Around the Shell House

AROUND THE SHELL HOUSE STORIES THAT CAPTURE THE PULSE OF CAMPUS

By Jennifer Turner, Editor & Director of Content

THE POWER OF

PLAYPLAY

In the Early Education Center (EEC), play is paramount to love exploring the cause and effect relationship of placing learning, and students now have several new ways to pique their different objects inside of the tunnel to see the exciting results!” curiosity and captivate their attention. “Because of our Reggio- All kinds of appropriate objects have safely been launched and inspired curriculum, we strongly believe that our students inspired numerous investigations in the classroom. learn best through hands-on, experiential learning,” said EEC Director Betsy Quirin. “We recognize the importance of With the addition of light laboratories for each EEC grade level, creating a relationship-driven atmosphere where our students students are gaining a new understanding of color and delighting in can connect with each other, materials in the classroom, and their own color mixing explorations. “The children are fascinated their environment.” with experimenting with not just color mixing but also object Thanks to the efforts of a generous donor, two new STEAM- how this hands-on, exploratory tool allows our students to focused centers debuted in the fall, to the thrill of students and transform and create.” teachers alike. First encountering the EEC’s new wind tunnel, Jack Bischoff ’36 exclaimed to his teacher, “This is amazing, Key in fostering experiential play, the wind tunnel and light Mrs. Carter!” and his classmates enthusiastically agreed. laboratories offer students hours of enrichment and learning. “The wind tunnel is a truly unique experience where our Just as important, these centers are sparking new ways for students can explore the movement and pressure of air, object young minds to comprehend the scientific and creative weight, and force,” noted Quirin. “It can transition to different underpinnings of life. angles to allow for even more experimentation, and the children translucency and manipulation,” Quirin pointed out. “We love

In November, Laughlin Murray ’21 took part in National Signing Day by declaring her intent to play volleyball at Mississippi State University in the fall. A talented athlete who in 2020 was placed on Under Armour’s All-American Watch List, Murray was selected for the High School All-Region Team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, an honor reserved for the top performing volleyball athletes in the country. She was one of only 26 student-athletes chosen nationally to receive the Junior Volleyball Association’s 2020 Athleader award and was named to the South Whether on the court, in the pool, or down the fairway, the 200 student athletes who proudly represented Ashley Hall this fall inspired everyone with their work ethic, teamwork, and commitment to their sports during a season that presented challenges like no other. A special PQV to the varsity tennis team for their third-in-a-row state championship win and the crosscountry team for winning their state championship as well.

NATIONAL Signing Day

#GoGirlGo Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) 3A 2019 All-State, All-Region, and All-Star teams. As a sophomore, she played a vital role in leading the Panthers to victory over Porter-Gaud in the 2018 state championship game. On Senior Night in October, she made her 2000th career assist—an unforgettable and record-setting moment within Ashley Hall’s historic athletic program. From beginning her Ashley Hall journey as a kindergartner to now finishing strong as a senior, Murray defines what it means to be an Ashley Hall girl!

Boat Building has become a rite of passage for Ashley Hall fifth graders, who partner with the Lowcountry Maritime Society on a year-long project to craft their own fleet of wooden boats, and the tradition continues this year! While the safety precautions have increased, the opportunities for skill building, confidence gains, and outdoor fun make this the perfect project for immersing students in experiential education.

Research shows that girls decide as early as fifth grade if they will consider careers in the areas of math and science. For the Intermediate Program, sparking interest and solidifying skills in STEAM fields are key curricular goals. “I like Boat Building because it teaches me new skills like drilling, driving, and measuring parts of the boat,” said Marlowe Johnsen ’28. “It gives us new ways to learn.” Creating an outlet for girls to gain confidence and enjoy working outdoors is also a priority. “I love it because everyone is working together, we get to try new things, and we are making new friends while we do it,” asserted Brier Fava ’28. “Yes, we do use power tools a lot!”

During this unique STEAM project, students are guided through the process of learning how to read scaled plans and then to transform those plans into a wooden boat they build themselves. In addition to teaching building craftsmanship, the program places an emphasis on communication and teamwork. “I love Boat Building because you get to work together and make a really cool project in the end,” said Hannah King ’28. That finale comes this spring, when the girls will launch their boats in water to evaluate their handiwork. With all their hard work and determination, there should be smooth sailing ahead.

| From top, L-R: Georgia Newman and Wells Phillips, Class of 2028, drill holes as they build their boat | Fifth graders work together to frame a boat hull. Photos by IP faculty member Olivia Hipp ’10 | Opposite, from top: The varsity cross country team and the varsity tennis team. Photos courtesy Ashley Hall Athletics Department | Laughlin Murray ’21. Photo by Meredith Frazier

THE RETURN OF

Lower School students were thrilled to visit Ashley Hall’s Johns Island property in the fall for fresh air and experiential learning fun. The science-focused excursions allowed students to enjoy short day trips while carefully adhering to all health safety precautions. From first grade’s nature explorations to fourth grade’s teaming up with the Department of Natural Resources to learn about ways to reduce their carbon footprint, the invigorating woodland trails were the perfect way to get back to nature.

Summer is meant for exploration, enrichment, and doing what one loves best, and Ashley Hall looks forward to welcoming campers back to campus for innovative and fun summer programming. Visit ashleyhall.org/summerprograms to view the complete schedule and register. Give your child a summer to remember!

As Halloween was creeping up, so was an old Ashley Hall friend: Georgie the Ghost! In October, first graders slowly climbed the McBee House spiral staircase and gathered around Head of School Jill Muti in the McBee drawing room to hear her read the story of Georgie and how she came to live in the attic of McBee House. Brimming with questions, the girls wanted to know what Georgie liked best about the School and if she enjoyed watching students from her attic window. Afterward, the girls walked on tiptoe upstairs to find an apology note from Georgie, who was too shy to come out but left a generous gift of candy. Each year, first graders excitedly anticipate this special Ashley Hall tradition.

STRONGER TOGETHER

In classes throughout the Early Education Center (EEC), tiny feet twitch and eager eyes watch with anticipation for a very special moment: the revealing of the week’s mystery reader! This year, parents were invited to record themselves reading a favorite book to share with their child’s class. The resulting videos have become a main attraction and a meaningful way for families to become involved. “We have a different mystery reader each week,” said EEC faculty member Rachael Carter. “The children light up when they see their parent or a friend’s parent. It’s been a phenomenal way to build connections between home and school.” Part of the fun is the guessing game of who will virtually appear in the classroom. Parents enjoy choosing books As an advocate for women helping women, Elliot Tick ’24 is passionate about improving the lives of others. After learning about the Homeless Period Project, a non-profit that creates awareness and delivers hygiene products to those in need, she immediately wanted to become involved. “Menstrual products are just as important as Band-Aids or other medical supplies and should be available to those who need them,” she asserted. “Medical needs should not be bad enough to distract girls from their education.” Feeling strongly about the issue, Tick applied for and won the first Amanda’s Leadership in Service Grant, a special Ashley Hall award designated to support a ninth through twelfth grade student’s community service project. “As an all girls’ school, it should be our that fit with a special class investigation or help celebrate a holiday. Attention to detail is key; dressing the part for Halloween, parent Laura Barnhart read Room On the Broom to her son William’s ’36 pre-primary class. Hearing a familiar voice is deeply reassuring to children, as is continuing the EEC tradition of parents taking the time out of their day to read a special book to the class. For Ashley Hall faculty members, it is one more way to reinforce the vital partnership between home and school. “The children’s surprise is always the best!” enthused EEC Director Betsy Quirin. “They have been loving it!” With such a supportive learning environment, the reason for their excitement is certainly no mystery. mission not just to empower each other but to empower other women in our community,” she noted. “We have the ability to do so many good things, so why don’t we? My goal is to give enough products to one school to last them a year.” In November, she made significant progress toward that goal during her first supply drive to collect packs of hygiene products. In addition to holding supply drives and fundraisers, Tick wants to use the project as a way to help eradicate any negative connotations associated with the natural processes of a woman’s body. “One of our most powerful tools is to educate, and we can set off a ripple effect by educating people that will go far beyond us,” she said. “This is one thing

WHO WILL THE READER BE? It’s a Mystery!

that brings together women, so let’s do it.”

| From top: Elliot Tick ’24. Photo by Meredith Frazier | Pre-kindergarten students eagerly watch the big reveal of the mystery reader for the week. Photo by EEC faculty member Katie Harvard | Opposite, from top: Gabby Hobal ’30 examines Spanish moss. Photo by Betsy Sidebottom | Campers enjoy painting outdoors during Ashley Hall’s Summer Programs. Photo by Kelly Grace Photography | Head of School Jill Muti reads to first graders. Photo by Meredith Frazier

Ashley Hall Writers Series presents AN EVENING WITH AMRITA CHAKRABARTI MYERS, PH.D.

February 3, 2021 | 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. This event will be offered as a digital presentation. Open to the public and free of charge. Registration required.

Ashley Hall, in partnership with College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center, is pleased to present noted scholar Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, Ph.D. who will discuss her book Forging Freedom: Black Women and the Pursuit of Liberty in Antebellum Charleston during an interview with American history scholar and Upper School faculty member Chris Frisby. A Question and Answer session will follow. Dr. Myers is the Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor of History and Gender Studies at Indiana University. As a historian of the Black female experience in the United States, her research interests revolve around issues of race, gender, freedom, and power and the ways in which these constructs intersect with one another in the lives of Black women in the Old South. To register for this event, please visit

ashleyhall.org/WritersSeries

Congratulations to Natalie Smith ’18, whose Rhodes College research project, focusing on redistricting cases in the American federal judiciary, garnered her a prestigious fellowship to delve deeper into her work. The project included coding 630 federal redistricting cases that occurred between the years 1910 and 2019 and analyzing the resulting data.

“Once I learned about the redistricting process and its implications in the American context, the redrawing of electoral lines fascinated me because it involves issues of racial equality, identity politics, proportional representation, partisan power, population equivalence, and voting rights,” said Smith, who plans to submit her article “The Debureaucratization of the Federal Judiciary in Redistricting Case Law” to an academic journal. “It is a complex and salient issue with political implications that affect every person living in the United States.”

After completing her undergraduate work, Smith plans to pursue a Ph.D. program in political science with a concentration in public policy, public administration, and bureaucratic theory. “I am really excited about this because I hope to be a professor in higher education,” she enthused. “Ashley Hall is where I first began to discover that teaching was something that I wanted to pursue, mainly because I loved my Ashley Hall experience and wanted to be just like Madame Decker, Mrs. Newton, and Mrs. Ciany.”

Ashley Hall’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

With the goal of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Ashley Hall, the Board of Trustees in 2020 convened a task force co-chaired by Anne Frances Bleecker ’76 and Kendra Hamilton, Ph.D., ’76 and consisting of twelve members as well as three ex officio members drawn from current and former trustees, members of the faculty and administration, alumnae, and current and past parents. Throughout the fall, members met biweekly and augmented their discussions with a compelling lineup of guest speakers, including the following:

• Reese Terry, Class of 2020, who spoke about her experience as a Black student at Ashley Hall. • Frank Dukes, Ph.D., Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Engagement and Negotiation at the University of Virginia

School (UVA) of Architecture, who shared his extensive work on DEI issues both at UVA and across the country. • Bernard Powers, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History and Director of the College of Charleston’s Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston, who discussed the role of slavery in the history of Charleston and its relevancy to racial healing and reconciliation. • Margaret Hagood, Ph.D., Professor of Education at the College of Charleston, who presented research about the connections teachers and students make between their identities and developing literacies in the context of DEI work.