T H E L A M P A N E W S L E T T E R F R O M O L D F I E L D S S C H O O L

INSIDE

Spirit Campaign Gathering Speed

Admission and Athletics By the Numbers

Why We Do It

Deedee Helfrich Anderson Remembered

Oldfields Fund Update

Grandparents' Day

Shout Outs

There has never been a shortage of creative talent at Oldfields. This spring found both our faculty and our students in the spotlight in a BIG way.

English Department Chair Whitney Schultz entered a poetry writing contest sponsored through a collaboration between Baltimore LED Art Billboard and Light Ekphrastic. Her poems, "Prayer for Moath" and "Public Displays of Affection" were selected to be featured on a prominent digital billboard in downtown Baltimore, MD. Whitney shares a benefit of teaching at OS, saying, "being in the classroom teaching literature again has reconnected me with my own passion for writing and reading. After graduate school and a couple years teaching business writing, I lost touch with the literary world. Now that I’m engaging with students who love to write on a daily basis, I find myself inspired to write again."

Poems, Pencils, Portraits, and PrideBy Alicia Bowers P’17, Director of Communications

VOLUME 6, NUMBER 2 SPRING 2015

Prayer for MoathA villanelle by Whitney Schultz

Think not of the cage, but the flame.Smoke expands, embraces you. Breathe.You bow into the fire, greet the ash.

They will say you did not weep, did notfling a sound out into the sky.Did you think not of the cage, but the flame?

What prayer crossed your mind?What face flickered in that flame,called you to bow into fire, greeting ash?

A bright backdrop, obscene sunshine:the colors felt wrong for the scene.Think of the cage, not of the flame.

Some will say you smiled. Yielded.Rising like smoke, let us exalt you.You bow into the fire, we greet ash.

Unblemished, you ignite, smolder, extinguish.If you don’t shine, you are darkness.Think of the cage, think of the flame.Bow at the fire, see him in the ash.

OLD HOUSE ON THE HILL IN FULL BLOOM

Dr. Hagerman and the entire OS community are proud of award winners Whitney Schultz (far left), Emily ’15 (far right), and Don Reigner (not pictured).

As reported in the Winter Magazine, Oldfields senior, Emily ’15, was selected to participate in a juried art exhibition entitled Rising Art Stars at the Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD. Emily’s work won first place out of over 600 entries! Emily describes herself as a "colorist." She sees objects, including her own face, in layers of color – hence her unique approach to a self-portrait. After being accepted by numerous art programs, Emily has decided to attend the California Institute for the Arts, and we know she’ll go far in the art world!

Another first place award came Oldfields’ way when long-time art instructor, Don Reigner, won first place in a juried art show sponsored by the Laurel Art Guild. The drawing is a graphite rendering of a fictional narrative about the passage of time, with the rabbit as the witness to time’s inevitable passing. Don currently teaches ceramics at OS, and his work, The Sleeper Awakes, demonstrates the depth of his talent.

The creative arts are alive and well at Oldfields!

Sleeper Awakes by Don ReignerSelf Portrait by Emily '15

Poems, Pencils, Portraits, and Pride

FEEL LIKE A TEENAGER AGAIN!

Do you ever wish you could go back in time?

NEW PROGRAM FOR ALUMNAE

June 18-21, 2015• Daily seminars taught by Oldfields faculty

• Stay in a dorm or at a local hotel • Optional riding lessons, dance classes, pilates

Contact Joan Carter Jermakian '81 P'15

443-662-1018

Do you ever wish you could go back in time?

Contact Joan Carter Jermakian '81 P'15 by June 1 443-662-1018

continued

SPIRIT CAMPAIGN GATHERING SPEEDTwo years into the Spirit Campaign, and with more than two years yet to go,

nearly $8.5 million in gifts have been received, taking us to 71% of our $12 million goal!

Burn the Bond Goal: $1.5 millionThe Burn the Bond phase of the Spirit Campaign is complete. It will help pay off the bond that was taken out in the early 2000s to build the new academic building and renovate Caesar Rodney Hall. Our girls benefit everyday from the wonderful learning environment the renovation provided!

Capital Projects Goal: $3.5 millionThe Capital Projects phase has exceeded its goal, having raised $3.8 million for exciting projects like the completed renovations to the Gymnasium, which included a new floor and a redesigned entrance lobby. We are also excited about the pending construction of our new Garden House faculty housing that will begin this summer.

Sustaining What We Have Goal: $3.5 million$1.3 million raised (39%) This essential phase will help maintain and renovate our beautiful and historic campus, with a major focus on Old House. The beloved Jungle in Old House will be renovated, including the installation of new glass – no more buckets catching leaks during rainstorms! Its beloved appearance will remain the same. Old House will also receive a brand new roof after many years of service from the old one. No more leaks in "Heaven!"

Supporting Our Future Goal: $3.5 million $1.8 million raised (49%)We are well on our way to increasing our endowment, the "trust fund" of the School, to a level that ensures the longevity of our mission. As we grow close to our 150 year celebration, we are more committed than ever to providing young women with an Oldfields education for the next 150 years and beyond.

The School keeps moving forward and becoming stronger and stronger thanks to all of you who give back to Oldfields!

By Anne Ragland Finney P'97, Director of Development

15lacrosse players participated in

a spring break training program in Orlando, FL. The Hoganlax program allowed OS girls to battle teams from Deerfield, Exeter, and Pomfret. After

losing 8 senior players, the new leadership team of Grace ’16,

Mikaela’16, Kate’16 and Camile ’15 really stepped up and

made OS proud this season!

2100applicants were bested by

Coach K (Jill Kochanek). She was named the winner of the

prestigious Double-Goal Coach Award from Positive Coaching

Alliance. Oldfields always knew she was #1. Now

the rest of the world knows, too!

3Interscholastic Equestrian

Association team members qualified for IEA Zones, rounding

out our best season in years! Congratulations to Vana ’15, Gabrielle ’16, and Henley

’16 who each came home with a ribbon!

6athletes signed up for

our newest athletic endeavor –

Oldfields Golf!!

169applications were processed – an 84% increase!

The Mission Add Great Students

Director of Admission Allison Letourneau

The Goal Build Great StudentsAthletic Director Keslie Tomlinson '99

32new students confirmed that they will be OS girls! New

students come from MD, NY, PA, NC, CT, NJ, NH, VA, TX, DC, IL, Canada, Saudi

Arabia, China, Nepal, and Mexico.

18students attended Revisit Day. Dorms were lively

that night, as many girls stayed over to

get the total OS experience!

96prospective students visited campus this year! That’s a 33% increase over last

year!

Susie "Silly" Sillcox Repko ’72 Spirit Campaign Cabinet Chair

As I make that familiar turn onto Lower Glencoe, go over the bridge, pass Immanuel Church, and see the gate, I smile. It is the sight of Old House, with its trailing wisteria vines; Graduation Hill, with the same sloping hill we walked down; and Commons, where our mail arrived and we ate "kneepads" (fried mystery meat with a dollop of tomato paste), that brings on that familiar feeling. I get out of my car with a lighter step. I feel invigorated and renewed. I can’t wait to see the girls, meet the teachers, sit in a class, and hear what is going on at School. I am back.

Why do I feel this way every time I return? It is because the School’s mission has remained the same. We haven’t tried to become something that we are not. We understand the importance of a nurturing environment in a culture of kindness and mutual respect. We want each girl to grow more confident and challenge herself intellectually. We have updated the curriculum and made advances in technology, but our commitment to each girl has remained the constant. We have modernized parts of campus, but the character of the buildings has remained the same. Old House, the David Niven Theatre, Miss Nan’s Library, and the gymnasium are where so many of my fondest memories were made.

It has been 43 years, and yet it feels like yesterday.

I believe in the future of Oldfields. I want it to be here for my grandchildren and their grandchildren. I believe an all girls’ education holds a meaningful place in today’s world, and that is why I am involved in the Spirit Campaign.

Kandi duPont Sanger ’62

After they took the train off the tracks and removed the Post Office, back in the day when I was a freshman (after light bulbs were invented but before baggies and Pampers), I questioned whether I would survive living in the boonies at Oldfields School. But in my freshman class of nine, I transitioned from the tutorial section at my former day school to the Oldfields Honor Roll in my first year of boarding.

What a time I had there with caring faculty who understood me, bolstered me up, gave me a safe and secure environment to learn, and allowed the gawky 14-year-old to bloom and grow! My roommates then continue to be my best friends now, as are all of my classmates. I love anything Oldfields and am so proud to be part of the Spirit Campaign. Oldfields School should continue to be the GREAT all girls’ school that it currently is. The Spirit Campaign is a GOOD THING! Ladies, parents, and families – let’s all ramp up the giving!

Stuart Pitcher P’14,’15

I have two daughters that are just about as opposite as can be. Both represented different challenges when navigating the fun, challenging, scary, exciting and confusing rollercoaster ride of adolescence. Yet one school met both their needs! Oldfields was the place for both of them to thrive and succeed.

Certainly tuition covers a portion of the costs involved with the operation of a private school, but not all. The Spirit Campaign is of paramount importance because these gifts and funds are essential to the repair, maintenance, and growth of this unique and wonderful educational institution. My parents taught me the importance of giving to private schools; they value education, as do I. They made sure I understood the "free rider effect," when one person does not act because they assume that others already have, or will do, their share. EVERYONE needs to give what they can. It feels great to know I am a part of the ongoing success story entitled Oldfields.

YOU'LL ENJOY A GLIMPSE INTO THE SPIRIT CAMPAIGN CABINET VIA THE MEMBERS' OWN WORDS:

Why We Do It

REMEMBER OLDFIELDS IN YOUR WILL OR TRUST.

CRE

AT

E YOUR LEGACY

Deedee Helfrich Anderson Remembered

When I arrived on Oldfields' campus in 1977, Deedee Helfrich was already a seven-year veteran and an Oldfields phenomenon! Through her roles as a super competitive coach of field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, a stern but caring dorm parent in Sturgis, the sidekick of Ms. Herky in and out of the School Store, and a dedicated and patient math instructor, she had found her life’s calling. As a new, young teacher, I was drawn to her enthusiasm for mentoring students and her fun-loving nature, and we soon became close colleagues and friends.Students and faculty alike will remember her love of late night card games, passion for the outdoors, knack for photography, and of course, her dedication to her dogs, Buster and Bambi. The Oldfields archives contained multiple notes from students, thanking Deedee for "being tough" on them and "sticking with" them even when they didn’t deserve it. She had the ability to couple high

expectations with just the right amount of love and support. After 11 years at Oldfields, Deedee continued her amazing teaching and coaching career at numerous institutions, from Phillips Exeter Academy to schools in Rui’An and Nanjing, China. She influenced and enriched hundreds of lives, beginning with a special group of girls at a small boarding school in Glencoe, MD. Deedee is survived by her husband, Richard, sons, Michael Thomas and Bryan Todd Warner, and her sister, Barbara Todd (Toddy) Immel of

Richmond, VA. All are invited for a celebration of her life on May 30, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. in the David Niven Theatre. We feel fortunate to have had Deedee Helfrich Anderson as a cherished member of our Oldfields Community. Deedee’s family and her Oldfields friends would be deeply touched to accept donations to the School in her memory.

September 16, 1947 – January 23, 2015 By Karen Miller, Director of Academic Support Services

Head of School Dr. Hagerman, John Vogt, and Lisa Vogt

SHOUT OUTS!Oldfields would like to thank all the wonderful people who contribute to

our success in so many different ways, with an extra expression of gratitude

to all who generously host gatherings on behalf of Oldfields School: Trustee Liza Lee gave an elegant cocktail party in her art-filled home in Dallas, Texas, in late January for alumnae and parents. Board Chair Hilary Gardner Swain ’72 hosted a lovely welcome party for the Board at the Green Flash Restaurant in Captiva, Florida, in early February.Also in February, alumnae, parents, the Board of Trustees, and friends of Oldfields enjoyed a fun-filled gathering hosted by Kandi duPont Sanger ’62 at Doc Ford’s in Captiva, Florida. A Washington, D.C., reception was hosted by Board Chair Hilary Swain ’72 in her beautiful home on a warm, spring-like evening.

Springtime gatherings were held in Richmond, Virginia, at the home of Nena Adams Meurlin ’97 on May 21 and in Middleburg, Virginia, at the home of Sheila Wiley Harrell ’90 on May 22. Many thanks to all of our generous hostesses for their largeness of heart! If you would like to host an Oldfields gathering in your area, please let us know by contacting the Alumnae Office at 443-662-1018.

By Joan Carter Jermakian '81 P'15Grandparents' DayIt’s interesting how Grandparents' Day has an entirely different vibe from Fall Family Weekend. Both are fabulous in their own way, but Grandparents’ Day is just pure joy! The girls share their day and revel in showing their grandparents their School with just a tad less stress than a parent brings to the occasion. Unconditional love was in the air!This year we had the pleasure of welcoming over 60 visitors to campus for the largest Grandparents’ Day ever! The photo opportunities were plentiful, as the girls never stopped smiling. Grandparents not only went to classes with their granddaughters, but also were treated to an Arts Showcase by their granddaughters that featured both the performing and visual arts. The day ended with an upbeat concert by Mambo Combo, a Latin music group that had everyone on their feet – including grandparents! Thank you to all who helped make this event one of the most special days on campus.

It's not over yet! Send your gift today!

OLDFIELDS FUND UPDATE

$353,269$122,544

GREEN

WHITE$97,731

TOTAL

414 GIFTS 386 DONORS

from

AS OF MARCH 31, 2015

GIFTmakes a difference.

YOUR

Oldfields School1500 Glencoe RoadSparks Glencoe, MD 21152

www.OldfieldsSchool.org

GREENS AND WHITES THEN AND NOW