Tower Hill Bulletin Spring 2018
The Call to Teach Tower Hill Alumni in the Field of Education THS Teaching Legend Miss Alma Dunbar Ongoing Success in College Counseling E.E. Ford Foundation Awards Global Grant Strategic Plan Updates
Justin Hicks ‘09 teaching science at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia.
Irénée “Brip” du Pont, Jr. ‘38 received a surprise Founders’ Achievement Award on Founders’ Day, the celebratory day before Homecoming, from Ahana Mitra ‘26 and Head of School Bessie Speers. The award is a replica steering wheel from du Pont’s 1936 Oldsmobile, handcrafted by woodshop teacher Rich Pierce. Read du Pont’s remembrance of a favorite Tower Hill teacher, Miss Alma Dunbar, on page 17.
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SPRING 2018
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IN THIS ISSUE
24
THE CALL TO TEACH
SCHOOL LIFE
17 From the Archives: Remembering Miss Alma Dunbar
26 Undercover Boss Economics Project
6 Alumni in the Field of Education
18 Then and Now: THS Alumni Teachers 20 What Makes a Great Teacher? DEPARTMENTS
3 What’s Online
4 Around School
49 THS in Photos
56 Homecoming and Reunion 60 Alumni Events 62 Class Notes
65 Faculty/Administrator Announcements
24 College Counseling: Balancing Fit and Prestige 28 Celebrating 20 Years of the Forum
30 E.E. Ford Foundation Grant for Global Initiatives 31 Teaching and Learning Center Opens
32 Service: Katie Harris ‘18 Teaches in Thailand 34 Traditions: The 8th Grade Show
36 Lower School Passport Program
38 Choice-Based Art Studio in Lower School 40 Courageous Conversations 41 Professional Development 42 Strategic Plan
43 Board of Trustees
44 Centennial Committee Updates 46 Athletic Recap
On the Cover Justin Hicks ‘09 is one of many Tower Hill alumni who went on to become educators. Hicks teaches middle school science at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo courtesy of The Lovett School.
Tower Hill BULLETIN EDITOR Teresa Messmore Director of Communications and Marketing CONTRIBUTORS Amy Reynolds Communications Specialist Kate Bailey Advancement Associate Grace DeSeta Irénée du Pont, Jr. ‘38 Eduardo Silva David Toomer STUDENT CONTRIBUTOR Katie Harris ‘18 PHOTOGRAPHY Kate Bailey, Grace DeSeta, Adam Fisher ‘18, Michele McCauley, Teresa Messmore, Amy Reynolds, Kathy Warner The Tower Hill Bulletin magazine is published twice annually to share how alumni, faculty, staff and students embody the school’s motto Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well. Send Class Notes to thalum@towerhill.org with a high-resolution photo.
From the HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Tower Hill families and friends, As I write this spring message, it happens to be the opening day of baseball season across the country. So it seems especially fitting, given that teaching is the theme of this issue of the Bulletin, to remember the words of former Yale University President Bart Giamatti, whose scholarship included a deep love of baseball: “A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching.” What exactly is the act of teaching, and why teach? From a young age, after a full day of real school, I would bribe my younger brothers to report to “my school,” a corner of my childhood bedroom that I had converted into “my classroom,” complete with blackboard, chalk, desks and worksheets. Sometimes they would rebel, but most of the time they would dutifully allow me to try to be like the teachers and coaches who were my heroes and role models. Today as a Head of School, it is a privilege to support and witness the heroes and role models of future generations; I am convinced that teaching is the most noble of professions, for it is indeed a calling. Teachers deliver daily the mission of our schools. I would venture to say that those of us who have chosen the field of education have done so because we believe in hope. Teachers, coaches and all who work with students are indeed the caretakers of hope. In this issue of the Bulletin, we celebrate Tower Hill alumni who have chosen the field of education. There are far too many to name and profile, so we selected just a few who represent the many ways our alumni in education challenge and inspire students. These educators are not only passionate about their disciplines; they shape character and integrity, and they help our students make meaning within the context of the larger world.
TOWER HILL SCHOOL 2813 W. 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806 302-575-0550 | www.towerhill.org HEAD OF SCHOOL Elizabeth C. Speers DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Kristin Mumford 2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Michelle Shepherd – Chair Ellen Kullman ‘74 – Vice Chair William Daiger Jr. – Treasurer Jon Abramczyk – Secretary Ted Ashford III, Kimberly Wright Cassidy, Anthony Cucuzzella, M.D. ‘82, Régis de Ramel, Benjamin du Pont ‘82, Charles Elson, Jack Flynn, M.D. ‘81, W. Whitfield Gardner ‘81, Laird Hayward ‘02, Eric Johnson, M.D., Henry Mellon, David Roselle, Ph.D., Carmen Wallace ‘93, Gina Ward, Marna Whittington, Ph.D., Vance Wilson, Earl Ball, Ed.D., Emeritus Tower Hill School welcomes students of any race, religion, color or nationality. The school does not discriminate in its administrative policies or in the administration of its program.
As a former English teacher and coach, as a current advisor, as I meet with our Upper School Head’s Council, as I read stories to our Tower Tots and as I meet with students in my office, I continue to experience the privilege that comes from working with young minds and hearts in this amazing profession. I witness Tower Hill teaching at its best; I see the hard work, long hours, dedication and the impact our teachers and coaches make every day. Excellence in teaching at Tower Hill and elsewhere requires embracing and combining the tried-and-true with innovative, relevant, real-world opportunities; it involves incorporating brain research and new pedagogy, recognizing that the world in which our students will live and work is changing rapidly. We also recognize Tower Hill teachers—past, present and future. Faculty members are the backbone of any great school, and Tower Hill teachers are not only intellectually engaged with our students; they are also committed to students’ success as whole people. One of Tower Hill’s institutional goals is to focus on teaching and learning pedagogy, with a renewed investment in professional development and collaboration. This goal is one of the core tenets of our strategic plan, as there is no more important investment a school can make than in its teachers. At our Centennial Celebration on Sept. 20-22, 2019, we will kick off the weekend with a special evening honoring all former Tower Hill teachers. We will also unveil a commemorative book marking 100 Years of Teaching Excellence at Tower Hill School. Alumni are encouraged to submit their nominations at towerhill.org/teachers. Until then, please join me in celebrating our extraordinary alumni educators within this magazine and beyond, as well as the teachers in our own lives. All of them are caretakers of hope! Elizabeth C. Speers Head of School
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SQUASH CHAMPS 4,267 impressions, 24 likes The varsity squash team defeated The Hill School 4-3 to win the 2018 Division V U.S. High School Team Squash Championship!
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FINALS BOUND 159 likes The field hockey team beat Caravel 6-2 in the state semifinals and were state runners-up with an outstanding 16-1-1 season! 115 likes towerhillschool A #snowday at school can be just as much fun as at home — ask our first- and secondgraders!
SECOND-GRADE HOEDOWN 64 likes Second-graders showed off their dance moves during the annual hoedown! The hoedown combines folk dance and singing, led by music teacher Sara Bush.
SERVICE 2,826 impressions, 15 likes Student-athletes and coaches donated clothes and shoes to help with #HoustonFlood relief.
205 likes towerhillschool Tim Golding, Tower Hill’s head of school for 19 years, popped by for a nice surprise. Welcome back!
SHOW OF SUPPORT 43 likes The Middle School held a $2 dress down day in support of the students at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by wearing their school colors of maroon and silver. Students also created a banner that Middle School students and faculty signed and sent along with the money collected.
CHESSNUTS The ChessNuts competed at the Checkmate Violence Chess Tournament at Temple University and the Greater Mid Atlantic Chess Championships in Baltimore, Maryland, winning trophies at both events. Congrats!
THS IN VIDEO...
ALUM PERFORMANCE 1,570 FACEBOOK VIEWS, 175 LIKES Spencer Johnson ‘16 returned to Tower Hill with his Yale a cappella group, The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, for an awesome performance!
FLY, EAGLES, FLY! 2,669 FACEBOOK VIEWS, 270 LIKES High school through preschool, the Eagles fight song was heard throughout campus on our Eagles Spirit Day! #GoBirds
DAY IN THE LIFE What is it like to be a student at Tower Hill? Freshman Nick Kulda shared his day on Instagram to show parents and prospective students what a typical day holds.
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Around SCHOOL Student Spotlight
Research
Middle and Upper School science classes visited Brandywine Creek to study the ecology, water chemistry and macroinvertebrates of the ecosystem. Students collected information on water temperature, pH and the presence of nitrates and phosphates. They also swept the banks with nets and brushed rocks to uncover the insects and other invertebrate species in the Brandywine.
The Arts The Vocal Ensemble competed as a finalist at the Easton Choral Arts Society High School Choral Competition on Saturday, March 3. Tower Hill was one of eight high school choral ensembles selected to perform, placing 2nd and receiving a $1,500 prize to support choir activities. The choral directors of 244 public and private schools in Maryland and Delaware were initially invited to enter the competition by submitting recordings of two selections.
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The Model U.N. team competed in the 5th annual AmeriMUNC conference at American University in Washington, D.C. Tower Hill’s delegation, which included Caroline Hayter ‘21, Heidi Winters ‘20, Mark Cordell ‘18, Dylan Bemis ‘21, Rory Britt ‘18, Gabrielle Jackson ‘20 and Amelie Goedeke ‘20, competed alongside 27 other delegations. Teams represented 12 states and three countries. Students participated in a variety of committees, from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to Interpol to the Cabinet of the United States. Britt won a Diplomacy Award for his work in the Cabinet of the Russian Federation.
Around SCHOOL Global In December, Lower Schoolers celebrated the holidays with global perspective. The Kindergarten performed Holidays Around the World for its annual winter play, created by music teacher Sara Bush. Fourth-graders shared their research about Hanukkah, Three Kings’ Day and Kwanzaa with interactive presentations. First-graders also learned about Las Posadas, a Mexican holiday tradition.
Entrepreneurship
On Nov. 19, 31 students from Tower Hill and other area schools participated in the Harvard Weekend Business Academy, an event designed for high school students who are interested in learning about business principles. Brooke Livingston ‘19 organized the event, which was taught by Harvard Business School students. Students learned how to pitch business ideas, perform market research and generate investment through experiential learning and workshops.
Culture
Mandarin teacher Wendy Liu, Ph.D. (pictured above) led students in celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Dog at Upper School and Lower School assemblies. Upper School international students and their host families also celebrated the Chinese New Year in the 1919 Auditorium with authentic Chinese cuisine.
Innovation
Two Middle School teams competed in the LEGO robotics qualifier event in January. The “Hillers Robotics” team won the Research Award, and the “Green Machine” team won the Inspiration Award and qualified for the state competition. Congratulations!
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The Call to Teach Being a teacher is not a job. It’s a calling.
Those who answer the call—and persevere—have patient hearts, great minds and an unrelenting drive to help kids grow.
Tower Hill’s alumni database turned up nearly 200 alumni who entered the field of education, and the more we researched, the more we found. They are early childhood, elementary, middle and high school teachers, college professors, psychologists, coaches, admission counselors, non-profit administrators… The list goes on and on, remarkable in its variety and breadth. Here we highlight just a few across the decades, representative of the many alumni who chose to make teaching their life’s work, and in turn, make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people. 6
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Q&A interviews by Amy Reynolds
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“Building relationships, building memories and building lifelong friendships with people—those things are valuable and timeless in education.”
JUSTIN HICKS ‘09
Q&A
Justin Hicks ‘09 is a Middle School teacher at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he teaches life science and coaches football, basketball and track. He graduated from Bucknell University in 2013 with a B.S. in neuroscience and also received an M.Ed. in special education in 2015 from the University of Delaware. He was a Teach for America corps member and taught fifth-grade math and science for two years at Kuumba Academy Charter School in Wilmington. Why did you decide to go into education? I always knew I had a love for the sciences. I developed that love at Tower Hill. Science just kind of came naturally to me, and I enjoyed it. So going into college, I knew I wanted to do something in the sciences. Neuroscience was a new program at the time, so I dove right in and decided to try out that major. I was potentially planning on going out west to a startup or looking into going into nursing or med school—those were my plans as I was going through school at Bucknell. I was approached my junior year by a rep from Teach for America. It caught my interest, and I decided to take her up on the experience and was fortunate enough to end up back in Delaware. That truly changed my career trajectory. I’ve really enjoyed teaching, and I think it’s because I’m teaching science. I get to bring my neuroscience background to the classroom as well. What was your Teach for America experience like? Teach for America was a challenging experience, but like most challenges, once you complete the challenge, it’s very rewarding. Although the day-to-day could be difficult—and it was difficult because you’re a firstyear teacher and you’re in schools where they don’t
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always have the best resources—but over the course of my two years I experienced a lot, and I learned a lot. It was totally different than my experience now, but it was super rewarding. What’s the best part of your job? Being able to share my passion for science with the students. I enjoy that most. It’s definitely exciting for me to wake up and go to work every day. Having studied the brain at school, I do think I work firsthand with fostering the minds of the leaders of tomorrow and really teaching them all that I’ve learned. What aspects of education are timeless? The relationship-building aspect of education. I believe that’s something that’s always going to be there within education—your student-teacher relationships and the relationships you have with your peers. Building relationships, building memories and building lifelong friendships with people—those things are valuable and timeless in education.
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BRETT LEVY ‘96
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“Laying the foundation to help young people become more thoughtful, questioning civic participants was always my goal, so seeing the seeds of that made me feel great as a teacher.”
Brett Levy ‘96 is an assistant professor of educational theory and practice at the University of Albany. His research explores how educational programs can support civic and political engagement among youth and how such engagement can in turn foster academic and life skills. He teaches courses on youth civic engagement, social studies education, research methods and environmental education. He studied history at Princeton University and earned a Ph.D. in education studies from the University of Michigan. Before attending graduate school, he taught middle school social studies, history and English at public and private schools in California. What are your proudest accomplishments from working in education? I’d say that my proudest accomplishments are when I can see that my work has made a difference and affected people’s lives. When working with middle school students, I saw that pretty directly—through watching young people get interested in something or develop a commitment to their own education. One of my eighth-graders, after a few serious conversations, went from being an F student—literally not doing his work at all—to being a consistent B student and someone who could finish high school and much more. Then there were the many moments during class when attentive students asked fundamental questions about our political challenges, showing me that they really understood the dilemmas on certain tough issues, such as gun control or the federal budget. Laying the foundation to help young people become more thoughtful, questioning civic participants was always my goal, so seeing the seeds of that made me feel great as a teacher. Tell me about your research. How can educational programs support civic and political engagement among youth? How can this engagement foster academic and life skills? Schools and other educational programs can do a lot to support civic and political engagement among youth—and my research explores these activities and experiences. We all know that it’s important for students to develop some basic knowledge about how institutions function at the local, state, federal and international levels. This is vital for informed participation. Psychology research tells us that people will learn more about any issue, including civic and political issues, when they are interested in those issues. Political interest is also a great predictor of various forms of political participation. Building on this prior work, one big aspect of my own research is how to generate that interest.
Some classroom activities that could support political interest are open discussions of controversial issues, political simulations and role plays, and students expressing their political perspectives in diverse ways (posters, videos, writing, etc.). In the current political environment, teachers sometimes shy away from these activities, but there are ways to wade into this territory and maintain a calm classroom environment, especially if there are explicit discussions with students about how to engage in civil discourse. My current project is to develop (with teachers) a curriculum that helps educators create safe, open environments for exploring diverse political perspectives through inquiry, discussion and writing. This type of learning experience can also help students develop important writing skills, including the use of evidence to support a claim—a vital academic and life skill. Exploring civic and political issues can also involve math (polling data, state budgets, etc.), science (genetic engineering, climate change, etc.), and other subjects—and engaging with meaningful public issues can motivate students to use and develop skills in various areas. What aspects of education are timeless? Everyone learns differently. There are some great research-based findings about how people learn, and these trends are very important to consider. However, they may not apply to everyone. Great educators understand this and use their skills to reach their individual students. We need to support these teachers as they attempt to address these continual challenges. Also, we should keep in mind that school—as important as it is—is just one venue for learning. For much of human history, we had no schools, and much of our most important learning today still takes place beyond the schoolhouse walls.
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BROOKE THALER ‘92
Q&A
“It’s important for kids to understand where their news is coming from, and how to look at it with a critical eye before believing or sharing it.”
Brooke Thaler ‘92 teaches journalism and media studies and coaches varsity girls’ lacrosse at Wooster School in Danbury, Connecticut. She graduated from Dickinson College in 1996 with a degree in American studies and a concentration in mass media. While coaching field hockey and lacrosse at Denison University, she earned an internship at a nearby television station, where she later became a reporter and anchor. She also worked in public relations and as a freelance writer before going into education. Many high schools don’t teach journalism or digital media. Why do you think it’s an important skill for students to have? For so many reasons. Nowadays, we’re getting our media from so many different sources, many of which aren’t verified or reliable. It’s important for kids to understand where their news is coming from, and how to look at it with a critical eye before believing or sharing it. That’s what we examine in Media Studies, and we look at the history of American media, so that we have a better understanding of how the media has evolved into what it is today. As for journalism, students are learning how to present stories that are written, reported and more than just a photo and a caption. We do a lot of “getting to know you” pieces about members of our community, so it’s important for our writers to reach out to people, interview them and accurately tell someone else’s story—and to understand that there’s something interesting about everyone around them, sometimes they just have to uncover it. We also make videos, which help with public speaking and presentation skills. Meeting deadlines is also important. Our publication goes out every Friday, so there’s no leeway.
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What are your proudest accomplishments from working in education? Easy—connections I’ve made with students. That leads to success in the classroom and on the field. Were there any experiences at Tower Hill that you think shaped your outlook and career? Yes! Every single thing I do at school, besides work on a laptop or use a cell phone, are things that I did in one way or another at THS. Now I’m just the adult instead of the student. The well-roundedness (or “many things done well”) has turned me into a multi-tasker in all aspects of my career and my life; and the drive and determination I learned playing sports at THS have also had a huge impact on me. One important story in particular, though, was varsity lacrosse Coach Pierson yelling at me from the sidelines. One day, I asked why he always seemed to be yelling only at me, and he said, “Because I know you can do better.” It’s one of the most influential things anyone has ever said to me. He was right, and I constantly remind myself of that when I know that I have more in me. He taught me perseverance and how to push myself and strive to be better. I am so grateful for Tower Hill, in ways I can’t even begin to express. I was a lifer who went from kindergarten through 12th Grade, so it truly made me the person I am today.
Coffey Photo: Tim
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Q&A RICHARD HART ‘71
Richard Hart ‘71 is the Biomedical Engineering Department Chair at Ohio State University. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Case Western Reserve University, Hart served as department chair in Tulane University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering from 19972006. His research interests are in finite element analysis of biological tissues and structures, with a focus on the response of bone tissue to mechanical stimuli. In addition, he has collaborated on research projects in brain physics, spine mechanics and ophthalmology. What’s the best part of your job? The best part of the job is all the different things I get to do and all the bright people I get to interact with. Particularly as the department chair, I have a fair amount of administrative responsibility, and I get to try to lead the faculty and staff in a cohesive direction. I get to teach. I generally teach sophomores or graduate students. Currently I’m teaching grad students, and each is interesting and invigorating. I do research as well. My lab is winding down now, but I’ve had a number of doctoral, master’s and undergraduate students in the lab. Watching them develop and seeing that they become experts in their field, particularly at the doctoral level, is exciting. What would you say is your proudest accomplishment from working in education? I think the impact I have had on the next generation— educating students, making sure the curriculum is well-conceived. In my role as department chair, it’s curricular. In my role as instructor, it’s more teaching.
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And in my role as a doctoral advisor, it’s the research and interactions with the students. What aspects of education are timeless? Learning how to think. To glean information to actually generate knowledge. In engineering in particular, sometimes you can run through a calculation or a simulation and have it be absolutely meaningless in that the assumptions or the inputs, when you finally get to the output, don’t make any sense. Students often will blindly provide that as an answer without going back and asking themselves, “Does this make any sense?” So that’s a process where they learn how to think, how to estimate, how to be realistic—and that is a process. It’s not something that people generally take to immediately. And that’s of course a very engineering-oriented answer, but opening the mind to new possibilities and examining your own biases and assumptions, all of that is part of learning how to think.
CAROLE CATES PENNOCK ‘67
Carole Cates Pennock ‘67 spent 34 years at The Bement School in Deerfield, Massachusetts, as a kindergarten teacher, lower school head, parent, Parents Association president and trustee. She earned an M.Ed. from Smith College. Why did you decide to go into education? I went into education because my mother had been a teacher (before she had four children) and her mother had been a teacher (as well as a school principal and member of the local school board... two jobs similar to mine as lower school head at Bement and trustee at Deerfield Academy.) As the oldest of four, I was always trying to teach my siblings something, and I have fond memories of a little blackboard and map I used in a makeshift classroom off of our kitchen when I was five. What are your proudest accomplishments from working in education? I used to have a large envelope full of notes from parents and teachers thanking me for all I did to make things run smoothly for them. One of my favorites was from a mother who thanked me for being a role model for her daughter. Of course, the best were drawings from students that said, “I love you!” How do you see K-12 education changing in the next decade? As I was retiring, there was much more emphasis on technology and its role in education. Luckily, at my school, as technology was becoming more
prevalent (and required) in the classrooms, the school bought a nearby parcel of wooded land and started an outdoor skills program. I like that balance. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the classroom since you started teaching? When I started teaching kindergarten, it was a full-day program with a half-day option. It was a play-based, hands-on program. Today the kindergarten program is full day and has an academic curriculum that formerly would have started in the 1st Grade. Although there are still lots of hands-on experiences and plenty of outdoor time, the kindergarten students spend more time sitting at tables and doing paper/pencil work than in the past. What aspects of education are timeless? I think the most important aspects of education are relationships. I have seen wonderful teachers with terrific personal skills make a big difference in children’s lives. New technologies and curriculum are wonderful tools, but warm relationships between students and teachers are timeless.
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JOHN HYDE, PH.D. ‘48 John Hyde ‘48 is an emeritus history professor at Williams College, where he also served as dean of freshmen and dean of the college. During his time as an undergraduate at Williams, he also served in the Navy in the Korean War. He earned his master’s degree in history from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Since retiring from Williams in 2000, he has continued to lecture on occasion. In retirement, he launched the John Hyde Fellowship, which allows select faculty to expand their teaching in new directions. Why did you decide to go into education? If you’re going to get a Ph.D., that essentially means you want to teach at the college level, not at the high school level. I certainly didn’t intend to be just a scholar doing research. I did it because I hoped I could go into teaching, and I did. And why did I decide to do it? Well, I had some experience tutoring students while I was serving in the Navy, and it was a very satisfying experience. Mostly the men had come out of the Appalachia during the Depression, and they hadn’t even finished high school, so I prepared them for a high school exam, and it was a very satisfying experience. What are your proudest accomplishments from working in education? I discovered that I not only enjoyed but was successful in teaching in the classroom, and not lecturing but conducting a discussion class. That may seem to many people, particularly people at Tower Hill, to be a given. But teaching a class where you get the students to participate is not easy, and I served as chair of the history department and you would often hire a very good scholar who really bombed when he or she went into the classroom. They didn’t know how to ask questions that would then lead to further discussion. That was my accomplishment. I discovered that I was able to ask questions that then led to further involvement by the students and often the students began talking between themselves. That was always the best of all things because then I could sit back and listen and see what they were interested in. That, I think, made my life as a teacher very satisfying. What aspects of education are timeless? Curiosity. I think people are always curious, and that curiosity, in many cases, requires a formal education. That is, if you want to read great literature, you have to
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know how to read words. Curiosity, in the society we live in now, is absolutely necessary. Were there any experiences at Tower Hill that really stood out? I came to Tower Hill in the 8th Grade from Newark High School. I took Latin taught by a wonderful woman named Ms. Jones, and I can remember going into the first class—this was the 8th Grade— and she began talking about indirect objects and direct objects and the structure of a sentence—in effect, what grammar was. I had had none of that at Newark High School. So I told Ms. Jones after class, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about because I don’t know what an indirect object is in that sense of the word.” And so she spent every afternoon with me helping me understand grammar because the students who had been at Tower Hill before the 8th Grade had a woman named Ms. Buckles in the 7th Grade, and Ms. Buckles taught in infinitely detailed ways English grammar, and I had obviously not had that at that age. So Ms. Jones gave some of her time to make it possible for me to diagram sentences and to know what grammar was, which were absolutely essential to understanding Latin. And I always remember that I came out with an A- in Latin, and that’s because a teacher at Tower Hill took the time to tutor me, in effect, in ways that made it possible for me to take a foreign language. That isn’t to say that Newark High School didn’t have it, but it didn’t have it until 8th or 9th Grade. But to combine an understanding of grammar with a language like Latin has served me superbly all my life, because I know not only how to correct mistakes, but I know how to write. And that has been a joy in my life and in many ways it was a response to my experience at Tower Hill.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Remembering Tower Hill Teaching Great Alma Dunbar ` ` DU PONT, JR. ‘38 BY IRENEE
Miss Alma Dunbar wore her hair in a distinctive way. It was dark, slightly streaked with gray and there was lots of it, smoothly towering in a hairnet, never a wisp out of place. It made her taller than life, rather like the bearskin of a Buckingham Palace Guard. She had a trim figure, pointed nose and piercing black eyes. If you were not telling the truth, those X-ray eyes went right into your soul. Then you knew, that she knew, that the truth was not in you. Although she wielded discipline, she was always fair, never raised her voice, and at times, she even found things to make the class laugh. Before Tower Hill School started, Miss Dunbar had been operating a kindergarten at the Greenhill Presbyterian Church. When Tower Hill was organized, the school took up temporary quarters in that same church and sort of absorbed the Dunbar kindergarten. She moved with it to the new school building at 17th Street and Tower Road. Miss Dunbar, therefore, had more seniority than the first faculty members hired by the school. Miss Dunbar ran the Tower Hill kindergarten until the fall of 1928, when her disciplinary skills were needed elsewhere. There were three unruly bullies and another mean little nutcase in the class that became fourth-graders that year. I know, because I was in 3rd Grade
immediately behind that rowdy bunch and had learned to hide in the weeds when any of them came in sight. A new teacher to Tower Hill was assigned to 4th Grade with the unrulies and nutcase. She collapsed under the strain. Miss Dunbar remembered the bad boys from kindergarten and must have volunteered to fix the problem. Surely, with her seniority, the administration would not have pressed her to take on this awesome fourth-grade task. She succeeded, and the next year headmaster Burton P. Fowler “promoted” her with her unruly charges to 5th Grade. When our class met Miss Dunbar in 5th Grade, she assigned homework on a regular basis, a new experience for us. She insisted that we complete all homework assignments, and on time. For the first month, each morning the whole class had to write on her tablet the number of minutes we spent preparing our homework in each subject. I lied a lot. Each time she quizzed me with those piercing eyes, I burst into tears. It finally sunk in that lying is a very poor policy. In 2004, during a friend’s burial service at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church, I found myself standing at a headstone that showed neither birth nor death dates. The name was “Alma Dunbar.”
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THEN & NOW
FIVE ALUMNI CURRENTLY SERVE ON TOWER HILL’S FACULTY
Wiz Montaigne Applegate ‘79
After graduating from Colgate University, Elizabeth “Wiz” Montaigne Applegate ‘79 returned to Tower Hill as a coach. She became the school’s first director of community service and taught in the Upper School. She now teaches history in the Middle School and coaches lacrosse.
Left: Elizabeth Montaigne ‘79, a.k.a. Wiz Applegate, in 1st Grade is pictured fourth from the left in the second row. Middle: Applegate as a faculty member in the 1998 yearbook. Right: Applegate giving a “Kahoot” quiz during history class.
Pat Kaiser ‘02
Mary Hobbs ‘09
After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Pat Kaiser ‘02 joined Tower Hill’s faculty to teach kindergarten. He now teaches Middle School history and coaches football, basketball and baseball at various levels.
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Left: Pat Kaiser ‘02, center, with fifth-grade classmates in the 1995 yearbook. Right: Kaiser hosts the National Geographic Bee in the Middle School.
Caroline Shields Clifford, Ph.D. ‘83
Left: A photo from Clifford’s senior page in the 1983 Tower Hill yearbook. Middle: Clifford teaching French on the first day of school last fall. Right: Clifford at Graduation 2017, pictured with Alexandra Caimi ‘17.
Caroline Shields Clifford, Ph.D. ‘83 earned a doctorate in French from the University of Virginia and taught at The Agnes Irwin School before joining Tower Hill’s faculty in 2007. She led the exchange program with Lycée St. Just in Lyon, France, and chaired the Language Department before announcing her departure this spring to work closer to her home in Pennsylvania.
Samantha Tan ‘12
Mary Hobbs ‘09 studied biology at Haverford College and began teaching science in the Middle School in 2014. She coaches field hockey, basketball, lacrosse and LEGO robotics, and she chairs the Centennial Committee.
Left: Samantha Tan ‘12, pictured far right, with kindergarten friends in the 2000 yearbook. Right: Tan with Lower School students at the After School Program.
Samantha Tan ‘12 studied psychology at Fordham University in New York City and served as a teacher’s assistant and health educator in public schools before joining Tower Hill’s After School team.
Left: Mary Hobbs ‘09 finishing a painting in kindergarten; Hobbs and Andrue Smith ‘09 in the 2009 yearbook, having been named “Best Personality.” Right: Hobbs on the first day of school last fall, pictured with fellow Middle School science teacher Sharon Reynolds. Tower Hill Bulletin
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WHAT makes a
GREAT teacher?
We asked Tower Hill alumni responsible for hiring teachers in their roles as school administrators.
Doug Lagarde ‘80 Headmaster Severn School
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Sally Bugbee Keidel ‘88 Head of School Montgomery School
Matt Auerbach ‘97 Principal Mount Pleasant Elementary School
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” Easy for William Arthur Ward to say. He was a writer, not a teacher. Still, everyone has those certain teachers who stand out in memory as hands-down favorites. Most can name two or three off the top of their heads, without hesitation, who shaped their education the most. So what is it that makes some teachers truly great, leaving a lasting impact many years later?
Who were your favorite THS teachers? Tower Hill is publishing a commemorative book, 100 Years of Teaching Excellence at Tower Hill School, to mark our Centennial in 2019. We ask all alumni to share their favorite Tower Hill teachers for consideration in this publication. Submit your nominations, along with a few sentences explaining why, at towerhill.org/teachers. Thank you!
To start, a genuine love of helping kids. “It is a wonderful profession, and one that is truly a calling. If there’s one thing that’s most important, it’s that you want to help a kid grow up through the medium through which you’re teaching, whether it’s a discipline, whether it’s a sport, whether it’s a dramatic production or music,” said Doug Lagarde ‘80, Headmaster of Severn School, a K-12 independent school in Severna Park, Maryland. “You need the skills of a teacher and the heart of a teacher. Having the heart of a teacher allows somebody to want to help a kid grow up.” Wanting to help is one thing; actually doing so is another. Many teachers and administrators point to the ability to truly connect with students as vitally important in the teaching profession. Building rapport opens students up for greater learning. “There are people who love kids, but maybe just don’t have the actual relationship ability—that emotional intelligence—to be able to relate to kids and understand their different environments and different experiences,” said Matt Auerbach ‘97, Principal of Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Wilmington. Auerbach’s school serves a range of students: the Brandywine School District’s Gifted and Talented Program, students from a surrounding underserved neighborhood and the Emotional Support Program. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to connecting with students. “You’ve got to have a love for kids, and you’ve got to to have the emotional intelligence to develop strong relationships with children, their parents and the community,” he said.
principle gets to a concept shared by Auerbach, Lagarde and Sally Bugbee Keidel ‘88, Head of School at the Montgomery School in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, stating that the “teacher models integrity, curiosity, responsibility, creativity, and respect for all persons…” Excellent teachers, they say, hold themselves to the same standards that they do their students. “Great faculty members model to their students that they are learners themselves,” Keidel said. “They continue to grow, they occasionally fail, and they demonstrate the resiliency that’s needed to continue on.” Lagarde describes this quality as remaining dimensional. A lot is expected of students. As adults, we can pick and choose what we want to do, paring off activities that we don’t particularly enjoy or are not particularly good at. Students, on the other hand, have to do it all—math, science, English, history, language, technology, athletics, art, music, theater, service—at the same time, often in the same day. “If we remain dimensional within our communities— and that can be teaching across disciplines, it can be remaining a coach and an advisor, working with a publication—kids have that as a model,” Lagarde said. “Schools endure because of great teaching. They’ve got traditions, and they’ve got all their other trappings, but the ones that endure, the ones that last, are the ones that are able to attract and also foster great teaching.” —Teresa Messmore, Director of Communications and Marketing
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) outlines principles of good practice for teachers that cover professional expectations for conduct. The last
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Spring 2018 21
THE BIG PICTURE Adam Fisher ‘18 captured the interplay of waves and reflection in this image of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s reflecting pool at the Temple of Dendur. He received a Scholastic Art Award for the shot.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
BALANCING FIT AND PRESTIGE DURING THE COLLEGE SEARCH BY DAVID TOOMER, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
College counseling at independent schools such as Tower Hill is a precarious balancing act. Social scientists might characterize the whole process of helping students find their way to college as a set of tradeoffs and incentives. The trade-offs can most succinctly be described as fit and prestige. As educators, we are obligated to help each student find the set of colleges that will allow that student to thrive academically, socially and professionally. This would be fit. Meanwhile, many parents want their children to attend the 25 or so colleges and universities that Gregg Easterbrook of the Brookings Institution refers to as the “Gotta-Get-Ins.” The Gotta-Get-In colleges and universities represent prestige. For students with high grades and high test scores, fit and prestige may be closely correlated. For those with more modest grades and testing, fit and prestige may have an inverse relationship. Independent schools and affluent suburban high schools are under intense pressure to have as many Gotta-Get-Ins on their school list each year. Chasing prestige for the sake of prestige appears to be among the most significant causes for stress and anxiety among students, parents and high schools.
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Easterbrook’s article reviews a report written by Princeton economist Alan Krueger and Mellon Foundation researcher Stacy Berg Dale. Their report, in quantitative and qualitative terms, demonstrates how people tend to overvalue the Gotta-Get-Ins and undervalue other high-quality schools such as many flagship state universities and mid-tier liberal arts colleges. Easterbrook’s article, Who Needs Harvard, is worth a read and can be found at www.brookings. edu/articles/who-needs-harvard/. In the college admissions process, it appears that the colleges have all of the power. However, students and families have the ability to make smart choices regarding their day-to-day lives and with deciding for themselves which colleges to pursue based on research—and not purely by rankings. At Tower Hill, we seek to help students find the right balance between academics, co-curricular and extracurricular activities and athletics. Moreover, we want to provide them with the skills to make wise behavioral and lifestyle choices. Parents, students and academic advisors should work together to select classes that are challenging, but not overwhelming. It is important to find activities
Tower Hill is committed to helping each student select colleges that will allow them to reach their full academic and professional potential. We accomplish this in a number of ways. We begin by talking to the freshmen to help them understand their part in the journey to college. Beginning in the fall of 2018, there will be a Freshman Seminar Course. College Counseling will have the opportunity to provide greater context and preparation for the ninth-graders. We continue the conversation with the tenth-graders and help begin with the formal process of preparing to take the SAT or ACT (or both) beginning in 11th Grade. Many high schools offer the PSAT to tenth- and eleventh-grade students. Beginning this year, Tower Hill is adding the Pre-ACT so that students and parents can make a more informed decision about deciding which test to take. The second half of junior year and the first quarter of senior year are crunch time for our students. In the junior year we will have a series of seminars designed to prepare students for essays, interviews, creating rĂŠsumĂŠs, identifying colleges and making an appropriate list. In the fall of senior year, students will put the finishing touches on their applications and essays. Students and families will work closely with the college counselor to maximize the opportunities for positive results with the decisions from colleges. Tower Hill is making wise investments in College Counseling. Our College Counseling Suite located across from the Upper School Office is more conducive to our work than the previous offices upstairs between the Language and History Halls. The combined sets of skills and experiences of the College Counseling staff are a huge benefit to our students. We have attended or worked at a number of highly competitive independent schools, colleges and universities. Not only do we provide excellent guidance for our students, but also the fact that we have assembled the team that we have speaks volumes about the quality and visibility of Tower Hill.
SCHOOL LIFE
based on interests and not to impress someone at an admissions committee table. Another excellent resource is the Harvard Graduate School of Education Making Caring Common website, mcc.gse.harvard. edu/collegeadmissions. I strongly recommend reading Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern For Others And The Common Good Through College Admissions. It is endorsed by the deans of dozens of the top colleges and universities and available on the Harvard GSE website. Turning the Tide provides a better understanding of what top colleges are looking for and should ease some of the mania around AP classes and unmanageable lists of activities.
Tower Hill’s College Counseling team: Linda Ogden, David Toomer, Maxine Mendoza and Jennifer Meeker
Our students are achieving excellent results. Although I like to avoid speaking in terms of the Ivy League, it may be useful to consider the eight Ivies to illustrate our success. There are approximately 13,500 freshman slots across the eight Ivies. Dartmouth has the smallest freshman class at roughly 1,100, and Cornell is the largest at around 3,200. There are approximately 4 million 18-year-olds in the U.S., meaning that roughly one-third of 1 percent of high school students attend an Ivy. There are approximately 28,000 high schools in the United States. If evenly distributed, each high school could send the equivalent of half of a senior to an Ivy each year. Tower Hill has at least six students in the Class of 2018 admitted to Ivies. Not only are we well-represented among the Ancient Eight, but at many other high-quality colleges and universities across the U.S. Most importantly, all students will attend a college or university where he or she will thrive, graduate and move on to productive and rewarding lives. Academic and professional success is built over many years. As parents, we can and should encourage our children to read, to be curious and to pursue healthy participation in athletics and other activities that enhance their lives. Students need to develop ageappropriate organization, communication and selfadvocacy skills. Tower Hill provides a challenging academic program that is well-respected by colleges and universities. We should also help students to enjoy the years that they spend at Tower Hill. Much of the learning and development occurs in those informal moments in the hall, lounge or dining hall. Students who succeed here are well-positioned to do well in college and in life.
VIDEO EXTRA
Hear from David Toomer about what makes a great college essay at towerhill.org/bulletin
Tower Hill Bulletin
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UNDERCOVER BOSS
UPPER SCHOOL ECONOMICS PUTS STUDENTS IN CEO’S SHOES BY AMY REYNOLDS, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
On a Sunday afternoon in October, Allison L. Smith ‘18 (pictured above) sat in the lobby of the Westin Hotel in Wilmington, watching as guests came to the front desk and taking note of the interactions. Out of 30 interactions, only four were complaints, and she found that most guests were male business travelers in the millennial age range, which is exactly what she expected. But she’s also learned what needs to be improved: waiting time, catering to families and offering flexibility. It’s all part of the “Undercover Boss” project in Patricia Carlozzi’s Upper School economics class, where
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students have the opportunity to choose any public company to study—all from the boss’s perspective. The project is based off the CBS television show of the same name that features the experiences of senior executives working undercover in their own companies to investigate how their firms really work and to identify how they can be improved. “I’m trying to help them think about business from the perspective of an owner,” Carlozzi said. “Everybody thinks of themselves first as a consumer, so I’m trying to flip it and get them thinking of themselves as a business owner.”
“From being the undercover boss, I learned that it’s really important to put yourself in the shoes of being the owner, the mid-level manager and the low-level employee because then you get the full perspective of understanding what the customers want but also what you can provide,” Smith said. Originally, Smith wanted to study Target because she likes to shop there and it’s a great store to sit in and observe. But since she wants to study business in college and is particularly interested in the hospitality industry, she chose Marriott to study since it’s the world’s largest hotel chain. “I wanted to learn more about the corporate side and see if I enjoy it,” she said. “I took the opportunity when I was talking to the global marketing director to ask her some questions about how she got into her field, what she studied in college and if she had any advice. It was a good opportunity to reach out to someone who’s in the shoes of what I want to do someday.” Other students chose their businesses based solely on their interests. Jake Myrick ‘19 chose Snapchat because it’s an app he uses every day. He knew that a lot of people like the app because it’s fun and easy to use, but through the Undercover Boss project, he learned that there’s also a lot of room for improvement. “There are a lot more factors that come into play when creating a product than I figured,” he said. “There’s a lot of feedback that was unexpected. A lot of unique opinions, a lot of ways to improve. There’s a big margin for change, and definitely new things you could do with the app.” Throughout the half-year course, a history elective that was new in 2016, students learn basic buildingblock concepts related to business and finance and then leverage that foundation as they plunge into
SCHOOL LIFE
For the project, students looked at their businesses and did qualitative, quantitative and benchmarking analyses. Smith chose to study Marriott, so for her qualitative analysis, she interviewed both a Visa employee who works with Marriott and the director of global marketing for Marriott. For her quantitative analysis, she observed guests at the Marriott property The Westin Wilmington, taking note of the customers’ demographics. For her benchmarking analysis, she compared Marriott to Airbnb, an online marketplace and hospitality service.
“Whenever we learn an aspect of economics— whether it’s learning about supply and demand or price ceilings or minimum wage—we’re going to be talking about it in the context of theory and then ‘How is this applying at your company?’ so it’s tangible.”
economic theory. As they learn about markets, business structures, profit maximizations and competition, they look at their “Undercover Boss” company to see how it relates to those specific economics topics. “Whenever we learn an aspect of economics—whether it’s learning about supply and demand or price ceilings or minimum wage—we’re going to be talking about it in the context of theory and then ‘How is this applying at your company?’ so it’s tangible,” Carlozzi said. One of Carlozzi’s goals was to teach students about principled leadership and ethics. She said that while making money is one reason to go into business, there are many other reasons as well. “It’s because you want to make the world a better place and create innovative products. Because you want to provide people with quality jobs. That’s all important in this world, to have principled leaders running businesses,” she said. “A lot of these students say they want to major in business. If you want to major in business, you have to start thinking like an owner and an executive. I want them to start thinking, ‘Well, what would the boss care about?’”
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1998-1999
George F. Will
Celebrating
20 Years of the
FORUM SPEAKER SERIES
DANNY GLOVER Doris Kearns Goodwin
Stephen Ambrose
2001-2002
2002-2003
Future Vice President
Joe Biden
The Tower Hill Forum was established in 1998 by the Rappolt family in honor of their children Gabrielle ‘93, Sarah ‘96 and Bill ‘99, and in recognition of the dedication, scholarship and professionalism of the Tower Hill faculty. The Tower Hill community thanks the Rappolts for the legacy of remarkable speakers over 20 years. Following are a few of many highlights.
Elie Wiesel 2006-2007
2008-2009
2007-2008 U.S. Congressman John Lewis
MARTIN LUTHER KING III
Achieving Peace in the Middle East
2011-2012
LECTURE TOPICS
Winston Churchill Martin Luther King Jr. Business Leaders Leadership and History American Makers of the 21st Century Recent American Political Leadership 2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
ELLEN JAMISON KULLMAN ‘74
&
MIKE CASTLE ‘57 Esera Tuaolo, Atlanta Tower Hill Bulletin 28 Falcons
Spring 2018
on leadership
Kevin Lacz, former Navy Seal
1999-2000
2000-2001
The Use and Abuse of History
BUZZ ALDRIN
{
2003-2004
Campaign Finance Reform Citizen Activism The Executive Branch Local Government Lobbyists The G.I. Bill
{
2009-2010
2004-2005
2005-2006
The American Empire
Restructuring Diversity: Access to Opportunity 2010-2011
THE BILL OF RIGHTS TODAY Gov. Jack Markell 2012-2013
Themes
Journalist Gwen Ifill 2016-2017
Pivotal Political, Environmental, Technological and Social Changes
2017-2018
George F. Will
2017-2018: Constitutional Underpinnings of American Government 2016-2017: Pivotal Political, Environmental, Technological & Social Changes 2015-2016: Cultural Interpretations of Reality 2014-2015: Finding Your Passion—Giving a Lead 2013-2014: Sports: More than a Game 2012-2013: The Media & American Society 2011-2012: Makers of the Twenty-First Century 2010-2011: The Bill of Rights Today 2009-2010: Morality vs. the Public Interest 2008-2009: America in the ‘60s 2007-2008: Leadership: Yesterday and Today 2006-2007: Achieving Peace in the Middle East 2005-2006: Restructuring Diversity: Access to Opportunity 2004-2005: American Empire 2003-2004: Making Government Work 2002-2003: American Foreign Policy Since World War II 2001-2002: Making History Come Alive 2000-2001: The American Century 1999-2000: The Use and Abuse of History Tower Hill Bulletin Society? Spring 2018 29 1998-1999: What is Distinctive About American
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
E.E. FORD FOUNDATION AWARDS MATCHING GRANT FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES BY TERESA MESSMORE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
and service learning with global perspective, travel with a school-sponsored domestic or international excursion, and complete a culminating senior portfolio focusing on a global issue. The first three students who completed the program graduated in 2017 with a notation on their transcripts and an official Tower Hill Global Scholar certificate:
Alexandra Caimi ‘17, Emily Yin ‘17, Matt Santos ‘17 and Director of Global Initiatives Eduardo Silva at the Upper School Awards Ceremony in 2017.
The E.E. Ford Foundation has granted a matching $50,000 award to Tower Hill School in support of the Global Scholar Certificate Program, an Upper School initiative that builds global competence, leadership and cultural growth in students. The grant must be matched in an equal amount through school fundraising efforts. Founded in 1957 by IBM businessman Edward E. Ford, the E.E. Ford Foundation supports independent secondary schools, challenging them to leverage their unique talents, expertise and resources to advance teaching and learning. The foundation has granted more than $118 million to over 800 schools over six decades, and the matching grant component is a required part of the application process. “The E.E. Ford Foundation is a longtime champion of independent schools, and receiving a coveted grant from this foundation is a testament to the quality and caliber of our teachers and program,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “We are extremely grateful and excited to receive support from this nationally recognized leader in school philanthropy.” This is Tower Hill’s second grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation, and the funds will strengthen the Upper School’s new Global Scholar Certificate Program. Launched in 2016, the program encompasses coursework, extracurricular activities and capstone projects that have a global focus. Students must take seven semesters of language classes, complete four global projects or papers, and present their work to the student body. They participate in student clubs
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· Alexandra Caimi ‘17, now a freshman at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, wrote her senior thesis on the economic impact of Korean pop music, or “K-pop,” around the world. · Matt Santos ‘17, a freshman at Oxford College, completed a thesis titled “The Key to Sustaining the Use of Water Filtration and Safe Health Practices to Solve Cambodia’s Water Crisis.” · Emily Yin ‘17, now enrolled at the University of Southern California, examined the use of pesticides on food and the impacts on human health and the overall economy. There are now 35 students participating in the program in Grades 10 through 12, and Director of Global Initiatives Eduardo Silva anticipates that another 15-20 freshmen will join this year. “With this E.E. Ford Foundation grant, we’ll be able to dive further into our curriculum of global studies by offering students and faculty the resources they’ll need to make meaningful connections within their classrooms,” Silva said. “Whether it’s more training for faculty or scholarships for students to attend symposiums and forums, this gift will enhance our vision of making Tower Hill School a school of Wilmington and of the world.”
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT TOWER HILL’S GLOBAL INITIATIVES PROGRAM? If so, please consider contributing to the matching funds for the E.E. Foundation grant by contacting the Advancement Office at 302-657-8353. Thank you!
TLC HELPS STUDENTS, FACULTY MAXIMIZE LEARNING PROCESSES BY AMY REYNOLDS, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Last spring, Destiney Skinner ‘19 wrote the longest paper of her high school career, thanks in part to Dean of Teaching and Learning Andrea Glowatz, who helped her prioritize tasks, manage her time and break up the work into manageable chunks. Now, Skinner goes to the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) during her scheduled free periods for help for anything from English papers to math homework.
SCHOOL LIFE
TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER
“It’s really nice to have the TLC because [Mrs. Glowatz] is really helpful, and she’s always willing to help out with anything and everything,” Skinner said. “She makes sure that I stay on the path, and it’s just always nice to know that the TLC is there if I need it.” Established in 2016, the TLC is a resource for students and teachers who wish to maximize learning processes, address specific academic challenges, engage in best practices, seek support for documented learning differences or challenge themselves to achieve new levels of excellence. Many top schools and universities, including Duke University and Princeton University, have similar centers. “First and foremost, the Teaching and Learning Center is something for everyone, for every student,” Glowatz said. “And I made it clear to the freshman and sophomore classes that improving your ability to improve is something all of us can do, regardless of who we are as learners.” Glowatz joined Tower Hill in 2016 as a learning specialist in the Middle and Upper Schools, providing individualized support to students. She became dean of teaching and learning in 2017 to launch and oversee the Teaching and Learning Center, while continuing her role working directly with students. Students who frequent the TLC tend to have one of two learning difficulties: language-based or executive function, including students with ADHD diagnoses. “We are strategy-based. It’s all about how to do your work,” Glowatz said. “I know that learning is a science, but I also know that teaching is an art. It’s kind of interesting to see, if the result is learning and the delivery method is an art, there’s much to think about in how our students receive what we give them, but also how we go about giving that information to them.” About 50 students in the Upper School use the TLC, and Glowatz makes it clear to students, teachers and
VIDEO EXTRA
Hear from Dean of Teaching and Learning Andrea Glowatz at towerhill.org/bulletin
parents that a learning disability is not a learning inability. “These students are very bright students. They have a place in the school, and they will ultimately have a very profound place in society,” she said. “They are brilliant people, but there’s some aspect in their learning profile that is disabling the learning process. So, my goal is not to fix that—we don’t fix a learning disability. I teach them to work around it.” Teachers are also invited to visit the TLC and “talk shop” whenever they like. The TLC has a Twitter feed for sharing articles about recent teaching and learning research. Teachers have visited the Center to seek out advice about testing, and Glowatz hopes to host workshops in the near future. While Glowatz’s focus is on the Upper School, Samantha Spruance is the learning specialist for the Middle School, where her main focus is on teaching study skills. But for both the Middle and Upper Schools, the goal is to always be improving. “There’s no strategy that’s a one-size-fits-all,” Glowatz said. “The goal of the TLC is growth. Having students look at where they are and where they want to be and make small goals and reach them is so profoundly rewarding.”
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TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD
KATIE HARRIS ‘18 TRAVELED TO THAILAND FOR SERVICE LEARNING EXPERIENCE Q&A WITH TERESA MESSMORE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
How did you find out about Lifeworks International? I have been involved in community service since Middle School, so I knew I wanted to do something that revolved around giving back in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. After researching several programs, Lifeworks stood out because of the various activities their programs offered, specifically teaching children English and fire safety. Why did you choose Thailand? I wanted to go somewhere that was totally foreign to me, and a place I probably would not go to
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otherwise. After looking through multiple programs on Lifeworks, the trip to Thailand caught my attention because the program combined community service and adventure. What did you do while you were there? After a 21-hour flight to Bangkok, we hit the ground running. We started by planting mangroves as part of a conservation program, followed by eating a traditional Thai meal in a house that was literally floating on water. After five days in the Thai countryside, we returned to Bangkok, where we spent the next two weeks visiting the same underserved
SCHOOL LIFE
school for kids ranging from age 4 to 12. My volunteer group helped to repaint the school playground, taught the schoolchildren English and fire safety, handed out rice to hungry families and simply played with children. I spent the last week of my trip in the mountains of southern Thailand at a home for orphaned and neglected children. During the few days I spent there, I slept on a mat with a towel as my blanket and spent many restless nights worrying that a mouse might crawl on me during my sleep. But I soon realized that my lodging conditions paled in comparison to the daily challenges endured by the local children, particularly a 6-year-old boy whom I befriended named Fam. Fam and his older sister arrived at the orphanage after somehow managing to survive on their own on the dangerous streets of their community. One of the main goals of the orphanage is to equip the children with skills that will give them employment opportunities. My experience there was not just limited to serious work, however. For example, I got to ride an elephant, which was a unique experience. What was it like teaching English? Teaching English was somewhat challenging because obviously these children spoke little-to-no English and neither my volunteer nor I spoke Thai. Although we were teaching single words, it was difficult to communicate the meaning of these words without a common language. But we eventually learned to bridge the language barrier by using songs and rhymes in English. I was pleased to see that it did not take long for the kids to repeat back, and to some degree, I think even learn, the meaning of some English words. Were there any surprises about the experience? The biggest surprise was witnessing firsthand such
extreme poverty. While on some level I expected the conditions would be rough, I couldn’t have possibly imagined the extent of their poverty until I lived among the kids. One experience, in particular, left an enduring impact on me. My group and I brought bags of rice into one-room houses of hungry families living in poor neighborhoods. During the delivery of the bags of rice, I was truly left speechless, and that experience dramatically changed my perspective. We walked down tiny alleyways with rats scurrying across the ground. I left Thailand with a vastly different, and broader, value system than when I first arrived in the country. What do you like about service? I find it extremely gratifying to help those less fortunate, especially children. Although it may sound cliché, I now know and fully appreciate how very fortunate I am to live in a stable and supportive environment, free from the stress of worrying about daily survival. I’ve witnessed firsthand, both in Thailand and more locally, many children who lack even the bare necessities. My involvement with the B+ Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer, has been personally rewarding in ways different than my experiences with Lifeworks. The B+ Foundation has been a way for me to escape the daily stresses of high school by surrounding myself with hopeful children and knowing that, in even the smallest of ways, I’m making a positive impact. What might you imagine yourself doing after attending Vanderbilt University? I am very interested in psychology and neuroscience, so when I complete my studies I hope to work in one of those fields, particularly psychiatry or research. No matter what field I ultimately pursue, I know I will continue to be committed to community service. I truly can’t picture my life without some form of giving back.
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THE 8TH GRADE SHOW
A TIME-HONORED TOWER HILL TRADITION
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SCHOOL LIFE
The 8th Grade Show is a time-honored tradition at Tower Hill. Often referenced in Moving Up Day speeches, it’s one of the most memorable experiences from students’ Middle School years. “Theater is fun, and it’s one of the few things they do as a full class,” Theater Department Chair Matt Kator said. “They all love it. They walk in too cool for school, and they walk out enjoying themselves.” The process begins in 7th Grade, when Kate Aspengren, a published playwright and adjunct assistant professor at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, comes to Tower Hill to do a playwriting workshop with students. Former theater teacher Trina Tjersland met Aspengren at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. At the end of the seventh-grade workshop, the students vote on what they want their theme to be. The theme for 2018 was camping, while past themes include Western, reality TV and magic.
1992
Aspengren then takes the theme back to her college students, giving them the task of creating a 10-minute play with about 15 characters with various lines of speaking that center around the theme the kids have chosen.
2008
After the plays are written, Aspengren sends the plays back to Tower Hill, and the Theater Department sits down and reads them all and picks four or five that are best for the school and the particular class. At the annual trip to Cape Henlopen in the beginning of 8th Grade, the students all read the plays together. Auditions take place in November, and rehearsals start just before winter break. “They see it through from start to finish,” theater teacher Rachel Marlowe said. “They pick the theme, they are involved in the process until closing night, and it really becomes theirs. And to watch them lean in—it’s almost always mentioned at Moving Up Day— it’s memorable because it’s silly and it’s fun and it’s crazy and it’s intense, but it’s a chance for them to get out of their normal classrooms and learn in a different way.”
2013
—Amy Reynolds, Communications Specialist 2014
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AROUND THE WORLD
LOWER SCHOOL PASSPORT PROGRAM TEACHES GLOBAL OUTLOOK BY EDUARDO SILVA, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Ninety-nine years ago, Tower Hill School was founded upon the principle of providing a progressive and modern education. While the way in which we’ve defined what that looks like over the years has varied and evolved, what has remained true and constant is the effort Tower Hill has makes to always look toward tomorrow with a sense of curiosity, hope and promise. Last year, Tower Hill saw the arrival of the Global Scholar Certificate Program in the Upper School. Proving successful, the first three senior recipients were a testament to the strong global focus that’s been woven into our curriculum. In that same vein, the concerted effort toward expanding our curricular global perspective has made its way into the halls of our Lower School. This year, Natalie Moravek was appointed the Lower School Global Studies Coordinator in an effort to guide and support our global efforts in the Lower School. Moravek arrived to Tower Hill in 2008 and has since taught Spanish in all levels of the Lower School. When it came to finding someone who could carry the torch
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of global studies to our youngest, she was a natural fit. Her ability to connect with students, paired with her passion for gaining cultural perspective, makes her a necessary addition to the schoolwide Global Initiatives program. Moravek hit the ground running and introduced the Lower School Passport Program. Similar to the Upper School certificate, this initiative is designed to inspire students to become citizens of the world and to learn to see the world through different lenses. More importantly, Moravek is working closely with each Lower School teacher to further strengthen and diversify our global coursework with gradeappropriate lessons. Already, if you’ve had the chance to walk through our halls, you can see the work that’s been done across different grades. Whether it’s learning about the different flags of Africa in 4th Grade or hearing about life in Nicaragua from a Nicaraguan national in 2nd Grade, we’re constantly looking for different ways to bring the world into our classrooms.
SCHOOL LIFE
It’s equally important that our teachers understand the value and power of a diverse and global curriculum. To this end, Moravek, Wendy Liu, Ph.D. and I will be traveling together this spring to the TABS/NAIS Global Symposium in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event brings together educators from around the world to discuss, analyze and share the latest and best practices in global education. Our hope is to place Tower Hill at the center of what a globalized education looks like, and this includes traveling around the world and networking with other schools that believe in and carry out this mission. So what does the future hold for Global Initiatives at Tower Hill? The Middle School will also introduce a similar program that will systematically infuse global studies into its curriculum. In the Upper School, we’re revamping our International Dinner and presenting a student-driven International Night that will infuse live performances and cultural displays. Additionally, we’ll continue to increase our travel offerings in all divisions and find ways to make those opportunities accessible to as many of our students as possible. We’re slated to welcome more new international students next year on campus and look forward to the unique perspective they will bring to our students and school community. As we come together to celebrate our Centennial, we’ll not only look at our past, but more importantly, we’ll celebrate the promise of tomorrow.
Top to Bottom: Kindergartners try their hands at writing Chinese characters; Students make their own Tower Hill passports, filling them with stamps from around the world; Regina Chaffin P ‘28, P ‘28 and ‘30 talks to Lower School students about her native country of Ecuador.
VIDEO EXTRA
Watch first-graders learn Russian in a video at towerhill.org/bulletin
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CHOICE-BASED CLASSROOM LOWER SCHOOL ARTISTS FINDING OWN PATHS TO CREATIVITY BY AMY REYNOLDS, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
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SCHOOL LIFE
In the new Lower School art studio, a group of three fourth-graders is working on a large-scale animal sculpture while another student is working on a selfportrait painting. In another corner of the room, two students are working collaboratively on a ceramics project while three others are working independently on individual drawings. The students aren’t all working on one variation of the same thing. Instead, they have the choice and creative freedom to explore their own ideas in the art studio. “Student engagement rises in huge amounts when students are able to work on something they’re invested and interested in,” Lower School art teacher Jane Chesson said. “Instead of trying to get 15 students all engaged creatively in the same way at the same time, I’m allowing students to find something they’re interested in and follow that path to a place of creative success.” Utilizing the methodology of Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), the new choice-based classroom regards students as artists and offers them real choices for responding to their own ideas and interests, which supports multiple modes of learning and teaching for the diverse needs of students. “There’s been a lot of research looking at the benefit of students having choice in classrooms, particularly in a room that’s emphasizing creativity,” Chesson said. “When students are given the opportunity to take risks, make mistakes and work collaboratively, their ability to think critically and overcome problems and obstacles grows exponentially.” The new art studio functions under a philosophy of choice without chaos. Each class operates the exact same way, starting with a two-minute independent warm-up activity followed by a five-minute mini lesson where students learn about a specific technique, material or master artist. After the mini lesson, students can create something of their choice incorporating the new skills they’ve learned. “Keeping as many things structured as possible and then allowing time for open choice allows students to really feel comfortable and supported making those choices,” Chesson said.
When creating their W.O.W. projects (Wonderful Original Works of Art), students must use at least two different types of materials and spend at least four classes working on their artwork, and each project has to be unique. “There’s been a really strong range of projects, and that’s been really exciting for me as a teacher and really exciting for students to see what others in the class have picked,” Chesson said. “I feel like I’ve gotten to know them as individuals so much more this year because their projects are so unique.” According to Head of Lower School Susan Miller, the Art Studio supports learning in the 21st century and helps students develop the skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. “Through student-choice, project-based learning, students have opportunities to put these skills into practice,” Miller said. “And what is most exciting is the plentiful conversation between the students and Mrs. Chesson about their learning and the creative projects that result.” The classroom is set up in centers that function as mini art studios, complete with instructional information, resources, materials and tools. In a typical class, students move independently through the painting, drawing, ceramics, architecture and fiber arts centers, utilizing materials, tools and resources as needed in the art-making process. Each center opens up one at a time, so students learn to use each center individually, gaining access to that space, Chesson said, equating the art studio with a video game. When students first start out, they have very limited choices, abilities and “powers,” and as they work up levels, they gain more freedom, more choice and more powers. Chesson said that the choice-based classroom allows her to have more individual time with students, either one-on-one or in small groups. “Students have a much more organic learning process when they’re allowed to have the freedom to discover things on their own,” she said.
VIDEO EXTRA
Learn more about theBulletin new art studio with 2018 a video39 Tower Hill Spring at towerhill.org/bulletin
COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS DISCUSSION AROUND DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TOPICS
Tower Hill’s Courageous Conversations series introduced students and faculty to age-appropriate, thought-provoking presentations, workshops and discussions this year, providing occasion to reflect on one’s own beliefs and consider the perspectives of others. Elizabeth Denevi, Ph.D. of the Mid West Educational Collaborative, a non-profit agency that works with schools to encourage equity and diversity education, visited Tower Hill on Oct. 10 for an Upper School Assembly on hidden biases and a faculty presentation on culturally responsive teaching. Drawing on her experiences in the classroom and the independent school world, her dynamic presentations covered various aspects of diversity and equity. Adam Foley, Ph.D., program coordinator for the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Delaware, participated in workshops with students on the same day. Alden Habacon, University of British Columbia Diversity and Inclusion Strategist, gave a presentation to faculty on Nov. 10 about “Intercultural Essentials for Thriving in a Multicultural Community.” Habacon is an accomplished diversity and inclusion strategist with over 10 years of experience in leading the development, implementation and staff engagement of strategy toward diversity, inclusion and organizational culture change.
Elizabeth Denevi, Ph.D. addressing Upper School students on the topic of hidden biases.
Alden Habacon of the University of British Columbia speaking to faculty about thriving in a multicultural community.
Rosetta Lee, Seattle Girls’ School Diversity Speaker and Trainer, spoke to students, faculty and staff on Jan. 16, advancing Courageous Conversations with ageappropriate discussion of topics such as stereotypes, cross-cultural communication, inclusion and welcoming ways. Carol Henderson, Ph.D., Vice Provost University of Delaware Office of Equity and Inclusion, spoke at PAATH’s (Parents of African-Americans at Tower Hill) second annual Black History Month program on Feb. 7. Her presentation, “My Soul Is A Witness: Art and Social Activism in the Civil Rights Era and Beyond,” highlighted the occurrence of AfricanAmerican civil rights movements throughout our country’s history into the present day. She also examined how literary and musical artists continue to be bold and provocative voices who “speak truth to power.”
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Carol Henderson, Ph.D. of the University of Delaware Office of Equity and Inclusion, left, with Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor, right at a Black History Month dinner sponsored by PAATH.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A SCHOOLWIDE FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
Tower Hill is committed to a positive, outward-focused growth mindset, where professional conversation about best practices in teaching and learning is a priority. In alignment with the strategic plan, the school has a renewed investment in professional development and collaboration. To that end, Bryan Stevenson, founder and director of the Equal Justice Initiative, visited Tower Hill for the opening faculty meeting in August. Stevenson is the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Just Mercy, which was the faculty summer read. Author and attorney Bryan Stevenson addressed the faculty and signed his book, Just Mercy, in August.
The Science Department participated in the National Science Teachers Association Conference in Baltimore.
In October, faculty members attended one of three different conferences during an inservice day: the National Science Teachers Association conference in Baltimore; the MCRC/ADVIS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference in Philadelphia; or SHAPE Delaware’s physical education conference at Delaware State University. Tower Hill’s preschool teachers attended a ReggioEmilia conference in New York City in July. Emily Zachary, Marina Attix, Christy Stroud, Theresa Shorey, Jean Snyder and Beth Orsetti learned about the ReggioEmilia approach to early childhood education, which incorporates an emphasis on the learning environment, process vs. product, developmentally appropriate practice and the importance of the community of learners. In the Lower School, Cherie Martinez, Deb Stuebing, Michelle Coulter, Literacy Coach Mary Jane Martin and Head of Lower School Susan Miller attended the Reading Institute at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. Kindergarten teachers Deb Stuebing, Ashley Gillerain and Julie Roca attended a Wilson Language Training Fundation workshop. Susan Miller, Amy Cuddy, Ph.D. and Michelle Coulter continued taking classes on mindfulness.
Upper School students attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
Students also participate in workshop and conferences. Hudson Pepper ‘18, Jasmine Minhas ‘18, Lauren Formanski ‘18, Kennedy Medley ‘18, Rory Britt ‘18 and Destiney Skinner ‘19, accompanied by Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor and Assistant Head of School/Dean of Student Life Art Hall, attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, which is hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools.
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STRATEGIC PLAN
STRATEGIC PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS UNDERWAY IN SUPPORT OF PLAN
Tower Hill’s Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2017, serves as a community-wide compass for the school’s future direction. The ambitious initiatives outlined by a committee of trustees, faculty, students, staff, parents and alumni, and vetted through various feedback sessions, center around three key pillars: Exhilarating Education Develop Tower Hill students’ communication, reasoning and leadership skills and prepare them to become active contributors to their communities and the world through an innovative, exhilarating and timeless educational experience. Building Community Build and engage a more diverse and inclusive community. Tower Hill students and faculty will be deeply connected to their community, their world and each other. They will view themselves as change-makers and problem-solvers. Faculty Development Commit to the ongoing development, recognition and support of current faculty as well as a reinvigorated focus on the recruitment of new teachers. As outlined in the last issue of the Bulletin, and found on towerhill.org, there are exciting initiatives that fall under each pillar. A team of faculty members are overseeing the implementation of the plan, led by Assistant Head of School/Chief Innovation and Information Officer Anthony Pisapia. Areas of progress to date this school year include:
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• Tower Term session for in-depth study in the Upper School • A later start time and longer class periods for Upper School to optimize the student learning environment • Opening of the Teaching and Learning Center • Experiential learning in the Middle School with activities like a math/science snowtubing trip and winter Olympics • Courageous Conversations about diversity and inclusion topics • Reintroduction of an affinity group for LGBTQ+ students in the Upper School • Season of Service as an alternative to winter athletics in the Upper School • Lower School Passport Program • New African-American History and English electives • Faculty tuition assistance for master’s degrees • Additional in-service days and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff Simultaneously, a Financial Modeling Committee led by Trustee Laird Hayward ‘02 is examining the financial implications of key aspects of the plan. Associated expenses will be supported through fundraising and financing efforts. Facets of the plan that tie directly to facility space and potential renovations are being considered through an overall campus master planning process, conducted in partnership with architects Hord Coplan Macht. Updates will be shared with the Tower Hill community as these coordinated efforts—strategic plan implementation, financial modeling and campus master planning—progress. Stay tuned!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP HOLDS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOOD STEWARDSHIP ensuring adherence to bylaws and compliance issues in the independent school industry.
Tower Hill’s Board of Trustees meets four times over the course of the school year. Election to the Board of Trustees carries with it a responsibility of stewardship. By definition, trustees are the custodians of the school: They hold “in trust” the mission and the school’s reputation. Trustees accept the obligation to not only preserve, but to also enhance the school. The work of trustees begins with fiduciary expectations of duty of care, such as due diligence on financials and being informed on the operations of the school, and
Beyond these duties, the work of trustees focuses exclusively on policies and strategies that are futurefocused, and not on daily operations, which are delegated to the head of school. Trustees are called upon to contribute their time, thought and energy, as well as financial resources, to support the viability and growth of the school.
Linda Boyden
Last year two members rotated off the board of trustees: Linda Boyden and Ann Rose Ann Rose. Tower Hill thanks both for their invaluable service to the school over the years. As highlighted in the Fall 2017 Bulletin magazine, the board welcomed three new members in September: Jack Flynn, M.D. ‘81, Marna Whittington, Ph.D. and Vance Wilson. Kimberly Cassidy, Ph.D. joined later in the fall, bringing additional leadership perspective from the collegiate world (see below).
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE PRESIDENT KIMBERLY CASSIDY JOINS BOARD Kimberly Wright Cassidy, Ph.D. is the president of Bryn Mawr College, a position she has held since 2014. She served as the college’s provost from 2007 to 2013 and as interim president from July 2013 to February 2014. During her tenure as provost and interim president, Cassidy was instrumental in leading a number of important initiatives, including facilitating curricular renewal in collaboration with faculty leaders, the development of the college’s interdisciplinary 360° courses and the introduction of new academic programs. Cassidy has led a program, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, piloting the use of blended learning—a combination of computer-based and classroom learning—in a liberal arts setting. She spoke to Tower Hill faculty members last year. Prior to serving as provost, Cassidy served as chair of Bryn Mawr’s Department of Psychology from 2004 to 2007. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D.
in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree with distinction in psychology from Swarthmore College. A developmental psychologist with a focus on cognition and education, Cassidy maintains a keen interest in the development of children’s theories about the minds of others. She has won research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Guggenheim Foundation, among others. Her research has appeared in numerous journals including Cognition, Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and Psychological Bulletin and Review.
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TOWER HILL SCHOOL
CENTENNIAL 1919-2019 FORMAL PLANNING BEGINS FOR TOWER HILL’S 100TH BIRTHDAY IN 2019
SAVE THE DATE Centennial Celebration Weekend September 20-22, 2019
Planning is underway for Tower Hill’s Centennial, which will begin in the 2018-2019 academic year as the school celebrates our 100th year of operation. The year will be filled with “centennialized moments”—the Centennial Tree Trim, the Centennial Field Day—and culminate at the Centennial Celebration on Sept. 20-22, 2019, when the school turns 100. Be sure to mark your calendar to be on campus that entire weekend. You won’t want to miss it! A Centennial Steering Committee is collecting many creative ideas for commemorating this once-in-alifetime occasion, from special events and recognitions to student activities and alumni involvement around the globe. Mary Hobbs ‘09, who teaches science in the Middle School, is chairing the Centennial Steering Committee, which is made up of alumni, current and former parents, trustees, faculty and staff. Steering Committee co-chairs are faculty members Jack Smith, Wiz Applegate ‘79 and Marina Attix. In addition, Decades Committee members include alumni through the years who will help encourage participation at Centennial events.
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“I am thrilled to chair the Centennial Steering Committee, a dedicated group of people with a deep love for Tower Hill who are eager to plan and organize this two-year celebration,” Hobbs said. “Tower Hill has such a rich history, and we are excited to honor our past and look toward the future of this wonderful school for generations of students and families to come.” In preparation for the Centennial in 2019, Tower Hill seeks involvement from alumni: •
•
Donate Tower Hill memorabilia (almost anything other than yearbooks) to Ellis Wasson, Archivist, Tower Hill School, 2813 West 17th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806 or ewasson@towerhill.org Submit your favorite THS teacher(s) for inclusion in the 100 Years of Teaching Excellence at Tower Hill School book at towerhill.org/teachers
Thank you!
Centennial Committee Chair Mary Hobbs ‘09 at the Centennial planning kick-off meeting in January.
CENTENNIAL HONORARY COMMITTEE
Richard H. Bayard ‘67 and Josephine Martin Bayard Harry N. Baetjer III and Caryl J. Baetjer R.R.M. Carpenter III ‘58 and Stephanie Conklin Carpenter ‘58 The Hon. Michael N. Castle ‘57 and Jane D. Castle Irénée “Brip” du Pont, Jr. ‘38 and Barbara du Pont The Hon. Pierre S. du Pont IV ‘52 and Elise du Pont Timothy B. Golding and Mary Lou Golding Pierre duP. Hayward ‘66 and Martina Combs Hayward Alison Collins McKenna ‘57 Betty Richardson Susan Hill Ward ‘54 and Rodman Ward, Jr. H. Alex Wise ‘64 and Wendy Ward Wise ‘68
STEERING COMMITTEE
DECADES COMMITTEE
Mary D. Hobbs ‘09, Chair Ann Barlow Ashley ‘79 Elizabeth M. Applegate ‘79, P ‘10, ‘12, ‘16, Randolph Barton, Jr., M.D. ‘59 Co-Chair Erica J. Bickhart ‘08 Marina Attix P ‘15, ‘18, ‘18, Co-Chair Georgina Miller Bissell ‘38 Jack Smith P ‘98, ‘03, ‘08, Co-Chair Ellen Cannon ‘72 Chris Aitken P ‘26, ‘28 Christopher D. Casscells, M.D. ‘71 Ashley R. Altschuler ‘90, P ‘25, ‘27, ‘29 Christopher W. Casscells ‘02 Kate Bailey Ann Sawyer Chilton ‘85 Louise Barton P ‘18, ‘20, ‘24 Edmund R. Chilton Erica J. Bickhart ‘08 Regina Wells Clark ‘81, M.D. Linda R. Boyden P ‘10, ‘13, ‘13, ‘20 Christopher R. Donoho III ‘87 Alisha Wayman Bryson ‘91 Charles J. Durante ‘69 Sara Bush P ‘11 John S. Edinger III ‘11 Phoebe C. P. B. Davidson ‘97, P ‘30 K. Cole Flickinger ‘94 Tenley de Ramel P ‘30 Michael J. Flynn ‘91 Erica Reedy Donoho P ‘16, ‘20 Mary W. Foulk ‘87 E. Bradford du Pont, Jr. ‘82, P ‘10, ‘12, ‘16 Kathleen F. Gianforcaro ‘16 Tara Malloy Fletcher Karen Abrams Graham ‘76 Melissa W. Flynn ‘91, P ‘26, ‘28, ‘28 Heather Kestner Green, M.D. ‘94 Julie R. Goldston Joan Fairman Gummey ‘61 Megan Greenberg P ‘20 Charles F. Gummey, Jr. Arthur Hall P ‘26, ‘27 Nancy L. Hayward ‘60 Michael Holloway Judith Carpenter Herdeg ‘57 Ellet Kidd Jones P ‘20, ‘22, ‘24 George D. Hobbs II ‘75 Chris Kalamchi ‘08 Anne M. Hobbs Matthew J. Kator P ‘22, ‘26, ‘29 R. Maurice Holden ‘85 Margaret O. Kullman ‘08 Brooke A. Kelly ‘11 Seth Kushkin P ‘24, ‘25 C. Victoria Kitchell ‘57 Heather Weymouth Lowry ‘97, P ‘30 Loring Weaver Knott ‘08 Pam McCrery P ‘00, ‘03 Meghan E. Lyons ‘09 Teresa B. Messmore P ‘27, ‘29 Faith A. Lyons ‘12 Kristin B. Mumford P ‘24, ‘27 Diana Wardenburg Maxmin ‘55 Lucy E. Nutting ‘10 Albert J. McCrery IV ‘00 Mitzi Rohrbacher P ‘19, ‘21, ‘26 Aleni M. Pappas ‘96 Chris Sanna John E. Riegel, Jr. ‘90 Ashley Hershey Schlobach P ‘21, ‘24 Amanda Golding Riegel ‘94 Judy Setting P ‘26 Walter S. Rowland, Sr. ‘57 Samantha M. Spruance P ‘14, ‘17 Beverley Wellford Rowland ‘56 Julia Stone P ‘19, ‘23 H. Wesley Schwandt ‘86 Isabella Speakman Timon ‘92, P ‘20, ‘21, ‘24, ‘26 Randolph W. Urmston ‘62 Matthew T. Twyman III ‘88 Anne A. Verplanck ‘76 Kathryn R. Warner Ellis A. Wasson Logan L. Weaver ‘10 Katharine L. Weymouth, M.D. ‘94, P ‘27 Committee member updates pending Judith Herdeg Wilson ‘80 Tower Hill Bulletin
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ATHLETICS
FALL AND WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS ROBIN (ADAIR) HARVEY EARNS TOP HONORS, ANNOUNCES END OF COACHING CAREER Field hockey coach Robin (Adair) Harvey received the Delaware Field Hockey Coaches Association 2017 Coach of the Year Award and was also selected by MAX Field Hockey as the State of Delaware Coach of the Year. Since she started as head field hockey coach in 1994, she earned an incredible career record of 396-44-16 and won 10 state titles. She announced her coaching retirement this spring but plans to continue teaching in the Physical Education Department. Congratulations on an exceptional coaching career! FIELD HOCKEY STATE RUNNER-UP The field hockey team was the state runner-up after its comeback effort against Delmar High School fell short in a 3-2 defeat in the state championship final on Nov. 18. Congratulations to the team on a fantastic 16-1-1 season!
VOLLEYBALL PLACES 3RD The girls’ volleyball team edged out St. Mark’s for third place in the DIAA tournament on Nov. 13. After a first-game loss, the Hillers came back to win the next two games to win the match. COLLEGE ATHLETICS The following seniors have committed to playing Division I or III sports: Bo Anderson - Washington University in St. Louis (baseball) Will Borda - Grinnell College (football) Luke Frietze - Johns Hopkins University (football) Danny Dougherty - Villanova University (golf) Malcolm Johnson - Brown University (soccer) Laura Taschner - Ball State University (field hockey) Julia Smith - Davidson College (field hockey) Allison Smith - Columbia University (field hockey) Isabelle Pilson - Stanford University (field hockey) Natalie Hobbs - Amherst College (field hockey)
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SQUASH TEAM WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP The varsity squash team defeated The Hill School on Feb. 4 to win the 2018 Division V U.S. High School Team Squash Championship. The following week, the team won the Division 3 Mid-Atlantic Squash Association Championship.
SCHOOL RECORDS SET IN INDOOR TRACK The indoor track team took part at the 2018 N5CTA Invitational at Haverford College on Jan. 7. Isabelle Pilson ‘18 won the mile and 3000m races, setting the school record in the 3000m. Malcolm Johnson ‘18 broke the school record in the 400m dash. The women’s 4x800 team (Anna Reynolds ‘19, Maggie Bailer ‘21, Allison Smith ‘18 and Annie Abramczyk ‘18) won the event.
SCHOOL RECORD IN SWIMMING At the DISC Conference Championship on Feb. 3, Kieran Petrunich ‘21 broke the school record in the 100m breaststroke, and Sydney Aitken ‘19 came in first place in the 100m freestyle.
FOOTBALL COACH WAESCO’S 100TH WIN Football coach Kevin Waesco, who has coached the Hillers since 2001, earned his 100th career win at the Homecoming game on Oct. 28. The Hillers shut out Conrad 28-0, which put the team in a good position to reach the Division II playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years.
WRESTLING WINS DISC CHAMPIONSHIP Congratulations to Coach Greg Spear, Coach Steve Cacciavillano and the varsity wrestling program on winning the DISC Conference Championship! Tower Hill Bulletin
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FACULTY FOCUS UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER PHOEBE HALL BY AMY REYNOLDS, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
After college, Phoebe Hall was looking for a way to not leave education. As a student, she loved the ability to do research, “nerd out” and explore a discipline she was really interested in. Teaching gave her the opportunity to do that. “Teaching really gives me the opportunity to share the things that I value,” said Hall, who teaches Upper School history. “It’s that combination of being able to be creative, share a discipline I love and continue learning in that discipline—and then also using it to challenge how people think.” Hall’s academic focus is the Middle East, and while she was a student at Williams College, she took several years of Arabic and studied abroad in Egypt. There she took graduate and undergraduate courses at the American University in Cairo. The trip gave her the opportunity to take a number of history courses with renowned professors and build her language skills. While there, she also traveled a bit, both in Egypt and throughout other parts of the Middle East, spending time in Lebanon, Oman, Morocco and Turkey. “I just had the best time learning about places, visiting those places and also enjoying this ‘girl power’ solo trip,” she said. “It was great for my language acquisition, and I found that having Egyptian Arabic as the dialect that I speak opened up a lot of doors in terms of both research opportunities and the ability to travel and be understood.” Hall said she thinks it’s important for students to travel because it challenges them to communicate. One of the things she really took from being in Egypt was learning about how people interact with their past and how people interact with their identity through history. “I think that’s something that was really striking about my time in Egypt—seeing a moment of political transition and seeing moments of political transitions of the past reflected in that,” she said. “I also think that it can just be really powerful to engage in the discomfort of travel and to be challenged in that respect. That’s something that can be really positive, to get outside of your day-to-day life and to confront what other people may assume about you.”
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This June, Hall will be teaching the Tower Term course “Introduction to the Arabic-Speaking World,” which will include a language component as well as a taste of literature, politics and art. She currently teaches ninth-grade world history and a section of U.S. history. “I’m excited to be back into Arabic and sharing it with other people,” she said. “My hope is that it will draw in students who are excited to learn more about that region and students who are excited about language learning.” Hall previously taught at an independent school in Brooklyn and joined the Tower Hill faculty in 2017. She said she was immediately drawn to Tower Hill because of the warm community, and she liked that the students are so well-rounded. “I was coming from a really STEM-focused school, which can be challenging for someone who’s pretty firmly grounded in humanities and social sciences,” she said. “So I was excited about a place where all of these different disciplines are valued and students are encouraged to excel in a variety of different areas.” Hall said she thinks it’s important to give students the experience of the practice of history, so she’ll often have her students look at documents in an analytical way and have them think about the complexity of the past through text. She also thinks it’s important to teach the total history, so she’ll sometimes focus on groups or voices that are not necessarily the focus of history classes, such as women, workers and those of lower socioeconomic statuses. “I use history as a lens to teach compassion, to teach empathy and to challenge people’s assumptions about different parts of the world,” she said.
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1. Astronomy Club member Joseph Pinto ‘19 joins Lower School science faculty member Nancy Tate in teaching third-graders in the Star Lab. 2. Upper Schoolers work on an encoding activity in honor of the discovery of a new prime number (which may be used for encryption). 3. Fourth-graders dissect chickens in a lesson about anatomy. 4. Middle Schoolers learn about graphing with an Olympic-themed math activity. 5. Middle Schoolers embody historical figures in English class. 6. Prekindergarten students enjoy a visit from the Delaware Nature Society. 7. Upper School students taking the electives African-American Literature or I, Too, Sing America: Modern Black America from Reconstruction to the Present visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in October. Tower Hill Bulletin
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OPENING DAYS 1
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1. Head of School Bessie Speers greets students on the first day of school. 2. Lower Schoolers eagerly wait for the All-School Opening Assembly to begin. 3. Upper School history teacher Jason Toy reviews the course syllabus. 4. Prekindergarten students enjoy the first recess of the school year. 5. Middle School students pose for a photo between classes. 6. Home and School Association Vice President Megan Greenberg and President Lois Miller at the All-School Picnic. 7. Freshmen participate in team-building activities at an Outward Bound retreat.
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1. William Corroon ‘18 helps a kindergartner hang an ornament on the tree. 2. The band leads the school in holiday tunes. 3. Head of School Bessie Speers with students following Tree Trim. 4. A Lower Schooler prepares to hang his ornament on the tree. 5. Lifers from the Class of 2018 pose for a photo at the close of Tree Trim. 6. Middle Schoolers pose for a photo in front of the tree.
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The ARTS
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5 1. Kindergartners perform Holidays Around the World by Lower School music teacher Sara Bush. 2. Fourth-graders dance at a Lower School Town Meeting. 3. Rockets are a popular artistic theme in the Lower School. 4. A painting by Kyla Allen ‘20. 5. The 2nd Grade Hoedown. 6. Middle Schoolers perform at their winter concert.
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The ARTS
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1. Fourth-graders perform On the Radio. 2. The seventh- and eighth-grade chorus at their winter performance. 3. Students create fracture wounds while learning about theatrical make-up. 4. The Upper School fall play, Arsenic and Old Lace. 5. A third-grader creates her mask for the “Tower Will� Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet.
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SERVICE
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1-2. Anna Garonski ‘19 and Leanne Ortega-Wolfsberger ‘19 pose with Gov. John Carney, Sen. Chris Coons ‘81, Director of Service Learning Chris Morrow (left) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (right) at the annual Norman Oliver Turkey Drive. 3. Kindergartners prepared ziti for Emmanuel Dining Room. 4. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service included baking bread for Emmanuel Dining Room. 5. Middle Schoolers created clay bowls for a service project. 6. Students collected cleaning supplies to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. 7. Tower Tots prepared Halloween treat bags for the Ronald McDonald House. 54
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GLOBAL
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1. While visiting from China, the parents of Skye Wu ‘19 shared a gift with Mandarin teacher Wendy Liu, Ph.D. (left) and Head of School Bessie Speers (right). 2. Parent Julia Stone led seventh-graders in creating welcome cards to refugee families from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Democratic Republic of Congo. 3. Lower School Spanish teacher Natalie Moravek shared the Mexican holiday tradition of Las Posadas with first-graders. 4. Middle Schoolers presented Lunar New Year traditions at a Lower School assembly. 5. Scottish exchange students with Bessie Speers. 6. Jingbo Wang, Ph.D., a senior partner at a large venture capital fund in China, spoke to the Upper School in October at the invitation of Randolph Barton, Jr. ‘59.
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HOMECOMING 2017
Tower Hill alumni and the entire school community gathered to connect with friends and cheer on the Hillers at Homecoming and Reunion 2017 on Oct. 27-28. The all-school Founders’ Day celebration united all three divisions as Head of School Bessie Speers and Student Government Association President Rory Britt ‘18 welcomed students, faculty, staff and parents. Irénée “Brip” du Pont, Jr. ‘38 joined the festivities by bringing his 1936 Oldsmobile that he drove to THS when he was a student. He was presented with a Founders’ Achievement Award (see inside front cover). The all-school pep rally filled Stoltz Alumni Stadium with THS cheers, spirit and friendly competition. That evening, a large crowd cheered on the volleyball teams in the Weaver Gym and the soccer teams on DeGroat Field. The Alumni Council also sponsored a tailgate at the Timothy B. Golding Alumni House prior to the varsity team games. On Saturday morning, Speers, faculty members and students led a “Tower Hill Today” presentation in the 1919 Auditorium followed by the Alumni Association Annual Meeting. Cooper Union President Laura Permut Sparks ‘93 was presented with the inaugural Tower Hill Alumni Award. Afterward, Alumni Association members paraded to the picnic lunch led by President Ashley Altschuler ‘90
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and Vice President Wes Schwandt ‘86. Balloon creatures and facepainting entertained kids at the noontime picnic lunch under and around the Alumni House tent, where alumni classes also gathered to reconnect in anticipation of the Alumni Reunion reception later that evening. The well-attended Reunion at Hayward House covered classes ending in 2 and 7, with the classes of 1992 and 1967 celebrating 25th and 50th reunion years respectively. In the evening, alumni and current and former faculty and staff gathered on Hayward House lawn to raise a glass in congratulations to Harry Baetjer for his retirement after 47 years of service to Tower Hill School. Linda Boyden (pictured next page) was presented a Founders’ Achievement Award for her years of service as a trustee and her commitment as a parent and volunteer. The Hillers dominated Saturday’s sporting events, including cross country, field hockey and football, with good sportsmanship and a competitive spirit. Football coach Kevin Waesco tallied his 100th career win with the Hillers’ victory over Conrad School. All in all, Homecoming 2017 was a memorable and fun-filled weekend! —Kate Bailey, Advancement Associate
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1. The Reunion Reception. 2. U.S. Sen. Chris Coons ‘81 and former Head of School Harry Baetjer at the “Baetjer Bravo” tribute. 3. The Alumni Association following its annual meeting. 4. Trustee Ellen Jamison Kullman ‘74 and Founders’ Achievement Award recipient Linda Boyden. 5. Cross country runner Hudson Pepper ‘18. 6. Hiller spirit. 7. Alumni Association Award recipient Laura Permut Sparks ‘93 with Head of School Bessie Speers, Alumni Council President Ashley Altschuler ‘90 and Board Chair Michelle Shepherd. 8. Betty Richardson and Jack Smith.
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SAVE THE DATE Homecoming and Reunion 2018 Oct. 19-20 Visit towerhill.org/homecoming this fall for updated schedules and events.
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1. On Dec. 5, 2017, Lisa Olson ‘76 hosted an alumni gathering at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Pictured are Lisa Olson ‘76, Lynn Rusten ‘77 and Bessie Speers. 2. David Kullman ‘12, Sarah Kreshtool ‘08, Linda Ogden and Lucy Nutting ‘10. 4. Kate Lemay ‘97, Roger Clark and Regi Wells Clark ‘81. 3. On Nov. 16, 2017, Jenn Bayard Particelli ‘02 and Ryan Particelli hosted an alumni gathering at the Harvard Club in New York City. Pictured are Devin Shorey ‘13, Will Mette ‘13, Shoumick Hasan ‘13, Clay Gannon ‘13, Zion Thomas ‘13 and Theresa Shorey. 5. Richard Johnson, Sunny Hayward ‘60 and Kathy Warner. 6. Jenn Bayard Particelli ‘02, Ryan Particelli, Chris Casscells ‘02 and Eliza Casscells. 7. On Oct. 23, 2017, Head of School Bessie Speers met with alumni in Chicago, Illinois, at the University Club. Pictured are Maggie Kullman ‘08, Bessie Speers, David Blickenstaff ‘86, Evan DeDominicis ‘09 and Wil Maloo ‘16. 8. Alumni gathered in Princeton, New Jersey, at the Nassau Club in November. Pictured are Hunt Stockwell ‘58, Jade Olurin ‘17, Bessie Speers and Annie Saunders Mingle ‘78.
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Wilmington - ALUMNI Events 1
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1. On Nov. 7, 2017, Trustee Gina Ward and alumnus Rod Ward ‘83 hosted a donor reception at their home. Pictured are Kristin Mumford, Trustee Marna Whittington and Tom Whittington. 2. Former Trustee Pete Hayward ‘66, Ali Kalamchi and Laurie Kalamchi. 3. Heather Richards Evans ‘80, Susan Hill Ward ‘54 and Bessie Speers. 4. Rod Ward ‘83, Trustee Gina Ward, Bessie Speers and Trustee Régis de Ramel. 5. Bob Altschuler, Micki Altschuler, Tom Speers and Trustee Charles Elson. 6. On Nov. 10, 2017, the Tower Hill Alumni Council hosted a tailgate before the Tower Hill vs. Wilmington Friends football game. Pictured are Brandon Biery and Todd Buonocore ‘87. 7. Michelle Coulter and Tracy Anne Graham Wenzinger ‘86. 8. On Dec. 23, 2017, the Kelly family (Mike ‘75, Deanna, Joanna ‘10 and Patrick ‘14) hosted the Annual Alumni Holiday Gathering at Kelly’s Logan House. Pictured are Chuck Durante ‘69, Mike Kelly ‘75 and Ashley Altschuler ‘90. 9. Lexy Altschuler Spikes ‘87, Larry Rasero ‘87, Kelly Rasero and Nitin Rao ‘87. 10. Patrick Kelly ‘14, Mike Kelly ‘75, Deanna Kelly and Joanna Kelly ‘10.
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Class NOTES 1939 Congratulations to Hal Haskell, who was named one of Delaware Today’s Most Intriguing Delawareans. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1957-1959) and the last Republican mayor of Wilmington (1969-1973). 1947 Doris Harvey Dickerson writes, “Life has slowed down! We don’t travel anymore, but we have good memories of 40 years in Thailand. We are thankful for Landis Homes Retirement Community, its programs, friendliness and excellent medical care.” 1950 Nancy Ritter Raftery has been busy. She enjoyed the graduation of a granddaughter from the University of Richmond, a grandson’s wedding in June and the high school graduation of a granddaughter who has been appointed to West Point. 1956 Charlie Weymouth writes, “Our daughter, Heather ‘97, now returns to assist Tower Hill, and with her husband and two boys. They previously lived in Colorado, Texas, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Beyond her undergraduate/graduate degrees, success in marketing and teaching is the unsurpassed grounding due to Tower Hill.” 1959 Scott Kirkpatrick writes, “After a late start, Daphna and I have a daughter Lili, 20, now serving in the Israeli army, and a son Tom, 17, who is finishing high school. Tom’s movie is entered in American High School Film Festival 2018—we are hoping! We are both still teaching computer science at Hebrew University.” Matt Hoopes is in his 43rd year of working for Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. This is also his 22nd year of living on the Isle of Eleuthera, Bahamas. Three years ago, he founded the nonprofit Islesmon Camaraderie Foundation Bahamas, which raises money to send Bahamian students to U.S. boarding schools. 1961 On Sept. 8, 2017, Dick Joyce spoke to Upper School physics students at Tower Hill about infrared astronomy and his career as a scientist at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Jock Hannum still lives in the Unionville, Pennsylvania, area, where he hunts foxes and happily sees his old classmate and
batting mate, Clipper LaMotte. He reports, “Life is good; four happy children and eight grandkids.” 1961/1962/1968 On July 29, 2017, the Abernathy Family visited Tower Hill School. The family had a wonderful time exploring new spaces in the school and finding themselves in sports photos displayed in the hallways! 1963 Tillie Page Laird writes, “We were off to southeast India and Sri Lanka at the end of December 2016 for four weeks. In March 2017, we got a new member of our family, a flat-coated retriever named Kenzie. She is the joy of our lives. Our annual London visit was in October. The end of December to northeast India for three weeks until mid-January.” 1965 Karen Farquhar says that she “is seeing a bit of Fleming McCoy Ackermann ‘90 as her daughter, Piper, is at St. Andrew’s with my grandson, Carson McCoy. It is good to be with ‘the gang.’ Maine remains wonderful for me. Hello to all!” 1967/2002 Tucker Ranken Giddens ‘67 and her daughter Maggie Giddens ‘02 shared a special moment during Homecoming Weekend 2017 as they were both celebrating their class reunions.
1972 After attending his 35th Reunion at Tower Hill, Robert Oldach sent us a photo from the production of HMS Pinafore. His mother, Eleanor Fogg ‘35, appears to be the girl standing behind the first mate to the left of center.
1974 On Nov. 14, 2017, Ellen Jamison Kullman received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Entrepreneurial and Business Women’s Expo presented by the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Amy Boyer McElroy and her husband, Mark, have moved to Woodstock, Vermont. They are enjoying village life where they can walk to everything! 1976 John Jornlin writes, “The best news in a long time for the Jornlins is the arrival of our first grandchild, Mary Therese Jornlin, daughter of Ryan Jornlin ‘04 and his wife Meghan Jornlin. Our ‘collective feet’ have yet to hit the ground!” 1979 Sarah Cashman Gersky was inducted into the Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame on Jan. 27, 2018. A member of the all-state first team as a senior in 1979, Cashman led Tower Hill to the state championship game, scoring an average of 20.2 points per game.
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1. Dick Joyce ‘61 speaks to Upper School physics students at Tower Hill. 2. Tucker Ranken Giddens ‘67 (left) and her daughter Maggie Giddens ‘02. 3. Laura Guichard, Anne Abernathy ‘68, Hank Abernathy ‘62, Janet Abernathy Robertson ‘61 and Roger Guichard.
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1981 United States Senator Chris Coons spoke to Upper School students on Oct. 30 as the inaugural speaker of the 2017-2018 Forum Series.
Alisha Wayman Bryson was featured as one of Delaware Today’s 2017 Top Women in Business. She is the vice president of her family’s company, Wayman Fire Protection Services.
1983 Congratulations to Rod Ward who was named one of Delaware Today’s Most Intriguing Delawareans. Rod is the CEO of CSC (formerly Corporation Service Co.) He will also co-chair the board of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership with Gov. John Carney.
Paula Janssen and her parents, Eileen and Joe Janssen, were featured in the Winter 2017/18 issue of The Hunt: Life in the Brandywine Valley. She is the general manager and owner of her family’s Greenville gourmet store, Janssen’s Market. 1996 Emily Tepe was featured in a Town Square Delaware article, which chronicles her career as an internationally-acclaimed singersongwriter. Her new album, Traitor, was released in Fall 2017. The article was written by THS alum Anne Grae Martin ‘13.
1986/2000 A.J. McCrery ‘00, Olivia Schwandt ‘21, Avery McCrery ‘25 and Wes Schwandt ‘86 attended the PGA Drive, Chip and Putt Competition at Pinehurst Golf Club. 1987 As of July 2017, Mary Beth Searles is the assistant dean for advancement at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Media, Communication and Information.
1998 Islanda Finamore is the deputy attorney general at the Delaware Department of Justice and was promoted to head the Child Protection Unit, a statewide unit. She was also recently named a 2017 Delaware Business Times 40 under 40 honoree. Congratulations, Islanda!
Caroline (Cooie) Stetson Goulding is still living in the Seattle, Washington, area. 2017 marked her 20th anniversary in the wine industry. She is currently working for a family that owns an Oregon winery and a Washington winery. Her husband works for an international wine company. They have two children in college.
for discussions about his book, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. 1999 Andrew Cloud and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their second daughter, Charlotte, in 2017. According to Andrew, “Her big sister, Catherine, is doing a great job looking after her.” 2001 Casey Owens married Chris Castello on July 1, 2017, in Wilmington, Delaware. 2002 Chris Casscells married Elizabeth Bowling on Aug. 26, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Several THS alumni were in attendance. Kim West started her own business in May 2017 called When It’s Knot Forever —a resource to assist and empower those approaching, going through, or coming out of the divorce process. Violet Malone Particelli was born on Dec. 28, 2017, to Jenn Bayard Particelli and Ryan Particelli.
Jeff Hobbs was the featured author for Christina Cultural Arts Center’s Literary Café
1990 Alison Altergott was a guide for the 7th Grade field trip to the DuPont Environmental Education Center on Oct. 3, 2017. 1991 Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP announced that Michael Flynn became a partner on Jan. 1, 2018. He joined Morris Nichols in 2009 and is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group.
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1. A.J. McCrery ‘00, Olivia Schwandt ‘21, Avery McCrery ‘25 and Wes Schwandt ‘86 at the PGA Drive, Chip and Putt Competition at Pinehurst Golf Club. 2. Casey Owens and her husband, Chris Castello, at their wedding on July 1, 2017, in Wilmington, Delaware. 3. Front row (L to R): Meredith Hatch, Dennison Hatch ‘02, Maggie Giddens ‘02, Chris Casscells, M.D. ‘71, Meri Dinneen, Eliza Casscells, Lucy McMurry ‘09, Sara Casscells Fry ‘05, Peter Larned, M.D. ‘02 Back row (L to R): Nick Casscells, M.D. ‘04, Matt Dinneen ‘02, Jake du Pont ‘03, Chris Casscells ‘02, Jenn Bayard Particelli ‘02. 4. Violet Malone Particelli, daughter to Jenn Bayard Particelli and Ryan Particelli.
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2004 Lucas Dyson Casscells was born on Oct. 25, 2017, to Nick Casscells and Ashley Casscells. 2005 Samuel Lockwood Fry was born on April 21, 2017, to Sarah Casscells Fry and Scott Fry. Samuel joins his big sister Abigail Marshall Fry. 2006 Sydney Schreppler is one of five female scientists to receive a $60,000 grant from L’Oreal. 2007 Michael Whitmer “Whit” Dienstag was born on June 15, 2017, to Grier Tumas Dienstag and Jonathan Dienstag. Whit, Grier and Jon live in Boston’s South End. Grier is an Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Jon manages concessions, merchandise and day of game operations for the Red Sox.
engineering at Northwestern University and earned a doctorate from the University of Utah last year. He stopped by Tower Hill in November to visit PreK, Middle School and Upper School classrooms and share how prosthetics work through age-appropriate conversations. 2010 Preston Boyden and his father, Steve Boyden P ‘10, ‘13, ‘13, ‘20, visited the Swiss Alps on a climbing expedition. According to Steve, “We traversed two of its three peaks, and there was lots of mixed ice and rock climbing with exciting views in every direction (including ‘down’). It was spectacular!” Joanna Kelly had the pleasure of attending a breakfast with Attorney General Eric Holder and Columbia College graduates who are dedicated to addressing social injustice. As a current University of Virginia School of Law student, Joanna was also named a Dorot Fellow with the Alliance for Justice.
16 consecutive wins. Last fall, Elizabeth earned an All-American honorable mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She was featured in an article on PressboxOnline.com. 2016 On Jan. 3, 2018, Spencer Johnson returned to Tower Hill to perform with his Yale a cappella group, The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus. 2017 Town Square Delaware interviewed Hugh Love about his technology tutoring company, TechWisdom LLC, which he launched while attending Tower Hill School. The company’s chief of marketing officer, Michael Cercena, was also mentioned in the article.
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CONDOLENCES 1933 Carobelle Sutton Hanssmann on Aug. 21, 2017
1947 Robert (Bob) Jahn on Nov. 15, 2017
1962 Thésou Overloop Barringer on Dec. 24, 2017
1936 Carolyn Elley Long on Nov. 21, 2017
1949 Mike Donohue, Jr. on Oct. 24, 2017
1963 William (Bill) Morton, Jr. on Oct. 7, 2017
1937 Klemm Harvey on Aug. 22, 2017
1951 Jeannie Peo Doerner on Oct. 17, 2017
1965 Martha Abernathy Guichard in April 2017
1939 Dutton Bothwell on Nov. 14, 2017
1954 Lynn D. Sprankle, Jr. on Feb. 2, 2018
1969 Elva Nickle on Jan. 24, 2018
1940 Helen Lloyd Kitchel Gawthrop on Jan. 26, 2018
1954 Janet Baker Vassallo on Aug. 21, 2017
1992 Chukwuemeka (Chux) Amobi on Dec. 13, 2017
1941 Donald (Don) Rydgren on Oct. 26, 2017
1955 Janet Coker Dushane on Dec. 31, 2016
1997 Kendra Murray Adams on July 30, 2017
1942 William (Bill) Dorsey on Oct. 10, 2017
1958 Bonney Robinson Wasson on Aug. 29, 2017 2013 Damian Ward on Sept. 14, 2017
1945 Irénée du Pont May on Nov. 15, 2017
1959André Harvey on Feb. 6, 2018
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Faculty/Administrator ANNOUNCEMENTS John Bartlett has been appointed chair of the Visual Art and Design Department. A graduate of the Hotchkiss School, Bartlett obtained his B.F.A. from the University of Oregon and an M.F.A. in printmaking and an advanced certificate in art and design education from the Pratt Institute. He has participated in summer studies in film and video at the Maine Media Workshops and John Bartlett at the Rhode Island School of Design. He joined Tower Hill in 2011 and teaches art, photography and graphic design in the Upper School. Former department chair Rich Pierce is continuing his role as a visual art and design faculty member, teaching woodshop to students in all three divisions in addition to experimental rocketry in the Upper School. Noreen Jordan has been named Math Department chair. Before joining the Tower Hill community in 2011, Jordan taught at Hallahan High School for girls in Philadelphia, Penncrest High School in Media, Pennsylvania, and Archmere Academy. She teaches geometry, advanced algebra and precalculus, and she coaches the Upper School Math League teams. Jordan holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Scranton and an Noreen Jordan M.Ed. in math education from Widener University. Former department chair Jack Smith, Jr. continues his teaching and scheduling responsibilities in the Upper School, teaching honors algebra and advanced calculus. Director of Admission Kristin Mumford has been promoted to director of advancement and enrollment management, a senior leadership position that oversees both the advancement and admission functions of the school. Mumford joined Tower Hill from Archmere Academy in 2016, bringing a personalized approach to admission outreach that has contributed significantly to strong Kristin Mumford enrollment and retention. She assisted with major gift work during personnel transition in the Advancement Office and demonstrated talent for inspiring philanthropic support. Interim Director of Advancement and Director of Alumni Programs Kathy Warner is retiring at the end of the 20172018 school year. Warner joined Tower Hill in 2005 to strengthen alumni outreach and engagement around the country. Her many accomplishments include improving communication with alumni across the Kathy Warner decades, increasing involvement of the Alumni Council at Tower Hill and growing attendance and programming at Homecoming and Reunion. She has enhanced the annual Golf Outing, organized countless alumni receptions and events, and kept alumni informed through the Bulletin magazine and The Lookout e-newsletter. We will miss her and wish her all the best in her retirement. We thank her for all she has done for THS.
Eduardo Silva is Tower Hill’s new Language Department chair, having increased his administrative duties in recent years as the director of global initiatives. A native Spanish speaker, Silva is a graduate of California State University in San Bernardino and earned a master’s degree in French from Middlebury College. He teaches French in the Middle and Upper Schools. Language Eduardo Silva Department Chair Caroline Shields Clifford, Ph.D. ‘83, announced her departure from Tower Hill this spring after 11 years years of service to her alma mater (read more about Clifford’s time at Tower Hill on page 19). Tim Weymouth has been appointed Science Department chair, tasked with taking a wholeschool approach to science leadership from Tower Tots through 12th Grade. Weymouth earned a B.A. in biology from Hamilton College and an M.A. in private school leadership from Columbia University. He has previously taught at Friends Central School, the Fessenden School and St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia. For seven years he worked with The Road Less Traveled, leading staff training for 50 wilderness and community service leaders and guiding students on wilderness trips in the U.S., Australia and Norway. Former Science Department Chair Tom Hoch continues to teach physics in the Upper School. He also has a new strategic role as Director of Environmental Initiatives, focusing on energy-saving initiatives and efficiency.
Tim Weymouth
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Kate Bailey, who has served as advancement associate since 2015, will take on a new role as director of alumni relations and stewardship effective July 1. Bailey joined Tower Hill in September 2015 after graduating from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in interpersonal communication. Kate Bailey
Faculty FAMILY
Spanish teacher Hannah Kelly welcomed Augustine Charles Kelly on Jan. 17, 2018. He weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz.
History teacher Chris Sanna welcomed Munro Grace Sanna on Dec. 5, 2017, weighing 8 lbs., 5 oz.
Athletic trainer Mike Phillips welcomed a baby girl, Sienna Grey Phillips, on Sept. 12, 2017 at 9 lbs., 7 oz.
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THE WORD FOR THE YEAR IS
COURAGE
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1. Teachers Abby Patterson, Drew Keim and Jill Zehner demonstrated courage by making their way to the top of the climbing wall during the fifthgrade trip to Sandy Hill. 2. SGA President Rory Britt ‘18 explains what courage means to him at the Opening Assembly. 3. Outward Bound led rising freshmen and sophomores in various team-building activities, wearing shirts that happened to feature our Word for the Year. 4. The 3rd Grade’s perspective on the meaning of courage in their day-to-day lives. 5. A Lower School student poses in front of Jane Chesson’s Courage Mural decorated with colorful wings and the inscription, “What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?” 6. A courage picture hangs on the wall in the Tower Tots classroom.
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Tower Hill School ANNUAL FUND
As I listen to the Tower Hill clock tower ring its bell from my office in the Alumni House, I am reminded of its power and significance as a student. That familiar sound meant a great deal to me as a student—mainly as a way for me to know how soon I’d be eating lunch or when I would be finished with class to head to sports practice. As an administrator and current parent, the bell brings on a new meaning to me as I drop off my son to his Kindergarten classroom and then head to the office. I am thrilled to return to Tower Hill, its traditions and evolution. Working with today’s faculty and staff gives me a true appreciation for my own experience as a student, and the journey my son has just begun. The importance of giving back to Tower Hill has never been more palpable. I want future students to have the opportunity to take advantage of all that Tower Hill has to offer and enjoy the same positive experience I had then and have now. Please join me in supporting the school with an Annual Fund gift today. —Heather Weymouth Lowry ‘97, P ‘30 Director of the Annual Fund Tower Hill Bulletin www.towerhill.org/makeagift
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Tower Hill School 2813 West 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806
TOWER HILL SCHOOL
CENTENNIAL Sept. 20-22, 2019
Save the date!