Ensights Summer 2015

ENSWORTH SCHOOL ENSIGHTS

ENSIGHTS I N T O E N S WO RT H

SUMMER 2015

EVALUATION & IMPROVEMENT

Expansion of STEM Program SUMMER 2015

College Counseling Enhancements Ring of Fire High School Debut

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-2016 President Philip D. Krebs Vice President Julie Frist Secretary Trisha F. Elcan Treasurer Phil Hertik Counsel John Jacobson Edie McBride Bass* Kathryn C. Brown Jeffrey Buntin, Jr..

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.

Laura F. Chadwick Amy Christiansen Sandy Cochran Bruce Crosby Jonathan N. Dyke Alec Estes Amanda Farnsworth Persephone Felder-Fentress Trish C. Frist* Kerry Graham Alice I. Hooker* H. Hill McAlister A. Bruce Moore, Jr. Anne W. Nesbitt Neal Patel, M.D. Margaret Ann Robinson* Reed E. Trickett Christi Turner Toby S. (T.J.) Wilt Head of School David Braemer, ex officio President Ensworth Parent Association Shannon McGuffin, ex officio President-Elect Ensworth Parent Association Candy Bass, ex officio President Ensworth Alumni Council Maury Ward Woolwine, ex officio *Indicates Permanent Trustee

Administrative Team David Braemer Head of School Dr. Sarah Buchanan Assoc. Head and Director of Enrollment Management David Morgan Assoc. Head and Head of High School Ricky Bowers Assoc. Head and Director of Athletics Bruce Libonn Head of Lower School Chan Gammill Head of Middle School Darrell Wells Director of Finance and Operations Jenny Hannon Director of Institutional Advancement Bobby Mirzaie Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jason Hiett Director of Technology

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Contents ACADEMICS

ARTS

COMMUNITY

ATHLETICS

3 21st Century Education

34 Artist in Residence

10 Graduation

44 High School Athletics

7 SAIS Commendations & Recommendations

36 Ring of Fire

53 Closing Exercises

48 Middle School Athletics

39 The Fantasticks

54 Lower/Middle School Events

50 Tennis Program

56 High School Events

FACULTY

8 Professional Development 16 Capstone Scholars

40 The Adventures of Peter Rabbit & Friends

20 College Counseling

41 Visual Art Awards

26 For the Record

58 Parent Association

63 Faculty Book Shelf

74 Retirement Celebration

62 Faculty Focus 66 Faculty News

32 STEM Program

67 Book Awards

78 Summer Grants

ALUMNI 9 Alumni Survey 68 Class Notes 72 Alumni Focus 73 Career Advisory Network

Above Tyra Gittens wins 5 Track & Field State titles in 2015

Cascades Rolland 100 Enviro Satin 60# Text, 100# Text

Above Ensworth performs the high school debut of Ring of Fire

Copyrighted 2015 by Ensworth School. Ensworth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or ethnic/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. EDITORIAL STAFF Mary Byrne Dailey, Jasmine Davis, Jenny Hannon, Alli Hicks, Leigh Ivey, Cindy Rose, Anne Stringham, Sally Taylor, Tiffany Townsend, Lynn Vincent CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Braemer, Sarah Buchanan, Keith Crowe, Mary Byrne Dailey, Jasmine Davis, Alli Hicks, , Leigh Ivey, Anne Stringham, Tiffany Townsend PHOTOGRAPHY Mary Byrne Dailey, Jasmine Davis, Tim Jones, Allen Ralph Photography, Adrienne Parker, John Picklesimer, Mike Strasinger, Tori Thomas

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Evaluation & Improvement At its heart, education is about growth, development, and improvement. Through the exploration of new topics, the honing of skills, and the exposure to different perspectives, the educational process is at its best when it actively fosters the evolution of each student. Given the dynamic nature of this process, it is ironic that, as institutions, schools are often bound by deep-rooted traditions and cultural norms that inhibit effective change.

As a veteran colleague once told me early in my career as a history teacher, “It is easier to change history than it is a history curriculum.� In the case of that school at that time, he was correct.

Fortunately, the willingness to be reflective and to seek avenues for thoughtful, intentional improvement is a defining characteristic of Ensworth.

A critical component in the quest for improvement is the role of effective feedback . T h rou g h ou r recent ly completed reaccreditation process with the Southern Association of Independent Schools, we benefitted from a team of experienced school leaders spending time at Ensworth and ultimately providing us with commendations for what we are doing well as a school and, just as importantly, recommendations regarding opportunities for continued growth. At the same time that the reaccreditation process was wrapping up, we embarked on a project that will involve the longitudinal surveying of our high school graduates and their parents over the next few years, allowing us to more effectively assess the benefits of an Ensworth experience. The feedback we continue to receive through these and other avenues serve as a catalyst to our further development as a school, as there is a clear commitment to not simply collecting this type of information but to using it in our decision-making as a school.

In addition to gathering and utilizing feedback, we continue to look outward, seeking out the best ideas and innovations that are taking root at our peer schools nationally. This approach has led to the reorganization of our college counseling program into a more comprehensive four-year continuum. In doing so, we are taking a model that has proven successful for a number of schools and adapting it to the unique nature of our high school program. We have also become actively engaged as a member of the INDEX Group, a collaborative of K-12 day schools from across the country that share data and other information in order to provide insight into current performance, emerging trends, and best practices. Through the INDEX Group, we are integrally involved in the larger conversation regarding independent school education, providing great benefit to us as we look to the future.

One of the traits of Ensworth that I value the most is our ability to balance tradition with innovation. There are touch points in the Ensworth experience that are critical to who we are as a school, providing a connective tissue that runs through the Ensworth experience from kindergarten through twelfth grade and from generation to generation. Be it Tiger Bags, Orange and Black Captains, or having students as the featured speakers at graduation, these traditions are important.

We are fortunate, however, that tradition at Ensworth does not inhibit the growth and development of our school.

In this way, the culture of continual improvement that exists at Ensworth might be our most important tradition.

David Braemer HEAD OF SCHOOL 2 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Education IN THE

21STCENTURY

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Educating students in the 21st century. It’s what most schools say they are doing and what parents look for in evaluating the many choices available to their families. In mid-2015 we are well into the 21st century, so what does “21st century education” really mean? And what should it mean?

T

he Mission Statement that guides Ensworth’s educational program calls for the school to “promote academic excellence, inspire students to be intellectually curious, to use their talents to the fullest, to be people of integrity and to be contributors to society.” The fundamental mission does not change; how that mission is translated into programs, course curricula, and individual opportunities for students has changed over the years and must continue to evolve to meet the needs of students who will live and work in the decades ahead. A recent publication of the National Association of Independent Schools includes an observation by Christopher Dede of the Harvard Graduate School of Education:

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“You can’t just sprinkle 21st century skills on the 20th century doughnut. It requires a fundamental re-conception of what we’re doing.”

Head of School David Braemer comments that “21st Century education,” like many other education-related terms, can easily become a buzzword in educational literature with many different thoughts, techniques, and approaches associated with the idea. Rather than getting overly excited about the “program of the week,” David indicates that what seems to be most meaningful is the principle that students do best when they are well prepared in basic core skills: communication, collaboration, observation and

analysis, critical thinking and problem solving along with the ability to relate well to others. These core skills are the foundation of the Ensworth experience and precisely the skills that the designers of the High School program sought to inculcate into every facet of the school’s curriculum.

In an article titled The Innovation Imperative, past NAIS President Pat Bassett said “Judging by the schools that are engaging in…innovative practices, we have already started the migration away from the 1,600 years of organizing education around subjects toward organizing teaching and learning around skills and values – especially around the six essential competencies (6 C’s) that graduates need – critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and cosmopolitanism/cross-cultural competency…In our new vision of school, we’ll still teach traditional subjects, but not as ends in and of themselves (to pass a test and then be forgotten), not ‘just in case’ there is a remote chance a student would ever need this fact or formula sometime in his or her life. Instead, we’ll manifest the promise from both

the earliest days of civilization and the recent days of 1:1 laptop programs and access to the Internet: teaching ideas and skills in the service of doing something meaningful.”

While predictions are not certainty, it appears reasonable to take notice, at least, of research that indicates that Nashville in the coming decades will experience dramatic changes in population growth, diversity, demands for improved techEnsworth’s Board of Trustees created nology, transit, and the creation of new a Vision Committee two years ago to jobs. The Vision Committee recently help ensure that strategic thinking is shared with the Board a government integrated into the ongoing discussions, projection that, based on current growth, planning, and regular activities of the Nashville could be home to a population Board. While the development and comparable to Denver’s by 2015: over implementation of specific curricula 2.5 million. Dyke cites U.S. Census data and programs is the role of the school’s indicating that the increasing popufaculty, the Board embraces the respon- lation will bring a marked increase in sibility to keep an eye to the future in diversity in ethnicity, race and age. And order to help assure the availability of while the local and regional community resources, appropriate facilities, and is predicted to enjoy continued growth a stable environment that facilitates in job creation, these new jobs are shown innovation, creativity, and excellent to require progressively higher levels of teaching and learning. Led by Trustee education and skills as we move further Jonathan Dyke, the Vision Committee into the 21st century. promotes research and discussion of topics such as predictions of growth and From staying abreast of predictions for change in local, regional and national change in the local and national envienvironments – in particular, asking the ronment at the Board level to creating questions “What will the Nashville of a climate that encourages innovations 2035 and beyond look like?” and “what in the classroom, Ensworth is actively does that mean for Ensworth?” engaged in evaluating and improving current programs to prepare for the 2015 SUMMER | 5

future. The recent SAIS accreditation process, based primarily on an intensive self-study by our faculty, sets forth both strengths that are building-blocks for enhanced student outcomes and recommendations for improving our programs.

(Learn more in this issue of Ensights on page 7.)

Last year Ensworth welcomed Bobby Mirzaie to the faculty as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, with the charge to improve continuity of curriculum from grade to grade and to assure that the teaching and learning that happens at Ensworth is fulfilling the promise of preparing our students to live and work, confident in their abilities in the core skills. To that end he has sat in on countless classes, observed teachers, talked with students and teachers, observed specific projects in other schools, and designed the winter faculty inservice to maximize opportunities for Ensworth teachers to collaborate and share ideas and approaches with each other. (Read more about this professional development initiative, as well, in this issue on page 8.)

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Other initiatives to help the school A growing awareness of the importance evaluate and improve include a longi- of social and emotional intelligence is tudinal survey begun this spring of also seen in the school’s efforts to prepare Ensworth’s high school graduates and our students for their futures. Through their parents, seeking information about Service Learning, life skills, and seminar their perspectives on how prepared programs, as well as in day-to-day alumni feel for college and work envi- classroom activities in the coed environments and how they view the overall ronment, students from kindergarten Ensworth experience. While responses through twelfth grade are encouraged to develop their capacities for empathy for others, to contribute to the sense of community that Ensworth strives to create and to learn more about making a difference in the broader community.

Ensworth is actively engaged in evaluating and improving current programs to prepare for the future.

So while things change and innovation abounds, Ensworth continues to work to prepare students for meaningful lives grounded in the things that matter. In the to the first survey are still under analysis, words of the 1992 yearbook: preliminary results indicate that alumni “This was the year we grew and changed… feel well-prepared for their college new spaces…new faces…new beams and academic challenges, expressing a high gables everywhere. But through the level of confidence in their abilities changes Ensworth remained what we to think critically and communicate like best...a place for learning, laughing… effectively with peers and faculty. In friends who care.” addition, young alumni reflected that most grads were motivated to maintain Anne Stringham a healthy lifestyle after participation in Former Director of Communications the Fitness curriculum.

ACADEMICS

SAIS Commendations and Recommendations

As a member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools, Ensworth goes through a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that the school continues to meet the rigorous standards of quality set forth by SAIS. The accreditation process requires schools to conduct a thorough self-study that demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and outlines a vision and plan for implementing methods to reach identified goals. The self-study is followed by a peer-review, in which a team of representatives from diverse independent school backgrounds conducts a site visit to assess the validity of the self-study.

Last fall, the SAIS team visited Ensworth to observe classes, meet with members of the community, and gain insight into the culture of the school. The group submitted a final report with their findings in the spring, which offered commendations and recommendations they identified in their evaluation of Ensworth.

“[Our] interviews revealed common themes as elements of a robust school culture. All groups credited Ensworth as a ‘family school.’ Each group was able to cite central tenets of the school’s mission and vision and bolster those concepts with practices as evidence. Ensworth’s commitment to the whole student, the cognitive and non-cognitive traits, resonated with the visiting team.

As such, there is a an authentic sense of community, undergirded by talented and energetic faculty, invested and respected leadership, supportive and trusting parents, and bright and joyous students.”

EXCERPT FROM SAIS VISITING TEAM REPORT

RECOMMENDATION HIGHLIGHTS: • Continue to build on growing efforts to make more effective the transition from lower school to middle school and from middle school to high school.

• Become more focused and intentional around professional development, such that there might be commonly embraced themes within this important endeavor.

• Make more time available for common planning by K-12 grade facultyparticularly K-12 grade department heads.

• Build on successful efforts to date to strengthen the School’s endowment, giving special attention to strengthening the permanent endowment for need-based financial aid.

• Ensworth has crafted and is working to live out powerful statements of mission and vision. We urge the School to continue to work toward these important principles and not be unduly swayed by the local market and other schools, even as decisions must- to some degree- be informed by what is going on in Ensworth’s local market.

• Trumpet even more widely and visibly Ensworth’s excellence in academics, the arts, and service learning.

COMMENDATION HIGHLIGHTS: • An educational program whose overall quality (in academics, the arts, athletics, service learning) is superb

“The SAIS team that visited Ensworth in the fall could not have been more complimentary of our school and the direction in which we are headed. Their feedback highlights the strength of our academic program, the commitment of our faculty, and the joy our students bring to the learning process. Additionally, the visiting team validated our efforts to continue to improve as a school, knowing that great schools are never complacent when it comes to finding the best ways to meet the needs of their students, now and in the future.” DAVID BRAEMER

• The hiring of a Director of Curriculum and instruction who is already bringing more conversation and coherence around the K–12 continuum • A very capable, committed, and caring faculty who are truly dedicated to Ensworth and its purposes • The School’s ongoing aspiration to balance thoughtfully (and in a way that is right for each individual student) nurture and challenge • The commitment to strengthening the quality and depth of the academic program as reflected in the offering of more honors classes • A strong, individualized college advisory program as reflected in the large number of students going to colleges and universities either out of state or out of region • Ensworth’s high aspirations regarding diversity, inclusivity, and excellence, aspirations consistent with the School’s mission and strong desire to strengthen community further

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The Expert Across the Hall ON A FRIDAY MORNING in February, groups of eager students gathered around Harkness Tables to discuss current topics in education and share ideas and insights with each other. But these earnest learners were not uniform-clad high school students, they were Ensworth faculty and staff members, taking part in peer-led professional development during inservice day.

Ensworth’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction Bobby Mirzaie was responsible for structuring the day, and he listened to the needs and requests of the faculty. “I heard from faculty who wanted more time for cross-campus collaboration, and I wanted them to have the freedom to design projects that would be most helpful in allowing them to align their departments and evaluate the progression of curriculum.”

The morning sessions focused on these alignment projects, with faculty collaborating vertically across grade levels and departments. Within the Lower School, grade-level teachers spent one session with the team from the grade preceding theirs and the other session with the team of the following grade. Middle School and High School faculty met together as departments across grades 6-12. Each group worked on goals and strategies to improve curricular consistency and continuity. The History department developed three benchmark skills to 8 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

measure at each grade level--introductory, reinforcement, and mastery--and drafted a plan to cultivate and evaluate those skills. Members of the English department worked together to identify standards for writing skills and establish guidelines for teacher feedback on students’ writing.

In the afternoon, faculty could choose from 16 different offerings, including technology integration workshops and discussion groups. The topics for these sessions arose out of organic conversations Mirzaie had with faculty members and were built upon the expertise and interests of the facilitators. He says, “We are always considering new ways to use our own talent and explore new aspects of teaching and learning. These sessions allowed presenters to share their knowledge and passion with their colleagues and engage in valuable and inspiring dialogue.”

Middle School Latin teacher Trey House led a session on the incorporation of social and emotional learning into daily curriculum. “Faculty from all grade levels met and shared ideas over Social Emotional Learning (SEL). We began a conversation about how we develop and support Ensworth students, from kindergarten through senior year, to become people of integrity and contributors to society. Springing from this wonderful experience, Dr. Reynolds and I will begin

Trey House & Mary Catherine Bradshaw

to gather more specific information from teachers over the next school year, and we will begin to identify ways to supplement and fortify our current efforts in SEL.” Mirzaie points out the benefits internal professional development can offer over other conferences or workshops, noting, “Faculty were encouraged to hear from colleagues who are teaching or have taught the same students and understand the culture and community. It also inspired them to know that they have immediate resources, support and expertise on various areas among their peers.”

Mary Catherine Bradshaw, a member of the High School History faculty and leader of a session on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning, found the Februar y inser vice incredibly valuable. “While every day at Ensworth offers professional development opportunities, the intentional planning for the winter inservice day provided Ensworth educators a framework for in-house, teacher led, professional development.

I place a high priority on the value of professional discussions with colleagues in such a creative and immediate context.”

Tiffany Townsend Director of Communications

Class of 2008: Ensworth’s first High School graduating class

Young Alumni Survey THE ENSWORTH MOTTO, IN SEARCH OF TRUTH, allows and inspires us to look closely at everything we do to prepare our students to succeed in college and to lead happy, moral, productive adult lives. In an effort to measure the impact of the Ensworth experience on our graduates, we began a partnership this year with Measuring Success, a national firm with a rigorous approach to data analytics, to develop a survey that would capture Ensworth’s impact on our alumni. This firm focuses on non-profits, and they have worked with more than 600 independent schools over the last ten years. Measuring Success will analyze the Ensworth data, and provide Ensworth with peer benchmarking. They worked with us throughout the past school year to decide what to measure, to craft the survey questions, to collect data from our graduates and the parents of our graduates, and to analyze the data.

I THINK THIS SURVEY IS A GREAT THING TO DO FOR THE ALUMNI. IT IS HARD AS A STUDENT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT IS GOING ON AT ENSWORTH, BUT KNOWING I HAVE CONTRIBUTED MY VOICE AND OPINIONS IS EQUALLY BENEFICIAL. Alumni Response

THE SURVEY HAS BEEN A GOOD EXERCISE FOR REFLECTION. WE LOOK BACK AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT ENSWORTH HAS TO OFFER.

Alumni Parent Response

THIS WAS A BLAST. I LOVED HIGH SCHOOL AND I HOPE MY ANSWERS WERE SUPPORTIVE, BUT ALSO OFFERED SOME CRITICISM THAT WILL MAKE ENSWORTH

The survey was designed to examine key impact areas that align closely with the Ensworth Mission: Academic Preparedness, Habits of Mind / Lifelong Learners, Critical Thinking Skills, Ethics and Character Development, and Personal Connections. The survey was sent to alumni and alumni parents in April, and the preliminary results confirm our decision to look to our graduates for concrete evidence of the effectiveness of Ensworth’s program. Our alumni response rate of 44% was one of the highest alumni response rates seen by Measuring Success, and is a reflection of the commitment Ensworth graduates have to Ensworth. Over the next five years, Measuring Success will survey new and current alumni and their parents in a progression of specific points in time, providing us with a continuous feedback loop to support data-driven decision-making on an ongoing basis. The survey analytics will be an important tool as we work to refine and improve our program. We look forward to sharing the survey results with the Ensworth community over the coming months.

EVEN BETTER FOR FUTURE STUDENTS.

Alumni Response NOTE: ALL COMMENTS ARE ANONYMOUS

Dr. Sarah Buchanan Associate Head of School 2015 SUMMER | 9

ACADEMICS

Congratulations CLASS of 2015

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ACADEMICS

2015 Graduation Ceremony MAY 30, 2015 HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS

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ACADEMICS

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ACADEMICS

ENSWORTH CLASS OF 2015 John Brannan Alcott David Wayne Allen, Jr. Harrison Cole Allen William Christopher Bayliff Victoria Elizabeth Bell Abigail Brewster Bishop Caroline Hope Blair Anna Elizabeth Stanford Blalock Kathryn Maria Boehm Virginia Clare Boehm Mary Rae Douglas Bowers William Taylor Bright, Jr. Alexander Hoffman Bryant Morgan Ellen Byarlay Meredith Norris Campbell Lilly Farish Chadwick Ashanti Justine Charles Andrew Thomas Christiansen Katherine Pauline Clements Donald Quinton Cochran III Liam Michael Cronin Timothy Reid Crosby Chandler Thomas Daddario Daniel Clint Davis Anna Margaret Denson Michael William Donisi Myles Malik Douglas Kendall Kuhn Downey

Anne Thomas Enoch Teagan Elizabeth Evans Kennedy Leighton Farris Samuel Paul Flora Kristen Claire Fohl Lindsey Chapman Foster Alexa Leigh Frankum Thomas Woodrow Freeland Benjamin Barkin Frumkin James Oliver Geer Kelson James Gray Carlton Morgan Griffin Andrew Dale Harris Jackson Hugh Harris John Robert Hershey Austen Pensyl Hertik Lillian Frances Higgins Anna Elizabeth Hinman Garrison Dandridge Hogan Trent Antoine Holt, Jr. Emma Cates Hood Anna Lauren Hooper Brycen Avery Hopkins Caroline Elizabeth Hunt Amy Grace Johnson Preston Ivans Johnson Lillian Stokes Johnston Margaret Sinclair Joyce Sue Atherton Joyce

Siona Ashra Kalil Lauren Bradley Kelley Jamie Beverly Kirshner Harrison Neil Knight Matthew Thompson Lale Edward Anderson Landstreet Mathieu Elliott Ronan Loing Margaret Jane Macey Reagan Julia Major George Daniel Mangum Gregory Paulin McCloud Cedrico D’Shad McGraw Gracie Katherine McGraw Lindsay Shea Miller Mackenzie Austin Minnick Christopher Nash Moorer Brady Keith Morgan Aislinn Leigh Murphy Bailey Elizabeth Murphy Rachel Caroline Oakley Samuel Payne Oakley Elizabeth Evans Parrish William Alexander Payne Matthew Ayer Petrikin Taylor Michelle Phillips Carson Miller Pittman Hunter Thomas Renken Nicholas Turner Rolfe John Runyon-Hass

Sarah Kathryn Scarola Patrick James Settles Donovan Alexander Sheffield Caroline Anna Sheridan Sara Tidwell Shipp Madison Anne Shirey Laura Hanson Sims Emma Casparis Sloan Rachel Louise Smith Rebecca Davidson Smith Rebecca Nash Smith Almira Fawn Southworth Peter Vaughn Srebnick Caroline Chadwick Stephenson William Martin Stigall Ollaneve Marie Storms Benjamin Connor Sundock Allison Brooke Telfer Hunter Lee Travis Robert Houston Vick Sophie Broderick Walker Laura Catherine Wallace Margaret DeBardeleben West Joseph Ryland Wheliss Sara Delores Wilson Jonas Stephen Wood Jordan Avery Zagerman

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ACADEMICS

Looking Back…

Since the first class of seniors tossed their caps into the air in 2008, speakers at Ensworth’s Graduation have been the people who know the school best—its students. The seniors who shared their thoughts at Graduation for the Class of 2015 presented different perspectives on their Ensworth experiences while preparing to move forward in the next stages of their lives. Excerpts from the speeches are shared.

Harrison Allen, Student Government President

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Words in our mission such as, ‘academic excellence, intellectually curious, use talents to the fullest, people of integrity, and contributors to society’ will always be there in the back of my mind. These words are forever ingrained in my head after hearing them repeatedly from pre-­ first to twelfth grade. They were and always will be there MARGARET WEST to push me to be my best and Elected Speaker, to keep me on the right path Southern Methodist University in every stage of life. Of all “A lot has changed since the the phrases, the one I like the six­year­- old version of myself best is ‘to use their talents to walked into school in 2002, the fullest.’ My classmates Tiger Bag in one hand and my took this statement pretty mother’s in the other. We’ve seriously. Caroline Hunt, your switched headmasters as designs are mind­b lowing, well as deans. Classmates and I know I’ll see them in and teachers have come and Vogue one day. Emma Sloan, gone, the school has grown, I have loved watching you on and we have lost loved ones stage and on the track. You in our community. Though so amaze me. Bailey Murphy, I much has changed, I believe wish I had half the amount of the heart and mission of this brains you have. There is so school never will. Ensworth’s much talent around me, and I main mission is ‘the search know that none of it has been for truth.’ At first, this was wasted. You’re all going to do just the minute-long speech great things, and I can’t wait we said before every assembly. to say, ‘I went to high school I’ve heard these words for the with them.’ Thank you for past 13 years, and for a long inspiring me every day and time I never thought about encouraging me to always the importance of them search for the truth.” or what they meant to me.

ACADEMICS HARRISON ALLEN Student Government President, Southern Methodist University

“I encourage you all today to learn from this class what they have taught me.

Love at all times. Look for opportunities to be kind to others. Pursue your dreams.

Make someone’s day, every day. William Penn’s words resonate with me when he said: ‘I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, as I shall not pass this way again.’

Yes, the descriptions of our class are true in that we are Ivy Leaguers, NCAA athletes, talented actors and musicians, and community leaders. But just as importantly, we are classmates that leave this special place truly caring about one another. Ensworth has changed our minds over the last four years and made us smarter, but Ensworth has also changed our hearts. As our lives take different paths of success going forward, we will forever take what we have learned here and continue to use these values in our lives.

I am confident that when life challenges us in the future, the foundations that we have learned here at Ensworth will be a great source of our resilience and strength.”

ANDREW CHRISTIANSEN Senior Class Speaker, University of Southern California

“I had the great privilege to play baseball here for four years. It is no coincidence that my favorite spot is on the baseball field. But it’s not for the reasons such as winning baseball games or for the love of the game as one would

think. Rather because of the vantage point it offered me.

At any given time I could look around and see greatness. I saw my teammates making diving plays; I saw students hustling to tutorial; I heard the boy’s soccer team communicating; I saw off-season athletes working out. It is a wonderful blessing to be surrounded by greatness. I saw incredible success all around me, but this is not the reason I treasure this spot, which brings me to my second lesson. High school is a time filled with trials and a time of mistakes. I treasure this spot because I saw failure, and felt failure. I treasure this spot because no matter what the issue, problem, or fault, someone was always there to pick me up. As Mother Teresa once said, ‘Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home,’ and this quote could not be more accurate.

I felt suppor ted , I felt protected, but more than all of these my most prized gem was the realization that Ensworth is my anchor. The last and most significant lesson I learned was that I can go out into the world, grow up, aspire to do great things, and no matter what the result, Ensworth will always be here and will always be our home.

I close with a fitting quote

by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.: ‘Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.’ It is for these reasons that this spot, that Ensworth, is special to me.”

today. It is our high school that made it possible to take music video dance and CSI science, then tackle people in an all out hunger games that we call Merge. I mean this place supplied us with a mid-morning snack and trashcan football. Ensworth provided us with all of these opportunities, and we are forever thankful for that. Yet it was our class and the people who fill this campus that made our high school experience unlike others.”

BRADY MORGAN Elected Speaker, Tulane University

“But our class is truly special.

The moment we got here, this idea of ‘community ’ was instilled in us. It was instilled and/or pounded into our vocabulary as freshmen.

Community was this word that was used over and over to the point where we rolled our eyes at the mention of it. When all else failed and you didn’t know an answer, typically the term “community” would work for all things Ensworth.

By the time Dean Perk took office and the 2012-2013 school yea r bega n, this overuse of community started to wear off, and our class really started to take root.

As I reflect on our time here I realize how unique our high school experience was.

I am unaware of many other schools whose students’ biggest complaint is having to walk down to their natatorium. Few high-schoolers are as infatuated by sugar cookies painted with orange and black icing as those in front of you

“AS OUR LIVES TAKE DIFFERENT PATHS OF SUCCESS GOING FORWARD, WE WILL FOREVER TAKE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED HERE AND CONTINUE TO USE THESE VALUES IN OUR LIVES.”

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ACADEMICS

Above & Beyond

Capstone Scholars

The Capstone Program offers students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to engage in an extensive exploration of an academic passion that lies above and beyond courses normally offered at the High School. To participate, a student investigates, proposes and gains approval for a specific Capstone project in Grade 11, then pursues that project through Grade 12 with the support of a faculty sponsor.

Read what their faculty sponsors say about the Capstone Scholars in the Class of 2015:

Laura Catherine Wallace Dollar Store Science Kits

Laura Catherine’s passion for science was ignited in elementary school. She also has a very compassionate side and a love for helping others, so during her junior year when we discussed ideas for her senior Capstone project, it was clear that we should combine her passions. Laura Catherine’s Capstone focused on the development of several lab kit prototypes to be used with middle school students in underserved public schools. Middle school is often the time period when many students lose their interest in science, so Laura Catherine designed kits based on topics that interest middle school students and relate to their everyday lives.

Through her research, she determined that while many popular commercial lab kits are teacher friendly and very well put together, they are expensive, packaged to be used by only a small number of students in a classroom, and once the contents are consumed they must be purchased again. In an effort to mediate the burden on schools that simply are not equipped with the lab space or budget to continually purchase such kits, she designed several “Dollar Store” lab kits that can be replenished cheaply using common, easily obtainable materials. As a scientist and a teacher, I enjoy working with a Capstone student like LC because she still has the spark of discovery, she truly enjoys learning, and she still gets excited about really cool chemistry.

– Crystal Miller 16 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Caroline Hunt Unconventional Beauty: Printmaking and Original Fabric Design

Enter into Caroline Hunt’s couture world of Unconventional Beauty. Her unique surface designs are stitched together into small collections entitled Outcasts, Wildflowers, Broken Mirrors and Metamorphosis. Her compositions are inspired by the raw beauty of nature and the juxtaposition of life and death; in her own words: “I analyzed this idea on a deeper level and discovered a certain kind of beauty and uniqueness.” Caroline’s designs cover the surfaces of stylish gowns, hip shorts and modish wallpaper. Utilizing several different print media from digital software to traditional screen and block printing techniques, Caroline has created a variety of artworks that encompass her show in the Upper Theater Gallery. Be sure to wander through; you will be swept away into the Unconventional Beauty that defines this young promising designer!

- Cati Blitz

Ben Frumkin 3D Printing in Biochemistry & DNA Origami

Ben worked with Dr. Matt Lang’s lab in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University. If you know Ben at all, you are aware that he has many different interests and is a jack of all trades. Over the course of the year, Ben navigated a series of twists and turns in his project and eventually managed to develop it into a Capstone that suited him perfectly.

He orchestrated a project whereby he consulted with Dr. Lang’s lab and did the majority of his 3D printing using the 3D printers on our campus. This turned out to be pretty awesome, because not only did it tap into Ben’s creative side, it gave our faculty and students the opportunity to see how a 3D printer is used in a professional research laboratory. Ben’s unique set of personal characteristics— his resilience, intelligence and creativity—all contribute to making him one of the great scientists of our future.

– Crystal Miller

ACADEMICS

Jamie Kirshner It’s a Matter of Style: Changes in Fashion 1920-1945

The old saying that “a picture is worth 1,000 words” represents a special challenge to the historian who decides to tackle the history of fashion; as Jamie perused image after image from magazines and newspapers from the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, she had to keep her eye out for subtle shifts in the styles, how articles of clothing were being manufactured, how they were being advertised, and accessorized, and, at times, how the standard of beauty itself was evolving. After taking dozens of pages of notes and meticulously cataloguing her primary sources, she then had to test some of her assumptions. Did the Great Depression temporarily end consumers’ interest in high fashion? Did the rationing of materials during World War II drastically alter the landscape of the fashion industry? Attempting to answer each of these questions led to new and more complex questions. Jamie’s chapters on these topics reflect many months of scholarship and contain many fascinating clues about how and why fashion changed from the end of World War I to the end of the Great War. It has been an honor to mentor Jamie throughout this process, and I encourage everyone to read her sample chapters. Her final volume will be published in June or July.

- Tom Jackoboice

“The Capstone program at Ensworth is so unique and it allowed me to pursue my passion during the academic school day.”

- Jamie Kirshner

Mathieu Loing Survol de la Littérature Française

I met Mathieu Loing at the very beginning of this year- my first year at Ensworth, and my very first in a high school. I had just left a tenured position at a university and a career of teaching at the college level. Having been told that the Capstone was at the college level, I approached it as a college class. It has been an immense pleasure to work with Mathieu this year. I could not have asked for a better student—in high school or in college. I found a student who was willing to tackle anything set before him with enthusiasm. He was always well prepared for our meetings, and even when reading some of the more difficult texts, Mathieu excelled. Mathieu has covered an amazingly inclusive swath of French literature this year, discussing major works from the 16th century until the 19th, situating them in contexts of literary movement and history. Most of these works are typically taught in excerpts in third year at the university, with fourth year being reserved for complete works.

He was required to discuss each author and work, and then submit papers. This year, Mathieu studied Rabelais, reading and discussing Gargantua in its entirety, ensconcing it in the study of Humanism.

He continued his Renaissance literary education by concentrating on the members of the Pléiade and their poetry: Ronsard, DuBellay and others. This semester we focused on plays from the 17th century—Le Cid and Phèdre, as well as excerpts from Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, Descartes, and other Enlightenment philosophers. He forayed into 18th century epistolary literature with the novel Manon Lescaut, and culminated his reading with excerpts from various authors of 19th century Realism. For a French major in college, this would have been an ambitious schedule. For a high school student who plans to study math and science, this accomplishment is even greater.

Kayce Boehm Interactive Narrative: Analyzing Video Games as Literature

It’s almost second nature for Kayce Boehm to pick apart a text as she reads it, looking for connections to other works, finding clues that offer insight into human behavior, and understanding symbols and themes. And it is just as natural for her to do so when watching movies or television shows—anything with a storyline can be unlocked, unpacked, and analyzed. In her Capstone project, Kayce sought to learn whether or not video games, namely complex role-playing games, were (or could be) vehicles by which the same questions, themes, and ideas found in literature were shared. Because of her familiarity with and love for the work of JRR Tolkien, Kayce focused her attention on the Xbox game Middle Earth: Shadow of Modor— and she worked at playing this game like she works at reading classic literature.

She close read the poetry and dialogue embedded in the game, she examined the actions (and lack of actions) of characters, and she actively asked questions regarding man’s larger purpose, how one makes morally-based decisions, and what one stands to lose when those moral choices are taken away or made without one’s full attention or consciousness.

–Dina Marks

– Theresa Todd 2015 SUMMER | 17

ACADEMICS

Above & Beyond

Capstone Scholars Jack Alcott The Elevator: A Study of Playwriting, Directing, and Physical Theatre

Lilly Chadwick Spanish and Immigration: The Pursuit of the American Dream

Anna Denson Research in Neurobiology: Schizophrenia & Altered Gene Expression

For her Capstone project, Anna worked in the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University with Dr. Karoly Mirnics and Dr. Zeljka Korade. Anna helped create a model of brain disease by investigating gene expression levels in nervous system cells before and after exposure to chemicals thought to induce immune activation in psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. One of the many reasons that her experience at Vanderbilt was so meaningful is because it exposed her to a cross-disciplinary approach between chemistry, biology and psychology. As a high school student, simply being able to wrap her mind around her project is an accomplishment. However, while I already knew before her Capstone started that Anna is not a typical high school student, I now know that she is also not a typical lab student. Anna dove right into her project and has spent more than the time required of her in the lab, which shows maturity and a true love of her research. Her mentors at Vanderbilt speak very highly of her abilities, commenting that she has easily developed lab skills equivalent to those of a first year graduate student. I could not be more proud of Anna.

– Crystal Miller

For her Capstone, Lilly expanded on a theme in AP Spanish and created a project in which she was able to use her Spanish abilities to profile Hispanic immigrants in the Nashville area. Driven by her desire to understand the reasons for and consequences of immigration, she researched the topic extensively.

Armed with this knowledge and a contact in the local Hispanic community, she interviewed recent immigrants from Central and South America in an effort to gain a first hand perspective, analyzing and reflecting upon their experiences in a blog and a final paper. The interviews, blog, and paper were conducted and written entirely in Spanish.

–Rob Herring

“Through my project, I was able to integrate my love of politics and Spanish in a nontraditional setting, and I was able to learn about the problems with the immigration system through a unique perspective.”

- Lilly Chadwick

18 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

I love working with students in the Capstone program, because it has been my experience that these projects challenge me as much as they challenge my students. I am a better teacher, a better student and a better artist because of the Capstone projects that I have worked on. The relationship that a Capstone project engenders between a student and a teacher is meaningfully different than that created in a classroom environment. The balance of power and responsibility is more even. We take a step toward working as colleagues, and that constitutes both a freedom and a trial for student and teacher alike. Jack has embraced that trial honorably. The play that was created is different and better than either of us could have done alone. Jack is a good actor, but as a physical actor, he is more than good, he is special. Fifteen months ago, when Jack asked me if I would help him create a play as a potential Capstone project, I told him that I would only do it if it were a silent piece, and I sent him to watch a bunch of Charlie Chaplain and Buster Keaton. Jack was not at first convinced, but I was stubborn. I had a deep-seated belief that he could do something special within that form, and I just really wanted to see that play! And now I have--thank goodness. The story is archetypal. The characters are clear and clean. But it is the carefully nuanced arch of the plot that strikes me as truly remarkable. It is a story that is developed with stunning intuition. All that said, this is a story that can only be told with as much eloquence as its cast can provide. Jack and his show benefited from the talent and the efforts of a wonderful cast. He and I would like to acknowledge and thank Ben Frumkin, Lilli Higgins, Nash Moorer, and Brady Morgan. Finally, speaking for the cast and myself, we would like to thank Jack; the genius of the play is entirely his.

– David Berry

ACADEMICS

“The Capstone Program at Ensworth allowed me to go above and beyond the curriculum and create a class based on my own passions.”

-Ben Frumkin

Aislinn Murphy Sacrilege & Other Short Stories

Reagan Julia Major Pediatric Neurosurgery Research at Vanderbilt: Demographic Predictors and Shunt Failure

Ginny Boehm The Rusted Sword: Writing Fiction

In her day-to-day life, Ginny Boehm inhabits a world where dragons, griffons, fairies, elves, and magic users are dismissed as fictional, found only in stories for children. In her Capstone project, however, Ginny has created a universe in which magic is intertwined with reality in the daily lives of all creatures and humans. I have appreciated and enjoyed Ginny’s dedication to the writing process; she created a world and characters in her head, struggled to put them on paper in a way that did them justice, and fought back fears that she may not finish, that she would write in clichés, and that what she was doing wasn’t good enough. In her fiction, Ginny strives to tackle the essential question of what it means to truly be human, even though many of her characters are dragons, griffons, or other “non-humans.” During the Capstone writing process, she found that she wrote less about what it means to be human, and more about what it means to struggle, to overcome loss, to experience joy, and to embrace who one truly is for a life of meaning and purpose.

- Dina Marks

For a 16 year-old to cold call a lab and ask to intern in that lab is remarkable.

Even more remarkable is the fact that the graduate students in the lab found that Reagan Julia Major could keep up with them. Beginning in the summer of 2013, Reagan started on her journey of medical/clinical neuroscience research.

Reagan’s work in the Vanderbilt Pediatric Neurosurgery Clinical Research Initiative Lab, headed by Dr. Chevis Shannon encompassed a wide range of topics. One function of clinical research lab evaluates clinical outcomes to hopefully determine avenues for better outcomes for pediatric neurosurgeries. Reagan’s initial activities in the lab allowed her to understand the overall process of research, which allowed her to develop her own research project titled: The Impact of Sociodemographic Factors on the Delay of Seeking Medical Evaluation after Initial Onset of Ventriculo -Peritoneal Shunt Failure Symptoms in Children. Her study, designed to evaluate the reasons behind shunt failures for children with a hydrocephalus, has the potential to have a significant clinical impact on post-surgical outcomes for pediatric patients in a lower socioeconomic bracket.

I know (as all her teachers know) that Aislinn Murphy is an impressive academic writer, thinker, and learner. As I often say, though, being a great academic writer in no way guarantees that one will be a good creative writer. But all I had to do was read the beginning and ending sentences of a war novel that Aislinn wrote between her sophomore and junior year to know that I was fortunate that she asked me to work with her. First of all, having written a novel, Aislinn came to her Capstone knowing what many writers learn in their Capstone. Namely: writing from the imagination is energizing, and it is enervating; it is pure joy, and it is pure agony; it is the ultimate form of isolation, and it is the ultimate form of communication. For her Capstone, Aislinn wanted to stretch her writing experience, so she decided to write short stories of all different lengths—from flash fiction (one story is one sentence long) to the more conventional length story. Writing a short story is a bit like playing a guitar. Most anyone can do it—but mastering it is rare. Aislinn has made a huge start in doing so. You cannot read—or hear—Aislinn’s writing and believe it was written by a high school student . She writes with the skills, the insights, and the maturity of a much more practiced writer. She takes the readers through the world of growing up with the honesty most writers don’t find in a lifetime. She has the writer’s eye for details, and in the deepest moments of pain or discomfort, she can insert an ever so slight turn of humor that will make the reader laugh or smile.

– Myra McLarey

– Mary Aguirre

2015 SUMMER | 19

ACADEMICS

Ashanti Charles

What's Next?

Four students share how the College Counseling Office helped them find the right college fit.

Austen Hertik Dartmouth

T

he ball really got rolling in the college application process when Joe Brady was assigned as Austen Hertik’s college counselor. In addition to helping Austen select his course load, Mr. Brady assisted Austen in making a list of schools to research and visit. Mr. Brady’s insight proved to be incredibly beneficial. He was honest about what colleges Austen was capable of being admitted to, while encouraging him to keep his options open and take some risks. With Mr. Brady’s guidance, Austen applied to seven schools ranging in geography from Texas to New Hampshire and in size from 1,800 to 27,000 students.

“I don’t think I fully realized how much Mr. Brady had done for me until the process was over. From helping me to be elected to represent Ensworth at Tennessee American Legion Boys State or recommending me to be named a UVA Jefferson Scholar Nominee, I now understand that Mr. Brady’s behindthe-scenes work never ceased. His help was invaluable to me.”

After visiting Dartmouth for the first time, Austen knew there was something special about it. “I chose Dartmouth because it completely fulfilled my two general criteria for a college. The first was academics. The other was a strong alumni network.”

He adds, “People always reminisce fondly on their college years, and that was always something that I wanted to do. I wanted a school that I would love, one where I would have fun and thrive, all the while having unique academic opportunities.”

So what made Austen stand out among other applicants at Dartmouth? Austen says, “I don’t think it was necessarily my grades or scores, but the wide variety of extracurricular activities that made me stand out in the applicant pool. Being captain of Nashville Junior Rowing while playing piano for Ring of Fire and working to start up a youth empowerment program, Reach Nashville, helped show Dartmouth the diversity of what I could bring.”

“The thing I will miss most about Ensworth is the community.

The entire school is truly a family. It’s a special place that, although I will miss, is one to which I will always be able to return.”

20 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Vanderbilt

A

shanti Charles explains, “The Ensworth college counselors do an amazing job exposing us to the college process early in our high school careers. I found that this early introduction helped me focus on the classes I wanted to take (AP and other core classes) and helped me develop close relationships with my teachers so they could write the best recommendations for me.”

Ashanti’s college counselor, Missy Wallace, was the key in her search for the right school. Mrs. Wallace compiled a list of schools for Ashanti to further research and was there for her whenever Ashanti had questions. “Mrs. Wallace understood that this was the first time anyone in my family had gone through a process like this, and she was the support that I needed while sending off application after application, financial aid form after financial aid form.”

Ashanti started the application process in August 2014 and applied early decision to Vanderbilt through a scholarship program called the Questbridge National College Match. Strong academics, proximity to home, and diversity attracted Ashanti to Vanderbilt. Additionally, the education program at Peabody Vanderbilt amazed her.

Ensworth has always been my second home, and it's the students and teachers The Ensworth Service Learning program who make provided Ashanti with the opportunity me feel like to work with at-risk youth. This experii've spent the ence helped cultivate her love and drive for working with children. “I’ve always last 13 years known that I would want to work with children, but I never knew exactly what I in the best wanted to do. Peabody offers many disciplace. plines to choose from, and I knew I would

– Ashanti Charles

find something that I love.”

It wasn’t just Ashanti’s good grades that helped her stand out when applying to Vanderbilt, but it was her unique experiences inside and outside of school. Ashanti says, “With the help of Mrs. Wallace and several of my English teachers, I was able to develop a personal essay that highlighted these experiences and gave a story about who I am and who I strive to be.”

Ashanti adds, “I will miss the sense of belonging at Ensworth and the warm, welcome arms. Ensworth has always been my second home, and it’s the students and the teachers who make me feel like I’ve spent these last 13 years in the best place.”

ACADEMICS

Gracie Johnson

University of Aberdeen

G

racie Johnson started the college counseling process as a sophomore.

Gracie explains, “We had a couple of meetings at the end of the year with our counselors, and they helped us make sure our course registration was on track.

When I first started the process, I had no idea in the slightest where I wanted to go.

I met up with Laura Stewart, my assigned college counselor, and explained to her what I wanted to do and the college environment I wanted to be in.”

While meeting initially with Mrs. Stewart, Gracie discussed her previous international summer program in Oxford, England and how much she enjoyed being abroad. “When Mrs. Stewart asked me if I wanted to study abroad, I immediately said yes. The more we discussed, I realized that one or two semesters abroad were not enough for me.” It was in this meeting that Gracie realized she wanted to apply to colleges abroad.

Mrs. Stewart has been fortunate to travel abroad and learn about certain schools in the United Kingdom. With her knowledge of the UK college application process, she was able to help Gracie immensely. Gracie states, “Mrs. Stewart was beyond helpful. She listed off several schools that ended up being exactly what I was looking for. The application process for schools in the United Kingdom is very different from how it is here, and Mrs. Stewart was helping me through the entire process.”

Gracie applied to seven schools total. Three in the US and four in the UK. University of Aberdeen (Scotland) ended up being a perfect match. “Aberdeen has a large international student population with students from over 120 different countries. Diversity is very important to me, especially since I’m majoring in International Relations.” She chose to study International Relations with joint honors in Sociology after taking Ensworth courses such as AP Government and World Religions. Gracie also liked how Scotland universities structure their academics. “Scotland has a four year degree program but allows for a much more in depth study of your major.” She adds, “There are no core classes, so it’s nice to know I’ll never have to take another math class!”

One major difference in applying to a school in the UK is the “personal statement”. While it shares the same name as many college essays in the US, it’s very different. The personal statements are not supposed to be about the applicant, but rather what the applicant wants to study and why. Gracie says, “I spent ages working on my persuasive essay about why I want to study International Relations.

I’ve always considered myself a global thinker, so I really tried to explain to the college what that means to me and how I can be an asset to the school. Imagine yourself trying to sell a car. You want the colleges to ‘buy you’ and accept you. I know it sounds silly, but that’s pretty much what it’s like.”

What will Gracie miss most about Ensworth? “There is so much I will miss about Ensworth. The friends I made at Ensworth are my family, and I will miss Rock Band.”

Ensworth has taught me anything is possible. I never thought I would have the option and courage to go to school 4,000 miles away. – Gracie Johnson Quin Cochran West Point

G

rowing up, Quin Cochran was surrounded by military veterans including his mom, dad, grandfather, aunts, and uncles. Important values such as leadership, teamwork, respect, reliability and calmness under pressure were routine in the Cochran household.

Quin knew ever since he was eight years old he wanted to attend West Point—he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps and serve his country like his role models. That’s why Quin Cochran’s college application process was a little different than most students.

To apply to West Point, he first had to apply and receive a nomination from the President, Vice President, Congressman, or Senator. During the nomination process, he also had to apply to the Academy itself, which is a longer and more rigorous process than all of his other college applications combined.

Through this lengthy process Quin sought guidance from his college counselor, Laura Stewart. He says, “Mrs. Stewart was extremely helpful. Because of the early application period for West Point, I had to get my letters of recommendation, transcript, and other paperwork earlier than most other students.

Mrs. Stewart was very flexible and helpful when I was in a time crunch and kept everything together so it went to the right office.”

Earlier in his high school years at Ensworth, the college counseling office helped Quin select his courseload. With Quin’s interest in studying Engineering Psychology, courses such as AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Calculus will be helpful with the engineering and math classes at West Point. Additionally, Ensworth’s Fitness and Athletic Program prepared him for the fitness testing that was part of the application process. His coaches also taught him about teamwork, leadership, preparation, and competition— important values at West Point.

Quin states, “I chose to serve my country as an Officer in the United States Army from West Point because that’s my way of giving back. This country has given us so much; we have received the opportunities and benefits of this nation and have enjoyed the freedoms and liberties.” He adds, “I’ll miss my freedom at Ensworth. I am about to enter Plebe year at West Point, known to be the toughest school year in the world.”

2015 SUMMER | 21

ACADEMICS U. of Washington Seattle U.

Montana State U.

Cal State U., Chico Utah State U. Cal State U., Sacramento

Brigham Young U. U. of Utah

San Francisco State U. Santa Clara U.

Colorado State U. U. of Colorado U. of Denver

Cal Poly State U. Cal State U., LA Cal State U., Northridge

Loyola Maymount U. Pepperdine U. U. of Southern Cal.

Arizona State U.

U. of Oklahoma

U.of San Diego

U.of Arizona

112 59 STUDENTS matriculating to

Class of 2015

Acceptances & Matriculation 22 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

different

COLLEGES

Tarrant County Junior Coll.

TCU Baylor

U. of Texas, Austin

ACADEMICS

Dartmouth

Rochester

Ithaca

Colgate

Brown U.

Vassar US Military Academy

Emerson Coll.

Boston Coll.

Boston U. Northeastern U.

Hofstra U. Case Western Reserve U. of Notre Dame

U. of Chicago Northwestern U. Wheaton Coll.

Columbia Coll.Chicago

U.of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Coll. of Wooster

Kenyon Ohio State U.

Purdue U. U. of Missouri, Columbia

Lehigh U. Dickinson Coll.

Franklin and Marshall Coll.

U. of Pittsburgh George Washington U. Georgetown U.

Miami U.

Indiana U.

U. of Pennsylvania

Eugene Lang Coll.

NYU Parsons The New School for Design School of Visual Arts

U.of Maryland

U. of Richmond U. of Virginia Hampden-Sydney Coll.

Washington & Lee Coll. of William & Mary

Butler U.

Saint Louis U. Washington U.

Princeton U.

Georgetown Coll.

Centre Coll.

Virginia Tech UNC Chapel Hill Lees-McRae Coll.

Austin Peay U. of NC School of the Arts State U. Elon U. Belmont Davidson Coll.

Vanderbilt High Point U. Lipscomb Clemson Wofford Wake Forest Sewanee UT Chattanooga U. of Memphis Furman Rhodes U. Alabama U. of SC Huntsville Berry Coll.

Coll. of Charleston U. of Georgia Birmingham Oglethorpe U. U. of Mississippi Southern Coll.

Emerson Savannah College of Art and Design GA Tech Samford Mississippi State U. Murray State U. ETSU Milligan Coll.

TN Tech UT Knox.

Carson-Newman U. Tusculum College

U. of Arkansas

Mercer U.

SMU

U. of Alabama

Auburn

Florida State U.

Louisiana State U.

U. of South AL Tulane U.

Rice

Stetson U.

Eckerd Coll.

Outside of USA: University of Aberdeen (Scotland) University of St. Andrews (UK) Central Saint Martins Coll. of Art & Design (UK) The American University of Paris (France) McGill University (Canada)

Bold indicates matriculation

2015 SUMMER | 23

ACADEMICS

A New Approach to

I

f you happened to stop by the second floor of the library at the High School this summer, you would have stumbled upon a construction site. The bookshelves in the back have been replaced with walls, and tables have been removed to make way for new furniture. The space has morphed to accommodate changing programs and is ready for new life as a college counseling suite.

Since the inception of Ensworth’s High School, great attention and care has been given to the college counseling process.

A veteran director of college counseling was hired to begin developing the program a year before the first freshman class stepped on campus. In the early years before there were Ensworth graduates, the team worked diligently to build relationships with college and university leadership and to spread the word about Ensworth’s unique program.

Over the past decade, the college counseling office, with two full-time counselors and one part-time counselor, has guided hundreds of Ensworth students toward their best college fit.

Yet even with successful results, there is always room for improvement. Two years ago, Director of College Counseling Laura Stewart and Head of School David Braemer began discussing plans to refine and enhance the program. Stewart looked at other independent schools, 24 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

College Counseling

such as The Kinkaid School in Houston and Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, to research different methods and determine the best model for Ensworth.

Under the new structure, the staff has expanded to include four full-time counselors. Instead of waiting until junior year to begin individual meetings, students will go through an orientation in 9th grade, and each student will be assigned to a counselor at that time. Counselors will be responsible for 25-30 students per grade, and they will advise those students throughout their high school career. The new model will enable the counselors to begin developing one-on-one relationships with the students earlier, allowing them to get to know each student well, to understand and address problems as they arise, and to identify their passions and talents. Counselors will guide the students in making curriculum choices and developing plans according to their goals. Building relationships across all four years will also help the counselors write more powerful recommendation letters, an important component of the application in today’s competitive college admission climate.

New programming will also be added for parents to ensure that families are fully informed throughout the process.

By establishing an earlier connection between parents and college counseling, a partnership will be developed that will

greatly enhance the process for families.

Stewart looks forward to implementing the new program this fall, and she is excited for the benefits that the improved structure will offer to students and families. “In adopting this change, the goal is not to have students focus on college from the beginning, but to make their experiences here richer and more valuable. We want to give them the knowledge they need to make informed choices for themselves and recognize opportunities. If we get to the root of what they want their experience to be, we can help them take advantage of everything Ensworth has to offer.”

The renovated space in the library is part of the plan as well. Stewart says, “The new space will be very cozy and intimate, which will allow for greater one-on-one interaction between counselors and students, as well as students and college admissions representatives. In addition, we will have interactive technology that will allow us to better guide students and families through the college counseling process.” The revised program will launch with the 2015-2016 academic year, and the college counseling team is ready and eager to welcome inquisitive students to the new suite.

Tiffany Townsend Director of Marketing and Communications

ACADEMICS

Meet the Counselors LAURA STEWART

Director of College Counseling

Laura came to Nashville from Pittsburgh, PA to attend Vanderbilt University, where she was recruited to play soccer. After graduating from Vanderbilt with a degree in Political Science, she worked in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt. Laura served as Assistant Director of Admissions there from 2001- 2004, then joined Ensworth as the Assistant Director of College Counseling and head girls soccer coach in 2004 when the High School opened. She continued to serve as an outside reader for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt from 2004 to 2007. In 2008, Laura became Co-Director of College Counseling and in 2009 became the Director of College Counseling. She obtained her master’s in Higher Education Administration and Supervision in 2011 from MTSU.

PAUL PHILLIPS College Counselor

Paul arrived at Ensworth in 2005, and over the past ten years has served in a variety of roles: History department faculty, advisor, class sponsor, baseball coach, and summer school director. Paul has spent over 20 years in education, with two years teaching at the college/ university level, and 17 years teaching at independent schools in California, Arizona, and Tennessee.

Paul began his educational career in admissions in the CSU system and has maintained his interest in the college process over the years, as it is one of the hallmarks of a college preparatory school. His interest was rekindled this past year as he went through the entire process with his daughter - a 2015 Ensworth graduate heading off to University of Missouri this fall.

“I am excited about building a four year college counseling curriculum - laying the ground work in the freshman and sophomore years as to course selection, test preparation, and extra-curricular opportunities— so that when junior and senior year roll around, they have a full resume displaying their talents and abilities and are unfazed by the often overwhelming process of college admissions.” –Paul Phillips “Ensworth students have unique access to an environment that allows them to develop distinct aspirations, and the community has shown its commitment to the individual by graduating students forward to a diverse set of post-secondary options. It will be exciting to meet each student and help them navigate the paths their talents create.” - JJ Anthony

JJ ANTHONY

College Counselor

JJ joins Ensworth having previously served as an Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, he traveled globally to act as a featured college admissions speaker, evaluated thousands of applications from students of diverse backgrounds, and chaired committee conversations leading to the selection of Penn’s overall class. Specific responsibilities found JJ leading in multiple areas at Penn, partnering with the athletic department to guide student-athlete recruitment under Ivy League and NCAA regulations, working with specialized and scholarship programs to fulfill enrollment goals, and coordinating worldwide joint travel efforts for the league and peer schools. Before his time at Penn, JJ worked at Manor College in its admissions and athletics offices, honing his in-game announcing skills and recruiting students throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. JJ holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn and a master’s degree from Penn’s Graduate School of Education.

TERRY WHITEHILL

Associate Director of College Counseling

Terry has spent the last 26 years assisting students with the college selection process: 10 years as a college admissions officer and 16 years as a college counselor in independent schools. He received his bachelor’s degree from a small liberal arts college in Iowa and a masters’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from Indiana University. Prior to relocating to Middle Tennessee, he lived in Chicago, where as a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan he enjoyed living just two blocks from Wrigley Field. Over the years he has coached several sports, enjoys following college sports (especially the Indiana Hoosiers) and considers himself a huge musical theatre buff. He and his fiancee Laura live in Franklin and have a poodle named Joe.

“I am extremely excited to get to know and work with the students at Ensworth, to join an amazing team of college counselors and to become a part of the extraordinary learning community that is Ensworth.”

- Terry Whitehill 2015 SUMMER | 25

ACADEMICS

FOR T H E R E C OR D HIGH SCHOOL

Quin Cochran Receives West Point Appointment Quin Cochran, Class of 2015, received his commission to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.

National Merit Scholarship Program Five Ensworth students were recognized in Awards Assembly as winners of scholarships from colleges, corporations, and the National Merit Corporation through the National Merit Scholarship program:

Rhodes Kayce Boehm Kenyon Emma Hood Citizen Watch Company of America Austen Hertik University of Southern California Aislinn Murphy National Merit Corporation Bailey Murphy

2015 Lewis & Clark Awards

2014-2015 Student Government

Standing: Sarah Crosby, Grace Hall, Laura Catherine Wallace, Caroline Seitz, Jake Kirkham, Noah Vollhoffer, Caleb Upkins, Elgin Cato, Daniel Mangum, Hannah Doochin, Riley McCormick, Camille Bryan, Sarah Wilson, Anna Hooper, Lilly Chadwick, Connor Galvez Sitting: George Mullowney, Tim Crosby, Harrison Allen, Andrew Christiansen, Sarah Hooton Not Pictured: John Hill Wheliss

Student Government Leaders Elected

Congratulations to George Mullowney and Elgin Cato, recently elected as High School Student Government President and Vice President for the 2015-2016 school year.

26 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

The Lewis and Clark Award commemorates the pioneering and collaborative spirit exemplified by this early adventurer and his fellow-explorer William Clark, and is given to students who have expanded the frontiers of Ensworth by championing innovative ideas and new directions that benefit the school community and its environs.

This fall, six seniors initiated an undertaking to establish a high school honor code. In weekly Wednesday meetings before school, this group discussed various possibilities, drafted a proposal, garnered unanimous support for it from Student Council, and vetted it with the student body in assemblies, class meetings, and open sessions. In January, the student body voted by more than a two-to-one margin to adopt the proposal, which has also been endorsed by the school administration. Proceeding with maturity, deliberation, and patience, these six students have successfully championed a cause that can dramatically enhance school culture. Congratulations to this year’s Lewis and Clark award recipients: Harrison Allen, Tim Crosby, Daniel Mangum, Caroline Sheridan, Rachel Smith, and Margaret West.

ACADEMICS

Book Awards Each year colleges and college alumni groups recognize outstanding students throughout the country with book awards. This year Ensworth sophomores and juniors were honored for their excellence in various fields of endeavors by twelve colleges and universities.

The Hollins Book Award: Caroline Morgan

Outstanding junior who has demonstrated sustained academic excellence and possesses a special interest in English and creative writing.

The Kenyon Review: Nathan Earl

Presented by the President of Kenyon College to a junior in recognition of intellectual engagement, creativity, and commitment to community.

The Princeton Book Award: Jake Kirkham

Recognizes a junior who displays excellence in the areas of academics, extracurricular activities, and community service, as well as a strong desire either through words or actions, to change the world for the better.

The Randolph College Book Award: Bella Johnston

Recognizes an outstanding high school junior who displays excellence in academics and leadership.

Ransselear Medal: Marco Mirnics

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awards the Rensselaer Medal to promising secondary school students who have distinguished themselves in mathematics and science.

The Rhodes College Book Award: Cate Elcan

Awarded to a sophomore who has demonstrated exemplary community service coupled with a commitment to leadership and helping others.

Sewanee Award for Excellence in Writing: Niah Charles

Selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership, demonstrated excellence in writing and for notable potential for future success as a writer. Also taken into consideration are interests, activities, and achievements in the school and community.

The St. Lawrence University Book Award: Kaelene DeCoster

Recognizes an outstanding junior who has displayed a significant commitment to community service.

The Jefferson Book Award, University of Virginia: Brett Barnett

Presented by the University of Virginia Club of Nashville to a junior whom the high school considers to best represent the Jeffersonian ideals of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.

The Vanderbilt University Book Award: Briana Middleton

Presented in the form of a silver bowl inscribed with the name of the Ensworth junior who has excelled in two or more disciplines in the visual or performing arts. The bowl will be displayed at Ensworth and the recipient’s name will be inscribed on it each year.

The Washington and Lee University Book Award: Aison King

Presented by the Nashville Chapter of the Washington and Lee University Alumni Association to a student in his or her junior year who exhibits the qualities cherished and exemplified by George Washington, a generous benefactor of the University, and Robert E. Lee, its president from 1865 to 1870.

These qualities are personal integrity, academic excellence, leadership, and significant campus involvement.

The Yale Book Award: Sage Loh

Awarded to the student at Ensworth who shows the greatest intellectual promise, as evidenced by actual achievements and demonstrated potential; who, by activities at school and in the community, has demonstrated a broad range of interests and accomplishments; and who is of outstanding personal character.

2015 SUMMER | 27

High School Service Learning

ACADEMICS

FOR T H E R E C OR D Bar Pins This distinction is awarded to those students who earn Optime Merens* for both semesters of a school year. Students who do so for one year earn one-bar pins; those who do so for two years earn two-bar pins, and so on. Students who graduate from Ensworth’s High School having earned Optime Merens for every semester all four years earn four-bar pins.

Four Bar Pins Grade 12 David Allen Ginny Boehm Kayce Boehm Reagan Major Lilly Chadwick Ashanti Charles Anna Denson Ben Frumkin Carly Griffin Lilli Higgins Emma Hood Lili Johnston Aislinn Murphy Bailey Murphy Emma Sloan Laura Catherine Wallace Margaret West Three Bar Pins Grade 12 Victoria Bell Abby Bishop Daniel Mangum Rachel Smith Almira Southworth Grade 11 Brett Barnett Arin Chapman Hannah Diskin Aison King Jake Kirkham Sage Loh Marco Mirnics Caroline Morgan

Two Bar Pins Grade 12 Drew Harris Anna Hooper Taylor Phillips P.J. Settles Grade 11 Andrew Cuffe Kaelene DeCoster Isabella Johnston Lauren Lewis Katherine Turner Grade 10 Sam Alcott Grace Ann Altenbern Tricia Brown Anne Grace Cox Jack Davidson Hannah Doochin Elizabeth Freeland James Gaither Isabel Grant Sam Hood Sarah Hooton Isabelle Laffer Taylor McSpadden Evan Nagareda Shona O’Bryant Connor Phillips Jenna Rolfe Shayna Rosenbloom Rachel Ryman Hannah Smalley James Sterchi Caleb Upkins Ronny Zamir

One Bar Pins Grade 12 Jack Alcott Kristen Fohl Oliver Geer Mackenzie Minnick Jack Runyon-Hass Caroline Sheridan Grade 11 Carmel Buckingham Nathan Earl Irina Espirito-Santo Coleman Goodwin Isabel Reeve Grade 10 Emily Boone Mary Yahnian Morgan Zagerman Maggie Zerfoss Grade 9 Chloe B. Abram Zara Bracegirdle Laura Cheek Sarah Crosby Caroline Duke Ellie Faber Maggie Franck Grace Hall Lucie Clayton Johnston Frances Lavey Donny Lawrence Carson Lovell Cooper Qualls Caroline Seitz Jeffrey Tang William Wallace Eric Williams Xavia Williams

*Students who earn a GPA of at least 90 in all their academic courses in a semester and who have no individual academic semester grade below 75

28 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

INDIA SERVICE TRIP Ensworth students partnered with World Leadership School and The Timbaktu Collective to raise $4,500 for their Community Project in Bangalore, where they helped construct two solar panel lamps, new bathrooms, and a collaborative 3D maze at the local school. They partnered with local students and NGO’s where they immersed in the daily life and learned from local leaders. http:// ensworth-india-2015.blogspot.com/ SERVICE SCHOLAR A Service Scholars program, introducted for seniors to engage in an extension of his/her senior Service Learning project, will be introduced this year. Service Scholars exercise and incorporate the Core Skills that they have learned in their classes and apply them to their senior Service Learning experiences.

Service Scholars complete at least 20 hours of service on their projects beyond what is required.

They spend additional time collecting facts, researching and composing a paper that provides insight into the issues relevant to their project, and a 500-word reflection analyzing their personal experience with the project.

Those students named a “Service Scholar” will speak to the student body on Social Issues Day in 2016.

SERVICE LEARNING DAY 345 high school students and faculty served 34 Nashville locations for Service Learning Day on April 10.

Pictured: Teaching with BrightStone at the Williamson County Library

ENSWORTH

2015–2016 IMPORTANT DATES Visit ensworth.com to confirm dates or more information

August 17 First full day of classes September 25-26 Homecoming Weekend & Alumni Reunion October 9 High School Grandparents Day October 26 Robert Inman Golf Classic November 20 Pancake Breakfast October 8–10 High School Fall Play November 24 Lower/Middle School Grandparents Day

House of Morality Wins the Devon Cup

From Homecoming Week to Spirit Week, our Tiger Houses have competed in various activities throughout the year. House points were awarded for competitions including Dress Days, Powder Puff Football, House Dodgeball, Mr. Morgan Says and Dining Hall Clean-up.

Designed to promote school spirit and build connections between the grade levels, our four Tiger Houses are led by two senior captains from each house voted on by all members of their house at the beginning of the school year.

1 st PLACE House of Morality Mary Rae Bowers and Mathew Petrikin 2 nd PLACE House of Vitality Becca Smith and Will Stigall 3 rd PLACE House of Truth Anna Hinman and Nick Rolfe 4 th PLACE House of Integrity Margaret West and Daniel Mangum

National Language Examination Awards

All students in Language classes regularly participate in the annual National Foreign Language Examinations. Students who achieved the highest level in each language are: National Spanish Exam Oro Olivia Hansen Lauren Pitts Cooper Qualls William Sell (Top 10 in State) Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Connor Phillips

National Latin Exam Gold Summa Cum Laude Eric Williams Isabelle Laffer Ginny Boehm Kayce Boehm Bailey Murphy

National French Exam Gold Mathieu Loing: 1st in the Chapter, 5th Nationally among natives, 95th percentile

Ensworth Hosts 2nd Annual Social Issues Conference

On May 1, Ensworth hosted the 2015 Social Issues Conference at the High School Campus. Ensworth students in Grades 11 and 12 along with representatives from over 20 non-profit organizations were in attendance. 2014 Miss Tennessee Haley Lewis was the keynote speaker, and the special musical guest was Johnnyswim.

2015 SUMMER | 29

ACADEMICS

C U M L AU D E Students who earn a GPA of at least 95 in a department for the year are granted Cum Laude awards.

Arts: David Allen Carmel Buckingham Ashanti Charles Elliot Jaffe Gracie Johnson Maggie Monaghan Caroline Morgan Maya Ruchman Sophie Scott Hannah Smalley English: Ginny Boehm Kayce Boehm Tricia Brown Carmel Buckingham Ashanti Charles Niah Charles James Gaither Anne Grace Cox Isabel Grant Sam Hood Margaret Johnson Sage Loh Taylor McSpadden Marco Mirnics Caroline Morgan Bailey Murphy Shona O’Bryant Connor Phillips Jenna Rolfe Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Morgan Zagerman

History: Chloe B. Abram Abby Bishop Kayce Boehm Tricia Brown Lilly Chadwick Anne Grace Cox Hannah Diskin Hannah Doochin Isabel Grant Isabella Johnston Aison King Jake Kirkham Donny Lawrence Frances Lavey Lauren Lewis Sage Loh Reagan Major Riley McCormick Marco Mirnics Caroline Morgan Aislinn Murphy Bailey Murphy Evan Nagareda Shona O’Bryant Connor Phillips Shayna Rosenbloom Caroline Seitz Caroline Sheridan Hannah Smalley Jeffrey Tang Katherine Turner Eric Williams Morgan Zagerman

Boys’ & Girls’ State

Language: Josephine Bass Ginny Boehm Kayce Boehm Abbie Browder Ashanti Charles Laura Cheek Andrew Cuffe Nathan Earl Isabel Grant Elliot Jaffe Lili Johnston Jamie Kirshner Isabelle Laffer Donny Lawrence Benjamin Liggett Sage Loh Mackenzie Minnick Austin Morris Bailey Murphy Ana Darielle Nunez Connor Phillips Meggie Richter Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Anna Smith Jack Smith Belle Storms Jeffrey Tang Caleb Upkins William Wallace Eric Williams Morgan Zagerman

Each year, students are selected from every high school in Tennessee to attend Boys’ State and Girls’ State, which are weeklong conferences focusing on state government.

Ensworth’s Boys’ State representatives were Greyson Lampley and Javi Torres. Girls’ State representatives were Arin Chapman, Elgin Cato, and Camille Bryan.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

30 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Math: Rachel Barnes Anne Grace Cox Johnston Crowe Jack Davidson Hannah Diskin Lillie Fergus Akiya Harris Sam Hood Margaret Johnson Isabella Johnston Frances Lavey Benjamin Liggett Carson Lovell Taylor McSpadden Marco Mirnics Bailey Murphy Shona O’Bryant Cooper Qualls Jake Rosen Rachel Ryman Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley James Sterchi William Wallace Xavia Williams Morgan Zagerman

Science: David Allen Grace Ann Altenbern Ginny Boehm Kayce Boehm Tricia Brown Anne Grace Cox Anna Denson Emma Hood Sam Hood Jake Kirkham Isabelle Laffer Reagan Major Taylor McSpadden Marco Mirnics Aislinn Murphy Bailey Murphy Shona O’Bryant Caroline Seitz Hannah Smalley Rachel Smith James Sterchi Morgan Zagerman

ONE SPIRIT STORE. TWO CAMPUSES. Shop at either campus to find your favorite Ensworth spirit gear.

NEW! ALSO SHOP ONLINE: http://www.sidelinestores.com/ schools/tennessee/nashville/ ensworth

FOR T H E R E C OR D James N. Brown Award

The James N. Brown Award, given to students who have earned all A’s in Effort and Consideration throughout their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years, was presented to: McLean Whitson, Hailey Braemer, Jolie Diskin, Rowan Freiberg, Caroline Frist, Shoshana Kelner, William Seitz, and John Smalley.

Head of School Award

The Head of School’s Award, given to students who have earned a place on the Head of School’s List in all four marking periods of the 8th grade year, was presented to McLean Whitson, Hailey Braemer, Rose Civitts, Jolie Diskin, Caroline Frist, Shoshana Kelner, William Seitz, and John Smalley.

Orange & Black Teams 8th Grade Captains Drake Elcan, Caroline Frist, Allison Halloran and George Corzine each spoke about their Ensworth experiences and the team competition. The Orange Team was the winner of the 2014-2015 competition and trophy.

Orange Team, Congratulations!

8th Grade Gift Each year the Eighth Grade Class works together with their parents and teachers to host the Pancake Breakfast, an Ensworth tradition that has grown into a major event for the school community. After serving well over 1,000 people

Spelling Bee Champ Can you spell binary or sentry?

Ensworth fourth graders can. Caleb Park gets a congratulatory hug from teacher Mrs. Roberts after a hard fought 19 rounds against runner-up Annie Linley.

at the breakfast, members of the class determined that the proceeds of their Pancake Breakfast will be directed toward creating a library at Caldwell Elementary School, one of their Service Learning partners.

Lower/Middle School Service Learning BELIZE SERVICE TRIP Ensworth students partnered with World Leadership School to raise $2,500 for their Community Project at St. Matthew’s School, where they helped construct a cement sidewalk connecting the classroom buildings and painted the playground. They partnered with fellow middle school students at St. Matthew’s and created a water filter as well as discussed local & global issues and different leadership styles! http://ensworth-belize-2015.blogspot.com/ BOOK ‘EM Every year our fifth grade students hold a book drive with Book ‘Em, an organization helping economically disadvantaged children, from birth through high school, discover the joy and value of reading through book ownership and enthusiastic volunteers. This year our fifth graders really hit it out of the park with 3,775 books! Here are some of the final numbers: • 3,265 books for Book’em • 160 books for reading buddies at Tom Joy Elementary School • 350 used books to be sold to McKays, with proceeds to purchase life jackets for Brandon Spring Group Camp MARTHA O’BRYAN CENTER Seventh Grade students helped their first grade buddies write and illustrate original books for the Martha O’Bryan Center.

ACADEMICS

The Perfect Storm All students benefit from the STEM program because it teaches independent innovation and allows students to explore greater depths of all of the subjects by utilizing the skills learned; these skills are going to be required in order for today’s students to be tomorrow’s global leaders.

-Dr. Patricia Fioriello

32 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Keith Crowe Lower/Middle School Math & Science Department Chair

ACADEMICS

The rumble begins at approximately 2:57 each afternoon. You can actually

feel it, transferred through the structure of the old house, before you hear it. Once the rumble starts, you know only two things: whatever is causing it is unstoppable, and it is headed your way. Overladen backpacks slam into the walls of the hallway outside the science labs, and a wave of energy hits as anywhere from 10 to 25 eager problem-solvers charge into the room. So begins Robotics Club. For the next hour, a storm rages. It is a storm of building and rebuilding, coding and debugging, collaboration and competition, success and failure...and it is perfect.

The Buzz

The idea of “STEM Education” has been f loating around educational circles for many years now, to the point where it has reached true “buzzword” status. When executed well, STEM shifts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics learning away from the traditional teacher-centered model and instead synthesizes these four disciplines around problem-solving, discovery, and exploratory learning. Students develop deeper understandings by engaging in a situation in order to find a solution.

In this day when “facts” are a Google search away, traditional approaches to math and science education fall short. Synthesis of varied disciplines, of diverse points of view and backgrounds, and of broad ranges in academic skills sets must become central to what and how we teach. Ensworth’s mission and commitment to improvement uniquely positions us to lead the educational shift.

More STEM

Building on successes in multiple grades both in and out of the classroom, we are excited to share plans for expanded afterschool STEM offerings next year. Aligned with the middle school athletics and performing arts calendar, the after-school program will provide students in Grade 5

through Grade 8 additional opportunities for STEM exploration outside of the regular math and science classrooms. Anticipated topics include circuitry and electronics, computer programming, preparation for math competitions, robotics, Minecraft engineering, and more.

Our after-school STEM courses also provide a unique opportunity to “incubate” units that we hope to ultimately fold into our science and mathematics curricula. As after-school STEM challenges are refined, learning targets become more focused, and equipment and facilities are anticipated, teachers can scale up these STEM courses to provide thoughtfully designed and fieldtested problem-based learning solutions in the classroom. This model was a great success with our fourth and sixth grade robotics engineering and programming units, and we are eager to expand.

Become Involved

Building the premier STEM program in Nashville is truly a community endeavor.

Just as we expect our students to collaborate in the creation of deeper understandings, we hope that ALL members of the Ensworth family will get involved. Can you feel the rumble yet?

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP: • Take time to learn more about STEM Education and Problem-Based Learning.

• Encourage your child to sign up for one or more after-school STEM opportunities.

• Volunteer! Share what you know.

Explore ways that your skill set can help grow this STEM initiative.

• Don’t hesitate to ask for more.

The growth of our STEM programs will be thoughtful and deliberate.

Knowing you are there, adding your voice (and effort), helps us maintain enthusiasm and momentum.

More details about schedules and sign up instructions will be available in Ensworthy News in the fall. Robotics Club and Team will continue to be offered to interested students in Grades 3 and 4.

2014 SUMMER | 33

ARTS

The goal

of the Artist In Residence opportunity for Spring 2015 was to experience the path a song travels from “nonexistence” to “completed product.”

Studying this process not only gave our students unique educational experiences, but it helped them understand the development their favorite music goes through before they ever hear it on the radio.

songs. The artists used a number of techniques to help students develop their creative process.

On one day, students might randomly pair up in groups, and another day they would trade current material between groups for unexpected inspiration. After three months of work, the class decided on seven songs they felt ready to record.

Students in the Rock Band class began in February working once a week with our visiting songwriters, Rachel Thibodeau and Jason Sever, to craft original

Part two of the process was recording all seven songs. In early May, we booked a complete recording session at Blackbird Studios using profession-

al musicians to create the sounds the students envisioned for their songs. In contrast to having our students record their own music, the real songwriter uses Nashville session musicians, and seeing this process was another unique educational opportunity for the young musicians.

During the recording session, our students sat in the tracking room with headphones next to the session players, learning, engaging and becoming inspired by the passion and dedication they have for their craft. Students

were able to see how a session player adjusted musical options based on the producers’ requests to play “louder”, “more open”, “ like a punk band”, “darker” and “keeping it real old school.”

With every request, our musicians learned the history, practice and time it takes to hone the craft of creating music on the spot.

As these students assumed the role of producers, directing the session players toward the perfect track, our Song Production students were gaining handson experience in the technical side of the recording

6 34 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ARTS process. Blackbird engineers directed Song Production students in the use of compressors, microphones, recording boards and ProTools session secrets. Our lead engineer Ernesto gave the students a valuable lesson in the importance of attention to detail, down to the razor blade used to cut the label tape.

Once the songs were perfected, Rachel took time to educate the students on the importance of publishing and getting your music established as a copyrighted product.

“This semester, while working with Jason and Rachel, we created seven original songs, produced them in one of the world’s top recording studios, established a copyright for our work, and added them to a newly formed student publishing company to present our material to the professional music community for purchase and use.”

Ensworth has now established a publishing company as a “pay it forward” opportunity to continue to educate, provide a business resource, and create revenue for future music classes. The publishing company will have its catalogue available online for record labels, producers, and film makers to request use of our copyrighted music, with a small portion of the publishing returned to the Ensworth publishing company.

Rock Band students in a recording session at Blackbird Studios

Sean Smith High School Instrumental Instructor

9

JASON SEVER Jason is a Texas native who moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams as an artist and songwriter. He writes for Martina and John McBride’s publishing company, Little Champion Music. Jason’s songs include “ Whatcha Gonna Do” on McBride’s current CD, “Let Me Love It Out of You” on Tim McGraw ’s new record, and “BuzzKill” on Luke Bryan’s 2013 Spring Break release.

Other artists who have recorded Jason’s songs are Josh Kelley, Joe Nichols, The Lost Trailers, and Brad Cotter.

RACHEL THIBODEAU Since 2008, Rachel has been a writer for Little Champion Music, John and Martina McBride’s publishing company. During that same period, her Murrah and Little Champion catalogs have earned her over 40 cuts.

Rachel and co-writer Luke Bryan experienced success as a writing duo when Billy Currington cut and released their song “Good Directions”, which spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart. Rachel took home ASCAP’s Song of the Year Prize in 2008 for “Good Directions.” In addition to Billy Currington, Rachel has had songs recorded by Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Marie Osmond, Katherine McPhee and many others.

The Artist in Residence program was established through the generosity of an endowed gift. The program brings in experts in various artistic fields for a series of sessions within current classes, exposing students to new and innovative ideas and introducing them to influential leaders of the Nashville arts community.

For more information on endowed gifts or other charitable giving opportunities, contact Bedell James at 615.250.8919 or jamesb@ensworth.com 2015 SUMMER | 35

ARTS

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

MARCH 5–7, 2015 HIGH SCHOOL SPRING MUSICAL 36 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

When my good friend Jim Hoare from Theatrical Rights Worldwide, NYC, proposed an opportunity to create a high school edition of Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, I knew it was an opportunity that Ensworth and I could not refuse. With Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, the title simply and wholly explains the essence of the show. It is not the story of Johnny Cash the man, his demons, or his whirlwind marriage, but rather of the music that he wrote—the music that brought together

so many strands of a growing nation finding its groove. He was a wild gentleman, a rustic poet, and a saved sinner, but most of all Johnny Cash was an American Icon and a musical legend that transcended the bounds of generations.

Sam Phillips of Sun Records Studio in Memphis recognized that Johnny Cash was no Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis, and didn’t try to make him anything but what he was. Some say Cash invented the prison song genre, but he was most certainly prolific in roots, folk, gospel, rock, blues, and country torch songs.

ARTS ARTS

Broadway creator Richard Maltby Jr. says, “Ring of Fire is about what holds you together in the face of a hard life.” Maltby was the lyricist for Miss Saigon and conceived and directed the only two musical revues to ever win the Tony Award for Best Musical: Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Fosse, among a lifetime of accolades.

In a message to our cast and crew, Maltby said, “I am so pleased to hear a new generation is growing up cherishing his legacy. Johnny Cash is us, and every generation from here forward is going to have an opportunity to learn that.

This is yours.”

It has been a thrill to work with such a talented cast, crew, musicians, and production team. Their talents and gifts are astounding and are truly rooted in Nashville, aptly named Music City. There are so many people to thank for making this stage production a reality, but I must say how grateful I am to Mr. Sean Smith. I would never have taken on this show without his expertise and commitment.

Sean Smith is a treasure to our school and program. Thanks to Mr. Jim Hoare, Mr. Steve Spiegel, Mr. Richard Maltby, Jr., and everyone at Theatrical Rights Worldwide, NYC,

Hugh & Betsy Smalley, Jack Runyon-Hass, Emma Hood, Andrew Halloran, Rebekah Greenberg, and Caroline Seitz for being there every single day.

Donnie Bryan

Director & Designer Visual & Performing Arts Department Chair 2015 SUMMER | 37

ARTS

Ring of Fire - High School Debut at Ensworth

Representatives of Theatrical Rights Worldwide have stated that, as adapted by Arts Chair Donnie Bryan, Ensworth’s version of Ring of Fire will be the official version licensed for high school use throughout the country and abroad!

Ring of Fire Awards

Ensworth was invited to perform the opening number for the Nashville High School Musical Awards program held May 9 at Lipscomb University. The group performed Daddy Sang Bass / Circle Be Unbroken . Later in the program the Ensworth Musicians were awarded Best Orchestra.

NOMINATIONS Best Vocals Best Dancing Best Orchestra Best Design Concept Best Costumes Best Lighting Best Set Best Production Materials Best Staging Best Overall Tech Best Choreography

BRIANA MIDDLETON 38 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

AWARDS

Best Featured Male Dancer (Ben Frumkin)

Best Dancing

Best Dramatic Actress (Briana Middleton)

Best Dramatic Actress (Briana Middleton)

Best Comedic Actor (Houston Vick) Best Ensemble Actor (Levi Snider) Best Ensemble Actress (Sophie Scott) Best Music Direction Best Show

DREW HARRIS

Best Orchestra Best Ensemble Actress (Sophie Scott) All Star Cast (Drew Harris & Briana Middleton) All Star Technical Crew (Emma Hood & Jack Runyon-Hass) Best Choreography Best Music Direction Technical Theatre Scholarship (Jack Runyon-Hass)

SOPHIE SCOTT

ARTS

WITH THE WILD HORSE & THE RACE HORSE WRITTEN BY SALLY SEITZ ‘13

HIGH SCHOOL SPRING PLAY APRIL 30–MAY 2, 2015 DIRECTOR’S NOTE Sometimes I wish that you could see it from my vantage point. It’s nothing if not interesting: part comedy, part comedy-of-errors; part family drama, part suspense thriller; part agony, part ecstasy.

There is absolutely nothing like making theatre with teenagers.

A few weeks ago, I sat at my own high school reunion talking to a fellow I never talked to much in school, who at one point said: “I was made to be an architect; I can’t imagine doing anything else.” Another classmate, this one an intimate friend and a theatre director in New York City, commented that it was hard for him to imagine work that was separate from the passions that defined his life and identity. All I could think was that I was made to work with teenagers, and that I was glad that I was directing my students and not professional actors in New York. One would

be hard pressed, I believe, to find a professional company that was more earnest, hopeful and loving than the high school companies that I have worked with. When they are at their best, those are the precise qualities that make them wonderful storytellers, and I love that this cast tells these stories without a hint of cynicism. When they are at their best, these kids are capable of miracles, and if you had been sitting where I sat during practice and rehearsals, you would know that they have worked a miracle for you with this show.

I would like to dedicate this production to that seemingly endless group of seniors who were a part of this company for the past four years, those who are on stage or back stage with us now, and those who have been on stage and back stage with us on all those nights in the past. Thank you.

David Berry Director 2015 SUMMER | 39

ARTS

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING PLAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015 40 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

The title of the play is a bit misleading. The Adventures of Peter Rabbit and Friends tells the story of their creator, Beatrix Potter, through the voice of her closest friend and tutor, Annie Moore. We, at the Lower/Middle School, are often fortunate enough to have authors and illustrators visit our campus and talk about their craft. So this story of one of the first and most well-read children’s book author/illustrators seemed fitting for our winter play.

While the overarching story of Joseph Robinette’s script is the life of Beatrix Potter and her relationship with Annie Moore, some of her stories were featured, namely: Peter Rabbit, The Tailor of Gloucester, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.

Nowhere in those little white books containing Beatrix Potter’s precious watercolors and playful stories is there a hint of the frustration she must have felt when her books were rejected from publisher

ARTS

after publisher because she was a woman, or the grief she experienced when her fiancé and publisher died shortly after their engagement. She wrote to Annie that the secret of her success was that her stories were written to actual children, Annie’s children, and they contained the love and joy she felt for them.

Because the script dances between Beatrix’s life story and those of her fictitious characters, most of our actors played two to three roles. I love a script like that! Each actor had a chance to challenge herself

to find ways to make each of her characters move differently, or speak in a new voice or accent. Developing these unique mannerisms was such a fun exercise. Learning to keep them consistent was not always easy and required attention to detail long after the lines were memorized, but our cast was diligent about representing their characters well.

The Adventures of Peter Rabbit and Friends was particularly special in no small part due to our two eighth graders Corrina Gill and Zenab Mchaourab, who played

Beatrix and Annie, respectfully. Both Corrina and Zenab worked diligently to portray these women as the complex, loving women that they were. It was a pleasure to watch them transcribe their own friendship into that of Beatrix and Annie. Their work ethic and enthusiastic leadership were a pleasure to witness.

I am thankful that this script provided the opportunity for the students playing Beatrix’s real-life family and friends to explore the subtleties of dramatic acting, while allowing those who played her

imaginary friends to be BIG: to waddle like a flirtatious duck, to slink like a mischievous cat, to teeter like a china doll, or to hop like a hungry bunny trespassing in Mr. McGregor’s garden.

Hope Moeller

Director & Second Grade Teacher

2015 SUMMER | 41

2014–2015

VISUAL ART AWARDS

GOLD KEY WINNER (SCHOL ASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS) MIDDLE TENNESSEE REGIONAL EXHIBIT - BEST OF PRINTMAKING K AYCE BOEHM - “GOOSE AND GANDER” 42 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

SILVER KEY WINNERS SCHOL A STIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

Raku Firing AUDRY DEAL-M C EVER’S CERAMICS 3 CLASS Raku is a traditional Japanese ceramic firing technique. In standard firings, pieces are taken up to the target temperature then allowed to slowly cool inside the kiln. With Raku, however, after the target temperature has been reached, the pieces are pulled from the kiln using special tongs and put into containers of combustable materials and sealed to create a reduction environment. This process often creates vibrant, irridescent glaze results, which although unpredictable, are usually quite beautiful.

K AELENE D E COSTER Bounce

RITA JOHNSON Underwater

JONAS WOOD Distraction

HONORABLE MENTIONS SCHOL A STIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

SAR AH COOLE Y Trapped in a Cycle REBEK AH GREENBERG The Looking Glass CL AIRE JOYCE Mr. McGraw PERRI WIATR AK Finer With Age

MIDDLE TN REGIONAL EXHIBITION SAGE LOH Bird & Sky GINNY BOEHM Eioche is Born K AELENE D E COSTER Bounce

2015 SUMMER | 43

ATHLETICS

2014 | 2015

HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

2015 TSSA A TRACK & FIELD STATE MEET

SOPHOMORE TYRA GITTENS - 5 -TIME INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPION 44 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ATHLETICS

VOLLEYBALL

Becca Smith TSSAA DII-AA All Region Team, All Mid-State 2nd Team, and invited to TACA All-Star Match

CROSS COUNTRY

Sage Loh TSSAA DII-AA All State Team Emma Sloan All State Team, All Region Team, & TSSAA DII-AA Girls State Champion

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jordyn Cambridge DII-AA All Region Team, the Tennessee Sports Writers Association 2014-15 All State Team, and TSSAA DII-AA Mrs. Basketball finalist

BOYS BASKETBALL

Jordan Bone DII-AA All Region Team , the Tennessean 2014-15 3rd team All Mid-State Team, the TSSAA DII-AA All State Tournament team, DIIAA Mr. Basketball Finalist, and 2014-15 TSSAA DII-AA Player of the Year for the Middle/East Region

GIRLS SOCCER

Emily Patton TSSAA DII-AA All Region & All State Teams

BOYS LACROSSE

Andrew Cuffe and Javi Torres TSLA 2nd Team All-League Team

FOOTBALL

• 1st place in the DII-AA East/Middle Region • DII-AA State Runner-up Champions Daniel Mangum All Conference Scholar Athlete Team, National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Thomas Freeland, Trent Holt, Brycen Hopkins, Nash Moorer and P.J. Settles Tennessee Sports Writers All State Team, All Conference Team Donovan Sheffield, Myles Douglas, Rico McGraw, Greg McCloud and Darius Morehead Tennessee Sports Writers All State Team, All Conference Team, All Mid-State Team Donovan Sheffield Co-Defensive All Conference MVP Myles Douglas TSSAA DII-AA Mr. Football nominee Rico McGraw Army All-American P.J. Settles Tennessean Male Athlete of the Year

GOLF

• Girls Golf Team - DII-AA Region Runner-up Champions • Boys Golf Team - DII-AA Region & State Runner-up Champions Lindsay Miller Tennessean All Mid-State team, 4th overall in the TSSAA DII-AA State Tournament Garrison Hogan Tennessean All Mid-State Team, tied for 5th at the TSSAA State Tournament Brock Ochsenreiter Tennessean All Mid-State Team, TSSAA DII-AA Region Champion with a school record of 65, TSSAA DII-AA State Tournament Individual Champion

ICE HOCKEY

Peter Srebnick and Sam Fleming Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey North All Star Hockey Team

SWIMMING & DIVING

• 15 students qualified for the State Championship Meet • Of those who competed, the following made it through the preliminaries and scored in finals: Zac Gammons, Will McCall, Charlie Clifton and Austin Morris 200 Medley Relay - 12th place Austin Morris 100 Breastroke - 12th place Charlie Clifton 1 meter Diving - 2nd place Jack Smith 1 meter Diving - 14th place Jenna Rolfe 1 meter Diving - 10th place

GIRLS LACROSSE

Ellie Clark All-Region Team Mackenzie Minnick, Anne Grace Cox & Cate Elcan TGLA All-Region Team and the 2nd team All-State Team Ellie Clark, Lanier Mason and Lowery Nickels were named to Team Tennessee. They will represent the top players from Tennessee at the Women’s National Tournament at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

TENNIS

Josephine Bass and Natalie Overby All Region Girls Double Team Miles Jackson All-Region & All-State Teams, TSSAA DII-AA Individual Region Singles Champion

BOYS SOCCER

Matt Garside, Colby Green, George Mullowney, Mack Smith DII-AA All-State Team

TRACK & FIELD

• Girls Track Team - TSSAA DII-AA State Championship narrowly defeating last year’s champions Harpeth Hall 125 to 124 • TSSAA DII-AA State Tournament: Jada Dotson State Champion & Region Runner-up - Shot Put Sara Shipp Region & State Runner-up - Pentathlon & Triple Jump Emma Sloan Region Champion - 3200M Run, Region Runner-up 1600M Run Laura Catherine Wallace Region Runner-up - 400M Dash Aliya Harris, LC Wallace, Ana Darielle Nunez and Maya Wright 3rd - Girls 2x200M Relay Sara Shipp, LC Wallace, Ana Darielle Nunez and Wyatt Mullowney 3rd - Girls 4x400M Relay Darius Morehead Region Champion - 100M Dash & 200M Dash, State Runner-up - 200M Dash, State Champion in the 100 Meter Run, setting school records in both events.

P.J. Settles Region & State Runner-up - Decathlon, setting a school record. 3rd - Triple Jump & Long Jump, setting a school record Donovan Sheffield Region Champion & State Runner-up - Long Jump William Bright Region Runner-up - High Jump Tyra Gittens - Region & State Champion - 200M Dash, Long Jump, High Jump, 100 Meter Hurdles, & Pentathlon. Tyra set school records in the Long Jump, High Jump and Pentathlon.

Jake Jacobson, Darius Morehead, Thomas Freeland and Donovan Sheffield State Runner-up - Boys 4x100M Relay, setting a school record 2015 SUMMER | 45

ATHLETICS Girls Track & Field State Champions

College Signing Assembly

ENSWORTH Signed ATHLETES GYMNASTICS William & Mary DANIEL DAVIS FOOTBALL Centre MYLES DOUGLAS FOOTBALL Tennessee Tech THOMAS FREELAND FOOTBALL Washington & Lee GARRISON HOGAN GOLF Furman TRENT HOLT FOOTBALL Georgetown College BRYCEN HOPKINS FOOTBALL Purdue GREG MCCLOUD FOOTBALL ETSU DAVID ALLEN

46 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

RICO MCGRAW FOOTBALL Georgia LINDSAY MILLER GOLF Tennessee Tech MACKENZIE MINNICK LACROSSE Mercer CARSON PITTMAN BASKETBALL Oglethorpe P.J. SETTLES FOOTBALL Rhodes DONOVAN SHEFFIELD FOOTBALL Vanderbilt EMMA SLOAN CROSS

COUNTRY Brown HUNTER TRAVIS FOOTBALL Tennessee Tech

ATHLETICS Mackenzie Minnick

ROBERT INMAN AWARD for athletic participation

Robert Inman, a coach and teacher at Ensworth for 33 years, instituted the ideals of Ensworth participation. Mr. Inman coached four athletic seasons for over 30 consecutive years and positively influenced the lives of thousands of students.

The following seniors participated in at least 11 athletic seasons and received the

Robert Inman Award for Participation

Sam Fleming

Mary Rae Bowers

Preston Johnson

Tim Crosby

P.J. Settles

The following juniors participated in at least 8 athletic seasons and received the

Robert Inman Award for Participation

Brett Barnett, Sage Loh, Morgan Whitson

Jordan Bone

David Allen

ROB & JENNIE MCCABE ATHLETIC AWARD

Awarded to P.J. Settles The Hendrix Foundation Athletic Award and the Rob & Jennie McCabe Athletic Award are given only during those years in which a student athlete meets the following requirements.

He or she must:

1. Have competed in all 12 athletic seasons 2. Have a 4-year cumulative unweighted GPA of 87 or higher 3. Have received individual All-Region and/or All-State honors in at least two sports Emma Sloan

P.J.’s Athletic Accomplishments

P.J. competed in 12 athletic seasons during his 4 years at Ensworth and accomplished the following: • Member of 3 Football State Championship teams and 2 Basketball State Championship teams • Track Region and State Runner-up in the long jump and Decathlon, setting new school records

The FIRST & ONLY live scoring mobile app for high school sports!

Download the FREE app on iTunes or Google Play and follow Tigers athletics!

• Selected for the Football All Conference Team and the TSWLA All State Football Team • Recipient of the A.D.Hancok-Walter Nipper Award and named the Tennessean’s Male Athlete of the Year 2015 SUMMER | 47

ATHLETICS

2014 | 2015

MIDDLE SCHOOL

48 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ATHLETICS

GOLF

BOYS BASKETBALL

BOYS SOCCER

GIRLS BASKETBALL

• HVAC Girls Champion: Annabel Frist • HVAC Boys Champions: Stephen Turner and Sam Banks • 2014 HVAC Team Champions

• 2nd Place in HVAC (Silver Division Runner-Up)

GIRLS SOCCER

• 2nd Place in HVAC • All-HVAC: Allison Halloran, Hailey Braemer, Mary Chandler McGuffin

WRESTLING

HVAC Results: • Alex Bond - 3rd Place - 82 lbs.

• Adam Garfinkel - 3rd Place - 88 lbs.

• Henry Bright - 3rd Place - 100 lbs • Thomas McRae - 4th Place - 107 lbs.

SWIMMING & DIVING

HVAC Meet Results: • 3rd Place overall • Richard Ferrara - 1st place, Boys 50 Freestyle • Claire Haley - 3rd place, Girls 1 Meter Diving • Clark Akers - 2nd place, Boys 1 Meter Diving • Lloyd Ivester - 3rd place, Boys 1 Meter Diving • Girls 200 Freestyle Relay- 2nd place (Rose Civitts, Shoshana Kelner, Tammy Torres, Jordan Williams) • Jordan Williams - 2nd place, Girls 100 Back • Richard Ferrara - 2nd place Boys, 100 Breaststroke MTHSSA Middle School Meet Results: • Boys 200 Medley Relay - 3rd place (Rob McCall, Richard Ferrara, Colin Murray, Noah Lucy) • M.C. Carney - 2nd Place, Girls Diving • Clark Akers - 4th Place, Boys Diving

• HVAC Runner-Up • 17-4 Record • All-HVAC: Lewis McDaniel

• 11-4 Record • All-HVAC: Kaiya Wynn, Caroline Frist, Annabel Frist

SOFTBALL

• All-HVAC: Jacqueline Frist, Polly Bass

BASEBALL

• All-HVAC: Gage Young, Richard Ferrara, Jakob Schaefer, Drew Byars

TRACK & FIELD

• Nsia Gittens: HVAC Champion - 100 m hurdles (16.75) • Jude Malloy: HVAC Champion - Long Jump (19.1)

TENNIS

• Witt Grana: HVAC Champion - # 2 Singles • George Corzine: HVAC Champion - # 1 Singles • Boys finished 2nd in HVAC • Girls finished 3rd in HVAC • Allison Halloran and Camille McRae - 2nd, #1 Doubles, HVAC • Lela Hooper and Avery Smith - 2nd, #2 Doubles, HVAC • Disser Wallace and Clay Crawford - 2nd, #2 Doubles, HVAC

BOYS LACROSSE • 8-2 Record

2015 SUMMER | 49

THE EVOLUTION OF ENSWORTH’S

TENNIS PROGRAM A

fter two seasons as Tennis Director at Ensworth, I have noticed several areas of growth and development. We have seen an increase in students who express an interest in playing tennis, and we had 97 students who played for either the Middle School or High School teams this season. Our summer camp participation has also grown, as we are encouraging students to continue their practice and play outside of the school tennis season.

has helped combine the great qualities of a team sport with the qualities necessary to succeed individually. Many times this season, we have played six singles players and had the luxury of playing a different group of players in doubles, instead of the traditional six players playing both singles and doubles. Those not playing are still actively involved in the outcome and experience of those on the court.

Our students have responded positively to my requests of The support from the stucompeting to the best of their dents, faculty, staff, and parability, being respectful to ents has been incredible. More opponents, representing the school community members school in a positive manner, are better educated to the and enjoying their experience. demands of high performance A fun experience is required tennis if they witnessed a for players to continue to few of our matches. Tennis is strive to improve. Balancing no longer just a country club the fun and proper work ethic sport. It requires physical is critical for success. strength, speed, flexibility, and exceptional hand-eye Planning for Growth coordination. From a menAs I look to the future, my tal toughness aspect, tools hope would be to contend for such as problem solving, self a team championship every discipline, focus, concentrayear with HS and MS Boys tion, and self motivation are and Girls teams. We occasrequired. sionally have a singles player or doubles team contend for Being as inclusive as possible an individual championship, 50 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

but having an entire team con- grade. Our calendar of tennis tend is a more fulfilling tennis events will include exceptional instruction, training experience. for all playing levels, social As the program moves to year and competitive events, and exciting school tennis team round, we plan to establish and community events. intramural/league type opportunities for recreational students and adults, as tennis Ensworth is the first K-12 is unique in that it is an active school in Nashville to commit lifetime sport. The disciplines to building a facilty to encourage year-round tennis. This it teaches are excellent life helps us demonstrate to young lessons. It also provides for students the importance of lasting relationship-building active sports participation opportunities throughout for life. Currently, tennis is every phase of one’s life. the 4th most popular sport, and #1 individual sport in the A year-round instructional program will help grow tennis world. In just two years, I’ve seen Ensworth tennis players and encourage an active, graduate to attend University healthy lifestyle by introducing tennis to students in every of Chicago, NYU, Princeton,

E

nsworth School celebrated 2015 Cinco de Mayo with an energetic tennis tournament on a beautiful, warm day. There were 48 participating women. The day was filled with excellent doubles competition, a Mexican fiesta lunch, smoothies, wine glasses for Flight Champions, etched margarita glasses for members of the overall winning team, and a Grand Prize threenight stay at Loews Don Cesar in St. Petersburg, Florida.

and many other places of higher education. With our new facility, all students can be happy that Ensworth provided an opportunity to play a sport that they can confidently take with them for many years, wherever they decide to land after college.

Benefits to the Greater Community We have already partnered with the Nashville community as a host for Ladies NALTA league matches, USTA team leagues, Regional high school team tournament competitions, Ladies Cinco de Mayo Doubles Tournament, Men’s Invitational Doubles Tournament, summer high school tennis leagues, HVAC Middle School tournament play, as well as offering camps and instruction that are open to the community.

Our year-round plan and new facilities will allow for more social events, USTA sanctioned events, uninterrupted instructional programming, and an opportunity for community members to partner with us

to benefit our school teams and students.

Giving more community players affordable access to a high quality, national caliber facilty will help grow the game of tennis both within Ensworth and Nashville.

More community members will get to visit our campus to see the numerous advantages of the Ensworth experience.

We look forward to the increase in partnerships with tennis players and tennis supporters to further enhance our relationship with the Nashville community.

Team Puerta Vallarta captured the championship with a narrow 67 to 63 games over Team Cancun.

Congratulations to partners Laurie Hooper and Angela Robbins for winning the Grand Prize stay at the Loews Don Cesar.

Winning Flight Teams were: Lori Halloran-Helen Close, Celia Turner-Kathy Duke, Betsy Koehner-Joelle Speed, and Megan Hartman-Jennifer Williams.

Special thanks to committee chair members Kendall Womble, Christi Turner, and Cathy Lale. Additional thanks to sponsors Humana, Sam’s Sports Grill, Zaxby’s, Nashville Pizza Company, Dr. Morgan Parker of Heritage Medical Group, Rick and Lynn Scarola, Smoothie King, the Freeland Family, NALTA, Johnson, Johnson and Crabtree Architects, E-Tennis, and the Paradigm Group.

Visit the link below to learn about our Tennis Programs or contact Greg Chambers at chambersg@ensworth.com for more information. http://www.ensworth.com/ page/Programs/Tennis

Greg Chambers

Tennis Director

Laurie Hooper Angela Robbins

Julie Walker Lisa Wallace

Megan Hartman Jennifer Williams

Celia Turner Kathy Duke

2015 SUMMER | 51

COMMUNITY

From Madrid to Nashville

A

Irina Espirito-Santo shares her experience at Ensworth

Anyone who visited the school this past year would think that

makes people feel more comfortable sharing their ideas as well as

Irina had been here beginning her freshman year with her

facilitating communication, not only between the teacher and the

classmates. Junior exchange student Irina Espirito-Santo

students, but also between the students and their classmates.”

blends right in with the rest of the Ensworth students. Described

The relationship between the Ensworth faculty and students is

by her peers as “the happiest girl in the world,” Irina has made

something else that struck Irina as a special trait of the school and

a lasting impact on the Ensworth community. Hanging out with

helped her tremendously during her transition into a completely

friends in the quad, discussing classroom topics with teachers,

new school. “I love being surrounded by people who are so

and running cross country

invested in their school and

in the fall, Irina quickly

who are determined to make

adjusted to American life, but

Ensworth a better place. It is

it wasn’t without the help of

very gratifying to be a part of

the

community.

a school where the students

Only days into her stay, she

and teachers care so much for

realized that she was in good

each other, a school where the

hands.“What stuck out to me

ultimate goal is to bring out the

most when I first got here was

best in each of the individuals

how

genuinely

welcoming

that make up the entire student

and

considerate

everyone

body.” Although being in a

Ensworth’s

different country and culture

learning style took some

posed a great challenge for

adjusting and getting used

Irina this school year, Ensworth

to, Irina had an incredibly

“has helped me become more

was.”

Ensworth

While

successful experience during

mature,

independent

and

her year-long visit at Ensworth. “The environment at school is

curious.” She has “learned how to handle hard situations on my

very different from the one in which I have grown up, which has

own and to not depend on other people; however, Ensworth has

made it both a great experience and a challenge for me.”

also taught me that asking for help does not make people weak,

“It is wonderful to see how people are happy to represent

instead it is a way to show interest.”

their school in different fields, such as sports, literature,

Irina will be greatly missed by the Ensworth community, especially

history, art or science. At Ensworth, everyone is considered

her classmates who formed lasting friendships with her. Sarah

important,

everyone’s

voice

matters,

and every student is encouraged to use their talents to fulfill their potential.” The Harkness Table was a place where she found she could express her opinions openly and grow as an independent thinker.

Having never experienced or even heard of a Harkness discussion until her arrival in Nashville in August 2014, Irina has grown to really cherish the Harkness-style

“What stuck out to me most when I first got here was how genuinely welcoming and considerate everyone was.”

classroom found at Ensworth. “Being around a Harkness Table 52 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Wilson, a rising senior, said “It was so much fun having Irina spend the year at Ensworth. Not only was she a constant source of happiness inside and outside of the classroom, she was a spectacular friend.

Irina cares about everyone in such a genuine way, and she made it her daily goal to make sure everyone around her felt happy.”

Alli Hicks

Alumni Relations Coordinator

COMMUNITY

Closing Exercises Areeb Ahmed Lindsey Lynch Armistead Thomas Samuel Awad Stephen Wesley Beckham Raleigh Scott Berggren Greyson Scott Birdsong Lily Pearl Black Katherine Dent Bostick Hailey Blair Braemer Eleanor Walker Brown Olivia Grace Cardwell Mary Caroline Carney William Eoin Carr Anna Maybelle Cash Julia Hope Chang Caroline Grace Christian Frances Rose Cynthia Civitts Samuel Hudson Clayton Evan Pierce Coleman Keyshawn DeAndrea Collier George Daniel Corzine Nash Pitman Crook Jolie Zara Diskin Christopher John Dull, Jr. Andrew Drake Elcan Richard Byrd Ferrara

8TH GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Jake Dao Finlay Halle Jewell Frankum Rowan Olivia Freiberg Caroline Mead Frist Corrina Grant Gill Caroline Elizabeth Hadden Caroline Jane Haley Kennedi Alexis Hall Allison Diane Halloran Randy Joshua Howard II Shoshana Ella Kelner Ashton Davis Kelso Cole Everett Kennon James Marlen Solomon Kent Phillip Anthony LaMancusa IV Luke James Lapré Thomas Elijah Larson JaTorria Rayne Lee Jackson Drew Mayberry Lewis William-Edward McDaniel, Jr. Mary Chandler McGuffin Zenab Fahima Mchaourab Camille Grace McRae Julia-Rose Elizabeth Stanbrook Neff Brenda Carole Oliver Naomi Naylea Zavala Ordonez

Audrey Jewell Pulliam Olivia Joy Pulliam Fletcher Cato Renken Bennett Ingram Rosen Ethan Charles Sanchez Jakob Ross Schaefer John Worthington Scott William D. Seitz Ashley Aline Settles Darin Dee Setzer Coby Michael Sheer Allison Grace Sinks John Wesley Smalley Marianna Williamson Staff Jalen Isaiah Sueing Robert Jacob Taylor Tamara Ivonne Torres James Stephen Turner III Samuel Mitchell Walker Disser Joseph Wallace McLean Marie Whitson Jackson Galbraith Wright Danté James Wynn Gage G Young

2015 SUMMER | 53

COMMUNITY a

b

Ensworth Events LOWER/MIDDLE SCHOOL c

54 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

COMMUNITY

d

e

g

a Kindergarten Penny Parade b Kindergarten Habitat for Humanity c Fifth Grade Egg Drop d Kindergarten Penny Drive e Field Day f Fourth Grade Biography Fair g & h Field Day i & j Second Grade Author’s Reception

f

h i

j

2015 SUMMER | 55

COMMUNITY a

b

Ensworth Events HIGH SCHOOL c

d

e

56 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

f

COMMUNITY g

h

j

i

k

l

a & b Spring Dance Concert c Spring Instrumental Concert d Ensworth Orchestra e Theater class outside f Prom g & h Spirit Week i Spring Day j Story & Song k The Wild Horse and The Race Horse l Story & Song

2015 SUMMER | 57

COMMUNITY

Benefit Auction FEBRUARY 7, 2015

CHAIRS Jennie Garth Lowe, Janet Sterchi, Elizabeth Gerken, Heather Wright 58 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

COMMUNITY

Super Saturday MAY 16, 2015

CHAIRS Josephine Smithwick and Laura Bowen

SPONSORED BY:

Cumberland Transit SUPPORTING SPONSORS: 窶帰ctive Entertainment Mr. & Mrs. James N. Bowen II & Family Dale Incorporated Mr. & Mrs. Steven C. Hooper & Family Nashville Tent & Awning Co. Optique Eye Care Eye Wear Drs. Michele & Jeffrey Sonsino Robert P. Pulliam, DMD, MS Periodontal & Implant Associates of Middle TN, PLLC Roundingwell Siragusa Vein & Laser 2015 SUMMER | 59

COMMUNITY 2015-2016 Parent Association

Building Community

SUPER SATURDAY

It rained, it shined, and everyone had a great time! Students “roared like tigers” and enjoyed an activity-packed day. Big thanks to chairs Laura Bowen and Josephine Smithwick and over one hundred volunteers for making Super Saturday a “roaring” success!

Board Members President: Shannon McGuffin

President-Elect: Candy Bass Secretary: Janet Sterchi Treasurer: Carrie McLaren Treasurer-Elect: Rebecca Larson

Educating Parents

SUMMER READING FOR PARENTS The Ensworth All-Parent Read helps us understand the human experience, put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, better understand another perspective, and continue our search for truth. Join us in reading Outcasts United: An

Parent Association S HAN NON M C G U F F I N The three-fold mission of the Ensworth Parent Association is to Build Our Community, Educate

American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference

by Warren St. John, as the first ever All-Parent Read.

Outcasts United

Our Parents, and Support Our School. Because all Ensworth parents are members of the Parent Association, we are able to work together to coordinate and support a variety of activities on both campuses. Thanks to the hard work and generosity of our school community, we have wrapped up another outstanding year! Under the leadership of Past-President Amy Christiansen, the PA was able to present a $175,000 gift to Ensworth. To continue on this successful path, we are actively seeking Ensworth parents who would love to get involved in any of the 30+ committees offered. Our volunteers can be found helping in the classrooms, hosting parent gatherings, organizing the Spirit Store, supporting our dramatic and musical productions, and selling concessions at athletic events. To find out even more information about ways to get involved and upcoming events, simply click on the

Support our School

$175,000 GIFT TO ENSWORTH The 2014-2015 Ensworth Parent Association, led by President Amy Christiansen, presented a generous check to Ensworth in May for $175,000! The proceeds were raised through The Ensworth Auction, Super Saturday, and other various fundraising activities throughout the school year. Thanks to the Parent Association for their hard work and dedication!

Immediate Past President: Amy Christiansen Parent Education Chair: Carolyn Hall Parent Education Chair-Elect: Lauren Lunsford Fundraising Chair: Elizabeth Gerken Communications Chair: Louise Bryan Communications Chair-Elect: Heather MacDonald LS Representative: Elena Rollins LS Representative-Elect: Mike Haney MS Representative: Barbara Smith MS Representative-Elect: Chandra Jamison HS Representative: Kim McRae HS Representative-Elect: Kirsten Crosby Tiger Club Chair LS/MS: Lindsey Byers Tiger Club Chair HS: Danielle Whitson Alumni Parent Representatives: Sara Baker, Amy Colton Arts Council Chairs: Karen Miller, Jody Abrams At Large Representatives: Jim Johnson, Missy Wallace

“Parents” tab on the Ensworth website and join us in making 2015-16 another fantastic year!

Save the Dates!

Shannon McGuffin

February 20, 2016: The Ensworth Auction

2015-2016 Parent Association President 60 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

May 7, 2016: Super Saturday

FACULTY

FAC U LTY B O OK S H E LF ENSWORTH SUMMER READING Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well Author: Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen Genre: Non-Fiction

This summer, the Ensworth Faculty read Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. While there is a significant body of research and writing on the most effective strategies for giving feedback, the authors of this book argue that more attention should be paid to learning how to receive feedback in a productive manner. Given the role that feedback naturally plays in a school environment, a better understanding of the barriers that prevent people from receiving feedback effectively and the best strategies for processing feedback constructively will only enhance our capacity to foster the growth of our students, our colleagues and ourselves. In particular, the first nine chapters are most relevant to our work as educators and the following quote from the book will give you some sense as to why an exploration of feedback is of great value: “Receiving [feedback] well means engaging in the conversation skillfully and making thoughtful choices about whether and how to use the information and what you are learning. It’s about managing your emotional triggers so that you can take in what the other person is telling you, and being open to seeing yourself in new ways.”

LINDEN LANTZ

TREY HOUSE

Middle School Band

Middle School Latin

Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music

Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America

Author: Glenn Kur tz Genre: Memoir

“One of the many regrets that I hear from adults is that they either never learned how to play an instrument or stopped playing an instrument.

This book dives in to the life of Glenn Kurtz, a classical guitarist who stopped playing at the age of 25, who decides to get back into playing.

He talks about how practice requires rigor, attention, and commitment, which becomes its own reward! Even though focused in music, its concepts can be applied to so many different areas of life.”

Author: Gilber t King Genre: Non-Fiction

“Gilbert King delivers a powerful account of the battle for Civil Rights for all Americans.

Recounting the travails of civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall, the book focuses on a volatile case in rural, Jim Crow Florida set shortly before the landmark Brown v the Board of Education Supreme Court case. At turns awe-inspiring and infuriating, this is one of the best and most thoughtful books I’ve read in years.”

JIM MILLER

JEAN BRUCE

Winesburg, Ohio

The Lifeboat

High School English

Author: Sher wood A nderson Genre: Shor t Stories

"Like Gertrude Stein, Anderson inspired and personally mentored many of the authors of the Lost Generation, giants like Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald. I’m reading Winesburg, Ohio because I enjoy short stories in the summer, when I seem to read mostly in fits and starts, and because I love the American Modernist writers."

High School Librarian

Author: Cha rlotte Roga n Genre: Fiction (Historica l Fiction)

“The Lifeboat is a story of hard choices and survival. In the summer of 1914, an explosion happens on an ocean liner. Newly married Grace finds herself on a lifeboat which is over capacity.

For survival, some must die. A great page turner for the beach!”

2015 SUMMER | 61

FACULTY

Ensworth

FACULTY Focus AM Y R IC H Grade 2

How did you become a teacher?

I knew from the time I was in second grade that I wanted to be a teacher, and my mind never changed. I started Camp Cobblestone with Evalina Cheadle when we were 10 years old.

We had children ages three to five and charged $5.00 a day for three hours of fun. “Big Evalina” was a legend in the teaching world in Nashville and served as my mentor. She would remind me to “lighten up” as a child, and that was good advice.

My parents were supportive of me as I pursued my dream of teaching and were most proud when I decided to get back into the field following my 13 years at home with young children.

What do you love about your job and about Ensworth?

I believe in this school, the mission of the school, and our faculty. My colleagues are hardworking, dedicated, and enthusiastic about trying new ideas and learning together.

We can move hundreds of cars and children safely through hook-ups! Our yearbook staff, coaches, drama, art and music programs are led by talented professionals who care about our kids. I am impressed with the commitment to professional growth opportunities for our faculty, the funding of our classroom libraries, and our technology program moving forward. I love that the core strength of our school remains the same as when my own children were students: faculty who really care about the growth of the whole child.

There is just something about being around second graders that I adore! The enthusiasm and sparks of imagination—and humor—are what I enjoy most. I love the sense of community I can foster with my own students and their families.

62 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

Teaching this age child assures you will never be bored, and you better be 100 percent each day to keep up with them.

Every single day is different, and some are more challenging; I am certainly going to bed earlier these days! I love to figure out what makes each child tick, and I’ve used lots of tricks over the years to establish my classroom as their home away from home.

After almost 20 years of teaching at Ensworth, what are some of the changes you’ve seen?

The switch to Singapore Math in our Lower School math curriculum has been revitalizing to me as a teacher. It is exciting to see how our students can explain numbers and number sense in problem solving. Often I remind my class to have ‘Math Confidence!’ We talk about new ways to think about solving problems.

With literature, reading responses, iPad mirroring of student work, and other classroom activities, I encourage peer involvement. I teach my children to peer edit. As with many activities for this age child, modeling comes first with suggestions for positive comments and helpful suggestions. I like to receive feedback from the children regarding projects they loved or projects that were not as fun. I look to the children to see how technology changes the way they learn, whether it is from a math YouTube video or an app for selfevaluation after learning a new skill.

FUN FACTS ABOUT AMY • Her husband, Eddie Schmidt, has not missed a 2nd Grade puppet show or the Author’s Reception since they married in 2002.

• Amy relaxes with a bowl of popcorn and some Netflix, knitting, reading a fabulous book, or watching HGTV. She also loves watching sports—particularly when Vandy wins.

• A fan of crockpots, Amy can make a pretty good crockpot spaghetti sauce and chili.

FACULTY

E DD CAU DI LL Middle School Math Why did you become a teacher, and what do you love about it?

The people who made the biggest impact in my life and the people that I respected the most growing up were my teachers and coaches. I grew up almost worshipping my teachers, and I was very lucky to be able to have some great men and women as teachers. As the child of two educators, hanging around a school was all I’d ever known; I’ve always felt at home and comfortable being part of a school community. I never seriously thought about doing anything else. I just finished my thirtieth year as a classroom teacher. I truly believe God wants me to be a teacher, and I can feel His pleasure when I serve and love the students with whom I have been entrusted.

Teaching provides me with an opportunity to help young people. Young people have a lot of pressure on them, and many of them do not feel very good about themselves. I enjoy having the opportunity to meet them wherever they are on their path and possibly help them along the way. It is always a goal of mine to help them feel a little bit better about themselves when the school year is over.

What do you think sets Ensworth apart from other schools?

When I was a student, I was very quiet and shy, and I rarely spoke up in class, fearing I would make a mistake. I rarely felt comfortable asking my teachers for help, and this prevented me from learning at a higher level. Ensworth does a great job of breaking down the teacher/student barrier. I think one of the best things Ensworth provides for its students is the great relationships that are formed between the students and the teachers. The conversations held around Ensworth Harkness Tables and in classrooms and offices enable and empower students to learn at a higher level. I have listened to many of our Ensworth graduates talk about having greater success in college because of their ability to talk with their college professors about their questions, mistakes, and weaknesses.

That ability to communicate with their instructors and learn from their mistakes was instilled at Ensworth.

As an educator, how do you evaluate your work and improve upon it?

One of the best ways I improve as an educator is by listening.

I have learned a lot by listening to my peers talk about their successes with different methods of teaching. Even though it can be painful, I listen to my students and their parents’ criticisms of me. One thing I have found true over the years is that there was usually some level of truth associated with every criticism I have received. Being open to change and criticism is essential for improvement.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EDD

Math tends to beat some kids down, and I try to make the math experience a little less painful for them while still challenging them to do their best. This is sometimes an almost impossible task, because math “clicks” for students at different stages of their development. As all parents know, it can be a very tough task to nurture, challenge, and unconditionally love a child when they are not giving their best effort. Unconditionally loving students is a very challenging task, and I pray each day for God’s strength to help me do this.

• All three of his children are Ensworth graduates: Ellie ’08, Grant ’10, and Paul ’11.

• He plans to play lots of golf over the summer, in addition to teaching summer classes.

• He loves to eat.

• He says his wife Melinda, who works at Vanderbilt, is the best person he has ever known.

2015 SUMMER | 63

FACULTY

AU DRY DE AL- M C E VE R High School Art

How did you come to teach at Ensworth?

I’ll be honest and say that teaching high school was never part of my life plan, but I am so glad I am here! I had no idea that jobs like this existed. My favorite thing about Ensworth is that we consider the arts an academic subject, and that students have so many ways to fulfill their required arts credits. I love being able to teach such specialized classes as Ceramics 3 and Photo 3 and expose students to artistic experiences that are far beyond the typical high school offerings. I feel like my students really gain an understanding of what it means to be an artist.

I also love the fact the Ensworth has a darkroom. The fact that they had the foresight to build a darkroom at the High School when many other schools—even universities—were phasing them out, was very significant to me. In an age when photography is instantaneous and almost always easily available, I find that many of my students initially almost view images as disposable at first. Teaching them how to shoot film and develop film slows them down. They have to plan and be very deliberate about their decision-making. When they print in the darkroom, they gain a better understanding of where the art of photography came from and they start to better appreciate the work of artists like Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Alfred Stieglitz. They latch on to the physicality of the processes and feel true ownership of their images when they are finished. It is all rather magical to watch. After this, when they go back to their digital camera, I notice they continue this slower, more intentional method of making images which results in much higher quality work.”

64 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

What do you like about teaching high school students?

Having taught ages three to 60, I love high schoolers because they don’t come into a class with the same preconceived ideas of whether or not they’ll be good at something. Adults are hard to teach because they are afraid to fail, but teenagers are more open-minded. They also are far more intuitively creative and curious. I have had my Ensworth students create well-researched, lovely conceptual art projects that are more thought-provoking and interesting than what even some of my professional artist friends are working on.

How do you encourage your students to evaluate their work and improve upon it?

I often ask students to evaluate and improve upon their own work by having them research other contemporary and historical artists. In all three levels of my photo classes, I let students come up with their own large, final project. Before they can start, however, I have them write a formal proposal and research/write about at least one artist who has taken on a similar project. While I don’t want them to copy this artist’s work, seeing how a professional has executed a project helps give them better ideas of how to use visual and technical aspects of photography, and how to present their work in a professional way. Good artwork doesn’t happen in a bubble!

FUN FACTS ABOUT AUDRY • Audry has had over 30 exhibits in the United States over the past five years.

• Audry and her husband met at the age of 18 while swing dancing. They try to go dancing as often as possible.

• Audry and her husband have been restoring their 1920s bungalow over the past five years, and Audry now knows how to lay flooring, hang drywall, tile surfaces, and even some basic woodworking.

• Audry is on an episode of Tennessee Crossroads which gets re-aired every few months.

Visit Audry’s webpage to see her work: www.AudryDealMcEver.com

FACULTY

M I LE S ASAFO -ADJ E I High School Admission Assistant What brought you to Ensworth, and what do you do here?

I’m originally from Durham, North Carolina, but have lived in the Nashville area since I was five years old. I first came to Ensworth as a ninth grader in 2005 as a part of the second graduating class. I had an amazing four years at Ensworth before heading to Upstate New York to play basketball at Cornell University. After college, the opportunity to come back to Ensworth presented itself, and I couldn’t pass it up!

Working in Admissions has been great. I love interacting with and learning from different people, and when we are busiest, I get to do that on a daily basis. As a student I was involved in all parts of the school, so I’m able to speak to student life when talking to prospective students and their families. Because I came to Ensworth in the ninth grade, I’m also able to speak from the perspective of a new student.

One way we evaluate ourselves in Admissions is by sending out a survey to the families that have just gone through the admissions process. Their feedback is invaluable as we look at better ways to promote Ensworth. It can be tough because different families are looking for different things for their student.

Making sure I touch on all the different parts of the school, while emphasizing the things that are important to that particular family, is essential. I’ve found that there can be changes from year to year, so making sure I’m knowledgeable about changes to the curriculum, in different departments, or in student life is important so we can be sure we are providing accurate information.”

What has it been like to work alongside your old teachers? Is there anything you know now that you wish you would have known back when you were a student?

I’ve enjoyed being able to get to know teachers that I’ve built relationships with over the years on a deeper level. I’m more mature and more knowledgeable than I was as a student, so

the conversations have changed. It’s been interesting and insightful to not only be able to hear and discuss their views and perspectives on certain things, but to be able to share my own views and perspectives as well.

I don’t think there is anything that I wish I would’ve known or done differently back when I was a student. It’s probably for the best that students don’t know everything about “the other side.” Also, Ensworth is unique in that the students have quite a bit of say in the changes that will directly affect them.

As a student I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on what was going on.

As a staff member, what are some of the ways you get to know and work with the students?

Coaching basketball has been great. Basketball is something I’ve been passionate about since I was little, so being able to share what I know about the game with the kids has been a fun and eye-opening experience. The month of June is dedicated to basketball. We have practice, team camps, and summer workouts with our returning incoming players.

Summer basketball is always fun, especially for the incoming freshmen, because it’s a chance to get better and to make new friends before school starts in the fall.

FUN FACTS ABOUT MILES • “My favorite musical artist is John Legend.

He has an amazing voice and is also a huge proponent of education reform. He’s passionate about improving our education system and finding ways to provide a good education to those who don’t have the opportunity to receive one.”

• He has two older sisters.

• He doesn’t like spiders.

• His favorite ice cream flavor is Heath Bar. • He aspires to own a pet Beagle.

• He loves sci-fi novels. Favorites include: 1984, A Brave New World, and Ender’s Game.

2015 SUMMER | 65

FACULTY

FAC U LTY & S TAF F N E WS

Appreciation to Permanent Trustee Ann Wells, Retiring

Ann Harwell Wells has had a remarkable history of involvement with and support for Ensworth School. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vanderbilt, where she also earned a master’s degree, Ann joined the faculty of Ensworth as the school

WEDDINGS Valerie Snider to Thomas Wallace June 20, 2015

BIRTHS

was getting started. She taught English, Literature, History, and coached athletics from 1960 – 63, then took time out to raise her three children. She and the late Dr. Charles Wells are the parents of three Ensworth alumni: Wyatt,’78, Harwell,’80, and Ann’81.

Krysten Call (Jonathan) Madeline Sage born February 5, 2015

Ann was elected to the Board of Trustees

Molly Burgdorf (Brian) Lowry Wilson born June 2, 2015

She was elected a Permanent Trustee in

and served two terms from 1970-1976.

1983 and has worked loyally for the school in many ways since that time. Ann is the author of The History of Ensworth’s First

RETIREMENTS Bill Arthur Art, Lower/Middle School Cris Hempel Pre-First Grade

25 Years – a beautifully researched book that is used frequently by staff and enjoyed by anyone who reads it. Her second book, “Always in My Heart,” is a compilation of the World War II letters of her parents.

Ann’s service as a Permanent Trustee has

Grace Keeble Physical Education, Lower/Middle School

been far from honorary; she has worked as

Kathy Jones Pre-First Grade Assistant

developed the first Board Policy Manual,

Anne Stringham Communications

Evaluation. As an educator, a parent, and

Ann Harwell Wells Board of Trustees

insight over many years, and we deeply

66 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

a member of the Head Search Committee, was a member of the committee that and helped develop the procedure for Head a Trustee, Ann has contributed wisdom and appreciate her dedication and commitment.

Faculty News

Bill Haslam appointed Greg Eubanks to the Volunteer TN Commission as Representative At-Large Volunteer. It is a three year appointment to a 25 member board that manages the Americorp Funds. The group promotes volunteerism and service learning across the state. Greg also serves as the Chairman of Foundations of Service, which works on getting service learning into public schools.

Dillon Seigenthaler was named Girls Track Coach of the Year by The Tennessean. Seigenthaler’s Lady Tigers edged Harpeth Hall (125.5-124) for the Division II title. “It was a team effort. Everything came together. We had two girls compete in five events at State (including the pentathlon).

That was huge. It was an amazing effort.

The seniors and underclassmen came together. The freshmen and sophomores stepped up, and it was a dream finish for our seniors.”

Connor Schutzman became a Certified Sports Turf Manager. He is one of only about 350 in the U.S. to earn this title.

The SAIS Board of Trustees is pleased to officially welcome former Ensworth Headmaster Dr. Kirk Walker as the SAIS President. In accepting the appointment as the next SAIS President, Dr. Walker said, “I am both honored and excited. Over the years, I have been continually impressed by the association’s commitment to serving the needs of its member schools and to advancing quality education. I welcome the opportunity to be a part of its future.”

The Book Awards recognize faculty and staff members for their years of service to Ensworth. Together with the Ensworth Parent Association, the school presents library books to those individuals completing 10, 15, 25, 30, and 35 years of service to Ensworth each year. The books, donated to the libraries at both campuses, honor these teachers, and reflect their individual interests.

FA C U LT Y & S TA F F B O O K AWA R D S

10 Y E A R S Brad Wilkerson

Bedell James

Technology, Lower/Middle School

Associate Director of Institutional Advancement

Tiffany Townsend

Rob Herring

The Generosity Network

Robot Book

Spanish, High School

Director of Marketing and Communications

A Curious Mind

El Arbol Generoso (The Giving Tree)

Paul Phillips

Eva Connelly

History, High School

In Defense of Liberal Education

The Elegance of the Shoe

Bruce Libonn

Chelsy Hooper

Technology, Middle School

Science Experiments You Can Eat

Swim! Swim!

Becky Puckett

Gina Bell

Development

Kitchen, Lower/Middle School

At the Water’s Edge

Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Cooking

Molly Machleit

Jasmine Davis

Fitness, High School

Communications

Trigger Warning

Spanish, High School

Party Princess

Sukey Johnson

Kelly Belew

Grade 1

Business Office

Planet Kindergarten

Sally Taylor

Head of Lower School

Angela Pursley

Kitchen, High School

The Elegance of the Cat

Database Manager

My Bike

(NOT PICTURED)

The Fifth Gospel

25 Y E A R S Anne Stringham

15 Y E A R S Gretchen Thompson Math, Middle School

We’ve Got Your Number

Keith Crowe

Science, Middle School

What If?

Grace Keeble

Director of Communications

Physical Education, Lower/Middle School

Doable

Kathy Jones

Pre-First Grade

Genuine Sweet

Sneaker Century

Terri Schulz

Technology, Lower/Middle School

Volleyball Steps to Success (NOT PICTURED)

2015 SUMMER | 67

ALUMNI

Ensworth Alumni

C LAS S NOT E S 1970

WEDDINGS Catherine Bagley Thompson ’99 to Gabe Borman - May 17, 2015

Leaf Seligman ’73 recently pub-

Haden Wiley ’99 to Phillip Brian Cook - May 30, 2015

lished A Pocket Book of Prompts.

Pierce Sandwith ’01 to Maggie Pishko - March 14, 2015

1990

Mary Lynn Ware ’01 to Chad Adcock - January 3, 2015 Cate Wiley ’03 to Will Lane - February 28, 2015 Kevin Patrick McDermott ’08 to Lauren Cox - April 18, 2015 Anna Kate Dunn ’09 to Dylan Craig - June 13, 2015

Marisa Gottlieb ’94 lives in New York City and just started a new job as the Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Maybelline New York.

2000

BIRTHS Susan Oliver Sobel ’97 (Lance): Eleanor Katherine Will Howorth ’98 (Camellia): Beckett and Henry Jameson Norton ’98 (Anna): Claire Louise Betsy Buntin Rossi ‘00 (Dave): Bebe Elizabeth Faison Clifton ’01 (Phillip): Hank Brooke Bloom Riebeling ’01 (Russell): Ashton Amelia Caroline Rhett Sloan ‘01 and Benson Sloan ‘00: Lynne Rison

IN MEMORY

Cate Wiley Lane ’03 is living in Nashville where she works at St. Thomas Hospital ICU and plans to start Vanderbilt University’s Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program in August.

Millie Chapman ’08 is living on the Upper East Side of New York working for Pearson Publishing.

Taylor Thomas ’08 is attending graduate school at San Francisco Art Institute to receive her Master of Fine Arts.

John “Alex” Abernathy ’14

Jana Wolskij ’09 is currently teaching at Paragon Mills Elementary as an Exceptional Student Education Teacher.

Jana has been accepted to the Masters Program at Vanderbilt for Special Education and also works for the Williamson Co. Recreation Department during the summer with students with disabilities.

2010 Peter Awad ’11 graduated in June from Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Leadership Studies. He will be working as a Private Equity Analyst for Audax Private Equity in Boston, MA starting in August.

Morgan Biddy ’11 graduated from Samford University with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Administration.

Lauren Buckheit ’11 graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She has accepted a

SENIORS WITH ALUMNI PARENTS

ALLEN Mary Lauren Barfield ’84, Harrison ’15 68 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

BISHOP Drusie Hall ’70, Abby ’15

BOEHM Kathy Lazenby ’78, Kayce ’15 (L), Ginny ’15 (R)

DENSON Catherine Franklin ’80, Anna ’15

ALUMNI

Homecoming & Reunion Weekend position as a Client Relationship Associate with Vanguard.

Alex Boehm ’11 graduated from Notre Dame with a B.A. in Math. In the upcoming year, he is going to be participating in Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education service through teaching program, teaching high school math at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.

Alexandra Callahan ’11

Lauren Cummings ’11 graduated from Lipscomb University School of Nursing. She is working as a personal baby nurse this summer and taking the NCLEX.

Lila Davis ’11 graduated from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Studio Art. She will begin graduate school this fall at Parsons in New York City.

graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Business- Accounting and Finance with a minor in Theatre.

In September, she will be starting a full time job as a Corporate Strategist with Procter & Gamble.

Molly Denson ‘11 gradu-

Sarah Chapman ’11 graduated

David Dingess ’11 graduated from Furman University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

from The New School in May as the Distinguished Urban Studies Scholar and has recently moved back to Nashville.

Alex Cinelli ’11 graduated from Earlham College with a bachelor’s degree in Geology.

DOWNEY Ken ’78, Kendall ’15

Alumni Art Show Reception Ingram Art Center Theater Gallery 4:30-6:30pm

Homecoming Game Friday, September 25 vs. CPA Homecoming Tailgate at 5:30pm Jim ‘N Nicks Catering - Free for the Ensworth Community Ensworth vs. CPA at 7:00pm

ated from the University of Tennessee and has a summer internship with the Office of Sustainable Practices at the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation.

Carolyn Fisher ’11 graduated from Vanderbilt with a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development with minors in Corporate

HIGGINS Sarah Edwards ’77, Lilli ’15

Reunion for Classes ending in ‘0 & ‘5 Saturday, September 26 Reunion Cocktail Party at the Braemer home for years ending in 0 & 5.

For information, contact Alli Hicks 615-301-8943 or hicksa@ensworth.com

HOOPER Hale ’78, Anna ’15

HUNT Jim ’82, Caroline ’15 2015 SUMMER | 69

ALUMNI

Ensworth Alumni

Strategy and Spanish. She is moving to Atlanta in the fall where she will be in Human Capital Consulting at Deloitte.

Mose Franck ’11 graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He will be attending the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston this fall for his Master of Health Administration.

Elizabeth Geer ‘11 joined the team at Circa Design as Production Assistant in July.

Taylor Grant ’11 graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. He has moved back to Nashville to work for Avondale Partners as an Investment Banking Analyst.

Eddie Gore ’11 graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. During his freshman year of college, he formed a band called The Suits, and they have signed a record deal with Frenchkiss Records.

Rand Jackson ’11 graduated from Sewanee Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa as an English major. He also earned first-team all-conference honors on the tennis team, which won its conference championship for the third year in a row. He plans to attend law school after working for a year.

Brittany Jenkins ’11 graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Studies.

Ashlyn Johnson ’11 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kenyon College. Beginning in the fall, she will be attending New York University to earn her Master of Social Work.

Sto Mahoney ’11 graduated from Lehigh University in May with a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Business & Engineering.

He will return to Lehigh in the fall on the Presidential scholarship to complete his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering.

During the summer, he has worked for Ingersoll Rand on their Sales & Innovation team in Davidson, NC.

C LAS S NOT E S

Megan Moseley ’11 graduated from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA. She is graduating with a Psychology major and English Minor. She will begin working with WHM LLC in their Human Resource department in August.

Hill with a B.A. in Business Management in December of 2015. She completed her college swimming career for the Tar Heels at the Women’s Division 1 NCAA championships in March competing in the 200 and 400IM.

Mary Beth Oglesby ’11 grad-

Lindsey Riesz ’11 graduated

uated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Sewanee: The University of the South. She will begin medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis in August.

Julian Payne ’11 graduated from University of Colorado Boulder with an A&S degree in Water Resource Management.

Andrew Rappuhn ’11 graduated from Boston University Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance & Accounting and an Economics minor. He will be working at Deloitte Consulting in Boston.

Hannah Runyon-Hass ’11 will graduate from The University of North Carolina Chapel

from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science and an emphasis in Biological Oceanography. She has moved to Key West, FL for a marine education internship with Reef Relief, a non-profit organization that focuses on the coral reefs in the Keys.

Lee Srebnick ’11 is working as a Growth Intern at a Technology company in San Francisco called Tilt.

Curtiss Telfer ’11 graduated in May from Washington and Lee University, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Mathematics. He will be working for Lincoln Financial in their commercial real estate department and living in Greensboro, NC.

SENIORS WITH ALUMNI PARENTS

JOYCE Douglas ’71, ’15 (L) & Claire ’15 (R) 70 Susie | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

LALE Cathy Sherrill ’76, Matt ’15

PARRISH Nate ’75, Elizabeth ’15

PAYNE Palmer Alexander ’69, Will ’15

ALUMNI

up n g i S y! a d o T

Ham Wallace ’11 graduated from Colorado College with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in Film Studies. After graduating, he is moving to Carbondale, Colorado to work as a fishing guide.

Anna Claire Wammack ’11 graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy. Beginning in the fall, she is going to graduate school at Ole Miss to get her Master of Accountancy and then moving to Dallas to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2016.

Monday, October 26, 2015 The Golf Club of Tennessee 12:00pm Registration & Lunch 1:00pm Shotgun Start

Mary West ’11 graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in politics. She will begin Vanderbilt Nursing School’s Nurse Practitioner program in the fall.

HOLE SPONSORSHIPS $500 INDIVIDUALS $300

The Robert Inman Tiger Classic is an annual Ensworth community event that raises funds for an endowed scholarship named in memory of Robert Inman, who was a beloved teacher and coach at Ensworth for many years.

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 Alli Hicks at alumni @ ensworth.com.

Golfers receive: Lunch, beverages and snacks on the course, a golfer gift bag, assistance of a forecaddie, and a fun day of golf among friends.

For information or to register, contact Alli Hicks 615-301-8943 or hicksa@ensworth.com.

In Search of Truth

PITTMAN Cindy McNally ’79, Carson ’15

SCAROLA Lynn McNally ’76, Kate ’15

WHELISS Shelby Bailey ’85, Ryland ’15 2015 SUMMER | 71

Margaret Anne Moore Class of 2008

T

o any recent college grad, moving to Washington D.C.

but breaking news.” Her day continues in that fashion, with one

without a job lined up would be a daunting adventure,

unexpected alert at a time. She monitors the ebb and flow of the

but not to Class of 2008’s Margaret Anne Moore. In

news-cycle to draft relative statements, track trending topics, and

the summer of 2012 she moved to D.C. with a pol-

mold effective releases on committee activities. “Every day is a

ished resumé and hopes that one of her many informational

perpetual battle of tug-of-war between making news and react-

interviews would give her some direction and maybe even get her

ing to news.” One of her favorite projects that she has worked on

foot into the door somewhere. Soon after her arrival to the city,

while in D.C. was last summer when “more than 50,000 unaccom-

she began an unpaid internship with the Congressional Office of

panied minors crossed into the United States from Mexico” and

Congressman Michael McCaul from Texas and started her ascent,

her committee sprang into action to help during the crisis. She

learning quickly on her feet in order to keep up on The Hill. By

assisted in the messaging of the Committee’s human trafficking

November 2012, she was hired as a Staff Assistant and Legislative

and border security initiative, communicating the importance of

Correspondent in McCaul’s office. As the Congressman acquired

the issue to the public. “During this time, I realized that my role as

the gavel for the House Committee on Homeland Security, she

a communicator is giving the voiceless a voice.”

continued to advance as well and was offered a position as Special

As a 13-year Ensworth student, Margaret Anne heard the Mis-

Assistant to The Chief of Staff. When embarking on her new job Margaret Anne had no idea where it was going to take her, but she was ready and willing to do whatever she could to be a valuable member of the team.

sion Statement read a countless number of times during school assemblies, and those words have stuck with her far beyond the time she spent in the halls of Ensworth. “My intellectual curiosity has helped me adapt to a variety of environments, taught me

Her first day on the job, April 1, 2013, she was placed at a spare

to listen to others even when their beliefs differ from mine, and

computer without a desk and “naturally, I thought it was a big

has served me well in a digital age where information develops

April Fools joke.” While desk squatting, she found every excuse to

and news breaks within seconds.” Beginning this fall, she will be

help anywhere she could, but she quickly became interested in the

working toward her Masters in Corporate Communications and

constant flow of information found in the daily lives of the press

Public Relations at Georgetown University, while continuing in her

team. “They worked with such a wide variety of topics, and this

current position on The Hill.

combination seemed to ignite a passion I never knew was there.”

Soon after, she found herself splitting time between Special Assistant and Press Assistant. With the constant desire and determination to continue to advance and improve, Margaret Anne is now Deputy Press Secretary for the Committee.

The typical day begins when “my phone buzzes off my nightstand at 5:00 am, jolting me awake. I reach for snooze; it’s not my alarm, 72 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

ALUMNI

S PR I NG FORWAR D Ensworth Career Advisory Network

The Ensworth community is lucky to have parents of current students and parents of alumni who are eager and willing to serve as advisors to alumni through the Career Advisory Network. Jonathan Dyke, a parent and current member of the Board of Trustees has been a constant supporter of Ensworth’s young alumni. Starting Spring Marketplace Inc., a new company that builds marketing programs for restaurant groups and retailers across the country, he sought out “high-energy, socially capable and intellectually curious people” to join their team. “Our company is growing quickly, so it is important to have team members that can identify issues, solve them without much direction and more generally “go with the flow.” I’ve found that the Ensworth students who have joined Spring are very motivated to accomplish the mission at hand, having a positive impact within the first few days of being on the team.” Most recently, a member of the second graduating class from Ensworth, Fax Landstreet began working at Spring as a Program Manager and “really hit the ground running—assuming ownership of a client portfolio while becoming an integral part of our team.” Fax manages the marketing and promotional programs for about 30 of their existing clients, as well as feeding the pipeline for new sales. “As in any small company, every employee must wear a variety of hats. This is what I enjoy about working for Spring: nothing is ever repetitive, and there are always multiple solutions to every problem.”

Jonathan has also been a great resource to another member of the Class of 2009 and young entrepreneur, Wes Gallagher. After graduating from Auburn University in May 2013, Wes started Pay It Forward Promotions. Pay It Forward is a philanthropic promotional printing company that “turns the everyday buying of customized promotional products and apparel into an innovative fundraising source for your community.” The new company donates a percentage of every sale to a charity of the buyer’s choice, which allows businesses to support a cause that is important to them. While developing Pay It Forward Promotions, Wes has been able to form relationships with a couple of local nonprofits.

This involvement in the community has ranged from chairing the Sexual Assault Center’s spring fundraiser to checking tickets at the Full Moon Pickin’ Parties in Warner Park. While working with these nonprofits, Wes discovered that students and young adults want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, but a lot of them have a hard time finding volunteer opportunities that they are passionate about and can connect to. Wes has come up with a project to help address and solve this problem and has received advice and guidance from Jonathan. While he is in the beginning

phases of his new project, “Jonathan Dyke has been one of my mentors and sounding boards as I try to give this project legs to run on. In addition to his input and time, Mr. Dyke’s ability to introduce me to people within his network has proven to be an invaluable resource.” Jonathan, who has known Wes since he was a student at Ensworth, says “Wes’s ability to see opportunity has a lot to do with his Ensworth experience. I applaud Wes for taking on the status quo helping organizations and volunteers do more for their community."

Ensworth is very fortunate to have people like Jonathan Dyke who are willing to help alumni in every way possible. From his positive experiences with Fax, Wes and other Ensworth alumni, Jonathan is confident in the education that is being provided to current Ensworth students, his children included, and he plans to “continue to provide opportunities for Ensworth students, as they make my life a little easier.”

Fax Landstreet

Wes Gallagher

Alli Hicks

Alumni Relations Coordinator

T O LE AR N MOR E : To volunteer with the Ensworth Career Advisory Network or to be connected with an advisor, contact: Alli Hicks at alumni @ ensworth.com.

2015 SUMMER | 73

Celebrating Years of Service to Ensworth

BILL ARTHUR CRIS HEMPEL GRACE KEEBLE ANNE STRINGHAM Do the Math!

36

32

YEARS FOR CRIS HEMPEL 1979 - 2015

YEARS FOR BILL ARTHUR 1983 - 2015

This year four Ensworth legends said goodbye to a combined total of 118 years of service to the school.

Bill Arthur, Cris Hempel, Grace Keeble and Anne Stringham were honored at a reception this May celebrating their achievements and efforts in making Ensworth

25

25

YEARS FOR GRACE KEEBLE 1990 - 2015

YEARS FOR ANNE STRINGHAM 1990 - 2015

118 Years at

E NSWORTH

74 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

the school it is today. Former students, faculty, parents and board members attended the celebration to wish the retirees well on life’s next big adventure.

Bill Arthur

Mr. Arthur Ensworth Faculty 1983-2015

Cris Hempel

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You exhibited the perfect model of manhood development.

Clear boundaries in my youth, adventure in my adolescence, and an opportunity for leadership when I became a young man were critical milestones for my journey. Thank you for the many ways you have blessed my life.

Now I have followed your calling of investing in youth, and I seek to emulate the same principles that I have expressed in this letter to the young men of this generation. I can only hope to make a fraction of a difference as you have, and hope you are encouraged that your legacy continues not only at Ensworth but in the lives of the many you have touched. You have certainly earned a great retirement, and I hope that you enter into it with a satisfaction of a job well done!

WILL NORTON

Class of 1995

To this day, I clearly remember entering your pre-first grade class, finding my name on one of the small tiger heads and flipping it over because I had arrived at school. I remember using the hammer to hit the nails into the chunk of wood and feeling very proud of what I had accomplished. I remember the loft where we could comfortably sit, read or play during free time. But mostly, I will always remember your kindness, compassion and feeling of safety in your classroom. When I returned to Ensworth as an adult to begin teaching PE, I vividly remember the first time I saw you. We made eye contact, and you immediately yelled out “Tish!!� I was so flattered and humbled that you remembered my name with all the hundreds upon hundreds of students you have taught. You were not only an amazing teacher but also an exceptional colleague. You care so deeply about this school and all the people who have crossed your path along the way. You have made the school a better place, and I will always remember and miss you deeply.

TISH PILKERTON PICKLESIMER

Class of 1999 and Current Faculty Member

Mrs. Hempel Ensworth Faculty 1979-2015 2015 SUMMER | 75

Grace Keeble

Ms. Keeble Ensworth Faculty 1990-2015

Anne Stringham I am sure I don’t even know a fraction of what Anne Stringham has done for Ensworth, but from my experiences with her over the past four years, I think hers will be tough shoes to fill!

What I have come to love about Ensworth is the nimbleness of institutional practice that I also think Anne embodies. I have found Ensworth to be a responsive and flexible institution.

Wonderful, multi-dimensional traditions are thoughtfully brought along with the best new ideas and integrated pretty seamlessly. Anne has maintained that quality of thinking on her feet, when we all know how easy it is after getting comfortable at a job to let ourselves fall for the charming inertia of “the way it has always been done.” That is a wonderful quality for an institution, and magical for any one person! Brava, Anne.

Warmest wishes for an excellent retirement!

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I’m sad that you’re retiring but also excited that you get to relax and have more free time now. I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me.

You have been integral to my experience at Ensworth, whether in PE, sports, or just to talk to before and after school. You have always supported me with volleyball and academics, and I’ll never forget the wonderful memories I have of my time as your student. I can’t tell you how much you mean to me and how grateful I am that you are in my life. Thank you.

MARIA SCHULZ

TRISH MIXON

Ensworth Parent

Class of 2014

Mrs. Stringham Ensworth Staff 1990-2015

76 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

TRANSITION TO

“Kindergarten” May 18 Celebration

“Pre-first grade will never be the same without Mrs. Hempel,” said Brooks Corzine, Dean of Middle School Students. We could not have said it better ourselves.

Starting this 2015-2016 school year, Ensworth will be going back to its roots and transitioning the name of “PreFirst Grade” back to “Kindergarten”.

When Ensworth first opened its doors in 1958 it was a Kindergarten through Eighth Grade school. As we work with families in our community and those new to Nashville, the Kindergarten designation communicates more clearly about the program and its intended students. Kindergarten students will continue to enjoy building best loved traditions like Pennies for People, Pumpkin Patch, 100 days of school and Tiger Bags.

In Search of Truth ENSWORTH’S 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.

2015 SUMMER | 77

Summer Grants 2015 SERVICE LEARNING GRANTS Ensworth’s campus stretched far beyond Nashville this summer as students explored academic

This summer fifteen students received academic grants, and seven were awarded travel grants for a service learning trip to India. The academic programs reflected a broad range of interests from engineering camp at Northwestern University to Georgetown University’s Medical Institute to Savannah College of Art & Design Seminar.

Service Learning trips let participants interact with local communities, learn about their history and culture, and work to address issues in education, health or environmental quality. Student take-aways included new perspectives on themselves and their interests as well as new knowledge about the world beyond Nashville and vicinity.

passions and traveled to international service learning sites. Through a grant program supported by generous donors, high school students have the opportunity to apply for funding for summer academic experiences and for overseas trips developed

by Ensworth in partnership with the World Leadership School. Students must first apply for and be accepted to their chosen programs before seeking the grants.

2015 SUMMER PROGRAMS Students learning through summer grants and their projects were: Crosslin Archdeacon India Service Learning Trip

Elliott Jaffe India Service Learning Trip

Niah Charles Oxbridge New York

Aison King Savannah College of Art & Design Seminar

Bailey Cunningham India Service Learning Trip

Isabelle Laffer Washington University Pre-Med Clinical

Kaelene DeCoster Projects Abroad Argentina

Lauren Lewis Oxbridge Barcelona

Lillie Fergus India Service Learning Trip

Sage Loh Singapore American School - Physiology

Isabelle Grant Georgetown University Medical Institute

Taylor McSpadden Spain Trip

Sam Hood Oxford Royale Academy

Marco Mirnics India Service Learning Trip Luke Mukundan India Service Learning Trip Ana Darielle Nunez SPI Study Abroad in Biarritz, France Shona O’Bryant Rhode Island School of Design Connor Phillips Spain Trip Rachel Ryman Spain Trip Mili Shukla India Service Learning Trip Hannah Smalley CIEE - Spanish, Seville, Spain

Service trip to Peru Service trip to India 78 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS

William Wallace

Service trip to Tanzania Engineering, Northwestern University

“What Inspires You to Give?”

The freedom Ensworth gives me to adapt my teaching to meet the particular interests, strengths, and needs of my students. It makes me a happy and fulfilled teacher, and my students reap the benefit of that.

- HOPE MOELLER GRADE 2 TEACHER & MOTHER OF MAX MOELLER ‘20, SAM MOELLER ‘22, & OWEN MOELLER ‘25

Ensworth’s teachers and programs allow students to discover and strengthen their talents. We wish every child could receive a similar opportunity.

- JAMES & MARY LOU KREISS GRANDPARENTS OF GRACE CHANG ‘14, RACHEL CHANG ‘16, & JULIA CHANG ‘19

I very much appreciate the time I spent at Ensworth and value the education and experience I received very highly. I give back knowing that the money goes to good use in helping children grow in many ways.

- ELLIOT PINSLY ENSWORTH CLASS OF 1997

The smiles on my children’s faces when they come home from Ensworth.

- NIMESH & DIPTI PATEL PARENTS OF DILAN PATEL ‘18 & KATIE PATEL ‘20

The dedication and commitment of the teachers to helping our students find the truth in education, and the true compassion they demonstrate while doing it.

- TONIA & CHRIS SCOTT PARENTS OF TRENITY SCOTT ‘18

The Impact of Inspired Giving THANK YOU FOR THE $1.12 MILLION GIVEN IN SUPPORT OF ENSWORTH!

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID NASHVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 2630

ENSWORTH SCHOOL 211 ENSWORTH AVENUE NASHVILLE, TN 37205-1997

Congratulations

E N S WO RT H C L AS S O F 2 0 1 5

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