ais magazine spring 2013

Spring 2013

OPEN THE DOOR

:: An 11th grader (pictured) played the role of Jack in the AIS Repertory Company’s production of the classic Into the Woods in November. For an independent study in the arts, the student pictured wrote the script for the Upper School drama production staged in January. 4.

Glimpsing Her Future

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Contents

FEATURESA Chat With New Upper School Head ..................................8

Longtime Accounts Manager Signs Off ...............................9A Message for Our Future .................................................. 12Independent Study in the Arts ......................................... 24

Athletic Hall of Fame ..........................................................27

DEPARTMENTSFrom the Head of School ......................................................2

Around Campus .....................................................................3Faculty News........................................................................11AIS Athletics ....................................................................... 26

Class Notes .........................................................................28

All About Leadership 20 PALs 18

Training Problem Solvers 14

On the cover is one of the images used in Agnes Irwin’s new Admission viewbook. The message it conveys? “Celebrate the things you have in common and also the things you don’t.” Read more on page 12.

Fall 2012

Spring 2013

Editor Wanda Motley Odom

Director of Marketing and Communications

Contributors Mariandl M.C. Hufford

Director for Academic Affairs and the Center for the Advancement of Girls

Clare Luzuriaga Communications Manager/Graphic Artist

Maria McDonald Communications Specialist

Brooke Record Director of Annual Giving Programs

Michelle Trenholm Senior Communications Specialist

Twelth Grade Students

Photography Pete Bannan, Katya Chilingiri, Shane Duncan,

Clare Luzuriaga, Maria McDonald, Donna Meyer, Michelle Trenholm, Linda Walters

Layout Clare Luzuriaga

Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010-1042

Grades PreK-4 Tel 610.525.7600 Fax 610.526.1875 Grades 5-12 Tel 610.525.8400 Fax 610.525.8908

www.agnesirwin.org

The Agnes Irwin School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sexual orientation,

national or ethnic origin in administration of its admission and educational practices, financial aid program, athletic

and other school-administered programs.

2 The Agnes Irwin School Magazine :: Spring 2013

From the Head of School

At the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools held in February in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to hear noted author and lecturer Jim Collins discuss the essence of great leadership.

Collins is probably best know for his international bestseller Good to Great, an extensively researched analysis of how well-performing companies become enduringly stellar companies. He has written or coauthored six books, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide, on great organizations and how they attain superior performance, thereby achieving greatness.

Through many years of research, Collins has also come to identify the characteristics that great leaders possess. They are highly qualified individuals, they know how to be team players, and they have learned to effectively manage others. They are diligent and hardworking as well. But there is one more attribute that distinguishes great leaders from good ones, said Collins, and that is personal humility and dedication to something greater than themselves.

I like to think that here at Agnes Irwin, we have long recognized the ingredients of great leadership through the educational practices we apply in the classroom, on the playing fields and among the numerous co-curricular student activities. Our academic program has been educating girls and young women at the highest level since 1869, and as an all-girls’ school, customary practices such as collaboration and teamwork have been an intrinsic part of the fabric of our institution.

So I can confidently state, as chronicled in the Spring 2013 issue of this magazine, that Agnes Irwin intentionally teaches its girls how to lead and lead well. Mariandl Hufford, our Director of Academic Affairs and the Center for the Advancement of Girls, lays out just how much “creating leaders” is a part of the DNA of our school. The Participatory Action Research that Lower School staffers are doing in partnership with the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College will expand this leadership work in new and exciting ways.

Likewise, our efforts to incorporate more exploration of engineering into the science curriculum in Middle School demonstrate our commitment to keeping STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) studies at the forefront of our educational program. Research shows that early exposure to such topics increases the chances that girls will seriously consider pursuing these fields in college and as career choices.

A year ago, our Board of Trustees led the way with its endorsement of new brand messaging for the school that has been implemented through new admission materials promoting the “open” and “welcoming” community that Agnes Irwin is. An article about the project chronicles how we reached this exciting portrait of the school today. In the fall, a superb educator and leader, Joanne Hoffmann, will join our community as the next director of the Upper School, and you can read a conversation with her on the pages that follow.

Enjoy other stories about the great happenings at Agnes Irwin, from the independent study options that students have exercised in the Visual and Performing Arts Department to the special peer-to-peer mentoring program, known as PAL, that provides opportunities for friendships to grow across divisions and enhances the AIS experience for Lower School and Middle School girls.

As always, exciting news about athletics, our alumnae, special and ordinary events fill this issue. Read on. I am positive you will discover something you did not know, and be delighted by it.

Warmest regards,

Mary SeppalaHead of School

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AIS LOWER SCHOOL:

Around CampusL O W E R S C H O O L • M I D D L E S C H O O L • U P P E R S C H O O L

SIMPLE MACHINESMerging science and technology, second graders used Legos to build machines to propel marshmallows, learning the fundamentals of physics in the process.

LOWER SCHOOL HOLIDAY CONCERTPreK and kindergarten students kicked off the Lower School Holiday Concert in December with their rousing renditions of The Angel Band, I Have a Little Dreyd’l and the Twelve Days of Christmas. .

WOMEN IN WAXIn January, fourth graders presented their “Women in Wax” characters to parents and other guests. Having carefully researched a notable woman who inspired them, each student dressed up as that woman and waited to “come to life” at the drop of a penny in a cup.


Around Campus

AIS LOWER SCHOOL:

PIRATE TREASURE HUNTIn the fall, second graders were introduced to the book Treasure Island and learned about local artist N.C. Wyeth, who illustrated the Scribner’s Classics edition in 1911. Staying in theme, students roamed the campus in pirate gear, following clues on a treasure hunt that also reinforced the map skills they had learned in social studies class.

FIRST GRADE SELF-PORTRAITSIn January, first graders held a special exhibition of their self-portraits in the Moran Gallery.

AUTHOR VISITS THE FOURTH GRADEBest-selling British author Frances Osborne spoke to the fourth grade in November about writing, specifically focusing on her techniques for writing biographies and the creative process of writing a novel.

THIRD GRADE CONSTRUCTION SITE EXPEDITIONThird graders had a chance to put social studies into action when they visited the campus construction site in December, analyzing it for its use of various resources. The construction workers spoke to the girls and answered questions about the construction project.

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Around Campus

AIS MIDDLE SCHOOL:

DREAM FLAGS FOR DEAL SCHOOL As part of The Dream Flag Project®, sixth graders helped PreK students create special Dream Flags in December to send to Deal School in New Jersey, which was affected by Hurricane Sandy. The Dream Flag Project® is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year!

AFRICAN DANCE CELEBRATIONThe LTB ’49 Pavilion was alive with music and movement when Jeannine Osayande and her Dunya Performing Arts Company held a celebration of African dance and drumming with seventh graders for the culmination of their history unit on Ghana, Mali and the Swahili City States.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICALThe annual seventh and eighth grade musical Annie, Jr. was a big hit, starring Music Coordinator Murray Savar as Daddy Warbucks.

EGYPTIAN MOSAICAs part of an interdisciplinary project blending history and art, the Class of 2019 created an Egyptian mosaic last year with the assistance of art teacher Kathy Halton. Each section of students was assigned one kingdom - Old, Middle, and New - and worked to represent the main characteristics of each. The mosaic is now a permanent installation in the Middle School lower-level corridor.


Around Campus

AIS MIDDLE SCHOOL:

WOLF PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PERFORMANCEIn January, the Wolf Performing Arts Center brought their touring production of I Never Saw Another Butterfly to the Middle School. Based on a book by the same name, the play honors the memory of the children who passed through the Terezin concentration camp during the Holocaust. Two seventh graders (center, left and center, right) starred in the play.

PAJAMA DAYFifth graders enjoyed Pajama Day in the Middle School in October.

VISITING SPEAKERS:

SHERYL WuDUNNIn March, Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the critically acclaimed book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide spoke to Middle and Upper School students on the topic of “Why Students Should Care About the World and Change It.”

JULIE FOUDYJulie Foudy, two-time Olympic Gold medalist, two-time winner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and founder of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, spoke at the school in October. A staunch advocate for women and children, she addressed how sports build leadership skills for life.

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Around Campus

AIS UPPER SCHOOL:

UPPER SCHOOL MUSICALIn November, the AIS Repertory Company presented Into the Woods, a musical with words and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, based on the book by James Lapine. A big hit with the audience, the plot interwove several familiar main characters and story lines from the Brothers Grimm, with a completely new spin and catchy musical numbers.

STOCK MARKET GAMEMore than 90 Upper School students participated in The Stock Market Game – an online program that simulates the New York Stock Exchange in real time. Combined, 32 AIS teams placed fifth at the regional level, with two AIS 11th grade students (pictured below) ranking first regionally and sixth in the state.

MODEL UN AWARDA 12th grade AIS student won the “Outstanding Delegate” award for her representation of Henry Willock in the British East India Company Committee at Columbia University’s 12th Annual Model UN Conference in January 2013.

TOPPING OFF CEREMONYAs trustees, donors, students and staff watched, construction workers lifted the final beam into place on the steel frame of Agnes Irwin’s new Athletic Center. The “topping off” ceremony, held in November, marked a milestone in the Campus Improvements Project.

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITIONSeveral students in the Class of 2013 were recognized as finalists, semi-finalists and outstanding participants in the National Merit Scholarship Program.


What attracted you to the position of Upper School Director at AIS?

AIS has had a long and distinguished history of creating a vigorous learning environment for girls as well as for inspiring them to become leaders and engaged community members at the School, in college, and in the larger world. Today, AIS is carrying on that tradition of excellence, while also leading the way through its innovative responses, such as the Center for the Advancement of Girls, to the challenges of providing an education that prepares its students to thrive in an increasingly complex world. I am delighted to be joining such a vibrant community and am eager to return to an all-girls’ environment because I am convinced that this mission is more important today than ever – especially given media images of and paths for women that often run counter to 21st century aspirations.

You have extensive experience as an educator and administrator in independent schools. What elements of that experience will you bring to the Agnes Irwin community?

Throughout my career, I have learned that what I like most about being in schools is the constant mode of exploration and discovery that defines educational communities. I enjoy working with students and colleagues on projects and initiatives that help schools be rich and textured places for all – places that are open to creative thinking, foster intellectual integrity, engender

a love of learning for its own sake, respond to global issues, and honor diversity. Given my collaborative style, I hope to work with everyone at AIS to create opportunities for such growth and community spirit, while, in the process, always staying true to Emerson’s directive to respect the child.

What do you intend to accomplish in your first three months? First six months? First year?

Initially during this time of transition, I am eager to listen, listen, listen and learn all that I can about AIS. Since January, I have been visiting the school for two days, every three weeks or so, to begin my education. I have enjoyed talking with students about their love of their school and with my new colleagues about their current work and hopes for the future, and I am eager to continue that learning process.

Then, I look forward to working with everyone to adjust to the power of a new schedule and the extraordinary opportunities of the new building. Both have the potential to change the ecology of the school in such rich and textured ways. To me, these structural changes are in absolute harmony with AIS’s vision for the future, and they promise to broaden and deepen the overall educational experience for our students. I also am excited about exploring ways to contribute to the Center for the Advancement of Girls, which, I think, is poised to do such important work in the area of girls’ development and achievement.

Educator Joanne Hoffman brings vast experience to her new role as the next Upper School Director at Agnes Irwin, having worked at several leading independent schools in New England, including 15 years as the head of Moses Brown, a nationally recognized Quaker school in Providence, RI.

Prior to Moses Brown, Hoffman served as Associate Head of School at Concord Academy and Academic Dean at The Ethel Walker School. In addition to serving on several boards and being an active presenter at professional symposiums and workshops, Hoffman has written regularly about issues in independent schools and education in general.

SPOTLIGHT:

Continued on page 10

:: Joanne Hoffman (left) chats with Upper School physics students.

A Conversation With New Upper School Head

JOANNE HOFFMAN

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Nearly two decades ago, when Penney Moss was Head of School and the IBM ThinkPad was the height of technical sophistication, Carol Patanovick arrived at Agnes Irwin.

A month into her new role as manager of student accounts, Patanovick observed the opening day process of how girls received their books and determined that the system could be revamped dramatically. Instead of teachers bringing individual orders for each of their classes to the book store, where there was no overall record of what books were used in which course or from what vendor they were ordered, Patanovick created a database that included each Middle School and Upper School course along with the titles of its books and ancillary information.

“Tables in the assembly room were setup with books by grade and course, which meant that teachers and students only had to go to one table,” explained Patanovick. “On opening day, homeroom teachers brought their students (in) and they could get their books with ease.”

The following August, Patanovick saw some of the girls coming in from pre-season sports practice and asked them if they wanted to get their books early. The concept was new, and the girls responded with enthusiasm.

“Early book distribution became an every year event. They signed up for the lunch plan and spent time visiting with their friends …it was an exciting time.” Much of her research and use of new technologies resulted in a great savings in freight costs.

Patanovick’s practical ingenuity did not stop there. With an understanding that learning how to manage state funding for the school might mean a cost savings to families if that process were added to her responsibilities, she once again knocked on Penney Moss’s door. “Each year Agnes Irwin receives an allotment of monies from the state to use for purchasing books and workbooks for students. Textbooks purchased with the monies have a six-year use requirement. Because they are quite expensive, it is impossible in one year to purchase every course’s required texts. As a result, I have used ‘laddering’ – that is purchasing texts for approximately four courses each year,”

said Patanovick. The remaining monies are used to purchase course workbooks, which can be ordered each year for individual student-use as well as other learning materials that teachers use from year-to-year. Since taking over management of the state funding, Patanovick has worked closely with department chairs, and a laddered purchase of classroom texts has been an ongoing process. “Over the years, this has meant a huge saving to families of many thousands of dollars across all divisions and every department of the school.”

During the course of her career at Agnes Irwin, she took notice of the many course books being removed from the school’s libraries either due to non-use or because of updated editions. As these books were likely to be discarded,

Patanovick contacted a member of her church in the Appalachian Mountains of southern Huntingdon County. Her contact relayed a need for donations at a school library in Orbisonia whose shelves were barren due to inadequate funding. “At that time, my husband and I owned a pickup truck and made frequent trips to our farm, so the process of packing and transporting books began. It still continues

to this day, despite the fact that I now own a smaller vehicle.” According to her husband, together they have donated “tons” of books over the years.

Though Patanovick retired at the end of March, she plans to make herself available to Agnes Irwin on a consulting basis to ensure the process of donating used books keeps going. Her regular contributions to underfunded libraries and schools were recognized in a January 2013 issue of The Valley Log, a local paper serving southern Huntingdon County. “All the teachers are very well aware of how necessary it is for children to have a good education, and they don’t like to simply discard books,” Patanovick said in the article.

Patanovick looks forward to joining her husband, Fred, at their home in the Tuscarora Mountains, located on a 26-acre tract of land in central Pennsylvania that they lovingly call “the farm.”

A Conversation With New Upper School Head

JOANNE HOFFMAN STUDENT ACCOUNTS MANAGER RETIRES BY MICHELLE TRENHOLM

Signing off


A NEW RECORD FOR BIRDING EXPERT JOE FLOOD

With the chance of glimpsing a rare hummingbird in early November, droves of nature enthusiasts came out

to the home and award-winning garden of second grader teacher Joseph Flood after he spotted a Calliope hummingbird in his backyard.

Flood, who is in the Pennsylvania record books for the latest banding of a

Ruby-throated hummingbird in December 2010 and for identifying one of only 12 Rufous hummingbirds in the state in November 2011, hastened to contact birding colleagues and experts when a late-season hummingbird appeared in

his yard last fall.“I didn’t think too much of it, at first,”

said Flood, explaining that immature hummingbirds are similar in appearance and this particular hummer could have

been just another young Ruby-throated male. But when Hurricane Sandy hit and closed the school in late October, Flood was able to get a closer look. “The little fellow took refuge among some potted plants on our covered back porch. That was the first time I was able to see him up close and in good light.”

After consulting with Pennsylvania naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul, one of the foremost authorities on North American hummingbirds, Flood learned that his little visitor was a male Calliope hummingbird – the smallest breeding hummingbird in the United States. (Flood’s sighting is one of only two that have ever been documented in Pennsylvania.)

His passion for birding is not left on the back porch, however. Flood shares his enthusiasm for nature and wildlife with his students, serving as the adult lead in activities such as the Lower School Nature Club and landscaping projects during Dolly Gaul Day of community service. “I try to instill a sense of wonder at the beauty of nature in my young students…seeking ways to involve the girls in nature outside of the school day.”

BY MICHELLE TRENHOLM

What issues do you think independent schools will need to tackle over the next five or 10 years?

In much of the current conversation, there is a clear recognition that the way in which we delivered education in the past will not serve students as they take up the challenges in our increasingly complex world. Our schools need to transform program and pedagogy so that they provide students with the skills necessary to prepare them for full and meaningful participation in this changing landscape.

Whether developing global perspective, collaborative problem solving, analytical thinking, adaptability, ethical decision- making, or digital competence, we also need to change the kinds of questions that we are asking as we re-tool our programs and the processes involved in serving our students most effectively. Other issues that will shape our work in schools for the foreseeable future are providing access and affordability, creating inclusive communities, supporting a variety of learning styles, and ensuring financial sustainability.

What are you looking forward to as the next Upper School Director at Agnes Irwin?

Throughout my career, my approach to all has been rooted in the classroom and guided by the wonders that I have learned to expect from students as they discover their inner promise. Working with students and watching them learn more about their world and themselves are central to my excitement about being part of the Agnes Irwin community. I look forward to being at the heart of the matter with faculty during this exhilarating time in education and to contributing to the overall life of the School. There is nothing more satisfying to me than helping to sustain

a vibrant teaching and learning environment.

You started your career as an English teacher? Who is your favorite author, poet or essayist and why?

I enjoy the work of many writers and look forward to having discussions about their work with AIS students and colleagues. Rather than naming a single author, I would rather answer by mentioning a seemingly disparate group of poets and fiction writers, who, I think, actually have much in common. Robert Frost, William Butler Yeats, Zora Neale Hurston, William Faulkner and Anne Tyler are favorites of mine. While different in so many ways, they are similar in their metaphorical freshness, taut development of theme, and luminous language, which I always find pleasurable. They capture perfectly many complex aspects of the human spirit and experience, and in so doing, they share their special perspectives in such effective ways.

What one thing should students and parents know about you?

With my family as my first priority and my constant source of inspiration, I love working with students as they discover their passions, realize their fullest potential, and get ready to take their next steps as actively involved citizens of the world. Right now in my life, my two toddler grandchildren are reminding me, once again, about the importance of the gift of a full and multifaceted education, which will continue to open their hearts, minds and spirits throughout the rest of their lives – and this truth will inform all of my work in the AIS community. I feel privileged to be part of this school, and I look forward to working with you all.

From page 8A CONVERSATION WITH JOANNE HOFFMAN

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Fourth grade teacher Susie Hagin

(pictured above) flew to San Francisco

in February to attend the conference

“Educating for Creative Minds: Using

Brain Science to Ignite Innovation and

Imagination.” Among the workshops she

participated in were “Creative Thinking and

Teaching in the 21st Century” and “The

Power of Collaborative Brainstorming.”

Middle and Upper School French

teacher Rita Davis presented two

one-day College Board workshops this

winter – one in Copiague, New York,

and the other at the A. Philip Randolph

Campus High School in New York City.

These workshops were designed to give

an overview of the structure and contest

of the newly thematically organized 2012

AP French Language and Culture exam

with the idea of reviewing and interpreting

the assessment performance by means

of evaluating the exam’s most recent

student samples.

Davis also acted as a judge at the

Montgomery County Association of

Teachers of Foreign Language (MCATFL)

oral proficiency contest on February

26, 2013. This annual contest provides

a forum for students to measure their

oral skills in a foreign language: French,

Spanish, German or Japanese.

In her role as co-president of the

Philadelphia Chapter of the American

Association of Teachers of French (AATF),

Davis sponsored a workshop in French

at Friends’ Central on February 2. The

workshop focused on French author and

sociologist Azouz Bégag, emphasizing

the impact of ethnic and racial minorities

on social, political and cultural aspects

of current French society.

The composition work of Upper School

photography teacher Katya Chilingiri

was part of the group exhibition “Coming

Into View” at the Gross McCleaf Gallery

in Philadelphia in January. The gallery

represents local and national artists with

a focus on contemporary art.

This fall, Dr. Elizabeth Sands, reading

specialist in the Lower School (pictured

above), assisted in the presentation of

the workshop simulation “Experience

Dyslexia,” which explored the challenges

associated with learning differently or

having a language-based learning

difference. Along with facilitators from the

Pennsylvania Branch of the International

Dyslexia Association (PBIDA), Dr. Sands served

as a facilitator and panelist at both Bryn Mawr

College and the Benchmark School.

In November, Middle and Upper School

English teacher Kathy Stevenson had

her 15th essay published on NewsWorks.org,

the online news source for WHYY Radio,

the National Public Radio affiliate in

Philadelphia. Stevenson is a regular

contributor for NPR. Her commentaries

are usually opinion pieces on current

news stories or “slice-of-life” essays.

In February, Middle School music

teacher Cara Latham performed William

Bolcom cabaret songs at Rock Hall

Auditorium on Temple University’s

campus. She sang alongside faculty

members from the Boyer College of

Music and Dance at Temple University.

Studio art and art history teacher

Robert Moss-Vreeland will be exhibiting

his sculptural reliefs at the PII Gallery

(Philadelphia International Institute)

during the month of April. Moss-Vreeland’s

art and related presentation coincide

with the Philadelphia International

Festival of the Arts and this year’s theme,

“Time Travel Through History.”

FACULTY NEWS IN BRIEF

:: Pictured is a section from “About Guardians and Spring,” a wall sculpture by Robert Moss-Vreeland, mixed media on wood panel, 18”x72”.

Albert Einstein once said that “everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”

That was the task the Board of Trustees and senior administrators faced two years ago when they began exploring how to differentiate the exceptional experience that The Agnes Irwin

School offers students and parents as an educational institution.

Conventional wisdom dictates that to accomplish such you must find your OST, the “One Simple Thing,” that you can credibly claim you do better than anyone else. Once discerned, you must take what undoubtedly is a complex enterprise and make it simple. Then take the simple and make it compelling.

From our One Simple Thing, we wanted a core message that would help us change outdated perceptions, boost inquiries and selectivity, and buttress our already strong retention. We wanted a concise message that captured our wonderful sense of community, our philosophy of teaching and our shared values.

BY WANDA M. ODOM

We wanted a simple message that would articulate who we are, help to focus the future direction of the school and make us stand out.

In the end, the leadership of the school embraced the concept of “Open,” a simple and unembellished word that encompasses an array of meaning for those within the Agnes Irwin community – parents, students, faculty and alumnae – and holds an abundance of promise for those who venture through our doors to discover what “the Agnes Irwin experience” is all about.

Our new positioning statement conveys how far the Open concept can reach, generating a sense of engagement, inclusion, preparedness, inspiration, recognition, discovery, confidence and trust among those within and outside of our community:

“At The Agnes Irwin School we are open to possibility, and understand that it presents itself in many forms. We believe that it is our charge to bring a fresh and open perspective to teaching, and to prepare our students to take full advantage of all that tomorrow presents. Our open-mindedness to diverse backgrounds, multiple perspectives and new ways of thinking creates a community rich with academic challenge and personal discovery. The result is confident young women who are motivated and prepared to be engaged citizens of the world.”

Conveying our One Simple Thing at every turn and touch point will ensure that we are attracting families and students, faculty and staff who are inspired by what we

stand for. This means exemplifying openness in multiple ways beyond school brochures and viewbooks. Our One Simple Thing must be evident in curriculum, policies and procedures, programs and events, even our physical plant through signage and displays.

Think of our One Simple Thing as a conversation starter: it’s the one thing that you always talk about first, to get the listener interested in the other things you want to say. It gets attention, establishes a connection and provides the platform for an engaging discussion.

Editor’s Note: The typography and images shown on these pages reflect elements of the new brand and graphic identity for the school.

OPEN THE DOOR

A Message for Our Future



Engineers take what they know about the world and use that knowledge to solve a problem. There’s nothing mysterious

about it, and there are many different ways to be an engineer, as Michele Grab, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE) program, explained to Agnes Irwin fifth graders when they spent the day at Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science in January. AWE strives to encourage more women to join a field that is still overwhelmingly dominated by men. Women make up approximately 30% of the Penn Engineering freshman class each year. The national average is 20%.

“Middle school is the age where girls – even those who are performing well in math and science–start to lose

interest,” said Grab. Keeping girls in that age range excited about science and math is key to encouraging a larger number of them to consider engineering careers. “Most kids don’t know what engineering is. That seems to disproportionately affect girls. The number-one reason anyone chooses engineering is that someone tells them to,” she said.

The Agnes Irwin Middle School has embraced the challenge of keeping girls engaged in science and math by introducing engineering concepts into the science curriculum and by looking at ways to weave spatial reasoning – an important tool in science and technology – into the broader curriculum.

In Jennifer White’s science class this year, fifth graders are delving straight into Engineering is Elementary® (EiE),

a curricular project developed by the Museum of Science in Boston that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills into elementary science topics. The unit began with an exploration of industrial engineering, where students learned about the “six simple machines” (lever, wheel and axle, pulley, wedge, incline plane, screw) that are the primary tools found in even the most complex machines. Students were taught the engineering design process (ASK – IMAGINE – PLAN – CREATE – IMPROVE) used in all fields of engineering. Students then applied the design process to creating a model of a factory subsystem, using at least two of the simple machines. Their goal was to design an improved subsystem for moving a “load” (in this case, a water bottle) six feet across the “factory

:: Sixth graders present their water system prototype to classmates.

Training Problem Solvers


floor” (the classroom floor) and three feet up onto the “loading dock” (the counter top).

When the fifth graders spent the day at Penn’s School of Engineering as part of the unit, it was clear that they had already acquired some understanding of engineering and were able to articulately respond to questions about the engineering process. What they perhaps had not yet grasped was how many different fields of engineering there are and how much impact an engineer can have on the world.

Grab had very intentionally structured the day’s program to let the girls see how exciting science and technology can be. Touring the Robotics Department, the students

learned about advances in medical technology through the use of robotics. “The girls gained an appreciation of how engineers can design tools that improve people’s lives,” said fifth grade teacher White.

For the second part of the trip to Penn, members of the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) – a national organization with collegiate chapters – engaged the fifth graders in a competition, where each table had to build a “pasta tower” using only gumdrops and uncooked spaghetti, with the tallest structure winning. The fifth graders were given an opportunity to pause and reflect on what was working or not working, and refine their structures accordingly. On the surface a fun and messy activity into which the girls threw themselves, the contest incorporated several engineering

fundamentals, including teamwork, problem solving, the importance of the “IMPROVE” phase of the engineering process, and spatial reasoning.

Spatial reasoning is a valuable skill that can be developed. Middle School Director Lynne Myavec explained that for the past several years, the Middle School has sought to integrate quantitative reasoning into all subjects–getting students to think about proportion, scale, sequence and quantity. This year, the Middle School has added a focus on spatial reasoning.

In the fall, before students returned to school, Middle School faculty participated in a workshop of their own. Divided into groups, faculty members were asked to represent abstract concepts (joy, harmony,

community, for example) in a three- dimensional form. A nice way to connect with colleagues old and new, the activity also got them thinking about how they might integrate spatial reasoning into their classrooms.

Embracing the challenge, art teacher Keri Farrow began the year with a fifth grade art project that involved both spatial reasoning and teamwork. The girls, divided into groups, observed the Campus Improvements Project construction work through the classroom window. Farrow asked them to build a three-dimensional structure out of tape and newspaper – either abstract or representational – as a response to what they saw. The piece had to be free standing and balanced, with all its component parts interconnected. Farrow told the students that the foundations of a structure had to be strong and that when working as a group, “every move affects the next move.”

“The piece that one student puts in

place will have to support the piece that the next student puts in place,” she explained.

Learning to work in a group is a critical part of the Agnes Irwin experience, and students who have

BY CLARE LUZURIAGA

Engineering and 3-D Design in the Middle School

:: Fifth grade students working on their construction sculpture in Keri Farrow’s art class.

Training Problem Solvers


become accustomed to communicating, collaborating and negotiating within a group are at an advantage as they move into the Upper School, said Myavec.

“Learning to collaborate with others and connect through technology are essential skills in a knowledge-based economy,” according to the results of AC21S, a project based at the University of Melbourne and including more than 250 researchers across 60 institutions worldwide that has identified and categorized 21st century skills.

In Leslie Hahne’s sixth grade science class, students are often required to work in groups to solve a problem. The underlying theme of her curriculum is systems – ecosystems, the cell as a system, the skeletomuscular system, and the digestive system. The focus on systems ties together distinct units while providing an innovative way to incorporate engineering concepts into the curriculum. The school year began with the ecosystems unit, the initial focus of which was water use. Hahne had the students look at how water is used at school and in their homes. She tasked them with designing a method to determine how many gallons of water they use in their showers. Students were then divided into groups and had to identify a specific problem related to water gathering that might affect people in a rural area–the problem could be anything from lack of footwear for walking long distances to

contaminated water. The groups built a prototype, using repurposed material, as a response to that problem. The groups then presented their solution to the class, first identifying the problem addressed, then demonstrating how their prototype worked, before fielding questions from the rest of the class.

Another prime example of a creative, student-directed problem- solving activity is Project VOFMIO, the culminating project for eighth grade science. Students are tasked with designing the first “off-Earth settlement on a recently discovered, amazingly Earth-like planet” of

VOFMIO. Developed by Interim Science Department Chair Jennifer Hoffman and science teacher Nicole Vishio, Project VOFMIO is in its sixth year. The focus is on sustainability. Each student is assigned a role as a specialist in water resources, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy or waste management for one of four colonies on VOFMIO with specific climates similar to those found on earth. Students are then put into groups consisting of all the specialists for that colony, and the group has to figure out how each specialist’s approaches and suggestions take into consideration those of the other specialists. For example, how will the proposed water resource management of that colony affect the food production?

Each group then constructs a three-dimensional representation of its colony from recycled items. The unit culminates in a 45-minute presentation to the class – involving images, graphics and video clips – where the group explains the details of the community design, including how the colony uses natural resources sustainably, and how the different specialists’ areas function as a whole.

Gaining some familiarity with computer programming while in school gives future engineers another strong advantage. Art teacher Jennifer Brittingham and Upper School science teacher Steven Grabania have joined forces to

:: An eighth grade VOFMIO model landscape at last year’s Middle School Science Symposium.

:: Rebecca Pierce, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, shows students how a haptic device works.

:: Recent graduate Ian McMahon introduces students to Graspy, a PR2 robot programmed to fist bump and high five.

:: Students in the GRASP Multi-Robot Systems Lab observing a flying robot demonstration.


introduce computer science to seventh grade art class. Students will learn “Alice,” a user-friendly programming language developed at Carnegie Mellon University that lets students create three dimensional computer animations using the drag-and-drop interface. Those steps are then translated into object-oriented programming languages such as Java and Python. Students concentrate on making movies and games, but they also learn to program. “We think this program will help make the transition into the Upper School computer science course easier as well as generate more interest in

computer science as a whole,” said Brittingham.With such approaches to learning, the Middle School

curriculum makes science, math and technology more interesting and hands-on for all students and develops valuable collaborative problem solving skills, while providing a strong foundation for girls who might be interested in pursuing engineering, science, math or technology as they move into the Upper School and beyond. It puts into place practices and skills that will be beneficial to most students in any future careers.

:: Katherine Kuchenbecker, Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, stops in to meet the fifth graders and take a look at their pasta towers.

:: As a group, the students play a video game controlled by their arm movements in Penn’s SIG Center for Computer Graphics.

Kristen Ford ’09 has always loved math and science. In school, she enjoyed lab experiments and embraced any science or math challenge as a “cool puzzle.” A career in engineering was something she was drawn toward at an early stage. It was the problem-solving aspect of engineering that particularly appealed to her. In middle school, she won a “Future Engineer” award. She also won an award at her church for the tutoring she provided to other children in math.

Ford enrolled at AIS in eighth grade, and, in the Upper School, she joined the Robotics team. She laughingly described being advised at the time by friends that it was a “nerdy” activity. Her enthusiasm for robotics led her to study mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at Tufts University. When she began at Tufts, she was assigned a “big sister” in the Engineering Department to help her transition to life at college. Her big sister was a human factors engineering major, and she inspired Ford to find out more about the field. She discovered that it was the ideal branch of engineering for her, combining technical knowledge with an interest in people, and she became a human factors engineering major.

Mechanic engineering, explained Ford, “is about how things work.” In a car, for example, the design of the engine falls under mechanical engineering. Human factors engineering is about “not only making things work but knowing the user well enough to make it work for them.” Human factors engineering involves the car parts that people interact with – the steering wheel, the seat, the pedals. The Toyota Camry, said Ford, was targeted toward women drivers, so the height of the average female was factored into the design of the steering wheel.

Graduating in May 2013, she already has a job lined up at The Mitre Corporation in Bedford, MA, a non-profit organization that provides systems engineering and advanced technology expertise to the government. Ford’s position will be user-interface and user-experience designer. She will be on the human systems integration team at Mitre. The other teams, she explained, come to her team to see how the system they are developing integrates the user.

Her advice for future women engineers is to make sure they get some experience with programming while they are still at school. “It doesn’t need to be any specific programming language necessarily, just an introduction to that type of thinking,” said Ford. Programming is a critical part of any engineering field.

Ford also stressed the importance of perseverance and discipline in engineering. She credits her parents with instilling in her a sense of discipline. When she started at college, she found a few of the classes were tough, but she worked hard and moved forward successfully.

Engineering Role Model


“The lunch bell rings and I close my books. I walk over to the

Lower School to sign in and go to the playground. The moment

I open the door I receive many hugs and many offers to help me

find my buddy. When I see her, I give her a hug and ask her how

her day is going; then we talk about school and the weekend.

Before we plan out our time together, I always let her choose

what she would like to do. Sometimes it is playing on the

playground, other times it is reading a book in the library or

coloring in her classroom. Whatever it is, we always have fun.

Visiting my PAL is my favorite part of the week. It is really nice

to be able to leave the demands of school behind and relive

Lower School again for a while.” – Twelth grade student

“After a full morning of math testing, finishing an English paper,

taking notes non-stop in American history and reviewing for

a cumulative biology test, I am released by the bell and head

to the Lower School, my mind swimming with all I’ve learned

about the Mexican-American War, William Faulkner and

photosynthesis. The fresh air is energizing. But even more

invigorating are the shrieks and shouts I hear as I set foot on

the playground. I turn my head and see a number of little

girls running straight at me. Leading the pack is my PAL. I’m

surrounded and bombarded with questions. “Can we play

tag?” “Want to see the house I built for the elves?” “Can you

come in the sandbox?” Although I want to say yes to them all,

I pair off with the girl I’m looking for and we decide to read a

book in the library.” – Twelth grade student

PALsPeer Mentoring Program Builds Friendships

Across Divisions


PAL, or Peer Active Listening, is a mentoring program that pairs an Upper School student with a Lower or Middle School girl who could benefit from a special

one-on-one relationship with an older Agnes Irwin girl. She may be struggling socially, at home, or in the classroom. Sometimes, the younger girl may just need an extra friend.

PAL is the brainchild of the former Director of Student Support Services Tom Elverson, who began holding meetings with Upper School and Lower School girls to talk and share activities on a monthly basis.

Under a former school psychologist, Dr. LaQuetta Mouzon, the program became more structured. Mouzon modeled PAL after the Big Brother/Big Sister program and former Lower School Director Joyce Rehorst expanded its presence in her division. Sally Randolph, an AIS alumna and former Director of Development, worked with Mouzon to train the students as mentors and facilitators. The Upper School students also received diversity training from Villanova University professors.

“PAL is important because it allows older girls to establish one-on-one relationships with younger students. Through this relationship, older students offer guidance, support, a listening ear and most importantly, friendship,” said Kim Beamon-Morton, the advisor for PAL and a school counselor.

“From time to time, every girl faces some sort of challenge – peer pressure, academic concerns, family matters, feeling like she doesn’t fit in, friendship issues – and having a PAL to help during times like these can be beneficial. Upper School girls often share recollections of their own struggles in Lower School or Middle School, with loneliness, or maybe adjusting to a new school community, and they want to be that special friend to a girl having a similar experience,” Beamon-Morton continued.

“For Lower School girls, they may simply enjoy fun, play-based activities with a PAL. For Middle School girls, the presence of a PAL may positively impact self-esteem, confidence and connectedness to the greater AIS community,” she said.

Teachers in the Lower and Middle Schools nominate girls for the PAL program at the beginning of the school year, so the number of Upper Schooler students who participate in the program varies from year to year. But on average about 40 students are mentors each year, and the program’s popularity with mentees and staff has never wavered.

Kindergarten teacher Molly Bergh has said that the PAL program is one of the reasons she enjoys working at Agnes Irwin. A few years ago, one of her students was having a difficult time adjusting to school, so she nominated her for the program. The student was paired with an Upper School girl and Bergh noticed “such a wonderful change in her student.”

“She became happy and more confident. She so looked forward to her visits with her older friend. She spent time reading with her PAL and playing tag on the playground. They laughed and played together, and both girls benefited from their relationship,” said Bergh.

As co-heads of the PAL program, we assist with matching Upper School students with a PAL and monitoring how the relationships are going. In the beginning of the year, we have an organizing meeting where we explain different ways to approach being a mentor and the responsibilities of being a mentor. We meet weekly during the school year with Ms. Beamon-Morton and the other mentors to discuss any issues. But most meetings, we hear about how well things are going.

Visiting our PALS is one of our favorite parts of the week. The program fosters a safe and respectful environment. We have learned about the value of friendship and the joy we can bring to younger students. We’ve learned to be role models and listeners. As co-heads, we have been able to not only mentor students but also leave lasting positive impressions on the AIS community.

:: Ninth graders and a senior talk with advisor Kim Beamon-Morton about their PALs.

BY 12TH GRADE STUDENTS Co-Chairs of PAL Club


Girls often define leadership differently than boys do, research tells us. Girls tend to

believe that there is room for more than one leader in a group, reflecting the ability to collaborate that is touted as essential in our interconnected world. Girls believe that leadership means

influencing and inspiring others and realize the responsibility that is given to leaders to make a positive difference in their communities.

Armed with this knowledge, teachers at Agnes Irwin work to foster the leadership potential of all girls. In fact, it has been said that “growing

leaders” is part of the Agnes Irwin DNA. There are myriad ways for girls to exercise leadership: by serving as elected officers in student government, by engaging in community service, and by honing their public speaking abilities through senior assemblies, grade-based special projects and other curricular initiatives.

In Upper School alone, there are 91 elected positions within Student Government and Student Boards. But Agnes Irwin girls do not tap into girls’ leadership potential only when they reach the ninth grade. In fact, all along their educational journey, girls are encouraged to flex their leadership muscles and make a difference – in their classroom, their School, their community.

Unique to Agnes Irwin, the Upper School boasts six Student Boards, which are comprised of elected representatives from each grade whose task it is to keep thematic threads at the forefront of AIS life. “Often, a Board has come into existence because the

It has been said that “growing leaders” is part of the Agnes Irwin DNA. All along their educational journey, girls are encouraged

to flex their leadership muscles.

:: Eighth grade students and their fifth grade “little sisters” get to know each other through a series of fun, self-directed team-building activities in November.

BY MARIANDL M.C. HUFFORD

All About

Leadership


girls determined that its purpose is part of the Agnes Irwin identity,” said Deanna Mayer, Upper School Dean of Students, who oversees the structure of the system.

“Boards represent who we are. There are Arts, Athletics, Multicultural, Honor, Environmental and Service Boards. Boards not only support existing programs, but also create new ones – fun ways to keep the student body aware of the Boards’ missions,” Mayer continued.

For example, the Arts Board supports all of the plays and shows in the Upper School, but has also created Impulse Arts Night, in which students from Agnes Irwin and area schools are invited to perform or display their artistic works.

With so many opportunities to exercise leadership, it is no surprise that the Council for the Advancement of Girls (a group of Upper School girls connected to the AIS Center for the Advancement of Girls) is planning a “for girls, by girls” leadership conference in the fall and will invite girls from across the Philadelphia area to attend. As Girls’ Council head put it: “We feel fortunate to have been granted so many opportunities to develop our leadership skills at AIS, so we wanted to give back. Ultimately, we would like to empower and support all girls to take on leadership roles in their communities.”

In Middle School, girls demonstrate leadership through a strong program of community service. They give micro-loans to women in need (with funds they have raised themselves), thereby not only learning important financial literacy skills, but also exercising decision-making skills by researching which projects are the most sustainable. They serve on committees and are members of student government and impact the experiences of all students through careful decision-making, and deliberate action.

The thriving Big Sister-Little Sister program, in which eighth grade girls are paired up with fifth graders through their Community Cares groups, is yet

another example of Middle School leadership. The younger girls eagerly await anonymous notes from their Big Sisters in the beginning of the school year. The notes give small clues as to the older girls’ identity, and the guessing begins. It is hard not to see how much this program means to the fifth graders, as they transition to the “big building.” Each month, Middle School deans organize a Big Sister-Little Sister event – from group lunches where girls get to share their stories, to a fashion show, where pairs of girls dress alike – based on a book they both enjoyed, or an activity they are both involved with. The older girls remember how important the program was to them when they were just beginning their Middle School journey and take the task of being a role model very seriously.

In the summer, The Real Deal leadership camp allows Middle School girls from both within and outside of the Agnes Irwin community to explore their leadership potential. “At the Real Deal, girls who might be known as shy, bookworms, jocks or bosses in their daily school lives are able to set down those labels, and find that glancing,

wondrously free moment of in-between with their fellow nascent leaders,” said Jennifer Emmi Fiorini ’97, who helped create the program. “The Real Deal teaches girls to embrace the gleeful freedom of not-child, but not-yet-adult, to admire other girls, and to accept admiration gracefully.”

So embedded is the notion of “growing leaders” at AIS that this year, a group of Lower School teachers and staff has undertaken a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to create a program for leadership development in the school’s youngest students. Led by a team of experts from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, under the direction of its dean, Dr. Darlyne Bailey, the group has set out to identify the skills, values and knowledge of a young girl leader. Armed with those criteria, the team will then develop opportunities for girls throughout their Lower School years to intentionally focus on discovering the leader within.

Through an enhanced understanding of the multi-dimensional aspects of leadership, and taking into account developmental milestones in young

:: Middle school girls from within and outside the Agnes Irwin community at The Real Deal leadership summer camp.


girls, the PAR group has analyzed such events as the ever popular fourth grade “Notable Women in Wax” event for its contribution to leadership development, as well as other examples of emerging leadership in young girls.

Donna Lindner, Director of Lower School, said: “I used to think that perhaps we needed to have a discrete leadership or character curriculum in order to teach the characteristics of leadership that led to a specific outcome. But through the process of PAR, I have come to see that within the hidden culture of our Lower School, the characteristics of leadership are encouraged and taught every day by simply giving students implicit permission to be themselves. We encourage rather

than criticize. We ask ‘why not?’ instead of ‘why?’ The process of PAR has allowed us to see that we don’t necessarily have to add a leadership curriculum to our Lower School program. Instead, we can tweak, deliberately focus on, and make obvious to others and ourselves, that which we already do.”

Lower School physical education teacher Suzanne McInnes and Physical Education and Wellness Department chair Michele Kane (both members of the PAR research team) recently witnessed this first-hand when they asked fourth grade students to design and plan activities for their younger peers during AIS/EA Day. Although the teachers purchased the supplies for a Spirit Carnival, the girls were

completely on their own. McInnes remarked upon how girls rose to the challenge. “These girls adapted when needed, changed gears when needed, showed patience and took initiative, all the while reassuring the little girls and showing amazing support, responsibility and ownership of their stations.”

The challenge for the Lower School research team is to make what teachers do so naturally, transparent and intentional, but to do so in an authentic and truly Agnes Irwin way. This challenge is significant and the process of PAR is ideally suited to tackle its complexity. Dr. Bailey, an expert on PAR, wrote in her book Sustaining our Spirits: Women Leaders Thriving for Today and Tomorrow that “authenticity begins with self-discovery.”

The final result of the project will not be delivered until the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. Whatever its ultimate format and whatever decisions the team will make about its implementation, the outcome will celebrate the unique culture of leading at AIS, set girls up for increasing leadership responsibility in the Middle and Upper Schools, and highlight the girls as the natural leaders they are.

Hufford is Director of Academic Affairs and the Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG).

“I have come to see that within the hidden culture of our Lower School, the characteristics of leadership are encouraged and taught every day by

simply giving students implicit permission to be themselves.”

:: Photo 1: A fourth grade student paints the face of a second grade student at the AIS/EA Day Carnival hosted by the fourth grade. Photo 2: Another fourth grade student directs two first grade students at the AIS/EA Day Carnival.


When the Center for Advancement of Girls’ Advisory Board found a new member in Loretta Jemmott, PhD, FAAN, RN, P’15, it didn’t take long for Director Mariandl Hufford and Jemmott to put their heads together to form an innovative and unprecedented partnership for The Agnes Irwin School.

Not only is Jemmott an Agnes Irwin parent, she is also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. Jemmott invited Hufford to tour the nursing school as well as the University of Pennsylvania’s Engineering School. During her visit, Hufford was so impressed with the faculty members and students she met and with the facilities that the schools had to offer, especially by the simulation labs in the nursing school, she

wanted students at Agnes Irwin to have the same experience that she had.

Hufford felt that girls in the Upper School should get exposure to the nursing school. Hufford and Jemmott worked on forging a

relationship between the University of Pennsylvania and Agnes Irwin, the first and only between an Ivy League university and an independent school in the Philadelphia area.

As a part of the C21 Challenge program at Agnes Irwin, the ninth grade visited the University of Pennsylvania’s Nursing School and had an experience very similar to Hufford’s. The students learned about the career options in nursing from registered nurses and met two Agnes Irwin School alumnae who are currently enrolled nursing students at the University of Pennsylvania.

Next school year, 11th and 12th graders will have the option of taking a course taught by Jemmott, one of the nation’s foremost HIV/AIDS researchers, a second University of Pennsylvania professor and Agnes Irwin School faculty. This spring, Hufford and Jemmott will start to develop a curriculum for the class. The one-semester course will focus on global health issues. Jemmott and another professor will come to the Agnes Irwin campus once in a letter-day rotation and lecture. The balance of the course curriculum will be taught by AIS faculty.

According to Hufford, one of the attractions for Penn of a teaching partnership with Agnes Irwin is the Center for the Advancement of Girls. “Agnes Irwin has an infrastructure in place for partnerships such as this one,” said Hufford.

CAG & Penn Nursing: A Promising Partnership

The Center for the Advancement of Girls brings fantastic opportunities to the Agnes Irwin community as well as those outside of the school. One such effort is the Women’s Edge Film Series, for which the Center has developed discussion guides.

As part of its work, the Center is committed to sharing the stories of courageous women. In conjunction with SpectiCast, a Philadelphia-based company that distributes unique films to local theaters, universities and community centers, Hufford and Center staff helped select documentaries for the film series that could also be effective components of a school curriculum.

The Women’s Edge Film Series is modeled after a book club, and Hufford, along with the Center staff Alison Brant and Daniel Scott, created discussion guides for the seven independent films they chose for the series. The film series is designed to go beyond the viewing experience and keep audiences thinking about the stories they saw long after they leave the theater. Hufford believes teachers can show the films to their students and use the discussion guides to further their understanding of women’s issues. She hopes teachers will integrate some of the films into their curriculum.

The series is comprised of seven films, all created and produced by women. Hufford viewed several films before choosing those that make up the Women’s Edge Film Series. Although the films are different, they share a common thread by featuring women as resisters, women resisting cultural norms and conformity. For instance, The Grace Lee Project examines Asian American female identity by exploring the lives of several women named Grace Lee, including the Korean-American woman who made the film.

On March 20, 2013, Hufford spoke to an audience at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute before showing three of the films from the series: Arresting Anna, The Grace Lee Project and Tomboys! Feisty Girls and Spirited Women.

BY MARIA MCDONALD

:: Ninth grade Agnes Irwin students look on as a University of Pennsylvania nursing student simulates a medical procedure.

CAG Creates Curriculum Guides for Film Series

:: Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders, a film from the series.


:: With thoughftul precision, the 12th grade student examines the second layer of her three-color print project designed for the home furnishing market.

Donning a frayed blue denim apron smudged with various shades of paint, a 12th grade student inspects the

second layer of her three-color print design project. Gingerly, she lifts a paint- mottled, wooden silk-screen frame that’s been living in art teacher Kathy Halton’s room for nearly 10 years. When she feels that her layers match up – one inspired by pearls and the other by the movement of manzanita branches – she places a sheet of Mylar paper with registration marks down onto the makeshift screen-printing table.

It’s a process the student has done before, several times in fact. But today the stakes are higher. She plans on presenting her project to the admissions representatives at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.

The screen printing table consists of a taut canvas that has been stretched and secured with staples. Overtop is a grid with lines of needle-thin thread, three across and five down. The student’s task is to print her design within these lines. “At first, this was going to be a tablecloth,” said the student on the origin of her textile design project. “Since it is such a linear design, it went from being just napkins to a larger undertaking, including coordinating pillows and curtains.”

Her project does not follow a rubric of any kind, nor is it based on the assignments or goals of any one classroom at AIS. Instead, the project–constructed by the student herself–is designed to focus on her strengths and overarching passions. It’s part of the Independent Study elective available to Upper School students at Agnes Irwin and

the student is taking full advantage of it.“It still amazes me that we have the

opportunity to create an independent class in art, because at the school I came from – Kearny Elementary (Philadelphia) – that wouldn’t have been possible,” explained the senior, who arrived at Agnes Irwin for sixth grade. “I’m definitely appreciative that we have the means to do an independent and we’re always encouraged to take the lead in making it happen.”

Seeking the expertise of someone with “real world” experience in the textile and design industry, the student approached visual arts teacher Jennifer Brittingham. “I appreciated the fact that she [Brittingham] went to school for textile and graphic design…she’s definitely helped me to develop as an artist and designer, and played a part in everything,” said the student, who spared not a minute after getting accepted on the spot to the Moore College of Art and Design before contacting Brittingham with the good news.

According to William Esher, Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, the independent study elective is a great way for students to explore an area of interest and determine whether it is something they want to pursue further. “Maybe they find out it’s more work than they originally thought, or that it’s an area where they are not going to be the most comfortable,” said Esher. “The independent is there to help them ... test the waters for something they think they might want to do or major in in college.”

Students lay out the structure of this elective by writing a formal proposal. Once approved by the student’s advisor and the Upper School director, she may move forward with her idea. Such was the process for an 11th grader, who

Glimpsing Her FutureINDEPENDENT STUDY IN THE ARTS

BY MICHELLE TRENHOLM


:: Eleventh grade students portray characters from the past and future in a scene from RE-al(l)-time.

came to Esher, her advisor, with the notion of writing a script for the Upper School drama.

She spent her summer and the early part of the school year polishing a 60-page play that would later be praised by Cappie Award critics as “original and creative” and a “huge accomplishment.”

“This involvement in the arts and writing has really affected everything she [the student] is doing here,” said Esher. “Her grades have been better and higher than they’ve ever been...she feels more confident with everything, and it’s because this is her passion and we’re allowing her to feed it. When you find something you’re passionate about…everything else that was problematic before kind of melts away.”

The junior relished the liberating aspect of the elective, which essentially permits a student to build her “dream course.” Because her interest extends also to videography and photography, she proposed crafting a photo journal and video documentary to record her thought process throughout the development of her playwriting independent. (Documenting one’s process throughout the independent is required to assist advisors in determining the final grade.)

“It’s just a really nice basis to be able to go off to college knowing what it’s like to write a script,” said the student. “I could have tried it and found out that I don’t like it that much, but luckily it’s been the opposite…I love it.”

Last year, when the school welcomed instrumental music teacher Gerard Kapral to the Arts Department, students with a fondness for music and audio technology found they had a professional expert to tap for insight and instruction on the subject.

During a music theory and harmony class in the fall, Kapral – who moonlights as a sound designer for local theaters – suggested that two sophomores write the theme song for Clower’s play. The girls enthusiastically signed on for the job, which became a joint independent.

“We discussed how you craft a song to make it fit the mood of the play,” said Kapral, explaining the genesis of the independent. “I think one of the nicest take-aways from the experience for the students was the collaborative nature of the project. Because no matter what job they decide to do, everything is collaborative.”

Challenges arose when the trio discovered their schedules did not mesh and that would it be impossible to work together at the same time – at least, physically. Not one to stall progress, the tech-savvy 10th grader found a web-based music notation program called NoteFlight, which Kapral likens to Google Docs but for music. The program enabled the girls to work separately by adding their individual sections at their convenience. Once all sections were uploaded, they de-cided where in the song to include drums, base or keyboards, finally, layering all of the tracks to their satisfaction – a process that, according to Kapral, every album that’s produced in the

United States follows.“The recording process is the same whether you’re doing

jingle writing or writing for film scores or recording as a music artist,” said Kapral. “What the independent did was really give these students a clue as to how the process works in the real world.”

“ When you find something you’re passionate about…everything else that was problematic before kind of melts away.”

:: Under instrumental music teacher Gerard Kapral’s guiding eye, two 10th grade students work to perfect the theme song for the play, RE-al(l)-time.


:: The Varsity volleyball team

For the second consecutive year, the Varsity volleyball team scored an overall victory in a match against The Academy of Notre Dame on November 13 to win the Pennsylvania Independent School State Championship. The match was held on neutral territory, and Agnes Irwin won in three straight sets: 25-20, 25-22 and 25-18. The team posted an overall win of 3-0.

Throughout the match, the co-captain, a senior, led the team with 14 kills and one block.

“We had a really young team this year, but throughout the season everyone was able to grow into her position and contribute a lot to the success of the team. It was so fun to see our team work together and eventually win the Inter-Ac and State championship game,” said the co-captain.

The other co-captain, a senior, had six kills, two blocks and

three digs. A junior led the team in assists with a total of 22. “It was so exciting to win the Inter-Ac and PAISAA

championships for the second year in a row. After losing to Notre Dame early in the season, we worked really hard and came together as a team in order to beat Notre Dame two more times,” said a co-captain.

Head Coach Dave Noll is hopeful that the team will have another successful season in 2013. “Our volleyball program has a long history of excellence,” said Noll. “We have been in the running for the Inter-Ac title for over a decade. … The team has incredible depth that includes sophomores, juniors and seniors. We are looking to make another run at the Inter-Ac title and are poised to make a deep run in the PAISSA State Tournament next school year.”

VOLLEYBALL VICTORYBY MARIA MCDONALD

AIS ATHLETICS

DIGGING A FEW MORE CHAMPIONSHIPS


:: A senior, accompanied by her parents, her brother and grandmother, signs to play lacrosse for Rollins College.

Inductees into Agnes Irwin’s fifth Athletic Hall of Fame were recognized on Bryn Mawr College’s Applebee Field at the annual AIS/EA Day sports competition in November. The Athletic Hall of Fame was established to celebrate and preserve the tradition of athletics at Agnes Irwin. Alumnae, coaches or persons who have made outstanding contributions to the athletic program at

Agnes Irwin are all eligible for induction. Each alumna inducted played at least two sports at the Varsity level. This year’s inductees included: Ginny Spahr ’66 (field hockey, basketball and lacrosse), Lisa Dixon ’77 (field hockey, basketball and lacrosse), Megan Boyle Flinn ’87 (field hockey, basketball and lacrosse), April Tellam Timmerman ’99 (member of the first soccer team at AIS, tennis, basketball and lacrosse) and Jane White, former coach and AIS athletic director from 1982-2000. :: April Tellam Timmerman ’97, Ginny Spahr Heth ’66, Megan Boyle Flinn ’87, Lisa Dixon ’92, Head of School

Mary Seppala, Board Chair Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77 and former coach and athletic director Jane White 1982-2000 (l-r) gather for a photograph after the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Applebee Field.

:: A senior with her parents signs a letter of intent to play soccer at the Division I level for George Mason University.

AIS ATHLETICS

:: The Varsity tennis team

Congratulations to Coach Wendy Short and the Varsity tennis team, 2012 Inter-Ac Co-Champions. The team finished its season with a record of 7-2 and won the Inter-Ac Tennis Tournament Team Championship. This is the second time that the Agnes Irwin Varsity tennis team has won the Inter-Ac championship during Coach Short’s career at AIS.

BY MARIA MCDONALDATHLETIC HALL OF FAME


Charlotte Landreth-Melville ’40 passed away in January 2013. Prior to her passing she submitted a note describing the celebration of her 90th birthday. Last June, she took a 30-day van trip with her children around Europe. She visited Budapest, Vienna, Pisa, Sienna and Florence. Her adventurous trip included camping and a stay in a youth hostel in Laublijana. She ended her trip with a birthday party in Bristol.

Thelma Austin Fry ’43 is currently living in Allen, TX and loves keeping up with her two children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Edith Bettle Gardner ’43 became a great-grandmother to Maya Beltrame, her daughter Fran Drayton’s grand baby. She is also still playing tennis.

Ella Russell Torrey ’43 writes, “At 87 I am still involved as President of Chamounix International Youth Hostel and on the board of the Global

Philadelphia Association. I live at Cathedral Village and still sail on the Chesapeake!”

Barbara Smith Boyd ’48 is alive and well in sunny Texas after 20 plus years. She is enjoying watching her six grandchildren grow up and will meet her first great-grandchild in 2013. She retired from hospital volunteering and is now an emeritus volunteer. She enjoys reading, playing bridge and doing water aerobics for exercise. She travels less and says, “I will miss seeing the new additions to AIS and my classmates at Reunion in May.”

Anne Brosius ’48 says, “I moved from Parachute, in Western Colorado, to Arden Wood, a retirement residence in San Francisco, CA, in January 2011 and am enjoying it very much. (All during the years I lived in the East, I always maintained that I never wanted to live in California, but here I am!) I kept my car and am able to visit relatives and friends all around this beautiful, if hilly, city and surrounding area. I don’t think I’ll get back to Reunion, but I do enjoy keeping up

with school news and progress in the school magazine.”

Ruthanne Clark Groseclose ’48 travels to Buck Hill Falls, PA every summer as she has for the past 82 years! Her three children, Richard, Andy and Susan, reside there - plus one granddaughter, Morgan. The other two grandchildren are both married with children of their own! She has five great-grandchildren.

Class Notes

:: Ruthanne Clark Groseclose ’48 (left) has a great time playing with a friend in a golf tournament.

:: Charlotte Landreth-Melville ’40 with Marines and the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, at the Marine Ball.

1940-1949

STAY CONNECTED!

Please send us your Class Notes for inclusion in the 2013 fall issue by July 1, 2013.

You may submit them online at: www.agnesirwin.org (click on alumnae), email them to: [email protected] or mail them to: Alumnae Office, P.O. Box 407, Rosemont,

PA 19010.

We want to hear from YOU!


CLASS NOTES

Her grandson Britton and his family live in Hawaii, and she spent a fabulous week at Christmas with them three years ago. Her life is full - golf, duplicate bridge, lots of wonderful friends and exercising in her pool. She says, “I have had several trips to the Caribbean with friends for golf and fun. Life is now relaxing and non-hectic!”

Joan Church Roberts ’48 says, “Since our last Reunion I have been on the go, paring down my ‘bucket list’ of travel. I’ve managed to visit

France, England, Scotland, Peru (Machu Picchu), Ecuador (the Galapagos) and the Dalmatian Coast, cruise on the Rhine and Danube from Amsterdam to Budapest (and back to Prague), and finally reach Vietnam and Cambodia. Closer to home, I visited some western National Parks – at last the Grand Canyon! My travels have been exhilarating and fascinating, but it’s always good to get home. My family is the same size as it was five years ago, just older. The grandchildren are carving out careers in grad school – lawyer, doctor, engineer – so I don’t see any “greats” on the near horizon, but that can wait. I’m still busy tour guiding in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, Independence Park, local architecture; and Beaumont, where I live, has me working on committees, as does my church. I sing in the choir, as well as the “Beaumont Singers” (yes, we do exist!), which keeps the pipes from rusting. I have yet to define ‘Retirement.’”

Barbara Penrose Tarbell ’49 writes, “I’m doing very well

and now have a part-time job, which pleases me very much. I also spend a lot of time in the public library reading newspapers and books. In between I walk my black Labrador, Abbie, twice daily. Nothing much has changed over the years! With best wishes!”

1950-1959Nancy Bijur Wallace ’51 is living in Naples, FL full time and is very busy with volunteer activities and Mah Jongg. Her two children are well and happy with their jobs. Her son, Craig, is working for an entertainment business in Potomac, MD and her daughter, Pamela, is a pediatrician in Colorado Springs, CO.

Rosemary Neathery Atwell ’53 says, “Bob and I have been living in Longwood, FL for the past 15 years. We’ve been married 55 years, have a daughter, Melanie, and a son, Christopher. Between them, we have five grandchildren – three of whom lived here so we got to enjoy them as they grew up to become young adults. Bob and I are doing our best to age with grace and a huge sense of humor!”

Frances Powell Eriksen ’53 graduated from Tufts University with degrees in physical education and education. She was part of the U.S. field hockey team while she was in

Author Found Her Inspiration in EnglishSUZANNE FOOTE SMITH ’48 attributes many of her life’s great successes to the three years she spent at The Agnes Irwin School. To this day, Sue still loves competitive sports, which she credits solely to Agnes Irwin. She plays tennis on a bi-weekly basis.

As a student at Agnes Irwin, Sue’s fondest memory is of her English teacher. “Miss (Marietta) Lent believed in me,

that I could write, which proved true years later when I became a published author,” said Sue. Lent was the head of the English Department. Two of Sue’s books won awards from the National League for American Pen Women, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that she has been a member of since 1963.

History, English, math and community service all helped guide Sue through life and still continue to today. “Mrs. (Anne) Bartol’s community service class left a lasting impression on me, instilling in (us) to always give back to the greater community and strive to be the best you can be,” she said, referring to the school’s headmistress from 1948-1962.

Although she is retired now, Sue continues to write and paint. Most recently, she has been painting landscapes with oils. “At our cottage in Westfield, PA, the mountain and valley scenes are so beautiful with old barns and white country churches that I can’t seem to paint fast enough. An incentive is displaying them in the

local restaurants in the area,” said Sue, an active member of the Montoursville Garden Club who is involved with maintenance of berms and town beautification projects.

Over the years, Sue has held many officer positions with the Daughters of the American Revolution and National Society of the Dames of America. During her time in Florida, she established a new adult chapter for the DAR as well as a chapter of the Children of the American Revolution. Sue has been chairman of Constitution Week activities, a national celebration in September each year for the Lycoming Chapter of DAR, and assists her husband, Frank, with patriotic and historical projects for the Tiadaghton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Sue has been a member of the DAR since 1952.

Words from the AIS alma mater have stayed with Sue throughout her life, “May we whatever life shall give, keeping thy standards, worthy of thee live.”

Sue has three married children, two married granddaughters and five great-grandchildren, and lives in Montoursville, PA, with her husband of 65 years.

– Maria McDonald

:: Joan Church Roberts ’48

:: Abbie, the black lab of Barbara Penrose Tarbell ’49.

:: Sue (in blue) at a DAR event at the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport


CLASS NOTES

college. She started a lacrosse program at Grosse Pointe University School in Michigan and a field hockey program at Canton Country Day School in Ohio. Years later, she switched from P.E. to teaching English. She says, “Miss Lent would be amazed to know I headed an

English Department at a private school in Phoenix, AZ.” Francie has been married to Dick for 52 years. She has spent many summers in Maine at her parent’s summer home. Dick has been headmaster of several private schools, and they have lived in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois and now Arizona. They have two sons, one in Illinois and one in Phoenix, AZ, and three grandsons. Francie tells us, “Dick played senior softball as part of a traveling team. I managed to play a lot of tennis and golf. Unfortunately, I became legally blind (macular degeneration) 15 years ago. I still swim a great deal. We are pleased to be in Arizona, where the weather is good to us. Best wishes to classmates. Yes, I still daily consume peanut butter crackers!”

Elizabeth Barnes Halsted ’53 is busy keeping up with her four children – two girls and two boys – and her eight grandchildren – six girls and two boys.

Josephine Chapman Borthwick ’54 writes that she painted eight portraits as a member of the Colonial Dames of America and also painted a picture of Colonial ladies that was used as a cover for 150 pads for the national meeting of Colonial Dames of America. As a horticulturist, she has a 35-foot-long and 18-foot-wide old English perennial flower garden by the street in front of her house. She is a member of The Barnes Foundation and the only alumna that the Barnes has graduated from its three-year art course and two-year horticulture course.

Helene Slack McMullan ’57 shares, “I am still living half of the time in California in our mountain cabin and half at our shore house in Island Heights, NJ. My husband, Jim, and I celebrate 42 years of marriage this year. He is still writing books, and his new one is Flocks Herds Litters and Schools. It is a children’s book about animal names in groups. I am in a ukulele group, I sing and I am still a life coach and also make jewelry. I saw many of my Irwin’s classmates last year and this year, and Helen Clothier Ballard, Sandra Keefe McMullin, Langie Manley Mannion and Peggy Justice Scholl, Sally Schoettle Randolph and Suzy Mitchell Davis ’58. All look terrific and it was fun to catch up. I see Suzy all summer and we do some boating and beaching together. Our children, Sky and Tysun, are busy with their respective jobs. One is a photographer and the other works for an advertising agency.”

Margaret Justice Scholl ’57 says, “Life is good in West Chester, PA. Don retired in January 2012 and is busier than ever. He’s rehabbing a house with our son, is on several non-profit boards, trying to perfect paper marbling, and attending the Philadelphia Orchestra. I am also doing quite a bit of volunteering, and am especially supportive of the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls. Our director is fellow alumna, Heidi Hartshorn McPherson ’75. I see quite a few ’57 classmates. Lucky us! All our grands are in Chester County, and as I said at the start, LIFE IS GOOD!”

Sarah Latimer Withers ’57 and her husband, Bill, spent Thanksgiving of 2012 with their son

Living a Life of ExplorationIn the past six decades, ALIDA NICOLAS LOVELL ’53 has been a stay-at-home mom, working mother, paralegal, trust officer, office manager, organic gardener and landscape artist. But the label she relishes most of all is “history nut,” followed closely by “world traveler.”

Captivated by exploring new places and other cultures, Alida has traveled throughout Asia and the Mideast, except for Iran and Iraq, trekked the Himalayas and the Andes mountains, motored across Europe, and explored by jeep and camelback the deserts and wilds of Africa. Through her travels, she has soaked up the history of the places she has visited, with keen attention, in particular, to archaeological treasures.

“Sometimes things come to you later in your life,” said Alida, noting that she has always been fascinated by English history but started down the path to becoming a true history buff

during a 1974 auto trip with her husband throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Over 20-odd years, the couple traveled to countless archaeological sites and many Third World countries (home to most of the origins of civilization). Often, the trips were with museums, universities and academic societies, where they had a knowledgeable lecturer as a guide.

“They say one’s life is made up of hopes and memories. I still remember ancient history with Miss Smart in 10th grade and the Assyrians rise to power, and I thought about where that might have taken place when I was traveling in Syria and Jordan, or Cyrus freeing the Jews in Babylonia. All that learning has a great deal to do with what I think and reflect on today,” said Alida.

After graduating from Agnes Irwin, Alida studied for three years at Smith College, fell in love and married her sweetheart. She went back to college in 1969 to finish her degree, matriculating at Bryn Mawr College but receiving a Smith B.A. in government through the “Seven Sisters” college relationship.

As a self-taught painter, she has created still-lifes of flowers, seascapes and landscapes for her family home in Maine. And she treasures spending time with her children and grandchildren, one of the most rewarding aspects of her life.

“I was one of the leaders in my class but not a position holder. My best friends were the presidents, same as today. I am a contributor rather than an alpha. But I suspect Irwin’s helped me solidify my goals in life, to identify the ideas and beliefs that I thought were important and make them mine to support,” she said. – Wanda M. Odom

:: Rosemary Neathery Atwell ’53 with her daughter-in-law, Kellie, and her son, Chris (back row), and her husband, Bob, and her daughter, Melanie (front row).

:: Betsy Payne Rowcliffe ’53


CLASS NOTES

:: Leonard and Sally Schoettle Randolph ’58 with their grandsons in Colorado in October 2012.

:: Christina Wilhelm Lassen ‘58 celebrates her 50th Reunion at Harvard-Radcliffe

and his family in Lafayette, LA. They helped Wendy, Christy, Zack and Samantha move into a new home much closer to downtown.

Phoebe Lilley Broderick ’58 says, “I am well and still living in Sonoma Valley, CA. My three sons and grandchildren help make our family winery produce a privately owned label not for sale to the public. We do sell our grapes to large wineries. This keeps me busy, besides doing quite a bit of volunteering for our pet shelter, Pets Lifeline, and running a Home Alone free service, where we call on some 30 or more seniors every day to make sure they are well. My best wishes to all of you. I will not make Reunion due to distance. Have fun!”

Florence Schroeder Ervin ’58 writes, “The summer in Maine attracts many members of the Class of ’58. Classmate Sally Schoettle Randolph lives nearby, and I had a great time with her daughter Meredith Randolph ’90, who is the chairman of the board of the Mount Desert Island Housing Group. I stayed in Kennebunkport with classmates Maris “Wissie” Thompson and Dodie Hirst Marshall but missed Joan Lee Kremer and her children and grandchildren. Perhaps another time when they come to Winter Harbor we will connect.”

Sue Hillier Puffer ’58 says, “Not much has changed since our 50th AIS Reunion. I’m still retired, but enjoying volunteer work at the Chester County Hospital, chairing the satellite locations for Chester County Day, the first Saturday in October, and managing to stretch to my heart’s content in my yoga classes. One thing that has changed is that I sold my place in Hershey’s Mill and moved into an apartment in the West Chester, PA area. This

life change was quite an adjustment, but after a brief “pity party” I have come to love the coziness and contentment of a simpler style of living. My children and grandchildren are still nearby, which is a definite plus. Ashley is working for Keller-Williams, and also helps out her boyfriend, Dave Bauer, with his hockey training center in Aston, PA. Her two boys, Ben, 16, and Andrew, 14, are wonderful and a joy to be around. Duke and Melissa built a beautiful home in Kennett Square and are enjoying the fruits of their labor. Duke’s Honda dealership is also seeing a welcome increase of business, and Melissa manages to participate in various volunteer activities and trains for triathlon events. Their son, DJ, is 12 now and Saman-tha (aka Mina) will be 11 in January – terrific

grandchildren and very active as well. Life is good! Looking forward to our 55th Reunion and connecting with old friends.”

Sally Saunders ’58 is enjoying life in San Francisco, CA. She runs a poetry writing workshop and is busy writing her own poetry. She visits Philadelphia, PA once a year.

Marguerite Page Fox Houghton ’59 shares, “this has been a busy year for me, with four one-person shows. Arthur and I continue to travel adventurously, January to Ethiopia, where I hope to find inspiration in the churches of Lalibela and the tribes of the Omo Valley.”

Claire McIlvain ’59 has retired and is very busy catching up on the life she left in the shadows while teaching.

A Vibrant Life in the CityThese days, one can find SUZANNE MITCHELL DAVIS ’58 strolling the populous streets of Philadelphia, indulging in a vast array of concerts, operas, lectures and exhibits with her husband, Charlie. After living in Radnor for 34 years, Suzy relishes the movement of Center City and relaxing in her apartment, which overlooks the Delaware River.

Some might find the switch from the suburbs daunting, but a change in topography has never been challenging for Suzy. Shortly after attending Manhattanville College and working for Smith Barney – where she became the first female stockbroker in the company’s Philadelphia office – Suzy married her husband and lived in both the Dominican

Republic and Guatemala, where their two children (Alix Davis Cummin ’85 and Charles H. C. Davis) were born. “The experiences were astounding and have had lasting impact on all of us,” said Suzy of her time in the Caribbean and Central America. “We loved the life, the country, the people, the language and globalism of it all.”

Returning to the United States four years later, Suzy secured a job at Friends School Haverford, where she would enjoy a 12-year tenure as Head of the Physical Education Department and later become the Director of Development, managing giving among alumni and parents as well as programs for alumni and parents.

Suzy would say she’s not a “big fish,” but her journey since graduating from Agnes Irwin demonstrates otherwise. Just after retirement, Suzy went to work for Doorways – a company in Bryn Mawr specializing in villa vacation rentals in Europe. As the Spanish program manager, Suzy would travel to Spain, Italy and France, in order to match clients with the most appropriate villa or apartment that would complement their “dream trip.”

Amid traveling and teaching, Suzy also served on several boards of directors, expanding her knowledge of multiculturalism and the needs of the underprivileged. Her volunteer reach includes the Delaware County Literacy Council and the Friends of the Ixchel Museum in Guatemala.

Reflecting on the experiences she’s had over the years, Suzy credits Agnes Irwin for teaching her to think and adapt, and to learn. “In the many different courses my life has taken, these have been the most important skills.” As a result of her positive experience at AIS, she encouraged her daughter, Alix, and, later, her granddaughters Caroline Davis, a third grader and Sara Davis, a kindergartner, to attend Agnes Irwin for a similarly rewarding education.

Suzy is a member of the National Alumnae Advisory Council (NAAC), a role she has held since September 2012. She was a member of the Agnes Irwin Board of Trustees from 1992-1999. – Michelle Trenholm


CLASS NOTES

Lifer Remembers the Drills of Music Class

Catherine Tryon Mick ’59 has joined the ranks of the retired. “After 19 years at the bank, a new chief came in and several of us in my department were “let go.” Of course, he brought in his own people. C’est la vie. I’m not liking it and am looking for something part time. My husband, Mickey, and I are doing volunteer work at the Ryerss Farm for Aged Equine. Very worthy cause for those lovely animals. I have kept in close touch with Judy Carrigan Sykes ’59, a very special friend. We spent a couple of nights with Hank and Judy in the fall on our way to Nantucket. Reminiscing was such fun. My three children and nine grandkids are all doing well. Mickey and I are doing some weekend traveling and in April, my siblings and I (w/spouses) are taking a vacation to Maui – first time to the islands. Looking forward to seeing many classmates at our 55th Reunion. Hope everyone stays healthy and may 2013 be extra special for all.”

Linda Morrison Robbins ’59 and her husband, Hanson, are planning a trip to New Zealand. “It has been a lifelong wish of mine, and we will be gone for a month. We continue to love Maryland. Hanson is commodore of the Chester River Yacht and Country Club, and I have become chair of the Community Mediation Board. We also continue to run the Emmanuel Church Bazaar. Our mother is still with us and living at Dunwoody, so I do get to the Main Line area quite often. We had 12 here for Christmas and encourage anyone to come and visit.”

1960-1969Emily Zug Huebner ’60 and her husband, Steve, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by taking their two sons, daughter-in-laws, and five granddaughters ages 7-11 (11 people in all) to a Montana dude ranch. Steve and Bunny met at a dude ranch in 1960 when Steve was a wrangler and Bunny and her family were dudes. The 2012 trip was spectacular: morning rides, afternoon tubing on the Blackfoot River, evening family volleyball, S’mores and Big Sky sunsets.

Mary Spahr Clement ’63 says “We have four children. Our oldest daughter, Wendy Hackworth, lives in Charlotte, NC and has three children: Jake, 17; Megan 15, and Luke 11. Kim Dunn lives in Radnor and has two children: Ashton, 13, and Katherine, 11. Ashley Sultzbach lives in Lancaster, PA and has one child, Ava, 2. Hank lives in Berwyn and has three children: Kaitlyn, 10; Mackenzie, 8, and Cameron, 2. We spend the summer in Southwest Harbor, ME and love it! I enjoy going to my grandchildren’s games and love spending lots of time with them!”

Emily Wilson Cunningham ’63 shares with us that life is good and her husband, Craig, is busy into his retirement as well as teaching graduate and undergraduate courses at two universities. Her life is filled spending time with her four adorable grandchildren and children – all of whom live nearby. She says, “We are so fortunate...It’s hard to believe we

are celebrating our 50th Reunion! We have a fabulous class, and I can’t wait to see you all and catch up!”

Matilde Zalinski Davidson ’63 tells us that she feels “so lucky to have four passions – bridge, tennis, family and friends. This year I became a life master in bridge, and I have played tennis for Merion Cricket Club with the same tennis partner for 37 years. I have five grandchildren (Hucky, Tyrone, Ella, Skyla and Zack). I really feel blessed.”

Patricia Pitman Franks ’63 is still working for the Junior League of Philadelphia in Ardmore, PA and living in Bryn Mawr, PA with her husband. Her two sons have been married within the last two years and are living with their brides in San Francisco, CA.

Jill Berguido Gill ’63 and her husband, Bruce, have been living in Haverford for almost 30 years. Bruce is the director and curator of historic Harriton House in Bryn Mawr. Their son, Tim

To this day, if ELLIE STENGEL FINK ’63 hears someone mispronounce the name of a classical music composer she automatically corrects them. She even finds herself yelling at the radio if a disc jockey mispronounces a title or composer’s name. Ellie credits this entirely to her music teacher at Agnes Irwin, Frances Zimmerli. She drilled Ellie and her classmates on pronunciation of the names of famous composers by using flashcards.

Ellie calls herself a ‘lifer,’ as she attended Agnes Irwin from the time she was in kindergarten. While at Agnes Irwin, Ellie excelled in her French classes and her English classes.

Ellie still has a copy of Palgrave’s Golden Treasury, the poetry anthology she used in 10th grade.

“I was always in the wrong place and I hated to run. I still remember the athletic coach, Mrs. Lasky yelling at me ‘Stengel, get up there, get back!’ My sister, Louise Stengel Barton ’69, was the good athlete.” Ellie played field hockey and lacrosse during her time at Agnes Irwin but gave up on basketball. In addition to her sister being an alumna, her cousin, Margot Madeira was a classmate and dear friend of hers and her mother, Louise Roberts Stengel ’37 served on the school’s Board of Trustees.

After graduation, Ellie went on to study at Wheaton College. She decided to major in American government. She enjoyed political science and was inspired by The Beatles to take an Eastern religions course, which later inspired her trip to India post-college graduation.

Ellie has lived in the Washington, D.C. area since graduating from Wheaton College in 1967 and has had a number of jobs as a writer and researcher both in and out of government. She worked as a writer and editor in the development office of the Lowell School in Washington. She also worked at The Concord Coalition for 10 years, a nonprofit membership organization formed to generate popular support for balancing the federal budget. But her favorite job was raising her three children: Emily, Owen and Nina.

Ellie loves when her entire family gets together, though it is rare due to the geographical location of her children. Although she has been retired since 2007, Ellie is not idle. She is currently serving her second term as co-clerk on the Bethesda Meeting Board. Ellie has been a Quaker since the 1990s. “Quakerism is very important to me, it is my spiritual life and keeps me connected to my community,” said Ellie, who currently resides in Bethesda, MD, with her husband, Matt, and their dog, Holmes.

– Maria McDonald

:: Matilde Zalinski Davidson ’63, son William, daughter-in-law Andrea, and grandchildren.


Clement, will be graduating in June with a master’s degree from the Drexel University School of Public Health. Jill still enjoys doing freelance tutoring with students from the elementary grades through high school. She is a lay reader and chalice bearer at Christ Church in Philadelphia. She also enjoys gardening, taking long walks with her dog, and spending time with local friends from the Class of 1963. “We all miss our dear friend Margot Madeira, who passed away in November 2012. I am looking forward to seeing many more classmates from our class at Reunion in May.”

Josephine Heyward ’63 lost her husband, Cap Caporini, in May after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Their short and wonderful 10 years were filled with family, renovating a house in Berwyn and travel from her family house on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to Key West, FL to visit his sons, and four trips to visit Cap’s family in France and Italy. DeeDee’s son, Alex Dyer, and his family live in Devon, and her daughter, Stuart Dyer Mesires ’87, and her family live in Chicago.

Stuart has a vintage clothing and costume jewelry business in Chicago called Ladybug Vintage and has received some great press. She has been featured in articles in a Chicago magazine, CS, and in the online magazine Gray’s Lane. Both are reprinted on her website ladybugvintage.com/press. DeeDee has one granddaughter and two grandsons. She is currently working at Skirtin Around in Spread Eagle Village, Wayne. She is a member of the PMA Craft Show Committee, the Mill Dam Club and Ardrossan Beagle Club, an Emeritus Park House Guide at PMA and a volunteer at St. David’s Church. She traveled to Uganda in October with the St. David’s Church Uganda Mission to interface with the various schools and the medical clinic, which receive funds from St. David’s. DeeDee and her best AIS friend, Grace “Judy” Barnett Frazier ’63, see each other frequently.

Ann Belfield Klemeyer ’63 and her husband, Bob, have been married 46 years. They have two children, Candice, a graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary, and Robert, a graduate of the US Naval Academy. They have five grandchildren and have lived in Sarasota, FL since 1977. Bob is retired and Ann is managing her daughter-in-law’s podiatry practice.

Blair Bartol MacInnes ’63 says, “I think more and more about AIS the older I get – I loved being there and was so angry when my parents insisted on boarding school for all of us. Mostly I appreciate what a good place it was to learn the craft of an orderly paragraph and well-structured sentence. I am using all of that now as I write a book. I now appreciate diagramming sentences! I can see the continuing connectedness of the Class of 1963 as witnessed by the outpouring of sympathy about the death of Margot Maderia. I am not sure we were a faculty favorite, but we were a good class. My family continues to do well. All the boys are married to wonderful women, and they have given us nine grandchildren who give Gordon and me as much pleasure as people said they would. Looking forward to Reunion!”

Louisa Stephenson Sandvig ’63 writes, “I am happily married and living in Jackson Hole, WY. My husband and I enjoy skiing, fishing and hiking. My husband works at Wells Fargo. I

have three children and seven grandchildren – all of whom are well and happy.”

Emilie Sinkler ’63 moved from Seattle to Gloucester, MA almost three years ago and is loving being back on the East Coast after 30 years! She is enjoying retirement after 44 years of (mostly) interesting jobs that she held from Cape May, NJ to Capitola, CA to Seattle, and now spends her days painting, making mosaics, writing and taking photos of lobster boats, blazing sunrises and the abundance of spectacular nature all around this area. Her son, David, 32, moved to Gloucester last year and has a fantastic job as a software quality assurance engineer for a worldwide company whose main office is in Cambridge. He’s looking to buy a condo/loft in nearby Beverly and they are enjoying exploring the area together. Emilie says, “I think back on our AIS years with nothing but fondness (and a few good laughs) and wish I were better at staying in touch with all of you.”

Priscilla McIlvaine Smartt ’63 says, “Fifty years is a long time! During the last 50 years I have been married twice. My first husband, Sandy Fleitas, father of my two children, died of a brain tumor. I am now married to Jim Smartt. My daughter, Garrett Fleitas Gryska ’88, is celebrating her 25th Reunion this year. My son and his wife, Bo and Allison Fleitas, have three girls all of whom attend AIS - Waring ’20, Hunter ’23 and Ryder ’25. My mother would be very proud that we are now into the fourth generation. I spend the winter on St. Simons Island, GA and my summers in Mantoloking, NJ. My second husband introduced me to golf and in nice weather I love to play the game. I am looking forward to our 50th Reunion and catching up with everyone.”

Charlotte Ziesing Smith ’63 is excited that her daughter Christine and her family will be moving to Charlotte, NC, where her husband will run an Anthony Sylvan office. Her oldest granddaughter will be a junior at Penn State University, and the second will be a freshman somewhere in the South. Their brother is 11 and in the fifth grade. “I am taking a position in a wealth management firm in Wayne as of February 2013 – a great way to finish my career. I still live in Wayne in the same townhouse, which is very private. I have become very active in my church, serving on the Vestry and being a lay reader. I am on the Alumnae Board at AIS and have served as President. I am looking forward to seeing all at Reunion! Hard to believe it has been 50 years!”

Gail Colgan Van Buuren ’63 tells us, “In June 2009, I moved to our place in the Sierras, having closed my psychotherapy practice to care for my dying spouse for seven and a half months. Returned to Sebastopol and completed construction on my house, where I now live on our family compound. My son and his family live on the property also. I have two wonderful grandchildren and resumed my practice and community activities. I have a

:: DeeDee Heyward ’63 celebrates Christmas in Chicago at the home of her daughter, Stuart Dyer Mesires ’87, with her grandson.

:: Louisa Stephenson Sandvig ’63 and her family in summer 2012.

CLASS NOTES


CLASS NOTES

much deeper awareness of the preciousness of life now.”

Elizabeth Smith Woodley ’63 got a job in Boston after graduating from AIS and Centenary College, where she met her husband, John, of 43 years. “We raised our two children, Lisa and Brad, in Needham, MA where we lived for 40 years. Our children are now married. Lisa and her husband have two girls ages nine and 11. Brad and his wife have a son who is three. We sold our house in May of 2011 and moved to Pocasset on Cape Cod, RI. We are really enjoying our new adventure and being a part of our new community. We are busier than ever meeting lots of new people and getting involved in many activities. Our children are only an hour away so we get to see them a lot and do a lot of babysitting for the grands. Life is good with the Woodley’s!”

Sandra Blynn ’64 says, “2012 was a fun year for me. I had the opportunity to see my two brothers and visit some special friends all within a few months. In August, my brother Larry and his girlfriend, Pam, stopped by to see me on their way up from Florida to Northern Illinois. We got in the car and spent a day driving part of Route 66, which started in Chicago. Remember George Maharis and his red Corvette? Of course, you do!!! In September, I flew to the New York-Connecticut area to visit my girlfriends there. We even had a slumber party one night. No, we are never too old for that! For Thanksgiving, I flew to Boston to visit Bryce (aka Terry) with his lovely second wife, Amanda, and their adorable twins, Maddie and Max (17 months). Terry loves being a Dad again. The highlight of my travels was a trip to Philadelphia in August for a BFF long weekend with classmates, Bobby and Daille Reeves Sharpless, Colin and Laura Wheeler Golding, and Joan Carlisle. We had a blast and so many laughs. Each day was more fun than the day before. Among other things, we had a lovely lunch with Ann Hodgdon, we went to the amazing Barnes Museum, and spent a day in Avalon, NJ, where, in the day, many of us enjoyed long, sunny summer days on the beach with iodine and baby oil!! We are heartbroken over the devastation caused by that storm. I still volunteer at Wellness House, where our programs educate, support and

empower people with cancer so they will improve their physical and emotional well-being. And, of course, I am blessed to have my daughter, Lauren, her husband, Blair, and my three precious granddaughters only five minutes away. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with family, friends and strays, and a fun Christmas morning with the girlies opening gifts. I just love that time of year. I send love to all my remarkable classmates and look forward to our next gathering. Be there!!”

Sandra Godfrey Daly ’64 shares the news of her son’s graduation from Officer Candidate School on March 18, 2011 (he graduated in May 2010 from Colgate University). He entered OCS on January 6 and made it through 10 grueling weeks in winter at Quanitco, VA. He is now a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and is stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and will deploy in March, assigned to a Naval Ship. Sandy says, “I see many friends, attend a bible study group weekly, exercise with a group four mornings a week, go to weekly lectures at the Art Museum and am involved in a group called Impact 100, which is a charitable group that reviews non-profit applications and awards money where needed. I am also involved with the Alter Guild at my church.”

Deborah Luff Carboni ’68 writes that retirement agrees with her husband, Jim, and herself. Their daughter, Kristen, is 19 and a freshman living on campus at Villanova University. Debbie is looking forward to seeing her classmates at their 45th Reunion!

Anne Baker Graham ’68 says “I can’t believe it’s been three years since we moved here to Villanova from Great Britain. My sister and brother live nearby and it’s wonderful to spend time with them after 40 years on the other side of the pond. I still get portrait commissions in the UK, which gives me the opportunity to return at least once a year and this past November I was in London to attend the launch of G.O.D. - Good Old Drawing (a book I’m in along with fellow artists David Hockney and Ronald Searl, among others). Recent exhibitions include the Pastel Society at the Mall Gallery in London, The Pastel Society of America at the National Arts Club in New York City and the Butler Insti-tute of American Art in Youngstown, OH. I’m

also teaching portraiture at Wayne Art Center just down the road, which I really enjoy doing. Best of all, I now regularly get to see many of my AIS classmates, including Karin Platt Dondero, Lea Havens McCrone, Mickey Brown Wilson and occasionally Aimee Margolies Waters and Carol Boerner. www.annegrahamportraits.com

Donna Schlingmann Heckscher ’68 sends in lots of exciting news. “Our daughter is married and living in Conshohocken, PA, coaching tennis and squash at Shipley, and enjoying being a MOM! She and her husband, Dave, have blessed us with a beautiful grandson, Kyle, who just turned two. Maurice is now completely retired and we sold our small cottage on Cape Cod and purchased a beautiful five-bedroom house in Southern Delaware. Both our boys are now employed and working in that area of Delaware... so close, so calm with NO taxes! I am still working with the School District of Philadelphia as a technology program specialist – helping teachers infuse technology in their classrooms. It’s almost time to retire though, most likely within a year or two. Maurice’s two children are also married and have produced grandchildren for us! Five to be exact! Jon and Noelle have moved back from Bermuda and reside in Villanova with their three kids, and Missy was married to Noah and they live in California near the beach with their two boys. I just have to mention one more exciting happening this year in that I had an

:: Anne Baker Graham ‘68 receiving an award at New York’s National Arts Club this fall.

:: Donna Schlingmann Hecksher ’68 and her grandson.

:: 1964 classmates reunite. From left: Joan Carlisle, Daille Reeves Sharpless, Laura Wheeler Golding and Sandy Blynn.


Dispensing Justice from the Bench

As a general jurisdiction trial judge in the Court of Common Pleas for Chester County, The Honorable KATHERINE B.L. PLATT ’68 sees more than her share of the world’s troubles. Medical malpractice, custody disputes and both adult and juvenile criminal offenses are just a few of the difficult issues she tackles daily from the bench.

But Karin has found tremendous satisfaction in her 15 years of work in the courts, knowing that as an adjudicator of

Pennsylvania law she has a guiding hand in resolving contentious matters that often have citizens, family members, and even the community at odds with each other.

“I had to give up my private law practice of 22 years when I became a judge, and for a long time I missed the interactions I used to have with my clients. However, that has more than been made up for by the gratification I get from working with juries,” said Karin, who was elected to a second 10-year term in 2007.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Villanova Law School, she credits her years at Agnes Irwin with helping develop the intellect she has today, and with preparing her for the writing demands that come with the study of law.

“Where my AIS education came to the fore was in my ability to write coherently and persuasively. Even today, it is surprising – even shocking – how few people can write a decent letter or argument. At Irwin’s we were taught to write and to write well. It is an enduring attribute,” said Karin, whose daughter, Andrea Platt Dondero, graduated from Agnes Irwin in the Class of 2002.

Karin graduated as a “Super Survivor,” having attended Agnes Irwin from kindergarten through 12th grade. “I took the ‘Paoli Local’ train every day from age five with my six-and-one-half-year-old brother, who went to Episcopal. I went from Devon to Wynnewood and, later, to Rosemont. There were tons of kids on the train and the conductors were our friends,” she recalled. “If parent did that these days, the kids would all be taken by Child Protective Services.”

Her fondest memories of AIS are making lifelong friends and the rock ’n’ roll band she formed with classmates Julie Fowle Parsons, Anne Baker Graham, Aimee Margolies Waters and the late Julia Clausen Boardman as an entry for an AIS talent show.

“We lived for it, and it was the saving grace of our respective teen years – not to mention generating some really good music. We beat the Bangles by several years. I like to think we were way ahead of our time,” said Karin, paying homage to music teacher Susanna Carter, who championed the band but also introduced students to “the most fantastic and surprising music” for choir and founded the Bel Cantos.

“I will never forget singing Carmina Burana with a chamber orchestra, or Bach pieces arranged in jazz style as per the Swingle Singers. She (Carter) was fearless and expected amazing things from us. I like to think we delivered,” said Karin.

– Wanda M. Odom

unexpected “bucket list” wish checked off. Most of you know, my athletic endeavors focused on golf after college and I was lucky to be involved with competition in the Philadelphia area. In February 2012, Maurice and I were fortunate enough to have been treated to play 63 holes of golf at Augusta National. I was just hoping to go there and walk the course, during the Masters Golf tournament, never expecting to actually play the course! So to be asked to play there and stay there was better than anything I ever imagined. So here’s to being a grandmother (best job ever!), checking off bucket list items and going to our 45th Reunion. Hope to see you in May! Cheers!”

Marie Martin ’68 has worked as an art appraiser for the past 25 years, specializing in 19th and 20th century and contemporary photography. She has had incredible opportunities to appraise amazing collections, including items from the personal archive of inventor of the negative William Henry Fox Talbot; items from Mathew Brady’s DC studio; a fascinating collection of images “African Americans - from Slavery to Civil Rights,” and archives of several White House photographers. Marie says, “I am always learning something. Having a home office allowed me to move to Saint Michaels, MD in 2007 when my daughter, Liz, headed off to Northeastern University to major in photography! Wherever my travels take me, coming home to this lovely historic town is the best. We’re gearing up for next year’s 1812 commemoration – St. Mi-chaels was attacked on August 10, 1813 and did repel the Brits. No lanterns in the trees, however. I have served on the Historic District Commission, am past president of the busi-ness association and St. Michaels Museum, and now serve on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. I am fortunate to have a most marvelous, amazing daughter (like all our children). She is hoping to have a career

as a sports photographer – looking both in Boston and DC for opportunities. Aside from being brilliant, beautiful and creative, Liz rowed for eight years in high school and college and encouraged me to take it up. My sculling skills are minimal - very good at flipping. Looking forward to seeing all in the spring!”

Elenita Jackson Parker ’68 says, “Dennis and I are about to become first-time GRANDPARENTS by his eldest daughter, Joanne, and her husband, Matt. I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it!”

Harriet Wentz ’68 is the owner of Eco Design and Management, specializing in ecological landscape design and installation since 2003. She is divorced and lives in West Chester, PA,

where her office and ceramic studio is located. She has been working on ceramic design since 2001 and has an annual ceramic open

:: Gary Nylander and Marie Martin ’68 smile for the camera in Annapolis, MD.

:: Lea Havens McCrone ’68 (back row, third from left) gathers with her family on the dock in Squam Lake, N.H.

:: Aimee Margolies Waters ’68 and her son.

CLASS NOTES


CLASS NOTES

Bank CEO Finds Her Calling in Academia It could have been her stint as class president in Upper School – learning about the importance of influence management – that drew her into a career in education. Maybe it was her hiatus in Paris after 16 years in banking and finance, or the launching of a successful political satire Internet business. One thing AVEREL ROBERTS WILSON ’73 knows for sure is that she could not have so easily switched careers, taken a new position

at a company or created her own business without carrying a firm “self-belief” that, she acknowledges, Agnes Irwin instilled in her starting in kindergarten.

Today, Averel is a teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, a public school in San Francisco comprised of roughly 725 students. In addition to teaching sixth grade math and science and eighth grade algebra, she runs a weekly lunchtime “Math Counts” program and acts as the liaison between the school’s Science Department and after-school science program. Though Averel once was president of a bank in New York City (Bankers Trust Connecticut), she claims her role now is far more challenging than banking. But it’s a challenge she enjoys wholeheartedly. “I

have such respect for my peers who chose this incredibly difficult, rewarding path after college,” said Averel.

Through her involvement in education, Averel noticed the unfair playing field surrounding academic opportunities for students in low-income communities. And so in 2009, she cofounded TamTutoring.org – a nonprofit organization that aims to helps motivated students gain access to post-secondary education. “For many reasons, the most important of which is poverty, many capable students do not receive anything remotely comparable to the education I received,” noted Averel. “Families often don’t have the time, knowledge or language skills to navigate the system.” Averel remained a board member at TamTutoring.org until 2010, before making the full transition into teaching a year later.

Recalling her fondest memory at AIS, she described a poignant moment in kindergarten: “The birthday girl would wear a wreath made of silk flowers and little fuzzy chickens, and we would all dance in a circle and sing. All of my other memories have meaning because of the friends involved…fabulous women, all of them.”

Averel holds a A.B. in French literature from Princeton University, an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and is currently working on a master’s degree in education at the University of San Francisco.

– Michelle A. Trenholm

house the first week in October. Her eldest daughter, Sibyl Diver, is married to Maneesh Agrawala, a professor in computer science at Berkeley and MacArthur Genius Award winner. Sibyl is a fellow in a doctoral program at Berkeley in environmental management and policy. Her younger daughter, Nora Diver, had a baby boy in December, her first grandchild. She and her husband, Jeff Scott, live in Portland, OR. Nora is head of special events for a catering company and Jeff works for an IT company.

Susan Sheaffer Werner ’68 says, “It’s hard to believe that our 45th Reunion has crept up on us so quickly! Much has happened in the Werner family during the last five years. Our daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law, David Cook, had their third son, Henry, the first redhead in the family, with the perfect personality to successfully interact with his identical twin brothers. Christopher married Carolyn Turney from Berwyn and two years later became the proud father of Eliza, our first granddaughter!

Almost simultaneously, he joined Jones Lang LaSalle as a senior associate. Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Andrew left BNY Mellon to join CBRE Clarion in the position of sales associate and moved into Philadelphia for a now common “counter commute.” In June 2012, David and I celebrated our 40th anniversary at the Greenbrier and continue to have conversations centering on the reminiscent theme “it seems like only yesterday.” David is a consultant for YASH Technologies and recently refurbished the third floor of our home in Wayne to be used as his office. Now we’re both working at home with my office on the second floor. After three years, Twinbridge Financial Consulting, LLC is established as a company that takes great pride in developing long-term relationships with clients by helping them to identify the optimum investment manager for their specific financial needs, philosophy and goals. To avoid rambling on,

visit www.twinbridgeLLC.com. Looking forward to seeing and reacquainting with ALL the members of the Class of ‘68!”

Murray Richards Richey ’69 celebrated the marriage of her daughter, Heather Drysdale Richey, to Adam Charles Prewett on October 22, 2011 at Saint John’s Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, CA.

1970-1979

Susan Byrnes Cote ’70 lives between Alexandria and Winchester, VA and is self-employed. She loves living below the Mason-Dixon line! Her daughter, Meredith, lives in Alexandria and is a contract specialist for one of the Beltway Bandits. Her son, Bo, and his wife, Kelly, and their two little boys, Trey and Cash (“the Bugs”), live in Seattle, WA. He is in the Special Forces. Susan says, “I get up to Philadelphia fairly often to see friends from AIS. Life in the sixth decade is pretty good so far... I’ve got my sight, hearing and teeth, oh, but lost the waist.”

Linda Kelly Graves ’70 continues to work full time as a nurse practitioner in infertility. In addition to celebrating her 60th in July, she also formally retired from the Army. “I know Anne Lenox is smiling from heaven at that! My son is now a captain in the Army, headed to graduate school in January 2013, and from there to West Point in the summer of 2014 to develop curriculum in professional military ethics for the Corps of Cadets. My daughter, Kathryn Graves ‘06, is pursuing a career in :: Susan Sheaffer Werner ’68 (front) and her family.

:: Elizabeth Smith Woodley ’68 (back row, at right) gathers with her family.


event planning in NYC. I get to visit regularly with classmates Randall Taylor-Crave, Sarah Nassau, Rebecca English Kennedy and Nancy Fay ’71 and got to see Kate Ketchem and Lydia Biddle Thomas in June. All is good at 60!”

Susan Knorr Gale ’71 tells us, “It’s been a big year before my 60th! Just finished the Kiawah half marathon December 8, after a week’s vacation in California with my family – a pre 60th celebration – a time we could all be together. It was also a year that I received my National three-year officials rating in lacrosse! A good way to stay active as I hit the next decade! I have also been able to visit with some AIS alumnae as I travel to various games throughout the South. I was able to stay with Anne Smith Welch ’73 in Florida before the tournament. I always reflect on Irwin’s ability to have helped us find our talents that can last a lifetime!”

Sherril Luff Wingo ’71 says, “I have been most fortunate to see a lot of the world recently and am very spoiled! Ron and I took a cruise in November 2011 from Istanbul to Cairo. We stopped in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Suez Canal and Egypt. It was fascinating – especially Jordan and Egypt – and we learned so much. In July 2012, we went to Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa on a tented safari experience. The animals, Botswana, Victoria Falls, Johannesburg and Cape Good Hope were highlights. To recover from that trip and bond with my daughter, Megan, I had a relaxing week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In February 2013, Ron and I will be on another cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong visiting Cambodia, Thailand and China. Before the ship, we will be in Vietnam, which Ron is especially looking forward to having been in the Air Force there near the end of the war. I’ve been staying more in touch with AIS classmates, especially Wendy Ward Ledyard. Both of our mothers died within one week of each other in April 2012. Ron and I still live in western NC, but I visit Philadelphia to see my siblings and Megan, who is studying at Temple to become a doctor of physical therapy and graduating in May.

Elizabeth Montgomery McCollum ’73 and her husband, Duncan, live near Santa Cruz, CA, in a coastal area called Seacliff Beach. They have three children: Angus, 15, Natalie, 19, and Will, 26. Duncan has an expanding chiropractic practice, and Bitsey opened a life improvement center eight years ago. She is

also active in a variety of community activities (human rights education and awareness, drug education, and gang intervention) and social campaigns (organizations to help homebound

seniors and children’s cancer organizations). Her artistic passion is film, and she has a powerful true story she is developing into a screenplay, which will be a feature length film in the future. If any alum has a similar passion (or any classmates want to say hi), feel free to contact her at [email protected]. Bitsey and Duncan traveled to South America and the Netherland Antilles this year. They also camp and ski in the Sierras whenever they can. Bitsey hikes often along the beach with her faithful Aussie mix, Tallula-belle, hunting for sea glass. She hopes to make it back for the 40th Reunion!

Louise Klotz Middleton ’73 says, “I have lived in Delaware for 24 years and raised four fabulous kids – Elizabeth, 35; Constance, 29; Sarah, 25, and Elliot, 24. I have worked for Charter School of Wilmington for nine years.

:: Bill and Sally Latimer Withers ’71 in front of their son’s new home in Lafayette, LA.

Sculpting History into Gold Medals

Sculpting is a passion for PHEBE HEMPHILL ’78, and she has forged a prestigious and rewarding career out of a highly specialized field. As a medallic artist at the U.S. Mint , Phebe sculpted the obverse (heads side) of the Congressional Gold Medal that was awarded to Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), including Mary Paul Loomis ’41, in 2010 for their service during World War II.

The medal is one of many that Phebe has sculpted for people “famous and not so famous.” She designed and sculpted the obverse of the Congressional Gold Medal

presented to the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as the obverse of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Apollo 11 astronauts, who landed on the moon, and Mercury astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.

Phebe studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in 1987. However, she received her most formative training independently under world-renowned sculptor EvAngelos Frudakis, an “excellent teacher of figure and portraiture.”

Phebe has previously worked as a freelance sculptor for a range of companies that marketed small sculptures commercially, including the Franklin Mint. An award-winning fine arts sculptor whose specialty is the human figure, she has had pieces exhibited around the country.

Now at the U.S. Mint, Phebe described herself as “… one of only a few of us … who are still working traditionally.” Although traditional skills remain at the heart of her work, she has also embraced digital tools – a “big learning curve for a traditional sculptor,” but one she clearly considers worth tackling. Her enthusiasm for all aspects of her work is apparent as she describes the process by which the clay original of the medal she has sculpted is cast into plaster, scanned into a three dimensional digital file, refined on the computer and used to cut the steel dies from which the metal coins are struck.

Phebe looks back fondly on her AIS days, remembering how nurturing and supportive the Arts Department was. Art teacher Robert Moss-Vreeland particularly encouraged her to pursue a career in art, she recalled. – Clare Luzuriaga

:: Duncan McCollum, husband of Elizabeth Montgomery McCollum ’73, with sons, daughter and friend on a skiing trip.

:: Congressional Medal of Honor, designed and sculpted by Hemphill, awarded to Dr. Norman Borlaug for his work on high-yield, disease-resistant crops.

CLASS NOTES


CLASS NOTES

My summers are spent in Eagles Mere, PA, where I serve as Civic Club president. I look forward to reading where everyone is today!”

Susan Leslie Raebeck ’73 writes, “I can’t say I have much news to report. I still live in Wainscott, NY with my husband, Barry, and I am still teaching kindergarten at a local public school. Barry teaches English at another nearby public school and has a college consulting business on the side. Our daughters are older – that’s something different! Annabel lives in Amman, Jordan, and is now working in the college admissions department of Kings Academy, a private school started by the king. She is married to an American man who works in a NPO there. Emily is in NYC working as a speech therapist, and Tessa lives out here and works for a local art museum. No grandchildren yet, but Tessa is leaving her dog here with me overnight! I’m very much looking forward to attending Reunion and hope the rest of the class comes as well.”

Heidi Hartshorn McPherson ’75 shares, “On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning last October, friends and family from all parts gathered to celebrate Elizabeth Martin Perkins ’75 life. I was honored that Libet’s children asked me to speak at the service along with her sister and one other devoted friend from college days. We told stories about Libet’s zest for life, cheesesteaks, love of her children, lacrosse, sailing and how she wanted so much to believe in love. Thank you to so many classmates who shared their thoughts, memories and stories. We carry her smile with us and know how lucky we were to have had her in our lives. Sail on dear friend.”

Alida Van Pelt ’75 writes that the Class of 1975 has had a rough year. We lost two classmates, Cynthia Hoffman Carosso and Elizabeth Martin Perkins last summer. Both deaths shocked and saddened us. Yet both deaths drew us together as we sought ways to celebrate each woman’s life. The weekend after

Cynthia’s death in July, classmates Cynthia Boylan Johnston, Suzanne Williams Dlugos, Caroline Farr, Martha Sharples, Leslie Somers Rahling and Alida Van Pelt got together in Wayne to cry and laugh in remembering Cynthia. Then in September, Cynthia’s family held a memorial service, which was attended by Estelle Whitney, Donna Albani Hoch, Elisa Boyer Moneymaker, Ann Williams Dlugos and Jill Henon. We were fortunate to share the ceremony with Mary Cauffman Hastings ’74, Susan Cauffman Butterworth ’76 and Frances Cauffman ’76. The service was held in the renovated P&W station studio where Cynthia’s father once worked. Both Cynthia’s and her father’s art works were on display and

it was the first time some of us had the opportunity to see their work.

Leslie Carroll ’78 is currently working as a global promotion manager for Ventiv Health, based at Merck Pharmaceuticals. She lives in Lower Gwynedd, PA, not far from work, which is great after commuting to Princeton, NJ for nine years. She spends her free time with Andy, traveling and golfing. Last September, they spent 12 days in Poland and had a wonderful time. Leslie hopes to see lots of classmates in May!

Leslie Hurtubise Kelly ’78 is currently living in beautiful Clearwater Beach, FL with frequent visits home to PA. After an amicable divorce, she remarried in January 2011. Her wonderful husband, Brian, is a pilot with Delta Airlines. “A match made in heaven – I was born to travel! Recently we have traveled to Costa Rica, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Greece, Turkey and Tahiti. When we are not traveling, I work as a home-based travel consultant and spend time with my two children, Ty Steidle, 24, who is studying at Drexel University for business, and Casey Steidle, 22, who is studying communications at the College of Charleston.”

Elizabeth Simpson Renner ’78 says “I live locally in Berwyn with my husband, Barry, of 24 years and our two children – Katie, currently in college, and Will, a senior at Cones-toga High School. Life is neither calm nor quiet. I catch up with classmates Beverly Mauger Shairer, Polly Staples, Phebe Hemphill and Patricia Lauer at least once a year! We share lots of laughs! Fond memories of putting the school up for sale!”

1980-1989Gay Godfrey ’82 is still living in South Burling-ton, VT and working for MVP Health Care out of Schenectady, NY as an ASO stop loss case manager. She also works per diem at Fletcher Allen Health Care as a staff RN on the moth-er/baby unit, which she says is so much fun. Her daughter, Nora, is a freshman at UVM and

:: 1975 alumnae pausing to pose at the celebration of classmate Cynthia Hoffman Carosso’s life. From left: Donna Albani Hoch, Lisa Boyer Moneymaker, Jill Henon, Estelle Whitney and Lylee Van Pelt.

:: Leslie Hurtubise Kelly ’78 with her husband, Brian, and children.

:: Elizabeth Simpson Renner ’78 (left) and Trish Lauer ’78 at the Bruce Springsteen concert.

:: 1978 alumnae reunite! From left: Elizabeth Staples, Patricia Lee, Beverly Mauger Schairer and Elizabeth Simpson Renner.

:: 1978 classmates (from left) Lynn Keyser Tierney, Chrisy Masters Jones and Meg Garvey gather together.


CLASS NOTES

Business Focus Leads Back to Her Roots

Despite the fact that TARA IYENGAR BUTLER ’83 came from a medical family and had always loved science, early in her career, she gravitated toward business. After graduating from The Agnes Irwin School, Tara pursued a Bachelor of Science in Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating from Wharton, Tara held a position in finance at Honeywell and then went to work in business development at Medtronic, one of the world’s most prominent medical technology companies. She was enjoying

a successful career at Medtronic and was on a forward trajectory as a healthcare MBA when, as she says, her genetics and her love of science caught up with her. Taking a risk, Tara decided to leave the business world, undertake a two-year post-baccalaureate program and pursue a medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.D. in 1998. Tara completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis, and intended to go into practice. As Tara says, serendipitously she was asked to join a new strategic health care venture fund, blending her business and medical backgrounds with a career-building business in growing medical technology and working to improve health care. Ascension Health Ventures was launched, funded by Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. In January, AHV announced the final closing of its third venture capital fund, which will invest in early to later-state health care companies.

As Investment Director of AHV, Tara has been a board member and observer at several AHV portfolio companies, including Augmenix, Novasys, Stereotaxis and TomoTherapy. She is also serving as the Interim CEO of Neurolutions, which is developing a low-cost stroke rehabilitation device to help patients in dealing with paralysis.

When speaking about her greatest achievements to date, she points to a career that she loves, a terrific husband and her two sons and daughter, ages eight, six and two. Tara said she was reminded of AIS recently as her daughter was reading a book called I Like What I Am. “That,” said Tara, “is what Agnes Irwin gave me.” As she gets older and looks toward celebrating her 30-year class reunion, she says her Agnes Irwin friends mean even more to her. Tara recalls the supportive teachers who encouraged her individuality and were interested in her as a person. Her experience on Student Government was through the Library Committee. She and Karen Yoh ’83 were the co-heads, and Tara looks back on that shared responsibility and the model of organizational leadership as her definition of leadership – rather than a single individual, successful leadership involves taking responsibility with others. That leadership style began at The Agnes Irwin School.

Rose is a sophomore at South Burlington High School. “Where has the time gone? Nora’s best friend, Courtney, is my “other” daughter. (Sound familiar :-) ) We see Maris Thompson ’83 and Susan Boone Stallings ’82 as often as possible. Live, Love, Laugh often!”

Karen Morrissett Donnelly ’83 writes, “Bill, the kids and I are all happy and healthy. I

am director of asset management for KMS Development Partners in Philadelphia. While the commute isn’t the best, I am lucky to have flexible hours and I can work from home a couple of days per week. The rest of my time is devoted to shuttling Andrew and Samantha between horseback riding, basketball practice,

art club and get-togethers with friends. They are in fifth grade now and just experienced their first trip abroad to London this past November. I think they have been bitten by the travel bug, because they are now asking when we will be going to Italy, Austria and France! Bill’s nursery business is still going strong. He especially enjoys the winter months when we can all go up to Skytop together for sledding, skiing, hiking and relaxing. I hope all of my classmates are doing well and can’t wait to catch up with everyone at Reunion.”

Lee Carroll Roebuck ’83 says, “I am still in the ‘stay-at-home-mom’ business in Baltimore, MD, managing the busy lives of C.J., 16; Emily, 14, and my husband, Charles. We are having the college conversation with C.J., a junior at Gilman School, and are looking forward to visiting schools with him beginning this spring. Emily attends Roland Park Country School (the AIS of Baltimore!) and is a freshman. I alternate volunteering between both schools and will be president of the Roland Park Parents Association next year. I have also coached recreational league sports for years and now coach at the club level for TNT Field Hockey Club and will also coach Futures, the youth development program for USA Field Hockey. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Dina Stevens ’86 reports, “I am thrilled to announce the adoption of my son.He was born on October 22, 2012 and was seven pounds, 19 ½ inches.

:: Gay Godfrey ’82 with her daughtersand friend.

:: Son of Dina Stevens ’86

:: Children of Karen Morrissett Donnelly ’83.

:: Lee Carroll Roebuck ’83 and her family walk for a cause at the Walking For Maryland’s Children to End Child Abuse walk.


CLASS NOTES

Her Solutions Change BusinessesAs a subcontractor for the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support of the U.S. Department of Defense, PAMELA EGAN ’88 says that she manages “minutiae related to requirements traceability, testing, documentation, user experience (UX), software usability and process improvement.” In other words, she keeps a perceptive and discerning eye on the many details, large and small,

that can spell the difference between success and failure for a business client.

A 1992 graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor’s in English, Pam credits her classroom experiences at Agnes Irwin with helping her develop the critical thinking skills that have made her successful throughout her 25-year career.

In 2004, Pam founded Intu Solutions Corp. after recognizing that many industries needed innovative and intuitive solutions to operational challenges. She focused on the specific facets of each client’s situation, such as budget and schedule. Her work has ranged from developing technical documentation (both online and in print); writing and designing over 50 teacher and instructor guides and 20 video and DVD programs; creating high-end 3D animations; and designing, developing and testing custom software applications.

In recent years, she has shifted the company’s focus to systems analysis and documentation, first for pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer/Wyeth, AstraZeneca, Merck, Shire

and GlaxoSmithKline, and then in December 2011 for the Department of Defense.

“At AIS, it wasn’t the leadership roles per se, but rather the day-to-day experiences, classes, and activities that fostered the greatest self-confidence, growth and leadership opportunities for me, which at the same time gave me such joy,” said Pam, who played competitive sports all three seasons starting in seventh grade and sang with the school choruses as well as the Bel Cantos. She especially remembers having to present her Senior Assembly, and overcoming the intimidating experience of first-time public speaking.

“Every athletic, artistic and academic exploration of the wide variety of options AIS offered, allowed me to not only learn more about myself but also how to work with others to achieve common goals. The critical thinking skills taught by the stellar, passionate and compassionate teachers I was fortunate to have, combined with the continual nurturing and encouragement to succeed that I felt on a daily basis, beautifully prepared me for real life by mirroring what was to come,” Pam said.

Her leadership blossomed. In college, she captained the field hockey team and in one of her early jobs, she was director of three departments at a broadcast video-editing software development company. But Pam says she has found the most success by carving her own path and presenting “new ways of thinking” when dealing with assignments, projects or clients.

Her fondest memories of Agnes Irwin are the “big, beaming smiles of my teachers, coaches, classmates, administrators, and parents, who made me feel like part of a tight-knit family,” said Pam. – Wanda M. Odom

We have settled into a nice routine, and Baily has already been a world traveler in his two months by spending time in Florida over Thanksgiving and Christmas in Tobago with my family. Bob and Sydney Davis Stevens ’55 are grandparents again and enjoying the new addition to the family. He also has a proud aunt, Dawn Stevens Brennan ’82. We have also seen a lot of Sanna Marshall Henderer ’86. Baily is changing on a daily basis, and I am just so in love with this little guy - lucky and blessed to have him!”

Martha Dechert Bardsley ’88 is busy with her four sons, Luke, Christian, Will and Charlie

(ages nine and younger). She is married to Clymer Bardsley – he is from New York City and works as a mediator. She works as a pediatric endocrinologist at Nemours/DuPont and teaches and does research as a clinical associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School.

Taliba Foster ’88 says, “Things have been very busy with my beautiful babies. I have just launched my second clinical practice, Main Line Psychiatric in Ardmore, and love being back at AIS!”

Kristi Spillman Gilfillan ’88 continues to work in interior design as a consultant for residential and commercial work. She says, “My new-found passion recently has been oil painting. I have become a member of the Flying Colors art group and exhibited at our annual art show in Chester Springs for the past two years. I am a donating artist with The Healing Arts, whose projects provide local hospitals with fine art collections. I live in Malvern with my husband and two children.”

Ann Hedges Pagano ’88 is still living in the shadow of Agnes Irwin (literally!) and loves her work as director of development for Freire Charter School in Center City. Her children are all well and growing up way too quickly – Cynthia Kellett, 16; Matthew Kellet, 14, and Zevon Pagano, 6.

Karen Hepp ’89 writes, “I’m now waking up early as an anchor on Good Day Philadelphia Fox 29 from 4:25 to 10 a.m. This summer my sisters Elizabeth Hepp Babson ’00 and Jocelyn Hepp Kotary ’93 kicked off the summer celebrating my brother Robert Hepp’s Memorial Day weekend wedding to Rebecca Wilson. My sons Quinn, 5, and Macklin, 3, got me boogie boarding all summer long; now they are both off to the French International School.”

:: Taliba Foster ’88 smiles for the camera with her daughter and son.

:: Carter and Ginny Sharp Williams ’88 with their children.


CLASS NOTES

Senior Class President turns Head and Neck Surgeon

KELLY MALLOY ’93 works on one of the most anatomically complex areas of the body: the head and neck. As assistant professor of otolaryngology at the University of Michigan, she primarily treats cancers of the tongue, throat, voice box, salivary glands, thyroid gland, and various skin cancers of the head and neck, including melanoma.

“The constant challenge of every new surgical defect is one of my favorite aspects of my work, as is the ability to work within a talented, multidisciplinary team to take the best possible care of my patients,” said Kelly, who has been in practice for four and a half years – the first four of which were at the University of Pennsylvania, where

she also served on the faculty as assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery.

She joined the world-class Head and Neck Oncology Program at the University of Michigan in July 2012. In her new role, Kelly performs intricate surgeries and teaches residents and fellows how to perform these operations. Her research interests include quality and performance improvement in the care of surgical patients, surgical simulation education research, and clinical trials development for new head and neck treatment strategies, including robotic surgery.

“I’m lucky to be in a profession where you can be pretty impressed with yourself one minute, and quite humbled the next,” said Kelly. “It definitely keeps one’s ego in check!” While she gives Agnes Irwin full credit for preparing her for her professional successes, she acknowledges the Agnes Irwin experience as a whole was much more important in the subtle ways that it prepared her for life’s challenges. “My AIS experience taught me that I have both strengths and weaknesses, and that the only way to be truly successful is to account honestly for both.”

Each year, Kelly combines her penchant for travel with work by going on one or two humanitarian surgical trips. She has performed procedures in Honduras and Kenya on several occasions, and has plans to visit Haiti in the spring. “Most of the trips I take are for fun, and learning how to rest and play well is just as important as being good at your job.”

Kelly, Co-President of the AIS National Alumnae Advisory Council, holds an A.B. in history from Princeton University and a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College.

– Michelle A. Trenholm

1990-1999Elisabeth Magdelain Ritz ’90 was married on October 1, 2011 to Jeffrey Ritz in Scottsdale, AZ. They live in Chicago, IL and are joyously expecting their first child together in March.

Annie Murphy Paul ’91 lives in New Haven, CT with her husband, John, and sons, Teddy, 7, and Gus, 4. Her writing, mostly for Time magazine and The New York Times, has lately focused on education and learning. She is working on her third book, titled “Brilliant: The New Science of Smart.”

Ellen Whitman Stoddard ’93 reports, “I am currently the director of cooperative education for Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. My team and I work to place students in jobs that give them practical work experience relating to their academic degrees. It’s fascinating to learn about industry trends, job sectors, and I love working with students. In May, my daughter, Haley, was born, joining her big brother, Aidan. I’m looking forward to catching up and sharing photos at Reunion weekend!”

Alicia Dillihay Suber ’93 now has four quickly growing children, James, 6; Anais, 7; Josiah, 8, and Alexis, 15. Since her last note, she has left her position as editorial coordinator at the American College of Physicians and has started her own business – Suber Sweets. “I love to bake anything from cookies to wedding cakes!”

Angine Harriott Tyghter ’93 writes, “I can’t believe it’s been 20 years! I am still living in Florida and working as an assistant principal

:: Jeffrey and Lis Magdelain Ritz ’90 at their 2011 wedding.

:: Annie Murphy Paul ’91 with her sons.

:: Kelly (left) and her team of head and neck surgeons on a recent trip to Kenya.

:: Alicia Dillihay Suber ’93 (second from right) and her family. :: Children of Angine Harriott Tyghter ‘93.


CLASS NOTES

at a middle school. My son, Dimitri, is 10 and my daughter, Kelis, is 8. Life is wonderful and I feel blessed.”

Hannah Wood Wick ’93 says, “I am a stay-at-home mother of two children, Charlie, 5 and Phoebe, 2. I have been living on Beacon Hill in downtown Boston for the past 15 years. Sending big hugs to all my classmates from AIS!”

Mary Elizabeth Noel Todd ’95 welcomed Baby Nolan on March 15, 2012. “He’s fat and happy and doing his best to avoid any loving assaults by his older brother, Billy.”

Megan Dorsey ’98 is attending University of Massachusetts in Boston to become a registered nurse.

Sarah Miller ’98 is engaged to Timothy Joseph Maher and planning a fall 2013 wedding in

Vermont. Sarah is a sales representative with Pinnacle Outdoor Group, where she represents a wide range of outdoor apparel, camping and sports equipment. Tim is an account supervisor with Fuse, a youth culture and action sports marketing agency based in VT. Tim and Sarah met in Vermont, where both are very actively involved in skiing, mountain biking and many other outdoor activities.

Jessica Krick Stanton ’98 was recently married to Thomas Stanton on October 20, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA. Many fellow AIS alumnae were in attendance: Liz Coulson Libre ’95, Lauren Patterson, Katie Bradley, Lauren Lehane ’99, Jennifer Emmi Fiorini ’97, Alana Salvucci Johnson ’97, Becky Hurwitz ’99 and Heidi Berlacher Pierce.

2000-2009Eliza Slate Bakken ’00 is an academic pediatrician at UCSF, based at the county hospital, San Francisco General. She loves her job, which allows her to care for an underserved population as well as participate in medical student and resident education. She is happily married and now a mother to Henry Oliver Bakken, who is 15 months old. She and her family live outside of San Francisco, CA and love the Northern California lifestyle. Be in touch if you’re in the Bay Area!

Jennifer Vanett Bretz ’00 has accepted a new job as the science and technology program manager at One Mind for Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating knowledge in neurosciences research and finding better preventions, treatments and cures for brain disorders. In addition to the new career, Jennifer and her husband, Kevin, moved to a new house in Allentown, PA in January and hope to start a family in the Lehigh Valley area. Jennifer would love to connect with any alumnae in the area.

Rashida Brooks ’01 spent 2011 traveling the world as a missionary on an 11-month,

Taking Her Lessons Around the WorldCOURTNEY FRETZ ’98 described her transfer from public school into the Upper School at Agnes Irwin as an “awakening.” Where before she’d had the sense that she was cruising through school, under the radar, suddenly she was challenged and expected to achieve her personal best. “I found Irwin’s was a strong and supportive community,” said Courtney, a member of the AIS National Alumnae Advisory Council. “It made a difference knowing people cared about your success and well-being – they were there to support you.”

It’s a lesson that she’s taken with her wherever she goes. And she has gone far! For the past three and a half years, she has been with Dow Chemicals, and much of that time has been spent internationally in global marketing roles, including additional responsibility for regional marketing in Latin America for the Home & Personal Care business, which involved a seven-month posting in São Paulo, Brazil.

She loves that she has been able to combine travel and work. Whenever she is abroad for work, she considers it a “wasted opportunity” not to immerse herself in the atmosphere of a

place. Fascinated by how “closely interlinked the world actually is,” she has always taken a personal interest in learning about different cultures and languages.

Courtney graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 with a double major in economics (Cum Laude) and East Asian studies, with a focus on China. As part of her East Asian studies, she spent a semester in Beijing. She went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2009.

From the beginning, she was able to integrate travel into her career. She started her career working for Maersk, a Danish shipping company, in roles of increasing responsibility in finance, strategy and commercial management. She was posted to the Netherlands for two years, where she was responsible for global strategy in the Ports division.

Her current role – since 2012 – as the North America business manager for Adhesives and Functional Materials (a specialty division within Dow Plastics) has brought her back to the States for the time being. One of the few women at her job level, Courtney has enjoyed in all her roles at Dow the sense of accomplishment that comes, as a team, from launching new products and solving problems for clients and industry. She loves how her company “uses science and technology to change how we live.” – Clare Luzuriaga

:: Liz Cuckler Odiorne ’93 and Annie Casey Milligan ’95 share the holiday assembly tradition with their children.

:: Children of Drew and Annie Casey Milligan ’95. :: Sarah Kingsley Miller ’98 and her fiancé, Timothy Joseph Maher.


Making Her Mark in PublishingABBE WRIGHT ’03 is an assistant editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, a goal she set for herself at a very young age. She still remembers when she decided that she wanted to be an editor. She was working on the Impulse staff at Agnes Irwin. A ‘survivor’, Abbe feels that AIS prepared her for all that has happened in her life in a way that no other school could have.

While at Agnes Irwin, she was a part of Dance Motion throughout

all four years of high school. Abbe also was involved in the drama productions as well as the debate team at AIS and always had a passion for literature. Abbe was in The Sound of Music while in Upper School and instead of playing the traditional character of Uncle Max, she played the role as Aunt Maxine. She remembers “bringing down the house, making people laugh” with her performance.

After Agnes Irwin, Abbe went off to Dennison College in Ohio. She remembers that Connie McEvoy, Director of College Counseling, was the one to encourage her to look at schools in Ohio, and she immediately fell in love with Dennison. There Abbe majored in English with a concentration in literature and a minor in dance. She loved the experience of a small liberal arts college and the fact that she could focus on her two passions, dance and literature.

After graduation in 2007, Abbe moved back to her parent’s house and began her job search. In 2008, she moved to New York City to start her magazine career. Abbe has been with O magazine since 2009, when she started as creative director. She has been the assistant editor since 2011.

Currently, Abbe is working on her AIS class reunion; this May will mark the 10th year anniversary. Abbe is very passionate about The African Library Project, an organization that trains librarians all over Africa. Abbe receives so many books through her position at work; she then sells the books at a very low price and donates the proceeds to the organization. – Maria McDonald

11-country mission trip with a Christian non-profit organization called Adventures in Missions. “My journey included the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Cambodia and Thailand twice. I returned November 2011 and substitute taught and ran the afterschool program at Cornerstone Christian Academy in West Philadelphia. I spent the summer of 2012 leading a college-aged mission trip with 14 students in Lira, Uganda. There I fell in love with Oliver. She is a parentified 8 eight-year-old who I would always be sure to play with, be silly with, cuddle and just give her a break from caring for her infant twin cousins, to be a fun-loving carefree kid. Oh how she stole my heart!! Upon returning, I was blessed to land a dream job. I am the program and trek coordinator for buildOn – a global non-profit that seeks to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education.

It is a two-pronged approach – students at area high schools complete community service throughout the year and then get to travel abroad and help build schools in developing nations. I have the privilege of organizing projects and serving alongside the students as well as leading them on their international journey to partner with impoverished communities abroad. This year, I will be leading trips to Haiti, Nicaragua and possibly Senegal. I am TRULY blessed because I get to love what puts money in my pocket! Blogs and pics are at www.shidabrooks.theworldrace.org

Kristen Hansen Corona ’02 was married to Brian Corona on September 22, 2012 in Centreville, MD. Bridesmaids included classmates Samantha Miller, Sarah Murdoch, Elizabeth Hansen Gross ’00, Elise Gelinas, Elisa Shore and Emily Rowland.

Elise Gelinas ’02 moved to Washington, DC and is still working for Morgan Lewis as an associate in the firm’s litigation practice group. She also got engaged to Kevin Attridge, whom

she met in law school. They are planning a September wedding in Philadelphia, PA.

Ludmila Crowther ’07 accompanied her father, Dr. John E. Crowther, to an exclusive

:: Rashida Brooks ’01 has some laughs with a young girl in Uganda.

:: Daughters of Josh and Elle Stewart Morton ’01.

:: Kristen Hansen ’02 marrying Brian Corona in Centreville, MD.

CLASS NOTES


CLASS NOTES

dinner and premiere of the documentary movie Ever to Excel, starring Sir Sean Connery in New York City last year. The film covers the history and celebrates the 600th anniversary of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, from which Ludmila graduated with an M.A. in 2011.

Katherine Rieger ’08 graduated from Williams College in June and started a job at Vanguard Group shortly thereafter. She is in a nutritional program that focuses on leadership and investing. She moved to Philadelphia, PA with two other classmates, Lexie Somers and Ludmila Crowther. She loves her job and exploring life downtown!

2010-2012Nadya Mason ’10 spent the summer of 2012 studying abroad through the Penn-in-Seoul program. The program sends about 25 students to South Korea for two months in the summer. For the first month, students take a minimum of two classes at Seoul National University (SNU), and for the second month they are placed at an internship. At SNU, she took a history course called “East Asia: Past and Present” and an urban studies course called “Korean Architecture and Urbanism.” For the second month, she interned at the Korea Leadership Center, a consulting organization that offers leadership and management skills to executives from companies like LG and Samsung. Nadya says, “I decided to study abroad to South Korea for various reasons. I knew I wanted to study abroad in the summer, which narrows down the options that are left. I was then drawn to South Korea not only because we were given the opportunity to both study and intern, but also because it is a great opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and experience something that I have never experienced before.”

Elisabeth Brier ’11 joined the Harambee Sustainability Project at her school, Tulane University. From December 27-January 12, she and a group of 19 others traveled to Capetown, South Africa in order to teacher sustainable living practices. The idea of the project is that rather than continuing to give the people in this region food and other necessities for

survival, why not teach them and give them a new sense of independence.

Devaki Dravid ’12 loved her first semester at Bryn Mawr College! She enjoyed being home over break with her family and friends after her exams and final papers were over. “I miss everyone at Agnes Irwin, and I’d like to wish everyone hello!”

May-Lin McEvoy ’12 loved her first semester at Skidmore College. In November, she was one of the student-athletes to take part in the Polar Plunge at Lake George to help raise money for the Special Olympics of NY. She was the top fundraiser bringing in $450. She says, “It was a GREAT experience; although it was absolutely freezing, I am so glad I could make a difference. I figure if it’s easy to do something for others, why not do it. I plan to do this next year as well! Also, I want to thank the people who contributed to this cause.” May-Lin also made the softball team and will be playing this spring!

:: Carley Razzi Mack ’05 (center) celebrates her wedding to Eric Mack with classmates Natalie Jones, maid of honor, Olivia Romeo, Libby O’Toole, Katie Best, Sara MacIntyre, Danielle Kays, Kate Morsbach, Cate Krasner and Charlotte Hamilton. Also pictured: Chase Smith

:: 2005 classmates gather at the home of Charlotte Hamilton in NYC. Front row l-r: Meredith Still, Annie Duckett, Kate Archer, Charlotte Hamilton; Back row l-r: Nina Mayfield, Libby O’Toole, Olivia Romeo, Anita Sellers, Natalie Jones, Kate Morsbach, Mary McCarty.

:: Ludmila Crowther ’07 (second from left) with her father, Dr. John Crowther and Sir Sean Connery with his granddaughter.

:: Nadya Mason ’10 at top of the stairs in the dormitory area at Seoul National University, with a view of the city in the background.

:: Class of 2011 alumnae visit AIS during the Thanksgiving holiday. Top row, from left: Caitlin Petrakis, Kelly Spagnola, English teacher Katie Mather, Amanda Bunten, Nancy Cockman, Julia Shreckengast; bottom row, from left: Kali McLennan, Katey Duffy, Chelsea Gilman.

:: Andrea Platt Dondero ’02 married Michael Prete on July 21, 2012.


Alumnae Events

:: 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees: Megan Boyle Flinn ’87, Jane White, Former Athletic Director and Coach 1982–2000, April Tellam Timmerman ’97, Lisa Dixon ’92 and Ginny Spahr Heth ’66.

:: The Agnes Irwin Alumnae Board presents Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77 (front left), Chair of the Board of Trustees, with a $200,000 check for the Dare to Do More Campaign to name the former main lobby, which will display AIS memorabilia.

:: Young alumnae returned to AIS to sing along to the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Holiday Assembly. From left: Mackenize Murphy ’11, Mary McCarty ’05, Grace McCarty ’09, Ali Tufano ’10, Kelly Spagnola ’11, Katherine Ortmeyer ’10, Galen Hiltbrand ’10, Molly Houlahan ’10, Hanna Bottger ’10, Kate Archer ’05 and Victoria Janicki ’11.

:: Alumnae played the Varsity basketball team in the 2nd annual alumnae basketball game on Thanksgiving weekend. Back row l-r: Kelly Crosby ’11, Shannan Williford ’11, Katie Best ’05, Wigs Frank, Sarah MacIntyre ’05, Megan Pauley ’08. Front row l-r: Natalie Jones ’05, Nancy Cockman ’11, Emily Wetz ’12, Parker Lynch ’03.

:: Alumnae gather with Jane White, Former Athletic Director and Coach (bottom row, fourth from left), at the 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner.

:: Washington, DC. National Alumnae Advisory Council members co-host brunch for local alumnae. From left: Clare Putnam Pozos ’00, Robin Scullin ’83, Hads Ogden Holmgren ’98, Minsuh Son ’89. Not pictured: Kristin Heim Mowry ’88

:: Clare Putnam Pozos ’00, Liz Hansen Gross ’00, Emily Murphy Troncosco ’03 and Ashley Welbourne ’01 at the brunch in Washington, DC.

:: Lea Tenney Miller ’78, Robin Scullin ’83, Currie Smith ’76 and Nancy Davis Rosan ’62 share AIS memories in Washington, DC.

CLASS NOTES


Alumnae Events

:: 2006 alumnae reunite at the Annual Thanksgiving Eve party. From left: Kristin Nottebohm, Alison Heffernan, Caroline Dooner, Caroline Flynn and Alice Van Horne.

:: Susan Cauffman Butterworth ’76 and DeeDee Heyward ’63 pause from shopping at Valley Forge Flowers to smile for the camera.

:: Eve Bullit Pierce ’72 and Laura Thomas Buck ’49 reconnect at the Happy Owlidays event in December.

:: 2007 alumnae gather at Merion Cricket Club in November. From left: Caitlin Finnegan, Lizzie Gretz, Shelby Dash, Ali Ianovale and Danda Greco.

:: Amy Gregg Maher ’92 (on right), a Senior Associate with Langley Innovations, met with Upper School students from the Girls Grant Making Club in November to discuss philanthropy and fundraising.

:: Mary McCarty ’05 (4th from right) spoke with students about her position as Development Manager at Generation Citizen, a non-profit that envisions a democracy in which every citizen participates and strengthens our nation’s democracy by empowering young people to become engaged and effective citizens.

:: Nadya Mason ’10 (standing, on left), a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, visited AIS in December to share her experiences studying abroad for a summer through the Penn-in-Seoul program.

Alumnae Lunch Series

The Alumnae Lunch Series is in its second year and has been a great success. Throughout the year, we invite an alumna to visit campus to have lunch with a group of Upper School students and speak about her career, college experience and life at AIS. Students enjoy hearing from alumnae in this relaxed setting and benefit from the opportunity for one-on-one interaction.


Laurel Society SPOTLIGHTSisters Christina McCabe deForest Keys ’97 and Katie McCabe Juhas ’97

“Agnes Irwin helped shape who I am today. I want to give back to a place where I have such great memories and that taught me so much inside and outside the classroom. By joining the Laurel Society, I am confirming my love for this school and its importance in my life.”

- Christina McCabe deForest Keys ’97

The Laurel Society honors all those who establish a planned gift arrangement with The Agnes Irwin School. Planned gifts include bequest intentions, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, pooled income funds and other forms of deferred support. The Laurel Society has raised more than $6.6 million in contributions to Agnes Irwin since its inception in 1997. Laurel Society members make a commitment to Agnes Irwin that guarantees the educational experience they had at Agnes Irwin will be passed on to future generations.

For more information about the Laurel Society, please contact Julie Kalis, Director of Major Gifts, at 610-672-1279 or Margaret Welsh, Director of Development, at 610-526-1673.:: Photos: (left) Christina with her husband David and daughters.

(Right) Katie with sons and husband Peter.

EITC SPOTLIGHT“The EITC Program has been a fantastic

opportunity for our family, Keating Environmental Management, Inc. (KEM),

and The Keating Group to make meaningful contributions to The Agnes Irwin

School at minimal cost to the companies. The application process is incredibly simple

and the impact is truly significant. We are delighted to allocate our state tax dollars to

AIS and play a part in helping to provide an outstanding Agnes Irwin education to

deserving students.”

- Sarah Keating P ’09 ’16

Company Info: Keating Environmental Management, Inc. (KEM) of Exton is a full-service environmental, energy, sustainability and procurement solutions firm.

EITC Info: Participation in the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, administered by the State of Pennsylvania, provides significant tax credit to eligible businesses that allocate a portion of their tax dollars to

support scholarship at The Agnes Irwin School. Since 2005, numerous Pennsylvania businesses have collectively contributed over three million in dollars in support of highly qualified and talented AIS students. Please consider joining this special group of AIS supporters.

For more information, contact Brooke Record, Director of Annual Giving Programs, at 610-526-1674 or [email protected].

:: Daniel and Sarah Keating pictured with their family.

Keating Environmental Management, Inc.


MILESTONES Submit updates online at www.agnesirwin.org,by email: [email protected] at 610.525.6125.

In Memoriam Marriages Birth Announcements

1936 Margaret Baker Thaw August 5, 2012

1939 Esther Montgomery Kolb August 23, 2012

1939 Helen MacLeod Woodhouse July 31, 2012

1939 Carol Smith Rush November 3, 2012

1940 Charlotte Landreth-Melville January 3, 2013

1941 Evelyn Poole Smith July 2, 2012

1944 Josephine Hastings Brown August 10, 2012

1951 Virginia F. Cooper March 12, 2013

1963 Margot Madeira November 18, 2012

1971 Joan Giacalone September 6, 2012

1975 Elizabeth Martin Perkins September 26, 2012

1998 Jessica Krick to Thomas Stanton October 20, 2012

1999 Kelly Elverson to Kevin Wright September 29, 2012

2001 Dorrance Hamilton to Dan Benson November 10, 2012

2001 Katherine Stuhlemmer to James Dunning June 2, 2012

2002 Kristen Hansen to Brian Corona September 22, 2012

2002 Andrea Platt Dondero to Michael Prete July 21, 2012

2003 Emily Murphy to Stephen Troncosco July 7, 2012

2005 Carley Razzi to Jeffrey Eric Mack August 25, 2012

1986 To Dina Stevens, a boy, Bailey Robert, October 22, 2012

1987 To Margaret Henry, a girl, Elisabeth Adaline, November 27, 2012

1992 To Stephen and Samantha Sawin Brennan, a daughter and son, Elizabeth Hope and James Sawin, October 14, 2012

1993 To John and Polly Gibbons-Neff Ortlieb, a boy, Patrick James, November 27, 2012

1994 To Lara Kroop, a daughter, Mila Clara Isabella Delamarre, January 15, 2013

1995 To Seth and Heather Kubach Adler, a son, Stefan Alexander, January 16, 2013

1995 To Alex Kahoe, a daughter, Leighton Hope Johnson Kahoe, January 3, 2013

1997 To Charles and Courtney Leimkuhler de Segundo, a daughter, Adele Sempill Leimkuhler de Segundo, August 11, 2012

1998 John and Elizabeth Coulson Libré, a daughter, Louise Linda Maria, January 14, 2013

1998 To Adam and Monica Moyer Stoltzfus, a daughter, Mattie Pierce, September 10, 2012

Every gift,

EVERY YEAR

The Agnes Irwin Fund is a significant contributor to the operating budget of the school. With your donation, you have the power to make a meaningful difference and further enhance the education of the students at The Agnes Irwin School.

If you would like to contribute, visit www.agnesirwin.org or send

your donation using the enclosed business reply envelope to:

The Agnes Irwin Fund • Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road • Rosemont, PA 19010

Please contact Brooke Record, Director of Annual Giving Programs,

at [email protected] or (610) 526.1674 with questions

regarding your contribution.

opens doors EVERYWHERE at Agnes Irwin.

Every day, The Agnes Irwin School inspires girls in ways that

last a lifetime, guiding them through doors as they become

women of confidence, character and heart.

Every gift to the Agnes Irwin Fund makes

this possible.

Thank you for your generous and loyal support.

PLEASE GIVE

TODAY

www.agnesirwin.org

Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010-1042 Tel 610.525.8400 Fax 610.525.8908

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