Sacred Heart Greenwich Donates Preserve to Greenwich Land Trust
11/3/17 — Sacred Heart Greenwich recently donated an eight-acre keystone property to the Greenwich Land Trust to connect 165 acres of protected open space along the Byram River. Bordered by previously protected preserves, the land parcel will create a significant, continuous greenway and wildlife corridor in this important watershed.
The school will retain access to the Byram River for its Lower, Middle, and Upper School science classes to enable students to pursue their studies and research of the natural environment. “The science teachers are looking forward to this new partnership with the Land Trust to continue studies of wildlife, invasive species, ecological systems, water quality monitoring, trout conservation, as well as other independent projects in our award-winning Science Research Program,” shared Upper School Science Department Co-Chairs Amy Dillane and Mary Musolino.
“We are excited to contribute to the preservation of such a unique and precious resource that is so important to the community,” said Sacred Heart Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes. “This gift underscores the foundational principles of Sacred Heart Greenwich’s mission, which includes teaching respect for creation and preparing our students to be stewards of the Earth’s resources, while building a global awareness of the issues surrounding human development.”
Opening of Innovation Lab at Foxcroft School Celebrates Creativity
11/2/17 — Head of Foxcroft School Cathy McGehee and Director of Educational Technology Alex Northrup recently celebrated the opening of The Innovation Lab at Foxcroft School (TIL@FXC) with students, faculty, and the greater community.
Northrup convened the team of students that created TIL@FXC in 2016, and they immediately took the reins of the project. “It was a joyful experience for me to see their enthusiasm and creativity,” said Northrup. “Sometimes I had what I thought was a good idea and it was overruled by the students. That process, like this space, did what we try to do every day — move the students to the center of the learning process. Instead of being passive recipients of knowledge, they are active participants in creating their own learning. They begin to see themselves as makers — confident and curious citizens who are going to make the world a better place.”
After the ceremony, the visitors explored the five-room space, observing and talking with girls using the facilities. In the Engineering Shop, students showed off the gliders and drones they had made. In the Collaboration Room, students explained projects ranging from a mathematical analysis of women’s empowerment in four countries to the prototype of a transforming dress being created for the spring production of Cinderella.
“What makes this space so unique among other schools that have makerspaces is that it was researched, designed, planned, and budgeted for by our own students,” shared McGehee. “Ultimately … we are fostering a culture of creativity and joy, and building skills, confidence, and courage that will prepare our students for success in college and in their professional lives.”
Stuart Country Day School Launches National Center for Girls’ Leadership
10/13/17 — Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart recently announced the launch of the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart (NCGLS).
NCGLS is a global expansion of the school’s Center for Girls’ Leadership, established in 2015 to support and empower the next generation of female leaders. NCGLS works to support and empower the next generation of female leaders worldwide by providing leadership training, mentors and opportunities through research, professional programming, and the development of innovative curriculum.
“As experts in educating girls, we are always asking, ‘What do girls need to lead today, and into the future?’” said Dr. Patty L. Fagin, Head of School at Stuart. “Despite the demonstrated strength of girls over their male counterparts in the classroom, women still remain significantly underrepresented in many high growth areas including the STEM fields, entrepreneurship, finance, and especially positions of leadership … we believe that girls must be given not just the skills, but also the confidence to know their voices are equally important.”
Lincoln School Receives $1.5M Gift for Financial Aid
10/12/17 — Lincoln School recently received a $1.5 million endowed gift for financial aid from an anonymous donor. This is the single largest gift dedicated to scholarship in the school’s 134-year history and will help to ensure that girls, regardless of their financial situation, can take advantage of the benefits of a Lincoln School education.
“I am in a diverse environment that enables me to better my community. In these crucial years of growth, I have a solid background to fall back on when I stumble, and enough knowledge to set me free. I will breach the boundaries keeping people apart; I will reach across them and spread this wonderful gift of passionate learning with others,” shared a current Lincoln student who benefits from the school’s scholarship program.
“We are so thrilled that a member of our community was moved to make such a remarkable contribution to Lincoln,” shared Head of School Suzanne Fogarty. “This gift will allow future generations of girls and young women to experience the outstanding academic opportunities, top-tier teaching, and lifelong love of learning that are the hallmarks of a Lincoln education.”
Annie Wright Students Win Verizon App Challenge
10/11/17 — A group of students from Annie Wright Schools recently won the Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge, a design competition that asks students to create an app concept that will solve a problem in their community. As a Best in State team, the students won a $5,000 award for Annie Wright’s design program, along with a recognition plaque and banner for the school.
All 8th-grade students at Annie Wright participated in the challenge. Students Julia H., Ranbir P., Lauren J., Emily S., Connor S., and Ananya K. designed the app, “Hope, Love, Care” that won Best in State. Reducing the stress of responding to texts or calls or updating multiple social media platforms, the app enables patients to update loved ones on their health from one single app that propagates other social media sources. The patient or the person using the app would receive a private patient code. Once receiving the code, loved ones could access information directly from the patient blog and even send e-cards and well wishes through the app.
The team’s design was supervised and submitted by Assistant Director of Middle School Clare Wagstaff. “They dove into every task, kept to every deadline, and were very thoughtful in all aspects of the competition,” shared Wagstaff of the winning team. “What particularly impressed me about this group is that they genuinely care about the problem they were trying to solve.”
Head of Lincoln School Honored with 2017 Leading Women of Distinction Award
10/10/17 — The Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England will honor Suzanne Fogarty, Head of the Lincoln School, with a 2017 Leading Women of Distinction Award. The award acknowledges women who have embodied the Girl Scout “G.I.R.L.” spirit of Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader throughout their careers. They have shown themselves to be a direct reflection of what Girl Scouting stands for and have inspired girls to thrive in the direction of their ambitions and lead lives full of courage, confidence, and character.
Honorees will be recognized at an Awards Breakfast where Neil D. Steinberg, President & CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, will serve as a guest speaker.
Girls Prep and The Female Lead Announce Nationwide Effort to Develop the Next Generation of Female Leadership
10/6/17 — Girls Prep, an NCGS strategic partner for the 2018 Global Forum on Girls’ Education ® II, joined forces with The Female Lead to host an event at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School to celebrate strong female leaders. The Female Lead is a revolutionary new campaign dedicated to making more visible the breadth of women’s stories and female achievement to inspire future generations.
Majora Carter, a leading urban revitalization strategist and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster; Edwina Dunn, founder of The Female Lead; and Nell Merlino, founder of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, joined Jessica Diaz, Girls Prep Bronx Academic Director, for a panel discussion about the importance of increasing the presence of strong female role models to help develop the next generation of female leaders.
“Since our founding in 2005, Girls Prep has grown to now educate nearly 1,500 low-income, African-American and Hispanic female scholars, and support now 350 alumnae who are at top private, parochial, and public high schools, or are freshman at some of the finest colleges and universities in the country,” shared Public Prep Superintendent Janelle Bradshaw. “Hearing from these amazing women is another step in Girls Prep’s long commitment to demystify what it means to develop female leaders.”
Annie Wright Becomes Only IB Continuum School in Washington State
10/3/17 — Annie Wright Schools was recently approved to deliver the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), making Annie Wright the only school in Washington and one of fewer than 20 schools in the United States to offer the full continuum of IB programming from Preschool to Grade 12.
The MYP, which provides a framework for curriculum and assessment, focuses on understanding the concepts behind facts and developing lifelong approaches to learning. Both inquiry-based and trans-disciplinary, the MYP emphasizes strong communication skills, challenges students to think analytically and creatively, and provides opportunities to solve problems and make decisions in real-world contexts.
Annie Wright Schools gained authorization to deliver the Diploma Programme in its Upper School in 2009 and the Primary Years Programme in its Lower School in 2015. The Middle Years Programme bridges the gap, providing consistently rigorous, inquiry-based, and internationally-minded education throughout the school.
“Over the last decade our faculty has worked hard to implement the IB programs across the school,” said Christian Sullivan, Head of Schools. “We are thrilled to receive final authorization for this gold standard of education, but more importantly, we are proud to offer programs that inspire students to solve problems and make the world a better place.”
Hamlin’s Admission Director Selected as Recipient of AISAP Leadership Award
9/20/17 — Lisa Lau Aquino, Admission Director at The Hamlin School and member of the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP), has been selected by AISAP as the inaugural recipient of the Andy Noel Leadership Award for Excellence in Advancing the Admission and Enrollment Management Profession.
Aquino’s demonstrated ability to lead by empowering students and admission professionals is why she was singled out as the recipient of the award. An alumna of Hamlin, Aquino began her career at Hamlin as a science teacher and later moved to Admissions after discovering how much she loved sharing the school’s innovative approach to learning, high academic standards, and supportive environment with prospective families.
Aquino is described as an admission leader “force,” able to inspire and build up those around her, whether it’s students, colleagues, or prospective families. “We all admire Lisa because of her deeply held and boldly lived ethical values, her tireless work ethic, and her steadfast commitment to access and inclusion,” shared Hamlin’s Head of School Wanda Holland Greene.
“At Hamlin, we educate our girls to meet the challenges of their times—it is part of our mission,” said Aquino. “We want our students to be the girl in the red dress; to stand out, step up, and take on issues that are important to them. Every decision we make is with our students in mind.”
The Girls’ School of Austin Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Service Challenge
9/19/17 — The Girls’ School of Austin (GSA) is celebrating its 15th anniversary with the launch of a “15 Years, 15 Hours” challenge to their school community. Students, teachers, and parents are being challenged to complete fifteen hours of community service over the course of the 2017–2018 school year. Eligible service hours include volunteering for a non-profit, helping out a neighbor, caring for the environment, or completing a fundraiser for a charity.
The challenge began with a school-wide service project benefiting victims of Hurricane Harvey. Students got together with their “school sisters” (multi-grade level groups they are a part of during their time at GSA) to make cards and banners welcoming evacuees displaced by the hurricane. Many students continued the volunteer work on their own by assembling “Welcome Kits” for the evacuated families. As a result, several students have already reached five or more hours.
“We wanted to celebrate our 15th anniversary in a way that is both meaningful to our students, and gives back to the greater Austin community,” shared Shanna Prewitt-Hines, Service-Learning Coordinator at GSA.
Annie Wright Capital Campaign Surpasses Goal
9/18/17 — Annie Wright Schools’ capital campaign to enhance athletic facilities and grow the endowment recently surpassed its goal of $12 million by nearly 50 percent, fulfilling these essential strategic initiatives and enabling greater scholarship opportunities.
From Strength to Strength: The Campaign for Annie Wright Schools launched in 2014 to preserve and bolster the strength of the school and to make a transformative difference in the lives of its students. The campaign had exceeded its goal prior to the receipt of an estate gift from Suzanne Patrice Smith ’82. The alumna gift enhanced the campaign’s success and enabled the school to create its largest-ever endowed scholarships. The newly established Suzanne Patrice Smith Scholarship Fund will benefit students in Grades 9-12. The campaign’s success also enabled Annie Wright Schools to open a new all-weather athletics field this past spring, replacing the previous field built in 1923.
“Our donors’ leadership, philanthropy, and passion for Annie Wright Schools have been tremendous,” shared Head of Schools Christian Sullivan. “This exceptional community has come together to support students who will go on to make a lasting difference in the world.”
Saint Mary’s School Welcomes New Head of School
9/15/17 — Saint Mary’s School recently kicked off its 176th year of educating girls by welcoming new Head of School Brendan J. O’Shea to campus. O’Shea began his tenure in July 2017 and will serve as Saint Mary’s 14th Head of School.
A seasoned independent school educator and leader, O’Shea began his educational career at Woodberry Forest School. During his 16-year tenure, O’Shea served in numerous senior administrative positions, including Director of Admission; Assistant Headmaster for Admission, Marketing, and Financial Aid; and Assistant Headmaster and Dean of Academic Affairs. In 2004, O’Shea was appointed Headmaster of Charleston Day School, where he designed and managed a successful capital campaign resulting in the construction of a new Student Academic Center. He also led two successful accreditations for Charleston Day School and has served on numerous SAIS/SACS accreditation teams.
“What is unique about Brendan is his intrinsic ability to make connections,” shared Saint Mary’s Board Chair Gloria Taft Becker. “I look forward to the connections he undoubtedly will make here at Saint Mary’s School—whether it is connecting our traditions with the innovative needs of a 21st century education, his personal connection with our girls, parents, faculty, staff, and alumnae, or building a stronger connection off our campus with the broader community, these are just some of the connections I am confident he will make that will benefit our culture and momentum of academic excellence.”