Steward Arts

Steward Senior Earns First Place in Summer Palooza Music Festival

When Hailey Wharram '21 heard about The Cadence Theatre Company's inaugural Summer Palooza Music Festival, she was hesitant about submitting a song to the virtual showcase. "I had never entered any sort of contest before," she said. "[Lower School theatre and Upper School acting teacher Craig Smith] forwarded me the details and said that [Middle School theatre and Upper School public speaking teacher Susan Sanford] had a connection to the theatre company, and I thought, why not put myself out there?"

She certainly didn't expect to take home the top prize in the Best At-Home Performance category for her original song entitled "The Dark Side of the Moon." The song — unrelated to the Pink Floyd album of the same name — draws inspiration from the music of Taylor Swift, whom Hailey described as "setting the blueprint" for young musicians like herself.

Hailey picked up guitar in third grade, and despite writing her first songs five years ago, it was just within the last year that she began sharing them with others. The Summer Palooza Music Festival invited high school and college freshmen musicians from all over Virginia to submit their original work for a chance to win cash prizes and receive an opportunity to spend two hours of instudio time with an engineer at Red Amp Audio. In other words, it was a low-risk, high-reward opportunity.

"I knew I was going to be up against a bunch of really talented Richmond musicians, many of whom had entered other contests through Cadence Theatre," she said. "I was coming in as an outsider."

Even if that were true, it didn't stop this Spartan from standing out in a big way. Congratulations to Hailey on this prestigious win and for making a splash in the Richmond music scene!

Scan here to watch Hailey's performance of "The Dark Side of the Moon."

Painting to Protect the Environment

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulger family, like many others, found themselves spending more time in nature, frequenting the community beach down the street from their home on the Potomac River in Heathsville, Virginia. Since they acquired the house in 2014, the family has watched erosion take its toll on their beloved getaway. Worse, the homeowners' association couldn't agree on whether or not to continue funding a breakwater that would prevent further erosion. First grader Patrick Bulger, upon learning that the beach was in danger of eroding away completely, asked what he could do to help to keep the project moving. "We told him to take action if he wanted things to be different," his mother, Mary Lou Bulger, said. "So he did!"

After contemplating a T-shirt fundraiser, the Bulgers brainstormed a few other options that they thought would tell a more captivating message. Their solution was to use the beach itself — or part of it — to tell the story.

With help from his younger brother, Patrick began collecting driftwood that he then painted with inspirational "Save the Beach" messages to rally the community around funding the breakwater. His mother said the community buy-in was swift. "We started getting unsolicited donations and realized our little quarantine project was really affecting people," Mrs. Bulger said.

Aside from some help with the wording, Patrick was in charge of the whole operation, including collecting, designing, and painting the driftwood, even delivering some of the pieces in his own battery-powered vehicle. Community members were so captivated by the driftwood art that they donated money to fund the breakwater installation with every piece he completed. Through Labor Day, the family raised roughly $1,850 to donate toward the breakwater's second phase, which is already underway and progressing. "This got so much bigger than we ever imagined," Mrs. Bulger said. "But I guess that's a good thing!"

SPARTAN SPOTLIGHT

Tutors of the Highest CALiber

Steward's Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL) continues to adapt its services to meet virtual and in-person needs.

Number of years

with CAL: 3

Professional background:

Mrs. McGrath is an ESOL and computer literacy instructor with Chesterfield County Adult Education in addition to tutoring with CAL. Random fact: Mrs. McGrath lived in Italy for an entire year and taught English there.

My favorite thing about tutoring is getting to work with students in different grades on all different subjects. I enjoy the challenge of shifting from math to social studies to language arts, from second grade to fifth grade to ninth grade all in one afternoon. Nestled within the Lower School is a space where students of all ages can read on, Zoom in, or chill out. You may have walked right past it without second thought, but for hundreds of Spartans over the past two decades, the Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL) has made a lasting impact on their growth and achievement.

"We're sort of a hidden gem on campus," Director of CAL Yaa Akinfolajimi said. This year is Mrs. Akinfolajimi's first as director following Charlene Wilton's tenure, and together with CAL Administrative Assistant Cindy Arrington, the team is working to promote all that CAL can do to accommodate student and faculty success during this atypical school year.

"CAL is known for having the expertise to identify learning styles and finding just the right approach to allow our students to excel," Mrs. Arrrington said.

LEDA SPENCER Number of years

with CAL: 3

Professional

background: Mrs. Spencer has been teaching for over 15 years and owns her own small business working with students in the community who struggle with reading and other language challenges.

Random fact: English is not Mrs. Spencer's first language. The greatest thing about working with kids is seeing the spark when something finally makes sense and watching them take the next steps in their learning journey. I have learned so much from my work with them, and they have been excellent and patient teachers! "What is less understood are the many ways we can support every student enrolled at Steward."

As a cross-divisional instructional resource, CAL's mission is to facilitate learning through a variety of services. The department conducts student assessments and provides support materials for faculty and parents. Most notably, CAL employs a team of roughly 15 tutors offering one-on-one instruction tailored to each student's learning style and interests.

"It's rare to see the level at which our tutors and teachers can partner together to monitor and improve student achievement during school hours," Mrs. Akinfolajimi said.

Marsh Hayes, a teacher in the Lower School who has partnered with both internal and external tutors, describes Steward's tutor-teacher collaboration as

HANNA MCGRATH

"invaluable" to helping students shine.

TARA HASENSTAB

Number of years

with CAL: 20

Professional background:

A teacher in Hanover County for seven years before joining CAL, Mrs. Hasenstab specializes in English, history, math, and organizational test prep/study skills.

Random fact: Mrs. Hasenstab has taught group fitness classes for 27 years, including classes at American Family Fitness Short Pump for 23 years.

Being a part of CAL gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of my students. Coming to campus each day and seeing my students thrive is a fantastic feeling. Each day is different, which keeps things fresh.