oldfields magazine fall 2009

OLDFIELDSFALL 2009

M A G A Z I N E

WomenWhoDare

OLDFIELDSM A G A Z I N E

Volume 29 Number 1Fall 2009

Oldfields Magazine Staff

Editor: Janine K. Brennan P’11Design: Shoot the Moon, Inc.Photography: Janine K. Brennan P’11;AK Dragoo Photography, LLC; Angeline Kim ’11;Lili Weik Photography, Ltd.; Jeff Worsham

Contributors: Fran Acle, P’09, Sidney PersingBanaszak ’84, Jillian Bledsoe, Kate Briante, MadisonCole ’10, Patricia Cox, Elizabeth Dvorak-Little ’82,Parnell Hagerman, Jane Hammann, Amira Lockhart ’12,Eric Miller, Amy Roden, Ansley Smithwick,Kate Worsham

Alumnae and Development Office Staff

Taylor Smith, Director of DevelopmentJanine K. Brennan P’11, Director of CommunicationsMark J. Brennan P’11, Director of Annual FundJoan Carter Jermakian ’81, Director of AlumnaeEliza Broaddus, Assistant Director of Alumnae

All letters and editorial commentsshould be directed to:Oldfields Magazine1500 Glencoe RoadGlencoe, MD [email protected]

© 2009 by Oldfields School. Oldfields Magazine is publishedtwice a year by Oldfields School. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission isstrictly prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of theauthor exclusively. Oldfields is a private, nonprofit, education-al corporation. Oldfields is an organization described in section501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and all contribu-tions to Oldfields are tax deductible to the fullest extent of thelaw. Correspondence for Oldfields School should be addressedto: Oldfields School, 1500 Glencoe Road, Glencoe, MD21152-9321.

Editorial Inquiries: Articled submissions and letters are wel-come and should be sent to the editor, at Oldfields Magazine,1500 Glencoe Road, Glencoe, MD 21152-9321. Submissionguidelines are available upon request. Oldfields Magazine andOldfields School are not responsible for loss, damage, or otherinjury to unsolicited manuscripts, photography, or artwork.Any letters sent to the magazine may be published in upcomingissues of Oldfields Magazine or other publications of OldfieldsSchool. The editor reserves the right to edit published letters forlength. Oldfields Magazine is a controlled circulation publica-tion. Circulation questions and address changes should be sentto Oldfields Magazine Circulation, 1500 Glencoe Road,Glencoe, MD 21152-9321.

Printed on recycled paper.

FeatureWomen Who Dare 3

May Programs 11Green Pages 14

DepartmentsAt Oldfields

Alumnae Weekend 16Graduation 19At the Barn 24After School 26Opening Days 28Stage Productions 30Our Copper Beech 32Fall Family Weekend 34

Developing Oldfields 37

Alumnae Matters 38Class News 39Milestones 48

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On the cover: Elizabeth (Brittany) DvorakLittle ’82 at the races in Afghanistan.

WomenWhoDareTo My Oldfields Family:

I have been overwhelmed by the support that I have received from the Oldfieldsfamily during my first year as Head of School. Whether it is through charmingnotes of encouragement from alumnae from the 1940’s, a fantastic turnout at regionalgatherings, annual giving that exceeded expectations by four hundred and fiftythousand dollars, or an unbelievable Alumnae Weekend which has fostered the newdeclaration that “Every year is a reunion year,” the Oldfields community has supportedJudy and me with both their financial resources and their hearts.The School is making significant progress during a year in which the nation is strug-

gling through our worst recession in decades. We started the year with an enrollmentincrease of twelve percent! What was even more remarkable was the quality of theseyoung ladies. They are “typical Oldfields girls,” each contributing to the overall

strength of the School community. Some are athletes,others scholars and still others gifted in the arts, but whatmarks them all as Oldfields girls is their largeness of heart.We often talk about the supportive Oldfields community

and how it allows young women to develop self esteem andconfidence; however, sometimes we forget that this alsopropels our students towards lives of excellence. I just had aconversation with an alumna from the 1980’s yesterday whospoke of entering Oldfields as a shy, quiet adolescent andhow Oldfields prepared her for a successful life in businessand the courage to advocate for herself. That courage that

we inculcate has led the School to adopt a theme of Women Who Dare. Throughoutthe year we will have outside performers and speakers, many of them Oldfieldsalumnae, who focus on this theme. In addition, many teachers will be teaching booksthat center on the theme and even the dramatic productions of the year reinforce thistheme. Recently I watched the television show, The Next Iron Chef, to see HollyDinning Smith ’84, a gifted chef from the Washington state, compete for the ultimateprize. The judges stressed the importance of creativity and daring as they gave herlamb kidneys and jellyfish to work with. Oldfields prepared this daring woman well asshe moved on to the next level of competition!While pursuing our new yearly theme, we have not forgotten about last year’s

theme, We Are EcOSchool. We have become part of the Green School Alliance andare part of the Green School Challenge to reduce our carbon footprint. We are also inthe process of finalizing plans to eliminate all of our kitchen waste, turning most of itinto compost for our organic garden.As you can see, many exciting things are happening here at Oldfields. Although we

all mourned the passing of Duncan McCulloch III, we also are proud that we havebeen able to sustain the School while maintaining the “feeling of family” that goesback to the School’s founding in 1867.

Sincerely,

Taylor Smith

2 FALL 2009 OLDFIELDS MAGAZINE 3

HEAD OF SCHOOLOLDFIELDS SCHOOLBOARD OF TRUSTEES 2009-2010

ChairScott S. Menzies P’03

Vice-ChairJohn W. Hawks

TreasurerAlfred Morrison

SecretaryTrish Grimmel P’06

Head of SchoolTaylor A. Smith

Sunny Adams P’91, ’93, ’03Ilana Feldberg Adelman ’88Carol Atterbury ’74Kenneth H. Buchanan P’07David Carroll P’13Samantha Coker ’90Richard D. Darrell P’06George R. Floyd P’82Denise Alexandre Le Comte ’72, P’06Jane McColl Lockwood ’86Christina Appleby Martinelli ’83Thomas P. McDonough P’10Elliott Watts Niespodziani ’97Frank Palmer P’12Corbin D. RiemerRobert A. Rosenbaum P’10Lee Douglass Simmons ’98Archibald A. Smith, IIILisa Wood Wright ’84

CHAIRS EMERITIHelen Frederick Gray ’51, P’83Alan E. Kerry P’98Edgar H. Lawton, Jr. P’85Denise Alexandre Le Comte ’72, P’06Ralph S. O’Connor P’75J. Calvin Rivers, Jr. P’88William Scanlan, Jr. P’93Jane Isdale Schaefer ’52, P’84Michael Simpson P’85

From the Reflections on

n tribute to the Oldfields theme‘Women who Dare,’ I was asked tocontribute some thoughts on my profes-sion. As a Post-Conflict InternationalDevelopment Specialist, I am involvedin a career that is considered daring bymany. Indeed, working in post-conflictcountries to facilitate peace-building hasbeen daring, I suppose. However, thedaring aspect was not part of the appealfor me. It is a highly ‘adventurous’career – of this there is little doubt – butoften the work has been as profoundlychallenging as it is has been rewarding.As for the ‘adventure factor,’ I frequentlyget more of it than I would really like.More often, we are not workingexclusively in post-conflict zones either,since the line between post-conflict andcurrent conflict has become increasinglyblurred, as the case of Afghanistanillustrates. I have been evacuated out of

a number of countries when the ‘adven-ture level’ got too high. In 2006, I wasevacuated out of Bangladesh when thegovernment collapsed and the State ofEmergency was imposed. In 2007, I wasin Pakistan when Presidential candidateBenazir Bhutto was assassinated andthe country devolved into deep civilunrest. In 2008, I was in our office inAfghanistan when the windows wereblown out in a bomb blast that killed 8civilians. And these are some of theincidents I will talk about; other eventswere too grim to reflect upon.So what is it that I do, exactly, I’m

often asked. Basically, I facilitate capaci-ty-building to post-conflict governments.This support can take on many forms,but often it boils down to helping pro-vide legal, technical and/or operationalassistance to newly-elected, post-conflictgovernment bodies in order for them tobetter serve the needs of their citizens.

If it sounds a bit strange, the reality ofhow this support really translates toon-the-ground projects can sometimesbe stranger. And often it is very surreal.Sometimes, I am figuratively pinching

myself, wondering how this all happened.Am I really providing legal and strategicadvice to the Government of Serbia…or am I just having an out-of-bodyexperience? How is it possible that theUnited Nations thinks that I’m qualifiedto serve as Operational Liaison for thefirst democratic election in Afghanistan?Or, more to the point – how on earthdid I get into this god-forsaken mess?Who said that this career was a goodidea anyway and when am I going to beable to get a shower?The reasons for how and why I ended

up working in war zones are difficult toarticulate. When one is most committedto something, it can be very challengingto provide a rational explanation forthe cause, I have found. To be honestthough, I really didn’t choose my career;I rather think that it chose me. That isnot to say that I fell into it blindly. No,not at all. I fought for it every step ofthe way. And I am still fighting for it.I would like to blame (or to credit)Oldfields, but really, my feet starteddown this path before I ever even heardof Glencoe, Maryland. By the time Istarted Oldfields, I already had developedan intense, potentially clinically-unhealthy preoccupation with war. Itbegan with the realization that half ofmy family was of German descent andthe other half Jewish. My academicunderstanding of World War II becameclouded by the deeply personal connec-tion I felt with both the oppressor andthe victim. How was it, I asked myself,that this one group of people thatbirthed my mother – the Germans –could have propagated an exterminationcampaign against my father’s group ofpeople – the Jews?

War doesn’t arise out of a vacuum –this was obvious. I became vexed by thesociological underpinnings of the causesof conflict. How do we, as humanbeings, come to the point where we areable to create and rationalize even themost extreme and inhumane measures tojustify oppression, murder, annihilationof our neighbors? What is the progres-sion of events by which we, as a society,go from being ‘civilized’— abiding theparameters of our societal rules, morésand constructs—to throwing these outthe window and becoming ‘barabarians’?And how does the revocation of justicestoke the underpinnings of war? How dowe get to the point where the bizarre,the illegal, the unethical, the immoral isnot only tolerated, but it is endorsed,justified and seized upon as the only pos-sible and morally ‘justifiable’ response?It was this progression of events from

suppression and injustice to outrightarmed conflict that I wanted to under-stand and quantify. Yet, these conceptscould not be pondered from an academicstandpoint only. I had to travel from thetheoretical contemplation of conflict,away from the ivory Oldfields tower, toliving and breathing the war-ravagedreality….

F E A T U R E

Xiaochun “Chun” Wang ‘12 has

dared to travel to Oldfields from

China, where she was ranked

fourth in the country for her age

group in swimming. Chun now

swims for the Merritt Athletic Club

Swim Team, where she recently

won eight of eight qualifying heats,

and subsequently won six of eight

races at the meet the following day.

She is determined to excel at swim-

ming, and we applaud her efforts.


It wasn’t easy to leave family and

friends behind in Staten Island, New

York and move to rural Maryland, but

Anna Austen McCulloch bravely made

the trip. The farmhouse was sparse,

and there wasn’t a school nearby for

her eight children, but she persevered.

Her daring, moral fortitude, and

spiritual faith persisted and now, 142

years later, her legacy continues in the

form of Oldfields School, its exceptional

students, and its dedicated alumnae.

Raising women of Courage, Humility,

and Largeness of Heart has long been

our School’s motto yet often

it is only through “daring”

that these qualities are exhibited.

Daring to have the courage to stand up

for one’s beliefs, daring to have the

humility to put others’ needs before

one’s own, and daring to show love

and compassion for another is how we

inspire our students to live their lives.

Throughout this year we are guiding

our girls in ways they can challenge

themselves physically, mentally,

morally, and spiritually. They are

being encouraged to follow in the

footsteps of strong role models so that

Oldfields will continue to be a school

known for its Women Who Dare.

I

F E A T U R E

And so I did. I found myself beingdrawn to the shell-pocked villages ofBosnia and Kosovo, and later to thedecimated landscape of Afghanistan,Pakistan and a myriad of places inbetween. My journey has been a grittyand grimy safari into the humanitariansinkholes of the planet. I could honestlyattest before a court of law that I’vejumped, with both feet, into some of themost reeking, conflict-ravanged cesspoolsof humanity, with little regard as to thepossible effects these situations mighthave on my personal, emotional orpsychological well-being. That mightbe called daring to some; others wouldprobably deem it just plain stupidor irresponsible.What have been the consequences

then? On the one hand, I consider thatI’ve been extremely fortunate to havehad so many rich and amazing opportu-nities to help reinstitute rule of law andpeace-brokering frameworks in variouspost-conflict communities. In Bosnia, Ihelped municipal government bodiesunderstand and implement the DaytonAccords. In Kosovo, I was in charge oflegal training programs to providecapacity-building and accountability tonewly-elected parliamentary officialsunder UN Resolution 1244. InAfghanistan, I provided consultationsand strategy advising to the AfghanMinistries of Interior, Defense andForeign Affairs. I will be the first toadmit that, if I choose to brag aboutwhat I do, the work can sound prettyinteresting. Sometimes, it even feelsfulfilling and meaningful.But more often, people who do what I

do find it difficult to talk about what weare doing in self-congratulatory terms.Deep down, it’s hard to bask in thesatisfaction that our work is achieving asustained effect in righting the wrongs.Typically, people become post-conflictspecialists because they are driven bytheir convictions and imagine that thework involved in rebuilding broken

societies will bring its own rewards.While these are good motivators, usuallywithin the first year or so, that initialglow of satisfaction or reward becomesobscured by the pervasive suffering andsadness that comes of working in theashes of a conflict. Many of the effortswe have striven to achieve, whileappearing profoundly meaningful at thetime, were later eroded, or even reversed,by self-seeking institutions or corruptpower-brokers.Many of us no longer believe that

we are helping facilitate a genuine,lasting peace. Working continuously inpost-conflict environments provokes apervasive feeling of being deeply disillu-sioned and sad about our general state ofhumanity. To again and again witnesscatastrophic examples of man’s utterinhumanity towards fellow man isdisheartening, at best. We ask ourselves,with each new conflict, Is it possiblethat once again, we have allowed thegreed or the oppression of one group – inthe name of race, creed, ethnicity, tribalsupremacy – to rob others their right tolive, to breathe, to exist?Sometimes sadness is the only over-

riding emotional take-away. Workingto protect and restore justice after it hasbeen ripped apart by war is far morechallenging than preserving it before-hand. I have made the analogy that itis like trying to glue a Constitution backtogether with Silly String.

In Kosovo, for example, I managed atraining and capacity-building programintended to strengthen the newly-elected municipal and parliamentarygovernment bodies. The goal was toprovide support for these bodies so thatthey could effectively conduct their jobas public servants under UN Resolution1244. While these goals may certainlysound meaningful, the atrocities thatoccurred before Kosovo became a‘de-facto’ UN protectorate rendered theactualization of these goals virtuallyobsolete. What had occurred there hadshattered people’s confidence in rule oflaw and in the ability of government touphold the law. Neither the politiciansnor the constituents had an ounceof conviction in the ability of legalmandates to provide any meaningfulsafeguards or assurances of protection.The citizens had even less confidence intheir government representatives toenforce or to safeguard their rightsprovided under the law. Even if all thetenets of the United Nations Resolution1244 were to be fully implemented inKosovo or if the Dayton Accords wereto be rigorously applied in Bosnia, thereality is that people would likely neveragain feel safe in their homes, havingwitnessed neighbor killing neighbor.After working in the Balkans with

OSCE/ US Department of State between1997 & 2001, I was subsequently offered

the opportunity to serve with the UN inAfghanistan. So I moved to Kabulwhere I supervised a fiercely-dedicatednational staff in preparation forAfghanistan’s first-ever democraticelections of 2004. For many of usinternationals, our first experiences inAfghanistan were amazing, fascinating,fulfilling and frustrating. I traveledthroughout the Central Region, provid-ing legal and procedural training toAfghan election officials in order toprovide them with the knowledge andtools to manage the election process.Thousands of staff had to be hired towork in the 80,000+ voter registrationand polling stations that were estab-lished across the country. Because menand women would be voting in separatefacilities, women were presented with amonumental and historic opportunity ofbeing able to work for a salary—manyfor the first time. They were not justgiven the right to earn an income, butwere being offered the chance to servetheir communities as managers and facil-itators of the registration and electionprocesses. Many men encouraged theirwives, daughters and sisters to take anactive role in the exercise, not onlybecause of the income it brought to thefamily (the voter registration centerswere open daily for 6 months), but alsobecause of the community importanceand the prestige involved in participat-ing in such an important governmentexercise. (Not all Afghans shared thispoint of view, but many did.)I conducted trainings for female

election staff in unheated schools, inopen fields, in community centers. Itwas so bone-numbing cold at times thatI could barely write on the white board.Sometimes I thought my fingers woulddrop off. Yet, the Afghan women rarely,if ever, complained. They were sopleased to have the opportunity towork after all those years under Taliban-dictated ‘house arrest,’ that they werehappy to have the chance to participate

Oldfields School was the first high school in the country to preview the documentary

Autumn Gem. The film “explores the extraordinary life of China’s first feminist Qiu Jun

(1875-1907). An accomplished writer, women’s activist, and leader of a revolutionary

army, Qiu Jin boldly challenged traditional gender roles and demanded equal rights

and opportunities for women.” The following day, the husband-wife team of directors,

Adam Tow and Rae Chang, visited the School for a question and answer session. The

girls were intrigued to learn about the

woman called “The Chinese Joan of

Arc,” and how she dared “to redefine

what it meant to be a woman in early

20th century China.”

On the Autumn Gem

blog, Adam Tow wrote:

The theme for Oldfields this year is,

“Women Who Dare,” so it was an ideal

fit for our documentary. Thanks to Maria

and the rest of the Oldfields staff for

having us! And, big kudos go out to the

terrific students at Oldfields. They really

made us feel welcome at the school. Our

presentation at the school was a little

different than at previous screenings.

Because the student body watched the

film the day before, we came prepared to speak about our backgrounds and how we

got to where we are today. Taking our existing Keynote presentation as a base, we

added lots of fun biographical slides on us. I showed them drawings that I had made

back in high school and college. Art and drawing eventually led to my interest in

photographer (though it did take a long time for me to have my own camera),

which ultimately led to videography and Autumn Gem. They asked us question after

enthusiastic question about the film, about us, and about our next steps. It was very

rewarding to be able to share our film and our lives with them; it's our hope that our

example will help inspire them to work on their own creative endeavors. It's certainly

been an exciting career for the two of us!

Autumn Gem


Rayven Vinson ’10 dares to exhibit exceptional sports-

manship. She is this year’s recipient of the Interscholastic

Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) League’s Jim

McCoach “Leader of the Pack” Award. This award is given

to one senior, selected by judges from the 31 participating

schools, who has been a runner for four years, is an

ambassador of the sport of cross country, and exhibits

outstanding teamwork and leadership skills.

F E A T U R EF E A T U R E

and contribute towards such a historicmoment. The Region I was responsiblefor—Central Region —was nationally-recognized in the 2004 elections assuccessfully achieving the highestpercentage of female voter turn-outin the country. Those elections wereheralded as a resounding success and theinternational community felt we hadgiven something meaningful to theAfghan people.The most remarkable facet of the

2004 elections was the defiant displayof individual courage and communitybravery exercised by the Afghan people.The Taliban and insurgent groups hadthreatened that on Election Day, theywere going to orchestrate a series oflarge-scale terrorist attacks across thecountry. They promised that theywould unleash a spectacular display ofcatastrophic attacks, targeting pollingstations and voters and resulting in masscivilian casualties. They urged all civil-ians to boycott the elections and foreveryone to stay in their homes. TheInternational Community and theCoalition Forces were put on highestalert since we could not adequately assess

the Taliban’s capabilities for execution ofsuch a catastrophe and felt the threatswere very credible.While we, the Internationals, were

confined to our compounds on ElectionDay, the Afghans left their houses tovote. The mothers, the fathers, the sonsand the daughters trudged down themuddy rural roads and lined up for hoursat the voting stations, waiting for thehistoric opportunity to democraticallyelect their first president. They, too, hadheard the threats and were well-aware ofthe Taliban’s intent to target those whoparticipated in the elections. (Radiobroadcasts reach 70 or 80% of allAfghans, even those in the rural out-posts.) Yet, all over the country, theAfghan election staff left their housesand came to work in their votingstations, as did the voters. An unimag-inable record of more than 10.8 millionAfghan voters decided to make thechoice to vote, knowing they wererisking death. I heard stories of men andwomen who left their houses at 4 and 5in the morning on Election Day since itwas a 3- 4 hour walk to the nearestpolling station. There were rumors that

some of the stations, unsure of the pre-cise number of voters were in the area,might run out of ballots. Hence, peoplewanted to come as early as possible toensure that they would get a ballot.Some voters, I’m told, dressed them-

selves in the white clothes of the martyr.They knew that by casting their vote,they were risking being killed… So, theyprepared themselves for this possibilityand dressed themselves in martyr’sclothes and defiantly walked the threehours to the polling station to cast theirvote…. Clearly, they were not going totake death ‘sitting down.’ They believedin the possibility and hope for change.They knew that only by leaving theirhomes and defiantly stepping forwardcould the will of the people triumphover the possibility of violence. Theywere willing to risk being killed toexercise free choice.Flash forward five years. Since 2004,

I have worked in Pakistan, Bangladesh,Haiti, Kuwait, Ghana, Tajikistan,Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro….. quitepossibly, there is another place or twoI’ve forgotten. But it is has beenAfghanistan that keeps calling me back.I’ve now completed seven contracts

in that country, both with the UN andwith the US Government. I’ve served inKabul where life can almost be normaland internationals can buy smokedsalmon and Starbucks coffee (in thegourmet supermarkets and cafes thatcater to foreigners). I’ve been confinedto the walled UN Compound in Parwanwhere we were never allowed out of thecompound and had to shower with waterpiped in from the river. Most recently,in 2008 and 2009, I’ve been embeddedin the US Base in the remote deserts ofFarah on the Afghan-Iranian border.And in these diverse regions, I’ve

worn all sorts of hats. Besides theelection operations work, I’ve providedsupport and advising to the AfghanGovernment ministries (Ministries ofDefense, Interior and Foreign Affairs),

I’ve formulated assessments for the USGovernment on the efficacy of USGovernment-funded developmentprojects, and I’ve designed and managedmicro-enterprise projects as alternativesto opium production.These opportunities have afforded me

an amazing panoply of experiences andinsight into the Afghan culture. I amdeeply grateful to the Afghan people forsharing with me their hopes, theirdreams and their fortitude. Time andtime again, they have demonstratedprofound courage and resilience in theface of unimaginable oppression.But now, as we’ve seen in the media,

their hope is fading. In 2004, they werewilling to risk their lives to have a say intheir government…. And now they areasking themselves, what does electedgovernment mean to me when we areneither safe in our homes nor on theroads and we cannot feed our families.People are losing faith in the ability oftheir ‘democratically-elected government’to provide for their security and for theirbasic needs. They are also losing confi-dence that the International Communitycan provide the appropriate kinds ofsupport needed for the government to doits job and to help facilitate economicdevelopment. Most of the hundreds ofAfghan people I have worked with,encountered and whom I have knowndo not have lofty goals—they just wantto live safely and to provide for their fam-ilies. Moreover, no one I have ever metsupports the Taliban or the insurgency.What is placing the country on the brinkof disaster is the inability of averagelaw-abiding citizens to earn a living wagefrom subsistence farming or to safelytravel to a job that that can pay enoughto support their families. This situation isplacing the whole society on a dangerousprecipice. The Afghans are caught ina pendulum between survival anddesperation. In order to survive, manyare willing to provide support to whatever

Jamie Hagerman, 2006 Olympic

bronze medalist and daughter of

Dr. Parnell Hagerman, conducted

an assembly for our students about

being “Women who DARE.”

Jamie’s definition is women who

“Dream of a goal, Accept reality,

Reject negativity, and actively

Engage in pursuing the goal.”

Using her own experience as an ice

hockey player, Jamie challenged

our students to set a target and

start working toward it. Her warm

anecdotes and incredible experi-

ences, both on and off the ice,

showed her true spirit as a world

class athlete and human being.


Ariel Taxdal ’10 was a daring

member of a four-person team,

representing Maryland, that won

the National 4-H Dairy Cattle

Judging Contest at the World

Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Team also won “High Team in

Reasons.” The World Dairy Expo,

which draws competitors from

around the world to compete in

cattle-related contests, also offers

exhibits and seminars related to

the industry. Ariel, a day student

whose family operates Broom’s

Bloom Dairy, has been raising

cows most of her life. A member

of 4H, she shows two or three

cows in various competitions every

year. She is the granddaughter of

Hope Harlan Dallam, Class of

1949. Her Great-Grandmother

was Ariel Webster, Class of 1923,

and her Great-Great-Grandmother

was Harriet Williams Webster,

Class of 1895.

F E A T U R E F E A T U R E

10 FALL 2009

F E A T U R E

OLDFIELDS MAGAZINE 11

entity that can give them income and/orsecurity to provide for their family – ifonly for another day.History has not written the final

chapter for Afghanistan but theInternational Community – mainly theUS – are the key actors. Remarkablyenough, after eight years in the country,we have not figured out what kind ofrole we, the actors, should be playing.I pray that the judgment of history willnot render our efforts in Afghanistan asfailures of what should have or couldhave been done for the Afghan people.As I mentioned initially, the work I am

involved with might be considered daringby some, but I do not feel that daring isthe right word. In more than a decade ofconflict work, I can honestly say that thepeople who are truly daring are thosewho endure and survive conflict and whobravely march forward in the face ofoppression with dignity and courage,looking toward the future. If the pain orthe despair of our work gets too intense,we the International Conflict Specialists,can throw in the towel on this‘Adventurous Career’ and quit anytime

we like. Many of my colleagues havedone so, and I do not blame them. As Iindicated earlier, the challenges and theprofound sadness of working in the ashesof broken communities can weigh veryheavily on the heart. Yet, I can comeback to the US – to the Land of SUVsand Godiva chocolates – any time I like.Even with the ‘lousy economy,’ there arestill jobs to be had. Generally, too, onecan count on being able to travel to andfrom work in the US without fear ofbeing taken out by a sniper or beingkilled by an Improvised Explosive Devise(IEDs). In my opinion, the truly daringamong us are the people – particularlythe women – I have worked with whorisk their lives in order to work, to go toschool, to vote, to survive. These arewomen who are not just surviving butwho are hoping and working for a betterfuture for themselves and their familiesin the face of what appears to be utterhopelessness. These are the daringpeople, the unrecognized heroes whotruly deserve our applause and support.

- Elizabeth Dvorak Little ’82

Carole Schmick ‘00 graduated

from Oldfields and then went to

Lynchburg College, graduating

with a BA in communications. After

entering the corporate

world, Carole worked for Virginia

Episcopal School for two years and

then recruited for a company

called Maxim Health Care Services.

All the while, she could not part

ways with her love of food. The

passion she had for food led her to

Baltimore International College.

She studied baking and culinary

arts. Today she is back at

Oldfields, daring to cook passion-

ately! She looks forward to

advancing her “future with food”

at Oldfields.

May Programs 2009O S O F F C A M P U S

OLDFIELDS MAGAZINE 1312 FALL 2009

The 2009 May Program was a greatsuccess. The nine programs offered wereincredibly diverse and provided multipleoptions for the girls who wished to stayon campus and for those who wereinterested in traveling. There were twobrand new programs and seven repeatofferings. Students and faculty both hadonly positive things to say about theirexperiences this year.For the students interested in doing a

May Program off campus there were fouroptions. Two groups traveled to Europe:World War II in Europe and The

Language, History and Culture ofFrance. For the history buffs, WorldWar II in Europe provided anopportunity to visit the placesthey had only read about in their WorldHistory II class. They visited suchfamous sites as the beaches at Normandyand Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam.The students who spent May Program inFrance had a very different experience asthey focused on French culture. Theirhome base was a small family run hotelin Paris but they ventured outside thecity to visit such places as the LoireValley and Versailles. In Paris, theyvisited many museums and importantsites such as Notre Dame, the Arc deTriomphe and the Louvre. The othertwo off-campus programs found our girlstraveling to New Orleans to work forHabitat for Humanity and to the Southto walk in the footsteps of those whofought for their rights during the CivilRights movement. For the second year,we sent a group of girls to the NewOrleans area to do their part in the

on-going efforts to rebuild the gulf coastthat was devastated by HurricaneKatrina. The students who participatedthis year found themselves working hardevery day to help others. They also hadtime to visit New Orleans and take insome of the unique culture of the area.Freedom Ride was a very successfulprogram once again. The students spentthe first week on campus researching themajor events of the Civil RightsMovement and during the second weekthey traveled to Atlanta, Memphis,Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery tovisit the sites made famous during theCivil Rights Movement.The on-campus programs offered a

wide variety of options for the girls whochose to stay at school. In a new

program entitled Reach One, TeachOne our students interned as teachingassistants at two area public schools.The girls received hands on experiencein working in an elementary or middleschool classroom. In the other newprogram this year, Digital Storytelling, thestudents learned how to use such pro-grams as Photoshop Elements,PowerPoint, SMART Board andWindows Movie Maker to create storiesin new formats. Each girl learned newways to capture an audience using digitalmedia. Chesapeake Flora and Fauna gavethe girls an opportunity to learn aboutthe diversity of plants and animals in theChesapeake Bay Watershed region. Thegirls studied the various habitats throughclassroom activities, local hikes, fieldtrips to Havre de Grace and theBlackwater National Wildlife Refuge andan overnight trip to Assateague Island.This program incorporated labs and artactivities. Healthy, Wealthy and Wisetaught the girls life skills such as shop-ping on a budget, healthy cooking, carmaintenance and some basic women’s

safety. The girls also spenttime each day doingphysical workouts andhad the opportunity todo some meditation andlearn about the science ofacupuncture with professionals fromthose two professions. The other oncampus option was Outdoor Experience,which has been offered for years. Thegirls spent most of their days canoeing,hiking, caving, and kayaking. In addi-tion, they learned basic survivalskills such as map and compassreading with the use of a GPS

O S O F F C A M P U S O S O F F C A M P U S

which they used on their camping andhiking trip in the Shenandoah NationalPark. The girls also were introduced tothe natural history of the Baltimoreregion and spent a day banding birdsand making primitive baskets.In addition to the May Program

offerings, two students pursued inde-pendent projects. One student traveledto Jamaica where she did communityservice work in the public school systemby teaching students how to use thecomputers and helping to set up alibrary. The other student spent herdays learning about various aspects ofthe horse industry. She followed a horseveterinarian on his rounds for a few days,learned how to design courses for horseshows and how to judge at a show.

G R E E N P A G E SG R E E N P A G E S


We work hard at OS to practice whatwe preach and right now that couldn’tbe more evident than with the trans-portation choices exhibited by Mr. andMrs. Smith and Dr. Hagerman. Thereshould be no doubt that our administra-tion is on board with ecOSchool!If you were to walk or drive through

campus in the early morning or late after-noon you may actually have your ownsighting of Dr. Hagerman buzzing aroundcampus on her electric red scooter.Rather than driving her automobileand burning fuel, she moves rapidly fromOld House, to her house, and back tothe athletic fields on her red electricbike. Or, you may see one of two Prius’sthat live on campus owned by Mr. andMrs. Smith. Both the Smiths and Dr.Hagerman have made powerful andsupportive actions to support ecOSchool.It is a great sign of a leader when they

are able to lead from the front and in ourcase at Oldfields, we are lucky to haveboth our Headmaster and our AssistantHeadmaster making huge commitmentsto the air quality of our small campus.I recently asked Mr. Smith and Dr.

Hagerman why they have chosen theseeco-friendly forms of transportation. Mr.Smith was eager to share, “Judy and Ihave always sought to live simply and, asa result, use the smallest amount of ournatural resources as possible.” He elabo-rated, “Before we bought our Priuses thissummer, I had a Honda Hybrid. Becausethe hybrid cost more money to purchase,I certainly did the calculations concern-ing whether it would ‘save me money’ inthe long run. Comparing it to a [similar]gasoline-powered car, I discovered that Iwould break even after 80,000 milesbecause of the reduction in gasoline useand the tax credit. However, even if we

had not saved money as a result of thepurchase, Judy and I decided to make apurchase of these cars because of theirpositive impact on the environment.”Dr. Hagerman had many reasons for

her decision and she explained, “Becauseit’s more fun than my car, it’s moreeconomical and I’d really look stupidriding in my car from my house. I knewwhen I came that I had to get somethingthat was way more efficient than my car.I want to get to events and sports andnot have to park the car and use gas. Sowhen I saw this for sale up on the islandwhere I go in Maine, I knew this was theanswer. If I got a moped, I’d still be usinggas and transporting the smelly stuffin my car. But the electric bike useselectricity which only requires about 30minutes to recharge. I can go for a weekaround campus without charging it.”When I asked Mr. Smith and Dr.

Hagerman if they were happy with theirnew transportation choices, they botheagerly replied regarding how glad theywere with their decisions. Mr. Smithsaid, “We love our Priuses. We spendmuch less time at the gas station.” Dr.Hagerman added, “Oh my goodness, Ilove it, except when it rains, but wetclothes do dry.”As we begin to further develop our

missions for ecOSchool, it is importantthat both the Smiths and Dr. Hagermanare recognized for their efforts and com-mitments as we strive to lessen OldfieldsSchool’s carbon footprint. I asked bothMr. Smith and Dr. Hagerman how theyfelt that their actions supportedecOSchool. Mr. Smith replied, “I hopewe are setting good examples for theentire community.” Dr. Hagerman sawboth the fun benefits for herself and thecommunity health, “It makes me lookbetter that I really am [on board] interms of ecOSchool. And, more impor-tantly, it makes me and others thinkabout our efforts and what we can all doto support this school.”

- Amy Roden

The Green Pages

The weather was cold and rainy inApril, but the spirits were high as theentire OS community embarked on aday-long adventure to the ChesapeakeBay! The School was divided into groupsthat went to three separate locations.The twenty four community members

that spent the day on the Skipjack, theStanley Norman, met their mate andskipper at the docks in Annapolis. Oncethey climbed on board, they suited up inrain suits and sailed out to the Bay.While on the water they learned how toread maps, raise the main sail, and findtheir sea legs on the rough surf.Just a few minutes away, twenty-nine

OS students and faculty were learningabout the Meredith Creek watershedand honing their canoeing skills in theArthur Sherwood program. Half of thegroup spent the morning on the work-boat, Marguerite, learning about thehealth of the Bay, the watershed, and thewildlife within the Chesapeake. As soonas the girls hopped into the workboat, aBald Eagle flew into a nearby tree totake a closer look at them, and just downthe way, on either side of the dock, weretwo pairs of Osprey.

Once the boat was on the Bay, thegirls learned how to dredge for oystersand why the 99% drop in the oysterpopulation, since the late 1890’s, ishaving a dramatic (and traumatic) effecton the health of the Chesapeake Bay.The girls learned that oysters are thebest natural filters of algae and otherdebris in the water, and therefore theyhelp keep the water clean and oxygenat-ed. Once the oyster population declines,the water loses clarity and oxygen andthe whole eco-system suffers.The other half of the group, in the

canoes, was learning about the watershedalong the Meredith Creek and howerosion and development play a key rolein the declining health of the Bay. Theybrought up soil samples with theirpaddles in order to see the dark, smellymud that has resulted from “dead zones”in the bay due to eutrophication. Thestudents understood that the decline inthe oyster population and the increasedsediment in the Bay have led to thedead zones. The time on the canoeswas a highlight for the girls as theyall learned how to row and steer,encouraging one another.

The majority of the School waslocated at the Philip Merrill Center.Eighty-eight students, faculty, and staffwere divided into three groups lead bytwo guides from the Bay Foundation.Everyone was given a tour of the Centeritself, which until a few years ago was, infact, THE Greenest building in theworld. The groups were introduced tothe unique, and often surprisinglyefficient, building materials throughhands-on examinations of each type.This ranged from the Styrofoam used asinsulation (effective and it doesn’t breakdown – perfect!) to the old pickle-vatsused to catch rain-water for the bath-room sinks. They also observed how thecomposting toilets at the facility cut thewater-use by 90%!The entire community was lucky

to be able to participate in such anincredible field trip and everyone walkedaway with new knowledge and a betterappreciation for our national treasure,the Chesapeake Bay.I encourage you and your daughter to

change your practices at home to helpsustain the Bay. These changes caninclude anything from unplugging yourphone charger after you’ve “juiced up”to switching to all-natural cleaningagents to conserving water by limitingshower-time or using water-savingtoilets. As Eric, one of the guides atthe Philip Merrill Center says, “It’s justthat easy, folks!”

- Amy Roden

Leading From the Front

Bay Day 2009Teaches Valuable Lessons

OLDFIELDSAt


Alumnae Weekend

A T O L D F I E L D S


A T O L D F I E L D S A T O L D F I E L D S

Graduation 2009“You have run a race, you havetaken a journey here at Oldfieldsno matter whether it was for fiveyears, or for one year, and this isthe occasion which recognizesthat passage.”

Garden Party



20 FALL 2009


GREEN AND WHITE

2008-2009 Team CaptainsGreen Team: Hae Keum ChunWhite Team: Emily Acle

2008-2009 Team SpiritsGreen Team: Nicola KyeiWhite Team: Bryanza Dean

Winner of the Green and White Cup 2008-2009Green Team

2009-2010 Team CaptainsGreen Team: Nicola KyeiWhite Team: Bryanza Dean

2009-2010 Team SpiritsGreen Team: Amanda GearyWhite Team: Mikeala Semexant

ATHLETIC AWARDS

Varsity ClubFor students who played on three varsity teams this year.

Senior RecipientsKatherine AndersonTasheba MorganAnnie Viccellio

Underclass Recipients Donyae ArroyoSara KingJennifer BakerAlexis McHargKate BrennanRebecca MooneyTiffani CaesarElisabeth PalmerGrace CamutElizabeth PostonAlexis CrawfordChristina RockAnnabelle GouldMarifer RomoMartha HazardElizabeth SantangeloCharley HoweKaty WingerterKristen JohnsonEliza Witherbee

RIDING AWARDS

Most Improved RiderKristen Johnson

Horsemanship-SportsmanshipDonata Bechstein

Horsemaster AwardKaty Wingerter

SCHOOL RECOGNITIONS

Admission Liaisons for 2009-2010Liz Poston and Lauren Heneghan

2008-09 Academic Integrity Board Mana Shaw

2008-2009 School Judiciary Board Emily Acle and Marguerite Copeland

Class Agents for the Class of 2009Emily Acle and Angelica Jackson

Winner of the Cover Design for the2009-2010 School PlannerKristin Johnson

2009 May Court

Crown Bearer: Donata BechsteinFlora: Tasheba MorganMaid of Honor: Emily AcleMay Queen: Angelica Jackson

ACADEMIC AWARDS

English Senior: Natasha Kachikwu-OwehUnderclass: Ariel Taxdal

Fine Arts Margaret Nevens Art AwardEmily Acle and Hae Keum Chun

Foreign LanguageSpanish: Mana Shaw French: Ali Baker

MathematicsCalculus AB Award:Wanzhen “Lesley” Gao Pre-Calculus Award: Ariel Taxdal

Performing Arts Theatre:Angelica Jackson and Charlotte ShapiroMusic: Tian Hong “JoJo” Yao Dance: Rayven Vinson

Science Dept. Chair Chemistry: Eon Jung “Angeline” KimPhysics: Hae Keum Chun Biology: Katherine Wilson

Social Studies Senior: Lesley Gao and Kelsey RogersUnderclassman: Rayven Vinson

Daughters of the American Revolution Award Yoonah Choi

Lamp of Learning Award Students who received First Honors for all three terms this year

Yoonah ChoiParker PhelanAngeline KimRayven VinsonSiNa LeeKatherine Wilson

Senior Graduating with High HonorsSenior with a grade point average for thesenior year of over 90%Katherine Wilson

Seniors Graduating with HonorsSeniors with a GPA for their senior year of over 85%Katherine AndersonDonata BechsteinHee Seung HanKelsey RogersMorgan Schafer

OLDFIELDS ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY JUNE 5, 2009

“As women in the 21st centuryyou will have so many ways tocontribute to the world. You canbe anything you want to be and I would encourage you when youare faced with those infinite possibilities, to rememberAntonio Novella’s statement that ‘service is the rent we pay for living.’ In the final analysis,find something that you are passionate about.”

“What we do in private that noone knows about, or that fewpeople know about, that trulydefines who you are. Let therebe continuity – consistencybetween the public and the private you.”



Professional Development

Mary K. McPherson AwardFor the underclass girl with the highest academic average in a challenging programRayven Vinson

Christine Heartfield Memorial PrizeFor outstanding interest and participation in athleticsTasheba Morgan

Nimick Athletic AwardFor all around athletic proficiency, good sportsmanship and team spiritEliza Witherbee

Joseph T. Brennan II AwardFor the girl who, by her own efforts, hasmade the most significant progress duringthe current yearKate Tsoleas

Edith Liddell Twiss ’28 Memorial PrizeFor the student who has exhibited the higheststandards of good citizenshipLesley Gao

Leroy M. Polvogt AwardFor the girl who, by example and by deed,has been the most constructive influence onunderclass girlsKatherine Wilson

Marion H. “Chip” Allen Memorial AwardFor the student who best exemplifies pastBoard Chair, Marion H. “Chip” Allen’s,personal qualities of thoughtfulness andwarmth through demonstrated concern forthe overall well-being of the Oldfields com-munity and the individuals who comprise itDonata Bechstein

Head of School AwardGiven each year by the Head of School torecognize an outstanding seniorCharlotte Shapiro

Lorna M. Kelly Award This award is given for the underclass girlwho, in the opinion of the teaching faculty,possesses the greatest love of learning for itsown sake.Rayven Vinson

Helen E. Travers AwardFor the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, has made the greatest overallcontribution to the schoolAngelica Jackson

Elizabeth Leeds Memorial AwardTo the senior girl who, in the opinion of thefaculty, best exemplifies the spirit and idealsof the School, which are expressed in theOldfields motto Courage, Humility, andLargeness of Heart Emily Acle

Seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 90% or above for their entire career at Oldfields Katherine AndersonDonata BechsteinHK ChunLesley GaoHee Seung HanKelsey RogersKatherine Wilson

Second Honors For the student with the second highest senior GPA in a challenging course of studyHee Seung Han

Taylor Smith Prize for First Honors For the student with the highest senior GPA in a challenging course of studyKatherine Wilson

The State of Maryland Merit Scholastic AwardIn recognition of excellence in scholasticachievement by earning a cumulative average within the top five percent of thegraduating classHee Seung Han

FACULTY AWARDS

Nancy I. O’Connor ’75 Excellence in Teaching Prize Given each year to recognize excellence inteaching, on the basis of a ballot responsefrom the alumnae classes of 2004 and 2007 Dori Reigner

McColl Teaching AwardThis award is made possible by a generous endowment gift from Mr. andMrs. Hugh McColl P ’86 to recognize outstanding teaching.Kevin Yeager

ALL SCHOOL AWARDS

Gold Key AwardTo the Student Ambassador whose outstanding support and cooperation working with the Admission Office has done the most to convey the Oldfields spirit to visiting familiesKate Bayer

Trustee Prizes

Eighth Grade Trustee PrizeAshley Carroll

Freshman Trustee PrizeElisabeth Palmer

Sophomore Trustee PrizeAngeline Kim

Junior Trustee PrizeMadison Cole

Senior Trustee PrizeAshala Powell

Katherine Culbertson ’65 AwardFor the first year student making the greatest contribution to the SchoolLauren Heneghan

Marian Culbertson ’63 AwardFor the underclass student making the most positive effort for its own sakeLiz Poston

“You take with you all of thoseexperiences, people, loved ones,friends and acquaintances whohave helped you in the past.Those people who have been part of your life whose voices you will hear from time to time in your head when you face themost difficult of circumstance. In that sense you are not trulyleaving Oldfields.”

24 FALL 2009



Although campus was quiet during thesummer as most of the Oldfields girlsheaded home for break, the barn was stillbustling with activity. A handful ofhighly dedicated and horse-crazy girlsspent much of their summer exercisinghorses, taking lessons, and attendinghorse shows with their Oldfields trainers.In addition to our current riders, we alsohad a few alumnae who elected to comeback to Oldfields and train with usagain; it was like an “old home” weekthat lasted all summer! The girls keptour tried and true school horses fit aswell as helped to “test drive” somepotential donation horses that arrivedlate in the spring and early in the summer. All told, we have receivedeight new horses for the girls to use thisyear; a few are on loan to the school anda few others are officially donated. Thisgroup of horses includes: a stunning andsuccessful Junior hunter; a scopeyjumper/equitation prospect; a wellknown working hunter who is nowenjoying a step down to the 2’6” level; a beautiful moving warm blood whostarted his career as a dressage horse andis learning to be a hunter; a very quietand kind young prospect who is teachingthe girls how to school a green horse;two lovely geldings who are steady bothin the ring and out cross country; and asuper cute large pony that all the girlsbeg to ride! When the summer riderswere not busy schooling horses at home,they put in great performances at a vari-ety of rated shows in Virginia includingLoudoun Benefit in June, CavalierClassic at Culpeper in July, andLexington National in August. Theirstellar riding earned them many ribbonsincluding a handful of divisionChampionships as well as qualifyingpoints for numerous fall Medal finals. The girls have continued horse showingthis fall with another trip to Culpeperfor the USGPL Finals competition. Two Oldfields riders attended this show and represented the school verywell by bringing home the ReserveChampionship in the Older Large Junior

Hunter division. The girls will continueto have a busy school year with a lot ofexciting venues on their schedule. Inline with this year’s school theme of“Women Who Dare,” the riders are putting their skills to the test by partici-pating in a variety of riding opportunities.Recently, one of the seniors, Katy W.,undertook the daunting task of riding ina three day jumping clinic withrenowned Olympic veteran GeorgeMorris. Mr. Morris has a reputation forbeing very direct and demanding of hisstudents and this clinic was no excep-tion! Katy rode with determination andpoise throughout the clinic and earned ahandful of coveted compliments on herposition, technique and the quality ofher horse, who is one of Oldfields’ mostrecent donation acquisitions. The regu-lar group of show riders will continue tochallenge themselves and master theirshow nerves this fall by competing atthree shows in Virginia including twoMedal Finals as well as at a handful ofInterscholastic Equestrian Association(IEA) team shows. We are excited to have fourteen riders signed up to compete on the IEA team this year.With ten returning riders and four newgirls on the team roster, the girls are sureto have a strong year competing againstother schools and private stable teams

throughout Maryland and Virginia. In addition to clinics and competitions,many of the girls with very little or noshow experience will be expanding theircomfort zone by testing themselves in aseries of In-House horse shows. Theseshows are held on campus and aredesigned to give every rider in the program a chance to try her hand atshowing without the pressure or addedfinancial burden of traveling to com-petitions. For many girls this is a great chance to enjoy some friendlycompetition and showcase their ridingimprovements while for others it is astepping stone to future showing opportunities. On many beautiful fallafternoons in Glencoe, both the girlsand the Oldfields community reallyenjoy this experience. With our fall season well underway,

the Oldfields riding program is lookingforward to continuing its tradition ofsuccess, camaraderie, and horsemanshipthroughout the year.

- Kate Worsham, Director of Riding

At theBarn




OS faced the top-division seed St.Timothy’s School in their last regularseason game. Due to the recent winningstreak Oldfields had been on, there wasmore to this game than just another winor loss. If Oldfields could pull off the victory they would take second place intheir division. This would give them atleast one home game in the playoffs. The last time Oldfields faced St. Tim’s itresulted in a 0-3 loss. Stakes were high.The first match did not go well,

resembling one of the past games, and St. Tim’s quickly took a 1-0 lead by holding Oldfields to 11 points. Attitudeschanged between games and some firewas lit. Oldfields came back to challengetheir opponents and took the secondmatch, 25-21. One of the most memo-rable plays of the season took place during match 2. Still slightly uneasyfrom the first loss, Frannie B. went up for an attack from left front and placed akill right behind St. Timothy’s School’stwo best blockers. The intensely emo-tional reaction, scream, and fist pumpwere all signs that Oldfields was there tofight for a win. For the rest of the night,the two teams battled back and forthwith the lead and final results. St.Timothy’s took match three. Oldfieldstook match four. With fans from bothschools at their loudest, the girls played a

tiebreaking 15 point match. Aces weremade. Kills were released. When thesmoke cleared, Oldfields stood victori-ous, 15-11. Second place was ours!Oldfields had home court advantage

for the Quarter Finals and hostedGlenelg. Oldfields had been getting better each day, after each practice andeach game. They started practice for theplayoffs energetic and determined. Thatwas the team that Glenelg met, and lostquickly to, in three straight matches. Theplayers communicated extremely welland attacked their opponents quickly.The first match was won easily due toalmost perfect serving, at 25-17. Onlyone was missed. This was the closest theteam had come to a perfect serving game(and subsequently, free ice cream!) allyear. Everyone was very proud. The second game saw three missed serves andthe scores crept closer together, 25-20.Jamila H. went on a long string of serv-ice points that kept the match at a safedistance. In the third game, Oldfieldswas shaken during the first five minutesand missed serves, caused hitting errors,and communication trailed off. Theyquickly snapped out of it and rallied tocome back from their slow start. Nearthe end of the match the teams wereplaying point for point, 18-18, 19-19, 20-20, and finally Glenelg broke away

GettingSeriousVarsity Volleyball Goes to Playoffs

and produced a 24-22 lead. Taylor F.stepped up during this clutch situation. If there was one missed serve Glenelgwould have won, but we played to game four, and dinner got cold. Underpressure, Taylor F. served up four beauti-ful, powerful serves, three of which wereaces to win the game! This wasOldfields’ first playoff volleyball winsince three years ago. In the semi-finals, Oldfields needed to

do what no other team had been able todo all season – beat Catholic High. Theyhad to do it in the worst gym in the conference (Catholic’s ceiling is low, thegym is crowded and small – totally theopposite of our home court). It was notto be. The girls arrived excited, nervous,and pumped up. Energy was great on thecourt and on the bench. The first matchcaught us off guard though. Although wepracticed receiving lower to adjust forthe ceiling issues, passes weren’t makingit up to the setters, eliminating our bestweapon against Catholic: our hittinggame. Catholic also unleashed powerfulserves all night. The first game was overquickly, with a 10-25 loss. Then attitudesquickly changed. The first match wasforgotten. Stephanie O. was coming in to play liberio, a strictly defensiveposition, in order to receive as many ofthe serves as she could and keep passes

clean. Taylor F. and Marguerite C. tookus to a quick 12-1 lead with aces andkills. The tides had changed. AlthoughCatholic rallied and kept fighting,Oldfields’ dominance at the beginningwas enough to win 25-20. Once back onthe other side of the court, we slippedback into the first match mod and weredefeated in the third, 12-25. The entirefourth match was point for point, untilTaylor F. took us to a 23-21 lead. ToOldfields’ dismay, Catholic’s best serverwas up and she scored the four pointsneeded to clinch their win and champi-onship spot. Oldfields fought hard allnight and we are very proud of all theplayers’ accomplishments over the season.

Here are some of the final team statistics over the season:

SERVINGAces (176 Total) – Taylor F, 64;Marguerite C, 28; Mikeala S, 27; KristenJ, 22; Frannie B, 13; Jamila H, 11; TiffaniC, 6; Kayleigh L, 3; Erica K, 2.Most Consistent - Frannie B, 87%;Kristen J, 85%; Taylor F, 81%

ATTACKINGKills (185 Total) – Taylor F, 49;Marguerite C, 39; Mikeala S, 24; TiffaniC, 22; Kristen J, 21; Frannie B, 18;Jamila H, 7; Kayleigh L and Erica K, 2;Lauren E, 1.Most Consistent – Jamila H and LaurenE, 100%; Marguerite C, 91%; Taylor F,88%

SETTINGAssists (134 Total) – Mikeala S, 67;Kristen J, 61; Taylor F, 3; Tiffani C,Jamila H, and Lauren E, 1 each.DEFENSEBlocks (27 Total) – Taylor F, Tiffani C,and Marguerite C, 8 each; Frannie B,Mikeala S, and Kristen J, 1 each.Digs (113 Total) – Taylor F, 42; TiffaniC, 19; Kristen J, 13; Erica K, 12;Stephanie O, Mikeala S, and Frannie B,7 each; Marguerite C, 3; Jamila H, 2;Kayleigh L, 1.

Women Who Dare to Careare involved in community service at Oldfields.

This semester these dedicated students have visited

residents at Broadmead Retirement Home, bringing

their smiles and companionship. As Sparks School

celebrated its centennial, our students enthusiastically

joined in the festivities. The girls painted the faces of the elementary students,

scooped ice cream at the Social, and assisted at the Book Fair. “Team Oldfields”

ran in the annual Walk/Run For the Kids’ Sake, sponsored by Villa Maria, and

returned on Halloween Day to lead the children in a costume parade. On

campus, the community service students

support our ecOSchool recycling

campaign and have organized a

can drive for the Hereford Food Bank.

They consistently inspire us all to care

for those around us.

The faculty came back fromsummer vacation refreshed andeager to welcome the returningstudents, and especially thosewho are new to Oldfields, intothe classrooms. The studentsare all ensconced in a varietyof classes, sports and afternoonactivities, grade-level seminars,and a myriad of clubs in the afternoons.The Introduction to

Behavioral Science class, a newcourse that is being team taught byMaribeth Littlefield, Parny Hagermanand Taylor Smith, is a welcome addi-tion to the history curriculum. Duringthe first trimester, Mrs. Littlefield andher students will delve into relevantsocial issues such as race relations,gender issues, the role of media, andcontroversies concerning the criminaljustice system. With Dr. Hagerman,the students will be introduced to the basic theories of normal andabnormal psychology and how theysurface in today’s society. Throughoutthe last trimester, Mr. Smith willpresent the basic tenets of culturalanthropology. Two other courseswere revamped and reintroduced this year in the math and sciencedepartments: Statistics, taught byChristine Gilmore, and PhysicsHonors, taught by Justo Anguita. Sangmi Kim and Yeji “Vicky” Lee,

two interns from Korea, arrived inthe middle of September and havetruly become an integral part of the“Oldfields Family.” They were instru-mental in starting an “Asian CulturesClub” and they are available in thelibrary to work with several of ourKorean and Chinese students whomay need assistance with language-rich classes such as English and history. Throughout the year at

faculty meetings, Sangmi and Vickywill conduct informal information sessions with the faculty concerningcurrent issues facing Asian students.As students are required to write

more research papers across the curriculum, both faculty and studentsreceived a formal introduction to the databases which are available inthe George Nevens Library by ourlibrarian, Maria Vaporis. The studentswere instructed on how to conductmore efficient research using author-ized resources.Finally, Oldfields continued the

Self-Study portion of the AIMSAccreditation and Evaluation processin earnest this fall. This careful andreflective study of every aspect of the“workings of the School” will includethe input of all faculty and staff members over the next 18 months.Under the guidance of two co-chairsand a Steering Committee, subcom-mittees meet to discuss and examineareas such as governance, programsand program administration, healthand safety, advancement, and residen-tial life at Oldfields. A full report,based on committee findings, will beshared with and critiqued by aVisiting Team in the fall of 2010.Based on its visit, the Team will makecommendations and recommendationsfor improvement.

UPDATE FROM THE ACADEMIC OFF ICE

Thanks,Dad!

Opening Days




Have you ever wondered how a play is chosen for the Oldfields theatre program? It starts with knowing whichgirls are interested in performing onstage and for which season. With thatknowledge, I spend time reading a variety of plays while thinking abouteach of the girls who expressed interest. I have found that humor, intrigue andmulti-layered characters are of greatinterest to the girls. Each play is chosenbecause it has all the requirements that Ilisted above and because I could hear thevoices of specific students in these roles. This past year Steel Magnolias graced

the Oldfields stage. Filled with hilariousdialogue between the characters, the playreminded us that, in good times and bad,the underlying love and devotion of fam-ily and friends remain as fragile as a mag-nolia bloom with the strength of steel.The set for the entire play was Truvy’s

Beauty Shop, in Chinquapin, Louisiana,where all the ladies who are “anybody”come to have their hair done. Helpedby her eager new assistant, Annelle (whois not sure if she is married or not) theoutspoken, wisecracking Truvy gives freeadvice while she styles everyone’s hair.This includes Ousie (I’m not crazy, I’vejust been in a bad mood for forty years);an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee,who has a raging sweet tooth; and thelocal social leader, M’Lynn, whosedaughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl intown), is about to marry a “good oleboy.” Although the main storylineinvolves Shelby, her mother, andShelby's medical battles, the underlyinggroup-friendship among all six women isprominent throughout the drama.The Anastasia Trials in the Court of

Women, was a satire about a women’s

theatre group putting on a performanceabout five ladies being tried for betrayingAnastasia Romanov, daughter of aRussian Czar. While the play had somehumor, the drama unfolded as we heardeach woman’s story of why she betrayedAnastasia and to what lengths she wentto do it. The play, which combined history with comedy, was interactive and the audience was judge and jury. Ifthe audience sustained or overruled anobjection, the cast had separate dialogueto choose from for their different routesto the play’s end. Each performancecould potentially have a different result,and many students saw every perform-ance just so they could see how the show ended.The spring performance was A Cabaret

and An Evening of One Acts. TheCabaret was written by faculty membersJillian Meyers-Beldsoe and CortneyBledsoe and featured charming anecdotesintermingled with song. An Evening of One Acts featured Tell Me AnotherStory, Sing Me A Song directed by LeslieGao ’09, and scenes from The GoodDoctor directed by Charlotte Shapiro ’09.The scenes were the “final exams” forthe Directing/Production class. Thesetwo students read and analyzed a varietyof plays in order to select their final production piece. They learned first-handabout advertising, auditioning, casting,directing, and designing as they workedto produce their final presentations. They were responsible for planning andexecuting all aspects of the rehearsalprocess, including incorporating theirown costuming, lighting, and set designinto a final production.Each production this school year; A

Voice of My Own in the fall, Regarding

Electra the winter show and TheFantasticks, the spring musical, supportsour wonderful theme of the year;Women Who Dare. Covering a broad spectrum from

Sappho to writers of the present day, A Voice of My Own pointed out not onlythe triumphs of women in literature, butalso the discouragement, derision anddisbelief to which they were too oftensubjected. This play evoked the wordsand feelings of women who were frequently obliged to hide behindanonymity or male names in order topractice their art. That they succeededso brilliantly in their efforts is not only a tribute to these talented women in particular but, in a more general sense,to the irrepressible spirit of the entire“other half” of humanity, whose voicecould not be denied.

- Kate Briante

Please plan on joining us for our winterand spring productions:

REGARDING ELECTRA Written by Maurice ValencyDirected by Kate BrianteJanuary 29 - 7:00 pmJanuary 30 - 7:00 pmJanuary 31 - 2:00 pm

THE FANTASTICKS Written by Tom Jones and Harvey SchmidtDirected by Kate Briante Musical Direction by Charlotte EvansApril 30 - 7:00 pm May 1 - 7:00 pm

May 2 – 2:00 pm

Another Opening, Another Show!A T O L D F I E L D S



32 FALL 2009

In August, our beloved CopperBeech tree was removed. Disease hadconsumed the trunk, creating a precari-ous situation for a tree of that magnitude.It took over eight laborious hours for the branches to be trimmed so that thetrunk could finally be dismantled in sections. Well over one hundred yearsold, the tree had welcomed generationsof girls as they passed beneath its limbsto become Oldfields Girls. SidneyPersing Banaszak ’84, a proud member ofthe “Tree Climbers Association,” sharesher fond memories of this magnificentcampus landmark.

“OK, fine, call me a tree hugger, I willwear that title with pride. I have only ahandful of trees in my life that havebeen a sort of home to me. Most ofthem are in Florida where my aunt livesand, to this day, I am able to visit them.They take me back to a magical timecalled childhood. The one tree that wasmy most favorite was at Oldfields. It willnever be climbed again, never hugged orlooked up to again. I only have picturesto see and think “wow, I used to climball the way up there?” We called it “the elephant tree”

because of the smooth grey bark it had,and the thickness of its branches andtrunk. It must have been a million yearsold, in our minds at least. EverySaturday we would meet there and

climb. Our club was namedafter Hawley Rodger’s ownchildhood club, the TCA (TreeClimbers Association). We hadthe tree divided up into partswith names to the parts. Thefirst level was called “heaven”.Heaven started at the first lowbranch and went a part of theway up then turned into “par-adise”. Paradise was the partthat was a little tough to get tobecause of one part of the treewhere you would actually haveto take yourself a little away

from the trunk (dan-gerous to do in sucha giant) and goout on a limb toreach anotherbranch wellenough to geta good grip.Looking backnow I laugh atthe names andsmile because Iguess we decidedthat even just being inthe tree was “heaven” andthen, if you were to get all the way upthere (points to the tallest part), youwere in paradise. Reaching paradise wasalways cause for celebration, and prayer;for you then had another climb ahead toget back down. I did a lot of praying inthat tree. It is appropriate to pray whenyou are in heaven, I think. I would go there every chance I could

get, in between Saturdays, and climb. Iam a climber by nature so when I sawthis tree for the first time not only did Iwant to get in it, I felt at home. Theelephant tree grew right next to CarrollHouse dorm, and by Old House. I couldsit up there, untouchable. People wouldlook up to me, quite literally. I wasstrong, different, and high. When Iclimbed to the tippy top of the tree Icould see the taxi’s before they hit cam-pus and could yell to the girls in Gookiesthat they were on their way. I loved thattree, it held me. I felt the strength of itslimbs, the smooth bark that never reallyscratched my skin, well, not as bad asother trees. This tree was home to me.When there was a lot to think about Iwould climb, it would take me away.There is nothing else you can reallythink about when you are in the middleof making darn sure you are not going tofall out of the tree you are currentlyclimbing. Hands firmly grip...feet placedjust so. It’s all a matter of leverage,

leverage, look up to the next branch,plan your next step. There was no roomfor fret when you were climbing the elephant tree. At its base the brancheswere thick. You could sit in the bend ofone and pretend to be a wild cat loungingin the jungle. The branches were prettyfar apart low down and as you climbedfurther it was easier for the brancheswere closer, easier to reach. It was as ifthe tree had given you the test to getpast a certain point and when you gotthere your prize was that it was easier toget up further. Just being in paradise wasa prize. I know the faculty, all of which I regarded as parents to me, were con-cerned at the height to which I climbed.I heard their warnings and made a vowto never fall. The vow went unbrokenfor the 30 years I knew Elephant Tree.There was no fear, partly due to age, but also due to the fact that I knew thetree so well. I am glad I was not there for the

cutting down of the elephant tree, I really don’t think I would have beenstrong enough to witness it. A goodfriend of mine was there for me.

Our Beloved Copper Beech

Sarah Greenhalgh ’83 wrote to me:‘When I looked over to the corner wherethe tree had stood there was a hugeempty space. The horizon on that side ofcampus was changed forever. It was soempty, void of shade and green branches.I hope that something equally wonderfulis put there in its place, something thenext generation of girls can rememberand love too.’And I agree, something to cherish,

something to remember and hold close,literally. Another tree could take itsplace, but then again, it cannot.”


Announcing the Middle School at Oldfieldsby Helen Fitz

Excellent learning environment. Dedicated and passionate teachers. Outstandingeducational opportunities. A “feeling of family.” All of this and more will soonbecome available to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade girls at The Middle School at Oldfields.

The Oldfields School mission empha-sizes a belief in maximizing the potentialof each girl, academically and socially.This philosophy will be the cornerstone ofThe Middle School. Oldfields is a schoolwhere “one size fits all” teaching meth-ods do not exist, and where girls learnhow to support one another at a time intheir lives when cliques and exclusion ofindividuals can take place.

“I wish my daughter could have attended Oldfields even earlier.” Time after time,these types of comments have been heard at alumnae gatherings, parent receptions,read on Facebook threads, or reported on parent and alumnae surveys. This recog-nized need precipitated the discussion of adding a middle school to our exceptionalboarding and day school.

Oldfields recognizes that girls grow and change rapidly during these middleschool years and that every girl can be guided to find success, self-esteem and

develop a strong sense of self, in the right environment. We believe that the rightenvironment exists in a small, single-sex community where girls can taste some independence, develop some glimmers of self-confidence, and dare to explore non-traditional subjects.

The middle school core curriculum will include the Humanities—English and SocialStudies—and STEM—a melding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,where girls will benefit from hands-on and experiential learning. They will alsoreceive instruction in art, physical education, music, drama and foreign language.Oldfields is committed to maintaining small class sizes where academically talentedgirls will receive enrichment or extra challenge while students who need more attention to develop strong skills will be supported by a Learning Specialist.

Girls will also participate in a wide array of Oldfields opportunities that mayinclude offerings such as field hockey, tennis, dance and the equestrian program.They will also delight in participating in experiences such as the Big Sister/LittleSister program, the Green and White spirit competitions, the hiding of the Thing-a-ma-bob, and the May Program—two weeks of hands-on experiences at the end of the school year.

All girls. Small classes. High standards without high pressure. Boarding schooladvantages in the day time. Sleeping at home at night. What more could a middleschool girl ask for?

To learn more or to apply, contact Dr. Parny Hagerman [email protected] or (410) 472-4800.

Fall Family WeekendA T O L D F I E L D S A T O L D F I E L D S


During the Saturday night “Coming HomeCelebration,” The Parent Association spon-sored various types of auctions whichraised $42,308.45. Fran Acle, Presidentof The Parent Association 2008-2009, presented a “check” to Taylor Smith,Head of School, at Awards Night.

Oldfields Begins AIMS Accreditation Process

Oldfields faculty and staff have embarked upon the self-study part of the Associationof Independent Maryland School (AIMS) Accreditation Evaluation process. The self-study is the “heart of the evaluation process” because it causes the School to care-fully and seriously reflect upon, and examine, every aspect of school life. Under theguidance of co-chairs Ansley Smithwick and Tiffany Harrison, a Steering Committeewas formed and 12 sub-committees were created to analyze the workings of each area of school life including the philosophy of Oldfields, governance and programs,program administration, finance, operations, and institutional advancement.The self-study process will continue throughout the next year and will culminate in

a Self-Study Report. In November 2010, a Visiting Team, after having read this report,will come to Oldfields and observe us “in action” by sitting in on classes, meeting withoffice staff and convening with trustees, parents and students. At the end of the visit, the School will receive a Team Report with commendations

and recommendations. Oldfields will analyze the Team Report and create an ActionPlan which “charts future school development” within the following year.This Plan is reviewed by the AIMS Accreditation Committee which recommends

to the AIMS Board of Trustees whether accreditation should be granted. Five yearsfollowing the visit, Oldfields must submit a Five-Year Report, which must indicate thatsignificant changes stipulated in the Action Plan have been made. At the conclusion of the accreditation process, “the successful school is granted

accreditation because it has demonstrated compliance with AIMS Standards and hasshown a high degree of congruence between its philosophy and daily practice.”

As the fall leaves begin to turn, youcan bet the Oldfields Admission Officeis on the road. In fact, we shall be on the road for 80 days between the five people responsible for a portion of ourenrolled students. Christina Klinteback, a graduate of

Kimball Union Academy and ColgateUniversity, who had been in Admissionsat Alexandria Country Day and St.Timothy’s School, is the newly appointedDirector of Boarding Admission. Sheshares the bulk of the travel duty withAmanda Gilmore, a graduate of The HillSchool and also Colgate University.Amanda worked summers in The HillAdmissions Office and is the perfectcandidate to be the Assistant Director of Admission. Cory Jackson ’85 P ’11, P ’13 is not

new to the office, but is new to the postof Director of Day Admission. With theopening of The Middle School atOldfields in the fall of 2010, Cory will beresponsible for all day applications in theMiddle School and the Upper School.She will be joined in this endeavor byHelen Fitz, the new Head of the MiddleSchool. They will comb the 20 mileradius around Oldfields, seeking matriculants for all of our grades, 6-12. Taylor Smith will also join in the

fun by traveling to China, Vietnam,Thailand, India and Great Britain. Wewill also be looking to Bermuda and theBahamas, where students are seeking

education in girls’ schools in the States,much like what they are used to at home.In all, we will initially travel to 14

states and seven foreign countries. Bylate fall we will begin visiting stateswhere members of the Parent AlumnaeNetwork have identified schools andpotential students for us to visit. We are continuing to hold Open

Houses for local families to visit classes,meet current students, and speak with apanel of our teachers to discuss all theintricacies of Oldfields life.

Oldfields School Fall Admission Picture 2009

OLDFIELDSDeveloping

1. A recent graduate of HollinsUniversity, Eliza Broaddus is the newDevelopment Assistant/AssistantDirector of Alumnae. As a WoodberryForest School faculty daughter and aFoxcroft School graduate, she is veryfamiliar with the boarding school environment. Eliza previously did aninternship with the development officeat Woodberry Forest that translates wellinto her work for Oldfields. Eliza will becoaching indoor soccer and co-coachinglacrosse with Amanda Gilmore. She isexcited to meet alumnae and hear allabout their time at Oldfields!

2. Helen M. Fitz is a graduate ofTowson University, and has an MLSfrom University of Maryland. Sheworked for the Baltimore County Public Library for ten years, rising to the position of Branch Manager at theReisterstown Library. She then spent 23years at Ruxton Country School servingin a variety of capacities including, mostrecently, Middle School Head. With theclosing of Ruxton Country School,Helen was pleased to be called upon tohelp create The Middle School, whichwill continue to emphasize Oldfields’educational philosophy of maximizingeach girl’s personal potential. Helen lives in Carroll County with her threedaughters, her husband and a pug.

3. Amanda Gilmore went to The HillSchool and graduated from ColgateUniversity, where she played field hockey, majored in history and minoredin education. She has worked in bothThe Hill’s and Colgate’s admissionoffices, and now brings her talents toOldfields where she is the AssistantDirector of Admission. Amanda coaches field hockey and lacrosse and is a dorm parent in Jane House. Sheenjoys traveling, especially to the beach.

4. Gary P. Huss, the Business Manager,has a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of Maryland (Accounting), amasters from Loyola (MD) (CounselingPsychology) and a Ph.D. from FloridaState University (Family Studies). He was born and raised in Towson and currently resides in Harford County. He enjoys golf, basketball and watching movies.

5. Joan Carter Jermakian graduatedfrom Oldfields in 1981 and returned in2009 as the new Director of AlumnaeAffairs. After graduating with a dualmajor in Early Childhood andElementary Education from LesleyUniversity, Joan taught for more thantwenty years at the elementary school

level in both the private and publicschool settings in the DC Metropolitanarea. Teaching is truly Joan’s passion butshe has been recently pursuing a careerin events planning. She looks forward tomanaging the many special events andgatherings that occur at Oldfields eachyear. She encourages all of our alumnaeto come back and visit anytime! Joanlives in Jane House with her two daughters, Rosie who attends VirginiaTech and Claire a future OS girl, andtheir cat Smokey.

6. Christina Sandoe Klintebäck is agraduate of Kimball Union Academyand Colgate University, where sheplayed varsity ice hockey and majored in International Relations. After a yearand a half of humanitarian work in post-war Kosovo, she switched tracksand was encouraged by a friend to giveadmissions a try. She has worked inadmissions for six years, at both boardingand day schools in Baltimore andWashington, DC. She is thrilled to beback in the all-girls boarding environ-ment and lives on campus with her husband and baby son. Christina enjoys international travel, reading, and cheering on the Red Sox.

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A L U M N A E M A T T E R S

Class Notes1939Evelyn “Evy” Wheeler Swift

1945

Helena Fletcher Patch – I’m planningto move soon to a retirement home.

1947Joan Stuart-Wortley Bishop

Joan Stuart-Wortley Bishop – After allthese years I still see Ann “Norbie” VanNorden McDuffie. She is just as nice asshe was at Oldfields. We all should be so lucky to have such longtime friends.Best to all in my class of ’47 and all others I knew at school.

1948

Anne Haight Dutka – I thoroughlyenjoyed my three years at Oldfields andam sorry that with time and distance, Ihave not kept up with any of my class-mates. At the two later reunions I wentto, only Ann Brooke Holt was therefrom my class. I still travel as often as Ican and in August I will be going toKenya and Tanzania for my next trip.

1950Mary Truby Graff Black

1953Jeanne Colket ConnellMargaret “Margo” Boocock Hurley

1954Marie-Louise “Wawa” Graham Ingersoll

Florence “Fifi” Whitney Clark – I had awonderful barge trip through Francewith all my children and grandsons lastsummer. I’m going to Russia on a river-boat cruise in September 2009. I’m stillriding six days a week. Life is great.

1955Elizabeth “Wendy” Woodhull Bersing

1957Linda Brereton Wirts

1958Marianne Harvey Olsen

1959Elfrida “Frida” Barrow Moore

Glenn Reynolds Martin – It was wonderful to see Elfrida “Frida” Barrow Moore, Elizabeth Jean “B.J.”Hesseltine DeBree, and Mary EllenBurke Partel for our 50th! I seeMelinda Page Hamilton and Harriet“Taddy” Matthews Cork from time totime and they look great! My husbandand I have two wonderful children andfour fantastic grandchildren.

1961

Susan Lloyd Scannell – My last child,Kirsten, got married on June 20, 2009 inCape Cod. It was a wonderful weddingbut sad to be the last child. She married

a wonderful Dutchman and they are presently living in Barcelona, Spain. It would be wonderful to hearfrom classmates.

Adelaide “Fiddle” Walker Walton – I am doing well, enjoying retirement. I just had a hip replacement, and amlooking forward to getting back to amore active life. Would love to see any classmates who come near Boston or Concord.

1962Silvia Wust Puky

Katharine Knapp Sherwood – BothDuncan and Carter are now marriedwith solid careers. Duncan and Laurahave a 3-month old son, Connor. Tony and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with a delightfulMediterranean cruise. I am still playinglots of competitive tennis; USTA andlocal leagues. We love St. James, North Carolina!

Class of 1959 at their 50th reunion.

MATTERSAlumnaeIn Memoriam

Cynthia Bullock Lake Woodger1932 – 2009

Oldfields has been blessed with aremarkable number of women who have “given back” to the School theyloved after their academic careers therewere over.One such person was Cynthia Bullock,

Class of 1949. I was privileged to knowher and be her friend, not at Oldfields,alas, but at Vassar and then on, for therest of her life. She came to Oldfieldsafter the death of her mother, a verypainful time for her and was quick to saythat the School gave her the support andlove she desperately needed and sheloved it always. Cynie graduated from Vassar in 1953

and went on to Union TheologicalSeminary’s School of Sacred Music. Shemarried Ben Lake, a Presbyterian minis-ter and lived in a variety of differentcommunities mostly in the semi-north ofNew York State. They adopted Whitneyand Amanda and were delighted whenAmanda chose to go to Oldfields, amember of the Class of 1982. Oldfieldswas a tradition in her family. In 1883 hergrandmother, Joanna Ridgely graduatedfrom the School and her sister, SheilaBullock Tucker, graduated in 1955.Cynthia’s love for music and beautifulsoprano voice opened many doors forher. She sang in operas in regional theatre and later, had an acting career at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, TheBristol Riverside Playhouse, Off-BroadStreet Theatre, Bucks County Playhouseand The Candlewood Playhouse. Shecoached singers at Lawrenceville School

and was a mentor for young talent atWestminster Choir College. She servedon McCarter’s Board from 1978 to 1986and was also involved in Princeton Pro Musica.Ben Lake died in 1986 and eight

years later she married Bruce Woodgerwho had ties to Martha’s Vineyard as she did. It was one of those marriagesmade in heaven, full of love and supportand understanding.When the tenure of George S.

Nevens, Jr. as Head of School was overand Oldfields fell into a bad financial situation, she was then on the Board ofTrustees and one of the school’s Saviors,those who pledged capital sums to savethe school and then, in their infinitewisdom, hired Hawley Rogers to be Head.As President of the Oldfields Alumnae

Association, I joined the Board in 1980where I saw first hand how Cynthia’sgrace mixed well with her smarts as she

took on the chairmanship of theDevelopment Committee and began theHerculean task of organizing a smallconstituency into believing it couldmake a difference. Annual Givingincreased along with the emergence ofcapital gifts to the school. Oldfields survived and prospered and that wasbecause of Cynthia and others like her,and because of the wisdom and vision of Hawley Rogers.I remained on the Board through a

good deal of 1986 and had the privilegeof working with her. She gave me thecourage to take on the job of firstAlumna Chair of the Board and sup-ported all of us in our work to makeOldfields strong. She threw her energiesinto our first Capital Campaign to raise4 million dollars for faculty salaryendowment and was on hand to celebrateits success.Oldfields was never a project for

Cynthia. Rather, it was one of the“homes” she loved, full of people whomeant a great deal to her. During herschool days, she acted and sang in MissRandolph’s productions of Gilbert andSullivan, became a Student Officer,Green Team Captain and May Queen ather graduation. She was beautiful,smart, warm and a joy to work with. On the 31st of January 2009, she diedpeacefully in her sleep from amyotrophiclateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Courage, Unselfishness, Largeness ofHeart – Cynthia was an Oldfields Girl.

Helen Frederick GrayOldfields Class of 1951


A L U M N A E M A T T E R SA L U M N A E M A T T E R S

1964Jacquelin “Jackie” Thomas Carey

Sarah Shaver Bauernfeind – Georgeand I are traveling quite a bit to visit our wanderlust children all over the US.When not traveling, we can be foundeither in Kentucky or in Bonita Springswhere we own a condo. We have beendrawn to Florida ever since meetingthere over 43 years ago! We plan to retire to Bonita Springs once the market recovers.

Lucinda “Cinda” Train Longstreath –We had a wonderful summer; sawWendy Fruland Hopper. Very success-ful summer art show. My daughter,Libby, has followed in her mother’s footsteps; she has an art show in theAdirondacks in October. DC visits arewelcome; give a shout!

1965

Jane Farley Simonds – I am keeping upwith my croquet and am currentlyranked number two nationally. I’m verybusy with my grandsons, ages eight andsix, and granddaughter, age three. Myhusband, Bill, is winding up his 43rdyear teaching at Green Vale School.

1966Carolyn Gibbons Abernethy

Antoinette “Toni” Carter Vreeland –My life is busy spending time inBaltimore in the fall and spring,Bridgehampton, Long Island during thesummer and Ocean Reef (Key Largo,Florida) in the winter, so I’m never quitesure where I am when I wake up in themorning! Our youngest son, Corbin,just graduated from Trinity College(Hartford, Connecticut) this past May,so our college tuition checks are finallybehind us! So far, nobody has decided togo to graduate school, so we’re taking adeep breath...we’ll see! Walker, now 30,has his own morning radio show onWBAZ, 102.5 (in Easthampton, LongIsland) which is the station I’ve been lis-tening to for many years, so I wake up tohis cheerful voice all summer which isgreat fun! Taylor, 26, has been living inSan Diego for the last four years workingas a financial analyst for JMI Realty, buthis firm is moving to Austin, Texas, sohe will be moving there in the fall. He’llmiss the wonderful surfing in California,but he’s looking forward to being inAustin which is apparently a great cityto live in. Corbin is ocean lifeguarding

Cinda Train Longstreth ’64

When Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and

paints his own nature into his pictures,” then surely he must have been speaking

about Cinda Train Longstreth ’64. Her modern paintings of the Adirondack

Mountains combine her own sensitivity and

artistic vision with the stunning natural beauty

which surrounds her Keene Valley studio. The

result is vibrant images of the peaks in glorious

colors, as seen in different seasons, times of

day, and varying weather.

Although the majority of her work is paint-

ings, she has also produced serigraphs and

drawings. She has worked in a wide

variety of media, including oils, wax, plastics, acrylics, glue, charcoal, pastels, spray

paints, tempera, graphite and inks. Her wide range and flexibility create paintings

that seem to “move” – one can almost feel the cool breezes rippling through the

wildflowers as the sun begins to set.

After studying art at Oldfields School, Cinda went on to study at the Corocoran

School of Art (Washington, DC), Signoria Simi’s School of Drawing (Florence, Italy),

and at the Department of Art (Kansas State University). She has also taught art to

pre-school children and elementary children

in Washington, DC.

A mentor, and great influence, on Cinda and her work was the artist Harold

Weston. It was Weston’s work and efforts that led to the beginning of The National

Endowment for the Arts. She was proud and honored when PBS created a major

documentary called A Bigger Belief in Beauty – The Life and Paintings of Harold

Weston and called her to lend her creativity and memories to the film. The film was

made to augment a retrospective exhibit of Weston’s work, and subsequently used

for the pledge drive in New York, Virginia,

and Washington, DC.

Her work has been shown in nearly 50

exhibitions and in some 500 individual

collections across the country. Cinda is a

woman who dares to express “her own

nature,” and the beauty of the world

around her, through her art.

Class of 1964.

1963

Blair Bartol MacInnes – Three newgrandchildren enhanced our lives thisyear; two girls and a boy, bringing us toeight. I stay in close touch with WendyGoodyear Griswold and Marguerite“Maggie” Tenney Embry. Can’t breakthose bonds.

in Bridgehampton all summer, and thenhe isn’t sure what the next chapter of hislife will be yet. Needless to say, it’s atough time to be looking for a job. Butwe’re confident that he’ll find SOME-THING! And Gerrit continues to workat Deutsch Bank, but seems to work inenough free time to fish wherever he is!So all’s well with all the Vreelands!

Susan Drinker – To my classmates whodo not, or cannot correspond by e-mail...thinking of all of you and putting it outthere that we will be 45 in 2011. We allpromised we would gather together everyfive years and we are quite a fun festwhen we do, so let’s start to think whereand how. I miss you and hope to see you again before I depart the planet (no current plans to do so, but we neverknow, now do we…).

1968Anne Crimmins

Anne Crimmins – I continue to enjoyretirement. I’m busy with substituteteaching, volunteering at RonaldMcDonald House, being Grammy, andsome travel. I see Lisle Loosli Bradleyoften and my grandchildren love her.

Cinda Longstreth ’64, Dee Allen ’64, Libby Longstreth,and Susan West Ross ’64 in Newport, March ’09.

Anne Crimmins ’68 with her family


1969

Elizabeth Gay (Dix) Brooke – We are celebrating our 30th year of owningour B&B inn on Cape Cod. Beyond our innkeeping duties, we are oftenfound doing volunteer work on behalf of animals.

Christopher Hubbell McCambridge – I am now a “grandma!” OctaviaMcCambridge was born last October. It is so fun.

1970

Gail Southard Canzano – Every time theOldfields magazine arrives, I open itexpectantly, looking for news from YOU!I think the class of ’70 may have theabsolute worst response rate. Come onguys! If I can do it, you can. I didn’teven graduate! Next year is our 40threunion. It would be so cool to see every-one. Start planning NOW. I need some-one to walk to the Gunpowder with me.

1971

Edith “Deedie” Clark Bouscaren – InJanuary, Margaret “Grace” RichardsCoit and I traveled to Peru for ten days. It is an amazing country withwarm people and beautiful countryside.We took the Andean explorer fromCusco to Puno.

1972Denise “Dede” Alexandre Le ComteSusan “Susie” Sillcox Repko

Verlinde Hill Doubleday – Verlinde isthe president of the Garden Club ofHouston for 2009.

Denise “Dede” Alexandre LeComte –Elise “Hoppy” duPont Stearns ’71and Sarah “Sally” RockefellerBogdanovitch ’71 (a.k.a. Hop andRock) stopped by my house! Reallyawesome to see them both after so many years!

1973Robin Brown KeartonVanessa “Vinnie” Weber

Katharyn Slater Hart – OS holds a special place in my heart, as it does formy daughter Audrey Hart ’06 and sister,Serena Slater Wilson ’84.

1974Diana Kaiser Bulger

Kate Bedford – Still on the road leadingthe life of the gypsy. It was so great tosee everyone at our 35th reunion.

Colby Gordon Johnson – I am proud towrite that my son, Gordon, graduatedfrom James Madison University, and ourdaughter, Jean “Jeanie” Johnson ’07,will be a graduate in the class of 2011.

Barrie Blazer Conner – Our daughterCaroline married Edward BuckleyGreathouse on May 16, 2009. The wed-ding was at Second Presbyterian Churchwith the reception at our home. Ouryounger daughter, Frances Clay, was herMaid of Honor. What a blast we allhad! Caroline and Buck live on his farmin Central Kentucky and Frances Claylives on our family farm in Georgetown,Kentucky. They are ten minutes apart!

1977Robin Brown

Robin Brown – My son, Ross, just trans-ferred to Vanderbilt for his sophomoreyear, so he is closer to home. In June Imarked ten years at Ingram BookCompany and celebrated five years ofmarriage and, for some reason, it lookslike I’m turning—is that a 50?—thisyear. How can that be? Would love tohear from all my buds from ’76, ’77, ’78...Cannon? Linda? Sandi? Where areyou? I’m on Facebook, and can bereached at [email protected].

1978Lydia Crow Taylor

1980Cornelia “Lia” Wallace

1981

Victoria “Vicki” Aubinoe – My husband, myself, and our daughter havecreated a business called Bizzy Brands.Our tee shirt line is called Bizzy Teez.The tee shirt looks like a coloring bookpage. It comes with twelve fabric mark-ers to color in the shirt. Extra tees canbe bought separately for people withmore than one child. Our first theme(sea animals) is almost ready for storeand website sales. I am working on anumber of other themes for the kids tocolor in. They are great birthday presents, projects, and gifts to make forfamily members. After exactly one yearof construction we have been back in

Lisa Sonshine ’80 recently visited withJoe and Dotty Hordubay

Shawn Goldstein ’80 and Joan CarterJermakian ’81 remain close friends

Franny Pope Hohman ’82our house for a year and a half after renovating it. We love it! Maybe wecan throw a daytime BBQ for alumniand their families—that way more people can come.

Lou Pierce Bradner – Jim and LouBradner live in Richmond, Virginia, andhave been living there with their twodaughters, Pierce, 16, and Caroline, 13,for 20 years. Life has been busy withwork, school, and sports. I have recon-nected with Oldfields friends in the pastyear and it has been wonderful. If ever in Richmond, would love to catch up.804-285-2597

Kami Landy – I just returned from twoweeks in Spain, getting my studio apart-ment ready to be rented. Return flightpassed through Dusseldorf, Germany—how lovely! I’ll have to go visit on purpose now.

1982Kim Smoyer

Frannie Pope Hohman – I am so happyto reconnect through Facebook with myOS sisters. I went to the reunion inApril ’09 and got a chance to see manyold friends and even make new friendswith girls I didn’t know that well inschool. One of the highlights of thatweekend was meeting and singing withDubious Dozen and Images. I have somany wonderful and wonderfullynaughty memories of school. It was trulya life defining time for me. I went on toBoston University where I graduatedwith a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree inActing. From there I went on to workin theater, voice-over work for computergames and radio, and commercials. I ammarried to a wonderful man; we havetwo children and live in Tiburon,California, fifteen minutes north of SanFrancisco. Currently I am busy raisingOliver, 9, and Elliott, 6, but occasionallyfind time to act with a San Franciscobased comedy troupe, to which I belong,called “Funny But Mean.”

A L U M N A E M A T T E R S A L U M N A E M A T T E R S

Julie Hupfeldt Miller – I am happilymarried nineteen years to Andrew“Skip” Miller of Baltimore, Maryland. I am a retired preschool teacher (at themoment) but intend to go back to it.We have two beautiful boys Cody, 11,goes to Jemicy School and Drew, 14, goesto Boy’s Latin School, both here inMaryland. We had the most memorabletime at Alumnae Weekend 09!Attendance rocked ... all thanks to

Christopher Brooke, Elizabeth Gay (Dix)Brooke ’69, and Elizabeth Anne Brooke

The daughter of Barrie Blazer Conner ’74at her wedding.

Jelene Joan Dover Dressler ’82, Megan Mardiney Hill ’82, Katie Trautlein Atwood ’81,Lisa Hewitt Cassara ’83 on Fire Island, Summer 2009

It’s been 20 years since the Class of1989 graduated!

Rory Patrick and Saoirse Reese,children of Leslie Falini Young ’91

The class of 1984 at its 25th reunion


A L U M N A E M A T T E R S A L U M N A E M A T T E R S

Facebook! Saw Barbarba Magee Buckley ’84, Louise ScheffenackerPrusak, Whitney Riggs O’Connor,Jelene “Joan” Dover Dressler, AsifaHassam, Sarah Greenhalgh, AdrienneRusso, Heather Woods Keller, Ellen Gale Conner ’83, Lou PierceBradner ’81, Joan Carter Jermakian ’81,Lisa Hewitt Cassara ’83, MarizySphorer McKinney ’81, Liza Strode,Stephanie Fretz Cormier, Frannie PopeHohman, Peggy Johnstone Burkett,Sidney Persing Banaszak and sooooomany more.... I cannot name them all!Next year I want to see YOU! We areall so thrilled to have Taylor Smith back and running the school ....it’s likecoming home!

1983Barbara Lynn Dulin

Kerin Bean Grall – I gave birth to mysixth child, Mathieu Robert Grall, onFebruary 26, 2009. He came home to allhis brothers and sisters as they werehome from college for Spring Break!Jessica is now 21 and in her junior yearat U-Conn; Nicolas, 19, is a freshmanand playing football for Ithaca College.

everyone is having a fabulous summer,too! It’s been so fun to catch and keepup with all my OS buddies on Facebook!Speaking of which, I was able to seeMargo Chertock in DC a couple weeksago and had a wonderful visit!

1985Sims Boulware BulluckLeigh Martin O’Connor

Carolyn Kelley Baugus – Hi everyone!I’m living in Atlanta with my husband,Jim, and our two sons, Ollie, 11, andBennett, 8. We live near Chastain Parkand have loved walking over to listen tothe outdoor concerts. Keep in touch,I’m on Facebook.

Elizabeth Petry Goldman Beckley –Alumnae weekend was better than I hadever expected. It was wonderful to seeeveryone doing so well, and what a greatturn out! My husband, Guy, and I loveliving on the Eastern Shore. If anyone isin the area, please be sure to give us acall and say hi!

Elizabeth is 13 and going to high schoolthis fall and Sarah, 10, is going to middleschool. Thomas just started a three-year-old program and Mathieu will bekeeping me busy at home. I would loveto hear from some classmates and hopeeveryone is doing well.

1984

Asifa Hassam – I am happy that I wasfinally “found” after 25 years. It wastruly a beautiful “homecoming” this pastspring. I am looking forward to givingback to our wonderful OS community.

Nelle Chilton Dixon – We haveenjoyed a busy beautiful summer thus far.In addition, we are embarking on thethrilling experience of pony ownership,so those of you whom I consider expertsin this field, be forewarned; you will behearing from me, as I will need lots ofadvice! For our next adventure, we’reoff to Montana to a dude ranch,Yellowstone, and a possible visit withrelatives in Jackson, Wyoming. Hope

Joann Falciani – I am currently trainingfor a half marathon in September.

Mary Ann Lai Herron – Our family isdoing well and enjoyed our summer.Annie participated in an art camp.Sarah went to a science camp and Iworked at Echo Hill Outdoor School for two weeks teaching 4-6 year olds.Lots of fun!!

Cory Jones Jackson – I still love my jobin the Admission office and am thrilledto be working on The Middle School atOldfields. Parker ’12 is in her third yearhere and is a 5-day boarder, a member ofDubious and leader of Playmakers. Liza’13 started her freshman year as a daystudent and is already making her ownmark on the OS campus. I am reallylooking forward to the class of 85’s 25ththis year and hope we will have a 100%turn out from our class. Go GREEN!

1986Anne McIntyre ColcloughAnn “Anna” Barker GerrowVirginia “Gigi” Abel Long

Amanda “Mandy” Fisher Killen – I wasmarried on June 6, 2009, to my husband,Jay Killen. We had a wonderful ceremo-ny at our church in Southaven,Mississippi with all of our family andfriends in attendance.

Jane McColl Lockwood – Hi everyone!Everything is pretty good here inCharlotte. My kids are getting olderwhich means, unfortunately, so am I!We are enjoying a lazy summer beforegearing up for seventh, fifth, and thirdgrades. I have recently joined theOldfields Board of Trustees and I amlooking forward to the challenge and toreconnecting with many of you, especial-ly those I haven’t seen since we walkeddown the hill in June of 1986! As mymother would say...”remember where youcame from and who helped you alongthe way.”

1987Esther McMaster AndrewCarolyn Ewing Woods

Samantha Safdie Miller – Thanks to allof the social networking sites it’s been soeasy and fun staying in touch with myfriends from Oldfields. Elizabeth“Wizzie” Wentz Stewart, LaurenBrumbach Rothermel, and DevonParsons ’88 and I “chat” more now thanwhen we had class together. I’m stilldown in Florida. Polo season here isover and now I’m back to helping thegreen ponies along during the very hotand humid summer. Hope everyone isdoing great and I’m sorry I couldn’t makeit back to see Hawley and Taylor. I’mdefinitely in for our 25 year reunion,though, so watch out.

1988 Rebecca Rivers SchraderCynthia Thiele

Barbara Baisley – Hi everyone, it waswonderful to see everyone at PollyWilliamson McArthur’s party. We can’tpossibly be reaching that milestone inour lives. I have been plugging away atmy dissertation and am starting to seelight at the end of the tunnel and perhaps a return to life away from thecomputer screen. Hope you had a relaxing summer.

1990Wanda Cole FriemanKatherine “Katie” SalisburyLaDawne Lampton White Lisa Zawacki

1991Julie Snyder GreenspanLeslie Falini Young

Leslie Falini Young – Hi all. I’m backin Unionville, Pennsylvania. I have twochildren; Rory Patrick, born February 27,2008 and Saoirse Reese, born January

14, 2009. My husband Paddy and I haveour hands full, but in a good way. Paddyand I also have a few flat and steeple-chase horses in training. Love to all.

1992Pamela “Pam” Irvin JordanMary Simmons EvansAlyssa Boyle Starzyk

Anita Megginson Brown – My husbandand I are expecting a little girl inNovember. This will be a great additionto our two sons who are both excitedabout the sister that will be around.

Left to right: Whitney Riggs O’Connor ’82,Louise Scheffenacker Prusak ’82, Jelene JoanDover Dressler ’82 on Nantucket Island,Summer 2009



46 FALL 2009


1993Cynthia “Cindy” van der Nat

1994Allison Fair ChamblissThayer Doffermyre Rust

1995Anne ErvineKathryn “Kate” Kelly Lacy Winn Sakellaris

Elizabeth Hoogenboom – Hi Everyone!I am doing well. Still living in NYC andworking for Michael Skurnik Wines, awine importer/distributor, and loving it!I had a great time seeing Anne Ervine,Page Scully, Amanda Cutter andBarkley Cutter in January ’09 for a skivacation in Colorado. I also enjoyed asurprise visit from Julianne “Julie”Dickinson and was able to arrange abrunch with her, Dana “Tyler” WatkinsTaylor and Adrienne Seligman ’96. Ialso took a trip up to Boston to visitDana Kelly and had a blast. Lots of OSreunions for me in ’09 and I’ve lovedthem all! I hope there are plenty moreto come!

The Class of 1999 celebrated its 10th reunion!

1996Kathryn Allen CatsmanAdrienne Seligman

Bridget Read – Bridget moved to NewYork City to work for Ogilvy & Matheras an Advertising Account Supervisorwithin the healthcare industry. Sheworks with consumers and healthcareprofessionals as an advertising digitalspecialist to launch websites and mobileapplications. She has loved exploringNYC and taking full advantage of thearts and theater.

1997Shelley Short MatthewsWendy StewartAmanda Delcher Sutton

Nena Adams Meurlin – My most recentnews is that we just welcomed a healthybaby boy on July 22, 2009. His name isHarrison Buchanan Meurlin.

Elliott Watts Niespodziani – Hi every-one! I recently got married to my rockstar husband, Nick Niespodziani, in May.He’s the lead singer and songwriter inseveral bands in Atlanta (Y-O-U and

Yacht Rock Revue to name a few).Check them out at www.pleaserock.com.I’ve been working at TurnerBroadcasting for the past five years andlove it. Nick and I set sail on our hon-eymoon in September to Amsterdam,Barcelona, and Costa Brava. Woo-hoo!Hope everyone is doing well!

Starling Crabtree Nowell – I am livingin Nashville, Tennessee with my familyand working at Regions Bank in theirmortgage division. I’m hoping to getback to Oldfields soon for my 15 yearreunion in 2012 to celebrate with all my girlfriends!

1998Charlotte BairCarolyn “Dealey” CampbellLee “Dougie” Simmons

Jennifer Winter Horne – This past yearhas been busy but thrilling at the sametime. With the birth of my son, Robert,Jr., I have been experiencing the wonderful joy of parenting! It truly issomething that mere words could neverdescribe. Every day is a new adventure

2004Vienna del SolTahira Lindsay

Courtney Brown – I just moved out toBerkeley, California to start my Ph.D.program at the Haas School of Business-UC Berkeley.

2005Shavonne “Shay-Shay” Ward

2006Madeline “Maddy” DarrellElizabeth “EB” HurleyPhoebe LarnerKrislyn Payne

Maddy Darrell – Hey Oldfields! I hopeeveryone is doing well out there in beau-tiful Glencoe! My dad (Richard Darrell,Trustee) says everything is runningsmoothly. I transferred from VirginiaTech to The Savannah College of Artand Design. I love it! Savannah is sopretty and I really enjoy all my classes. Iam majoring in advertising design. Bighugs and kisses to everyone!!!

and I can truly say that I have experi-enced no better joy then watching mylittle boy grow and learn new thingsevery day. I am still enjoying my work asa therapist but at the end of the day I amalways eager to get home to my beautifulbaby boy, wonderful husband, and, ofcourse, my two sweet puppies!

1999Claire HigginsJennifer StelmachAshley Vizzi

2000Erin Stevens Henrie

2001Rosa “Gunter” DavisVictoria “Vicky” HunterPaige RabalaisLindsey Ringwald

2002Ellen “E.J.” Ruchman

2003Ashley BrantCatherine Ford

Enjoying the merry-go-round is Starling Marie Nowell, age 4, the daughter ofStarling Crabtree Nowell ‘97

Madeline Ryan, daughter ofCasey Latrobe Ryan ‘97

The Class of 2004 celebratedits 5th reunion!

Mitchell Montgomery, son of TonyaGrudier Montgomery

2007Catherine “Kate” MaddoxAlexandra “Lex” MillerCatherine Ann “Cat” Kirschenmann

PAST FACULTY NOTES

Tonya Grudier Montgomery – Tom andI welcomed our precious little boy,Thomas Mitchell (who we’re callingMitchell), on Wednesday, April 22 at2:43 p.m. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 3ounces and is 22 inches long. He is acuddle bug who loves to be held, and weare absolutely in love!

48 FALL 2009

Births

A son, Sayid Talishkhan, to Valerie Theberge ’87on March 30, 2009

A daughter, Whitley White, to LaDawne Lampton White ’90on February 5, 2009

A son, William Buchanan Harrell, toSheila Wiley Harrell ’90 on August 25, 2009.

A daughter, Saoirse Reese, to Leslie Falini Young ’91 on January 14, 2009.

A son, Samuel Gordon Cavallo, to Ange Grand Cavallo ’94 on March 16, 2009

A son, Harrison Buchanan Meurlin, toNena Adams Meurlin ’97on July 22, 2009

A daughter, Madeline Louise Ryan, toCasey Latrobe Ryan ’97on August 20, 2009

Marriages

Amanda “Mandy” Fisher married Jay Killen on June 6, 2009

Elliott Watts married Nick Niespodziani on May 24, 2009

Taylor Jones ’00 married Micah Gremillion on April 25, 2009

M I L E S T O N E S

In Memoriam

Gretchen Glover Motter ’34August 24, 2009

Ellen Gorham Motter ’35February 2, 2009

Nancy Donaldson Starring ’43September 11, 2009

Bathsheba “Bash” Anderson Veghte ’45May 30, 2009

Cynthia Bullock Lake Woodger ’49January 31, 2009

Caroline “Biddy” Baxter Pauley ’56 March 5, 2009

Lois Frazier Hackett ’64August 14, 2009

Linda Babcock Wilson ’67March 21, 2009

Marguerite “Mimi” Wilson ’72October 15, 2009

Amanda Lake ’82August 19, 2009

Nancy M. WagnerDirector of Alumnae, 1966 to 1973July 19, 2009

Caroline “Biddy” Baxter Pauley ‘56

was a dedicated volunteer who focused

on helping families and children near her

homes in Hobe Sound, Fla. and

Greenwich, Ct. She died on March 5,

2009. Born in Beeville, Tex., Biddy was a

passionate supporter of programs that

made a difference in the lives of the less

fortunate. She was a hands-on volunteer

who also played a crucial role in directing

fundraising efforts and recruiting new

supporters. She was a director of the

Family Center in Greenwich, Ct., a founder

of the Hot Line in Greenwich, Ct. and the

president of the board of the Boys & Girls

Club of Martin County in Hobe Sound, Fla.

She was also a champion angler and

hunter, holding the International Game

Fish Association's world record for an off-

shore catch of white marlin. While living

in Nantucket, Mass., she was an active

member of the Nantucket Anglers Club

and the Nantucket Yacht Club. Biddy also

greatly enjoyed flower arranging and won

five Fenwick medals, the highest honor

bestowed by the Garden Club of America.

She was the past president of the

Greenwich Garden Club and also was a

member of the Jupiter Island Garden Club.

The beautiful bride Taylor JonesGremillion ‘00 and her bridesmaid,Stefanie Stelmach Childers ‘00.

Sam Cavallo, son of Ange Grand Cavallo ’94


Largo Core – largeness of heart –is the name given to the societyestablished to recognize thosewith the vision to include Oldfields School in their estateplanning. As a member of theLargo Core Society, you willhave an important impact inshaping the values and traditionsof generations to come and inensuring a strong future for Oldfields as the School movestowards its 150th anniversaryand beyond. Your legacy will bean investment in the future ofyoung women and our world.

Your Pin. Your Legacy.

Our Gratitude.This distinguished Largo Core Society pin honors all planned

giving donors for their support of the mission of Oldfields School.

The pin is both a memento and a symbol. As a memento, itmodestly conveys our appreciation for your planned gift commit-ment. It is also a tangible indication of your enrollment in theLargo Core Society. As a symbol, it unequivocally makes a state-ment about your belief in the importance of our future mission.

We would be gratified and honored to provide you with a Largo Core Society pin if you have:

• Provided for Oldfields School in your will or trust.

• Designated us as the beneficiary of a qualified retirement plan, savings bond, bank account, or life insurance policy.

• Created a planned gift that returns fixed or flexible income to you or others.

We welcome the opportunity to have a confidential conversationwith you at no obligation. If you are already a member of theLargo Core Society, or would like information, please contact Dr. Parnell Hagerman at 410-472-4800.

OLDFIELDS SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

Oldfields School is committed to the intellectual and moral

development of young women. In a culture of kindness and

mutual respect, we encourage each student to make the most

of her academic and personal potential. We seek to guide

each student to grow in character, confidence, and knowledge

by encouraging her to embrace the values of personal honesty,

intellectual curiosity, and social responsibility.

OLDFIELDS SCHOOL

1500 Glencoe RoadGlencoe, Maryland 21152-9321

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit 1167

Baltimore, MD

oldfields magazine fall 2009

Documents

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