Your response was overwhelming! You came out in HUGE numbers with record attendance at our parent gatherings and more than 1,200 in attendance at Tiger Trek! You showed up and showed us that our parent community is yearning to feel that sense of togetherness that makes our school so vibrant. So, guess what? We have an equally fantastic Spring semester planned with more opportunities to gather, including:
• Four casual and fun multi-grade level gatherings • A Parent Education event with nationally-renowned author and speaker, Jessica Lahey, to discuss her new book The Addiction Inoculation
• Tiger Night (the BIGGEST and best party of the year!) was held on February 12 at
Marathon Music Works. K–12 parents had dinner, danced to live music, bid on amazing auction items, and waited with anticipation for the winner of the Roaring Raffle halftuition drawing! Stay tuned for pictures of the event in the next issue of Ensights.
Co-Presidents Elizabeth Gerken & Barbara Smith President-Elect Amanda Graff Immediate Past President (Acting) Katie Porterfield Secretary Sara Perry Treasurer Teresa Broyles-Alpin Treasurer-Elect Jason Bates Parent Education Chair Shanna Belott Parent Education Chair-Elect Julie Dretler Communications Chair Nancy Keen Palmer Communications Chair-Elect Katie Robinson Fundraising Chair Ruth Coppeans Fundraising Chair-Elect Kathy Dorr Lower School Rep Corinne Kidd Lower School Rep-Elect Amanda Tolbert Middle School Rep Stephanie Bailey Middle School Rep-Elect Jessica Amden High School Rep Jennifer Borden High School Rep-Elect Alagra Morris
• Small-group book clubs - Fiction with Friends for wine and lively discussion, and
Arts Council Chair Larissa Polkowski
• More New Parent Welcome events, including coffees and happy hours, and a unique golf
Arts Council Chair-Elect Kate Scott
• Super Saturday! The year ends with a bang on May 7 with our beloved community carnival,
New Parent Welcome Chair LS/MS Roochita Mathur
Parenting with Purpose for lunch and the latest tips from parenting experts happy hour experience
including the Tiger Trot, inflatables, grilled burgers, carnival games, prizes, and more!
Thanks to you, your feedback, and your incredible engagement, we are more committed than ever to providing fun and creative ways to come together and celebrate our extraordinary Ensworth community. So, let’s keep up the momentum, and we’ll see you this Spring! Sincerely, Elizabeth Gerken and Barbara Smith, Co-Presidents
New Parent Welcome Chairs HS Roseann Rogers & Aashish Shah Auction Liaisons Rebecca Shah & Stacey Vallejo Volunteer Coordinator Chair Shannon McIntosh Volunteer Coordinator Chair-Elect Susan Weathersby At-Large Reps (5) Lori Glenn, Jasmin Hopkins, Trish Mixon, Sam Patel, Chris Schickling 2022 WINTER | 53
COMMUNITY
BUILD OUR COMMUNITY
|
EDUCATE OUR PARENTS
|
SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL
Fall Parent Association Sponsored Events
re ci a ti on Fa cu lt y/ S ta ff A pp
nch P A K ic k o ff B ru nch P A K ic k o ff B ru
Fa ll Pa re nt G at he ri ng s
Fac ulty /S taf f App rec iati on
(ta ke ho me din ne rs )
Fa ll Pa re nt G at he ri ng s 54 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
COMMUNITY
Event o o Z t n e r New Pa
Grades 9-10
New W e lc o m e PBa r e n t reakfast
Homecom ing Dinner
Gr
H o m e c oamd eins 9 - 1 0 g D in n e r
C o m m it t e e s ie it iv t c S e n io r A
S e n io r A c t iv it ie s C o m m it tee
Tiger Town Tailgate Tiger Trek Tiger Trek 2022 WINTER | 55
Newly Named Spaces on the Frist Campus The Patricia Champion Frist Lobby The lobby in Founders Hall has been named in honor and memory of
Patricia C. Frist, who was instrumental in the establishment and
growth of the High School.
The plaque reads, “This lobby is named for Patricia Champion Frist, who was affectionately known as “Pom Pom” to the many who loved her. Her dream was that all students would feel welcomed on this campus and all faculty and staff would feel supported in their efforts to provide a nurturing and inspiring environment.”
Bottorff Terrace The natatorium terrace, a favorite location for football spectators and swim school families, is now the Bottorff Terrace, named by the Botttorff family.
Turner Quad The quad, which is the location of many community events at the High School such as the homecoming tailgate and graduation, is now Turner Quad , named by Christi and Jay Turner.
We are excited to share the newly named spaces in the recently completed Lower School building, which will be highlighted in this summer’s edition of Ensights. If you would like more information on naming opportunities at Ensworth, please contact Bedell James, Director of Institutional Advancement at jamesb@ensworth.com. 56 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
T H E E N S W O R T H F U N D…
…allows Ensworth to promote academic excellence by providing the best resources to create a challenging and nurturing educational environment.
…enables Ensworth to inspire intellectual curiosity by offering professional development for faculty, who share their enthusiasm for learning with their students.
…ensures that students are able to use their talents to the fullest because they have the proper equipment and passionate coaches and directors who help them perform their best.
...empowers our students to be contributors to society because they are armed with the knowledge and compassion that our programs cultivate.
G i v e o n l i n e a t e n s w o r t h .c o m /g i v e
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Nashville, TN Permit No. 2630
Ensworth School 211 ENSWORTH PLACE NASHVILLE, TN 37205-1997
Summer courses, programs, and leagues for students of all ages!
www.ensworth.com/summer
2022
